ribbons-and-keys

[ribbons-and-keys]

Midsummer Moment

Another TADC Faerie!AU installment. A little something for the Summer Solstice.

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Shades of vanilla and rose ribboned the horizon as stars began to peak their heads though the darkening sky; they were witnesses to the boisterous festivities below. Music and laughter muddled and mixed in the sea of swaying bodies. Despite the large crowd and summer heat, no one seemed to break a sweat. Pomni felt like she was the exception.

Sweat gathered at the base of her neck and made the back of her jumpsuit stick. Pieces of her dark hair stuck to the sides of her face. She already abandoned her mushroom cap on some tree branch to relieve herself of heat. (It would appear again in some convenient place, courtesy of an enchantment placed by Caine). The humidity stubbornly latched onto her skin and made her already exhausting evening even more unpleasant. She was half tempted to sneak off to the lake and soak in it's cool waters. She knew, however, that Caine wouldn't let anyone go off on their own tonight.

It was Midsummer, "One of the grandest and greatest celebrations for faeries!" as Caine had put it. And he insisted that everyone join. Zooble almost got away with a quiet evening alone, but Caine caught them in their shapeshifted form-a blackbird- before they could get away. In protest, Zooble remained at the edge of the festivities, this time as a wolf, snapping at anyone who got too close. Pomni followed similar suit by standing near a table of treats away from the dancing.

The table was filled with an array of glistening pastries, candied fruit, and tasty, savory bites. Bubble outdid himself with an arrangement of small tea cakes to look like a luna moth. Pomni almost swore the cakes that made the wings fluttered ever so slightly off the table. She still couldn't get used to the strangeness of this place.

Once upon a time, when she was human, magical celebrations were found in books and movies. Although her memory of such things were still cloudy, she knew that the party before her was a thousand times more extravagant. It was also more horrifying.

There was something about this revelry that was extremely off-putting. Beneath the smiling faces and sparkles, there was an eerie truth that had yet to be uncovered. Pomni couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"Need a drink?" a kind voice asked. The faerie woman held a cup of something shimmery and pink towards Pomni.

"Thanks, Ragatha," Pomni took the mystery drink graciously and drank down it's saccharine contents.

"No problem," she said sweetly and took her place beside Pomni. Ragatha's cellophane wings twitched slightly as she looked up. A few strands of scarlet, yarn-hair came loose from her bun.

"Caine outdid himself tonight, don't you think Pomni?" she chirped. Pomni clutched her clay cup.

"I'm not really one for parties," she confessed awkwardly. They were still trying to figure each other out. They were friendly enough with each other, but they hadn't found that spark of realtibility just yet.

"Oh! That's totally fine! If you need-"

"Excuse me, ladies," Pomni wasn't sure to be thankful or groan at Jax's arrival. His cheshire smile gleamed underneath his shadowy cowl. The keys hanging from his neck clinked merrily.

"Yes, Jax?" Ragatha said politely. From the corner of her eye, Pomni saw Ragatha clutching the sides of her violet dress.

"The little 'shroom owes me a dance," Jax declared. He grabbed Pomni's hand before she could protest and dragged her to the dance floor.

They stumbled upon a group of faeries engaged in a circle dance. Jax practically threw Pomni into their midst, with the other faeries catching her by the hand with ease. He slipped between Pomni and another faerie, not once breaking the dance.

They spun and spun. Time seemed to both be too fast and too slow as they did. Colors became faces and faces became colors. Pomni tried to pull herself away from the dance. Her legs were growing tired and her feet ached terribly. She felt herself slipping towards the floor. Her body was crying out for rest. But hey held onto her like a fly in honey. They wouldn't stop. They couldn't stop.

Pomni finally understood. She would have fun whether she wanted to or not.

[ribbons-and-keys]

The Mound: A TADC FAERIE!AU

Hello, I'm Key. This is the first installment of my TADC AU. I'm not sure if anyone else has done a Faerie!AU for TADC yet, but I wanted to give it a go. I thought it'd be something fun to do. (Haven't published fanfiction on the internet in ages lol). Please enjoy! I might end up posting this on AO3.

TW: Slight depictions of blood and a mental breakdown

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Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. - W.B. Yeats

The young woman wasn’t sure if it was the pain drumming in her skull or the scent of…flowers? Decay? Both? That woke her up. Her eyes hazily drifted open. 

Twinkling lights greeted her with loud hues, much to her annoyance. All of these colors and smells tore at her senses. It also didn’t help that her mind was still groggy. She curled into a ball, hoping and praying this tidal wave of sensations would pass.

She clutched the dirt beneath her. The cool, softness of it settled between her fingers and under her nails. Slowly but surely, she focused and breathed in the sweet, earthy scent. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of gentle music played. Her body finally relaxed.

“The transformation is complete! Everyone please welcome our new member to The Mound!” A booming voice filled the unfamiliar air. Panic stirred in her blood as she bolted up. Reality bit her suddenly- she didn’t know where she was. And she wasn’t alone. 

Not too far from her, shining beneath the gaudy lights, a man in a cherry leather suit stepped into view. A sleek top hat sat on top of his fiery hair. His long, messy locks reminded the young woman of a lion’s mane. His gait seemed to imitate a lion approaching unsuspecting prey too. She tried to keep herself from shuddering  under his wild gaze. But what stood out most was his too wide grin. Perhaps it was an attempt to be friendly-the naïve thought crossed her mind- yet the sight of his unsettling smile made her stomach churn. 

Something was off about this man. 

“That was some nap she took, eh, boss?” a small orb of light zipped into view. It looked like a blue fire with dark eyes and sharp, flamey teeth. She blinked a few times to make sure she was actually seeing the strange creature.

“Quite the nap, indeed, Bubble! Transformations do take a while. How are you feeling, dear?” The smiling man held a hand towards her. Even from where she was on the ground, she could tell he towered over her significantly. 

“Who…who are you?” she asked weakly. She hated how dazed she was. Her body felt like it was dipped in honey, slow and heavy. 

“Why I’m the King of the Mound!” The  man’s smile, surprisingly, widened even more. Before she could protest, he pulled her up and twirled her. She held back a gag from the sudden,  jerky motions. 

“But you can call me Caine,” the man chirped when he finally stopped twirling her. 

“This is Bubble!” The tiny creature steadied her back. Although she wouldn’t admit it, she was thankful the little flame stopped her spinning. But there was still the matter of the smiling man. 

“Why am I here?” the young woman asked with a little more strength this time. His teeth gleamed beneath the gaudy lights. Her mind reeled at the possibilities of his intentions. 

“You’re my new subject, and we’re all here to welcome you to your new home!” Caine gestured to the space above them. Stalactites and stalagmites were a little more obvious to her amidst the galaxy-like cavern. She squinted between the shadows to where Caine was pointing. Had he not pointed them out, she would’ve missed the five silhouettes lingering among the lights.

“Honestly, I just wanted to see the new sucker meltdown,” one of the figures said. 

“Of course that’s the reason,” another figure responded sarcastically.

“Why do you have to be so mean?” one cried.

“Guys, not so loud. We don’t want to overwhelm her,” said a much kinder voice. 

“What’s this about an insect collection?” said one of the taller shadows.

 She turned her attention back to Caine. 

“New home? I’ve been kidnapped!?” she cried. 

“Oh, goodness no! Lemme explain, I’ll get right to it!” She let out a little gasp as the man began floating. These curious sights and unknowns were getting overwhelming. She wasn’t sure how to take in all of these oddities. 

“We’ll start off with your name,” declared Caine with a twinkle in his eye. 

“Name? My name is…” she wracked her brain. Somehow the sounds and letters of her name slipped out her mind like runny wax. 

“You don’t have a name currently, my dear. At least, not since you gave me your old name,” he said.

“I gave you my name?” the young woman said incredulously. 

“That is correct! Your old name in exchange for an eternity of mind bending wonder, joy, and adventure! Isn’t that exciting?”

Her mind hazily tried to piece everything together- a mushroom circle, a grinning man, and the overwhelming need to escape her life. Had she really chosen this? What was going on in her  life that made her desperate for escape? The memories and answers seemed like a distant light that was growing ever dimmer. She needed to hold onto it. 

“Could I…have it back?” she asked a lot more awkwardly than intended. Part of her hoped that Caine would be reasonable and agree. Then again, is there any reason in this place? She thought somewhere in the back of her mind. Her thoughts were cut short. 

Howling laughter sounded from one of the upper corners of the cavern.

“Did you hear that? She wants her name back!” A slap echoed through the air.

“Shut up, Jax.”

“Unfortunately, the deal has already been made. You willingly gave me your old name, so it’s mine now.  Such a small price for all this excitement!” Caine twirled in the air gleefully. 

“Could we reverse the deal?” she asked.

“I’m afraid not. As you’ll soon learn, we faerie folk are very tenacious when it comes to promises.” He floated uncomfortably close. “You could say we’re cosmically bound by them,” he whispered in her ear. 

The young woman stumbled back. The air was suddenly too sweet and sticky in her lungs. She was certain she’d vomit this time. She clenched her hands, nails digging  into her palm. Then it clicked. 

“Dream,” she mumbled.

“What was that, dear?”

“Yes, yes. It all makes sense now,” she said with assurance rising in her voice. It would explain the unusualness of the place and why she couldn’t remember her name. She didn’t need to fear. That comfort nestled in her heart while she gave Caine a determined look. 

“This is a dream! I was reading a book…I think… about…about never mind! I’ll wake up soon enough, but please, carry on.” 

Caine gave her a quizzical look before donning his smile again. 

He reached into his cost and pulled out what looked like sticks. Yet these sticks shined a brilliant gold underneath the cavern lights. Its remaining leaves were studded with dainty diamonds resembling dew. With the flick of his wrists, Caine tossed the sticks high in the air. They came crashing down in an array of letters.

“Xddc?” he scratched his head. Bubble flew over to his side. He gave the sticks a quick glance.

“Would you like the honest or nice opinion, boss?” he asked.

“Neither, Bubble! Your opinion is irrelevant anyway!” Caine said jovially. The little flame gave a gesture similar to a shrug before picking up the sticks with his mouth. He plopped them into Caine’s gloved hands. 

The young woman watched intently as Caine tossed the sticks once more. They gleamed beautifully in the air before thunking to the ground.

Somehow, looking at that name felt like something branded in her. A door locked into place. A point of no return crossed. She didn’t like the feeling. That saccharine stench gripped her lungs again. 

“Pomni! What an excellent name! Everyone give three cheers to Pomni!”

Silence. Then the unkept beat of awkward clapping. A delayed yelp sounded from a silhouette. 

Dream

Dream

Dream

Her mind kept screaming. Pomni clung to those thoughts desperately. She pressed her fingernails against her palm. The pain would make her wake up soon, she reasoned.

Caine’s smile dimmed as he looked over at Pomni. His face was filled with uncharacteristic concern. 

“My dear, you’re bleeding,” he said gently.

“No one bleeds dreaming,” she snapped. This sick imagination had gone long enough. Forget being polite. She wanted this nightmare to be over.

“But you are, Pomni,” he held her wrist and delicately lifted her hand.

She looked at her fingertips. Bright and horribly true, blood covered them. Only then was she aware of the pain eating at her palm. She was without a shadow of terrible doubt, awake. This was happening.

She couldn’t take it anymore. Turning away, Pomni ran desperately. In her frantic state, she failed to notice the rocks and large puddle. She tripped and crashed into shallow water. Pomni coughed as she shakily propped herself up in the puddle.

The ripples settled. Pomni saw a creature stare at her in the water.

Its eyes alternated in a spiral of blue and red. The vibrant irises were a stark contrast to its ghostly skin. The surprised expression it displayed was framed by short, dark hair.  A red mushroom hat dotted with yellows and blues sat on top of its head. 

Against her better judgment, Pomni reached out.

Hands against face.

Hands against face.

Hands against face.

Blood smeared on the face now.

It was her. 

Her toothy grin reflected on the water’s surface. Someone’s laughter echoing in her ears. A symphony of blissful hysteria drowning out every other sound. It morphed into some wretched cry that pierced the cavern walls. 

Pomni kept screaming.