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8/25/2022 10:56:28 AM
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Old Unfinished Stories

[spoiler]Here's a couple really old unfinished stories from like a year or two back. They haven't been edited much and all I have written for the second half of this one is a no: "Nightmare fight and Summer." I had the idea for this one atleast as far back as the end of the Apocalypse and planned to adapt it into the series I was posting at the time. It's two of my characters, Autumn and Winter, trying to survive in the wilderness of my evil fairyland. I still enjoy their interactions, sister things.[/spoiler] Dark clouds gather above the Nowhere and with a rumble of thunder it begins to rain. Below, a thick canopy of red and blue leaves shelter a forest of immense trees with vines, wisteria, and curtains of pink willow leaves hanging from twisted, thorn covered branches and trunks. Arching networks of thick roots hold the trees several feet above the forest bed where rain gathers into pools and creeks among fields of moss, flowers, and mushrooms that all glow softly in a rainbow of colors. From the brambles along a burbling stream a creature emerges, dragging long claws across a root. Tall and emaciated, the beasts sickly pale flesh is covered in patches of dark feathers, furs, and scales. It stalks forward upon two multi jointed legs and scans the environment through the hollow sockets of a bear skull protruding from its face. The beast turns to the sound of rustling in the brush and snorts a thick cloud of vapor. Then a distant cry catches its attention, something between the roar of a predator and a death rattling scream. It responds with a similar howl before dropping to all fours and sprinting away as several smaller creatures emerge to follow. A moment passes and the air where the beast had glared begins to shimmer as two Elven sisters appear. Winter's long white hair has been tied in the back and her once elegant blue and gray dress is filthy and worn, torn short for mobility with strips wrapped around her legs and feet to protect from the elements. Autumn's attire is unchanged, black robes as ragged as ever with her wide brimmed pointy hat that curls at the tip. "Seems they've found more enticing prey," Autumn whispers, "Nice spellwork, you've been practicing?" "I've dabbled," Winter replies, pulling a few burrs from her dress, "Illusions and Enchantments, but I'm spent. We should find someplace relatively safe to rest a moment." "Agreed." The sisters cautiously traverse the terrain before coming upon a suitable shelter beneath a tree upon the side of an overhang of dirt, concealed with a curtain of vines and roots. Winter quickly enters and turns to Autumn with a sly grin. "I claim this residence as my own." A twinkle in her cold blue eyes. Autumn's shoulders slump as an unseen force prevents her from entering, "This old game? We're not children anymore." "One must find joy where one can in these dark times," Winter lifts her chin, "Now what tribute do you offer us in exchange for sanctuary?" "What does your majesty desire?" Autumn glares, ruby eyes like burning embers in the dark. "That's [i]your grace[/i] and-" Winters stomach interrupts with an audible gurgle, "We don't suppose you have any food hidden amongst those rags?" "Hmm, oh!" Autumn flips her hat and runs a finger across arcane symbols along the rim. They glow a faint blue in the dark, then she plunges her arm within and produces a small green box, "I have Thin Mints!" Winter blinks and starts to say something, but her stomach interjects once more, "We accept this tribute and invite you into our humble hovel." Snatching the box out of her hands, Winter sits cross legged upon the moss and tears into the cookies. "M'lady is too kind!" Autumn mocks a curtsey, then ducks under the roots and sits beside her, contemplating the hat in her hands. "That is a useful trick," Winter speaks with a full mouth, unconcerned with manners given the circumstances, "Did you create it yourself?" "No, it was a gift from a colleague, but if this works here," Autumn places the hat to the side and extends her hands forward, palms up, "then maybe I can summon my staff aswell!" She smiles to Winter with pursed lips, "But let's keep talking, the silence is unsettling." "Very well," Winter considers the next cookie in her fingers, "Why do you keep cookies within your hat, but not spell components?" "It would be awkward removing my hat to retrieve things for casting. Also, sunlight bad." "Fair enough," Winter considers the next cookie in her hand and continues, "So, we're dead." "At home, yes, but here? Things get complicated." "How so?" "Things that die here just come back, but with a piece of their essence corrupted into something else. Like those Beasties, the twisted souls of those who died wanting, forever hungry but growing with each meal so they'll never be satisfied." "Lovely, I should probably save these for later." "Oh don't worry, I've several boxes within my Hat of Holding!" "Why, exactly?" "Mostly to annoy a friend." Autumn smiles fondly at the memories of the old undead prophet and the many adventures they had together along with the Dwarf Benaiah. Eyeing her sisters fangs, Winter asks with a hint of concern, "And how are you doing? When was the last time you fed?" Autumn's smile quickly fades and she turns away, "I'm fine, thanks." "Don't do that." Winter holds her arm out and bumps her sister's chin, "Drink, idiot." Staring at the dark blue veins just visible beneath Winter's pale blue skin, Autumn's lip curls a bit, then her eyes widen. "Blood!" "No, drink my sweat you troglodyte." "Ew, no! I mean I can use blood in place of components for casting! Watch!" Winter grits her teeth as Autumn's fangs sink into her wrist, then her sister pulls away and wiggles her fingers over the wound and with a wisp of red mist they heal immediately. "See? Blood Magic!" Autumn smiles and wipes a trickle from her chin. Winter ponders the mended wounds on her wrist, then she looks to Autumn sternly. "You read mother's book." "Yes," Autumn frowns, "and?" "She expressly forbade it." "Since when do you care what mother says?" "Because of the source of that magic. It is evil and-" "And now you suddenly care about morality aswell?" Autumn turns away, shaking with rage, "After all you've done?" They sit in silence for awhile, listening to the rain and the distant screams from the hunting beasts, until finally Winter speaks. "I am sorry. I have no excuses for how I teased and bullied you in our youth. I was cruel, but that thing that killed you was not me. I would [i]never[/i] do anything to harm you or our sisters." "I know," Autumn turns back, wiping a red tear from her cheek, "and I'm sorry about your leg." "My what now?" "I made a doll and whenever I was angry with you, I'd go to my room and poke it with needles. One time I poked it in the leg, and then you fell down the stairs. So... sorry about the leg." Rage flashes across Winter's face and she inhales sharply, then closes her eyes and exhales. "Very well, that makes us even then." She then presents her wrist once more, "I trust you know what you're doing, so take as much as you need if it will get us home." "Oh no, I'd need far more than you have to give. Like a small village worth, and we may end up somewhere worse!" Autumn returns to her summoning ritual, "Traveling to and from the Nowhere is tricky." "Then why the bloody hell's did you even bring up the blood magic?" "Cuz if you bleed then other things must bleed aswell. So first I'll get my staff so I can do more magic. Then we find something and kill it so I can use it's blood to call home!" "Well," Winter leans back into the moss, "I am going to get some rest if you don't mind." "Okie dokie, guess I'll just sit here then..." "Quietly, please" And so Autumn sits, quietly, until an hour passes and her staff finally appears before her. The white wood branch hovers in place a moment before falling into her hands and she grips it tightly with a smile, then turns her focus to the woods and keeps watch.
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  • You know, one vampire trope I really love is when the vampire has a food source who's willing to give them blood, but they don't like taking it and try to avoid it as much as possible. That didn't really happen here, but it reminded me of it, and it's really fun. Like, for a while I had this big idea for a series of vampire stories, and in the first one the protagonist was a human, while her adopted mum was a vampire. I really loved their character dynamic, and it was pretty much the only thing that I actually made for that story. Anyway, tangent aside, I liked this first one (haven't read the second yet). Autumn and Winter have this weird dynamic between them, where they kinda seem to both love and hate eachother at the same time, and that's pretty nifty. I will say that when Autumn got mad, it felt really sudden, but other than that it was good fun. I think my favorite bit is when she just apologizes about the leg, and Winter's like, "Huh?", and it's just like "Yeah, I made you fall down the stairs once.". :p

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