[FIN!] The gift I give to you (Yabetz/Yavie, some Caolan)

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 167

Yabetz hummed under his breath. “Depends, Ah suppose. Ye see there are two courts o’ fae. The Seelie Court, now they generally be helpful or at least not minded tae harmful sorts o’ mischief, ya ken. Then there’s the Unseelie Court, them as are a darker nature and not tae be a crossed. Now most water folk, they dinnae care aboot us long as we ain’t botherin’ them or foulin’ their homes. They keep tae themselves and dinnae have much tae do with the land fae. I dinnae think ye’d find a bad fae on land close to the home of a water folk from the Seelie Court, they wouldnae tolerate somethin’ bringin’ harm tae their homes.”

He turned his head to give Yavie a quick wink. “There’s not sae many fair folk as would chase ye once ye made them out tae be baddies. They ken tricks and trickery and dinnae go for force unless they have ye in their grasp already.”  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 170

So amazing, Yabetz knew all kinds of things. Yavie couldn’t wait to meet a fairy or fae and ask them all about the courts. It made them sound so regal and elegant! She only hoped that if she did meet a water fae fairy that it was from the Seelie court. The ones from the Unseelie court were the kind that she knew Yabetz would want her to stay away from. She nodded. So water fae fairies were much harder to find then land fae fairies. But if she could find the Seelie court then the land fairies nearby would be the good kind and then she could have a lot fun then. She also would definitely remember that if she though a fae fairy was bad she would call them out on it. The thought that they wouldn’t really hurt her unless they had her in their grasp already was kind of comforting. Yavie was pretty good at running so she was sure she would be fine.  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 192

Yabetz hummed softly as he thought. He knew Yavie, knew the fascination she had with magic and creatures of magic. She saw wonder in absolutely everything and was so absolutely trusting. It was something he found completely endearing, yet at the same time he had to worry just a bit. It was common for a bad faery to masquerade as something good and friendly and beautiful. They was generally how they lured their victims to them, and once they had them enchanted there was little chance of escaping. You couldn’t give them a chance to prove themselves, since such chances were often fatal ones.

“’Tis an odd way tae tell, but often is the fae as which dinnae seek ye out tend tae be the good ones.” He shrugged, smiling behind the mask as he looked at his mate. “’Tis a shame for them as would like tae meet them, but the fair folk are usually private and stick tae themselves. The only ones wich seek ye out and try to tempt ye to approach are usually baddies. They’re a tricky folk, mah Bumblebee, sae dinnae let them fool ye.”  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 253

Yavie’s ears dropped down to the sides of her head. “awww… ok.” She instantly perked up though having a rapid series of thoughts that only Yavie could. She realized that if she called the babies out on being bad then they would leave her alone, but if she called a good fairy bad then she could always apologize later but she was certain that she would then be ok because a baddie would go away. At least that was general train of thought. Yavie’s mind though went through a series of loops and odd questions to get there. One of which was she was sure that baddies were not well liked by animals so as long as she found a little field mouse and took it with her than she would be ok. The field mouse would scurry off it was scared at all. Then again the last time she had one it did scurry off when she met Yabetz, but that was because Yabetz was a fox not a fairy and she knew that there was no way Yabetz could ever be bad when he was always there to protect her. She had the best mate in all the world. Even Papa Ixen and Papa Yuki weren’t as lucky as her and they were the second happiest couple in the world. Maybe she should catch a bee and use it to test fairies? No then she might get stung and that really hurt, nope a field mouse was best.  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 148

Yabetz suddenly smiled and leaned over to give Yavie a nuzzle. “But Ah’ll be with ye the whole time, so ye dinnae have tae worry Bumblebee,” he said. “Ah’ve spent mah whole life in a land where the fae are a common part of the history. Ah know a great deal aboot them, there’s naw sae many as could fool me.” Bright red eyes looked out with interest from the slits in the mask. “Ah could certainly teach ye aboot the various kinds sae ye know what tae look out for, but ‘til then Ah’m here tae make sure none of the baddies tries tae fool ye.”

His smile and gaze grew tender. “Ah have th’ feelin’ ye’d be quite good at it. Ye already have a bit of knowledge. What’s important is enthusiasm for the subject, which ye have in spades!”  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 185

Her tail wagged quickly. The thought of Yabetz next to her made her so happy. Then if they did find a fae she wouldn’t have to drag them back to Yabetz. He would be right there! It would be so amazing if she could find a fae now. And he was so knowledgeable she couldn’t wait to hear all the things that were considered history for him. Her tail was wagging as quickly as it could go as she looked at her mate. “Yes!” To most decirning foxes that simple word would have been lost in the speed and pitch it was uttered in but Yabetz was likely used to Yavie’s quirks enough that it was likely discernible to him. “Oh Yabetz I can’t wait you’ve already taught me so much about the faries, and fae, and drawers!” It was clear that Yavie was practically glowing with how happy she was. The idea of being able to spend more time with Yabetz talking about things she loved just made her so happy. “and even about changeling things like your friend.”  

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 228

Yabetz felt a warm, fizzy sensation filling in his chest. He'd known Yavie for years. Since the moment they'd met in that field they'd become friends and traveling companions. Each thought the other was absolutely the most amazing person they'd ever met, so falling in love was an inevitable and foregone conclusion.

He supposed after all this time it shouldn't affect him so much when Yavie enthusiastically embraced his stories and lore, but it never failed that her reactions made him nearly drunk with love and happiness. Most foxes, he'd come to learn, didn't believe the same way he did. To them it was just a pretty little story, but to him it was real. To find someone who valued "fairytales and stories" the same way he did meant more to him than he thought even Yavie could understand. That was why when she insisted he was the best of them, he would just smile and know it was the other way around.

"Well, we got a walk ahead of us while we take our wee presents back tae Caolan, and then some time while we search for a flower tha' would like tae grow in these parts. Ah can tell ye some of the stories Ah was told growin' oop. Would ye like tae learn in order of th' elements or th' ones that are mah favorites?"  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 271

She let out a little giggle. Of course she would want to hear the story. As if Yabetz didn’t already know that. He always had the greatest stories that she would remember just in case she ever met a fae or drawer. She didn’t really know anything about the greater world and it was Yabetz words that made it all become real to her and let the real vastness and scary parts of the world not seem so bad. It was like a warm sun ray on a cool day. Yes it could burn if you lay and slept in it to long she supposed but she never was one to waste a whole day just laying down. That would be silly when there were so many other things she could be doing and so many others she could be meeting. Yabetz let her know so many things that were so important and not things that her papas could show or teach her. Her family was wonderful but they were a different kind of love then what she had for Yabetz. With him it was like she was happy, and hyper, and clumsy, and whole no matter how long she rambled on and on about things. He would smile and listen to it all and even ask questions. Yavie love Yabetz more than anything else. She nodded enthusiastically. “Oh please, please.” She looked at him pleadingly as if she had been the one to ask for the story and not him having offered. If this was one of his favorites than she fully intended to remember every single word.  

[jinxgirl5]

((This is going to kill me trying to type this with his accent...))

Word count: 451

Yabetz took a moment to smile again, pleased at her enthusiasm, then cleared his throat and started weaving his tale.

"This is from a land far tae the east. In a small village there once like a fisherman, who came upon some lads tormenting a turtle. When he couldnae make them stop he offered tae buy the turtle. The lads took his money and scampered, and th' fisherman took th' turtle and put it back in th' ocean.

The next day when the man was oot on his boat, he looked intae th' water and was suprised tae see the turtle he had saved. He was even more surprised when the turtle spoke tae him, inviting him tae the court of th' sea king. Th' man climbed oopon the turtle's back, and th' turtle took him down tae a magnificent underwater palace.

Th' man was lead in a room tae wait, when the most bonny woman he'd ever laid eyes on walked in. She was th' queen of the underwater kingdom. Tha' was then the man learned she was th' turtle, and she wanted tae thank the man f'r savin' her. Th' man fell in love with th' woman, and th' two spent three happy days taegether. Then the man began tae worry about his friends and family on th' surface, wonderin' where he might be, sae he asked th' queen if he might return tae check on them. She agreed tae his request, and gave him a wee box. She told him he was not tae open it while he was on the surface. Th' man was curious but he promised he wouldnae, and left tae visit his home.

When he got there though he was confused. Nothin' and no one was th' same, and legend told of a young fisherman who vanished three hundred years ago. Th' man sat on th' beach holdin' the box, unable tae comprehend it. There was only the palace for him tae return tae, but before he went he decided tae open th' box. A purple light rose from it and enveloped him, and when it vanished nothin' was left of th' man but dust."

Yabetz sighed softly; the end of that story was always kind of sad to him. He looked over at Yavie. "Th' lesson o' that story is time passes differently in th' faery world. Ye got tae be careful not tae get swept oop in it. 'Tis also a matter of faith, for when the fae instruct ye aboot somethin' 'tis best tae take their advice. Th' man coulda had a grand life under th' ocean with th' queen, but he didnae listen tae her and opened th' box anyway."  

[jinxgirl5]

Originally posted by Reoakee

Word count: 585

(and yet I want to thank you so much for doing it all. I actually like this story so seeing it here makes me smile.)

Yavie sat intently listening as if she was hearing the worlds greatest secret coming to fold not just a story. She was so captivated that for a while she didn’t breathe until her body politely reminded her that it needed air to survive. Even then she was very quite. She could see the story unfolding in her mind sort of. A fisher fox picking up the turtle and giving away his jewelry to pay for the turtle’s life. Later being out in the water on a floating log of some kind and seeing the turtle’s face in the water and then surprised when it spoke. Which was a bit odd to her. Yavie didn’t think she would be surprised. She would be excited still not every fox was her so she let the image stay that way in her mind and let the story keep unfolding. Still how the fox survived going underwater to the underwater palace was a mystery. Yavie couldn’t hold her breath that long and she didn’t a fox who could maybe the fox was magic and he didn’t know it. Or or the turtle! Yep the turtle had to be magic may he was friends with a fae who let him take foxes down in the water without them needing air.

When Yavie learned the turtle was the queen her eyes grew to the size of saucers. If it was the queen/magical turtle/fae friend than the fisher fox shouldn’t fall in love with her that wouldn’t be fair to the king. And the fisher fox had family on the surface. He left them for the turtle queen fox lady and that made Yavie tear up. The thought of a mate abandoning their family was not something she could stand. Perhaps that was just the way she was raised by Papa Ixen and Yuki. Still she couldn’t imagine doing anything like that. It was good the fisher fox was headed back to check on his family though because the thought of him just up and leaving made Yavie very very unhappy. She wondered if the box was a gift for the family left on the surface. Maybe something magical so that the fisher fox leaving wouldn’t hurt the family.

Then as the story progressed Yavie was confused. Three hundred years? Most days Yavie never remembered what she had for breakfast who would remember what happened a whole hundred years ago much less three hundred. Still maybe it was foxes with memories like Yabetz who remembered everything. That must be it. Or maybe it was the fisher fox’s family who grew up in the area who remembered. The concept of three hundred years passing in the story didn’t even seem to make a dent in Yavie’s mind unlike the magical queen changing shape.

“Still what about the fisher fox’s family, and queen what happened to her? Why does time pass differently? If the queen was a turtle did her gender change too? How come she gave him the box if opening would kill him? Didn’t she love him back? If she didn’t why keep him so long? Why would he leave his family behind? Couldn’t he go get them to start with and all head under the sea? How far down was the palace? What about advice from bad fae should you really listen to all that? Why is that your favorite story?”  

[jinxgirl5]

Reoakee

Word count: 511

Yabetz finally had to laugh and hold up his paws in an attempt to stem to flood of questions coming from Yavie's mouth. He was hard put to keep them all straight, and adding any more would have had them all crashing around in his head, like puppies chasing each others' tails.

"Th' queen is still alive taeday, though Ah doot she's seen much above the surface as often naow. An' time passes different in the fae world, mah wee Bumblebee. 'Tis the moral of many a story, tha' a moment of pleasure in their world means years passin' in ours. How many depends. An' the queen was always a lass, she never turned into a lad. 'Tis just hard tae tell, so perhaps the fisherman thought 'twas a male turtle at first."

He took a breath and tried to remember everything else she asked, and how best to explain it. He remembered asking a couple similar questions himself when he first began hearing fairy stories from his parents.

"Naow the fishman had no family. 'Twas a small town ye see, and in those days folks kept track of each other. Not f'r any reason in particular, just tha' most places were far away and towns usually only had each other for company. Th' queen was in love with the man, as much in love with him as he her. Imagine if Ah lived far, far away and took ye with me. Wouldnae ye want tae see y'r family after a while? Let them knoo ye be happy and healthy? Th' man wished tae do th' same sae the town folk wouldnae worry aboot him and where he had vanished. Ye'd be unhappy if I wouldnae let ya go, as th' man would have been unhappy if the queen hadnae let him go. The box was meant tae keep him alive, ye see? It held a magic that held the years at bay, for th' man was only mortal an' not a faery. Opening th' box released th' spell, an' all th' years caught up. 'Twas like aging 300 years all at once, and he couldnae have lived that long, so he turned tae bones and dust."

He smiled behind the mask. "As f'r how far down th' palace was, Ah dinnae knoo. At the bottom of the sea 'tis said, but where isnae knoon. Th' story itself isnae aboot bad fae, 'tis more a warnin' that in their world ye shouldnae take things f'r granted, f'r nothin' is as it always seen tae be."

He had to ponder Yavie's last question. It was hard to articulate why exactly it was one of his favorites. "Ah think," he said at last, "it was because the story holds true love and kindness. 'Tis only a sad ending because th' man forgot his own happiness tae remember those who might worry aboot him. If he had doon as th' queen had instructed and left th' box shut, he could have returned tae the sea and tae her tae live oot a happy life."  

[Reoakee]

(552 words)


There was an audible click as Yavie’s jaws shut. She only smiled at Yabetz knowing he wasn’t mad but needed time to think. Her ears were perked as she hung on his every word storing it for later use. She could at least understand how the fisherman felt after all she didn’t know how to tell the difference between a male and female turtle either. Maybe Yabetz knew, she would ask him later. He was still in the middle of her questions. It was good the queen stayed a queen though other wise it would be hard to tell if she should be called queen or king turtle.

She nodded to the beginning of his tale about the fisherman. Her eyes misted over at the thought of Yabetz being far away from her. That wouldn’t be fair at all. Her ears drooped and she made a noise in the back of her throat. The perked up at the thought of going with him but dipped a bit at the thought of her family again. Well it was true she missed her family she knew that Yabetz would take her to see Papa Ixen and Yuki if she asked. After all they knew all about him from when she visited them before. She couldn’t imagine turng to dust though. What kind of spell could keep years at bay like that? Did that mean there were foxes out there that had been alive forever? That was a really cool thought, but also really sad. What would have happened if the fisherman had decided to stay on the land and live there? Would he have had to watch all his new friends he could have made grow old and die? That was not a happy story at all. How did the queen feel about him opening the box? Did she even know or was she still waiting for him? Yavie moved closer to Yabetz not wanting to loose contact with him. If she ever found a fae she didn’t think she should ever go anywhere without him because time was different which means he could be looking for her forever and not find her only for her to come back and find that he passed away.

She didn’t really care about where the palace was now, but listened anyway. The point of the story was definitely one she understood now. When Yabetz started to tell her why it was her favorite she thought about the people who were left behind on the shore never knowing though. It was true the fisherman didn’t have any family at all but that didn’t mean he didn’t have anyone who cared for him. He should have kept the box shut and went back after finding out that time was different, but that didn’t mean it was the only bad thing in the story. That poor queen lost someone she loved because they didn’t listen to her at all. Still Yavie didn’t say anything because it was Yabetz’s favorite story. “Yabetz if there is ever something important that will affect you and me you would let me know and warn me right?” She would be sure to make the warning about the fae much more seriously.


 

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 99

Yabetz's bright red eyes showed a hint of puzzlement tempered with understanding. He leaned over and carefully nuzzled Yavie so that his mask didn't scrape her. "Of course I would tell ye," he said. "Ah have no doubt that we'll face anything that happens tae us together. But dinnae worry, Bumblebee. Sad endings tae a story is no reason not tae live life tae th' fullest."

He grinned. "Couple of adventurin' sorts like us, t'will have a story or two under our belts tae tell by the time we grow old and gray, surrounded by grandbabies and the like."  

[Reoakee]

(234 words)


Together. That was the word that made Yavie smile and snuggle into his side. “I know. It’s a very pretty story, but it’s not my favorite, and I won’t be telling it to any of my friends.” She wigged at the idea she was adventuring sort. She didn’t’ really consider that. She just liked to keep moving with Yabetz and learning all that there was. Did that make her adventurous even if she never had any treasure to show for it? Well that wasn’t true she had some pretty rocks now. One for her and one for Yabetz. The sadness of the story melted away next to to Yabetz as he spoke of togetherness and the future of getting old. She had to have a lot of stories by then. And grandbabies meant they had to have some babies first. She could do that. As long as they were with Yabetz she would be very happy with that. She was blessedly mute for once but her eyes sparkled looking at him and her body said more than her mouth ever could with her ears perking back up and her tail wagging. Her weight shifting from side to side getting ready to move. Yabetz was very good at making her happy quickly. Trying to mimic his voice she gave him a kiss on neck. “I love yae, mah masked heart.”
 

[jinxgirl5]

Word count: 172

Yabetz smiled and leaned against Yavie's warm side, resting there for a moment and basking in feelings of love and contentment. He always got a little jolt when she tried mimicking his accent, like a sense of homecoming and being back in the land he grew up in. She even knew some of the words particular to him and that area, having picked them up from his own speech. It touched his heart that she would remember some of them.

"Ay that, mah bonny heart's own. And Ah love ye. Forever and beyond, 'tis a fair promise indeed."

He straightened, brushing against Yavie's crimson fur in a gentle touch as he did so and stood up, looking over at the love of his life with a huge grin on his masked face and warmth in his chest. "Naow let's bring th' laddy his stones tae share with his own mate, and Ah think we c'n be on our way. 'Tis a large world, mah bonny lass, and much for us tae see!"

Total word counts
Anrea: 574
jinxgirl5: 6396
Reoakee: 6724