Warnings:My blog is 18+ and though there’s no smut in this piece, minors DNI. Domestic abuse, break up, humiliation, mutual pining, friends in love, drink driving, car accident, coma, chasing justice/vigilante attitudes, fairy tales, Disney, fluff, lots of angst, anger, guilt, happy ever afters
Prompt: Fairy tale
A/N: So this is my contribution to the 500 follower writing challenge hosted by @tom-whore-dleston It’s a new one for me because I’ve had to use a fairy tale for this one. So I’ve tried to use the fairy tale to feed into a modern situation and at the same time reflect that the same fairy tale has importance to the reader. Sleeping Beauty is an important one to me as the first feature length Disney cartoon I watched, and I was in awe of it.
This hasn’t been beta read and all of my mistakes are my own. Please feel free to like, comment and/or reblog as I look forward to feedback and interacting with people who choose to read my work. I appreciate you all. I hope you enjoy it.
She was Steve’s. The point being ‘was’. Where was he now as she lay in the hospital bed in a coma? She was Steve’s but he never really cared for her. He picked her as the perfect smoke screen and made everyone believe he was in love. She was Steve’s, it was the excuse that always stopped Bucky from admitting his true feelings for her. She was Steve’s, the line she repeated in her head like a mantra even though she didn’t love him, she loved someone else and was terrified of Steve. She was Steve’s until he decided it was right for him and Peggy to go public by breaking up with Y/N via a Snapchat post, not even a one-to-one message but a post of him and Peggy while saying ‘Y/N, I got myself a real woman’ and it was posted for all to see. She was Steve’s no longer and was fighting for her life after a drunk truck driver careered into her car.
Bucky hadn’t left her side, the symphony of beeps from various machines stopped the silence creeping in and forming negative thoughts and nightmares of worst possible outcomes in his mind. She couldn’t die, he couldn’t lose her. She was his safe haven in a world that had become darker than he’d ever anticipated. Nat and Sam walked into the room and sat with Bucky. Nat handed him a cup of coffee from the nearby coffee shop instead of getting the mud in a cup from the hospital vending machine. He accepted it gratefully with a swift nod and looked back over to Y/N. She looked like she was peacefully sleeping. Blissfully unaware of the situation she was in, you could be forgiven for thinking she was in a complete state of calm. Sam placed a comforting hand on Bucky’s shoulder.
“Buck, you’ve been here since the accident happened three days ago. You need to go back to the compound, get some sleep” he advised. Shrugging him off with a light scoff, he took Y/N’s hand in his, rubbing her fingers softly with his thumb.
“If she wakes up, I need to be here for her” he insisted.
“What good to her are you if you are too tired to function?” Sam spoke quietly.
“Sam’s right Bucky, you need to sleep. We’ll be here if she wakes up. Sam will call you straight away as well” Nat offered seeing the pain in Bucky’s eyes. The internal fight to stop tears flowing because she looked helpless and fragile.
“But I should be here” Bucky tried to push.
“I know she’s your best friend, but she’d understand that-”
“You don’t get it Sam, she’s not just my best friend, I love her Sam. I’m in love with her!” he kept his voice low, but it was strained as though he was arguing. Sam’s eyes panned. He was about to speak when Nat walked over to Bucky.
“Buck, listen to me, what would Y/N tell you to do?” she asked firmly.
“To… to go home and sleep,” he sounded defeated and shook his head, “fine, I’ll go” he conceded, “but you must call me instantly if she wakes up” he instructed. Nat agreed and sent him out to the waiting car to be taken home.
Nat sunk down on the chair in the corner of the hospital room. Sam was still processing Bucky’s words. How had he missed it?
“You know it was obvious right” Nat said laughing at Sam’s inability to realise Bucky’s feelings towards Y/N were deeper than he’d anticipated. “She’s in love with him too, but she thinks he doesn’t see her that way”
“She was with Steve though” Sam countered looking even more confused.
“No, he coerced her into a relationship where he was bullying and abusing her. The trouble is no one wanted to say or do anything to stop it except Bucky. Even I was at fault there. She needed us and we let her down. I mean don’t you remember the quiz night Tony held with us where we were in teams of two and had to answer questions about each other to see who really was a perfect match” she chuckled at the memory. Sam’s smile spread across his face as he recalled that night…
Tony sat back looking all smug as yet another duo failed to get more than 10 out 15 in the ‘How Well Do You Know Your Partner?’ game. In all fairness he was teamed with Pepper, but the others were teamed with friends. Bruce and Thor did pretty well achieving a solid 10, Wanda and Vision got 11 and Nat scored 11 with Clint. Sam was teamed with Rhodey and scored a 7. Originally Y/N wasn’t going to play. Steve was off on yet another ‘solo’ mission (a jaunt to Peggy’s) but everyone convinced her to take part and she agreed to work with Bucky, her best friend. She leaned into him, putting her face on his shoulder as she laughed uncontrollably at Peter scoring 5 with T’Challa. It was almost as bad as the 2 Y/N scored with Steve last time they played. Tony rubbed his hands together all excited as he sat forward.
“Y/N do you and Tin Man actually think you’ll beat mine and Pepper’s score of 13?” he was so confident. Y/N and Bucky looked at each other with a smile.
“We’ll give it a shot Tony. Friday has our answers and is ready to reveal them with each question asked”
“Let’s make it interesting” Tony beamed. Bucky looked at him with confusion.
“What do you have in mind?” Bucky quizzed.
“If you score higher than me and Pepper you will win two thousand dollars. If we have higher than you, then you and Y/N will be responsible for dinner for everyone for a whole week” he offered.
“You’re on” Y/N grinned.
Question after question was fired, each one was a correct answer. Question 10 came and went, then 11 and 12 all correct. Nat was enjoying her role as quizmaster for the couple and witnessing the faces on others as the responses kept coming back with a ‘ding’ from Friday.
“Question 13 – if going on a date, what physical preparation is made to show they expect sex?” Nat’s words were met with ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahhhs’ knowing this was quite an intimate ask. Silence fell upon everyone as they looked on at Y/N and Bucky. They were deep in thought and glanced at each other. Bucky’s lips curled into a cocksure smile as Tony waved them off with a scoffing laugh thinking there was no way they’d equalise.
“When Bucky goes on a date and is hoping to have sex he puts on extra cologne, brightens his teeth and ensures he has brand new underwear that doesn’t look like it’s got that washed and owned for a while look” she revealed.
“Friday?” Nat called for clarification. Friday dinged again and showed Bucky’s written response that was almost word for word. Bucky now needed to respond with the right answer to get the 13th point.
“Y/N will wear black underwear” he answered simply, watching her blush. As Friday dinged yet again, Tony’s eyes widened in shock as some of the other Avengers were equally as surprised. This wasn’t necessarily something all best friends knew.
“Question 14 – what would you want your wedding song to be?” Nat questioned.
“Bucky would pick Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller” Y/N didn’t even waste time and her reaction was met with Bucky letting out a laugh as he pulled Y/N to him and placed a kiss on her forehead. Friday confirmed the answer and Bucky divulged Y/N’s being From This Moment by Shania Twain. Y/N’s grin was so bright knowing he’d got the answer. They got to the last question and were currently 14 for 14. Steve stormed in interrupting them and demanding Y/N go with him. He was shouting at her saying she was an embarrassment. Dragging her away from everyone, people heard Y/N begging Steve to stop hurting her wrist. Her bruises the next day were proof that he stopped hurting her wrist and hit her elsewhere leaving her with a black eye and bruised ribs. She didn’t spend time with the rest of the Avengers for the next few days. Bucky had caught a glimpse of her and had a confrontation with Steve which ended up in more bruises for Y/N. Bucky’s heart was heavy with guilt and pain. He loved her more than anything and this was killing him. What he didn’t realise is that every tear she shed, every prayer she made was to let her out of her hell with Steve so that she could find some way of spending more time with Bucky and telling him of her feelings. With each passing day, new strike and inky bruise, she feared the day would never come…
Bucky tried to sleep, he tossed and turned in his bed. He knew that he’d promised to rest but he couldn’t get his mind off Y/N. Lying on his back, he rested his forearm over his eyes. The thin white bedsheet clung to him like a second skin as it sat over his legs and waist. He was angry at Steve. Angry at himself and angry at the drunk driver who only came away with a few scratches and a fractured finger while Y/N was in a coma, had suffered a ruptured spleen and a broken leg. He hated seeing her in pain, any kind of pain. She’d been through enough at the hands of Steve. He remembered seeing the bright smile on her face when Steve broke up with her. He was furious that Steve did it in a way to humiliate Y/N, but she just grinned at Bucky. He was trying to hide his fury at Steve. Y/N’s smile melted his heart but what disintegrated his tension were the words she whispered when he hugged her. She simply stated ‘I’m finally free’. How could he not be happy for her when she was relieved to be free from the violent clutches of Steve. It made him think of how she spent that night. Everyone was rallying around her in absolute concern.
Y/N sat on the sofa in the community lounge just flicking through a magazine as Wanda and Nat came in and sat either side of her. She looked from side to side at the women who were like Cheshire cats with the way they were grinning at her.
“You should come out with us tonight” Wanda suggested.
“Why?” Y/N asked slowly.
“After Steve’s actions, you need to get out there, show him what he’s lost out on” Wanda was trying to ensure Y/N wasn’t going to crumble, worried that Steve may have had some emotional hold on her.
“Or just have a good old-fashioned night out with the girls” Nat chimed in trying to steer the conversation away from Steve. Y/N closed the magazine and put it on her lap as she sighed.
“Nat, Wand I love you both. I really do but I’m fine. All I want is a night in, just relaxing watching a movie or something in the knowledge that everything is my choice” she explained to them. Disappointment flashed on Wanda’s face while Nat accepted Y/N’s response and patted her hands supportively to let her know they were there if she needed them. As they left Y/N to it, Bucky entered the room and joined Y/N on the sofa, he put his arm around Y/N, and she put her head on his shoulder.
“So what’s the movie choice tonight sugar-plum?” he asked.
“You can pick it, or we can watch the game tonight. It’s the Ravens versus the Falcons and you know I’m a Ravens girl” she chuckled.
“Game it is, I’ll order the pizza” he informed her. It wasn’t long before Sam and Clint joined them and were cheering the Falcons. Bucky couldn’t help but taunt Sam as he had to pay Y/N fifty dollars when the Ravens won. The conversation among the four of them drifted to cartoons and Disney, with Clint declaring how sick he was of Frozen. Likewise, Sam was fed up with Toy Story as his youngest nephew seemed to love watching it over and over. They then started talking about their first Disney film. Bucky revealed it was Snow White and he took Rebecca to see it, he was fascinated by the animation while Rebecca was in love with the story of a hero saving the day. Sam divulged that his was the Fox and the Hound and that, as a kid, he was convinced that the Owl was voiced by his auntie. Clint expressed his love for Robin Hood and proceeded to sing the theme tune that Y/N and Sam joined in with, reminiscing over the classic. Y/N then sat back and told of her first experience watching a Disney cartoon. It was Sleeping Beauty. It remained a favourite of hers because she felt that Aurora and Prince Philip had been destined to be together. He saw her when she was a baby, then met her in the woods where they sang and danced together. It was a love at first sight kind of thing and then he risked his life to rescue her. Bucky intently listened observing every little gesture she made. He felt butterflies at seeing her so free, so happy and so involved in a group chat. The dark cloud that once hung over her had been lifted and this was the true Y/N shining in front of him. He knew in that moment he would have to tell her how he felt. He didn’t just love her as a friend, he had fallen helplessly in love with her. But as fate would have it, the day he was planning to tell her was the day he received the news of her car accident…
Nat and Sam had sat by Y/N’s bed, nothing had changed. The machines beeping were like harpies screeching as they fought to take the life of their victim. Sam hated sitting there and knowing nothing could be done. He checked his phone and looked over to Nat.
“The driver has been released on bail. He is claiming that he was drinking to numb the pain of betrayal and heartache and that Y/N was driving erratically as he hit her. Andy has sent me the details of the guy” Sam spat with disgust. Nat almost twitched at the news.
“When Bucky gets here, I have something to take care of that you might want in on” she informed him.
“Does it involve dealing with this asshole?” Sam raised his phone indicating the drunk driver.
“Time for you to learn the art of creative termination Sam. Sometimes it needs to be done” her icy tone was enough to scare most people. Coupled with the look of hate in her eyes, Sam knew there was no talking her out of it. She loved Y/N like a sister and seeing Y/N in the state she was in was killing Nat.
Bucky arrived at the hospital again, he looked refreshed but felt disheartened by the lack of news regarding Y/N’s progress. He watched Nat and Sam leave and pulled the chair right up to the bed. He sat down and clutched her hand in his and began to tell her the story of Sleeping Beauty in hope that she might wake up. The doctor had told him that talking to Y/N would help because studies showed coma patients could hear people talking to them. He felt his heart lurch as there was no real response. He knew what he had to try. He had thought about it non-stop on the way to the hospital. He got up and sat next to Y/N on the bed. Holding her hand in his, he took a deep breath as he gazed down at her. Even in her fragile state, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Y/N, I don’t know if you can hear this. I… I… I hope you can,” he stuttered. “The day you were brought in here I… I was planning to tell you something,” he took a deep breath as he paused. “You see, ever since I’ve been back from Wakanda, you’re the only person who really goes all out to make time for me. You have spent time getting to know me and have become my best friend. I can’t and don’t want to ever imagine a life without you in it,” tears pricked the corners of his eyes at the mere thought of her no longer being around. “I remember watching you talk about Sleeping Beauty; you were so carefree I just wanted to kiss you and tell you how much I love you. And that’s the thing Y/N, I’m in love with you” the lump in his throat could be heard as he could no longer stop rogue tears from rolling down his cheeks; he sniffled and tried to wipe his tears away before continuing to speak. “The way you bite your lip when nervous, the way you softly smile and tilt your head when you’re listening to me talk after a nightmare, the way you hug me and reassure me when I’m having a panic attack, the way you kneel down and talk to children putting yourself at their level to make them feel at ease, your never-ending compassion and the time you make for all of us. It’s all those little things and more that I love. I’m sorry I didn’t do more to protect you from Steve. If you wake up and if you’ll have me, I’ll spend the rest of our lives together showing you that you are my princess and how much I love you. Just please, please wake up. I need you Y/N” his tears flowed as he bared his soul to the unconscious woman.
He leant down and placed his lips on hers in a tender chaste kiss. As he sat up, he observed her. Nothing. He knew he was being irrational hoping it would make a difference but the romantic in him had to try. That’s when he felt it – a slight twitch of her fingers. It happened again and her eyelids began to move, immediately Bucky pressed the button to call for a nurse. Rushing in, the nurse saw what was happening and called for a doctor.
He paced the floor waiting outside her room. He tried not to get his hopes up. He’d read of several cases where a patient would seemingly wake up but end up having a fit before their heart would give out. He wasn’t one for praying but he prayed that this wasn’t the case. He began to overthink it all. What if she could hear him but not being able to respond would result in a said fit and heart failure? What if he’d just killed the woman he truly loved? His mind was ruminating over the same thoughts over and over until the doctor came out.
“Sergeant Barnes” he enquired to get his attention. Bucky rushed to him instantaneously. The doctor could see all the questions and fear in Bucky’s eyes that he was struggling to manifest into words. “Y/N is awake and is asking for you. Her voice is rather weak, be patient with her. Give her some time as she is trying to make sense of things. The nurse is making her comfortable. Is there anyone I need to call?” he asked as Bucky’s face was awash with happiness.
“I… erm Wilson, Sam Wilson or Natasha Romanoff” he fumbled with his words anxious to see Y/N. The doctor nodded at him and let him into Y/N’s room.
She was propped up against the headrest. She looked weak but as she saw Bucky, her sunshine smile lit up the room. He sat next to her on the bed facing her. Their gaze was locked, and she nodded at his unspoken question as to whether she was ok.
“You’re… you’re awake” his voice almost a whisper.
“Because of you. I heard you Buck, I felt the kiss and I love you too, so much. Whenever Steve would drag me away, I just wanted to be with you. Safe in your arms. You are my everything Bucky” she croaked. He clutched her hands and kissed her knuckles before leaning towards her and kissing her with restrained passion so that he wouldn’t hurt her given her current health status.
“I love you Sleeping Beauty” he beamed, the love in his eyes just radiating.
“I love you too Prince Charming” she responded in kind as Bucky promised her that he’d make sure they have their own happily ever after.
When down her weedy trophies and herself Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide, And, mermaid-like awhile they bore her up, Which time she chanted snatches of old lauds, As one incapable of her own distress Or like a creature native and endued Unto that element. But long it could not be Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pull’d the poor wretch from her melodious lay To muddy death. (4.7.199-208)
I’ve always been reading fairy tales and stories, looking for the ones that really speak to me. The ones with heart. Now, I’ve finally finished writing and illustrating one of my own. I hope it speaks to you.
“…A cackleberry is a wondrous thing. Strange, to be sure, but wondrous just the same. They are friends of rot, re-claimers of damp wood and molding stone. Thin tendrils pale as waterlogged fingers push up from carpets of matted leaves and rise from the forest floor. A swelling, a blooming, a beginning. A cackleberry is a rare occurrence. Some liken them to mushrooms, or puffballs, while others think them more similar to flower buds. Either way, they are said to hold the dreams of the forest. This particular cackleberry grew in the shadow of an oak snag. It glowed softly, pulsing to the rhythm of decaying oak roots. Held tight within its shell was a small girl. She had spent a thousand days cloaked in black dirt and cradled by oak roots. She had swum through places beneath the forest floor, friend to the mycelium that threaded the dirt like stars. Then she had been drawn above. Now her world split open. Something wondrous was about to happen.”
This is the story of a girl, who finds herself in an unknown wood. A girl who dares to look for the choice not offered. The story follows Oona as she journeys through the Scraggle Wood looking for a way to fulfill her heart’s desire. It is, of course, a fairy tale, though a bit of an odd one.
Between The Witcher and The Mandalorian if your tv show isn’t about a gruff loner mercenary for hire accidentally becoming the adoptive father to a baby with special powers being hunted by an empire I don’t wanna watch it.
Ok so this is my take on a modern day fairytale kind of story. Would you guys like some more chapters? I’ve currently marked it as a one shot but I’m thinking about adding some other chapters focusing on Alya, Chloe (or Zoe possibly) and maybe some other characters and the deals (or curses) they make with or from Luka.
Lila looked around with an expression of disgust on her face as she walked down the steps towards the Seine. It was the last place she wanted to be, especially with how unsightly it was but she was desperate. In her mind, she believed that she should be worshiped by all who saw her. She was a goddess and deserved to be treated as such. However, her life was not what she envisioned at all. She was almost 21 and she still wasn’t famous or adored. She still wasn’t filthy rich or had a hot and rich guy on her arm. The media had no idea who she was and she was working as a lowly advert actress and a small time model when she deserved to be up there with a A listers. Well, that life wasn’t good enough for her but she didn’t want to have to work for it. Oh no, Lila believed that what she wanted should be handed to her on a silver platter. She was destined to be one of the elite and she knew it. However, her usual methods of cheating and leeching off others didn’t working in the way she wanted so she had to come up with something, which is what lead her to The Seine or as she called it the slum area. Paris itself was home to many supernatural creatures and she had tried every trick in the book but they weren’t good enough. Nothing was. She had been to several of the supernaturals in the city but they could only offer her charms to briefly improve her luck or a hex that will curse her enemies. Some had offered her spells to bring in some positivity or some had done rituals for her but none of them lasted and she wanted something more effective and permanent. She wanted her name to be remembered forever and for anyone who had tried to cross her to get exactly what they deserve and suffer. Naturally there had been some in her life but one stuck out. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A half breed witch who tried to expose her in their school and was currently living a good life. Well, that wasn’t fair which is what lead her to here. Of course, she wouldn’t be seen dead here normally but she had tried everything else so now she was going to the place where she knew someone would be able to help her. However, she went in disguise. She couldn’t risk been seen here plus the Seine was rough. It was home to the low class humans, witches and worst of all the fae, an extremely attractive race with a reputation worst then werewolves. The fae were treated poorly, forced to live in awful conditions and were labeled as scum, tricksters and other degrading names. Despite this, they were one of the most powerful race when it came to using magic and the only creatures that could give her what she wanted. Due to been very unpopular in Paris, they were hard to find but she had managed to track one down with the help of her sheep, Alya. The fae supposedly lived in a houseboat in the Seine river and was her last hope. However, he had a rep of been a bad guy and been extremely dangerous but Lila didn’t care. She wanted her promised life and would do anything to get it. She came to a stop as she saw the boat she was looking for, frowning to herself before she took out a fox tail pendent and put it on. One of the reasons why people didn’t like the fae was because of their ability to detect when people were truthful or not. No one quite understood how it worked but faes were said to be able to look into the very soul of people and that made them uncomfortable, which was why Lila had the pendent. It had a powerful charm on that would protect from the fae’s truth seeking eyes. Satisfied with it, she stepped over to the boat and climbed onto the gangplank before heading onto the boat. She grimaced at the scattered boxes and papers that littered the deck but shook it off. She walked over to the entrance to the cabin and began to descend down the stairs into darkness.
“Hello?” She called, looking around but she couldn’t really see anything. “Is anyone home?”
“Oh, we have a visssstor,” A voice hissed, making her jump and look where it came from. Instantly, she saw two glowing eyes that were teal green in color and snakelike.
“I don’t recall having any visitors,” A second voice added, though this one sounded more human. It was actually a very nice voice. It was softly spoken and almost musical. Almost instantly, she felt her body relax as she walked over, unconsciously drawn to it. Another reason why people hated faes. They were naturally seductive with how they were and how they spoke. “And what do you want?”
Oh, she could listen to that voice all day… but she needed to remember why she was here.
“I…” She mumbled, shaking her off the fog in her mind and putting on her innocent act. “I hear you have the power to give people their hearts desire,”
“Hmm,” He replied as she watched. The eyes moved suggesting the fae was getting up before a light came on, revealing a large amount of snake tanks and a young man. Lila studied him as he glanced at her. He was very attractive but the fae were supernaturally beautiful. His hair was black with teal blue highlights and his skin looked slightly tanned. He wore black ripped joggers and a white tank top, showing off his toned arms that had tattoos of snakes going up them. It was clear that the fae had snakelike features too. The most obvious was his eyes but he also had a number of green teal scales across his arms and neck. Lila felt a little uncomfortable as she glanced at him but that discomfort turned to fear as she felt something sliver over her feet. She looked down and screamed as she saw a snake that looked up at her and stuck its tongue out. She felt panic rise as she wanted to kick it but before she could, the fae was in front of her. “Not fond of my reptile friends hmm?”
“I… I’m afraid of snakes,” She gasped, actually telling the truth for once. The fae smiled at her before turning away. “Could we go outside?”
“Why? They’re not going to bite and most of them aren’t poisonous,” He replied, looking back at her. That’s when she noticed the snake resting around his neck. It would have been beautiful to anyone not afraid of them. It was teal green with dark teal diamonds across it’s body and a hood around it’s head like a cobra. His eyes searched her features, making her feel like he was searching her soul before they flickered down and landed on her foxtail pendent before he sat back down and glanced at her. “Well, aren’t you here for a reason? Tell me what you desire, Little Fox,”
“I… I would like to be famous,” She replied, trying to seek shy and meek. “It’s been my desire-”
“So you want a little fame?”
“A little fame? I want more then just a little fame!” She gasped, pinching her nose before realizing she almost lose her cool. She took a deep breathe and shot him a smile. Not that he was looking. He was holding one of his snakes and sticking his tongue out at it in a playful manner. It made her feel sick when she saw it was forked. “I mean I want to be the most famous person on the planet if you can do that. I really want my name in every newspaper and to be up there on the red carpet with all of the A listers. I want to be so famous no one will ever forget my name,”
“Interesting,” He replied as she took a breathe. “I can definitely do that. Is there anything else you want?”
“Oh yes, there is,” She replied, ready to turn on the water works. “T-There’s this woman who has been making my life awful since high school. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She use to bully me and she constantly makes it hard for me to reach and work for companies. I’m sure she’s had me blacklisted. I can’t even order of her website because of this,”
She began to cry, making the fae frown but not for the reasons she thought. He heard the name Marinette Dupain-Cheng before. He was sure she was a friend of his sister and Juleka had said she was nice. He turned his attention to Lila. Depending on what she said depended on what he could do.
“I’m sorry… I just…” She sniffed. “I j-just want her to finally get what she deserves. I’ve tried to be the bigger person but… she just doesn’t stop,”
“I see,” He replied, frowning. He wasn’t sure he believed her but he couldn’t tell with her pendent on. Luckily, she had said ‘get what she deserved’ which meant he could easily work it so he doesn’t harm her. 'Getting what she deserves’ can be considered a grey area, meaning he can do anything he wanted as long as he deemed it 'what she deserved’. Yes, he could still honor the contract without harming anyone. Sure, he had cursed a few people but he didn’t like to if he didn’t have to. “Well, I can easily do those things. Fame and fortune. It’s yours and getting even with this person. Easily done,”
“Really?” She gasped, surprised. “When can you do it?”
“I can start immediately. Of course, it will take a little time for your fame to skyrocket but I promise it will,” He replied, making her frown a little. “It’s only natural that I have to make some spells and pull some strings but of course, none of this can happen until we’ve discussed a price that is,”
“A Price?” She questioned surprised. She had heard Faes didn’t charge a fee. “I was unaware,”
“Of course, my services don’t come free,” He replied, smirking. She frowned as if she hadn’t expected that. “All magic comes with a price, Lila and fae magic is typical expensive,”
“Expensive?” She echoed. “I don’t have a lot of money,”
“My price is fairly simple in it’s nature but still rather costly,” He replied, waving his hand. A contract appeared out of thin air, making Lila gasp. “€150. Once you sign the contract, it can’t be altered or amended,”
“That’s all?” She asked, making him nod. She would have to live with all her fame and her enemies getting what they deserve. It sounded like a fair price to her. “That seems pretty cheap and fair to me,”
“Then if you’re satisfied, sign the contract,” He smiled, holding out a pen. Lila snatched it out of his hand and grabbed the paper, signing on the line at the bottom. As soon as she did, the contract and pen appeared in the fae’s hand. “Excellent! Glad to do business with you, Little Fox,”
“Oh thank you so much!” She gasped, smiling before she left as he smiled back. As soon as she did, the smile left his face as his snake moved around his neck.
“She wass wearing a protection amulet,” The snake hissed. “Are we sure she’s telling the truth? Should we grant her wissh, Luka?”
“A deal is a deal, Sass,” He replied, folding up the contract and putting it with the others he had. “She will have her fame and Miss Dupain-Cheng will get everything she deserves,”
~A Couple of Weeks Later~
Since making the deal with the fae, Lila’s life had dramatically improved. She went from been a barely known actress to an A-star Celebrity. Woman wanted to be her and men wanted her. She had adoring fans who screamed her name and cried when she walked past. She had landed herself in a relationship with a pretty handsome man. She was on top of the world and richer then she had ever imagined. She had it all but it wasn’t enough. She could have all the money and fame in the world and it would still not be enough because Marinette Dupain-Cheng hadn’t suffered yet. Her business was still successful. She hadn’t been made an example of nor had she disappeared of the face of the earth. If anything, she was getting more popular. To say Lila wasn’t happy was an understatement. Sure, the fae had told her that it would take sometime but she wanted her nemesis to fall now! Which was why she was storming towards the fae’s boathouse to demand he destroy her life. She stormed onto the boat and stalked into the living area, where the fae was sat with his snakes.
“Hello, Little Fox,” He stated, making her glare at him. “Something wrong?”
“Wrong?!” She screeched, making him frown. “Wrong?! You were suppose to punish Marinette and make her suffer!”
“Hmm I don’t recall that been in the contract,” He replied, making her grit her teeth. “But I don’t really see the issue. You have your fame and fortune. Why fixate on Marinette?”
“Because I want her to suffer!” She screamed, stamping her foot before she pointed at him. “That was part of our deal! You need to honor it! My wish was for her to suffer!”
“Incorrect,” He replied, causing their contract to appear in a puff of teal smoke. “I have it right here and it states 'I want Marinette to get what she deserves’ nothing more, nothing less. Since you failed to specify exactly what that was, I decided the best course of action was to leave her alone since that’s what she deserved,”
“What?!” She screamed. “You useless puck!”
The entire room’s feeling changed as soon as that word left her mouth. The term puck was considered extremely offensive against the fae. It basically implied that they were nothing but pranksters and trouble makers. The fae’s eyes turned green and more snakelike as Lila stepped back, realizing her mistake before she ran out of the boathouse. The fae’s eyes narrowed as he watched her scamper out. She thought she could run from him but that wouldn’t help her. He had cursed people for less.
“Luka,” Sass’s voice made him look over and stroke the snake’s chin. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Sass,” He replied, looking at the contract in his hand. “Isn’t the first time and won’t be the last I’ve been called that but like the last time, her deed won’t go unpunished,”
“What do you intend to do?”
“Lila asked for fame and for this girl to get what she deserved right?” He answered, making the snake nod. “Well then I think Miss Rossi should get exactly that. By the time, I’m done with her, she’ll wish she never met me but first I think it’s time I paid Miss Dupain-Cheng a visit to determine exactly what she deserves. Though I have a feeling it won’t be what Lila envisioned,”
“And the fame part?”
“Oh, I’ll give her a week to enjoy her new lifestyle while I deal with the second part of her contract. Once that’s done, Lila will go down in history. Everyone will know her name and never forget her,” Luka replied, making the snake look at him but the devious smirk on his lips told him that it was as simple as Lila been famous for been an actress. “She will get exactly what she wanted whenever she wants it or not,”
“She’ll learn the hard way why one should not make themselves the enemy of a fae,”
~Marinette’s Shop~
Marinette hummed to herself as she flicked through the magazine she was reading. Lila had been on the front cover but despite what people now believed about her, Marinette wasn’t mad. She was actually happy for Lila. She had never wanted to be her enemy and just didn’t get why the girl couldn’t be honest. Even after Lila had tried to destroy her, Marinette had given her a second chance. Come clean to the class and all will be forgiven. She had done the same with Chloe so she could do the same with Lila. Unfortunately Lila decided not to and proceed to turn almost everyone against Marinette. Something that lasted through her adult life too. Even after they had left school and moved on their careers, Lila chose to slam her at every chance she could. Whenever it was a snide comment when she saw her, whispering horrible rumors about her to her ex best friend who would then post said rumors on her news blog or just leaving a bad review on her shop, Lila was determined to ruin her. Luckily, she still had a small number on her side but she had lost a lot of 'friends’ to Lila over the years but she guessed they weren’t her true friends anyway. If they were, they wouldn’t have believed Lila nor encouraged her to do the embarrassing and frankly creepy things in her attempt to get the attention of Adrien Agreste, one of the few faes in the city who weren’t treated badly. That was probably because he was rich and part of the seelie court, which was also known as the summer court but he didn’t stay by her side, despite insisting he was. No, he insisted she take the 'high road’ and got annoyed at her when she decided not after losing her crush on him. Honestly, she didn’t see what her younger self saw in him. She was grateful to the people who did stay by her side though. One of the people who did side with her was part of the seelie court just like Adrien but she was treated badly due to her choice of lover. Her name was Rose and her girlfriend was Juleka, the other person who stayed on Marinette’s side. The thing was Juleka was half fae, half human. She didn’t fit in anywhere. She was considered a freak to most witches and humans for been half fae, she didn’t fit in with the seelie court as her family were part of the unseelie court but she didn’t really fit in with them either. Though from what she had told Marinette, none of her family members fitted in with the unseelie court despite been full bloods either. In school, she was picked on for it, especially by Chloe, though the blonde had since changed her tune after been cursed by Juleka’s brother. According to her, her brother was one of the most powerful faes in the unseelie court and had cursed Chloe with a karma spell. To say it humbled her was an understatement and she wasn’t the first person to be cursed by him nor the last. Apparently, he had cursed the musician XY and his father, Chloe’s own family and a number of other people but from what Marinette had heard, most of them deserved it. That didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid of him. She had made a mental note to never piss him off if she met him. Of course, his curses had put him at odds with the magical councils yet he got away with it. She was pretty sure he only got away with it because they were scared of him and because none of his 'victims’ had been mortally wounded nor were they really victims. It had turned out that each one of them had done something wrong. XY and his father had stolen music and other creative ideas from a number of musicians, Chloe’s family were corrupt to the bone and arguable to blame for Chloe’s own behavior. Sure, she was partly to blame as well but she never would have become that bad in the first place if her parents hadn’t given into her every whim. His other victims were far from innocent too. They ranged from criminal gangs to other corrupted politicians. Either way, his curses had been blessings in disguise. Chloe had since became a way better person, her family humbled, the artists that had their work had their thieves brought to justice and their work returned to them and the victims of the other cursed got justice. All in all, it worked out for the better. The bell rang, making her jump a little and look up.
“Hi, welcome-” The greeting died in her throat as she stared at the very fae she had been thinking about. Luka Couffaine, Juleka’s older brother. She never thought she would ever see him in her store. From what she knew, he tended to stay at his boathouse at the Seine, preferring to deal with his magic and his snakes but she had seen enough photos of him to recognize him. As she stared at him, the fear she felt disappeared and was replaced by attraction. She knew fae were extremely beautiful. Rose, Adrien and Juleka all were but Luka was something else. Not only was he gorgeous but he had an air about him too. Everything about him screamed hot. His hair, his body shape and his eyes. Oh his eyes. They were so hard to look from. They were snakelike but ocean blue in color. As he stepped into the shop, Marinette couldn’t help the little whine that escaped her lips. She felt like she was in the presence of an actual god. The pictures she had seen did not do him any justice at all. “H-Hi, can I help you?”
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” He asked, making her want to faint with just the way he said her name. She weakly nodded and tried not to faint as he tilted his head to the side as a smile appeared on his lips. “Well, Juleka never told me how pretty you were,”
“I… um…” She blushed as he smiled. “S-Same here,”
He chuckled as she went bright red before he closed the door.
“I need to talk to you about a recent contract of mine,” He stated, making her frown. Luka was what you might call a deal maker but it was rare for a witch to get involved with it. She walked over to the door and moved the sign to say closed. “Is there somewhere private we can go?”
“We can talk in the back,” She replied, making him nod and follow her as she lead him to her reading room. “So this contract-”
“I was contracted by one Lila Rossi to make her famous and to give you 'what you deserve’,” He stated, making her frown. So that’s how Lila got famous and now he was here to act Lila’s revenge. She frowned but she wasn’t surprised. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to curse her but when it didn’t occur, she opened her eyes and found him look at her with interest. “There’s more to the story,”
“Oh?” She asked, feeling a little silly.
“Don’t feel silly. It’s a natural reaction to assume I’m here to exact her 'vengeance’ and technically I am here to honor that part of the contract,” He replied, making her gulp. “However, Lila failed to tell me exactly what she wanted. She told me to 'give you what you deserve’. I decided to leave you alone but apparently that wasn’t good enough for her so she came by and demanded I do my job,”
He rolled her eyes at that.
“She was extremely angry that I had decided that course of action to the extend where she called me a 'useless puck’,” He explained, making Marinette gasp and began to apology to him. He held up his hand, stopping her. Though he appreciated the sentiment. “You do not need to apology for her. I simply came here to talk to and determine exactly what I should give you,”
“Give me?”
“Part of Lila’s contract was to 'give you what you deserved’ which is why I’m here. I need to determine exactly what that is since she never actually said,” He explained, making Marinette nod. “But in order to do so I need to know the full story. Why does Lila Rossi hate you so much?”
“Because I caught onto her lies,” Marinette sighed, making Luka frown. He had suspected that Lila had been lying but hearing it from someone else annoyed him more. This was no longer just about contracts and magic. This was now about pride. Lila thought she could fool him and get him to do her dirty work while getting to live a good life. Well, not on his watch. “That’s why she wants me to get what I deserve. She’s made it her mission to destroy me,”
“So she does lie. How disappointing,” He muttered, frowning. It wasn’t a surprise. Faes themselves couldn’t lie and had to tell the truth but they also couldn’t stand liars. “That explains her pendent,”
“So what are you going to do?” She asked as he made a face. “I know a little about contracts and I know they are unbreakable. Whatever you do, she’ll use it to her advantage as long as she has that silver tongue of hers. It’s her biggest strength. I know from personal experience. No matter what I did to show people the truth about her, she always spun it to make me look like the bad guy and she’ll do the same to you. You try and break the contract, she’ll made it so you’re the bad guy. You try to alter it and she’ll make you look evil. You have no choice but to honor it in the way she intended,”
“I see,” He muttered, making her frown. She would have some sort of punishment. “Then I’m going to honor it,”
“Then please don’t be too harsh on me,” She muttered, closing her eyes as Luka stepped closer to her. “I accept whatever you decide to curse me with,”
“I’m not going to curse you,” He replied in a gentle voice, causing her to snap open her eyes. “Did Juleka tell you why us unseelie are hated compared to the fae of the seelie court?”
“No?”
“It’s because people believe us to be malicious,” He replied, making her frown. “But the truth is we’re not. No fae is benevolent or malicious. We simply grant what we are asked to so when I say I’m going to honor her contract, it will be done to the exact detail,”
“But isn’t that giving her what she wants?” Marinette asked, confused. “She’ll be happy with it. I suffer and she gets to be the most famous person,”
“Oh, I doubt she’ll be happy with what she gets, Marinette,” He smiled in a dark manner. “You see we unseelie are what you might call tricksters and mischievous. We have no rules nor do we play to others. Lila thinks she can control me but she can’t. Personally, I don’t like it went people act entitled nor do I like been insulted so it’s my duty to punish her for her entitled and frankly awful behaviour. Lila wants fame. Well, I’ll make sure no one will ever forget her name again. She wants you to 'get what you deserve’ then I’ll do exactly that. She’s going to get exactly what she asked for whenever she liked it or not,”
“I think I understand,” She replied, nodding. “I’m just sorry you had to take her job,”
“Hmm, I’m not,” He replied, shrugged. “Paid for food for a week. Besides, I get to punish one of the wicked again and I know exactly how to turn this around without breaching my contract with her. Starting with you,”
Marinette closed her eyes as she expected him to reign down fury and fire on her but to her surprise, she simply felt his lips brush against her cheek as he placed a gentle kiss there. She opened her eyes as she felt magic flow through her body but it didn’t feel wicked or cursed. It felt… good and light. Like she was on cloud nine. It continued to flow even as he pulled away.
“As par to my contract, I have given you what you deserve,” He stated, making her look at him. “Which is a blessing of prosperity. May your future be a bright one,”
“A blessing?” She asked, generally surprised. “But isn’t that breaking your contract?”
“No, it isn’t,” He smiled, making her blush a little. “Lila only said to give you what you deserved. She never said what that was,”
“Oh,” She replied before smiling brightly. “Then thank you,”
~One Week Later~
Marinette couldn’t help the massive grin on her face as she walked through the Gala, getting everyone’s attention. She got endless compliments and couldn’t believe her luck but when she thought about it, she knew it was because of Luka’s gift. Apparently, this was his definition of 'what she deserves’. In other words, success and happiness. And happy she was. She had never had such a successful run before nor had she been in the spot light like this. She just wish she could thank her fae friend. After all, he had been the one to change her life.
“Marinette!” A familiar voice called, causing her to look over and see Adrien. If she had been 14 years old again, she might have fainted from his amazing smile but she was over him these days. Having said that, he still looked beautiful, just not as otherworldly as she once thought. “Wow, you look amazing,”
“Thank you,” She smiled but it didn’t last long as Lila stormed over.
“Marinette,” She grinned falsely. On the outside, she looked happy for her rival but on the inside, she was fuming. Apparently, that stupid fae had helped Marinette become a sensation overnight, despite her contract with him. Anyone who was anyone wanted a MDC original, which was why Marinette was here and Lila hated it. She had gotten an invite because she was the current it girl. Anyone who was anyone knew her name. She was so famous that she couldn’t walk down the street and she loved it but tonight someone else was outshining her and that someone was Marinette. Lila had to admit she looked amazing but it wouldn’t last long. It enraged her that Marinette was stealing her limelight and she was determined to destroy her but she would wait til Marinette lose her defense pose. “I heard you’ve been getting more successful recently. Oh maybe we could work together. With my status and your designs, we could do great things,”
“Oh, I’m not interested Lila but thank you,” Marinette replied, making Lila grit her teeth as she stepped forward.
“Listen here, Dupain-Cheng,” She hissed, getting closer to her. “There is nothing special about you as I know for a fact you had that puck help you but he also helped me and I intend to keep my throne so either you get in line or I’ll destroy you again,”
“I’m not afraid of you, Lila,” Marinette replied back. “And his name is Luka. Yes, he gave me a blessing and maybe that’s why I’m successful but unlike you, I’m grateful for his help,”
“Typical,” Lila gasped, turning on her heel and walking away from Marinette. Marinette shrugged and turned back to people as a waiter came by with glasses of red wine. Seeing her chance, Lila took one and was about to 'trip’ into Marinette, planning to ruin her dress with the wine but before she could, someone caught her by the waist, removed the glass in her hand and pulled her into a dance, making her glare at Luka. “You! You broke-”
“Now, now. Don’t make a scene,” He replied as they glided across the floor. “There are a lot of cameras and I’m sure you don’t want them to see you arguing with the son of Jagged Stone now, especially if you decide to use those racial slurs again,”
“I-” She gasped, glancing around and saw he was telling the truth. Of course he was. Faes can’t lie. “You stopped me from ruining her. If you hadn’t cheated-”
“I did no such thing,” He replied, making her grit her teeth. “You were the one who didn’t say exactly what to do with Miss Dupain-Cheng so I improvised,”
“So you made her more successful?!” She gasped in annoyance. “That is not what I wanted,”
“I care not for your wants but for the contract’s words. It said to give her what she deserved and that’s what I did. If anyone is to blame, it is yourself for not been exact in your wording,” He shrugged, making her gasp in annoyance. “But relax. I’m not here to cause any trouble. Actually, I’m here to grant the final part of our contract,”
“I’m already famous!”
“Are you?” He questioned, making her look around. Despite dancing with him, no one seemed bothered by her. All eyes were still on Marinette. “Seems like to me no one’s really paying attention to you,”
She gasped as she realized he was right. She was famous but not enough. She turned to him with a begging expression.
“You need to honor-”
“Don’t worry, Miss Rossi,” He smiled but to her surprise, he roughly grabbed her arm, causing it to feel like it was burning. “I’m here to make sure everyone remembers you forever,”
The way he said it sent a shiver down her spine and she panicked, trying to pull her arm away from him as it continued to burn before he suddenly let go.
“That’s our contract fulfilled,” He stated, walking away from her and picking up a glass of wine from a nearby waiter. He held up the glass to her with a smirk on his face “Have fun now,”
With that, he turned on his heel and walked over to Marinette, causing the witch to smile as she greeted him. Despite his promise, that annoyed her and if he wasn’t going to punish Marinette, she would. She began to storm over but was stopped by one of the other people there.
“Oh, isn’t Marinette such a darling?” She asked, mistaking Lila for one of the crowd who was admiring the girl. Lila couldn’t believe her luck. She could easily corrupt this person’s mind. “I would love one of her design,”
“Oh, she is the most talented designers in the world and I hate her for it,” She stated, surprising herself and causing the person to look over at her before shaking her head. “I mean we were in school together and she was always so nice to other people, it made me sick. She told me to stop lying so I destroyed her life and turned most of her friends against her,”
“What?” The woman asked, looking wary as Lila covered her mouth.
“I didn’t mean that,” She gasped, thinking she was able to lie. “I mean I totally meant it. She was such a goody two-shoes and I hated her guts. I even framed her for stealing another person’s designs once. Her class actually believed it. They were so stupid. All that to do was turn around the sketch and they would have seen her signature. The best part is she wasn’t the first person I did this too,”
At this point, everyone was looking at Lila with shock and disgust, apart from Luka. He simply held up his glass to her as she glared at him. She had realized that burning feeling he had created was a curse. A curse of truth but all she had to do was remain quiet until it lifted.
“I caused a girl to kill herself,” She suddenly blurted out, causing a number of people to gasp. “I laughed at her funeral and pretended I was crying,”
Lila clapped her hands to her mouth but it didn’t stop her from talking. One by one, all of the lies she had said throughout the years came out in front of everyone at the gala including the cameras that were filming everyone. People were whispering to each other and pointing at her. In sudden realization, Lila realized that everyone was no longer looking at Marinette but in fact were all looking at her. They were taking her picture and the cameras and reporters covering the event were filming her too. She knew by morning her career was over and it only got worst as security came over.
“Miss, come with us please,” They stated, making her look at them.
“What?!” She gasped, annoyed. “Do you know who I am?!”
“Yes, you’re Lila Rossi and due to your confession the police have been called,” The man answered, making her go pale. “Come quietly,”
“Quietly?! You stupid buffoon!” She screamed, despite trying to act 'innocent’. “I am Lila Rossi! I’m the best thing here and you think you can force me from here?! I deserve to be here!! Not these morons! Me! I’m the Queen! You should be begging for my attention!!”
Apparently, whatever Luka had done to her didn’t just cause her to tell the truth but to drop her act. However, the security guard didn’t care and went to take her arm, causing her to hit him which only made the situation worst. Soon, her downfall was filmed by all the cameras and bystanders as she was frogmarched out, shrieking like a banshee. Actually, scrap that. Banshees had nicer voices. Luka smirked as he watched her spill more lies and cause a scene, enjoying it.
“What did you do to her?” Marinette asked, causing him to turn his attention to her.
“I gave her a blessing," He replied, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "Unlike yours though, I gave her a blessing of truth. She can’t lie about anything now. Not through words or through her personality. I would guess that she is going to be trending on social media. She wanted to be famous after all,”
“That is brilliant,” Marinette smiled before turning to him. “Thank you for my blessing by the way. It’s really helped my business take off but I feel kind of bad that I’m riding on your magic for all my success. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without it. Is there anyway to thank you?”
“You know I only gave you a little boost of prosperity right?” He asked, making her look at him. “Everything else was all you.. but I would love to get to know you better if you’re interested and if you insist on thanking me, you could get me a danish from your parent’s bakery. They’re my favorite treat,”
“I would you to get to know you better as well,” Marinette flushed, making him grin. “And getting a danish wouldn’t be a problem… want to dance?”
“I would love to,” He smiled, taking her hand and leading her onto the dance floor as they heard Lila screeching in the background. By tomorrow morning, she would go down in history as a spoiled diva but not just that but people would post about her. Her previous victims would reveal how she was and the hashtag 'LiarRossi’ would trend, occasionally making a comeback when something new was revealed. All the crimes and fraud she committed to would come to light, along with every bad deed she did and she would realize with growing horror that Luka fulfilled his contract perfectly. After all, he promised to make her famous and now she was. She would never be forgotten for a long time. The best part was he had brought her to the height of fame which made this so much more better. You see Fame is tricky. Once you’re famous, everyone watches you every move and with how famous Lila was, people from all over would learn of her misdeeds, spreading her story all across the world. The newspapers were going to have a field day and her name would forever be remembered as a famous liar. He would make sure no one would ever forget her. After all, she asked to be known by everyone and that’s exactly what he gave her. Of course, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t grateful to her. After all, if he hadn’t taken her deal, he might not have finally gotten a chance to meet Marinette and now he had. He hoped Lila was satisfied with the outcome. He sure knew he was.
The next of my modern fairy tale re-dos! Was fun making Sleeping Beauty be a little angsty (thorns are hard - thank goodness for clipstudio assets) Early access to these pics and more for members over on my ko-fi!
Started working on redesigning my modern fairy tale characters that I did a few years ago. Here’s the first - Red Riding Hood! Early access to these pics and more for members over on ko-fi!
