fairytale

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Most fairy tales begin with 'once upon a time.' So will this one. But I don't know what sort of fairy tale this is. I can't decide. Would you help me? [[yes]] or [[no]]

King Jean and his queen Selene were escatic by their little bundle of joy. Life as a princess suited Chloe. She enjoyed reading and writing. She enjoyed dreaming of other things. Sometimes, she liked to talk to the [[knights around the castle]].

Chloe's mother Selene and her father Jean had fallen in love quickly but had not had much luck in creating the babies they'd so desperately wanted. Chloe was their only child, bringing her parents a lot of joy. Chloe enjoyed her quiet life with her family, but she was always dreaming for something more. [[Her father Jean]] nurtured these fantasies. Selene loved her daughter, but she was a bit more distant, not understanding why Chloe was so restless.

Chloe and Selene nursed Jean while he was ill. Selene despaired at having an ailing husband. Chloe tried not to let it show, but she was also stressed and afraid of losing the father she loved so much. [[He passed away]] one quiet morning. Through their combined efforts, [[Chloe and Selene healed him]]

Chloe sat by herself. She would forever miss the father that she loved so much. Her mother was handling everything all on her own now. Chloe didn't want to waste away the rest of her life stressing about how they were to get through the week. She would help her mother [[in other ways]].

[[He passed away]] a week later in a freak cow milking accident.

Chloe knew that she would have to one day marry a prince. She wanted [[more from her life]] than that. She wanted to see the world. She wanted to try things she never would get to, if she stayed in her palace for the rest of her life.

She decided that her best course of action was to leave. Chloe left one night, promising herself that she would return. Preferably once all of the princes in the nearby kingdoms had gotten married. As she walked through the woods, she came across [[a handsome prince]] [[a lovely maiden]]

He was a jerk. Are you sure you want Chloe to fall in [[love with him]]? And not [[a lovely maiden]]? Because I //clearly// gave you the option of a romantic fairy tale in which the love interests are both women, and you just kinda brushed that off.

Her name was Bernadette. Chloe could have written poetry about her. If she had been particularly good at [[writing]] poetry. [[She wasn't.]]

Once, a knight had offered her one of his swords, and quietly taught her some basic moves. Although Chloe loved it, she hid this from her parents. She knew that they loved her. She also knew that King Jean and Queen Selene would never understand. It wasn't that [[life as a princess]] bored her, or anything like that.

She decided she would leave home. There might be something or someone out there who could help them. She would also get to explore and discover things previously [[unknown to her]].

Chloe is a lesbian. Please stop. What, you thought you were [[helping me]]? That we were writing the story together?

//Once upon a time,// in a far away place, our heroine Chloe is born to either [[a loving king and queen.]] or [[two peasants.]]

No? //No//? What do you want me to do, [[write it]] //for// you?

//Once upon a time//, a writer tried to collabrate with an uncooperative audience. She never finished the story. The end. //Now// will you help? [[yes]]

Sending up a quiet apology, Chloe left home early one morning. She promised herself that she would return soon, and [[set out]] into the woods.

As she walked through the woods, she came across [[the handsome prince]] [[the lovely maiden]]

Listen. I'm being as sincere as I can right now. I appreciate your input, but these are //my// characters. I guess we can meet the handsome prince, [[if you want]]. As long as Chloe gets to meet [[a lovely maiden]], it'll be fine.

Chloe came across Prince Phillip (similarities to the prince in Disney's Sleeping Beauty are //entirely// coincidental, I promise you. Shit, will I like, get sued for even mentioning Disney?) as she walked through the woods. The horse he rode on was walking at a steady pace. Chloe began to run towards them, waving them down like I do when I'm late for the bus. "Excuse me, sir," she called out to the boy, "I was hoping you could help me." The horse, and consequentally, the prince, came to a stop. The prince met Chloe's eyes and dismounted. "And [[what with]], fair maiden?" asked Prince Phillip. Chloe coughed.

Chloe faltered. It couldn't have been a coincidence that she ran into this prince. She feared that he was a suitor chosen by her father and mother. But she had already asked his help. "I'm a little lost," she admitted. "I've never really left the village before." "I'm not from [[around here]]," said the prince. "Right," she said.

He was a jerk. [[Are you sure]] you want Chloe to fall in love with him? And not [[the lovely maiden]]? Because I //clearly// gave you the option of a romantic fairy tale in which the love interests are both women, and you just kinda brushed that off.

Her name was Bernadette. Chloe could have written [[poetry]] about her. If she had been particularly good at writing poetry, [[which she wasn't]].

Chloe is a lesbian. Please stop. What, you thought you were helping me? That we were [[writing the story together]]?

Listen. I'm being as sincere as I can right now. I appreciate your input, but these are //my// characters. I guess we can meet the handsome prince, [[if you really want]]. As long as Chloe gets to meet [[the lovely maiden]], it'll be fine.

Chloe came across Prince Phillip (similarities to the prince in Disney's Sleeping Beauty are //entirely// coincidental, I promise you. Shit, will I get sued for even mentioning Disney? Is that like, a thing?) as she walked through the woods. The horse he rode on was walking at a steady pace. Chloe began to run towards them, waving them down like I do when I'm late for the bus. "Excuse me, sir," she called out to the boy, "I was hoping you could help me." The horse, and consequentally, the prince, came to a stop. The prince met Chloe's eyes and dismounted. "Help you [[with what]], fair maiden?" asked Prince Phillip. Chloe coughed.

Chloe faltered. It couldn't have been a coincidence that she ran into this prince. She feared that he was a suitor chosen by her father and mother. But she had already asked his help. "I'm a little lost," she admitted. "I've never really left the village before." "I'm not from around [[here]]," said the prince. "Right," she said.

Prince Phillip left without being much help. He'd pointed her in the direction of an inn nearby and mounted on his horse again. Left her in the dirt. Chloe fumed. If only he //knew//! If only he knew that she was the princess that he was supposed to woo! She had half a mind to go back to the palace. Just to see [[the look]] on his face. [[But no.]] Better to not.

She would burst through the palace doors, clothes tattered and face smeared with sweat and dirt. Her mother would scream and her father would be incredulous. And Prince Phillip... Chloe grinned. [[But no.]]

Princess Chloe kept walking. A lazy creek gurgled nearby. She strayed from the path to wash her face and her hands. This was where Chloe saw [[a lovely maiden]].

Prince Phillip left without being much help. He'd pointed her in the direction of an inn nearby and mounted on his horse again. Left her in the dirt. Chloe fumed. If only he //knew//! If only he knew that she was the princess that he was supposed to woo! She had half a mind to go back to the palace. Just to see the look [[on his face]]. But no. [[Better to not]].

Princess Chloe kept walking. A lazy creek gurgled nearby. She strayed from the path to wash her face and her hands. This was where Chloe saw [[the lovely maiden]].

She was a peasant. She didn't exactly have the best education. But she could maybe come up with something on the spot? //Bernadette, my heart burns for you....// Chloe bit her lip. She'd thought that //burn// and //Bernadette// would be clever wordplay but was now rethinking. Ugh. Why did this have to be so hard? No, not the [[poetry]]. Well, sort of the poetry. Mostly just. Talking to girls.

Double-click this passage to edit it.

Bernadette smiled. "You know, I don't think I've seen you around before." "Probably not," said Chloe, sitting down beside her. "I was always busy at home." "So what brings you here?" Chloe bit her lip. "I need to help my mom. It's just [[me and her]] now."

//Bernadette, my heart burns for you....// Chloe bit her lip. She'd thought that //burn// and //Bernadette// would be clever wordplay but was now rethinking. Ugh. Why did this have to be so hard? No, not the [[writing]] poetry. Well, sort of the poetry. Mostly just. The talking to girls bit. She was a princess and she couldn't even think to dazzle a pretty girl with romantic poetry.

Bernadette laughed. "I've never seen you before," she said. "No, I never got out much," Chloe said. "I just-- my parents are forcing me to get married and I'd really rather not." "So you just left?" "[[I left]]," Chloe agreed.

"I've heard of a witch," said Bernadette. "Maybe she can help you change your parents' minds." Chloe let the information sink in. It //would// be awfully [[convienient]]...

"I've heard of a witch," said Bernadette. "Maybe she can help you and your mother." Chloe let the information sink in. It //would// be [[awfully nice]]...

Bernadette told Chloe where she could find the [[witch]]. "I can't come with you," Bernadette lamented. "But I hope we meet again." Chloe squeezed her hand, and left.

Bernadette told Chloe where she could find [[the witch]]. "I can't come with you," Bernadette lamented. "But I hope we meet again." Chloe squeezed her hand, and left.

"Your name is Gwen?" Chloe asked incredulously. The witch frowned. "Yes." "I guess I imagined something more..." Chloe would have said //ominous// but she really didn't want to offend her. "It's fitting." Gwen's frown transformed into a smile. "So, you say want to help your mother." Chloe hadn't said anything at all yet. But she agreed, because it was true. The witch presented her with three things: [[a chalice]] filled with something like wine, a [[red apple]], and a [[single rose]].

"Your name is Gwen?" Chloe asked incredulously. The witch frowned. "Yes." "I guess I imagined something more..." Chloe would have said //ominous// but she really didn't want to offend her. "Never mind. It's fitting." Gwen's frown transformed into a smile. "Now, you say your parents are forcing you to marry a prince?" Chloe hadn't said anything at all yet. But she agreed, because it was true. The witch presented her with three things: a [[chalice]] filled with a dark liquid like wine, a [[green apple]], and [[a single rose]].

Chloe took the chalice. "I drink from it? Then what?" "The spell will give you what you want," said Gwen. "But not in the way you think it will." Well, that was cryptic. Chloe was about to say as much, but Gwen held up her hand. "I don't know //what// the spell will take from you," she told her. "But be aware that this is what you face. Chloe frowned and raised the chalice [[to her lips]].

Chloe took the apple. "I eat it? Then what?" "The spell will give you what you want," said Gwen. "But not in the way you think it will." Well, that was cryptic. Chloe was about to say as much, but Gwen held up her hand. "I don't know //what// the spell will take from you," she told her. "But be aware that this is what you face. Chloe frowned and raised the apple [[to her lips]].

Chloe took the rose. "What do I do with it?" "Break a petal off," Gwen told her. Chloe stared at it. "Then what?" "The spell will give you what you want," said Gwen. "But not in the way you think it will." Well, that was cryptic. Chloe was about to say as much, but Gwen held up her hand. "I don't know //what// the spell will take from you," she told her. "But be aware that this is what you face. Chloe frowned and [[tugged]] a petal free.

Chloe took the red apple. "I eat it? Then what?" "The spell will give you what you want," said Gwen. "But not in the way you think it will." Well, that was cryptic. Chloe was about to say as much, but Gwen held up her hand. "I don't know //what// the spell will take from you," she told her. "But be aware that this is what you face. Chloe frowned and raised the chalice to [[her lips]].

Her body //transformed//. Her nails elongated into talons. The hair on her legs and her arms thickened and darkened. Her teeth... she could feel them poking out of her mouth like fangs. "What--what //am// I?" Chloe cried. "What have you done to me?" "No one would dare take advantage of you and your mother again," said Gwen. "You'd drive any debt collectors away." Chloe hid her face in her hands. She'd drive away [[every girl]], too.

[[She slept.]]

She [[slept]].

It was months until she opened her eyes to see Bernadette standing above her. Chloe's lips were inexplicably tingling. "Bernadette? How..." "Your parents sent out a decree after you were gone for a few months. They were desperate. Said whoever found you would have your hand," said Bernadette. "Whoever?" Chloe echoed. "I knew I had to find you," she said with a gentle smile. "Would you have [[a peasant girl]]?" "I've never wanted anyone else," Chloe replied.

It was months until she opened her eyes to see Bernadette standing above her. Chloe's lips were inexplicably tingling. "Bernadette? How..." Bernadette said, "I wondered what had happened after you saw the witch. I went to visit your mother... she said you'd never come back." Chloe's eyes watered. "You found me." "Yes." "I'm just [[a peasant girl]] you've met only once." Bernadette smiled. "I'm the same to you."

Her body //transformed//. Her nails elongated into talons. The hair on her legs and her arms thickened and darkened. Her teeth... she could feel them poking out of her mouth like fangs. "What--what //am// I?" Chloe cried. "What have you done to me?" "No prince would marry a princess looking like that," said Gwen. Chloe hid her face in her hands. [[No girl]] would, either.

Chloe spent her days hidden in the forest. She found a cave to live in. At night, she would howl her loneliness to the moon. "Don't cry," she heard a familiar voice call back to her one night. "You'll find a family." "Bern--Bernadette?" Chloe wondered. "Wolves don't talk," said the voice, coming ever closer. Bernadette came into view, covering her mouth in shock. "Chloe?" "Yes," said Chloe sadly. "No prince will marry me now. But no princess would, either." Bernadette's eyes watered. "Would you settle for [[a peasant girl]]?" She kissed her. As they kissed, Chloe felt her talons shorten, her fur disappear, her fangs dull. She kissed harder.

They lived happily ever after.

Chloe spent her days hidden in the forest. She found a cave to live in. At night, she would howl her loneliness to the moon. "Don't cry," she heard a familiar voice call back to her one night. "You'll find a family." "Bern--Bernadette?" Chloe wondered. "Wolves don't talk," said the voice, coming ever closer. Bernadette came into view, covering her mouth in shock. "Chloe?" "Yes," said Chloe sadly. "I couldn't face my mother like this. I can barely face you" Bernadette's eyes watered. "Why not? You're [[a peasant girl]], just like me." She kissed her. As they kissed, Chloe felt her talons shorten, her fur disappear, her fangs dull. She kissed harder.