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Teasers from "Once Upon a Fantasy", JF fairy tale collection
He again checked on dinner and then sat down by the open window to
wait for Black. He smiled with nervous anticipation and twirled the
end of his braid around his fingers. He wondered if he should have changed
the color from purple to red, red for love. Finally he heard Black's
call. "Calyx, Calyx, let down your hair." He jumped up and
peered through the window. Down below was Black and he carried a dozen
red roses in hand. He waved at Calyx as soon as he saw him. Calyx felt
absolutely giddy as he released the tie that held his hair and lowered
it. Black put the bouquet in his lips, deftly climbed up Calyx's braid
and leapt through the window with a flourish. Before Calyx could say
anything, Black had scooped him up in his arms and was twirling him
around the room. Calyx giggled and took the roses from Black's mouth.
"Are these for me?" he asked demurely. "Yes, but their beauty pales in comparison to yours," Black
whispered then pulled Calyx in for a passionate kiss. Calyx let Black's
tongue plunder his mouth. He didn't sense much coming off of Black and
guessed the dark-haired man's shields were still up. He moaned softly
into the kiss and started sucking gently on Black's tongue. After a
few moments they both pulled apart, breathless. "Are you hungry?" Calyx asked sweetly. "I was…but now I'm only hungry for you," Black replied
as he stared into Calyx's emerald green eyes and felt himself drowning
in desire. "I'm always hungry for you, sweetheart," Calyx replied. "We
can eat later then," he laughed and, taking Black's hand, pulled
him into the kitchen. He turned the slow cooker to the warm setting
and quickly put the rest of the food away. Black, meanwhile, found a
vase for the roses and set them in the bedroom. He then waited for Calyx
by the foot of the bed. Calyx smiled as he entered the bedroom and saw Black waiting for him
obediently. Black had many responsibilities as the commander of JC2
and he frequently liked to relinquish control in the bedroom. Calyx
was only too happy to oblige him. It seemed that Black wanted to play
tonight. "Strip," Calyx ordered quietly, "slowly."
"Beauty Sleeps" by Grumpy Demon, art by Seneschal -- Sleeping Beauty "This is not about what you want," Gavedon said lowly. "This
is about what you are. Do you know what your fate is, my son? Do you
know what you're destined to do?" Hadrian trembled and shook his head. "You're to rise up against me," Gavedon whispered. "You're
to kill me." Hadrian's mouth hung open with a soft sob and he shook his head again. "Father, I would never--" "You would," Gavedon said coldly. "From the moment of
your birth you were bound to kill me. And so I killed you first. My
curse was simple; in the summer of your nineteenth year, you shall prick
your finger upon a dagger and fall dead." Hadrian's breath caught as Gavedon's hand released him and gently fingered
the band of Life around the prince's neck. Cold grey eyes grew colder. "But your mother interfered." Gavedon pulled away from Hadrian then, the young prince clutching at
the tree at his back to keep on his feet. The king strode to Caled and
stared down into the mercenary's groggy blue eyes. For a moment something
dark pressed against Caled's senses, but the fall was blurring everything
in his mind. Gavedon's fingers clenched around his jaw and lifted Caled's
eyes back to his. "You'll regret ever touching him," Gavedon promised softly.
"A Cottage in the Woods" by Silence -- Little Red Riding Hood "I appreciate your invitation to return." Hadrian paused
before shyly adding, "Mother." He accepted her pleased grin
with an odd mixture of regret and satisfaction. Heading past the smiling
middle-aged woman, he placed the basket of food on the table. "Shadow, what a pleasant surprise." Hadrian turned sharply,
nearly knocking over the basket in the process, as he heard a dark yet
familiar voice from deeper within the cottage. "How wonderful," Caleen commented as she began unpacking
the basket, "you boys know each other." Swiftly and efficiently,
she prepared three plates from the contents. "Sit. Eat." Hadrian watched warily as the scarred man from the night before entered
from the back room. In the morning light, Hadrian could see the odd
features he'd missed the night before. Two-toned eyes, similar to those
on Caled's thieving friends gazed intently at him. When the man smiled
appreciatively at him, Hadrian barely repressed a shudder. The man had
filed all his teeth into points, giving him the look of a hunter, a
predator. The sorcerer pulled his cloak tightly around him, trying to
avoid the piercing stare from those strange eyes. Averting his eyes
from the taller man, Hadrian took his spot at the table. As the taller
man sat across from him, Hadrian could feel that gaze still upon him. "Wolfe here says he's a friend of Doni's," Caleen introduced
as she seated herself in front of the final plate. "Nice boy," the dark man said. "Met him while he was
working in Rhiad." Hadrian shuddered as those eyes continued to
watch him. "Too bad about what happened there. I barely made it
out myself." Wolfe's attention wavered only slightly as he began
to eat, but his eyes never left Hadrian.
"The Three Snake Leaves" by Marsha Hinds, aka Queen Boadicea -- The Three Snake Leaves John moaned softly in horror. "No, Finn, no. Unlike my wife I
do not ask such a test of fealty. I've no wish to have you die for me." "I would gladly die a thousand deaths to save you!" Finn
retorted. "But, since that is not possible, I content myself with
knowing that I die with the man I love and honor." "I won't allow this." He rushed to the door to shout and
summon the guards. Finn darted in front of him. "It is no use, my lord! If you have them remove me, I will kill
myself once taken from this chamber. Life will be hateful and bitter
to me without you. So I die with you or without you. You cannot prevent
it." Tears filled the young King's eyes at this show of willing devotion
and he hugged Finn hard, the droplets running into the brilliant ruby
hair. They embraced for a little while longer. Then John sensed a new urgency
in the body clutching his. Finn's manhood stirred, stretched and made
itself felt between them. To his shock, John felt the same stirring
within his own body. Soft air brushed against his chest as the other man breathed. Then
Finn lifted his head and drew John's lips down to his for a tentative
kiss. John pulled away, making some protest; surely this was not right,
not with his dead wife only a few feet away. Finn shook his head against his dissent. "We shall both be dead
soon. Where is the harm? She is gone and buried and you are a free man.
I do this not out of disrespect for her, but love for you."
"Snowstorm" by PuckIsh -- The Snow Queen "It's not a crime to use your body for pleasure." By using someone else's? But Black's thoughts scattered before
he voiced them as Icelus deliberately pushed his groin into the younger
man's. Instinctively he grabbed at the psypath's hips, but Icelus ground
luxuriously into Black's crotch before he could push him away. He could
feel every inch of an increasingly stiff erection against his own. Slender
fingers covered Black's hands, guiding them to a taut white-clad ass
and drawing them closer together. As thin as Icelus' arms were, Black
could have broken them like icicles, but he couldn't make himself do
it. He couldn't pull away. "You want this," Icelus whispered, laughter soft and silvery in his voice. "You're not doing yourself any favors pretending you don't. Just give in. There's no use struggling. Don't try to be good. Just give in." And Black did. His taut muscles relaxed, the wariness left his face,
and he twined himself as closely around the pale man's body as dancing
permitted, drowned in an ice-blue gaze. "That's good, Black," Icelus crooned, smoothing cool hands
down the lieutenant's back. "Open up to me. It feels good, doesn't
it? That's it, let me see it. You're bad, Black. Dark as your name.
Don't be ashamed of it. Don't hide it. Let me see what a sick bastard
you are. Are you diseased, Black? Do you secretly enjoy it? Show me.
Taint me with it." He lowered his head and kissed the dark-haired
man. It was freezing, Black noticed detachedly, but only for a moment.
Icelus tasted sharp, like cold water. He vaguely remembered a different
taste, smoky and warm, but he couldn't place why he'd thought of it
now. "You think too much," Icelus murmured, and kissed him again.
Their hands reached for every inch of skin within reach, stroking and
squeezing and digging with sharp fingers. It wasn't cold anymore. Black
couldn't really feel anything but Icelus against his mouth and chest
and hands. Icelus broke off the kiss, nipping a trail down to Black's collarbone
and making him shiver. When Black turned his face for another kiss,
Icelus laid his fingers over the other man's mouth. "No more for now," he husked. "Or I'll kiss you to death."
"Song of Love: A Cinderella Story" by Renee Cardineau, art by Seneschal -- Cinderella Three days after the sudden death of Syellen, Caledon's father returned home, with him, a woman and her two children. She introduced herself as Rebecca and her little fat children were named Adriana and Danielle. They looked at Caledon with disdain. "He's a bit dirty, don't you think?" Rebecca asked as she
poked and prodded the poor boy. "Caledon." His father was in much better spirits than he
had been in a long time. "Where is Syellen? I need to tell you
both something wonderful." Tears began to well in Caledon's eyes. He held them back. "She's
gone," he said softly. "Died three days ago." "Oh, how dreadful..." His father coughed. He went on to tell
Caledon his wonderful news, as if a silly thing like the death of someone
his son cared about should not ruin his mood. While Caledon had been sitting at home waiting patiently for him to return, his father had taken Rebecca as a wife. Caledon tried very hard to be happy. He knew he should be. It was just so hard. The woman was obnoxious and her children were so rude. After just one week of them, Caledon felt like he was going to go crazy.
Adriana and Danielle were the worst sisters he could imagine having.
They always got what they wanted and they never worked for it. Caledon
found himself remembering Syellen's last words. "Things will get
better." But he could not help but feel furious at his new family
for being so horrible to him, at his father for pushing this life upon
him, and at himself for wanting to hurt them... Things only got worse from there.
"Night and Realm" by Azalea, art by Rithannen -- The Twelve Dancing Princesses "So you believe you can find out what my consort is up to?"
said Anifiel, crossing his arms over his chest. "When so many others
have failed?" John held eye contact with the king, though it was difficult to do
so. "I have enough confidence in my own abilities, your Majesty." "All right, I will give you this chance. But you get only one
try tonight and I will not tolerate any failure." He waved to a
guard. "Go summon my consort." John winced. He'd been traveling for days and sleep had not come easily
to him in that time. He didn't know if he could handle staying up a
full night. But he knew he had to. "You will be stationed outside of his room," said Anifiel.
"It is your job to observe and make sure he doesn't leave." John blinked several times. "Outside his room? Wouldn't it make
more sense to sit in the room with him?" Anifiel narrowed his eyes at John. "None shall share my consort's
room but ME!" John rubbed his forehead. "As you say, your Majesty." This
is a disaster waiting to happen… A side door opened. What was no doubt the most beautiful redhead he'd
ever seen came prancing cheerfully into the room. He stilled when he
caught sight of John. "It seems I will surely smoke out your secret tonight," said
Anifiel from his throne. "This is John Stonebrook, and his specialty
is finding out people's secrets." Finn looked forlorn for a moment before a cheerful smile slapped back
on his face. "Then I guess you will be rid of me soon, King Anifiel!" A dark look crossed Anifiel's face for a moment before it became neutral.
"It would seem so, Finnian." Finn shoved a hand at John. "It's nice to meet you, John Stonebrook!
I hope you will be good to me!" John struggled to focus back on Anifiel. "If it would please his
Majesty, I would like to interview those who failed in this task." Finn paled. "Of course. This castle is at your disposal, within reason." "Aw, I don't think that's necessary," said Finn weakly. "They
all just fell asleep! Anyone can do that!" "I realize this," said John. "But I still want to talk
to them." Finn's shoulders slumped. Damn…
Riosin diligently polished and decorated a walnut shell to serve as
a cradle for him. She collected blue violet leaves and from them wove
soft bedding for him. She then used a rose leaf for the counterpane.
Hadrian slept there at night and during the day he would amuse himself
on the table while Riosin wove at her loom. Riosin had placed a plateful
of water on the table and surrounded the edges with garlands of flowers.
She would float tiny flowers in the water and sometimes drop glass beads
in the bottom of the plate. Upon this magical lake floated a large tulip
tree leaf, which Hadrian used as a boat. He would sit and row himself
from side to side using two oars made of white horse hair. He would
also sit amongst the garlands of flowers on the edge of the plate and
splash his feet in the water. Hadrian learned to sing from Riosin. His voice was so soft and sweet
that nothing like it had ever before been heard. Hadrian would sing
while Riosin worked and while she prepared their meals. During the spring
and early summer many beautiful songbirds would perch on the window
ledge and sing beautiful melodies with Hadrian. In the evenings he would
trill in chorus with the cicadas or chirp merrily with the crickets
while Riosin cleaned the cottage. At night he sang Riosin to sleep with
beautiful lullabies and other rhymes she had taught him. One night, while he lay in his beautiful bed, a large, ugly, wet toad named Gavedon crept through a broken pane of glass in the window. He leaped right up on the table where Hadrian lay sleeping under his rose leaf quilt. "What a pretty little mate this young man would make for my son, Jessyd," the evil toad said. He quietly took the walnut shell in which little Hadrian lay asleep and crept through the window into the garden.
"The Swan Prince" by Grumpy Demon, art by Seneschal -- The Swan Prince Blood ran down the bird's neck now, the sound of feathers against the
water oddly muffled and heavy, and Calyx realized that he couldn't look
away. He watched as the bird seemed to spread across the water, its
whole body pressing flat against the glassy surface, and then it screamed
again and something ripped through its chest. "Holy fuck," Calyx gasped. A hand was pushing free from the swan, the feathers pulling back and
fanning out over the water as a man somehow emerged from the tiny white
body. Calyx stared, his mind trying to understand just how it had all
happened, but the pieces wouldn't add up. He'd started with a swan and
now he'd somehow ended up with a man standing in the rippling water.
He needed to lay off the Bliss. The thought rolled around in his head like some crashing elephant,
but even as part of him chalked this up as some drug induced hallucination,
the rest of him continued to watch. The man in the pond was trembling
a little, some blood and pale feathers clinging to him as he stood in
the darkening air. His arms wrapped around his body for a moment and
then he let out a strangled sob before he dunked himself under the water. The vision that followed was the stuff that all of Calyx's best dreams
were made of. The strange man was like some reflection of Calyx himself.
Where the empath was light, this man was dark. His skin was a dusky
brown that matched the short cropped hair upon his head. Muscle gleamed
beneath rivulets of water and dark eyes reflected even in the growing
night. Calyx couldn't help but fantasize a little just how it would
look to have his snowy hair fanned over that body, to have those hands
tangled up with his own, to lock deep brown eyes with hungry green.
A little surge of pleasure raced through him and even Calyx Starr was a bit surprised by that one. He'd just seen the guy transform from a fucking swan, even he should have been a little wary. |