#i was gonna draw smth quick for this but then i dilly dallied for 4 hours straight until it was far too late

[astrolotte]

A small, semi-hypothetical story for my Creatures of Fairywood Forest AU, a FOP AU where fairies are tiny, Tinkerbell-esque creatures more in line with fairy mythology both new and old.

In this story, Periwinkle, having been long since captured by Dev & Dale Dimmadome, contemplates why he doesn't just leave during a golden opportunity to do so.

More info about the AU here.

Wanna hear more rambles and writing snippets? Check out the Discord server mentioned here.

---

Periwinkle breathed in, shaky and slow.

He, at his core, was a being that craved the outside. Just as any other fairy did. Flying through branches, snacking on flowers, resting with his back against the cool grass. Staring up at the trees, or even better - the bright blue sky.

He hadn't felt that in a while.

Even as he laid back now, with the grass and the sky he so adored, he still didn't. He was miserable. Being out here and knowing he couldn't leave… it was almost worse. It was like he had a hole in his chest, and all the joy he had managed to gather in his time being captured by the Dimmadomes was just leaking out onto the bright environment.

Why didn't he just take the opportunity now?

"So the Crimson Shin is the Crimson Chin's other clone, and he was introduced in 2009."

It would be easy enough to leave.

"Apparently they're gonna introduce him in the next movie, which I'm super excited for."

To just… go.

"He's sort of a misunderstood villain-turned-hero, so he'll probably be evil for this one, but hopefully they'll redeem him pretty quickly! I like him better as a hero."

Honestly, it was selfish to stay. He had family and friends that cared about him, who surely wanted him back home.

Periwinkle turned his head, looking at Dev, bright as a firefly. His hands moved as he talked, rambling on and on about something called 'The Crimson Chin'. A comic book and movie series, he said. Periwinkle thought that he had heard Timmy talk about something similar before, though last he heard it didn't have this much lore. It was honestly a bit overwhelming.

He seemed happy to talk, though, so Periwinkle listened.

… But, again…

It would be so easy. All he'd need is a little glamour. Drop a fake Periwinkle in his place and start flying away as Dev's lost in his ramble.

"Some people online were saying that they should introduce another character, because that trope is kinda overused."

The O-Pairs would be able to spot him through the lie, as he had already figured out. But if he used magic to sap the electricity from them, Dev wouldn't be able to know which way he went, even if he did notice.

"I dunno, I like it though…" Dev shifted his legs, pulling them closer to his body. "It's nice to think that even clones made solely to be evil can be redeemed. Y'know?"

He could do so many things. Use a powerful gust of wind to knock him over. Make the plants grow to tie him up. Start a fire that distracts them. He could use animal magic to make Dev forget! He was a powerful enough fairy to influence humans, and at this point he was sure that everyone would understand why he broke the rules!

"It'd be nice, at least," Dev sighed, ripping grass out of the ground. The O-Pair buzzed away beside him. “If that could…”

He checked his phone with one hand, mouth twitching downward. Periwinkle sat up.

"You okay, kid?"

"Yeah, I-" he yanked harder, pulling a whole wad of them out. "It's time to go. Curfew, you know. I'm sure Dad's missing me!"

He chucked the blades of grass at the ground, only seeming to get more mad when they made absolutely zero impact. Periwinkle's wings twitched.

"You- I- ugh!" Dev shoved his phone back in his pocket, with enough force that it would absolutely have ripped if it were like the leaves that adorned Periwinkle's body. "I can't- grr."

He hadn't been with the Dimmadomes for very long, but he already knew full well that Dale wouldn't be missing him at home. He never was. That's why he didn't even know about these outings, about Dev letting Periwinkle see the sun.

Periwinkle fluttered over, landing on Dev's shoulder.

"Wanna tell me more about the Crimson Chin as you walk home? Just pretend you're on one of those 'calls' or something."

Dev stared off into the distance. When Periwinkle followed his gaze, he only saw a child playing with their parent. He didn't usually regret his tiny size, but…

"Yeah, alright," Dev muttered. "Remember to hide."

"Already on it, kid," Peri said, slipping into the jacket's hood. "You were talking about the Crimson Shin in the upcoming movie?"

He felt Dev start walking as he snuggled in, movements slow.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "Yeah, so, he's definitely not my favorite, but he's one of the better ones, and that's why…"

Peri listened. That’s all he could do. Even as his mind still strayed elsewhere…

Truly, it was the perfect opportunity. Why hadn't he left?