Patchwork Universe

Lord Doomshadow · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 1:45 am Post subject: Joy In The Morning

Lord Doomshadow spread his arms wide and stared into the heart of the rising sun. Now this... this was a fairy tale land. Beneath the mask, his features tried to reshape themselves into the alien form of a smile.

"So, Ivor. Here are the roses, and here are the thorns. But where, oh where, is the Beauty?"

The song rose to his mouth parts as naturally as evil comes to the hearts of men.

"Briar Rose, Briar Rose
Briar Rose, Briar Rose
It was life and not death that you chose
Briar Rose, Briar Rose
Briar Rose, Briar Rose
Awaken to life, Briar Rose."

"Briar Rose, Briar Rose
Briar Rose, Briar Rose
Though all of your people are gone
Briar Rose, Briar Rose
Briar Rose, Briar Rose
Still you must awake to the dawn."

Softly, Ivor began to howl.

Rose Briar · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2004 11:43 am Post subject:

The graden seemed to shiver in response to the song and ice crystals shook from the petals of the sleeping flowers to shatter on the frozen earth.

From beyond a tangled thicket the rose maiden came walking, her slender figure swaying past the plants as if caught by a breeze only she could feel. The youthful innocence of her green eyes, the crowning glory of her red hair and the gossamer silk of her thin dress - all spoke to the dark lord of the most exquisite nature.

Walking towards the newcomers she regarded them with a steady gaze.
"I am Rose Briar, did I hear you call for me?"

Lord Doomshadow · Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:39 pm Post subject:

Lord Doomshadow flexed his speech organs nervously. He had never felt comfortable around... females. If only Mother hadn't insisted that he watch while she ate Father's pineal gland...

"Most certainly I called for you, my dear"

Hopefully that was a suitable beginning. The sort of thing a wise old uncle might say, before sitting down for a long discussion about men and magic with his naive young niece.

"So tell me, little girl... Do you like Princes?"

Rose Briar · Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2004 12:52 pm Post subject:

The rose maiden considered the question with the same gentle courtesy she accorded any visitor and her leaf green eyes regarded Doomshadow with compassion.

That thick leathery black armour was like a carapace of an insect, but the Rose Briar had often admired the scintilating colours swirled into the shell of a simple black beetle. Admittedly she didn't know what kind of creature this newcomer was but that hardly mattered - she looked forward to discovering his purpose.

"Princes of animals or princes of men?" she asked. "The noble stag, crowned with the horns of a Hart Royal, is a prince of his people because he will shed his lifeblood for them. But the race of men seeks princes who will demand the blood of others as the price of royalty."

Her eyes darkened, the tiny dots of black that were her pupils expanding. "A prince must wear crown of thorns, before his people will shower him wth rose petals. Or so I have heard."

Lord Doomshadow · Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 10:46 pm Post subject:

Something was wrong. The Sleeping Beauty of the story was the sort of girl who would fall in love with any man who happened to be a prince. Well, and handsome, and arrogant enough to believe that he was destined to survive a hedge of thorns which had slaughtered hundreds...

What could have happened? A terrible suspicion entered Doomshadow's mind. Could he be... too late? Could he have arrived after the end of the story, when Briar Rose had realised that living happily ever after was harder than it sounded, discovered her Prince in Cinderella's arms, and sent him on his way?

(He felt a pang of misery at the thought, but ruthlessly suppressed it. He must be strong. Father would expect it.)

Whatever the truth of the matter, he must not reveal himself. He must not let her find out why he was here...

"I see."

He paused. What could he say that would expose the truth, without exposing himself?

"Briar Rose, I was sent here by your fairy godmother. Tell me now... do you still live in fear of the spindle?"

Rose Briar · Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2004 12:49 am Post subject:

"My fairy godmother?" the rose maiden's eyes grew misty grey, like the vapours of the cool dawn. "I have several, I think... I heard thirteen came to my christening. But I've not met any since I began my task in the garden."

She smiled, half-dancing a few steps closer to Doomshadow. "Please tell my godmother I understand now about how thorns draw blood..."

"But which one could it be that sent you... oh!" she gasped with sudden pleasure as a thought struck her. "Are you my Godfather?"

Rose Briar · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 6:59 pm Post subject:

While Doomshadow was pondering the implications of this case of mistaken identity, the rose maiden spun suddenly and turned to look east.
"A visitor..." she breathed. "He picks a damask rose and his fingers are cold as ice." She shivered, seeming to thrill to the sensation rather than reject it. "Was this what the snow meant then?" she murmured before swinging back to Doomshadow.

"Shall we go and meet him, Godfather?"

Lord Doomshadow · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 9:16 pm Post subject:

"Ah..."

Doomshadow stirred, as if recovering from a long stupor. He could feel his pseudo hearts pulsing in a jagged, varied rhythm. The sensation reminded him of something, something he had not felt in decades... Oh, yes. Terror. That was it.

"Err..."

She was too close. She was much too close. Frantically, he reminded himself that she wasn't real. She was just a character in a story. She didn't matter...

"Ah... Briar Rose, I am not your Godfather. The truth is that I am your Fairy Godcousin, Lilac Warble. But I have often danced skyclad in the morning dew with your Fairy Godfather and the rest of your Fairy Family, catching the stars as they spun down from the sky..."

Ivor stared at him in horror, and began to emit the desolate howl of a dog that knows its master's soul has been stolen.

Doomshadow paused. All this didn't sound quite right, but at least he was saying something.

Lord Doomshadow · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:51 pm Post subject:

Doomshadow considered. What had Briar Rose been saying? Something about a visitor?

He felt a moment of panic. Could this be the Prince, come at last to wake her from her enchanted sleep? (And why wasn't she asleep? It was all very confusing...)

He must act quickly, or all might be lost. But he would have to follow her lead, and go with her to meet this interloper, or she might begin to suspect his motives.

"As you wish, cousin", he murmured.

And then it came to him. The letter! The one he had prepared earlier!

He gestured frantically to Ivor, who at first merely looked confused, but eventually reached into his bulging pack and extracted a tightly rolled scroll which he offered to the maiden.

Doomshadow closed his third eye, and employed his lower middle brain to visualise the contents of the parchment.

A very moving piece of writing

Something of a rough draft, Doomshadow thought. But hopefully it would suffice.

It did not matter whether she looked at it now, so long as she considered its contents before performing any rash acts with the newcomer. As long as she believed it. As long as she knew how to read...

Rose Briar · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 11:19 pm Post subject:

"Thank you, Godcousin," Rose Briar said, her eyes scanning the parchment, before folding it up and slipping it into the only place available in her scant garment. "I shall treasure this."

It wasn't exactly clear if she meant she would treasure the parchment or the advice it imparted but in a moment she was smiling with gentle sweetness and had reached for Doomshadow's hand.
"Come, good Lilac, let us greet this visitor..." She looked up at him with innocent trust. "This is a fortunate day indeed. I don't know how long it's been since any men came to the garden, and now two have come within the same day."

"You know what they say," she added as she began to lead the way across the lawn. "Where there are two visitors there will be a third. He's bound to come before nightfall, wouldn't you say?" She seemed to have forgotten Igor who was left to lope after them on his own.

[ooc note: this thread continues in Frost in the Garden]