Jaycee's Blog - Fri, Apr 1 (Patreon)

So Priya eventually did show up last night, around 11 PM—which was still technically on time, but I'd gone to bed by then. I'd been sleeping for a good half-hour when she rang the bell, so I was half asleep when I answered the door. She apologized for coming so late. She'd been considering and reconsidering her request for a faerie roommate and had changed her mind half a dozen times already. Finally, she was here and was going to plead her case to the faeries.

So we all gathered in my living room and she pitched her project. Sure, she said, living with a faerie came with an expected amount of embarrassment (or downright public humiliation), and no doubt she'd be be subjected to a fair share of sexual encounters, but there was a deeper reason for her request. Something more personal and, to a degree, more altruistic (she didn't say it exactly like that, I'm paraphrasing).

Her goal was to take on the Coterie, this group of jackasses using spiders to capture faeries and use their power for selfish and political goals. Having worked for them (unwittingly), she wanted to make things right. Bless her righteous little heart. Having a faerie at her side might be dangerous for them both, but they'd make a strong team (stronger than either one alone) and could make a difference.

The faeries listened to her in silence. When she was done pleading, they flew away and talked to each other outside of ear shot. When they returned. Attitude, the older of the lot, spoke on their behalf.

"Because of grievances past, it's not in our nature anymore to trust humans. Too many of you are easily corrupted by contact with power. Your disregard of nature and consequences make you a threat to our kind. So our first vote was to decide if you were that type of human or if you were part of the rare, dying breed of idealists who put morality ahead of self-interest."

She paused and looked at her fae sisters.

"We all agreed that you are selfless enough that we can trust you a little. Or at least enough to try what you suggest. For a while. One of us has agreed to join you, but just for a year. Think of it as a probationary period. You will be tried and tested, and if you prove worthy, we can revisit the agreement."

Priya opened her mouth to say something, but Attitude gestured for her to stay silent.

"No need to answer, your response doesn't matter. The decision has been made and one of us will be leaving with you tonight."

She paused, glanced at me, then looked at Priya again.

"I will go with you," she said.

So yeah, Attitude's gone. After over a decade of living together, she's just...gone.

--Jaycee