Most of what she knew, she'd learned from the wild. Nature had nurtured, tutored, and protected her when no one else would.
Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing (pg. 363)
fabletown is a small pond and faye thinks herself a fish too big for it ━━ so it's no surprise that every time the fibres of their being are laced with a kind of boredom too overwhelming to ignore, people around feel the shock wave of it ( and more often than not, the aftermath is less than good for a couple of unfortunate souls ━━ it's a wrong place, wrong time sort of situation and with something enticing enough for faye to do something about it ). peter, even with all the history that they share, might become a victim just like anyone else. to be fair, he approaches her. "and you are far too dramatic, peverell." a name foreign on her tongue, even with all the decades of use ━━ he is peter pan, the boy who refused to grow up and she his trusted companion. that is how the story goes, isn't it? "please. we see each other every damn day." a chuckle, a head shake and a sip of a beer that warms with each second.
every word exchanged still feels heavier than it used to be. an abandon of their home and company left behind... faye knows better than to believe all is well. as much as she hates it, actions have consequences. "i have my hobbies and i can guarantee none of them will ever be knitting. have you tried it?" eyebrows raise and mischief paints itself on faye's lips as their blue eyes meet peter's. then, the offer of a sip of her beer. "genius is right." a jest, even if there is no lie to be found. "the day has just begun. don't cheer just yet, peter. i might just take your wallet next, see what secrets you've been keeping from me and the magic mirror."
peter slows when he sees her, doesn’t stop right away — just enough for his stride to falter, for the sound of his footsteps to hush. no surprise finding her like this: sun going down, attitude rising, one foot on the edge of a bad idea and the other barely planted in whatever counted as rehabilitation. he squints down at her, cigarette tucked behind his ear, a notebook wedged under one arm. the picture of reluctant responsibility. “you wound me, darlowe.” he drawls, tone dry as the sidewalk she’s baking on. “not even a hello before you threaten to hoard your shitty beer ?” peter crouches, not to sit, never quite that relaxed, but enough to put himself just in her line of sight, forearms balanced on his knees, mirrored like mockery. his eyes skim the can in her grip before they flick up to hers.
“you know,” he says, glancing around like the scenery might surprise him, “most people at least pretend to find hobbies that don't involve sitting on the side of the road. you ever try knitting ?” followed by a little shrug, not judgmental, just peter: half amused, half weary, all blunt. “but hey, if scowling at pavement’s what’s keeping you from torching another mailbox or charming a guy out of his wallet, who am i to stop genius at work ?”
⸻ king roberon cole welcomes rowena "red" woods to fabletown—or, as they were once known, little red riding hood from little red riding hood / grimm's tales. before the magic mirror, they come glamoured in the mirage of a lucky red ribbon tangled in her fingers, her eyes tracing the city skyline as she hums a quiet hum of something forgotten and lingering in the dark / a laughter that echoes like a warning ⸻ sweet, melodic, yet laced with something dangerous, sound that invites but doesn’t promise safety / cigarette burns down between fingers, smoke curling like a spell in the air. blue eyes stare at the world but the mind is somewhere else, lost in thoughts too heavy for daylight / hair is a storm, unruly and wild ⸻ waves of deep brown that tumble and twist as if they were spun from the earth itself and yet wraps around like an embrace. the tale from which they hail exalted their resilience and wit, but decried their stubborness and calousness in equal measure. no matter; this time, they shall write their own. in accordance with the fabletown compact, they are granted amnesty for any and all transgressions, even that which is little known: unbeknownst to red, her grandmother's warning to always wear red was a shield against a curse cast on her by a magical being in the forest. as long as she wears the red, her heart remains whole, and her soul anchored, and without it, she would slowly fade away.
their spine feels winnie before her eyes could even register the figure in their periphery. faye does not know what it is ━━ what makes her look right in the direction that winnie is coming from but, truth is, hazel eyes meet the other before faye could even think about ignoring them. mirth and mischief ( a pair so very familiar with all of tink's life ) take over faye's expression in equal measure, metal can meeting their lips for a small sip once more. "oh, please, tell me how you really feel." a tease, a jest ━━ something that had been so familiar between them back home.
faye leans back, one hand holding them up and another holding the beer can. index finger taps rhythmically as their eyes taken in winnie once again ━━ from the top of their head to their toes and the smile on her lips does not falter ( whether it's a warm smile, a playful one or something else ━━ something akin to a predator towards their prey ). "and what is your drink of choice, winnie?" now, a smirk. mischief clear in her eyes as she speaks next. "i'm a bartender, i can whip you something up if you want to break into the trip trap."
while staying indoors could be seen as the logical option considering the news, winnie was beyond antsy. being cooped up indoors had always felt some sort of suffocating ever since she could remember. a quick walk wouldn't hurt them right ? why would a murderer care for her anyway. and the idea that the fable herself were guilty was laughable. the only person she killed was still alive and well. so she trudged along to an undetermined location, letting her mind wander to whatever escapist fantasy settled the nerves in her body. that was, until they spotted her. reality snapping sharply back into focus.
why winnie's feet took her in the direction of the other blonde she'd never know. maybe it was an old habit, instinct, or their arguable penchant for punishment. whatever the case may be, now they found themself standing with arms crossed firmly, right in front of faye. " anyone who would accuse you of such a thing would be out of their mind. " words leaving a little more charged that originally intended. something that happened on occasion whilst in the other's company. " plus, not my drink of choice anyway. "