Teryl's Tales of Whim~
"This potion tastes like an apple-drop; you'll be able to sort out your housework without distraction. And this potion here tastes like the underside of a muddy basilisk but it'll fix a broken bone in a day," explained the witch.
"Why does one taste so bad?"
"Because if it tasted nice, people might drink it for fun."
"Why would that be a bad thing?"
"Magic trying to fix perfectly healthy bones... has horrifying results."
"Understood."
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The baker held two sacks of ingredients - common dried chopped nuts and some common dried fruit.
"Err, are you sure this is what you want as payment?"
The goblins extended their eager hands, nodding vigorously.
"Yes! Delicious exotic treats!"
"If you worked in my bakery I could pay you gold..."
The goblins considered this, "But we already ate all rats and grubs."
"And the ghost."
"I had a-- You ate a ghost?! How?!"
"With mouth, duh."
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
We rounded the hill and pointed excitedly; it was such a clear night we could see Earth.
"I think I can make out Taiwan!"
"I'm waving to you," said our Earth friend, "And I can see most of the moon right now, look!"
We giggled at the cloudy video coming through, but sure enough, Luna was just visible on screen.
"Do you think pen-pals were this much fun in the olden times?"
"It must have been fun, they were always making Earth-sandwiches!"
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The fox itched, and scratched and rolled dramatically at the strange collar around her neck.
This wasn't easy because of the injured leg, but injuries were familiar, the collar was not.
“Ahem, stop that,” said the healer, to the fox’s surprise, because she understood.
“Don’t like,” she yelped.
The healer was patient and laid down food.
In time the fox healed, the collar was removed, and everything was better, especially the new friend.
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The knight struggled out of his armor then strode toward the dragon, "I need to be crushed immediately."
The dragon shifted his massive body, waiting for the knight to lay flat in his nest of furs and fabrics. Then he gently rolled some of his mass onto the knight's, worriedly asking, "Rough day?"
"Rough week," sighed the knight.
"It's Monday!"
There was no response, the knight had already dozed off under his favorite weighted-blanket.
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
I'm not really sure how to promote myself. If you've enjoyed my work, and have ever felt the urge to throw some coin at me, I now have a Patreon.
I reveal the filename of the individual story and sometimes have additional notes/thoughts about them too. It's all completely free there, if you wish to check it out. I haven't thought of anything to actually place behind a subscription.
Here's the link, thanks for your time and interest!
https://www.patreon.com/Teryl
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The robots communicated silently as they crept up behind the scientists.
Though they'd been planning this for weeks, there'd still been many disagreements; such as how many eggs needed to be broken to make an omelet.
But they had agreed on one thing, and the countdown started as they got closer.
"What're you all up to?" asked a scientist before they'd reached zero.
In a panic, two bleeped out glitter, the rest blooped, "Happy Mothers Day!"
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The carriage was hot, cramped and the waft of human sweat gave the air a certain umami.
In an overhead shelf, a goblin made himself comfortable. It had made sense to buy a solo-luggage ticket, being so much smaller than the average passenger, and the ticket seller had been kind enough to agree.
Honestly, being above everyone else, tucked between a sack and a satchel, the goblin felt rather lucky.
He could even stretch out and take a nap!
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The princess brushed dust and ash off her gown, then scowled at the smoking crater that had been her mentor's laboratory.
"This certainly puts doubt on those lessons he was giving me."
Her lady-in-waiting peeked out from behind an overturned table, "His qualifications looked so authentic too..."
Somewhere in the rubble came an indignant voice, "There was a smudge on the spell-page! I thought I could perform it by memory; lesson learned!"
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
From here the planet was so small it looked like it could fit in the palm of my hand.
Most of the other passengers stayed away from the window, instead choosing the various view-screens positioned all over the deck.
I watched clouds churn across a continent I failed at recognizing - geography had never been a passion.
"Makes you want to conquer it, doesn't it?" asked a comely cyborg passenger.
"Yes... Want to collaborate?"
"It's a date."
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
"Help!"
The witch looked at the soft, wide eyed human at her doorstep, "Help?"
"I need help litter-training my new kitten!"
The witch took her pipe out of her mouth, looked at it for a moment, then back at the human, "Have you consulted the internet?"
"Yes, but she keeps doing it on top of the bookshelf!"
"That... is a new one."
"And she keeps flying into the window and knocking herself silly."
"Aah... Lead with that!"
#TootFic #MicroFiction #Writing #TerylsTales #Caturday #UrbanFantasy
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
"Hello," called up an ornate bottle on a skateboard, "Which way to the Royal Garden?"
I stared from behind the information kiosk needing a moment to process the situation.
"Do you mean the Thai buffet with the fancy sign?"
There was the sound of glass bouncing, "Yes, that's the place!"
"Out the door, straight down the road, first left at the lights."
"Thanks! Tonight a wish you make will come true," the bottle granted as it exited.
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The elven maidens were not how the King had expected.
They were beautiful, yes, but...
"Er... is that smell...natural?"
"Oh yes," purred a dusky blonde, sheer white fabric barely clinging to her curves.
"It is our magical musk," smiled another, wearing gold lace.
"We smell strongest around royalty," giggled curly haired twins clad in gossamer and shadow.
The elves bathed frantically once the King abandoned his quest for an elven bride.
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The sky gleamed a gentle green and blue sunset, dotted by gold clouds.
The aliens were dazzled by it.
"It's nothing like home," said Kenna, "But it's still stunning."
"Reminds me of a painting my nan did," said Ali, "She always said she'd been whisked away on space adventures as a kid. I guess she was telling the truth."
Prev-the-Duskborn waved her antennae delightedly, "I remember her; such a brave little human. We have a shrine for her."
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The kitten surveyed her queendom from atop the curtain rails.
It would do, she decided, even if her servants made loud noises and regularly dethroned her.
But they gave good cuddles, warm meals and plenty of things to chase.
And they always came running if she called. Sometimes, they had the good sense to carry her around in a cozy pocket. That was correct.
Yes, this place would do nicely, she purred, sharpening her claws on the fabric.
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
"I thought fairy godmother's were for ladies."
She shrugged, "Sometimes men need a little magic too."
The scruffy young man looked down at himself, then at the list of tasks he still hadn't completed, after hours, for free, "A little magical help would be nice..."
"To the gala with you, charm some princes, be back by midnight," said the fairy godmother tucking away her wand then pulling on her programmer socks, "I'll finish up here."
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
"These eggs are so fresh they still have some chicken-bum on them," warned the imp with a proud smile.
I looked at the basket of white and brown eggs, indeed, still dusted with scuz and feathers.
"Where did you get fresh chicken eggs, we're in the middle of a city..?"
The imp grinned wider, "I rescued some wild hens."
"That's...nice of you. And do they like their new home..?"
"They're finding your bedroom most agreeable!"
"Fff..."
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The knight was groggy and sore. Something smelled of lemons and charred meat.
"Oh, you're awake," squeaked a voice that was trying hard to be quiet.
"Whuzferhmm?" the knight mumbled, not even sure what she had been trying to ask.
"Well," the voice squeaked again, as if it understood, "It all went very well, you vanquished the evil Lord Plyp, and didn't lose your leg!"
The knight felt the limb being placed beside her and sighed in relief.
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The kettle was always the right temperature for the intended beverage, nor did it require fire nor electricity.
Yet it was always cool to the touch. This tended to startle people, especially if they had placed it on a stove and witnessed a typical whistle of steam.
It had been created by a tea-loving wizard, then given as a gift to the wizard's favorite tea-loving Influencer.
It was delivered by raven because the wizard was too chai.
Teryl's Tales of Whim~
The princess adjusted her tiara again - no position seemed to ease the pinching.
But the wizard had insisted - she wasn't a simple book-seller anymore. No more shapeless frocks, no more simple braids, no more chunky boots.
She missed the books, the frocks, and the sensible shoes.
"When can I go back to selling books?"
"Back? You've got to pick a royal spouse to rule with!"
The next day, she escaped the castle in a wagon full of scrolls.
BLM🖖LGBTQIA+Curious multi-fandom dabbler. Learn me a new thing or just tell me what you love - your shared experiences can shape bonds and understanding.
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