((Cross-posting this here from the Elections thread, just because. :) ))
An elf, a halfling, and an orc. Er, half-orc ....whatever that was. Those were the candidates for governor, so far - or so Peter's fairy had told him.
"No, no, no!" Peter insisted, stomping a sneaker-clad foot on the ground to emphasize his point, arms crossed stubbornly across his chest. "I will not run for gov'nor again, so you can't be my sexy-tarry," he told the tiny chirping ball of light that was almost always flickering near his shoulder. "Lynnie and me ran for gov'nor last year, and no one took us seriously. Besides, I'm too busy with school now."
He paused to hear what his companion had to say, frowning a little bit sadly. "Yes, I know I was Prince of Neverland. I know I'm the best candy-date for the job, but Papa says running Rhy'Din is a full-time job, and I don't want a job. Jobs are for grown-ups. Jobs are like work," he explained to his fairy, scowling at the very thought of work. Of course, it never occurred to him that school was work. School was just something kids were expected to do, and it was fun most of the time, except when he had homework because there was that word again.
The fairy kept on chirping, until Peter shooed her away with the wave of a hand, like one might a mosquito.
"Stop calling him Hook! He's Papa now. He's not a pirate. He doesn't even have a hook anymore!" Peter reasoned, as if the hook was the only thing that had ever made his adoptive father a pirate. Never mind the fact that he wouldn't have had a hook at all, if Peter hadn't cut off his hand; but all of that was ancient history as far as Peter was concerned. The memory of it had become foggy, like a dream upon awakening, the tendrils of it slipping away with the light of day. It hardly mattered anymore.
A smile slowly crept across the boy's face, as the fairy reminded him of something else. "Being gov'nor would have been an awfully big adventure," he agreed with a shrug and a sigh. What was done was done. Easy come, easy go. He wasn't the type to dwell on the past, good or bad. His adoptive mother had said life was too short for that, but he wasn't really sure what that meant. He didn't know when he'd been born, but he knew it had been a long time ago. His mother had told him he had a long life still ahead of him, and he had no reason not to believe her, so he didn't worry about it too much. Growing up would be an awfully big adventure, but he wasn't going to run for governor. Not now, not ever.
Or at least, not until next year.
"Come on, Snow!" he called to his fairy, summoning her back into his good graces. (Tink had sadly died back in Neverland, but Snowdrop was his new fairy, and she was almost as much fun as the old one.) "Let's go look for frogs! I promised Lynnie I'd find one for her."
And with that, the boy who had decided to grow up skipped off into the woods, his fairy companion flickering along at his side, the matter of governor forgotten ....for now.
An elf, a halfling, and an orc. Er, half-orc ....whatever that was. Those were the candidates for governor, so far - or so Peter's fairy had told him.
"No, no, no!" Peter insisted, stomping a sneaker-clad foot on the ground to emphasize his point, arms crossed stubbornly across his chest. "I will not run for gov'nor again, so you can't be my sexy-tarry," he told the tiny chirping ball of light that was almost always flickering near his shoulder. "Lynnie and me ran for gov'nor last year, and no one took us seriously. Besides, I'm too busy with school now."
He paused to hear what his companion had to say, frowning a little bit sadly. "Yes, I know I was Prince of Neverland. I know I'm the best candy-date for the job, but Papa says running Rhy'Din is a full-time job, and I don't want a job. Jobs are for grown-ups. Jobs are like work," he explained to his fairy, scowling at the very thought of work. Of course, it never occurred to him that school was work. School was just something kids were expected to do, and it was fun most of the time, except when he had homework because there was that word again.
The fairy kept on chirping, until Peter shooed her away with the wave of a hand, like one might a mosquito.
"Stop calling him Hook! He's Papa now. He's not a pirate. He doesn't even have a hook anymore!" Peter reasoned, as if the hook was the only thing that had ever made his adoptive father a pirate. Never mind the fact that he wouldn't have had a hook at all, if Peter hadn't cut off his hand; but all of that was ancient history as far as Peter was concerned. The memory of it had become foggy, like a dream upon awakening, the tendrils of it slipping away with the light of day. It hardly mattered anymore.
A smile slowly crept across the boy's face, as the fairy reminded him of something else. "Being gov'nor would have been an awfully big adventure," he agreed with a shrug and a sigh. What was done was done. Easy come, easy go. He wasn't the type to dwell on the past, good or bad. His adoptive mother had said life was too short for that, but he wasn't really sure what that meant. He didn't know when he'd been born, but he knew it had been a long time ago. His mother had told him he had a long life still ahead of him, and he had no reason not to believe her, so he didn't worry about it too much. Growing up would be an awfully big adventure, but he wasn't going to run for governor. Not now, not ever.
Or at least, not until next year.
"Come on, Snow!" he called to his fairy, summoning her back into his good graces. (Tink had sadly died back in Neverland, but Snowdrop was his new fairy, and she was almost as much fun as the old one.) "Let's go look for frogs! I promised Lynnie I'd find one for her."
And with that, the boy who had decided to grow up skipped off into the woods, his fairy companion flickering along at his side, the matter of governor forgotten ....for now.