Author: Fiori Terrowin, Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:51 PM, Post Subject: Froggy Problems [P]

Fiori leaned into her mother and received the head pets along with the kisses. Her mother always found ways to comfort her and was very direct with her advice. It was something she appreciated, where her teachers at school were vague or just avoided the problem itself, never bothering to talk things out. At the end of the day, they were a close family who upheld honesty and sincerity. Her mother was right of course, her siblings would always make time for her when she asked. Even Rex who adored chasing the ladies would take time to spend with her. 

"I guess my worries were a little silly." She admitted, blushing with embarrassment. 

Janus was put in her lap and she quickly wrapped her arms around her sibling. She was careful but there was a lot of cuddling going on. Fiori then began playing with Janus' hair, braiding the messy black hair and trying to make it look less messy. Her mother still had her attention, but her hands were working with Janus. Simone began to tell a tale on when she was a little girl and her experiences with multiple princes. Her mother told her she would find it when she least expected it, which surprised Fiori. In all the fairytales she'd read, the princesses or princes only found love when they looked for it. Warm arms wrapped around her and she snuggled in close to her mother. 

"What did he say to you mommy?" She asked. 

When her mother mentioned the orphanage, she smiled. The orphanage was Fiori's whole world and she couldn't imagine life without it. She was too young to remember life before Simone and Lewis. The halls were always filled with warmth, the kitchen provided the smell of sweet foods, and her family was always there to help her when she needed it. Even if she made the more embarrassing mistakes. 

"Hey mommy, when you tuck me in tonight can you tell me more stories about you and daddy?" She asked, "I like hearing them. They're better than the fairytales. They are real."

Janus had hundreds of braids in his hair, all tied with little ribbons that Fiori had stored in the pockets on her dress. While they had been talking, Fiori had absent-mindedly turned his hair into a head of braids. He looked extremely silly. 

Author: Simone, Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:33 PM, Post Subject: Froggy Problems [P]

Simone looked down at Fiori and gave her a smile, “You’ll always have someone to play with Fiori… I promise. You can always ask them and they will always drop everything to be with you. Even Rex drops what he is doing to play tea party with Alshaya when she begs.” She pet Fiori’s hair and kissed the top of her head. “You can’t monopolize their time but they can make time for you. They are your siblings and they will always love you. Always. Even your father and myself. We will always make time for you when you ask. We have a lot of children so it’s important we spend time with all of you one on one so you all know how much we love you. Sure it’s harder thanks to the babies but we do try our best.”

The mother put Janus in Fiori’s lap. “You have Janus and Lila for a long time. Like I said though… As long as you ask they will always want to be with you. Mira would drop anything with excitement to play with you.”

Sitting there for a moment Simone thought of the best way to talk. “When I was a girl, I had hundreds of boys trying to be my prince. Hundreds. It wasn’t until I wasn’t looking for it that I found your father. I know that sounds silly but it happens when we least expect it. It is wonderful and fills your soul. You know when you find the one because they are all you can think about. We have done everything for each other. When Lewis found out I couldn’t have a baby and I was in tears about it… He hugged me like this,” Simone was gentle as she hugged Fiori close.

“And you know what he said to me?” She looked down at her little one. “Let’s open an orphanage. Let’s adopt all the babies and all kids of all ages. It doesn’t matter if they are from us… just that we love them. When I needed to hear the words the most Lewis found them and told me. That’s how you know you’ve found your prince.” She booped Fiori lightly on the nose. “Bought this castle and this island. All for the purpose to give kids a home and to love them. To give them lives we didn’t have. We all love you and we will always have time for you.”

Author: Fiori Terrowin, Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:20 PM, Post Subject: Froggy Problems [P]

Her mother brought some medicine and began gently treating the rash that had grown on her face. The itching died down and the rash itself became less red and a little more pink. Simone's words brought a sense of comfort to her. Then her mother mentioned the magic behind curses and how she was able to sense if there really was magic. This thought had occurred to the young girl, but…

"I just wanted to make sure. What if I missed out on true love cause I couldn't sense a curse?" Fiori sighed. 

Her mother began talking to her about true love and Fiori paid attention, wondering how her mother knew that Lewis was the one. But she didn't say anything, assuming it would be a rude question to ask. Instead, she listened to her mother's words about how she had plenty of time in the future to find her true love. Her mother even promised that she could find her prince. 

"What if my brothers and sisters find love before I do?" She asked with a worried expression, "Lucas has Ezili. Rex has a lot of girlfriends. Shaya is already making a list of potential lovers. It's only a matter of time before Everett and Mira find somebody too. Who's going to play with me when they're all gone?" 

There was the true core of the matter. Finding a prince was fine, but it was the fear of loneliness that drove this behavior forwards. There was a ring of truth to some of Fiori's concerns. Rex was always out chasing women and Shaya seemed to be far more interested in Xeix than playtime. How long would it be until Ezili and Lucas moved out to start their own family? The clock seemed to be counting down on their time together. But if Fiori found herself somebody to be her prince, then she could find an eternal playmate who would never leave. 

"I wanted a prince so I wouldn't need to worry about being alone." Fiori admitted, looking at her feet. 

Author: Simone, Posted: Mon Feb 8, 2021 6:50 AM, Post Subject: Froggy Problems [P]

“And… WHO IS THE BEST BOY?!” She held up Janus who was giggling at her. She rubbed her nose to his. “Youuuu~” She laughed with him as today Lewis had Lila out for special father and daughter bonding. “And your brothers.” She snorted a bit as she kissed his nose and he grunted a giggle at her. “No favoritism but you are pretty cute. Hard to compete with which one of you is cuter.”

Simone heard the sobbing first as she put Janus on her hip and bounced him lightly. “What on earth…” Even Lewis was alarmed since the last time there was a sobbing one of their children had gone missing. Their bedroom door was opened and slammed with Fiori on her bed crying. “Hey…” She made her way over and started to rub Fiori’s back. “My little one, what’s wrong?”

Finally, Fiori was clinging to her and Janus was grunting at his sister. “Hey, you no attitude,” Simone flicked Janus’s nose lightly and it caused a fuss. “And you…” She held Fiori close and sat down on the bed.

“Should not have been kissing all those frogs.” She had put two and two together rather quickly. “They are regular frogs honey. In the story, the prince was cursed to become a frog and the princess had to kiss him to break the spell.” Simone pet her hair. “Princes are snobs anyways. I would know.” She tried to comfort the child and thought about it. “Let me get something for your rash okay?”

It didn’t take long to find some medicine and bring it back to treat Fiori’s face. “You are very pretty by the way. Very.” Simone gave her a smile and kissed her forehead. “But kissing a frog is not the way to find a prince if you want one… At least not any frog. You are an elf my darling… You would be able to feel magic.”

She stepped back and formed a flame behind her back. “What can you feel? Can you sense it? What I’m doing? It’s the same as this Fiori. When you find a cursed prince you’ll be able to feel it.” She poked Fiori in the head. “Your siblings won’t laugh at you either. They’ve all done things. Rex makes an ass out of himself on the regular. Ezili scared poor Lucas to death by getting in the bathwater with him when they first came here… and Lucas had to be forcibly knocked out every time a woman was around him. Compared to this… This is cute and you make the cutest little princess.”

Simone pulled Janus into her arms and put her arm around Fiori holding her close. “You are fine Fiori… No one will judge you for what you tried to do. Finding true love is hard and sometimes they have to come to you. You are seven. You got a wholeeeeee life ahead of you. I would know… Do you know how old I am?” She tilted her head and smirked. “Fifteen hundred and some… I only found your father not that long ago in comparison. You’ll find your prince I promise.”

Author: Fiori Terrowin, Posted: Mon Jan 4, 2021 2:10 PM, Post Subject: Froggy Problems [P]

Seven year old Fiori bolted through the doors of the manor, holding her hands over her mouth and having tears in her eyes. She had been at the lake all day and hadn't even stopped back at the house for lunch. She pushed past the maids and all the servants, refusing to let them see her face. The girl ran straight for her mother's room, running in without even knocking and slammed the door shut behind her. Fiori flopped onto her mother's finely made bed face first and began sobbing. She didn't even bother telling her mother what was wrong before starting the tears. 

Earlier that day little Fiori had been reading one of her many fairytale books. The one she read was called, The Prince Frog and The Maiden. In the story a beautiful maiden kissed a frog who turned into a prince. That idea stuck with the child and she ran off to the lake to find herself some frogs. Her desire for a princess title and a handsome boy to do whatever she asked was stronger than her hatred of slimy creatures. After kissing multiple frogs and toads, she had developed a rash around her mouth and up her cheek. The frogs were not sanitary and wouldn't turn into a prince. Embarrassed and in a despair that only children could dramatize, she ran for her mother. 

"I-I wanted to find a prince!" She whined, "None of the frogs were princes!"

She began sobbing some more before showing her face to her mother. The rash was pink and cause by unsanitary frogs, nothing serious or poisonous. A simple rash cream would calm her sensitive skin down. It was the crying child that seemed more upsetting than the rash. Fiori clung to Simone like a little baby as she continued crying out her little heart. In between sobs she was looking at her mother for some sort of comforting. 

"Is…Is it cause I'm not pretty? Is that why I got a rash?" Fiori asked Simone, finally calming down. 

Not only had her fragile ego been destroyed, but now she feared her siblings would laugh at the story. She didn't want them to see her as a silly little girl. She wanted to be a regal queen in their eyes. But her actions today would destroy that dream.