Time Out With Tink & the Others

"How do you think it's going?"

Tink laughed. "You two could go join them?"

Hilda and Melfina both blushed from by the window trying to see the 'action'. "No way!" Melfina said. "I appreciate the vote of confidence Tink but- I'm quite there yet! You and Harley are so... I don't what the word for it is exactly..."

Hilda nodded and crossed her arms. "Worldly. Experienced, is also apt I'd say."

Melfina nodded. "Yes! That's exactly it Hilda! Worldly and Experienced, indeed!"

Tink laughed. "Yeah... I guess that's true. But I wasn't always and even Harls had to start somewhere. It took me a long time to get to where I am now and I'm a very different fairy then I was back then. I'm almost completely changed now... but once I was a very green and innocent fairy. I didn't know anything outside of my basic simple life or that my grand adventures were really just simple childrens stories... same as Daphne I suppose. " She looked into her wine glass and swished the dark liquid within.

Melfina and Hilda both sat with her. "Then what happened?" Melfina asked.

Tink smiled and held her tiny glass up to the light. In the light it didn't look so dark. It almost seemed to glow a deep warm red color. "In my main story I'm actually in love with a boy who takes me on grand adventures and never wants to grow up and never will... until he falls in love with someone else. But that's another tale. Basically my 'love' was a one sided infatuation... and generally fairies of my ilk come and go. We're fleeting and generally die within a year. But children did love me... my original story is a beloved classic even to this day loved by young and old alike... and luckily for me by one little boy in particular."

Hilda smiled. "You were his first."

Tink sighed and nodded. "I was his first character and his first love. Even then. Prime was so scary. I acted all tough, that's always been my nature, but truth was I was frightened... but from that first moment he loved me. Adored me. Charished me... in ways that other boy never did, would or even could. I... was doomed. His father and mother worked out a deal, a special enchantment I guess you could say, to keep me always renewing for him. I'd bloom again and again. And that boy gave me more and more love as time went on. Every moment of his love grew in me a love of my own. I fell for him. How could I not?" She smiled. "Whether quietly learning to read just to be able to tell me another story to taking me on every adventure in his life. He was completely devoted to me... and then I to him. It seemed like we were going to be together forever and nothing made me happier."

"I'm an obsessive character... and I told Hilda this already but I'll tell you too, Mel." Tink shook her head. "My 'flaw' is jealousy. I was jealous of the other girl that first boy loved and it created problems then in my story... and I grew even more fiercely possessive of this boy who loved me back. It created problems again. In Never Land children never grow up... but that's not how things work here. Children are only children for so long and then they grow up. The little boy, my little boy who I loved, was growing up and it terrified me. This world is..." she paused.

"Please go on, Tinker Bell," Dorothy said. "I very much want to know if you'll share."

Tink saw she had even Dorothy's attention somehow. She nodded. "Alright. Prime... it's either paradise, purgatory or a living hell for characters. Those who have good masters and are treated like we are? Loved and adored and charished dearly? Treated like we matter because we really do to them? We're the very lucky ones."

"Others treat their characters well as they would all their possessions," she said siping her drink. "They're taken care of well enough and even loved after a fashion... but it's as "things" of value. Pets if they're lucky or as collectibles if they're not. They have to preform the tricks their taught and once they're outgrown, tired of or no longer necessary they may get traded or sold off but often they get renewed, their memories wiped and returned from where they came from. Which isn't terrible or a bad thing. That's how "purgatory" works. Many characters even find they still like it. Infact most do."

"But then there's "hell" isn't there?" Dorothy asked.

Tink nodded. "Yes... and it's as bad or worse than all the things you can think of or imagine. Dave's family? They're nearly a perfect version of the "Heaven" aspect and so are many of their friends to degrees... but that's definitely not the norm. Dave had a hard time growing up reconciling that fact. Going from his home where Characters were beloved family members or, at the least, the best and dearest of friends to other homes with other kids where that wasn't the case. Children are, for better or worse, reflections of their parents. Going to school where some kid has casually taught his character some cruel or perverse trick he's seen his parents do with theirs? Or going for a "Character sleepover" where your "school friends" all bring a character and then are expected to "share" after watching how badly they treat theirs not that you want to in the first place? Or worse getting up in the night to use the bathroom and catch your friends parents who seemed so nice down in their sex dungeons with their characters... or worse their children's characters?"

Tink shook her head. "Dave saw all those things. Again and again. And I was right there with him nearly every time. To his credit it never changed him in a bad way like so many do. He never let it warp him and he never experimented with me the things we saw despite being a curious child. He knew that was "wrong"... but it did change him."

She stared into the wine. "He couldn't reconcile the facts back then. Even I had nightmares some of things we saw. He started to stop trusting people and classmates. He started asking difficult questions. He became the target of bullying. The derision of others, kids and adults both. The more he looked, the more he saw the "truth" and the more it freaked him out. He eventually realized that homes like his, ours, were the "abnormal" ones. His family was the "aberration" in the equation. It was his fathers strength and all he'd worked for, sacrificed to make that happen. He decided he needed to be that strong if "we", he and I, were going to make it in this world. To protect me."

"He started to change," Tink said. "At first in small ways. Talking about "challenges" and "training". "I'll become strong! You'll see!" He started getting into fights. His father had faught, and faught hard with no compromises, to make their happy home and surely someday he would have to do the same. He started trying to change things that way. Thinking if he could beat one "bully" maybe they'd reform? That's how his father was. An uncomprimising pilar of strength that **** people to accede and accept if need be so their home, family and friends weren't just safe and protected but that the world became gradually "better"." She chuckled. "Of course that's not the truth at all and not how things work."

"So nieve," she said. "But that's how children are... especially as they grow into confusing not children and not adults. He didn't give up. He's stubborn that way. But meanwhile..."

Hilda touched her hand. "The changes and the growing up bothered you?"

Tink nodded. "It didn't bother me... it frightened me. It was so very terribly scary for me. I couldn't change. I was unchanging! The person I loved more than anything, even my own life, was changing! Disappearing! Transforming! And I was stuck... watching him transform onto a "Man"... and then Dave turned thirteen. For his birthday he was gifted his second character..."

"Harley," Melfina said.

Tink nodded.

"You became jealous, didn't you?" Hilda asked knowing the answer.

Tink nodded. "I did... it's not unusual for well off kids to have several characters as they grow up. Most of Dave's cousins were that way. He'd always wanted one but his parents always put it off. We'd always assumed that it wouldn't be until he was an adult. Suddenly... there she was! A human character! She could grow up with him! Love him like a growing kids could. Eventually love him like an adult! And I'd always be just a blossom fairy."

She was quiet and whispered. "I was jealous... and Dave knew and really avoided her because of it which made his father Walt upset. Said he was treating her poorly, which he was for my sake... even though Harley was instantly attached to him and Dave was clearly infatuated with her. They had a connection... a "spark" right from the start. I knew what it was. I had learned from Dave. He'd shown me so much live how could I not recognize it?... and in my jealousy I... I made him... ignore her. I was a bad person. To both of them..."

She shook her head smiling. "But Harley never gave up! She followed him around... when she wasn't laying in wait for him. She'd dog his steps asking questions or pestering him until he'd turn around to give her a talking to... only to find her gone. Then she'd just pop out of nowhere ahead of him and try to get him to play with her or continue with whatever subject they'd left off on like it was 5 seconds ago... or she'd veer off into some other crazy tangent."

"Dave was so clearly falling in love no matter how he tried to fight it... I ... made a mistake." Tink frowned. "A really bad one. I tried to change "myself". I'd do anything, give anything, to keep him always mine! Now and forever! Always! No cost was too great!"

She sighed. "I won't go into the details but it was bad. Epically bad. I meddled with things that should never be meddled with. I got lucky. Dave of course found me and his folks just behind him. They saved me but only just. I got corrupted. I became like this. I can never "go back" to who I was. I didn't want to and I still don't... but I can never go back to my "story". It's just not possible anymore. There are other versions so the story itself is fine... but mine will never finish now. It's a broken story with me gone and it'll always be that way. That's... a bigger deal than you might think.... and to save me, and since the damage was done anyway, Walt worked big changes in me. He was furious though... told Dave I was his responsibility for the rest of his life... and if he couldn't handle that then it was over. That Harley and I damn well deserved better. That he'd better be prepared to spend the rest if his life making it worth it to me... to us... and Dave," she smiled. "His Mom, Penny, she says Walt's magic made it possible but Dave's love made it happen. He swore. He swore to love me always. He swore to be with me always. Forever until the very last star burned out and beyond."

"That's so... romantic," Melfina said.

"Dark... but beautiful," Hilda said.

"Irrationally impossible," Dorothy said. "When the universe dies and fades to absolute nothingness... if that's even how it works... there'd be nothing beyond that. It's also impossible for anything to be there or last that long. Besides the fact Dave will die long before any such event can take place. Even an artificialy created person like myself couldn't manage it. It's...ridiculously preposterous."

Tink smiled and shrugged. "I'll let you how it turns if I can. I'll send you a postcard or something."

"Preposterous..." Dorothy repeated quietly... and somewhat less emphatically.

"Tink?" Melfina asked. "Is that what led Dave to change?"

Tink nodded. "Yes Melfina. Dave was as good as his word... and as soon as I was better I pushed him to pursue Harley... and he refused. "Together," he said. "Always together." So we did... which that crazy nut was all on board for once we explained. We became best friends. More than friends. And Dave became somewhat obsessed with my changes. He still loved me no matter what. Now there was so much more of me to discover. It's a large part of why we do what we do. Dave changed for me not that he had too. I was pretty upset but he explained that he wanted to change with me. How could I say no to that? I'd wanted the same... but I hadn't been honest about my feelings, hadn't confronted my jealousy, that had led to the problems. So that's a large reason why we three are as we are."

"Tink," Hilda said. "Why... did you share this story with us?"

Tink smiled enigmaticly. "Why? I wonder... why do you think I did?"

Melfina nodded. "I think I know why. Thank you, Tink." She reached over and hugged her gently. "I'll try to be brave. To accept changes. To make good changes for myself and all of us! To have the courage to go after what I want and be open about it!"

Hilda joined them in hugging. "Yes, I see now. To not let our darker impulses or flaws or fear of them hold us back. To be open with our hearts honestly with one another."

Dorothy looked thoughtful and... almost emotional as she struggled contemplating something. But finaly she nodded and walked over to sit next to them and put an arm around them. "I will... remember your words. Your story is now recorded and added into my "memories". I shall try to learn from it and "grow as a person" and be accepting of others."

Tink smiled. "Even if they're a louse?"

Dorothy made a very robotic noise. "Oh very well... I supose I must try but it will certainly be difficult and might take a while."

They chuckled. "That's rather non-specific, Dorothy," Melfina said. "Can't you give a rough estimate or a time frame for reference in narrowing it down?"

Dorothy nodded. "Understood. Between "now" and forever plus one day. Is that better?"

The others laugh... until suddenly Daphne walks in. Everyone freezes... except for Tink "Oh no, Daphne are you alright?"

Daphne holds her right arm across her breasts. "Uhm, j-just fine, Tinker Bell. Er, excuse me." She quickly dashes of for her room.

"Oh no," Melfina says and looks at Hilda who nods. They dash towards the window to try to see what they've missed.

Hilda audibly swallowed. "Well... that escalated quickly!"

Tink smiled happily. "Things usually do with, Harls!"

Tink giggles as Dorothy sighs, "Yes very difficult... Extremely difficult. Such a louse."

[David Stark Pepper Tinker Bell Harley Quinn Melfina VSD02C Princess Hilda R. Dorothy Wayneright Lady Fingers and Daphne Greengrass

Will Return In

Getting Comfortable In the Hot Tub

Coming Soon]