Marvelous Tales Contest # 17: Aoife’s Adventures or The Mist™

Prologue: The humble beginnings of The Modern Witching Company

We begin, with Aoife (eye Fuh) Alixandre, a Spanish-Irish-American, teenage, female identifying protagonist, aged 17, of whom is sent on a mission from her mother to save their family home from being sold to developers by selling a magical potion she cleverly names The Mist™ as a street marketing ploy to draw in hipsters. Aoife lives in a modern North America, albeit in a slightly alternate dimension. Witches are prevalent, even common place. Or at least it is commonplace to dabble in it (full blown witchcraft or magical-living is seen as highly suspect or at the least, weird.) Various magical/fantastical and/or ancient creatures are also commonplace. Humans are not afraid of them since the hobgoblin revolution of 2009 in which millions of small child sized fairy type creatures got sick of hiding from humans and serving evil masters. They ignited am explosive revolt out of a simple humanoid-magical creature union and captured a small city yet powerful city in what would be known as the US called Washington A.C. They were able to negotiate the safe release of their human prisoners with then President O and CIA negotiators. Aditionally they later staged a coupe on congress ensuring them funds and support to build their own burrows in NDC (New Dublin City) and in various locations throughout the US. representation in congress and recognition as equal to humanoids. In return they promised to create and uphold the hobgoblin law stating that no magical creature or witch/warlock should abuse their powers against any human and abide by current rules in human society.

Anyway.. humans grow up learning about these guys and treating magical creatures with the utmost respect for the most part except that A: a lot of hobgoblins dgaf about humans laws and B: a lot of humans dgaf about so-called “good fairies” and “good-witches” C: everyone is either secretly or covertly seduced by and in pursuit of money and power therefore many humans (who kind of have most of the afore mentioned money and power) have fairies and/or witches and/or other magical/ancient creatures as sort of assistants (although they call them pets!) in return for honorable favor in society and rich living. This includes a large amount of ancient aliens that retired to earth. They hold great power in their sharp claws-- but often just feel like taking a nap in the sun or playing with rodents.

Yes, they are cats.

Begrudgingly and somberly, Aoife wakes up in the morning-- she’s curious and smart albeit a bit angst-ridden yet also a bit naive at the same time. Her father was one of the kindest magic loving humans and supported the revolution but her mother; on the other hand, is a curmudgeon, agoraphobic, wretched, widow witch. Her heart broke when Rob died so now she trusts no one and intends to fully take advantage of all her powers. She loves her daughter but doesn’t think much of her abilities--- Aoife has no “pets” but instead animal friends, as she considers them, which decidedly manage to sleep in her bed. This is especially true for Rabbite of whom whines at her absence and hops off the bed behind her, towards the front door. Before reaching the fresh air of new dew Aoife discovers that her mother is angry about a letter in which she is being sued for some weird non-magical property violations and that a man came to the door to offer to buy the land and the house (of course its a tree house by the way-- but a very modern one filled with gadgets and enchanted contraptions.)

As Aoife attempts to creep by; Mother is throwing things around, grumbling in Gaelic, and cooking some sort of soup that smells quite good but looks quite terrible. Shes still mumbling to herself while her daughter goes out to get veggies and fruits for breakfast. It’s a dewy, sun-soaked paradise outside. The home is just outside the city where there is a garden surrounded by lush, wild flowers and greenery. There is about an acre of trees and free-roaming farm/forest type animals that come and go as they please (the neighbors hate it) while just down the street there is a brand new row of robotic suburb houses in which moderately wealthy non-magical humans (NMH’s) live. They might have read a book about magic, but they prefer the simple, technologically aided life. Nearby as well there are some apartment buildings coming up filled with local college kids of the magical sort from humanoid to hobgoblin that had created a very hopping and unique downtown type area which brought developers and suburban NMH’s.

Just as Aoife sits down to eat with her friend Rabbite, and in fact right at the exact moment in which she is nibbling on a very juicy strawberry and Rabbite is halfway through her carrot; Mother runs outside, wildly swinging a large bottle of perfume. “I've done IT Aoif!!! I'VE FINALLY DONE IT!!” she cackled and screamed. Mom steps out of the shade of the house for a split second, sees the light, hisses-- then runs back inside. “Aife come in here and see what I’ve made you silly girl!”

“UHHHmmmm. I'm finishing breakfast? Be in, in a minute you raving recluse!” she snorts teenagerishly.

“Oh. I see. Well if you want to talk to your beloved mother that way I suppose you wont be interested in taking my newest creation into town….” says mother slyly. Aoife instantly jumps up, dropping half her breakfast on Rabbite ( of whom is conflicted about whether to stay with the food or follow Aoif).

“Coming mother DEAREST” she says in a sarcastically sweet voice with her eyes rolling.

Inside mother details the abilities of her concoction while pulling various levers and erratically explains what its made of in order to “make them millions of coin.” Aoife is to sell tiny bottles to either the college kids or the NMH’s or both. “Its VERY potent. Just one little mist will turn all in a one-two foot radius into the docile servants of the wearer for weeks.”

“yea, yea, yea, mom I knoooowwwww how to be careful.” she claims as she fumbles with the bottles mother shoves in her direction. “Anyway these NMH’s will pay so much for just a drop. And I can manipulate them without even using magic.”

“Listen dear, I know you are quite handy with a bow-bot but please can you find some strong men and spray some of this mist on yourself for safety? Actually there are dark sprites and disgruntled hobgoblins everywhere down there just waiting to trick a naive young witchlady such as yourself into dirty street schemes.”

“MOM! I can take care of myself. When was the last time you were even out there?”

“Hmpf….I… well I watch from my crystalis...” Mother said with a bit of a pout and turned back to her mess of books and potions.

Without any pressuring at all, Aoife takes off down the dirt road with a whistle and a skip in her step. Shes got what she’s decided to call The Mist™ in her bag, snacks and pocket money in her utility belt, and of course Bow-bot and various small animals trailing her. Very quickly the sun comes up and the dirt road soon becomes stone, then fully paved. Trees begin to thin while houses, apartments and various taverns and shops begin to take up space. Each building is more colorful, mysterious, and intertwined with technology than the next. She passes the Burb-Bot Row of electronic houses with their precisely square measurements of yard and exactly 2 trees, one bush, and a water feature. No animals are seen near the homes but the NMH’s are rushing off to work in the city or to get their 2.5 kids to school. [They always have a runt in the family that counts as the .5 and they are not always the youngest. Poor kids never get a fair go and often end up as office assistants or data analysts.]

Finally in the town center she looks up at the statue of a steampunk’d rogue of a man standing defiantly with a glowing Orb floating above his hand. The statue moves in her direction as she approaches. He smiles at her and she jumps with joy.“In Rob We Trust” is engraved in black granite with a small plaque below it describing how her father, Rober Alixandre assisted the HobGoblins to freedom and gave his life for the cause of magical-technological equality when Aoife was merely 5. She let out a sigh as she moved past the statue of her father. Purveying the scene she began to target potential customers and saw the perfect set of hipsters at the other end of the center.

“Shoot. I don’t need any body gaurds.” she said, clicking her tongue at her mother who of course, was watching her at that very moment.

Just as she began to drop some of The Mist™ into a tiny serving bottle a small group of well dressed frat Elves began to poke at her bow-bot and make fun of her homemade, farm/adventure appropriate clothing.

“Look at this girl with her tiny weapon out here alone!! She doesn’t even have proper attire and look at her spindly, coiled, unmanaged hair!” The frat elves all chuckle in aggreement, “My, my little one are you prepared for a tussle or what? Are you perhaps homeless? Vintage steamer goggles and all, hehe. Is that a tool belt? (yuk yuk, loser. Aoife thinks. Its an heirloom) and what ISthis... clothing... made of, weeds?”

“Why, yes, SHERLOCK, it is. Hemp to be precise. Spun to perfection in order to keep the wearer both cool as well as hidden from drooling primordial beasts with pointy ears and way too much of daddy’s money.”

As she finished her retort she spun her wrist and pointed at his head, ordering bow-bot to shoot three small, flaming arrows at the ringleaders perfectly coiffed hair.

“What the? My Hair IS WORTH MORE THAN EVERYTHING YOU OWN!” With that he quickly began to call the Humanoid Authorities to report her attack--- when suddenly she instinctively threw the bottle onto her foot. Almost instantly the Elves grew a dim, glazed, smiley looks upon their faces and began to ask her if she needed anything and describe her fondly out loud.

“UGG. I need you to GO. Go home and write a letter of apology to your parents for being terrible. Oh yeah, and donate tons of money to animal rescue leagues.”

They giggled and ran off with jubilant energy.

“HA. Later, jerks.”

a wavering voice was heard in the distance, “Eventually you will need to find friends and/or partners my lovely brat.”

“Shut up mom! I don't need help!” she yelled out, seemingly at no one. The group of slightly hipster humans, potentially with magical knowledge and/or INTEREST in such of whom were sitting outside of a local bar turned and looked at her both quizzically and with masked shock.

“Ahh hmm, just got that new I-brain implant. Don’t mind me. Let me just, uhh (she blushed furiously and twisted her earing) ah yeah thats it. Hey, uhh hi there (she attempted to look cool) you all look like you might be interested in gaining a few happy servants to do your work so you can continue to lounge all day. Eh? (she wiggled her eye brows and nose and also her hips-- still trying to be cool and failing) eh​? Eehh?

“Yes!” shouted one energetic female who jumped up and then quickly sat down when her male companion grumbled.
“Uh, what? I mean, maybe….” They shot mysteriously knowing glances at each other and almost seemed to be arguing with their facial expressions until they apparently decided and the man stood outreaching an iron-clad arm.

“Hi, I’m Adaryan the AHEM leader of this rag-tag team. We’re human rogues. While we might be of interest of that which you suggest, we AREN'T and WONT BE lounging. Also, how can I trust a country, witchy, kid like you to deliver something like that? You know trading animals and even many advanced bots is banned now, right?” said the grumbling man.

“Ah. Well. I can get around that. You see I have The Mist™. Patent pending, but ahh, its actually almost all gone…" she shrugged. "Ya know... been sold to a bunch of bourgeois frat elves for top dollar. I just put a fake logo on it and they will buy anything… So uh----"

“The Mist? Is that like a magical incantation or an evil spirit or what?” He asked.

Aoife smirked. Clearly this “leader” has no concept of witchcraft. This will be like taking bitcoin from a clueless NMH runt.

TO Be Continued...