The Friday Fictioneers is a writing challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. The task of the challenge is to write a story in 100 words or less. You can find all the Fictioneers’ stories when you click on the little frog. Reciprocation is the life of this challenge!
Empty Chair
“What are you doing?”
“Throwing this empty chair, this eternally empty chair, out.”
“But Your Highness…”
“I … cannot… shall not stare at this empty chair at the table any longer. Off it goes.”
“She might come back.”
“Don’t be foolish. She’ll never come back.”
“Aren’t you glad that she’s happy?”
“How can she be happy? Being trapped among mortals. My child, my beautiful Melusine, letting herself be caught…”
“Maybe if we put a portrait of hers there, something for you to look at…”
“Do not mock me, Thistle.”
“There’s even one on this coffee cup, look!”
“Get out!”
“Ouch…”
(100 words)
rekre89, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
I’m so lazy… hardly managed to come up with something. But lazy can be good… and the mermaid on the Starbucks cups is supposed to be Melusine… that’s what Wikipedia says.
Write already! 
I was not familiar with Melusine. I ventured out for further reading. Interesting stuff.
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Thank you! There are various related tales about nixes, mermaids, changelings… it’s always a similar pattern. Once the promise is broken, the magical wife goes away. There’s a celtic fairytale that’s somewhat similar, too. The shepherd of myddvai. I originally wanted to use that, but there’s no name for the woman.
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Wikipedia had various takes on the tale in different regions. It’s interesting how stories can take on lives of their own and grow and change.
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Now the explanation is clear; why my latte tastes of fish!
It was a surprise to me how you provided a good background story around the prompt.
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Thank you! Boo for the latte though. 😀 — I had trouble coming up with something. The empty chair came quickly, but I didn’t want to go down the sad, grieving path and found a bit of a spin.
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Sad and grief seem to be the theme this week. Thanks for something different.
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Anytime. 🙂
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Ingenious use of a coffee cup
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Thank you.
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The Queen’s voice is so strong. I love her character.
Thistle 😻 the cutest name ever. Such a sweet and tragic fairytale
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Thank you! I’m glad you like the queen’s voice and the name Thistle. 😀 There’s also (still in hiding: Clover, Estragon, Buttercup, Sorrel… herbs make good elf names).
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I’m rather fond of this 💕 this just sounds like a great opening for something more. Are you inspired to write more of this story???
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Thank you, but no, Melusin’s story has been told many times in different variations. It’s always a fairy, nix, mermaid etc. who appears as a beautiful woman to some mortal man. If he promises her something, she becomes his wife, but usually the promise is broken and she returns to her realm, only to come back on occasion to watch over her children. So her mother the Queen (which is my invention) will see her again.
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Well you can’t say the person didn’t try to comfort her.
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Right! 🙂
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p.s. Didn’t I just hear Prince Harry and Meghan were back visiting the queen…
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Haha, yes indeed, I heard that, too. Sometimes they do come back… 🙂
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🙂
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Ha!
Love this. The empty chair invokes empty promises.
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Or hopes. Thank you! 🙂
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If this is lazy, I am afraid to see what busy is like 😉 This was wonderfully done, Gabi!
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Busy would be participating at the CCC and the Sammi’s weekend prompt as well, and not laze around and wonder, “can I, should I…?” 😉 Thank you!
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I hear you. I am not feeling the prompts at all, lately. I think I am a tad done with the reciprocation part. It is exhausting. I did FF, obvs, because it was my picture. Mind you, Crispina’s is less “busy” and many don’t respond so I don’t waste my time. Sammi’s has gotten more so, but again, many don’t reciprocate so I can more easily play along.
Still… the desire is not there.
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Yes, same here. Just ‘liking’ is much easier than (hopefully) meaningful comments, but a lot less fun, too. When I’m too tired-lazy, I sometimes revert to the old, mostly forgotten ‘ten this way and that way’ commenting. And people who never comment only get likes.
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Liking is easier but less meaningful, for sure. And the point of blogging is the exchange, for me. But you know, there is nothing wrong with the ten this way and ten that way, either. People who like, get a like but I no longer comment on those who never do. I don’t even read those who don’t. My time is mine and I no longer want to waste it. You, however, get more than a read and a like! 🙂
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❤
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I enjoyed your spin on the Melusine legend (I confess, I had to look her up in Wikipedia). Having a king who was irritable, even querulous was a great idea.
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Thank you! I’m glad you liked the spin, I love taking known stories and playing with them. Melusine or Melusina isn’t that well known, she is better known in France, I think. But there are many somewhat similar tales of magical wives who leave when the husband breaks his promises.
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Awww … it looks like nothing is going to make the queen happy.
I enjoyed the read. I think you pulled a rabbit out of an empty hat,
Well done … I must go to the Melusine info.
Have a good weekend … Isadora 😎
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I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 Thank you!
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Hmmm coffee time.
I do love a good folklore tale. She left the water and works for Starbucks?
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No, she married a mortal who promised her never to watch her when she bathes (because then she releases her fish tail). Of course he breaks the promise and she goes back home. The starbuchs image was just a little something I couldn’t resist. 😀
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Men can’t help but look. 😀
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I enjoyed your story and learned something!
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I’m glad you liked it, thank you!
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I learned something new there – and now I wonder why Starbucks chose her as their branding image!
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Thank you. I have no idea why Starbuck chose her (or a mermaid). But it’s a fun little snippet of useless knowledge. 😉
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What a cute and clever use of the prompt. Well done.
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the little taile.
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🙂
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Delightful. I love stories that borrow from mythology. And the Starbucks cup! Wow. Most enjoyable. (The story not the Starbucks 😊)
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LOL Thank you! 🙂 I love to play with known tales and twist them around a bit. The Starbuchs cup was just something I couldn’t resist after I read the info.
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Dear Gabi,
Been feeling pretty lazy myself here. And like Dale said, the reciprocation part that makes FF fun is lacking in many “participants.” Frankly, it means fewer stories to read and comment on. Maybe not the kindest way to feel, but when it’s always one way…
At any rate your story’s well done and I now have a new appreciation for Starbucks’ logo. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle. Luckily in your FF challenge there are still a lot of people who reciprocate. It doesn’t need to be always, but never is not great. Other challenges don’t have that, it’s often a like, if at all. Maybe likes have a greater rating than comments? I have no idea…
I couldn’t resist the Starbucks cup after I read the info. 🙂
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