I stand facing the town hall, my wings quivering slightly, trying to muster the courage to enter the massive building. I hate all government offices. They remind me of everything wrong in society, and the sheer amount of oppression that faeries like myself face. Still, this is the first step to standing up to that oppression. All I have to do is walk into that building…
I’ve been standing here for five minutes, tugging on the hem of my purple, knee-length dress. The fabric feels tight and uncomfortable on my skin, and I’m aching to be back in the jeans and t-shirt I usually wear. The dress is much more presentable, though, which I might need to make my case.
I’ve been saving for ages until I had enough money to buy the property we live on. Technically, it’s government-owned right now, but they don’t care if we live on it. The only condition is that they can sell our land away, should others want it. That’s how Forge became my neighbor.
Finally, I flutter into the building. I am directed by the secretaries to an elevator, then to the fourth left on the twelfth floor. I knock on the door and am greeted by the Director of Public Lands. He’s a stocky man with short, brown hair on its way to becoming grey. He offers his hand, then pauses.
“Oh, that’s silly of me,” he laughs, looking down at my quarter-sized hand and comparing it to his. “So,” he pauses and glances down at my hand again, “what can I do for you?”
“My name is Rhododendron and I’m looking to buy the property that my house currently sits on,” I say with much more confidence than I thought I could muster.
He snorts, and I wonder what I said that was so funny.
“Wow,” he remarks, “You’re mighty serious for a faerie. You just got… straight to business. Well then.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, maybe that was rude,” I say, my cheeks reddening. “Should I have exchanged pleasantries, or…?”
“No, no,” he laughs, “I just thought you might, like, make sparkles appear first or something.”
“Why would I-” I start confusedly.
He cuts me off. “So. Your proposal. You want to buy this land, you said? Well, it depends on what kind of land you’re talking about. We’ve got some lovely faerie-accessible land a couple of blocks over.”
I know which land he’s speaking of: the rooftop gardens in the city center, an area notorious for air pollution and constant traffic noises. “No,” I respond. “I’m living in the suburban area about five minutes away from here.”
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, miss, but we don’t sell that land to faeries. It’s in high enough demand among humans already.”
“Can’t I do something to convince you? I have the money. I’m willing to pay as much as any human.” My wings quiver a bit and my flight suddenly feels unsteady.
“You know the rules. It would violate the treaties.” The director looks out the window for a moment, before the corner of his mouth curls up and his eyes crinkle. “Say, though, can you conjure sparkles? I’ve always wondered about that.”
I scoff. “I don’t understand. You waved off my offer to buy the land, even though no one else is taking it, and now you’re asking me about sparkles? I’m sorry, I thought I might be taken seriously here. I guess I was wrong.”
“Hey,” he snaps, “Don’t be such a stick in the mud.”
Calm down. You knew this might happen. It’s okay, though. Just calm down and save the emotions for when you get home. I fly out of the office, slamming the door behind me with a wave of my hand.
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