electricpentacle:

ernmark:

Consider:

A standard portal fantasy where a person falls through time and ends up in medieval times– but they have brightly colored hair.

They walk into the nearest tavern thinking this must be some novelty tourist trap, and as soon as people take one look at them they’re chased out with whatever cold iron tools the locals have on them, cries of “faerie!” ringing in their ears.

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At one point, a couple come to the not-quite-fae in tears. They’re sure some other faeries have taken their baby and left a changeling in her place who hates to be touched and won’t speak or look them in the eyes, and is there anything the not-quite-fae can do to make them bring her back?

The not-quite-fae asks to be taken to meet the changeling child. Sure enough, the little girl’s clearly autistic, and even more confused and miserable than her parents.

They think for a little while, and try to remember all the conversations they had with their autistic friends, and everything their parents tried for them and what worked and what didn’t.

Then they tell the little girl’s parents that they’ll do what they can, but their standing in fae society isn’t what it used to be, and the negotiations might take years in mortal time.

In the meantime, they must take the best care of the faerie child they can, since the fae will be more likely to swap the children back if their own child is happy and healthy. They must remember that fae can’t tolerate all mortal foods. Maybe it’s cow’s milk she can’t stand, or onion, or wheat bread. They must remember that the fae world is shadowy and still, and the loud noises and strong smells of the mortal world will startle and frighten her. Fae like to be touched firmly or not at all, and the girl might like to have pebbles sewn into her blanket to remind her of how it felt to sleep under the hill.

A year passes, and another. The couple return ever so often, asking how the negotiations for the return of their child are going, and more and more questions about how they should be looking after the fae child. They seem to be growing fonder of her as time passes, and she seems to be growing calmer and happier.

And one night the child’s mother comes to see the not-quite-fae, and asks “Is our daughter happy there, in the fae world? Because we’ve come to love the little changeling, for all her odd ways, and if our daughter is faring as well… we’d be happy to leave it this way round.”

The not-quite-fae has tears pricking at their eyes, but she reassures the mother that yes, the mortal girl is well and happy, they’ve been checking up and making sure of that, and her fae parents love her and are proud of her. And as the mother sobs into their shoulder in relief, they smile in the knowledge that the little changeling girl will do well, with loving parents and a protective not-quite-fae godparent.