Does anyone here know much about fairies and elementals?

[Sanity Claws]

I'm writing a story that has a lot of fairies, wee people, etc. in it. They live in NYC but don't interact much with the big people here but will take the subway when it suits them. I have a nice scene with a leprechaun on the 7 train. He fit right in.

For those wee people too shy to ride the subway, how do they get around? By foot? By wing? Do they hitch rides on car bumpers? Seriously, these little guys visit each other and need a way to get around the various boroughs. How do I get them around town so they can to each others' parties, trade their goods and services, etc.?

Any ideas?

[MorningGlow]

1. Sure thing!

First question: Are any of your fairies human size (or taller), like the elves in Lord of the Rings, or are they all the traditionally tiny beings?

As for the tiny ones, I like the mental image of their drafting in back of buses (and dodging taxis)--not to mention curling up in the manes of the horses around Central Park and whispering sweet nothings into their ears as they hitch a ride, or tucking themselves into the rich ladies' Prada bags to get around.
:rofl:

SC, I say it's your story and your reality, and you can do anything with them you wish! :hi:

[Sanity Claws]

2. The fairies are small, about 2 or 2.5 feet tall

but I have human-sized deities like Parvati, Shiva, and Ganesh too.

The gods will get around magically. After all, they're gods!
The fairies are more earth bound in my mind and need more prosaic ways of getting around.

You're right -- it's my reality and I can do whatever I want. Once I'm recovered from the flu, I'm going for a walk in the park for inspiration.

BTW, it sounds like it's been a few years since you've been to NY. Central Park no longer has horses. You occasionally see a policeman on horseback but there's no more horse riding on the bridle path. The riding academy was closed some years ago.
As for the rich ladies with Prada bags, they're still here.

[Celebration]

3. Really?

How about horse drawn carriages that you rent? None of those? Yes, it has been a while since I have been to NCY as well.

Maybe they could sneak into the back of delivery trucks. :) Or, garbage trucks take certain routes. Maybe they could learn the routes of garbage or delivery trucks, and figure out a way to avoid detection.

[Sanity Claws]

4. Horse drawn carriages are still here

I thought you were referring to the horses along the bridle path.
You are right. The wee ones would have an affinity for the poor overworked horses.
:hi:

[MorningGlow]

14. Yeah, I meant the horse-drawn carriages

Although it's a shame that they don't have horses for riding in Central Park anymore. I never experienced that myself, but I remember that great scene in Hair (the movie). :D

Anyway, lots of great suggestions in this thread, SC. And don't forget, once you get started, the fairy folk will take over and tell you what they want to do in your story! :hi:

[Cleita]

5. "Fairies 101" by Doreen Virtue has a run down of the different

types of fairies and what they do. I'm sure your library will probably have a copy and it's a good place to start for a writer just to get a general idea.

[Sanity Claws]

8. I'll check it out again

I looked at it at a bookstore and didn't think much of it. Maybe I was just in a bad mood -- I'll look at it again.
Thanks for the suggestion.

[Cleita]

11. It's just a small book that covers the basics. You can jump into meatier

tomes when you cover the bones of the fairy realm.

[kentauros]

6. I recommend a book on spirits called appropriately enough:

encyclopedia of spirits - the ultimate guide to the magic of fairies, genies, demons, ghosts, gods & goddesses by Judika Illes :)

[Sanity Claws]

7. I borrowed that from the library and

agree; it is excellent. I should buy it.
Thanks for reminding me.

[kentauros]

9. You're welcome :)

I bought a copy last year, and it's an excellent reference, especially for those of us writing books/stories ;)

[conscious evolution]

10. They use buses disguised as school buses.

Nothing to see here.Just a bunch of kids going to school or on a feild trip.

[kentauros]

12. Or this kind of bus:

:D

[NuttyFluffers]

13. check out White Wolf's Changeling line. lots of ideas, some more macabre than others.

could have something like a sprite at a coffee shop shakes a little cinnamon and sugar around and hops into someone's shadow, only to hop out in the shadow of a coffee shop nearest her destination. and that can explain why there's little bits of cinnamon and sugar sprinkled around that table where you add garnishes to your coffee.

or a creature that hops between people who wear hats. as long as it's riding atop a person wearing a hat, it's invisible.

or a water elemental that travels the sewers and plumbing.

or an earth elemental that can essentially teleport between rock substances, but can only walk about in the darkness and shadows. if it's ever spotted it has to freeze and stay still looking like a loose chunk of building granite or asphalt.

or a glamour brownie that travels in women's purses and has an affinity for make-up. also has a nasty habit of drying out the mascara or smudging the eye shadow powder.

or a metal elemental faerie that rides as different hood ornaments, hopping between cars.

the ideas are endless, it just really depends what you want to do with it.

[liberalmuse]

15. Fairies and Elementals blend in...

sort of like chameleons. Remember those 'find the hidden ____ in this picture' puzzles we used to do when we were kids? They do better in natural surroundings, but I imagine they could blend in on a subway, especially the really late trains when people are tired or drunk. You know when you're walking by something and you think you see a being so you do a double take only to realize it's just an ordinary object? I imagine that's how it would be.

Maybe they would hitch a ride by the advertisements on the side of the bus, where they could blend in more easily, or on a lost kiddie ballon or even a plastic bag or surf on a leaf blown by the wind. This is all hypothetically speaking, of course, though I have seen these things with a little assistance from nature's alkaloids. Anyway, it sounds like you're writing an interesting and fun story.