Poem: "The Chimera King"
This poem fills a square on my second card for the 
cottoncandy_bingo fest. This fest encourages people to create and share material focused on what is variously called fluff, schmoop, gentle fiction, light reading, comfort reading, positive thinking, chicken soup for the soul, or anything else that offers a fun alternative to usual run of sex, violence, and angst of modern media. I'm hoping to attract some new readers for my writing.
This poem belongs to the setting of Quiar, which I created for the larger World Walkers collection by
kajones_writing. The inhabitants span many races of animals, birds, and invertebrates with varying degrees of anthropomorphism. They are sometimes capable of crossbreeding to produce chimerae. Most people frown on this, but it's tolerated more in some places than others.
Fandom: Original (World Walkers by
kajones_writing)
Prompt: Celebrity
Medium: Poetry
Summary: In the city of Seahorse Port, there is a parade celebrating the changing seasons, presided over by the chimera with the most different ancestral races.
Content Notes: Fluff. Anthropomorphic / furry. Parade.
"The Chimera King"
In Seahorse Port, where the
Mercurial River pours into the sea,
many races converge,
furred or feathered or scaled.
In a city built on trade,
folks tend to be flexible,
and what harms none
is tolerated here even if
other people in other places
look askance at it.
In some lands, the chimerae
are slain on sight as signs
of misbegotten magic.
In Seahorse Port,
they are celebrated.
On the last day of each season
comes the Cavalcade of Changes,
a parade full of costumed performers
and displays of the city's attractions,
announcing new releases
in entertainment, food, and fashion
for the forthcoming season.
At the head of the parade
rides the chimera who can boast
the most ancestral races.
Today, as the hot season
gives way to the moderate season,
the Chimera King takes his place.
He has the body of a llama
with bold zebra stripes in the fur.
The horns of a chameleon
curl from his head
and the wings of a quetzal
spring from his shoulders.
He walks on the webbed feet
of a platypus, and
the light magic of a firefly
crowns him with dancing stars.
The royal float bears
the names and images
of all his ancestral races,
and his footmen include
a representative from each.
Most of them are friends
who live in the city, but
the rare chameleon is on loan
from a visiting theatrical troupe.
The Chimera King
waves the parade into motion.
Riding through the streets
lined with cheering crowds,
he gives them all a show,
fanning his emerald wings.
He flings largesse to his fans --
small copper coins,
hard candies wrapped in paper,
balls and tops and other simple toys,
all donated by different merchants.
Somewhere in each bag
lies a single charm, a bit of magic
for the luckiest recipients.
The tourists are gawking,
as they always do,
for chimerae are rare even
in the tolerant land of Larnach,
but the citizens don't mind.
Some of them are dressed
in moderate-season finery,
while others are costumed
as chimerae themselves.
At the end of the parade,
the Chimera King
releases his crown of light
and returns to his job at the museum,
for in Seahorse Port
even the extraordinary
can be ordinary too.
cottoncandy_bingo fest. This fest encourages people to create and share material focused on what is variously called fluff, schmoop, gentle fiction, light reading, comfort reading, positive thinking, chicken soup for the soul, or anything else that offers a fun alternative to usual run of sex, violence, and angst of modern media. I'm hoping to attract some new readers for my writing.
This poem belongs to the setting of Quiar, which I created for the larger World Walkers collection by
kajones_writing. The inhabitants span many races of animals, birds, and invertebrates with varying degrees of anthropomorphism. They are sometimes capable of crossbreeding to produce chimerae. Most people frown on this, but it's tolerated more in some places than others.
Fandom: Original (World Walkers by
kajones_writing)
Prompt: Celebrity
Medium: Poetry
Summary: In the city of Seahorse Port, there is a parade celebrating the changing seasons, presided over by the chimera with the most different ancestral races.
Content Notes: Fluff. Anthropomorphic / furry. Parade.
"The Chimera King"
In Seahorse Port, where the
Mercurial River pours into the sea,
many races converge,
furred or feathered or scaled.
In a city built on trade,
folks tend to be flexible,
and what harms none
is tolerated here even if
other people in other places
look askance at it.
In some lands, the chimerae
are slain on sight as signs
of misbegotten magic.
In Seahorse Port,
they are celebrated.
On the last day of each season
comes the Cavalcade of Changes,
a parade full of costumed performers
and displays of the city's attractions,
announcing new releases
in entertainment, food, and fashion
for the forthcoming season.
At the head of the parade
rides the chimera who can boast
the most ancestral races.
Today, as the hot season
gives way to the moderate season,
the Chimera King takes his place.
He has the body of a llama
with bold zebra stripes in the fur.
The horns of a chameleon
curl from his head
and the wings of a quetzal
spring from his shoulders.
He walks on the webbed feet
of a platypus, and
the light magic of a firefly
crowns him with dancing stars.
The royal float bears
the names and images
of all his ancestral races,
and his footmen include
a representative from each.
Most of them are friends
who live in the city, but
the rare chameleon is on loan
from a visiting theatrical troupe.
The Chimera King
waves the parade into motion.
Riding through the streets
lined with cheering crowds,
he gives them all a show,
fanning his emerald wings.
He flings largesse to his fans --
small copper coins,
hard candies wrapped in paper,
balls and tops and other simple toys,
all donated by different merchants.
Somewhere in each bag
lies a single charm, a bit of magic
for the luckiest recipients.
The tourists are gawking,
as they always do,
for chimerae are rare even
in the tolerant land of Larnach,
but the citizens don't mind.
Some of them are dressed
in moderate-season finery,
while others are costumed
as chimerae themselves.
At the end of the parade,
the Chimera King
releases his crown of light
and returns to his job at the museum,
for in Seahorse Port
even the extraordinary
can be ordinary too.