Mirror-lock Atelier is S. Kaiya J. — a writer, editor, game designer, and performer in the TTRPG space.
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Once upon a time, there was a little girl who liked to dream of being a princess, in the way that little girls do. But one day, while she was playing at the beach, her father took her aside and told her sternly that she needed to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and that she must understand that she would never be a princess in truth. Confused and humiliated, the little girl could find nothing to say, and abandoned her dreams straightaway, and in time she grew to be a young woman who lived a mainly sensible life but for the vague sense of hurt and loss that she bore ever with her.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who liked to dream of being a princess, in the way that little girls do. But one day, while she was playing at the beach, her father took her aside and told her sternly that she needed to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and that she must understand that she would never be a princess in truth. Humiliated, the little girl agreed that all girls who dreamed of being princesses must be silly and weak of understanding, and in time she grew to be a young woman who lived a mainly sensible life but for the spite and scorn for little girls that she bore ever with her.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who liked to dream of being a princess, in the way that little girls do. But one day, while she was playing at the beach, her father took her aside and told her sternly that she needed to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and that she must understand that she would never be a princess in truth. How can you be so certain? asked the little girl. Her father replied, Princesses are the daughters of kings, so you will never be a princess because your father is not a king. And the little girl responded, But I may yet marry a prince, and returned to digging in the sand with equanimity.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who liked to dream of being a princess, in the way that little girls do. But one day, while she was playing at the beach, her father took her aside and told her sternly that she needed to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and that she must understand that she would never be a princess in truth. How can you be so certain? asked the little girl. Her father replied, Princesses are the daughters of kings, so you will never be a princess because your father is not a king. And the little girl responded, That seems a failure on your part, not mine, and returned to digging in the sand with equanimity.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who liked to dream of being a princess, in the way that little girls do. But one day, while she was playing at the beach, her father took her aside and told her sternly that she needed to distinguish between fantasy and reality, and that she must understand that she would never be a princess in truth. The little girl said nothing, and in time she grew to be a young woman, and tried to live a sensible life. And one day she cast her life away and fled to a place beyond the mortal world, and found there both wonder and terror, and a throne and a crown, and she discovered that her dormant princess-dreams had awoken and blossomed into the heart of a queen.