wishesforhire | list (a tiny selection of many)

J A C K (7 y.o)
In the 1870s, Jack was the first child to call upon her. He worked in the coal mines despite being several years too young, carrying equipment for the grown-up workers and keeping an eye on the ventilation doors. He was careful to keep out of sight during inspections for his family didn't have the means to get by without his work and it was, he told her, very important to help one's family. When she met Jack, he'd been badly injured and wished, first and foremost, for a speedy recovery. Unfortunately, all she could offer him was material wealth, things he could hold between his two hands. He thought that was quite odd (what's a wish fairy for, if she can't fulfil your wishes?) but as children do, he complied and allowed her to give him three days worth of magic, to the best of her ability. Wishes: A magic telescope through which he could see a glimpse of any place on earth or in the sky; a bag of candy that would last him the entire day; a conch through which he could smell and hear the sea.
M A R Y (10 y.o)
Mary called upon her in the late 1870s. Her family had been middle-class and at least decently comfortable for years, until her father who owned a small shop, was robbed on the street and lost his mind. Though Mary had been going to school until then, she was forced to work in a factory along with her mother, who took up work as a seamstress. The work was hard and the factory manager, a very cold and harsh woman, regularly slapped Mary or scolded her for being too slow or too lazy. Her mother kept up the best she could but could not, simultaneously, protect her daughter. Wishes: An invisible umbrella to hold in front of face whenever Mrs. John tried to slap her in the face (it gave off an electrical shock as well); a baby-blue teddy bear; a big, expensive cake with marzipan and chocolate.
J O H N (5 y.o)
John called upon her around 1880 or so. His older brother had just died from scarlet fever and there was a fear he was sick himself. He lived by his elderly uncle and his wife and there had been such a panic, trying to help his brother that they'd forgotten about isolating John. He was kept at home, fed a multitude of medications and remedies, whilst everybody prayed for his safety. John had been brave but scared - most of all, he was grieving for his lost brother. Eventually, he turned out not to be ill, much to everybody's relief. Wishes: A picture of his dead brother, framed in gold; a small light to leave at his grave for the dark seasons (once lit, the flame would not be extinguished by anything but a human exhalation); a toy car, pocket-size, in the colours orange and blue.
E L I S A B E T H (13 y.o)
Elisabeth called upon Katarina in the mid-1880s. Like Jack, Elisabeth worked in the mines. She had been orphaned at an early age and had been hand-picked at the orphanage by her new caretakers due to her size (she was both quite tall and broad for a girl) and easy temper. She delivered food and tools for the workers, as well as helped push the carts. When Katarina met her, her lungs were heavily damaged after three years at work; her knees were always bloody or bruised. Her eyes, however, were bright and lively, she made the best of her life and in many ways, though she felt she wouldn't live to be all that old, she was glad to be wanted and needed by someone. Wishes: A new pillow for her cot, not too fluffy; crayons in all the colours of the rainbow; a small package of bandages that would never run out.
S A D I E (11 y.o)
Sadie called upon Katarina in the mid-1880s. She worked in a factory, had lost both her parents at an early age and lived in an orphanage when she wasn't at work. Unfortunately, Sadie was a work for so long, she rarely saw her bed for more than 5 hours at a time. She was worn out, tired and afraid of the machinery which had recently cost one of her friends a hand. She knew she was next in line for his job. When Katarina came to her, she didn't have any specific, material wishes - she was merely so scared of getting hurt with no one to take care of her that all she really craved was a bit of companionship. Wishes: To have someone take care of her - Katarina ended up transforming herself into a tiny, tiny size, resting in Sadie's pocket for all three days, talking to her and keeping an eye on the machinery, helping her make sense of it and avoiding injuries.