Yes, I Also Agree That The Maps Do Not Match And It Is Quite Interesting And Open To Interpretation,

Yes, I also agree that the maps do not match and it is quite interesting and open to interpretation, although it may be a continuity error, I like to think that these stories take place in an archipelago (I would like to think), so the inhabitants of the main island (Fairy Tale island) were discovering new islands around and soon they will start to populate them, so the maps were modified as a result of the expansion

I still agree with your point about the expansion!

Fairy Tale Island Maps Don't Match

Alright, so I'm writing my Red Shoes fanfic when a thought hits me: where is Corrone, the kingdom I created going to be? I get very into lore dives and end up falling down rabbit holes, so please bear with me.

Spoilers ahead!

So I started looking at the map of Fairy Tale Island shown at the beginning of the film. It seems old with its yellowness, ripped edges, and faded ink. However, there are several illustrations of fairy tale stories that we are familiar with across it. However, in Red Shoes, these stories seem to be taking place at similar times and are heavily suggested as such, have yet to begin, or have just been "completed." It depends on where you are and what kingdom you are in as news travels pretty slowly (that'll be a topic for another time).

Regardless of how this map looks, it doesn't match the one that the F7 have in their home/command post which we see after the team "rescues" Red Shoes from the wooden bunny (King White under Regina's curse).

This map looked extremely different from the map above which led me to study the whole map of Fairy Tale Island. I wanted to see if there were similar landforms that would tie these two maps together. And guess what? I might have found where this island might be!

Take a look:

(Apologies for the awful quality, I had to yoink this the Wiki)

This small island just off the coast of Fairy Tale Island matches the F7's map. It's the right size and even has that strange rock structure or something similar on the left-hand side of it. Yes, the shape is a little off as the maps could have been made by different cartographers or it could be that the smaller island lacks the details since it isn't the main map of Fairy Tale Island. Either way, it is plausible.

If this is true, then Fairy Tale Island is so much bigger than what the film shows. Additionally, it would make sense for Fairy Tale Island to be so large as it is supposed to house every fairy tale to have ever been told. So here's an interesting thought, what if Fairy Tale Island is continuously expanding/growing?

New stories are told every day which means that there needs to be a place to put them all on the island somehow. Additionally, this suggests that Fairy Tale Island exists outside of space. Perhaps anything is possible on Fairy Tale Island?

F7 sleeping habits headcanons!

Because i have nothing better to do and i want to share my thoughts, alright let's do this

Merlin

- doesn't sleep on any specific side - somewhat restless sleeper, has probably rolled off the bed at least once throughout the years spent with the gang - i get the feeling he would talk in his sleep from time to time, he'd be mumbling bits of a spell he'd memorized and every other person sleeping in the room would have to suffer through that - whoever is sharing the bed with him is going to freeze because this mf would 100% hog the bed sheets, don't even try to argue with me, he would - either goes to bed at like 8pm or a midnight, no in between - wakes up around 9am-ish (usually, otherwise he wakes up at noon)

Jack

- sleeps on his back - lays perfectly still - doesn't make a sound - looks like a god damn corpse 💀 - at least one (1) person thought he was dead when they first saw him laying so still - always looks deep in thought, that or he looks mad, depends on who you ask - even the slightest noise could wake him up, pranking this guy would be impossible - goes to sleep at 8pm, maybe even earlier on days where he's especially tired - "if anyone wakes me up before 8am i will end their bloodline" - idk if he'd wear one all the time but he definitely has one of those silly sleeping masks, man needs his damned beauty sleep

Arthur

- sleeps on his side or on his back - switches between those two every 5 minutes - rolls off his bed at least twice a week - you know that one clock app audio with the very loud snoring, yeah that's him, that's Arthur - his head touches the pillow and he's out cold, gone, no thoughts just sleep - sleeps like a log, nothing wakes up this man (except food, that would probably do the trick) - goes to sleep around 10pm-ish - as funny as it would be for him to only wake up from 10am forward, he'd probably wake up at around, 7-8am i think

Hans

- sleeps on his stomach or his side - probably goes to sleep that he's laying on his stomach and wakes up on his side - very sound sleeper, doesn't move a whole lot - i feel like he would be able to sleep even with someone yelling in the room right next to his (if it went on for a while tho he would definitely get up and see what the fuss is about) - occasionally snores, but very rarely, plus i don't think he'd snore very loudly - goes to sleep at around 9:30pm maybe, occasionally later but that doesn't happen very often - wakes up at the crack of dawn, mans gotta start making breakfast

Pino, Noki and Kio

- sleep on their sides - move around a decent amount, but that's their default position to be in - curl up into a ball and bundle themselves up in blankets - an explosion could happen and they probably wouldn't wake up - they get in bed and for the next hour or so their brain is still fully alert and filled with thoughts and ideas despite their best efforts to fall asleep - go to sleep at 10:30pm - that is, when they do go to sleep, half the time they stay up till the next morning inventing or fixing something - despite this they cannot sleep in, they always wake up at around 7am

What if

Villain F7 AU 👀👁👁

Something that I am definitely not working on myself nope definitely not-

Hear me out:

The F7 are a group of criminals whose ultimate goal is Fairytail Island domination. Reason is Merlin wants to rule a bunch of adoring peasants

So Arthur is in charge of fighting anyone who tries to stop them; Jack is the sneaky luxury-lover thief; Hans is their poisons expert; the triplets make every weapon they need

This is where you could go the dark route: Snow has to defeat them and save her father

Or the comedic route: they get transformed and are forced to get help from Local Heart of Gold princess Snow White

Either way a redemption arc is possible, if that's your cup of tea 👌

For my idea, I am taking as a reference the Greek islands, especially the Cyclades archipelago, which has approximately 220 islands, but from my point of view I think that FTI would have a smaller number of islands.

But that does not mean that we should set this territory in a single part of the world, I mean that FTI can have a set of islands with different climates and different characteristics that take fantasy and folklore from different parts of the world.

Fairy Tale Island Maps Don't Match

Alright, so I'm writing my Red Shoes fanfic when a thought hits me: where is Corrone, the kingdom I created going to be? I get very into lore dives and end up falling down rabbit holes, so please bear with me.

Spoilers ahead!

So I started looking at the map of Fairy Tale Island shown at the beginning of the film. It seems old with its yellowness, ripped edges, and faded ink. However, there are several illustrations of fairy tale stories that we are familiar with across it. However, in Red Shoes, these stories seem to be taking place at similar times and are heavily suggested as such, have yet to begin, or have just been "completed." It depends on where you are and what kingdom you are in as news travels pretty slowly (that'll be a topic for another time).

Regardless of how this map looks, it doesn't match the one that the F7 have in their home/command post which we see after the team "rescues" Red Shoes from the wooden bunny (King White under Regina's curse).

This map looked extremely different from the map above which led me to study the whole map of Fairy Tale Island. I wanted to see if there were similar landforms that would tie these two maps together. And guess what? I might have found where this island might be!

Take a look:

(Apologies for the awful quality, I had to yoink this the Wiki)

This small island just off the coast of Fairy Tale Island matches the F7's map. It's the right size and even has that strange rock structure or something similar on the left-hand side of it. Yes, the shape is a little off as the maps could have been made by different cartographers or it could be that the smaller island lacks the details since it isn't the main map of Fairy Tale Island. Either way, it is plausible.

If this is true, then Fairy Tale Island is so much bigger than what the film shows. Additionally, it would make sense for Fairy Tale Island to be so large as it is supposed to house every fairy tale to have ever been told. So here's an interesting thought, what if Fairy Tale Island is continuously expanding/growing?

New stories are told every day which means that there needs to be a place to put them all on the island somehow. Additionally, this suggests that Fairy Tale Island exists outside of space. Perhaps anything is possible on Fairy Tale Island?

Of Monsters and Men | Ch 1

Read on Ao3!

Words: 3017

Learning that Snow White and Red Shoes were the same person was really something of a surprise to Arthur. He never expected either woman to actually be the same person. They looked much too different! Then he learned why Snow White had chosen her curse and it made him realize that perhaps beauty is not all it’s cracked up to be.

So in the days Merlin spent recovering from his overuse of magic and electrical burns, Arthur remained by his side thinking over everything, from the events of the days leading up to the passing of the evil queen and after and just how ignorant and selfish he had been in trying to trick Princess Snow into kissing him to break his curse. With the way he’s been acting, it’s no wonder he hasn’t broken the curse yet.

“Oi, what are you thinking so hard about?” Merlin asks lightheartedly from his cot, “I can smell the gears burning from here.”

Arthur glances up at him, having been pulled from his thoughts, and notices a slight grimace in his younger brother’s smile. His bruised and perhaps broken ribs, hyper-extended limbs, and electric burns must be bothering him again.

Arthur scoots closer to the bed and tries to offer the slightly younger boy a reassuring smile, “Nothing you should be concerned about.”

Merlin scoffs then groans in discomfort. He relaxes into his pillows before speaking, “Please, I know when something’s bothering you, Arthur.”

“Of course you would, it’s not like we grew up together or anything,” Arthur replies in a snarky tone. When Merlin smiles, his expression softens, “Seriously though, it’s nothing you should be concerned about.”

“Arthur,” Merlin says in a tone that tells the older brother he won’t give up so easily, “Is it about our curse?”

Arthur sighs, “It’s not really our curse anymore, now is it?”

Merlin tries to laugh, but it quickly turns into a sharp exhale followed by a pained wheeze. A nurse rushes to his bedside, worry clear on her features. She’s a relatively plain-looking woman in Arthur’s opinion, but she is married according to the simple gold band on her finger so she must be beautiful to someone.

“Are you in pain, my prince?” She asks, checking his bandages.

“No, I’m alright—”

“It hurts when he breathes,” Arthur cuts him off, earning a side-eyed glare from the younger boy.

The nurse glances at him and nods politely before turning back to Merlin, “I can give you another dose of painkiller, your majesty?”

Merlin sighs and nods slightly, “Alright.”

She quickly pours him a spoonful of medicine and helps the younger prince drink it before returning to her desk on the other side of the infirmary.

“So it is about the curse,” Merlin states, picking up the conversion again as the painkiller quickly soothes him.

Arthur grunts in response and glares down at his hands, “You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Are you worried about breaking it?”

Arthur remains silent and that tells Merlin everything.

“You needn’t stress, Arthur. You’ll break it—”

“That’s not what I’m thinking about, Merlin. At least, not exactly,” Arthur cuts him off once more, earning a confused look from the younger prince. Arthur sighs and runs a green hand down his face, “I’ve just been thinking…”

“About?”

“Nothing— everything— I don’t know,” He huffs as he tries to find the right words to say. Why does explaining oneself have to be so difficult? Most others can do it just fine and they make it look so easy in the process! “I am worried,” He finally admits, more to himself than Merlin, “I am worried about myself, but it’s not about the curse— not really. It’s more- it’s more about how I had been acting and how I have viewed everyone and everything.”

Merlin sighs but remains quiet. For a moment, Arthur feels as though his brother is judging him. Why shouldn’t he be? The younger prince learned his lesson much quicker than he had. Yes, he had a princess’ help, but Merlin has always been a fast learner.

“Looks aren’t everything,” Arthur finishes, dropping his head into his hands, “I wish I learned that sooner.”

“You and me both,” Merlin mumbles, his voice heavy with incoming sleep. Arthur peeks up at him through his fingers to see the younger prince blink tiredly back, “However, if this curse had never been laid upon us, would we have ever learned our lesson?” He pauses briefly as he shifts against his pillows, “Part of me believes that I never would have met Snow if we’d never been cursed. We would most likely still be judging people based on their looks.”

Arthur feels a pang of guilt at that observation as he remembers his first thoughts about the nurse who had come to Merlin’s aid a few moments ago.

“We probably still will,” Merlin says as if he somehow picked up on Arthur’s unease before breathing out slowly, “It’ll be a hard habit to break, but now that we know it’ll be easier to fix.”

Arthur feels himself grow to his full height as Merlin fully closes his eyes and yawns. His slow recovery combined with the painkiller the nurse just gave him is keeping him from staying awake for much longer.

Arthur nods, “Most definitely.”

Merlin smiles gently and somehow sinks deeper into his pillows as he relaxes, falling into a lull of sleep. When the younger prince’s breathing slows to a steady pace, Arthur sighs and rises from his seat. He stands over his brother for a moment to wish him sweet dreams.

Then he stretches and glances at the clock a little ways away. He figures that Princess Snow would be on her way to check on Merlin if she isn’t outside the infirmary doors already. The elder prince exhales through his nose and makes his way toward the exit. As he does so the nurse noticed him and the world around him grows as he shrinks back to his dwarf form. The woman nods at him and he courteously returns the sentiment as he makes his leave through the large wooden doors.

As he steps through the doors, the rosy-orange light of the setting summer sun greets him and fills the space with a strange form of nostalgic warmth. It intensifies the red of the carpet and the curtains and illuminates the small flurries of dust making them look like weightless gold flakes flying about. For a moment, Arthur is once again a child back in Camelot playing in the hall with Merlin just outside of their father’s study, waiting for the man to come out to take them to bed. They were playing with wooden swords pretending to be royal knights in a tournament to win a princess’ heart. It’s a bittersweet memory. They were just kids back then and the tales of witches and princesses were just tales. They weren’t trying to look good or like someone other than themselves. They were just two little boys looking for fun.

Then they grew up and were taught that they needed to look good to impress. They were taught that they needed to be handsome to so much as get a kiss. Why hadn’t they been taught that looks aren’t everything? Is the world so superficial that true love has become vain? If so, Merlin is lucky to have found his true love. This also means that Arthur and the rest of the F7 will have a much harder time breaking their curses. Most everyone these days judge how everyone else looks.

“Hello, Arthur,” A familiar, sweet feminine voice greets him in a kind tone and breaks him from his thoughts.

Arthur looks up at Snow White and smiles cordially. Though, it doesn’t fully reach his eyes, “Hello, Princess. You’re here to see Merlin?”

Seeing Snow White as she truly is still somewhat shocking to Arthur. He’s still not used to seeing her as herself despite nearly staying in her castle for nearly a week. Arthur has never really been very good at wrapping his head around magic and spells, but he is trying and he’s grateful that she isn’t shallow like almost everyone else he’s met on Fairytale Island. Needless to say, he is glad to call Snow White his future sister-in-law.

The crown princess nods, “Yes, I’ve finished my royal duties for the day so I’ve come to check up on him. I even brought a book to read to him in case he was bored.” She holds up said book with a bit of excitement sparkling in her eyes.

“I’m afraid you just missed him then,” Arthur shakes his head and motions at the infirmary doors, “He’s fallen asleep again.”

“That’s to be expected,” Snow replies with a soft smile as she lowers the book to her side, “His wounds will take time to heal.” There’s a pain in her voice that Arthur has come to know in a fearfully quick amount of time and all too well.

They both had nearly lost Merlin— his brother and her one true love. If Arthur were to say he wasn’t worried about Merlin’s wellbeing, he’d be lying. The dread Arthur had felt in the moment he watched Merlin throw himself from the ledge with the evil queen in his grasp is something the older prince never wants to feel again. And now that Merlin is safe and said to make a full recovery, Arthur can’t find himself wishing his little brother to join him on another adventure even if he would like him to. The younger prince has finally found his happy ending and he doesn’t need to throw it away just to make his older brother happy.

“He was in pain until the nurse gave him some medicine,” Arthur explains, unsure as to why he is doing so. Perhaps he wanted to fill the silence between them or perhaps he wanted to comfort Snow? Either way, his next few words seemed to ease her nerves,  “But his wounds are healing without infection.”

“That’s a relief,” Snow says, releasing a breath she probably didn’t know she was holding. Her love for his brother really is genuine, isn’t it? Her worry for Merlin’s well-being says it all.

Arthur nods, “I’m sure that he’ll be glad to see you once he awakens, milady.”

Snow smiles down at him, grateful for his reassurance, “Thank you, Arthur.”

“Of course, milady,” He replies almost absently as his mind is pulled back to the feelings of guilt he had tried to express in the conversation he shared with his younger brother a few, mere moments ago.

Arthur doesn’t deserve Snow’s gratefulness. He tried to trick her into kissing him. He tried to use her. Because of that, he wants to do better— he wants to be better. He wants to be a better person and a better prince for both himself and his kingdom. He wants to do better as a whole and not because he’s afraid of falling back into the same old habits of judging people based on their looks but because he wants to be able to say that the curse has helped him discover who he needs to be despite its bad connotation. Arthur doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to make up for trying to steal a kiss from Snow White, but trying to improve himself would be the least he could do. He feels the need to prove himself worthy somehow.

“Arthur?” The crown princess’ voice is gentle with worry, “Are you alright?”

Arthur glances up at her only to find her kneeling to his height to better meet his eyes. He feels another pang of guilt echo in his core like a gong in an open room. She doesn’t need to fret over him. He sighs and she places a hand tenderly on his shoulder. He should tell her the truth or perhaps apologize to her, but he can’t seem to find the courage to speak at that moment.

“Merlin will be alright,” She says, holding his gaze with her own, “Nothing is your fault.”

Ah, she’s slightly misread his solemn mood once again. Though, he can’t bring himself to correct her. Perhaps he should just remain silent? It seems like the smart thing to do.

She smiles at him and squeezes his shoulder reassuringly, “Everything will be alright.”

Will it? Or will he find someway to mess it up?

“Princess,” Arthur begins, taking her hand into his own. He stares at it for a moment as he gathers his thoughts. He wants to apologize. He wants to be better, but when he opens his mouth something else comes out instead, “Thank you.”

She knits her brows together, suddenly confused, “Whatever for?”

“You saved Merlin,” He replies, mentally kicking himself for not saying what he truly wants to say, “And I could never thank you enough.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” She says, squeezing his hand gently.

“But I do!” Arthur exclaims, somewhat startling her with his outburst, “I mean, after how many times I tried to trick you, I- I need to thank you. I…” He exhales, and stares at their entwine hands. This is the moment to say something and mean it! “I also need to apologize. I tried to steal a kiss from you. It is not something a prince should do. I hope you can forgive me one day.”

“I have already forgiven you.”

He turns his blue gaze up to meet her hazel one. He doesn’t deserve her forgiveness or her kindness and yet, she willingly gives it out to him.  How can one person, such as herself, who has faced so much hardship be so kind, especially to someone who has tried to trick them? It baffles Arthur. However, if she’s willing to move on from it, perhaps he should too. There’s no use in dwelling on the past, right?

The crown prince nods hesitantly and places a friendly kiss on the back of her soft hand, “Thank you, milady.”

Despite something telling him that he should move on as well, Arthur doesn’t think that he’ll ever fully be able to. He’ll spend the rest of his life trying to prove himself worthy of her kindness, if not to her, then to himself.

Snow White squeezes his hand once more before graciously pulling her own from his grasp. She stands, “Of course, Arthur, you’re a friend.”

“I haven’t been a good one.”

“You’ve been one good enough.”

He doesn’t believe her.

“I should let you see Merlin,” Arthur says after a beat of silence, “I have to clean and polish Excalibur anyway.”

Snow nods, “Alright.”

Arthur turns away from her. If he had been good enough he would have been the one she fell in love with.

“Hey, Arthur,” Snow begins once more, pulling his eyes back to her, “For what it’s worth, I believe you’ll find your one true love. It may not be today— it may not be a week from now, but I know you will. You’re kind and sweet and caring. Anyone who can’t see you for who you really are doesn’t deserve you.”

Arthur knits his brows together as he processes her words. Snow White saw Merlin for who he genuinely is and has helped him become a better person as well. Hell, she’s helped Arthur become a better person whether she realized it or not. However, can she see him for who he truly is? Something tells Arthur that she can. So the question becomes: can he eventually see who he really is? There’s only one way to find out.

Finally he nods, “Thank you, princess.”

Snow smiles, “Anytime.”

As Arthur moves to turn away from her once more, she speaks again, “If it helps, there are plenty of people who are suffering from curses across Fairy Tale Island. I’m sure they are struggling to break their curses by themselves.”

“What are you suggesting, milady?” His interest is piqued.

“Well,” She begins almost shyly, “What if you try to help them? Maybe you’ll figure out a way to break your curse too. You never know until you try.”

That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

“That sounds… like it could be the start of a new quest,” Arthur replies, feeling himself grow more and more excited at the prospect. Then Merlin crosses his mind once more, “But I can’t leave Merlin behind.”

“Merlin will be alright,” Snow assures him, “He’s healing just fine, and once he hears that you are trying to help people from the goodness of your heart I’m sure he’ll be more than understanding as to why you’ve left the castle.”

There’s an ‘if’ somewhere in her words, Arthur knows it. However, he can’t find himself dwelling on it as her words are rather inspiring. Snow is right. If he helps others without expecting anything in return, he’ll eventually get his happy ending. He lives on Fairy Tale Island after all. Dreams, both big and small, come true every day. Who’s to say that Arthur’s won’t?

“I’ll think about it,” Arthur says truthfully, “Thank you again, Princess.”

Snow smiles kindly as he turns away from her for the last time. As he walks away, the sound of a door opening and closing again echoes briefly down the hall, signaling that Snow White has finally entered the infirmary to be with Merlin. Though, while their conversation has ended, Snow White’s words linger throughout Arthur’s mind. The princess saved Merlin out of the goodness of her heart and because of it, she broke his curse— perhaps not intentionally, but she did.

Maybe Arthur really does need to go on a soulful adventure. He could save a few maidens, fight a few monsters, and maybe even find the love of his life in the process. But to get there, he needs to have a starting point. He could leave this evening! Ah, but that feels a little too soon. Perhaps he could set out tomorrow? It’ll give him time to prepare and catch a good night’s rest. Yeah, that sounds good.