Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies Intensifies [OPEN]

[patchricide]

🧙 WHO: Princess Allura and YOU!
⚔️️ WHAT: Researching those frost fairies for a shiny gift! ... and also some quest prompts!
🕒 WHEN: Throughout February
🗺️ WHERE: ... mostly outside?
⚠️ WARNINGS: All applicable warnings of violence and danger and death for the quest logs. Fairies threads should be fluffier, but be careful of frostbite.


Fairies Part 1: Close Encounters with the Frosty Kind

Despite the miserable weather, these nearly-freezing droplets of water falling from the sky, it's simply not feasible for Allura to stay holed up in her room all month. She needs food, and she needs money to pay for food. And so she's reluctantly headed out on a late rainy afternoon, bundled up in as many layers as she could find with a parka pulled over it, grumbling in aggravation to herself about how she should have bought the Dry Spell recipe.

But it's out in this weather, on an otherwise unremarkable Camelot street, that she first notices it: a trail of ice that cuts through the road, winding along like a creeping vine... and growing before her very eyes, as if it were following some invisible guide.

"Do you see that?" Without looking, she reaches out to touch the shoulder of someone walking nearby, just to grab their attention. "That ice almost looks like..."

And then, as if it didn't seem alive enough? The end of the ice suddenly stops in the middle of the road, as if it were called out. As if it were suddenly aware that someone was staring at it in wide-eyed wonder.

And then... it grows at a much quicker rate, as if some invisible source were scampering quickly away from the people staring at it.

"Wait — come back!"


Fairies Part 2: How To Catch A Cold

By now, Allura has learned all about the frost fairies this month. How you shouldn't touch them, and how they'll only become visible through glass. And... she wants to see one for herself, perhaps to commune with a fellow connoisseur of shiny things. And speaking of...

Yes. Yes, she does want a shiny gift. Who wouldn't?

However, she doesn't seem to be following the instructions properly. After all, it was said that she needs to set down some ice cream on an open windowsill at night, and tonight has been one of the coldest nights of the week. And, given that she hasn't found accommodations outside of the hotel, her single room quickly turns into a freezer with that sort of draft blowing in. So...

So, instead, she's set up camp in the hotel's lobby, seeing if leaving a bowl of ice cream unattended will be enough to lure the fairies out. Isn't it cold enough here, close to the door where people have been coming and going? Like a complete weirdo, she's camped out just around the corner, watching it with a handmirror to see what approaches.

However, considering she's already had to chase away three people who tried to throw it out? It is not going well. She might need a plan B.


The Libryrinth (Part 1)

At first, Allura had thought that it might be easier to ignore the explicit instructions and come during the daytime. But, unfortunately, there were too many people around during those hours, and in the end she hadn't even made it to the top of a shelf before hearing scolding whispers telling her to get down from there.

So, here she is, planning a heist of an old woman's archive.

"Our utmost priority is to get in and out without being seen. Do not get greedy — gather what information you can, and get back out to regroup. We can worry about finding the meaning of the patterns after we've compiled them back outside."

Her tone is gravely serious, despite the fact that the worst that can happen is getting assigned to community service. If this all turns out to be a farce, the guilt of participating in it will be far worse.


A Tall Order

Having spent a lifetime amongst the varied races of the universe has prepared Allura well for this. No matter how adorable and doll-like the small elves are, she speaks to them with polite respect, the same way she would if they were the same height as her.

It is a little strange, though. Most of the small aliens she's met didn't look so similar to herself.

"It's an honor to meet you." ... look, these elves want to ride around in fancy chairs. They are probably in some high position in their society. "Now then, are we just heading down to the beach, perhaps doing a lap around...?"

Oh, no. The elf starts describing a detailed set of twists and turns. Looks like it'll be the scenic route.


Save a Beast, Kill a Man

It's a heavy request. Enough that Allura would rather take some time to think it over, perhaps invite her companion to lunch and lay out their options while sipping a nice warm bowl of soup.

But as the Selkie had specified, her husband was on a quest to slay something called a kraken, and there was no telling how much time remained before the man would hunt it down. And so, they're already en route to the south beach. They're following a well-worn trail, but with the ground being so cold and hard from the recent weather, it's nearly impossible to tell if anyone else has been down this way recently.

So, as they move, Allura decides to quietly raise the key question:

"How do we want to do this?"


Wildcard
[Want to do something else? Send a PM, hit up my CR Meme thread, or even go ahead and start it with no plotting — I'm down for anything you feel comfortable with!]

Comments

Save a Beast

[sinnohcoordinated]

“We need to do this with as little violence as possible.” Dawn said. “No one has to die...”

[patchricide]

"We might not be able to avoid a fight. But... you may be right. Assuming we get there before he finds that kraken..."

The thought is enough to hasten her pace. For Dawn's sake, she explains her reasoning: "If he's skilled enough of a hunter to find and steal the selkie's pelt, then finding a large water monster shouldn't take him long. No matter how big the lake itself may be."

[sinnohcoordinated]

“I have to agree with that.” Dawn said. “Which means we might have to overwhelm him before he can do anything, right?”

[patchricide]

"Precisely. The safest way would be to find him first..."

And then, in appropriately dramatic timing, there's a sound. A loud splash, as if a giant wave were hitting the shore — loud enough that they can hear it despite the fact that they still need to crest another hill before the shoreline would come into sight.

"... or... to find the kraken before he does. Come on, let's hurry!" And, taking her own advice, she picks up the pace and starts running towards the source of the noise.

Save a Beast, Kill a Man

[excalibeam]

[ For a quest such as this... Saber's expression turns stern and emotionless. She would handle this as rationally as possible. ]

Should he be easily subdued, then there will be no reason to end his life. We simply need to retrieve the Selkie's pelt, correct? In that case, we will retrieve it from him in exchange for his life.

[ She states it matter-of-factly. Decisions like this were simple enough for Saber, so now it was just a question of how cooperative the man is. ]

As for the Kraken... should he still wish to continue that hunt, rendering him unable to do so for an amount of time is simple enough.

[ Still, the man stole a pelt in order to force a Selkie to marry him. By that information alone, one can assume he is not someone of good character. Hence, the oddly-cold solution given when it comes to the Kraken's safety. ]

[patchricide]

That is what I'm more worried about. Completing the mission is one thing, but...

[She pauses for effect as the path crests the hill overlooking the beach. So far, no signs of a battle — but no sign of the hunter or his prey, either.]

... if we leave it at that, there may not be much stopping him from going after the selkie again, whether seeking a new marriage or revenge.

[There's options there. Ways to make him remorseful — or failing that, afraid. But that might have to be a situation they feel out after everything else is settled. Right now...]

Before all that, though, we'll need to find him. [And from a survey of the beach, that's going to be difficult. It's not a small beach, and while there's only a few sets of footprints since the last tide, it may not be clear which one is their target.] ... unless we find the kraken first, and wait for him to come to us.

[excalibeam]

Hm... indeed, your worries are well-placed.

[ She doesn't deny the chance that the man would be that dishonorable, that despicable. Still... ]

However, the right to judge who deserves to live and who deserves to die is not something one should assume lightly. Even against an enemy, one must recognize and acknowledge everything before making such a decision.

[ It was a decision that for many, it was hard to bear. Yet, Saber was capable of bearing that weight knowing full-well what it is. ]

You may judge his character when you meet him. If he wishes to challenge us to the death, then I will end his life just as he would intend to end mine. However, should he surrender, I will not betray my oaths.

[ In which case, the decision may end up going to Allura. ]

[patchricide]

[And it's not a decision Allura would take lightly, but... she draws in a slow breath, as if summoning up her courage, before giving her reply:]

Then, whatever must be done, I will handle it.

[And she means it. Hadn't she made much harder decisions before?]

[But the frown that draws on her face is more from studying the ground, attempting to discern the different marks. There's a spot where a long, unnaturally straight gash has been dug into the ground, fading out somewhere near the shoreline. Some of the small dunes have been flattened to either side, as if cut off by something flat, aerodynamic...]

... tell me something. Do they rent boats anywhere around here?

fairies pt2

[intrapid]

[ Here is yet another person approaching that unattended bowl of ice cream, but rather than throw it out, the boy stops just in front of it, tips of his shoes nearly touching the rim of the bowl, and stares down at it.

But as attentive as he has to be with his surroundings at all times, Karma notices the glint of the mirror in the corner, catches the eye of the person staring into the reflection but nothing more. ]

Like this, the only thing you're gonna attract is ants, you know? You're better off dumping it all out onto the ground.

[patchricide]

[It takes her a moment to remember what Earth creature 'ants' are.]

[But once she recognizes that he's talking about insects and not fairies, she — who is, I cannot stress this hard enough, a grown woman — pokes her head around the corner, scowling.]

How do you know that? The townsfolk said this is the fairies' favorite treat. One of them is bound to come and sample it!

[intrapid]

[ It's her corner now. ]

It's half melted already, that's why. Look, it's nothing more than cream, now.

[ Crouching down, he sticks a finger into the bowl and scoops up a generous amount onto the tip of his finger to hold up and show Allura so she doesn't have to leave her corner. Also so he can lick it off his finger, yum. He double dips and takes a little more of the ice cream. ]

The Libryrinth (Part 1) - Team V

[earthshine]

[ greedy? them? when have they ever deviated from a plan? okay, don’t answer that. at any rate, this seems… remarkably easy in comparison to what they usually get up to. still, shiro surveyed the library earlier and with the amount of shelving they’re going to need to work through, it’s definitely going to be time consuming.

especially in the dark. why does this old crone lady favor patrolling with only a candle as the light source? maybe to make it more difficult for would-be archive bandits. clever; sure.

shiro heaves a mental sigh and drags his gaze away from a blackened window, looking to allura. ]

Right. [ and just because he always has to throw in his two cents: ] And it’s going to be difficult to see in there. It’s better to take your time and fully survey the corners for any symbols, rather than rush through. [ less is more and all that.

a beat, then: ] What do you think? Should we set a timeframe or use best judgment?

[ y’know, to regroup. ]

[pidgewidgeon]

I'm good with either [ The bit of wall Pidge's voice came from appeared empty, but suddenly she shimmered into appearance, grinning and holding a cup of coffee. ] and since I can turn myself invisible I can potentially move a bit faster than you.

[ Be afraid team, be very afraid ]

So we get in, find the symbols and take a picture of them, and then meet back here in what? An hour? Two hours?

[patchricide]

[Allura jumps at Pidge's sudden appearance. Of course — she had figured out cloaking for the Green Lion, hadn't she? Allura wouldn't be surprised if Pidge had worked out that spell on her first day here.]

... do you cast a shadow like that? If not, you might be able to get more light than either of us as well. All you would need to do is stay close to the librarian, and use her candlelight to help you.

[She pulls out her phone, taking note of the time.] Two hours sounds adequate: By that point, we should at least know if there's anything to be found. If you encounter any trouble, send a text to me — I'll be keeping a safe distance away from the librarian, and will alert you both if there's any danger.

[Shame that the cognitive telepathy is only one-way. Otherwise, they could communicate through the whole mission, and the librarian would be none the wiser.]

Are we ready?

Fairies part 1

[whatsamada]

[At the same time, Ken felt the same way. There was only so much he could handle from being stuck inside for so long. Feeling the need to step out into the cold weather, he was prepared for the icy blast to hit his face. Luckily, he didn't mind how cold it was as he was use to it.

However, as he continued to move along the streets, he does seem to notice something odd. Was it just his imagination or did that ice look something a little strange? Before he could say anything, that's when he felt a girl touching his shoulder.]

Wait, you too? [He said before the mysterious figure decided to run away from them.] What did you see?

[patchricide]

The ice was moving as if it had a mind of its own. Instead of growing from a single point, it was... [How does she even explain it? It's going to sound crazy, but what comes to mind is:] It was if it was following a trail, made by something wandering through the city streets.

But I couldn't see a source, could you?

[She takes a few steps forward. They could follow it, couldn't they? There's a perfectly visible trail, and it wasn't moving that quickly...]

[But for a moment, her form jostles, and she twists and bends in place to maintain her balance. There's a patch of black ice on the sidewalk, formed from what was a shallow puddle just a moment before. The whole ground is freezing quickly!]

[whatsamada]

[As Ken looked at the spot from where it left, he was looking to see if there was a source. From what he could tell, there doesn't seem to be one. With that, he shook his head.]

I don't but it just makes me wondered where it came from. We need to be careful, we don't know what else it might do. [As she took a step forward, Ken was preparing himself for anything that should happen. While he didn't have his spear, he was cautious.

Luckily, it seemed his instincts were right on the spot. Immediately, he drove right in to catch her from falling down! However, just as he was about to? He found himself slipping right on the ground too.

Hope she doesn't mind the both of them crashing to the floor.]

Fairies Part 1

[colchismagecraft]

...It knows we're watching it.

[The cloaked woman who's shoulder Allura grabbed stiffened a little at the unfamiliar contact, but given how she had also been staring at this strangely sentient trail of ice, that was more her concern right now.

Caster was endlessly curious about this world's magic, and this was definitely something new!]

Come. Let us see where it goes.

[patchricide]

[It's refreshing to know someone else is equally fascinated by this phenomenon, as well as the fact that this isn't one of those instances where she's expected to already know what's going on. For that, she'll gladly accept that they've already been spotted.]

Right, let's go! Before we lose track of it!

[And she starts jogging down the sidewalk, eyes fixed on the trail of ice. If there's any lingering doubt that this ice was controlled by a conscious, thinking thing, that gets dispelled when the trail curves to the side, veering off in a left-hand turn down another street.]

If we could get it to stop, we should be able to take a closer look... [But how, exactly? Cornering it might be tricky.]

[colchismagecraft]

[It was at times like these, as she rushed off with Allura after the ice, that Caster wished she could still fly.]

That depends what is causing it- if it's a living being I could slow it with one of my curses, but-

[Well, she was sure that would anger it more than anything.]

Libraryraryithnth

[mithrarin]

[Uh. Okay. Wow. Allura is a lot more serious about this than he expected, and it's -- something? Dust takes the job seriously, of course, but this is something else.]

...We'll be fine, you know. I don't think there's anything that can really threaten us.

[The idea of legal repercussions barely even registers to him.]

[patchricide]

Well... no. There's likely not. But there is plenty that could jeopardize our objective.

[Look, if getting in trouble doesn't bother you, then what about the risk of not getting paid?]

If we're caught, the security will likely be raised — and for all we know, the entire pattern could be changed, rendering our efforts moot. This is our best shot — there's no sense in squandering it!

[mithrarin]

[Oh. Good point. Dust is more used to effort that involved platforming and violence, often simultaneously -- there are other things he needs to take into account for a stealth mission.]

You're right. Sorry. We'll get this done.

Fairies Part 2;

[hopticulture]

Haru's heard the whisperings about the Frost Fairies, and while she's not really someone who's keen on bothering people who seem to want to keep to themselves, the longer she's been in Camelot the more aware she's been that the Fae are more of the playful, hard-to-catch sort as opposed to actually not wanting to be bothered. They're coy, and Haru can respect that.

She's procured her own bowl of ice cream to set out for the fairies, making her way through the quiet of the night down to the hotel lobby because she's run into the same issue with keeping her own window open for the fairies to be lured in. Rounding the corner, bowl of ice cream in hand, the small rabbit is only half-paying attention (she's admittedly half asleep) when she walks face-first into Allura's back.

Her own bowl of ice cream falling and clattering to the floor. Which in the dark, dead of night, sounds near deafening.

Stepping back, she stands frozen. On edge from the loud noise she made and the fact that her vanilla ice cream is now all over the floor. "Why were you crouching there?" Her impulse is to be frustrated.

[patchricide]

If any fairies had come to visit the floor setup, they surely would have been scared off by the commotion when Haru crashes into Allura. Not just from the sound of the bowl hitting the floor — the sound startles Allura and, in a chain reaction, causes her to drop the hand mirror as well.

At least there's no sound of shattering glass to go with it! Not that the Altean would know about the superstition with broken mirrors, but given how magic seems to be alive and deeply interwoven into this world, a true curse of bad luck could happen at any time.

Naturally, she's already sitting up and turning around by the time she hears the question demanded of her. "Forgive me! I didn't think this spot would be in anyone's way." There's only the briefest of pauses as Allura takes note of who's speaking to her. A moment to wonder, since so many people drawn here are humans or close to human, if this is one of the supernatural denizens of the realm. "I was waiting to see if the frost fairies would arrive here. I was hoping to see one soon, but..."

What truly derails her is when she finally takes stock of that spilled bowl on the floor. Someone else with ice cream on such a cold night? "Oh! Were you looking for them, too?"