Once upon a time...

[timefather]

[ For the residents of Märchenstraße, and all the land surrounding it, the eighth of December was a day to look forward to. Looking at it from an outside perspective, strangers and travelers could easily assume it to be a holiday. At the very least, a day for a festival, if a modest one. A day that shopkeeps spent all morning preparing for, that all manner of creatures spent days traveling to the city to witness. They'd heard the talk that passed around, the rumors from those still left. But would it work? No one knew for sure, no matter how confident the stories seemed to be. But hope was very quickly becoming all they had left.

They had decorated the whole town. Streamers, banners, wreathes and garland made of autumn flowers, plus whatever the Fairy Godmother had cooked up. Oh, she was just giddy. No skepticism could be spoken around her, not if you wanted to escape the wrath of her wand! Rumor had it that she had caught wind of a few piglets squealing about the likelihood that their magic would fail, and that they were subsequently transformed into the band of musicians who could be found performing in the park.

Well, at least the music was festive.

Of course, the decorations weren't for the newcomers alone. Autumn was coming to a close in just a few weeks, and Old Man Winter would take the reigns like he did every year, and their weather would turn cold and harsh. The chill was already there, cool and biting when the wind picked up speed. Lady Autumn was much preferred to the citizens of the city with her gentle nature, even if she failed to show up, finishing her work in the orchards instead. That was what they liked about her.

It was mid-morning when Father Time was found outside of his tower, checking one of the numerous pocket watches he kept on his person. "Unnecessary, but comfortable," he called them, and closed the watch again. It was twelve o'clock in the afternoon, and where empty space had been just seconds before, now they were. Sitting on benches, lying in flower patches, scattered about the city and outside of the gates in peaceful slumber. They would awaken to the bells of the clock tower. Some, to many friendly and relieved faces all around them, some to grateful ones carrying gifts of food and clothing and magic, and some to fearful, cautious faces. Regardless of how the town treated them, they would awaken to a celebration of their arrival, and choices to be made, and the books. Each and every one. ]

Comments

[youdidwell]

[Kageyama's managed to find a particularly empty bench because he's tired of being stared at and currently he's going through his bag. He still has his bad mood from when he woke up but it's starting to get tinged with worry.]

Uniform, textbook, riceballs and....

[But there's nothing else. Half of what he had packed that morning is missing and replaced with another book that tells him weird things, which he isn't sure what to make of just yet. Yeah sure he feels kind of bad that some apparently important people are missing but he's more worried about the fact that the longer he stays here, the more of the training camp he's missing.

He sighs in an annoyed manner before picking out one of the riceballs. Might as well eat first before he decides what to do next.]

[moonflowering]

[ There's someone else feeling a bit down and out and not too happy about things. Making her way up onto the bench beside him, she sets down a journal from her beak, and sighs heavily.

What a day.]

[youdidwell]

[Well, he's seen some other pretty strange things today so a depressed swan with a journal doesn't surprise him as much as it should. He does pause halfway through his unwrapping of the riceball to regard the swan for a bit.

Should he try talking to it? What if it bites? Or it just wants to be left alone and he'll just make it more upset?????

Kageyama continues staring, wishing he was better at dealing with animals.]

[moonflowering]

[Turning to regard him she stares back.

. . . Him eating in front of her kind of reminds her of how hungry she is.]

[youdidwell]

[And now the swan is staring back at him and it's making him panic internally more. His face, on the other hand, remains stoic.

Then, without really thinking much, he breaks the riceball he's holding in two and holds out half to the swan. That's what people do, right? Feed bread to ducks and stuff. He doesn't have any bread on him and this isn't exactly a duck but it's close enough. Maybe.]

[moonflowering]

[ YAY FOOD. She reaches out and takes the bite, swallowing it for herself.

... EXCEPT OH GOSH. This is the kind of thing real birds do, right? Beg for food? Don't look down on her she's just a little hungry okay.

Maybe he has more? B-Back to staring...]

[youdidwell]

[The swan sure did seem enthusiastic when it ate the riceball which is a relief to Kageyama. Seems like he did the right thing--

--except it's still staring at him. He frowns a bit.]

I only have two.

[He's not why he even spoke out loud because it's not like animals can understand human speech.]

[moonflowering]

[She heaves a sigh. Oh well. It's...probably not nice to eat all his food anyway. Turning back to her book, she nudges it back open. Pulling out the pen she's placed inside, she awkwardly sets about writing her message to him.

'THANK YOU'.]

[youdidwell]

[He watches with vague interest as it starting messing around with the book beside it and then his eyes widen when it starts writing something.]

You can write?

[moonflowering]

[VERY SLOPPILY. She's not used to writing like this at all. She nods, and then with a little difficulty turns the page back toward her first one. In more sloppy writing is the words

'HELP I AM A SWAN'.]

[youdidwell]

Yeah, I know you're a swan.

[Sorry, he isn't exactly the brightest lightbulb in the box.]

[moonflowering]

[HEADBENCH. All right lets try this again. She points to the word 'HELP'.]

[youdidwell]

[For some reason it seems really fixated on the world 'help'. He tips his head to the side a bit.]

Are there things you can't do because you're a swan and you need help?

[moonflowering]

[ OTL ][ Okay then back to writing. It sort of takes a long time though because writing is awkward like this. Trying again...!

'I AM A GIRL'.]

[youdidwell]

[Why does it keep giving him all this random information??]

A girl swan. Okay?

[moonflowering]

[ sldfjsl okay leaning over to peck one of his hands if she can manage it because COME ON PLEASE GET IT.

Disgruntled she turns back to her book again. More and more awkward writing.

'I AM HUMAN.'

Not really. She isn't human but she hopes he gets the point. This isn't her form.]

[youdidwell]

Ow! The hell?!

[Kageyama clutches at his hand and glares at her. He wants to complain but he notices that she's writing more and stops despite himself to watch.

Oh.

Ohhhhhhhh.]

Why didn't you just say that in the first place?

[His tone is kind of accusing.]

[goodfairy]

[ A plump, older woman walks past him, toting a large (and arguably over-filled) basket in her arms. It's filled with unmarked bottles and fresh herbs, and she looks considerably frazzled despite seeming to know where she's going. Not a second later she walks backwards toward him again. ]

Have you lost something, dear?

[youdidwell]

[His first instinct is to snap but when he turns to the speaker, he sees that it's an old woman so he stops himself and answers in a a grumpy mutter instead.]

...Yeah, everything.

[goodfairy]

[ Oh no, that won't do at all! She makes her way closer, switching the basket to one side. ]

That's an awful lot to lose. Anything more specific?

[youdidwell]

[Specific? Why is she being so nosy?]

Having my phone back would be nice.

[Then maybe he can somehow contact Saeko-nee-san. And that dumbass Hinata, too.]

[goodfairy]

[ Goodness! She's only trying to be helpful. ]

I'm afraid I can't make those. But you won't be needing it now, anyway, if it helps.