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

[totallyfairest]

[ Fortunately, Apple has managed to get control of herself a little. Enough to stop screaming, at least. That doesn't mean she's ready to stop freaking out entirely. ]

That wasn't a scream, it was a - an expression of - innermost feelings and - well, all right, but I think anyone would scream if they thought they'd just been vanished into oblivion! Which I'm still not sure I haven't been. This looks more like a charming (if outdated, are those oil lamps? so last chapter!) village, but to be fair, I don't have much experience with oblivion...

...Yes. Right. [ Now she's just embarrassed for her momentary lapse in princess manners. She brushes off her skirt self-consciously, deliberately avoiding Naoto's eyes. ] Excuse me, sir, it's just that last night was such a disaster and now on top of this I wake up - here - and everyone's acting all weird and I have no idea what's going on and, and...

[ Her eyes fill with tears. She holds up one delicate hand. ]

I...I scuffed a nail!

[pishirogane]

[Naoto waits, arms lowering, but coming to cross over her chest as Apple goes on her small triad. Vanishing and oblivion, she has no idea what she's going on about. Naoto does catch the part about the village's - town's more - appearance. An eyebrow quirks.]

... You're excused. As for your nail, you can get that fixed shortly I'm sure. I'm sure we'll all have to do some... tidying for our roles.

[totallyfairest]

Oh, good! This village might not be, you know, latest-edition, but it's bound to have a good manicurist somewhere in here!

[ Obviously this helpful individual knows what's what. Against all odds, Apple is actually feeling a little bit better, now that it appears not everyone is so strangely afraid of her. She hides her nail discreetly in the folds of her cape and offers Naoto her most royal - if the tiniest bit still shaky - smile. ]

Roles! Right, yes, roles. If I haven't gone poof, then I still have my role to play! Can't have the Snow White story without Snow White, after all! The show must go on; we can't put the stories on hold just because we've woken up in a mysterious village filled with mysterious people for mysterious unexplained reasons!

[ She glances down at her book, and her smile gets just a tiny bit shakier. ]

I guess that means I have to find my Evil Queen, right? The story can't happen without her, either.

[pishirogane]

[Rise and this young woman would definitely get along is all Naoto has to think before she's off again on-- role? She had a previous role as Snow White? When the other female looks at her own book, it legibly says 'Evil Queen'. Wouldn't Father Time have known he pulled this girl from another assignment already?]

... Unfortunately, it appears you've been given the role of Evil Queen for Märchenstraße as opposed to retaining your position as Snow White where ever you've arrived from.

[totallyfairest]

(ooc: I know we spoke over PM, but just for my future reference: Apple hasn't realized Naoto's a lady yet and will be thinking of her with male pronouns. :x)

[ Aaaand hold everything. Apple freezes up completely for a moment, her mind gone totally blank.

She should be laughing right now. Why isn't she laughing right now? This poor man is clearly confused; he thinks that this book is referring to her instead of, you know, the actual Evil Queen. She should explain things immediately before things get really out of hand.

But...deep inside of her, way way way deep down where all of her unwanted nonprincessy emotions go to die, she's sort of...suspected. The way the villagers have been looking at her, like she's someone to be feared; the words "evil queen" she's heard whispered back and forth...she hasn't wanted to so much entertain the notion. She hasn't come right out and asked, and no one has come right out and said it to her face.

Until now. ]

...ha. Ha ha! Ha!! Oh, I'm sorry, I think there's been some mistake! This book doesn't mean me, it must belong to Ra - to someone else. I'm Snow White, you see. I mean, my name is Apple White, really - oh, gosh, where are my manners? I never even asked your name! - but anyway, I'm going to be Snow White. I signed the Storybook of Legends, you see. I have to be Snow White!

[ Still, he seems to know what he's talking about. Which is the worst part, because it makes it that much harder to pretend he's the one who's confused here. ]

M-maybe our books got mixed up? I'm sure this - all of this - is all just a silly misunderstanding! Ha!

[pishirogane]

[OOC: Just fine.]

[Naoto isn't a detective for mincing details when needed. There had to be some people willing to speak directly about the cruel reality and it was typically her job. Nothing bad, nothing good, completely neutral and needing to be pointed out.]

[This girl - Apple White - paused for much longer, making Naoto suspect that she was really trying to convince herself at this point rather than whomever she was talking to. Still, Storybook of Legends? Signing? She's never heard of this process as being necessary to become a character.]

Pleasure to meet you. I am Naoto Shirogane... or, as Father Time has wished, my name is... Beauty.

[Taking out her own book again, she shows Apple the spine with Beauty written upon it.]

When I spoke to him, he seemed certain. I didn't detect any lying from him or Lamb either.

apple should've stopped while she was ahead

[totallyfairest]

Beauty? Oh, now, see, there must be some mistake - I mean, obviously we're not talking about the Beauty, the one with the Beast, because I know her from school, she definitely hasn't poofed or...whatever happened. Unless she did, and she's here too. Are you, you know, absolutely sure that Father Time didn't mean you had to find Beauty and give her the book or something? Because that would make a lot more sense than you being -

[ Curses. Apple has really got to get herself back in gear before she says something really undeniably rude. He seems a bit new to this - maybe he never got to go to Ever After High? - so he might, er, misunderstand her meaning. Apple has spent enough time around Daring and his friends to know that princesses are not the only ones who take their appearances seriously. ]

What I mean is, there's rules about what Beauty's supposed to be like - some stories it doesn't matter so much, and the Wonderlandians, well, they just don't care, but just because it works for them doesn't mean - anyway, it's not just being beautiful, you also have to be...well, you know. [ How to put this delicately? She makes a vague little handwavey gesture between Naoto and herself. ] Princess-y. Like me!

So, yes, I don't know what Father Time says - and I haven't met him yet, he was supposed to lecture at our Legacy Day before that disaster happened, but anyway I have heard he can be a little, you know, not clear all the time - but I think it's just obvious that there was some kind of mix-up or indexing error or something, because I am not the Evil Queen!

Oh yeah...

[pishirogane]

[Naoto's following, she really is, but this girl speaks incredibly fast. So she knows Beauty - a Beauty and a Beast. Curious. And what does she mean by poof? Naoto shook her head once and then a second time and then just stared blankly when she mentioned it would make more sense than Naoto not being Beauty. Gods would it.]

[It was back to things she just didn't understand, but the princess-y part, she got. Naoto wasn't meant to be a princess. She was meant to succeed her family and become the head. Still, a princess like Apple? Er, couldn't there be any other princess representative?]

It's easier to understand speaking face-to-face with him on one's own. He has his own cryptic words, but he'll have more answers. Though... [Glancing around, she doesn't see the figure.]

... There is a hooded figure that seems to be eyeing all of us. You could possibly speak to them.

Re: Oh yeah...

[totallyfairest]

[ A hooded figure! Oh, thank the authors; hooded figures are almost always mysterious but basically good, and vitally helpful to any quest. Except when they're evil and will turn you into something nasty so much as look at you. That's a chance Apple is willing to take - besides, Snow White doesn't get turned into anything, and she is Snow White. ]

I think I will! Thank you, Mister - Naoto? - you have been a help. I'm sure this will all be straightened out soon enough, but I hope to see you again before I get back to my story! Perhaps I can bake you something; I make absolutely hexcellent apple pie!

[ She tucks her book firmly under her arm, refusing to look at the words on the cover. Of course this has all been some kind of great cosmological error and it will be corrected as soon she can speak to the proper authorities; that's why the world has authorities, after all. Probably the mysterious hooded figure can point her in the proper direction, if they aren't one themselves. ]

Oh, and...I hope you find your Beauty, sir, and get your happily-ever-after!

[pishirogane]

[It was probably now that Naoto should mention how ominous the hooded figure's presence was, but Apple seems excited at the prospect. All her previous information had mostly gone hand-waved or the girl had attempted to convince herself otherwise. She would have to learn on her own.]

You're welcome and yes, I'll most likely see you around. There's no need for baking.

[Naoto didn't have a particular fondness for sweets. Putting her own book away in her jacket, her brows knitted.]

Ah, thank you. [She could only help the other girl wouldn't freak out too terribly after she had her discussions with whomever she met first.]