mythmaking | Once upon a time...

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Once upon a time...

[ 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. ]

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[Fingers curling in, she lowered her hand and shook her head.]

No.

[It was a lie, but the bead of blood and small prick was gone. There was no need to alarm him, or maybe there was. She didn't understand how it just... healed.]

Kanji-kun, do you feel anything from the flowers?

No. ...Well, I mean, they're p-pretty. But that ain't what you're lookin' for, right?

Why, do you?

[She nodded]

Yes... I feel something strange. An energy perhaps? The garden was enchanted, was it not?

Yeah. Every version of the story talks about the enchantment over the castle and everything in n' around it. Beast loves his roses, and it pissed him off when--

[He froze, turned his head. There, crunching on tender leaves and petals and stepping around the hedge, was a buck who'd decided to make himself at home in his goddamned--]

[The deep-throated snarl that followed was not human, rather than his shout to shoo which was what he'd intended initially. The whites of the deer's eyes were visible as it turned tail and fled. Kanji was three steps after the deer before he stopped, paused and finished his thought, almost seeming to snap back into things.]

--When s-somebody touched 'em without his permission.

[Shit.]

[Naoto's head whipped around at the crunch, hand flying to her waist, but she had no gun. That wasn't good. If it was some dangerous creature, she wouldn't do so well. Her heart raced and her knees bent. Her persona definitely wasn't coming to her... but it was merely a stag.]

..--!

[The snarl was behind her, but all that was behind her was Kanji. Glancing over her shoulder at him, her eyes wide, she only noticed the deer fleeing before facing Kanji fully.]

... Kanji-kun, what was that?

How the hell should I know!? I just wanted the deer gone, but when I went to shout at it, scare it a little...

[His mouth felt weird. Really weird. It was like he was wearing those stupid gag fangs but... but they weren't gag fangs. By the time he reached into his mouth to feel, everything was back to normal, mouthfeel and all.]

Th-this place did somethin' to us. I thought the stupid books n' names were all of it!

[While Kanji hadn't felt them, Naoto had seen them and she couldn't help staring. For a moment, she didn't say anything, but slowly, she shook her head.]

If... logically speaking, we are to replace them, we would have to become them in some way...

[Turning to look at the place where the deer once had been, she frowned.] ... It... may be advisable to keep yourself calm until we understand all the effects.

How the hell can I be calm about this!? I'm makin'- makin' freakin' monster noises, Naoto!

[Fangs and irritation were replaced by very human fear. What if he got so mad that he changed, and the changes were permanent? He'd spent way too damn long trying NOT to scare people, trying -not- to give the impression that he was monstrous and unapproachable. ...So he was Beast. Whoever gave them their roles had a huge fucking sense of humor. Assholes.]

You may be making new sounds, but you're still you. Perhaps they'll call you Beast, but you're not a beast.

[Naoto stood there, turning to fully face him now. She was perhaps the only person here now he truly knew Kanji. He wasn't a brute, but he could be short-tempered and lash out in response. Still, he was a good kid - a good friend even.]

It will take longer for them to warm up here, but I can try helping. It's my role, is it not?

[He was freaking out, but Naoto was just so damn grounded in reality that he couldn't help but just look at her and wonder how the hell he was friends with such a cool, collected freakin' person. She had her moments of weakness, and her cool was tested plenty, but here she was in a new world, at least outwardly not letting everything bother her. It'd be stupid of him to assume that nothing here bothered her, however, but... he could take a page out of her book right now.]

H-helping...? I can't ask ya to do that! Y'got your own shit to deal with, right? I mean-

[Okay, Kanji, chill. Chill out. Use the brain for once.]

...W-we make a deal, then. We help each other out. But we already knew all that after the TV world n' Adachi shit, so nothin' really changes, yeah?

I jus' gotta figure out what I can do to help back when it comes to this Marchen stuff.

[It was true. Naoto was doing what she could to hold together, but faerie tales were beyond her knowledge. This world was nothing she would ever imagine. She would dwell in mysteries and alien planets, but not... fairies and elves. As uncomfortable as she was - as she wouldn't let on - she remained steady.]

[She wondered if any part of that mask broke when he mentioned her having to deal with her own problems. Or maybe he figured she would. Who could say.]

Hmhm... It's a deal. [She managed a small smile, one that was slightly disheartened. Once Kanji figured out Marchen, what good would she be? She didn't feel like she would ever be completely comfortable here.]

[He was looking a little better now. He was humble, but he was lying if he didn't feel way over his head here. How the hell could he figure anything out? But he had to look on the bright side and keep pushing forward anyway. If he could work it out, help her work it out, then he'll have done his part. Besides, they were castmates in a story, too. they had to partner up on this thing.]

[But it reminded him as he looked down at the grass, scuffing it a little with a shoe.]

...So how much of the story d'you think they'll want us to do, anyway? I mean...

[He paused, thought better of it, and didn't finish.]

[Naoto was glad that she could do something right now and keep him in control. It wouldn't do if he became angry and... well, she didn't know what would happen, but she didn't have a feeling he only had fangs now.]

[His question has color rising to her face]

... W-When I spoke to Father Time, he spoke as though we would complete the story in full.

I-in full.

[H-holy shit, they were still in high school! Wasn't that a bit much? Even if the storybook characters were younger than them, a sign of the old times, they were from 2012! Stuff like t-that shouldn't even be on their minds until well AFTER they graduated!]

I...

[Yeah, she doesn't say anything immediately herself after that. She looked back towards the roses, trying to cool the blush that's on her face.]

That's... why we should know the story. We can find ways to avoiding the more... uncomfortable moments.

[He's rubbing a cheek and looking away. Subject change, subject change, subject change...]

...Take off yer hat.

[Her eyebrow rises quizzically.]

My hat? Why?

Just- just do it!

[She doesn't understand still, but she raised a hand and pulled her hat off, revealing the rest of the dark blue hair.]

[That was when he pulled his other arm away from behind his back. During his fiddling about in the garden, he'd absently weaved a flower crown. Why? He didn't know. But when he rest the floral ring atop her head, nestled amid her hair, he jammed his hands in his pockets and turned away.]

...

B-beauty liked flowers.

[She flushed faintly as the crown is placed upon her head. Flower crowns weren't strange. Knowing about them in primary school, it was something the other girls would do.]

Ah... [She should remove it, but oddly, she doesn't want to, fiddling with her fingers.] ... How does it look?

Why the hell're you askin'-- ...

[A deep breath. Nope. He had to stop lying.]

S'nice.

Brings out the- the eyes.

[Aw hell, why'd he have to go and-!?]

... I see.

[She looked towards the ground, just catching his murmur. Her face remained flushed faintly and, without noticing, the flower crown glowed faintly.]

[Ohhh... he fucked up. He'd been told to say what's on his mind, but he was getting that 'verbal diarrhea' shit he'd heard about. But in the resulting silence between the two of them, he looked up and his eyes widened.]

Naoto. ...Th-they're lighting up.

[Naoto turned back to look at him, blinking. She couldn't see how the flowers became vibrant on her head.]

What?

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