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

[moonflowering]

[Option A]

[Flowers are all well and nice. Yuuki likes them even, and it's a comfortable bed to wake up in.

But there are a couple of things wrong here. More than a couple.

Panicking for a while now, she flutters around desperately, calling out for help. Any sort of attention. She's a swan. WHY IS SHE A SWAN!? Flapping her wings she flies up to the next nearest individual she can find.]

Excuse me...! Hey, I need a little help!

[Only... why is it that no one can seem to understand her!?]

[Option B]

[All right. She's tried everything she can think of. She's not really sure how else to communicate, though.

Setting the feathered pen down (f-feathered...) with her beak, she stares at the incredibly sloppy writing in the journal before her. Well... it's all she can manage to do. It's not easy writing with her mouth, after all.

Nudging the journal up, she hopes someone will be able to see and read her message.]

[libero]

[He was somewhere close by when he heard the call for help. Knowing it was the language of one of his "friends" he called back to it.]

What is it? Are you in trouble?

[moonflowering]

[Someone can understand her? He's genuinely talking to her, right?]

Over here...!

[Flapping her wings out to draw attention to herself]

You can understand me? You're talking to me, right?

[Glancing around now because she's not so sure...]

[libero]

[By following the sound of the voice, N ran into the flower field until he spotted the very swan that called for help. He walked up to her and bent down.]

Your heart has certainly reached me. Are you alright?

[moonflowering]

[Thank goodness! Even though he'd responded she hadn't been sure that it was really to her. After all, who's ever heard of a girl turned into a swan?]

I was worried no one would be able to.

[There's relief, but only so much. Finding someone who can talk with her doesn't correct the situation just yet either.]

I don't know how to say this, but... [It seems so riduculious that she'd have to declare something like this.]

I am not a swan!

[... Or rather-]

I mean- I'm not supposed to be. I'm a girl.

[libero]

[That did make things a little awkward, for he really believed he had heard one of his friends (which was partially true either way). However, he previously met another person who had the wings of a bird, so he wasn't about to write it off as ridiculous just yet.]

That... is a little strange. Another one of the city's mysterious happenings? But [he holds out a hand] if you need any assistance, I will help you.

[moonflowering]

[She nods in response.]

I just woke up this way. To be honest I haven't found anyone until now who could talk to me. A couple of people refereed to me as Odette, but that's not my name either.

['Another' of the city's happenings, he says.]

Others have found themselves in similar circumstances?

[libero]

Hm, yes. In my experience I've been addressed as 'Enkidu', though I am not familiar with the name...

...Ah, of course! I remember now. If I recall, this book I have with me also carries that name. [He shows her the very book that he'd carried in his hand.]

See? How intriguing... Do you also happen to have a book like this?

b!!

[kutanagi]

( This is new. Yui's had people accosting her but never animals.

And from the way the swan is nudging the journal towards her, it seems to be trying to show her something. She crouches on the ground, leaning over and squinting at the writing. It's difficult to decipher at first but ... )

Er, well. Yes, I can see that.

( Yui, you missed something. )

[moonflowering]

[ . . . If only it were so easy to headdesk like this. OKAY. She's been in a crunch before (lol except never one like this orz) so she'll work with what she's got!

Flapping her wings dramatically...! Before she points with her beak to the word 'Help'.]

[kutanagi]

Oh ... ( It's pointing at something ... ) Oh! Help, all right. Help. W, what kind of help do you need?

[moonflowering]

[Now is the hard part. How is she supposed to express what she is? Pained, she stares back down at the pen. Writing is her real only option, isn't it.

Using her beak, it takes a moment to flip the page. When she does she grabs the pen up in her mouth once more and goes back to work. It takes a while, but when she finally gets it written out... in just as sloppy of writing a new word is spelled out.

'Girl'.

Yuuki points to the word with one of her wings and then points back to herself.]

[kutanagi]

( She waits for her to finish writing then squints again at the new word. It's easier this time and for a moment, Yui's confused. )

Girl ... ( She stares at the word then follows the wing pointing at it then at the swan. Girl ... ) Wait, were you a - a person before?

[moonflowering]

Yes! Yes, that's right...!

[She excitedly babbles it, but remembers that no one seems able to understand her. Wings puffing out in excitement at finally being understood, she nods her head multiple times.]

[kutanagi]

( It - She's making sounds and nodding her head so Yui assumes that she's correct. Though that's even more alarming, considering this swan was a person previously. )

Erm - ( She's not sure how the people-to-swans thing usually work. She knows a few legends and stories about them but to meet an actual one ... ) - do you know what had happened to you? Were you cursed? Did you lose your clothes or robes?

[subdueme]

[He set out to explore the area and get his bearings to try to figure out what exactly is going on--and to get away from the people that were acting so strangly upon his arrival.

He notices the swan acting strangely and purposely walks a distance away from it to not catch it's attention. He knows they can be somewhat violent at times if there are eggs, chicks or food involved..]

[moonflowering]

[She spots him. Of all these people on the streets she spots him of all people. And he doesn't even notice her. There's no indication that he can sense a vampire nearby.

Regretfully she glances at her belongings which are in a pile near her book. Artemis- collapsed in it's rod form, a resin rose, and button with her family crest on it. Beside it is a bracelet. Her eyes widen... right! The bracelet!

Quickly glancing back to Zero in order to make sure he hasn't gotten too far away, she slips her beak beneath the bracelet and lifts her head up. The jewelry slips up and over her head, settling around her neck.

He'll recognize it, right?]

Zero...!

[Flying directly after him she pauses before flying into his face, powerfully beating her wings and attempting to get his attention.]

[subdueme]

[He'd managed to avoid detection completely as he made his way down the path near the water. He couldn't even hear the fowl any longer as he headed toward the woods next to the lake.

Except apparently he hadn't gone unnoticed at all. He only thought he had. Just as the path started veering away from the lake, he heard the sound of squaking immediately behind him.

And then suddenly it was right there. In front of him so close and right at eye level that if he'd taken another single step, he would have ran right into it.

He stumbled backwards from the shock and tripped over his own feet, heart beating wildly in his chest at the unexpected attack. But it didn't attack, like he'd assume it would having gotten him on his heels. It just stayed there in the air frantically flapping it's wings right in front of him.

As if it just wanted his attention.

For a few long moments he just sat there, afraid to move and find out he was wrong but it was the item on the swan's neck that first drew his attention. It appeared to have a necklace around it and it looked sort of familiar. Not that he payed much attention to other people's jewelry. But it reminded him a little of the required uniform necklace the girls at his high school wore. But instead of the Cross Academy symbol, there was...

The pieces clicked together and he realized it was not a necklace at all. Eyes narrowing, he glared at the swan in front of him.]

Where did you get that?

[moonflowering]

[It's a glare, but at least there is recognition. Careful, she hovers a moment and lands upon his lap. She's not sure how to answer, catching his eyes. With a shake of her head, she indicates that she isn't sure how to say.

It's me. Recognize me, Zero...!

If she cut herself, maybe? Ah...but if he realized who she was he would have recognized her scent already. An idea strikes her though. Feathers puffing out, she jumps off of him. Lightly tugging upon his sleeve with her beak, she indicates for him to follow her.]

[subdueme]

[For someone who deals with vampires on a daily basis, Zero isn't quite sure how to respond to this whole thing. He has a sword with him, so it isn't that he's feeling attacked as much as he just is startled by the entire situation. He's just hyperaware of what is going on and the bird's strange movements.

So when it starts tugging on his sleeves--his first thought was 'What the hell is going on?'

The bird that is wearing that girl's bracelet wants him to follow.

Against his better judgment. He does just that.]

This is probably the stupidest thing I've done...

[moonflowering]

[She wants to agree. Or more like she can't believe the situation she's gotten herself into. She sends him a sympathetic look at his words, however, before releasing him.

She finds... it's a little more awkward walking like this, so instead she lifts back up into the air, but flies at about eye level. Moving on ahead, she pauses only when she gets a little too far and waits for him to catch up, before once more flying a short distance away.

When she arrives back to the flower bed she had awoken within, she lands back upon the soft flowers. And surrounding her are a number of familiar items. Artemis, the resin rose and the button. She's sure he'll recognize most of them. What she reaches for is different, however.

The book is still open. She nudges it forward for him to read.]

[subdueme]

[Oh he recognizes them all. Each and every one of them, even if he'd never actually seen the button before he knew what it was. What it meant. At least he thinks he does.

And when she shoves the book over, his entire world comes crashing down.

He doesn't know what to feel--what to think about any of this. This day has been crazy enough that it's not outside the realm of possibilty, is it? He looks at the swan...and then back at the book...then back to the swan. Glaring at the swan, as if daring her to prove it's real--even though there can't be any denying this reality. The belongings are hers. The eyes the swan possesses are the same shade and that clear willfulness she always maintained. It's undeniable.

Yet here she is--Help written--well not so clearly but written across the page in her book.

A year. It's been a year since he'd seen her last on that fateful day. Yet here she is as a swan asking for help. And he's conflicted because--he's supposed to kill her and at this moment it would be so easy but she's sitting here asking for help. As a swan.

He just sits down in the grass and laughs--probably a little manically--with his head against his hand before speaking.]

Human. Vampire. Swan. What next?

You seriously think I'd actually help you?

B!

[bellbound]

[He would have ignored the swan, if it weren't for the journal next to the bird. Perhaps another newcomer in animal guise like himself. Mogget trots along the top of a wall, stopping to call down to the swan.]

You know, you might be more comfortable near water.

[He can't see the writing in the journal from his vantage point. So he doesn't yet understand the full nature of her predicament.]

[moonflowering]

[She glances up to the position of the cat from above. Of course. Of course a cat is taking to her.

Wait... a cat!?]

AH...! Mr. Cat, can you understand me? [He's an animal too, and talking to her! So doesn't that mean that he must be able to?]

[bellbound]

[Sadly not. It all sounds like a lot of hissing to Mogget, and fairly unpleasant at that. He wrinkles his nose. Perhaps someone lost the journal and the swan just happens to have found it. But he doesn't really want to jump down and check while the swan is right there.

So he flops down on the wall and begins grooming himself, apparently ignoring the bird. The swan will move on in time and then he can investigate the journal.]