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

[imitational]

Kindness? Don't make me laugh. Is that weak example what kindness is to you?

[ None of those names mean anything to him, so he doesn't care about that. ]

[unaccepted]

Certainly. I have taken time out of my precious day to see you released from a particularly vicious beast! Philophrosyne would smile upon me, so you could manage a simple word in response.

[imitational]

Fine. If it'll get you off my case, then thanks. For talking to a pig.

[ That better be good enough, because he doesn't intend to do anything more than that. He's already looking around, trying to focus on something actually important, in his opinion. Like figuring out where he is.]

[unaccepted]

[ It is good enough, if only because Grantaire feels like he's won. ]

Was that worth all your commotion? Certainly not. Now, I wish to know how you got under that pig in the first place.

[imitational]

Beats me. When I woke up he'd already made himself comfortable.

[ He's still looking around, eyes settling on the great tower at the center of the city. ]

Where am I?

[unaccepted]

[ Grantaire looks with him. He has been given the spiel already, but he does not bother to recall it. ]

Not in your "world," whatever that should mean. You are as lost as I, then.

[imitational]

My world.

[ He repeats it, as if it's something both sad and funny. ]

I don't have one, unless this is it.

[unaccepted]

Surely you have a world. Earth, isn't it?

[imitational]

Never heard of it. Is that yours?

[ Casual as anything. ]

[unaccepted]

[ Pauses. Well, he can play along. ] Yes. What planet do you hail from, then?

[imitational]

Nowhere in particular.

[ Not really. Not when he's a clone from a place that barely exists on its own. ]

If I had to pick a place, I guess I'd say Castle Oblivion. But that's not much of a world.

[unaccepted]

If it is a castle, certainly not. [ He's just going to assume this kid is from Earth, then. ]

Either way, we are not where we are meant to be--if one is meant to be anywhere. That is well enough, then, to be in company.

[imitational]

[ He's not going to bother explaining, at least. ]

I guess. I don't know about you, but for all I know, this is where I was meant to go.

[unaccepted]

What purpose would you have to come here? How, in the first place?

[imitational]

That depends on where this place is. Or what it is, I guess.

[ Maybe he should care about the world order and the whole... keeping the existence of other worlds separate. But he doesn't care. ]

[unaccepted]

I cannot offer any information at that. Perhaps we simply were meant to be here. I've nowhere else to be, in any case.

[imitational]

Nowhere?

[ He really doubts that. ]

[unaccepted]

[ Grantaire takes a moment to think about that. ] In the ground, perhaps. In a sewer? I cannot say what my fate would come to were I not here, but it is not exactly desirable.