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]

[E-Eh... how to respond to all of those questions. She nods her head yes, then no, and then... well, she's not sure where her clothes have gone off to. When she awoke they weren't in her pile of belongings.

. . . She shuts the book and instead points to the name 'Odette' written upon it. Maybe it's something she can recognize.]

[kutanagi]

( Okay, the gestures are getting confusing now so she'll move past that. Plus if she's a tennyo who lost her robes, she'd be a person ... not a swan. Right then.

Yui watches as the book shuts, reading the name on the spine. Odette. She's sure she's heard of that name before or had seen it somewhere but she can't put a finger on it. She thinks about it a little longer, trying to recall anything ... )

Of Swan Lake? ( It's one of the titles she'd absently browsed through in Thoth's library in an attempt to widen her knowledge for the gods. ) Does that ring a bell to you?

[moonflowering]

[She wishes it did. It's not anything she's familiar with. With a sigh she shakes her head. But if she recognizes it, that's promising.

Reaching back down for the pen, she makes a question mark upon the page. Maybe she can explain it further?]

[kutanagi]

( When she sees the question mark, Yui quickly knows that she's asking the details to it. Unfortunately, there's only so much information she knows about it since she's only read the script in passing. )

Well, for starters, Odette was a princess under a spell by a sorcerer named Rothbart. During the day, she assumes the form of a swan but at night, she returns to her original form as a human. ( What else does she remember about it ... ) Oh, and there's also a prince who helps her break the spell. Siegfried, if I'm not mistaken.

( She pauses, considering that now. ) If you are the swan Odette, then that means we'll have to either find Rothbart or Siegfried.

[moonflowering]

[ . . . More strange names. She doesn't recognize either. With a sigh she's not sure where to begin. Maybe her real name, though.

'Yuuki'.]

[kutanagi]

( Yuuki.

Well, she's definitely sure that that's not part of the story. So that's either her name ... or someone else's. )

Is that your name? I'm Yui. It's nice to meet you. ( Erm, what else to ask her. ) Do you know if there's anything or anyone you recognize here?

[moonflowering]

[A slight bow of her head. It's really all she can manage right now. She shakes her head no though, after a moment. At least so far.]

[kutanagi]

( Okay then. So she's alone too like her. She's assuming from her different name and the fact that she's given the name Odette, she's also like her in terms of being kidnapped and brought here. )

I'm not sure what else we can do for now but to wait for the sun to set and see if that has any effect. I can try to find someone who might have some information though. I'm sorry that there wasn't much that I could do.