mythmaking | (no subject)

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[It's a cloudy mid-morning on THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, and the town is bustling as always. Many people are quite excited about the second batch of new arrivals; though they're not getting quite the celebration the first round got, they still might find themselves being greeted by bizarrely friendly folk.

Out of place is a number of geese scattered around town, each with their own little messenger bag packed full of rolled up parchment. They're putting the papers up all over, on fence posts and market stalls and storefronts, even stuffing them into mailboxes and leaving them on benches. Each paper is nearly identical, with large, blocky font and the occasional inky feather mark.

LOST
SEVERAL ITEMS OF GREAT IMPORT

SOMEONE HAS STOLEN FROM OUR HOMES THE FOLLOWING THINGS

ONE GOOSE-SIZED NIGHT CAP
THREE TEACUPS (PINK AND YELLOW FISH PRINT)
EXACTLY SEVEN AND A QUARTER LEFT SOCKS
AN APPLE CRUMBLE

IF FOUND PLEASE CONTACT
ADELICIA VON FARTHINGTON (THE FIFTH)
AT THE NORTH BANK OF THE LAKE

If stopped, the geese will be more than happy to talk at great length about how terrible this all is. Strangely, there appear to be a few other people and animals poking around as though looking for something, or acting a bit sullen for such an otherwise joyful day.]

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[It seems like a simple question, but the cat's expression flickers. There are three names he could give. One of them, of course, being his fairy-tale name. He settles for his usual answer:]

Mogget. That is not what they call me here, but it will do.

[Starscream isn't quite observant enough to catch the flicker in Mogget's expression, although the name sounds a bit odd to him. But then, Mogget is a cat, they probably would different names from humans and Cybertronians.]

Mogget then. I am Commander Starscream, but you may skip the title if you wish.

[See how friendly he's being? Boy, he hopes you're useful.]

Have you been here long?

[Mogget nods slightly in acknowledgement of the name. "Starscream" sounds odd to him. But as far as he can tell, only a few of the people brought here already knew each other.]

A month. I and several others arrived at the same time. Now you and several others have woken up in much the same way that we did. Although to a less warm welcome.

[A month. Human time measurement- and part of a system Starscream's relatively familiar with. That's a reasonably long time, especially for an organic creature.]

There, ah, was a welcoming committee when I arrived, but they dispersed rather quickly.

[He waves his hand, as if to shoo away the subject.]

You said you were unable to find a way home. Have you any idea where this place is? It looks like somewhere on Earth.

[Geographically? He can't exactly answer that. Mogget has explored enough to get a sense of where things are in relation to each other, but it's an entirely different realm, much like travelling between the Old Kingdom and Ancelstierre. He suspects that Starscream wouldn't understand that comparison.]

The city is called Märchenstraße. It is not the world I know, and I doubt it is yours either.

[Well that narrows things down. Kind of.]

This definitely isn't Cybertron.

[And if it is, boy howdy will he be pissed at what they've done with this place.]

Then this seems to be a sort of... imitation Earth. The stage for the parts we are to play, if you will. Which means the council must have access to some form of spacebridge technology.

[Spacebridge technology? All right, we're back to the patronizing tone now as Mogget states what to him is the obvious.]

I believe the word you're looking for is magic.

[And Starscream is back to scowling. It's not that he hasn't seen some peculiar things in his time, but he's quite sure he knows more about advanced technology than a cat.]

Just because you're unfamiliar with the terminology, does not mean they're using magic.

[Mogget hopes Starscream isn't like those idiots in southern Ancelstierre who refuse to believe in magic...]

I know of nothing else to call it. Regardless, it has proven more powerful than either of us.

[Starscream lets out a pained sigh that indicates how hard his life is to have to explain this.]

A spacebridge is a method of travel that generates a warp point between the bridge and the location you want to go. It can create an instant connection between vast distances, such as those between planets, and is thus a plausible way the council could have gathered us from different worlds.

I suppose it is possible that the council utilized a different method. Their technology- or magic, if you prefer that term- is certainly more advanced than that of humans, although based on their goals so far, they seem to be obsessed with the creatures.

But if they are using some variant of the spacebridge technology, then perhaps I would be able to track it down.

[Mogget listens to all this with interest. Well, it sounds superficially plausible...]

Why don't you ask Father Time how he did it?

I highly doubt he'd give up the answer that easily.

[Though considering how incomprehensible (to Starscream) the man's goals had been so far, who knew how he might react?]

But perhaps I will ask, if I can find him.

They say he dwells in the clock tower.

[Mogget looks as though he's about to say more, but then stops, settling for glancing in the direction of the tower instead. His own conversation with Father Time hadn't been particularly helpful.]

Sticking to a theme, is he?

[Starscream follows Mogget's gaze to the tower, which seems in Starscream's jaundiced view to be watching them instead.]

[He wonders if anyone's tried confronting Father Time directly, then dismisses the thought. If they had, then he wouldn't have listened, and they're still not sure what he's capable of.]

[...Though if Starscream were in a worse mood he might well try and storm the tower himself.]

Then at least we know where his base of operations is... or his throne.

[Mogget hasn't tried. As far as he's concerned, Father Time has demonstrated a level of magical power greater than his own by bringing them here in the first place, and he isn't foolish enough to attempt a confrontation he's not sure he can win. Let others do that.

The cat gives the equivalent of a shrug, before getting up and stretching out his back and paws.]

It's no secret. After all, the townspeople are delighted at our presence, and they all know about him. Still, I should like to know more.

Yes, their delight is... peculiar.

[He turns left and right, noting that they are currently in a fairly public area. In a more conversational tone of voice, Starscream asks:]

Perhaps we could go somewhere else, to discuss this further?

[They're already getting suspicious looks, particularly from the stall owner who isn't too happy to have Mogget perched atop his stall and Starscream not interested in his wares.

Mogget is normally wary of strangers, especially ones as strange as Starscream, but knowing that he can disappear at any time gives him a back-up plan in case the Cybertronian proves to be hostile. So the cat inches forward to the edge of the stall roof, then jumps to neatly land on Starscream's shoulder.]

The nearest gate out of the city is south-west.

[Starscream flinches when Mogget launches himself at his shoulder, and then scowls when the cat makes its perch there, but he doesn't protest out loud. The cat probably can't walk as fast as Starscream can, after all.]

...Try not to shed while you're there.

[Starscream glances at the sky, hoping that he can navigate the same way as on Earth, then sets off towards the city gate.]

[It doesn't take too long to get there, since he takes long strides and most people give the man covered in sharp edges a wide berth. As they walk through the city, Mogget might note that a turnip lantern is always mysteriously nearby.]

[As soon as they're through the gates, Starscream heads to the nearest field, empty but for the snow on the ground and the fence surrounding it. And reasonably private.]

Right. You may get off me now.

[Mogget doesn't dignify that with a response. As shoulders go, Starscream's is not comfortable and he has to adjust a little to find his balance. On the other hand, it does give him a closer look at the stuff Starscream is made of... He'd never imagined seeing a living creature with metal skin.

Once they reach the field, Mogget doesn't need to be told to get off. He leaps down at once and runs a short way through the snow before turning around. His eyes fix on the turnip lantern. Does the same one keep reappearing, or are they following a trail of lanterns for reasons he cannot fathom?]

What is that?

[As soon as Mogget's off of his shoulder, Starscream attempts to dust it off.]

[He looks up at the sound of Mogget's voice, and immediately spots the turnip lantern. Starscream's expression is perhaps a little more nervous than strictly necessary, and he actually edges away from it.]

It's a Jack Lantern, isn't it? Are they... not normally found in this area?

[Starscream's reaction confirms that something is going on. Mogget gives him a look.]

We're in a field. Why would there be a lantern in an empty field?

[He approaches the lantern with caution, looking to see if there's anything unusual about it.]

I don't know! Why do humans do anything?

[Starscream watches Mogget and the lantern very carefully, as if a bomb might go off at any moment.]

[The lantern itself is unusually large for a turnip, and the light emanating from the face carved into the turnip doesn't come from a candle, but from a bright ember lying on the bottom of the turnip's interior.]

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