Fantasy Fallen Fairytales

[Robi Rucker]

"She's coming back." Aurora got a small fire in going easily in the chimney, though if the top of it was blocked, they would find out soon enough if the room started filling with smoke. It would be worth it just to unfreeze her limbs. The girl was still here, walking around in the small room and investigating the objects lining the walls and bookshelves. "You shouldn't be here." She said unsurely, feeling guilty as she turned from the fire. This girl seemed nice enough as long as you didn't try to kill her. When the dark fairy came-and she would come, she never missed an opportunity to taunt her victims-this unsuspecting girl would be in danger. "Trust me, I'll take care of her when she gets here, hell, I'll even come let you know afterwards that the jobs been done, but you should get out while you can. You don't know what you're dealing with." She still didn't know what she was dealing with.

 

[Haley]

Red gave a sound that sounded somewhere between a scoff and a laugh as she stared into the fire. "Yeah, no joke I shouldn't be here." She mumbled, but even though her primal instinct for self preservation screamed at her to leave this woman to her own fate, something else held her back and told her to stay, that this woman needed her help more than she let on. Plus, she was nowhere near convinced she could 'take care' of the Dark Fairy. "Yeah okay, what are you going to do send a raven from beyond your grave? You can't take on a Dark Fairy by yourself." She said and crossed her arms over her chest and knelt down beside the woman, taking in the warmth of the fire. "We'll have to come up with some sort of plan." She said with a sigh as she took a stick and started drawing little stick people in the sand in front of the fire.


"Oh, please~ Do share that plan... I'm just dying to hear it." A cool voice like velvet ropes snaked through the air and froze Red to the spot, the stick falling from her hand and ruining her little picture she'd doodled.


Red shot up and within a second her claws had come out and her teeth elongated, shaping her face into a scary mix between the human she is and beast her body wants her to be. A low growl emitted from her throat and instinctively she stood in front of the stranger woman she'd met only minutes before.


"Oh~ A feisty little puppy... down girl." She said, her voice turning to stone at the end of her deadly, playful statement before a flick of its pale wrist, and Red was send spiraling through the boarded wooden window and out into the cold night air.


A dog-like yelp escaped Red's throat but she was disoriented from the sudden throw of the Fairy's magic. Red sat up and swallowed hard, feeling her muscles and bones start to break and form themselves back together. She tried to stand, to fight the whole transformation that threatened to take over. She'd been fighting it for so long was she tired? Was she strong enough to control it? She was fine when she could use only certain parts of the curse to her advantage. The claws were perfect for hand to hand combat between people or things with weapons and her teeth were useful to bring out when opponent was harder to take down but it had been so long since the beast had taken over and it nearly killed the man she thought of as a father, the Hunstman... she'd made a promise to never let herself be taken by the curse, never let it control me. She doubled over and puked everything that was in her stomach. Her hands elongated, the claws ripping through her skin, painfully claiming them for the beast. For the time being the stranger inside was on her own.


"Now, it's just us, lovely rose..." The dark creature cooed, her green eyes piercing through Aurora's being. Right through, where her soul should be. "You've been looking for me, well here I am, now what is it you want from me? I am very busy these days you know." She said brushing her hand above a candle, lighting it without ever touching it.


Outside, Red screamed, her voice cracking as it changed between her human shrill female wail and a beastly howl. There was nothing she could do, tonight the beast would take over. On the inside Red knew she couldn't stand a chance against the Dark Fairy with just the halfass abilities she used every now and then. She knew taking what she wanted from the beast, eventually the beast would take back and now there was nothing Red could do to stop it. She just hoped she could keep the beast from harming the kind stranger inside the hut... that is if the Dark Fairy didn't take care of that first.


"Please... please not now..." She pleaded with herself, or rather she pleaded with the curse, but nothing changed, she rolled off her stomach and screamed as her back arched and she felt her spine break and reform to create the large bent wolf one, her skin shed and fur was replaced. The process was agonizing and had she'd been any other experienced lycanthrope, this whole change would have been fast and sweet, but Red was different, nothing could be short and sweet when she fought it every step of the way. She breathed heavy as she laid there, trapped in a body she hated, and in the darkness the curse whispered back to her, answering her pleading wails.


"You've heard when you stare into the abyss long enough it stares back into you... same goes for our relationship my little Red."

 

[Servant]

"...Did I outrun him?" Hansel thought as he turned around to confirm it.

Even if he wasn't able to spot the shadow Hansel still remained alert of his surroundings, after all he was dealing with a shadow. The closer he got to the castle the calmer he got because there were still no sights of the shadow, or any hostile presence for that matter. Taking advantage of this peaceful moment Hansel decided to open his leather bag, while still jumping from branch to branch, to arm himself up. Inside the bag there were some ceramic bombs (He kept the lighter inside his pocket for safety reasons), a jar full of a golden shining substance simply labeled as 'The Blinder', a journal and his father's old sawn-off shotgun he mostly used during an emergency.

"Now's a good time as any..." Hansel thought as he loaded the shells into the shotgun.

Hansel could feel the temperature progressively decreasing the further he advanced, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Or at least that's what he thought. The very moment Hansel set his foot on one of the frozen trees he felt the cold temperature smashing onto his body due to its sudden decrease. The shock was such that Hansel slipped and fell from the branch he had landed on, luckily crushing onto a pile of snow that was below him. But even if he had anticipated the temperature change Hansel would have still probably felt onto the ground. The reason for this is that the tree itself was completely frozen, meaning Hansel would have eventually slipped and felt. He became aware of this as he slowly began to incorporate himself. Hansel wasn't able to see the castle anymore, but he did find a hidden path, which he assumed lead to the castle's entrance.

"This day just keeps getting worse and worse..." Hansel thought and, without further ado, he began walking through the snow covered path.

​

 

[Robi Rucker]

The girl's animalistic screams of agony pierced the night and Aurora winced at the sound. The girl must've broken something when she'd landed and was now laying out their on the ground, hurt. No, no, no. "Maleficent." She intoned calmly and went to her feet, not wanting to be any more vulnerable in front of this creature than she had to be. "It's been a while. Care to inform me as to why you feel the need to kidnap children from their homes?"


On the outside she was a statue of calm as she stared down her nightmare. On the inside she was screaming and pleading for salvation, for someone to save her. Save yourself, child. The dark fairy towered above Aurora in her willowy form, her obsidian hair fell long and shiny down her back with intricate braids laced through it. Her dark red lips peeled back into an almost fond smile, her teeth white daggers and her defined cheek bones looking cold and severe in the light from the dying fire. Her elongated palms stretched into bone-thin fingers that shone through the folds of her black cloak and matching dress, ruby stones decorating the bodice. She was stunning and yet, obscene, her features alien and somehow wrong, giving anyone who starred at her too long a sick feeling in their gut.

 

[Haley]

Maleficent laughed, it was sweet and terrifying like hearing beautiful bells in darkness from a direction unknown. "My, Aurora I don't see how that's any of your concern." She said with a sickeningly sweet smile. She took a step forward towards the young woman, much like a wilting flower in the old powerful fairy's eyes and she reached out a long slender hand, caressing the golden hair that cascaded all around the terrified girl.


"Still as lovely as the day you ere born, Aurora... tell me do you ever miss your family?" She said, dodging the questions but taking the time to torment the young woman for living so long past the lives of those who loved her the most. "I remember that day as if it was yesterday. Such a beautiful baby so full of life. The whole kingdom rejoiced when you were born..." She circled around the young woman, taking in every feeling of anxiety and fear that leaked from her as she stood there, putting on a defiant face, but Maleficent could see past the ruse. "I knew that when I saw you, I had to eventually have that soul." She said, a chuckle escaping her lips like a thunderstorm on a sunny day.


"So tell me, my pretty Rose... if I were to tell you what I was doing with the children, what then? What would you do about it?"


Outside the cabin Red's howling quieted and She lay in the snow, panting before climbing onto her four feet and taking in a deep breath of cold night air. Near the cabin she could smell the nervous sweat from the blond stranger and the sickeningly sweet smell of the Dark Fairy. Off a ways in the distance she could hear the snapping of frozen branches and the sweat of a male as he hit the snow. He wasn't too far away but Red was torn between staying and fighting the Dark Fairy and possibly losing control and harming the nice woman she'd met earlier, or following her primal instincts and hunting the male she could smell. She growled angry at the situation she was in but in the end she won over the beasts mind and stalked towards the cabin. She knew a surprise attack on the dark Fairy was probably slim, but she couldn't just set to the side and let whatever was gonna happen, happen while she stood out here, angry at herself.

 

[Robi Rucker]

Aurora shuddered away from the dark fairy's touch as her mind strayed to her family, something she'd avoided thinking about since she'd left them crying at the castle gates. She'd been so angry when she'd first woken up, so angry and sorrowed by the path she'd been forced to make-the horrors she'd witness still planted in her mind like a poisonous seed of fear. She couldn't stop herself from lashing out at everyone around her, all of them so happy and praiseful at her return, as if she'd just been away on a giddy little quest through the forest and not locked inside her head with the very monsters she'd been informed didn't exist.


In her own grief, she'd fled, leaving nearly everything behind with nary a second glance. Unfortunately, this had included her parents. According to gossip, her mother had died of a broken heart just a month after her leave and her father was still stewing alone in his big, lonely kingdom. She blamed herself and thinking of them made her ache too much, so instead she channeled everything into breaking this curse upon her very soul.


"I will kill you." She choked out, swallowing her memories for another day. "You vile, wicked beast, I will be the one to end you terrible life and I will dance upon your bones when the deed is done. This I promise you."


Outside a large animal moved and growled and she fought the instinct to run out the cabin door to make sure the girl wouldn't be feasted on while she lay injured. The dark fairy wouldn't take kindly to having Aurora's attention divided and lord forbid she finish off the girl before she could get her help.


If you make it out of here. Yes, if she made it out of here, indeed.

 

[Servant]

As Hansel made his way down the snowy path a faint nostalgic feeling began to beat inside his mind. The reason for this is that in a bizarre way the path sort of reminded him about the time when he and his sister got lost in the woods. Back then Hansel remembered how he felt so afraid and helpless. The only thing that kept him from snapping was the revolving thought of witnessing the death of Gretel, and event he would give his own life to avoid. His young mind also made him see the bread crumbs as a small light of hope in the darkest of scenarios. But now Hansel walked alone. No sister to keep him from losing his head, no bread crumbs to light up his spirit. But, strangely enough Hansel wasn't nervous nor was he scared.

"That must mean my mind snapped long ago...Probably after I witnessed the death of the first burning witch..." Hansel thought as he stepped on a tree branch.

A wolf howled in the distance. As the hours went by Hansel didn't seem to be getting any closer to the castle. Various times he attempted to climb the trees, but with no positive outcomes. Even if he was trembling due to the coldness Hansel had yet to give up. He wouldn't die there. With every step he took Hansel's desire to survive grew, burning inside his chest, a burning heat that would never extinguish as long as he had a weapon on his hand and serenity in his mind.

Spoiler

 

[Haley]

Maleficent smirked, her red lips curling up at the edges and her black eyes stared humorlessly and unblinking into Aurora's blue-green ones. "I welcome you to try~."She said and gave another light chuckle. "Until then my thorny Rose, stay angry, think of nothing but me- let your life revolve around your petty revenge you annoying little gi-AH!" She suddenly screamed as a large wolf with a red long hooded cape tied around its neck latched onto one of the dark fairy's long slender arms and began shaking its head around in attempt to rip it off.


Red had waited outside the hut long enough. It was either now or never she thought to herself as she readied to leap at the creature that stood in the dimly lit cabin, inching closer to the kind stranger. Although in the forefront of her mind, Red could only think of saving the stranger, but in the back dark recesses of her mind the beast urged her feet forward with curiosity of what Dark Fairy would taste like. She bit down on the arm with all her strength and felt her teeth break the skin, but with all the force of the beast she couldn't break the bone and as the bitter taste of the dark fairy's blood filled her mouth, dread filled the rest of her.


"VILE BEAST!" Maleficent yelled as she easily lifted the creature off its feet with the arm that was trapped in its mouth and with her free hand grasped the skin on the back of her neck and ripped Red free of her arm and tossed her like a sack in Aurora's direction.


"I will see you again soon, Aurora and next we meet I won't only have your soul but you and your dogs heart!" she spat before sudddenly she was gone, not even a puff is smoke where she stood before.

 

[Robi Rucker]

Aurora starred in shock, gaze looking from the spot the dark fairy had disappeared from and back to the large wolf beside her. What the hell? Instinct screamed at her to back up from the large beast but she remained where she was, eyes on the red cape hanging around it's large furred shoulders. "Either you ate the girl in the red cloak, or you are her." She stated numbly, fingers twitching around the handles of her blades. The wolf had saved her, and it wasn't like the blades had done her any good tonight anyways, so with a weary sigh she placed each of them back in their rightful places on her hips.


Well, she'd find out soon enough if this wolf was a friend or not, she supposed.

 

[Bella4444]

Ariel hurried out towards the beach leaving Belle behind. Her long red hair flowing behind her as she looked up into the trees...is that Ice? She looked at the trees again for just a moment and she ran as fast as she could towards it. Suddenly she slipped and fell.


Ariel winced and tried to stand but couldn't. "Hello?!" She cried. She hissed lowly and smelling a human. Not that it was just any human. But it's blood was pumping with adrenaline. Her fangs grow slightly and her eyes turn a darker blue. "Hello?" She hissed lowly. She stood and limped slightly down the frosted path. Until she saw a man. "Well hello witch hunter..." She said. Her beautiful hair flowing past her shoulder and down her waist...long and red..like blood.


@ the servant


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Haley]

Red landed in a crumpled heap at Aurora's feet. By the time she'd climbed back to her feet, the Dark Fairy was gone. Red let out a low growl and turned her attention to the one with long blond hair and two blades. For a moment all that was there in red's mind was the blood lust the beast carried. She dipped her head low and bared her teeth, growling as she put her body in an attack stance and slowly took a step toward Aurora.


"No."


Red's head snapped to the side and she rolled over onto her back. The silence in the hut was filled with the sounds of snapping bones and reforming flesh as Red changed back into her human form. When it was over she took a huge gulp of air and swallowed, her throat dry as the desert. She shivered, having only the red cape, draped over her, as protection from the cold. She didn't say anything to Aurora, thought she was sure she had plenty of questions. She stood up and wrapped the red cape around her shivering body and stepped out of the cabin and over to where she'd shed her skin and clothing earlier. There were a few rips in a few places in her dress, but nothing too bad. She sighed and carefully slipped back into her clothes before retreating back into the hut with Aurora.


"So... we burn the cabin down now?" She asked quietly.

 

[Robi Rucker]

This girl was the wolf. It made sense, now that she thought about it. And yet, after everything she'd seen, this still shocked her.


She stared at the wolf-girl for probably a minute too long before thrusting her empty hand out for a handshake. "I'm Aurora. Thank you for saving me." She said and smiled sweetly. "And, yes, let's burn this place to the ground. Starting with that squirrel fetus in a jar-it was giving me the willies."

 

[Servant]

"Finally..." Hansel thought as he stared at the imposing main gate of the castle.

It had taken him about three hours, but Hansel had successfully arrived at the castle's entrance with only minor scratches. In order to successfully climb the gate Hansel would have to take off his leather gloves in order to get a better grip on the frozen bars. As soon as the gloves were off Hansel felt the freezing cold against his naked skin, making him want to get over this as soon as possible. But things didn't turn out as expected. As soon as his hands touched the bars he felt the freezing cold burning his hands. Hansel quickly jumped backwards, as if trying to dodge an attack, and examined the damage done. His hands had turned pale white.

"Is this some sort of magic I don't know about?..." Hansel thought as he putted his gloves back on.

Hansel was about to give it another mindless thought when a female voice behind him caught his attention. He quickly turned around and aimed his shotgun at the girl standing behind him. Her red hair, her blue eyes, her voice, her lips and the shape of her body, those were the feature he wasn't able to recognize.

"Another stranger? Great..." Hansel thought. "And who might you be?" He said outloud with a tone as cold as their surroundings.

@Bella4444​

 

[Bella4444]

Ariel scowled at him and tried to control herself. She bit her lip and looked at the man stepping closer to him. "Well if you weren't so rude about it maybe I would give you a name." She grumbled lightly and walked a bit towards him. She pulled out her seashell/coral sword. "There is no need for weapons."


"But just in case you try anything." She took a final step closer limping slightly. She let the sword hang from her left hand and she gave him a slight smile. Able to control her hunger for blood her fangs turn back to normal. "I am Ariel....and who might you be?"


@The Servant

 

[Haley]

Red nodded and gave a small giggle, despite the misfortune her and this girl had experienced so far that evening. She took Aurora's hand and shook it. "Alright then, pickled squirrel fetus it is then." She said and turned to where it was sitting on a table and picked it up, chunking it into the flames. The glass shattered and whatever concoction was preserving the thing, made the flames erupt from the fire in the cabin and the flames licked up the walls, starting to catch quickly onto others around it.


Red backed out of the cabin and stood a safe enough distance away so that she could watch the flames climb high into the night sky, and not be harmed. Eventually the little hut would go out on its own, and all that would be left is the charred remains of something that should never have been there.


Red looked over to Aurora and sighed. "I take it you didn't learn anything about the children being kidnapped?" She asked and gave a little half smile. "Ah well, looks like we're working this one together than... I don't know much about the Dark Fairy Maleficent, but I have heard rumors and one of them is that she's done plenty of dealing for the cursed queen." She chewed on her bottom lip, dreading the idea of traveling to the coldest place on earth, especially having to deal with the queen responsible for so many deaths, but at least she wouldn't be doing it alone.


"I think our best move is to go to Arendale and speak to her." She said with a grim tone in her voice. "Maybe she will know more about it.." yeah, or maybe she'll just take one look at us and damn us to an eternal icy slumber, she thought at she reached up behind her head and pulled her red hood over her hair. "Unless, you don't want to come, of course, you seem to be pretty infatuated with idea of getting rid of that bitch as much as I now do..." She said, a smirk playing at the corners of her features.

 

[Robi Rucker]

Aurora tossed her head and scoffed, smiling slightly as she took in the burning cabin with a flare of success. "Oh, I'm going alright. And I'm going to have a damn good time killing that thing. Though, you'll have to lead the way-it's been forever and a day since I've traveled to Arendale." She'd been once as a child and had spent her time there playing with the two sisters, but that had been before misfortune had befallen the kingdom and the gates to the palace had been shut. Other than remembering playing dolls with the eldest sister, who'd been the same age as herself at the time, she remembered nothing else of her stay.


But she had heard a few of the rumors of what had become of the once beautiful kingdom. Going there would be extremely dangerous, but so was hunting down the dark fairy. Plus, she wasn't working alone anymore.


"What should I call you, stranger?"

 

[killerlung]

As the lone cabin burned, sending phylacteries and elicit experiments up in flames and staining the sky in smokes both of and beyond this world, two figures would approach the clearing.


As if on cue the meagerest of the two would speak up, announcing their presence rather unceremoniously. "Oh ho! Fire, Flames, What a beautiful Shame!" he'd rhyme nonsensically, bounding up and down in the snow like some kind of madman whilst his companion, a stout and sturdy man, of grizzled complexion and similar composure, merely sighed in what could only be assumed was frustration.


The two would near the cabin, nearing the two women that stood before the burning mass before stopping some ten feet away, halting themselves so as to not seem a threat. After all despite their appearances, these were no doubt dangerous woods, in here two women could very well be monsters in delicate, ill gotten skins.


As the older one began to open his mouth to speak, the smaller of the two would once more interrupt the still quiet with another of his seemingly nonsensical outbursts. Though this time, it was surprisingly more profound.


"Why good morrow ladies, why might I say it's a lovely fire you've got going" he'd say with smile as he'd gesture to the roaring inferno that was by now producing sparks of every shade and color. "If I might be so bold, may I inquire as to whom might have occupied such a flame? Oh you know, before it was a fire. A cabin perhaps? A loft? Shed? Shack?" The meager man would break off into a tangent as to what term the small domicile would must appropriately fit before finally returning to the matter at hand. "Oh it doesn't matter, but the resident! Ah yes, that might help greatly" he'd say with a polite nod and a handy gesture.


The man beside him would groan, a little perturbed by his companions unfocused line of questioning. He'd bonk the man to his right on the head before he opened his mouth once more, and finally spoke. "Have you seen a boy perhaps? Or a marionette?" he'd ask, his voice firm and to the point, his eyes filled with a sense of purpose.


The man on his right would wince under the blow of his associates single gauntlet. But as he listened to the words of the elder man he too would ask something, "Or...or an author!?" he'd ask, his eyes now too filled with a sense of purpose.


The grizzled fellow would glance to his right, rolling his eyes, and sighing, at the question of the seemingly erratic individual before turning back toward the two girls that stood before them.

 

[Haley]

Red smiled and sighed. "The name's Red." She said and watched as the burning hut produced various colors of smoke. "We should probably leave soon, this will attract people, or worse thi-" Red tensed up as the sound of feet crunching through the snow. She turned and took in the sight of two men walking up to them. One older and rugged, like he'd seen a war or two, and he was accompanied by a younger, attractive but, finicky looking male who immediately started talking upons seeing them. The more he talked the more Red's eyebrows knitted into a frown and deepened with every word he said, it was more like psycho babble than a conversation and Red's eyes flicked over to Aurora before returning to the two.


"A marionette?" She asked, her green eyes moving to the older, quiet male who looked at the two women with purpose. "Oh yeah, I just watched a fucking puppet waltz through here, what do you really want?" She asked, not sure about these men who had just walked out of the woods and just so happened to stumble across two young and defenseless looking women standing next to a burning shak. Red looked back at the young guy who said something about an author. She shook her head, confused and decided to instead round back to his question about who used to live in the shak.


"It was a dark Fairies hut, what's it to you?" She asked, ready for things to go sour at any moment.

 

[Robi Rucker]

Aurora stared at the new arrivals with a growing agitation, automatically taking half a step to hide in the shelter of Red's flowing cloak as she gazed out from under her hood with suspicious eyes. They didn't look like anyone the dark fairy would send after them, but they could be working for anyone-could want anything. There wasn't anything in your possession that couldn't be taken from you in this world-ownership was just what you were willing to do to obtain something. From the looks of them and by the undertones of desperation she picked up in their voices, they'd seen a few things in their lifetime and whatever had been done either made them crazy, sad, or cruel.


Truthfully, she couldn't care what their ulterior motive was, her gut didn't seem to like being around men, period. They were all liars hiding behind charming smiles and expensive trinkets.


So, she simply observed and let Red talk, the girl seemed far more confident to do so, anyways. The girl's eyes were sharp and she could almost see the wolf stalking behind them, anticipating violence. You used to be confident, too.


"Why don't you dance with some of the fine gentlemen here, love? It is a party, after all."


"Once I start dancing with one, mother, I just know I'll be forced to dance with them all." Insert girlish giggling as her mother shooed her off in the direction of a hansom suitor with a small smile on her lips. Yes, that was a long time ago.


The fire finally reached the support beams of the cabin and in the snow surrounding them, the hush was broken by a sudden crack as the structure was swallowed by the flame. The fire licked up the old walls and the embers stretched far into the tree tops and into the sky above. Well, if the men wanted something out of the cabin, it was far too late, now.

 

[killerlung]

The old man's brow furrowed at the young girl's sarcastic reply, he'd sigh a long disparate breath. A breath that seemed to indicate equal parts pain and disappointment. "Ah, yes, how foolish of me" he'd mutter before turning to leave.


As he did though, he'd come to find something holding him there a second longer. His next step wouldn't come, rather he'd find himself stuck, rooted to the ground, some word muttered, some miniscule clue bubbling to the surface beneath the girl's words. He'd turn on his heels, slowly, deliberately as if coming to an unspoken conclusion.


As he opened his mouth to speak however, he'd find himself abruptly interrupted by the man to his right.


"Come now, really? A dark fairy is to be believed at face value, but a marionette is immediately assumed an ill timed jest?" the more eccentric man spoke rather sarcastically.


"Y'know for a wolf I'd think you'd be more imaginative." He'd say a little off handedly before being silenced by the grim man accompanying him.


The older man would silence the loud mouthed one with a mere glare, the kind of glare that'd send chills down even the sturdiest of soldier's spines. The eccentric one, the self proclaimed loon would fall backwards into an especially large mound of snow where he'd proceed to make angels, it seemed a bit much, but it was almost as if he were pouting in a way, disappointed that the sturdy one made him halt his tirade.


The old one rolled his eyes at this behavior before asking the question that was on his mind, "A dark fairy?" he'd say, his hand held primed to draw his blade.


Meanwhile the one in the snow gleefully added, "oooh a fairy, it always starts with a fairy, fairy godmother, fairy princess, fairy curse, fairy magic.... Oh! But it always ends with a wolf, big bad ones, huffing and puffing types, yup,....yup, that's the way it is." he'd mutter, suddenly growing still as he'd become lost in thought.


The older man would look down at the one now blankly staring at the sky from the snowy ground. "A wolf?" he'd ask, turning back toward the two girls, his hand getting just a tinge closer to his blade. "Which one?" the old man would ask, his eyes never moving from the two girls.


The man in the snow would shake his head as if woken from an odd sort of dream, "hmmm? oh, the one in the Red. I mean she could be a bear, but c'mon when is it ever a bear?" the man would ask disinterestedly, he was onto new things by now.


"How do you figure?" the older man would ask hesitantly.


"Tattered clothes, small bits of what I can only assume is fur on the snow, and notice how she's unarmed yet confident enough to stand up to two strange men in the middle of the woods. See how the other one has weapons? See that's a human girl with common sense now as for the other...." He'd pause for a moment almost as if indicating he was done, but in fact he'd just become lost in a particular 'cloud', then as suddenly as he'd stopped he'd start again, "Yes she's a changeling, that could be surmised from the tears in her clothes alone, coupled with the fact that we are in a forest, the location with the largest concentration of changey types I'd say it was highly probable. As for the identity of her less than manicured form, well, it was the attitude that did it. You see attitude, indicates a predator, after all prey animals have a tendency to play into fearful or cautious archetypes. I didn't see that, so we're left with, wolves, bears, maybe foxes, then again even foxes know when to retreat, especially when dealing with strangers, and something tells me she's less cunning, and a tad more frightening which would lead me back, once again to the first candidate, the wolf...Well that and the bear....miss you're not a bear are you?" He'd ask before suddenly stopping, "No of course not, bears are more gracious. I stand by wolf" he'd declare before lying back in the snow.


He'd pause a moment letting his logic sink in before glancing up at the sky and becoming lost once again. " Now if you'll excuse me I'd like to be left out of this, so I'll be watching these clouds while you all deal with the niceties."


The older man would listen as the loon recounted his logic through what appeared to be a sudden and surprisingly accurate moment of clarity, before he'd descend back into his more eccentric tendencies. The grizzled man would glance up at the sky a moment, noting that there were in fact no clouds, before glancing back down at the one lost in thought.


He'd sigh, before facing the girls once again. "Ok... well, listen I don't want trouble. But I'd like to know about that fairy" he'd say as he'd place his hand on his blade. Of course he was hoping not to draw it, but he was at a disadvantage with two possibly hostile attackers and no support. After all he severely doubted the man behind him wake from his 'cloud' watching to help him.

 

[Haley]

Red studied the older man as he seemed to deflate for a moment, disappointed that she in fact had not seen a moving puppet with no puppeteer in the forest. She felt a twinge of guilt prickle at her heart strings from the sigh and defeated statement the older man breathed, but she didn't let it disarm her from her defensive stance in front of Aurora. She was about to call after the older man as he turned as if to walk away, to ask more questions and even dare she say, offer her help... but then the younger man opened his mouth,


Red's eyes seemed to twitch as the young man made quip about how a live marionette could be more believable to see than a Dark Fairy. She was ready to just blow him off, but then he said it. Red's whole body tensed and her eyes cut to the young man who flippantly and with no constitution whatsoever, revealed her darkest secret, her heaviest burden, and her biggest fear, her beast. Red was speechless, the young man just bantered on, as if it was normal cheerful conversation to call a young woman out on being an abomination. She found herself crouching just a little lower to the ground, the beast letting out a soft, low, guttural growl. Her eyes flicked over to the man, who questioned the young one's accusations and ever so slightly, Red caught his hand hover near his sword.


"Yes, I am..." She growled, there was no point in hiding it or trying to deny it, the evidence was all around them. "I will not attack you though... I only ask the same be done in return for my friend and I." She said, relaxing her stand-offish tone and stance. Her green eyes flicked over the young one playing in the snow, she didn't like that one, but the older man... he was okay.


"I'll tell you what I know of Maleficent but, it's not much for me, I'm sure Aurora here, knows more than I." She said and gestured to the blond behind her. "You'll need to..." Her eyes moved distastefully to the young man again before moving back to the older man. "travel with us."

 

[Servant]

Hansel remained momentarily quiet, knife still on hand. The years he passed on the wild and the people he met had taught him never to let down his guard, no matter how tame their appearance looks or how sweet their voice sounds. With every step the red-haired took towards Hansel he backed away.

"She's just a wolf wearing a sheep disguise..." Hansel thought as he took another step back "But I will dance her charade a bit longer..."

Hansel putted down his shotgun, but kept a firm grip on his curved knife. He knew it was a matter of time before the seemingly innocent girl would make a move, and Hansel would be ready to deal with it when it occurred.

"I am Hansel...So tell me Ariel; it's weird to see a girl like you walking on lands like these....Care to explain?" Hansel asked, slowly beginning to draw out his knife. (@Bella4444 )​

 

[Robi Rucker]

Aurora's face instantly wrinkled up in distaste and her hand snapped out to grab Red's cloak, a protest on the tip of her tongue- travel with these men? They didn't know anything about them except one was obviously touched in the head and the other had his own personal agenda to finding the dark fairy. She could never trust someone of such stature to guard her back and fight alongside her.


Where are your manners, dear?


She gave a heavy sigh and force her fingers to set the cloak free, choosing to not say any of her thoughts. Red was most assuredly aware of the reasons why this could end badly and restating them would just be unnecessary whining. So, she pursed her lips and decided to answer the questions directed her way without giving away anything personal. "The dark fairy is very powerful and no mortal weapon has yet been able to kill her." Good enough. "You'll all most assuredly die if you try to go against her." Well, she wasn't lying, as rude as she sounded. "If you pursue her, Maleficent will damn you all." Whoa, honey, let's not bring up damnation-that hits too close to home.


"So...Yeah." She said awkwardly and fiddled with the ends of her hair. Strong finish. You're getting rusty, princess.

 

[killerlung]

"Travel? With you!? Oh ho! This is rich! Did you hear that!? the wolf showed a bit of civility! Oh man, you gotta love these modern, sophisticated times! eh, Gepetto?" the loon would say as he'd hop up from the snow, full of life and teeming with energy.


The man now revealed to be named Geppetto merely sighed, "Yeah, I guess times are changing" he'd say as if giving in, finally though perhaps accidentally acknowledging the other man's musings, and perhaps more worrisome, engaging him in conversation.


"No, the times don't change, they are constant. That ticking halts for no man G! No, what we have here is an anomaly, a plot device! Oh sweet heavens this is it! The author is just begging me to find him now!" he'd say with a look that screamed equal parts overjoyed excitement and determination.


Geppetto would once again roll his eyes before looking back towards the girls with a weary, almost tired expression. "Yes, that will work...for now anyways" he'd say, knowing that his travels might very well mean splitting from all of these companions if he got a good enough lead.


Geppetto would then look towards the other man whom was now rambling about something or another, "For what it's worth, I'm Geppetto, and this is Chi-"


This time the interruption would come swiftly, "Ken! Ken Little, at your service my dears. " he'd announce, taking a bow as he'd declare himself.


Geppetto would stop, figuring this would happen but nonetheless allowing a little annoyance to paint his face a moment before he'd start once more, "Yes, and Ken will be on his best behavior, won't he..." he'd say with an exhausted though perhaps father like glare.


"Of course of course, how could I be anything but? I mean I am in the presence of ladies! Blue Blade..." Ken would say as he'd march on over a little closer to the two girls whom quite clearly held nothing for him but disdain. "Oh and a wolf erm...lady, oh boy I always wanted a puppy y'know..they never did allow them in the capitol though. Something about fleas carrying infectious diseases, or perhaps that was rats?" the man would muse, getting lost in another rant as Geppetto hesitantly followed only to hear Aurora's cryptic warning.


"Miss, if this Ken's any indication, I'm damned already" he'd say with a sigh and a meager smile.


"Yes we're all damned equally! Foolish pawns destined to play parts given to us by cruel twisted penmanship. To be dictated my mere letters on a page!" Ken would say with a sigh of what could perhaps be interpreted as anguish before he'd bounce back to eccentric glee, "Ooooh look purple!" he'd cry as he'd walk closer to the burning cabin, the likes of which now burned purple with the fumes of some unknown, fiendish source.

 

[Haley]

Red winced angrily with every wold quip the young crazy one threw her way already, the beast in the darkest part of the back of her mind, relished in the idea of ripping the young man limb from limb, but Red just swallowed hard and cracked her neck. When she opened her eyes she looked over to see Aurora answering about maleficent to the older man, Gepetto.


Red nodded in greeting to the older man, he seemed nice enough, but the young one worked her nerves. She tried to roll her eyes and ignore him, that was until he walked closer and made a joke about owning a puppy. Suddenly she growled, "It's Red." She barked her tone of voice a warning to stop calling her wolf or any variation of that word. Not only did the term disgust her, but there were plenty of humans in the world who proudly hunted her kind and others similar to her and that was shit, she did not need.


"It's Red..." She repeated, more calmly and she gave a small nod before turning her back to them and leading the way passed the purple smoking cabin, or what was left of it. "We should hurry." She breathed, her hot breath clouding thickly around her before disappearing into the late night/ early morning sky.


"We're heading to the frozen kingdom, the Queen there has been rumored to work dealings with the Dark Fairy, I know its just a rumor but its the best lead we have." She sighed.