[Seasonal Event] Blackberry Picking!

[Areia]

There were more of them than she had initially thought. That was not good, but ~she noticed warily~ neither was it bad. It was not bad because they were potentially dangerous to her, but only potentially; they might not be dangerous. But, Areia was in the little ball, and she thought maybe ~maybe~ they would not notice her.

But they did notice her, because though she was in the little ball and though she was good at hiding, she was big and white and soft, and it was difficult to hide like this. One of them motioned to her, but Areia didn't move out of the ball. Her big blue eyes and her soft white ears were the only bits of her visible in the soft white ball, and she looked and listened to them warily.

"

What in the name of Tio Silver are you

?" the one that motioned to her said, but Areia did not know the land people language.

She did not know what to do.

The land people were not overtly dangerous, but that did not mean that they were not potentially dangerous to her, that they were not potentially hostile. Maybe they were not intimidated by her because she was in the little ball? Maybe they thought her littler than she was, in this initial moment?

With that thought, Areia waited in the little ball while she opened her big bitey mouth. There were a lot of big white teeth in her mouth, she knew, but maybe they would know that she did not intend to bite them. She did not intend to bite them, if they didn't intend to bite her.

But, not knowing land people language, the noises she made when she opened her big bitey mouth were ~she thought~ not like most words the land people said. In the big white form, in the little white ball, Areia said in the land people language, "

UNicOrnBAsKetWEavIngWEe-W ee

?" She said it intending it to sound like a question, which stopped with a land people word that was sort of like an eee?

The moment she spoke to the land people in their language, she spoke to them in her language, too. "I do not know your words," Areia thought to them. She thought they would know that now, having listened to her speak.

"But though I am big~" When she said this she slowly stood up from the little ball she was in, to her big white height in all its bigness. She was bigger than all of them, she noticed warily. She did not wish them to be intimidated by this, but they might be, and their intimidation might become hostility.

"But I do not wish to be hostile to you, or you to me. We do not need to be enemies."

Notes~

Objectives~ Must do!

• In this post, Areia tries to speak to the land people in the land people language [lol]. She also speaks to them in her language, telepathy. The thing about land people is that all of them will know what she is saying in her language, but only biqaj are able to sort of speak back to her, telepathically.
  
  So, they know what she's saying, but if one [or more] of them isn't a biqaj, she will not know what they are saying in the least.
• Knowledge is marked.

Objectives~ Can do!

• I did indeed include the land people words unicorn, basketweaving, and wee-wee.

[Oram Mednix]

They only want to see me scowling in the purple rain

Oram watched the goings-on the grotto with bafflement. Around him, his new entourage of small woodland critters regarded him raptly, as if they had never seen a coughing hunter being sprinkled with purple water before. Water which, for whatever reason, only landed on him. It made as much sense as anything else that was currently happening. It wouldn’t be so bad if the water weren’t leaving small stains on his clothes and skin wherever it landed. He hoped those stains would wash off; he really didn’t relish the idea of having to explain the aubergine blotches on his crotch; people might assume something was wrong with his wee-wee.

The hunter regarded his companions’ words and actions, struggling in some cases to recall who was who, and somehow annoyed that they all seemed to be able to understand the fairy’s responses when he could not. Apparently, he was the only one in the group who didn’t speak Tinkerbell. Elisabeth he remembered was the girl, and the tunawa was still recognizable. The crotchety old man was…Nir’wei? He wasn’t sure, until the geezer approached the sadly-singing fairy and started peevishly assaulting it with his cane. That was definitely Nir’wei, then. The wolf was…Balthazar. Yes, the way it stood steadfastly at the little girl’s side was a giveaway. The transformations, even the more radical ones, hadn’t affected any of their personalities much, it seemed. It seemed odd that Balthazar had turned into a wolf rather than Nir’wei.

As he mulled these things, the sad, singing, tinkling fairy took Kisaik’s twiggy hand, whereupon the shackles abruptly fell off her wrists, and the fairy herself appeared to jump onto -or into?- the tunawa. They looked…superimposed, as if Kisaik were on the other side of a glass window, peering out through the fairy’s reflection on the pane. Oram did not like this one bit, but there was nothing he could do, except approach Kisaik and ask: “Are you alright?”

While the hunter awaited an answer to that, a new portal appeared, this time up high, near the top of the cliff from which the cascade fell. There stood a cadouri. It resembled a ferret with tasty-looking lemon-colored fur and a very heroic pose. Was that Winston? Oram wondered. If it was, then he must have been hitting the fairy cakes again, since Oram was pretty sure the hiccuping mustelid had not been that color when their group had entered the grotto.

Examining the damp rock face, Oram worked out that it would be a tough but makable climb to the top, at least for an active man; he was confident he could make it himself. But what of Old Man Nir’wei or Little Lizzy? How would they fare in their current form? Fortunately, Kisaik was already forming a plan (or was it the fairy upon him?), and fashioning an easily-climbable ladder out of vines for the rest of them to ascend. Perhaps they would not need his help to scale the rock, after all. Maybe he could just sit in a corner and take up basket weaving while everybody else did something useful.

The tunawa -or perhaps again it was the fairy talking- said something odd about a unicorn, which the hunter decided to ignore. He looked at his more drastically-transformed companions. ”Can you fly in that form, Balthazar?” he asked the wolf. ”I remember you being able to fly. If you’re stuck with being able to do wolf things, I can help you up that ladder, if you like. Same goes for you, Nir’wei, Elisabeth.”

Perhaps Oram could be of use, after all. If any of them needed help or encouragement to scale the new rope-ladder, the hunter could probably supply that. The trickiest one would be Balthazar, assuming the mage was stuck with a wolf’s physical capabilities. If need be, Oram could strap him to his back and simply carry him up the ladder, challenging though that might be. He himself would go up last, with or without a transformed companion on his back. He was unaware of Winston’s cupcake plans; however, he was not about to leave any of his companions behind.

[Nir'wei]

It was a good thing that her restraints disappeared at that very moment - even as light and weak as they had appeared, a small part of him had still worried that he might have lacked the strength to break them, with shaky and arthritis-riddled hands that he had. Damn these fairies and their little games. Had they specifically chosen to give him one of the worst berries just to make sure he was helpless throughout the trials? Considering Sweetwine was involved, it felt likely. "Guess she wasn't an Immortal after all," he chuckled to himself. Just another fairy-spirit-thing, like the rest of them... except now she was inside Kisaik as well, and he had to wonder what this meant for the Tunawa, whether he became the Blackberry or not. "That's the Flapdoodle, I suppose. Now we just need to get out again... where was that portal?"

He turned, looking back the way they'd come, but of course there was nothing there anymore. The fairies had given them nothing to play, or blow, or otherwise signal when they were ready to emerge again.

Maybe there was an exit behind the waterfall, or further in the grove they'd been placed inside. Maybe they'd done something wrong, and the Flapdoodle was somehow still undefeated - but then a glint of light caught his attention, and he looked up. Far, far up, where the portal hovered in mid-air above the upper edge of the towering waterfall. "Are... are you..." For just a brief moment, Nir'wei lost his cool and his grip tightened on his improvised walking stick. "Are you SERIOUS?!" His voice was almost rendered hoarse in a single outburst. "Might as well ask me to teach unicorns to basket-weave you bunch of fetid, loathsome, wee-wee soaked sponges!" When he reached back to their clearing, he'd be clipping all of them around their pointy little ears, even if it took him the rest of the season to do it. They'd pushed his patience to the absolute limit!

At least some of them looked like they'd make it up just fine. Kisaik had flight, now that he was merged with the fairy, and others like Oram and Zoro would make it up the hastily-constructed ladder of vines and vegetation he was already building for them. Elisabeth might even make it up with a little hand here or there - she looked small and light enough to hop on someone's back and be carried up, if worst came to worst. He, however, had no such luck. Balthazar, he realised as he glanced down to the wolf, would be an impossibility. Especially with nothing to anchor themselves to, nothing but Winston striking his tiny-yet-heroic pose at the entrance, who definitely wouldn't be any good at hoisting them up.

No. There had to be another way up there - or failing that, another way to get back entirely. With that in mind, he pressed a finger and thumb to his forehead and cast

Surrounding Area.

With it cast onto the surface of the ground before him, he could make out the general details of their surroundings... and quietly, he grinned to himself. "It's Sweetwine. Of course it is, we haven't really left it at all." Which meant that while the portal was surely the quickest way for some of them to make it back... it was hardly the only way.

"Oi, Winston! You need to find a way to lead us back to you! Landmarks, stuff like that!" The map showed small, strange imperfections, as if things had been moved to places where they shouldn't have been. So it was Sweetwine, but it also wasn't exactly Sweetwine... he more or less remembered the way they'd come from where he'd been, but the portal could have brought them anywhere, and he hadn't thought to open the map before they'd stepped through, so there was no pinpoint exactly where they'd come from. "We'll make our way back our own way." Well, it was either that, or summoning Traveller again to fly them up, and between those two options, he knew which one he preferred. "No offence, Oram, but I like our chances that way than having you carry all of us up that cliff face. These fairies just want to watch us struggle and laugh... and I've run out of patience for them."

[Elisabeth Black]

Arc 722, 38 Saun

Elisabeth the Little, or "Little Lizzy," watched and listened. She had gifted her own experience to the fairy freely, and others added support. Kisaik's offer was accepted, and the fairy soon vanished, leaving the little girl stunned. Had they accomplished their goal? Something had happened, for now the two seemed to meld into one.

Soon enough, however, a new challenge arose. This time, one of a seemingly physical variety. Well, at least it wasn't riding unicorns or basket weaving.

Kisaik immediately went to work, fashioning vines and available vegetation into a makeshift ladder of sorts. While it might have seemed like an easy answer, Elisabeth immediately knew that it would only work for some of the party. It would have been easy in her standard form, but wrapped within a smaller version of herself, help would probably be required.

It was then it dawned on her, looking at Nir'wei and Balthazar, that additional challenges were present. Nir'wei might have been able to go up the ladder with help – maybe. Balthazar? No. His form was too restrictive for that.

At that point, it would have been easy to boil everything down to being unwilling to leave Balthazar. She wouldn't leave him – that was true. But it went beyond that. Elisabeth was unwilling to leave anyone behind. That wasn't who she was and would never be.

The tricky turn of events was made even more ironic because Nir'wei was with them, who had left her and Balthazar in the Rynmere Labyrinth. Regardless, despite the confusion and anger she still harbored over that decision, who she was would never be altered, which meant finding a way out for everyone.

"Nir'wei and Balthazar won't be able to make it up the ladder. We must find another way. I'm not leaving anyone behind. This challenge was given to all of us – we all go."

Hope welled inside of her. There was always hope, and she refused to believe there wasn't a way up for all of them – together. The obvious answer wasn't always the only answer.

Standing next to Balthazar, hand on the back of his wolf form, she listened and considered all the information coming at her. Oram offered to help them up, which might have worked for her or Nir'wei. Nir'wei had an intriguing line of thought, using an ability to see the surrounding area. Had stars been present, she would have used one of her own abilities, but no trace of stars prevented Elisabeth from doing that.

Balthazar hadn't spoken up yet, so she had little clue what he was thinking, but Nir'wei's plan seemed the most logical of the available options. Being up high, Winston had a bird's eye view of the area. If he could guide them to where he was using the terrain, he could see….

It was then that she remembered the childs' block, secure in her pocket. And Balthazar's leaf that he had found. Drawing out the block, Elisabeth began to wonder if, somehow, they were the key? Had everyone received objects? Could they provide clues? They had mysteriously appeared - what was their purpose. Small sapphire eyes investigated the odd object in her hand, trying to sort out the puzzle.

"Perhaps these objects can help? Did everyone get one?"

Elisabeth, however, wasn't content to wait and just try one thing. Flipping through her own graced abilities, nothing came to mind that would help their current predicament….but wait…

They were in Sweetwine – home of an Induk. She was Forged, as were most of the group. It stood to reason that their connection to the Induks was the strongest in the Induks' homes. She might not have been Song-Forged, but Forged was Forged, and she had stood in as Death-Forged during the Forging. Did that give her a deeper connection with the Induks? That Elisabeth didn't know, but she did understand that she could see spirits of all manner. Could she connect to Fintan? No, that didn't seem to be working. But perhaps another spirit? Were there other spirits where they were?

It was worth a shot. Nir'wei was working on his plan, so she started on hers, hoping that, at the very least that if successful, it would aid what the old man was plotting.

There were many pieces of Elisabeth – of who she was – as a mage and marked of two Immortals, but it wasn't that she reached for. Closing her eyes, the little girl focused on the Induks, visualizing them in her mind from the Forging. She remembered what it felt like being connected to them, calling to that part inside steeped in the wonder of being Forged.

She was balance. She was all those things.

"We are Forged."

Opening her eyes, she looked around the immediate area, hoping a spirit would be willing to guide them to a path up, all the while ignoring the increasing call from her now child-sized bladder. It was not the time to need to go wee-wee.

[Balthazar Black]

38 Saun 722

A leaf? A leaf? It was quite strange to unearth a leaf with a strange copper scent but once again a problem presented itself to Balthazar. How was he to carry it? He pawed at the leaf a little to turn it over as his eyes examined the details that he could make out in the time he had. Golden. Another strange aspect of the small pendant-sized leaf on the ground in front of him. He knew he wanted it. Curiosity compelled him too greatly at this point to ignore a second discovery after the first had been kept from him due to his lack of thumbs. He sniffed the leaf on the ground to confirm, completely, that it was the source of the smell and when he knew for certain that it was, he picked it up with his mouth. He did it gently to avoid crushing or eating the leaf, should it have the texture and consistency of a leaf rather than gold, but he did it all the same.

From here until he got his hands back, he'd be speaking out of the half of his mouth which was no occupied with holding the leaf. A feat he had to test when the fairy explained that it was simply her voice and that she had not swallowed any bells. However, oddly- well as oddly as his thought had been, she offered him a bell to eat in return to his question. "I like gifts, but I don't want to eat it. I couldn't understand you a moment ago is all." Balthazar said out of the free half of his mouth. He must have looked rather foolish- claiming he didn't want to eat a bell while holding a golden leaf out of the side of his mouth. Then again, he wasn't presenting himself as particularly amused. Quite the opposite, he seemed to be growing more frustrated. The sort of frustration that would cause sparks to begin popping off of him due to his mutations- if they held in this form.

The others continued to speak to the fairy and Balthazar listened, now a little more able to understand the fairy. Something strange happened when the fairy took the hand of the little tree person. They seemed to merge or perhaps it was just her disappearing that created the idea in Balthazar's mind. Her shackles dropped to the floor and when they struck the ground, a portal opened in the sky above them. In the sky? These little creatures certainly seemed to enjoy making things difficult but distance was little more than two places for the spark to build a bridge. Balthazar could easily try to open a portal up to the other one so that the party could move through it.

Perhaps it would have been safer to allow the group to try and climb up the waterfall cliff though? This was an uncertain place and as such, Balthazar was not sure magic was well advised. He'd be hunted in the past for using magic inside Emea- or the Untold, or wherever it was that he'd technically found himself. It didn't seem to stop the fairies from using their strange abilities but it seemed the world did not favor domains. Perhaps that was because domain magic was not of the world? Perhaps there was just a cruel immortal of fate shaped like a unicorn out there. The mage did not know quite enough to be sure. Whatever they did, they'd have to work together if they wanted to get through it. This was no solo pursuit like basket weaving or taking a quick wee-wee in private. It would take more thought and precision.

Elisabeth was small enough... the thought struck Balthazar and he turned to his unfortunately child sized bride. "I could carry you on my back if needed, or maybe even just open a portal parallel to that one so we can all jump." Balthazar suggested openly to her and the group as Kisaik began his work on conjuring and strengthening a vine for them. Balthazar knew he could get to the top in a leap or so with a little assistance from his less natural abilities, but then he would have to hold the weight of them all in his already occupied jaws and pull them up with the vine. Oram was not far behind the thought process that Balthazar was having. The hunter mentioned some of the arcane tricks Balthazar had shown him before and the wolf gave a small nod of his head. At least Oram was keeping more composed than Nir'wei.

"I was able to throw lightning, the other magics should work still as well but I can't be sure. A portal would be easier for us than multiple trips flying... I'm still a little... electrified." The wolf said to the hunter through the unoccupied half of his mouth. "Could be dangerous though. I'm not sure exactly where we are but most places off Idalos are not safe for magic. Then again, it should only be dangerous to me and if it works... it would be an easy way out for you all. Winston!" Balthazar called as loudly as he could to the open portal with the crowd of fairies around it, "Please ask Cage if I can use magic!" For the wolf, it seemed the only option to get himself out. A ladder would do him little good where it would help the others and the portal could get anyone who couldn't climb out.

Before waiting to get his answer, he turned his attention to Nir'wei who had said they were still in the Sweetwine. If that was the case then they would have no real danger of using magic. However his trust for Nir'wei was thin given their history. He didn't believe Nir'wei wouldn't lie to him, but he couldn't quite sense if he was being deceived. "How confident are you that we're still in the Sweetwine? I can make us a portal if it is so." He did not mention that he'd further blame Nir'wei if trying to make the portal harmed him. It was thought of bitterness and it was unfair to the man who was as much at the end of his patience as Balthazar was. At least this time, they would escape together.

[Zoro Astrian]

Zoro was discombobulated, he had managed to save Marl out of the big teddy bear’s hand as he flew by with what he thought was a casual elan, fitting for a biqaj adventurer / hero such as himself. With this thought and Maureen’s peals of laughter in his mind, his problems began. Zoro was suddenly beset, bombarded by what felt like billions of fairies. They seemed to be taking great delight in jumping up and down on his back, much like he and his sisters had when they were young and had beds. They had found it did not work so well with hammocks. The best and most bouncy beds they had ever managed to play on had been aboard a ship called the Unicorn, which belonged to a friend of his Great Uncle Zeb. This man, rather disappointingly called Derrick, had been a great adventurer and was renowned across the seas and oceans – or so he had told young Zoro. Last he heard of him, however, Derrick had sold the Unicorn and was happily settled to a life where basket weaving was his most adventurous pursuit.

Zoro was further confused when he heard a dozen fairy voices in chorus. ‘Save him! We must Save Him’ they called. If their goal was to bring him to the ground they were successful and Zoro found himself face planting in the forest floor with a force that addled his wits and impeded his reaction times.

Cage was speaking about the trials of the blackberry and said something about Flapdoodle, Flopsy and Pinch. In his slightly concussed state, these names seemed familiar to Zoro and he remembered that his sisters had had dogs with similar names.

Suddenly there was an opening in the ground that led to what seemed to be a purple waterfall. Floating, Zoro managed to turn on his back and started to wonder. How ever would he be able to float down under his own steam? It was then that his attention was taken by a glint of metal in a high branch. Seeing that his brave, resourceful companions were jumping into action, which they were infinitely able to achieve since they were sans floating, Zoro called on his fairy diri to help pull him up to the branch in question so he could investigate. Being weightless, Maureen was able to swiftly convey Zoro to the heights of the tree. “Wee-Wee!” Zoro declared as he was pushed rather quickly upwards. To his addled brain, it was an appropriate thing to say, but Maureen, as ever, was on hand to provide emotional support and sage advice. “Shut up, you idiot,” she said and Zoro laughed.

Arriving at the tree line, Zoro found a simple and delicate-looking metal chain of the sort that ladies wore around their necks, fastened with a clasp about the branch. Unclasping it, Zoro held it in his hand and felt it slowly thrum. Curious, Zoro thought, and then he noticed that the portal had closed.

This was followed by what seemed like celebration and congratulation. There was cheering from the fairies and Zoro was delighted that his companions had obviously saved the day but what had been behind it all? Pieces came together in Zoro’s mind and he shared his thoughts aloud with Maureen. “You know, this is just like the other thing, you know? The one we don’t like to talk about. You know, the one with the Immortals. Karem is behind this. There are canines everywhere! And the names! Flopsy, Pinch and the other one! Perhaps this is not a necklace, perhaps it is a leash! I tell you that there is more to this than meets the eye and it’s got teeth!” Once he had put forward this theory, Zoro then countered Maureen’s acerbic comments and spoke again. “No, Maureen! The eyes don’t have actual teeth. That would be too strange.”

Then, thankfully, the portal opened again but from his high vantage point, Zoro instantly saw the problem. It had opened high above the purple waterfall and his companions needed help to make it out! “Quick, Maureen! Take me to the portal and dangle me through! I need to help my friends!” Zoro declared.

Maureen did this and, with this goal (as crazy as it was) achieved, Zoro found himself dangling through a portal above a waterfall in the Sweetwine Woods. He realized that the only thing holding him in this very precarious place was his small diri. Oops, Zoro thought, I hope she’s stronger than she looks.

Assuming that he didn’t fall to his death, Zoro dangled in mid air and took a moment to look at his friends and determine which one needed him most. Stretching out his hands he called, “Friends! Let me help you! We can work together and I will grab you and pull you up.”

As he said that, he heard Maureen’s single word comment, appraising his plan concisely.

“Knickers.”

[Pegasus]

In the Clearing

Winston did what he could to help - he lowered vines to Kisaik and he was ready with cup cakes.

When Zoro flew into the portalI had written you in there as per our pm. But, this version is much better! with his fairy diri clutching on to him, Cage looked rather surprised. Zoro disappeared into the portal, but Winston and Cage got to see the rather incongruous sight of Zoro's feet being held on to by Maureen the Fairy. As they watched, Maureen was joined by all the other fairies - or lots of them - and Zoro's lower legs were soon covered in small fae-folks. It was like a scene from Gulliver's Travels as the tiny creatures swarmed him and held him firm.

But hold him firm they did.

Winston ate the lemon drizzle cake, avoided the death by chocolate and stood, ready to lob cake at those in the portal. Cage stood next to him and watched as things transpired.

Standing there, the two of them (and Zoro's lower legs, so two and a half of them), as they watched Cage sighed. When he spoke it was an old, weary voice. "Why won't they work together?" Cage asked Winston, his tone rather sad. "It's tumble-around and flopsy, so it is. I had so hoped ....."

But he said no more than that, simply watching what happened. When Elisabeth spoke her three words, he leaned forward eagerly. Had they remembered, he wondered, what they were? All of them down there, after all, were . But then, his shoulders sagged somewhat and he let out a deep sigh. "The Forging failed so many of them," he said to Winston. "Only Oram, of the Forging, is avoiding the Flopsy. The others are Flopsy and Finagling." He said the words like it was obvious what they meant. "We will celebrate our successes and hope that they learn. " As they observed what happened, he asked Winston a question. If he was aware of what a difficult question it was, he didn't mind. "Why do you think this has happened? Could you explain what you see?" After all, Cage would be the first to admit. The ways of mortals were a mystery to him.

..........cont'd

The Flapdoodle

They all saw Zoro appear through the portal, diving through and reaching his hands down to take the vines Kisaik had made.

It was a solution that would - with the additional help Oram suggested - have worked for them all.

But Nir'wei judged to do something differently. First he shouted, then he shouted some more. He shouted insults to the fairies and that led to the sound of "oooooh" and "ahhhhhh" and "ner ner ner ner ner" all around the portal entrance. And then, Winston threw a cake at him.

It was a cup cake and Winston lobbed it at Mr Angry Nir. Now, what Winston didn't know was that it was, indeed, a cup cake. Nir knew that, though. Because he felt the china cup hit him square on the top of his head and it shattered into pieces.

Oopsie.

But Nir'wei shouted out a question and Cage gave Winston the answer which Winston conveyedhave checked with the player. "There is no way out by walking." Cage said. "It's the realm of the fae, the dream and the reality. A pocket in Sweetwine that's ours. Doesn't he know that?" Cage seemed genuinely perplexed and he asked Winston quietly "What does one expect when one follows a fairy through a portal and why would we need a portal if we could walk there?"

Nir'wei's map was accurate, Nir'wei had no doubt. But it looked like a child's drawing of Sweetwine and some places were in the wrong place. If he wanted to pick a direction and try, of course, then he could do just that.

Elisabeth, too, felt that the ladder wouldn't have worked. She asked the others about their items, and looked at her own. The cube was cool in her hands, smooth and well-made, but it gave no clue. And then she spoke - three words - we are forged. She focused on the Induks, and she looked around for a spirit to help them. But what she saw was the people around her, no spirit came to their aid or communicated.

It was just them.

Balthazar also had questions for Cage and again, his answer was relayed through Winston. This was more cryptic though. "What mattered," Cage said to Winston, "wasn't what they did - but how they did it."

The Flapdoodle that Kisaik now shared a body with spoke to him, softly. Her words tinkled out of Kisaik's mouth, although it was obvious it was not him who was speaking. Everyone heard and understood her words. "Why won't they try?" she asked. "It would work, I'm sure. We wouldn't leave anyone behind, no one suggested that. We could help them, those who would struggle. You and me and Oram could help. The dangling man and the ferret too. We never suggested leaving anyone behind, just the opposite. Why does he shout so, the angry one? Why won't they let us help them?" A deep sigh. "We have failed the Test of the Flopsy. We can not work together."

And with those words, things changed.

cont'd below........

Outside Sweetwine

Airea could not hide from the group of five land-legged people and instead, she answered. Her words made no sense, of course, and that showed. However, when she used her telepathy, one of them - the one who had spoken to her - replied. "We wish no harm, none," he said and he smiled. "You are big. But are you lost? Can we help you?"

He spoke the words that he thought to her. That meant that the others knew what was happening. "I am Rengar," he thought and said. "What... are you Mer? What happened?".

She didn't look like a Mer but it was a logical conclusion to come to. Rengar had a lot of questions and his thoughts were tumultuous and unordered. Yet, he forced them into order for her. "Do you need help? You are a long way from water." He was thinking - quite genuinely - how on Idalos she had managed to become a fluffy bear.

They maintained a careful stance, a safe distance. Five pairs of eyes watched the large fluffy bear and waited for her answer.

In the clearing....

And, just like that, they were back in the clearing. There was an audible "pop" and they were there. A brief moment of disorientation while two worlds popped back together was familiar to someanyone with rupturing experience / experience of teleporting , but no less briefly uncomfortable and disorienting. They were standing - even Zoro was standing on his feet (not sliced in half by the sudden closing of the portal) there in the clearing. They were still whatever form they had become when they ate the berries, and there too was Cage and the fairies.

Cage spoke, and again his voice was old. Ancient and powerful.

"You have forgotten, so quickly"

he said, his gaze on them rather sad.

"Like leaves falling from a tree."

He sighed and though, then, the voice which came from him was more of Cage, there was no doubt that the eyes were older by far. It was like Kisaik and the fairy - two beings in one being.

Cage looked at each of them. Spoke to all of them. "You were asked to come by a fairy. You know what fairies are, what their nature is, do you not?" His gaze turned to Nir'wei, lingering for a moment.

"Why are you so angry at what you so quickly volunteered for? What did you expect when you ate our food and played our games?"

He seemed genuinely confused. Shaking his head, he continued.

"There were three trials, as there have always been. This arc, though, was to be different. We would have our Blackberry - we do, and for that we thank you" the thanks was directed to Kisaik. The Flopdoodle stepped out of him and as he felt her leave him, stood next to him once more. Then, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Her hand fluttered into his and she stood and listened, her wings gently fluttering.

"But we had hoped that there could be more between us. That maybe some of you might represent us in the world beyond Sweetwine. Work as envoys, perhaps. For that, we needed three things."

His eyes regarded them. "We needed you to be brave, of course. To be willing to work with the fairies and this musical magical place."He smiled a little sadly. "To be willing to stay behind, in a pinch."He looked at Winston and then at Zoro and he smiled. "But more than anything, we needed you to work together, with the fairies and with each other. "He shook his head, then,

"And that, you would not do."

The disappointment in his voice was unmistakable.

He sighed slightly and shook his head. But then, he smiled. "But the Flapdoodle is free, and for that you have our gratitude." He turned his attention first to Kisaik and Oram. "You worked together, for the betterment of all. Had all adopted this approach, you would have passed. I thank you." And then he turned to Winston.

"Your song is one of courage and working for the betterment of all. If you wish it, I would name you Songforged."

He had nothing specific to say to any of the others, but he spoke to them all. "The effects of eating our food will wear off, soon. Within a break, I would think. They are fickle effects, as the fae are fickle creatures."

He gestured then, although he suspected that he knew the answer for some. "We will celebrate the release of the Flapdoodle! Our new Blackberry!! You gave her courage and led her out. Will you join us in dance and song?"

OOC Things & Stuffies

Rules, Etc

One more post from you lovely lot and then I'll review.
Airea - if your part of this thread would continue, I'll sort that , no worries.

Objectives

All PCs met all objectives! Good job! Thank you to those who have used the Knowledge coding. It makes my job a lot easier.

3 more knowledge, please.

I'll be reviewing Saturday 8th October
Please post by end of day Friday in order to ensure that your response is counted.
Talk to me if you need an extension!

[Oram Mednix]

Can we please finish and finale this fiasco?

Oram didn’t know why Nir’wei was so difficult. Perhaps it was shingles. Regardless of the reason, he didn’t seem interested in taking up the hunter’s offer for help, nor was he even interested in using the vine rope ladder at all. There was nothing wrong with considering alternatives, but why waste time coming up with plans B and C when plan A was shaping up so nicely under their noses?

The fairies didn’t seem to like what they were seeing, either. Apparently, they were all fippling and floozying or something. The hunter had no idea what any of that meant, but Cage didn’t seem happy.

A strange sensation struck Oram a moment later, slightly unpleasant and also vaguely familiar. He felt a bit as he had when Balthazar had teleported the two of them to that necromancer’s lair on Faldrass. And the result was vaguely similar, as well: he found himself, along with the others, suddenly in a different place. After a few blinks, he realized they were back in the clearing, where Cage and all the fairies waited, along with lemon-scented Winston.

Cage addressed the reassembled gaggle, expressing disappointment that they had all frizzled and farragoed when they should have been working together for the betterment of all. The reprimand annoyed Oram, and struck him as unfair; he felt the need to speak up, coughed-up cherries notwithstanding. ”What the *cough*, what in Beneath did you ex-*cough* expect from us?!” he demanded. ”Yeah, we’re ‘Forged’, but many of us ha-*cough* have hardly spoken in cycles. We were throw-*cough* thrown together then, and we’ve been thrown together now. Of course we were con-*cough* confused and didn’t work that smoothly together. When did we ever? *cough!*”

He looked around at the motley crew of fairies, woodland critters, and transformed adventurers. He allowed himself a brief, exasperated sigh before turning to the fairy who had just emerged from Kisaik. ”Congratulations on your freedom, and on your being the new Blackberry,” he said to her.

”I told you it was lame,” came a glum-sounding voice somewhere near Oram’s elbow, whereupon he looked down to see Acherontia’s pallid, impassive face regarding him. ”I really envy you mortals sometimes. You can always just embrace death and not have to deal with this foolishness anymore.”

Her observations did little to put Oram in a better mood, and Cage’s invitation to join the fairies in dance and song did not land welcome on the hunter’s ears. He was about to say no when he heard an eager, plaintive whine, coming from a wolf shaped outline of firefly-like lights standing next to him. Of course Choir would show up now, and of course the song element wolf would want more than anything to dance and play with the fairies. ”Fine, go ahead,” Oram growled at him grumpily, whereupon Choir let out a delighted yap and pranced off to frolic with his fae friends, who greeted the wolf with ecstatic giggles as they danced and pirouetted in the air all around the clearing.

All except Ache, whose weird, abstracted, swaying moves bore as little resemblance to the other fairies’ dancing as her alienated frown did to their laughter and joy. ”So lame,” she murmured. While not exactly a font of merriment, Oram was nonetheless glad to be paired with her for now. He was in no mood to dance himself, and Ache didn’t seem to care, a situation which suited both of them just fine.

[Kisaik]

When the possession took hold, Oram had asked if Kisaik felt well, for which the Tunawa was grateful to his concern. He looked up at the big, bearded ranger, and said, "Quite well! Never better really!" His voice came out as sweet as bells, perhaps a consequence of being merge with a spirit of melody as he was. But then, things took a turn from that expression of concern.

Nobody seemed to notice or believe in the structural integrity, or even usefulness of Kisaik's vine-ladder. It wasn't seen as a valid conveyance perhaps, or some of them just wanted to go it alone, do their own thing, be their own hero sort of. If Kisaik couldn't convince them all to at least help each other, then his act would be fruitless as a driftwood in sand.

But then, Kisaik had at least the Flapdoodle in his possession, and would bring her out of there. So at least there was that. Goldberry (that's what he came to think of her as) whispered to his mind, lamenting their unwillingness to cooperate with each other, to each do their own act as if they were alone. It confounded and confused Kisaik, why they couldn't all make us of the works of each other? Why?

But then, the trial came to a close, and they had not defeated their Flopsy. It was explained that they hadn't worked together as they were meant to, and so the trial was failed. Kisaik felt very despondent and sad for a moment. Even when Cage praised his freeing of the Blackberry, it wasn't quite enough to pull him out of his malaise.

But then, Goldberry held his hand, and leant over to give him a kiss on the cheek. Only then did he brighten a bit, and say, "Well, I suppose we can try again! Never give up as I say! Next time!"

He was sure that life would bring him back here someday, although it wasn't clear whether it'd be in better or even worse company.

So the revelry began, and Kisaik for a while enjoyed the company of the other fairies, dancing with Goldberry who was now the Blackberry, and enjoying himself with the fairies. He almost didn't notice that he was still blue!

[Winston]

ITS DEEAAAAFFF BY CHOCOLATE!

Winston giggled at Zoro's feet. "GO-ZORO-GOOOooo!" He shouted as all the fairies clambered to keep him from falling.

Meanwhile, Cage was not happy. Winston placed a hand on his shoulder and clasped it firmly. He didn't know what was truly at stake here, but did know that despite the levity in their demeanour, it might well be something of great import that was going amuck. "Dem es trying. *HICBOING* Dem is all 'ere tuh try. Cus dem *HICBOING* care." His tone was apologetic, but kind. After all, he we no authority on any of it, but fail or flourish, they came for no other reason then because they were asked. "Some will fail a test where uddas *HICBOING* pass. Et would be a *HICBOING* dull world ef we all were da same. But me tink dat each an *HICBOING* every Forged will always stand far da test, when yuh call dem." As Cage continued, Winston attempted to wipe of the Leamon Crud from Cage's shoulder, but only really managed to smoosh it around little more.

Then Cage asked for Winston's assessment. He decided that as little as the people down there understood the fairies up here... The fairies up here understood them no better. He hoped that by describing it in terms of a game, it might help poor old Cage out. "Oram, Kisaik an' Zoro, dem nat de Flaopsy. *HICBOING* But as a whole, dem es nat playing 'Yes and den'. Dem es playing 'Yus but dis'. *HICBOING* Tis very Flopsy, yes, but dem come fram a place af order *HICBOING* an' de comfort af wat they know makes at 'ard to accept dat which dey don't."

He nodded as he spoke of Oram. The more Cage used the words, the more Winston felt like he actually understood what they meant. "De only failure tuh morn *HICBOING* es de one you don't stand up fram." He offered, reassuringly. Winston felt very much like there was just a lack of connection between them, the people down there and the fairies up here. Both sides were simply frustrated. That things were not clear. That things were not obvious. Telling the fairies that what they were asking might not be clear, would be rather like trying to explain to the people that turning someone into a dog without warning is a gesture of a friend.

The Flapdoodle

As the cupcake shattered on Nir'wei's head, Winston pulled a little 'Eeeermm... Oops?' face and gave him an apologetic wave. "Soooorryyyy.... *HICBOING* That WAS quite rude though!" I mean come on. If it were easy, it would not BE a test.

Winston then spent a short while passing messages back and forth. He was hesitant to give away any information that would make it all Flopsy and so stuck to Cages words, precisely.

In the clearing....

To be perfectly frank, Winston thought uber-Cage's words were pretty fair. Winston had barely met a fairy before, but knew enough to expect some crazy. That being said... They all had TRIED, even if they didn't do it right.

Then uber-Cage offered Winston Songforged... He was already yellow, lemon-flavourd and bouncy, but without eating any additional Fairy food, he also became some kind of explosive. He gasped so much and sucked in so much air the little fella nearly fainted. "Reeeeeaaaally? OH! Yay!" He grabbed Ubar-Cage by the hand and shook it furiously. "Ets such an 'onar. really, Mr Ubar-Cage sir. Me won't let yuh down. No sirry. Dis calls far maw CAKE!!" At which point he grabbed some Death by Chocolate cake and bravely took a big bight.

He paused for a moment and looked very confused. Then suddenly comprehension struck. "OOOOooohhhhhhh!" He turned to the others and yelled. "Deaf! Ets DEAF by Chocolate. Me can't 'ear a ting'. Kisaik, yuh shud try some lemon curd." He shouted, lifting a dripping arm. "Me want to see if it turns YOU green." He said with a chuckle.

He then realised that everyone was still trying to pay attention to Cage and quickly retreated over to Elizabeth and Balth, to whom he offered some curd and Chocolate cake, just in case they had had enough of hearing things.

Oram said... words. Yes, they were words and perhaps even stern ones. Winston decided that perhaps he needed a hug. He wandered over to Oram and hugged his shin, patting him firmly on the calf and leaving a yellow, sticky, lemon-scented ferret shape on his leg.

Party

Yes. Party he certainly did. He would encourage people, everyone, to celebrate. This comes in different forms for different people and that was OK.

It was a challenge to dance when you could not hear, but Winston gave it a jolly good shot anyway.

He'd attempt to make a wager with Cage. Giggling, he began. "Ef me cun guess wat one af dem cakes dat me 'ave nat had yet will do to me, will yuh teach me 'ow tuh make one someday? If meh get is rang, me will try all de rest."

Whether Cage agreed or not, Winston would be trying more cake. He would even quite enjoy trying to guess before trying each one. "Sponge cakes. Come an mun, gat to turn me into a sponge, right Balthazar! You want in an dis 'ere wager?!" He ate Sponge Cake.

Winston loved food.

"Brownies. Es dis to an de nose now?! But turns meh brown?" He tried Brownies.

Winston would hug anyone not afraid to get sticky. Respect the space of anyone not wanting to get sticky, Oram notwithstanding and generally speaking have a very good time.