Pixie Hollow Dystopia

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The rasp of predator kittens jumbling about in ferocious play as soon as they were off the trail, announced Calamus's arrival. The male pixie gave a bird cry and a whistle as soon as he saw Kiera, causing more than a few nearby Animal Faeries to glance his way then go about their business. "Good morning!"

As pumped up as he was for the challenge ahead, he was not oblivious to Kieara's low-key demeanor. "Hey. It's all about freedom. And you're going to do great. Some days working for the lords of seasons here, you give it everything you can and they still talk down to you like you're not good enough. Out there-- Well, you'll see. Do this." He took in a deep breath, stretched his arms and legs in a wide star with his wings fluttering to keep him in place, and let out his chest of air in a happy sigh. He settled until his feet touched down again then looked to Kieara expectantly and confidently.

In one sense, giving her coaching like one of his animal assignments and trying to get her psyche up to par, in another sense, all boy-on-girl attention and concerned for her good mood.
 
Kieara put on a happy demeanor to please Calamus. She knew he wouldn't understand her sub par feelings. He was too brash and proud to. Too confident. She spoke. "I just didn't sleep well." She explained. It wasn't all the truth, but it wasn't a lie either. It was the half truth. More of her bad feeling was coming from being depressed. Her kit joined in play with Calamus' two, and soon there was a big wrestling match between all of them. All good hearted. And they were out of the way so it didn't much matter. She stayed rooted on the ground where she was waiting to leave and get this whole trip over with.
 
Calamus actually tipped his head back and laughed. "Thatta girl! You couldn't sleep because you finally got excited about being on your own." The boy backflipped in midair. Then he did notice her gloom as certainly as if Kieara's translucent and glittery wings were drooping. He landed beside her, hugged her sideways with one arm and kissed her cheek for good luck. Then he lifted off to let Kieara work out the rest by herself and led the way for the cubs and her in a streak of faerie dust like a gold sparkler.
 
Kieara watched him and was thinking to herself. If that's what you wanna think, but it's quite the opposite.... She followed after him a bit slower. She was sluggish from the lack of sleep last night. The kits bounded off between them. calamus leading, Kieara bringing up the rear to make sure they didn't stray. Last thing they needed was one getting loose.
 
In time the procession reached the Faerie Dust tree, both broad and gigantic even compared to other trees in the forest zone. For the inches-high faeries its three dimensional limbs offered as much space as an island for a human.

Fawn and Tink met them of course. The meekest of the remaining two cubs wore a harness and saddlebags bulging with who knows what - but the gren-clad Tinker Faerie gave quite the smug grin.
She was the first to speak to Kieara other than Fawn's 'good morning'. "As soon as we're underway, a round of camomile tea for everybody," she promised, noticing the sleep-deprived laggard.

So one of the Dust Keeper Faeries under order from the lord in charge of the project distributed four pouches of extra dust rations. Each had to sign for theirs; a hand-sized berry juice drop for ink, a splinter for a quill.

No Lord actually was present to send them off or acknowledge their risks and bravery, their extraordinary contribution beyond standard duty. That's how time-crushed things were, the constant workload grinding away at the seasonal treadmill. The lack of final goodbye was rather anti-climatic, and the faeries milled uncertainly. Everything had been covered in the meadow briefing, but still.

Calamus broke in with "Well, I can think of a dozen people I won't have to deal with or teach a lesson to for the next weeks!" He tossed a handful of gold dust over himself and started on the animals.
"The Mainland!" Tink joined in.
"For the fuzzy wuzzies," Fawn chimed.
Cal looked to Kieara hopefully. He'd noticed the new girl lagging behind in the procession, knew she could use a boost, and gazed a silent expression: 'Everything's gonna be okay.'
 
Kieara landed at the tree, the sight of her birth just a day prior. She looked around quietly and greeted Tink and Fawn back to be polite. The two ladies might keep her sane on this trip. She signed for her rations and followed their actions suit. When they spoke and looked to her expectantly she offered a small smile. Biting back the nervousness she spoke. "to new horizons." she said. Though her voice was much quieter than her counterparts. Mainly due to her shy nature. She'd noticed Calamus' gaze, but not been able to interpret it. She did feel however small the amount a slight bit comforted. With that, they were off to the mainland.
 
(( lol to "might keep her sane" !
And in Lost Treasure, Tink builds a cotton-plant hot air balloon. Before that invention, everyone just flies with extra dust, eh? ))

Cal appreciated Kieara trying. She was a special girl and her toast was poetic. He smiled at her efforts and hoped her spirit never turned weak for the world to really get to her.

Extra dust gave everyone a super boost. No wonder this stuff was rationed. Even the non-flying animals and the inanimate possessions lifted into the air. Two cubs acted like they were dog-paddling in water, two kicked as if loping in midair, the last one just tucked her legs in and soared with wide eyes at the ground dropping away below.
The caravan was not that different than leading the animals on a ground trail except for an extra dimension to pounce from above or surprise from beneath. Despite those variations they were pretty willing to keep on course, especially when the group of 9 left Pixie Hollow and shore behind and were out over a sea.
The souped-up faeries didn't need to flap their wings to stay aloft, only to move forward and steer. Tinkerbell clung to the saddled cub like a raft and produced an acorn the size of a beach ball, with a screw-off lid, and four carved knothole cups. Tea as promised, and she relaxed against the feline's furry hide.
 
((Yeah. Keep in mind i've only seen the first one lol))

Kieara was exceptionally silent during the trip. She kept to herself and watched over the cubs. But by means of socializing she was quiet. She had her thoughts to herself and was mulling over them through the long flight. That was all there was to do other than flying. Well. she could've conversed with the others, but she felt more and more inclined away from that right now. She didn't really want to be bothered by anyone. Her depression over that Zephyr girl had gotten her down and made her so she didn't want to be bothered. She wouldn't be snippy and rude, she was just not as talkative as was normal per most fairies.
 
(( Yep, that's why I'm giving trivia along the way.
This is the most different setting from all my other RPs. I worry faeries don't fit my image but I have kids to watch so I'm up to my eyeballs in princess stuff. XP ))

Calamus kept to himself somewhat too, but in his case he was enjoying the buzz of the extra gold boost. So powerful, able to blaze across the sky at speeds unbound by regular Pixie Hollow life. Thus Fawn and Tink kept up most of the chatter and jokes, good friends who knew each other surprisingly well despite being in two different work departments.

Calamus breathed a sign of relief when they approached land - no matter the magic keeping him aloft, there was something unnerving about empty sea beneath him like doom with open arms. They could touch down and rest if needed, but the dust was doing the work for them and they could stretch or change positions in midair anyway. "Above or below?" Calamus conferred with Fawn, the nominal leader.

"Above human eye level. We'll never make progress finding the right territory if we zip through the grasses."

So they passed over trees and human habitations, high enough that everything looked like pixie-sized houses close enough to touch instead of realm-of-giant monstrosities. Tink gaped at all the human things but the other two Animal Faeries began to plan.
"So do we track the adult lynxes first? Or find them something to eat?"
"Could be that trailing one will lead us to the other..." Both of them were rather oblivious that the pack were still checking out the differences in this habitat compared to the Pixie Hollow version. (( will search details later ))
 
((lol it's ok))

Kieara wasn't really listening to anyone else. She was lost in her own world. And watching the kits to make sure they didn't stray or get into mischief. She kept a close eye on them because she knew their attention spans weren't the best. She did catch the eye level part, but for the most part on that she just stayed close to the others and the kits. She sighed softly and took in the surroundings too. It was unlike pixie hollow. That was for sure. They were so high up, she could only imagine how huge those buildings had to be. And those creatures. they looked like them, but no wings.
 
After some time the houses were left behind just as the sea was, and the cluster passed over mixed grassland and tree coverage. Cal and Fawn were questioning each other again, but at least in the spirit of consulting colleagues and not a clash. They sorted out the tracking issue of grown lynx vs. prey like rabbits or rodents by calling the local wildlife to them and offering amnesty to those that arrived and gave them directions.

Fawn decided the new Kieara had been so helpful during the long roundup that she gets first pick of keeping the cubs orderly while the prey draws near for a chat or landing atop the long grass and enticing the local wildlife toward the faeries in the first place.
 
Kieara didn't know fawn had come to this conclusion about her. She was silent as ever watching the cubs. The cubs were continuing their pattern of play and observation. She was fine with them playing they just weren't allowed to stray.
 
"Alright, you said so." Fawn winked. Then she put out a general call to the nearby animals, and of course rabbits, rats, and cute little bugs were the most common. They hurried to please - faeries could save them from predators, make the plants grow extra food, or make their lives all kinds of better while they were here.

Cal hovered between the two other Animal Faeries, letting both do their jobs but standing by in case Kieara needed help keeping the kits to themselves or Fawn needed help interrogating.

"Did any of you see a lynx? The grown up version of these fuzzy wuzzies?" Fawn asked sweetly. Then she laughed - the chieepity answer back was that "If we had seen one, we wouldn't be alive to tell you!" But yes, a few had seen one from hiding, and told Fawn which direction it had gone in its expansive range for food.

Meanwhile not all the cubs were playing; this was a huge gathering of other animals small and edible, and they were so young they couldn't be expected to fully understand the amnesty. At least one tufted tail twitched, torso crouched, and rump hunkered down bunched to spring.
 
Kieara was quick to notice. She came over and calmed it. she petted it whispering sweet things to the little animal and kept an eye on the others making sure they wouldn't pounce. She just hoped the others would be quick to run should she lose control, but for now things were running smoothly. She communitcated with the lynx kittens and told them that they were to stay still and not harm these animals, that these ones were helping them. She pet each one and gave equal attention
 
Cal's heart thumped while Kieara worked, and without knowing it he held himself breathless and poised like a hunter himself. This day-old girl had just ruled a whole pack of independent cubs inches away from a feed - granted, with cuddly love and attention rather than dominating and barking orders as he would have done - but she'd managed five young predators alone! And by the carefree look on her face she probably wouldn't even think anything of her accomplishment. Never was Cal more glad that he and Kieara were sticking together.

With directions gained from the small critters, Fawn thanked and dismissed them with her usual cheer. Cal just snickered cynically because they'd gained information for basically nothing except a cheap feel-good Good Samaritan pat on the head. Well, now the group could head out in search of the nearest adult lynx that needed to be paired up. The faeries had been able to eat their itty bitty rations while speed-cruising but since the cubs' last meat was in Winter the afternoon before, they'd probably need to hunt in earnest once they were out of range of the truce.

Cal sidled up to Kieara while also keeping an eye on the pack. By his beaming smile and puffed out chest he couldn't be prouder, and the boy told the dual-talent faerie that coaching five young hunters was nothing to be modest about.
 
Kieara looked up seeing Cal's expression. She rose a brow. "What? It wasn't hard." She said seeming to have done it with unusual ease. She wasn't aware it was so big of an accomplishment. Of course the sullen fairy wouldn't be noticing things as such right now. She took in the handsome color of his eyes getting lost momentarily, then tore her eyes back to the lynx pack. She continued to watch them as they moved along a bit. Her mind seemed to get cloudier the further they went, but she couldn't ponder why. Why did this Zephyr thing bother her so bad? Why? It was eating her from the inside out.
 
"Thatta girl," Cal approved Kieara thinking the challenge was easy, taking it a sign that her control or influence over animals came naturally.

Next up, after a few minutes' flight, they came upon the best stroke of luck they could hit upon reaching the Mainland. An adult female lynx had brought down a grassland hare too large for a single meal. This was the perfect time to give the kittens a little something warm, fresh and solid in their bellies, plus initiate the first arranged pairing. Unfortunately the glutted hunter had other ideas - sharing her territory and feast only with a true mate, and snarling her insistence that these children didn't measure up.
 
Kieara was having none of this. At the risk of being swatted down, she ever so casually just flitted out to the adult lynx who was making the kit half cower. She landed in front of the lynx and began to speak with it and coax it. She could only imagine that Tink and Fawn's mouths were on the ground. Though she was out of ear shot from their little group who was in hiding. "Now is that really how you want to treat one of your own? Especially when you're going extinct? and what better mate to have than one you can train to be the perfect mate for you?" she tried to persuede.
 
Oh yes, the other two girls were floored by Kieara's daring behavior bordering on self-destructive - a predator that could snap a faerie in two with its jaws or crumble her like a paper ball with a quick darting paw, a wild Mainland animal who didn't treat faeries like diplomats.

When the Animal/Frost Faerie landed practically between the hunter's footpads, Cal positioned himself above Kiera and to the side, poised to swoop in and tackle her out of the way of a claw swipe - just in case. He strained to hear the quiet persuasive words and when he caught them, he held his breath to see what the big cat would do.

The adult female grudgingly let the five kits sample the fresh kill, and sniffed for the males: "It still feels weird to claim a mate I'll have to raise like my son first... but you're right!"

Then the reckless boy roared a laugh that sent him clutching his belly and rolling on his back in midair. He zoomed in for a hug to Kieara. "That. Is. Exactly. What. I. Was. Going. To. Tell. Her." He clutched his heaving sides and wiped away a laugh tear.
 
Kieara smiled. "good. There's plenty enough here for them all to get their fill. Take your pick and we'll be on our way." she said to her. She was suddenly swept away in a hug and gasped, but seeing it was only Cal, she smiled a bit and blushed A LOT. Then she giggled a little, but it was bittersweet when she heard that they'd had the same plan. She spoke. "Great minds think alike I suppose." She looked to the kits who were now sharing the food with the older lynx.
 
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