Wonderland: The Festival of Lights

[Blind Hemingway]

Wonderland: The Festival of Lights​

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmGMuE3HUfs"]YouTube- Fake Wings - Yuki Kajiura LIVE 2008.07.31[/ame]



The walls had fallen down and she approached them. Hayden heard the snow beneath her feet creak. She knew that she was now barefoot; yet, she felt no coldness embrace her feet. It had to be cold, she could see her breath. What was the meaning of this?

She looked up at were the walls once stood. Hayden could see the empty distance for miles and miles. But there was nothing to see there, only a bright vast field full of snow.

Then appeared a blinding blue light. Hayden thought the world around her had grinded to a halt. A young girl with wings appeared before her eyes. The snow falling around her seemed to dance as she came floating gracefully to the ground. Her eyes remained closed, as if she was in a deep thought.

The angel then softly spoke, "Wandern Sie?"

Hayden couldn't understand. The angels never talked to her, not that she had ever met one of the Mahoreopmec this close in person…

"Wandern Sie?"

It was trying to tell her something...

"Wandern Sie?"

It wanted to know something.

"Wandern Sie?"

The angel was asking her a question.

"Please.... Please ask me, again... I don't understand!" Hayden begged to the angel.

There was a muttering, "Ree?"

However, it was drowned out by the strong wind that consumed her entire form, although Hayden had no form here, she was at last free of that restricting shell.

She was free! A bliss like she had never felt before!

Then it came towards her, the beast of darkness. It had a form quite like any mammal she had seen on the streets, but she didn't know what this one was.

She had no words to describe the pain she felt when she saw it.

So, instead she screamed.

"No! No, don't come near me! Ahhhhhh!"

Hayden felt a dead pain in her back as she opened her eyes and saw the light of the sun through the window. She had fallen right out of her bed and landed on one of the many piles of books surrounding it, it hurt.

"Oh..." 

Hayden sat up, pulling her blanket off the bed and embracing her body. The inside of her small closet space of a bedroom was cold. After rubbing her eyes, she found herself sitting in the middle of the towers of her only treasured possessions: books.

She didn't really remember why she had fallen out of bed now, it hurt her head when she tried to think about it.

Instead, she stood up and made up the bed again, distracting herself
.
"Hmmm... So today is the fourth day? I need to go to the bakery and pick up some bread later..." She ticked off his chores on her fingers, muttering as she did so
.
Then her eye caught sight of the time on her small alarm clock.

"9:30 AM"

"Oh dear... Oh dear!" She grabbed her clothes and ran into the bathroom to get ready.

"It's so late!!"

15 minutes later

Hayden practically jumped out of her front door, having to run back a second later to lock it. It wasn't necessary but she always felt insecure if she didn't.

She didn't stop running until she reached the bakery door, it was locked. Hayden frowned as she tried to work out the situation, she then turned to look at the clock tower.

"5:30 AM"

She groaned as she leant against the wall.

"It's so early!"

 

[Blind Hemingway]

Location: Fine Blessing Inn, 5:30 AM

Winter had always hit the Walled City earlier and earlier, it always started with the bitter winds blowing from the north. All the small song birds that left the region, being the only creatures brave enough to by pass the walls.

Sitting by a small fire she had started a few hours earlier, a young woman with flowing orange hair sat staring at the flames that matched her hair so well. For the Mahoreopmec the winter always seemed to be the hardest season, the cold kept them locked inside for several months on end. It made reckless souls go stir crazy.

For this woman named Geneva, this had been the norm for the past few generations. Everything was routine, the cycles of the seasons, the coming and going of orphaned Winged Fledglings that came to her Inn, and finally the very simple life she currently lived.

"Sehr gut." She mumbled to herself as she felt the warmth of the flames embrace the cold dining hall she was sitting in.

Geneva then looked up, the old moose mount was still hanging up on the wall, dust gathering on it. She had bought it at a Festival trade booth many years in the past, around 70 rubles which was, and still is, a hefty price to pay for an item. The sutler had said his father had trapped the beast, though no one had ever seen a moose since. It was an item of curiosity, one could be assured of that.

For the first time in ages, this Inn was quiet. The only Winged Fledging that had enrolled at the Inn was Xylian. Even the normal landowner had gone beyond the walls for his research on complex magics Geneva didn't care to learn about.

"I should wake that child up soon, the good Lord knows she doesn't have the will to do it on her own yet," She thought to herself.

However, Geneva decided to let Xylian sleep in for the morning. It was still early, after all.

 

[PattyPixie]

Tay zipped through the town, the cold not bothering her as much due to the slight bit of human blood in her veins. Her wings flowed out behind her as she ran to her next job. With the snow all around, it almost looked like she was ice-skating. She closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue to catch a snowflake when--
BAM!
Tay found herself sitting on the ground in front of the Inn with an aching skull. She rubbed her head as the door opened.
"Uh...Hallo?" The figure said, in the doorway, slightly confused.
"Er...Ich habe eine, ah...botschaft," Tay replied, standing up slowly.
"Yes? What is it?" Geneva asked.
"The supplies for the inn have been received at the store, and are ready to be picked up," Tay recited, bowing slightly when done.

 

[Alarice]

Xylian

Snow. Cold. White. The girl under the covers borrowed even deeper as if by doing so she would be transported somewhere warmer, and brighter. She had a nice, cozy room and yet the warmth it provided appeared to do little for her. She hovered in that stage of sleep where you were aware of yourself, lying in a bed in a room in an inn, and yet you stubbornly refused to open your eyes and face reality.

"Eiro ..." she murmured under breath, head under the covers. You could easily have mistaken her for a bunch of pillows tucked under the sheets, except for the twin dark purple pigtails peeking out--from the foot of the bed.

 

[Drew]

Meera

Tiny footprints lead away from the repair shop nestled between great oaks that were now heavy with snow. Meera had left early as she always did and went out to the wall. Looking around she made sure no one saw her and she ran through the park and over toward a small clearing near the wall.

Meera kept to the tree line and looked up. Nothing grew close to the wall but from where she stood she felt a need to be near it. She never got closer than was allowed and she always made sure no one was witness to her offerings. Looking around once more she smiled.

She never understood why she liked to come here, but she did. In her hands were a small clutch of flowers. Thin and dying she laid then on the snow. They were a sharp contrast to the brilliant white of the snow. Tender tulips softened the winter with warm yellow and pink. Stepping back even more from the wall Meera smiled. She had grown a small garden in her Uncles basement with a few lights she found. They werent much but she was proud of them.

Letting out a soft sigh she and fixed her hat and scarf then turned to go back home. She giggled and hummed as she skipped in the snow making small showers of white cover the toes of her boots.

 

[Vay]

High above the town wings spread... sword slung across his back. There was no better feeling. Cold air whipped past him making his eyes water but Arumaic didn't care. He looked downwards at the preparations for the festival with a smile before he turned towards the outer wall going into a steep dive to skim the ground before pulling up sharply breaking and landing on his feet, shaking of his wings and stretching his arms.

"Is there anything better than flying?" he asked the wall in front of him. Sitting cross legged and folding his wings. "Didn't think so." He sat for a while and looked up at the sky before he stood, shivering slightly. "Well its time to get inside" he said taking up and heading back over the town, flying low, over the main street he landed and looked around. Everything was going as it should be.

 

[Shan]

Despite all preconceptions of a genuinely happy person Adene was not a morning person and she hated the cold even more. The combination of 5:30 and the frigid set her teeth on edge. Her body was shaking underneath her two jackets and 9 foot knitted scarf. In the early hours of the morning Adene looked like a big gray blob walking down the quiet streets to work at the ungodly hour before noon! Unwilling to take much more of the cold walk Adene slipped into the Fine Blessing Inn to warm up for a few moments.

When she entered the room the fire in the hearth intensified within it, burning brighter and warmer than before. Adenes cheeks were flushed with the cold and she was still shaking as she went closer to the fire. Adene started to concentrate on her breathing so she could calm down as the supplies for the Inn were being discussed. Adene's hands emerged from her jackets as she pulled off two sets of knitted gloves to warm her hands close to the fire. Sighing in bliss as she was starting to get warm Adene waited for the discussion to be had before she offered greeting to Geneva. In all honesty Adene was much too consumed with the thought of being warm again to really notice if there actually was a conversation going on.

 

[Alarice]

Xylian

Xylian finally sat up in bed, yawned and looked around the room. She was half-asleep ... until the yawn she made created a wind so strong it blew her collection of knick-knacks off of the shelves! She blinked, wide-eyed! Not again! But then she was waiting for Geneva to hear the commotion and come to investigate ...

After a few minutes, she huffed (nothing happened this time) and crawled out of bed. It was really early but she might as well get up and start her chores. After all, the sooner you did them, the sooner you were done with them!

Unless something happened and ... yeah, probably not going to happen. But it never hurt to dream!

 

[Drew]

Meera

Made her way back to her Uncles shop and just in time too, she could see the lights were all on inside. Running up the backsteps, her mitten covered hand ready to grab the door knob. But just a half second to late the door opened on her and her Uncle looked at her with a frown.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick! Get inside and start your chores. You know the festival is today, why are you messing around. Get these boxes of lights to the squre. When you done with that, take theses crates of garland over to Geneva, she will be waiting for them. And dont you dare goof off, you understand me?'

Meera's eyes were huge and she nodded and stepped back from her Uncle, grabbed the first box and went to the front door and dashed out to the square where everyone was getting things ready for the festival of lights.

 

[Blind Hemingway]

Location: Fine Blessing Inn, 6:45 AM

Geneva then handed Tay several deutschmark coins, many still of which were still the old copper vintage.

"Okay my child, just make sure you get the middle sized garlands from the shop. They are the best ones for this small café. You know that Mahoreopmec don't care about these silly plants as much as the humans do." Geneva said.

"Yes ma'am." Tay then saluted Geneva as if was a military officer, "Will you be doing any major celebrations this year?"

"I'm honestly not sure yet. Things have been slow as of late." Geneva said.

"Oh…But aren't they always slow?" Tay asked.

Geneva then nodded, it appeared that she had a customer coming in. There was no need for them to know that business was slow.

"Welcome my friend, please make yourself comfortable. My assistant will be with you shortly," Geneva said to Adene while peeking into the main hall of the small Inn.

The orange haired woman then clapped her hands, "Xylian come on down we have a guest."

"Now where was I? Oh right. Tay once again make sure they are the middle sized garlands…"

 

[Alarice]

Xylian

Xylian scrambled to the closet to pull out her uniform! Oh no, a guest! She mustn't keep the guest waiting! She started hopping from the closet, to the bed--blast these socks were so hard to pull on while standing! Then back again, she nearly forgot the apron!

Her uniform resembled a maid's outfit, in fact it was a maid's outfit. Long black sleeves and a skirt, high collar, white apron and a white skirt beneath the black dress. She was still trying to pull on the shoes, hopping on one foot while looking for the hat that went with it.

Minutes later, she bolted out of the room and into the main lodge, skidding to a halt! "I am here, ma'am! Forgive me!" she said quickly, dipping into a quick curtsy, trying to catch her breath. She cast a shy, sheepish grin at the guest, Adene.

"Greetings, ma'am. Please make yourself at home and welcome to the Fine Blessing Inn. Would you like a seat while I fetch some tea? Or--or coffee! We even have orange juice, if you prefer. Breakfast will not be long. I can make you eggs, bacon ... Biscuits will take a little longer, however."

 

[Drew]

Meera

Reached the main stage and looked around for someone that might look offical but wasnt able to see anyone just yet. She found a stack of boxes, some chairs all lined up and other odds and ends. This had to be the place to set the decorations. There was no way she could reach the lightpost to hang the lights. She knew that would be someone elses job.

Setting down the box of white lights she turned on her heel and raced back to her Uncles Shop. It was still very early and most of the towns people were still sleeping or just awaking. Her soft panting and tender foot falls were the only noise on main street. The white snow crunched under her boots as she jumped off the curb, crossed the street and ran up the three steps into the shop. Out of breath and rosey cheeked she closed the door and tugged her hat off.

"Very good, now you know where to go next. Geneva put the order in for more garland the day before last, you better not damage them, now go" He ordered her as she tugged her hat back on and messed up her hair. Muttering softly at not being given the chance to warm up or even eat Meera dropped her eyes and did a sshe was told.

Grabbing the box she struggeled with the door knob and her load. Her Uncle paid her no mind as his full attention was on a steaming cup of. He offered her no assistance and ignored her completely. Balancing the box on her knee Meer started to hop and twist into a little dance. Once free of the door jam she was on her way to her next delievery.

It didnt take her long to get over to Geneva's Inn. Huffing softly as she struggled with the box she went up the steps and only lost her balance once. It was hard to see around the box as she pushed the door bell and waited. All one could see was a large brown box being held by tiny mitten covered hands.

 

[Alarice]

Xylian

Xylian waited patiently for the guest to reply but then the bell rang and she leaned to the side slightly! She glanced around. Should she get it? No, her place was here, tending to the guest! But what if the delivery was important? But the guest was important, too! Decisions, decisions ...

"Eep, I'll be right back!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the door. "Hello hello!" She opened it and then peered around the side of the big box! "Here, let me help you get that!" She moved to hold the other side of the box. "Um, I think there's a place to put this. Um, here, follow me! Let's see ... one step forward. Yep, that's it. Okay, one more step forward ... Okay, one step to the left. Oh no, your left! We can put it on the floor!"

 

[Drew]

Meera

Giggled as she was helped with the box. Once it was on the floor she gave a slight bow and nod. "Thank you very much that was very kind of you. My Uncle told me to deliever it right away, its for the festival I think." Blushing from her sudden explosion of words Meera tugged off her hat and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Meera." The warm air radiating from the fireplace made her cheeks glow. It was a pleasent welcome to her chilled frame. "Its the garland, I hope I didnt damage it, I only slipped once on the ice, but I didnt fall" Meera was nervus and filled the void with chatter. Holding her hat in her hands she tried to tame her hair combing it with her fingers.

 

[Alarice]

Xylian

Xylian gave a friendly smile and clasped her hands behind her back when the box was put down and the girl introduced herself. "I'm Xylian! I work here for Miss Geneva. It was really something for you to bring it all the way here by yourself and across the ice, too! Oh wow, you must be cold and chilly! Do you want to warm yourself by the fire for a bit, some tea or hot chocolate or something?"

Before the girl could reply, Xylian was talking again. "It'd be really rude if we sent you out in the snow and didn't give you a chance to warm up. It's really cold this winter but I never did like the cold. Oh! I'll be right back!" She skittered into the kitchen to boil some water really quick and make a cup of hot chocolate.

She returned when the water was hot but not scalding about several minutes later. She handed Meera the cup. "I hope you don't mind. Hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. It's one of my favorite drinks."

 

[PattyPixie]

Tay listened to what the matrion had to say. "Yes, Ma'm!" She said, turning around and zipping out the door. She mentally went through the list in her head as she flew about town, getting the supplies from this store, and that store. After about an hour of shopping, Tay returned back to the Inn.
"Need these put up, M'am?" Tay asked, saluting again.

 

[Drew]

Meera

Took the mug and blushed. She held it tight in her hands and took a sip. "Thank you ever so much, I'll pay for this, I promise." Meera nodded as she sipped again and the mug was nearly empty. Blinking a few times as the hot coco warmed her. "Its very good, thank you, but I can not stay. I dont want to be a bother, my Uncle will be expecting me back."

Handing the mug back 3/4 empty Meera bit her mitten to remove it and started to dig into her pocket. "Here you go, its all I have but I can bring more if this wont cover it" Holding out her hand to Xylian she smiled. "here" she offered once more. She jumped when she heard the other voice. "Oh I better go, I dont want to be any trouble." Meera was started to shake but it wasnt from being cold.

 

[Alarice]

Xylian

Xylian blinked when Meera pushed money into her hands. She quickly shook her head and handed it back. "No no. A treat for you--a reward," she added hastily to explain herself. "For bringing the box all this way and to help you when you go outside. It's really cold."

She tilted her head slightly at Meera. It was rare when she got to talk to anyone outside of doing errands, so, of course, there were tons of things she wanted to know. Meera seemed like a ... how did the people say it, "very nice" girl. "You must work really hard," she said, walking Meera to the door. She looked nervous about something but Xylian couldn't begin to guess what.

 

[Drew]

Meera

"I, well thank you." Looking past Xylian and then back she smiled and then looked down. "I..." She was trying to say something but her stomach was in knots. Bitting her lower lip she took hold of the door knob and started to turn it. Looking back at Xylian her eyes danced with hope. "Ah, you wanna play sometime, I mean like we can just, ah...eat cookies or something?" Meera just blurted it out and then looked away.

"Ah, no no, never mind, Im sorry. Work is best. Sorry" Sighing she rubbed her eyes and made sure her hat was on right. Stepping outside she tried to smile again. "Thanks again, Im sorry for being rude, I know work is best. Besides I dont want either of us to get into trouble. Bye" a small frown wormed across her lips as she went down the steps and back out toward her Uncles shop.