~Hakurei Shrine~ > Kosuzu's Grand Bookstore
First Against the Wall
Hello Purvis:
A chill wind greets Lemon Drop as she emerges from her burrow under the old tea bush in the Forest of Magic. Shivering, she tightens her scarf a little and wades out into to the waist-high snow. The wind blows again, gently setting the icicles in the trees to tinkle against each other; Lemon Drop hardly pays any mind to the musical backdrop it creates, lost in thought and flicking her wings against the breeze. She can feel something far more important than any chill in the air, a sort of tenseness in the world waiting to spring forth.
"Some May, isn't it?" calls out a voice across the way.
Lemon Drop does not bother to reply, nor does she loos up when she notices another faerie approaching from the corner of her eye. Instead she continues to sort out the weighty thoughts that have been with her all morning, rather than her usual wondering about the weather or whether she made sure she let the fire burn down properly. She can almost taste the electricity in the air now.
"Hey, you okay?" asks the other faerie, as she reaches Lemon Drop's side and shakes her on the shoulder gently.
Lemon Drop turns to face the other faerie; a short blond with her hair in ringlets and wearing a thick and lacy blue dress; and says, "Sullen Plummet, it's time."
The wind ceases to howl, leaving a heavy silence between the two. Sullen Plummet looks at Lemon Drop with wide eyes, her lips drawn into a tight line. "It's...time," she repeats softly.
Lemon Drop can hear the unspoken question in Sullen Plummet's voice ringing loudly as a church bell. She nods, and gently places a hand on the blonde faerie's shoulder. "It's time, my friend, for the Revolution."
Slowly, the other faerie's jaw drops. Her eyes widen even more, as though trying to bring in more information to make sense of the strange new world she has entered. Then the edges of her lips quirk upward, ever so slightly. "Yes," she says softly. Then she laughs, just a little. "Yes! The time has come!"
Lemon Drop's face splits into a smile. She knew that her friend would understand. They would all understand. The time has come. The Revolutionary Party has been born!
****
Eagerly, Lemon Drop and Sullen Plummet walk through the forest; flying when wind permits. Not a word is said between them. Lemon Drop could hardly think of anything else that needed to be said. Sullen Plummet understood that the Revolution was coming.
They continue along their path, until Sullen Plummet holds up a hand and stops. Lemon Drop follows suit. The wind calms, and in the quiet she can hear voices coming from a nearby thicket. She nods to Sullen Plummet and smiles. With that, the two make a beeline for the thicket. Lemon Drop listens carefully, picking out a few familiar voices as she carefully steps around the branches and brown leaves of the dormant foliage. A few soft 'paff' noises tell her that they are coming to the end of a snowball fight.
For a moment, she wonders if it would be alright to join them. After all, a good snowball fight would help her prepare for the struggle to come. And it would be fun to plant one right between Tea Leaf's eyes, after borrowing her favorite sparkly piece of granite and losing it... Lemon Drop shakes her head. No! There will be time for training later! For now, the word has to be spread.
"Hello Lemon Drop, Sullen Plummet," says a tall, ginger-haired faerie; Lemon Drop recognizes her as Ficus Blossom; as the two carefully push through a thick and thorny raspberry bush and join the group. A dozen or so faeries are gathered here. "We're going to have a party and make a Snow Lily," Ficus Blossom continues, "Maybe it'll help encourage her to announce spring already!"
Lemon Drop nods. That did sound like a good idea. She hadn't built a snow anything for a few days now, and it would be a good idea to encourage Lily White to hurry up and announce spring, before it was time for summer... She shakes her head again, trying to clear out such musings.
"No," says Lemon Drop. The sounds of play and laughter fall quiet. Beside her, Sullen Plummet is silent but nodding.
"No?" asks Ficus Blossom, clearly making a conscious effort to keep her mouth from hanging open. "But..."
"No," says Lemon Drop again. "It is time." The words go through the gathered faeries as though the electric in the air had surged them, leaving them stunned. Lemon Drop nods, to confirm the thoughts that she knows they are having. "It is time for the revolution, my friends."
The silence gives way to a wave of excited chatter from the gathered faeries. Lemon Drop smiles as she sees many of them nodding excitedly and agreeing that the revolution has come. Then she notices that Ficus Blossom, and two other faeries aren't sharing in the excitement of the others. Instead, they have gathered together, talking quietly among themselves. Her smile drops.
With a bold stride, Lemon Drop approaches the trio. "You're with us, aren't you?" she asks, keeping her expression neutral and trying not to betray any hint of a threat.
Ficus Blossom straightens, and turns from her two companions to face Lemon Drop. She too keeps her face neutral. Sullen Plummet and the other faeries fall quiet, arranging into a half-circle around Lemon Drop, while Ficus Blossom's two companions gather behind her. "We're going with the Snow Party," says Ficus. "We not part of your Revolutionary Party."
The sound of the wind fills the otherwise silent air. Lemon Drop nods once. This, she realizes, is a serious affair. Already the party is dividing. She can tell that Ficus Blossom, although approaching the issue from the other direction feels the same way. They watch each other for a moment, then Lemon Drop starts to move! Quickly, Ficus Blossom shifts to the side.
BONK.
"Ow!" says Ficus Blossom.
"Ha!" replies Lemon Drop.
Lemon Drop pumps a fist to the air, while Ficus Blossom stumbles back. Then the ginger-haired faerie regains her composure and rubs her head. She nods to Lemon Drop, who offers her a warm smile. Ficus Blossom gives a little smile back, and Lemon Drop knows all is well. The Revolutionary Party remains whole and unchallenged.
As the three hitherto-errant faeries join with the rest of the group, Lemon Drop turns to face them. "Spread the word, everyone," she says, looking at each of their expectant faces as she does. "Everyone must know, the revolution is here! Quickly, find you friends and tell them!"
"What will we do after that?" asks a dark-haired faerie that Lemon Drop dimly recognizes as Treacle Flower. She pauses, having to admit that is a very good question. She glances to the east, where she can see the sun is still hovering not too far from the horizon. "When the sun is overhead," she says slowly, "Gather everyone at...um...the Old Stone Bridge! Yes! There, we shall plan our next move! The revolution shall be arranged there!"
The gathered faeries break out into cheers and whoops of encouragement. Lemon Drop crosses her arms and smiles back at the crowd. What a perfect idea, she tells herself, completely pleased that she thought of it. It only makes sense, after all. Soon after, the faeries of the Revolutionary Party break off into twos and threes, scattering in all directions. Sullen Plummet and Ficus Blossom join with Lemon Drop, as they too leave the thicket to see out other faeries. There was no time for standing around when the revolution had to be spread.
(Purvis sucks at the self editting, please be kind)
Pesco:
tl;dr Purvisiscool
VIVA FAERIE REVOLUTION!
Hello Purvis:
Together, Lemon Drop, Sullen Plummet, and Ficus Blossom continue to spread the word of the Revolutionary Party. First they encounter a group of a half dozen faeries who professed their allegiance to the Snow Faerie Party and devote themselves to making imprints of themselves all over the Forest of Magic. It takes but a few words to convince them that it was time for the Revolution and send them to the task at hand. Soon after, they encounter the Ice Skating Party by a frozen stream. These faeries prove to be a little more difficult to convince; Sullen Plummet takes it upon herself to prove her loyalty to the Revolutionary Party by subduing their leader herself. That affair neatly resolved, the trio then continue onward to the Other Little Hollow where the cold wind carries the smell of fresh pastries; the work of the Baking Party. The encounter with the Baking Party leads to heated negotiation, as they argue they couldn't leave their work to spread the word lest their foodstuffs burn. Ficus Blossom wisely resolves this issue by assigning the former Baker Party members the task of assuring that the gathering at the Old Stone Bridge would have light snacks for everyone.
Not only that, twice now they are approached by faeries hoping to bring them news of the Revolution and draw them into the Revolutionary Party. It was all Lemon Drop could do to keep from bursting with pride. The Revolution really was coming! Everything is falling into place so perfectly, it was just as she had hoped. Soon everyone would be gathered, ready and eager to further the revolution. And there would be danishes! The somber silence of the early hours of the Revolutionary Party were no more, now the trio chatter and laugh among themselves.
Soon, though, their chatter dies away to a sort of wary silence. The next leg of the trip would be the worst. Peaking through the trees, Lemon Drop can see the eaves of the Black White's Cottage. Only the bravest faeries would go near it this time of day; everyone knows that the Black White was notoriously grouchy right after waking up. As such, there was always at least one group of faeries nearby, plotting something.
Keeping her ears open, Lemon Drop and her companions walk along the snow drifts beside the worn path leading to the Black White's Cottage. Only a fool would walk on the path itself, where it was easy to be seen. Or, worse, to not be seen and run over by a careless human or youkai. Soon, the wind brings the sounds of whispers from above to her ears. She stops, calling Sullen Plummet and Ficus Blossom to a halt, then says, "Up there." The three crane their heads upwards, and quickly discover over a dozen faeries excitedly whispering among themselves in the boughs of a leafless maple tree.
After the wind dies down, the Revolutionary Party takes to the air and lands near the gathering of faeries. Lemon Drop quickly looks over them, and can't shake a feeling of disappointment at not recognizing any of them. "Hey there!" says one of the faeries, a short brown-haired one carrying a winter-browned sunflower. "We're gonna go to the Black White's house and draw nasty things in the frost on the windows! She's gonna flip her lid and it'll be so great!"
Sullen Plummet giggles, clearly enchanted by the idea. Lemon Drop shakes her head and, with gravity sharpened by practice, says, "Not today. It's time for the Revolution."
As expected, the gathered faeries begin to chatter excitedly as the idea takes hold over them. Lemon Drop casts a quick glance toward the cottage some dozens of yards away, but there seems to be no sign that its resident has heard them. "But," says, the faerie with the sunflower, cradling it closely, "we're gonna get her so bad...and it'll be-"
BONK!
"Ow!" says the faerie, nearly dropping her sunflower.
"Ha!" answers Ficus Blossom, thrusting her fist into the air.
Lemon Drop gives her companion an approving nod. "Good work," she says. Then she looks to the gathered faeries, who watch her expectantly. Lemon Drop straightens herself up, "The Revolution is coming, can you feel it in the air?" There is a chorus of nods and ascents. Lemon Drop crosses her arms and gives them a nod in return. "Of course you can! Our time is nigh! Soon, we shall bring the Revolution to Gensokyo, and drive our oppressors to their knees!" She uncrosses her arms to gesture and wave with increasing energy. "Now is the time! You must do your part to further the Revolutionary Party! Go! Go now and tell every faerie you meet! And when the sun is overhead, bring them all to the Old Stone Bridge, and the Revolution will truly begin! We shall overcome!"
"There's going to be pastries!" says Sullen Plummet.
"Yes!" says Lemon Drop. "There will pastries! With icing!"
The gathered faeries of the now-extinct Black-White Pranking Party cheeri and bounce on the branches of the tree, sending a shower of icicles into the snow drifts below. Lemon Drop beams at them, crossing her arms proudly and feeling nearly five feet tall. Then the rustle of branches catches her ears. She looks toward the noise to see a largish faerie flying toward the group as fast as she can.
"You're not going to believe this!" says the interloping, beaming a grin so wide one might fear for the well-being of her cheeks and hovering near the party while panting for breath. "At the edge of the forest, I just found a kitty!"
"Kitty!" squeals several of faeries, including Ficus Blossom.
"C'mon, let's go play with it!" says the interloping faerie.
"No wait!" cries Lemon Drop. But it is too late. With a flurry of wings and joyful squeals, Ficus Blossom and nearly half the faeries depart immediately. The rest, including Sullen Plummet, look between their retreating friends and Lemon Drop. "N-no," Lemon Drop stutters. "The Revolution..." But in her heart, she could understand. There was a kitty out there! She could be giving it ear scratchies right now...
"Yes!" says Sullen Plummet, "The Revolution!"
Lemon Drop raises her head, doing her best to banish all thoughts of soft, fluffy kittens. "The Revolution!" she repeats. "It is time for the Revolution!"
"But..." says another faerie, her looking between Lemon Drop and the now-distant members of the newly-formed Kitty Party "There's a kitty..."
Lemon Drop freezes, her heart not letting her cast aside the validity of that point. But, her mind tells her, it is time. Suddenly she grins, grasping the truth of the situation. "We will play with the kitty after the Revolution!" The other faeries gasp. "Yes! After the Revolution, we will play with the kitty! After the Revolution, there will be many kitties!"
And with that, Lemon Drop knew the Revolution could never fail, nor would its supporters.
FinnKaenbyou:
--- Quote from: Dr. Purjewry M.F.D. on August 29, 2009, 10:44:24 AM ---"We will play with the kitty after the Revolution!"
--- End quote ---
I died.
Seriously, Purvis, how much is there that you CAN'T do? O_O
Hello Purvis:
Hopefully you are also appreciating the in-depth view into faerie psychology as well =]
Before you ask, I'll try to do the next bit tonight.