To say that Seren was beautiful during the winter months was an understatement. The pine forest the town was built around provided a sort of barrier against the snow- while the treetops had amassed a couple inches, the ground had only gotten a few centimeters at most. Icicles were beginning to form on the rooftops, giving the gargoyles who lived on them frosty-looking beards. The town was bustling despite the cold weather- the Solstice Festival was only two weeks away.
To Vincent Negroponte, however, winter just meant that it was cold. The young beggar sat on his knees, snow melting through his pants and socks. His entire body shivered, eyes that couldn't see staring blankly into the distance. He could hear the crunching of footsteps moving past him without a second thought- by this point, the townsfolk were well aware that the boy refused any help offered to him. "Good." the boy thought, his hand moving to clutch his necklace. "Who needs- no!"
Vincent's hand had only grasped open air- his moonstone pendant had vanished! Frantically the boy began to feel around for his missing spirit stone, hands finding nothing but snow and dirt. "No no no!" he cried softly, tears beginning to well up in "Where is is it? I can't loose that!"
Illusory bundles of sable and mink may have looked mighty cozy, but they proved no help against the reality of Mother Nature. Fiero shivered just the same, though his hands clung desperately to his falsely conjured furs. Placebo effect did not work well against cold. The fairy, undercover and dressed nicely as always, sneezed as another chilly breeze pushed past layers of magic and directly hit his naked carapace. Passing a few shops and feeling the hearths' heat radiating from inside, he gazed at their doors thoughtfully, but continued past.
There was a reason he had traveled from the forest after all! A great purpose had been given to him by the humans: He was to partake in the Solstice! Sure Fiero had kind of volunteered himself, but what would anyone expect of the Four-Trees ambassador? The event had "festival" in its name. It would be the perfect chance to study the Verdans. And maybe, just maybe, a shot at gaining their favor!
Plus, it kept Fiero from having to go home, at least for a little longer.
The glamoured fairy continued to walk over the snow, so light his boots didn't sink through. For some reason, a few townsfolk seemed to make a point of keeping distance from one side of the street. That struck Fiero as odd, and he slowed his walk.
The young human was scattering snow and dirt around with his hands in a panic. His eyes were wet with the beginning of tears, his motions erratic and obviously in peril. Yet nobody helped him. Fiero looked left and right, a frown crossing his face before he began to approach the beggar. Certainly this was a fluke. Humans were supposed to help right? Yet nobody went to help the beggar.
Therefore, maybe... maybe this is up to me! Should I assist? Yeah, yeah I should right? Of course!
Which is how Fiero found himself crouched next to the man, looking in the snow for something that the man might be looking for. It hadn't even occurred to Fiero to ask. This was clearly what he was supposed to do... right?
The homeless boy shivered as his hands dug aimlessly through the snow, fingers beginning to go numb. Tears were now falling freely from his eyes, growing colder as they ran down his cheeks. The necklace was the most important thing Vincent owned- not only was it tied to his faith, but it was also the last thing he had left from his parents. If he had truly lost it, the boy would never be able to forgive himself.
Vincent's searching came to a halt as, without warning, a pair footsteps stopped right next to him. The sound of a second pair of hands digging through the snow soon sent the boy into a panic. "Hey! Hey!" he cried angrily, head still facing forwards. "What are you doing! I swear to Myyla, if you steal my necklace then I'll- I'll..."
The teenager trailed off, trying desperately to think of something threatening he could say that wouldn't be an obvious lie...
Abort! Abort!
What had he done wrong? Quickly, Fiero turned, confused and conflicted. The beggar wasn't even looking his way, but his tone was obviously directed towards the fairy. Everyone else was keeping distance.
"Oh? What's wrong?" He sat back on his knees, placing his hands on his lap like an obedient dog. "I beg your pard-"
It soon became clear to Fiero that, in fact, he did look like somebody ready to thieve away a homeless person's belongings. The fairy went green in the face, panic bubbling into his voice. "Oh no did I look like a robber? Oh wow I did didn't I? I swear I do not mean to steal anything! My deepest apologies sir! If anything I was just trying to find your... necklace you say it was?" How absent-minded of him. He had already made a social faux pas and it wasn't even afternoon yet.
"How may I make it up to you?"
"I don't know if you look like a robber!" Vincent said angrily, head finally turning in the direction the voice had come from. The boy's cloudy eyes remained unfocused, as if he was staring right through whoever was there. "I don't know what anything looks like, shithead!"
Really, what was with this guy's attitude? Nobody called Vincent "sir"! The teenager crossed his arms. "Why do you even care about helping me, asshole? I don't need help, so fuck off."
Fiero grappled to understand what the man meant by that. He hadn't noticed the beggar was blind, and the reality of his ignorance devastated the fairy. Wow, he was surely on a roll today. His high spirits were beginning to drip down like the water off the icicles hanging from the roofs above.
"I'm, I'm sorry... Can," Fiero's eyes darted to the crowds, wondering how many had noticed the outburst. It felt like a million stares, though in reality none cared. "Can I start over? I did not mean to bother you."
"It's not um, helping so much as owing you for the transgression." Trying to calm down and save face, he smoothed the fake scarves around his neck and stood. "See, it is in my nature to care. If I were to leave having abandoned you in such a foul mood, it would haunt me for the rest of the evening, if not a good fortnight. I am new around town, and want to make a positive impression."
His passionate tone became more excited by the second, an idea striking his mind, "Would you like an invite to the festival maybe? You could be a guest. Perhaps in the meantime, we may step into a tavern and escape this wretched cold, while you can find your necklace. Would that make things up to you?"
In his nature to care? Vincent's nose wrinkled. "N- nobody cares about the impression you leave, jackass!" he sputtered, thoroughly confused by all of this. He crossed his arms, turning his head away from the man. "Besides, I have no business at the festival."
"Got nothing to show off." he added to himself bitterly.
Vincent was about to fire off another barrage of insults, but was interrupted by a loud growl from his stomach. His cheeks, already pink from the cold, got pinker. "Well..." he said reluctantly. A tavern doesn't sound too bad though... I guess..."
At that, Fiero's expression was giddy, obviously excited that he hadn't been turned down. He clasped his hands together (even the invisible pair) and nodded, "Yes! I am sure it'll be warmer inside too."
Fiero stood up, waiting a second as he actually observed the beggar he had stumbled across today. The man's legs in particular. He wished he had been more observant for once, instead of letting his eagerness to help get in the way. But that did raise a question...
"Let us embark?" He didn't know how the man would travel with him. Did he have a wheelchair or some means to transport himself from one place to the next? Fiero didn't know how to ask the question without angering the man further, and he really wanted to avoid it if he could.
Because if he did ask, he'd probably be asking to help assist him. And that did not work out two seconds ago.
"Sweet Myyla, you are so fucking annoying..." Vincent thought bitterly as he heard the man stand up. "It's not like I want your help or something..."
Making an annoyed huff, the boy placed his hands on the ground. "Okay. Walk slow so I can hear you." Vincent would follow the man, slowly dragging himself through the snow towards the sound of Fiero's footsteps...
Fiero acquiesced, keeping a slow pace for the man to catch up with him. The fairy was absolutely mesmerized by this somewhat blunt individual, blind but utilizing his ears to see! This was something completely new to him. He hadn't taken humans for being able to do that. Despite getting off on the wrong foot, he felt somewhat lucky to meet another person of intrigue.
The light pitter-patter of Fiero's boots were barely audible above the sounds of the crowds. Again, he made no impression in the snow. I mean, we're dealing with somebody the weight of a bug. The two of them, one walking as if on tip-toe and the other crawling, was probably one of the stranger sights around town...
Eventually being quiet became too much for him.
"So, do you have a name I may call you? I suppose calling you 'sir' would not suffice," He chuckled - a high-pitched, awkward sound, "I go by Fiero myself."
What the hell was up with this guy's feet? Vincent pursed his lips as he attempted to hear where the man was heading, squinting his eyelids. Among the footsteps and chatter of everybody else on the street, the teenager's new "friend" seemed to vanish. "Maybe he left me behind." he thought, bitterly satisfied. "It's about-"
The boy scowled as the man's voice snaped him out of his thoughts. "It's Vincent." he spat. "If you call me 'Vinnie', I'll... do something..." he trailed off, nose wrinkling. After a moment of deliberation, he lifted his hand. "Give me your arm, twinkletoes." he said bitterly. "I can't hear your goddamn footsteps when you walk like that."
Good thing he clarified because Fiero would probably have called him Vinnie that exact moment. He was definitely the type of person.
"Walk like what? Did I not-" He looked at his fake boots for a moment, as if he'd stepped in something nasty. His confusion quickly fell into ease as he realized. The human-er-Vincent couldn't hear him! Curse these glamours and their nitpicky details. "Ah, I see. Okay." A little hasty, he offered his arm.
The wrong arm. The invisible one.
Curse his lack of coordination.
Vincent grabbed the man's arm, unaware that to anybody watching it looked as if he'd clasped his hand around empty air. A few people gave the them uncomfortable glances as the two young men moved passed them, but Vincent only knew this when...
"Vincent, dear, are you alright? Your arm is..."
The boy narrowed his cloudy eyes. He knew that sugary voice- it was Apirka, Seren's overbearing priestess of Myyla. His upper lip curled into a sneer. "My arm doesn't need a blessing, you busybody! Fuck off!"
A human who blessed other humans? It sounded quite foolish to Fiero. What most humans called divine blessings could be attributed to luck of the draw. Or just magic luck charms if you happened to be a mage. The idea of singular God or gods & goddesses were humorous to the Fae. Putting two and two together, he supposed she was a religious figure for this village here.
He didn't want to step on her toes. So he smiled as pleasant as possible, if that meant departure would be soon to come.
"Ah hello." Fiero greeted her, trying to hide his disinterest by being polite, "We were just on our way to the tavern. You are...?"
Apirka stared at the two young men in front of her, an uneasy smile on her face. Out of everybody in town- and she knew everybody in town- Vincent was one of the ones she worried about the most. The boy's... condition, as well as his abrasive attitude made his continued survival on the streeys nothing short of miraculous- but how long would his dumb luck hold out? And this other man, he was certainly not from Seren. Why was he spending time with Vincent, of all people?
"It's Apirka." the priestess said, nodding curtly. "Apirka Lierre." She stepped forwards, gently reaching towards Firo's invisible arm. " "Vincent, honey, what are you reaching for?"
If Fiero didn't pull away, Apirka would touch his arm and recoil...
Ready to state the oh-so-obvious, his already face seemed paler once he looked down and saw that, yes, so foolishly he'd offered his 'missing' arm. And it had resulted in Vincent grasping seemingly open air. Panic laced suddenly twitchy and jagged movements, a buggy mess trying to wrap his mind around what to do. How could he fix this mistake? Why did he get so distracted? How could he cover this up without startling anybody? His illusion was threatening to break if he panicked much longer. His thoughts were racing!
He decided to go with attempting to gaslight. Discredit the poor woman so that she'd let them off the hook. With that decision the illusion continued its shaky hold.
"Pardon? Whatever are you talking about Aprika?" He asked while quickly placing his visible hand on top of the invisible one, sliding it to settle where his missing arm should be. Basically holding his own hand. "It's just my arm. He's holding on to it so that we may get to the tavern. It's pretty cold out. Right?" He looked to Vincent.
Apirka blinked, then narrowed her eyes. Something just wasn't right about this situation, she just had to figure out what. The unknown man's motivations checked out, yes- but this was Vincent he was helping. The boy was notorious for refusing help when it was offered to him, so what made this newcomer so special? Was Vincent being taken advantage of somehow?
The priestess retracted her arm, smiling. "Why, I was just heading there myself!" she said, voice dripping with sugar. She clapped her hands together. "Why don't we go together?"
Vincent groaned. "Gah, come on! Now I gotta deal with both of you?
Fiero squinted at Aprika even as he focused on keeping his arm perfectly placed over the missing one. Oh it was on. If they were going to go to the tavern all together, nobody was going to be suspicious of anybody. He wasn't about to let his cover be blown! No, they were going to go to the tavern and become the bestest of friends.
His own voice was like being served a spoonful of vanilla extract, "Oh won't that be just fun. I feel honored to travel with a priestess. The more the merrier in my book!"
And with that, began to walk, one acquaintance in hand and the newcomer receiving a smile equal parts friendly and daring to try questioning him again.
Apirka beamed, though her smile seemed a bit forced. "The pleasure is all mine!" she said as she began to follow the two young men. "Lead the way!"
Vincent scowled, muttering angrily under his breath. "Sweet Myyla, just my fucking luck! At this rate I'm never gonna find my spirit stone..."
"So, where are you from?" Apirka asked, staring at Vincent's companion intently. "I haven't seen you around town before. Are you here for the festival?"
A hidden antennae twitched, catching the whisper of Vincent's voice. He was about to ask what was wrong when-
"Oh yes! The festival!" Fiero snapped to attention, oh so easily sidetracked. Yes, the festival. He was very eager to participate. The details were still cloudy in his mind, not fully listened or adhered to, but he'd heard of feasts and community get-togethers and the prospect of sharing in that revelry with humans was too appealing to pass up!
"That's exactly why I came here." He sounded manic with how enthusiastic he could get, "I've been travelling in search of unique and exciting cultural celebrations! Festivals, parties, people... I have such a passion for learning about new and wonderful communities. It's actually my study!"
There was genuine passion behind his voice. No need to hide that!
Apirka beamed at the man, clasping her hands together. "Why, that's wonderful! You've picked a good year to visit too, everybody's projects are shaping up to be something spectacular." The priestess let out a sigh. "Myyla smiles on us..."
"She's not gonna smile on me if I don't find my pendant soon!" Vincent cried. "Please tell me you're not gonna forget!"
"Oh? Oh! Of course I haven't forgotten, Vincent! We'll- I mean, you'll find it-"
Wait what had the priestess just said?
"-it right away. Yes..."
No, no she hadn't uttered that name. He must have misheard. Preposterous. No human even knew who that was right? He only knew the name from scary stories the colony told during Harvest season. Those really creepy stories...
He shivered.
Surely no human knew that name. It'd be silly. That name that nearly struck a chord of fear in his heart, nearly made him choke on his own saliva, made him almost drop Vincent where they stood. He'd heard wrong. Maybe she'd said Mika, or Maya, or some other not-Myyla.
It was okay! No need to freak out! Fiero snapped out of a fear-induced haze, almost leading himself and Vincent straight into a sign. He stopped just in time to look.
"Oh we're here!" He announced, bouncing back into his ever-chipper mood.
Apirka blinked twice, then turned around to give Vincent a compassionate look. "Oh, Honey..." she said softly, gently placing her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Why didn't you say so earlier? We'll find your stone, I promise."
The boy flinched at her touch, pulling himself away. "I-I didn't ask you!"
The priestess smiled gently, a gesture she realized too late he wouldn't be able to see. "You don't need to." she said simply. Straightening herself up, Apirka turned to Fiero. "Take him inside, get him warmed up. I'm going to organize a search party."
Apirka would walk away, her talismans jingling in the distance. Vincent scoweled. "Ugh, goddess! Can you believe her?"
Fiero waved, seeing Aprika off as she went to summon a search party. Well, that hadn't gone the worst... But there was still the festival. Best to be more careful next time...
"I can believe her certainly." Fiero opened the door, immediately feeling the comfortable warmth invigorate his frosted exoskeleton. "She seems genuinely concerned about your pendant, as I was. Is this something you really don't like?"
The tavern was warm and glowing with light. It reminded him of home a little bit. The sound of people singing a drinking song in the background brought a smile to his face. It took some will power to resist attempting to add his own voice to the mix. He could see humans chatting around tables, around the bar, around the hearth... It was beautiful!
He eagerly lead Vincent to a table, setting them up to sit across from each other.
"She only cares because she thinks I'm weak!" Vincent spat as he was led inside the tavern. "If I- if she thought I was stronger, she wouldn't be fussing over me!"
The warmth the building brought was followed by the smell of hot food, and the sounds of laughter and song filled the air. Vincent scowled. "They're probably laughing at me." he thought bitterly. "I bet they think it's a riot." Fiero soon helped the boy into a chair, where he stared blankly into space. "I'm not sure if you could tell, but I'm not exactly rich. I hope you actually have money and not just wasting our time."
Swiftly, Fiero produced a small bag, as if awaiting him to say those exact words. "Of course I came prepared. I'm not an amateur." He beamed, holding a small bundle of tiny, golden pieces.
He was actually sort of giddy. His peers, who had informed him of some basic human conveniences (such as clothes - one should never forget to adorn their glamour with clothes), had allotted him gold bits of varying types and shapes to handle the art of making a transaction.
"What do you want to eat? They have a lot of options here." Actually Fiero had no idea what they had here, but going off of other patrons he knew they at least had soup or mead if Vincent couldn't answer him.
He was hungry himself, but eating while glamoured tended to have some weird results. Last thing he needed was to draw attention after the episode outside.
Vincent's nose wrinkled. "A lot to eat, sure." he thought, folding his arms. "Probably all garbage food." Still, the boy's stomach growled at the thought of a warm meal. Vincent honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd had one, and to make a fuss now seemed foolish.
"Tomato soup." he said flatly. "Get me tomato soup. The chunky kind." Surely, the inn would have that on the menu?