The Case of the Missing Cooki--er, Children

[celestial_wizard]

WHO: Various Interested Parties (i.e. Anyone! Newbies, Oldbies, Applebees -- )
WHAT: The Mystery of the Missing Children!
WHEN: in...abouuuuuut... RIGHT NOW
WHERE: Fayren Woodlands and Fayren Farmlands mostly


Whoever you are, wherever you are, if you're in Genessia City or Fayren today, you may find yourself being accosted by an elderly woman in her late sixties. Her wrinkly sun baked skin is dotted with freckles, a long white braid over one shoulder with stray wisps of hair coming loose. Her posture was stooped and she walked with a slow hobble, muttering to herself and trying to get the attention of anyone who would stop.

"Sir.. Sir have you seen this girl?"

"Madame, have you seen this boy?"

"Oh poor me... poor me..."

"Wherever could they have gotten to..?"

- whenever she drew near enough to someone or if they slowed down to listen, she grabbed for their arm with a surprisingly strong grip, and spoke in a voice that was raspy.

"Such a sad fate...such poor children. Please, won't you hear me out?"

--------------------------------------

The woman gave her name as Wuada Tuis and she solemnly informed anyone who listened to her, that several charges under her care had seemingly disappeared overnight. She and her cousin Ai Xudanon have been searching for the children (a total of six missing little ones in all) who may have been kidnapped somewhere between the farmlands and the forests in Fayren. Unfortunately they can't travel there as it is perilous for such elderly souls and won't such fine, strapping young creatures help them out kindly please. A reward of course, is offered.

[ OOC: OKAY. I'm going to be setting up multiple threads so HOLD YER HORSES <3; you can talk with the old lady, go straight on to investigate places, sit back and eat cheese or other. I encourage threadjacking because who doesn't like new CR? Also as a side note even if you didn't respond to the OOC post you can participate. The more the merrier :3 I lied. You can't really sit back and eat cheese. ]

Comments

[onecream_fivesugar]

We won-Woah!

[She'll grab the map from the lady as she's picked up and literally carried away. She'll flail helplessly until Gamagori put her back down. She'll breath a sigh of relief once her feet are back on the ground.]

H-hey what was that fo-Oh! of course I do, I never leave home without it!

[celestial_wizard]

[ Ohhooho. The display was too amusing for words. Her dry cackle of amusement follows the pair until they're out of earshot. Kids. ]

[kiryuin_shield]

Have it at the ready, and be on high alert.

[Also, good luck keeping up with his giant-teir strides, Ruby.]

I'm not so sure this woman is what she seems to be.

[onecream_fivesugar]

Okay? I'll do just that.

[She's doing just fine keeping up with his strides, she might have to jog to do it, but she's doing it.]

Really? She seemed just fine and dandy to me.

[kiryuin_shield]

Then why would she send two complete strangers to search her home unattended? For all she knew, we could have been thieves seeking to capitalize on her misfortune.

[He stops for a moment, crossing his arms and tapping an elbow.]

No... even if she knew she could not overpower us she would have at least wanted to come with us to keep an eye on us and make sure we didn't steal anything.

Something isn't right about this.

[onecream_fivesugar]

[She'll step in front of him and look him in the eye as he thinks.]

...Or maybe she thought we were super nice people who'd never steal anything? That's always possible too, right?

[kiryuin_shield]

[Have a very sour look.]

If that's the mentality of the world you live in, I envy you. That kind of thinking in my world would get you killed in a heartbeat.

[With the exception of Makanshoku. ...Come to think of it, how Mako survived in Honnouji Academy is... rather mystifying.]

[OOC: You should be proud of me. I almost had him reference his height, but I avoided it. :D]

[celestial_wizard]

[ That's right Ruby, you defend that sweet old lady! Gamagori is just jealous of her silver hair. Or wrinkles. Something. By the by, does it seem a little foggier along the way to the old lady's house to you? Stuffier? Maybe? ... nah, that's just your imagination. OR IS IT. ]

[onecream_fivesugar]

Hey! Not everyone in my world thinks that way, but it would be great if they did! There's nothing wrong with having a bit of hope!

[She'll stomp her feet and glare right back up at him.

Ruby's too busy being annoyed with Ira to realize just how foggy things have gotten.]

[ooc: So proud of you.]

[kiryuin_shield]

[Gamagori sure notices that fog. He just resumes trudging to where the woman pointed.]

Hope is one thing. Blindly following that hope without being aware of danger is another.

[onecream_fivesugar]

Pffffft! If any danger shows up, I'll just kick it's butt, easy as that!

[kiryuin_shield]

And if it strikes you first because you were unprepared?

[...Why yes, that is a brief flash of light, and an even briefer flash of full on nudity as he activates the Shackle Regalia.]

[onecream_fivesugar]

Then I'll beat it u-

[Hey even just that brief flash of full on nudity is enough to get Ruby to slap both hands over her eyes.]

-Hey! Hey! A little warning next time you decide to just change like taht!

[kiryuin_shield]

[Gama just rolls his eyes behind the visor as he walks, a little slower this time. Even through the ball-gag though, his voice is just as clear and authoritative as before.]

This is exactly what I mean. If I had meant to attack you, the battle would already be over.

[onecream_fivesugar]

[Oh, you are just asking for sass, Gama.]

You don't know that, I'm pretty amazing in fights I'll have you know! Do you even know what I can do? Huh!? Do you!? That's right, I'm pretty sure you don't!

[kiryuin_shield]

And I am just as certain that you have no idea what I am capable of, either. The only thing I am absolutely certain of is that you are incapable of breaching my impenetrable defenses.

And judging from what I already know of you, I feel safe in saying you do not have the same discipline as I do.

[onecream_fivesugar]

Pfffffft! We'll just see how impenetrable your defenses are once they're penetrated!

[She'll huff and kick a wayward can down the street.]

Let's just go find these kids already...

[kiryuin_shield]

[Have an amused snort from behind his visor.]

You're more than welcome to try, if you are so confident.

[He does turn his attention back to where exactly they're going, hoping Ruby still has the map and knows where they are.]

[onecream_fivesugar]

Normally I would, but we have more important things to do right now.

[That's right Ruby, think of the children. She does have the map, but well she hasn't been paying attention to it for a little while and she'll make a quick awkward turn to put them back on track.]

[kiryuin_shield]

[Gama nearly trips over Ruby as she veers so suddenly.]

Something else has been bothering me about this whole thing. The farther we go toward our destination, the thicker this fog gets...

[onecream_fivesugar]

[Keep up Gama, she's on a mission. ...And she has a terrible sense of direction.]

Is it supposed to be foggy today? We haven't got a paper in a couple weeks to know...

The weather's always kind of wonky around here anyways.

[celestial_wizard]

[ ... sure you guys aren't lost? Nah. Keep walking and .. eventually you'll come across a cottage. Probably. It's very disorienting in that fog though, but provided you don't get completely turned around, the ground will soon become very brittle. Though the fog doesn't completely clear it'll be easy to navigate the way to the house nearby if you so wanted. Assuming it's the right house. ]

[kiryuin_shield]

[Hey, you try moving around freely while tied up like a mummy. He's just thankful that his size means he has long legs, and thus can clear more space in one step than Ruby. Still, when the ground changes, he nearly loses his balance as his foot breaks through the top layer.]

If this were natural fog, wouldn't it be more evenly distributed over more of the city, rather than localized in one area?

Just... keep your guard up.something is very... odd... about this place.