[Patchouli is not amused. A moment after exiting the disgusting pod, she has dried off her long dress with magic and parked herself briefly in front of the Hologram. It looks like the sort of scientific magic that she would find on the other side of the barrier. Her suspicions that Yukari is the culprit are promptly shut down by Weiss' image, and the little device in her hand explain.

She holds it up, reminded of something that Sanae girl has, then shrugs.Her gaze then drifts to the city streets in front of her. With a sigh, she resigns herself to the inescapable situation.]

[Video]

My name is Patchouli Knowledge, and I am a wizard from Gensokyo. I will not waste your time with idle chatter, so do not waste mine. I am looking for an establishment that sells books, particularly on your realm's magicks and spirits, as well as the nearest business that may serve me coffee. I would also like a place to set up residence. Preferably one with low moisture and little sunlight, so as to not damage my books. 

If you have nothing meaningful to say, do not waste my time with your 'welcomes' and by repeating anything in that Hologram. I do not care to make friends, so do not bother.

[But actually: Do bother this stick in the mud.]

Who: Adela (enchantressofore) & OPEN
Where: Genessia City, then Fayren
When: Late March
What: She's been idle in an assistant's position for too long, and Adela has decided it's time for a change. Even if it might not be the change she wants entirely.
Notes and Warnings: None for the moment, will change as required.

A. Genessia City, Cat's Eye Cafe

Some time off, a news paper, some coffee, and a table all to herself. It was an idea and comfortable setup, and it had the red head looking over the job section thoughtfully. If she wanted to afford a house with Smoker and Miaka after all, she knew that she'd likely have to take a second job in order to help cover the cost. It wasn't like she could just apprentice at the local forge or act as a journeyman blacksmith, as much as she might have wanted to. Where would she get the money for such a thing?

The thought coaxed a depressed sigh out of her, and she drank down the coffee she had almost all at once when it was cool enough to do so without burning her. There was... Admittedly, one listing that looked interesting to her, but that required something else first. Something which would mean fighting past her reservations and swallowing her pride. Then again, it might have been worth it for the chance to keep her skills sharp and her body strong.

Well, maybe something to eat before heading out would coax her to actually go back there. Even if she didn't like it. She could afford a little more time at the cafe before going, and who knew -- maybe she'd meet someone interesting while she was still there.

B. Fayren

For the moment, it was only bad memories she carried of this place. Now that she was there again though, she was determined for the experience to at least be different.

She was alone, pulling an old cloak around her body -- it was the one place where her old clothes would be appropriate, after all. In a way, it was a little taste of home. The days when she and her uncle would visit the castle town, and even if it was cold and raining it was nice in a way.

It might have been so nice that she completely neglected to watch where she was going, bumping into someone's shoulder and slipping with a yelp. Rainwater and smooth cobbled stone were a disasterous combination on old boots after all, and she hit the ground hard when she fell. A soft groan left her before she looked to the other party, a little flushed and frowning before she made to get back to her feet.

"I apologize for that... Are you all right?"

[Qubine starts his feed with a weary sigh.]

All right...now that Fayren is more or less back to normal, I want to bring up something that's been on my mind.

A few weeks earlier, I took care of a bounty in Fayren, namely a group calling themselves the Fingers of Decay. According to the notes left with the bodies of the mages they've tortured and killed, they wish to continue the work of the Hands of Decay. For those of you who are unaware, they are a group of cultists who believe that all magic and its practitioners are evil, and wish to eradicate them all from Fayren. I would just like to say, if there are any "Fingers" remaining out there, I would strongly urge them to think.

And if, after careful consideration, they still decide it's in their best interests to continue fulfilling the Hands of Decay's ideals, I would strongly urge them to think.

Again.

[The last word is spoken with a strong hiss, meaning the Fingers or the Hands of Decay had better not continue their work if they know what's good for them.]

[Mavis appears on screen for the first time this week. She seems calm and focused but not as smiling as usual. Maybe because this has been a difficult week, full of sad news.]

Hi. Guardian Mavis Vermillion talking.

For people inside or outside of Fayren, please keep clear of the Royal Castle and of the Ivory Tower until further notice. This is for your own safety.

I wish to protect all of you as I commited to do but I can't do so if people act on their own and take inconsiderate risks.

[She's been made aware of the rescue missions organized by people outside of Fayren and it clearly only made it worse.]

Please also report any of your acquaintance who might have been turned into ice statues. We'll send healers your way. [Or they will at least find a safe place to keep them until the magic that's affecting them is broken.]

Also I have the regret to inform you that Sir Dorian Pavus appears to have left Genessia. This means that the position of Light Magic Instructor of Fairy Tail is now vacant. If you're interested, feel free to contact me or any resident of Fairy Haven. We'll contact you back as soon as possible. [Which means probably when all the nonsense is over.]

Thanks you for your attention. Please feel free to contact me directly or any of Fayren's Deputy Guardians, namely Erza Scarlet, Alice Margatroid, Qubine and Konoka Konoe, should you have any question or concern regarding the ongoing situation.

[A small smile and a nod before she cuts the feed.]

( Private video message to all Fayren Deputy Guardians )

( Private video message to all Guardians )

( Private text message to Zeref, Jack and Tatlyn )

WHO: Winter Schnee, OPEN
WHAT: EVENT - Reign of the Ice Queen begins! See the loose outline for a general idea of when the events take place. You're welcome to make threads here or individual posts to the network.
WHEN: January 14th - 31st (tentative; may end sooner depending on character actions)
WHERE: Fayren
NOTES: Original event post is here for more event details. Don't forget to add your character tags if you join in!

( Outline of Events - OOC )

Despite the weather predictions in the newspaper...predictions that were seldom ever wrong...the day was not met with sunshine and a smattering of clouds. The temperatures dropped severely, and a bitter wind swept through the towns. Sleet pelted the rooftops, then hail, driving people indoors.

Then a heavy blanket of snow began to drift down, sealing up the bald patches of grass, icing the streets, and piling up higher and faster than seemed wholly natural.

By noon, the whole of the realm was steeped in at least a foot of snow, if not more. It sloped against doorways, weighed heavily on rooftops, and lined buildings with toothy, shining icicles. To the shock of the few townspeople that dared to venture outdoors in the unbearable weather, they saw that the royal structure had been completely covered with a thick sheet of ice that sealed the drawbridge, the windows, even the arrow slits. Stranger still, the castle was completely silent. There were no sounds of soldiers, no captains barking out commands.

Investigating the castle uncovered some unsettling sights. A man near the back was frozen solid with a pick in his hands, undoubtedly attempting to break the ice that sealed the castle. Another person stood close by in the familiar robes of the Ivory Tower, fingers outstretched and mouth opened as if in the middle of an incantation to throw magic fire to melt the ice. It should have been clear to even the dimmest of dimwits that trying to break, thaw, or remove the ice around the castle in anyway carried dire consequences.

By evening, the troops began to move through town - creatures molded of snow and ice were by far the most numerous, but there were also ice trolls, enormous polar bears wearing elaborate platinum armor, even mischievous rime fae. All of them roamed the streets, particularly the bears and trolls that always moved in pairs, and seemed to be openly patrolling. Anyone who defied them were suddenly flash frozen on the spot by a bolt of blue light that stabbed down from the pearly gray skies, and carted away, seemingly back toward the castle, but none truly knew their final destination.

An undercurrent of fear began to spread through the town as more houses were frozen over -- no one could say whose house would be encased completely in ice, but those who fell victim knew the cause just before they were frozen solid.

No one was allowed to defy the new reign of the Ice Queen. No one was allowed to speak ill of her. Either they agreed to continue their lives under her rule, or they would be punished. And that was all there was to it.

Who: Alice Margatroid & Mavis Vermillion
What: The Mightiest Magicians actually make time to talk to each other.
When: After This amazing conversation. On the same day! (obviously backdated)

[Having a doll legion has it's advantages in getting ready for literally anything. All though, when Alice flew to the entrance to the archway connecting Fayren and the cavernous road leading to the Palace of the Earth Spirits, she only had Shanghai and Hourai, her two helper dolls.

Alice awaits on the Chireiden side of the archway for Mavis's arrival and smiles kindly when the Fairy Tail leader appeared, right on time as stated.]

Ah, there you are. Before we begin, I'm sure you have questions about me or my magic?

WHO: OPEN TO ALL!
WHAT: Holiday party! Date auction! Shenanigans.
WHEN: December 15th, 2017 - Evening
WHERE: Fairy Tale HQ - Fayren
NOTES: The auction and the kissing contest are time sensitive! Bids close and the last kiss will be accepted on Friday, December 22nd, at midnight PST!

Fayren didn't have electricity, but it had something even better.

MAGIC!

There were twinkling colored lights that burned, flickered, and floated in an ethereal way, enchanting the building in a way that fluorescent lights never could. Branches of evergreen were hung here and there to give the air a fresh pine scent. There were also pinecones doused with cinnamon and nutmeg near the doorways.

Except near the kitchens, because the food smells were more than enough to entice the senses. There were mini-sausages swimming in a thick and spicy sauce, sweet and tangy meatballs on toothpicks, vegetables and dip, bite-sized cream puffs, iced sugar cookies, cheese and crackers, mulled cider, and eggnog in alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.

The main room, expansive as it was, had plenty of room for music, dancing, and mingling. There were some tables and several chairs set up, and a small stage where musicians were welcome to perform to their heart's content. To the side was an even smaller stage where a sprig of mistletoe was suspended on a loop of scarlet ribbon, with a sign that reads: "Test Your Passion! Win This Arcade Game!" And next to that was a full-sized arcade game version of Alley Brawlers. Might be worth checking out!

But there were more games than that, and more than a few maps set up on easels of the headquarters and where to go to play certain games. A single lane bowling alley (with manual set-up of the pins), a "fishing" booth where people toss a clothespin on a fishing line over a curtain to have a little prize attached by someone hidden on the other side, a ring toss for cans of soda, a cake walk (with full-sized cakes for the winners and cupcakes for the losers), ornament decorating, pin-the-tail-on-the-unicorn, face painting, a pool of rubber ducks with numbers corresponding to prizes on the bottom, goldfish scooping... Almost anything one would find at a carnival was sure to be found here.

As for the auction? Step right up, right past the gauzy white curtains into a big room lit with twinkling golden lights. Anyone was welcome to come in, but if someone wanted to participate as a bidder, they'd have to make a donation at the door. In return, each donor would receive a packet of 100 red tickets with the same number assigned to the bidder name: one roll of tickets with 101 for the first donor, a roll of tickets with 102 for the second donor, and so on.

Cookies and punch were available in this room, with several tables and chairs set up before a large stage with a microphone. Along the wall was a line of clear plastic boxes, with slots on top, set in front of each auction date's face. A card that indicated the name of each person, their age, and a brief description of what they were all about was pasted onto the front of the boxes. People were welcome to look at the line-up if they wanted, or even use some of their tickets prematurely if they wanted, as they were clearly for a drawing. Until the auction starts, soft piano music plays from a stereo running on batteries.

[The video kicks on to the hermit in her natural habitat. A workshop surrounded by hundreds of semi-autonomous dolls, all busily cleaning and organizing Alice's tools. She was at her desk with a book in front of her, gazing kindly at the camera as a pair of dolls deliver a cup of tea for her.]

Alice Margatroid here. It's been a long time since I last used the network.

So it appears to be that time again for the city guardian elections. While I ran last time and, unsurprisingly, failed, I don't plan to run again. There's no use in competing against a vastly more qualified candidate like Mavis Vermilion. Still, I enjoyed my time as Deputy Guardian under Amagi and wish I could continue and will continue alongside my security dolls until the end of this month when the new guardian comes into office.

Come the day to cast your votes, I wish all Fayren candidates, and all candidates across this world, the best of luck.

[Alice nods to the camera, and the feed ends. Publicly, at least.]

(Private Video - To Mavis)


While I do endorse you and plan to vote for you regardless of reasoning, I just want to express my disappointment that, of all of Amagi's deputies, you chose to bring just Qubine back with two new potentials and not include me in the line-up.

If I may ask, whatever for?

(Video)

[The video feeds kicks on to a pretty blonde who is not looking to pleased with her dressing arrangements. A silly bug antenna headband, bouncing around playfully as she tries to take it off. Not much else can be seen at the moment.]

As much as I like dressing up my dolls, this is annoyingly ironic. Is this supposed to be a bumblebee costume?

[The camera pans backward, likely carried by her helper dolls as Alice allows a full view of her costume, a one-piece leotard with black and yellow strips across her midsection, a quick turn reveals bee wings and a stinger on her bottom.]

This is not funny!

(Action)

[Alice didn't like this one bit. This is way to revealing and she can feel the stares of men on her, and it was writing her out. She can't concentrate on making dolls and doing her deputy duties like this. Who would even take her seriously?

Alice walks through the cobblestone roads of Fayren, going from clothing shop to clothing shop, trying to get a new outfit, only to end up back in the sexy bee costume again.]

This is ridiculous! The foolishness of these holidays have gone too far!

In the outskirts of Fayren, on the edge of the forest, there's a nice secluded spot where a small hill resides. By all accounts, today is a day like any other. The weather is as predicted, and nothing out of the ordinary seems to be happening for a change. That is... until around noon.

What can only be described as an explosion of purple energy engulfs the area surrounding the hill. It forms a dome of swirling energy that can be seen from some distance. Anything it touches is pulled into the dome and ripped apart until there's nothing left. When the dome finally recedes, all that is left is a barren crater. A few wisps of smoke rise from disparate parts of the crater, but at its center is a lone figure, panting and almost... growling to himself.

Mewtwo has left yet another mark on the wilds of Fayren.

Who: Attleton Guardian crew and open
Where: Attleton
What: General catch-all post for the Guardian's office
Warnings: Added as needed

Feel free to make your own open or closed threads, and interact with one another.

( A. OTA )

( B. for Alice )

( C. for Aya )

[This comes out nervous and slightly quiet. Almost as if Flandre's regretting this.]

I...I don't know if anyone else may know about this so, there may not be a answer I'm looking for.
[There is a pause, chiming and then she speaks once more.]

What if the person you thought you knew wasn't yours? I mean..Like say they are from a different timeline or even world? How you you take it or if it was you, how could you bring it up with people you care for?

N-Not like I'm saying something but..I'm curious.

I know a lot of people have had various feelings about me in the past. However, Fayren has been uniquely open in its dealings with me, and those I care for. As such, I have an announcement of a sort to coincide with the Guardian election.

Fayren is under my protection. Any attempts to weaken it, or harm it will be met in kind. I do not care who you are, or what your station, if you harm Fayren, you answer to me. Not even our potential Guardians are exempt from this.

[The seven-coloured puppeteer appears on the screen. Her magic dolls busy at work tending to mundane chores in the background.]

Good evening, everyone. I am Alice Margatroid, candidate for the Fayren guardianship.

It's that time again for all to cast our ballots and choose who we want to safeguard our fair cities. Please follow your hearts and choose whom you believe to be the best choice. You are part of the voice that speaks for Fayren. Go on, and vote, and do so without regrets.

I am well aware that I tend to be... Introverted. Which is why I'm taking this opportunity to highlight many things I have done and can do for Fayren.

[A helper doll descends on screen and settles in Alice's hands.]

I am a magician youkai who specialises in doll magic. Manipulation of dolls. I am a puppeteer. Through my magic, I can have dolls that I made perform just about any task I have them do.

During the terms of Satori Komeiji's, I assisted the Fayren soldiers in protecting Fayren during a monster attack, as well as those red-robed creatures during Xander's term. And when the Hands of Decay were active, Satori asked me to design security dolls to be placed at business establishments to humanely capture criminals. This left the Hands unable to function.

We are recovering, still, from a breach in the barrier. Fayren, without Guardian Xander, was hit especially hard. I did what I could from the air and on the ground to protect the citizens as they retreated to safer locations.

Outside of crises, I made home-made sweets and handed them out to people and performed puppet shows for the populace.

And what more can I do? I want to help bridge the gap between mages and non-magical. I may be a magician youkai, but I was human once. I believe I can help build that bridge. Further more, I have a "Phantom Sight," where I can see through illusions.

That is all I wished to share. To my fellow candidates for Fayren's guardianship, good luck to you all, and may the best woman, and dragon, win.

Who: Satori and YOU.
What: Response to Spirit Event.
When: Backdated to the start of the attacks.
Where: Chireiden
Warnings: None

( If there are any burning questions you also might have, don't hesitate to ask. )