Manic Pixie Dream Girls [IC]

[KnightDisciple]

"Lady, we're weeping when we're looking at you right now."

Gabriel floats near the ceiling, putting a bit of distance between himself and the armed Knights. He tilts his head in thought.

"Actually, that's an insult to ladies everywhere, to call you one."

He takes a wide "stance" on the air, lining up his hand as he aims at the Sidhe "noble".

"Only think I'm hitting this frost queen with is a 20 foot long pole of sound."

And that's just what he does, as another of his concentrated sound bursts fly out to strike the Lady of Beautiful Torment. Gabriel clearly hopes to take out the proverbial head of the snake.

[trollthumper]

The blast knocked the Lady across the chamber, into the sealed doors behind her. They cracked with the sheer impact, and the sidhe noble slumped to the floor in a state of repose. The sound was enough to draw the attention of all her knights this time... just long enough for Nick to land a solid blow through the armor of the one that had him at swordspoint. The ectoplasmic claws cut through silver and leather and cloth, but did no lasting damage to the flesh beneath. But it certainly did feel like someone had jammed a set of iron knives into the knight's shoulder. He fell to the ground, clutching at the wound and wrestling with pain, until he finally fell unconscious.

"Well, it's good to know how strong that sense of loyalty is," he said. "Stronger than common sense."

The last knight bore down on Grimalkin, his sword raised... but he didn't move to strike. Instead, he opened his mouth. "In the name of the Lady," he said, his voice tinged with the howl of winter winds and the force of a blizzard. "submit to the justice of Winter."

[Heritage]

"In the name of-"

That was all Grim heard, because as soon as she heard the creepy tone in the fae's voice, she shut her ears...literally, since they folded over and sealed shut. Looking all innocent, the changeling stepped forward, pointing at her chest.

"Oh I'm sorry, are you talking to me? I guess I can't hear you over the sound of you pissing your pants!" And at that point, she shot up seven feet tall into a terrifying gangly apparition, with bone white skin, blood red hair that boiled around her face in an invisible breeze, and eyes that burned like blue coals. Pointing a long crooked finger at the last remaining knight, Grimalkin howled. "You're all alone now, little snow elf! Your precious lady's light has been snuffed out!"

[trollthumper]

Under the onslaught of Grimalkin's dreadful glamour, the knight's resolve cracked like a sheet of ice. Fear crawled across his face; he clutched his sword to his chest, more for reassurance that for any sort of fighting stance, and backed away slowly for the horrific apparition. Once it appeared he had enough space and the specter wasn't going to leap upon him, he turned and fled from the room with all possible haste.

"Remind me never to get you angry," Nick said to Grimalkin.

The last knight still standing and possessed of his wits raised his sword... but as he scanned the room, doubt crept across his face. Clearly the odds were not in his favor...

[Gizmo]

"Now, this is the point where we would typically give you the chance to surrender, since things obviously aren't going your way," Jack explained patiently as he strode up to the last remaining knight, seeming surprisingly casual about his teammate's terrifying display as he abruptly launched into an acrobatic roundhouse kick that laid the final opponent low. "Ain't I a stinker?" Turning to the others he rested his luminous energy blade on his shoulder. "I like this place, it's fun. Off to see the queen, then?"

[trollthumper]

The Lady pushed herself up on her hands and knees, staring daggers at the heroes. "You'll go no further," she said as the winds whipped up around her. "If I have to bind you with blood and bone and bile, you will not escape me. I shall --"

The wind cut out suddenly, leaving the Lady very confused indeed. The doors behind her slowly slid open, and the shadows poured in with them. Fear swept across the Lady's face as a figure emerged from the shadows. She wore a dress of silver chain and hard frost; her skin was the color of the night sky in the last rays of light, and her beauty was something terrible to behold. The Lady's cowardly knight followed behind her, her hand wrung around the neck of his comatose form.

"Entertaining visitors, dear vassal?" said the Queen of Air and Darkness, her words dripping with a chill that struck the heart. The Lady attempted to speak, but the Queen glared down at her. Quickly, a band of clear ice wrapped around her jaw, locking it in place. "As if I had need of any excuse you could offer." She turned to Grimalkin. "It has been too long since you have been in my demesne, child. I take it business with this one has called you back to Avalon?"

[Heritage]

"Remind me never to get you angry," Nick said to Grimalkin.

Grim snorted as she resumed her proper size and appearance. "Who, me? I'm a pussycat."

"I like this place, it's fun. Off to see the queen, then?"

The shapeshifter slowly smiled. "Yeah, it kinda grows on ya." At the mention of the queen, however, she felt butterflies in her stomach. Was she really ready to meet her, this fey woman who had so changed her life for reasons she still didn't understand? But before she had a chance to respond, the woman herself appeared, silencing her traitorous subject.

"It has been too long since you have been in my demesne, child. I take it business with this one has called you back to Avalon?"

Lynn unconsciously bowed her head in deference, not something she was used to doing. "I...yes, milady." But now her curiosity overtook her, and she raised her head to meet those cold eyes. "Although, to be honest, I have no memory of the first time I was in your realm. I know the blood of Silver ran in my veins as a mortal, and I even met the lord who put it there, but to this day I've never understood why you plucked me from the brink of death, and formed this body for me." Then she looked back down to her feet. "So I was hoping you could explain that..."

[trollthumper]

"Oh, dear child," said the Queen as she studied Grimalkin, "you must have known for some time now. You have grown admirably, as well. You have entertained the company of Dalkaresh and walked our roads enough to know what we are. We are word and song and story, child, tales and dreams with breath and blood. Our roles are power, but they are our chains as well. The hand that writes our story is Fate itself, guiding us towards our station. Some time ago -- it seems like aeons, or like yesterday -- I was merely a sylph in an empty wood, who became a dread ogress, who became a handmaid to the Queen and then the Queen herself. There will come a time when my story guides me away from the throne, and I am made a nixie or a knight or a salamander."

She stepped forward and took Grimalkin's hand. "But you... when I saved you from death all those years ago, it was a token favor. The rules of our court are few and barbed, but they guide us as much as Summer's hundred-volume codex, and it was the obligation of Imbolc to bestow the Queen's favor. But you have done so much with it. You grow like us, but you guide your fate. You carry our story in your soul, but it is your soul. As days and months and years fall to history, you will stay what you are, and when your story carves itself into the side of the world, it will be your hand holding the pen. You have become the story of Avalon, child, and of Winter itself! Our glory may fade and shift, but as long as you live, our tale shall always hold some station in the hierarchy of Avalon."

She looked past Grimalkin to her companions. "And I see you array yourself well, with a loyal band," the Queen said. "I take it you are the reason to this one's manifest hubris?" She kicked the Lady in the side, to drive home the point. "Sentence is declared, but it would be nice if we had a charge to go with it. So tell me, good Grimalkin's brethren; how has this one struck at me?"

Nick stepped forward. "If I may speak," he said. "She used the lives of mortal men to try to break free of Avalon and set up reign on Earth."

[Gizmo]

"And while the ladies of your court seem to be each more stunningly beautiful than the last, your Majesty," Jack interjected, taking a step forward and bowing low with a broad flourish of his free hand that sent his royal blue greatcoat faring out behind him, "the whole 'losing their minds' part wasn't really acceptable." Rising, the swashbuckler gave the Queen a broad grin. "I sincerely hope that part was only the result of their wicked plan and not an unfortunate side-effect of all your people's bewitching grace."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel narrowed his eyes slightly as the Winter Queen stepped into the room. He listened through her speech, unconvinced of the superiority of either side of the divide in the Fae Realms.

'It figures she'd save Grimalkin for a chance to be remembered. Hn. Better play nice, at least for now.'

He cleared his throat and took a step forward, giving an exceedingly formal bow and a shining smile at the Queen.

"To elaborate on my noble companion's words, Oh Glorious Queen, this Lady had sent several of her servants, lesser ladies in their own right, to our world. There, they had ensorceled several unknowing mortal men. Not only did they seduce them under false pretenses, they seemingly were taking blood, and possibly energy from them. Then, these men were driven to artificial despair, to the point of suicide. Meanwhile, these lesser ladies were performing a ceremony meant to empower their Lady. Presumably she would use this power against you and yours. Upsetting the current order. And while you seem a most benevolent leader, her apparent madness could spell hard times for our Realm.

And while I understand your perspective on the fate of these men may be different then ours, you must realize we would of course object to someone that drove them to such dangerous feats as they were undertaking. It put others in danger as well as themselves. Thus, we sought out first the servants, then the master, to prevent further such dangers.

If by some chance our efforts have caused larger troubles in your courts, we most humbly apologize."

[trollthumper]

The Queen gave Jack a cold smile. "It all depends on how much an impression we wish to leave, Sir Knave," she said. "There are ladies of my court who would leave you warm and sated, or frozen solid and wanting." She then gave Gabriel a look that mixed regret with pity. "And I appreciate your words, chosen of The Messenger, but turmoil is the nature of Winter. The storm howls with no thought for whom it claims; only the strong and the crafty survive. So you say these little lifedrinkers of hers wished to arm her against my might?"

"It's possible that her goals may have lay elsewhere, too," Nick said. "For all we know, she may have sent her handmaidens out to secure release and safe passage. She wouldn't want to bring her force to bear against you --"

"But against the children of Adam," said the Queen, looking down at the Lady. "Oh, dear, beleaguered vassal, you have spent too long in your manse. Did you really think you could handle the world of the firmament? Look; this band managed to lay waste to you. Always reaching above your station." Fury gleamed in her eyes. "We will have to do something about that."

The Lady tried to crawl away from the Queen, but it was no use. The ice under her shattered like glass, and she fell into shadowed depths, silently screaming all the while. Within seconds, the ice sealed up once more, pristine and perfect. The Queen looked towards Grimalkin. "I appreciate your visit, dear Grimalkin," she said, "and your service to my throne. You have my favor once more, and you and your band have my mark of safe passage from this place. Until we meet again."

The Queen turned and walked through the black doors, which sealed behind her swiftly. Nick scanned the chamber, deserted save for his friends and the fallen knights. "That went rather well, actually," he said. "Considering who we were dealing with. Think we should see ourselves out?"

[Heritage]

"I appreciate your visit, dear Grimalkin," she said, "and your service to my throne. You have my favor once more, and you and your band have my mark of safe passage from this place. Until we meet again."

Grim bowed deeply. "It cannot be soon enough, your majesty, and thank you." Wow, did she really say that out loud? Suck up!

"That went rather well, actually," he said. "Considering who we were dealing with. Think we should see ourselves out?"

The shapeshifter nodded as she vigorously rubbed her arms, as though to knock off invisible faerie cooties. "Yeah, let's, before she changes her fickle faerie mind again." She looked at the rest of her 'band' and smiled with appreciation. "Nice work, guys; good hustle and all that." Then she singled out Gabriel with a pointed finger. "And you! Wow, quite the little BS'er at the end there; you were so full of it your eyes turned brown! You sooo wanted to beat her head in with a cold iron crucifix; I practically had to bite my tongue when you started slingin' it."

[KnightDisciple]

The shapeshifter nodded as she vigorously rubbed her arms, as though to knock off invisible faerie cooties. "Yeah, let's, before she changes her fickle faerie mind again." She looked at the rest of her 'band' and smiled with appreciation. "Nice work. guys; good hustle and all that." Then she singled out Gabriel with a pointed finger. "And you! Wow, quite the little BS'er at the end there; you were so full of it your eyes turned brown! You sooo wanted to beat her head in with a cold iron crucifix; I practically had to bite my tongue when you started slingin' it."

Gabriel blinked, then frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And? You have a problem with that?

After all, less than a week ago, I saw just what havoc the Fae can wreak upon our world. I saw how they hatch plots that span years, decades even, which bring many to harm of one kind or another. And today, I saw little evidence that their overall culture doesn't encourage the exact same thing. You'll forgive me if I'm not an admirer."

He looked at the group as a whole.

"I'm ready to leave as soon as physically possible."

[Heritage]

"And? You have a problem with that?

After all, less than a week ago, I saw just what havoc the Fae can wreak upon our world. I saw how they hatch plots that span years, decades even, which bring many to harm of one kind or another. And today, I saw little evidence that their overall culture doesn't encourage the exact same thing. You'll forgive me if I'm not an admirer."

Grimalkin frowned. "No...I mean..." She wasn't quite sure what to say; she actually meant her statement as a compliment, but could now see how someone who didn't understand her sense of humor or her love of mischief and mayhem would see it differently.

Taking a deep breath, she tried again. "Look, I'm sorry, dude; I didn't mean to imply you were, like, less than honorable or didn't have good reason to hate faeries, because believe me, I totally get that." She stopped and held out her hand. "So can I just say 'nice job', we shake and then we're okay?" She smiled and hunched her shoulders a bit. "Please? I'm not gonna put the whammy on you, this is totally sincere."

[KnightDisciple]

Grimalkin frowned. "No...I mean..." She wasn't quite sure what to say; she actually meant her statement as a compliment, but could now see how someone who didn't understand her sense of humor or her love of mischief and mayhem would see it differently.

Taking a deep breath, she tried again. "Look, I'm sorry, dude; I didn't mean to imply you were, like, less than honorable or didn't have good reason to hate faeries, because believe me, I totally get that." She stopped and held out her hand. "So can I just say 'nice job', we shake and then we're okay?" She smiled and hunched her shoulders a bit. "Please? I'm not gonna put the whammy on you, this is totally sincere."

Gabriel blinked, then gave a wan smile to Grimalkin. He took her hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Yes, you did a good job as well. I understand you weren't really trying to imply such a thing. This whole situation just has me on edge. Consider the matter put to rest."

He looked at the rest of the group, and pointed back over his shoulder, down the hall they'd entered.

"I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going home."