realmofstories | Chapter 04: Act II

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Chapter 04: Act II

A MIDSUMMER ROSE: ACT II—

With the tasks completed, the story progresses onward to the next Act. As everyone falls asleep, their dreams replay the events of the story thus far.

The two queens fought fiercely with sharp words and powerful magic, but in the end Titania surrendered and muttered “just curse the brat.” Carabosse did indeed curse Tam Lin to prick his finger on a spindle and fall into a deep slumber, as well as give the child an invitation to join her dark forces should he ever decide to forsake his family.

While Oberon was hesitant to trust his son with Puck, the rebellious fairy argued that being rough around the edges meant he could better handle a crisis. So the king set Puck the test of retrieving a flower from a dangerous locale and returning with the flower intact, lending the sprite a priceless dagger for protection and a further test of trust.

Puck trusted little Tam Lin to hold the magical flower while the sprite carried the babe, eventually stumbling upon a convenient baby carriage. The two then enjoyed the beauty of the wild forest on their trek.

While still in pain from parting with their son and previous hurts in their relationship, Oberon and Titania reaffirmed their love and trust in each other as they set out to destroy the spindles.

Puck raised Tam Lin more as a younger brother than a son and they formed a strong bond. While Tam Lin took after Puck in being easygoing and playful, they still had a love and protectiveness for the forest they called home. The two would often use Puck's ability to shapeshift and communicate with animals and Tam Lin magically gifted skill with music to soothe and heal injured animals they came across and to protect the forest from any outside threats.

Carabosse did her best to intimidate Nick Bottom into telling her Tam Lin’s location, but the playwright parried her at every turn and even accused her of being a yaoi fangirl. Eventually the evil fairy’s temper reached its zenith, prompting the soon-to-be donkey to challenge her to a children’s card game. Bottom won through the use of sleight-of-hand, but Carabosse caught the cheater, and for his insolence turned him and all the town into donkeys.

When everyone awakens, they find themselves in the forest cultivated by Puck and Tam Lin and once again in their strange fairy forms. It is flourishing, more color, sound, and even music filling the air as sunlight streams through the open branches. However, within the shadows lurk dangers that manage to slip in and the forest still needs care and protection as it will be their main stronghold.

Like before, the magical fairy rings made of flowers and glowing mushrooms will send those who are to act their scenes to their proper location. However, there are other paths illuminated by glowing mushrooms and flowers, each one leading to various places both within and outside the large forest.

One path in particular will lead them to the cursed village where they are to help cure those afflicted by the curse as well as fend off the Erasers and other dangers that threaten the village. However they should be careful as they will have a "curse" of their own upon entering.

§ instructions.

The second Act is underway! This is the designated log for all Main Scenes. Others are free to create their own toplevels for the Sub Quests, which are detailed below. Each Main Scene has their own unique toplevel and those cast into the roles are to thread their scene under each. All scene instructions are provided in the toplevels.

As a reminder, there are two different fairy forms that characters outside the main scenes can take when in the setting of the story. While in Tam Lin's forest, they will take on their fairy form (can be the same as last Act or different). While in the cursed village, they will take on some kind of "hoofed" creature or fairy with a slant towards the equine.

Finally, just to be clear, characters who are in Main Scenes are not immediately dropped into their location and will have to step into a designated fairy ring made of iridescent mushrooms and flowers and then return. Threading all of that isn't necessary, but it's to help give a better idea that characters can take a break between scenes or wait a bit to help with other things like the Sub Quests.

Feel free to refer to the Game Notes for more detailed info as well as ask questions or clarifications.

§ sub quests.

Everyone is free to participate in the Sub Quests. There are no specific top levels, so you're free to incorporate them however you wish in your own top level.

¶ I. Lifting the curse. Everyone in the village has been turned into donkeys, and those who enter the village will also find themselves "cursed" with a hooved form, causing a bit of havoc within the village. The temperaments between each one vary from morose to hostile, and both can be difficult to handle. Some donkeys even stray from the village and need to be herded back, or else they are attacked and killed by the Erasers that lay beyond. To lift their own curse, the Aspects must protect and lift the curse off the villagers. There are a few ways to do this:

The cursed villagers no longer remember who they are, but a reminder of who they used to be could help. Although they cannot speak, clues range from the bits of clothing left on their bodies, their behavior, and the locations they tend to stray to.
The more hostile and aggressive ones may need to be subdued; knocking them unconscious may expel the curse from them.
Finally, there are some glowing white candied roses scattered about the village. Should the cursed villagers eat some, they will be cured.

Reminder: Aspects who enter the village will take on a new "hooved creature" form and must help lift the curse of at least one villager before they can leave the village and get rid of the "curse."

¶ II. Protect the forest and its creatures. With the Fairy Queen caught up in a complicated love affair and Tam Lin distracted by his own romance, the protection around the forests have gone thin, and many fairy creatures are left unattended and vulnerable.

The Forests. Tam Lin's forest has a barrier that must be strengthened every so often by using the pollen of the purple flower and casting it over the barrier. The weakest points will be where the shadows and darkness are greatest, and hostile creatures and Erasers are lurking. For the forests outside, follow the glowing mushroom path to different "outposts" to replenish the magic barrier in the area. Not only can they use the flower, but they must increase the amount of light to disperse the darkness.
Fairy creatures. A cute, little fairy creature may help guide them and even become attached. If not leading them to one of the weakened locations, the creature will lead the Aspects to a special nursery where many of the wounded need to be fed and healed.

Note: Aspects will have their fairy forms while in the forests.

¶ III. Clear the Castle Path. The pathway to the castle is covered in thorny vines and unpleasant fae folk under Carabosse's command. Some are just ordinary plants, while others will come to life and attack anything that tries to pass them. These plants also seem more resilient to flames this time, some even spitting fire and acid. The faes will create illusions and puzzles for our heroes to solve, such as turning parts of the road into blocks and forcing them to try and piece them back together (like Tetris). Other faes prefer being combative, trolls and orcs battle ready to stop anyone.

¶ IV. Bucking Bicycles. Scattered throughout the forest, at first they seem like regular bicycles with toy horse heads attached to them, but anyone who tries to ride them will suddenly find themselves bucked and tossed onto the ground. In order to ride one of these mighty metal steeds, one must first earn its trust. Perhaps a little elbow grease might persuade them, or a nice metal carrot.

¶ V. Wildcard. Make up your own prompt!

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[ What? Of course he---oh, right. Acting. Scene. He sighs. ]

Yes. You're beautiful. Now let's get moving.

[ He keeps hold of Kazuma's wrist to keep him from floating away. ]

I hope you know where we're going.

[Oh no, his face actually turned a slight tint of red, to his remark and to being grabbed by the wrist. The thought of holding his hand crosses his mind. He takes a deep breath.]

This way. [He starts floating along in a direction, wings twinkling.] We have a long trek ahead of us. [Lucky him.]

[ Kaiba walks along the path, his hold loose but ever-present. Following him up to the castle...it's peaceful for a while, and mostly silent. He's not sure what Nick would say. ]

Why did you come so far alone? Don't you have servants to gather what you need?

I prefer doing things myself. [He glances absently down at the hand still holding onto him.] I was searching for someone...you.

[As they wander deeper into the woods, his wings glow through the dimness of the forest. The sound of the river fades behind them, as silence greets them instead, for now.]

Of the kingdom...me? A mere playwright led astray?

[ Not to mention the king. He won't mention him yet. He slips into the silence, fine at first...but then he thinks he hears a rustle in the bushes, and he steps closer to his 'queen', squeezing his hand before letting go to brandish the racket. ]

Whatever the case...we're getting out of here alive.

[ He creeps forward, and there's an answering rustle. He swings at it, and---nothing. ]

Come closer with those wings, my queen. I can't see.

Edited 2020-03-02 04:11 (UTC)

[His arm lingers for a moment when "Nick" lets go of him. Shaking his head, he does as he's told, bringing light to the area. There's a trail of something that crawls along the ground, but other than that, nothing appears from the bushes.]

...Let's not linger here. [He gently grips Nick's shoulder. It's strange, he didn't encounter anything when he made his way to Kaiba, but now the forest seems to be hiding something ominous.]

...right. I'll hurry it up.

[ Normally he'd recoil at the touch, but given the scene...he lays his hand over the queen's and nods. Right. He picks up the pace, trailing just a little behind him.]

Faster. It's getting closer.

[ What 'it' is, he doesn't know, but he can feel it in the hairs prickling on his arms. ]

Edited 2020-03-02 05:00 (UTC)

[He didn't need to tell him twice, but then-]

Look out! [He swoops in to push Kaiba in a different direction as something crashes through the branches. It hisses as it misses it's mark, a large scaley face of a snake-like creature staring them both down. As if one wasn't enough, two more heads peer out from the forest]

Tch. How troublesome.

[ He scrambles to his feet, staring down the face of the beast. That is...not good. ]

Run!

[ And that's what he'll do. He looks ridiculous with all the jumping, but he's fast---not as fast as a flier or a giant snake, unfortunately. One of the heads snaps at him, tearing at his coat---tugging him back just enough to trip.

They're bearing on him. And with no rucksack of toys, all he can do to stall them is ram the racket over their heads as fast as possible. Clunk Clunk. He shoves it down one's throat just before it bites him, still trying to stand. ]

Wait-! [He doesn't have a chance to follow after him as one of the other serpent's heads decides to lunge at him, seeing him like a tasty bug. He'll manage to fly out of it's striking range, as the main head drags the rest of itself after Kaiba instead. A sword would be really nice to have right now to deal with this threat. It nearly has it's fangs bearing down on him, the sight triggering something within Kazuma.

He had to save him, protect him at all cost. His love. The light suddenly shines brighter, engulfing the area and blinding everything. The snakes reel from the light that suddenly brightens the dark forest. It seem to cause the creature pain, like there was some unknown power within the light.

As the serpent beast is momentarily stunned, Kaiba will feel someone suddenly grab him and be lifted in their arms into the air. As they fly away from the light, Kaiba can see he had been rescued by Kazuma, with a furious expression on his face.]

[ Not good. This is Bad. Very bad, actually. He clenches his fists, preparing for a desperate swing against the head when the blinding light hits from behind him. He staggers back, only to fall into someone's arms.

They're hurtling through the air. He can't quite look up until they're further away---it's the queen, of course. Kaiba would rather not fall, so he presses close and clings to his neck. ]

...thanks.

[ He'd always dreamed of flying as a kid, but this is the most bizarre situation for it. He laughs, a little wild-sounding, and presses his head against Kazuma's shoulder. Sorry. He's still a little dizzy.]

[His usual response to such advances at him would be to get away. Instead, he feels himself relax, happy to be given this much attention.] That was reckless of you.

[He holds him closer as he starts to laugh into his shoulder. He glances down at him with concern.] Is everything all right?

Fine. You saved me before they could do real damage.

[ He backs off a little, still holding on but not quite so close. ]

Can you see the way from here? As long as we're clear from them, I can walk.

Edited 2020-03-03 03:14 (UTC)

[He looks ahead. They weren't quite above the trees, but he's certain this was the right direction they need to go.]

It's fine, I can carry you the rest of the way. [They're probably safer off the ground than on it, maybe.]

Sure I'm not too heavy?

[ He's fine. This is fine. He settles in place, looking through the trees at the path ahead of them. Once they're inside he can put an end to this madness.

At least, that's what he thinks he's going to do. ]

Such a strong queen.

[ He's not really flirting in this tone, just cracking a dry joke. ]

I used to work on a freight ship. [He mutters under his breath, face turning a deeper shade of red. That's completely not part of Titania's character, but who cares. He clears his throat, regaining some composure.]

You hardly weigh a thing. Have you been eating well?

[ His face reddens a little too. No potion here, just...incredibly awkward. ]

I'm not tired or malnourished. Running a company just doesn't leave a lot of time for indulgence.

[A curious glance.] ...Well, we'll just have to fix that-

[It happen so suddenly. From the darkness, a scaley tail lashes out like a whip and swats them out of the air.] -Tch! [Using his body as a shield, he turns so that he hits the ground first and somewhat dampen the fall.]

What...

[ He doesn't have time to answer before they're hit. He clings harder as they fall, rolling off as soon as he can and scrambling to stand. The broken remains of his racket are in his hand, for all the good they'll do. He reaches for Kazuma with his other hand, still squinting at the darkness. ]

Edited 2020-03-04 06:05 (UTC)

[Kazuma remains lifeless on the ground, his poor wings and dress torn in places. There's the sound of several things hissing as the three headed serpent beast comes back for round two.]

...Mine. [The serpent beast comes closer, one head readying to strike.] He's mine!! [As suddenly rising from the dead, Kazuma lunges at the serpent, punching the striking head with his bare hand and managing to knock it back. He hovers in the air, wings reforming into something more bat-like in shape and style. His hands and feet form claws, his dress just barely containing the extra muscles. An unsettling laughter escapes him.] I won't let you make a snack out of my love! [He dives into the beast, causing the ground to shake. Though he was fighting off the beast, he's not exactly paying attention to Kaiba and making sure he isn't getting harmed from incoming claws, heads or tail.]

[ Well. That escalated quickly.

Kaiba did his best to scramble away in time, searching the clearing for anything he could use to fight back. He was strong, but not as strong as whatever had overcome Kazuma right then. He got a few glancing blows in his rush to escape, but he was fine. But wait--

There are small, sharp rocks on the ground, almost card-shaped. And he has solid aim.

He picks up a few of those rocks, crouches behind a boulder, and pops up just long enough to aim for the serpent's eyes. ]

On your left!

[ A warning for his enraged 'queen' before he lobs them.]

Eh? [He sees something being thrown and manages to get out of the way in time for the rocks to make a direct hit at one of the snake's eyes. Taking the opening presented to him, he kicks the snake's head into the other, crashing into a tree and knocking it over.]

Thanks for the support, sweetie~! [He winks with a smile.] Just let me clean this up and we'll finally be on our way. [By "clean up" he means beating the crap out of their skulls until they're knocked out, or dead. Probably the latter, if not told to stop.]

[ Kaiba watches as long as he can bear to. He's really feeling uneasy about where this is going. ]

...I don't think it's moving any time soon.

[ He's still a little concerned about injuries. Kazuma took the brunt of more than he did. He cautiously steps up to Kazuma's side. ]

Can we get going?

[He's still punching away, smiling with joy. It's when Kaiba press the question that he finally stops.] Going? [The poor beast twitches, it's definitely not going anywhere. His hands were bruised, and there were bits of blood splattered from the creature, but besides that, he appears unharmed.]

...Oh, I suppose we should. But how are you doing? Did it hurt you anywhere? [He floats around Kaiba, poking and prodding him in places without asking.]

Only some scratches. I---ah. I'm fine.

[ His outfit has some tears in it, and those would be the places, but he's fine. Just some minor aches. ]

We can talk inside.

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