A Midsummer Dream in the Making (Ophelia vs Dixi)

"Fair enough. Being fairies, terrain isn't as hindering as it is to humans." She noticed the old house in the clearing. It seemed isolated enough to be hidden from any ill-intended visitors. She followed Ophelia while listening to Katarina. When she arrived at where the taller fairy was waiting. "It's okay, I just need a moment to catch my breath after the little scare and then we can continue looking for those spirits. I'd feel bad not getting rid of them now and leaving you and Katarina with the looming threat after you saved my neck back there."

She was really focused on that...and she felt indebted to them, to boot. How sweet. "Please, I insist. We do not get many guests these days. Regrettably so, at that. Allow us to at least make you something to perk you up before we go out once again. If there truly are these "evil spirits" that are causing people distress, then having you at your best would give you the greatest fighting chance, wouldn't you say?" With that, Ophelia stepped inside and ushered them in.

"Plus, we need it too. The rest of the forest can be hard to navigate, too! We're definitely going with you, just so that you don't trip and hurt yourself." Katarina still sat on her shoulder, legs going back and forth on her seat.

They both made a good point. She would rather not put them in danger but she would need their knowledge of the forest. She pretty much learned her lesson the last time she was in one. Much against her stubbornness, Dixi had to cave in and accept before walking into the house and stopping in the middle of the room. "I suppose you are right. Thank again, Ms.Ophelia."

"Please, take a seat." While the house wasn't exactly flourished or new, it was surprisingly clear of most dust or cobwebs. The living room had a round table with a few chairs, and Dixi was free to take one. Katarina fluttered off of her seat onto the edge of the table. "I will make something for you as well, Katarina. In the meantime, please keep our guest company."

"You got it!" Ophelia gave a little bow as she went off to the kitchen, leaving Dixi with the little fairy. "So, how much you know about fairies, hmm? I know most humans don't know a whole lot. Why do you think they call it "fairy tales" after all?" She giggled to herself at the joke.

Dixi took a seat and looked around. Despite of how old the house was, it looked... Homely. "About fairies? Well, mostly basic stories. That you feed on people's mana and are quite the tricksters and a bit mischievous... Although, I don't really think you and Ophelia are mischievous, at least you didn't give me any reason to believe it and I haven't met any other fairy so..."

She shrugged. The last time she headed into an investigation of this kind without taking time to learn about the inhabitants it ended up being a setup by some corrupt politician. She wasn't willing to let that happen again, that much was for sure.

"Welllll...you're not wrong! We do feed on mana from humans, and even midara. But, most of the time, we do it in a way where they don't even realize it's gone! We're not all that tough. Starting fights is the last thing we want." The true purpose of all of this wasn't lost on Katarina, but she was an incredible actor.

In the kitchen, far out of sight of the other two, the mysterious shadow formed itself to speak with Ophelia directly. "So what's the plan, then?"

"Simple. I give her something that will make her sluggish without her realizing it..." She reached into the cabinet for a few herbs she had managed to gather across the forest. Some lavender, some chamomile, and a little passionflower. All of them were tasteless and colorless with the way she placed them specifically into her cup, but the effects would be very felt. And the flavor she chose, a bit of lemongrass, should make her feel energized before the effects start to kick in. The woods were home to many different kinds; it was likely one of the big reasons that humans even went deeper in the first place. "And we lead her into a wild goose chase, build up some trust. We have a few accidental spills, she fully puts her trust in me, time will fly and by the time she is satisfied, we'll have her back here to feast upon. And that's where you come in. What you did with the ravine was perfect, a few more of those and she'll be putty in our hands. Plus, I can imagine you can illusion up an 'evil spirit' or two for her to slay, yes?" She giggled a bit at the wording.

"Easily. Make her a hero, wear her out too much to return home, and then claim your prize. Oh, do I love this dastardly side to you." The dark-haired woman kissed Ophy before vanishing back into the shadows. Three cups of tea, one much smaller for Katarina, and Dixi's own specially crafted for her.

"Most fairies are actually afraid of people, truth be told. I mean, think about it from my perspective. You're huge! I wouldn't wanna deal with making you angry. That just seems like a terrible idea. I-"

"Tea's ready." Ophelia's brought out all three cups on a tray, placing Dixi's right in front of her. The tea had a slight yellow-ish tint to it. "We still had enough left over for some lemon flavor. I may need to restock for some of our herbs and fruits, though. It's been a little bit since I went exploring for some of the kinds growing through the forest. I hope you will enjoy it. The flavor should perk you up a little."

"Yeah, most of the stories I have read mention that and don't worry, I'm not someone easy to piss off." Dixi chuckled and patted Katarina's head. The little fairy reminded her to Pix thanks to her little size. "I guess being so small means you need to be more strategic, probably that's where the 'mischievous' part comes from in the stories.

When Ophelia placed the cup in front of Dixi, the woman picked it up and smelled it. "Tea smells really good, Ms.Ophelia." She took a sip, enjoying the flavour, completely unaware of the mixtures in it. "Ah, in that case. Let me help you with that once we are done. To repay you for your kindness and help."

"The young ones do!" Katarina took a sip of her own cup, for her it was entirely energizing with its flavor. Dixi would not feel the effects of what she put within her cup for a couple of hours, at the least. "Before they become Elder Fairies like Mom, we have to be crafty."

Ophelia also enjoyed her cup, noticing that Dixi was completely unaware. Good, just like she figured. Even the most refined of taste buds would have trouble noticing anything was amiss in that cup. If she had been born human, Ophelia would have been an excellent chemist and poisoner. "Be sure to drink down that cup. A little extra energy will be vital if we are to spend the day prowling about the forest. I suppose if we are successful, we can spend some time restocking. Only if you are not too worn out by that point, however. And if the trail does not give you further trouble. I will do my best to prevent that from happening, however. And I do appreciate the offer." She really did have a motherly vibe from that smile. Perhaps Dixi was rather lucky to run into them the way that she did, even if her first meeting had left an...impression upon her.

As Katarina finished her own cup, she looked up at Dixi. "So what's this 'evil spirit' thing about, anyway? What's it do? And if we find it...are you gonna be okay? You seem pretty competent, but even still..."

Dixi continued to drink the remaining tea. She could feel energized as she did. "Man, the tea was delicious." She placed the cup back on the table and looked at Katarina. "Apparently it's what's causing people to stop traversing the road through the forest. Now they either rush in group or use a carriage because of it and don't worry about me. Despite the initial clumsy moment I can take care of it when the time comes."

Ophelia's hand scratched at her chin in thought. "If these spirits are what's causing people concern about traveling...it would probably be best to check close to the main road first. The humans are afraid of simply moving from one end of the forest to the other, yes? That means that most would likely not go past that."

"Oh! Oh!" Katarina sprung her hands upwards trying to get the attention of the two. "If we can't find any clues when we get there, maybe we'd have more luck waiting for someone to travel by! If it's affecting people going through the forest, we can wait for someone to go through and see if anything jumps them!"

Ophelia brought fist down on her open palm. "An excellent idea. We shall have to keep that in mind." The elder fairy rose up from her chair and moved that same chair back into place. "Considering the path we used collapsed on us, we may have to take a longer way around to the main road. For your safety, of course. Wouldn't want another spill like we almost had earlier. And I am sure you are very capable, but I would also prefer to not have someone accidentally break a leg today, if I can help it."

"Good plan, Katarina." With their plan set, Dixi sprung into her feet and placed the chair back to its original place. "Hmm, yeah, I'd rather not break a leg." The raven haired woman chuckled. "Alright. I'll follow you two, Ms.Ophelia, Katarina."

Ophelia nodded. "Then let us be off, while we still have daylight on our side. It will be quite a ways, after all." Katarina fluttered to her feet, before taking a familiar seat on Dixi's shoulder. "Have you already gotten used to that spot, Katarina."

"Yup! I don't like having to fly if I don't have to. Let's go!" Ophelia chuckled a little before leading the way out, fully convinced that things were working in her favor. It would be some hours before that started to kick in, and that gave them plenty of time to let the plan fully take root. As they left, Ophelia guided Dixi a different direction they had came, knowing the ravine they had traveled was no longer a good option for someone like her. Far too dangerous. She wanted her alive and well, after all.

Unfortunately, the alternative path was far steeper, having a natural rock wall separating the ground they were on between the path below. Ophelia showed no signs of concern as she carefully hopped between stone to stone on the natural terrain, her wings fluttering to give her a small boost with each other. She really did look light as a feather with each movement, before coming to the bottom. For a human, it would be much harder to carefully make her way through such terrain...and Ophelia's partner in crime was expecting that, lying in wait for her opportunity.

"I'm with you right here! So...go for it!" Katarina gave a thumbs up as she fluttered off her shoulder and floated down by her feet. Having someone to monitor her steps should, in theory, keep another accident from happening.

Dixi followed Ophelia through the new route. It was more steep but if she was careful Dixi had nothing to worry about. "Man, you fairies sure are nimble on your feet." Dixi watched Ophelia move down before looking down herself. "Alright, hold tight, Katarina." She took the first little jump, unaware of the presence following her.

"Left!" Katarina shouted out as she made the first jump, guiding her to somewhere she thought was safe. And sure enough, the first one held! She had to balance on one foot, but it was stable enough. "Aaaaand right!" Keeping the rhythm between each one, she could guide Dixi with each step to hopefully prevent another spill. This continued for a few times, before...

"And lef-wait no-!" Both Dixi and Katarina were in the back and forth motions and by the time Katarina realized that the step below her was far from stable, it was too late. Dixi's foot pushed the rock under her foot free, causing it to slip despite her best efforts and fall backwards from the rock wall. "DIXI!" Katarina reached for the back of her shirt to try and hold her up, but she didn't have nearly enough weight to carry her any distance and was pulled right along with her with a shout. "MOOOOOM!"

Ophelia was right on hand underneath as she scooped up the falling woman into her arms, the force causing her to spin a little before she was able to stabilize, just barely staying upright. By the time she was stable, she was holding tightly onto her in an embrace. "Oh my goodness, are you alright?!? My word, no wonder people do not want to enter the forest...Katarina, Dixi, are you two okay?"

The little fairy certainly looked dizzy from the fall, but thankfully she looked unharmed. Her head was definitely spinning, though. "Eugh...why is the world spinning...hold on, I might throw up..."

"Tsk!" As they were falling, Dixi spinned on herself, taking up Katarina on her arms and placing the little fairy close to her chest. She didn't want the little one tl get hurt after all.

In the end it wasn't necessary, as Ophelia was quick to catch them both. "O-Oh, that's twice already you saved my neck, Ms.Ophelia. T-Thank you... Um, c-can you out me down?" She felt a bit embarrassed being carried like that after all.

Katarina, unharmed, but very queasy, slowly rose from the hold that Dixi had gotten on her when they fell, fluttering in a very shaky pattern into the air. "T-Thanks, Dixi...but, uh...hold on, for just, a minute..." She held back a burp as she floated behind a tree, the rush of excitement getting to her. She would be fine after she got that out of her system, after a moment.

"Alright, I'll let you down...provided you promise to be more careful with yourself. Like you said, that's the second time I've had to make sure you didn't hurt yourself. The third might not be so lucky. No more spills, I'm making sure of it next time." Her voice had a stern tone to it, but it came out more like a parent gently chastising her child than anything nasty. It really was a powerful look, too. A gaze like that would make anyone feel small in comparison. The figure lurking in the shadows was even aware of that look, and it occasionally worked on her, too. It surprised her how easy this "subtle" approach had been. Making a few rocks jut out and look more stable then they actually were was child's play, but the results spoke for themselves.

Dixi nodded, feeling a bit surprised by the stern maternal look from the fairy. "O-Okay, don't worry. I'll make sure to be more careful." When the fairy let Dixi on the ground, the black haired woman looked back at the rocks she had slipped from. Once again, she could have sworn that the rocks were more stable than they really were. Perhaps Katarina was right when she said that things looked more safe than they really were...

Katarina was busy letting a little out of her gurgling stomach behind the nearby tree, the tumble downwards a little too much excitement for her. It was only a little bit, though. From the shadows, a little cloth reached up to wipe the bits of her clean, and also to pat her on the head, before vanishing back into the darkness. She was looking out for her daughter, even now. And she could do that without blowing her cover.

Katarina floated back to join the two of them, wiping the side of her mouth. "Sorry..." She burped a little, slowly recovering.

"That was a nasty fall for you, too...do you want to go back to the house? I'm sure Dixi and I can handle things from here, if you are not feeling well..."

"No! No...I-I'm fine...besides, I'm...probably safer with you, right? Just...no more falls, please..." Katarina shook her whole body, trying to shake off that feeling before going back to Dixi. "Wouldn't take much for an evil spirit to mess with someone in this place, huh? Let's get goin' and find it, so I can go home and sleep..."

"Sorry about that, Katarina. You sure you'll be okay?" Dixi a bit guilty for Katarina, if she had kept a closer eye to her surroundings and the state of the rocks where she was hopping on, the little fairy wouldn't be feeling sick. "No more falls, I promise." She would need to be more careful, she didn't want the little fairy to get hurt after all.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine...was just a little jumbled about, no big deal." The little fairy stretched her arms upwards, before going back to her familiar spot on Dixi's shoulder. "If it's all the same to you, though, I'm just gonna...sit here a while, till I feel better."

"Very well. In that case, we should make our way back to the main road for now. It is a bit closer to ground level, so I will personally make sure we do not have any more spills. Now, let us be off." The elder fairy pivoted herself the other direction as she began walking in the right way. She hadn't planned on actually jumbling up Katarina in such a way, but it might work out in her favor.

"Sure, take the time you need, Katarina." Dixi gently patted Katarina's back with a finger and then looked at Ophelia. "Main road should be close. We have been waling for a while, man that tea sure was energizing." Stretching her arms, Dixi continued to follow Ophelia back towards the main road, if they were going to begin investigating somewhere, that would be the best place to start after all.

A smile crossed her face when she was faced the other way. She knew her partner and lover was watching over them. And she was beyond smart enough to pick up on the details on the fly. She had Dixi right where she wanted her. And all she needed now was to buy time and wait for what she had given her to kick in.

It took about half an hour before they were back on the main path, paved out from the natural earth and different color. The rest of the trip went without incident, and now they were free to search for any clues. "So...how would we find an evil spirit, anyway? Would they leave clues? Or..." The little fairy looked around the area for a moment, before noticing something. "Hey what's that?" She pointed over to a nearby tree, which seemed to have a strange purple mark on it's side.

"Oh, my...good catch, Katarina." Ophelia approached the mark and placed her hand on it, and it was even...sticky, to the touch. She had really gone all out in making this believable. "Eugh...how vile." She turned to Dixi. "Is this close to what you were looking for?"

Dixi approached to inspect the mark on the tree. She wasn't the most experienced when it came to dealing with spirits and the such but she made sure to investigate before setting off in her assignment. She touched the strange mark, sticky as it was maybe it was left by whatever they were chasing. "It might be. Good find, Katarina." She looked around, trying to find any more marks like that, maybe they could find a trail nearby.

Ophelia flicked the strange substance off of her hands, a little disgusted. "I'll admit, this is the first time I've seen something like this on the trees...but that does mean we might be on the right track." All she needed to do was keep following the trail that she left for them. She had been thinking a few steps ahead, it had seemed. Plus, evil spirits might be something she was familiar with.

"Oh! Over there!" Katarina pointed to another mark on a tree a little ways past, the same purple-ish color. "Oh gosh...there might really be some sort of evil spirit out here! W-We're gonna be okay, right? I-I'm not all that tough, you know..." Katarina, the master actor, was playing her part beautifully, practically shivering at the thought. She could make out at least three other marks, giving them a trail.

Dixi looked at the trail and then gently patted Katarina's head to comfort her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to deal with the spirit." She looked at Ophelia, then at Katarina and then back at Ophelia. "Maybe it would be best if I headed in alone. It could be dangerous for you and Katarina, Ms.Ophelia, I wouldn't want you two to be in danger."