RP:The Hunt for Snow Bees
Characters
Winter Berry Garden
As you step into this area you find that their is nothing but piled up snow and ice, however upon closer examination, you find that this place is growing small plants not yet bloomed or ready to be harvested. The tiny plants, still young and growing are dark blue in color with black thorned leaves. Tiny buds can be seen upon the plants, almost as white as the snow which surrounds you. The only way to go from here, is back to the east.
Neema once again found herself in Frostmaw, looking a whole lot better than the way she left last time. Her wing was repaired, thanks to a nice wolf man. That definitely made travel easier for her. The avian didn't know what brought her back, since any other time something horrifying to her like a pack of wolves would make Neema avoid an area like the plague, but there she was, stepping through the snow in her awkward wobbly walk and looking around. Her movement comes to a halt once something blue catches her eye. Berries? In this cold climate? Neema blinked a good four or five times, believing her eyes were tricking her, but there it was. She waddled in the snow, closer, practically touching a little blue berry with her nose. The avian squinted, then made a little shrug and almost resumed movement to wander off and explore some more. Too bad she was lost, just like last time. Having no sense of direction wasn't a good thing at all.
Satoshi's reason for being in the tiny garden is far more intentional than Neema's, although it's with evident surprise that she finds the beekeeper present as she steals furtively into the hedged area, obviously staying low to keep out of someone's sight. "Oh." The magus blinks, straightening hurriedly and taking on a more dignified stance than her previous crouched scurry, feigning self-consciousness for her actions. A moment is taken to also right the makeshift crown--a giant's elaborate silver-braid ring--from its skewed place on her head before Satoshi offers any further words. "Fancy meeting you here. Not wolf-hunting, I hope? They don't like flowers much, y'know." Her tone is teasing and casual, at odds with the cautious, searching glance she throws over her shoulder.
Neema pretty much jumped out of her skin at the sound of Satoshi's voice. She thought she was alone for one, and after being nearly mauled by a wolf last time in Frostmaw she wasn't too happy with what she thought to be sudden appearances. It was the avian's fault, though. She really needed to pay more attention. After her giant hat is fixed -- it was knocked sideways when Neema jumped--, and she's calmed a bit, Neema casts her widened eyes over at the ice magus. A few moments pass before she says anything, while she files through the names and faces stored in her noggin for the right one. The avian grins a little once she finds a match, "Satoshi, right? Nice seeing you again." Brow arches at the ring on her head, unsure of what it's for or what it is, exactly, but it's forgotten once wolves are mentioned. The beekeeper's head makes a little shake, "Nope, not at all." Her eyes wander over to the berry she was previously having a staring contest with, "I kind of got lost, and found these. I didn't know berries grew in cold places like this..Or flowers, for that matter." Her voice trails off, noticing the glance Satoshi makes over her shoulder. Neema's head tilts sideways, "You don't think more wolves are going to pop up, do you?"
Satoshi flashes a toothy grin at Neema's question. "No wolves here." -Unless an antimage pokes at the fountain again- is the silent addition she makes before continuing, "I'm expecting a giant to pop up, though. Right about... Now!" The last word is a hissed whisper as the feline ducks low again behind a bush, a hand reaching out in an attempt to drag Neema lower too. Seconds later, a frost giant trots by the entrance to the garden, his armor clanking loudly with his movements as he searches around frantically, calling out, "Snow Maiden! Your majesty!". Once he passes, Satoshi stands once more, pretending to dust herself off. "If he expects to guard me, he has to learn to keep up with me~," she trills to herself, glancing at Neema then and grinning. "And oui. Flowers do grow here, Neema-swan. Not often, or many, but they can. Wish more would grow, though. Snow flowers are lovely en masse."
Neema glumped. Giants? …Yikes. She's pulled down beside Satoshi, nearly toppling over at the sudden tug. Luckily, the avian manages to keep her balance and crouches awkwardly on the ground, widened eyes only growing wider at the frost giant that appears. She blinks at his words, and waits til the giant disappeared to stand back up beside Satoshi. "'Your majesty'?" Brows raise again as Neema turns to the feline. Clearly, she had absolutely no idea she was in the presence of royalty. Of course, her thoughts are jumping from that to the next thing she hears. Flowers, along with the confused expression taking over her features at being called Neema-swan. She liked the sound of it, and chuckled a little. Her attention was back on snow flowers right after, and once a period of silence has passed, something in the beekeeper's head clicks, even if it didn't make much sense to her. "It's too cold up here," she mutters to herself, thoughts of bees whizzing by a mile a minute while she brushes past Satoshi to peer at those little blue berries again. "There's no way at all…Right?" Her head shakes, "No. Maybe?" She gnaws on her lip, peeking over her shoulder at the ice magus with a quirked brow. "Flowers need bees to pollinate, usually. Have you seen bees around here before?"
Satoshi bypasses Neema's question about 'your majesty'--save for an absent adjustment of her ring-turned-crown--and deftly keeps to the subject of flowers. "Bees? I've never seen any real ones, only a handful I conjured up once. But... some sort have to exist, for these flowers to grow at all, don't they?" Satoshi's no gardener or druid, but she at leasts knows enough about bees being necessary for a flower's survival. Moving to stand beside the avian, she stoops to poke at one of the closed white buds with the air of a quizzical child. "I wonder where the bees are, then. They've got to be somewhere, if we've got flowers, right?"
Neema nodded. She was shaking, half from cold and half from excitement. Bees that could live in extremely cold temperatures? She definitely had to get her hands on one…Or a whole hive, if she could find one. That would be all kinds of amazing. Now the excited beekeeper was thinking of a thousand things she could do if she had just one of those bees, if they even existed. Crossbreeding? Maybe they'd have different honey, or perhaps their stings would cause a strange reaction? What if they flew faster? This was too much. She -had- to find one. "We'll have to wait for one to fly by here, I guess," was Neema's kind of late reply to Satoshi. Then, as if on cue, her pointed ears pick up on that lovely buzzing noise of her favorite little insects. Now the beekeeper is anxious, eyes frantically darting back and forth for the source. Her voice is hushed, directed at the ice magus, in a really tiny whisper so as to not scare the bee off. "D'you hear that? ..I can't see where one is, but they're here."
Satoshi's ears prick up instantly, swiveling back and forth rapidly as they go through the motions of that feline technique designed to pinpoint a sound's location. "I hear it... It's..." Slowly, she listens and creeps along, following the buzzing to a clump of bushes half-buried beneath a bank of snow. It's there that the magus halts and crouches, her trio of tails making a beckoning gesture to call Neema over to where she's pointing excitedly at a single flower half bloomed. There, hovering busily over the flower is a tiny bee, white and pale blue body many degrees fuzzier than a typical honey-maker, even its antennae coated in a layer of the 'fur', with translucent wings that give off a sheen reminiscent of ice. Needly black legs graze the petals occasionally as the insect flits about, oblivious of its watchers. Satoshi, in cat-like fashion, can't take her eyes off the miniscule creature, and sits there lightly trembling with the suppressed urge to catch the bee between her hands.
Satoshi whispered to Neema, "No wonder we have so few flowers... One bee to do all this work?"
Neema would've squealed with delight once Satoshi found the bee, but knew better. A loud noise might make the critter buzz off, never to be found again. She follows the feline's beckoning tails excitedly, taking extra care to keep from falling over flat on her face from tripping like the avian usually did. She inhales a sharp gasp at the bee's frosty appearance, long-fingered hand clapping over Neema's mouth to stifle it. Never before had she seen such a strange looking bee…Well, if you didn't count Buzz. She was kind of like a bee. Neema can't take her eyes off of the bee, but catches Satoshi's whisper. Her head shakes while she leans over to the feline with her own whisper, "Keep watching it. Once its taken all of the pollen it wants from that flower it'll fly back to a hive. Then all we have to do is follow it~!" Her feet began to fidget while she continued to watch that white and blue bee. She wanted it to fly off, and hopefully while stalking it find more of its friends.
Satoshi is as much a-quiver as Neema, although the avian's excitement is out of love for bees, while the feline's is more a predatory urge to stalk and catch small, quick things. It's only her curiosity over this peculiar insect that stops her. And the whispered promise that they may just find -more- of them. With that thought in mind, Satoshi nods her agreement with Neema and continues to watch the bee, doing what cats do best. Wait.
Neema couldn't believe what she was seeing, just like pretty much anything new and unfamiliar to her. Her eyes were set on that bee, following it after it had taken all the pollen it could carry and began to fly off. The avian's cautious steps were close behind the bee, and she knew Satoshi would be following as well. Just as the beekeeper said, that lone bee led the pair to a hive, and it had to be the most peculiar hive Neema had ever seen. It looked like a twinkling hive-shaped block of ice, hidden amongst the snow-covered bushes. It was transparent, with every single nook and cranny of its interior visible to any looking from the outside in. She knew somewhere within the confines of that hive was a queen, and if it were possible, Neema would definitely try sticking a hand in and snatch it. Of course she was hesitant though, unsure if whether or not these snowy bees were aggressive or not. There were several of them buzzing around the hive, entering and exiting it. She almost struck up the courage to make a grab at one, but opted not to and turned to Satoshi with the happiest grin on her face. "Look at them!" She whispered excitedly, continuing to fidget, "They look like little snowballs almost."
Satoshi is no longer watching the hive, her attention for the miniture display of spectacular architecture torn away by another force of nature. The source of the low bee count: it appears as a dark cloud at first, low and moving fast, but it's the droning noise that comes from it that marks it as no mere vapor formation. A mass of frost hornets, of the white and blue northern variety much like the snow bees, are on the attack. And the hive is their target. These aren't pleasantly cute like the bees, however. Bodies are hard-lined and armor-like in appearance, marked in jagged lines or white and dark blue, and with long, barbed stingers of an abyssal black. "Erm," Satoshi offers, giving Neema a sharp jab to the shoulder before gesturing to the angry swarm swiftly approaching, thus far undetected by the bees. "This esn't going to end well for the little snowballs, huh?"
Neema didn't like the look of those hornets at all, which explained the frown when Satoshi brought them to her attention. Diverting their attention from the precious snow bee hive, then coming up with a way to do away with the hornets seemed to be the only possible solution in her mind, so the beekeeper stooped to grab a handful of snow. After making a ball, she chucks it in the hornet's direction with the intention of getting them away before they could do any harm. It didn't do much besides agitating the mass of hornets a bit more, and knocking maybe two or three down to the ground. She turned to Satoshi with a troubled frown. "If we don't get them away from the bees, there won't be any more bees left." Her was pretty much a complete failure, so she added, "Any suggestions?"
Satoshi watches Neema's snowball attempt with a knowing smile. "Let an ice mage try?" she offers by way of response, taking a prepatory step back as arms are extended before her and slowly raised above her head. With the gesture comes a response from the snow, a glistening sheet of it rising from the ground to remain suspended as if on an invisible clothesline for a moment. "Little things need nets to catch 'em~." A flick of both wrists from Satoshi is the signal to release the sheet, sending it forward to blanket and envelope the hornet swarm before it descends back to earth. Muffled, enraged buzzing comes from the snowy bundle as it bulges and squirms, the sounds seeming to amuse Satoshi immensely as she turns to Neema with a laugh. "They're feisty. Not going to stay there long, so if you can move those little ones, I'd do so now." The fact that she can simply crush the hornets within the trap has crossed her mind, but she really wants to see what Neema will do with the bees first.
Neema kinda wanted the hornets to break out of the snow net Satoshi made, just to watch the ice magus capture them again. The way she pulled it off so effortlessly was mind boggling to her, just like any other thing magic-related. Her smile returns, now that the bees are safe, though the angry buzzing coming from those captured hornets was enough to make her stomach churn. She gave a little nod to Satoshi. Being a beekeeper meant that she knew how to move the bees somewhere safer, but with these unfamiliar snow bees things might be different, and she didn't have gloves to protect her hands from stings. The icy hive is approached with caution, the avian making a few funky wiggles of her arms so her sleeves would stretch down and serve as makeshift gloves to hopefully protect her hands. This was going to be difficult. No smoke to calm the bees would mean that sticking her hand in the hive would pretty much be like sticking her hand in a ticking bomb. And if these bees were like the ones she was familiar with, the queen would be surrounded by tons of its protectors, ready to sting a threat. Neema decided to give the snow trick a shot again, but instead of making a ball and throwing it at the beehive, she sprinkles it inside of the hive, in a similar fashion that she would if her bee smoker was in hand. It seems to work, kind of, and now that the avian felt like she was in her element, her hand disappeared inside the hive. She stood in a half crouch, eyes squinting to peer inside the icy structure for the queen bee. Once it's found, and the sluggish blue and white bees surrounding it are carefully brushed away with her sleeve-covered hand, Neema pulls out the most precious part of the entire beehive and carefully moves in the opposite direction of both it and the captured hornets. Noticing that their leader is gone, the other snowy bees that have gotten over the distraction of snow sprinkled into her hive begin following Neema and their queen, with the aim to protect her. The beekeeper can't help grinning as her plan works, wincing with surprise at the cold and numbing sting of a few bees that began assaulting her sleeve-covered arm. She presses on, however, coming to a stop at a bush that's a good distance away from Satoshi and the hornets. The queen is set on a branch, the other bees promptly swarming around her and ultimately smothering her to keep her warm, and Neema turns back around to return to the ice magus and captured hornets. She rubs at her arm once coming to a stop by Satoshi, blinking confusedly at the freezing cold numbing sensation left from the bee stings. "They'll be okay now. They'll just build a new hive around the queen, since I moved her." She looks over at the snowy net, "What are we going to do with those?"
Satoshi watches Neema with a vested interest in the careful, meticulous fashion she handles the bees. This is not the same avian before her now. There's no clumsiness or uncertainty, just a silent determination and hands as gentle and precise as a mother's touch as the bee-queen is carried. Her observation of the queen's relocation is interrupted however, with the reappearance of the Frost Giant abruptly crashing through the shrubbery. "Snow Maiden! Where have you been? I've been looking everywhe-" The young guard is swiftly cut off by Satoshi as she scoops the bundle of hornets up and unceremoniously shoves it into his arms like a bag of laundry. "Here. Take this. Drop it at a polar badger's den, off a cliff, or somesuch. Be quick though. You won't like what's in there, even if a badger will." Dumbstruck, the guard momentarily stands as if frozen to the ground as wide, questioning eyes dart from the queen making shoo'ing gestures to the frozen-bag that's buzzing irritably at him. Another moment of hesitation follows before he snaps to attention, smartly saluting the pair and rushing off to tend to his given task. And completely forgetting that his -real- given task is to stay at his queen's side, like a very big, clanky bee might. Satoshi hasn't forgotten, though, and offers Neema a conspiratorial wink. "Killin' two birds... err, bees?... with one stone. Or snowball. You know what I mean."
Neema completely forgot about capturing one of the cute snow bees for herself. She was just happy that they were safe from those awful hornets now. That cheery grin on her face disappears at the reappearance of the giant, fingers crossed in hopes that he wouldn't run right into the now safe bees. Relieved that he didn't, the avian watches him and Satoshi exchange words, and the captured hornets disappear once the frost giant left. Now she could breathe a sigh of relief, and that grin reemerged. She tries winking back at Satoshi, but it looks like the beekeeper is back to being clumsy and pretty much bad at everything, resulting in her wink being just a pair of blinking eyes simultaneously. With an embarrassed chuckle, Neema nods. "Hopefully the bees will be safe now." The avian began taking in her surroundings in hungry gulps, going with the assumption that if she remembered little details of the area, finding that beehive would be easy whenever she returned to Frostmaw. And she was definitely going to come back, now that she knew there were bees buzzing around.
Satoshi can only shake her head at Neema's wink-turned-blink as she approaches the avian, peeking around her to watching the busy snow bees already hard at work. "You seem to know a good deal about this little beasties. Do you think, with those other buzzy ones out of the way, that these ones'll grow in number?" The prospect of more bees means more flowers, a fact that carries multiple uses and meanings for Satoshi. An outburst of rare frost flowers is just the 'phenomenon' to win over those skeptical to the new ruler of Frostmaw. And larger gardens will provide more places to hide from her babysitter guard. Not to mention, the flowers were just plain pretty to look at.
Neema copied Satoshi, turning around to watch the bees. The thought of more of those pesky wasps returning troubled her, and after a long moment she reluctantly replied with a slight shrug. "They might, but I think it'll be really difficult for them." The avian looked over at the abandoned hive, and added, "There might be eggs in that one that haven't hatched yet, and they pop out fully grown so maybe they'll create their own group." Her fingers crossed, quietly hoping that's what would happen. "I could drop by once and a while to check on them," she offered, hoping once more that Satoshi would think that's a good idea. "I could bring up boxes for them to build hives in that'll make it far more difficult for those hornets to harm them. I could keep them breeding too," Neema added, that big grin lighting her face up once more. "I can study them. Maybe after a while I could find the stronger ones and cross them to make a stronger bee that won't be bothered by the hornets." The excited fidgeting was beginning to start up again. Growing a population of bees was obviously fun to her.
Satoshi quirks a brow, finding the fidgeting less peculiar and more intriguing, even endearing, than anything. It isn't unlike her one inability to sit still when faced with the chance at exploration and adventure. It's the quivering that comes of a hobby's passion being awoken, and she knows it well. With a nod, Satoshi consents all too willingly, incapable of denying such a desire. "If you're so eager to take on the task, then consider it yours." Becoming suddenly stern-faced and somber, Satoshi straightens and draws her katana, moving in a slow, non-threatening manner toward Neema to hold the blade above her right shoulder. "You'll bring a white Spring to Frostmaw's eternal Winter. Neema-swan, the Royal Keeper of the Snow Bees." A shift up and over with the frozen blade and it rests a moment on the avian's left shoulder before it's withdrawn and resheathed. Another wink is made by the feline, now all grins and playful demeanor. "Fancy titles make things all the more fun, non? Not that you have to carry it, but... who doesn't love a title?"
Neema jumped for joy. Literally. ..Well tried to. It was more like an awkward bunny hop. She would've broke into a little jig or something similar, but wobbling around in the snow would have to do. Satoshi's drawn katana made her funny wobble dance come to a halt, however, but once the avian realized that the ice magus wasn't going to hack off a limb or something she wasn't uncomfortable with the blade coming so close to her. In fact, her jaw nearly hit the ground at the title. "Royal Keeper of the Snow Bees?" She repeated, several times under her breath until it rolled off the beekeeper's tongue with ease. The big goofy smile tugging her lips was one of approval, along with being called Neema-swan. She nodded eagerly, the fidgety avian taking another shot at winking, but only able to blink both eyes once more. "I like fancy titles. I'll definitely carry it, Satoshi!"
Satoshi finds Neema's joy contagious and, in a rare show of genuine emotion, she's incapable of stopping her own silly grin from forming. "A bird after my own heart, it seems. The title comes with more than just ooh's et ahh's at the wording, mind you. I'll make sure it means something to the guards around here, so you'll not be bothered in tending to the bees. And can get a bit of aid if you need it." She can already see the sparse patch of land as a flourishing garden, nurtured by the oddly steady hand of a clumsy avian. But that vision is going to have to wait, as Satoshi's musings are cut short by a distant shout, swiftly followed by a series of similar cries. It'd seem her personal guard has stuck his nose in the hornet's nest, so to speak. "I... have to go and stop Tharn from becoming a pin-cushion, I think. Adieu, Neema-swan. I'm sure we'll see plenty of each other soon~," the magus offers to Neema by way of farewell, hastily saluting her before trotting off in the direction of the yelps.