#tfp characters

A small chirp sounded from beside her.  She stopped playing for a moment to glance at the tiny robin who was approaching her curiously.  Its tiny legs hopped across the water and the bird settled itself on one of the few stones near her.  Aurelia smiled at the baby bird and waved, then went back to her playing.  Her song sounded like a lullaby, a sweet tune in a warm key, which soon lulled the robin to sleep.  And Aurelia found this adorable.  Her music has put countless fae birds to sleep before, but even her Craeo birds, which had a beautiful shine thanks to being infused with Craeo magic, could not come close to the cuteness of this so-called “ordinary” robin that sat before her.  

One by one, more forest animals heard her song and, due to their curiosity, came to watch her.  When Aurelia realized that she now had an audience, she stood up on the rock where she had previously been sitting.  The brooke surged at this moment, waking up the baby robin and scaring it back to the shore where the other animals were.  “So it looks like I have an audience,” she pondered out loud even though they couldn’t understand her.  “Looks like I need to up the tempo, right?”

All the animals, simultaneously, blinked at her.  

Aurelia wanted to face-palm herself.  “Oh, come on everyone.  I just want one nod.  Just one!  Like this.”  She nodded her head up and down to demonstrate.

Nothing happened.  Suddenly, Aurelia missed her Craeo birds; at least she could talk with them and they would listen.

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a sigh.  “You all are helpless,” she pouted, but her playful smile returned a moment later.  “But, since you’re sitting there oh-so nicely, I shall reward you with a tune nonetheless.”  The squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and mice just stared at her as if to say just play already.

Well, Aurelia picked up her flute and delivered.  

Her fingers flew across the holes on the instrument, skillfully playing a fast-paced dance melody.  She had played this one countless times at countless celebrations throughout the years, and her song was typically accompanied by a crowd of faeries dancing in pairs.  But, since she was by herself, she performed half of the dance (well, it would be more accurate to say she performed a quarter, considering her hands were occupied at the moment) herself.  She twirled around the flat part of the stone, sunlight seemingly dancing with her and being reflected by her wings.  

She was nearing the peak of the chorus when she started to notice the dark shadow descending down—a hawk.  Now, given the fact that she was a Minesto, this hawk couldn’t do anything to her even if it wanted to.  However, if her sister found out about the encounter (Aurelia was never able to lie to Aella you see), she would tear her a new one.  So, as the other animals began to flee due to the hawk’s presence, a rose-coloured aura began to appear around her fingertips as she continued to play.  Her flute was no ordinary flute after all.  Aurelia saw the hawk’s talons reach for her, and she sighed.  This hawk wanted to do things the hard way, fine.  She stopped playing to aim the head of her flute at the beast, preparing to shout the words—

“WATCH OUT!”

The faerie looked up in surprise as something—no, someone—big crashed into her.  The hawk flew away quickly, not wanting to deal with whatever was happening at the moment, as Aurelia felt herself become soaked with spring water.  As she jetted upstream, she saw that she had been enclosed in something in order to stop her movement.  When she was still again, the light flickering in between the gaps told her that these were human hands—ah.  She had been seen.

She felt movement beneath her as the human stood up, opening his hands.  He looked a little out of breath, but his eyes were filled with worry as he looked at her.  “Sorry about that—I didn’t want the hawk to take you.  I didn’t mean to get you wet like that—I was running so fast that I tripped on one of the stones in the stream, which made me fall and I—.”  He suddenly stopped rambling.  “You’re not hurt, are you?”

Even if she was, her body would have healed it by now.  She shook her head.  “I’m quite alright,” she said cheerfully, trying to squeeze any water out of her skirt that she could.  “Thank you for helping me.”  Although she didn’t need saving (if his clumsy trip truly counted as “saving” her…), giving him her thanks was the right thing to do.

He looked sheepish, a few water droplets flying away from his brown hair as he turned his head to the side.  “It’s, um, it’s all good—sorry I tripped earlier, so it’s my fault you went flying down the brook like that,” he repeated rather awkwardly, then turned his head back when he seemed to notice something.  “Oh—did you lose your flute?”

Aurelia could never really lose her flute, but she indeed did not have it on her at the moment.  “It appears so,” she began to say before spotting a silver gleam near the shoreline.  She flew out of open palms and down toward the stream, picking up the instrument.  She wouldn’t be able to play it now that it was all wet, but a visit to her sister would fix that.  “Found it!” she called up back to him.

The human kneeled down, his eyes filled with wonder.  “I heard your playing earlier,” he told her, “well, the end of it anyway.  You’re very talented, Ms. Faerie.”

The Craeo Minesto rolled her eyes.  “Please.  Just call me Aurelia,” she told him warmly.  

“Aurelia…” he tried the name on his tongue.  “My name’s Vinson,” he returned.

The faerie was about to have a heart attack when she heard the first syllable of his name, then calmed down instantly upon hearing the rest of it.  His demeanour was already reminding her of the man she loved while he was alive, and she really, really didn’t want to break today.

“Nice name,” she offered, albeit a bit shaky.  Aurelia then noticed that the man had no papers on him, unlike before.  “How is your writing coming along?”

“My writing…?  Oh, it’s—” he stopped and began to panic.  “Ack—I must’ve dropped my papers, please oh please Litezia have mercy on me, don’t let them be drenched…”  He began searching in the brook for his writing, stress radiating from his entire being.  Aurelia, however, was mildly amused.  There was no way that she was revealing that she herself was Litezia, the old god of Creation, to him.  That was simply out of the question.  She would still help him though.

And, it turns out she didn’t need to put in much effort to do that either, for she spotted his papers a few steps away on the grass.  She flew up to his face, making sure she was eye-level with him.  “Over there,” she pointed.  She watched his face go from panicked to relieved when he saw them.  He picked them up and hugged them to his chest like those pages were his child.  

“Thank you,” he told her gratefully, flattening out the creases in the pages that must have formed when they were dropped.  He sat down on the edge of the river bed while doing so.  “I—um, I have one more thing to thank you for actually, well it’s more your flute, but you were the one playing it so—ah, forgive me, I talk a lot when I’m nervous,” he told her in a clearly jittery voice.  Aurelia was patient and just waited for him to finish, and he soon got to his point.  “Anyway…  I think you cured my writer’s block.”

The faerie had no idea what that was, but she assumed it was some kind of funk that he’d gotten himself stuck into that hindered his ability to write.  She took the opportunity to look through his words as he was sorting through the pages, sitting on his shoulder to get a better view.  He didn’t seem to mind her presence there.

“I came here today as a last chance for some inspiration, and your song and dance really inspired me.  It’s the first time I’ve felt this way in a while,” he confessed.  Aurelia didn’t know why he was sharing his life story with her, but she found it kind of cute how flustered he was.  She caught glimpses of his story while he turned through the pages, and while she didn’t enjoy reading as much as her friends, she could tell that he had talent.  “And—oh shoot.  Is it okay that I wrote about you?” he added, sounding genuinely concerned as he lowered the pages.  He looked down at her and continued.  “I don’t know much about faeries, and there’s probably a reason why, isn’t there.”

“If you share it as a work of fiction, under your own ‘imagination’,” she used air quotes, “then I can consent to it.” His face lit up at her words, and a warm wind blew through the area as she saw his smile for the first time.  It lit up the forest more than any sun could.  And it reminded Aurelia so much of his smile, the one that lived forever in her heart.

He didn’t seem to notice her inner turmoil, instead again started thanking her profusely.  “I know you said it as a joke earlier, but it actually was the flute that helped you,” Aurelia told him to get him to stop, holding up her instrument.  “It’s… special.  Its purpose is to act as a catalyst for all creation.”  She once again flew in front of his face so he could get a better look.

Vinson looked a tad confused, narrowing his eyes to focus on the tiny (to him) flute.  “So… it’s an inspiration machine?”

She laughed, a true genuine laugh.  “Yes, though that’s the first time I’ve heard it called that.”  This human, Vinson, was nice to be around.  The sun was warm, and she felt warm… but a good kind of warm.  The best kind of warm.  

But just as everything seemed to be perfectly, that same old guilt began to plague her mind again.  Guilt about seeing him in someone else, about reigniting that emotional bond with someone other than him.

And suddenly, she wasn’t laughing anymore. 

Vinson noticed her expression change instantly.  “Is everything—”

“I need to go home,” she said suddenly, her heart pounding underneath her chest.  “I need to go home.”  She looked at him apologetically.  Aurelia hated this.  She couldn’t feel that warmth from earlier anymore.  All she felt was cold.  An empty cold.

“...ah, I see.  Well I should get back to my desk then, I need to work on getting this published.”  He let out a small chuckle as he stood up.  “Safe travels!”  He gave her a little wave, his eyes following her as she flew above his head.

Aurelia nodded curtly, politely returning his gesture.  “You as well.”  She started to fly off, but he called her back. 

“Wait!  Will I—will I see you again?”

She looked down at him, his eyes pleading, begging for her to say yes.  And even though the odds were against it—he was well above the age to possess any kind of magical ability—she wanted to tell him the answer he wanted to hear.  But even if she did see him again, her heart wouldn’t let her.  It would tell her to steer clear, don’t see him again, because her heart was reserved for someone who she could never meet again.

“Hopefully,” was her response, and she flew away to Piliphala.  It seemed that she was cutting her visit short today.

No, she didn’t cry, not once.  Because today, she helped someone rekindle their passion, their dream.  That meant the world to her.  She wouldn’t let her grief ruin that.

Layra also doesn’t grow close to many people.  However, Aella is the Minesto of the Skio Colony, and if Layra was forced to choose a best friend, it’d probably be her.  Perhaps it’s her calm nature, or the fact that she represents freedom.  Either way, her gentle kindness has made her well-loved by her Colony.  Though, just as a breeze can quickly turn into a boisterous gust, she will do anything she can to protect the freedoms of those she loves.  

Of course, that is all her faeries and fellow Minesti, including her sister Aurelia, who is the Minesto for the Craeo faeries.  Though she may be thousands of years old like the other Minesti, most say that she acts as young as some of the faeries in her Colony.  Though she may seem like the embodiment of joy with that smile she’s always got on, her heart has never been free of sorrow’s shadow.  All her emotions go into her creations.  But of course, a sacred balance does exist between Craeo and Daestro in the land of Piliphala.

This is not to say that the Daestro Minesto destroys without mercy, but Xavier will cause the destruction of things he decides will harm the world.  He is the one who upholds the Daestro creed of Idealism the strongest out of any Daestro faerie, perhaps for obvious reasons.  Despite these actions, Xavier is one of the most out-going Minesti... in short, he’s a massive flirt.  And with his dashing looks, it’s not surprising that many fall for him.  

Calicio, the Glazo Minesto, often joins Xavier on these “antics” of theirs... though with his baby face, he’s rarely successful.  Even at thousands of years old, most would describe his looks (and most of the time, his behaviour...) as childish.  He is very playful, yet there are times when it looks like his heart is as cold as ice.  Calicio enjoys a lot of things, especially spending time with his friends, and he loves the yearly winter festival that celebrates Piliphala’s birthday.

Of course, it’s only natural that each of the Minesti have a favourite time of the year, whether it be a festival or a seasonal change.  For Elmore, Minesto of the Floro Colony, his favourite time of year is when the leaves on the trees of Elderblanche first bloom in full, when curious daffodils and tulips poke their stems out of the soil.  Out of all the Minesti, Elmore is perhaps both the most quiet and calm, always preferring to keep things simple.  The Floro Minesto loves his home and his family, but there is sadness lurking behind is smile.

Elmore is not the only one with a love for Piliphala’s land; as the person who formed its base, Sylvan has a great amount of love for his creation.  As the Minesto of the Duzo Colony, he’s constantly surrounded by the mountains that rose to the command of his own hand.  Sylvan has always been a lover of history, and he, as well as his fellow Minesti, have lived through most of it.  He loves to share the history of the land with the youth of the Duzo Colony through the stones he finds on his daily travels.  Who knows where this tradition started...

well.  If there’s one person who could know, it’s Guinevere, the Sindso Minesto.  Gwen spends a lot of time looking at both the past and the future, it’s a part of her job after all.  Despite this, she has never dared to look into her friends’ pasts without their permission.  In fact, she herself often restricts what she can see; when the time comes to reveal what’s hidden, she always knows.  Gwen is very forgiving most of the time, and is an excellent strategist... perhaps due to what she has seen.  However, like many other Sindso faeries, she puts up strong walls around her due to the secrets she must eternally keep, even from her fellow Minesti.

While Gwen’s choice to distance herself isn’t her own, Viola’s, the Scoro Minesto, is.  Viola, with her quiet and elegant poise, always seems intimidating to many other faeries, even those of her own Colony.  Because of her demeanor, her true desires always seem to remain hidden, even with a heart that burns as bright as hers.  She, like Heliux, is not prone to showing her emotions either.  But when she does, that heart of hers always shines through.  

Though Viola rarely smiles, Lazuli, the Minesto of the Aquo faeries, rarely doesn’t smile.  He’s not quite as... loud... as Calicio or Xavier, but not quite as quiet as Viola.  Many say that he and Aella act quite similarly.  Unlike her however, Lazuli’s more energetic side comes through when he’s surrounded by the sea... which is most of the time.  But he loves it.  And if you looked at his face as he submerges, swimming in cool aquamarine blues... you would see.

Now the Minesti all lead different lives, despite being connected to each other.  All of them have had different pasts, different experiences that have led them to being chosen and to this point in time.  Lu, the Minesto of the Guzo Colony, is no different.  Their past is... muddled, as if it was a storm itself.  To this day, Lu does not know who they truly are.  But they live day by day, treating all with kindness and keeping their fellow Minesti on the same page, no longer worrying about their storm.  They only hope that when the time is right, they can find the eye and snuff it out.

Twelve Elements, twelve gods, twelve Minesti.  One who seeks to find Infinity.  One who gifts Reincarnation.  One who ensures Freedom’s song will never die.  One whose Imagination becomes reality.  One who yearns for an Ideal world, an Ideal self.  One who desires Joy to come like falling snow.  One who sowed the seeds of a Home for all.  One who wills the mountains’ Protection.  One who keeps safe the Knowledge of the unknown.  One who snuffs her own flames of Desire.  One who listens to that which Call him.  One who seeks to quell the storm of Being.  

The Minesti will never fail, never fall, never flounder.  They will be here until the very end, protecting the land that was born as their own.