[ These fairy bugs aren't new to Blackbeard in at least that he's heard about them from people before now. Seeing them in the flesh is interesting, at least until they're flipping him off for asking a fucking question, and he's swatting at them in retaliation, which has him suddenly... lifted into the air himself, like fucking Peter Pan, in a fucking soap bubble. He yells some more, cursing colorfully as he struggles to stand in the bubble, which is, of course, impossible, and just leaves him scrambling around, hair in face, more and more pissed off—

He unsheathes the dagger from his hip and stabs the bubble, which, in hindsight, maybe not the best idea. Whether it's the blade that does it or the fairy deciding to finally let him free, the bubble pops, and Blackbeard hits the ground face-first with a pained squawk. He clambers shakily up to his kneeling and looks down to see his own stupid knife sticking out of his side. So... he may have fucked up. ]

[ As soon as the only fairy who knows how to talk around here starts talking about blighted areas, and probably keeping what you find, and volunteers, Blackbeard already has his doubts. But then the fairies go and rip a hole in the fucking air to another fucking dimension, and yep, he's decided. He looks at the stranger nearest to him who's also been told to jump into a fey portal, shuffles a step towards them and claps them encouragingly on the shoulder. ]

You first. I'll be right behind.

[ Then he steps back. He will not, in fact, be right behind. Fucking no thank you. So, hope the other "volunteers" have fun. ]

[ The vibe of the town is different, once a good chunk of the chosen have gone dipping into the fairies' holes. Quieter, tense. At first Blackbeard figures it's for some normal human reason, but obviously that was a mistake as some obvious town landmarks are suddenly wholly or partially missing without a trace, vanished entirely. Weirder than that, though, is the way he'll be talking to a local to buy some nice piece of jewelry or pouch of tobacco or whatever, and they'll go doll-eyed and still as a doll, too. It's fucking unnerving, and he can't be the only one to notice, right? So he asks of more than one Chosen, whether they've stayed behind in Aldrip as he has, or once they're back from their glorious hole adventure: ]

Hey, have you noticed the locals are more vacant that usual, some of them?

[ want to do something weird? here's your option! ]