Cirno

A fairy (妖精 yousei) is a simple creature of magic that represents some aspect of nature. Small, childlike, and infinitely playful, they're a common sight in the land of Gensokyo. Most fall in at a foot or two in height, and as lightweight and physically strong as they look. Fluttering about on wings that usually resemble a butterfly or mayfly, they go about their day without a care in the world. They tend to have short lives, but because they are aspects of nature, they regenerate almost immediately after dying.

If a fairy manages to gain enough magical power, they'll eventually become a greater fairy. Growing to about the size of a human child, greater fairies are notably stronger than their common variant, with oftentimes (relatively) powerful magic, though physically they're as strong as the children they share a size with.

Cirno here is one such greater fairy. An Ice Fairy, it's immediately obvious that she's no normal fairy. Coming in at 3 feet, 5 inches, the first thing you'll notice are her glittering crystal wings floating behind her. Despite not being attached to her, she can fly with them as well as any other of her race. She has an affinity for ice magic, able to freeze objects, create massive balls of ice, or even just make it snow, and that's often how she spends her days. A favorite pastime involves freezing frogs on a pond, and trying to thaw them unharmed (which she succeeds about a third of the time). Well, at least she used to, before a giant toad tried to eat her in return.

When not tormenting amphibious wildlife, she's a wanderer. She makes her home on the banks of a lake, but it's rare you find her there. She's liable to show up just about anywhere in the area, usually causing mischief (especially if she's grouped up with other greater fairies). Or playing, she's popular with the children in the human village, if not a bad role model; the self-proclaimed "strongest," she constantly makes mischief with the children, though it's rarely anything serious (she's not malicious, but being a bit dumb, she occasionally overdoes it).

Though she thinks of herself as the strongest in the land (and will proclaim it without provocation), she's really just a strong fairy. She might be a bit much for an ordinary human, but those with magical talent will usually fare well; she'll tell herself that she let them win.

Even though she's an ice fairy, she's not the least bit cold to the touch, instead feeling like a human. Even her ice crystal wings are really room temperature, although they do chill when she's using her magic. And no, she won't melt under heat, either. She does have a massive tolerance to cold, though, able to survive in nothing more than her trademark short dress in freezing cold temperatures that would leave even the most seasoned human shivering, if not dead; her tolerance for heat is on par with that of a human. Perhaps an odd quirk considering her affinity for ice, she loves spicy foods.

As for her place in the food chain? Well, she's about the size of a human child, and ice magic aside, she's no stronger than one, too. She needs her hands free to fully use her ice magic, and if someone can subdue her, she's an easy meal. As mentioned earlier, being an embodiment of nature, she cannot die permanently, reviving and popping back into existence mere moments after death. Predatory? Occasionally, and usually other diminutive races or wildlife. To get down an entire human would be quite the feat for her, and would result in quite the silly sight. It's highly unlikely to happen, as it's a rare occurrence that she would even want to devour a human, save for one exception: like the majority of supernatural creatures in the land, fairies find shrine maidens (巫女, miko) to be almost irresistible; actually eating a miko would be a different matter: any one worth her salt would be in the upper percentile of strength, far too much for any fairy to handle, greater or otherwise, and she's at least smart enough to know this.


A Touhou-flavored fan character from An_IRL_Rabbit.