Who: Everyone! Where: One more city wide event, for good measure! When: December 20th-22nd Summary: The winter festivities get interrupted, with animated and angry snowmen on the prowl. Warnings: Snowmen violence.
It's been a (relatively) calm few days of snowfall and winter celebration. The snow has settled over Saeng Seong like a fluffy white blanket, with more and more snowmen popping up as the days go by. It all looks quiet and serene.
Naturally, this can't last forever. And that stillness is fractured in the afternoon, with the appearance of odd dark stones placed on those snowmen that have been showing up. The peace breaks completely at sundown, when the snowmen lurch into motion, with moans and growls that sound a lot more at home in a zombie movie than a winter wonderland. Then again, these certainly don't LOOK like cheery snowmen, either. In fact, they look down right hostile. Especially when they pack more snow into themselves, and the cold air twists them into more sinister looking forms.
In fact, the only thing that gives them pause are some green eyes, peering out of different parts of the city, along with some mewing sounds. (And mewing that might be familiar, to some of the residents!) It's an odd contrast and thing for them to avoid, but avoid it they do. Which only serves to make them that much more violent when they DO find someone in the streets.
[Kratos is a touch nostalgic. Even as he walks through the supposed winter wonderland, he's still armed with a buckler and a sword at his side, because those things are a part of him. His expression is mild as he stops to observe one particularly large snowman...
... and he promptly leaps back when it fucking COMES TO LIFE.]
What!?
[He draws his sword, dropping into a ready position. Might need some help taking this one down... it's rapidly growing bigger.]
[Fortunately for Kratos, he doesn't have to face this snowman alone. Unfortunately, help arrives in the form of a snow-sodden teenager armed with a tree branch that looks like it might have once been a snowman's arm. Still, Lloyd doesn't hesitate before slashing out at the snowman with the stick, sending out a blast of focused mana.]
Demon Fang!
[The mana hits true, blasting out a chunk of the snowman's stomach. A few precious seconds bought at least.
But only a few, because it's already growing back.]
[... Looks like Lloyd left his swords at home. Oh well.]
Lloyd! [Still, asking him to distract the abomination without a real weapon would be awful. Kratos quickly steps over to him and offers his sword, hilt first.] Take this and distract it!
[He keeps his shield, figuring Lloyd wouldn't really know how to use it. Kratos, at least, isn't completely defenseless without his sword in hand.]
[The offered startles Lloyd, but he only fumbles for a moment before wrapping his hand around the hilt. It's almost on the tip of his tongue to ask how Kratos intends to fight before the obvious answer hits him. They're fighting snowmen. Kratos can use magic. Fire-based magic.
Suddenly, Lloyd can't keep the grin off his face.]
You got it! This'll be a piece of cake!
[Not waiting for a response, he drops the tree branch so he can grip the hilt with both hands. It's just a little heavier than he's used to, and he figures two hands are better than one. Half a breath later, he's running straight at the snowman, swinging right at the monster's chest.]
[Why is Lloyd /grinning?/ Is it because he hasn't had a real fight in five months?
Kratos doesn't dwell on that, though. Lloyd is at a handicap and, while he can probably handle himself for a little while, Kratos doesn't want to purposely put his son in harm's way anymore. Even though... he has had a history of doing just that... BUT THAT WAS BEFORE SHIT CHANGED, OKAY?
Anyway, he hops back a safe distance from the gargantuan snowman and begins casting. A rune appears beneath his feet, mana becoming nearly tangible. A few seconds later, the temperature rises. Lava and fire explode violently from beneath the snowman.]
— Eruption!
[The melted snow reveals some odd-looking artifacts from within the hissing, bubbling mess. It might be worth checking them out-- before it starts grabbing snow and reforming itself.]
[Lloyd's grinning for the fact that they are facing a monster that had no idea what it was up against. He's grinning because, without really thinking about the fact, he's trusting Kratos to watch his back and give him the chance to be a reckless teenager without consequence. He's grinning because, in a way, he has missed these kinds of fights. The physical challenge, the hint of danger that's never really there in a spar, and just the simple fact that this fight is black and white. It's just a snowman, not a person, and it attacked first. He doesn't have to feel bad at all when his blade bites into the monster's arm, chopping it right off.
Of course, then he has to dance back when he feels the temperature rise. In theory, Kratos should be able to control his own spell well enough that it wouldn't hurt Lloyd, but it's never a really good idea to stand in the middle of an eruption like that. When all that's left is a melted puddle of snow, he laughs, then brandishes his sword.]
Hah! It never stood a chance.
[Okay, it should be obvious who he's quoting, but he still glances back to see if Kratos got it.
Glances back, turns his back on the monster that's reforming. Yeah, Lloyd never did quite take that lesson to heart that you should make sure your enemies are dead.]
[Kratos doesn't take the joke quite as jovially as Lloyd might expect. Then again, it's Kratos. He takes everything too seriously. He just gives Lloyd a flat look, which doesn't last long; he notices the snowman clawing out for more snow, trying to rebuild itself.]
Behind you!
[The little talismans don't look like the standard snowman fare. They're not quite the buttons for snow 'coats', and they sure as hell aren't supposed to fall out of someone's head. And with his mana sense... there's definitely something radiating from them.]
Break the dark stones. They're the source of the magic!
[Well, it's just a theory. In the meantime, he's going to charge another spell. Since the stones weren't annihilated before, maybe something targeted specifically for them might.]
[At the sharp tone Lloyd whirls back around, heart racing as he brings his sword up to defend, to strike. He's learned long ago not to ignore when Kratos sounds like that.
There's no immediate threat, nothing about to slam into him painfully, but the teen's eyes still widen when he spots the snowman already beginning to reform.]
Dammit, it's still alive?!
[His eyes focus on the stones, small, dark, already starting to rise with the snowman's growing form, and he scowls, adjusting his grip on the sword.]
Magic, huh? Let's see how it handles this! Demon Fang!
[One slash of his sword sends mana racing across the ground, sending up a spray of snow in its wake. Then abruptly it crashes into one of the stones.
[Bigger almost always means stronger, whether it's as subtle as a troll's thicker skin over a human's or as obvious as a tank over a car.
Stronger almost always means gang up on it. As it grows, a robot about the size of Kratos's head flies in and launches a miniature mortar at it, slowing its growth for a moment (and sending slushy snow spraying everywhere). It jerks to the side once, twice, as if trying to gesture.
And from her position a good ways away, Fortuna wishes there were speakers on those drones so she could talk through them.]
[Kratos ducks as the thing flies almost right over his head. What the hell? It looks like it might be there to help, at least. And gesture. What could it be gesturing at?
The mercenary regains his composure. Whoever is controlling that machine must be nearby.]
If there's something you want me to see, be clear about it!
[In the meantime, he's dodging the snowman's swipe. For a tall guy, he sure moves fast.]
[She was trying to tell him to run while the coast was clear. But she has no other way of communicating through it... She'll just have to try and stay in the fight as best she can, trying to keep it rebuilding itself with mortar fire.]
[Nah. He's armed, one of the only ones, and the only thing standing between a giant rampaging snow monster and the local populace. He's not about to run at the first opportunity.]
Can you hear me? I'm going to cast a spell. Keep distracting it!
[He jumps back out of melee range, then begins to focus.]
[Protect the mage. She can do that. Best switch clips immediately so she goes about distracting the thing with a full load, staying far enough away that a fireball spell wouldn't hit her instead. It may not be her body but it hurts all the same as long as she's jumped in.]
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rekindleme2013-12-20 03:58 pm
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... and he promptly leaps back when it fucking COMES TO LIFE.]
What!?
[He draws his sword, dropping into a ready position. Might need some help taking this one down... it's rapidly growing bigger.]
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[Fortunately for Kratos, he doesn't have to face this snowman alone. Unfortunately, help arrives in the form of a snow-sodden teenager armed with a tree branch that looks like it might have once been a snowman's arm. Still, Lloyd doesn't hesitate before slashing out at the snowman with the stick, sending out a blast of focused mana.]
Demon Fang!
[The mana hits true, blasting out a chunk of the snowman's stomach. A few precious seconds bought at least.
But only a few, because it's already growing back.]
no subject
Lloyd! [Still, asking him to distract the abomination without a real weapon would be awful. Kratos quickly steps over to him and offers his sword, hilt first.] Take this and distract it!
[He keeps his shield, figuring Lloyd wouldn't really know how to use it. Kratos, at least, isn't completely defenseless without his sword in hand.]
no subject
Suddenly, Lloyd can't keep the grin off his face.]
You got it! This'll be a piece of cake!
[Not waiting for a response, he drops the tree branch so he can grip the hilt with both hands. It's just a little heavier than he's used to, and he figures two hands are better than one. Half a breath later, he's running straight at the snowman, swinging right at the monster's chest.]
no subject
Kratos doesn't dwell on that, though. Lloyd is at a handicap and, while he can probably handle himself for a little while, Kratos doesn't want to purposely put his son in harm's way anymore. Even though... he has had a history of doing just that... BUT THAT WAS BEFORE SHIT CHANGED, OKAY?
Anyway, he hops back a safe distance from the gargantuan snowman and begins casting. A rune appears beneath his feet, mana becoming nearly tangible. A few seconds later, the temperature rises. Lava and fire explode violently from beneath the snowman.]
— Eruption!
[The melted snow reveals some odd-looking artifacts from within the hissing, bubbling mess. It might be worth checking them out-- before it starts grabbing snow and reforming itself.]
no subject
Of course, then he has to dance back when he feels the temperature rise. In theory, Kratos should be able to control his own spell well enough that it wouldn't hurt Lloyd, but it's never a really good idea to stand in the middle of an eruption like that. When all that's left is a melted puddle of snow, he laughs, then brandishes his sword.]
Hah! It never stood a chance.
[Okay, it should be obvious who he's quoting, but he still glances back to see if Kratos got it.
Glances back, turns his back on the monster that's reforming. Yeah, Lloyd never did quite take that lesson to heart that you should make sure your enemies are dead.]
no subject
Behind you!
[The little talismans don't look like the standard snowman fare. They're not quite the buttons for snow 'coats', and they sure as hell aren't supposed to fall out of someone's head. And with his mana sense... there's definitely something radiating from them.]
Break the dark stones. They're the source of the magic!
[Well, it's just a theory. In the meantime, he's going to charge another spell. Since the stones weren't annihilated before, maybe something targeted specifically for them might.]
no subject
[At the sharp tone Lloyd whirls back around, heart racing as he brings his sword up to defend, to strike. He's learned long ago not to ignore when Kratos sounds like that.
There's no immediate threat, nothing about to slam into him painfully, but the teen's eyes still widen when he spots the snowman already beginning to reform.]
Dammit, it's still alive?!
[His eyes focus on the stones, small, dark, already starting to rise with the snowman's growing form, and he scowls, adjusting his grip on the sword.]
Magic, huh? Let's see how it handles this! Demon Fang!
[One slash of his sword sends mana racing across the ground, sending up a spray of snow in its wake. Then abruptly it crashes into one of the stones.
Crack!
Lines spiderweb across its surface.]
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Stronger almost always means gang up on it. As it grows, a robot about the size of Kratos's head flies in and launches a miniature mortar at it, slowing its growth for a moment (and sending slushy snow spraying everywhere). It jerks to the side once, twice, as if trying to gesture.
And from her position a good ways away, Fortuna wishes there were speakers on those drones so she could talk through them.]
no subject
The mercenary regains his composure. Whoever is controlling that machine must be nearby.]
If there's something you want me to see, be clear about it!
[In the meantime, he's dodging the snowman's swipe. For a tall guy, he sure moves fast.]
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Can you hear me? I'm going to cast a spell. Keep distracting it!
[He jumps back out of melee range, then begins to focus.]
no subject