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Post by HungryHunter on Apr 22, 2019 0:11:18 GMT
“She was my comrade on this plane for 40 years, since this plane first began to run. It won’t be the same without her.” The pilot stared at the body that Gan held until Jun covered her with her own scarf. Jun did not request of accept help getting out of the plane, just jumping out with a simple hop. Dan hesitated for a second at the sheer height, sitting before slipping off the side safely. Little needles of pain wiggled in his bad knee, but he walked it off. The snow was turned to raking whips by the wind, striking at every uncovered face. Jun shuffled deeper into her big blue coat, but Wilson just walked through the blizzard without a second thought. Led by the pilot, they shoved through foot-deep snow, lights promising civilization and warmth. After an unspeakably long and cold walk, everybody found themselves standing before Santa’s workshop. It looked like if Dr. Seuss had illustrated Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Even the outside of the building had strange angles, bending in ways it shouldn’t, with smokestacks like crazy straws. They were quickly shepherded into the warm interior by a team of elves, all colors of the rainbow and not a one coming up past Arthur’s waist. Here it was even more colorful, with big, vibrant gears and conveyor belts snaking around the room. But nothing ran, no toys moved around the room.
“These are the heroes who came to help us.” The pilot explained while other elves gently took their fallen sister from Gan’s arms. “It’s getting worse. The Callicantzari killed Lepzi and crashed the plane.” “There are more and more, and some of them are getting giant!” Another elf nodded. “Come, we will take you to Santa. Well, what of him there is here.” A particularly small green elf waved them along towards a room in the back. It was barred by a red door with a big wooden sign that designated it “Where the Magic Happens”. The elf knocked and the door swung open. “Hohohohoho! Welcome to my humble workshop!” A jolly old man called from a small chair behind a very huge table. The table and dozens of shelves here were strewn with toys, clothes, tools, parts of toys, and a dozen other knickknacks.
“I am afraid I am not at my best right now. Most of my being is occupied with our problem.” The Santa that faced them was recognizable, but disappointing. His hair was more of a dirty-looking grey than white, his jolly plumpness seemed to have withered away, his hands were arthritic claws that hardly looked up to the task of making toys for all the good little boys and girls. “Warm yourselves up and I will explain just why you are here. And feel free to take a toy!” Santa winced when he stood. Elves pushed multiple comfortable chairs in front of the room’s roaring fireplace and he took the one closest. He waved his hand and cups of milk and hot coco appeared from nowhere in everybody’s hands, whichever they preferred.
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Post by othus on Apr 22, 2019 2:12:17 GMT
Erin being that clumsy actually worried Gan, was she really going to be ok? He was gonna catch her, but Caroline beat him to it first.
"Looks like she is going to need some help on this mission"
The next one coming down from the plane was Jun.
"on the other hand, it looks like she is going to need none" He thought the moment Jun left him hanging in the air in order to jump out of the plane by herself. Gan simply smiled as he saw her walk away. Caroline, being super social, approached him right after, looking to make some small talk.
As he listened to her, Gan took off his gloves and offered her a handshake, she was...quite friendly, to say the least.
"Gan Tengri, pleasure to meet you"
Osechi then finally came to them after making a couple of angel figures in the snow just to say hi.
"Hi, I'm Osechi! whoa what's wrong with your eyes??! they are sooo weird!"-She said looking straight at her with the curiosity of a child.
As she finished her comment, Gan proceeded to spin Osechi around like a spintop and send her away with a slight push, all done with barely any effort.
"Rude. Also, not true. I find your eyes quite pretty actually. Sorry about that, she can act like a kid on caffeine at times"- He said as he put his gloves back on.
"Sorry, I didn't catch your name at all, perhaps we should have started there?"
As they finally arrived and met Santa, Osechi looked at him completely disappointed. that was, until he made milk and coco appear out of thin air.
"WHAAAAAT?!"- She said as she quickly proceeded to gulp her drink, not believing he had actually managed to make drinks out of thin air.
"Hey hey, old man, think you can do a couple dozen more of those before we begin??! I still feel cold."
Gan just sighed and stood, ready to listen to whatever the mission was.
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 22, 2019 10:58:18 GMT
Arthur’s bump to her shoulder and remark made Erin’s face go red again as she waved her hand in front of herself. “Whoa whoa whoa...hang on! I don’t like what you’re implying, iceman!” She flusteredly remarked. Letting out a breath to calm herself down, Erin continued. “...but yes...they are lovely up close. Oh hey, we’re moving on!” Erin wanted to end this line of conversation as quickly as possible.
---
Caroline watched with curiosity as Gan took off his gloves. Why was he doing that just to shake her hand? Was this some sort of gesture of respect she wasn’t aware of? Regardless, she shook Gan’s hand and shook it. “Pleasure to meet you, Gan…” Her speech was interrupted by Osechi, whom she gave a friendly chuckle toward at the comment on her eyes.
“No offense taken! Her interest was kind of cute, actually. Almost wanted to pat her on the head.” She half-joked. “But thank you, most tend to find my eyes very fascinating indeed. Though I suppose I’m not the only interesting one here…” She remarked, looking Gan over. “Judging by your aura of authority and your manners up to now...I take it you must be a pretty proper person. Perhaps an aristocrat of some sort?” Her eyes fell upon his watch and sword. “Well you certainly have good taste if you are...that is quite the watch and sword you have there. I am jealous.” She playfully remarked, blinking when she realized she nearly ignored his request.
“Sorry, where are my manners? My name is Caroline, mister Tengri. I suppose you could say I’m a very...specialized therapist. I also do a little actor coaching on the side and throw some quite fantastic parties on occasion.” The snake doll stated. “So who is Gan Tengri, and why has he decided to spend his Christmas at the top of the world with some girl with cute eyes?” She asked, cocking her head slightly.
The moment Caroline mentioned her particular line of work a slight smirk could be seen on his face. “Perhaps a session is in order then”- He told her in a slightly different tone. Gan looked away for a moment before responding to her inquiry “I’m not really an aristocrat, quite the contrary actually, I grew up in the steppe of Mongolia. No possessions to speak of.” When Caroline mentioned his sword, Gan gripped it tight, the golden hilt shone against the light, reflecting it perhaps a tad too much. “I guess the blade does say something about me. At times I work as a hitman, but I do prefer protecting others...I work with the Musashi”
Osechi returned and piggybacked on Gan, He held her as if he was used to it. “I am a Musashi too! And a chef, but being a monster hunter is way more cool.” As she looked yet again at Caroline, she asked her the first thing on her head “Sooo...when is the next party? We will go! right, Gan?” “Well, if she invites us that is.”- He said still having osechi on top.
The responses put a smile on Caroline’s face. “A self made man, huh? Now that’s something I can respect.” The doll’s smile grew wider when Osechi jumped on top of Gan and he just accepted the situation. Most jerks she knew would throw off someone who would try that, so that did show he wasn’t that stuck-up. “Oh? Already taking an interest in my little parties, are we?” Caroline let out a small laugh and fixed her hair after looking downwards. “Of course you two are invited to my next one. Here, let’s exchange numbers…” Caroline reached into her pocket and pulled out both her phone and 2 cards for them.
“Though...I haven’t heard of these ‘Musashi’ before, but with what Osechi said...I suppose you all hunt monsters, huh?” Caroline asked, looking on with amusement. “Quite the exciting profession, I must say. So do you Musashi do anything besides hunt scary monsters that shouldn’t be munching on humans?” Caroline asked, handing them the cards and seeing if they’d give their own.
“Humans are monsters at times as well”- He replied, struggling to reach for his pocket. Gan finally managed to get his business card, a solid silver piece that had his information engraved onto it. “You can call me anytime. She doesn't have a phone” - “But I definitely should!” she replied, looking at Gan from over his shoulder. “I’m not saying you can’t have one, but you keep eating them, that’s not how they work!” “Whateverrr!, also, I do Bishokuya work! If you need a rare ingredient procured, I’m your girl! Oh, and Gan does bodyguard stuff that is super boring” The comment just made Gan raise a brow, that was new.
“Sorry forgot to answer your question, The Musashi are a warrior clan, biggest in Japan actually, I guess not everyone has heard of it, though it is pretty famous, I’m guessing you don’t live in Asia, yes?”
The remark about humans being monsters was mentally noted by Caroline. It showed to her that there was a certain level of cynicism that Gan must have against certain humans. Her eyes widened slightly at the engraved silver piece that he seemed to call a ‘business card’. She let out a soft whistle in surprise as to not interrupt Osechi and Gan talking. The strange comment about Osechi eating a phone was particularly interesting to Caroline, as was how the Musashi were the biggest warrior clan in Japan.
“You would be correct! I suppose you could say I am from...Australia. My situation is a little complicated, perhaps I might share with you all sometime?” She said, not really wanting to reveal too much to people that were still pretty unknown. “So we have a bodyguard to the largest warrior clan in Japan...and a talented ingredient gatherer. And judging from your skills on the plane...I suppose you aren’t just picking flowers out there.” She said jokingly, putting away the coin in her coat pocket with her phone. “Gotta say though...you two must be pretty far out of your jurisdiction. Has the bodyguard turned rogue?!” She asked in fake amazement, smiling to indicate she was joking.
“You bet! Need Vesuvius grapes? Kraken ink? Million leaf clovers? I get them all!”- Osechi replied, extremely proud of herself. When she mentioned them being out of their jurisdiction and how Gan had probably turned rogue he laughed.
“Australia huh? It’s been a while since i went there, perhaps it’s due time for a visit. As for our little mission now I’ll say this, we do it on our free time! Gotta keep the instincts sharp somehow”- The agent finally relaxed in front of her, she was actually pretty pleasant to talk to. “If there is anything you need from us, I’m sure we can help”-He told Caroline “When you are ready, that is. Now, what exactly brought you to the end of the world? Surely you are big enough for christmas presents?”.
The list of materials was surprising to Caroline. She didn’t even know what most of those things were! Caroline could no longer help herself and walked over, ruffling Osechi’s hair lightly. “That’s amazing! You should totally bring me out one of these times, I’d love to see what the heck a million leaf clover looks like!” She beamed. These two seemed far more interesting than she thought! Come to think of it, everyone on this plane was. She had met a very attractive manchild that turned out to be an angel, a cute ex-bad boy who surely had something interesting in his past, an adorable klutz that she was going to tease a bit more, and now a cool bodyguard to a warrior clan and his energetic scavenger! Who could apparently eat electronics.
“Me? Oh, you know, when you see a demon and hear that Santa is both real and in trouble, how can you say no? Besides...anyone who decides to help Santa is probably going to be an interesting person, no? No way I could miss an opportunity like that.” She stated. There was also the fact she wanted to be away from Arachne and the other dolls from the future, but there was no way she’d reveal that to anyone yet.
“Definitely interesting” He said as he looked at the woman in blue. His daydreaming was suddenly stopped by Osechi’s tantrum
“Gaaaaaannn, I wanna go save Santa!”-She told him while swinging back and forth on his back
“Ok ok! Stop thrashing on my back! I thought we were doing this for Mai?”
“Well...I might have lied.”- She replied to him while looking elsewhere.
Gan finally dropped Osechi after listening to that, she made him go all the way to the North Pole just because she felt like it?
“Ugh, this is gonna be a long way back. Let’s go.”
---
The group made their way into Santa’s workshop, Caroline stopping by the door and removing her coat to reveal a long, shiny red and white Christmas themed dress, the doll happy she was finally in a heated space. “Whew...it’s rough out there.” She remarked. Trudging through snow wasn’t exactly fun. She pulled down the snow pants as well and folded the two items up, placing them inside the purse she brought along with herself, the items surprisingly fitting inside despite the purse not being very large. She then pulled out a santa hat from her purse and placed it on top of her head, letting the little bell at the end jingle a little.
When they entered Santa’s room, both Caroline and Erin’s eyes lit up with wonder. They were staring at the real Santa! The excitement then faded when they saw the state he was in. The shop itself was a delight to behold...but something was clearly wrong here. Caroline and Erin both got a glass of hot cocoa and began to sip them. “Sooooo...Santa?” Caroline began, waving one of her hands to get his attention.
“Hi, I’m Caroline! Just curious...why do you look...like you’re suffering?” She asked. This clearly wasn’t the figure tales told of Santa. She figured it had something to do with the current issue, but didn’t have enough details on what his powers were, exactly. Erin simply shuffled next to Arthur, watching the doll talk with the man of legend. While chatting with Santa, Caroline also gave a wave toward Gal and Dan.
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Post by TimePuppy on Apr 25, 2019 18:42:13 GMT
Erin's reaction made Arthur laugh. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Your reactions are really cute, you know." Still, Arthur gave up on that topic while they walked toward the workshop.
Meanwhile, Aaron looked confusedly at the angel. Is Aaron alright now? What was he talking about? Then it occurred to him. That mysterious handkerchief. The balancer frowned.
"I'm fine." He answered curtly. "I remembered some things. They're none of your damn business though, so keep your wings where they're supposed to be, birdie."
--- The group followed the pilot to Santa's workshop. The sharp wind made Arthur's coat flutter during the long trek, but it hadn't affected him otherwise. He was more affected by the fear in the short elves' eyes and the spark of hope bursting through the sadness when they saw the pilot leading a group of heroes to them, along with the corpse of their fallen comrade. They took the corpse away for a proper burial and took the group inside the workshop.
That's where they saw Santa. A decrepit and not very festive-looking version of Santa, but the old man kept his jolly spirit even in these trying times. The elves helped arrange seats near the fire for everyone to warm up.
Aaron sat on the side opposite Santa and looked him over. His reaction was a bit more blunt than Caroline's. "You look like shit, old man," he said what was presumably on everyone's mind.
Arthur sat into one of the chairs farthest away from the fireplace. After Aaron's statement, he cleared his throat. "What I'm sure our companion meant to say is, this whole situation seems to have affected you greatly, Santa. As Caroline points out, you seem to be suffering. How can we help you?"
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Post by RedLenai on Apr 26, 2019 1:20:25 GMT
Oh, you're too modest - The angel chuckled, with a smile and cheeks a bit pink as if he never heard the insult but rather heard a compliment - You are similar to my wife, I'm sure you'll get along if you meet her - He said before going ahead with the rest. However, his happy face suddenly changed in the moment he saw Vladimir, if he was a spy of the Kingdom he needed to get rid of him in any instant... a face he couldn't remember, that was troublesome, if Chloe was there... What would she do? If he thought really hard, the first thing was to face him and keep a sword pretty close to his throat and... No, no no! He didn't want to startle the man like that... but... a spy or an assassin... pff, no way. There is no way for a Driaochta to kill him... or the Queen has...? Agghhh so many questions and neither Chloe or Derek were around!
___
As everyone said aloud their opinions on Santa's appearance, Vladimir felt a bit awkward... like, if he got a bit annoyed by those words even if these weren't towards him, he felt... offend--- No! He was just a bit embarrassed over these young people and their harsh words.
N-Now... think that the situation may be stressing... and such people like Mr. Claus are older than you may think... - He tried to explain so maybe they wouldn't be too hard on the Christmas deity... deity right? Or Santa was more of a God like the Celtic ones? However, he heard a chuckle. Trying to find where the sound was he spotted the black haired man that was smiling at him, somehow he felt quite embarrassed all of a sudden.
Oh? So a driaochta can even empathize with Santa? But you don't have such a long lifespawn like us - Gallerian commented, hidding his chuckle. Of course he didn't got affected and despite he knew Santa wasn't in his best condition, he wanted to tease the ex-paladin
E-Excuse me? - How did that man... Who was that person? - Pardon me but... ugh...
Oh, yes, my appearance is quite different now but... I'm the loyal guardian of the next ruler of the Kingdom - His eyes shone with a deep blue. Even if he had a sweet, soft voice and a smile on his lips that didn't show any sign of treatening behavior, Vladimir could feel the other was being menacing... he felt scared all of a sudden, yet relieved - I'm Gallerian and Angel of Creation, you remember now sir?
S-So you.... ARE ALIVE?! I THOUGHT ELATHA KILLED YOU!!! - The man shouted, so, so this was his master! The one who taught him everything about fighting... When they were in the Kingdom Gallerian had quite light brown hair and his eyes were a different shade of blue... but his height remained and his personality too... he know understood why he got treated like that, he was on duty even now! Gallerian was a carefree but never managed to be too blunt when it came to Elatha... but now it seems the same overprotective personality he had, he also has it with the Prince - P-Pardon me, I'm Vladimir Kearney, Ex-Paladin, banned by the Queen... - He introduced himself again, a bit too fast since the other took his time to react.
Oh, you're Tiúilipe! - The angel remembered, yes, it was the crybaby boy that hanged around with the Queen back in the times they were mere children. That man was also one of his best students... How could he forget? Oh... Gallerian couldn't help but to laugh when he saw the other turning as red as a tulip - Pffff, now I get why that name suits you so well!
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Post by HungryHunter on Apr 26, 2019 5:55:43 GMT
“But you never finished your first cup.” Santa said gently. When Osechi looked down at her cup, she would find it full again. The same would hold true no matter how many times she drained it. Dan smiled and waved back at Caroline, wishing she would sit next to him. He awkwardly leaned away from the two old friends discovering each other. It was a bit too personal a thing to be caught in the middle of. He had no old friends to be reacquainted with at long last. Jun pretended not to notice their display entirely. It would be uncouth to draw too much attention to it. On the inside, however, she thought of the meeting that would make her act like these two, if not more slovenly still. If she ran into her sister, she would likely collapse into tears. She put that thought far away and listened to Santa.
“As many of you have noticed, I am not in the best of shape right now. The majority of my self is fighting an imposter. Worse, however-” “The majority of what? Yourself?” Dan interrupted, immediately looking apologetic. “Don’t look like that! Knowledge is a wonderful gift! I can be in many places at once, many people at the same time. If you see a Santa on the street, it might be an actor, but it may well be me! Hohohohoho!” For a moment, Santa sparked with life, face taking on a jolly red hue, but it did not last. His laugh fell to coughing. It sounded like a dying man’s last gasps.
“That isn’t the only problem. I don’t know how, but he has tapped into my power source.” Santa bent nearly double in his seat, looking now like a tilted gargoyle sticking from a wall. “Who has?” Jun asked. “It is best that I show you.” Santa said and began rummaging around on the toy shelf directly behind his chair. “Where did I put those… ah, here they are!” He tossed everybody an old-fashioned 90s viewmaster. “These still exist!?” Dan held his up to his eyes in awe. “They do. Because you remember them, they do.” Santa said softly and they saw the danger here.
Its shape was difficult to read. It almost appeared to just be a big red sack on first glance. It took careful scrutiny to see the face, perfectly square with features that called to mind Picasso, the arms, long, flat, flopping like wrapping paper. “There is another Santa here, if you want to call him that. There was an explosion to the south, and before we could investigate, he came. Most of my essence is fighting him with Krampus, but we can only hold him off. I am a toymaker, not a warrior, and he only grows stronger with the spirit of the season while I fade more and more.” He seemed to be vanishing before their eyes. He looked older and scrawnier than he did at the beginning of the conversation.
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Post by TimePuppy on Apr 26, 2019 20:19:41 GMT
With everyone seated, Santa began explaining the situation. While he did that, Caroline waved over to Dan who was sitting next to the ice mage. "It seems like there's gonna be quite a bit of competition here. Just remember to play nice, you two." Arthur chuckled at his two companions. The interest was understandable though. He was quite curious about the woman, too. She seemed quite captivating. But Santa was in the process of explaining his clash with the source of the disturbance so Arthur turned his attention back to him.
Aaron didn't pay much attention to Caroline. He was instead vexed at the two men shouting in the middle of Santa's explanation. He didn't care much for Santa, but if they interrupted the jolly old fart like this, the explanation could take ages to finish. "If you two want to make out, go do it outside. Otherwise, shut up and listen." He told the angel and ancient man.
After giving the explanation, Santa pulled out a Viewmaster (wow, Santa really had to step up his tech game) to show everyone what their enemy looked like. Arthur looked at it and was pretty surprised. A sack with a face? And ribbon arms? "So basically, your position is being usurped by a Christmas pinata? Ooh, if we cut it up, do you think it'll rain gifts?"
Aaron looked at the thing in the viewmaster with scorn. So this is the thing that dragged him over here. "Where is it? We'll go kill it." He offered, or rather demanded, just to get this over as soon as possible.
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Post by othus on Apr 26, 2019 21:16:37 GMT
"Alright, we'll clean up your mess. Let's just get going before you actually disappear, old man."- Gan said as he got up from his seat.
Osechi meanwhile, was in a challenge against the cup to see if she could actually finish it. thus far, the cup was winning.
"You think you are funny huh? Ill show you!"- She said to the cup while narrowing her eyes, looking at it very closely.
Osechi proceeded to unhinge her mouth and swallow it whole much like a pelican would. As she finally finished her cup, she leaned back in satisfaction.
"Serves you right, nobody messes with Osechi."-She said proudly while patting her tummy. As she finally noticed Gan got up, she quickly followed.
"hey hey, where are we going?"- Osechi asked Gan as she hugged him from the arm.
"You didnt pay any attention at all, did you?"-He asked Osechi as he slightly laughed.
"Nope!"-She replied with a shining smile.
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 27, 2019 7:55:51 GMT
The reunion between the two made Erin move slightly away from Vlad and Gal, letting them have more room to catch up. “...guess they know each other?” She asked with confusion. Half of what they were saying flew right over her head. Glancing up from the scene, Erin noticed that Caroline was waving toward her! Or...was it one of these two guys next to her? Should she wave back?! Not waving back would seem rude, right?! So Erin tentatively waved back, Caroline letting out a small chuckle and covering her mouth with her left hand. This girl had no idea how to interact socially. But that just added to the charm.
Arthur’s words snapped her out of her concentration with the snake doll. Erin cocked her head slightly at Arthur’s words. “Competition…? To save Santa…?” Erin asked with confusion.
Arthur chuckled. “Yeah. And earn a maiden’s affections in the process.” This made Erin’s eyes grow wide once more. “Hey! We already talked about that! It was just a weird set of situations that have made things more awkward and now you’re teasing and it’s just making me blush and it’s super weird and…”
Arthur suddenly put an arm around her and leaned in, his head touching her arm. The size difference was too great for them to put his head on her shoulder. “Daw, fine. I’ll give you a grace period then. I’ll try not to tease you for a bit.” He said to her. This made Erin stop babbling for a second, only to look down at the ground with her hands down in defeat.
“...thanks.” She mustered up. Truthfully, Erin was starting to regret coming here at all. She hadn’t even started the mission yet and had already embarrassed herself in front of a billionaire cool guy that’s friendly with Haruko, and a cool-looking, friendly new person with amazing eyes. And besides...everyone here looked like a pro...she wasn’t needed here. Things were actually serious this time. Perhaps she should just stay here in the shop...stay out of everyone’s way before she embarrassed herself and the HWIC further.
The strange change of expression was noted by Caroline, who was also listening intently to Santa’s explanation. Her eyes sparkled when he said that some mall Santas could be the real deal. “I am SO asking for a list of real ones!” She beamed. Caroline’s face turned more serious when he started wheezing. Now wasn’t the time for jokes. When everyone received a viewmaster, Caroline turned it over curiously.
“...huh…” The doll said aloud. What was this thing, some kind of pair of binoculars? Her timeline was too far in the future for her to have even heard of these oddities. Taking note of how everyone else was using them, Caroline looked through and saw the strange bag creature inside. It almost looked cute...if the situation wasn’t so dire, she might have said so aloud. Once it was all completed, Caroline set the Viewmaster down and smiled at Santa.
“So we have to defeat this...evil bag. Sounds simple enough. I suppose we should head out now...any plans you t-” Caroline’s question trailed off when she noticed Gan and Osechi had already left. “...busy.” She tutted, reaching into her purse and putting her warming pants and coat back on. She then strolled over toward the group with Dan, Arthur and Erin and offered her hand to held Dan stand back up. “Hey again, looks like we’re fighting a bag on Christmas. Go figure, right?” Caroline let out a soft laugh, smiling at Dan, then turning her head to give both Arthur and Erin a smile. “Friends of yours, I assume? Oh my gosh...that coat looks so sharp on you. I noticed it had a design in the back…” Caroline reached her arm around to the back of Arthur’s chair, poking the back of his neck in such a way that would make someone reel back. Caroline noticed the design once more if successful.
“Blue lines and a wolf head...very stylish. Certainly not a brand I am familiar with.” She noted. Erin just sat in silence, trying not to embarrass herself further. Turning back to Dan, Caroline squinted her eyes. “By the way...mr. ex-bad boy...I don’t believe I ever got your name. So how about we start over? My name is Caroline. What may I call you three lovely people?” Caroline asked, tilting her head to look directly at Erin now, who looked down at the floor. No way she could say her name now without blubbering it like an idiot!
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Santa Day
Apr 27, 2019 22:00:00 GMT
via mobile
Post by RedLenai on Apr 27, 2019 22:00:00 GMT
Sorry, I'm quite nostalgic hehe I'm old after all - Gallerian joked. He walked closer to Santa, showing of one of his wings and plucking out some feathers - Maybe I can give you something to feel better... well, it won't stop completely but this will give you more time also I'll be worried if you're in pain...
The angel's voice made it sound as he knew Santa, but it wasn't really. Part of his nature is to preserve live and in a rush he was told to do what his instincts told him.
Vladimir just apologized to Aaron, still red from the angel's words. Somehow he began to look at everyone. He didn't knew most of the people... except for... - Mr. Cromwell? - He whispered to himself, so that man was also here. Mayne things could go a bit easier if he got the chance to team up with Arthur... Gallerian... his memories of him were what scared him most.
This won't be simple... - Gallerian commented, looking at the handmade imitation if the enemy. The angel's expression changed completely, looking more serious than when he even step on the plane - Santa, I need you to make a tea with my feathers... it's more healthy than coco... but you can combine them - He winked at the elder, like an older sibling givinga snack to a younger brother before dinner
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Post by HungryHunter on Apr 28, 2019 4:32:11 GMT
“Thank you Gallerian. I will become whole in good health.” Santa placed the feathers in his coco with the flourish of a toast. “Now hold on, you two.” He chided Osechi and Gan. “Things are more complicated than that. We are faced with two problems here. One is that the calicantzari, normally harnessed by Krampus for his mischief, are rampaging. Somebody must venture into their realm and contain them. The other is the false me. I sent an agent to the south, seeking his origins, but he did not return. Please go in his stead. I have the feeling that his weakness can be found there. Just the hunch of an old man.” Santa winked, downed his cup, and faded away.
“I should enter the pit. I am well-equipped to fight demons, after all. I assume you will come with me?” Jun turned to Gan, eyes still lingering on the space where Santa was until moments before. Dan was about to pick his destination when Caroline talked to him, making him blush again with the title she gave him. He really shouldn’t have let her know that. It made him seem like a tryhard. “I’m Dan Drake.” Dan offered his hand to shake, letting the other two introduce themselves. Feeling emboldened by her flirting, he smiled and made an offer. “I think I’m going south. Would you like to come with me? I think we make a good team.” Dan may have been smiling, but his heart pounded and he broke out in a cold sweat from the effort of making that offer.
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Post by othus on Apr 28, 2019 9:45:42 GMT
"Certainly, I'll try not to slow you down"-Gan said in all honesty as he walked towards Jun. It was rather interesting what she could do with her body, at the very least, that was an ability he had never seen before.
"Gan Tengri, pleasure to meet you"-He said as he offered a firm handshake. It was rather strange, Caroline seemed quite light and easygoing, while Jun on the other hand projected a far more serious aura, her expressions and posture were rather imposing even though she was a lot smaller than him.
Osechi puffed her cheeks in anger when she heard Gan was gonna go fight the demons, she wanted to go save santa!
"Gaaaan, I wanna save Santa! I dont wanna fight snowcones all day!"- she told him as she repeatedly threw little punches on his back.
Gan lifted his hands at shoulder height signaling he was giving up, Osechi's tantrums were silly most of the time, but she had a point.
"Easy there! I'm gonna go help push back the demons while you deal with the Krampus, alright? Just...take care of yourself, you are the only family that I have left."
Osechi stopped hitting Gan right after he said that, she looked at him with watery eyes as she hugged him.
"Dont say sad stuff! I'm gonna whoop the floor with that monster and be back for dinner ok?!"
Gan simply pat her on the head and slightly smiled, he knew she would.
"Alright then, go with them, If Caroline is going south I'm sure she will appreciate your help"
Osechi finally let go and walked towards Caroline, but not without looking back at Gan one last time. As she arrived with her, she looked at Dan and Arthur as well.
"Hi pink man! what was your name again? we are gonna go save santa, right Caroline?! Arthur??"
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Post by TimePuppy on Apr 28, 2019 19:19:19 GMT
After Santa's explanation, Caroline came over and struck up a conversation with the small group. She seemed to take an interest in them all and even leaned over. Arthur could smell her flowery perfume as her finger reached for his nape. Arthur automatically leaned forward with a shudder and provided her with a good look at the coat's fancy pattern. He ended up laughing at his own reaction.
"Very physical, I see. Your fingers are really soft." He took note of their unusual coolness even for the part of the world they were in, but it didn't bother him and he didn't feel the need to bring it up now. She then commented on his coat. "Nice catch. The coat is custom made. Fairly old, too. But a seamstress friend keeps patching it up for me. Her sister, in fact." He nodded towards Erin.
When Caroline asked for their names, Arthur stood up. "Arthur. Arthur Cromwell. A pleasure to properly meet you, Caroline." He offered a handshake. He then looked at Erin who seemed a bit down. She was probably hoping someone else would introduce her. But she had to do it herself. She had to take small steps to work on her confidence. Even if she might not be as fun to tease if her confidence rose.
Soon people started separating into groups for tackling the issue at hand. Arthur drained his cup of coco with gusto and waited for it to refill again. Santa said they could take a toy but the ice mage thought a cup that provided an infinite supply of liquid chocolate was far better. Except it didn't do that. Arthur shook it, but no more coco showed up. Ugh, must be tied to Santa's presence. Oh well. He put the cup on his chair for the elves to take away.
"Alright. I'm going south to help out Krumpus and Santa, too. I'd really like it if you guys came with." He looked at Dan, Caroline, and Erin. And Osechi when she showed up with the same enthusiasm she ate all those demonic snowmen. "Yeah," Arthur agreed. "And we'll see if we can get the bag to drop us some presents."
While this all happened, Aaron cracked his knuckles. He didn't really care about Vlad's apologies but grunted an acceptance anyway. When people started separating into teams, he proclaimed right away: "I'm going into the pit." Both options seemed important enough to take on so he didn't take importance into account. Rather, he figured underground would have less light. That meant the fae blade, Caladsvalon, would be more useful despite its size. He might need a weapon against all those demons after all. He went and stood next to the door while everyone else split up.
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Post by RedLenai on Apr 29, 2019 2:17:26 GMT
Gallerian immediatly moved aside when Santa dissappeared, it scared him for a second, thinking that the joyful man really died. He walked back with the rest, listening to their words as they organized.
Well! Seems this adorable girl has plenty of stamina - The angel commented towards Osechi - You really should help Santa, this guy over here can take care of the snowmen so don't worry~! ♡ - He grabbed Vladimir by the arm, the other man had a confused expression on his face, not knowing what to do or what to say.
So! We are going to the pit! As well... - He left Vladimir to move closer to Jun. Stepping in front of her, with his bigger smile as his cheeks went pink once again - It's been a while! Miss Li! You are as pretty as always! - He happily commented - Oh... - His expression changed, pouting little - I mean... you remember the Resort some time ago right? You met me and my wife and invited us to dinner...
Vladimir by other hand, just waved at the Santa team and began to move with the calicantzari team. He didn't want to interrupt the others that were now talink, he already did that with the angel and somehow he felt guilty about that. He summoned his spear, ready in case these snowmens were already rampaging.
My, my... Relax a little, boys - Gallerian chuckled at both Vladimir and Aaron - Don't waste your energy carrying your weapons when its not needed, your speed will be reduced a lot and also your arms need to be relaxed as well
The ex-paladin rolled his eyes, maybe he should go with the others and help Santa and Krampus, thats what he thought until the angel interrupted him again.
You are not leaving, I need to interrogate you. That's an order from the Guardian of the Prince of Driaochtas... that's me by the way, everyone! ♡ - The angel said excited
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Post by Vapovile on Apr 30, 2019 21:03:48 GMT
Dan’s blush was the reaction Caroline was hoping for, suppressing a smile on her face when he confidently asked her to join him. She stepped forward and took his hand. “So the ex-bad boy finally reveals his name, huuuuuuh?” She teases. “Nice to meet you, Dan. I think I could spare some time to see what’s going on with evil Santa.” Caroline said, shaking his hand and turning to Arthur.
“Custom made? Judging by the handiwork…” Caroline glanced back at the coat. “...they seem to be a great seamstress. I can barely notice the stitchwork.” She stated. The doll then looked down when Arthur mentioned that his seamstress was Erin’s sister. “So your sister is a master seamstress? You must be pretty talented too, I assume? You were certainly acrobatic back there.” Caroline said with a small smirk, Erin looking downward. “Yeah well...that was an accident!” She stated. Caroline looked on with amusement. “I am sure you would have landed on your feet, surely. So who is this adorable acrobat I’m talking to?” Caroline asked.
Erin’s brain blanked at the question. How should she introduce herself? If she reveals she’s from the HWIC, then all her embarrassing stuff would reflect on them! And nothing in her life is interesting enough to give as a replacement! “Me? Uh...well, my name is Erin Miyata…” She tentatively held out her hand, which Caroline accepted and shook. “Pleasure to meet you, Erin. Maybe sometime you can show me a flip? Oh, maybe even a split?” Caroline joked.
"I...don't think I should try. Might split in half or something!" Erin exaggerates. Caroline let out a soft laugh. "Hahaha...funny. I like that. Though if you do get hospitalized, I can bring a banana to help with the split." Caroline joked. Erin stared in disbelief at the pun. "...that was terrible." "And yet I still brought a smile to your lips." She shot back, Erin nodding her head silently. Something about her presence was just...relaxing.
Turning back to Arthur, Caroline nodded her head. "I already agreed to go with bad boy here." Caroline flashed a smile at Dan. "So of course I will deal with evil Santa. But first…"
Pulling a rectangular phone with a sparkly green case around it, Caroline turned around and called "Smile!" Before snapping a selfie with herself, Dan, Erin, Arthur and Osechi. When she finishes, Caroline pocketed the phone again.
"Sorry, I love taking pictures! Expect a few more of those, of course. Now…" Caroline faced Osechi. "...how about we save Santa, Osechi? Maybe Santa can give you an extra gift." She stated, patting her on the arm and making her way to the door. Erin slowly walked behind...and looked at Arthur with a face of disbelief.
Up in front, Caroline looked at Dan and interlocked her hands behind her back. "Seems like a lovely group you have there. Judging by your coat…" Caroline ran her finger down the length of his spine. "...it looks custom as well. Are you also family to a seamstress? Perhaps a friend?" She asked.
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Post by HungryHunter on May 3, 2019 22:30:37 GMT
“Oh… ah, yes, I remember.” Jun nodded when Gallerian recognized her. That was one of the more humiliating moments of her life. The angels found her weeping over being left by Amai, after the succubus charmed her with her powers. “Wait, prince of the…” Jun went pale. She recognized that title. She had tried to kill the prince of the Driaochta! Gallerian and Chloe knew that kid? She quickly turned away so her face could not be seen, finding herself facing Gan instead. “I don't think I need to worry about that. Come. We should get going. Every moment we wait, more spirits escape.” Jun and her group were led out from the workshop down to the hole.
The air moved strangely here, sucking down into the hole like it was being gluttonously devoured. From the shop, this could just be seen in the way the snow was pulled in, but as they got closer, they could feel the pressure, their clothes and hair rippling towards the chasm before them. A firmly locked gate was opened for them and they stepped into an inner ring, only feature an oversized basket elevator. The pressure was immense here. Jun had to plant her feet firmly to avoid sliding towards the ledge, where only another handrail protected them from a horrible, plummeting demise. “Perhaps my palace is down there. I know it ended up underground.” The Shattered One spoke in her skull. “I’ll keep an eye out for it.” She flatly responded.
“Alright, heroes of Christmas!” A dazzling red elf piped up. “This pit leads to the world under the world. You will be able to see the world tree’s roots from where you land. Just head straight to them and place this figurine at the hole to the upper layers of hell.” The elf held up a statue that looked like a demon itself, a figure with long tusks like an elephant’s and three bulging eyes shaped like rotten lemons. The Shattered One jumped so hard it made Jun stumble a few steps back. “Oh! Yes, that will keep demons contained very well. Please have somebody else take it.” He mumbled to her and she waved for Wilson to pick the figurine up and slip it into his pocket.
“Don’t wander too much. The world under the world is full of strange things, many of them dangerous.” The elf finished. Jun took a few nervous steps onto the elevator, feeling it out for stability. It didn’t even shift under her feet and she nodded with satisfaction. “Let’s get this over with.” She put a hand on the guardrail and looked down into the yawning chasm.
“Ah… please don’t touch me without warning.” Dan wiggled when Caroline ran her finger down his back. “This was made by… a friend of a friend. A friend, I like her. I don’t see her much though.” Dan explained as the group he was in was directed in the opposite direction. A thin line of smoke rose over the horizon. “That’s where we’re going?” Dan asked. A lime-green elf nodded. “Yes. That is where the false Santa came from. After an explosion, of course. With luck, we will find answers there!” The elf clapped his fist into an open palm.
“Well, it looks like walking distance to me! Let’s go!” Dan called, but he didn’t take the lead. That wasn’t his thing at all. Besides, he had to talk to somebody. “Arthur!” He slid up and bent over to talk directly in the shorter man’s ear. “I need advice so I don’t fuck this up. How do you talk to somebody who’s flirting with you? What’s inappropriate? You’re rich and you have that good-looking adult thing you do, so I figured you’d know better than, like, Erin Or Osechi for that matter.”
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Post by othus on May 3, 2019 23:41:17 GMT
"Right, the spirits."- Gan replied, noticing getting a conversation out of her would be like pulling teeth. Not that he wanted to stay and chat for the rest of the mission, but she could have at least introduced herself.
As he listened to the elf, he looked at their group. Not everything was bad, the angry teen was going on the other group, but then again, so were Caroline and Osechi. Hopefully that clumsy girl on their team won't be a drag.
The rest on his side of the team were fine, they all looked strong. With how straightforward everyone seemed oh his team, perhaps they would manage to finish their mission much sooner.
Osechi's eyes widened when Dan told Caroline not to touch him without warning
"So mean!! you don't seem to be the mean type though. are you ticklish? that's what a ticklish person would say!"
The chef girl went back to hug Caroline from the back.
"Don't worry! in the meantime, you can hug me instead!"- she said clearly not understanding their interaction.
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Post by RedLenai on May 4, 2019 13:22:09 GMT
Don't worry, cutiepie! - Gallerian cheerfully talked to the small elf - You have an Angel by your side... and a descendant of them too - He said looking at Vladimir. Of course, he felt a bit worried over Jun... The girl turned away so quickly that he didn't got any other chance to keep talking with her, he couldn't blame her, after all, the situation was quite bad. At the same time he realized he didn't knew most of his team's names!
Wait a moment! We need to know each other's names at least - He said to his team - Imagine if we fight and someone is going to be attacked by other calicantzari! Saying "You, watch out" would be confusing for everyone - He chuckled - Just to put it simple again.. I'm Gal, this is Tiúilip - He pointed at Vladimir - And the prettiest girl in Pole North, Juu~! - He wasn't sure if he should mention One... maybe he should let that to Jun in any case she wanted to keep it a secret or reveal it.
And of course, he already put nicknames on the other two, and was ready to wait for the others to give their names in vain.
Vladimir by other hand felt extremely uneasy, after the angel told him he was going to interrogate him he was ready for a bunch of personal questions, even the most embarrassing ones... knowing Gallerian he was going to ask first for his appearance, and probably suggest him to find a partner or ask if he already has a family... or worse, no, the angel was going to ask how "his reproductive life" was going... He almost choked with his own saliva in the moment he got called again by that nicnkame - That's not my name! I'm Vladimir Kearney, I-I apologize... he is Old like... Old so I bet he went sentil or something
How mean! I won't protect you then! - The angel shouted - Don't make me turn you into a child for the rest of the journey!!
OH? - The paladin knew the angel wasn't joking anymore - You can't do that if your Master doesn't allow it, your powers were sealed, remember?
Y-You!!! Aahhh mouu! - Gallerian sulked, crossing his arms.
Vladimir tilted his head, without knowing what the other said at the end "Ahmou"? Was that an insult? No, Gallerian wasn't a person that insulted others or even cursed... Maybe it was a word from the outside to express that he lost. Somehow he felt a bit prideful.
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Post by TimePuppy on May 4, 2019 16:40:13 GMT
Their group was quickly established and they set off on their way. While they were walking, Dan leaned over and started whispering to Arthur, asking him for advice. It was kinda weird being asked for dating advice in the middle of the North pole, but Dan was a friend so Arthur naturally felt inclined to help him out. After some teasing, of course. "Asking a rival for advice? How brave. You're not scared I'd sabotage you at all. Well, you called me a good-looking adult, even if I look more like a teen, so I'll be nice." Arthur joked. "First thing you did well is you invited her to come along, so there are more talking opportunities. Now you gotta find out her interests, hobbies, likes, and dislikes while also telling her more about yourself. Avoid unnecessarily disgusting topics as well as religion and politics. Also, avoid talking about sex until you're more comfortable with each other; until you're closer. And the best way to get closer is through casual physical contact, although if you're uncomfortable with that it's gonna be tougher for you. That's about it for a 'don't fuck it up' 101 crash course. And now... A demonstration!"
Arthur sidled up to Caroline. "Your outfit's pretty cool too. Those are very stylish boots. I'm sure the sparkle could help us find you if we end up in a snowstorm. And those gloves..." He took Caroline's hand, feeling the heat radiating from her gloves. "Self-heating? Very fancy. Let me guess, you have a seamstress friend, too?" He smiled at her with a raised eyebrow. Aaron agreed with Jun. They should get on with this. The fae guide led them towards the hole while telling them how dangerous it would be. His warnings were emphasized by the immense pressure creeping up from the hole and drawing them in towards the chasm. "It's a hellhole with killer demons streaming out," he responded. "Of course it's fucking dangerous." He looked at the strange statuette Wilson took while they boarded the elevator. Aside from it's ghoulish appearance, it didn't seem that special. So why did the woman recoil from it? Hmpf, doesn't really matter as long as actual demons don't scare her. They just had to get to the opening and lock the demons behind it.
While the elevator descended, the annoying angel wanted them to introduce themselves. Aaron couldn't remember if he'd done that already, so he said: "I'm Aaron." Whether the angel heard or cared was up in the air because he and grandpa flowers started bickering again. Ugh, will these two be completely useless down in hell?
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Post by Vapovile on May 5, 2019 2:50:01 GMT
Dan’s unexpected refusal of her light touch made Caroline lower her right eyebrow in confusion. His body wriggling indicated that either he was uncomfortable with it, he was ticklish...or both. More information was needed before trying this again! His flustered explanation of where he got the coat was cute though.
“A friend who is also a friend of a friend? They certainly sounds...friendly.” Caroline joked at Dan. She looked up at the smoke in the horizon. A pang of excitement rushed through her body as she realized; they were really going to save Christmas here! How cool is it going to be to say she helped save Christmas after coming to this timeline?!
Glancing over, Caroline saw Dan shuffle up to the strange teenager and begin whispering to him. Her eyes narrowed in amusement at this, as she knew it likely had to do with her. Just then, Osechi lunged and hugged her from behind. She wrapped her strangely stretchy arms around her back to hug the goddess back. “Aw! Well I certainly can’t pass up an offer like that, can I?” She said to Osechi, lifting her back down a little to lift Osechi off the ground. “Ooof.” She muttered. Why was this girl heavier than her body looked?!
Arthur then slid next to her and began his flirtatious talk, Caroline’s face turning into a slightly smug expression. “Ah, so you’ve noticed, huuuh? As you can probably tell, I do love being noticed.” She nonchalantly told Arthur, moving her boots back and forth. “As for my gloves...I may know a seamstress or two. I do hate having cold hands, I’m sure you’d understand.” Glancing at his relatively light attire, Caroline’s eyes narrowed. “Or...maybe you wouldn’t? Unless you’re freezing at the expense of looking cool.” She teased. The group trudged forward, Caroline letting Osechi stay on as a mini-piggyback ride.
“Sooooo...I never asked. What brings a teenager like you up to the top of the world? Worried Santa won’t give you a present or something?” Caroline asked. While everyone focused on Caroline, Erin walked along a few feet away, watching with a sense of dissonance. “...they’re all after her…” She mumbled to herself. There was no way she had a chance against a talented martial artist or a billionaire! And there were no openings for her to enter the conversation without seeming rude!
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