smk_ooc | Mid-Winter TDM

smk_mods posting in

It is cold. Really cold. An almost supernatural ice storm has plowed through the Kingdoms during the night and covered everything in dripping icicles and sheets of glass that are beautiful in the morning sun but frankly, dangerous. Have fun or go on Missions but try not to break your neck.

I.Jungle Fever:
Ice in the Tiki Oasis? You better believe it! It won't last long but when you're called out there to capture and purify a flock of corroded macaws, it's still glistening and cold. Watch out for falling Icicles.

II.Slip on Down to the Blue Bayou:
Or slip on over the bayou. The strangely magical ice storm has iced over part of the port, thick enough to skate over so long as you don't go out too far. Join the residents in some ice skating-- but listen for that tik tik tik. Is the ice breaking or is that a corroded crocodile? Watch your hands in any case.

Alternatively, since you're bundled up anyway, come volunteer to knock the icicles off the Haunted Mansion. The silly spectors who reside there will be grateful and may even invite you for a meal. After all, there's always room for one more at the table.

III. What's Mine is Yours:
Big Thunder Mine is lousy with corroded, and also, somehow, ice. It's beautiful when the light hits them just right and may throw rainbow shimmers around or sparkle like crystals... or is that sparkling eyes? A lot of eyes? Far too many eyes than you can take on at once. Well, fight or flight time! Whether they are bats, insects, or something far more terrifying, they're after you.

IV. Main Street Frolic:
Is that...snow? Could it be? Well no, actually. It seems there was a mild accident at the candy shop and due to a magical mishap and a too liberal appliance of an experimental potion, all of main street is covered in powdered sugar. Well, never mind. Main Street Residents make the best of it and a little festival has popped up as it seems that the sugar packs pretty well!

Come have some hot cocoa, make sugar angels, make a sugarman or join in the sugar fights (or else get caught in the crossfire). But please, please do not eat the sugar. Unintended side effects can be nausea, dizziness, and having the reputation of eating food off the street. Ew.

There is also, of course, ice under the sugar so be careful not to trip.

V.Wild Card:
A dream is a wish your heart makes and so it is for the wild card threads. Whatever else you want goes here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

angelic_warlord

I Jungle Fever
Herding and capturing a bunch of wild birds wasn't going to be easy. Mix in the fact that the said birds were corroded, and the difficulty level went up a few notches. But, Mitsunari had a plan! He wasn't the primary strategist for the Oda Forces for nothing.

Using a stick, he drew out a diagram in the dirt so that his fellow Apprentice had a visual of what he was explaining. "We should hang the fine mesh net between these trees. Then we can split up and circle around the flock in opposite directions until the flock is between us and the net. Once there, all we have to do is use noise and movement to startle the birds into flying towards the net, where they will get tangled but be relatively unhurt. Then all that will be left to do is purify them."

He gave a smile and looked up to his partner in the mission. "So, what do you think?"

IV Main Street Frolic:
Someone should really tell Mitsunari that it isn't safe to walk around outside and read at the same time. Especially considering how super focus he gets when it comes to reading. He doesn't even realize that there is a pop up festival going on around him.

Unfortunately, before anyone can try to warn him, he walks right into a lamp post.

"Ah! I'm so sorry." He backs up and actually bows to the post, thinking it is person he ran into. That is when he finally notices all the activity going on around him.

He blinks and takes off his reading glasses, which thankfully weren't damaged during his run in with the lamp post. "I didn't know there was a festival today..." He says as tucks the glasses into his coat.

V Wild Card
After some nagging from his roommate about how he needs to eat proper meals on a regular bases, Mitsunari went to the Cafe. Unfortunately, he also brought a book with him, since he had seen several people who eat alone also with books. But most people don't get hyper focus like he does when it comes to reading.

After he ordered, he put on his glasses and started to read, and, well.... Lets just say you can set a bomb off under his chair and he would still be reading! It's been about fifteen minutes since his food had been brought out to him, and he still hasn't touched it. The waitresses are starting to mummer among themselves about the odd young man who doesn't even seem to notice what is going on around him. Maybe someone should try to get him out of his trance like state?

From:

piano_man

Cosmo squinted up every so often- the plan made sense. As much sense as anything in this place could. He wiped a bit of sweat from his brow and gave Mitsunari a rather dead pan look.

"I'm thinking I shoulda brought an umbrella." But he nodded, trying to remember how the heck magic worked. After a moment he grinned.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to have a net on ya? I'm still getting the whole magic is real thing ta stick."

From:

angelic_warlord

Mitsunari blinked a little in confusion, not getting Cosmo's umbrella joke, since it wasn't raining and there was definitely more than enough shade here under the trees. "I'm not sure how an umbrella will help us catch birds." It's not like you could use one as a net.

But he smiled again, and opened the backpack he brought with him. There he pulled out a fine mesh net. "I'm still getting used to the idea of magic as well. It made more sense to bring what we may need instead trying to conjure it."

From:

piano_man

Everyone's a critic, Mitsunari, Cos is used to it.

"Practical. I like it." He tsked and squinted up at the canopy before pointing, "So...we gotta hang it out and over." Something didn't feel just right about that. "hang on, what if they don't fly down ta up? I've seen Dexter try it with pigeons- sometimes they do this sorta bank turn."

From:

angelic_warlord

Mitsunari shook his head, but gave Cosmo a kind smile. "Not overhead, but hang it in between the trees like a curtain. And the mesh of the net is fine enough that along with the dim light here in the jungle, the birds won't see it until it's too late." Unless the Corrosion gave the birds better eyesight. If that's the case, Mitsunari will need to start thinking of a back up plan.

From:

grandduchess_anya

Anya is checking out the popup festival and avoiding a sugar storm when she spots Mitsunari’s accidental run in with a lamp post and him talking to it as if it was a person.

The shock has left the Grand Duchess completely worried for the stranger that she rushes in to check on him, “Hey, are you alright? I could try to heal any injuries you might have with the lamp post. I’m a Princess Apprentice in here.”

Anya is still new to the Kingdoms and she is worried that she might overexert herself trying to heal any possible injuries she could find in his face.

From:

angelic_warlord

"Huh? Lamp post?" Mitsunari blinked, a bit confused before he turned and saw that it was indeed a lamp post he walked right into. "Oh good! So I didn't run into a person. That's a relief, though still a little bit embarrassing." He turned back to Anya and gave her a sheepish smile.

Then he gave her a polite bow. "Thank you for the kind offer but I'm fine, Princess. There is no need to waste your magic on me."

From:

grandduchess_anya

Technically, Anya is a Grand Duchess, but eh, imperial titles doesn’t seem to matter in the Kingdoms at all. She will just roll with it, after all, back in Russia, her title was actually called Grand Princess, making her a rank higher than most princesses in Europe.

“That’s okay. I am still new here and trying to learn about my Class. Maybe next time you might want to put your book down while walking on the streets,” Anya reassures and advices him, though she does blush at the mention of Princess since her parents didn’t want their children to be addressed by their titles all the time unless it’s for formal events.

“By the way, my name is Anya. It is nice to meet you in this sugar coated wonderland, sir,” she curtsies to Mitsunari as she speaks.

From:

angelic_warlord

Mitsunari gave another sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head, ruffling his already messy hair. Poor guy doesn't know how to properly comb down his hair when he gets up in the morning.

"Ah, Lord Hideyoshi is constantly telling me the same thing back home." He holds up the book, showing that it was a book of the subject of battle tactic and strategies. Something that would be boring to most, but was very interesting to him. "I just got this book, and I only meant to flip through it before I got back to my apartment. Guess I got a little too absorbed into it."

He gave another smile and polite bow to Anya, this time in greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Princess Anya. I'm Mitsunari Ishida."

From:

grandduchess_anya

Looking at the book’s cover, Anya could see that the gentleman in front of her might be a strategist in his world. No wonder it was taking a lot of his attention before the lamp post came.

“I see. The subject it talks about must have peaked your interest,” she nods before making a remark about the festival, “Anyway: The festival the people here has set up is looking rather beautiful today, even if the sugar from the candy shop is all over the place. Just be careful in walking around though, there might be sugar and ice on the streets.”

From:

angelic_warlord

Oh Anya, it could have been a book about fairy tales and he still would have given it the same amount of attention.

"So it really is sugar. I first thought it was ordinary snow." It was certainly cold enough for snow, especially with ice on the streets. With his focus being on his book, it was amazing that he didn't slip before his run in with the lamp post.

"I wonder how it all ended up in the street?"

From:

grandduchess_anya

“Apparently, the candy shop had an accidental surplus of sugar earlier today while experimenting with a potion and the people decided to make the most of it by setting up this sugar snow festival,” Anya tells him more.

Snow is normally a common thing for her back in Russia, it usually comes with snowball fights with her sisters and brother and later with the kids in the orphanage. Damn, all that sugar looking like snow does make a Grand Duchess feel homesick.

From:

angelic_warlord

"That's certainly a creative way to deal with this kind of problem." One he would have never thought of before. He could learning a lot from the locals' way of problem solving. Especially considering how much people seem to enjoy the solution.

He tucked the book into his coat for safe keeping before bending down to scoop up a bunch of the sugar. When he was able to pack it into a ball, his eyes widen a bet in surprise. "It almost feels like snow, but it is nowhere near as cold." No worries, wasn't planning to throw the ball at anyone.

From:

grandduchess_anya

“Well, that is true: It looks like snow and yet it doesn’t feel as cold as snow and ice would normally be,” Anya couldn’t agree more as she also looks and pokes at the sugar snowball.

And no, she has no intentions to lick sugar off the ground, thank you very much. That would be both gross and very un-Grand Duchess like.

Edited Date: 2021-02-01 05:47 am (UTC)

From:

angelic_warlord

Mitsunari tossed the sugarball up into the air and caught it again, marveling at how well it held it's shape. He was almost tempted to try and lick it but figured that wouldn't be proper. Besides it seemed like no one else was trying to eat the sugar anyway.

"I wonder what kind of potion the candy shop was trying to make that resulted in all of this."

From:

grandduchess_anya

“I was asking about the same thing as well, Mitsunari,” Anya nods in agreement, “I do know that I’m capable of making potions and similar things as part of my Class, but I have yet to get started with it. Maybe they were using a multiplying potion onto the sugar to make more candy.”

That explains the sugar coating nearly every surface it touches. Maybe the candy shop either put too much of the aforementioned potion or they were using some ingredients she may not know of into it and it went haywired as the result.

Edited Date: 2021-02-05 05:33 am (UTC)

From:

princess_weia

Leia had come by the cafe herself to get some lunch, but while their food had come out at roughly the same time, the man at the next table over was just ignoring his lunch in favor of his book. Which didn't seem to have any pictures in it, and thus- to her mind- couldn't really be that interesting.

Mind made up, she hopped down from her own seat, and walked over to stand next to the man's chair, standing on tip-toes so she could wave her hand between him and his obviously boring book. "Hey, Mister, your food is getting cold," she said.

Edited Date: 2021-01-29 04:35 am (UTC)

From:

angelic_warlord

It was like Mitsunari was in a trance. He didn't notice the small child coming up to, nor did he appear to hear at all. In fact, her waving a hand between him and the book didn't even phase him. Instead, he just turned the page and continued on reading.

From:

princess_weia

Well, no one could say she hadn't tried a more reasonable approach. Leia reached up and tugged on the book itself, intending to pull it out of the man's hand. If he kept staring at where it had been, then they would know it wasn't the book that was the problem.

From:

angelic_warlord

Leia succeeded in taking the book (this one on military history) from him. For a second or two his hands stayed in position, as if he was still holding the book. He blinked a couple of times as he came out of his reading trance.

"Oh!" He exclaimed as he realized that he was no longer holding his book. Where did it go? He looked around and noticed the little girl standing next to him.

"Hello," he said as he gave her a kind smile. "Do you help with something?"

From:

princess_weia

The book was pretty heavy for someone Leia's size, especially in the slightly awkward position needed to snag it in the first place. She managed however, and was even able to get one hand inside it to kep the man's place.

"No, you do," she said. "You've been sitting here reading so long your food's getting cold. And it's really good food too; you shouldn't let it go to waste. Not even the vegetables." That's how you know she's serious; when the small child is advocating eating your vegetables, you better listen.

From:

angelic_warlord

The book looked almost as big as the child who was now holding it. At first he wondered why she had such a big book until he saw the title and realized that was his book. So that's what happened to his book...

He blinked a little and then it dawned on him when he saw the plate of food on the table in front of him. "That's right, I did come here to get something to eat. I guess I forgot while I was reading."

From:

princess_weia

"Well if you like reading so much that you forget to eat while you're doing it, then you should wait to read til after you're done eating," Leia said. "Because eating is more important than reading." At least if one liked staying alive. And not being hungry.

From:

piano_man

II. Slips on Down to the Bayou
Now Cosmo had never been a fan of snow- it was one of the main reasons moving down to California had been so easy. That and lack of money, food or shelter to really go anywhere else. Bu, snow was a part of it.

So standing in what looked like New Orleans, covered in snow, ice and all manner of cold and wet had him pouting under one of the eaves. The folks did look like they were having fun, and maybe after he warmed up a bit he'd join 'em.

But for now? Nope! he was hanging out here, eyeing the piano in the corner and wondering if he could tickle it without getting booted out.

V. Wild Card

The corner store was nice- it felt, well it felt awful familiar in a way that Cosmo always chose to ignore. by gone days are by gone days. He was a modern man, gosh dang it, and he was going to embrace it. Even as he sat at the covered piano, licking a lemon lolly like he had as a kid when Don and he had been able to scrape up a few pennies from the gambling halls.

From:

princess_weia

Leia was licking a lolly of her own when she spotted the man, though hers was a bit different. It was one of the big ones sold in the candy store, the ones Mr. Crowley had first introduced to her when she had little spending money. It looked almost comically large in her hands; at roughly 3/4 the size of her head, it was bound to last awhile. Which was, of course why Crowley had recommended them to her.

Though despite his more ordinary lolly, the man sitting at the piano was clearly a grown up who knew what was up. She approached him, all pigtails and curious smile, to ask, "Are you gonna play the piano, Mister? When you're done with your lolly, I mean." Because clearly the lolly had priority here.

From:

il_dilettante

I. Jungle Fever
He hated jungles. They were humid, muddy and horribly loud. Chimps, birds and heaven knew what else were simpering and yowling along the canopy. And he knew for fact that most of the mud was not, in fact, mud at all.

But it was alive.

There was movement and sounds- greenery as far as he could see! Even the snow felt different, not tainted and simply snow.

Having to deal with a flock of whatever birds wasn't too high a price for being able to just enjoy a place that wasn't....dead.

IV. Main Street Frolic
Jon stood on the other side of the street, watching the sugar flutter about like snow. The air was sweet, not just with sugar but he shook his head and started to whistle as he crossed over to get something to eat.

Something that was normal and not the remnants of some nightmare beast or the pathetic offers of men playing gods.

"Ah, my dear lady!" He didn't even fully get a chance to ask before the smiling woman frowned and the proceeded to give him a rather large cup of hot chocolate (it smelled so rich!) and about two dozen sticky bun treats before shooing him off to 'gain a pound or ten!'.

From:

phoenixwiz

Harry may have been to Tiki Oasis for a couple of times since he arrived at the Kingdoms, but oh Merlin, the jungle always has surprises when he least expects it and corroded macaws and snow in the jungle are just a tip of of the figurative iceberg. Besides, who would allow a teenage ex-wizard to walk into a jungle on his own? Nobody apparently.

So there is he, trying to catch some corroded macaws, partly lost, and hoping that a Princess Class will show up and purify those birds when he runs into Jonathan also dealing with the same thing. If Jonathan pays attention to his voice, yep, there is another Englishman in the area too.

“Hey there, do you need with capturing some birds?” Harry asks him while swatting some of the corroded macaws away with his polearm.

From:

il_dilettante

Someone willing to capture these creatures? Well, he wasn't going to turn down that offer! With a wide grin, he claps Harry on the back, "Well you see, old chap. I did have it mind to go at this solo, but!"

The Corroded birds give a rather loud, shrieking caw. Jon winces, "My mind can be easily changed."

From:

phoenixwiz

"That's good to know, because I happen to have a net that we can use to capture these corroded macaws," Harry replies back as he pulls out a net from his backpack and drops it on the ground before they can set it up, "Although we really need to get them tired out before we can get them in the net."

The cawing from the corroded birds does annoy him too, though he is trying his best not to lose his patience with those feathery fiends and help Jonathan out.

From:

evelyn_carnahan

Evelyn loved jungles, almost as much as Egypt. In her time in the Kingdom, she'd made it a point to go exploring and finding all the new places, well... old places but newly discovered.

How odd to see all the lush green which should be so warm now covered in white. She was certain if she stayed still long enough she might hear one of those blasted birds that had been stirring up so much trouble of late.

But what she wound up scaring up was even more surprising, and potentially far more dangerous. "Jonathon?"

From:

il_dilettante

Evie.

Jon tensed, not turning around just yet- hoping to pass off the surprise as him getting caught about to do something rather stupid. Not too far off the mark but well he did have his pride!

Taking a moment to collect himself, he turned around, grinning brightly and ignoring the tug in his chest, "Well, well, old mum! Why am I not surprised to see you here." He's still smiling, but it's shaky in the corners.

"Don't tell me you've gone and read another book!"

From:

electricdynamo

Wildcard

So there was no one living in the Gracey Manor, eh? Well, well, well, well. That was handy indeed! Sure, she'd heard the rumors. Ghosts. Whatever. She could deal with a few see-through spectres, and as Livewire stood in front of the mansion with her hands planted on her hips, she thought all it needed was a little spit shine, maybe a couple garishly huge Tesla coils poking out the top, and it could be the perfect home base.

Now all she needed to do was move in without asking first.