( open) la pista è come uno specchio d’argento

[totoriel]

Who: OTA parties interested in the Remove the Obstacles! job, with the added bonus of collecting the frozen-to-the-canal toys and donating them to the orphanage for bonus cookies and affection points from the orphans!
When: Before the start of the Flower Festival.
Where: Anywhere in Caissa!
What: Several Heroes take up Stuart's request of taking care of freeing frozen toys from the canals and repairing ice where they can.
Rating: None, will update as becomes necessary.

The canals are used by citizens looking to shave time off their travel through the city during the winter season, skating on anything but thin ice. The troublemakers salting patches of the smoothed ice has turned it into a hazardous endeavor, made all the worse when wooden toys have been frozen to the ice. Of the Heroes who've stepped up to help take care of this clean-up (or perhaps even catch a culprit in action, despite the guard saying they had a plan in place for the very thing) were finding themselves facing a variety of challenges, up to and including...

One: getting out on the ice. The salted patches aren't too slick, but the rest gets slippery, and those who might be borrowing ice skates to speed up their travel times from trouble spot to trouble spot might be facing the biggest challenge yet. Learning how to ice skate! Or walking out, or giving up and sliding on one's rear end to reach the trouble spots. Whatever works! If people are judging you, well, they're probably no one worth listening to anyway, right?

Two: communication over radios is a dream and a wish, but Heroes do have Carriers, and Carriers do have audio capabilities. Trying to coordinate with fellow Heroes over Carrier-audio is more of a challenge than it may seem, especially with so many new to the idea! (And not all Carriers being willing to cooperate...)

Three: there are places where the salt has thinned the ice too much to support added weight... be careful, Heroes, lest you fall right in! Though if you do fall in, can you swim? Or fight off the shock of potential hypothermia? Oh dear, where are the blankets? Victims of thin ice may need to get wrapped up and brought indoors as soon as possible. Heat 'em up! We don't want our Heroes losing fingers or toes!

Four: though once the wooden toys are found, prying them off the ice is a challenge in and of itself. For those Heroes already tapping in to the Pawn rank's limited magical abilities, matchstick level fires can be effectively used... at a cost. Patience and perseverance are key to this method of toy removal, as will purifying and replenishing one's mana. Toriel will insist that everyone should try and salvage both the toy and ice for the sake of donating these toys to the orphanage along the way. Then again, one might try using brute force to pry the toys free... or see about convincing one of the residents who lives near the canals to allow them to borrow pots of hot water to extract toys that way!

Five: all work and no play leaves people grumpy and gives people aches and pains, which means that breaks are a must have, even for the heroes! If that means earnestly learning how to skate, picking impromptu snowball fights, or volunteering to haul a load of salvaged toys to the orphanage for a cookie break is up to each individual. This may not be their city, but wandering the canals, at least they're bound to get to know the layout of Caissa a little better than before!

Comments

toriel | ota

[totoriel]

when one doesn't wear skates...

[ Toriel carefully steps out onto the ice, testing that it'll hold her weight before anything else. Not that she thinks she's unusually heavy, but she is a woman of greater height than most, and she does need to be careful...

Thankfully, the ice here holds up underneath her, and she walks (barefoot) across the ice toward a wooden toy stuck audaciously in the middle of the thorough-way under a bridge, arms held out to her sides for balance. Arriving at the toy, she glances down, hands coming to rest on her hips. With a pregnant pause, she considers the toy, her own stance, and the likelihood she's going to need to get down lower in order to effectively use her small fire magic.

Thus Toriel is attempting to primly kneels on the ice and concentrate to summon forth the mighty flame of a matchstick in her very hands! Or fingertips, considering she wants better accuracy. ]

Have you been able to summon your fire yet?

[ Can everyone even summon fire? It'd sure be useful, but hey, she's not sure if that's the case for magic here or not! It doesn't hurt to ask her fellow Heroes, which is exactly why she's asking you with a curious look, holding up her finger with the tiny summoned flame flickering brightly at the tip. ]

oh where oh where has my little dog gone

[ Toriel looks up to find that Aggravating Dog, her Carrier, has hied off down the canal, slipping and sliding. There's a wooden toy duck on a string is dragged along behind him, hitting rough patches of ice and bouncing up with an undignified flap of wooden wings. ]

Oh goodness. Here, doggie! Please do not run away —

[ Toriel attempts to slide and glide along the ice in pursuit of her errant carrier while also not running into anyone. Which, of course, means she near barrels someone over, and attempts to catch at them before they fall. (How successful she is remains to be seen!) ]

I apologize, my Carrier has run off with one of the toyyysssSS — bad doggie! Do not eat that!

[ The white canine pauses, one paw on the back of the wooden duck, mouth open and hovering over a wing. Slowly... inexorably... it continues to lower its mouth toward a wooden wing... ]

wildcard at the canals!

[ Hit me up with a prompt, or he me up here asking for a threadstarter and I'll write us one! ]

about that magic fire thing...

[100cm]

[ It'd be nice if his weapon allowed for it as well, since it's a lantern, but alas, all he has is the tiny Pawn-level fire. But...if they're to keep both the toys and the ice safe, that's probably for the best. ]

A bit, ma'am.

[ She seems like the kind of person-- being? that should be called ma'am.

To demonstrate, he'll go and summon the tiny flame...

...or try. Okay, maybe it isn't working right now. That's embarrassing. ]

[totoriel]

[ He has her attention, just like that; waiting for a moment, when nothing appears to manifest, she tips her head to the side and offers him a smile. ]

I am Toriel, if you would like to call me that.

[ Ma'am works, but would feel more appropriate in a setting where she was actively teaching. Sitting a little more straight, letting her unkink her shoulders, she encourages him to go on. ]

It is okay. Try again.

[100cm]

[ Man, if he actually felt things like embarrassment, he would totally be embarrassed at that non-show. ]

If that's what you prefer.

[ He'll note that, though.

And this time, he actually does manage the little flame. It's...temperamental, okay. ]

1, YOU CAN ALWAYS USE A CHAIR

[swinges]

[there's a monster on the ice. no wonder the citizens of caissa are so worked up over the holes in the canal. they told him they thought the culprits were delinquents wreaking senseless havoc, creating holes and scattering toys without care. well, they hired the right man among men for the job, metal bat having a very long track record for monster-hunting and the follow-up extermination. this one doesn't seem too large or much of a threat to the population (disaster level unknown, fine—however strong it is, he'll take it on).

that's hardly a problem. the bigger problem is that, as badd approaches with his mace balancing against his shoulder, accustomed now to the slip-and-slide routine, it—no, she talks to him. specifically, asks a question that sounds harmless enough to answer.]

Dunno what yer talkin' about, [he begins with a rather disdainful tip of his head, eyes aiming down at her with a hard stare.

it's not a particularly hostile expression, rather one of some restraint; hesitation. he's tired with the furry of events and this is a troublesome thing to have to do for an army he didn't even sign up for, but these are the children's toys laid out like lures; badd is doing this so the civilians with no stake in any war have a safe place to skate.

the moment the monster's fire flickers at the tip of her finger, his own weapon whips out to the side in a very clear warning.]

You been causin' a lot a' trouble for the people in Caissa. Anything ya wanna say?

does this look like a wrestling match to you

[totoriel]

[ Toriel straightens up where she sits, closing her hand and extinguishing the flame. Both hands come to rest on her lap, keeping the too short (in her opinion) skirt smoothed down. She's glad for her fur to help keep her warm in this weather, looking up at this young human (?) dressed likewise in the uniform that marked him as a Hero. ]

Indeed, I do. Please refrain from smashing these toys. I am hoping to collect as many as we can to donate to the orphanage.

[ In reality, she heard what he said, and the accusation there; it's not something she can't understand, but in first addressing what's actually going on, she hopes to guide him toward not choosing to escalate to violence through short-sightedness. She's a monster, and he's probably not used to such things. She most certainly is not a delinquent! ]

we canadians let our children use chairs to skate with

[swinges]

...

[donate to the orphanage? a hesitant thought, nose immediately wrinkling with the new information.

it doesn't match anything he's come across before, since his promotion to s-class. a monster willing to help the human population? after hearing the rumours of an entire monster association, it's all become very touch-and-go back home; he's been on call to dispatch these creatures more than he can remember. now's no time for a startling revelation and an existential dialogue about good and evil.

his fingers tighten around the handle of his bar mace.

—and metal bat lowers it, the tip of the weapon grazing the ice benignly... which could be the worst mistake of his life, if the monster is lying, but her voice is gentle and he has the higher ground...]

I ain't gonna smash the toys, that's what I'm here to get. Whaddaya gotta say 'bout all these holes in the ice, huh?

[still implying that you're a troublemaker. prejudices run deep.]

2

[holdthatpose]

[And flash!

Just as Aggravating Dog starts to get close to eating a wing, the dog will find itself the unwilling subject of Dorothy's camera! She'd introduced herself briefly to Toriel before she went off to work on the task in her own way (her cries of pain could be heard in the distance, but locating Dorothy seemed to be more difficult than hearing her), and now she's back to maybe lend a hand instead of working on her own.

But what a photo op! A cute dog, disobeying its owner...the futility of controlling beasts, but the potential for a future friendship with an icy, wintery backdrop...]

What a sexy pose, Mr. Dog! Keep it up! Fantastic! ♡

[Maybe that will get the dog to drop the toy? One can only hope.]

[totoriel]

[ Aggravating Dog, hereafter known as "AD," snaps his jaws shut just shy of the wooden wing, taken by surprise. Oh, but he doesn't stop there. AD wags his tail and picks up the duck toy, claws scrabbling across the surface of the ice as he comes trotting toward Dorothy, bright eyed and ready to be a nuisance. Toriel rights the poor citizen she's run into, managing a fairly decent glide toward Dorothy and AD, while AD is brazenly attempting to barrel into Dorothy's legs.

He likes the camera. Likes the attention. But where are his pets? Oh, and treats: if he's a fantastic dog, then he should get a fantastic treat, shouldn't he? ]

You little nuisance, come here! I am sorry, I do not know what goes through his head —

2!

[mamasaki]

[ Still trying to get his sea legs (ice legs?) out here on the frozen water, Murasaki is distracted and doesn't notice the on coming collision happening in 3, 2, 1-! His already wobbly balance is thrown off when he's bumped into, but takes advantage of the help Toriel is offering so he doesn't end up face first on the ice. He's ready to apologize as well for not paying attention, but all this shouting redirects his gaze toward the dog. He's just standing there though, apparently having no concern for the fate of this poor wooden duck and its limbs. ]

It'll probably just chew on it. [ That's what dogs do, right? ]

There are still plenty of toys left anyway, if that's what you're worried about.

Re: 2!

[totoriel]

[ Assured that he's steady on his feet after sliding into him, Toriel casts a disparaging look at the dog. The dog whom snaps his jaws around one wooden, hinged wing, and starts vigorously pulling on it, tail wagging in furious glee. ]

Chewing is bad enough. What if he also eats the poor thing?

[ Cupping her hands around her mouth, she calls out again. ]

Drop it!

[ AD shakes his head as he attempts to yank the wing off. He shifts to present his rear end to his audience: a rear end with a fluffy, wagging tail. ]

Oh, I know he can hear me just fine! [ She starts toward the dog once more, and he picks up the toy, arcing around to the side. There's only so much room on the canal, but he's clearly having a time of it. ]

skates

[brawlhalla]

Nah. I went and got this, though.

[ Astrid hoists one of the two buckets she's carrying. ]

Uh, heated water. If Star could breathe fire, this would be easier, but since she can't - no, girl, I'm not complaining, you're fine as you are - [ This is to the dragon curled around her neck ] this seemed like the next best thing? Rather than trying to learn to make fire myself, on the fly.

[ SHE'S NOT SURE WHAT TO DO WITH MAGIC, HONESTLY. Like Toriel, Astrid isn't wearing skates. However, she walks on the ice like she was born to it - which she was, really, being born in Berk. ]

[totoriel]

Wind might be more useful for flying.

[ She jests, offering Astrid a smile. ]

Are you familiar with magic? It is not something most humans were familiar with in the history of my own world. Here is different and not so different, from what I am beginning to understand.

[ People have magic, or mana is in most living things, but the access limitations and general view trending toward fearful even as magitech is in use? Reads like a page out of history, only it's the current reality in this place.

Toriel holds out a hand in case Astrid wants her to hold one of the buckets before pouring it out over the toy; her flame flickers out as she does so, letting go and not summoning up another. ]

Star is your Carrier, yes? She is a lovely little creature.

[ No comment on what the white dog running around is or isn't. (Annoying, aggravating, frustrating, a nuisance? All true.) ]

WILDCARD idk im creative

[mikooon]

Squawk!

[If Toriel isn't paying attention, she might get one of her toys that she's found stolen off her by a rather persistent three-legged crow. Of course, it's not very strong, so even if it manages to swoop in and grab one, it'll definitely go for the biggest toy. Its greediness will only result in it flying erratically as it tries to get away, onto the ice.

Where does it think it's going?! It's headed towards a lady with pink hair on the lake, desperately trying to pry a toy train out of the ice... if the crow drops the toy near her, which is a very real possibility, it's going to shatter right under the woman and re-enact every tragic Christmas ice-skating drowning backstory.]

fistpump, yais!!

[totoriel]

[ She catches the movement out of the corner of an eye, whipping her head around to see the crow valiantly attempting to fly out over the ice, careening wildly with its ill-gotten gains. Aggravating Dog looks up from where he's playing with snow on the canal, ears perked forward in intense personal interest.

Toriel mostly sees where this is heading, pushing up to her feet (forgiving that this skirt is nowhere near the ankle length she prefers) and racing to a slide across the ice, calling out: ]

Overhead! It is a bird, carrying a plane! Watch out!

[ At this rate, it might result in a two-person re-enactment of a Christmas ice-skating almost drowning, with extra drowned rat look for all the associated fur involved! ]

slides in 15 years later w/ Starbucks and shit and wait this is skates prompt

[myfairlily]

Fire is... Is that normal here?

[That's not really what he meant to say, but just now Bernard is a little more focused on not sailing right past her, down to the next curve of the canal and over the side (and possibly into a doorway opening onto the waterfront). He's not quite as clumsy as a newborn fawn, nor even as uncoordinated as most people on the ice for the first time, but that doesn't mean he isn't distracted.

He's also discovered that if he puts his halberd blade-down on the ice he can sort of use it like a giant walking stick-slash-skate (not that he really knows how to use the latter, but it's the idea that counts) to keep his balance and slide around. Luckily, most people who aren't overzealous Heroes aren't out on the ice and can't see him faceplant--

His axe ends up planting itself in the side of the bridge not too far from Toriel... Luckily, it's more support than property damage. He's at least careful enough not to go through the ice or through something important so far.]

Is it normal to have this much water in a city?

[It's a mutter under his breath, even as he tries to orient himself to examine Toriel and the thing she's working on.]

/tops off your starbucks late, smiles???

[totoriel]

[ She glances up at the thunk of the axe planting into the side of the bridge. She ends up hearing both his questions, answering them in reverse order as she straightens her back, still kneeling on the ice with her fire summoned in hand. It's so small... and so strange, to have something so small pull so heavily out of her. ]

Cities come in a great many shapes and sizes, do they not? I would believe it is normal for some cities to have this much water, while others have much less. Even the Underground had a few waterways.

[ Mostly the one, which is neither here nor there. ]

As for fire being normal, it is... not, from what I understand, unless you are from Noir. Different appreciations of magic and its use. Noir is less than kind in their uses of magic, and here in Blanc, we are to be the exception to their rules of who uses magic.

[ Openly, she suspects, since some of the technology she's run into on the periphery is magical in nature. So what hits on acceptable use and not? Humans having a reduced capacity rings true for back home, too... Ah, but better to focus her attention on the young man out on the ice with her. She holds up her hand enough to bring attention to the small flame contained there-in. ]

Is magic like this something you have dealt with before?

The latest tag! One btw

[moreasleep]

[Rory was busy chipping away at the ice surrounding a velveteen bear when he heard her question. It was not a question he expected and he looked at Toriel to question her, but that stopped when he saw whom, or rather what, was talking. Great, now there were giant goat monsters here. Sure, why the fuck not? Yet, why did she seem familiar to him?]

No--…what?

[He looked at her arms, and almost expected to see a cat curled within them. Instead, he saw a flame no brighter than the end of a candle. He stared, not sure what to think of it.]

\o/ yay!

[totoriel]

[ There's an odd, niggling sense of familiarity when she catches sight of this young man; for whatever the reason, she half expects to see a knife in his hands, feels a vague pang of concern. She shrugs it off into more general concern for all those wearing the uniform she shares. That she knows has a reason and purpose.

She keeps her hand held open, the tiny, seemingly insignificant flame burning steady and bright. Not too hot, as it stays in the warmer hues, but that's for the best. ]

I am of the understanding that all of us labeled 'Heroes' by the matter of how we arrived here have some ability to work with magic, even if we did not before.

[ She glances down at her little flame. ]

Or a reduced version, if we did. Perhaps that will change.

[ She's needing to learn about the rules of magic around here, when she's being honest with herself. ]

Emil Castagnier | Open

[forbothofus]

a. Fortunately, Emil is one of the few Heroes capable of walking on ice. Granted, it's a slow drain on his mana and skipping breakfast might not have been such a good idea. But standing steadily instead of sliding around is worth it, and he strolls onto the canal with confidence.

Sadly, there’s nothing he can do to prevent others from sliding into him.

b. It doesn't take long to locate an unknown dark shape distorted by the ice. Emil kneels down beside it. He coaxes his squirrel-like carrier off his shoulder, then holds his hand out over the ice.

Picking fire or water out of air is easy... when he can see the mana he's weaving. Since he woke here, he feels like he’s gone blind; the air is so empty. His lips tighten in a determined frown. Even if I can’t see it, I know it’s there!

Minutes pass. Between his hand and the ice, there’s a faint stir – a kind of silent ‘pop’ signaling mana reacting to his presence. Then gone without a trace - except for a little hollow in the ice that wasn't there before.

Emil’s eyes widen. Then he relaxes his shoulders, sighs. Now, to try another spell… he’s a stubborn fellow, so he’ll be here awhile, stirring the mana in the air trying to drag a reaction out of it.

c. Alas! Skipping breakfast was a bad idea. After an hour of sputtering magic to free an old shoe (very worthwhile, yes), his limbs are trembling from fatigue. Emil collapses on a snowbank, leaning against a tree in hopes of sharing some of its energy. (The faster method of using another Hero has not occurred yet, but if he keeps pushing himself, it may become necessary.) The soggy shoe lays nearby as a tempting target for bored carriers.

((OOC: I’ll match prose or brackets!))

c | i'm so sorry ahead of time

[totoriel]

Aggravating Dog, henceforth referred to as AD, has been thoroughly bored with this whole job. It's cold, there aren't enough good things to eat on the ice, he can't even play with the toys he finds, and Toriel is barely breaking to give him belly rubs when he throws himself down on the ice in front of her.

What he does notice in his wanderings away from her is this delightful, stinky, soggy old shoe. One he is stealthily crawling up to, belly to the ground, ears perked forward, and tail wagging every so often. As he gets closer, he stretches out his neck while opening his mouth, eyes glancing up at Emil... attempting to delicately seize the tongue of the shoe with his front teeth.

Let the games begin!

[forbothofus]

Emil is oblivious. He's sitting in the snow, head tilted back to rest against the tree, eyes closed and strangely peaceful for someone sitting on a frozen surface. Apparently, he’s never been told not to fall asleep outside in the cold.

And then there’s his carrier.

Pomelii, being of course too aristocratic for silly things like defrosting shoes, is grooming his nine inches of fluffy tail in the tree branches. The crunch of snow draws his attention, and the brown tosker climbs upside down the thick branch to watch the dog approach.

Now the shoe may mean nothing, but his master does (marginally) mean something. Pomelii's fur rises and he starts hissing vehemently.

Kasen Kanesada | ota

[liberal_arts]

[ if it isn't one thing ]

-Kasen took quickly to skating, finding the movements much more like a dance than anything else, and the precise control of weight placement was not something entirely foreign to an expert swordsman. Hell, he was very obviously enjoying himself. He was learning to do little twists and leaps, finding himself in utter delight and, typically, forgetting entirely about the job at hand...

That was until it decided to remind him. But having a toy catch his skate mid lunge. And send him tumbling ass over tea kettle over quite a long distance before finally crashing into the wall of the canal...

... How inelegant.-


[ it's another ]

-His wounds had been treated, and the cookie made him feel at least slight better, but it was hard to get his mood back after such an embarrassing display. Oddly enough, it was the toys themselves that seemed to temper his poor disposition. Having never had a proper childhood, or for that matter having never been a child, Kasen didn't have much exposure to the playthings of children. He found himself fascinated...

He picked up a toy doll. Ball-jointed, seemingly cast from resin... just how had it managed to survive being in the canal was a miracle itself, but it was in excellent condition. He used a brush to clean it up, fascinated by the craftsmanship. The doll's make up was so scratched away it barely had a face, and its eyes could use some TLC as well...-

I think I'd like to keep this doll...

lakdjsf i am so sorry if this is too late for you to want to roll with

[totoriel]

-She stares, the movement initially catching her eye as another of the Heroes brought by the world or its gods (she's undecided on what's actually happening) skates by, enjoying themselves on the ice. It's nice seeing anyone having a good time in spite of the strangeness of their situation, though she's not so sure it's helpful in a practical sense.

Nor is she inclined to stop them, not until she sees the start of an inevitable fall. Toriel pushes up to her feet, calling out in surprise, but it's too late. He's tumbling down and sliding across the ice, crashing into the wall, and she 'skates' best as she can his way, concerned.-

Young man, are you alright?

-She asks once she's close, makeshift satchel of toys around her shoulder and resting at her hip. Her concern is evident in her expression, as well as a hint of amusement. Really, it'd been all too amusing, but only if he was okay.-

That was an impressive fall. And display before the fall, but one concerns me more than the other.

[liberal_arts]

-Kasen actually pouted, though it likely looked even more silly given he was mostly upside down.-

I am uninjured, save for my dignity.