( 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

[forbothofus]

Emil feels the rumble against his legs at the same time he hears the sound. He laughs lightly, ruffling the dog’s fur. "Dogs often get hungry after playtime. You may want to carry snacks around." It stirs up memories of playing with his monsters before mealtimes. He always enjoyed cooking to settle down after a good run. “I made biscuits for my wolves. The recipe is really easy if you want to try it.”

His expression turns somber as he considers her words. "It is the withholding of information and deliberate ignorance that worries me. The assumption we'll serve the war blindly, even those with no experience. I understand that it makes the people feel better, but it’s not fair to the citizens or us." His voice seems a little deeper, but it could just be the cold.

[totoriel]

She agrees with his sentiment. The change in voice doesn't seem to register to her: not at first, at least. Subject changes to what they are is enough for her to believe that a somber tone would accompany a somber look.

"Those who are in power here are not interested in fair. They are interested in keeping short term peace with long term goals that will require from them what they may not wish to give." Her own expression grows somber. AD goes still, but for the most part, that's because Emil's still paying him some measure of attention. "What they do here is dangerous for all of us. I believe it would also have been dangerous if they were to try and deny that we are here, but I cannot see this as being the better way."

Perhaps it would change. Perhaps things would get better as time passed, as talks with those in power bore fruit, as reality started to factor in, but at each success at their hands, she wonders at how much reaffirmation of what people want to believe will be suffered.

[forbothofus]

For someone who thinks long-term by nature, it is difficult to imagine why anyone would think otherwise. Such a weak government! Why is it often that way with humans? “The long term effects are more serious, aren’t they? The war hasn’t started yet, but when it does, the government will have their hands full.” It takes him a moment to remember that they may be facing crises he is unaware of. It is a big country after all, and the heroes still in the dark about most of it.

Emil regains his lighter tone and smile with some effort. "I wish they'd let us help more. So many of us have good ideas about integrating into the city during our stay.” It would feel good to have a voice instead of his role being dictated. Cheering up the citizens and meeting new friends makes him happy, but he worries over the Heroes' concerns. The parade seemed superfluous when there’s so much to do.

[totoriel]

Humans, monsters, Toriel might debate that almost anyone can be prone to shortsightedness. She couldn't leave herself out of that claim. But as it is, the renewed whines and wiggles from AD as he tries to ply his doggie whiles further on Emil has her glancing down at her shameless Carrier. What a ham!

And what valid things to consider that this young man brings up.

"They ask for us to use the magic they refuse against those who embrace magic, no? It is a curious conundrum. We are safe because we are part of this philosophy of the divine with how we arrive." She looks skyward, reading out to place a hand on AD's wriggling rump. It stills the dog in Emil's lap, for the moment. "Yet they wish for us to fight, not to negotiate. It is understandable that there is fear and aggression that is feared from those in Noir. Yet they do not ask us to be a shield. They ask us to be Heroes."

She leaves those thoughts unfinished. They're complicated, similar to ones she's seen and lived through before, but not with herself as part of the focus. Leading? Yes, she's done that, and she's realised how she's failed that before, too. Not out of intention, but out of leaving it to her ex-husband when she could no longer broker with the stance he took after their son and adopted child died.

They all make mistakes. Which ones are Blanc and Noir making even now? "We do have ideas. Yet those are not asked for, I have found. Much as we are not asked, please, we will fight for them. Or if we have it in us to fight in the ways that we are warned we may need to, for a home that is not our own. Are we to kill to defend Blanc? Will we do so fighting at the side of their soldiers, or standing before them? These are not pleasant thoughts."

She shakes her head, lifting her paw off AD. She breathes out in a small huff of apologetic laughter. "I am sorry. This old woman should not bring such dark thoughts into such a bright day! We must look forward and act to ensure the worst does not come to pass. For us, for our wishes to return to where we belong, or even for the people of this country." She doesn't wish any of them harm in the long or short term. It's not in her nature to wish harm on much of anyone.

[forbothofus]

“Maybe they want to make us into their ideal heroes because their rules have kept them from fulfilling their own dreams?” This is why he doesn’t like politics and policies – too inflexible. All these rules without explanations! The citizens try to describe the conflict between Noir and Blanc, but their opinions slide off him like rain. War is all so complicated.

Looking down, he opens his arms and lets his hands rest by his sides, encouraging the dog to move towards her. Yes, he could continue to pet him, but at the end of the day, it’s not his carrier. Sort of like he isn’t Blanc’s hero. He’s glad to make them happy and feed off their goodwill, but he’s still solely devoted to his own world.

“Mm, it's fine.” He shakes his head and smiles. Those are all excellent points. Talking to her is easier than speaking to the humans; Emil finds himself feeling less concerned about how he comes across. “I think we should be considering what we’ll do now, while things are still peaceful.” At least he’s making the effort. He closed his eyes to war once; he may not have that luxury here. Whether or not he fights in the war? He’ll decide that only once he’s had the chance to see the situation through his own eyes.