[center][h3]The Chalk Prince, the Fallen Child, the Skeleton, and the Skullgirl[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Frozen Highlands - Snowdin
Linkle’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy], Frisk’s [@Majoras End], Papyrus’ [@Dark Cloud][/center]

Oh dear. For once, it seemed, Mondstadt’s Chief Alchemist had failed to think things through. With even the barest smidgeon of reflection, it seemed stunningly obvious that a sudden surge of light in the pitch black of the Beneviento House’s depths would be as much a distraction for Linkle as it would the Dollmaker. Furthermore, if his new friend’s fight was proceeding apace as he suspected, it made total sense that the young heroine would forget all about the horrific foe in front of her as she fixated on the unfamiliar figure behind Albedo instead–and for all intents and purposes, Papyrus looked just like another monster. 

No good deed went unpunished, and for her innocent attempt to help Albedo, Linkle found herself clenched in the overlarge Dollmaker’s grasp. Were he possessed of a more sound mind or killer instinct he might have dealt a withering blow right then and there, but instead the madman aimed the Skullgirl toward toward the reinforcements that stood around the glow of Albedo’s Solar Isotoma. His spine-chilling bellow sputtered the fire in the hearts of the backup squad, momentarily stopping them in their tracks, and in a desperate attempt to either reassert his one-on-one fight or simply extinguish the flower’s stinging golden gleam, he hurled Linkle the newcomers’ way.

Albedo’s conviction waver only a brief moment, and the next he was on the move. It occurred to him that in a hypothetical interpersonal impact he might take a lot more damage than the much more physically powerful Linkle, but nevertheless the alchemist cast aside his sword without so much as a word or a second thought. He dashed into position, knelt, and braced himself with arms outstretched to catch Linkle before she could hit either the ground or his allies, taking the brunt of her motive force directly to his core. A guttural grunt escaped him, but his solid stance prevented a knockdown, and he staggered for only a moment. It was a good thing too, for there wasn’t any time to spare. Albedo let his friend down as softly yet expediently as he could, then got back to his feet.

While Frisk attempted to both shield and re-arm Linkle, Papyrus brought forth constructs of his own. A miniature forest of oversized bones sprouted up around the Dollmaker, but to label the freakish creature as ‘trapped’ would be a gross embellishment. Angry as a hornet and deaf to the good-hearted skeleton’s pleas, the Dollmaker stormed through the boneyard, using the bizarre length and slenderness of its limbs to great effect. No half-hearted attempt at nonviolence would quell a monstrosity like this in the World of Light, where surrender was never an option. Fortunately, Albedo had been sitting on a surplus of energy for a while now, and with the fate of some innocent bystanders on the line it was about time to cash out.

The alchemist lay in wait, one hand behind his back and the other across his heart, biding his time for a brief but crucial second or so, until the Dollmaker’s charge brought it into range. Then he flourished his hand outward. “Witness my great undertaking!” From the ground in front of him erupted a geyser of great citrine crystals like the petals of an immense flower. The size of Albedo’s Tectonic Tide in the confined space both bathed the area with yellow light and knocked his enemy’s limbs out from under it. Taken completely by surprise, the Dollmaker lost his composure, and as he went down Albedo thrust his palm forward. “Come into being!”

A second solar isotoma bloomed beneath it, replacing the first. When the Dollmaker fell on it, the alchemical creation generated its characteristic crystalline platform, and with the power of the earth lifted the monster’s body into the air. He quickly began to recover, but before he could escape, the flower’s lift pinned him to the ceiling, where he could struggle with thrashing arms and legs. “The Rite of Progeniture is boosting your elemental mastery,” Albedo told Linkle, calmly re-summoning his sword. “Let us dispense with this distraction.”