[center][h3]Esaka - the Pools / Wine-cup Hold[/h3]
[b]Setting:[/b] Sunny Thursday Afternoon
Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (193/150) Level 11 Big Band (86/110)
Amaterasu’s [@DracoLunaris] Roland’s [@Archmage MC] Pit’s [@Yankee] Sakura & Juri’s [@Zoey Boey] Captain Falcon’s [@Double] Harry and Kim’s [@Eviledd1984] Terry’s [@Terry Bogard] Yayama’s [@Chevaleresse] Grima’s [@Goggy]
[b]Word Count:[/b]  2579 / 661[/center]

Driven by the dire prospect of disqualification through tardiness yet again, Nadia raced through the streets of the Middle Tier, heading northwest as she inwardly bemoaned how easy it was for her to get distracted and lose track of time. Robo-fortune had split off from her to pursue the most efficient route with the help of her built-in GPS, but with the help of a hovering [url=https://i.imgur.com/7hl1ufO.png]headdrone[/url] the feral’s mechanical doppelganger kept her on the right track. “Turn there,” she deadpanned. “Through that alley. Then take a left. Cut across the temple grounds. No, your other left.”

Though Robo’s synthetic voice lacked any kind of inflection, Nadia thought that her counterpart seemed pissed. Annoyed at her for wasting time on frivolous things like friendship, probably, when they could be improving their percentage chance of success through repetitive combo trials. Admittedly, Robo did kind of have a point; Nadia knew that winging it would only get her so far. But their upcoming match was only their second qualifying round in Mortal Kombat, so how hard could it be? They’d be fine. Nadia snickered as she ran. If Robo wasn’t so stuck in her ways, maybe she would be the one calling the shots instead. As long as her counterfeit duplicate was the feral’s backup dancer, they’d be playing by her rules. And rule number one was to never take things too seriously.

After flipping over a Box Dash food delivery truck and dashing past the Corner Carry post office, where mokujin workers in pale blue button-ups were busy sorting through mail for the Heavenly Principles about the current state of tournament balance, Nadia and her chaper-drone reached the northwestern edge of the Middle Tier. Below her sparkled the crisp, chlorinated water of the Pools, where plenty of matches were still raging without any officially scheduled lunch break. , It was past time the catgirls got back into action. “Follow me,” Robo‘s headdrone instructed before rocketing downward toward a particular stage.

Sure enough, Nadia could see two strangers waiting for their opponents there already, as well as Robo-fortune’s body headed their way, a new head on her shoulders. That was one thing her copycat had over the original: she could simply manufacture and replace the modules she discarded, while Nadia needed to recover her parts. Seeing Robo’s headdrone in flight sparked the cat burglar’s imagination about new ways to make use of her Kameo in Kombat, but in order to put her ideas into practice she’d need to reach her appointed arena in time. “I can’t fly, ya know!” she protested, circulating extra blood through her system as she tensed up to spring. “Guess the purr-essure is on!”

Nadia climbed onto the railing, then hurled herself from the precipice. The wind yanked off her hood, whipped her hair, and roared in her ears, but the catgirl didn’t balk. Thanks to her (admittedly reckless) practice in Alcamoth, the Under, and elsewhere, she was getting the hang of falling in style. Midway through her descent she bolted forward with Charge, covering a lot of distance in a single streak of lightning. The moment she materialized, she let out jets of blood to keep her forward momentum, allowing her to soar through the air all the way to the stage and land with a deft roll, mere seconds before Robo-fortune arrived. So, this was where she’d be fighting: a simple [url=https://i.imgur.com/3ww9dny.png]dodecagonal wrestling ring[/url] with what looked like lasers instead of ropes, flanked by large marble statues. She did her best to not let the ropes remind her of Banishing Flats.

Pulling her hood on, Nadia turned, crossed her arms, and fixed her fellow feline with a huge, smug grin. “What took ya so long?” Robo just stared at her, saying nothing, but a moment later her headdrone shot down like a missile and detonated inches from Nadia’s feet. It spooked her enough that she reflexively sprang into the air, her tail ramrod-straight and bushy. “Nyargh!”

“So, this is who we’ve been waiting for?” When she heard one of the strangers speak, her suave voice colored by a strong Spanish accent, Nadia turned around with her game face on, pretending she hadn’t just been a silly scaredy-cat a moment ago. In front of her stood a tough-looking South American woman clad in light Incan bronze armor and brown leather, her blonde hair tied up in tight braids. Two long daggers, curved like snakes, hung conspicuously at the waist of the [url=https://i.imgur.com/YNwOzQ3.png]amazon queen[/url]. Behind her, quietly chewing the scenery with her arms crossed, stood a [url=https://i.imgur.com/9j8G8hW.png]deathly pale countess[/url] with raven-black hair and dark, angular armor over a belted corset, with a long wine-red cloak at her back. If these ladies’ positions reflected their team composition, Nadia reasoned that the former must be Maya and the latter Mira. “So your team’s theme is ‘cat girl’, eh?”

Nadia scoffed, a derisive smile on her face. “We might look alike, but once we get scufflin’, you’ll find out just how different we are.”

“Hmph.” Maya glanced over her shoulder at the vampire. “Like my step-sister and I.”

The feral glanced between them, one eyebrow raised in the shadow of her hood. “...Adopted, I assume? Wait, are you a vampire?”

Mira briefly made eye-contact with Maya before brushing the comment off. “It’s a long story.” Though she spoke in a sophisticated manner, her accent was undoubtedly Russian–a world apart from her step-sister’s. She then uncrossed her arms and flexed the fingers on one hand, revealing dark steel finger claws. “And I’m afraid you don’t have much time.”

Snickering, Nadia turned sideways and lifted her own claws to assume her fighting stance. “Straight to business, huh? Let’s see if you’re up to scratch.”

Robo-fortune discharged a burst of steam, then stepped back to give her partner some room. “Error: cannot engage. Deleting first law...”

Drawing Temperance and Vengeance with a flourish, Maya stepped forward. “Watch out. You might get cut.”

[b]ROUND ONE: FIGHT![/b]

Neither fighter wasted a second. Both called in their Kameos, although this time Nadia started out with a different opening gambit. Rather than jump in to perform her Plutonite Beam assist, Robo knelt down to [url=https://i.imgur.com/RwIU0iD.png]deploy[/url] a headdrone, with her chest opening up like an action figure’s to swap in a new head before she left. Mira, meanwhile, whipped around as she conjured streams of what looked like liquid mercury. Only after a brief moment did Nadia realize that it was Mira’s metallic blood. “Hey! Blood’s kinda my thing!”

The blood took the form of three bats that flapped forward, slowly homing in on her position. [i]Hey, I know this trick![/i] With her new drone headed her way, Nadia took off running on all fours to close the distance. Maya, covered by her sister’s Blood Seekers, did the same. At the last moment Nadia sprang up to leap over the projectiles, but this approach was a little too predictable. Maya sprang straight up to pluck her foe out of the sky with an air throw, extending both legs to kick her back down. By the time Nadia rolled to her feet, the Blood Seekers were on there. She had no choice but to stand there and block as the bats hit her guard and erupted into silver blood one by one. “Ugh! All this blocking will make me B-negative!”

Once the last one popped she was more than ready to start attacking again, but Maya had ample time to add in a projectile of her own. “Ack!” Nadia reeled back as the thrown dagger sliced into her, then bounced off. It plunged into the ground blade-first as Maya dashed forward, and with a limber cartwheel the amazon snatched it back up on the way. Immediately she let fly one, then both daggers, catching them as they rebounded like some maniacal juggler. After performing a short dagger-throwing combo at close range, Maya flipped forward with a cartwheel kick, stabbed with both daggers, ripped them out, and finished with an upside-down leap kick that sent her flying upward, surrounded by songbirds of light. 

Nadia hit the ground and sprang to her feet, a little cut up but still ready to brawl. “Ready ‘fur’ more!” She pulled off her head and hurled it like a bowling ball. Maya smartly jumped forward over the head, hurling Temperance down. With no time to dodge, Nadia blocked it. As it ricocheted, she briefly saw it glow yellow, but thought nothing of it. Maya landed and closed the distance with a cartwheel kick that the feral managed to sidestep, but as she launched a [url=https://i.imgur.com/3vaZBQ6.png]spinning tail slap[/url], Maya went low and grabbed her fallen dagger to use it as the anchor for a whirling leg sweep.

With a grunt Nadia hit the floor, gathering herself just in time to see Maya perform a familiar somersault. “That’s my move!” She ducked backward just enough to dodge Maya’s overhead axe kick, then struck back with her Cat Scratch rekka. “One, two!” After a couple slashes, she finished with her own axe kick El Gato and sent Maya sliding on her back. “Wreck-a yo face!”

Unfazed by Nadia’s neck stump, the amazon regained her feet quickly, her daggers in hand. “You talk too much.” She got a taste of her own medicine the next second, though, as her criticism allowed Nadia’s head to chomp down on her ankles. “Agh!”

The feral’s body took the chance to dramatically point her finger, signalling Robo’s headdrone to take action. “Beep beep blarp!” It opened up to spit out a salvo of [url=https://i.imgur.com/UjcRL6A.png]hidden missiles[/url], each shaped like a mouse or fish cat toy, that flew up and then came down on Maya. Unfortunately they took just long enough, and numbered few enough, that Nadia’s body couldn’t run in and capitalize in time. Instead of a combo, she had to settle for a throw. “I’m havin’ a ball!” She snatched Maya in a giant [url=https://i.imgur.com/tyXyMCx.png]yarn ball[/url] of extruded muscle fiber to toy with before tossing her closer to the ring’s edge. 

Nadia sprinted forward, then performed a short-hop to execute a double claw swipe just as Maya recovered, but the amazon was one step ahead “Mira!” As she woke up, Maya called out her Kameo, then launched her songbird Leap Kick to stuff the feral’s jump-in with an anti-air. When Mira arrived, she formed her blood into a great silvery scythe, then lashed out with a heavy slash that recaptured Nadia as she fell. Yowling, the catgirl was helpless as Maya followed up with a razor-sharp combo of dagger slashes and wild kicks. As the combo reached its end, shadowy purple power gathered around Maya, and she finished with a series of three backflip kicks that carried both her and her opponent backward. As each blow connected, Nadia realized with gritted teeth that this must be her foe’s equivalent of a Blockbuster. Yet the Shadow Tumble Kicks did not finish the combo. That honor went to a powerful Leap Kick Ender, which launched Nadia skyward surrounded by a flock of radiant songbirds.

As she sailed away Nadia managed to right herself and land on her feet, but with her body scuffed, bruised, and sliced, things weren’t looking good. Her opponent had landed two solid combos, while she’d barely put together a string. Was Maya just that good at reading her, or was there something the catgirl hadn’t gotten yet? Unfortunately, she wouldn’t have time to figure it out. Maya went for her detached head, forcing Nadia to call in Robo’s Plutonite Beam for some cover as she retrieved her head with Cat Call. No sooner was it on than Maya was inbound, first rolling and then hurling herself forward with a long short hop. 

Thinking quickly, Nadia performed [url=https://i.imgur.com/rl1pw2Q.png]Cat Slide[/url] to low-profile the high-speed jump-in, then rolled backward to launch Fiber Upper. Her double kick went over Maya’s head, but [url=https://i.imgur.com/ZbLXs7y.png]snapping up to her legs[/url] took Maya by surprise. Unable to execute her anti-air in time, she had to block Nadia’s falling clash slash, which left the feral at a slight advantage. Unfortunately, it also left her cornered against the ring’s laser ropes. When she lashed out with her claws, a guaranteed frame trap, Maya wisely did a backward handspring. She then spent the last of her Shadow energy on a Shadow Spirit Slicer by locking her daggers’ hilts together, then flinging them as a single saw-like projectile.

“Hah!” Nadia guarded against what she’d assumed to be a failed punish attempt, only to see Maya shaking her head condescendingly. When the Spirit Slicer concluded, both Vengeance and Temperance bounced away, loaded with purple and yellow energy, respectively. Nadia bared her fangs as she rushed forward, determined to keep Maya away from her daggers. “Whatever you’re up to, don’t count meowt!” She chipped away at her foe’s block with a series of furious claw slashes and kicks, alternating high and low. After a stronger hit that pushed Maya back, she jumped forward as if to overhead, only to double jump backward. Maya’s upward claw slash whiffed, and the next second Nadia spiked her head downward, then jetted downward with [url=https://i.imgur.com/MgmRLy2.png]Feral Edge[/url] to follow up the projectile. “I’m a s-tabby cat!” She dove beneath her opponent, then launched her with an upward slice.

A moment later the two squared up again, a smile on Nadia’s face as she pressurized blood in her legs. While she hadn’t landed a combo, her Blockbuster had dealt appreciable damage. She could bring this back! “Tin Cans!” As she boosted into the air she summoned her Kameo for a beam assist, only for Robo to take one of Maya’s daggers to the face and stumble backward. That was a bummer, but now that Maya had thrown away the one dagger near her, she was unarmed!

Nadia threw herself forward with an airdash, then landed with a roll and pounced forward so Maya couldn’t try that Leap Kick of hers. Instead, the amazon shone with golden energy. “On the hunt!” In an instant, her daggers appeared in her hands.

The catgirl’s eyes went wide just before one of them struck her right between the eyes. “Gah!” The next thing she knew, she was getting combo’d again. Maya kept this one short and sweet, but rather than end with a Leap Kick, she hurled her empowered daggers forward. Nadia blinked, confused as she recovered from her backward stumble. Had Maya just let her go? Then she looked up and saw those daggers floating above her like yellow and purple sawblades, just before they began to fly into her on their own accord. In a panic she tried to duck and dodge, but once Maya added her own kicks to the mix with those spinning blades, it was over. Nadia slumped to the floor a moment later, her strength leeched out by the dozens of cuts all over her.

[b]MAYA AND MIRA WIN![/b]

[hr]

Seated as best he could at an open spot by one of the wrought-iron tables, Band did not interrogate the Seekers’ new associates, but waited and listened as his comrades asked the United Nations representatives questions one by one. The answers Chevalier (and to an extent Anji as well) offered, cool as a cucumber, helped fill in the blanks about the proposed plans and G-Corp’s capabilities. The most pertinent details concerned the task assigned to the hypothetical Team A, which would be targeting G-Corp’s reinforcements. As capable as the Seekers were, an APC full of killer robots and possibly protected by burly Gigas units would be no joke, so hopefully there would be a lot more people on the case than the Koopa Kids and the Octopath Travelers. Band also noted Chevalier’s mention of the location of G-Corp’s manufacturing facility, it being in the Tangled Shore. That name didn’t ring a bell, so it could easily be too far away for the Seekers to realistically attend to it, but in a big case any random scrap of information could turn out to be important.

It wasn’t long before the inquiries concluded and the luncheon could begin. Although primarily a winery, Wine-Cup Hold naturally served a selection of appetizers (or hors d'oeuvres as Chevalier might call them) designed to accompany certain vintages for maximum tasting experience. With the day just over half finished, and multiple fights ahead of him, Band didn’t want to risk getting tipsy. His body looked big, but his true self housed inside the metal shell was much smaller, and it had the blood that alcohol would affect. In short, he was a two-and-a-half ton lightweight, so water would work just fine to wash down the salty flatbreads and spicy wings.

Band wasn’t planning to obsess over the fine details of a mission he couldn’t partake in, but as the food arrived, one thing did occur to him. “Mr. Chevalier,” he began. “For the folks plannin’ to roll out with Team A, I figure you got a map of the area we could use, preferably with roadways marked? Would make interceptin’ the shipment a whole lot easier.”

Before Chevalier could answer, Anji raised a fan. “Oh yes, a map. Hold tight, I’ll run and get you one.”

“And just one more thing,” Band added. “You got agents of your own on these missions too, right? How many we lookin’ at?”

The gentleman nodded. “Darli, Dolores, and Anji were the original Team A, and will now fight alongside your own contributions. For B and C, we have Ms. Hildegard von Krone and Darun Mister lined up, respectively. Three should be sufficient for those teams.”

With business taken care of, the Seekers who’d attended the meeting dined casually. Since Amaterasu and Terry had the rest of the day off, with no more pools matches to fight for now, they could round up Captain Falcon and decide who to send where. Depending on Yayama’s schedule, she might be available to depart on a mission herself. Band expected that Therion would relay Chevalier’s briefing to Primrose so the two could allocate their strength appropriately. In addition to Band’s fellow detective Zenkichi, neither Harry nor Kim were here, and perhaps busy with the tournament; the cyborg was not aware of the latter’s elimination.

Unfortunately, Band could not relax among the rose bushes and hawthorn trees for long. When his internal clock hit one-thirty, Band picked his bell-shaped body up off the ground. “Scuse me. Got places to go and people to fight. Stay frosty, y’all.” With a tip of his hat, the detective turned to go, headed back toward the lift that would return him to the Pools tier. On the way he briefly visited a bulletin board, where he found the name of his next opponent: Chel. After fighting a tiger in the last round, Band couldn’t help but be curious who the World Warrior tournament had in store for him this time.

[center][h3]The Midnight Walk - Baxter Mining Outpost[/h3]
[b]Setting:[/b] Snowy Thursday Late Morning
Lvl 9 Sandalphon (66/90) Level 7 Heismay (5/70)
Edward’s [@DracoLunaris] Blazermate & Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC] Ace Cadet’s [@Yankee] Roxas & Ganondorf’s [@Double] Ramattra and Tenna’s [@XoXKieroBombXoX] Mokou’s [@Goggy]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2743

[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/p76VSWM.png]Nameless Stagecoach[/url][/b]
𖥞: 6/8 | 🛡️: 6/8 | [color=blue]◆[/color]◆◆◆ | [b]Equipment:[/b] Stewpot/Windchime/Lamps/Vegetubes/Lightning Rod/(None) | [b]Companion[/b]: Ratshaker Rat[/center]

Heismay kept quiet as the stagecoach slowly and jerkily rattled over the frozen minecart tracks of the [url=https://i.imgur.com/NOKRL1s.png]abandoned facility[/url], though even if he did dare to speak, the biting wind would have swallowed his words. Even if the constant flurries hindered visibility, he did his best to shield his face against the snow and stay alert for any sign of malicious intent among the sinister shadows. Reinvigorated by the skewer and berries provided by Tenna, he surveyed the outpost around him. He watched as Edward, occupied as always by the task of driving the expeditionary vehicle, opted to send his expendable minions marching into the decrepit buildings and yawning tunnels in lieu of any Seekers, however strong and brave such volunteers might be. Of course, some Seekers like Tenna went anyway, motivated by boredom or the prospect of loot. If they or the golems actually recovered leftover ores or left-behind mining equipment from the outpost, that was well and good, but Heismay suspected their incursion’s primary purpose was to provoke and distract any resident enemies so the stagecoach itself could sneak through unopposed.

This was a strategy that Heismay tacitly approved of, of course. There were simply too many hiding spots that attackers could launch ambushes from around here, a situation that the Highlands’ dark and windy conditions only worsened. The sooner everyone was out of this treacherous place, the better.

Each second seemed like a minute as the stagecoach progressed, unable to move too fast over such rough terrain without risking further damage to the wheels. With only six left, the vehicle couldn’t take much more. Heismay fidgeted as the telltale sounds of melee combat -along with more unidentifiable, dreadful vocalizations- echoed up from facility’s frigid recesses. Nothing jumped out at the stagecoach, though, so perhaps the tactician’s cohort was doing its job. Within a few minutes, the Seekers were approaching the far side of the desolate outpost. Up ahead, the exit took the form of a broad archway formed by two of the buildings and a covered bridge between them. A couple chutes indicated that this was where ground-up minerals would be dumped from their hoppers and deposited into freight wagons for overland transport. Unfortunately, the large metal gates were shut tight with a chain and padlock. The padlock was on the other side of the gate, perhaps a sign that it had been sealed from outside to lock certain things in, but a sufficiently slender human hand could reach through the gap between the gates to access the lock from this side.

This meant that Edward could also just pull out his Magelock pistol and then obliterate it with a well-placed shot so that the chain slumped into the snow with a splash of powder. From there, the Shieldrix could push the gate open.

As the stagecoach proceeded and Heismay got his first look at the land beyond the outpost, he heard a soft sound behind him, like a bundle of laundry flopping to the ground. It could just as easily be snow that slid off a roof, disturbed by the repercussions of the pistol’s report, but Heismay left nothing to chance. When he whipped around, he found a red, fur-lined overcoat in a heap on the stagecoach’s roof, smudged by coal dust from the chute it fell through. Then eyes peeked out from the hood, and bloodless blue fingers crept out into the light of the vehicle’s lantern. As [url=https://i.imgur.com/2Gy3VOi.png]Manteau[/url] rose to its full height, Heismay’s red eyes narrowed above a grim frown, and he drew his longsaber with a steely rasp.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uz2fsGZD7c[/youtube][/center]

Vacantly smiling, the creature lifted its long sleeves like a marionette on puppet strings, its frozen flesh cracking audibly. Then it expelled a blast of frozen breath, gathered into a solid mass. Heismay narrowly side-stepped it, his sword held defensively to help deflect the cold vapor. Just grazing it coated the blade in ice, and when its slightly upward trajectory took it into the underside of the covered bridge, it flash-froze a cluster of icicles. Focused and calm, Heismay stepped behind it as the stagecoach’s movement took the icicles toward Manteau, which ducked around it also.

Then the monster inhaled, and Heismay readied himself. This time its breath came out as a spray, and by thrashing around the exhalation covered the whole roof laterally. Yet the stream missed as Heismay hopped backward, almost to the front edge, where he steadied himself to not fall backward onto Edward. Now the stagecoach was out in the open, meaning the eugief had enough room to jump and transform. He held his longsaber with both hands, his eyes narrowed as he stared Manteau down. It stared back, its many fingers clutching tight to the fur lining of its coat as the wind blew harder. When it exhaled again, it turned its face upward, spewing diamond dust into the air. Heismay looked to the cloudy sky, anticipating some sort of hail attack, but nothing came. When he glanced back down, Manteau was gawking at him again. With eyes frozen open, it couldn’t blink. Though its gleaming teeth moved slightly, it couldn’t speak. It could only shuffle, reach, and breath, so it did.

In frustration it belted out another blast of Stunning Cold, faster than before. Heismay didn’t even need to move, however, as the frosty mass sailed off into the darkness. Its blank gaze returned as it reached out with its limp sleeves, much too far to make contact. Was it even actually trying to attack him? The hermit did not feel very threatened. If anything, he felt pity. What was this malformed, frostbitten thing? Slowly, Heismay lowered his blade. Manteau lowered its arms, which crackled, as it exhaled again. The very end of its frigid breath brushing against Heismay’s parka. Ice crystals formed on its surface, but that was all. With how frequently this thing breathed out, he couldn’t get any closer without being frozen. Yet, he couldn’t just stand here and do nothing. At the end of the day, Manteau was a threat. And…maybe putting this thing out of its misery would be best for it too. Heismay breathed deep of the terribly cold air, and searched for inner strength.

[center][hider=New Power]
[url=https://i.imgur.com/AC5P0hu.png][b]Gunner[/b][/url] - an Archetype borne of the heroic adepts who found glory and inspiration in the impersonal and skillful lethality of firearms. It cannot attack at close range and has poor defenses, but it can inflict high Pierce damage and status effects from long range. Comes with the skills Sleep Shot and Poison shot, which inflict Pierce damage and have a chance to inflict their respective statuses[/hider][/center]

Without a word, the eugief transformed into a new Archetype. With many glass eyes beneath his cap, the Gunner did not stand as tall as the Thief or Assassin, but on his shoulder he hoisted a cannon as big as he was. As Manteau spewed icy breath, the force of it causing its body to sway from side to side, Heismay took aim. His cannon resounded once, sharp and clear, as a Sleep Shot slammed into the thing within the cloak. It stumbled backward, its frozen eyes glazing over. After a moment, it let out a final puff of breath and fell limply from the back of the stagecoach into the snow.

A couple seconds later, the rear door opened. Sandalphon poked her head out, then looked up to see Heismay standing on the rear edge of the roof, sliding his blade into its scabbard. “I heard a shot. What happened?”

The eugief shook his head. “...Nothing to worry about. It’s gone.”

[hr]

Beyond Baxter Mining Outpost, the Midnight Walk led through a mountain pass, low but long. It was dark, windy, and cold, but with plenty of open space the sensation of imminent danger that persisted throughout the abandoned facility was gone. The trail wove this way and that through the small, rocky peaks, and after a half hour or so it finally straightened, then opened up to reveal snowy hills dotted with pine trees. In the distance Moon Mountain loomed, bigger and closer than ever, but only its upper third could be seen above a dark, cloudy wall. Between here and there, however, the Seekers could see what looked like a little hamlet, surrounded by strings of colored lights. Smoke spiraled upward from chimneys, while warm lanterns illuminated great poles of diagonally striped red and white. There were people, plenty of them, and the place seemed lively–as if preparing for some sort of festival.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7TqM6F9.png[/img]
[h3]The Tale of Kris Kringle[/h3][/center]

As the team neared the settlement, the stagecoach slowed down and the Seekers disembarked to proceed on foot, Sandalphon among them. They were naturally cautious as they approached, but contrary to expectation, this village seemed to have no defenses of any kind. Although Sandalphon would not allow herself to fully relax, she slowly let down her guard little by little as she and the others scoped out the place. Evidently the unannounced arrival of a number of newcomers was not an uncommon event around here, as it seemed to be something of a crossroads for the Frozen Highlands. Its main structure was a large [url=https://i.imgur.com/odGDyWH.png]timber lodge[/url], but rather than a dwelling this building looked like a single massive workshop, full of sawing, hammering, stitching, and tinkering. Near it stood a market board, where a large variety of items could seemingly be ordered with a cheaper eight-hour delivery time or an expedited two-hour time that cost more. To the east lay a [url=https://i.imgur.com/iPhdUkU.png]pond[/url], mostly frozen over, with a hole carved for fishing and a big, blazing-hot oven nearby. Trails led away from the main village toward nearby locations like an evergreen forest, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/644X0kd.jpeg]misty valley[/url] where giant snowmen stood watch over arrays of floating snowflakes, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/7KoPNbw.png]strange hovel[/url] amidst bowing pines, and a [url=https://i.imgur.com/PVfay3I.png]secluded mansion[/url] at the foot of a little mountain.

A mixture of igloos and [url=https://i.imgur.com/xxXb1Hn.png]guest houses[/url], vibrantly decorated with lights and wreaths, formed most of the buildings in the village. Most were occupied by travelers here (and suitably dressed) for the festival. Sandalphon identified a [url=https://i.imgur.com/CJpUtHw.png]classy toymaker[/url], a [url=https://i.imgur.com/R9vr9Wk.png]companionable organizer[/url], and a rather [url=https://i.imgur.com/6ie7EHD.png]lightly-dressed courier[/url] among there number. There was also a whole caravan of [url=https://i.imgur.com/nsheUGk.png]fuzzy fleas[/url], themselves newly arrived in chitin contraptions pulled by giant bugs. The adults stood only a few feet tall, while the especially fluffy youngsters were the size of soccer balls, and so excited as they flew and bounced around that the adults couldn’t keep track of them. Even the [url=https://i.imgur.com/XSuLANq.png]squirrels[/url] seemed to be dressed for the occasion. 

Most of the population, however, seemed to be elves. Though they had long ears and wore a mixture of greens and reds, they came in all shapes and sizes, not to mention temperaments. One [url=https://i.imgur.com/8gfa3RE.png]elf[/url] in particular stared daggers at the newly-arrived humans, as if he’d prefer to murder them where they stood rather than admit them to the festival, but most of the elves seemed friendly. When Sandalphon brought the Seekers closer to the town center, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/aLnUhWg.png]long-eared pixie[/url] flitted over, waving. “Hello, and welcome to Christmas Village! My name is Maeve!” she sang in a bright, cheery voice.

“Christmas…?” Sandalphon repeated, looking around. This place reminded her of Snowdin.

The pixie looked stunned. “You’ve never heard of Christmas? It’s a holiday, the most special holiday of all. Friends and families get together, decorate homes and Christmas trees, share delicious feasts, and give one another gifts wrapped in colorful paper and bows. And wouldn’t you know it, the main celebration is this very night!” Maeve then laughed nervously, tugging at her color. “Uh…that said, there’s still a LOT to do, heheh…we’re majorly short-staffed, and could use a lot of help…”

Sandalphon was looking past her, to the north. “I apologize for interrupting. But what…is that?”

A few minutes’ walk north of the workshop, at the end of the Midnight Walk, the land suddenly gave way to a sheer drop. Were anyone to venture to the edge, there would be no bottom in sight, only an abyssal darkness. More worrisome, though, was the snowstorm. A few feet from the edge was what looked like a white wall of snow, dense but in constant tumultuous motion, shifting like the surface of a gas giant in the throes of gale-force winds. A stone bridge protruded from this barrier, anchored to the near side of the chasm, and the matchstick-lined Midnight Walk led straight to it. Try as she might, Sandalphon could not see anything more. That bridge could lead to the other  side of the gorge, or stop a few feet into the snowstorm, and she would never know until she stumbled in.

“Oh, the blizzard?” Maeve asked after a moment. “Um…yeah. It’s really thick, and really violent. Nobody can get through. Just a few seconds’ exposure is enough to freeze people solid. So everyone trying to follow the Midnight Walk is just…stuck.” The pixie quickly brightened up. “That’s kind of why we’re here, though! We’re hoping to calm the raging storm by demonstrating the peace and warmth of humanity with the biggest, most wonderful Christmas celebration of all time!”

Sandalphon’s pupils became triple question marks before dwindling to just one each. “Will…that work?”

“If the boss thinks it’s worth a try, it’s worth a try!” Maeve said a little too enthusiastically, pumping her arm for good measure. “Anyway, since you’re here, maybe you’d like to lend a hand with the preparations? Like I said before, we’ve got so much to do…like, SO much…”

Just then, Fleamaster Mooshka came running over at top speed, his little mustache wiggling frantically. “Oh, miss Maeve! Miss Maeve!” He slowed down as he drew near, Sandalphon stepping back to give the little flea some room. He breathed deeply, sending out little puffs of mist that made Heismay shiver with remembrance, before regaining his usual composure. “Miss Maeve, I have urgent news. Since we arrived, our young fleas have been so overcome with excitement for the festival…they simply cannot control themselves! We tried to calm them down, but to no avail. They’ve scattered themselves all over the area in one giant game of hide-and-go-seek.”

The Fleamaster tugged at his mustache distractedly. “I wanted to ask, if I may, that everyone here keep an eye out for the young fleas while going about their business, if possible. And if they should find them, send them home! We would happily offer our prized Flea Brew to anyone who might find one…and once we’re reunited, we can join the festival properly.”

Maeve tugged at her ears, her teeth chattering. “Oh…okay…that’s, uh…that’s great. Yeah. We’ll…help you find them, Fleamaster. No problem!” She gave her most convincing smile, then glanced at the Seekers as if begging for help. “So…if you do help, not saying you have to, just, uh…if you do, keep that in mind? Maybe? I dunno, haha…”

Sandalphon’s pupils briefly became stress marks. “We do need to continue along the Midnight Walk to Moon Mountain as soon as possible, but while working to penetrate the blizzard, I’m sure we could help somehow.”

Groaning, Maeve sent a plaintive look toward the heavens. “Ohthankgod…I mean, yaaay! You guys are the best! Love that! Just…y’know, holler if you need anything! And…” She glanced over at the surly elf, then floated closer and held a hand up to her mouth conspiratorially. “Don’t talk to Iorveth. Unless you’re an elf. He’s a little…um, yeah.”

Next to the workshop stood a large board labeled ‘To-Do List!!!’ in what was probably Maeve’s handwriting, with a couple post-it notes attached that read [i]Most tasks will take a couple hours! You’ll get CHRISTMAS SPIRIT for everything you do! Thank you!!![/i]

[hider=To-Do List][list][*]Collect Letters for Santa (INCLUDING IORVETH AND VANESSA)
[*]Make lots of toys
[*]Wrap gifts and put gifts beneath tree
[*]Make and put up more Christmas decorations
[*]Make cute Christmas outfits! (yippee!)
[*]Chop fir trees for lumber and firewood
[*]Feed the reindeer and get the sleigh rides running
[*]Catch snow imps (I hate these guys)
[*]Catch fist for feast
[*]Stock the kitchen
[*]Cook lots of food for feast
[*]Brew hot chocolate and eggnog (yum!)
[*]Have snowball fights (NONLETHAL THIS YEAR PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE)
[*]Solve the [s]damn[/s] jumping puzzle
[*]Find all thirty lost fleas
[*]Have Christmas party and melt the blizzard with our Christmas spirit![/list]

[i]PS: if you see The Dark Itself, do NOT interact with it, just ignore it and it will go away![/i][/hider]

Reading line by line, Heismay stopped when he reached a certain task. “Catch fish?” He brightened up. “Yesterday I did try my hand for a few minutes, but it’s been a long time since I really fished. I could think of much worse ways to pass the time.” From his little bag he produced a tacklebox, which he held up to demonstrate his preparedness. Despite his composed demeanor, Heismay did seem rather eager to partake in his hobby.