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i are plushie rolled 2 20-sided dice:
1, 7
Total: 8 (2-40)
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 Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:48 am
Zero Omega watched with concealed delight; it took all of his malicious willpower to not stand there and laugh. He had to play his part well; too much encouragement and enjoyment would tip off the meddler to his plan, and not enough could come off as fake. No, he had to feign concern, leave just enough out of his worry to let her fill in the rest with her own. So far... it was going perfectly. Soon each of those magical little lights would fade away, and soon after that, each show of Christmas would crumble and crack, wither and die, and be ruble in the snow.
"I wonder what happened. I mean, I remember how alive Durem was last year. There were carolers everywhere, children running around in search of Santa. The lights were so bright I'd think you could even see them from here." He said, turning around to glance towards Durem. Plushie mirrored him, looking hopefully towards Durem... there were no lights, no sounds of caroling, no sounds of children looking expectantly for a glimpse of Santa. Plushie's arms fell, her hands glowing feebly before her as she struggled to hold onto the last bits of magic that she had. All but three lights had faded and died, and the remaining three flickered as if in the process of dying.
Was it too late? Had Gaia stopped believing?
Enemy: Zero Omega
AC: 16
HP: 18
AC rolled: 1 -- attack: UNSUCCESSFUL!
Enemy: Zero Omega (after-attack)
AC: 16
HP: 18
Daily attack (1) of (2).
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i are plushie rolled 2 20-sided dice:
17, 4
Total: 21 (2-40)
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:52 am
Plushie couldn't speak; a lump had come into her throat and she knew if she tried to utter a word she'd start blubbing. Hearing nothing in the night, no cheerful greetings, so spirited songs, no laughter of children as they pursued Santa... seeing no lights... it was heartbreaking. Sure, she'd believe, and never stop, but would her belief be enough to sustain Christmas? Not as it is, no, probably not. I'd be like living in a town with a few thousand Mr. Scrooges. Every "Merry Christmas!" would be met with a returned "Bah Humbug!" Her home would be the only one decorated, her given presents thrown out or returned, and soon she'd become the "crazy cat lady" (just in the Christmas version) of Gaia.
The glow around her hands began to flicker once more; the Christmas magic faded and threatened to go out entirely. We can never say for sure what would have happened in the next moment, but I think we'd all be glad it didn't. At that very moment something extraordinary happened... a family walked up the path from Durem and took sight of the spectacle before them. They had been on their way to the graveyard to visit a lost member of their family. The two children oooo'd and aaah'd, laughed and ran to the Christmas-lighted gate to observe. The parents came along behind, taken in by the wonder before them.
The sight of the family did Plushie an amazing amount of good because she saw that all belief was not gone. Each on-looker looked amazed and happy, full of the Christmas spirit. They were just what she needed. In fact.. she needed more of them. If any Christmas magic had been forgotten, then she'd just need to remind them of it. The light grew brighter once more as she waved her hands through the air, the remaining three colored lights flaring as they waved and spiraled. Two of them drilled into the ground, the earth shaking once more, harder and harder until two metal posts sprang up from the snow. Higher and higher they grew, cords of light wrapped around them. They curved and hooked at the top, large bells dangling. Each of the bells rocked, sounding their tunes as loud as can be. A single note hung on the vibrations, pure and... calling, almost.
Calling what, though?
Enemy: Zero Omega
AC: 16
HP: 18
AC rolled: 17 -- attack: SUCCESSFUL! (-4)
Enemy: Zero Omega (after-attack)
AC: 16
HP: 14
Daily attack (2) of (2); no more attacks today.
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i are plushie rolled 2 20-sided dice:
15, 3
Total: 18 (2-40)
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:26 pm
The sound hung in the air, waves pulsating in the distance in a vibrant calling. Plushie waited, as did Zero, but nothing happened. No magical sight appeared in thin air, summoned forth by the magic of Christmas, bright and dazzling to the eyes. The family lingered by the gate, observing the scene before them with wonder still. They too gazed about as if expecting some more magic to present itself. It was an awkward moment to say the least, especially for Plushie. It's like a Magician who holds up a card, declaring it to be yours, only to find out your card was the five of clubs, not the eight of diamonds. If there had been crickets chirping, I think the awkwardness would have been completed.
"Well, that was dramatic." Zero commented, mocking the so called summoning-tunes and the girl who had created them. Plushie wondered to herself what had happened; certainly the sound was right -- she could feel it in her bones. She glanced towards the family and saw that they too could feel... whatever it was that the sound invoked. For some reason it wasn't extending past the graveyard, and Zero himself seemed to block it out. The Christmas magic wasn't enough, yet.
"Those people aren't here because they believe in Christmas. They came here because this is a graveyard and they're visiting a departed loved one. None of this hocus pocus brought them here. They didn't feel some magical spark that drew them from their homes." Zero said with a mocking laugh. Plushie knew he was right -- these people hadn't been brought here... but others could be. Her Christmas magic was running out; it was only a matter of time before it drained. She needed some help...
Enemy: Zero Omega
AC: 16
HP: 14
AC rolled: 15 -- attack: UNSUCCESSFUL!
Enemy: Zero Omega (after-attack)
AC: 16
HP: 14
Daily attack (1) of (2).
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i are plushie rolled 2 20-sided dice:
4, 9
Total: 13 (2-40)
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Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:30 pm
The remaining three lights zipped this way and that, leaving a trail of glittering flakes behind them, much as shooting stars seem to do. With a wave of her hands, Plushie directed them towards the metal posts; the lights spiraled and circled, higher and higher, finally reaching the bells at the top. With some encouragement, the bells rocked more insistently, the single note droning on, not just louder, but more deeply. It's hard to describe, even for those present. The note was deeper than that of a group of baratones all singing in perfect harmony, more ethereal, and more enchanting in sound. It was magic, and it was as if anyone who heard it would be called to it. Despite the depth and volume, not just anyone could hear it... that was the magic aspect of it. It was, I think, and I think you might agree, the Spirit of Christmas.
Unlike Plushie and the spectating family, Zero Omega heard only the sound of bells, as one might hear ringing at the top of a Church. To him, it was just festive ring-a-ling sounds, annoyingly repeating and plain. Ordinary bells, as one might call them. Nothing magic about them, at least not his mind, especially since no one seemed to flock out to hear them. "The sights are nice, but Christmas Eve is almost gone, and I don't hear high nor low of Santa... and it seems that the rest of Gaia doesn't either." Zero commented, once more glimpsing around as if 'expecting' to see people, though both he and Plushie knew that, with the exception of the watching family, they were alone.
Time was running out, and if she had any hope of saving Christmas, something needed to be done and now... not soon, now. The streaming lights jetted towards her, back to her hands before fading into the glow. It seemed, and one might speculate, that she had 'called them back' -- but why? Surely she hadn't given up... surely she still believed that Christmas could be saved... Surely this wasn't defeat!
Enemy: Zero Omega
AC: 16
HP: 14
AC rolled: 4 -- attack: UNSUCCESSFUL!
Enemy: Zero Omega (after-attack)
AC: 16
HP: 14
Daily attack (2) of (2); no more attacks today.
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i are plushie rolled 2 20-sided dice:
19, 13
Total: 32 (2-40)
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 9:30 pm
Plushie's arms rested at her sides, each of her hands emanating that same whitish-blue light. It wasn't as bright as when this began, thanks to Zero and his cruel words. He watched her closely, half-hoping for an acceptance of defeat and half-fearful of another goody-goody save-Christmas antic. I'm not sure which was more predominant in him, but boy did he watch her like a hawk. The bells slowed in their rock, the ring-a-ling tune soft and dulled... the deep, calling sound near-quieted. The cords of light dimmed as if in the process of going out all together. The bouncing snowman stopped in his folly, sitting almost subdued. It looked, very much so, like the meddlesome girl had given up. Plushie brought her hands together before her as if in prayer, her eyes closed, as if asking for forgiveness for her failure.
The scene looked perfect to Zero and he was moments away from ensuring that Christmas was destroyed forever... or so he thought. He opened his mouth to jeer at her, to make some mean-spirited comment, but the words never left his throat. Plushie's hands were growing brighter, and brighter, more rich and brilliant in color. What was happening was this -- she was focusing every speck of hope she had, every trace of belief in Christmas and its magic, into one final exert. The whitish blue light brightened, almost blindingly so, growing larger and larger in size. Plushie's hands were pushed apart, almost as if by the force of it, accommodating the size of, what appeared to be, an orb. The light no longer flickered or looked even remotely close to fading. Zero took a step back, sensing what was coming... and he was not disappointed.
Crossing her wrists in front of her, the magnificent light illuminating before her hands, Plushie opened her eyes and took a deep breath, putting every good thought and positive feeling that she had behind this last ditch effort. Pulling her arms apart and outward, she sent the last of her Christmas magic out, and boy did it show. There was an explosion of light that filled the graveyard, blinding the eyes, blowing snow in every direction. The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck, rumbling beneath their feet. The corded colored bulbs re-lit with a fierce brightness, the snowman was joined by several others, each of them sliding and bouncing around with the utmost merriment. More candy canes sprang from the ground in different places. A fresh snow began to fall, soft and pure. The thirty foot tree turned in its place, growing two feet higher with each turn until it stood at a towering forty feet. More ornaments had appeared on it, more tinsel, more garland, the star at the top emitting its own wondrous light.
Fresh, vibrant flowers lay on each tomb stone. In the distance, a section of the ground caved in before slowly filling with a dark brown liquid. Were you to inspect it, you'd find that this was hot chocolate. Large, soft white pillows sprang from the ground around the hot chocolate pond -- marshmallows. The biggest change were the two light-decorated iron posts; they grew taller, the bells larger, more shiny, and the sound they emitted was breath-taking. The bells rocked with a passion, the deep, baritone sound vibrating and pulsing through the air for miles and miles. Zero looked around, not in anger, or fear, but wonder -- he too could hear the tone now; no longer bells, it was a call.
And so it was answered. Voices came in the distance; young, old, male, female, tall, short, thin, fat -- people of all races, gender, and ages came, at first, cautiously down the path from Durem, then with excitement from the scene before them. It seemed as if Gaia had heard the bells. Like the onlooking family, they lingered at the gates, peering into the wonderland before them, a place that they knew well in their hearts. The initial explosion of light had long since faded, streams tearing to and fro to further build upon the Christmas wonder. More and more people circled the graveyard, laughing, cheering, chattering with amazement. "Look!" Someone cried from within the group. It took everyone a moment to realize where the sound was coming from, but soon they identified it. Up in the sky, way off in the distance, came the sound of jingling bells. After a moment, a sleigh came into sight, pulled by nine reindeer... the leader with a nose quite extraordinarily red. There, in the sleigh, with his suit so red, his body so large, his face so jolly... sat Santa.
No one noticed, in the midst of all this excitement, the girl in the graveyard collapsing in the snow.
Enemy: Zero Omega
AC: 16
HP: 14
AC rolled: 19 -- attack: SUCCESSFUL! (-13)
Enemy: Zero Omega (after-attack)
AC: 16
HP: 1
Daily attack (1) of (2).
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i are plushie rolled 2 20-sided dice:
16, 1
Total: 17 (2-40)
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 9:32 pm
Plushie sat in a white space... it wasn't a room, or really anywhere, to be honest. It just was. Though she was sitting, she wasn't actually sitting on anything. She didn't feel sick or even tired anymore. It was as if all her troubles had faded. She didn't know what had happened to Gaia, or to Zero, or to Christmas... but for some reason, this wasn't a worry of hers, or a concern. Somewhere inside of her she knew that everything was alright. Getting to her feet, Plushie wandered around... if it could be called wondering. I'm not even sure she moved from her current spot. A woman appeared a few feet in front of her; she was older, pleasantly plump, with a cheerful and loving face. Her hair was gray, and she wore a red bonnet, which matched her ruffled dress. Around her large waist there was tied an apron with, what appeared to be, powder and dough clinging to it. Her eyes were lively and young, despite her age, enhanced with spectacles. "Hello dear." She said kindly. Plushie waved, certain that she recognized this woman, but drawing a blank as for who exactly she was, as if in this world nothing was, but simply just is.
"I wanted to thank you for all your efforts. I'm not sure my husband would have been able to make the journey without you." The kind old woman continued. Her husband? The journey? OH! This was Mrs. Claus! Plushie suddenly remembered the scene in the graveyard, the battle against Zero Omega, his robots, the zombies, the magic. "Did he make it? Will Gaia still have a Christmas?" She asked hopefully. Mrs. Claus smiled that knowing smile and nodded, "Oh yes. He should be approaching Gaia as we speak. It's unfortunate that you won't see him, being dead and all." Plushie gaped at her, horror-struck. "I'm dead????" Much to her surprise, Mrs. Claus laughed heartily (much like her husband might, just in her own feminine, kind way). "Oh of course not, but if you don't wake up, you'll miss him." She said. With a touch of her nose and a wink of her eye, she disappeared, as did the white space.
Zero Omega stood over her as her vision began to clear from its blurred state. Oh jeez, was he going to try and smother her with snow while she was down? What a way to go; she'd be buried in the graveyard and her tomb stone would read: RIP Here lies Plushie; smothered to death with Christmas snow. Merry Christmas! It took a moment for the sounds to come back to her, and they were a relief -- laughter, caroling, chatting, cheering. Much to her greater surprise, Zero had bent down and was helping her to sit up. She wouldn't be smothered with Christmas snow! Huzzah! Looking around, Plushie saw that the frozen gates had thawed, merry Gaians bustling inside, into the Christmas wonderland that had manifested itself.
Looking up, she saw Santa's sleigh circling in, finally alighting in the snow. Gaians young and old ran to him with warm greetings, cheering his arrival. Turning her attention to Zero, Plushie was at a loss for words. He looked... defeated, in a sense, but there was no bitterness or anger. Like the white space, he just was. Santa ho-ho-ho'd, handing out presents from his magical sack of gifts. Children petted the reindeer. Others gathered around the hot chocolate pond with mugs, drinking in merriment. Presents had appeared all around the giant tree, one for each Gaian. Plushie got to her feet with Zero's help and, momentarily, turned her back on the cheer around her, to face him.
He was defeated, sure, but he hadn't been healed of his negativity. Plushie knew there was one thing he could have for Christmas that he never received, not from the people who shoved a pie in his face, or even from her. To his great surprise, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "I'm sorry." It was simple acknowledgement of his ordeal. Sometimes, as crazy and as sappy as it sounds, that's all people want and need. Pulling back, Plushie offered a little smile; whether it was the apology, or the happiness of those around him and the realization that that happiness had been saved, and deserved to be, Zero found himself returning the gesture. "You're the most persistently annoying person I have ever met." He told her.
The two were interrupted as the jolly man himself approached. To Plushie, he handed a restored scepter, as good as new. "This one has no magic in it; you don't need it." He said with a knowing wink. To Zero, he handed... a pie. "I do believe the young lady made an offer to you," He said in his ear and with a knowing nudge, he wandered off to greet more Gaians. Plushie hadn't heard what Santa said, but she figured it out a moment later when Zero smooshed the pie right into her face. Needless to say, he felt quite better. Plushie peeled the pie off her face, completely shocked at what had just happened. Turning to Zero, who grinned with mischief and utter amusement, she said, "I'm so glad Santa gave me this... I need it." Zero took off running, with Plushie on his heels, swinging her new scepter at his butt. "Get back here!"
And that, my dear Gaians, is the story of how Plushie rescued Christmas. Hope you enjoyed it! n.n
Enemy: Zero Omega
AC: 16
HP: 1
AC rolled: 16 -- attack: SUCCESSFUL! (-1) -- Holy Crap xd
Enemy: Zero Omega (after-attack)
AC: 16
HP: 0
Daily attack (2) of (2); no more attacks today.
DEFEATED!
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