Prompt 4 (Fear and Feathers): The moon is bright tonight and reflects off of the snowy ground, illuminating everything with an ethereal glow. Destiny City feels almost safe, even at night. The fresh fallen snow seems undisturbed and brings a sense of peace. Only, nothing is ever as good as it seems, and there’s something eerie about it. After a while, it feels like someone--or something--is watching you. In the shadows of the trees, a set of milky eyes watches. Whatever it is, it’s tall and bulky. If you walk quickly, you feel it follow you but once you leave the line of trees, it disappears. If you try to approach it, a great beast will screech at you: a six foot tall snowy white owl takes flight. It may tackle or claw at you, depending on how you approach it, but it will always take flight and disappear in the night. If you choose to attack it, for the next few nights any time you look out your window you will see glowing eyes in the distance--or worse, hear it scratching to get in. Eventually, the temperature rises and the visits stop. For now.
Note: The owl is not a youma but can be used as a battle requirement for a character. It can only be used as a battle if there are two powered characters involved; you cannot write a solo and count this as a battle, and your character must be powered to count this for a battle. If you repeat the prompt with the same character, only one will count for a battle requirement. The owl will not appear to have any magical abilities and seems to simply be a very large, aggressive owl.
Heightened hiccoughed breaths that scattered like snowbursts; frosted lashes crisp with tears in the heavy air. Every half-heeled step that kicked up uneven drifts, made a messy path; because Dia was fleeing something he couldn’t hear — could hardly see — had been walking along as a mere person, enjoying the seasons bounty.
It was just a walk in the woods!
When suddenly—-
The resounding screech shattered his thoughts and sent him sliding for the nearest fringed tree— angular thing with a thick overhang.
He knew, if he could hide long enough to get his bearings —- felt that idea falter fleetingly when he felt the shock of talons shred along the tails of his coat, horrid tearing as they tore it all into ribbons while he dug into the earth against it.
Nearly lost his thin metal claws and footing as he struggled against the tug, snapped the golden fastenings on his overcoat instead and let the damned beast have the protective layer; b*****d bird. Better to be gone with it than to let it snag his hide instead.
Except now he was cold—felt eyes beyond the fringe of where he tucked his form. Cupped his hands round his mouth and hoped for a miracle.
Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 11:02 am
Something about the ambush had shaken her in a way that she couldn’t really explain. Or perhaps it was more that she didn’t want to explain the change which is why she avoided the topic all together, especially where her sister was concerned.
For years she had been adamant about not getting involved. Let others fight this war that they had been conscripted into joining. She had been a firm believer that it wasn’t worth lying to friends and family about why they were out, or having to deceive doctors if one of them had been seriously injured.
It was a dangerous line to walk where she’d always have to second guess whether or not she trusted someone enough to tell them the truth.
But what she had come to realize a month ago was that her belief had put not only herself but also Eleonora at risk.
Ignorance isn’t bliss, it is dangerous. A silken veil placed over one's own eyes that obscures any foresight one might have when it comes to potential dangers.
Shadows maneuvering in blind spots. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Ignoring the problem didn’t mean that it didn’t thrive while she looked the other direction. All it took was nearly turning into a youma for her to realize this.
Had they actually powered up and world towards becoming an Eternal like Athene, then maybe they wouldn’t have been so vulnerable in the battle against the negaverse or their alien comrades. Those generators, the overflowing chaos, it was too much and even now, several weeks later, she could feel those changes happening again. Nails to claws, skin cold to the touch yet she felt no need to shiver.
It was a harrowing experience and one that despite all efforts, Fiona could not forget even as she wandered around in the dead of winter, snow settling on tree limbs with hushed whispers. It was then that Fiona had heard the loud screech echo through the wooded area and was in motion before she could consider what kind of danger the owl-beast brought with it. Last time it had chased an ally in her direction and sent the both of them tumbling down a small slope.
They were lucky enough to get away, but it seemed that the creature wasn't through with her yet. Upset that its prey had evaded it so easily, fled to an area to which it could not hide and instead waited for her to come to it.
Except, when she powered up to run again, Alcor realized that she was not its target. That there was another powered signature that had earned its ire, a Chaos one at that.
She had no love nor respect for the ones responsible for the ambush and was tempted to leave. Let the owl have its lunch and not look back on this day. Seemed only fair, for all the Senshi and knights that had been forcibly corrupted. This is just nature balancing itself out is it not?
Limbs hung low from the snow that piled high on each branch and it was one of these that Alcor aimed a snowball at before quickly hiding behind a tree in case the owl-beast turned to look for where the attack had been thrown and come after her instead.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 5:26 am
Diasporite shivered where he sat, breathed puffs of ice and his head cocked as he listened tentatively to every scritch and scrape of talon over too cold bark above. The way silent feathered wings shiffed heavily over the beasts back.
Waited for it to move to —- a solid wet, fat, icy thunk resounded loud. The fall out drowned by the bird-beasts screech as it suddenly took flight once more. Dia could’ve cheered — but should’ve kept his mouth shut instead.
The second he stood from his position the beast was airborn and crying for its target. It’s motion upsetting the tree entirely.
Causing Dia to look up, comically wide eyed as the branches shifted their weight, and from them rained piles of snow.
Where boughs snapped and the powder rained down in a heavy clump burying him in a crisp ‘eek’ of sound — freed and then smothered at once.
Dia cursed all that was as he tried to dig himself free —-
Meanwhile, the great orbs of the owls eyes turned, fiery, scanning the vast white landscape as it searched for what had interrupted its hunt.
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 6:52 pm
Alcor clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from making a similar ‘eep’ing sound and stealthily turned so her back pressed against the rough bark of the nearest tree.
Blessed be the cosmic tailor that gifted her a uniform that blended in with the snow otherwise the owl-beast would have surely taken notice. With careful movements, she lifted the fur-trimmed hood over her head and tried to keep her breathing shallow least the creature take notice of the small plumes of hot air she created with each exhale.
What do I do? What do I do? In her mind she could hear Pooh’s voice clearly going Think, think, think.
In times of duress, Eleonora would have just jumped out in plain view, no shits given, and intentionally drawn the owl’s attention if only to give the other person time to unearth themselves and find shelter. But she was not her sister and was not even tentatively considering that kind of recklessness as an option, especially for a Lieutenant.
Need a distraction. But what…
The Senshi of Cold looked down at her still-blue hands and hastily formed another ice ball of which she threw at a tree ahead of her. The limb shook and snow cascaded down with a surprising “thwump’ that left a crater in the soft white powder at the base of the tree. Alcor didn’t turn to see if the beast took the bait and instead quickly curled into herself, a small ball surrounded by a thick coat of white fabric.
There she waited, listened for the ‘fawump’ beating of the owls' wings flying by overhead. Her breath hitched, heart frozen in her chest and still she waited, praying that it would fly away and give up on them.
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 4:54 am
Echoing ‘skarreeee’ that crackled off every errant frozen tree, as great heavy beats of wings blew snowy drifts asunder. The creatures gaze thoroughly captured - golden, piercing - trained on the trees beyond and whatever was making them sway and dump snow.
It dove in, and then spiraled high, frustrated rapid beat flapping, and snap of beak on air at the lack of prey.
It seemed an eternity — two — before a snow pile shifted. Glit of gold tipped nails peeking out like fresh spring sprouts as Dia clawed free, gasping and spitting snowmelt all the way. Before he lay panting in a shivering heap of himself — cursing the owl - the weather, the tint of blue that touched his skin.
He barely noticed the hidden Senshi, for all that his senses were trained nervously skywards.
Shanyume
Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 12:09 am
There was no outrunning the beast, the snow was too soft, their feet would just sink slowing their movements even further. Combine that with the fact it was easily larger than she was and could fly it left their options limited.
The best they could do was perhaps find a denser part of the woods that would make it difficult to fly through. But that would require them to communicate, which meant getting closer to the lieutenant.
“s**t,” the Senshi of Cold swore under her breath. There was one other option to consider but did she really want to invite chaos onto her homeworld? Sure, they’d be safe… for a time. Assuming he didn’t succumb to the cold and contract hypothermia. After all, her world was mostly comprised of ice.
Lesser of two evils, I suppose…
Alcor hazarded a glance upwards towards where she believed the owl to be and only when she felt like the beasts eyes were no upon her did she carefully maneuver closer towards the lieutenant that seemed to be playing possum.
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 2:28 am
The scrabble shiff of snow beneath his gloved hands - as Dia was desperately trying to dig himself out. Grabbed clumps of white and found his knees. Found a Senshi — scant feet away - close enough to touch. To stare at like a stunned beast with bright pink eyes. The surprised squeak of sound that became a hiss — though it could’ve just as well been the chattering of teeth in his head.
What could he even say to her without risking them both? The beasts return, his own demise!?
Rak had made it very clear — oh, all the ways he’d pointed out Dias worth. Over and above an enemy, an invasive evil. The Senshi an embodiment of the sort of creature he should be snatching the soul out of, but couldn’t…
Wouldn’t bite off more than he could chew. Not knee deep in fresh powder and thick blankets of it pouring heavy from the sky.
“I hope you have a p-plan. T-To get out of this.”
Whisper soft spike of words. Nearly nervous. Not that he didn’t have a plan — which he didn’t — but he could, would!! Kick the ice-cubes rattling in his brain into working….
“B-because m-mine is s**t.”
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2022 2:39 am
Alcor wanted to laugh at the irony of it all while at the same time kicking herself for bothering to get involved with someone who had, by association, nearly killed her during the ambush. Although she didn’t recognize his face, he was still a lieutenant, chaos infused and therefore responsible for nearly turning her into a youma only a month prior.
But he was just a kid, or perhaps a young adult. She wasn’t about to spend much time overthinking what age he was with a frenzied bird looking to make a snack out of one of them.
“I have a plan…” Kind of… Not really fully thought out, at least it wasn’t a lie.
The Senshi summoned the upgraded phone Liryn had given her and in that same moment, she heard the all-too-near screech of the owl descending upon them. “I’m sorry-”
She didn’t think, only acted, and in that fraction of a second Alcor reached for his hand while pushing the button that would whisk them both to a place so unlike Destiny City and so very far away from the woods and the angry creature.
