Odainsaker hummed walking through the streets of the cities, most shops in this area had closed due to the snow and wind. Especially those that had outdoor amenities, which Odain couldn't blame them since it was almost too cold to sit outside and enjoy the spoils of shopping.
She was thankful though that he favorite spot was still open. She planned on grabbing a hot chocolate before turning it and it seemed that was still possible. Which made the cosmos squire pretty happy because it seemed like the cold continued to drop and the wind pick up. Odain was also glad she had her shawl with her that matched her fuku otherwise she felt like she might be freezing at this point.
"Why do I feel like this is something familiar?" She said softly looking around like she expected something to step out of the wind. Aside from order aura she felt that was. Odain was glad there was someone else in the area, she'd rather spend the night with a quiet chat but she doubted that was about to happen.
Biting Chill ( 18 ) : The cold is strangely harsh, and even the still wind is vicious enough to sting. But the cold isn't the worst part of tonight--it's what comes with it. Out of a swirl of blowing snow, a massive, wispy wolf takes shape, enormous and snarling, with fur spiked like jagged icicles. Its eyes glow with a cold, wild intelligence, and before you can even react, it lunges as though you’ve trespassed deep into its territory. Every strike it makes feels like the bite of winter itself. Wherever its claws slash, wherever its jaws snap, frost cakes over. Even if you're lucky enough not to take massive damage, the cold seeps bone deep. When you manage to land a hit, the creature bleeds a strange, clear blood--icy water that freezes instantly into slush on the ground. The more damage it takes, the more its form flickers, shredded like wind-torn snow. The wolf fights with the relentless instinct of a dire beast, but it is not invulnerable. It will never run. It will fight until its body is broken and flickering, then--finally--a sudden gust will rip through the air and carry its dissolving body away. Howls echo on the wind. The rest of its pack probably isn't too far behind.
Note: This strange wolf 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 meet battle requirements. You can use the prompt for as many characters as you like and it will count as a battle requirement, however if you repeat the prompt with the same character, only the first time will be usable as a battle.
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2025 7:09 pm
Tianyi had certainly experienced cold nights, but this one felt...new. Different. Particularly frigid, in a way that had him seriously considering going home. He could make some warm tea and settle in, and maybe if it was the right kind it might help him fall asleep.
He couldn't remember winters being this harsh, on his world. Maybe they had been. Maybe that was, somehow, another thing he was insulated from. (There were so many of those things.) But this still felt...different. Strange.
When he spotted the poor Cosmos Squire in her very bare-looking fuku, Tianyi gasped, and darted over as fast as he could throguh the snow, oblivious to anything else that might be coming.
"Are you okay?" He asked, when he was close enough. "That looks so cold--I know being powered up helps, but it's just frigid out here."
Odainsaker's face lit up when the other joined her though she was cold. "Yes, I'm fine for now; but it's quite dreadful out here. I've been trying to avoid carrying a cloak because I'm concerned it'll slow me down but this fuku leaves a bit to be desired."
She frowned as she looked around, "It's particularly worse tonight with this chill and the wind. I'm hoping I'm not being followed by any crazy wind monster."
The squire sighed, "This is when I think I should scoot to my wonder instead of hang around here. Oh, I'm Odainsaker by the way~!"
When she glanced back again after she introduced herself she was pretty sure she'd caught a glimpse of eyes. But they were gone and she narrowed her own looking into the night.
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2025 9:17 pm
Tianyi smiled, a little embarrassed. "I've thought about bringing one with me, too, but it's just so cumbersome...and it's mostly been tolerable before this, so I sort of let it go."
He frowned, just a little. Was it possible that there was some sort of monster, lurking in the cold?
"Is that something that happens, here?" He asked, genuinely, ears flicking nervously. There had been the chicken, in the summer...though it hadn't seemed quite so....elemental.
And he swore there was a shape in the dark.
"Tianyi," he introduced himself, though he was a little distracted. "Unfortunately, my homeworld isn't very nice, and not at all worth visiting, but I hope your Wodner is--oh. Oh dear."
A shape materialized out of the dark. A massive creature, canid and cold-looking, and Tianyi took a step back in shock.
"What...is that? It isn't....I don't feel...that's not a youma, is it?"
There was a soft chuckle, "Yes that's largely why I haven't brought mine with me. At least powered up, as a civilian I'll wear whatever."
There was a pause as she thought, "Apparently, like at least here it happens. I don't know out side of this city if crazy things happen."
"Nice to meet you Tianyi." Of course beyond that they were cut short as the frosty wind wolf appeared and Odain sighed heavily pulling her arrows from her subspace.
"Unfortunately that is not a youma. I'm not sure what it is beyond some weird windy wolf thing."
The creature lunged at her, and she moved grabbing Tianyi and pulling them away from the wolf while the creature tore the hem of her skirt, "Watch the claws and fangs." She warned. Throwing one of her arrows at it to try and distract the monster for a moment.
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2025 11:12 pm
Ah. Yes. Another strange monster with little reason, and this one....maybe it, too, was defending its territory or its precious pups, but that didn't matter. It was like Jet had said, when they fought the bird monster during the summer: it was about making a choice. Was Tianyi going to choose to run away, bring Odainsaker with him, and then let this monster attack someone else, because surely another hapless traveler would cross its path? Or was he going to try and fight?
He'd made the choice then. He would make it again now.
His people had preached pacifism and nonviolence. Butt hey had lied. They might not have raised arms in violence, but they did it in other ways. Tianyi thought that this was a far more noble violation of those principles.
He went with Odain when she pulled him away, looking over the area they had.
"My magic makes things obey my orders. I'll make it chase me. You'll have to fight it while it's distracted." She wasn't armed with a bladed weapon, like Jet, but her little arrows surely had to do something.
"Blossoming Decree," he said, and then he started running, and turned to look back at the beast. "Follow me!"
The beast turned its head, and then its whole body, towards him, and Tianyi took off. He'd lead it in circles, keep it distracted for as long as he could.
Odainsaker paused she'd been thinking of the best way to hit the creature when Tianyi mentioned he could make the creature follow him. "Oh, okay yeah that works!"
There was a nod when he called his attack and the monster followed behind him. She had to think as she quickly moved after the wolf creature that was following the deep space senshi.
She was looking for things that could be used as they traveled aiming a punch towards it's flank as she followed behind. "I can blind the thing but that's about the best magic I have." She added The squire for now was punching and kicking the best she could as she. There was a moment when she saw a trash can lid and she nicked it as they moved.
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2025 12:38 am
"Do whatever you can," Tianyi said, and he turned to flash a smile as he ran. "I can run, and keep its eyes on me. We just need to wear it down."
And she was doing great, or at least, Tianyi thought so. The beast seemed ot be leaking some kind of strange substance; liquid, and clear, almost as if it bled....water? How strange.
But that wasn't the point.
"Come, eyes on me," Tianyi told the beast, and he pivoted, walking backwards with his eyes on it the whole time. His magic, at least, held its attention--impressive, given that his companion was battering it quite solidly.
Odainsaker nodded when Tianyi said to do whatever she could, and with the trashcan lid in hand she used it to smack the creature straight on the top of the head. Which, seemed to actually be the finishing blow as it burst into water droplets that froze quiet quickly.
Odain grinned and looked back at Tianyi, "Oh I don't think I could do that one without you!" She said bubbling with excitement that it seemed the wind creature was gone about as fast as it appeared.
She waited a moment and then sighed, "Hey want some hot chocolate? It might help us thaw out." The squire chuckled lightly.
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2025 1:06 am
Much like the bird beastie, there was no evidence left behind of the monster they'd tangled with. But it was gone, and Tianyi breathed a sigh of relief.
At least they'd chased it away from here, even if they hadn't killed it forever or what have you.
"Hot chocolate sounds lovely," he agreed. He had never imagined something like it, on his world, but he'd become quite fond of it since coming to Earth. "Thank you. For your help and also for the hot drinks."
