[Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Archives of Occultus Magica's beginnings, ten years prior to the current story.
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CadetNewb
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[Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by CadetNewb »

"Welcome to the White Forest Comrades!~" Though Duncan was nowhere to be seen, Coco smiled at them, quickly reaching up to readjust her Ushanka as the oversized hat slipped.

They were all in the middle of something that could be described as exactly that - a forest frosted over with white. Brief glimpses of brown could be seen poking though the pale snow like whole wheat under a sweet glaze of sugary goodness. Meanwhile, thousands of pine needles were weighed down, drooping from the cold. Around them, the forest floor was pristine and smooth, the only marks on the surface being the little girl's footsteps, the snow easily swallowing a person up by a foot as they walked across the icy flakes. As Coco opened up her mouth to speak however, she suddenly stopped, looking up and about for a moment as though someone were speaking to her. "Well, Duncan's closed the door on us like he would students he sometimes puts in here for detention, but that's no problem. He's kinda not sure what to do since Adrienne Sensei is here - he wanted to throw us to the magical animals, but Sensei might have other ideas," she explained to them.

True to her word, the entrance through which the American boy had ushered them through was gone, vanished without a trace.

"Still...I really don't know why Duncan would use this as a place for bad kids though - it's always really nice year round here," Coco pondered, still eating away at her frozen treat. She looked up from it at the other kids in sudden, excited curiosity. "Hey, hey! Do you guys like it? We could have snowball fights and make snowmen and snowforts and do snow stuff!" she grinned.
Last edited by CadetNewb on Fri Sep 07, 2012 11:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Kalshion
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by Kalshion »

Sakura sighed, watching Coco and then the teacher made her rather annoyed. She pretty much stayed away from the group though, close enough to hear, but far enough away in case they tried anything against her that would just prove her suspicions. Some might call her anti-social, in reality, she was just cautious about other especially adults - and especially adults who seemed to be to nice.

Though, the door closing behind them worried her a lot and she could feel herself getting a bit nervous. She glanced in the direction where the door 'had' been and grumbled, So, what does he plan to do? she pondered and leaned up against a tree, but positioned herself in case he tried anything against her. If the boy had followed them into the forest, she'd probably ask him why he'd shut the door but so far she didn't see him and she had no desire to ask Coco as she was already figuring that the girl was one of them and thus didn't trust her.
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Straken
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by Straken »

Ruarc followed the group dutifully with a definite look of curiosity on his face. With the occasional chuckle at the periodic slapstick, the young Irishman followed in a subdued manner as he went about studying his new surroundings. Upon approaching the seemingly normal house within the abnormal setting, the garage door was opened and they were ushered inside.

Pausing only for a moment, Ruarc went on through after Coco, and his inquisitive look quickly evolved into amazement. Even if it turned out to be little more than an illusion, the simple feeling of being immersed in a pine forest triggered a basic reaction in him. For the first time since arriving in Tokyo he felt like he was back in the wilderness, so as a country boy, and Druid, he felt like he was once again back in his element.

“This is spectacular!” Ruarc exclaimed as he panned around his new environment with a wide grin on his face. He relished the feeling of the snow under his feet, the fresh air was bracing, and the pines looked stunning. Then, the curiosity returning, he turned to Coco and asked, “Wher’re we, if Ah may ask?”
CadetNewb
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by CadetNewb »

Elsewhere, knuckles incredulously knocked on a door, which Duncan opened - the American boy, as not befitting his usual nature, welcomed the person in with friendly cheer.

*****

"Te-he!~" The giggle came as no surprise - Coco was glad that at least one of the others had come to like this place as much as she had! It was a mystical, snowy wonderland after all! "I'm glad you really like it too! I spend a lot of my time here, with the time dilation turned off of course," she explained to the taller boy, her words slowly beginning to become coy as toe of her boot began tracing about in the snow. Coco gave him a smile. "It's a biiiiig secret you know!~" the little girl started to tease. "It's One of my brother's bestest works. So long as there's power, this whole place will stay contained! Can you guess what this place is, just by looking at that?" She asked, pointing to the mountains - a distant, faint white line behind them seemed to project straight up and into the heavens.

*****

A doorway appeared, hovering far up in the skies.

The sight presented to the man that Duncan had taken into his home was absolutely breathtaking. The view looked down upon a seemingly endless forest of pines and snow held within a great valley wedged between and held by several majestic mountains. And it wasn't all sight either - he could smell it. The freshness of cool, rocky mountains covered over with snow that would melt into the finest pure spring water. Pine needles frosted over and oh-so refreshing to the lungs; it all hit his nose and helped to lift his spirits. This was truly a priceless little gift from the American boy, something certain to cheer up anybody.

Of course, this wasn't the only gift Duncan gave the teacher at his school.

Out of the doorway, went Miller, Duncan's foot briefly sticking out of the doorframe and into the cold as a result of the swift kick quickly delivered into the man's rear.

*****

"Give up? I'll even give you a hint!" Coco went on, her smile broadening with proud glee. "Its one of the four cor - "

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH - " Miller's screaming was cut off as he landed safely, face first into the soft snow that was right behind Coco.

"Huh? What was that? Did I hear something?" she pondered, looking at the group in front of her.
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Gwathdraug
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by Gwathdraug »

Riley, who had long since given up struggling out of Percy's grip, had spent the whole walk to the warehouse and introductory ramble through the house being lugged about like a sack of potatoes – or even worse yet, some salary man's briefcase.

Now that they had entered this – well – “wonderland” the illusionist was really wish she had fought her partner more until he had finally relented and let her down. As with it now having gone on for so long, in the girl's mind it had become a contest – a battle of endurance between the two to decide if either embarrassment or fatigue would be crowned lord and master of the day.

Riley was quite determined that it wouldn't be her loss and in that case she would just have en-

The stage magician's head popped up as a slightly familiar silhouette had somehow apparated into the sky and was now going into what looked to be turning into a lovely fall. All thoughts of her imaginary contest blown from every corner of her mind Riley burst into motion in a determination to not miss a single second more of Miller's descent.

Writhing and sliding out of Percy's arms, instead of falling to the ground to watch on her own, Riley simple let out a simple exclamation of, “Steady Watson!” before proceeding to climb up – and even at some points through – the Welsh summoner's body like some acrobatically trained and fiendishly empowered salamander.

Ending her climb with her feet placed in seemingly precarious and somewhat swaying balance on Percy's shoulders, Riley stood tensely as she watched Miller's grand entrance. When the poor man made contact with the snow the girl jumped with a gleeful cheer and somehow managed to land back on Percy's shoulders – without much of a thought whether or not the boy cared to have a young girl land full force onto his body.

“Hey, hey! Behind yah Coco, turn-turn!” Riley shouted in a stream of quick and almost unintelligible syllables as she waved her left hand in the air in a short, but wild burst at the other girl. “See if he tried to telemark as he landed – we can probably save him some style points if he at least tried at that!”
Luca
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by Luca »

As the formerly dignified and supportive Mr. Jonathan Miller lay face down in the snow as his senses returned to him, he couldn't help but wonder what'd lead up to these events. He looked up and groped for his glasses, finding them a couple of feet away from where he landed. When the other students got a look at his face, he looked tired and weary, and had forgotten to shave, having grown something of a beard in melancholy. He could be heard grunting in pain, and remained face down on the ground, not wishing to find what the creepily nonchalant girl in front of him was going to do if he'd stirred.

He'd pitied himself over a few things: He'd seen Ruarc's tone shift, he'd become sullen and morose, and he noticed that his white dove wasn't present. He felt as though he'd been ignoring something and because of it, something terrible had happened to the kids that weren't in his class: The ones who were some sort of magician's circle that was all too real. Just a moment ago, he'd been walking and talking with Duncan trying to get an angle on things as he felt the weight of some existential guilt upon his shoulders. What if he could've been there? He chided himself.

Finally, he lamented that he couldn't write Duncan up on 'Pushed me through a door to nowhere' and get him expelled. His gut suspicions were right all along: Duncan Leetenbaum was a douche.
Kalshion
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by Kalshion »

Another... thought Sakura angrily as she pushed off the tree and glared at the man. Is this his work? she scowled and tightened the grip on her staff. It was bad enough for there to be a female adult, but now that a male adult was she was feeling evem more uncomfortable.
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Kai
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by Kai »

Adrienne stifled a short chuckle as she watched the older Miller bumble into the world within a world. "Monsieur Miller, you really should be more careful" she warned him, just a bit too late. It seemed she was ignoring the odd distrust coming toward her, rather keeping on to her own task.

************

Miyuki's mood suddenly elevated as they entered the winter wonderland- She didn't know why, or how, but she suddenly felt much more comfortable, and at ease, even if there was a slight edge of unnaturalness to the near-perfect imitation of nature. There was something about the snow, and the cold, that felt better to her than the relative heat of Japan, and especially the stuffiness within the warehouse they had walked through before coming into Duncan's awkward little abode. Speaking of which- Where was that Duncan person? He hadn't come with them, and that was somewhat unsettling.
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Kokuten
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by Kokuten »

The cold chill wasn't all that welcome on Percival's face. Immediately as the snowy atmosphere hit them, he began to recall vivid memories of the past. Those times of traveling through the northern parts of Europe. His father would lead the trail by about ten paces, as Percival struggled through the deep snow. This place was nothing compared to harsh climate of northern Greenland. Nor did it harbor secrets of the disappearance of the Norse people, thankfully. Percival had seen enough undead in his time of walking.
It was a draugr, standing tall at almost six feet. The skin, what was left of it, had a deathly pallor to it, with an odd shade of blue. He wore rusted armor, and wielded a rusty sword, which he kept planted in the floor, guarding an ancient tomb. Alistar, Percival's father, seemed to have no fear of the ancient warrior. Percival couldn't make himself step beyond the stone he had taken cover beside, the undead were frightening, especially this one.

The draugr turned his skin-laid, eyeless skull to Alistar as he approached.

"ϢϴЅЋϬϤ ϰϙϢϹЗњ ѩЭвЖӔף." The draugr hummed his words of an unopening, half-toothless mouth. Percival could sense it, the draug was warning them not to approach. Yet, Alistar rose his hands and spoke.

"ҾҹѮ, ϠϚϞϘϛϗ бϐϭ ѫЭЍЁ."

Those words Percival had never heard his father practice before, yet he spoke them fluidly. Seconds went by, and the longer the draug stayed silent, the more tense the young boy got.

"ϜϞϠ." spoke the Draugr, stepping aside. Alistar turned to look at Percival, smiling.

"Percy, this here is Svagnir. He's a friend."

A friend. Right.
The rubber of a shoe to his back caused Percival to fall out of his day-dreaming. Riley was climbing his back, and standing up onto his shoulders. A quick surveyance of the situation would reveal that Miller had suddenly arrived. A short lapse in attention, and all of a sudden things were radically different from peace. Then again, Percival rarely got peace. So, the only way he could compensate was to grab Riley's ankles to provide some stability here.
CadetNewb
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Re: [Episode 3, Part 2] Marshmallows and Campfires

Post by CadetNewb »

"Huh?" Coco stared at Riley for a moment in bewilderment. Taking the other little girl's advice, she turned about and set her eyes on Mr. Miller, taking in the odd, odd scene in one bit at a time through her eyes. "Eeeee! We got another teacher!~" she suddenly squealed in excitement. "This is the one that I ran headfirst into just before I met Miss DuMonde!" the little girl went on, pointing and jabbing one of her fingers energetically. "He just fell like a bunch of bricks, but DuMonde was there to save the day and properly set up a field while I made a grand and scary appearance, just the way like big sis would have!" the little American girl went on, eyes sparkling in reverence at the mention of her older sibling. It was then that she stopped for a moment and twisted her gaze upward, as though listening to an imaginary voice.

"Oh? What's that? We should get started on something already?" She turned to Adrienne and Miller both. "Oh, oh! Maybe we should open up with showing how real fights are? So how about it? I was going extra easy on everybody earlier too! Hehe!~" Coco giggled. "What do you all say?"
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