Asimona paced. She paced and paced and her Sister watched from the side, sitting neatly and patiently while the silver dragon walked off her anxiety. "Are you scared?" Asimona shook her head. No, she was not scared, just nervous. She had never done something like this before. It was exciting, too. She would get to meet all kinds of creatures, right? They would have fun! But there was a lot of responsibility...and a lot to do.

She had been thinking about this ever since her breakdown. Do something fun, with others. Sister had helped her come up with the idea of a snowball fight. She always enjoyed snow and cold things and sometimes, it seemed, others needed to see exactly how wonderful it could be. Besides, who didn't like games?

But there would be so much to do! She'd have to almost construct a whole new environment from scratch. She'd have to make it colder, much colder, and she'd need a lot of water for the snow. And maybe find a way to make it snow once they had collected a good amount. And, of course, finding others that would want to play as well. It would be difficult, and a lot of work, but what else did she have to do? Sit around and wait for the other two to try and mess up her head again?

She took a deep breath and shook her head. She had to start. Now. This area would be good - it was relatively flat and not too far from the crystal river, although there was still some work to do on the terrain - she would need more than the water in the air, certainly! She would start with making it cold, very cold. Cold enough to sustain a whole environment of snow and gembounds. She started focusing and releasing her magic into the air. She felt a chill settle over the nearby area, but it wasn't enough. She released and looked over at Sister, who was looking at her with amusement. "I think we're going to be here a while."

"Shut up," Asimona growled.

"Can you hear their voice?"
"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

tags:
notes:

Welcome to the IC Signups and Setup for the Christmas in July Snowball Fight! Head over to this thread for more information.

There was a chrysalis in the tomb. There was a chrysalis in the tomb. Caves, what have I done? What do I do?

Kin-Kin was troubled; she didn't know what to think. In fact, she was trying not to. But something must have leaked into her movements as she padded on, because she was moving faster than her usual slow strut, trotting along the bank of the crystal river. Soon, the golden wolf noticed a chill begin to settle in on the air. It drew her out of her thoughts long enough to notice her breaths turning to steam around her muzzle. An involuntary shiver rippled beneath her cloak.

It didn't take a genius, or a magickal champion for that matter, to work out that magic was the cause.

Kin-Kin looked around, scanning the river, the far bank, before finally looking up beyond the gentle slope beyond her. Shesaw a silvery shape distantly, which, in its glistening loveliness, could easily have been mistaken for a crystalline statue, or, in one of the colder caves, an ice formation. But Kin-Kin could see it moving; and a voice reached her pricked ears. Kin-Kin's curiosity piqued, and eager to distract her attention from self-pity, she padded towards it. The shape grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger; soon, Kin-Kin was craning her neck as elegantly as she could to peer up at the dragon. As she approached, the air grew colder. This, she knew, was the source of the cold.

"Yo, kid! 'Sup?" she called, settling back on her haunches with a clink of her bejewelled sword. "Tryin' to freeze out the cave rats or somethin'?"

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Asimona

Asimona flinched at the new voice that had appeared and whipped around, initially seeing nothing. But after looking down she spotted the glowing golden wolf sitting just in front of her. She had to blink for a moment, wondering if she was seeing things as this was a creature she had never seen before. With fabric over its shoulders and a bright gem on its leg as well as a gem on its chest. Which was its actual gem?

But, that didn't matter, this was a friend! Well, a potential friend of course. She thought it was a little funny, though, that she called her "kid" when she was, in fact, much bigger then the wolf. She smiled happily as her tail whipped slowly across the ground behind her, almost with a dog-like happiness. "Ah, no, not really. But I am trying to make it cold! I'm going to host a snowball fight here! So I need to turn this area into a place where snow won't melt. Although I'll probably need a ton of water to get enough snow." As she spoke, the temperature continued to drop, little by little. She probably needed to cast the spell once more before it would be cold enough to sustain snow and ice.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Asimona! Who are you and would you be interested in playing? Or maybe helping setup?" The thought had come to her immediately - she had a lot to do and any kind of help would be welcome. "If you have any magic that makes snow or water appear, or anything that could help get water over here would be really helpful!"

She saw Sister nod approvingly in the corner of her eye and felt a swell of joy. She was doing better now, just as she said she would.

"Can you hear their voice?"
"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

tags: @Kin-Kin
notes:

Finding a new den was harder than Felina thought. She knew she'd miss Canis, but there wasn't anything there for the female bobcat runt anymore. Sure, the pile of bones were fun to run around in/on/through, but now she was fourteen cycles old. She still could have some fun, if she wanted to, but a permanent home was her primary concern now.

{Maybe...Polaris?}, she wondered mentally. Well, should could at least check it out. She knew she was going in the right direction when she felt powerful Majick in the in the air.

When she arrived, she saw two Greater Gembounds that were so very different from each other: A humungous reptile with wings (Asimona) and a smaller lupine (Kin-Kin). She stopped at five feet from both of them, feeling the increasing cold as she stood there. She looked at them both inquisitively, curious about what was going on.

@asimona, @kin-kin

((OOC: Felina thinks like this: { }. She talks like this: " ". Also, it's OK if Asimona and Kin-Kin catch her scent.))

Something was cold!

Jayberry, as much as she loved her family, couldn't stick in the Tunnel. It was too small, seeming to close in on her. And so, she'd slipped away from the nest, and trotted down the Tunnel like only a puppy could. Head high, eyes bright, tongue lolling out, tail wagging, each step a bounce.

The cold interested her. At the moment, it was rather weak, only barely noticeable. But curiosity drove her, and so she approached it. Maybe there would be something interesting she could bring back to her family!

She followed the cold, allowing the strength of it to lead her. When it became warmer, she would turn, moving around until it became cool again. Soon, it would have been impossible to miss the big, white reptile-thing. There was a Gembound nearby that, to her shock, looked like her!

"Hello!" she yipped, skidding to a stop. Her fur bristled, trying to trap any heat, and she tilted her head at Kin-Kin. "You look like me!" and then she looked up at Asimona. "What are you?" Then, addressed to the both of them. "Why's it so cold?"

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

Kin-Kin was surprised by the answer. A snowball fight? she'd never heard of anything like it. The only gem-organized event she'd been involved in was the Olympics, which, for her, was both the source of immense joy and heartbreak. This one, on the other hand, seemed to be a lot more relaxed. It was a bizarre thought, but this event suited Kin-Kin perfectly; the notoriously competitive, fun-loving creature that she was. "Snowball fight, huh? That's a new one!" she let out a bark of laughter. "Sounds like just my thing."

She swished her tail beneath the cloak, adjusting its position. "Sure, I'll help! I've got just the thing." She turned towards the water, only to see a pitch black wolf cub bounding over- a sight which raised her brows in a moment of nostalgia. "Hey, kid!" she grinned.

She paused, her nostrils twitching as the scent of another newcomer caught her attention. She turned, looking around, and caught sight of a feline, not far away from the wolf and dragon. She dipped her head in greeting before addressing the other two. "We're gonna be snowball fightin'. Wanna help bring some water over?" Then she looked back at Asimona. "The name's Kin-Kin, by the way. Demigod and Master of Light. Don't wear it out."

She raised a paw and stomped it against the ground, transferring her energy into the earth. There was a soft creak as the rock shifted, quartz crystals forming, weaving and reforming. They reformed into a small bowl, with a loop to grasp in the jaws. It was small enough for the pup to carry, a little basket made entirely of crystal. "Here. If ya wanna help, this'll be more productive than fillin' your cheeks." she said to the little puppy, before turning to the bobcat. "Give me a moment, and I can make you one too, if you want in."

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Asimona @Felina @Jayberry

Asimona was a little surprised at the two newcomers approaching. Was this a good enough idea for others to really approach her as well? Would this be something that worked? As she looked down at them, she really wanted to believe that this would be fun, that this would be the thing that worked. To bring together those that were good in a friendly, fun competition. And, of course, show them the beauty of snow!

She saw Sister's nod of approval before she blinked out of existence. That was fine, Asimona didn't need her right now.

Instead, she directed her attention to responding to the newly-introduced Kin-Kin and gave a small chuckle at the name. "Must be quite the achiever with a name like that! I'm Asimona, it's nice to meet you. And who might you two be?" She turned towards the wolf pup and the cat. "Like Kin-Kin said, we're going to have a snowball fight! It's a cool game that I thought up of where you throw snowballs at each other and whoever has the most hits win! It's supposed to be a fun game and a way to meet and bond with other gembounds. And it's so cold because snow and ice melt when its warm. Also, I'm a dragon," she added at the end of her speech.

One more small burst of magicka and the temperature dropped enough that it was basically a freezer in the area and any ice and snow that was made there would probably stay cold enough for the snowball fight to happen. She would just have to stay and monitor the temperature. "Yes, if would be a huge help if you guys could bring some water or clear some of the area. I want it to be nice and flat for the fight to happen. I might have some obstacles made to make it more fun, but that will come later. If any of you have any spells that can help clear the rocks or freeze things, that would be awesome! Otherwise, if you could do anything to get some more water over here from the river, that would also be a huge help. Every little bit counts!"

"Can you hear their voice?"
"Find the one who'll guide you."
To the limits of your choice.

tags: @Jayberry @Felina
notes:

Pride paced up, and for a few moments, listened quietly. He was having issues seeing, after his... encounter, with the goose Blackberry, and his backfired spell. His eyes were cast with a milky haze, and he found himself having to half-feel his way along, using hearing and scent as much as sight to find his way. Everything was a blur.

But he could hear well enough, and for a time he took in Asimona's words in silence, as well as those of her companions. The wolf's introduction, and the way she called others "kid," immediately irked him; it seemed braggardly, and his own pride found it arrogant. He shook the thought away, and waited. When there seemed to be a lull in the conversation, he stepped delicately out.

"I think," he offered, in his melodic voice, "that I can help. I can call on water, and freeze it, if you wish--but what is a... snowball fight?"

He peered quizzically at Asimona, at this, even as he picked his way cautiously closer. She was a white mist in his sight, vast and pale, but he could not make her out properly. Nor the wolf--a smaller blur, a browner one. There was an even smaller, black blur, and Pride gave this--Jayberry--a brief dip of his head in acknowledgement. And he could scent something else--but he wasn't sure what, or where; it was unfamiliar but did not strike him as particularly dangerous, and so for now, he ignored it.

The young deer closed his eyes, head held high, standing amongst the predators without really thinking about it. Those he had met thus far had been perfectly reasonable, after all. He concentrated on his stone, on his magicka, on the air all around him--trying to summon up a cloud of mist before himself.

After a moment he felt strange--withering, parched with thirst--and began to faintly tremble.

Wait... that's not right.

Jayberry smiled, and wagged her tail at Kin-kin excitedly, wondering what the larger beast was. They looked so similar, surely it couldn't be a mere coincidence? The other canine was quick to introduce herself, calling over to a feline not far away.

However, Jayberry had never heard of a snowball fight, and so she tilted her head. "Snowball fight? What's a snow ball?" she asked, looking between the canine and the giant-scaly-thing. "I'm Jayberry!" she offered.

The other canine created a... a thing out of the ground, and she gasped. "How did you do that?" she asked, taking it in her mouth. Once Asimona had finished speaking, she pranced off to the nearby river, high-stepping, intending to fill the bucket. She was gone by the time Pride showed up.


Carefully, she dipped her bucket into the water, watching in amazement as it filled up with water. However, when she went to lift it up, it turned out to be surprisingly heavy. She finally set it on the ground, turning her rump towards Asimona and the others, and began to drag it back.

But she eventually got it to them, and she let go of it in front of Asimona, wagging her tail happily. "I got it!" then she looked at Kin-kin, and beamed. "This is so cool! Can I keep it?"

"Speech looks like this."
Thoughts look like this.

Pride grunted. After a few moments he steadied himself, and looked around, blinking. ...He'd have to just try again. He eyed the wolf and its bucket, and then shook himself, clearing his mind. He wasn't sure the poured water would do much good; he wanted to try it with mist, instead, so it'd be fluffy.

Like snow.

...Whatever snow was.

Squinting, legs splayed, he lowered his head and focused again--concentrating on creating a thick mist, and drawing it close around him.

This time it worked, and in no time at all he was vanished in a cloak of swirling white.

"Stay back," he warned, to no one in particular; "I want to make sure this doesn't freeze anyone completely."

He'd focus for a moment, and then attempt to turn it into snow.

@Felina @Asimona @Kin-Kin @Jayberry