View source for 2022-11-27 - Snowball Carnival

{|class="toccolours" cellspacing="2"
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! style="background:#CC6699; border: 2px #CC0033 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Title: Snowball Carnival'''
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|'''Summary''':<br>
''It's a lovely snowy day.  Such a shame someone chose violence.''
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| '''Who:'''<br>
[[Natsuki Kuga]], [[Mai Tokiha]], [[Mikoto Minagi]]
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| '''Where:'''<br>
Ohtori Gardens
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| '''OOC - IC Date:'''<br>
2022-11-27 - January 29th, 2016
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|}
[[Category:Logs]]



 <Pose Tracker> Natsuki Kuga [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Natsuki has had a hard week. Bad enough she had to waste her precious time on homework, but it got doubled for daring to speak her mind to Ishigami sensei. 

So, after that Natsuki needed some stress relief and seeing the snow on the ground a childhood memory emerged and she was granted an idea. She sent a text out asking if anyone was free and could meet them in the garden. 

She wore her new light blue jacket that had a white trim around the hood, along with her matching dark blue mittens and hat. 

While she waited she had Duran create extra snow to fill the battleground. Before long she had a pile of ready to throw snowballs. 

Now all she needed was targets.


 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Despite herself, Mai is actually enjoying the day.

There might be a few reasons for this. Maybe her inner cook is satisfied with what she managed to make the other day. Maybe it's a good night's sleep. Maybe it was a nice chat with Chie and Aoi between classes about new releases of albums. Maybe it's the lack of a work shift today. <span style="color:#444444">Or maybe it's that Takumi is too focused on studying today to try to have a chat.</span>

Regardless, the day is nice. However - there's a text as she's starting to depart campus grounds for grocery shopping, and her meager plans are moderately derailed.

"...am I free? ...I guess. I swear, if Kuga's trying to get us haunted again..."

The gardens are close - and surprisingly snow-covered, given the weather of late. Mai pulls up the edge of her bright red scarf as she surveys the wonderland of white, wondering whither came this scene of fluff. It seems empty, and she tries to find where the path had gone.

Her coat is a mustard shade of yellow that stands out against the snow, her scarf is a brighter red than even her hair, and she absolutely is a target.


 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Mikoto doesn't have childhood memories of snowball fights, but the people here have taught her how they work, anyway. It means that when she spies Mai wandering into the DANGER ZONE, she doesn't grasp the sword, on her back. (Not this time, Natsuki.) Instead, she ducks behind a hedge, and pats a ball flat in her own golden mittens. Her coat, of course, is also a fetching burnished gold, darker than mustard. She has the unique talent of appearing too small inside it, even though it's her size.

Mikoto, of course, also received that message. But Mikoto can see the horrors which shall pass, and so her footfalls are lighter, as she approaches from the side --

-- and lobs a snowball at Natsuki!! Interception!!!!


 <Pose Tracker> Natsuki Kuga [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Natsuki grins as she spies Mai, who might as well be wearing a sign that said "Come and attack me!" 

"Hey, Mai," Natsuki greeted as she picks up a snowball. "Thanks for com-"

Mikoto attacks first. Natsuki nearly drops her snowball and barely dodges the one Mikoto throws at her. 

"Clever girl," Natsuki mutters. "Take this!" she cries and throws a ball at Mai.


 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

 <SoundTracker> Carol of the Bells - Samuel Kim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHe_i98krmo

Mai was not expecting a battle. Not entirely.

In fairness, this is a bizarre weather circumstance verging on the supernatural - she could be expecting some horrible ice-maze with a marine monster within, or an Akuma, or some other kind of monster that shifted the weather - but it's winter, it's snow, and the text she got didn't warn of monstrous calamity going on. So - she trusted Kuga, and assumed it might be safe.

"Hey, Kuga. What's-"

Abruptly, there's movement from a hedge - and Mai's heart lurches at seeing Mikoto on the move, on the attack-

But there's no sword? Just a...snowball?

"Mikoto?! What's going-" And she looks up at Natsuki again in time to see the glistening, well-shaped snowball hurtling her way with the accuracy a gun-wielding HiME can muster.

On instinct, Mai crosses her arms - but she has no flaming rings, not that they'd even help. The snowball glances off of her interception, bursts, and splatters her face with wet snow. All Mai can do is stagger back, and fall on her rear.

She trusted Kuga.


 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"MAI!" Mikoto calls, in warning, as Natsuki's ball flies for her. It's all for nothing, though -- Mai crashes onto her backside, and Mikoto is left --

Well, maybe /some/ people would stare in horror at this horrific betrayal.

Mikoto, on the other hand, scoops up another snowball.

(It's okay. This whole process has been carefully explained and re-explained to her.)

"Natsuki!!" Mikoto calls out, hot-blooded. Her snowballs are as blatant as she is, and she flings hers at alarming speed. Luckily, Duran's snow was surely designed for just this purpose, so even her fastball shouldn't hurt /too/ much.

Her fatal flaw, perhaps, is that she turns back to -- "Mai! It's snowball fight! Get up, get up!"


 <Pose Tracker> Natsuki Kuga [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Natsuki pumps a fist in the air. Feels good to hit the target! (Mai seemed shocked. She did realize it's a snowball fight right? Questions for later)

Mikoto ball flies again, but Natsuki isn't as fast and manages to get her hat knocked off. 

Her eyes narrow, but she has a smirk on her lips. 

"Good hit, let's see you dodge these!" 

With a snowball in each hand she throws and dives for cover.


 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Mai did not realize this was a snowball fight at first. That's what made it an ambush.

Her scarf saved her getting snow in her mouth, at least, but now it's wet too. She wipes snow from her eyes, gradually pulling herself to her feet. She's in disbelief, at first, but she's soon warming up from the shock of betrayal to find her rage.

"...I'm up, Mikoto - watch out!" She's got eyes on the snowball aimed at her ONLY FRIEND RIGHT NOW more than she does the one aimed at her - but she at least remembers enough to shield her face this time, letting out the softest of grunts as the snowball splatters against her jacket.

She splurged enough to get a properly waterproof jacket, at least, though it's weatherbeaten and torn in more than a few places. This might put it to the test.

"This was an unjust ambush, Kuga, and you will pay for that." She's too exposed here - Mai glances around, opting to use a particularly elaborate bit of fencing as cover. Yes there's gaps in it, but not big ones. A moment to gather a snowball of her own, and the next time Kuga shows her smug face, there will be chilly ammunition flying her way!

Not very accurately, though. Mai...has not exactly practised snow combat that much in the past few years.


 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"Mai!" Mikoto chirps, happily, as Mai finds her way to her feet. "Mai, Mai! Yeah!!" She believes in Mai /so much,/ in fact, that she fails to notice --

"Huh?" Mikoto grunts, as she turns, too late,

and SPLAT.

A snowball pomphs right into her face, and she sniffs and she can SMELL COLD, face all a-scrunch, eyes going blink-blink-blink-blink-blink. She staggers back, a step, but give her credit -- she doesn't lose her footing. "Waaah!" Mikoto whines, scrabbling at her face.

She hops up, and then up AGAIN, onto the rooftop of a garden pagoda. "Natsukiiii!!" Mikoto yowls, and her overwrought retribution is less eloquent than Mai's, but her /snowball/ --

Well, Mikoto has the high ground, and she has a /very/ strong snowball arm, actually.

It's okay, Mai. Mikoto is strong enough in all types of combat to cover for you!


 <Pose Tracker> Natsuki Kuga [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Natsuki sees Mikoto and makes a run to take cover as she flips over an old table. 

"You're not getting me that easy, Mikoto!" 

She throws a snowball and ducks as Mai tries to hit her. 

"You need to do better than that, Tokiha!" she taunts.


 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Mikoto believes in Mai! That makes one of them. Mai curses as her snowball goes wide - and as Natsuki makes herself a new bit of cover.

"What did Mikoto do to you anyway, Kuga?! Was writing a report on one art piece so bad you had to take it out on the world?" Natsuki's snowball splatters into the fence, and parts go through - but at least the partial cover helps a bit, and lets Mai duck the spray.

She looks up at Mikoto - who has a vantage point, at least some supply of snow for ammunition, and a lot better accuracy than her. She's really something to behold-

-but more to the point, Natsuki Kuga has to pay. Mai tries to practice making snowballs and popping up to hurl them, but her aim really needs work - and the few that are shaped well enough to be on target just splatter against the table. She opts instead to call up to Mikoto - "You can do it, Mikoto! Get her in the face and I'll make deluxe ramen tonight!"

And with bribery sorted, Mai starts moving along the fence, looking for a better angle on her nemesis.


 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"Stop running!!" Mikoto yells back, to Natsuki, in just the way she couldn't when they met.

It's better, now that she can actually talk to her in the middle of a pitched battle, surely.

(Snowball battle. With snowballs.)

Mikoto ducks down closer to the roof of the pagoda, and builds another set of snowballs. Pat, pat, pat! Pat, pat, pat! It's like cracking an egg in reverse..!!

Her head peeks out, when Mai calls out. "Ramen..?" She asks, and her eyes shine. "Yeah! Yeah!!!" And -- then she has to flatten down, to avoid a snowball flying overhead, but at least she dodges this one.

Promptly, Mikoto takes a couple of snowballs...

... and leaps from the roof of her pagoda, to charge Natsuki's cover head-on! "Natsukiiii!!" Mikoto cries, as she lobs first one, then the other --

It's an all-out attack!!


 <Pose Tracker> Natsuki Kuga [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Natsuki snaps at Mai's accusations. "I had to do /two/ projects, all because one arrogant art teacher was in a bad mood." She throws another volley of snowballs in Mai's general direction, making them quickly and slushily.

"Make me!" She retorts to Mikoto - and as the all-out attack begins, Natsuki breaks into a run, abandoning that table for the greater safety of a nearby wall of...snow?

It doesn't seem like much cover, but she has a second between incoming snowballs, so she calls out with a smirk. "Duran! Load snow cartridge!"

Two on one wasn't fair, after all.

From an innocuous mound of snow, the metal wolf arises. Neither claws nor teeth are bared, but it has a pile of snowballs well-prepared on each gun barrel - and with a howl, it starts rapid-firing them at Mikoto.


 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

"Two?! What did you do, mouth off to his fa-" Mai's retort is cut off by the barrage, one big snowball catching her in the chest with a big splat and slush getting under her scarf and on her neck and AUGH.

She ducks down behind the cover of the fence again, trying not to cheer too loudly as Mikoto goes all-out to finally take Natsuki down. She's flushed out of cover, heading for another fort, but they're gradually cornering her-

And then Natsuki Kuga reveals her backup.

This was never fair to begin with.

From here, Mai can't do anything to protect Mikoto from the barrage - her very cover is in the way. But she can run around the corner while Kuga is flush with victory, arms pumping furiously as she puts on the speed as best she can, to approach from the other side.

Mai's aim with a snowball is not good enough to guarantee revenge. If she tried, Natsuki would probably just snipe it out of the air herself. But she's always been a better projectile than anything she throws, anyway-

-and so with a yell of vengeance, Mai leaps at Natsuki in a flying tackle, aimed to drag both of them down into that wet-looking snowbank. If Mai's going down, then she's taking her nemesis with her!


 <Pose Tracker> Mikoto Minagi [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"OKAY!" Mikoto insists, loudly, to Natsuki's taunt of a retort. She's very good at forcing conflict, actually. She is empowered by Mai's cheering, even if it isn't /too/ loud, and she's gonna live forever.

But then, /betrayal/ --

Mikoto pulls up, eyes widening, as she faces down the chrome gaze of, "Duran!"

She scrambles back, to leap away -- but the Child is faster still even than a body which remembers, and the snowballs catch her. She falls, and disappears, into a mound of snow which grows larger with the dakka-dakka-dak of rapid snowball launching.

For long moments, there is silence.

And then, a piteous approximation from the pile: "Mai... she beat me again..." There, under the snow, Mikoto's eyes are dazed spirals, as she lifts her hand for a snowball and it collapses into the white.

It's all up to Mai, now.

SNOWBALL COMBAT: Mikoto Minagi is unable to keep fighting!


 <Pose Tracker> Natsuki Kuga [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

The snowballs fly and Natsuki cackles as she takes Mikoto down. 

"You're good Mikoto, but I just have better-" 

She is promptly cut off as Mai tackles her. 

She in is shock and struggles too late before they have both tossed into the snowbank. 

For a moment all Natsuki could see, touch and even taste was white. 

After a brief daze, she finally manages to break out of the snow and gasps for air. 

"ARE YOU TRYING TO SUFFOCATE ME?!" she snaps as she makes certain Mai is able to dig herself out too.


 <Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (12)] has posed.

Everything is white, white now...

And cold. And wet. Mai lost her scarf somewhere in her run or tackle - not that it matters much given how much snow is already getting down her collar. And yet, for all that the slush of winter chills flesh and bone, her heart is warm.

With the fires of revenge.

She emerges from that wintry tomb a moment after Natsuki does, taking a welcome breath of air. Her good mood has been shattered into a bitter Pyrrhic triumph, and she looks around a moment.

At Natsuki next to her, finally looking bedraggled.

At Duran, finally out of ammunition, sitting proudly on his haunches.

At Mikoto, defeated, in a pile of snowballs, murmuring apologies of defeat.

And finally, Mai turns back to Natsuki, answering calmly with a smirk and a single word.

"Yes."

And then with ruthless cheer, she lunges to drag the instigator back into the snowbank.