♤ In a Winter Wonderland

[deal_me_in]

WHO: Cayde-6 and yoooou
WHERE: The Deep End and around Temba in general
WHAT: Snowmen invasion and bar hangout times
WHEN: Mid to late January
WARNINGS: N/A
NOTES: Will match pose pref!


Ramen Bar
There's a crude wooden sign that's been stuck in the snow just outside of the Tower Residences out in the orange district. It has a picture of a bowl of ramen, for those in the know. An extra sign's been hung up outside of the doorway- within the hallway of one of the middling floors should one be curious enough to seek it out. Of course, it might be a surprise for those who frequent The Deep End to realize that it's the bar that's advertising ramen.

It's not a crafty ploy to draw in people! There's a paper sign folded there on the bar counter that proclaims a special for spicy ramen(!) (instant), and (frozen) pizza. Cayde's not far, either heating up some water or throwing darts at the crooked dart board on the wall or tapping at the fish in his little aquarium.


Attack of the Snowmen
Maybe you've seen them around. Maybe some of them even look familiar. Maybe one even looks like you!

They're not the most well-crafted snowmen, appearing like someone had been caught between a hasty job and a desire to add enough detail that would make them identifiable. Most of them seem to be built specifically within an area that a said person may frequent, either in passing or live nearby.

The culprit in question isn't really trying to be that covert about his operation. One might catch him in the act of packing snowballs or adding a few finishing touches in the form of leaves, twigs or pebbles to make your very own snow-you!


Wildcard
((OOC: Anything else you wanna do with the Hunter? Toss it right in here!))

Comments

Cup Noodles! (Ramen okay)

[ziedrich_bearer]

If there was one power that Gladio actually had that was all his own, it was a surprising and almost scary ability to find instant ramen. So here he was, finally discovering The Deep End. He smiled as he entered. The place must be a favorite of Noct's with the fish themeing. But Gladio? He loved the look of it, the clear signs of alcohol, and...

"Fuck yeah, spicy," Gladio said as he moved to the counter and looked at the figure heating up water. "Can I get a bowl? And whatever's good to drink?"

[deal_me_in]

"Sure thing! Coming right up," the hooded bartender chirped. His tone had a strange sort of echo to it, but the metal face and the glowing eyes with the light spilling out of his mouth when he spoke might be a surprise to anyone not expecting it.

Regardless, Cayde ducked down behind the counter, coming up with a large bowl. He set it to the side, checking the pot that sat on the portable burner before wandering off towards the backroom before returning with a small, rectangular package in his hand. "So, you're new," he said as he tore the thing open, dropping the block of dried noodles into the bubbling water.

Snowman!

[orangewayfinder]

Terra was going out to do his rounds It gave him exercise and even if he hadn't seen one yet, he was always on the lookout for a Heartless. So it didn't occur to him to look at much of anything in the snow.

He found that he liked hearing the crunch of the white stuff beneath his boots even if it was a little cold. But out of the corner of his eye he saw movement, and some twigs seemed to fall down. Going over to pick them back up after a moment, he saw that this snow..thing looked a little like him and even had his keyblade made from a stick tied with sticks on the end.

So he squatted down and took a good look before hearing a noise. "Who's there?"

Re: Snowman!

[deal_me_in]

Everything went very still as though collectively holding it breath.

"-uhhh, no one but us snowmen?" came the hesitant response.

[orangewayfinder]

"Snowmen?" Terra asked, pulling back a little bit. The voice didn't sound as if it was coming from the snowman itself so he pulled back. Sure talking things existed in his world, so this wouldn't really be anything unusual.

Except he couldn't locate the voice.

"Where are you?"

[deal_me_in]

"Pff, what of question is that?! I'm right in front of you!" insisted the snowman.

The voice might not exactly, sound like it was coming from the snowman, but it was still relatively close that it was a possibility. Mostly because the Hunter insisting on this silliness was sitting hunched behind the snowman itself.

Calvin and Hobbes lvl. 1

[on_repeat]

This was mostly unexpected. It was only the other day Echo saw nothing different about the outpost, but now there were two figures outside of it, one of which was in the middle of finishing the snowman he created. Silent bafflement allowed the plates of his armor room to creak at the slightest movement, his helmet tipping slightly forward as he looked from the pile of sculpted snow to Cayde.

"What's this?"

A standard question that hinted at mild curiosity while trying to place the artistically-rendered nuances he seemed to be missing.

but who's who

[deal_me_in]

"What, you never saw a snow-Echo before?"

Cayde didn't bother looking up from his work, meticulously setting the twigs he'd found for eyebrows to be at just the right judging angle...even if it was on a snow-fashioned helmet.

Cayde is Calvin, Echo is Hobbes?

[on_repeat]

No one needed to know his brow was mimicking the angle of the snow-Echo's twiggy eyebrows. Or the fact he was squinting at the Cayde's nonchalant admission.

"It looks nothing like me," came an obvious reply with dryness in reserve. "How much time did you spend on this?"

XD

[deal_me_in]

At that, Cayde turned with a scowl. "Wow, is that judgement I hear in your tone? Since when did you become an art critic? Let's see you make a snowman!" he huffed, setting his arms akimbo.

He glanced down as one of the twig eyebrows fell from its place. "...now look what you did."

[on_repeat]

"That I leave open to interpretation," Echo huffed a sigh, not even bothering to conceal the smirk as he said this. Hands on his hips, he took a second glimpse at the snowman, watching as the eyebrow fell off on an anti-climatic note.

And he snorted a soft laugh. "Don't be so dramatic, it's an easy fix." The clone then crouched down, resting an armored knee in the snow as he began gathering a small pile of it together.

[deal_me_in]

The Hunter rolled his eyes, only grinning once Echo turned his attention to the snow at their feet. He stooped down to pick up the wayward brow along with a handful of snow. Straightening back up, Cayde set the twig brow back in place, pushing into the snow helmet so it would stay. And then he glanced down at Echo.

...and tossed the handful of snow at the space between his helmet and collar, or as best as he could aim for it.

[on_repeat]

It wasn't too hard making a snowman, right? First there was a foundation, and then a head was added on top of it. Or what should be a head. Echo was sure he was packing everything together, but it was coming out lopsided.

Maybe it was the snow.

"Is there a correct way to do this? Because it seems to be sticking more to my gloves-- " PAF! Snow struck the side of his helmet like powder as some slid down its side, entering after the snow that successfully hit his neck. He yelped, letting his other knee drop to keep himself upright as he shot a look at the Exo. "Really!"

[deal_me_in]

The Exo had already broken down into snickers, staggering back in a narrow dodge that otherwise could have resulted in a snowclone casualty. "I'm not sure what's funnier," he laughed, wiping at an imaginary tear. "You trying to get all technical about making a snowman or that noise you made just now!"

[orangewayfinder]

"Really?" Terra asked, pulling back. He wasn't sure that snowmen could talk in this world. Of course that could be a possibility. The keyblade wielder knelt back down in front of the snowman and poked its little berry like nose.

This was interesting and he was almost amused.

[deal_me_in]

Cayde stifled a snicker, ducking his face against his shoulder. The snowman wasn't too wide, so it was possible the extra movement could be caught just beyond its peripheral.

"Hey- what're you doing there??"

[ziedrich_bearer]

Yeah, metal face, glowing eyes, light from the mouth, it's all very weird. It's beyond very weird.

This place has been full of weirdness lately. A lot of it actually.

"People keep saying that. Keeps being true," Gladio agreed, his attention on the noodles and not on staring at the guy. Better to keep a more subtle eye on him.

[orangewayfinder]

At the moment Terra had stood but was looking elsewhere. This was weird and he took a step in the other direction to locate the source of the voice before he heard the question.

Turning back around, he looked at the snowman again. "I don't understand, this.." And he approached the snowman and happened to look over it this time.

Ok...

"Cayde? Is that you?"

[on_repeat]

Echo made a noise of displeasure, flinging a handful of loosely-packed snow shortly after Cayde made his delighted observation. "It's cold," he said through clenched teeth hidden behind the t-shaped visor. "Insulation doesn't stop me from feeling it get in where it shouldn't be!"

[deal_me_in]

The Exo took out a long pair of chopsticks to poke at the noodle block until it started to break up as it softened in the roiling water. "Can't fool anyone who hasn't been here a while, 'specially not when there's only so many people around," Cayde laughed.

He set the chopsticks aside and then went to pour Gladio a drink, sliding the glass over towards the man before he returned to the pot and after a few more pokes at the noodles, tore open a thin packet that had been with the initial noodle packaging, dumping its contents into the water as he turned down the heat.

[deal_me_in]

"Wha- no! -oh, hey Terra," the Exo amended as he glanced up. He gave a little wave with his fingers, like he wasn't just trying to convince the man that snowmen could talk here.

[deal_me_in]

Cayde threw his hands up in a weak attempt to shield himself from the snow although most of it scattered in the air.

"Was wondering about that! Guess now I know. You want a sweater? I'm sure one of those Agrii ones would fit over your armor." An image that clearly promised nothing positive by way of looks for the fresh bout of laughter it prompted.

[on_repeat]

It was very hard to keep a straight face when it went from making snowmen to an impromptu snowball fight.

Echo shook his head. "They're big enough, sure. But they have extra arms." As he said this, he fashioned another snowball, letting it fly at the Exo on the last word.

[deal_me_in]

"Just tie the extra arms up or cut 'em off!" Cayde suggested, turning his head as the side of his hood was instantly powdered with snow upon the snowball's contact. He dropped down then, gathering up a bunch of snow for a hasty snowball that was more of an armload of snow than a fully packed one when he flung it at the ARC Trooper.

[on_repeat]

"Cutting them off may be the better option," the ARC Trooper mused, jerking his arm upward to shield himself from the snowy arc dusting the air. Staggering off to the side kicked up even more snow, but that didn't keep him from scooping another handful to fling at Cayde.