Echo of People-ing 101 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
individualized) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
deercountry2022-07-29 06:24 pm
individualized) wrote in deercountry2022-07-29 06:24 pm
Entry tags:
Ice Capades [OPEN]
Who: Echo and YOU
What: Finally practicing her ice magic to varying levels of failure and watching fireworks.
When: Throughout the last 3-ish weeks of July and all of August
Where: Pandora House, the Boardwalk, and otherwise out and about in Trench
Content Warnings: Will add if necessary!
I. (July)
[From a couple of instances in her first months here, Echo was aware she had some kind of ice magic due to her new blood. She hadn't really explored trying to regularly use it yet, though. But the oppressive heat of the month and the effect it was clearly having within her house have gotten her to start trying to master it.
Turns out, it's much more difficult than she expected. To minimize issues in her house (which is already being protective enough), she's taken to trying things outside in Trench. Somehow possibly irritating a bunch of strangers or acquaintances who already have high tempers does not seem like a much worse option to her.
In this instance, there's a very large sheet of ice covering the street. It's incredibly slick and positioned in such a way that it's not really possible to get around it via the ground or without having to go a long way around. Echo is standing nearby and staring at it in careful consideration.]
Odd. That was not my intent...
[She's so lost in thought that she's not exactly warning passersby of the possible issues here. Sorry about that?]
II. (July)
[In another incredibly inconvenient place in the middle of a very long block, there is a huge wall of ice spanning the street perpendicularly. It's a good story high and impressively thick. Echo is standing on one side of it with two short swords protruding from her large sleeves, attempting to hack away at it and not having much success. Next to her is a bear cub who is also clawing at it, making some claw marks but also not enough progress to matter much.
Echo pauses after working in vain for a while.]
This is worth remembering, Armelle. ...If I were aware of how I accomplished it.
III. [CLOSED to anyone who may be inside Pandora House] (July)
[The two previous instances quite likely happened on a smaller scale once or twice within the house. Alternatively, you may find some very large icicles precariously hanging from the ceiling. There are a lot of them, possibly in a line in a more narrow passage.
She's also somehow managed to make them in such a fashion that as soon as you step directly underneath them, the vibrations cause them to break off and plummet right down at you like some kind of ice dungeon in a video game. Hope you have good reflexes! Because while she is nearby, she's too distracted by writing in her diary to say anything to you. Honestly, she's not even aware of their ability to conveniently snap off just yet.]
IV. (August, or alternatively at Tanabata)
[There's a fireworks show, and Echo is there. People who may be frequenting the recent festivals may notice that she is turning up for literally every show. You may be curious about that fact.
She usually finds a very good spot close to the action, possibly unintentionally shoving past you to get there. Or maybe she encountered you on her way there and told you there were fireworks so you came with her.
The one thing that is always consistent is how enrapt she is in the display. It doesn't matter if it's the first show or the last one, every single firework completely intrigues her. It's also a good chance to see something that is otherwise a rarity for her: she has a small smile on her face as she watches. Sometimes she's definitely happy, and others there's something bittersweet or sad about it, but it's still a smile.]
V. Wildcard (July)
[Maybe Echo froze your tea in a block of ice. Or an important item managed to slide away and is really hard to reach thanks to her. Or she managed to cover you in frost. Up to you!]
What: Finally practicing her ice magic to varying levels of failure and watching fireworks.
When: Throughout the last 3-ish weeks of July and all of August
Where: Pandora House, the Boardwalk, and otherwise out and about in Trench
Content Warnings: Will add if necessary!
I. (July)
[From a couple of instances in her first months here, Echo was aware she had some kind of ice magic due to her new blood. She hadn't really explored trying to regularly use it yet, though. But the oppressive heat of the month and the effect it was clearly having within her house have gotten her to start trying to master it.
Turns out, it's much more difficult than she expected. To minimize issues in her house (which is already being protective enough), she's taken to trying things outside in Trench. Somehow possibly irritating a bunch of strangers or acquaintances who already have high tempers does not seem like a much worse option to her.
In this instance, there's a very large sheet of ice covering the street. It's incredibly slick and positioned in such a way that it's not really possible to get around it via the ground or without having to go a long way around. Echo is standing nearby and staring at it in careful consideration.]
Odd. That was not my intent...
[She's so lost in thought that she's not exactly warning passersby of the possible issues here. Sorry about that?]
II. (July)
[In another incredibly inconvenient place in the middle of a very long block, there is a huge wall of ice spanning the street perpendicularly. It's a good story high and impressively thick. Echo is standing on one side of it with two short swords protruding from her large sleeves, attempting to hack away at it and not having much success. Next to her is a bear cub who is also clawing at it, making some claw marks but also not enough progress to matter much.
Echo pauses after working in vain for a while.]
This is worth remembering, Armelle. ...If I were aware of how I accomplished it.
III. [CLOSED to anyone who may be inside Pandora House] (July)
[The two previous instances quite likely happened on a smaller scale once or twice within the house. Alternatively, you may find some very large icicles precariously hanging from the ceiling. There are a lot of them, possibly in a line in a more narrow passage.
She's also somehow managed to make them in such a fashion that as soon as you step directly underneath them, the vibrations cause them to break off and plummet right down at you like some kind of ice dungeon in a video game. Hope you have good reflexes! Because while she is nearby, she's too distracted by writing in her diary to say anything to you. Honestly, she's not even aware of their ability to conveniently snap off just yet.]
IV. (August, or alternatively at Tanabata)
[There's a fireworks show, and Echo is there. People who may be frequenting the recent festivals may notice that she is turning up for literally every show. You may be curious about that fact.
She usually finds a very good spot close to the action, possibly unintentionally shoving past you to get there. Or maybe she encountered you on her way there and told you there were fireworks so you came with her.
The one thing that is always consistent is how enrapt she is in the display. It doesn't matter if it's the first show or the last one, every single firework completely intrigues her. It's also a good chance to see something that is otherwise a rarity for her: she has a small smile on her face as she watches. Sometimes she's definitely happy, and others there's something bittersweet or sad about it, but it's still a smile.]
V. Wildcard (July)
[Maybe Echo froze your tea in a block of ice. Or an important item managed to slide away and is really hard to reach thanks to her. Or she managed to cover you in frost. Up to you!]
III
What wasn't wise was perhaps trying to poke it and see if the feeling was much like actual ice. Instead what happened was it fell to the ground, breaking upon impact and cause the young girl to fall back.]
I would say that was unexpected but... [It honestly should have been expected.]
no subject
A...Are you all right, Ada-sama? Why would it have...
[Even if she can't finish her thought aloud, it's pretty clear she didn't expect it either.]
no subject
[She was now looking at the broken ice before her.]
I assume it just broke after I touched it.
no subject
[Echo starts walking in Ada's direction, passing under another icicle that had been out of regular reach. However, it immediately snaps off. Luckily she catches this and leaps to the side just in time.
She's then left staring at the new bits of shattered ice, dumbstruck.]
no subject
Be careful, Echo. Seems like they are more flimsy than thought of... So we probably need to be careful.
no subject
Y-You're right, Ada-sama... I do apologize for the inconvenience. I am not sure how this happened. Also, dealing with them may prove difficult...
[She looks up at the ones dangling out of normal reach. While Echo is a great jumper, she's not quite sure what her inevitable hits against the wall would cause. Everything falling at once may not be good should someone happen along.]
no subject
[Ada didn't understand her own abilities herself and so understood if one didn't have exactly control of them. It was why Ada has started to wear gloves a little more often than not these days.
She soon looked around, maybe there was something they could use to knock them or something, or a ladder.]
Then it would be either we just leave them to fall naturally or we find something to do that.
no subject
[Like seriously, this is up there with the Nightray manor for people regularly around. But most of them aren't servants here.
Echo crosses her arms as she thinks, looking up at the formations. She's kind of in an awkward position under them, and she definitely doesn't want to trigger one that might land on Ada.]
Is there anything here with a long shaft? I would search, but someone should remain stationed here to deter others. Excuse me for asking this of you.
no subject
[After all they had a long handle so that might work at least if you put force into it or something. But with this thought in mind Ada was already going to attempt to look. Might take her a while though because where she thought it was it wasn't.]
OKay, I am back with a broom.
no subject
She gives Ada a formal bow.]
Thank you, Ada-sama. If you can pass that to me safely, I believe I can continue from there.
[For one this was Echo's fault, and it's still hard for her to not see the nobility/servant difference between them.]
no subject
[At least as far as she could tell there was nothing low enough that it could happen, but she slowly passed it over regardless for just in case.]
no subject
The next step would be to start carefully positioning herself to begin removing the threat. However, due to a lack of experience with it, Echo doesn't realize that it can be very difficult to get moving again once you've stopped on ice. She starts putting one foot forward, only for the other to slide backwards. That in turns sends her plummeting face-first into the floor, dislodging several icicles above and near her.]
no subject
Guess we both forgot about it.
no subject
You are not hurt, right?
[Echo then turns her gaze to the ceiling. There's still a few potentially dangerous spires ready to drop at the wrong moment.]
Perhaps this will not be so simple to correct...
no subject
[She was still laughing if that meant anything. But she slowly sits up, making sure as she did she wouldn't slip back down as she looked at the ceiling.]
Maybe we should give a warning...
I
With a bit of a wince, he looks around him, realizing that he's somehow found himself surrounded by ice despite it being the middle of summertime.]
Curious. [He murmurs to himself.] Very curious indeed...
no subject
Ah. My apologies. Are you all right?
[She hasn't moved yet apart from looking in his direction.]
no subject
[Maul gets back up slowly and with caution but he's not really hurt, more startled
than anything else. Occasionally, there's advantages to having an entire lower half made of metal.]
August: Fireworks
Oz's recent disappearance is hard for all of them, Break included. He's decidedly depressed about it. But he's under no illusions about the fact that he's far from the one most impacted by the loss of him, and he has lots of other things in want of his immediate attention to busy himself with. Since that's the case, he makes it a point to check in on the ones who were that close to Oz when he can, and that includes Echo.
Her solemn pronouncement that the fireworks would begin shortly -- delivered probably because he just happens to be a person she knows and she just happened to see him in passing on her way to a favored viewing spot -- gives him a good enough excuse to follow her. Break intends to see about chatting with her during the show, but it holds her attention in a way he hasn't really seen from anything else. So, he simply stands at her side to watch quietly, a hand resting companionably on the head of the ever-present omen seated at his side, the silence almost reverent amidst the festive noise of the Boardwalk.]
no subject
But she also knew of his more positive qualities. And he not only seemed to get along well with Vincent's beloved Gilbert, but also Oz and many of the people she was just getting to know during her time here. Her instinct to stay wary around him was having a hard time going away.
She was actually a bit surprised that Break chose to tag along this time. But there was no reason to complain or question it: it's fireworks. And any presence with her at these displays was nice now. She still couldn't quite describe how she felt about Oz's departure, but it certainly wasn't "content" which she would have preferred. Plus there was the guilt. Echo was starting to worry that people may connect her inexcusable failings months ago to him being called away from here, because she hadn't found another explanation for it.
All of this is why despite finding the display as captivating as always, the silence makes her a bit uncomfortable.]
...The...variety of explosions that are capable with simple changes in the usage of gunpowder and the metals being combusted is very impressive.
no subject
...is. Is Echo trying to make small talk...?
This notion is weirdly charming.]
...I enjoy that...you never really know what color will come next. Because of that, it's always a pleasant surprise to see one's favorite. Mm, but...I'm afraid I don't know much about what makes each one something different.
[It is an invitation to prattle at him about something she clearly likes, and probably knows a great deal about, given her note-taking habit. Break is curious as to whether she will see that, and take it.]
no subject
I— I believe it depends on the metallic or metal coloring agent contained in each pyrotechnic. The process is supposed to actually be quite detailed and precise in contrast to the haphazard and destructive nature of an explosion. It is much like an artwork despite its inability to last.
no subject
[Or so Break thinks, anyway. Truthfully he's not actually clear on the differences between alchemy and magic, or whether there even are any. Probably it depends on the structure of whatever world such things are coming from -- after all, the Remnant people like to insist magic isn't a thing at all where they're from, despite going around with shields made of the energy of their own life force and special gifts that let them do things like turn into rose petals wafting along on an invisible breeze.
But, give the way she reacts to movies and things, Break suspects Echo prefers her magic to be science.]
...if something lovely won't last, that's all the more reason to make it a point to enjoy it while it's there, isn't it?
no subject
[Echo certainly can't deny magic or other unexplainable phenomena; she wouldn't even exist were those not possible. But metaphors and analogies just seem muddling to her when it comes to understanding things.
She does take some time to consider his final comment, though.]
... Yes. That's why I think it is important to come here. It is "fun".