metalogs | OPEN | Of Unicorns and Snow Sculptures

Who: Mark Bryant

atypical_echo, Leonardo Hamato

faceguy, Open
What: A Monthly Mission and A Snowy Arts Event
When: Mid December
Where: Outside Sunset Falls, In A Central City Park
Content Warnings: If needed

I. Snow Shaping Spree | Open

Given it's Central City, the competition starts in the daylight hours. Mark can't blame the organizers who have cleared a whole area in one of the moderately sized parks. And hey, he's got the day off so he didn't mind being tapped to do photography for the event. Which of course he's doing now. Just wandering through the work areas where people are making snowmen, snow mermaids, and snow gargoyles among other snow sculptures, taking pictures so that people's creations can be recorded and shown off online.

Of course there's always down time, and while the judging is going down Mark makes his way away from the crowds to one of the unused plots. Considering the snow he thinks, before moving to start getting his hands into it. Time to start rolling. Soon he's got a few large balls of snow all put together into one and he's busy turning it into a long tube. Clearly he's got a plan here. Maybe someone should ask what it is. Or perhaps offer to help.

II. To Catch A Creature | Closed to Leonardo

When the mission orders came down, Mark spent a long time staring at them. Which was of course bad because this was something that he wanted to do sooner rather than later. Still, it takes him a bit to process what he's being asked. There was even a moment where he wanted to ask the agent in charge of the briefing if this was some prank, or maybe they were assuming something about his... romantic history. But no, it's a job, and one they think he'll be able to manage. Okay, yeah, he can accept that.

The good news is he can call for help, and there aren't many options Mark thought he could turn to. They needed to be Alliance, they needed to be able to make up for Mark's lack of powers, and sneakiness would be a plus.

So, at last, here they were. Two guys (or guy and turtle teen), who have been wandering a non-meta sburb of Sunset Falls for a few hours, in costume, following the leads to find a group of children who might have more information. They had absolutely been getting a lot of side eyes throughout it all, but Mark was going to soldier on.

"I don't know how to talk to kids," Mark lamented as they made their way to a group in the middle of what seemed to be an energetic game of hide and seek. "If we can just get a break on where to find this thing, we'll be set."

Especially since Mark had already talked to a Sunset Falls affiliated Alliance member who had enchanted some ropes for them. Ones that they just needed to say the trigger words and throw to successfully lasso the thing without harming it. But first they have to get close enough.

III. Wildcard
[Have another idea? Reach out to me with a direct message here or to

Churbooseanon. Old CR or new, it all works for me. Mark's a photographer by trade, works at the Orpherium in Central City, and is sort of an Alliance member whose power is that he's a ability mimic, all of which might be ideas on how to start. Or just throw something in there in Central and I'll find a way to fold him in (like, he gets mugged a LOT).]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"I asked," Mark says with a sigh. Because that would have been a bit of a problem. "The look I got implied that isn't a thing, either in this world or just in general. And I was told that if we can just catch it, it will obey us."

Which was something, not that he was sure how much hope he had with that.

“Oh, well, then that should make it easy, right?”

Leo grins, all confidence. This’ll be no sweat, so he has decided.

You'd think. Mark frowns. They need to figure this out.

"Maybe a trap then?"

Could that work?

"Do you know a lot about traps?"

“Hmmm… not really, but I have my portals.”

He opens one up to demonstrate.

“So I can at least keep it from running away.”

Right. There's those. Mark considers that with a thought.

"Do they have to be right next to you when you open them?"

They could use this.

“Nope!”

Just to demonstrate he opens two about ten feet ahead of them. A rock slips through and starts falling continuously.

“Oh, whoops,” he says, waving his sword again. One of the portals tilts and shoots the rock off into the trees.

This? This is useful. Mark considers it carefully.

"Yeah, there's definitely ways we can use this to help us. We just have to figure out the safest way."

"Don't worry, it'll be totally safe!" Leo grins. "Just don't have anything stuck between portals when I close 'em."

That's how you get portal-chopped.

Okay, wow, that just made Mark more than a little sick to consider. Why did he have to say that?

"Please, don't say it like that when you're around people. They might get upset."

Because it's true? Doesn't he want to know the hazards of Leo's power?

"What's there to be upset about? Everything'll be fine!"

No. Not when they are that scary.

"Yeah, just... don't cut me in half?"

“I won’t, if you don’t hang out in the portal as I close it.”

That’s the whole point, Mark!

“You think we’re getting close?”

"Of course I don't intend to. I was thinking, what if one of us dropped down onto the unicorn through one?"

OF course he thinks they're getting closer, but he doesn't know if it's close.

"The woods are starting to get... I don't know. A vibe? I'm not magically attuned though."

The woods do seem to be getting a vibe, though while Leo has mystic powers, he's not particularly attuned to it, either.

"Dropping you onto the unicorn? Easy. Leave it up to me!"

It's as good a plan as any!

"I don't really have another plan at the moment, so yeah, sounds like our best plan," Mark says. But he sounds nervous. "You're sure you' won't cut me in half?"

Because that's scary to consider.

Leo sighs dramatically, then stops and turns to Mark, his shortest finger extended towards him.

“Sacred pinkie promise that I will not cut you in half.”

Pinkie promise? Mark just stares for a long moment. They were really doing this?

"Isn't that the promise kids make when they think they're being serious?"

Oops, probably shouldn't have said that.

"If you would just do the adult thing and trust me, I wouldn't have to offer you a pinkie promise."

Two can play that game, Mark.

Okay, that's a fair point, and Mark nods to it. It's super fair.

"Guess I'm just a guy that gets scared over powers he don't know."

"Well, get ready to know them."

Which is all the warning Leo gives Mark before his sword is out and he's opened a portal under Mark's feet.

Don't worry, he'll be let back out on the ground a few feet away.

What a way to deal with nerves. Mark yelps as he falls, because of course he does. What the hell man? But he lands on the ground. Not on his feet, but definitely on the ground.

"You don't believe in warning a guy, do you?"

Ha, oh man. It’s not like Leo dropped him that far!

Leo snickers, then walks over to hold a hand out to Mark.

“My dad says the best way to learn is by doing!”

No, but he's not used to being dropped like that.

"Your dad is smart. Doesn't make it any less weird to deal with."

“You’re around superheroes all the time. This can’t be the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen.”

Come on, it’s just portals!

Actually, yeah, it sort of is. I've seen all sorts of powers, but never anything like this.

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faceguy - 2024-04-02 15:31 (UTC) - Expand

atypical_echo - 2024-04-05 15:59 (UTC) - Expand