Slay Bells in the Snow

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IamLEAM1983
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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Three smirked. "Knowing Archie and Crystal, they haven't moved. Ever since he's caught on to the fact that we of the 21st century don't care if he holds Crystal's hand in public, he's been morphing into a slightly more restrained version of Gomez Addams as soon as he has some private time with her. We can rush the both of them by going back the way we came, or we can go around the rear and catch them from the other side."

In the meantime, Archie smiled back. "Colorado sounds delightful. Of course, when one is in the company of a woman of your calibre, anywhere suffices."

Bucky, who didn't seem to particularly care about Nerf darts, settled with leaving one reading room for the other, trundling by the couple. "Hey," he called out as he passed them by, "less cuddling, more heckling the youngsters!"

Archie replied by giving another slow kiss to Crystal, eyes closed - all the while aiming for Bucky and placing one dart on the kitaiteki's right shoulder. Shamus scoffed in return, yanked the dart off of him and walked off. "Whatever, James Bond!" he replied, to the tone of someone who was only feigning annoyance.
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TennyoCeres84
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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"I think attacking from behind would be a better option," Ciaran opined. "Lowell and Archie are fast, but we'll have the upper hand if we strike from the rear."

Crystal gave him a final kiss and chuckled. "We can talk travel plans later. Those whelps will probably be planning an attack, so we need to be ready for them, Archie," she stated.
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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Archie sighed, perhaps slightly exxagerating his disappointment for comical effect. "If we must... My last few centuries' lack of cuddles won't fix itself, however."

He briefly rested his head on her shoulder and squeezed her just a bit harder, turning his languid embrace into a frank hug that lasted a few long seconds. "Oh, heavens," he sighed, chuckling slightly under his breath, "how did I go on without these arms of yours, before?"

Not that he'd mention it to Crystal, but he was starting to understand just how essential closeness was to a relationship. Coming from a time where even the most passionate of lovers kept each other at arm's length in public circumstances, he'd long ignored how consuming a relationship meant more than simply lying in bed with the loved one in question. Her touch kept him sated for longer than Iphigenia's chaste promises of yesteryear. He saw Crystal more often than he would've been used to previously, but he wasn't as lovesick or melancholy as he'd been with his previous lover. Frequent bursts of closeness felt more healthy to him than long and fervid promises of burning Victorian intimacy.

In any case, he almost looked as though he'd given his main spring a few extra turns, once he parted from her. "Alright, Bonnie," he said, winking at her, "you take the rear, I'll take the front. Give them Hell, won't you?"

* * *

"I agree," replied Arthur, "but there's ten to one that Brother Dearest is a bit drunk off of his newest bout of Victory Snogging. That and, well - have you seen playful and motivated werewolves before? I have. Lowell's likely to corner you like a mother wolf with her little hunters-in-training. I'd say you have your work cut out for you, kids."
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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Crystal chuckled and gave him a playful, predatory smile. "I most certainly will," she replied, slipping out of the room to go stalk her prey.

***

"Then we best get to work," Aislinn finalized as she grabbed a toy gun.
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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"Alright," whispered Three as he guarded the rear, "check every door on your left until we get to the corner. Eyes on the solarium in the back, once we get there. Archie has enough of a small jungle that Crystal could use it as ideal stalking grounds. Once we've rounded the other corner, stay focused on Archie's heartbeat. If he's cranked himself up and is nearby, you should be able to make it out - especially you guys. I have to be right in front of Archie to hear him ticking, personally."

Arthur couldn't restrain a chuckle. "Look at you, mister Point Man! This is a foam dart war, not Zero Dark Thirty!
- Professional tic," replied Drake with a shrug. "Call it wanting to optimize our chances of winning."

Zebediah, in the meantime, simply hung back, hands in the pockets of his eternal long-hemmed dressing gown. He rolled his eyes at the proceedings and scoffed.

"Or, if you'd like, I can do one of the few things I'm actually good at, as a lich, and track their via emanations for you.
- You can do that?" replied Aidan, which made Buck land a soft snort of contempt.

"How do you think I keep track of everyone in this maze of a manor? I've never asked anyone for directions since we started this vigilante business! Here, let me just-"

By way of finishing, he reached out and touched Three's forehead, repeating the process for the roanes with half-sarcastic and half-playful "Boop" onomatopeia, when he touched them. Nothing seemed to change for a few seconds, until a blue-white cloud in the vague shape of a human being shimmered into being in Three and everyone else's field of view.

"I can see through walls," added Zeb, as if it hadn't been obvious enough. "Well, I can't see anything except the position of someone I've able to visually track previously but - eh. Same difference."

Seeing the two cloudy forms move through the walls, it was obvious they'd been given a fairly sizable tactical advantage. Now, all they had to do was keep quiet long enough to actually make use of it.
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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The three selkies, armed with the Nerf toys, exited the room and followed the via emanations of the clank and werewolf, checking rooms. They also listened for the ticking of Archie's clockwork heart. They were eventually met with the issue of multiple via trails. Obviously, Crystal had taken the time they had been discussing their plan of attack to run in multiple directions. She hadn't made it all that far, but she was using her lupine prowess to its full efficiency.
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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The lich sighed. "Wonderful, we've saddled ourselves with a werewolf who knows how to disperse her arcane trail as well as her scent!"

Again, and at the favor of the group coming around the front of the manor once more, they crossed Bucky. "Neutral party?" asked Aidan.

In response, Bucky brought his hands in front of him. "Yep, I'm a walkin', talkin' Switzerland, boy. Too big for stealth, hands too big for these toys o' yours. I won't help you, but I also won't come to Arch or Crystal's defense.
- Awesome," replied the soldier, biting his lower lip in thought as he spoke. "How about Gubbin?
- He got shadowy as soon as Archie pulled his triggers. I don't think he's playin' so much as he thinks gettin' pelted with foam darts is undignified. Could be wrong, though, but I doubt it. He was never too hot about reg'lar guns, so why should he be interested in fake ones?
- Good point," added Aidan.

The soldier then looked back to Arthur. "How about tracking Archie's scent? He's less of a predator than Archie is.
- Hm, you'd be surprised," added the younger Holden. "I do smell copper coming from the stairway leading up to the old servants' quarters, but this is a Clank's house, after all. There's leftover copper plating practically every two feet, so he has plenty of breadcrumbs to use to make his trail less legible to me."

Amazo, who had also stuck along, leaned against a nearby windowsill. "We could always ask Bagley, but I'd assume the local butler's in on it as well."

Aidan sighed and looked back to the group. "Let's just canvas the place; we're bound to hit either one of them, and it's not like we're being graded. We fail, we eat foam darts. Big deal."
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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"As it should be," commented Neasa, smirking. "We have some training under our belts; this is the chance to let loose and have fun."

Aislinn nodded agreeably to her reminder of levity. "Let's go check out the solarium. Perhaps Crystal decided to take a momentary breather there and is hiding," she suggested, shrugging. She continued down the corridor with her siblings.
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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"Oh come, now," sighed Zebediah, "do you really think a werewolf would be this predictable?"

Three could only shrug in response. "Who cares? Worst case scenario, Crystal and Archie worked on some weird wolf-form rig for her Nerf guns and Aislinn eats darts. I'm heading back towards the rear. Just leave the sad-sack attitude out the door, Zeb, for God's sake. We're on vacation!"
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Re: Slay Bells in the Snow

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The three selkies cautiously entered the solarium and looked around. Aislinn used her telekinesis to brush at the plants' many leaves, trying to flush the werewolf out in case she was there. "Nope, no Crystal. Ah well," Aislinn stated. She turned to Neasa and Ciaran. "I think we should follow Three. Safety in numbers and all that," the former dockworker commented.
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