A bone-chilling test! Literally.

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

It had only taken Snow a few minutes after waking up to realize that he still had his powers. As strange and unfathomable as it was (for crying out loud, he saw that it was gone), there his l'Cie brand was, easily noticeable on his left forearm and, from what Snow could recall, in the same form it was in right before he had lost it. But then again, he couldn't be quite sure, he wasn't very keen on studying the mark very closely when he did have it - he just knew that it had been pretty well along. A round, eye-shaped pattern inside of a rectangular brand, arrowed edges branching off in all directions. But it was no longer the deep black color that it had been, it was glazed over in a dull grey. And though it made him uneasy to see the brand there again, he was relieved that it was at least frozen. No ever-present countdown to turning into a monster.

He had felt the rush of icy powers when he tried to use them down in the pod chambers, even though they had been promptly cut off by one of Stacy's tentacles. So Snow'd be able to fend for himself (and protect Serah. Which was ten times more important than fending for himself, really), since despite what he'd read and what he'd heard so far, he was skeptical of many things. He had dealt with enough to easily trust some voice in his head that later reprimanded him and ordered him to follow the rules when he had no idea what was happening. He never did like rules, and he especially didn't like the idea of some giant talking creature trying to play puppeteer with people and simply expect them to go along with it. He'd had enough of that. So having his powers back was a point up in feeling even a little more safe.

But as he stood in the city, in an area large enough to both test this out and for any passersby to easily spot him, he had one more thing he wanted to try. "Let's see if you two are still here, too." Snow spoke, seemingly to nobody in particular. He raised his arm, a small, ice-blue orb forming around and rising from his brand. "Shiva!" he called, and a glyph-like pattern materialized in mid-air in front of him. From it rose two figures, completely contrasted from the other. One dark, one light - the summoned sisters looked more like robots of some sort, adorned with chains and huge, bulky pieces of metal. The large wheels clearly visible on their bodies gave the (very obvious) impression that the two could combine into a vehicle of some sort. They landed gracefully in front of Snow, who just smiled widely at the them.

"Hey! Long time no see!" he greeted with a wave. "I can't believe you two wound up sticking around, too! At least getting around'll be a little easier, now."

Comments

[twilit-midna.livejournal.com]

"Well, well." Midna had wandered into the area largely by accident; she was trying to find her way around the ship and update her maps at the same time. She hadn't expected to find a familiar face in this strange city -- at least not so soon. But there Snow was, with a pair of spirits of some sort.

"I didn't know you were a magician."

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

There was a voice Snow somewhat recognized. Turning his attention away from the sisters for now, he faced Midna. Having not seen her since he was down in the dark chambers, he let himself get a better look at her now that it was lighter. Still not scary, like she said many people found her to be, but she did look really interesting.

Or how Snow would put it, really cool.

He gave her a quick nod in greeting before he spoke. "I'm not really supposed to be! Guess I've just got some luck picking up these powers for a second time."

[twilit-midna.livejournal.com]

"A second time? So you lost them before?" Midna is no stranger to lost powers, but at least now she's got a little extra insurance to pad the old magical bank account. The two sisters don't look like anything she's ever seen before, though.

"Run into anyone you know?"

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

Snow'd go into the whole power-loss thing later. Midna's second question was far more pleasing to answer. With an enthusiastic nod, his eyes seemed to light up. "Of course I did! I told you down there, didn't I? I wasn't about to go anywhere without my Serah."

[twilit-midna.livejournal.com]

"Oh? Well, good for you." Midna didn't begrudge Snow his happiness at being reunited with his Serah again. She didn't even really mind that he hadn't answered her other question, no matter how curious she was about it. Snow was an odd human.

"Maybe I should come meet her sometime, see if she's as... unique as you are."

[memory-hax.livejournal.com]

The surge in power tingled at the edge of Phillip's mind as he turned towards it. Rumbling to a halt on the HardBoiler, he pulled his helmet off to stare at the sight of the two graceful looking summons. "How interesting," he said, touching his chin in thought.

Wasting no time, he walked over to Snow with a spring in his step. First the skinless man, now this? It was like a learning experience frenzy! "Hello!" he exclaimed with more zest that had been in his voice for ages. "Are they your friends?"

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

Turning, he gave a greeting wave to Phillip as he approached. "Yo!" And then he paused for a moment, as if thinking of how to answer that.

"I ... guess you could say that, yeah." he replied after a beat, sending a quick, winking glance back to Stiria and Nix. Things had been different when Snow first encountered them, but he and the others soon learned of how helpful these Eidolons were for them. Saving them when it seemed as though all hope was lost...

"They're pretty good at helping out when you're in a pinch."

[memory-hax.livejournal.com]

"Ah. I know a few things about trump cards as well," agreed Phillip, thinking mostly of CycloneJoker Xtreme and the once-in-a-blue-moon Xtreme Gold.

"Phillip," he said, offering a hand in greeting.

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

"Snow Villiers," he introduced himself back while firmly taking Phillip's hand in greeting (mostly everything Snow did was firm). And since Snow didn't know this guy...

"You been awake for long?"

[memory-hax.livejournal.com]

"A few months at least, since before the new years clocked over and more than two pod releases, counting this one." replied Phillip, appreciating the handshake. Good and firm, like Shotarou's.

"I work in the library, although there's a lot of other things that I like to do around here. Settling in can be a little bit of a shock, depending on your first impression."

[leapoffayth.livejournal.com]

The City was a pleasant place for a walk, Yuna realized soon enough. Her true objective was to search for the temples along this 'religion row' she'd heard about. Without Yevon's guards present, there was a chance she could enter and commune with the fayth again.

She walked at a brisk pace, hands neatly folded behind her back. Her concentration was swiftly broken when that icy blue glow appeared in her peripheral vision, coupled with that voice and that word. It was Snow, calling for...Shiva? She had to see what this was about.

After a quick turn on her heel, she observed the two summoned beings in awe. If they stemmed from Snow's ice powers, then that was one similarity with her Shiva---but what of the wheels? She'd have to ask.

"You said l'Cie were somewhat like summoners," Yuna remembered as she approached him. "I see it now. Do they fight with you?"

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

"Oh, hey again Yuna!" he called back with a wave.

Shifting his weight, he put his hands on his hips, kicking at the ground as he sent a look over to the sisters. "Yeah, they do. Give you a little test before they do that, though." And then he puffed up his chest proudly. "One that I clearly passed."

[leapoffayth.livejournal.com]

"I had to pass tests too," was her answer as she studied the two sisters. "The first one took an entire day, but it became easier after that."

Prayer there was dangerous and not to be scoffed at, but it wasn't quite on the same level as a battle.

"You called them Shiva?"

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

"An entire day, huh? Glad I didn't have to fight these two for that long! Don't know if I could've handled it."

He nodded. "That's right. They're sisters. This one's Stiria," he pointed to the darker of the two, who responded by putting a hand on her hip. "And this is Nix." A motion to the other, who waved over to Yuna.

[leapoffayth.livejournal.com]

"My test was a prayer, though it exhausted my mind as thoroughly as battles have." Yuna looked concerned for him for a moment. "You were all right?"

She curtsied to the sisters when they were introduced, a nostalgic smile on her face. "They're beautiful, Snow. I...actually have an aeon that I'm reminded of. Her name is Shiva too."

[veryshinyknight.livejournal.com]

"Oh, hello, ladies." Alistair gave a nod. He'd been wandering about, of course. He had something of a perplexed look on his face, but he was smiling anyway.

"My, you're tall," he remarked to Snow, looking up. "Are they all that tall, where you're from?"

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

The darker of the two sisters looked over to Alistair in acknowledgment, tilting her head just slightly at the new arrival while Snow brushed at his coat with a hand. "Can't say that they are," he replied with a lopsided smile. "Just lucky, I guess."

[veryshinyknight.livejournal.com]

"Well...all this is pretty impressive. As are you, ladies," he said with another nod to the sisters.

"I take it you just woke up? I'd heard there was a pop, but I tend not to go down there much. There never do seem to be many people from Ferelden showing up." Though Namira will probably tell him about Hawke at some point...

"I'm Alistair," he said brightly, then, with a smile. "Nice to meet you!"

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

"Snow," he responded along with Nix, who blew a small kiss at Alistair. "And you got that right, I'm one of the ... new guys, I guess."

[flunkingspanish.livejournal.com]

"Holy crap."

Paco did manage to restrain himself from adding 'Magical fembots? Really?', but he was definitely thinking it. He looked between the two figures and the guy who summoned them, and grinned.

"Okay, that's pretty cool. You been hit up by the magic department yet?"

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

"There's a department for that?" Snow responded, peering curiously at Paco. There was his 'no' answer.

[flunkingspanish.livejournal.com]

"Yep. Run by a redheaded lady by the name of Nanoha." Paco jerked his mechanical thumb back over his shoulder. "They're set up in the Jedi Temple back thataway. You should go say high at some point, she'll be pretty pleased to meet you and your friends."

He'd noticed the wheels and was currently trying to figure out how exactly they combined into a vehicle and whether or not bystanders would feel the need to cover kids' eyes. "I'm Paco, by the way. Not part of the department, I've just been awake for awhile."

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

"Hmm. Maybe I'll check it out sometime." Maybe being the keyword. He had no idea what a department like that was even for, and if was some kind of establishment on this ship ... Snow wanted to find out who the people involved were. Though honestly, if there were any people on the ship who simply believed in Stacy and went along with what she said without question ... maybe they did need somebody like him to find out the truth about the many things he'd heard about the ship.

"I'm Snow," he replied, dropping that train of thought and focusing again with a smile.

Derpderpderp~ o/ Sorry for the hold up; been avoiding LJ during the DDoSing

[hashisownhead.livejournal.com]

Jara had decided that he liked this city.

It was so big! So varied! He was growing increasingly certain that no matter how hard he tried, he might never explore all of it, and that every corner he turned, he would surely find something new. He had never really been able to walk in a human city before, either--such freedom of movement was impossible for Hork Bajir or Taxxons, Controllers or freed creatures alike. They had to stay a secret from the humans who didn't know, or terrible things might happen.

But all that seemed far, far away right now, here in a place where humans and Hork Bajir and shapeshifters and dragons alike, to mention only a few, could mingle freely. Jara ran and leapt and climbed, bounding along broad boulevards and swinging from fire exits, leaping across roofs and clambering up lamp posts for better views. In time, he would tire, he knew--but not yet! Not now! There was still so much to see, and he wanted to see what he could before he decided to choose one place to live.

There had to be many trees, of course--not just for him, but also for Ket Halpak. For Toby. He had to be ready, just in case, because his family could arrive at any time. His friends could come. Anyone from the valley would need his help to find a home too, and he would need to be ready for them.

It was during this exploration that Jara spotted a human figure--a very, very large human figure, one that must have been only a handspan shorter than he was. How interesting! He had almost never seen humans that tall before. But even more interesting still was the strange, ice-blue sphere that seemed to rise out of nowhere from his hand, shining and producing a design entirely too complex for him to make heads or tails of. Wide-eyed with wonder, Jara crept closer and closer, watching the summoning as it unfolded.

Jara froze in open amazement at what he hoped was a safe distance away as the sisters appeared, studying their strange appearance and trying not to feel overwhelmed. They were humans? But not! They had..... wheels, and metal, and--and things on them, things Jara couldn't identify. Who were they? What were they? Why were they here? What was the big human even doing to make this happen, and how? Why had he done it? Were they friends?

It's all good! o/

[coldhardfisting.livejournal.com]

"Good to know I'll have you guys to call on if I need any help," he continued to the sisters with a single, big nod of the head. And then he wondered if he should take them out for a spin around the city - he had no idea how big it was yet, so it sounded like a good plan of action. He turned, looking down a street to see how far the buildings lined along them seemed to go, when something caught his eye nearby.

His look somewhat mirrored Jara's expression at first, when he noticed he was there watching him. Snow was still unused to seeing so many other kind of creatures and beings that weren't intent on attacking or running in the wild. But since he arrived on Stacy, he'd met a couple of others that somewhat softened his surprise now. So cocking his head slightly, he slowly put a hand up in greeting. "Uh, hey there!"