It's a Winter Wonderland~ [Open][No Kill]

Espi was spoiled, there was truly no other way to describe it. Vivian had seen to her every whim; everything that she wanted she got. Of course, Espi hadn't gone overboard with her demands. A new game boy, her favorite Pokemon game to go with it, and clothing that would ensure she kept warm in the frigged temperatures. Food of course was a necessity, and Vivian saw to it that Espi had the best and plenty of it. Espi had also noticed that Vivian had every intention of keeping her word about her 'freedom', to the point to where she had been allowed to send a message home to Yokuchi, all with Vivian's knowledge and consent.

The only rule between them remained: she wasn't to leave Vivian, because Vivian wouldn't allow it. Even now while Espi was walking 'alone' she truly wasn't. She knew that while Vivian was willing to give her her space she was still somewhere watching to ensure she remained safe. Fubuki wasn't exactly the safe village it once was, and Vivian refused to allow anyone else to so much as even think about touching her, let alone cause her harm.

Of course, Espi stood out a bit as she walked through the market: she was in a black body suit meant to regulate her temperature and keep heat in. Boots and fingerless gloves, black like the bodysuit kept her feet and all but the tips of her fingers covered. Over this was a warm traveling cloak that was a light blue in color. Espi knew she should have had the hood up to keep her head warm, but for now it was down, allowing her long light purple hair to flow down her back: it was hard to see when the hood was up after all.

Hidden within the confines of the traveling cloak were not only her weapons – something that Vivian had replaced and demand she keep on her at all times for safety reasons – but also a pouch of ryo for her to spend. This was, after all, a little shopping trip~

It has been three days since the Koran family's secret arrival to Fubukigakure, and they were currently struggling. Zaiaku, who was too distraught to think a few days ago, didn't have the foresight to bring much ryo with him to buy the necessities. In-fact, he only had enough to buy a room at a run down inn, some food that won't last more than another two days, and coats for everyone except him. What I mean by this is that it was so cold in Fubukigakure, and the fact the group was so accustomed to the heat of the desert, that regular clothing like sweat pants and hoodies didn't do much against the raging winds of the cold. Thus Zaiaku, putting his family above himself, went and with the last of his money, bought them Fubuki-grade clothing, which seemed to do the trick against the cold. Zaigou wore a large black jacket and extra warm pants, Kodo wore some sort of of body sweater, while Tiger wore a large sweater and his sunglasses. Zaiaku, however, was only in his pants and sandels, with nothing covering his upper-body. He had to sell his own hoodie to have enough money to buy them clothing.

Thus, he was, pressing on throughout the village, shirtless and shivering horribly. The village residence were, of course, eyeing the bizzare group. If not for the fact that Zaiaku was shirtless, or the fact the family consisted of a almost 9 foot, grey, muscular demon looking being, a five year old, a 5 foot tall hyena, and a up-right walking gorilla wearing sunglasses. Nonetheless, Zaiaku was too stubborn to turn and pressed on, though the cold was beginning to take its toll on  him, with Zaiaku now shivering violently, his hands fumbling when he tries to blow warm air on them, and his eyes constantly drooping.

WC:316 Words

The Family:

Vivian was indeed not far away from Espi, though she was quite hidden. She wasn't about to allow the girl out of her sight, not even for a shopping trip to the market – though, at least this way she was giving her her space and the illusion of freedom. Vivian knew of the kinds of things that lurked in Fubuki's shadows, as she was one of them. That meant, of course, that she knew what someone could and would do to her little pet if they got their hands on her. Vivian wasn't about to allow that to happen.

And so, Vivian was perched up on a building in the crouched position on the edge; ready to spring and jump to the ground the moment it was deemed necessary. She was dressed in a black hooded body suit and boots; blending in well with the shadows she was hidden within. Her pink bangs swayed around her face a bit in the breeze, but she paid it no mind, her gaze and focus remained on Espi.

The girl looked happy, though a frown was clearly upon Vivian's face: Espi's hood was down, and she was likely going to catch a cold that way. ”Hmm...” She reached up, scratching at the Vi tattooed under her left eye before yawning very softly.

Vivian was not the only monster lurking in the shadows; Sixx wasnt too far away, oblivious to what was happening nearby. Spitting blood from his mouth, Sixx stood up straight, sifting through the wallet of the would-be thief who'd just attempted to make off with his own.

"Fifty ryo? Thats all you fucking got?" Kicking the moaning body in the ribs once more, the Frozen Viking added the money she took from the thief into his own wallet, giving him a grand total of three hundred and fifty ryo. While normally, he was a generous person who was always willing to help people down on thier luck, he had a personal vendetta against theives; he hated them as he felt that they were the prime reason as the to decline of Fubuki -- in addition the lack of action from the office of the Hikage.

"Be happy I let you live. And if you got something against me for this, my name is Vi 'Sixx' Kazabana. Tell your friends." After spitting another loogie onto the thief, Vi stepped out of the alley and onto the street, straightening his clothes; a sleeveless blue hoodie over ripped and torn pants -- very not ninja-like. Not that he cared; with Fubuki's descent into depravity, he wasn't feeling very loyal. He was no longer putting his skills to use to better the village -- the former Hikage saw to that with her abandonment of her post. The rest of the village had been left to rot, so why should he bust his ass to help? Fuck them.

Moving down the street, his boots clicked over the stones and ice. He wasnt looking for trouble, but then again, he was Sixx after all -- trouble usually found him after long.

WC: 291

Espi pulled her cloak tighter around herself as the wind picked up: none of it would get through her body suit of course, she knew that. Vivian had ensured she had got her the best of the best to keep her warm and safe. But, it was a natural reaction for someone so used to hot sand and bright blazing sunlight, not cloudiness and freezing cold with ice and snow as far as the eye could see. Still, it was pretty, she had to admit that.

As Espi headed from one shop to the next, not really knowing exactly what she wanted to spend her vast amount of ryo on something caught her attention: or rather someone. She stopped instantly in her tracks, causing several people behind her to grumble angrily before moving around her. There, in the distance, she saw Zaiaku. There was no mistaking him; he was taller and larger then anyone else she had seen in Fubuki after all.

Espi felt her heartbeat quicken as she just stood there, shocked and staring. Was he here to kill her? Perhaps sending him that letter was a mistake... she had openly admitted to the fact that she wasn't going to go back to Yokuchi even if Vivian would have let her. That made her essentially a deserter of her village. A criminal. Criminals were hunted down. Was that why he was here?

Zaiaku and his group kept pressing onward, with Zaigou riding on Kodo's back while both Tiger and Kodo were at Zaiaku's sides. The wind began to pick up, causing Zaiaku to halt in his step. Under normal circumstances, he would be easily able to deal with this type of weather, as the desert does tend to also get cold at night. But he has been here for three days with no clothing to protect him from the harsh enviroment. Thus, the wind was doing more damage than it normally would. As such, once it died down a bit, he kept on walking ahead, his arms wrapped around himself for warmth. Though it wasn't apparent to  him, the cold was slowly tiring him out, making him weaker by the second, making Zaiaku walk slower and slower while also becoming very tired. Attempting to fight against this, he looked ahead to see if there was a place he could probably at least stand inside in to warm up. The obscured his vision, making it hard to see ahead. What he did see was a figure in the distance, standing there. His eye-sight too poor in this enviroment, he couldn't tell who or what it was, but nonetheless, he decided to walk towards "it", in hopes that "it" could at least point him in the right direction. However, his body  was taking too much of the cold, making his feet drag and making him droop down. It wasn't long until he fell onto the snow covered ground, with consciousness slowly fading from him. Almost instantly, Kodo and Tiger stopped moving and surrounded Zaiaku, panicking as they did not know what to do.

Zaigou slid off of Kodo and picked up Zaiaku's giant hand in his tiny ones, trying to pull him. "HELP!" The young boy screamed as he kept on trying to pull, but to no avail due to Zaiaku's great weight. "HELP!" He screamed again, tears beginning to quickly stream down his face. Tiger seemingly joined in the effort and grabbed his other arm, pulling Zaiaku and sitting him against a wall. Kodo began howling loudly, as if to bring attention to them, as Zaigou continued to scream for help, while Tiger immediately took off his sweater and pressed it onto to Zaiaku, using the clothing to try and warm him up.

WC:714

There was violence somewhere close by but Vivian couldn't bring herself to look. Instead, her gaze remained focused on Espi, on her little pet she needed to protect. Vivian was just beginning to shift into a more comfortable position when she saw Espi stop: stop and stand there with people behind her almost running into her. She couldn't hear the words they spoke to Espi, but Vivian's hands clenched into fists regardless: she wanted to hurt them for that. But, why had Espi stopped? Vivian looked in the direction that Espi was staring in in time to see a large male, a small child, and two animals. From the way they were dressed, or not dressed as was the case with the larger being, they were not natives to Fubuki.

This is what she had been waiting for, what she had been expecting.... ”Son of a bitch!”, Vivian exclaimed as she suddenly rose up out of the shadows she had been crouched in, allowing her presence to be known. She moved then, suddenly and quickly, jumping from her perch and down to the ground below. She ran, faster then she normally bothered with, in order to position herself between Espi and these four others.

”Espi, do you know them?”, Vivian asked quickly as she watched the larger of the four fall, and the others rally to try and move him.

What the fuck was that noise coming from down the street? Sixx looked up in time to see a familiar shape leaping from a rooftop. Was that Vivian? What the hell was she doing on a roof -- was she on a mission for the village? Stopping for a second, Sixx quickly calculated her trajectory; she seemed to be headed for the source of that disturbance.

Groaning and pulling up his hood, Vi broke out into a run. Whatever it was that had Vivi worked up couldnt be good, and he was not about to let her face it alone. He had no weapons on him, but he didnt care; so long as he had chakra and could move, he was a problem to anyone who pissed off Sixx.

As Sixx came upon the scene, she would slide to a stop beside Vivian. Arms would cross over her chest, eyes calmly taking in the scene -- some dude, collapsed on the ground without a shirt on. What appeared to be a kid, a gorilla and some kind of dog like creature tending to him. Given the way they are dressed, they obviously had to be tourists.

"The fuck is this? Why do people not read up on the weather before they come here?"

[502]

Suddenly Vivian was there; she moved so fast that Espi jumped, slightly startled, at her sudden appearance. She stepped behind Vivian, peering around her at the four she knew very well. ”They're from Yokuchi... I think they're here for me. That's Zaiaku and his family... you said I could send that letter so I did... I told them I wasn't coming home even if you let me...”

Espi then jumped, startled once more as another figure appeared; this one came to a stop near Vivian with arms folded. From the description that Vivian had given her she easily assumed this to be Sixx, Vivian's best friend.

”I don't know why they're here.. Unless....” She let her sentence trail off as she watched. She wanted to go to them, to help, and yet she was utterly terrified they were here to kill her. She knew she stood no chance against all of them.

"Daddy!Please!Wake up Daddy!" Zaigou kept saying as he sobbed loudly, shaking Zaiaku in a attempt to wake him. Kodo has currently stopped howling and began to lick at Zaiaku's voice in his own attempt to wake him. However, it was becoming apparent that there efforts were becoming more and more ineffective by the minute. Zaiaku remained unmoving, his eyes still closed and breathing becoming more and more shallow. This was when Tiger began looking around to find something to help Zaiaku. Thus, he quickly spotted Espi, and two more people with her. Tiger, as such, quickly ran them urgently before stopping a good 6 feet away from them to not seem like a threat. He began smashing one of his hands to the snow and pointing at Zaiaku with the other, uttering various gorilla noises and jumping about, trying to get them to help. He then began uttering H sounds, as if trying to speak something. Now, Tiger was a bit smarter than the average gorilla. As such, he is able to speak "baby" talk, say a few simple words here and there such as "Food" or "Cold".

Thus, he now began to speak. "H...h...he..l...hel...p...help.Help!HelpHelpHelpHelpHelp!" Tiger immediately said in a fast fashion before running back to the group and grabbing Zaiaku. Using his own strength, he hooked his arms under Zaiaku's and slowly dragged him to the trio, laying him on the ground as he resumed pointing. "Help!" Zaigou, upon finally seeing Espi, ran towards her, the tiny boy hugging his tightly as he sobbed. "Espi! W-we came here to look for you! Dad was worried and..." He trailed off as he cried some more, hugging Espi even more tightly. Kodo slowly approached them, his tail between his legs as he laid next to Zaiaku, looking up at them with pleading eyes. Zaigou then went to Vivian and hugged her leg, looking up at her. "Please help my daddy!"

WC:1046

”..... Good question.”, she responded to Sixx. She motioned with her head towards Espi. “Sixx, meet Espi... my new pet. I went to Yokuchi and pulled a little snatch and grab. Espi, this is Sixx, my best friend.” As she spoke she kept her focus on the four individuals who clearly didn't belong in the village; they were drawing attention and not all of it was bound to be good. Many people in Fubuki would take advantage of their situation, and Vivian knew it: offer them help and leave them worse off then what they already were.

”The moment someone tries to take you from me Espi in any form – either by removing you from my side or death - I'm going to skin them alive and make them eat their innards. You belong to me; you know that – you agreed to it to begin with, and now it's time they found it out too. Remember, I told you that no harm would come to you and I meant it: I will not allow them to do anything to you so long as I remain alive.”

A very sadistic grin spread across Vivian's face as she turned her focus back to Sixx. ”Time to go meet the newbies...” With that said Vivian turned her attention back to the four only to see... a gorilla coming towards them. Her weight shifted, but otherwise her stance didn't change much; she was simply preparing herself for an attack were one to come. She watched as the creature began pointing towards Zaiaku while attempting to speak, managing the word help, which was then repeated over and over again.

And then there was a crying child; and another canine-like creature. Joy. And from the looks of things the child was going to try and hug her next... oh god, this wasn't going to end well. Vivian couldn't stand being touched; not after all of the torture she endured when she was younger – even if she did like it. There were only two people in the world allowed to get away with touching her; Sixx and now Espi. This child was not on that short list...

"Daddy!Please!Wake up Daddy!" Some kid was screaming and crying, begging for someone to help its father. Meanwhile, it seemed that Vivian knew something about this situation; apparently she'd taken a trip to Yokuchi and done a little 'shopping', as evident by Espi here.

”They're from Yokuchi... I think they're here for me. That's Zaiaku and his family... you said I could send that letter so I did... I told them I wasn't coming home even if you let me...”

Okay, that explained a bit. These guys were here because of Espi, and judging by the look on her face, she didnt exactly invite them to see her. Fair enough -- that was all Vi needed. Defenses were up, eyes narrowing and the game face was set. What would resemble blue flames would begin to show on her skin, engulfing her body as the world around her began to grow even colder.

As the gorilla approached, the Viking's muscles tensed, and hands balled into fists. If that thing came any closer, it was on. But as it was, it backed off, only to be quickly replaced by what appeared to be a child running up to attempt to grab Espi.

No.

It was almost second nature, Sixx didnt even realize what was happening until it was happening; she'd stepped around Espi and Vivi, the snap kick was in motion, aiming to kick this creature in the chest. Should the kick be sucessful, the child would be kicked into a nearby wall, knocked out, or even possibly dead. There was little hope that anyone would stop her -- it seemed that they were wrapped up in attempting to save this downed man...

[782]

This was bad, this was very bad. Espi had no idea how to react: Zaiaku looked out cold, and his kid was freaking out and crying. To make it worse a crowd was being drawn as nosy onlookers began to pick up on what was going on. Just as she thought she was about to be hugged – Zaiaku's son running towards her – he was suddenly gone?

There was nothing she could do, Sixx was fast. Exceptionally so. Espi closed her eyes and simply clung to Vivian. ”This is my fault, I shouldn't have come to the market. I should have stayed in the apartment.”, Espi said softly, though loud enough for at least Vivian, and even perhaps Sixx, to hear. She felt responsible: they never would have saw her had she not come out in the first place, and now all hell was breaking lose. Still, she didn't leave Vivian's side: Vivian needed no leash and collar when it came to her, Espi's urge to remain close trumpted such physical things.

As Tiger stood there, watching as Zaigou ran towards Espi, but also watching the second tallest person move around her and the other woman, readying to kick him once he was close enough. Tiger, being a train pet, quickly noticed this and, with all his speed, moved in. As the kick was thrown, he reached out and attempted to grab the being's foot, planning to stop it with his own brute strength while simultaneously grabbing Zaigou with his other one. If the grab proves successful, Tiger would then quickly pushed the person back to stagger them, giving Tiger enough time to jumped back, grab as much of Zaiaku as he could, before jumping back again, granting them a distance of about 10 feet. Holding Zaigou close to him while still holding Zaiaku, he would begin to speak, with Kodo right beside him. "We......on horse...to here...we...worried for..Espi...we come...see if ok.." Tiger managed to say out loud to the trio, with Kodo standing next to him, ready in-case they try something funny. "He....help...need...help.." Tiger said, gesturing towards Zaiaku. "Please...help.."

WC:1184

Uh... no. Just no. No one touched Sixx like that. No one came close. This Tiger? This Tiger was not getting close enough to stop her best friend from kicking the kid. Vivian was honed and trained to be a killer, she had been considered the top Jounin in her village before the Hikage had vanished without a trace and the place had been plunged into lawlessness and decay. As it was this meant that, trained pet or not, she saw this attack coming before it came. It was an attempt to stop Sixx from attacking the kid.

But, that wasn't going to happen now was it? Nooooope. Vivian moved just as Sixx was aiming to kick the kid. She was around Sixx and in front of her before Sixx's attack could be stopped. At the same time Vivian reacted with a chin kick – her leg snapping out hard and fast; her speed, strength, and reaction time making it to where if this Tiger couldn't get out of the way – and she didn't see how that was possible – Tiger was going to be launched skyward quite a bit (a good fifteen meters) and be left to fall where he may as the angle would ensure that he didn't come straight back down.

Vivian was prepared for an attack by the other two; the kid was down, and unless Tiger got out of the way his number was punched too. ”Nobody touches my best friend. Now, you came here to see that Espi was fine, and you can see that. I suggest you leave before I have you arrested. Espi is now considered a member of this village and I suggest you don't try and come back here without permission...”, all the while as she spoke she was ready to stop and move in case an attack was launched - she was expecting it as it were.

It was beautiful to look upon; Sixx, making his move to kick some snot-nosed brat into next week without his head, and Vivian aiming to send a gorilla to keep the kid company. Sixx had no doubt that Vivi would protect him; they'd been friends for far too long. It was an unspoken rule with them -- when one went to war, the other was prepared to back them up.

Given that Vivi had intercepted the gorilla's attack, Sixx was free to send the child into next week as she pleased; the portal would open and swallow the child with a crashing sound, amidst the sound of wood splintering -- wait what? IT seemed that Sixx had only kicked the child through a door, not into next week like she'd hoped.

Oh well. Given that he'd kicked the child in the chest, being kicked through a door was the least of its problems. There was more than likely the cracked and/or broken sternum, plus the high possiblility of internal bleeding and ruptured organs. There was even the off chance that the force of the blow possibly stopped this kid's heart on contact.

Shouldn't have brought a kid to a potential battlefield.

Straightening her body, Sixx would stare at rest of the group, waiting patiently for the retaliation that was sure to come. Even with no weapons, he was a dangerous creature. They could try if wanted, but they were in for uphil fight.

"I suggest yall get yer shit and get out of Fubuki before you're unable to leave. Mind you, we don't do prison out here."

[1048]

Oh god, why? Why was this happening? She hadn't wanted Zaiaku to come here: she had simply wanted to let him know that she was alive and well and not suffering like she had assumed he'd be thinking. But never in all of her thinking did she figure on him coming to Fubuki. And now this was happening... bodies were going flying, fighting was starting. Espi found herself feeling completely torn: Zaiaku had taken her in when her parents died, and yet Vivian... well, Vivian had made her see her own world in ways she could never go back from.

In the end Espi just clapped her hands over her ears and shut her eyes tightly: a groan of frustration leaving her. “This is all my fault. All my fault.” She should have never sent that letter despite her good intentions behind it. Hell, for that matter she should have never ventured into the market: or at least she should have hidden instead of freezing like a spooked animal.

"Just get them out of here... please. Please just make them leave.", Espi said softly.

.oO(Sorry for the wait, I didn't realize it was my post.)

Kodo was unsure of what to do as he saw his two comrades get struck down, he decided to go to the one closest to him, which happened to be Zaigou. Running as fast as his four legs could carry him, the five foot hyena dug Zaigou up from the debris and picked him up in his maw as gently as possible. As this happened, Tiger landed on the ground with a rough landing, spitting up blood as he hit the ground with a very loud thud. The ape didn't move from his spot. In-fact, he didn't move at all. Having picked up Zaigou, Kodo then ran to Tiger and began to sniff him and observe him to see what's wrong. It took him no time at all that to realise Tiger was...well...."defeated". Kodo, knowing better than to fight these two alone, decided to retreat...for now. As such, he laid Zaigou on the ground, sticking his head under his smaller body to lay him on his neck before then trotting to Zaiaku, biting into his pants and quickly tugging the giant away, hoping to find some place for treatment.

WC:1380
Exit Thread

So, I'm stepping in here. I need to clear some things up.

From what I'm seeing, we have a pet with B0 END getting kicked/punch/hit/whatever in the jaw by someone with A3 STR, and knocked 15 meters straight up.

Here's the thing.

15 meters = ~49ft

You're looking at a nearly 2 rank different between these stats. Even with no strength numbers set, that is a MASSIVE different. That END stat is basically useless here.

Gorilla or not; getting chin checked 49 feet in the air like that? That pet is dying, if not already dead, from a mix of head trauma, suffocation, and internal decapitation. He doesn't have the REA or SPD stat to avoid, either; so the attack is valid (and you didn't dispute it, either, so it's doubly valid).

I'm sorry Zai, but your post as is right now is invalidated. Redo it.

Vivian kept her gaze trained on the giant male who was in the snow as well as the dog looking thing that was left; she was fully expecting some kind of attack, and was prepared to put a stop to it. However, that wasn't the case. The dog looking thing went over and dug out the child from the smashed door he had gone through, while the ape finally hit the ground and didn't move further. It was likely dead, and Vivian couldn't bring herself to care: you didn't attack her best friend and get away with it, people would learn this.

She watched the dog thing attempt to gather up the man and the child and drag them off; half tempted to stop them and kill them. They brought this on themselves by coming here after all: where they expecting a warm welcome? This village was in ruins, such a thing wasn't going to happen.

As it was she put an arm around Espi and tugged the girl close to her. ”Hush, now. You did nothing wrong. They brought these actions on themselves; you didn't tell them to come here, they chose to do so. Their fate is up to them... I do know they better find some medical attention before that kid dies of his injuries... and that just sucks for them because I'm the only medic left in this village.”