[Barok van Zieks is just minding his own business, checking his notes before making his way back towards the residential area from a few last errands to prepare for the opening of the bar and winery he's been putting so much time and effort into. He never pesters anybody else, really, and so he feels that he deserves to be left alone in turn. And even with the sudden appearance of the strangers from yet another world and their equally strange town emerging within Reverein, perhaps he would have been.
Except that Herlock Sholmes is here, and has inflicted his own special magic upon the place, in a manner of speaking.
Somehow, melted chocolate makes for a quieter approach than even some of the more discreet predators, and when the mess of candy that might have once been man-shaped manages to put its gooey hand on the man's coat, he nearly jumps out of it, immediately whirling around and backstepping an impressive distance. When you have legs this long, you might as well use them.]
[As this epic confrontation begins, there's the sounds of barking getting closer. The proud dog Toby comes into view, with Gina in tow. She was making another attempt at tracking down this chocolatey nemesis, who has so far managed to somehow slip through her and Sholmes's fingers several times now.
Once she sees the figure in the distance, she quickly ties Toby's leash to a nearby pole to keep him from getting too close, and she rushes forward! And as she makes her move, she realizes that her quarry is squaring off with another familiar face...]
It- it's you! [That so-called Reaper! She quickly looks between the two figures.]
Watch out for that chocolate cove now! That's the great detective's 'andiwork gone rotten!
[Augh, he can feel the residue seeping through the shoulder of his coat. Absolutely horrid. However, whether the goopy figure is facing off with him, or if it's simply sensed the presence of a familiar face to its creator and is attempting a friendly greeting, may not entirely be clear. Barok takes another few steps back as it shuffles closer, uncertain how to even deal with this mess. He doesn't know if Lestrade's presence improves the situation, but they'll see.]
Of course it's his. [The statement is practically dripping with disdain. Chocolate. Unbelievable.] What could have possibly been the purpose of this wretched thing?
[He was... a little bit out of it when that orc was about, making these edible sculptures come to life. This is somehow his first encounter with any of the results.]
[She steps closer, eying the chocolate monstrosity warily while she tries to fill Barok in.]
It was s'posed to just be a pretty statue, an' tasty too. This big fella was teachin' a bunch of us 'ow to make stuff like this outta chocolate last month. It was just after I arrived in these parts! But Sholmes's... It really got a life of its own, an' it's been on the move ever since!
[As she steps closer, she raises her gas launcher.]
[Chocosholmes seems aghast at Gina's declaration! Rather, it makes a half-turn towards her as it leans back, melted arms angled outward slightly. Close enough. While van Zieks is never without the sword by his side, he doesn't draw it. He does, however, raise a gloved hand that soon manifests a frosty mist between his curled fingers, his scowl deepening.]
It shall soon regret laying a hand on my coat.
[He doesn't particularly care if it's actually a danger to anybody. Its existence is just awful, and needs to be put down.]
[She shudders as it looks at her with its gooey eyes! Now this is something that could easily end up going into another nightmare.
She still has the gas launcher at the ready, but she doesn't fire just yet. Instead, she's mistified seeing what's being produced by Van Zeiks's fingers.]
[The young lady has only recently arrived, of course, so it makes sense she'd be confused—and it's not as if he's used these abilities much at all to speak of them.
He will let his actions speak for themselves. With the same sort of movement he'd use to jab with his blade, he casts that icy air forward like a projectile, aiming to freeze the construction's lower half. They'll see how well it can escape with legs that aren't nearly as fluid.]
[Behold, the result of months of careful practice and discip—hey what
... van Zieks is not in the habit of chasing down criminals, confectionery or otherwise. Thanks to his bewilderment, he hesitates a little too long before throwing another cold blast towards the thing.]
[The chocolate monstrosity is unusually nimble on its hands! Though the frozen part droops over, it moves quickly enough to avoid the rest of it getting caught in Barok's blasts! Gina continues to be shocked as she watches the action.]
Oi! That cove's a fast one, 'e is!
[She feels like she has to do something... So she raises her gun and fires out a gas grenade, making a pink cloud around the chocolate Sholmes!]
There! That should make it 'arder for 'im to know where 'e's goin'!
[Unfortunately, there is a fatal flaw in Gina's logic:]
And for us to predict its movements.
[Although he attempts to discern where the candy creature might be headed, its gummy hands make little sound, and by the time it emerges from the colored smoke and van Zieks throws another blast of cold, it's skittering away at a pace that makes it difficult to nail down.
It doesn't help that Barok can't quite decide if he should take this seriously.]
[She acknowledges that with a dramatic dip you in her enthusiasm. It's possible that she did not fully think this through!
So she lowers her gun and opts to just shout instructions to the prosecutor.]
C'mon now, you can get 'im! Try aimin: a little higher... No, to your left! Can ya shoot any harder? [Although soon, the Chocolate Sholmes will start dashing right towards Gina!]
[The few attempts at freezing the chocolate that follows result in a predictable failure, despite (or perhaps because of) Gina's insistent instructions. Uncertainty will do that to you, and it's a lesson probably best learned in a situation like this rather than any other...
It's more out of instinct than thought that van Zieks darts in front of Gina to block the magical construct's advance, his ice dreamotion channeled into his blade as he draws it and slashes.
He isn't exactly fully thinking this part through, either, but maybe it won't end in disaster. Or maybe he'll just end up with his sword stuck in an upside-down mobile chocolate statue.]
[Gina doesn't even have time to react before the chocolate is upon her! ...And suddenly, the prosecutor himself is in front of her, his blade managing to cleave into the creature and stop it in its tracks. Parts of the chocolate surrounding the blade freeze as the creature struggles. While Gina watches, wide-eyed.]
Y-ya got 'im! ...An'... ya saved me...!
[She's not sure what kind of chocolately attack would have been unleashed, but she doesn't wan to find out either!
In any case, the creature quickly tries to back away and hand-walk its way out of Van Zeiks's blade, while whipping its frozen lower half around like a weapon.]
Thankfully(?), he just manages to yank his sword out of the statue as he dodges backwards to avoid the attack, though he takes a chunk of chocolate with him and renders the weapon half-useless. Hopefully his sudden movement does not topple Gina over as well, who he then may be liable to trip over. He is not used to fighting with a companion in tow... to say the least.]
[With his sudden movement, he does end up bumping into Gina! She manages to stop herself from falling over, but she does so by grabbing onto his cape.]
Easy where you're goin', now!
[And while this is happening, the chocolate Sholmes runs in zigzagging directions away from them, beginning to retreat...]
[Not falling over is a good thing, and van Zieks moves his free arm back to keep both her and himself upright. He keeps his eyes on the fleeing candy man, but with his hands full and his mind once more distracted by the absurdity of the situation, there's not much to be done.]
You—!
[Unbelievable. Failed to defeat a mere piece of chocolate.]
[Gina releases him as she steadies herself... just in time to watch the half-frozen chocolate man retreating on his hands.]
No! That blasted cove... 'E's gettin' away! [Not a best team-up for the duo... She growls as she looks after him, but it doesn't look like there's any catching him now.]
[Van Zieks certainly isn't great at teamwork in the first place, let alone with a colleague he has yet to collaborate with. The man shakes his head, letting out a frustrated sigh of his own.]
Perhaps with some luck it shall encounter someone more capable of apprehending it. ... Or destroying it.
[What a mess!! He glances at his shoulder, still stained with gooey chocolate, and his sword, which he's not going to be able to sheathe until he gets the frozen candy off.]
[She remarks sulkily as she crosses her arms and makes a face. She's feeling a bit disappointed with herself right now.]
Leavin' the dirty work to someone else, that ain't the way a great inspector goes about things. I gotta keep chasin' that cove down 'til I get 'im good.
[As much of a proponent as van Zieks is of doing things himself, this ordeal has proven to be far too much trouble for what he might get out of it. Mere annoyances like a chocolate detective can be dealt with by others... even if it did touch him. Ugh.]
Then consider this a taste of what you must face, and a reminder of your own failings. ... No great inspector earned his skill in a day.
Yeah, yeah, I know... I'm still an apprentice an' all. I'll show ya. I'll work on me skills and bring 'im in! You'll see, ya will! I ain't just a diver no more!
[She says as she tries to pump herself up! Now there's another element to this... She has to prove herself to Van Zeiks.]
[Van Zieks's eyes turn to the girl, and if one happened to know him particularly well, they might even catch a hint of amusement there beneath the scowl.]
Is that so?
[Well, who is he to deny her the challenge? She has yet to show herself as any sort of inspector... but she is still so young, with a long road ahead of her. Let no one say Barok would deny the potential of youth.]
I shall anticipate the day you substantiate those claims.
[These girls and their strange determination to prove themselves to him, honestly...
Van Zieks shakes his head. The reminder of tasks to be done at least gets him to step over to a tree so he can forcefully break the frozen chocolate off his sword, out of the way of any potential passersby.]
Unless that firearm of yours is capable of cleaning clothing or blades as well as it is making a mess of smoke, I should return home.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
early March; in person
Except that Herlock Sholmes is here, and has inflicted his own special magic upon the place, in a manner of speaking.
Somehow, melted chocolate makes for a quieter approach than even some of the more discreet predators, and when the mess of candy that might have once been man-shaped manages to put its gooey hand on the man's coat, he nearly jumps out of it, immediately whirling around and backstepping an impressive distance. When you have legs this long, you might as well use them.]
What in God's name—
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Once she sees the figure in the distance, she quickly ties Toby's leash to a nearby pole to keep him from getting too close, and she rushes forward! And as she makes her move, she realizes that her quarry is squaring off with another familiar face...]
It- it's you! [That so-called Reaper! She quickly looks between the two figures.]
Watch out for that chocolate cove now! That's the great detective's 'andiwork gone rotten!
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Of course it's his. [The statement is practically dripping with disdain. Chocolate. Unbelievable.] What could have possibly been the purpose of this wretched thing?
[He was... a little bit out of it when that orc was about, making these edible sculptures come to life. This is somehow his first encounter with any of the results.]
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It was s'posed to just be a pretty statue, an' tasty too. This big fella was teachin' a bunch of us 'ow to make stuff like this outta chocolate last month. It was just after I arrived in these parts! But Sholmes's... It really got a life of its own, an' it's been on the move ever since!
[As she steps closer, she raises her gas launcher.]
We gotta stop it!
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[Chocosholmes seems aghast at Gina's declaration! Rather, it makes a half-turn towards her as it leans back, melted arms angled outward slightly. Close enough. While van Zieks is never without the sword by his side, he doesn't draw it. He does, however, raise a gloved hand that soon manifests a frosty mist between his curled fingers, his scowl deepening.]
It shall soon regret laying a hand on my coat.
[He doesn't particularly care if it's actually a danger to anybody. Its existence is just awful, and needs to be put down.]
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She still has the gas launcher at the ready, but she doesn't fire just yet. Instead, she's mistified seeing what's being produced by Van Zeiks's fingers.]
Wot're ya doin'? [She wonders uncertainly.]
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He will let his actions speak for themselves. With the same sort of movement he'd use to jab with his blade, he casts that icy air forward like a projectile, aiming to freeze the construction's lower half. They'll see how well it can escape with legs that aren't nearly as fluid.]
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Cor! That- that thing you did! It's even colder than yer glare, it is! [Gina remarks in surprise! The chocolate being's legs sure are frozen.]
Now we got 'im on the ropes! At this point, I just gotta cuff 'im...
[She lowers her gas gun and steps closer to the chocolate being... Only for it to flip over and start running around on its hands!]
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... van Zieks is not in the habit of chasing down criminals, confectionery or otherwise. Thanks to his bewilderment, he hesitates a little too long before throwing another cold blast towards the thing.]
You will not escape!
[He is making promises he can't keep.]
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Oi! That cove's a fast one, 'e is!
[She feels like she has to do something... So she raises her gun and fires out a gas grenade, making a pink cloud around the chocolate Sholmes!]
There! That should make it 'arder for 'im to know where 'e's goin'!
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And for us to predict its movements.
[Although he attempts to discern where the candy creature might be headed, its gummy hands make little sound, and by the time it emerges from the colored smoke and van Zieks throws another blast of cold, it's skittering away at a pace that makes it difficult to nail down.
It doesn't help that Barok can't quite decide if he should take this seriously.]
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[She acknowledges that with a dramatic dip you in her enthusiasm. It's possible that she did not fully think this through!
So she lowers her gun and opts to just shout instructions to the prosecutor.]
C'mon now, you can get 'im! Try aimin: a little higher... No, to your left! Can ya shoot any harder? [Although soon, the Chocolate Sholmes will start dashing right towards Gina!]
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It's more out of instinct than thought that van Zieks darts in front of Gina to block the magical construct's advance, his ice dreamotion channeled into his blade as he draws it and slashes.
He isn't exactly fully thinking this part through, either, but maybe it won't end in disaster. Or maybe he'll just end up with his sword stuck in an upside-down mobile chocolate statue.]
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Y-ya got 'im! ...An'... ya saved me...!
[She's not sure what kind of chocolately attack would have been unleashed, but she doesn't wan to find out either!
In any case, the creature quickly tries to back away and hand-walk its way out of Van Zeiks's blade, while whipping its frozen lower half around like a weapon.]
Watch out for that thing!!
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Thankfully(?), he just manages to yank his sword out of the statue as he dodges backwards to avoid the attack, though he takes a chunk of chocolate with him and renders the weapon half-useless. Hopefully his sudden movement does not topple Gina over as well, who he then may be liable to trip over. He is not used to fighting with a companion in tow... to say the least.]
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[With his sudden movement, he does end up bumping into Gina! She manages to stop herself from falling over, but she does so by grabbing onto his cape.]
Easy where you're goin', now!
[And while this is happening, the chocolate Sholmes runs in zigzagging directions away from them, beginning to retreat...]
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You—!
[Unbelievable. Failed to defeat a mere piece of chocolate.]
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No! That blasted cove... 'E's gettin' away! [Not a best team-up for the duo... She growls as she looks after him, but it doesn't look like there's any catching him now.]
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Perhaps with some luck it shall encounter someone more capable of apprehending it. ... Or destroying it.
[What a mess!! He glances at his shoulder, still stained with gooey chocolate, and his sword, which he's not going to be able to sheathe until he gets the frozen candy off.]
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[She remarks sulkily as she crosses her arms and makes a face. She's feeling a bit disappointed with herself right now.]
Leavin' the dirty work to someone else, that ain't the way a great inspector goes about things. I gotta keep chasin' that cove down 'til I get 'im good.
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Then consider this a taste of what you must face, and a reminder of your own failings. ... No great inspector earned his skill in a day.
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Yeah, yeah, I know... I'm still an apprentice an' all. I'll show ya. I'll work on me skills and bring 'im in! You'll see, ya will! I ain't just a diver no more!
[She says as she tries to pump herself up! Now there's another element to this... She has to prove herself to Van Zeiks.]
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Is that so?
[Well, who is he to deny her the challenge? She has yet to show herself as any sort of inspector... but she is still so young, with a long road ahead of her. Let no one say Barok would deny the potential of youth.]
I shall anticipate the day you substantiate those claims.
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You'll see. That day'll come, an'... an' I'll show ya all the proof ya need!
[With that said, she's not sure what else to say. The chocolate foe got away, the battle is over for now. She shifts and glances around uncertainly.]
Just remember that, alright? So... now that that's all over wiv, wot now? You... uh... need any 'elp with anytin'?
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Van Zieks shakes his head. The reminder of tasks to be done at least gets him to step over to a tree so he can forcefully break the frozen chocolate off his sword, out of the way of any potential passersby.]
Unless that firearm of yours is capable of cleaning clothing or blades as well as it is making a mess of smoke, I should return home.
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