Fifth Gate: Rock Lee Vs. Santa Claus [Action/Accidental Video]

[niceguypose]

[Christmas Eve. The dawn of a new day. A day on which Rock Lee is determined to either overcome this legendary ninja known as Santa Claus that he has head of - or to become him.]

[Action: Morning - Afternoon]

[Rock Lee wakes up to a hearty breakfast. An extremely hearty one. There he is, just packing on a giant cornucopia of healthy-ish breakfast foods to chow down on. Afterwards, he primarily works out during the day time to prepare himself for that night's trials, and but he also takes care to follow his elf's last instructions. As he works out or follows these instructions, he may just find himself stuck under some mistletoe. And he has no idea what to do.

He also spends some time playing in the snow, after the elf's last instruction is a reminder to appreciate his youth. But it becomes bittersweet when he erects a snow reconstruction of this man's head. He spends some time lingering, staring at the smiling snow face in an oddly somber mood, before he moves on.]



[Action: Evening-Night]

[He makes the final preparations and sets off around 9 PM, garbed in a makeshift Santa costume. This includes a fake, fluffy white beard, the red suit and hat, and some weights wrapped around his stomach to make him look rotund. However, his bushy eyebrows still stick out like a sore thumb.

He will attempt to visit every occupied space in Luceti to drop off any sort of gift. Some are specific, while others will be Special Wayfinder shells that Sora helped him to craft. If there really is no way into a specific room or structure, he may eventually give up and leave the present at the door instead.

Throughout the night, he sees the signs of Santa's presence. Every place he visits, someone has beaten him to delivering the presents. And sometimes he can hear the man's sleigh somewhere in the air, but he can never quite spot him. Lee still cries out for him regardless.]



[Action: Middle of the Night]

[His task is over. Lee is not sure whether to count it as a victory or as a failure. But one thing's for sure; someone left eggnog instead of milk for Santa. So a drunk Lee winds up wandering the plaza from 3-5 AM, challenging anyone who may be around to a battle.]



[Accidental Video: Christmas Day]

[He stumbles into his room around 6 AM and collapses at the feet of his Christmas tree, being passed out until the afternoon. Lee wakes up to see a present tucked under his arm. There are a few holes poked in the box, but some stirring within... signs of life? He quickly takes apart the box, hoping whatever's in there is still alive.

And once it is opened, a familiar squirrel scampers up his arm and onto his shoulder. Lee finds himself smiling fondly.]

Ah... Could it be? After all this time... [He reaches over to pet the squirrel, smiling brightly.] It is good to see you again, old friend. I am glad you are well. Thank you, Santa-sama... so very much!

Comments

Christmas Day

[screw_fate]

[Hearing Lee's voice, Neji looks in on him -- with his arms folded and a little puff of white fur tucked in the crook of one elbow.]

So you're finally awake.

Christmas Day

[niceguypose]

[He hops to his feet eagerly to face Neji with a smile.]

Neji! A most merry Christmas! Do you know there is a mass of fur in your arm? Behold my new friend! [He said, excitedly pointing towards the squirrel on his shoulder.]

[screw_fate]

I am well aware. I'm not entirely sure what I'm expected to do with her. [At least, he thinks it's a her. Figuring out on a long-hair kitten is not really easily, and he's not fond of spending too long contemplating the nether regions of his unexpected new pet.]

Your new friend is a squirrel?

[niceguypose]

You are expected to care for her! What is her name?

And... ah. This is actually an old friend, come back for me! I met him years ago, back during the exam.

[endgames]

[So the Battle Dome is shockingly dome shaped. Round and no openings but the front entrance. Who knew?]

[niceguypose]

[Santa did. Rock Lee still spends some time checking around the dome for any method of entry that he over looked. But he knows that he cannot dawdle too long, so he eventually relents and heads for the front door, but in a distinctly ninja-like manner. He opens the door, rolls in and tosses a small log in a random direction, in hopes that it will somehow act as a substitute for a substitution jutsu.

Then he leaps to his feed, peers around curiously, before heading in the direction of the one patient here whom he knows of, while in full Santa garb.]

[endgames]

[how is that discreet you just threw a log]

[niceguypose]

[It's the thought that counts. Or so he thinks. So he makes his way over to the medical area, crawling along the ground, and he attempts to peer into Shikamaru's room for signs of pineapple-haired life.]

Late Night

[windandrain]

[Saori makes it a point to sit up until Lee's arrival, not wishing for the deadly magical defenses that she'd placed on the house to ward against intrusion to trigger on the earnest young man. Christmas or no, there were still threats she did not want anywhere near House 44, so turning them off for the evening was out of the question.

She kept her journal nearby, and waited for the telltale signs of someone on the roof]

Late Night

[niceguypose]

[Lee does indeed make his way to the roof and looked for a chimney to enter through. His journal was on hand, but at the same time he kind of wanted to make a try at those said defenses first...]

Late Night

[windandrain]

[House 44 does indeed have a chimney, though it was particularly heavily defended. Anyone entering might find themselves caught in a wind trap that would hurl them high into the air. Pressing farther than that would set off wind chimes in Saori's room, waking the goddess anywhere in the house...

Forcing farther still would trigger ritual spells and sigils that had trapped potent bolts of natural lightning, enough to send hundreds of amps worth of energy into any fool who'd try and go that far despite being warned twice.

Hopefully Lee can take a hint!]

Late Night

[niceguypose]

[Lee starts to climb down the chimney, and the burst of wind does indeed toss him upwards.]

Ah! Such an impressive display of might...

[But that's just enough to seem like a challenge, so he endures against the wind and continues climbing down, soon setting off the wind chimes. Although that would worry him if he could hear it.]

[merelychewed]

[Every occupied space?

That's one hell of a goal, especially since one of those spaces just so happens to be a dark and ominous cave in the mountains! Why would anyone want to give a Christmas present to a dragon, anyway? That's like Hard Mode Santa right there.]

[niceguypose]

[Oh, there's no way Lee would go for Hard Mode. Because he's Insane Mode Santa. Not only is he scaling the mountain to find this cave, but he's doing so while towing a dragon-sized set of mittens that dangle from a cable he's wrapped around his midsection, which already has weights wrapped around it. Even in the winter cold, he's starting to build up a sweat.]

[merelychewed]

[I think the real important question here is where did he even find mittens that size?

That's not normal.

In any case, when Lee finally does reach the cave, he'll find two things. The first, the cavern mouth is actually in a small valley with a slightly more convenient, if still winding and long, route up from the hot springs. The second? The little snowy valley has a big lumpy rock in it, suspiciously not snow-covered, but it doesn't block the cave, so who cares, right?]

[niceguypose]

[Lee does care about all of his finding! As he makes his way up the way from the hot springs, he does indeed stop to investigate the big rock for clues. But he's careful not to dawdle too long; coming up here is already threatening his schedule badly enough.]

action; afternoon

[oftheyin]

[While out, Ran Fan can't help but notice the snowhead. She stared at it for a moment before noticing Lee there.]

Lee? [Looking at the snowhead again... it did hold a resemblance to Lee. Maybe it was his father.]

action; afternoon

[niceguypose]

[He turns to face Ran Fan, trying to keep on a happy face, aside from some snot dripping from his nose. He bows politely to her.]

Ran Fan-san! I hope you are having a most pleasant holiday season.

action;

[oftheyin]

Lee? Is something the matter? [He doesn't look too good right now.]

tag four days later...

[weaponry]

[ Santa entered her room. She knows this is it! Her big question on whether or not she's naughty or nice! She's been awake a little past her bedtime just for this moment.

She immediately rushes to the location on where she heard the entrance, only to stop dead in her tracks and look at "Santa". Those bushy eyebrows were unmistakable. ]

Lee-! What are you doing in that outfit?! [ She's leaning towards summoning a razor to take care of that facial hair. Oi, boy. ]

well done

[niceguypose]

[Lee coughs and stares at Tenten for a moment, then he tries speaking in as deep a voice as he can.]

Ah... Ahohoho! Why, dearest little Tenten... It is I, Santa-sama!

Re: well done

[weaponry]

[ Tenten's eyes flutter about. She says nothing while staring directly at Lee's snout.
Her gaze travels to his frilly white beard, then a glance at his stomach confirmed that she has rightfully feared.
Another check towards his red suit, hat, and coat and Tenten realizes that he's probably his elf's goat.
But, still, the biggest offense of them all were those massive eyebrows that will never be a size too small!
Her own brows angrily cross as she tells Lee off for impersonating her moral boss. ]

I'm not dumb, Lee! Why would Santa's beard not match his eyebrows?!

[ And then, her devious mind works quick. She thinks of a delightfully manipulative trick.
She turns her back in indignation to the wall. There's only one chance and she has to give it her all! ]

Guy-sensei would be so ashamed right now-! [ With a dramatic throw of her arm over her forehead, she acts faint and limp like she needs some rest in bed. ]

action; morning

[gleamed]

[As Rock Lee goes about the village, he just might come across Rapunzel in a doorway. Any doorway. And she seems to be stuck there! It's rather odd that she can't move at all, but she could use a hand here...]

action; morning

[niceguypose]

[He is jogging through the snow when he spots her in the doorframe of the bakery, and he cautiously approaches, immediately feeling concern.]

Rapunzel-san! Are you in need of assistance?

action; morning

[gleamed]

Oh, hello, Rockly! [She offers him a beaming grin, before glancing up at that odd plant in the door frame again.]

Um, yes, I suppose I am...I don't seem to be able to move from this spot!