EVENT ★ WINTER WONDERLAND, THE RECKONING

[futurologists]

HAPPY (NONDENOMINATIONAL) HOLIDAYS When recruits arrive back at Oska, they'll find the place already full of other ALASTAIR teams visiting Oska, and the castle and grounds entirely decked out in festive cheer. The castle is draped in purple and white finery, with a light dusting of unmelting snow everywhere -- even inside, somehow. Don't worry, the indoor snow has been enchanted to be strangely warm. Dagny has taken it upon herself to add a little plant life in and around the castle: mistletoe, of course. It can be spotted growing in little sprigs out of chinks in castle walls, around from wooden doorframes, or even sprouting out of other, unrelated trees. You're never really safe from mistletoe. And what would the use of mistletoe be without the enchantment? Dagny has made sure that there are enough variant species of the mistletoe to offer something for everyone. Recruits may find themselves stuck under any manner of mistletoe, trapped until they fulfill the mistletoe geas. The Classic: This is the standard magical mistletoe, that traps people in a lightly shimmering sphere until they exchange a kiss. Any kind of kiss will do, just pucker up! The Papilion: This is similar to the classic, but its berries come in brilliant shades of orange and pink. It will only release its catch after a butterfly kiss. Clinging Merriment: This mistletoe is all wrapped up in itself, and climbs whatever surface it's on in twisting spirals. All it wants from its catch is a hug, but make it a good one! The Lively Stepper: This mistletoe seems to shiver in some unfelt breeze, and if you listen closely enough, there's a gentle chime of bells that fades when you lean away from it again. People stuck under this plant will have to dance together, to whatever music they can find or make. Whispering Mary: This mistletoe comes with deep purple leaves and seems to hide within itself. Only after a secret has been shared from each person trapped under it will it flower open and release them. Evening Gown: This mistletoe is a gaudy display, with brilliant green leaves and splendid white blossoms instead of berries. It will only release its catch after they compliment each other -- and the Evening Gown always knows when it hears a genuine compliment, and accepts no substitutions! Catflowers: Dagny didn't put this kind out, and has named them after the suspected perpetrators. She's been trying to take them down when she finds them, but there might be a few she's missed. This thorny sprig of mistletoe will only release its catch after they've punched each other. Sorry about that. THE WINTER BALL Exciting news, passed from recruit to recruit and team to team: the castle will host a ball soon! It's set to be on the second night of team Audentes's arrival in Oska, and it's going to be a truly extravagant affair. Nothing to wear? No fear! The wardrobes in each recruit's room will open upon an enormous display of fancy clothing in a multitude of styles. Once you've settled on one (and somehow, the wardrobe knows the difference between trying on and settling on), the rest of the outfits vanish the next time it's closed. The festivities start as soon as the sun begins to sink. Music filters through the air, growing louder to guide partygoers through the castle and into the dance hall, which was definitely not a room in existence until today. The music flows from no discernable source, sometimes swirling orchestral pieces, sometimes something with a heavier beat, for a different kind of dancing. The selection is as varied as the ALASTAIR teams tend to be. Listen long enough, and you might even hear something from your own home universe. A large glass flower shimmers in the center of the room, under which various recruits have taken to leaving presents for one another. Be sure to stop by and check the brightly wrapped parcels for your name! Team Audentes in particular gets a special gift. The north side of the room is decorated in an unmistakable Christmas theme, complete with an enormous, glittering tree. The care put into these decorations definitely has a personal touch, it might even outshine the rest of the hall's decor. Each member of the team has a lovingly wrapped box complete with a bow under this tree, and upon opening it will find a small, intricately detailed, never-melting ice sculpture of themselves -- very possibly in a ridiculous pose. Those who were acquainted with former teammate Nicholas St. North will find that their sculpture features two figures: themselves, and North himself. And of course, what party would be complete without the food? The kitchen has really outdone itself with its spread of delicious foods, suited to all appetites and palates. From gently steaming roasted bird to strangely colored foreign piles of tiny quivering spheres, there's something for everyone. Including the alcoholics among us: the punch is delicately spiked with that incredibly strong drink of Nalawi, which leaves a pleasantly fruity aftertaste and an immediate alcoholic burn. (Any children partaking will find that their cups have somehow filtered out any alcohol and are strangely juice-only.) ICE MAZE Outside the castle, the courtyard has been transformed. Giant shimmering ice walls have sprung up seemingly overnight, forming endless, winding pathways: an ice maze. Stepping into this beautiful, gleaming maze immediately cuts off all sound from the castle life around, so loud just a moment ago. Inside the maze is only the crunch of light snow underfoot, the sound of one's own breathing, and the echoes that bounce faintly here and there. Throughout the maze one might find bits of warm, inviting clothing. A pair of bright red mittens, a puffy coat that fits perfectly to the wearer, a scarf woven in brightly colored, warm wool. If a maze-goer chooses to ignore and walk past this clothing, they might find that something begins to follow them. It starts as just an unsettling feeling, but put off accepting the clothing for long enough and it may turn into lurking shadows in the corner of an eye, a black shape that's there in one second and vanished in the next. A faint yowl may float down a corridor, vaguely feline if only it weren't so deep. Whatever that came from must have been large. Accepting and wearing just one of the offered clothing chases away this unwanted visitor immediately, and in just five minutes more the ice maze will finally bring you out the other side. Don't take any of its gifts, though, and the maze may just lead you to meet the Yuletide Cat instead. (Which just so happens to be Cherenkov and Crowley sharing a giant cat costume. Don't laugh, they worked hard on it.) THE VILLAGE Far outside the castle, the village has been brought back to warm, glowing life. Or at least, that seems to be the case. Team Hearthstone was recently on a mission to recover an item called the Time Catch, and has used it to temporarily, visually turn time back to a time when the village of Oska was populated and lively. Humanoid villagers, all in various shades of purple and blue, hurry to and fro, talking and laughing in a language that goes untranslated by the magitek jewelry. They don't react to any of the recruits, though, and trying to touch any of them will have your hands passing straight through them. Even the restored village around them is just an illusion. One can walk straight into one of the villager's houses and find the warmth of the fire and aroma of the roasted fowl to be completely believable -- but trying to take a seat at the set table will send you crashing straight to the ground to sit in the illusion-covered rubble. THE SQUIDGE PARK After the festivities wind down, you may want to visit the newest addition to the Oska grounds -- the brand new squidge park. After Audentes's success in its mission on Zeta-12, ALASTAIR has been gifted with a clutch of squidge eggs to look after. Audentes need not worry about the squidges in their absence; there will always be someone in Oska to make sure the jelly-like aliens are being nurtured properly. The squidge park is located off the greenhouses in the courtyard; it's an enclosure containing many artificial habitats so the squidges may interact with different environments to help them grow. Right now, they are just eggs, but with enough love and care, they may "hatch" (read: their amorphous blob selves will grow limbs and enter the larval stage) before Audentes even ships out again. OOC NOTES Blind date assignments for those working to complete the Lonely Hearts Club bounty can be found here. ICly, the match-ups are publicly posted in the ballroom for all to see. The other ALASTAIR teams present consist of everything from humanoids to strange creatures; feel free to handwave them in your threads! The only stipulation is that transferred characters (ex. those who have dropped) are not present. The party lasts for one night, and the following day the rest of the teams will pack up and leave Oska to Audentes. The ghostly village-that-isn't will revert back to ruins at this point, as well. However, all other winter amenities will remain for the holidays! Following the party, characters can expect to be in Oska for several more weeks, with the next mission starting in late January. A more detailed calendar for next month will be up soon! Questions about this log, Oska, or the game in general should be directed to the FAQ. You may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Comments

[moneyballer]

[Asher is currently too drunk to function, as has meandered away from anyone who has been humoring him for the past half an hour. The snow distracts him too, beautiful but not quite like the stuff back at Middleton, which is usually littered with plastic and empty beer cans. Clad in his hideous Christmas apparel, he finds himself stuck underneath the plant as well.]

Oh...!

[His eyes focus first on Lucina as his mouth hangs open in hesitation. How could he have missed that very familiar yuletide blessing up above?

God, this unbelievably awkward, all things considered.]

Yikes.

[tolight]

[ This is fine, Lucina can be stone cold sober for the both of them.

At least it's a familiar face ( is that a blessing, though ), rather than a complete stranger. Though, she can smell the alcohol reeking from him now, in close proximity — Gods, will he be alright? ] Asher.

[ It's a greeting, of sorts, even if her eyebrows furrow at the all too honest "Yikes". She's going to believe that it wasn't directed at her, and — ] ... Do you know which mistletoe this is?

[ Because she knows they're Around, she just has no idea what they do. ]

[moneyballer]

[He notices her wince and promptly covers his mouth with a closed fist, clearing his throat.]

It's just mistletoe, why-

There are others?

[OH GOD IF THEY'RE FROZEN HERE

WHAT IF THERE'S ONE WHERE U HAVE 2 TOUCH A TITTY OR SOMETHIN 2 B FREE]

[tolight]

I've heard there are... multiple kinds? Though, it's my first time coming across anything like this...

[ ... But it looks like Asher has an idea of what's going on?? Maybe?? ] Perhaps if you're familiar with them, it wouldn't hurt to try whatever it is that... you normally need to do. [ How bad could it be — famous last words. ]

[moneyballer]

Oh, uh...

[His posture seems to convey a vague mixture of emotions. On one hand, seeing the familiar leaves and red berries is comforting, as this is a piece of foliage he also encounters in his own world.

Space, fighting, aliens... They're not really his jam, as exciting as it all is.]

This looks a lot like the kind you get in my world. It's an excuse to kiss somebody, basically.

I'm sorry. It doesn't seem like you're the type of gal who's into this sort of stuff.

[tolight]

[ Space and aliens aren't really her jam, either — really, it's just fighting, but even then she'd probably prefer living in a world where you didn't have to worry about any of that stuff.

She looks back up at the leaves, before what Asher says hits full force; the reaction is immediate, a faint shade of pink coloring her cheeks. ] ... A kiss?

... I. [ Just to double check, she tries moving her feet again — nope. Nothing. Accepting fate in 3, 2, 1... ] There's no need to apologize.

So a kiss, then? [ Straight 2 business. ] Are there any... other conditions that you know of?

[moneyballer]

[She's pretty cute when she turns red, mostly because her countenance is typically so serious. Lucina is always ready to get down to business, and while Asher admires that, it also makes him wonder.

Has she ever had time for fun?

His nose wrinkles as he gestures with one hand, palm upturned.]

You don't have to kiss on the mouth, if you don't want to.

[Honestly, he'd much rather not.

If that happens, he has a feeling that the ground will open up and swallow him whole.]

[tolight]

[ To answer Asher's meta: very rarely.

But ah — suddenly the intimidating nature of the kiss is a lot less intimidating. Mostly because kissing isn't something Lucina indulges in on the regular ( read: ever ), and definitely not because Asher's repulsive.

Her shoulders relax, ever so slightly. ] Oh. [ In that case —

She raises herself up to her tip-toes, carefully balanced before she leans forward, leaving a quick kiss on his cheek. Normally she'd be shy about that, too, but compared to the realization she may have had to actually kiss someone literally seconds ago, this is nothing in comparison.

Merry Christmas, drunk Asher!! ]

[moneyballer]

[Lucina's forthright behavior takes him by surprise. His pale cheeks turn pink almost instantly, and for a moment, even he is startled by his own embarrassment.

Asher takes one step back only to slip and slide on the icy ground below them, losing all balance. He falls onto his back with a thud, wincing at the sharp hint of pain.]

Ohhhhh my god.

[His ass is fat enough to cushion the blow, however slightly. He may now have a bruise on the right buttock now, though, yikes.]

Can we just pretend that never happened?

[Him falling, that is. The kiss? The kiss was fine.]

[tolight]

Pretend— [ The thing about communication — it doesn't always come off as intended. She has, fortunately, had years of masking away feelings, so it's easy to keep a neutral face, but...

Maybe she should have at least mentioned something before kissing him like that. It is supposed to be an intimate gesture, after all, maybe not everyone appreciates wanting to get out of the barrier ( which is gone, by this point ), as soon as possible. Or something.

She reaches out, offering a hand for him to take. ] We can, if that's what you'd prefer.

Are you alright?

1/? this is so stupid im sorry

[moneyballer]

[she's so..... princely ♥♥♥♥♥♥]

2/?

[moneyballer]

[waIT A MINUTE SNAP OUT OF IT, MILLSTONE]

3/3

[moneyballer]

[He takes her hand almost reluctantly, feeling ashamed of himself... Being wooed by Lucina's gentlemanly ways-]

Yeah, I'm good.

[Even though his ass is still a little sore.]

It's just... It's been a while, alright? I'm off my game.

[She may notice that his ears are a little red.]

[tolight]

[ What is this cute thread wtf

The least she can do is quietly turn a blind eye to the red ears, instead letting go of his hand once he's standing up properly. A quick glance tells her the shimmering barrier is gone ( thank Naga... ), so she turns back to Asher. ]

It's not a problem. I hope it wasn't... too alarming.

[moneyballer]

[Not as alarming as the shade of red his cheeks are turning.]

Pfffft-

[ur overcompensating, and spitting

gross]

No way, dawg. Heh, it's not like I'm a virgin.

[stop t a l k i n g]

[tolight]

...

[ The punch line of the joke: Lucina definitely is.

Not that she's ever going to tell him this, because this probably isn't something she just tells... anyone... But she probably makes it obvious enough in the way her ears turn red, and immediately looks away.

Clears her throat, etc. ] I see.

... It appears that we can move freely again. Is there something you wanted to see? [ QUICK CHANGE THE TOPIC. ]

1/?

[moneyballer]

[At first he's eager to change the topic, to move on from this chaotic disaster of a conversation-]

2/?

[moneyballer]

[Then he watches the way her cheeks color and the way her face changes,]

3/4

[moneyballer]

[and suddenly realizes he's made a grave mistake.]

4/4

[moneyballer]

Not that it's you know, not cool to be a virgin-

[tolight]

Yes, of course — [ Because oh god he definitely found out and this has definitely gotten a lot more embarrassing... The color creeps down her cheeks, and she's trying really hard to avoid Asher's gaze.

...

Only she's also out of things to say now that her attempt at changing the topic went out the window. ]

[moneyballer]

[his lips are moving but u can literally see his life flashing b4 his googly eyes]

Well obviously, for you, it had to have been a personal choice...!

[tolight]

[ "A personal choice".

And just past the embarrassment, there's a pang. He genuinely and truly believes it; that she had someone to love, time she could indulge herself with, a world that wasn't on her shoulders from the moment her father died. It's not quite anger she feels — he has no idea, after all, how could he — but rather a sadness she never thought she'd feel. A yearning for the things that she never thought she'd miss in the first place.

At the same time, though, she's a princess — she knows better than to let this kind of emotion show, and the embarrassment she feels slowly turns into something she's more comfortable with: neutrality. Hopefully the silence wasn't too long, and hopefully her voice doesn't sound any more than contemplative when she speaks again: ] Yes, I suppose in one way, it is.

[ It's not something she's super keen on discussing though, so once more, she tries again — ] Have you seen the castle grounds before?

[moneyballer]

[Asher is not that bright in some respects, but emotions and sympathy he does very well.

He grew up in a very political family, so he's watched his mother and father do the same thing many times. Now he knows that some of their reasons were more sinister, and understands that his father would often channel anger or disdain into polite chit-chat and nothingness. Her tone is so bereft of anything at all that it strikes him as a real change of pace, and the sadness sobers him up a bit too.]

No, not really.

[Considering everything that he's just said, it would probably be best to leave her, but he's bad at that.

He can't leave anyone alone when they're this upset.]

Do you wanna go?

[tolight]

[ Leaving him alone isn't something she was entertaining in the first place. Her sadness has nothing to do with him, after all, aside from the fact that he was the one who brought it up ( or maybe he was, but Lucina's not blaming Asher in the slightest ).

So the offer is taken up with a smile and a nod, straightening up properly and taking a step away from him. ] Some fresh air would be nice, if you're not opposed.

I believe I've heard mentions of a village nearby.