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

winterballl

[predomination]

[all right, so Urahara cannot avoid this all night, because while generally unpleasant, he does not intend to break someone's heart about this whole silly affair tonight (or at least that's what he's telling himself), so eventually he tracks down his so-called "blind date."

and he could almost laugh when it finally connects in his mind where he's heard that particular name before. Uruz sent him his way when the translators were broken, and here they are again.

funny how that happened.]

My, my... I'm beginning to think someone in Audentes deeply enjoys shoving us together. [he even picked up an apple off the table for old times' sake. you know, just in case his stunning (not) personality and the fact that he isn't wearing his hat makes him unrecognizable or something.]

[prodigism]

[ Ah, yeah, sorry Urahara. Arima totally didn't sign himself up for this at all, but that's how the christmas cookie crumbles. He does recognize the man immediately upon him showing up next to him though. ]

I'm not sure who to really blame for this whole ordeal. [ Arima is easily seen as the type to not participate in these sorts of things. ]

But it's a pleasure speaking with you again.

[predomination]

[he considers that for a moment.] Well, I think Shuyi-san was responsible for mine, so I suppose you'll have to think about which of your acquaintances would most like to embarrass you.

[he shrugs, helplessly, and rubs the back of his neck.] But I suppose we can humor them for a little while, anyway, since they went to all that trouble.

[prodigism]

[ Arima doesn't mind it, but then again he really doesn't mind much. Though he's certain Haise would never pull something like this and he's not sure out of the people he's met who would go through the trouble... ]

I don't have any plans. [ Mr. popular here gotta slow down and make room in his schedule for this. ]

I'm not familiar with this sort of thing...so we'll just have to wing it.

[ He don't even care. He never had time for dating back home so he has literally no clues on how to do this. ]

[predomination]

[well, there went his plans of just following his lead. not that he doesn't mind having a bit more control over things, especially with that cat keychain weighing heavily in his pocket, reminding him of Yoruichi. if she were to walk in on him embarrassing himself, he'd never live it down.

not that he really believes she'll show up. that's just wishful thinking.] You're not? I admit it's been awhile for me, but...

[but never?]

[prodigism]

[ Arima just shrugs his shoulders silently. ]

There wasn't much time to think about things like this.

[ He had a revolution to start and cultivate after all. Most of his time was dedicated to the CCG and whatever they told him to do. He was, after all, just a weapon created by them to serve and protect the higher ups. ]

So unfortunately I don't have a mind for it. If you wish to part ways that's fine as well. [ Arima knows he's really not the best of company, given his guarded and closed off nature to literally everything that breathes and has a mind to ask about his personal life. /sweats ]

[predomination]

[and now we know why Dagny set these two up. it's a clusterfuck of being closed off about personal issues]

No, no.. I think I absolutely have to show you a good time now, just to give you the experience. Do you mind the cold?

[he's going somewhere with this.]

[prodigism]

[ Urahara please?! Arima's deadpan expression doesn't show his thoughts very well, but he's not entirely sure what to think right now. He wasn't expecting the other man to really take it seriously!? ]

I don't. [ Just gonna leave it at that. Whatever the other is planning...he won't contest it. He'll go along with it for now. It's not as if he was doing much at the party by himself anyway. ]

[predomination]

[to be fair, this is probably going to be less of a "romantic excursion meant to warm the heart and give him the dating experience of a lifetime" and more "Urahara wanted to do something, and if he needs to do it under the guise of being a romantic about it, so be it.]

Good, because I heard about that item Team Hearthstone brought back, and I'm interested in seeing what it does.

[prodigism]

Item? [ Arima might raise a brow slightly at that. You've piqued his interest as well. ] From Perdition's Rest you mean?

[ What could it be? He can only imagine. ]

[predomination]

Oh no, this is another team on some other mission. Clearly, it must have gone much better than ours, since all we got for our troubles were jars of irate Taraxa and a lot of unfortunate information.

[glad he has Arima's attention, he begins to move through the crowd, leading the way.] I heard the item was called a "Time Catch." Very curious.

[prodigism]

Time catch, huh? [ It sounds dangerous. Anything dealing with time can't be any good, at least that's how Arima sees it. But regardless of the danger he follows the other, if only out of curiosity and needing to escape the crowd of people. ]

Who else knows about this aside from you?

[predomination]

Hmm. [Urahara taps his chin thoughtfully as he leads.] I don't think it was a secret, but I don't think it's nearly as interesting as what's going on in here, so I doubt there'll be that many people out there.

[prodigism]

That depends on one's tastes. [ Arima totally doesn't get the whole party thing. Then again being social means being a normal human, which he is not, so maybe that's why. ]

I find this new information more interesting, honestly.

[predomination]

No other way to know unless we find out, hmm? [he folds his arms behind his back.] I feel the same. I've always been curious what the other teams get up to while we're running around.

[prodigism]

That's very true. [ No truer words have ever been spoken. ]

I don't recall if anyone ever told me about there being teams aside from us. It makes one curious why they keep us apart, instead of allowing us to collaborate.

[predomination]

I've wondered about that myself, but given how disjointed we are as a team, I can see why it might make things even more complicated if we threw even more differing opinions into the mix.

[he leads him outside into the cold night air, moving down the path that leads into the village.] Still. It would be nice to collaborate with the more experienced.

[prodigism]

It would make our missions go more smoothly at least. But with mistakes comes learning, and I'm sure that was their intentions from the start.

[ Still he's somewhat a perfectionist when it comes to carrying out orders so it doesn't really sit well with him. But there's not much to be done about it now. ]

That aside I can't grasp why they wouldn't allow us to see or learn from more experienced personnel. [ It makes little sense to him as someone who has trained countless people and held a leading position over many groups of people. ]

[predomination]

We are sort of the unexpected stepchildren of the whole bunch. [he folds his arms behind his head.] Maybe they just don't want to mess with a bunch of unwilling recruits who might not take this seriously enough.

[annoying, especially considering the amount of their number who do want to help, but he can imagine ALASTAIR's loyalty runs deep, and a lot of the Audentes don't trust them at all. that would put a damper on any kind of relationship.]

[prodigism]

However there are some who are willing and with capabilities well within their rights to be given information so as to help.

[ Lumping them all together was not something Arima was fond of. Back at home people had done that with ghouls and instead of trying to understand them and work out some means of peace, eradication was all that was planned instead. ]

Then...we should start looking for ways to earn their trust. Or at least show them that some of us are serious.

[predomination]

I'm doing my best. I even turned over those Taraxa I captured without so much as a fuss about it. It would have saved me a lot of work if I had kept even one, but I didn't want them to think I was being sneaky.

[not much can be done about that really, but any further thoughts on the subject are banished as the village comes into view, a haunting illusion of life where once was nothing but remnants. it feels odd against his senses. the spiritual signature is the same as always, making it really seem like a haven for ghosts.] My, my... It's even more haunting than I imagined.