epidemiology | EVENT ★ WINTER WONDERLAND, THE RECKONING

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!

MirrorBowler

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Nonsense. [ Apparently, he's not the only one who's willingly had some of the Nalawi-spiked punch. With her voice comes authority that's fitting for royalty, though there's nothing harsh about it; for once, Lucina's smiling, the corners of her lips curved up as she shakes her head. ] Why would you have to apologize?

[ Sure, these mistletoe are annoying and she's not ... entirely keen on having actions forced upon her, but none of those things are Koltira's fault. A glance at the shimmering barrier up around them now, and then up, at the mistletoe that seems to be shivering just slightly. ]

... Have you any idea what this one's for? [ It kind of looks like the one that she was stuck under with Asher, yet... not.

( Let's go ballroom dancing, Kolts!! ) ]

[ It's true that he did not engineer this situation, but Koltira's also pretty used to taking the blame for things that are totally beyond his control. He's about to say something stupid like 'because I exist', but her question interrupts his brooding line of thought. His ears, sensitive as they are, prick forward towards the little sprig. He thinks he can hear something. ]

I cannot say, but ... I hear bells.

[ He hopes that doesn't sound insane. He hopes she also hears bells. ]

Bells? [ Her eyebrows furrow, looking up at the mistletoe again. Now that she's listening for something, though, she can hear it — the faint jingling that seems to be coming from straight above them, where the sprig is. ]

Oh. I hear them as well. [ Though... what this has to do with the mistletoe is something she has to wonder. ] What could this mean...?

[ The tips of his ears flick back and forth, like a cat bothered by an incessant sound. ]

Perhaps this plant wants something other than a kiss.

[ He's hoping so, anyway. ]

[ She's... known people with big ears, bigger than Koltira, so it's easy to not stare ( mostly because it's probably impolite ). Lucina's eyes stay trained on the plant, eyebrows furrowed. ]

I heard... there were different types. I believe you're right — we have run into a variant? If that is what they can be called...

[ She trails off, listening to the bells as her gaze eventually lowers. ] It kind of sounds like music.

[ Music, huh? Well ... ]

Perhaps you'd care to dance, then.

[ He holds out his gloved hand, his expression still grim. It is not for any distaste towards her, or even towards dancing itself. But he is loathe to press his company on anyone in the first place, and this situation couldn't be more forced. ]

It'd be an honor. [ She's not one to smile — but during these holidays, it's becoming more and more a regular occurrence. Especially with the grim expression Koltira wears; it's time to turn that frown upside down.

Lucina reaches out, only to pause, hesitate ( her manners! ), and give a small curtsy before finally taking his hand. Her mother wouldn't have approved if she forgot. The other hand, once she's close enough, rests on top of his shoulder. ]

[ He curls his fingers against hers, though he keeps the pressure between them light. His other hand goes to her waist, albeit barely, his thumb all but ghosts against the fabric of her dress. ]

I wouldn't go that far.

[ He leads her into a small waltz, constrained as they are by the limits of the barrier. His steps are quick and delicate, though they're mostly just moving in a circle. ]

[ At his words, a small frown crosses her features, eyebrows furrowing. ] Nonsense.

You sell yourself short. [ She's dancing with a friend, after all — it is an honor, no matter which way she tries to look at it.

( It's definitely the punch, that helps her say exactly what she wants to say. But at the same time, Lucina wouldn't exactly hold her tongue concerning matters like this, either ). ] Do you enjoy dancing, Koltira?

[ Koltira's not the most self-aware man in the multiverse, but even he knows it ain't cute to mope endlessly when someone's trying to pay you a compliment. So he lets it go.

The barrier's fallen by now, but he's carried on dancing, leading her out onto the floor with light, practiced steps. ]

I did, once. A long time ago.

[ The corner of her eyes catch the shimmering fading, as if they weren't there in the first place. Lucina is more than content to dance with him, joining the rest of the dancers in the hall. ]

A long time ago...

[ The first question she wants to ask is "what happened", but perhaps there will be a better time for that. ]

How about recently?

[ He picks up the pace once they have more freedom to move, his steps not frenetic but more expansive, less deliberate. He remembers doing this nearly every night of his life while he was alive--and not deployed. The nobility threw constant feasts, banquets, balls, and so on. Any excuse to celebrate, from birthdays to harvests to simply someone receiving a particularly fine new dress.

He smiles thinly as he leads her this way and that. ]

Recently, I have not had much opportunity. Dancing is an idle pastime. A luxury. One even we cannot often afford.

... I suppose you're right.

[ The last time she has danced like this, after all, feels like it's been nearly a life time ago. When she was a child, following Olivia's steps with her brother, one foot at a time.

Even since her arrival here, they haven't exactly had much time to dance. Maybe that's why ALASTAIR is so keen on making sure everyone makes the most out of this opportunity — even if it's forcing them into it. ] Then we'll have to take advantage of this while we can.

[ Spoken matter-of-factly, as she matches his steps. They start to travel across the room more freely, which means her attention begins to slip more towards how her feet move, rather than her conversation/dance partner. ]

EVENT ★ WINTER WONDERLAND, THE RECKONING

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