epidemiology | EVENT ★ WINTER WONDERLAND, THE RECKONING

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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

( there's no such thing as too many, Dany. a dance is a dance, and if it makes you happy, your current company hopes you dance and dance until your feet are so sore you might need to be carried to bed. they all need a bit more happiness, don't they? their work has been anything but easy, no matter how long one has been a member.

a slower song. the tempo of this one is bright and lively, up and down and over and over, like rainfall. he likes faster, actually, it's a challenge to keep up and often it's less a feat of skill and more one of tenacity. still, he can manage a spot of patience.)

All right. This one is likely nearly through. ( the short ones never lasted long. he keeps her hand, though, attention focusing on his company over the dancefloor. ) Have you enjoyed the celebration?

[ The red, heeled shoes she wears have granted her some inches on his height, though he dwarfs her still. ]

It is lovely, [ she admits. It has been refreshing to be among so many who do not care how she appears, though she has danced and woven her way along the floor with relative grace, as she is wont to do. ] I have been remiss in dancing, when I might have done it before. [ She could not have done it and kept the presence she required, though if she were to have done it, no person could have stopped her. ]

I am much younger tonight, [ she teases, stepping closer. The song is on its last notes, and she is grateful. The instruments used are overwhelming. ] You must forgive me my whims, for I am only a young girl.

( he'll likely tower over her no matter the shoes she wears. that's less a statement on his height and more a lack of her own. Daenerys can convincingly project the air of a queen no matter how many feet she has to her name, yet her slight stature does make her seem younger to him, somehow.

which makes her words a little ironic, really. there's a light note to her tone, she's joking, yet her words are honestly reality, aren't they? she is quite young. he's seen a version of her younger, and he knows that life had changed her from a frightened girl to a confident woman. a part of him wishes she did not have to play at a childhood she had to depart from quickly. he can wish, but time has already left its mark. )

I believe I asked you to dance. My whims are the ones at fault, at least today. ( she is happy and he is happy, too. showing it is more difficult for him, but there's a hint of a smile if she cares to note it. ) Though I am certain I'm just as old as I was before.

[ She smiles, safely ensconced in a joy she cannot remember feeling. There are no regrets tonight; only a delicate young woman whose best and worst qualities are embodied by the color she wears. ]

You are not old, [ she protests, moving to place her free hand onto his shoulder as new, slower strains begin. She knows fully well what he said; it is meant playfully. ] Dance with me. We shall grow younger together.

[ She speaks with the utmost confidence, as though he need only fall into step. Her ears are no longer rushing, she thinks, before rising on her toes (with some difficulty) to be closer to his ear. ] Will you swear to keep my secrets?

( his regrets are not so easy to let go of, even for a night. even without a heart, they tend to follow him always, shadows even in a moment so bright one wouldn't think they could still manage to flower. he can't escape them, but he can move away from them, and he's doing his best to do just that tonight.

he's older than he looks, by a fair margin. sixty, maybe nearer to seventy now. a curse frozen in time does that to you. he can't promise that he'll be any younger once their steps are through, though his body might be a little lighter for it.

the music starts and he follows it. of all parts of dancing, following the music is what he's best at. ) I so swear. ( he's held secrets for another queen before, though that one had never asked it of him, only commanded. asking is the key. )

[ Between Graham and Ahad, though they have never told her what they prefer in so many words, Dany has learned to command less, and ask more. Commanding is still what is most comfortable to her, but for those who have won her affection (and who are not sworn to obey her), she has permitted some measure of flexibility.

With his assurance that she has his ear, she murmurs her great secret: ]

I have never danced, Graham. Not once.

[ There is mischief in her tone as she falls into step with him, carefully evading his shoes. ]

( to be fair, he was not expecting a secret that would be heartrending. such is not the night for it. call it Christmas spirit, yet it's not quite that. so many of their number was taking a much needed break after the stress of their last endeavor, him included. to punch it from his lungs for the sake of it doesn't seem like her.

still, her much hyped secret is not entirely what he was expecting, enough that she earns a mumble of a laugh. he holds her a little closer, likely earning the ire of courts everywhere as he teases her into a few lighthearted steps. be careful, Dany, he may be no expert on dancing but that means he's more than happy to experiment with it. damn his feet, let her step on them. )

You'd fooled me, your majesty. You're quite quick on your feet.

[ His heart was cut out long ago, yet he laughs still. The blood rushes to her face, and soon her laughter has chased his own. With his arm securely around her, she sways a little to follow his pace, the gleam of the bright room shining in her pale hair. ]

You are too kind, [ she tells him, and for once, it is meant in truth. When he tests her with playfulness, she laughs again, holding fast to him. The scene is sweet and silly. ] Do you mean to make me skip? That is not fitting.

[ But it's clear she doesn't especially hold unspoken rules dear tonight, as she's now half-turning for a brief twirl, one hand still linked with his. Loki has persuaded her to wear a dress that draws the eye to her legs, and it is freeing to feel the air rushing past her skin. ]

( his heart has been gone for longer than he had it, it's true. his emotions are sometimes like watercolors flooded by too much water. they fade quickly, they're a whisper instead of a statement. yet they're there, pulled out by people talented enough to draw reaction from the absence of it. )

We'll skip the skipping, but I'm certain dancing has a swing or two. I'm sure of it.

( he makes no secret of his inexperience, though Dany had not really made much of a secret of her own, either. and yes, he totally meant to say skip skipping. that's the sort of thing he finds funny, bless his missing heart. at least in a twirl, there's no need to rebuke his horrible wordplay, and all he need do is lift his arm a bit and she can spin under it easily. )

Swing? [ she asks curiously, coming around to complete her twirl. The red dress flares about her legs, lean and graceful, and privately, she wonders what slap the Green Grace would attempt to deliver for her frivolity. It is good the Meereenese are worlds away. ] What do you mean?

[ Judging by the length of the tunes ALASTAIR has played, the slow song is halfway over. Perhaps the next shall be more to his liking, but for the moment, that isn't what draws her attention. She pauses mid-second twirl, violet eyes widening. ] That was a jape, [ she accuses, a slow smile rising to her lips. He shall have to forgive her the delayed reaction; she is very merry. ]

( he's the benefit of more than just one world, and sometimes he forgets how easily those memories blend. he can't quite guess where his knowledge of swing-dance comes from. maybe the memory was implanted by the curse, maybe he'd seen it or read it or heard about it in the blurred twenty eight years he'd spent cursed. either way, he wishes he knew enough about swing dancing to show it to her. for only trying dancing tonight, she seems to take it up easily. )

It's a sort of dancing. It seems there's more types than one can count on both hands. ( every world had a different way of doing it at that, it was possible that all the ways to dance were impossible to count.

it's quite rare that people take note of his jokes. possibly because they're never that funny. he still seems quietly pleased that she noticed his attempts, likely because he's used to having to explain to people he's attempting to be humorous. ) Are those not befitting either? ( he wonders, with lifted brows. for all the unbefitting things Dany has mentioned, it hasn't seemed to stop her any. )

[ To her credit, she takes up many things easily. A gift she might have once shared with her elder brother Rhaegar. ]

Oh, by no means, [ she teases, returning to his arms with a playful flourish. He is very pleasant to find herself against, though she wisely does not tell him that; nor does she tell him that he may give voice to an endless sea of japes, if it pleases him. It warms her to see him as happy as his heartlessness allows of him. She does, however, give him a coy look: ] Though I may be persuaded to pardon you, if you would but show me your swinging. Young girls have been known to be fickle.

[ She cares little for the mismatch between movement and tempo. Many and more of the dances surrounding them are dreadful, and no one shall be praised for his or her artistry here. ]

( truly, he appreciates the reprieve. a chance to embrace a lighter moment, instead of being held down in darker ones. he didn't have a heart to properly filter the unhappiness he'd felt in Perdition's Rest, especially at the end. watching so many beyond themselves brutally murdered for information. and somehow worse, attempts at healing that at best left them as a blank slate, a stranger to their own families, or at worst shells of human life, hardly living anymore than they had been under the control of the Taxara. he related all too well to their pain, to their plight, and yet there was so little he could do to stop it or to help. any of them, really.

Oska was always a bit of a reprieve from the taxing nature of their missions, and Christmas brought fond memories, even if that wasn't what ALASTAIR was calling it. last year had been his first celebration, this was his second. it was filled with more sweet than bitter, and this night was proving to be no exception.

show her to swing. that was quite a request, from a man who had never actually attempted to swing dance a day in his life. watching Dancing With the Stars with Ruby over his diner dinners wasn't quite the same. he pauses in conversation, though not in step, to try and remember what exactly it'd been like. when he releases her hand to show a few steps, they're probably not perfect. there's still some fun in trying, though. )

You walk side by side, mostly, but on occasion you come back to each other.

( a pretty metaphor, actually, though he doesn't notice. he's too focused on trying to show her a few steps. )

[ He may not notice, but she does, and fleetingly, she wonders whether he has ever loved a woman enough to whom he might entrust his accidental poetry. Her steps come a hair too late at first, her gaze downcast and focused on their feet as she tries to match the rhythm. Once, she trods lightly onto one of his, and laughs so gaily that it turns a few startled heads in their direction. When have I ever laughed so much? She brims with youth and pleasure, and perhaps her laughs are too loud, as though they are as unpracticed as her feet.

If he had his heart still, he might have been a warm man. Sweet and loyal, and patient, besides. No, do not think of that. Instead, by some natural grace, she seems to falls into step at last, her hands still locked with his. They come together easily on the fourth try. ]

We will never speak of the misstep, [ she tells him slyly, the secret of her grave mistake shared in their close proximity. ] I forbid it.

( would he have been a warm man, with a heart? it's a good question. and not an easy one to answer. he'd been the antithesis to warmth back when he'd had one, after all. it was only living without a heart that he'd found the power of having one. it was hard telling how he'd be changed by its presence now, even by the man himself. he was too used to its absence.

truly, four tries for an admirable attempt for two novices stumbling through steps seen once on a tiny diner television is quite an accomplishment. he seems quite genuine in his ginger squeeze of her palm. ) I saw nothing. ( he's already proving to be really good at not speaking of the slip, it seems. what misstep? it didn't happen, he can just will it out of existence with sheer determination. )

[ Who watches everything, yet sees nothing? Graham the Huntsman. When the details had been listening and hearing, the answer to the riddle had been a knight of the Kingsguard. It is among one of the few pieces of knowledge she has to thank Viserys for.

She smiles. ]

Thank you.

[ When the song ends, she gathers both his hands back into her own. They are soon to pass into a new year, after all. ]

However much I may despise ALASTAIR, [ she tells him, ] in its team arrangements there is incidental comfort to be found. I will not deny that living among Audentes has brought me surprising joy. [ Her hands, in belated gesture, return his squeeze. ] You are one such reason. You are my good and true friend, and all that you have done for me shall be remembered and repaid to you in kind. Know that.

( the song seems to end so quickly. as is much of life, anticipation could pull time thin yet only for so long. good things flew past faster than the blink of an eye, the fletching of an arrow in flight. there was no holding onto them, no more than one could hold onto a bird or a wolf (or even a dragon) that needed its freedom.

he's used to the limits of good moments. he treasures them more than anyone might guess, considering his absences. yet there's always something bittersweet about the goodbyes. in general, and to moments he didn't want to end.

he's not accustomed to kind words. kind anything, really. he almost seems a bit lost in the weight of them, trying to pin down exactly how much they mean without the filter that could tell him so. even with the hollow in his chest, it means something to be called a friend. he had so few before his time in ALASTAIR; he understands that quite well.

he manages a ghost of a smile for Daenerys, and considering it is a small queen that earned it, that makes it even more remarkable. ) I know little of friendship, and yet I am sure that it is not a debt to be paid. You owe me nothing. I am happy enough to name you a friend.

I owe you much, [ she says, more in correction than in protest. In her world, friendship is a commodity that may be bought and sold. Xaro had been her friend because she had needed his wealth, and he her dragons. I have not had true friends since I banished Jorah from my side, she realizes. ] Not a debt, but seeds to tend and to grow. [ But the metaphor does not matter. ] I only wished you to know what you mean to me.

[ And she rises onto her toes to press a kiss to his grizzled cheek, the bristles prickling at her lips. ]

Go and make merry, [ comes the bidding. As merry as he can make himself. ] I am going for a walk. Will I see you on the morrow, for archery?

( it's an odd endeavor, to be told such a simple thing. to matter to another, when he interacts with the world through faded glass and kid gloves. all the same, for all his shortcomings in emotion and connection, it isn't impossible for him to care about others. it is impressive, that so many of ALASTAIR had managed to register so deeply, but each of those connections would not be forgotten.

a kiss to the cheek is not a gesture he's been granted before, and he's frozen to his place as she offers it. if his heart were there, if it could beat, it'd beat a little warmer for it. Graham knows that such an offering means much from Daenerys, even without a heart. it means much to him, too, even if he can't show it well. )

I hope you know the same. ( he can't show her his affection, he can't bring her warmth and joy and emotion to make how he feels clear, yet hopefully his loyalty shows some of it. even a fraction of it, might be enough. he releases her, and nods to her bidding. no matter how he detests commands from a queen, he's gotten rather used to the ones from Dany. is a command to enjoy himself really a command at all? ) I will. Have a good night, Daenerys. It was good to see you so happy.

( he can see it, witness it, notice it, much better than he can actually feel it. Graham does not remember ever seeing her so light... it's hard knowing sooner rather than later, the pressures will hasten back. perhaps even before the night is through, yet if he can grant her anything, it is to lighten them when they are together. and that he will always aim for, at their lessons, or their shared meals, or shared walks. for a man who refused to answer to a queen ever again, he has managed to find a great deal of loyalty for this one. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ WINTER WONDERLAND, THE RECKONING

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your secrets suck, dany.

he'd rather adorable secrets every day of the week

oh no don't enable her

if it makes him laugh then you bet your buns i will enable her forever

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this thread is giving me cavities

i'll get you a sonicare

oh good, presents

smacks a bow on it and expects my thank you note in 2 business days

sends it via carrier pidgeon

GROSS THIS IS GROSS YOU'RE GROSS

ur welcome

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