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

u kno what i'm here for >:(

[keeper]

[ The last and only time she'd ever been to a ball (Cinderella's), it had been rife with Unversed, followed by a fiery battle with a cursed pumpkin carriage... Needless to say it's quite strange for Aqua to actually attend as a participant rather than an off-world investigator/exterminator. Oska's fortress is even grander than the Castle of Dreams had been, and the keybearer wanders about the halls with a similar sense of wonder, heart filling with a curious delight.

She blinks as she spots a familiar face in the crowd, steps quickly forward to greet the other girl without any consideration for what might be looming overhead. ]

Lucina, it's so nice to see you here... You look so lovely.

[ Just as regal as she does in her cape and uniform, though of course this time they aren't covered in worm-guts and grit. ]

weh!!!

[tolight]

[ ( DID YOU HAVE A MISTLETOE PREF OR ARE WE GONNA HAVE CUTE KISSES i am, as always, up for everything eheh )

Forget caution and watching one's surroundings in the middle of a party. While it takes Lucina a bit of time before she's really relaxing, enjoying the party for what it is, she gets there eventually. Old habits are hard to break, after all — the concept of rest had always been filled with wary glances over her shoulder and late-night guard duties for as long as she could remember.

But here, none of that is necessary — her Falchion's in her room, carefully placed on her bed. Her expression lights up when Aqua enters her vision. ] Aqua! Good evening.

[ The problem with wearing her hair up is that when the tips of her ears get red, it shows. ] You look rather beautiful, yourself. [ She's quick to close the remainder of the distance, meet somewhere sort-of in the middle...

And directly under a mistletoe. As if on cue, a barrier shimmers into place. ]

[keeper]

(( UMMM WE'RE DEF GONNA HAVE KISSES >:U ))

Aqua on the other hand... still has her Keyblade on her, but only because it's made entirely of magic and can be summoned wherever she needs it. She of course chooses not to brandish it; it's not like the pudding poses any danger, or that they might be assaulted by abominable snowmen (again)...

—But then the mistletoe shows up. By sheer instinct, Aqua materializes her weapon and lets loose a low-level fireball, which practically confettis into festive, glittery ashes upon the barest contact with the accursed sprig.

She sighs. (She tried...)

—Also, Lucina's totally blushing, and she'd totally complimented her as well... Aqua looks a little sheepish as she snaps herself out of Combat-Mode, a similar flush creeping to her own cheeks. ]

...That's very kind of you to say. [ And this is... Very bad timing all around... After a moment's pause, she asks, ]

...Which do you suppose it is? [ Apparently this year their overlords are menacing them with a grab bag. ]

[tolight]

[ ( GOOD )

The suddenness of it has Lucina jump despite her best intentions — maybe it's because she's ( for once ) not expecting any kind ... fighting, really, in a winter ball like this. But Aqua's reaction's instant, and the glittery confetti pretty much proves how futile fighting would have been anyway.

If it makes Aqua feel better, Lucina would've tried the same the first time around.

Which is exactly why there's no comment made on the whole... fire ball that suddenly showed up out of no where, instead letting the smile stay on her face. It's hard to acknowledge that it happened without using words, but... well, she's trying. ]

... I believe I've seen this one before. [ With Asher, way back just before the start of the party. ] I believe he called it "just a regular mistletoe", if I'm not mistaken. [ But then, she has no idea what a "regular mistletoe" is supposed to be, when the grab bag is what she's been introduced to. ]

All we need is a kiss, unless this one is... different somehow.

[keeper]

[ (u3u!!!)

Lucina you are too kind, thank you for overlooking her embarrassing antics... Luckily for Aqua her Keyblade also conveniently vanishes when she needs it to, hopefully erasing with it some of the shame...

Anyway!!! The mistletoe is still obviously very present and very much a problem. (Well, not so much a problem moreso than an obstacle keeping them away from the rest of what the party has to offer... She doesn't mind the company of course, it's just that a magical prison isn't really the best place to be making merry. ]

'He?' [ She's admittedly curious, who is this mysterious man whom Lucina may or may not have smooched...?? But more importantly, ]

—It does look to be the same as the ones I'd encountered last year... [ 'Original flavor' mistletoe, that is. ] In that case...

[ Formalities must be observed for such a forward task! She bows politely to Lucina and extends her arm. ]

May I have your hand, fair Princess? [ This had served her well last Christmas to break the spell... (It definitely won't work this time, but let me have it anyway...) ]

[tolight]

Oh! [ Aqua's question shakes her from her observations, blinking at Aqua in front of her. The color on her face doesn't change in the slightest, at least, it's obvious she feels very little about the entire thing ( anything to get out, after all )— ] A friend — his name is Asher — had told me about them, when we were stuck under one.

[ But anyway. With their suspicions confirmed, she opens her mouth to ask if Aqua's ready...

Only to have the question sniped from her, eyes widening a fraction. ] My hand? [ On the list of things that she doesn't actually get to do: be treated like a proper princess. It takes her a moment to process what Aqua may mean; once Lucina does figure it out, however, she hesitantly raises her hand, uncertain just exactly what she needs to do. ]

Is this... alright? [ It's just a hand, but even this needs to be perfect!!! Or something ( ofc uwu ) ]

[keeper]

[ Well, as long as the memory wasn't traumatizing or anything, that's all right... (Also don't worry Lucina you're already perfect as you are. uwu)

Aqua accepts her hand almost daintily, lowering herself gracefully into a partial curtsey once more. ] Just so.

If I may...

[ Here goes... literally nothing... She closes her eyes and dips her head downward to brush a chaste kiss across the other girl's knuckles, the contact brief and polite. (She lets go just as easily when the gesture is complete, her movements neither rushing nor lingering.)

...

...

But the barrier is still there, defiant, devious. ]

...I'm afraid that wasn't as effective as I'd hoped. [ She wasn't embarrassed before but she sure is now, and the color of it makes itself readily known across her entire face. ]

[tolight]

[ It's simple — but most of her run ins tonight have been so far, the mistletoe treated as a small hurdle for people to simply just... work through. The holiday spirit isn't quite reaching Lucina with these, as nice as all the physical contact is.

But maybe that's why the mistletoe's giving them a hard time. The hand kiss is short, sweet, yet it's obvious that it's not what the plant is looking for ( how does it know, anyway?! ). Her hand stays up for a moment, until it's by her side again. ] It appears to look that way. [ Her eyes narrow at the barrier, at least until her peripheral catches the color that floods Aqua cheeks, and — ]

Ah— it's quite alright. We'll simply have to try something different. [ It's not embarrassing for her yet because apparently her focus is still on getting out more than anything else ( give her a tag ). She goes back to observing the barrier for a moment longer, before facing Aqua again. ] Are you ... ready? [ Is that something you can ask?? ]

[keeper]

Something different...?

[ Lucina seems to approach the matter both cooly and methodically, and though Aqua does her best to maintain that same demeanor... It's... rather difficult given the circumstances... (That is to say, her reasoning is already circling around the "how" — extra smooching — while Lucina's still focused on the "why" — escape. ]

...A kiss on the cheek perhaps? Or... [ She presses her lips together, clearly apprehensive about what she thinks the mistletoe is trying to exact from them. (It's nothing to do with Lucina of course, it's just... This is?? So embarrassing???) ]

—I'm ready? [ It comes out more a question, because honestly she doesn't know what they're going to go with next... (Just? Go for gold...?!?!?) ]

[tolight]

[ It's when Aqua presses her lips together that the how catches up to the why, and suddenly it's ... a lot more embarrassing. Her experience in kissing totals exactly one person, which happens to be Riza earlier in the night — so really, not illustrious in the slightest. ]

Let's try a kiss on the cheek. [ So the alternative is chosen, because anything more is embarrassing(??!?!), and not something she's ready to think about until she absolutely has to ( she'll learn the holiday spirit sooner or later ). She pauses to watch Aqua for a moment, try to guess whether or not she really... is ready... and a moment later ( once it seems close enough ), Lucina leans in for a quick peck on the cheek. ]

[keeper]

[ this is so cute and awkward i'm cry

Aqua holds her breath for a tentative moment when Lucina's lips brush against her cheek (it isn't unpleasant, though...), exhaling softly when the young woman draws away.

...No dice. (She should in fact be aware by now that the mistletoe probably only accepts mouthkisses, also... having kissed Riza earlier this evening........., but like Lucina, she feels that all alternatives must first be tested before... Last Measures are taken... It's called common decency!!!!) ]

I... Maybe a forehead kiss. [ Q: HOW MANY CHICKEN KISSES CAN THEY EXCHANGE BEFORE THEY GIVE UP

A: idk but three is a magic number??? After smooching her companion above her brow, Aqua drops back to her heels with a light click. ]

... [ sob ]

[tolight]

[ Honestly between the number of kisses they've gone through by this point they just might as well be dating or something...

But they're not, and nothing's working, and frankly if forehead kisses didn't work then they're severely out of options now. Lucina's eyes fall on Aqua's lips, before looking away hurriedly, clearing her throat.

Now that she has experienced it for the first time, this seems ... more monumental, some how. ] Er...

I suppose... we have no choice. [ Gods, please have mercy. ] Are you... alright with this?

[keeper]

[ "gal-pals gal-pal'ing around"

Having run out of the less-intimate options, Aqua's face reddens again in full force. (It's just... a quick mistletoe kiss... Or so she tells herself...) She needn't take the exchange so seriously, but then again, when you've met Snow White and Sleeping Beauty in the flesh, 'monumental' really does seem an appropriate word for such an embrace... ]

I am... That is, if you have no personal objections...

[ After another brief moment of stuttering, embarrassed blinking at each other, she finally leans in, so very carefully, to press her lips against Lucina's... ]

gently responds to... we can wrap it up here!!

[tolight]

[ Words are probably not at the forefront of Lucina's mind just then — friendly, platonic expressions or not, there's still something intensely intimate about a kiss. It's not something she's entirely used to, not by a long shot, and truthfully it's... uncomfortable, despite the necessity.

But Aqua's lips are soft and gentle, barely a ghost on her own lips. Her eyes slide shut for the brief moment they kiss, breaking apart before anything more can happen; aside from a barrier shimmering away, apparently the mistletoe is ( finally ) satisfied. ]

... Let's go some where else, shall we? [ Spoken almost hastily, the moment they're back to facing each other at a much more comfortable distance, the awkward air settling in. Hopefully during their walk, they don't run into any more mistletoe... ]