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

one;

[steler]

[for a little while, i'm going to be honest, kaz just kind of watches fugo. it happens like this: kaz heads out to go to the kitchen for food, comes back later and here's this guy still sweeping up the floor. but in this ridiculous and particular pattern that fugo is intent on keeping.

and because it's been going on so long - the whole time it takes him to go and come back - that makes it worth remarking. that makes it remarkable. so kaz watches. watches him fixing up his corner and making the space just right.]

Maybe they'll give you a commendation.

[matthias would give fugo a commendation. kaz can't believe the thought of it actually makes him miss the fjerdan, but there you have it.]

[unholey]

[Here's the thing: the snow keeps coming back. Because of course it does. It's magical. It's scenic. It sets the mood, supposedly. It's become Fugo's mental scapegoat for frustration that has nowhere else to go: this stupid snow that just won't stay gone, in front of this room that's really just a glorified storage space for the few things he has because Giorno doesn't even want a wall between them. (At least it's not half bad as a study room too, as long as he leaves the door open while he works.) But whatever the room is, for better or worse, Fugo has decided that it's his. And by God, he's going to do his best to keep this one little corner of the castle free of snow until whoever is responsible for it makes it all go away.

The point of all this is that because it keeps coming back, he's developed a very particular method for cleaning it up. He draws his boundary and works his way around the edges up to the corners, leaving behind oddly straight and sharp lines in the remaining snow as he works his way in towards the center. The end result is a very (if sadly temporarily) clean floor that doesn't need a second pass.

(He'll make one anyway, after the majority has been swept up. Just in case.)]

[There's someone watching him; Fugo can see him in his peripheral, a person who isn't tall enough to be an adult in dark clothes, and it makes the back of his neck prickle. He doesn't give Kaz the satisfaction of his own attention until he speaks. Even then, he doesn't turn to look at him directly. He's almost done with his self-imposed chore, so he'll get that finished first.]

If they do, I'm taking the opportunity to lodge a complaint.

[steler]

[whatever fugo he doesn't need your attention. it's fine it's totally fine.]

But only about the snow and not about being enlisted?

[this is a joke, probably, but like most of the jokes kaz makes it falls a little short. and probably fugo, this kid who was definitely cleaning up snow even though no one asked him do, would be the kind of person who would indeed complain about being here. probably already had. but complaints weren't going to get them anywhere, and even kaz knows better than to think anything but making light (such that he does) of the idea.

he is sure he'll get out of here one day but it's not going to be through official channels. i mean, when is it ever?]

[unholey]

Hmm. No, probably not. [Which isn't that he has nothing to say about being enlisted. Fugo can tell in some far-off way that he's angry about being here; about the so-called accident, the way ALASTAIR is taking advantage of anyone who stumbles into their castle because of their dwindling numbers, the irritatingly non-specific contract that he's had no choice but to accept if he wants to find his way home.] I try not to make a habit of lodging official complaints that won't get anywhere.

[Especially when they could mark him as a note of discontent in the team. His place is here, with Giorno; like hell he's going to intentionally do something that might prompt a transfer. So: yes, he'd complain about the snow. Someone might feel bad enough to clean it up sooner rather than later. But, no, he's not going to complain about something that's obviously not going to change. That's a problem that's best solved on a personal level.

Eventually, Fugo's work requires him to turn in Kaz's direction. His pale brows twitch together at what he sees: a boy all in black with an old injury in his leg. That's one of two signs that he recognizes Kaz Brekker, who Giorno said was the most dangerous person here: the second is the way his eyes flick to Kaz's hands and he mentally checks off black gloves too. His expression, sharp and distantly annoyed, doesn't change and there's no stutter in his movements as he continues to finish his self-imposed chore.]

[steler]

[kaz is used to stares. it doesn't matter that fugo doesn't give away anything obvious, that his expression stays the same, that his work stays the same. the tells are there anyway: the way his brow twitches, the way he takes in the sum of kaz's parts. kaz knows what that is. he revels in it. it's the feeling of having a reputation and it fits him like a glove. it doesn't matter that he doesn't know who told fugo, or if fugo thinks positively or negatively on it.the importance is this: fugo knows who he is without introduction.

there are few things that could make him happier. but like fugo, he knows better than to show it overtly. sure, he probably has tells, too. stands up a little straighter, a little prouder. he's attentive to the way fugo assess him, subtle though it is. but people like them, everything was subtleties. you learned to read between the lines because you lived between the lines. you play each other. sometimes you play yourself.]

That's practical.

[it's not a compliment, but it could almost be one. almost. but kaz doesn't give them away easily and certainly not to strangers. besides, any practicality that the other man might've had is pretty much negated by this work with the snow, which pretty much seems like a waste of time. but it is what it is.]

[unholey]

[Kaz's back straightens and that's how Fugo knows that Kaz realizes he's been recognized. He's sharp, which is to be expected. People don't get far in their world without being sharp. Kaz Brekker is someone who has, if Fugo had to make a guess, clawed his way up from the gutter.]

It usually pays to be. [Satisfied for the moment with the amount of snow he's cleaned up, Fugo kneels down to brush it into a dustpan. It gets dumped unceremoniously into a bucket.]

[steler]

And then there's this.

[he nods towards the bucket of snow that will never melt. the opposite of practical. this fool's errand that fugo has taken on himself.]

[unholey]

[Fugo is very well aware of the Sisyphean nature of the task he's taken on. Sweep up the snow, throw it away, come back later in the day, do it all again. Maybe if he were a little more patient, or a little better rested, a little less restless and anxious he could just-- let it go. Let magic snow be its stupid, fluffy, seasonal self.

But he's not. He's impatient with the irritatingly non-specific decorations that try to please everyone by suiting no one. He's slept a little, but poorly. And with Giorno around, he doesn't have the luxury of keeping his anxieties at an arm's length.]

I don't like the snow. [His voice and expression are flat.] It doesn't behave the way it should. It's just a mess and I don't want to look at it every time I go to and from this room. It's not that much of a hassle to clean up, especially since we seem to have an abundance of empty hours to fill.

[steler]

[fugo's reply reminds him instantly of matthias, once more. but there's obviously more to this than just that. fugo doesn't have to have tells to make that clear, the act alone is its own story.

not that kaz is necessary going to do anything about that. he has plenty of his own anxieties (not that he'd ever acknowledge them at such) to go and be worrying about others'

but]

How recently did you get here?

[unholey]

A few days ago. [It's been long enough that, even though there are certain realities about this castle that feel dreamlike, Fugo has come to the depressing conclusion that this is in fact reality and not some surreal layer in another too-real dream that he's gotten himself stuck in.]

[steler]

That means you have time before being thrown into the mission.

[not that that's necessarily a good thing - kaz kind of preferred being thrown into the thick of it because there weren't days like this one, with little to do and no assignments. back home, there had always been something in the barrel. both in terms of excitement and in terms of business as usual for the dregs. being on the mission had been the best approximation of that. this downtime really was enough to send a man shoveling snow pointlessly.]

[unholey]

Like I said: we have an abundance of empty hours to fill. I wouldn't bother with something like this if there were work to do.

[He's doing his best to spend most of them doing actually, practically useful things. He's got a lot of reading on his plate to take care of. But every now and then, he can get rid of a little bit of his restless energy by futilely trying to clean up this stupid mess.]

[steler]

Well that much is obvious.

[there's a pause, like he's trying to decide what to do next. like you know, how do you have normal conversations with your peers? he seems to remember that, despite the fact fugo recognized him, he actually has no idea who this guy is. and no wraith to randomly figure these things out for him. which leaves:]

What's your name?

[unholey]

Fugo. [Just... Fugo. There are things in life Fugo has energy for right now. Dealing with his first name is very, very low on that list.] And you're Kaz Brekker.

[steler]

[damn that feels good.]

You're Giorno's friend, right?

[there's something of a malicious connotation to it. the way giorno had described it, fugo belonged to him. to hear jesper tell it, it was full of possession and jealousy. kaz assumes jesper had indicated that kaz himself was much like that with his own friends but that's neither here nor there]

[unholey]

[From anyone else, it would be an innocent, innocuous question. But this is Kaz Brekker, who has to know that being Giorno's means so much more than a social acquaintance. His choice of words is important here.]

Yes, [Fugo remarks, not disregarding the note of malice in Kaz's voice but weaving around it,] I'm Giorno's friend.

[His associate. One of his people. His. Fugo doesn't break eye contact when he admits this; his gaze is sharp, intent, and not particularly submissive.]

[steler]

[good. it's good that giorno has people who believe in him fiercely, who aren't afraid to shy down from a challenge. that's the kind of thing he looks for in members of his gang, and he respects giorno enough to be glad that he's found similar people.]

All this time apart, and you'd rather be here? Sweeping snow?

[unholey]

[Fugo ... can't see all the way down the hall, or around the corner. And, really, he's not much of a betting man. He's unlucky; gambling never works out for him. But there's a difference between gambling and noting repeated behaviors and making predictions based off of them. So he has to wonder, really, how far away Giorno actually is.]

Well, it's not his snow removal project. [Although it could be. Fugo's pretty sure that if he even hinted at wanting assistance with this useless, futile project, Giorno would stick his whole meddling fist into this particular pie.]

[steler]

Of course not.

[it says as much as it doesn't, in other words. but ain't that just the way with them. but then he remembers something giorno told him, about the way he takes care of his things. so kaz offers a smile - which probably is a good approximation of a cat catching a canary rather than anything amicable. and makes an offer:]

Would you like help with it?

[unholey]

No. [Fugo's response is immediate and leaves no room for argument. He doesn't smile. There are some subjects he's willing to put the energy into dancing around, but this is not one of them. He knows what Kaz is getting at and, honestly, the implications that he'd turn to someone else (to Kaz, of all people) for help before Giorno is absurd and annoying. He doesn't return the smile-- but he doesn't back down, either, even though the space is clean "enough" that he could easily claim to be done and brush past Kaz.] This isn't something I want or need assistance with.

[steler]

[it's funny, but in a good way, that fugo gets so offended by the offer. kaz didn't expect him to take him up on it, but it speaks well to giorno that fugo doesn't. that fugo is well versed in playing this game. which is just as well - he can be happy for giorno until such a time as their interests clash. and then he will work to undo him from the inside out. that's just the way their worlds work.]

Then I'll leave you to it.

[they've both made their points, after all.]

[unholey]

See you around, Brekker. [Another statement that would be casual out of anyone else's mouth. This time, Fugo doesn't turn his back on Kaz; he watches him when he goes, eyes following him until he disappears around the corner.]