EVENT ★ WINTER WONDERLAND

[futurologists]

HOLIDAY PREPWORK The sun might still be AWOL, but that doesn't mean it's time for a vacation! The goblin community seems even more motivated to get their holiday preparations together, working tirelessly to brighten up the grim atmosphere. To that end, they've enlisted the help of the ALASTAIR recruits that've been bumming around. Characters that signed up will be invited or roped into the goblins' various holiday traditions and events. Though they may refuse or fail these tasks, for every one that isn't accomplished, characters will suffer one effect from the curses list for upsetting the holiday balance. Note that those that didn't sign up can still help with tasks out of the goodness of their hearts, they just won't be assigned anything themselves or suffer any curses. Additionally, though PCs are magically bound to work with some partners, they may team up with others as well. GREETINGS FROM LLOYD ALASTAIR sends their holiday tidings! Some characters will find special deliveries addressed to them by name from the mysterious Lloyd of HR. The packaging might be messy and overtaped, and some of the gifts are less nice than others, but it's the thought that counts. MISTLESNOW The first snowfall of the year arrives, and though this may not bode well when there's no sun to melt it away, for now it's pristine and beautiful. Flurries and gentle snowstorms continue for days, blanketing all of Chantes and the outskirts. With it comes a uniquely magical weed epidemic. Mistletoe grows off every surface it can, stems and shrubs of it creeping off of anything it can cling to, including trees, archways, lanterns and buildings. This parasitic plant is a notorious holiday tradition, but in Chantes it packs an extra punch: when two characters step under it together, they'll find themselves magically rooted in place. Mistletoe's spell can only be broken by a kiss, and while chaste exchanges usually work (kisses to the hand, butterfly or eskimo kisses, etc.), more stubborn weeds do exist. This effect lasts until characters smooch or the weed dies from lack of sustenance, which could be anywhere between several hours to a full day. Mistletoe can be destroyed by a third party in a pinch, but be careful not to get stuck under the plant as well! As an OOC note, feel free to be creative on the range and strength of the mistletoe, but please respect other players' boundaries! If you would like to break the mistletoe with a hearty handshake or have your character be immune, be our guest. HAPPY HOLIDAYS All the hustle and bustle aside, the festivities themselves are peaceful and joyous -- and thanks to the ALASTAIR recruits, not punctuated with death or ominous Chimera motifs this time. A large bonfire continues all night with food and mulled wine aplenty. It's time to kick back, make some snow angels, and relax.

Comments

A-i ... gonna assume they traded names at some point.

[ninmu]

[ it would be nice if Melan was here to help cook things, too, but he's not. He has no idea how to cook anything. No, he's here for one very simple reason: food. He smelled a lot of food. The goblins are fairly accepting of him, despite his appearance, so he's actually able to get into the building without any hubbub, and is now... well, mainly waiting for the food to appear. It's not for him. But he'll wait anyway.

And, lo and behold, it appears. In the form of Kaneki. ]

Kaneki. [ he stands up, looking at the spoon; his paws pop out, but he doesn't reach for it quite yet. ] I can eat this?

sounds great!

[dearkafka]

[Kaneki hadn't necessarily expected to see Melan here. Perhaps it was just his assumptions from how... mechanical Melan seemed, but he wouldn't think the guy to eat much of anything. This assumption would prove to be dead wrong, though it does cause the half-ghoul to be somewhat hesitant at first.

But... well, then again, Melan had been wounded and bled similarly to someone a little more organic, so... He doesn't see how there'd be an issue, especially when the guy is asking specifically if he can.]

Uh - yeah, sure. [He offers the ladle, making sure Melan can take it in his paws.

A pause (ha) and then, a little nervously,] Does it taste alright? I was wondering if it needed anything else...

[ninmu]

[ as usual, he's oblivious to the fact that his actions could be seen as weird or surprising to people. Kaneki's uncertainty doesn't really register to him; as soon as he has permission, one of his tendrils stretches out to grasp the ladle with surprising dexterity, and he downs the soup without a second thought.

He's also probably not the best judge of taste, considering plain white rice is his favorite food. ]

It's delicious, [ he responds, frank. ] Delicious. But a spoonful is not very much.

[dearkafka]

[Only weird because he has so little idea of what's normal for robots like you, Melan... or whatever the hell you are. But his opinion on the soup would be as good as anyone else's if he could taste (hopefully), so Kaneki carefully hands over the ladle and watches with nervous attention as Melan tastes it.

His expression brightens up considerably when he responds—no matter how flat his tone was, the words were nice to hear when Kaneki had been worrying that simple memory wouldn't help him cook without smell or taste to check. (He doesn't have to learn about Melan's tendencies towards the plain, culinarily-speaking...)]

Thank you! oh... well, [He... supposes not. He steps away from the counter, allowing Melan access to the pot itself.] If you wanted some more, you're welcome to try more.

[Here he stands, thinking there will be plenty left to go around after...]

[ninmu]

[ he nods towards him in response to the thanks. It really does taste good to him. He's easy to please, and even if Kaneki's food tastes like garbage to the boy himself, it's pretty tasty for someone with functional tastebuds. And Melan doesn't lie. ]

Thank you.

[ turning where he stands to face the cauldron more, the ropey tendril reaches forward to get another ladleful of soup, which he (once again) swallows almost in one gulp. Then another. And then another... ]

Delicious, [ he repeats again, because he was taught that's what he's supposed to say when he likes the food... ]

i lOV THIS ROBOT

[dearkafka]

[It's distantly ironic to him, that a robot (cyborg?? Kaneki doesn't know) was able to eat the soup he made and actually enjoy it far more than Kaneki himself—though he just had biology and cruel fate to thank for that.

He's happy that Melan likes it, though... though... as he continues to ladle soup into his mouth, Kaneki's thinking that maybe he likes it too much.]

Hey, ah - [He has a hand half-extended towards him, unsure whether or not to put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.] That needs to eventually be served to everyone else, Melan. [Small, nervous laugh.]

I'M SO GLAD...

[ninmu]

[ he's about to put away spoonful number ten when Kaneki stops him; he freezes mid-serving, mouth open, for a few seconds. Then, obediently, he lowers the ladle, looking down. ]

Sorry. It was too tasty. [ there's a hint of shame in his voice. Or is it disappointment? Maybe a little of both. Either way, he holds the ladle back out to Kaneki. ]

[dearkafka]

[It was a decently-sized ladle, so if Melan kept going, he'd put an even more considerable dent into the amount of soup in the kettle itself. So as much as Kaneki hated to stop him, he'd just have to wait—it shouldn't be so much longer, since the rumble in the kitchen was beginning to sound like the final lap before dinner was served, so he takes solace in that at least.]

It's okay. [He waves his hands in front of him in a disarming gesture. He sincerely doubts it was too tasty, since it was a fairly simple recipe, but perhaps he outdid himself? It'd be truly ironic if he was a more talented chef without the ability to smell or taste what he was cooking.

He takes the spoon back.] Don't worry; I think dinner will be done soon. Then you can try some of everything, if you wanted.

[There were certainly a lot of dishes being prepared now. It was more of a feast than a meal. Kaneki was happy to contribute, even if he couldn't participate.]

[ninmu]

[ All food is delicious to Melan. Especially when he's hungry. Thanks to his unfamiliarity with human (and goblin, apparently) bartering systems, he's been relying almost entirely on the kindness of strangers for food - something that's becoming harder and harder to come by as they learn just how much he can put away.

Nonetheless, he's not going to steal Kaneki's hard work. ]

But I don't have any money, [ he replies as his paws click back into place on his chest. ]

[dearkafka]

[He was a stark contrast with Kaneki, then, who could remember a time when he had varying likes and dislikes of certain foods and flavors, but now can scarcely even remember what they had actually tasted like. It's been a while since he cooked, and, oddly enough, he finds it very rewarding that someone could still enjoy what he made, even if he couldn't. Maybe he should continue to shake the rust off of those skills, even though a lot of the ingredients here are strange to him.

He glances to Melan curiously.] I... don't think you need to pay. [Talking about the feast in general, not even considering that the guy is talking about paying him now for the soup.] It's a celebration, after all.

[ninmu]

[ he doesn't need to pay - that is by far the best news he's heard in... well, probably since he got here. If he was more expressive, he might smile and say something approving; as things stand, he just makes a small noise of surprise, then nods his head once, strongly. ]

A celebration... Are we celebrating our victory from before?

[ he doesn't know what else there is to be celebrating?? ]

[dearkafka]

[He seemed pleased with that, though Kaneki would have to agree that his reaction was muted. He... hasn't had the same struggle as Melan and others who were living with the stipend that ALISTAIR gave them for food and lodging. Kaneki couldn't exactly indulge his appetite without possibly instigating trouble, and ignoring it would make it worse. So they sent him what he needed, and he had slightly more money lying around for spending. Maybe he should start buying things for those who needed them more than he did...

Anyway.]

You could, if you wanted, but it seems they're all celebrating some kind of holiday. [He observes the decorations: wreaths, trees, tinsel.] It looks like Christmas to me.

[ninmu]

Christmas?

[ unsurprisingly, he doesn't know what that is, either. It's evident that there are a lot of concepts that Melan is unfamiliar with. A holiday event would explain the decorations and general attitude of the populace lately, though. ]

We do not have that on Brigadoon. What is it about?

[ time to learn the true meaning of christmas from a man-eating mutant college kid ]

[dearkafka]

[Melan's not alone in being confused about Christmas—or this particular type of celebration for Christmas. He doesn't mind explaining; he'd always been a fair and patient teacher, and he hopes it means that others would share information with him just as readily if it came up.]

It happens towards the end of the year. Many cities put up decorations - like these, [indicating some of what is pinned up around the kitchen, though far less than outside,] and people give gifts to those they care about.

[And that, blue robot man, is the True Meaning of Christmas (tm).]

Is Brigadoon the planet where you're from?

[ninmu]

[ he listens attentively, gaze only moving to follow Kaneki's gesturing to the decorations. Ah. He was vaguely wondering what all the tinsel and lights were about. A ceremony for the end of the year, where you give gifts to people you care about... It's safe to say it's all new to him.

His eyes linger on one of the aforementioned decorations for a few seconds, apparently thinking, until he's asked a question. ]

Yes. It spatially overlaps with the planet you call Earth, but is in a separate dimension.

[dearkafka]

[Oh. Huh. Well, that's a new one. Kaneki can't say he's really very familiar with that type of thing—science fiction and quantum physics and all of that had never been his particular areas of interest, even though he had dabbled, with certain things he had read and studied and researched.

He leans slightly against the counter, expression interested.] So, did you ever manage to go to Earth, then? Before you came here.

[He imagines he might have. Otherwise he wouldn't have known Earth existed, right? ...Maybe? He could have a very false understanding of how this whole thing worked for Melan's home planet.]

[ninmu]

Mm. [ a nod. ] It is where I was before arriving here.

[ saving the world, falling in love, u kno. Melan doesn't seem to mind answering Kaneki's curiosity. ]

It is normally not accessible, but it was necessary to go there to complete my mission.

[dearkafka]

[Ah... how sweet, Melan... That sure beats accidentally killing (??) people you care about and getting stabbed through the skull, I'll tell you that much.]

Your mission - to protect Brigadoon?

[He pauses briefly.] If that's the case, this type of travel to another world must not be that surprising to you, huh.

[ninmu]

[ i mean, he also stabbed his girlfriend accidentally and eventually got both of them murdered, so it evens out... he's just not going to mention that part...

At that, Melan shakes his head. It's true that he'd travelled to another world before - once. And certainly not like this. ]

No, this is very surprising to me. Travelling between our worlds is impossible approximately 98% of the time. However, for a small window of time, Earth and Brigadoon overlap so closely that they begin to collide with one another across dimensions, opening tears across space-time. [ if it sounds like sci-fi bullshit, it's because it is. Despite his usual reticence, he's willing to give a full explanation this time, if only because it's a matter he doesn't understand, either. And because Kaneki is an ally. ]

Even with their technology, is impossible for the people of Brigadoon to do more than send a hologram message across dimensions for a matter of seconds. And that is only during the mutual collapse. I have never experienced this type of transportation before.

[dearkafka]

[Oh... well... yeah, that's just the way to get around that... ignore it and pretend it never happened...

And yes, it does sound like sci-fi bullshit. Kaneki tries to remain as attentive as he can, though there is a slight glaze over his eyes—he's feeling like he's back home, trying to read while Hide is jabbering on about the newest game he started playing, trying desperately to hook Kaneki with the story (it very rarely worked).

It puts it into perspective, though. What ALASTAIR had done was something even those with multiple universes hadn't seen.]

I see. [So he has to wonder...] Do you think it's technological or magical, then, how they did it? [A brief pause.] Usually I wouldn't even bother to ask, but... Magic seems to be a very real thing around here.

[ninmu]

[ fortunately(?), Melan doesn't notice Kaneki getting bored... he's not good at picking up on subtle cues like that. Although even if he did notice, he'd more than likely just apologize again. "Sorry" is his favorite word after "understood." ]

I don't know. There is no "magic" on Brigadoon. I don't fully understand what it is.

[ which is part of what magic is, as a rule, probably. ]

[dearkafka]

[He's not necessarily bored—Kaneki was the type of person who could, in the interest of being amiable, be a particularly rapt listener of virtually any topic, even those he wasn't all that interested in. It was just something he didn't have a lot of knowledge on, so it just sounded like another language (like Hide talking in video game).

In the end, veins of conversation where he knows more about the subject are simply preferable.

He pauses a moment, thinking on how to define it.] Hm... Well, it's usually strange events or forces that can't really be explained rationally.

[He considers it a moment further.] Then again, some things were thought to be magic a long time ago but were later explained through science. But I think the magic here is a real force.

[ninmu]

[ it's obvious Melan is doing his best to try and comprehend this. It's not until he describes it as a "force" at the very end that things click into place, and a look of understanding passes over his face. ]

A force... I see. In other words, it's some sort of energy that we don't understand yet.

[ okay, he can live with that. He nods. ]

Then maybe that's the real explanation of how we were brought here.

[dearkafka]

[Had he not already been vaguely familiar with the concept from all of the childhood television, movies, books, and comics, he would've struggled with it as well. Even now he struggles with accepting it as a fact, something intrinsically true to this world, but even that is slightly less than what Melan is processing right now.

He nods.] Yeah, pretty much. [He's happy he's managed to find some way to describe it that clicks with the Monomakia.]

It might be. We don't really know. [How little they knew was the concerning part.]

I'm interested to see how it is they get us home, though. [It would greatly impact whether or not he wanted to go home at all.]

[ninmu]

[ a nod, and a small grunt of agreement. Melan is interested, too. Unlike Kaneki, his interest is entirely because he wants to go "home." Not to Brigadoon, exactly, but back to where Marin is. He's lonely.

His gaze returns to Kaneki's soup, however. ]

Do you require help making this stew? [ he doesn't really understand how to cook or anything, but he's grateful that he got to eat some of it, and feels like he should repay him. He lifts his right arm, golden blade flashing in the torchlight. ] I can cut vegetables.

[ thank u ]