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

[ninmu]

[ Melan's not really paying attention -- too busy roasting a metric ton of marshmallows over the fire to stuff his face with. Thus, the sudden flash of the camera takes him by surprise. And just like that, his snack is forgotten. Mostly. The tall android whips around in the blink of an eye, immediately lifting his rifle and aiming it at whoever is clearly attacking him with some kind of flash grenade.

He doesn't expect to see a human girl there; he doesn't fire, but he still looks wary. ]

What did you do to me?

1/2

[mightymax]

[ Maybe she thought he was a statue! Or maybe she thought it was a costume--a pretty warm one, too. Either way, the last thing Max expects when he turns is a fucking gun. (Rifle, she can almost hear Chloe correcting her in her head--whatever.)

Predictably, she takes this about as well as she did when she had a gun in her hand.

She jumps, nearly dropping the camera completely as the picture printed out of it goes drifting towards the ground. ]

Wh-Whoa, hey!

[mightymax]

[ #GOODFIRSTIMPRESSIONS

Max makes no sudden movements as she's stared down, but she does take a meager step back (like it'd help if he actually decided to fire). Instinctively she held up her hand in a protective fashion. She could feel a small ache at the back of her mind, and had he actually fired, her powers probably would have activated--

But he didn't. They didn't, and she's going to stay calm and keep it that way. ]

I'm not . . . I didn't do anything. Swear. [ A pause, and she glances down to the photo of him that's made its home in the snow. ] It was just a picture.

[ninmu]

[ fortunately, he'd never fire on a human unless absolutely pressed to these days. But defending and attacking are close to all he knows how to do; when something surprises him, he can't help but be defensive. Melan stares at her for a few seconds while she explains herself, eyes falling to the photo on the ground briefly, too.

He's standing a little bit far away, but he can see that she's not lying. It is a picture of him. The machine she was using to take it is just so old to him that he didn't recognize it. The gun lowers down to his side again. ]

... I see. [ a pause; he glances away, looking off to the side. Ashamed? ] Sorry. I didn't recognize that device.

[mightymax]

[ . . . Phew. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't relieved when the rifle lowers. She goes completely quiet, unable to even voice her forgiveness at his apology; though she doesn't run away screaming either like she maybe should have, so there's that.

Maybe it's because there's something strangely innocent about him. Anyone who doesn't recognize a camera has to be pretty sheltered, after all.

. . . Finally, with a sigh, she picks up the picture. She shakes it in her hand until the colors show up better, and approaches him cautiously. ]

Um . . . [ She tilts her head in the direction of his gaze, leaning into his sight to catch his attention; and she holds out the picture. ] Do you want it?

[ninmu]

Hm? [ he wasn't expecting her to offer it - or approach him at all, for that matter. Though he's been here for a few weeks, at this point, he still expects humans to run from him. Especially if he was pointing a gun at them moments ago.

It's a little bit strange to look at a picture of himself. Melan's perfectly self-aware, but he rarely thinks about himself at all. He stares at the picture for a second or two, then back at the girl. ]

I don't know. [ honestly. ] Why did you take a picture of me?

[mightymax]

[ To her, that's like asking her why she bothers breathing. Still, she refuses to be that dramatic and keeps her answer simple. ]

I take pictures of everything.

[ A pause. If that's not good enough . . . ]

Call it a peace offering. Maybe we can start over.

[ninmu]

[ that answer doesn't make much sense to him, either, but he won't grill her about it. Melan still seems uncertain (or at least unconvinced - not that he's very easy to read), but when she calls it a peace offering, he concedes. One of the round partitions on his abdomen pops off, extending forward on a thin wire-like tendril to take the picture. ]

Understood. I'll take it. [ a pause. Then: ] I wouldn't have shot you.

[mightymax]

[ She watches with childlike wonder as the picture is taken. She's almost regretful; she would've liked to keep a copy for herself, but that's one downside to being old-fashioned, she supposes. she still prefers her Polaroid to anything digital. ]

I believe you.

[ You wouldn't have known it from how scared she looked, but at least it's easy to say in hindsight. ]

Do you have a name? Mine's Max.

[ninmu]

[ if she expressed a fraction of that regret, he'd let her keep it. Melan doesn't really know what he's going to do with it. He's never really owned... anything at all. He doesn't even know where he's going to put it after this. It's not like he has pockets or a bag or anything. So he just kind of keeps holding it awkwardly. ]

Melan Blue. Living weapon Monomakia. [ yes, he does have to say that Every Single Time he introduces himself. ] What are the pictues for?

[mightymax]

[ The idea of a humanized, sentient weapon is laughable from her little world of Oregon circa 2013; but then again, so are her time powers, and those are more than real enough. It makes a lot of sense, too, given how defensive he was just now. Melan, huh . . . ]

Me. [ . . . The short answer. ] Or . . . my collection, anyway. It's just what I do.

So you don't have to worry about them falling into the wrong hands or anything.

[ninmu]

No, I wasn't worried about that.

[ he doesn't think a picture of him could really do anything. Marin's not around to put in danger at the moment, and he's fairly confident he can handle this world's threats. ]

You collect pictures? [ hmm. ] Completing the collection will be difficult.

[mightymax]

[ Impossible, more like. Maybe 'collection' was a poor word choice, but it is what it is. She'll nod to agree. ]

I don't know if I could ever call it complete. There's always new stuff out there, waiting for a photo.

[ . . . ]

Sure is fun to try, though.

[ninmu]

[ this is another concept that's a little bit hard for him. He gazes down at the picture in his "hand" once more. Even amongst the multitude of non-humans here, he can see just how different he is from everyone else; the photograph illustrates it as well as anything, his pointy frame towering over goblin passers-by.

It's not like he's ashamed of being what he is. No, he's proud. But he does wish, sometimes, that he understood things better. ]

... Then you're taking pictures for fun? [ a thoughtful pause. ] I didn't know that photography was a fun activity... But I understand the enjoyment of finding new things.

[mightymax]

[ If he understands that much, then she thinks it's close enough. "Taking pictures for fun" makes it sound like just a casual hobby, though, and for Max, it's so much more than that. Still, he's not wrong, so she doesn't bother to correct him.

She nods. ]

I was even going to school for it so I could get better. It was . . . tough. [ She pauses. ] I guess I won't be going back for a while.

[ninmu]

[ he didn't know that photography could be a part of school. Then again, he doesn't know very much about school, period. What he does know is that it is, indeed, tough. Very tough. ]

Is that bad? [ he asks, innocently enough. School had seemed like a very hostile environment for Marin, and apparently, this Max doesn't enjoy it, either. ]

[mightymax]

[ She doesn't enjoy the workload or the boneheaded jocks or rich bitches. She still enjoys being there, though, even though the workload was ass a lot of the time. ]

I'll miss it. [ There's a pause-- ] I'm sure you miss your home, too.

[ninmu]

[ does he miss Brigadoon? Not really, he doesn't think. It's not as though he has a lot of fond memories there. Honestly, he has a very loose understanding of how it feels to miss something - but he thinks he has an idea, and he doesn't feel that way towards his home. Earth, on the other hand... ]

... That is not true. I think. [ his voice is as monotone as before, but Melan does seem less sure of himself there. ] ... However, I do feel like I must get back to someone very soon, even though she shouldn't be in danger. Is that feeling similar?

[mightymax]

[ . . . Ah. It feels like someone grabbed Max's heart just then. She looks down for a moment, watching the shadows dance at the base of the fire. ] You have no idea.

[ In her case, she actually was in danger. No matter how anyone looked at it . . . ]

There's someone I left behind, too. ALASTAIR's timing is pretty bad.

[ninmu]

[ oh. Someone else who understands him. Though he's not exactly easy to read, he does seem more interested suddenly, expression lightening vaguely. ]

Is it your mission to protect someone, as well?

[ he's too awkward to use the L word yet.... he'll get there. for now everything is always #ninmu. ]

[mightymax]

[ She hesitates, picking up on the sudden interest well enough. A mission . . . She hadn't thought of it that way. ]

Yeah. But I . . .

[ She wonders if she can really say that, given what she almost did? Given what she might have to do. ]

There are some things I just can't change, no matter how badly I want to. [ She's starting to realize this only now. ] Hopefully you'll have better luck than me.

[ninmu]

[ comrade!! He nods in understanding when she confirms it. Protecting someone is quite a serious mission, indeed. But it's one that he's glad he undertook.

The rest of what she says is more puzzling, though. ]

What do you mean? [ his even, near-mechanical tone is broken up by a slight sense of confusion. ] Once we complete the tasks they have assigned us, you can return to your mission. This won't be permanent.

[ he's not certain, obviously, but there's an implication that if they don't intend to let him go back, he'll force them to. ]

[mightymax]

I know.

[ Maybe she's babbling a little too much now. Max looks sheepish, which is ridiculous, considering he's a robot (weaponized or no). She shakes her head. ]

. . . Sorry. Don't worry about it.

[ In an attempt to change the subject: ]

Have you been here long?

[ninmu]

[ he might look like a robot, but he's got a heart and soul and there, if it makes her feel better... probably not. Her quick subject change makes him tilt his head curiously for a moment, but he doesn't pursue the topic. It's not important enough. ]

I have been here for approximately thirteen days.

[ he's not sure if that's long. It feels pretty long. ]

[mightymax]

[ It's pretty darn long. ]

Two weeks, just about . . . wow. Two weeks in the dark.

[ . . . ]

Just a little longer than me.