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

B

[ninmu]

[ so this isn't his first snow ever, but he still lacks experience with this kind of weather. Seeing a convincing facsimile of a human skeleton rise up out of this cushy white ice is fairly shocking to him. Melan doesn't walk up to him, exactly - it's hard to walk in the snow - but he does hover over, floating a few inches off the ground as the air from his feet displaces some of the lighter powder. ]

Papyrus. How did you do that?

[ monotone melan actually sounds faintly impressed... ]

[boneafide]

I used my hands! Gravity helps.

[ Well............

He's not wrong.

And hey look, Melan is floating again??]

You're not really a fan of it though?

[ Gravity, he means. ]

[ninmu]

No, I think it looks very good.

[ there it goes... right over his head. ]

I didn't know snow had such properties.

[boneafide]

I don't think snow has any property. I mean, I've never seen it pay taxes. But that's not any of my business!

I'll make one of you next!

[Papyrus looks over the pile of snow in front of him, and how it's about only a few feet tall so far. Looks back to his beast of a robot friend.]

...I'm going to need a lot more snow.

[ninmu]

I meant its physical characteristics, [ clarifies Melan unhelpfully. It's amazing they're able to communicate at all, honestly.

As for the snow-Melan... he stares at the unfinished pile, then looks back to Papyrus. ]

Me? Why?

[boneafide]

Why wouldn't I? You're my friend!

[Said, as he starts to gather up a lot more snow. Like all the snow he can hold in one go, and dumps it on that snowpile.]

[ninmu]

Friend...

[ he feels like he doesn't know Papyrus that well, but they're already friends? Maybe it's not that hard to make them. It's not like he has much experience. Still, being called a friend by someone makes him happy, he thinks. Melan watches him carry the snow over, blinking. ]

Do friends make snow statues of one another? I didn't know that.

[boneafide]

They don't have to! Being friends just means that you like spending time together, and doing things for each other. The goblins told me to make snowpeople, and I thought I should start with my friends first!

[Papyrus then gestures to a lump of snow on the ground, with the word "KEATS" in it.]

Because some people don't actually want snow people made of them, but I'm pretty sure my friends wouldn't mind!

[ninmu]

[ he looks at the Keats lump, though he doesn't exactly understand the significance, not having met the man himself yet. Still, he does understand what Papyrus is saying. Yes, it's a good thing. ]

I don't mind. [ if he's a friend... ] Would you like help?

[boneafide]

Oh!! Yes, I would! I assume, since you had to ask me what I was doing, that you've never done this sort of thing yourself! I would be honored to help you make your first snowMelan!!

[ninmu]

[ he nods his head with a small noise of agreement; it is indeed his first snowMelan. Then, following Papyrus's example, he bends down on one knee, stretching his arms out and trying to gather snow into a pile. Without hands, he can't really shape it or anything, but... well, he's making a pretty big pile?! A slightly triangular pile, thanks to his sword. ]

Like this?

[boneafide]

Yes, exactly!

[...and he means it. ]

Sometimes people get caught up in the detail work, but making snowpeople isn't about that. It's about having fun making a snow family who through mysterious circumstances may later gain sentience!

Yours is definitely my favorite sexy triangle snowperson.

[ninmu]

[ so supportive, Papyrus. He won't even question the weird extra bits about sexiness and sentience. Despite the supportiveness, though, Melan doesn't seem convinced, glancing at the pile he's made, then up at the majestic SnowPapyrus nearby. ]

Thank you. However, it seems that I am missing some steps. [ he lets his blade and gun fall to the sides of his triangle pile. ] Yours is shaped. But this is a powder-like material. How did you get it to... stick together?

[boneafide]

Oh! You pack it down with your hands. But you don't have... hands.

I can do that part for you, if you'd like.

[ninmu]

Pack it down...

[ looking back down to his snowpile again. After a moment of hesitation, his paws extend from his abdomen, and he starts trying to compress the snow together. It seems like he's mostly just making a straight line of snow on top of the pile, though... Evidently, he's not very good at this. ]

[boneafide]

Let me show you.

[ Papyrus volunteers, stepping closer to Melan's snow pile, and gently packing down the snow so that it starts to gain more of a sturdy shape. ]

The key is that you have to be gentle so that you don't wind up collapsing the whole thing.

[ninmu]

Gentle... [ poor Melan looks at his weapon-arms again, then back to the snow. ] I wasn't made to be gentle. But I will try.

[ despite his words, though, he's perfectly capable of it. Trying to copy Papyrus, he gradually begins to help build onto that sturdy shape. He appears to be focusing very hard... ]

[boneafide]

Wonderful job! You're very good at being gentle!

[ His encouragement is loud, and screechy, per usual. Hopefully it doesn't throw off Melan's concentration, but otherwise, he's very proud of the robot. ]

[ninmu]

[ miraculously, it doesn't... he spends a lot of time with a very loud and screechy person already. ]

I am?

[ #disbelief ]

[boneafide]

Well, you're doing exactly as I did, and it's working at keeping the snow together. I am a great teacher, after all! But it takes a great student to succeed in a task like this. So yes!! You are!!

[ninmu]

[ uwoo... such praise. Melan actually doesn't seem to know how to react for a few seconds. ]

... Thank you. [ though he is happy about it - that he's being gentle. He likes that. He's certain that's what this soft feeling of accomplishment is. ] However, I don't believe that it will be able to support two snow arms.

[boneafide]

We can... pretend SnowMelan took a break from having arms for a while.

[ninmu]

[ ... ]

But the snow Papyrus has arms.

[boneafide]

... You're right! It's okay, I have an idea! We have to make Snow Melan's arms big enough to support themselves!

So we're going to add muscles.

[ninmu]

Muscles? [ see, papyrus, the sensible answer here would have been stick arms, like a normal snowman... but ok. ok!! ] What do we use to make those?