epidemiology | EVENT ★ WINTER WONDERLAND

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Hellboy doesn't trust fairies on a good day, and on bad days he burns them with cold iron. Luckily for fairies, today is a good day, as far as things go. Winter is his birthday, winter is Christmas, and everything smells like gingerbread. Particularly over here. Something really smells like gingerbread.

Of course, when he sees some fairies harassing a familiar figure further on down the street, all thoughts of good and bad days and gingerbread vanish.

Pointing stiffly toward them, he shouts down the street.] Hey! Buzz off, you!

[ Alice makes the confused gesture to herself, as if to say "who, me?" until the fairies really disburse, parting as if Moses just parted the Red Sea.

To think she didn't really have too much of a problem with them until they really started to bother her.

Truly, she hoped that they would come back, so that she could speak to them again without trying to turn the ribbons of her beret into a swing. Slowly turning her head back to the small hovering swarm and to the large, red figure that was Hellboy- ]

Have they been giving you grief, too?

[Though Hellboy is satisfied the fairies will give him the proper respect now, he still scowls at them in turn as he strides down the street to meet Alice. Fairies! They are annoying in the best of times, but lately he's noticed them being particularly insufferable to a fair number of people.]

Not lately.

[He can smell gingerbread now. It's weird, and he's about to comment on it, when he stops a few paces away from Alice and tilts his head a little.]

What... are you wearing?

[ What sort of question was this? Alice looked over herself, down to her signature buckled boots, tugging on the wool coat over her dress and looked up at him. ]

A dress, silly.

[ She only feels a small need to be sarcastic, knowing that he's talking about possibly the holiday theme of it. She won't be too mean. ]

I suppose it's their way of trying to rope one into the holiday cheer. Well, I like it.

[ Free things were great -- amazing really. But Alice can't help but tease. ]

Who knows, maybe something more holiday-themed be good for you, too.

[At first, it didn't occur to Hellboy that she might find the question insulting, and his eyes widen a little in mild embarrassment. He is always putting his feet (or hooves, as the case may be) in his mouth.

Luckily, though, Alice doesn't seem that offended, if her next comment is any indication. The corner of his mouth lifts, and he gestures vaguely at himself, running with the joke.]

I don't know. I'm pretty red already. [He gestures at her clothes with his chin.] We match, even.

Who says that it has to be red?

[ They do match. This is something that actually has her smiling in response. How cute. Alice stands on the tip of her toes, raising a hand to point out that he's much larger than her and she is... so very small. ]

We do, however, I don't think my size helps, I could blend in with you too easily. I think green may do you some good. Christmas does involve red and green.

[Red and green, huh? Would that be better or worse than red-on-red? Hellboy looks around, tapping his chin in mock thought.]

I don't know where we'll get a green suit in my size this time of night. [Well... he assumes it's night. It's hard to tell.] Maybe we could find some ribbons. Unless you had something else to do -- were they part of some kind of job?

[He points backwards to indicate the fairies.]

[ Oh, that's right. The goop. Even when she's so willing to throw herself into battle and nearly kill opponents when she isn't supposed to, surprisingly, Alice isn't really too thrilled with this.

The fairies are losing it behind her, yet still tentative to come any closer. One look at them and back to Hellboy. ]

I can do with ribbons, not so much that goop. That's what they want, isn't it? Then, yes, I believe so.

[ Blood? Clearly not an issue, but goop is. ]

I'd rather cook than touch that disgusting slime.

[Ah. So one of the tasks was to... return the goop? Which was a bit strange when Hellboy thought about it; the goop seemed to be mucous or something that the fairies shed. Who would want a bunch of mucous returned?

Hellboy has dealt with his fair share of oozing materials as well, so he's of a like mind there. When Alice offhandedly mentions cooking, though, he gets an idea --]

Well, hey. I'm supposed to be showing you how to cook anyway, right? Maybe that'll work instead. Get these guys off your back, if we're lucky.

[ Whatever it is, Alice doesn't want to find out. At any other time, Alice actually found the fairies pretty cute, but not when they're attempting to make a swing out of her ribbons or hair.

She decides to seize this opportunity. ]

They don't seem to want to come any closer since you've approached me.

[ Alice turns back to the swarm as they tsk and shake their little heads, clearly not impressed. Sorry, fairies. ]

I suppose so, I'll come with you, then.

EVENT ★ WINTER WONDERLAND

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