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

ofc this is the only song i could think of dsgkjndsgdsg

[assent]

[ I don't get it...

She smiles when he looks surprised though, a little embarrassed that it's yet again been met in such a way. ]

I admit there are some I find easier. Spanish, French, Italian in particular are easier than Chinese or Japanese--but I am very fond of Japan. It is just necessary to maintain good relations with other countries. Though... I have had lessons from a very young age to remain proper at all times, not only that I also believe it is best that my people only see me like this as well-- [ A beat, then: ] I would also not be allowed to become Queen if I were caught in some kind of scandal.

[ Nevermind that she's technically already been there done that wrecked her nation-- ah. ]

next up: shakira

[heelies]

[You said it was sheepish...

To this he gives an approving nod. By now they have made their way back to the table at which they sat before, and he gestures for her to sit once more before he shall join her.]

Right it is that the daughter of a worthy king should take care with her reputation - yet it seems to me that you have naught to worry for, white-armed Sonia.

[In his thoughts at present, as always, is Patroclus, forced to flee from Opus for a childhood mistake and thus disgraced as a prince, yet never shamed in his own eyes and never worth any less.]

Then to know so many strange tongues, you must be well traveled. Ere I was brought into the house of ALASTAIR, I had traveled to a fair many lands across Hellas, and to Dardanus' land too when I joined the war-loving Argives in siege against Troy. Yet even so, I could scarce imagine what lay far beyond the wine-dark sea.

[It is telling, perhaps, that the sea in his era has no name, neither the Mediterranean nor the Aegean: it is simply the sea, for that is all there is.]

is it hips don't lie DSGDSGSDG

[assent]

[ SDGDSGS I GET IT NOw ah why am I dumb

She takes a seat again, being careful with her dress as she sits up straight. Her eyes go to the dance floor where it really is getting crazy now, before she looks back at him. ]

Thank you for that, though I am not certain that is always the case. [ It's the only way she can think of to brush it off. ] Though I have not travelled as much as you may believe. My country is not for the faint hearted. While our economy might be booming, it is a small country that often finds itself under fire. I, myself, have been abducted twice.

[ Her hands clench on her lap slowly, before she flattens them out. ] You seem to be very proud of your home though.

ofc

[heelies]

[He had just resumed his enjoyment of the punch he had left behind when they rose to dance, and when he lowers the cup from his lips there is a pitying look there upon his features.]

A fine prize men must have thought you! Glad I am that you were restored to your father and your dear native land, although now you find yourself in this far-flung land where stands the house of ALASTAIR.

[Dozens of women has he kidnapped from their own homes, seizing them as prizes from the bloody jaws of war, keeping them as his spear-brides and awarding them to his dear companion too. It is a right boasted by warriors of his era, that they may take what they please, yet it is a terrible offense when one's own women are so stolen. Such is what brought a thousand ships to the shores of Troy, all for the sake of Helen of Sparta, the most loathed woman in all of Hellas.

He can plainly see that of this matter she wishes to speak no longer, and he cannot fault her for such memories must be harrowing. Thus, he easily turns the conversation upon himself.]

You speak true, moreover, that love for my fatherland beats fiercely within my breast, no matter the long years that have passed since last I saw those dear shores, from which I set sail at the behest of noble Peleus with the fleet of fifty ships he lent me.

also why this [bleak]

[assent]

[ Her own face shows nothing, however. No fear. No remorse. No worry or past struggles. She merely blinks back at him. Her hands are the only indication that it bothers her. ]

No. It was a political manouvre. Had I been a young boy, it would have been no different. They wanted the link to my parents, that is all. [ Her head cants. ] It is merely something I have had to deal with because of my duty. Though... it is rather pleasant here, even with the difficulties that come with it. I have met some lovely people.

[ Her eyes do flicker away towards the dance floor, towards someone before she looks away to one or two others who seem to be enjoying themselves. ] Not many here have been cruel.

[ Though this works too, honestly. Better she not find out about his own past adventures of abduction jfc. ]

I think I would like to try sailing via ship one day, nowadays we just use planes.

whoops

[heelies]

[No comment shall he make on the crew at large when still he is sore for the rudeness with which he was lashed for the challenge he laid against Koltira, for he finds Sonia's company pleasant and wishes for their time together to pass gently. He can, at least, agree with her in part.]

It is true that through my time here in the house of ALASTAIR I have been united and reunited with companions whom I cherish.

[To this, he picks up his once abandoned cup of punch and from it drinks.]

Now, the sea holds in its wine-dark depths countless unknown dangers, and Poseidon who rules over the waves is often fickle of temper, but even so I have never once feared the sea's might. Perhaps it is for my mother that I am fearless - my mother, silver-footed Thetis, dwells in the bosom of the sea with her forty-nine sisters, and in their protection I may place my faith. As such, to sail is no less than a grand adventure to me, and to stand at the prow of the ship as it cuts the surf, one feels truly alive.

smh....

[assent]

[ Yes, well. Compared to him she hasn't issued challenges against someone and has been kind to everyone she's met. Well, mostly, at least. ]

That is a good thing.

[ She leans on the table, resting her chin on the back of her hand as her eyes move between the crowd of people dancing, then back towards him. ]

Those are... quite extravagant tales. Your mother... has forty-nine sisters?

[ must've had a lot of storks in ancient greece ]

That is quite a lot. Though it must not have been a lonely life if that is the case. I cannot say that I have truly sailed on the sea, planes are generally more common in my time.

[heelies]

[You challenge a man but once to a duel to the death, and suddenly everyone turns against you... What times these are!]

Indeed she has! These are the daughter of Nereus, he who tells no lies, and in their company my mother delights far more than in the company of my father, worthy Peleus. Moreover, they shall stay with her long after I her beloved son have gone down to the house of death - she need never be lonely, therefore.

[This he says lightly enough, but in his words weighs a measure of solemnity, which he follows with a thoughtful sip of the punch, thus draining the cup.]

[assent]

[ Times with peace??????? Oh, what times these are indeed [smh] ]

Well family is very important...? [ She thinks that's what he's saying at least... but this seems to be very solemn no matter how he says it. "House of death" doesn't exactly have a cheery ring to it, does it? ]

[heelies]

Few bonds are sturdier than those of kin, this is true. And a maid so fair and gentle as yourself must be a great blessing and comfort to your father and mother, and to any brothers and sisters you may have as well, for all the strife that has befallen your noble house.

[The music has shifted, and Achilles' eyes wander over the room before returning to Sonia.]

Now then, will you dance with me once more, or shall we find drink and food to sate ourselves?

[assent]

But I am not a maid...? [ She should be thinking of the time differences here, but it's just a little confusing when she's been open about her status from the beginning. Either way, she doesn't let it sour the mood either. Not on a night like tonight. ]

One more dance would not hurt, then I shall leave you to meet with others you may wish to spend time with. Let us go.

[ As bossy as she can be though, she's already getting up and expecting him to follow. ]