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

[boneafide]

I have made many ham-related dishes before! Like, a ham sandwich. And also! I have cooked hotdogs.

[cutlery]

[ He thought he was free of this special level of hell that is incompetent cooks. But no, of course not. ]

...Neither of those things is a ham stew.

[boneafide]

It's the same core ingredient. How hard can it be? Don't you just melt the ham?

[ So sorry, Sebastian, but you're dealing with One Hell Of An Idiot. ]

[cutlery]

[ oh my god ]

You are joking. Please, tell me you are making a bad joke.

[ Sebastian really can't fathom someone thinking that you can melt ham in the first place. But then again, he is a skeleton? Maybe...?? He has no idea, but he's still insulted and concerned all at once. ]

[boneafide]

Oh no, I'm not the skeleton that makes bad jokes, that's my brother. The only jokes I make are good and wholesome, like milk.

So are you telling me you don't melt the ham, or...?

[cutlery]

[ There are more of them? Lord help them. Even despite the irony of Sebastian thinking such a thing, he absolutely does. He doesn't even try to hide the judgement in his expression, though he shakes his head slowly as he attempts to explain. ]

No, you do not. You cannot melt ham in the first place. It is pieces of ham thrown in the broth, usually with a hock for flavour.

[boneafide]

What's a hock??

[ Lord help them indeed. ]

Also, I'm pretty sure you can melt ham. You just need the right way to do it. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I think lava would do the job. Not that lava should be used as a normal means of cooking something! Only in really rare circumstances.

[cutlery]

[ Okay, the hock, he can give some leeway for. Some people wouldn't know what that was, and it would be somewhat fair. He almost answers that question in earnest, but as Papyrus keeps going, Sebastian just ends up bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose with a drawn expression. ]

...That will absolutely not happen. Even lava would not melt a ham, it would incinerate it and turn it to ash. To melt, it must be able to turn to a liquid form, which ham most assuredly cannot.

[boneafide]

Oh.

[ Well that actually answers a lot of his questions. ]

You know a lot about cooking. I'm very impressed. I was... testing you, you see! I can tell now you know all the right answers.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian lowers his hand with a "really" sort of expression, and his voice is completely flat. ]

...Testing me. Of course. Then, sir, may I ask in return? Who allowed you in this kitchen?

[ sebastian is just bringing out the omnisass (for him, at least) at this point ]

[boneafide]

[ What a weird question to ask!! It's not like the kitchen was OFF-LIMITS to certain people, right?? ]

Oh, the goblins did, of course! I've been helping them out a lot, and I mentioned I love to cook, so here I am! They're very generous, so I want to help them in any way I can!

[cutlery]

[ Probably not, but Sebastian believes that it should be. But Sebastian also just wants to cook everything completely by himself, so that's Sebastian for you too. ]

Well, that is quite charitable of you, sir. But perhaps I should take over the cooking for now? You have done quite enough already.

[ He's afraid of what's been cooked so far!! ]

Though of course, if you still wish to assist, you may be my sous-chef.

[boneafide]

I've never been a sous-chef before!

[ And the predictable follow up question in three, two, one... ]

What's a sous-chef?

[cutlery]

Why, the second most important cook in the kitchen.

[ At this point, he's just making it sound nice so that Papyrus will actually do it and not touch anything else... ]

The sous-chef is the one that takes care of preparations so that the chef may do their work efficiently.

[boneafide]

[ And he falls for it, because of course he would. He just loves helping so much. ]

I would love to be your sous-chef! What should I do first, master chef??

[cutlery]

[ Ah, this is better... This seems safer at least. Sebastian motions to some of the piled up vegetables that will be used in many of the dishes, including the one he's working on. ]

You can clean and chop vegetables, I hope? It is a bit simple, but it is quite important... The stew will not be complete without them, so I hope you can handle this important task.

[boneafide]

Absolutely! I'm still a little new to chopping vegetables, but I have learned now the difference between mincing and dicing just today and already mastered it!

[ As long as Sebastian doesn't mind him doing it... with his mittens on. Which unless Sebastian says something, he's going to just keep them on, as he picks up the knife. ]

Bring on the vegetables!!

[cutlery]

[ He motions to the pile of peeled potatoes that someone has kindly already taken care of. ]

Then please start with the potatoes. If you can make them roughly bite-sized, that will do.

[ How badly could he mess up that, right... mittens and all ]

[boneafide]

[You're in luck, hell butler. He actually can manage to do that, now that he knows he shouldn't IMMEDIATELY PUNCH TO DESTROY VEGETABLES. You're lucky Ban got to him first, because wow, that sure would have been a mess!!

Properly, and without mistake, Papyrus cuts up the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.]

Done!