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

[defenceless]

[papyrus...]

I didn't say... Your brother, Sans. I didn't say he lied to me.

[he just seems like the type who would lie, if he had to. to protect his younger brother he treasures so much.

—which may not have been any better to imply. oops.

rin waves her hands, trying to distract him from it. she is covering for a social faux pas with a sentient skeleton during winter in a city inhabited by goblins. alastair is sure a ride.]

Listen, don't worry about it, all right? He's a good big brother. And with what you two have had to deal with, you're allowed to have bad days or not talk or do whatever you like.

[boneafide]

[ No, she didn't say Sans lied to her. She implied Sans lied to him.

Papyrus is quiet again, focusing more on making this snow person of Rin, trying to distract himself, since her waving this off isn't really helping. He's working on the hair now. ]

...

I think I got your nose wrong. Can you fix it? I'm not used to making noses that aren't just holes!

[ Guess that's how he's going to deal with this. ]

[defenceless]

[she frowns, deeply, when he's not looking right at her. she would like to pretend she's stronger, but the truth is that she's taking this as a problem she has to fix, or a favor she'll have to owe him someday, to make up for herself.

for the moment, her solution is to consciously push it all away and tiptoe nearer to papyrus, venturing out one gloved hand. gently, she sculpts the snow into an awkward, pointy nose shape.]

Of course. Mmm, it's just—you have to work with pretending more is there. Because we have more there.

[it's way bigger than her nose is.]

[boneafide]

[It is much bigger than her real nose. But...]

Good job!

[He turns to look at Rin to see how he did in comparison, and so far, Snow Rin actually looks pretty decent, all things considering. Coals for eyes, too big a nose, and her hair is not quite perfect, but pigtails in snow sculpture is difficult as it is. But the rest looks pretty good!!

If Rin's still frowning, he'll give her a small smile back. She didn't mean to say anything wrong, so he forgives her already. No need to make up for anything.]

I think I should have brought ribbons to put in her hair.

[defenceless]

[it's sort of amazing how skeletons can smile, or even show other emotions.

she isn't quite smiling yet when papyrus turns to her again, busy with trying to perfect the nose and evaluating the finished product of "snow-rin", but a tiny grin comes back once she knows he's hoping to reassure her.]

Well, we might be in luck. What if I showed you some magic?

[boneafide]

I would love to see it!!

[ For Monsters, magic is simply a way of talking. It's so prevalent in their lives, that it's something very openly used, talked about, etcetera. He doesn't know how it is for humans, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing one uses frequently, let alone shows people. It's a little sad to think about, but Rin actually wanting to show him some of her own is very exciting. ]

[defenceless]

[and he has it right. in her world, magic is shut up, hidden, blocked from the vast majority of humans and studied by only a chosen subgroup. it's been replaced by science and technology, and miracles are spoken of as fragments of beliefs or pages in storybooks. normally, she would not have told papyrus she practiced magic in the first place.]

Some of mine, anyway. [rin hums to herself.] I've forgotten monsters are different. You're made of magic, so it might be nothing.

[she's happy enough with it to continue, though. rin drops to the ground and scoops up a group of long sticks.]

[boneafide]

It's never nothing!

For monsters, using magic is the best way to communicate, because it can say emotions better than words sometimes. Even if it's something small, like crying magic tears that make a hat, it's still important.

[ This was on it's way to being nice until he talked about a hat made of tears, wasn't it. ]

[defenceless]

[rin's version of magic is also rather bittersweet. so, strange as the example is, she really does understand it. offering him a sympathetic smile, she stands.]

Here we go.

[holding out the bundle of sticks gripped between both of her hands, she closes her eyes. slowly, a blue ethereal glow surrounds them.

right before his very (skeleton) eyes, the hard wood of the sticks flops to something almost like ribbons. the twigs lose their stiffness, it seems. they appear perfect for hair ribbons for the snow tsundere.]

[boneafide]

[ Papyrus, if he had eyes, would have experienced them widening in surprise. The sticks turn into ribbons right before him, but what really catches his attention more than anything is- ]

Blue!! You used- blue magic?!

[ Yeah, that's what he's latched onto. ]

[defenceless]

[she's laughing as she passes the handful of vaguely wooden ribbons over to him, gesturing to indicate he should begin tying them up in "her" hair.]

That's just the way it looks when I perform magic. That's my magical energy coming out and doing the spell...!

[boneafide]

[ He takes the ribbons, wrapping them around the snowpigtails, and making a cute bow on either side. ]

Does magic appear only as blue in your world, or are there other colors??

[ Because if it was other colors sometimes, and Rin has blue colored magic specifically-!!!! ]

[defenceless]

[sorry, papyrus.

watching him while he puts the ribbons in place, rin self-consciously twists a section of one of her own twintails around her finger.]

—Sadly, a lot of it looks sort of bluish or greenish, at first. Always glowing, too. But there are plenty of possibilities. It all depends.

[she offers him an apologetic smile.]

It's the same for monsters, too, isn't it? Different colors, different effects?

[boneafide]

Different monsters have different colors, yes. I am a blue specialist! Undyne uses green, if you ever come across her- she's a fish lady.

[ Well now he's a little embarrassed, he assumed Rin might also use blue... But it turns out all magic is blue to her? ]

Well! You showed me your magic, so I should show you mine! If you want!

[defenceless]

A fish lady...

[it's not quite true that all magic is blue to her. it's mostly just the color of it she experiences most often. so, in a way:]

We can be "blue specialists" together, Papyrus. I'd love to see some of your magic.

[boneafide]

I can't do transformation magic like you did... But I can do this!

[When he says 'this', he raises his hand in an upward motion, and with a small quake in the ground beneath them, a series of bones jut up from the ground, surrounding them in a wide circle. Their heights ranging from two feet tall to six feet, and Papyrus is smiling as he always is, a little bit proud whenever he gets to show off.]

Now! You might be wondering- but Papyrus! What does this have to do with the color blue!

Well! The answer is quite simple!

It doesn't! This is just normal magic. I could use blue, but I usually ask permission before I do that unless I'm very serious. Also! You are in a skirt, and blue magic isn't very skirt-friendly sometimes. Much like steam vents.

[defenceless]

[she trembles at the quake, but allows it to pass, guessing it's just part of his magic. and it is. glancing all around her, she's surrounded by long bones rising up out of the dirt and snow, many of them much higher than her given height of about five feet.

rin is in awe.]

Oh, well—how considerate of you! I wouldn't want to be caught in an unfortunate situation with a skirt. Your magic is amazing. It suits a skeleton like yourself.

[boneafide]

Thank you!! It's a skeleton thing- the bones I mean. Those are the white bones. There's also the light blue ones. Which is different than blue magic.

[ To which Papyrus twirls his hand around, and suddenly there's a small light blue and glowing bone in his hand. Or rather, floating on top of his hand. ]

If I hand this to you, you need to stay perfectly still! Can you do that?

[defenceless]

[rin's brain races to keep everything straight, but for a trained student of magecraft, it isn't hard. even the floating bone doesn't faze her, her offering a nod in understanding.]

Yes.

[she has honed reflexes, too, and so rin trusts herself. she sends out one hand to receive the bone.]

[boneafide]

[ He holds the bone above her open hand, and then releases it. If she stays still, like he said to, the bone...

Phases right through her hand, and as gravity continues to drag it down to the ground, it just phases into the dirt and snow, until it's gone.]

And that's how light blue ones work!

[Did she really think he was going to hurt her?]

As long as you don't move, they don't do anything!

[defenceless]

[sure enough, she remains perfectly still. the bone travels through her hand and witnessing the easy way it crosses skin and muscle to drop to the snow and disappear won't call a flinch from her, she's so accustomed to experiencing magic.

—what does momentarily shock her, mentally, is how thoroughly she already trusts papyrus.]

That's interesting. And if you do move?

[boneafide]

[ You aren't the only one who winds up trusting Papyrus so quickly. He's pretty good at that. ]

Then you'd get hurt! But you didn't, so it's okay!! Don't worry, it wouldn't have done much. I'm very good at holding back!!

we can end it here, if you like! just assume they played in the snow some more askda

[defenceless]

[she bets he is. though he has magic, rin has to question how much damage papyrus can do with it, when the time requires serious action.]

I won't worry. Thank you for showing me a little bit about what you can do, Papyrus.

[she's learned by now that it's best to be lighthearted around him, however.]

... Say, why don't I try making my own snow version of you to complete the bunch?

[his snow papyrus can outshine it.]