❄ I just wanna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe ... [sisi voice] A Jingle Mingle

[alittlefuninstead]

Wherever you are, whoever you are, you'll likely find yourself blinking one moment and teleporting in a flurry of snowflakes the next. Luckily for you, there's no murder this time! (Probably.)

Rather, you'll hear Christmas carols aplenty as you approach a winter castle, snow lightly falling and various paths leading to gardens filled with still-blooming flowers (how.) and lit topiary displays.

Upon entering the castle, you'll find it's brightly lit and decorated...welcome to the party! Frost lightly dusts the walls and some nearby surfaces and guests will find there are halls and floors aplenty to explore. There are rooms filled with plush chairs and fireplaces for those looking for something cozier, rooms filled with all kinds of games and toys, and naturally there's a large ballroom prime for dancing. Spread through you'll find tables of snacks, full-course meals, drinks, desserts, and even champagne towers. Are you looking for something specific? Simply ask a member of the staff. Watch your step though! Their assistants really are doing their best to help, and the jingling bell may be too faint to hear if you aren't paying attention.

It seems as though you've all been invited to a wonderful holiday party for no reason at all...but there is one thing amiss...or, should I say...amistletoe?

Pinned up on every doorway is a sprig of fresh mistletoe, decorated with bright red bows and dustings of frost. And sure, perhaps it's easy just to avoid the doorways if you want to be a spoilsport. But should you avoid it for too long, it will seem as though the mistletoe is following you, almost as if some asshole is hiding out and purposefully trailing behind to keep it dangling over your head.

Oh. And did I mention you can't leave the castle grounds until you play along? Pucker up.

[ooc: this can be any past murdergame characters y'all, go nuts.

for clarity sake, this includes characters from: reapsody, grimmoired, plasmatio, subdivided, thotordie, bluesclues, tropicalgetaway, notagain, and redactable!

edit: and by popular demand any of you from the above games can also bring your yuggoths and your tikirobos. The Robowests were in CRAU and therefore don't count goodbye.]

Comments

[fishingforcompliments]

[Hm. What to do about this? Flayn flounders for a moment, and then just says the first thing that comes to mind:]

That color is very flattering on you.

[hegemonstrous]

[Wh. . . what.

She legitimately has no idea how to respond to that.]

Th - thank you? I usually wear this color, so. . .

[Ahem.]

You look lovely as well?

[fishingforcompliments]

[Cut her some slack, Edelgard, she's just trying not to ruin the festive mood.]

Ah. Thank you.

[Actually now that I'm thinking about it she is absolutely wearing clothes from somewhere else. So! That may also make it look like she's heeded her advice.]

...things here appear to be peaceful enough here... [But then, mumbling: ] Though I suppose it was not immediately dangerous before, either, although that "bus" was rather odd...

[hegemonstrous]

[Honestly cute. I mean, listen. She won't know one way or another; she hasn't seen Flayn or Seteth recently. So, fine. She doesn't have enough ill will against Flayn's family to begrudge being polite to her at a party, as long as she's not in Fodlan.]

Personally, I'm troubled at the implication we can be dragged places like this. But I suppose this at least seems harmless so far.

[fishingforcompliments]

Mm...

[Flayn falls silent for a moment, and seems to be focusing on something -

And then she lets out a brief sigh of relief.]

Well, I do seem to be in possession of my abilities, still, so if it does become... harmful, I can at least be of some assistance.

[No one is dying on her watch, thanks.]

[hegemonstrous]

Are you?

[Are you gonna turn into a dragon right here in this party? You would.]

Please don't. That would be a problem.

[fishingforcompliments]

[No she wouldn't.]

You can hardly expect me not to attempt to heal someone if they are injured, Edelgard. Surely you do not think that poorly of me.

[ :( ]

[hegemonstrous]

[Oh, that.]

It won't come to that, I should hope.

[Anyway, they haven't paid enough attention and some mistletoe has snuck up on them.]

[fishingforcompliments]

I hope not...

[Though their track record for that sort of thing is really rather unfortunate.

Anyway, Flayn looks up when she sees something green out of the corner of her eye.]

...eh?

[hegemonstrous]

Oh.

[Oh no! Looking up at it, and then just. . . pulling her axe out from the back of her dress Wonder Woman style and starting to try to hit it?]

[fishingforcompliments]

[WHERE WAS SHE KEEPING THAT?

Anyway I assume the mistletoe is magic, so although she manages to shave off a bit of it, it just grows back. Flayn blasts it with a fire spell, which goes similarly uselessly - it's still, you know, there.]

Um... this is a rather odd decoration.

[hegemonstrous]

[I told you, in the back of her dress! Don't worry about it.

But yeah, it absolutely doesn't work. You just have a tiny lady in a ballgown trying to hit the ceiling with an axe for no reason.]

How nefarious. It means to trap us.

[fishingforcompliments]

[Flayn thinks about the numerous books on flower language that she read during CRAU.



Yeah no she's not opening up this can of worms with Edelgard.]

Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. The more attention we pay it, the more aggravated we will be. Perhaps we can simply pretend it is not there?

[hegemonstrous]

Do you actually think that will work?

[She somehow doubts that. But she does sort of understand the concept here, too, or otherwise these threads would be impossible.]

[fishingforcompliments]

Well, I do not know that it will actually make it go away, but perhaps if we pay it no mind it will get bored?

[Or, like, whoever's responsible for it will get bored!]

[hegemonstrous]

All right. Let's pay it no mind.

[Standing. Sipping her champagne. Side eyeing this stupid plant.]

[fishingforcompliments]

[Standing. Scouring the tables of food for some tasty holiday fish. Spotting some and heading over--

Haha nope this is the "deal with it or go nowhere" variety of mistletoe.]

Oh, curses.

[hegemonstrous]

Hmph. So much for that plan.

[What else do you have, Flayn??? Why is this Flayn's responsibility.]

We will simply have to break the curse.

[fishingforcompliments]

[She's not the one who put the mistletoe everywhere!! Edelgard!!

Anyway Flayn is checking the immediate area to make sure no one is watching.]

Are you aware of how to break it, Edelgard?

[hegemonstrous]

I. . . have my suspicions.

[Hmm.]

[fishingforcompliments]

[Edelgard are you really going to make her say it!!]

I do as well, based on the traditions of some of the worlds outside of Fódlan that involve that plant... [Mmm.] The thing is, the first method that comes to mind is a bit of a problem.

It is nothing against you, of course, I simply have someone that I would rather not allow to see me kiss someone else...

[The problem is she's het.]

[hegemonstrous]

[Really, Flayn? She's. . . offended.]

It isn't as though I would want to kiss you!

[fishingforcompliments]

I am quite aware that you would not.

[The whole (redacted for the canonblind) made that abundantly clear, thanks!]

[hegemonstrous]

It would only be to remove this curse. We mustn't let emotions prevent us from pursuing the most effective course of action.

[fishingforcompliments]

[One last sweep to make sure Yin Yu is not right there watching - ]

Very well, let us get this over with, then.