❄ 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

[shixiong]

Mm - even Chengzhu and his highness are here.

[ it's. very full of people, yeah. he leads the way towards the kitchen, glancing around at their surroundings briefly. yin yu is not nearly as comfortable in a crowd of this many people, but...

...flayn looks happy, so. ] I hope you've gotten to speak to many of them, already?

[fishingforcompliments]

Is that so?

[hmm, she'll have to yeet herself at hua cheng and xie lian later... by which i mean you're getting double the flayn in your inbox, deal with it]

Some of them! There are some familiar faces and some unfamiliar ones... do you think it will be alright?

[shixiong]

[ when have i ever complained about double flayn

hmm... as for the question, he tilts his head. ] I hope so.

I canvassed the area when I first got here, just to check, and it seems the only thing that's strange are the little green plants... otherwise, it seems mostly benevolent.

I think it may be alright to socialize... just to do so carefully, is all. [ in other words, he's got your back, boo, have fun ]

[fishingforcompliments]

[carefully, hm?

flayn reaches for his hand and laces their fingers together.]

Well, if I am to be careful, then I suppose I ought to stay at your side.

[shixiong]

[ ah... yin yu's cheeks pinken, but his smile returns again, soft and warm almost immediately.

he squeezes her hand. ] ...I wouldn't want to hold you back from having fun.

[ but if she stays he'd be happy.... ]

[fishingforcompliments]

[she squeezes his hand. it's mostly gentle, but it's also just firm enough to make a point.]

I do not believe I ever said that I am not having fun.

[shixiong]

[ he ducks his head, a little sheepish. ]

...well, then. [ what flayn says goes. as ever, even with the little squeeze, his heart skips a beat, and yin yu has to look away from her, his ears pink. uu... ] I believe I saw a few others who looked as if they wore similar clothing to that found in Fódlan who I have not yet met...?

[ introduce him to your friends!!

meanwhile, they're about to pass through a door which means mistletoe time ]

[fishingforcompliments]

Oh, yes! Come to think of it, I did see Claude and Dimitri earlier... and, ah, Edelgard appears to be here as well...

[...which is a little awkward buuut moving right along! oh look a distraction in the form of mistletoe!

flayn stops in the doorway and looks up. hm.]

Now, where have I seen that plant before...

[shixiong]

[ ... that is awkward. he squeezes her hand briefly at the mention, but otherwise moves on with her. yin yu's gaze draws upward, and he reports, almost automatically: ]

It's called mistletoe. According to what I've heard from the others around this place, the tradition behind it is typically...


[ .........

he trails off there, his ears turning red. ]

[fishingforcompliments]

Oh! Yes, I remember now.

[the corners of flayn's lips curve up into a mischievous smile.]

We are not meant to step away from it without a kiss, I believe.

[...but she's not going to make the first move! in fact, she's going to bully yin yu into making the first move, because she's a gremlin.]

[shixiong]

[ ah....

she baited him and he totally fell for it, didn't he... flayn..... ]

I'm glad I could jog your memory. [ yin yu says, a little wryly. this is very polite speak for "you are such a gremlin".

but, he shifts to step a little closer into her space, anyway, and glances past them briefly just to make sure no one (hua cheng and dianxia, especially) is watching.

then, yin yu reaches for his mask and pulls it off the side of his head with his free hand. it lets him get a better grip on it to turn it facing away from them. it's not the first time he's done so - but the added privacy gives him confidence.

it makes it easier to cup her cheek with his other hand, then lean down to give her a gentle kiss. ]

[fishingforcompliments]

[he sure did!

she tilts her head up to look up at him (perhaps a little expectantly), her cheeks flushed despite how pleased with herself she looks. the way he checks to make sure they have some privacy first makes her giggle.

some things never change! not that she minds at all.

when he leans down, she goes up slightly on her tiptoes so he doesn't have to bend down quite as far to reach her. when she returns the kiss, it's very soft, and she brings her arms up to drape over his shoulders so she can pull herself a little closer to him.]

[shixiong]

[ gross! it's not like they're kissing all the time or anything!

he holds the kiss for a little while, lingering gently as always, because it's a bit harder to pull away than it should really be - and when he breaks the kiss off, yin yu can't help but smile at her, still bent over so she can keep her arms draped around his neck if she likes. his cheeks are still very pink. ]

...there. [ done and done. ]

[ he's embarrassed but also really grossly in love, unfortunately, so. here we are. a small part of him expecting flayn to drag him over to as many of these doorways as possible for as long as they're here. ]

[fishingforcompliments]

[that was



absolutely her plan, yes. and she does, in fact, seem inclined to stay where she is for the moment - arms draped around his neck, a look of pure adoration on her face as she smiles up at him.]

Thank you. That was nice.

[shixiong]

[ can you do that instead of getting shot at?

anyway! that look gives him butterflies that are absolutely not related to chengzhu's silver ones. ]

...You don't have to thank me, for kissing you... [ but, he nods anyway, letting his hand with his mask drop proper so he can affix it back to his head, but also not pulling away at all. this is the closest to pda he's ever come. wow. ]

[fishingforcompliments]

[she can do BOTH


or, well, she can do both once my work chills out.]

Oh, I know that you enjoy it as much as I do, that is not what I was thanking you for. [SHAMELESS.] But I do know you are not exactly a fan of doing it when other people might see... so I was thanking you for loving me enough to do it anyway.

[she's a gremlin, sorry yin yu. are you tired of her yet?]

[shixiong]

[ oof. one hit KO. yin yu's entire face is now red, and his mouth flaps kind of stupidly open and closed for a second.

... ]

....y-you're welcome.

[ he'll never get tired of her even if she is extremely embarrassing. it's made even more obvious by his quiet: ] ...I love you too...

[ jeez!!! ]

[fishingforcompliments]

"Too"? I have not even said that yet, silly. But, I do love you.

[she presses a kiss to his flushed cheek, then unwinds herself from him so she can take his hand again.]

Shall we continue exploring?

[shixiong]

You implied it...

[ he's not going to leave her hanging!!! that was one of his promises when he came back, even if he only made it to himself!

embarrassed or not, though, his hand threads easily with flayn's. the simple gesture of comfort and closeness has never stopped meaning the world to him, and yin yu ducks his head, sheepish, but with a smile tugging at his mouth. ]

...Mn. There's much to see, I think.

[fishingforcompliments]

I would prefer to do better than simply imply it.

[she likes hearing it when he says it - but also, she likes telling him he loves him! the way he blushes red to his ears is charming.

(yin yu has not known a moment's peace since she showed up on his doorstep.)]

The architecture is almost reminiscent of the buildings in Fódlan. It is a little nostalgic...

[shixiong]

[ no, he absolutely has not.... but he wouldn't have it any other way, either! his life since flayn is 2049059845346x better than without it.

anyway!! leading her around on their little tour now, holding her hand. gross. ]

It does seem similar, doesn't it? Did you all celebrate winter events like this, in Fódlan? I know the New Year doesn't necessarily compare...

knox wanted to tag too

[fishingforcompliments]

Ah, well... I am not sure if the traditions have changed since I left...

[given that most of the holidays she celebrated in the monastery were religious, and uh! (fe3h spoilers)!!]

But while I was there, we celebrated Saint Cichol Day on the twenty-seventh of Ethereal Moon, which was during the winter season. And when the winter and the year came to an end during Lone Moon, it was traditional to reflect on partings and acquaintances...

he did!!!

[shixiong]

[ laughs in (fe3h spoilers)

anyway. the name cichol gets a brief shift in his expression, and yin yu ponders his response for a moment, before squeezing her hand. ]

...Then... despite the odd circumstances [ kidnapping... three!! ] Perhaps reflecting on our acquaintances will be made a bit easier in the spirit of the season.

reaches my arm across several states to pat knox

[fishingforcompliments]

[flayn squeezes his hand lightly in return, drawing herself a little closer to him. he's a comforting presence, as early, and the slightly odd expression on her face quickly is replaced by something softer.]

Perhaps it might.

[they're walking... walking... flayn leads them through a doorway, and then pauses.]

Oh. Oops. We appear to have found another one of those plants.

[that "oops" is not at all convincing.]

i gave him a belly scritch for you

[shixiong]

[ "oh, oops." yin yu looks up to it, too... and closes his eyes, briefly. ]

Flayn... [ this very fond exasperation. he's trying not to smile, though, and obediently leans down...


gimme kissy ]