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

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh! Perhaps when we get back I can give you a tour, then!

[she looks kind of excited by the idea... cue hua cheng and yin yu just tailing them from a distance to make sure the ghosts don't act up.]

...you did? [hmm. well, most people from her world are nice, so-] Who did you meet?

I'd love that.

[ very genuinely, he would! xie lian loves the idea of seeing ghost city through flayn's eyes, wow.

...but also - ] Well, there was a very nice [ murderer ] young lady named Miss Hilda, and then Claude, as well, who I spoke to more often.

Then we shall do it once we return.

[yay! they have plans. hopefully hua cheng won't mind her borrowing him for a little while.]

Oh, I see! Hilda and Claude are both very kind - I am glad you had the chance to meet them.

Mm, mm. We ended up spending quite a bit of time with Claude. He's a fascinating young man - and so very clever!

[ (dotes embarrassingly on his new son) ] I felt very lucky to learn a little more about his world. And your world, too!

He is, is he not? It always seemed as though he and his classmates enjoyed the time they spent together... the Golden Deer were especially lively.

[it would have been interesting to be in his class, she thinks. it's too bad about... well, no, she's not going to think about that.]

Do you think that perhaps the two of them might come to visit Ghost City as well?

Hmm... I'm not sure if Miss Hilda will - I don't think it's much to her taste.

[ can you just pause and imagine hilda in ghost city for like five minutes ]

--But, I hope Claude will! If he's not too busy. He and San Lang got along especially well. [ xie lian leans in, almost a little conspiratorially, to say - ] It's because I think in a lot of ways... they are the same person.

[imagines that, laughs out loud irl]

Oh? Do you think so?

[she considers it for a few moments... hmm... they both can be rather cheeky.]

Indeed. Very clever, and very, very cheeky... and very playful, too. He reminded me much of when I first met San Lang - when he was pretending to be a teenager.

Both of them terribly insincere. [ this makes him laugh! while he's still being a little cheeky himself. ] ...Or, at least, pretending to be, anyway.

[ he's so fond he loves his new son ]

[...yeah, that sounds like claude. flayn can't help but smile a little.]

I can see the resemblance, now that you mention it.

[...]

I hope that he will be able to visit us from time to time. Ah... did he talk much of what the political situation was like in Fódlan...?

[because he could be very busy, soon.]

[ mm... he shakes his head. ]

Not much. I learned more about his past than I really did anything of the future.

...I got the sense that it has something to do with why you are with us, is that correct...?

...

[she nods slowly]

There were some differences between the Fódlan I knew and the Fódlan that Dimitri [who she has probably mentioned to xie lian at some point or another] remembered, so I am not certain that there are no differences between mine and Claude's.

But... if there are enough similarities... things may be very difficult for him soon, or they may have become difficult already. I am not sure how much he would want me to say.

[ mm... his gaze softens with worry and concern, as always. by now, xie lian knows better than to run and stop entire wars (he learned this, in fact, because of his own failures), but his heart goes out to them nonetheless. ]

...He's a very clever and capable young man. I have no doubts that he will be alright.

[ ... ] Even still, when we return, let us be sure to send prayers and blessings in the direction of Fódlan, yes? If that is all we can do, then let's do it with fidelity.

Yes, I think that would be a good idea.

[she smiles up at him! it's a little sad to think about just going back to ghost city and praying for fódlan, but given (fe3h spoilers), that's probably the best flayn can do at this point - getting more directly involved could make the situation worse.]

Thank you, Xie Lian.

[ he feels exactly the same way, and lifts a hand to give flayn's shoulder a little squeeze in solidarity. it is unfortunate. and terrible. and... a part of him would like to still run and try to solve it, honestly.

...anyway! let's move on. ]

...Come, let's try some of these sweets together, shall we? I ate so many delicious things in the Realm, we may well take the occasion and enjoy such things while we can! Maybe I can bring some home in my sleeves...

You can fit almost anything up your sleeve, can you not?

[his sleeves are very impressive! hers are, unfortunately, not quite as spacious as his, and also she'd feel bad ruining the pretty silks if any of the food stained it.]

I would like to learn the recipes for them. If we can find the ingredients we need, perhaps we could prepare them back home!

[..."home," she says.]

[ excuse me

he just like

smiles at her like this for a minute? see icon expression.

oooooooohhhhhhh flaaaayyyynnnnn ]

[stop why is he looking at her like that

she's a little flustered now.]

Um... did I say something funny?

[WHY IS HE SMILING LIKE THAT.]

[ (animal crossing joy emote) ]

No, not at all! I just... I think it's been very nice to have you, so I'm glad that you can think of our realm as your home. Especially Ghost City!

[oh

now she realizes what she just said. her cheeks flush, immediately, and she brings up a hand to try and hide it.]

...ah, well, you have all made me feel very much at home there...

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

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