Jingle Mingle...2

[alittlefuninstead]

Some of you may be used to this by now. For some of you, this may be your very first time being swept away in a flurry of snowflakes. (Though some of you may have been particularly naughty and were shoved into a burlap sack before disappearing into the storm.) As usual, it seems as though the time for bloodshed has passed and when you open your eyes you're greeted with...

...a ski lodge.

Worry not! This isn't the lodge Krampus had taken residence in but it's a rather large and cozy getaway. You may even find that your clothes have changed into something holiday-appropriate for the occasion. It seems as though someone has gone around decking the halls with boughs of holly, lights strewn along the walls, Christmas trees in large corners, and plenty of food and drink to go around. (Yes, this includes alcohol. Please do try to be responsible though, hm?)

Similarly, some of you may recognize the frosty patterns that lightly dust the walls and surfaces and the usual staff and their assistants are back in action. Should you require anything, you may ask one of them and they'll be at your service!

The lodge has plenty of rooms filled with furniture, fireplaces, games and more. And for those of you feeling a little more adventurous, you may venture outdoors. To the left there's a sprawling garden with gazebos, firepits, flowers and lit topiary displays. To the right, you may follow the path down to a hot spring. And straight ahead? There's the path leading you right to a rental shack holding skis, snowboards and snow mobiles.

This almost seems...quaint, doesn't it? And perhaps it's a little too easy, but you should know by now everything comes with a price.

Sprigs of mistletoe are pinned up in every doorway once again, bright red bows and dustings of frost lingering around them. Don't try to escape to the outdoors to avoid it! Ice sculptures appear in every direction each decorated with the mystical plant. You could try to avoid it, really, but avoiding it too long will earn a chilly breath of air directly in your ear as you're pushed straight into the nearest person. Wouldn't you rather choose on your own?

Well! The choice is yours, and you might want to make it fast. There's no way out without paying the kiss tax, after all.

[ooc: it's mgcu time! this mingle is open to characters from the following: reapsody, grimmoired, plasmatio, subdivided, thotordie, bluesclues, tropicalgetaway, notagain, redactable, snowend, 7rings, seasonality, and chasma!

Comments

[silentscout]

[Lalli is following after one of the staff members as they try to waddle away from him in a hurry. He's prodding at the penguin, which makes it squak and waddle more quickly.]

What a weird bird.

[The fuck is a penguin?]

[teenrebellion]

Stop poking at it. That's rude.

[ those could be someone's daemon, man! ]

[silentscout]

[He does stop poking at it, but he's still watching it. He's too curious to give up on this thing yet.]

The wings aren't large enough for it to fly. Why is it like that?

[teenrebellion]

[ the wolf at his feet gives a little huff of approval. ]

They're more so it can swim better, I think? I don't know; I'm not a biologist.

[silentscout]

Swimming instead of flying...

[Well, that makes sense with the feet. Maybe it's more like a duck.

This is when Lalli finally looks to the guy he's talking to. And he sees the wolf. He blinks a few times, confused.]

Why is that out here? I didn't sense any danger, there's no need for magic.

['That' being the wolf.]

[teenrebellion]

[ kazuki blinks right back and the wolf tilts her head curiously. ]

What magic?

[silentscout]

[He just. Gestures at the wolf. Like that answers the question.]

I know it's not a Luonto because it would be blue if it were, but it must be your equivalent to one. I can sense the connection between the two of you.

[teenrebellion]

...I don't know what a Luonto is, but Zimri isn't magic. She's just my daemon.

[silentscout]

[Lalli looks ready to argue with that, but he actually stops after opening his mouth because that actually does pose an interesting question that he hadn't considered before.]

...

Is she a part of you? A piece of your soul?

[teenrebellion]

[ nods! this is probably the easiest explanation of daemons ever wow. ]

Yeah, that's exactly it.

[silentscout]

[It's easy to understand when the magic system he grew up with has an equivalent to a daemon, thankfully.

Speaking of which, Lalli closes his eyes and says a couple lines in Finnish, an incantation to a spell that makes a lynx suddenly appear next to him. This lynx is blue and see-through though, an obvious magical construct of some sort.

And after finishing up that spell, Lalli opens his eyes again.]

They're normally not visible, even if they are always there. It's strange to see one like what you have.

[The lynx seems to be staying close to Lalli though, intent on protecting him from any possible threat. It does not perceive Kazuki and his wolf as a threat, but rather it's very skittish about being too far away from Lalli.]

[teenrebellion]

[ as the ultimate normie, kazuki jumps in surprise when the lynx just appears. ]

Whoa... I've never seen one like that.

[ he's obviously curious, but keeps a respectful distance. zimri, on the other hand, pads a little closer to investigate just out of touching distance. ]

They're usually invisible where I'm from, too, but the place we went to made them separate, like Zimri.

[silentscout]

[The lynx regards Zimri with a similar curiosity, sniffing with care. Not a threat? Something else? It makes Lalli think of the Norweigan mages and their soul animals, though they're not in a dream right now.]

Oh. So another world made it like this.

[This seems to make sense to Lalli? Other worlds have weird magic.]

The place I went to, it messed with our memories. But it didn't make our souls appear like this.

[teenrebellion]

[ oh that makes him very uncomfortable. messing with memories? bad! ]

...They're probably all bad, but I think I'd take the soul thing over someone screwing with my head any day. How bad was it there?

[heartlands]

[after watching this happen for a few seconds:]

...I don't think it likes being poked like that very much.

[silentscout]

It doesn't. But it won't reveal its secrets.

[Lalli sounds vaguely annoyed by that.]

[heartlands]

[he blinks.]

And what secrets would those be, exactly?

[silentscout]

If they can fly.

[Lalli that's not a big secret.]

[heartlands]

[looking at them...]

I'm not exactly an expert, but I would guess probably not? There. Secret solved. [is it??] You don't have to poke them anymore.

[silentscout]

Oh.

[It must be solved after all, because Lalli will stop poking the penguin after that. So success?]

They're like chickens then.

[heartlands]

...Sure!

[not really, but if it lets this penguin escape, it's fine.]

More importantly, are you hungry?

[silentscout]

Mhmm. There's food right?

[There's always food at these things. And it's a perfect distraction too.]

[heartlands]

Yeah! Let's go get some.

[gently ushering him away from the penguins.]

[silentscout]

[The penguins are saved!

Lalli is, predictably, going for any sweet pastries. Because that's what he usually eats. Though he's shying away from the cream cheese ones and going for ones with just fruit on them.]

They have so much food here. Just how many people are coming?

[heartlands]

It looks like a pretty big crowd! Lots of people I've never met before. It's exciting, right?

[he can only say this because he's a shameless extrovert.]