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

[shixiong]

[ yin yu

is here.

maybe? there's a person wearing a mask here somewhere, but he's awfully hard to see among all the bright lights and bright colors..... maybe there's a wallflower over there somewhere that looks familiar? ]

[wowcool]

Yin Yu!

[A certain someone is coming out of nowhere, peering over and offering him a cup. Surprise!]

You have to try the cider. It's really good.

[shixiong]

Oh, Master Anaido.

[ spotted... he looks a little surprised? or, well, he would, but he's masked. alas.

....

after a long moment, he does push it up to the side of his face, though. ] ...I suppose so. Thank you. [ and will take it! ] What's cider, exactly...?

[wowcool]

Oh, its like juice, but it's made differently. This one has spices in it! To make you feel warm for the winter months.

[He smiles, happy that his offer is being taken.]

Do you have cold winters where you come from, Yin Yu?

[shixiong]

[ he shakes his head... the cup's really warm though, so for the moment he seems content just to hold it between his palms. ]

Nn. Sometimes I do jobs for Chengzhu in the mountains. Truthfully, places like this - it reminds me moreso of camp.

[ since they did have snow days! fond memories... ]

[wowcool]

Oh, the camp? Well, in a way, I can agree with that. Especially with the whole "being whisked away" part of it. But the snow was fun.

[A beat.]

Are you back home? Or with Flayn?

[shixiong]

[ ah... a little embarrassed, his gaze flicks away. ]

...She is with me, actually. [ but if anaido's paying attention, he will see there's a faint smile on yin yu's face. disgusting and hetero ] And has been for some time, now.

[fishingforcompliments]

[hello masked wallflower.



flayn has just returned from getting some cups of tea from where the food and drinks are set up. she hands one of them to him with a smile.]

[shixiong]

[ oh, well, this is different. flayn immediately has him pushing his mask up - he smiles at her, small and gentle. ]

Thank you, Flayn - you didn't have to. [ uuuu ] Are you having fun?

[fishingforcompliments]

[she smiles back up at him and takes a sip of her tea. mm, nice and warm.]

Yes! Have you been out to see the gardens yet, Yin Yu? They are beautiful.

[shixiong]

Not yet, no. Chengzhu is out there - he doesn't like to be disturbed when he's working on a piece, so I thought I'd keep an eye on the interior of the lodge until he returned.

[ he's

working. what else is new. ] Have you seen any of his handiwork, then?

[fishingforcompliments]

Oh, yes! I saw a few as I was looking at the plants... he truly is quite the artist!

[she knew this already, of course, given how much time she spends in ghost city. but it never fails to impress her.]

Perhaps when he returns, you and I could take a walk there together?

[shixiong]

He is.

[ yin yu has never actually seen hua cheng's cave of gods, probably, but he's seen every other tribute to taizi dianxia his boss has made and there are

a lot. so. yeah, he's talented in any medium. the smile stays on his face, and he nods, taking a sip from the tea. ] ... And, I'd like that. A bit of a reprieve from all of the hubbub - if you would like to, as well.

[fishingforcompliments]

I would love to.

[but it's not really about the sculptures... at least, not solely that. she could walk around anywhere and be happy as long as she was walking with him.

actually, she should just say so.]

After all, I do quite enjoy taking walks with you, Yin Yu.

[shixiong]

[ cute... his heart does a doki doki. ]

As do I - no purpose necessary.

[ just spending time with flayn is a purpose in and of itself, after all. not patrolling together, not working, but just... relaxing in each other's company. it is very nice. ]

... Though, I wonder if you perhaps have a similar aim as you had the last time we were here, with such a walk?

[ teasing, gently, but he distinctly remember's flayn's Mistletoe Mission ]

[fishingforcompliments]

[flayn smiles up at him, returning the teasing with a little giggle.]

Well, if it turned out that way, I certainly would not be at all disappointed.

[if they just so happen to pass under some mistletoe on the way out, who could blame her? ...but her attention is on him, today; she doesn't seem to be looking for doorways that have mistletoe pinned to them at all.]

Perhaps you are the one with such an aim this year?

[shiftingwinds]

[a wallflower who is carrying a familiar-looking shovel. . .

don't mind sqx math lady memeing as she squints at him and tries to figure out if this is the real ming yi.

(the worst part about this is she knows very well who yin yu is. they've met before. she's just dumb.)]

[shixiong]

[ yin yu, on the contrary, is completely aware of the lady windmaster. he has watched her walk around like four or five times, observant, and has absolutely seen her squinting at him. there's a long pause, where he is deciding on what to do with this strange, strange situation.

(not the not being recognized part. that part's normal.)

...

with a sigh to himself, he shifts where he's standing, having adjusted the mask to the side of his face to sip from a drink earlier with flayn, and then straightens a bit and does his yin yu thing, basically disappearing into the crowd.

...only to reappear in front of her a safe distance away a few moments later, where he straightens, puts his fist to his palm, and bows. ] Lady Windmaster.

[shiftingwinds]

[huh.

shi qingxuan blinks, and suddenly the man she's staring at is gone. was she just seeing things? maybe she's half-expecting to run into he xuan; he'd had the shovel with him on the station, after all, but that certainly wasn't his face...



and then yin yu is just appearing out of the ether and speaking. she gives a muffled shriek, then smooths her robes down and tries to pretend like she wasn't startled.]

Ah! Hello there. [a beat.] ...hello.

[shixiong]

[ the mask stays on, which means if yin yu does react to her shrieking, it does not show! he does not, actually, because he really is just blatantly used to this with people from the heavens. let alone lady windmaster. ]

...Is there something you needed?

[ since she was staring...... ]

[shiftingwinds]

[hm.

seen up close, that mask really does look familiar. now, why can't she place where she knows it - and this man - from? ...she'd never struggled with this before, even up in the heavens! at the banquets, she could name every person and have something nice to say to each one of them!

it's a little frustrating...]

Forgive me... we've met before, haven't we? I swear your name is right on the tip of my tongue...

[shixiong]

[ yin yu, internally, flashes back to an overly excited, rambunctious young man at the celebration of his ascension, who fiercely congratulated him on his new position, and gave him a bottle of wine - and how much that had meant to him at the time.

...

he doesn't react, though - just bows again, this time with his hand to his heart. ]

I am the Xianxianyue Officer of Ghost City, Lady Windmaster. There's nothing to ask for forgiveness for, as it is the duty of this servant to stay out of the way.

[shiftingwinds]

Xia— oh!

[shi qingxuan's eyes widen, and she taps her palm with her fan. it's a little aha moment, and she leans forward, getting a better look at his mask.]

Ahahaha, that's right, you were there when... [...] Well, I know there's no way you'd be here to collect on a debt from His Highness, but I suppose I do owe you all a bit for the part I played in that fire, don't I?

[part of her wants to say, send the bill to the palace of the watermaster, because she wouldn't have been there to cause that fire in the first place if her brother hadn't-- but no, she won't do that.]

...wait, but if you're here, then that means you've also been through... ah...