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

[toyska]

[STOP HE'S NOT GONNA KIDNAP YOUR KID IT'S FINE]

Oh yes. The banks can get this high! [holding his hand up about a foot over guzi's head! wow!] Sometimes we can't open the doors, so we have to stay inside and tell stories until the storms pass.

[stinky]

[you better not, buddy]

What kind of stories do you tell?

[toyska]

Scary ones.

[listen

at least he's honest

But after a solemn moment of silence, he grins again]

...Or adventure tales! My father often told me those when I was your age.

[stinky]

Scary like how my old dad and I got kidnapped by ghosts?

[qi rong, some distance away, chuckles at that. haha. good times.]

What kind of adventures?

[toyska]

Right, just like that. Sometimes there are monsters, or ferocious beasts...

[thinks about Snezhnayan pinky promise songs

yeah]

All kinds, really! [He's an old pro at this, he could tell this child a thousand adventure stories tbh.] Do you want to be an adventurer when you get older?

[stinky]

[i literally just did the quest where that comes up last night so i uNDERSTOOD THAT REFERENCE]

Uh huh! I'm already kind of an adventurer now 'cause Dad and I go to lots of scary places. But I wanna get big and strong so I can... [he glances in qi rong's direction. he's pretending not to pay attention, so guzi feels comfortable just lowering his voice to almost a whisper.] ...so I can protect Dad! But don't tell him I said that. He'll get mad if he thinks I think he needs protecting. And he'll probably say a bunch of bad words.

[toyska]

[IT'S A GOOD QUEST BRENT]

A fine reason, if you ask me. [Ruffling Guzi's hair! But gently.] Don't worry, your secret is safe with me.

[stinky]

Hehe. Thanks, Mister!

[every day i wonder why a nice kid like guzi insists on hanging around qi rong]

What's your favorite adventure?

[toyska]

[Guzi and Teucer should be besties]

Hmmm... [Well he has a real answer for this but he's not going to tell it to a child, so--] Battling the dragons, perhaps.

[That one was pretty good, he'd fight some dragons again...]

[stinky]

[


dammit that would be cute]

You fought a DRAGON? [his eyes are wide as saucers.] Tell me all about it!

[toyska]

Ahaha, I don't mind, but perhaps we should find somewhere to sit? [Since he's just kind of been crouched down this whole time, and he likes to make things elaborate and exciting when he's telling stories to kids...] If your father doesn't mind, of course.

[stinky]

[guzi turns back to qi rong - ]

Dad! Let's sit down and listen to this guy's stories!

[...which means he has to shuffle over and look him up and down.]

Don't tell him anything weird.

[toyska]

[Well, he'll try, but like--]

What's your definition of "weird"?

[stinky]

Just remember he's a kid.

But Dad, you say stuff kids shouldn't hear all the time...

That's different. I'm your dad.

[toyska]

[You know what, that logic is fair enough to him. He waves a hand!]

Haha, no need to worry. I've got siblings around his age. [So it'll be fine! Honestly even if he made his dragon-fighting tale super violent it would probably be more appropriate than half the shit Qi Rong says--but in this case he will behave, mostly.]

[stinky]

Fine, then.

[guzi looks excited!! storytime!! qi rong is pretending he doesn't care but he'll also listen.]

[toyska]

[Can't believe Qi Rong is being a tsun (no)

But once they're settled, Childe will indeed launch into the story! It's a true story, but he adjusts the details here and there to make it sound more like a fairytale than the straightforwardly bloody work that it was. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he's a good storyteller, genuine but highly animated in a way that children often find entertaining. He's clearly done this before.]

[stinky]

[guzi has stars in his eyes, listening to this!!


qi rong, meanwhile, is inwardly coming up with more impressive-sounding (and totally fake) stories to tell guzi later so that the kid pays more attention to him.]

Woooooow. That's amazing!

[toyska]

[Get a job, Qi Rong]

Haha, it was very exciting, it's true! Don't worry, you'll be big enough to go on adventures in no time. [Then, sternly--] But listen to your father in the meantime, alright? It's dangerous without training.

[Guzi looks old enough to start training, in his opinion, but that's not up to him...]

[stinky]

[he will never get a job]

I'm gonna train looooots and become a really powerful cultivator!

[toyska]

[PAY YOUR RENT!!!]

A cultivator? Can you tell me about it?

[stinky]

[no]

Uh huh. It's someone who's reaaally strong and has powers and protects people. I know one! He's really nice!

[qi rong frowns]

...he's not that nice.

He fed me.

He tied me up!

He let you down eventually...

[toyska]

[This whole conversation is so enlightening. Hilarious. It's tempting to let them continue, but--]

What kind of powers does he have?

[stinky]

Impressive ones. Like a god!

[meanwhile, qi rong mutters about how gods aren't that impressive, but he's also cussing and doesn't want to be scolded by guzi, so he's doing it under his breath.]

[toyska]

[childe (handshake) qi rong
"gods kind of suck, actually"

--Except unfortunately Childe still respects and acknowledges their power, because he wants to fight them about it. Still, after an "ohhh" of understanding, he just puts a hand to his chin in thought--then holds it out, palm upward and clearly empty.]

Do you mean... like this? [With a playful smile, he summons a Hydro arrow, spinning it around for Guzi to see that it's real.]