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

[reconnective]

[considering that sora didn't even recall any of this until super recently, it's debatable how much riku actually remembers.]

It's been a really long time since either of us have been back. Especially if the last thing he remembers is the darkness. [that's not great. but there's a nod.] Riku and I ended up in the same place at first, I think, but after that we split up. We haven't really traveled together before but we keep ending up in the same places.

We never really knew just how many worlds were out there, too. There's still a ton I think we haven't even seen.

[ghoststrums]

The longest Taichi and I were gone at once is a couple of months, but... only a few days passed back home. It was the same after campus. [ he looks around them again ] I think these places are proof there's too many worlds for anyone to ever see all of them. Just... some are closer than others.

[reconnective]

The Realm wasn't even real, but time didn't pass there either. It's hard to say how long we were gone from the island, too. [most of the time...]

But I kind of wish we could actually pick when we come to these places instead of just showing up.

[ghoststrums]

If we could, I'd have worn a coat. [ gestures at his school uniform, deadpan, but; ] Since we don't know how we get here, there's no way to control it either. Whatever reason we were brought to those games in the first place... maybe it's that connection that brings us all here.

[reconnective]

[big mood. sora's still in his regular clothes but he doesn't mind so much.]

I've been wondering that, too. Except the Realm was kind of a computer simulation, and we'd gone through the cycle twenty different times. I don't know if this is exactly like that, but most people are brought to their games without warning. Except for the people who were invited, I guess.

[weird.]

[ghoststrums]

[ yeah uh forget everything else; ]

Twenty times???

[ WHAT ]

[reconnective]

Something like that? But we didn't remember any of the other cycles because our memories kept getting reset.

[you know. as you do. i hope i'm explaining your own game wrong to you.]

[ghoststrums]

So you did it over and over again, with your memories being messed with every time?

[ bold of you to assume i remember my own game ]

[reconnective]

[our memloss...]

We kept trying because we wanted the best ending possible that would save everybody. But we could never remember how the other cycles went, so we had to make new choices and figure things out ourselves. No matter what the outcome would've been, that last round was the final one.

[ghoststrums]

[ ... well, he can't blame sora for wanting to save everybody. but: ]

... So did you guys manage to get the best outcome?

[reconnective]

Yeah. We killed the right amount of people and we were able to save everyone who died and make it out of there. Rabbits won the competition, so they got to make wishes, too.

[ghoststrums]

[ he can't judge "killed the right amount of people", all things considered, but he can judge: ]

... Literal rabbits?

[reconnective]

Nope. Team Rabbit. Our Leaders went by animal nicknames and we were all assigned to be on one of their teams. I was with Swan.

[ghoststrums]

Sort of like the Dorm Heads going by fake names... Did they remember their own?

[reconnective]

Only at the very end when we got all of our memories back. Even when we knew their real names, saying them never registered. I tried to get Cloud to remember his but he just thought I was talking about the sky instead.

[ghoststrums]

[ unfortunately yamato can't judge the name cloud when he's talking to a guy whose name literally means sky

and also his ex has that name ]

It was similar for us with the Dorm Heads, though telling Riku his usually gave him a headache.

[reconnective]

[yeah it's weird isn't it. but uh. hm. yamato says that and sora immediately frowns.]

Was he okay?

[ghoststrums]

[ hmmm, well. ]

He is now. I can't say he always was back then. But we got him out of there.

[reconnective]

[there's a sigh and he just looks a little conflicted.]

That's good. I was hoping he didn't actually get hurt too badly while he was there.

[riku said that yamato and taichi were there for him when he needed them most, but he hasn't exactly explained what happened during endgame.]

[ghoststrums]

[ hm. well. technically riku was not there when he got very hurt! it was just his body and he was hitching a ride with yamato! so it's fine ]

I think we all got hurt in some ways in those games, but looking around here... Most of us came out of it alright. Riku included.

[reconnective]

[IS THAT FINE.]

Haha, yeah...[said in a way that says he agrees but he hasn't at all explained to anybody just what kind of trouble he got himself into back in the realm.] Everybody seems to have won, at least. I've been wondering if these gatherings are actually supposed to be some kind of reward.

[he's still talking, but he's also still a little concerned about the state of affairs. it's fine. he can multitask.]

It's like I was telling someone else. Even if we went through something horrible, at least we had people with us to help us get through it. That has to count for something. [and it's all the more reason he's glad yamato was there for riku, along with others.]

[ghoststrums]

[ it is so fine. ]

I don't regret the people I've met or the friends I made during all of that, but... If there's a way to stop it from happening to other people, I'd still want that to happen. [ he cannot romanticize the terrible that happened on campus, despite literally coming out of it with two boyfriends ] If everyone here has won, isn't it possible there are people who haven't that don't get to wind up here?

[ no that's what thots is for but you get the sentiment. he is debbie downer ]

[reconnective]

[for a moment he seems to consider yamato. he doesn't say anything, just stares at him for a while like he's trying to find the right words.]

It's not like you're the only one. Of course I want it to stop happening to other people. Other people shouldn't have to go through that kind of hurt. [but sora's still an optimist even when things are the worst...usually.]

It's possible there are people who haven't, but I think...there's always a way to fix things that go wrong. Even if it's not the way you'd think. I dunno. I think that we'll find a way someday but it might be unexpected and it might take a little while. Until then, we can only hope that people keep relying on each other to get through whatever they have to do to.

[ghoststrums]

[ hmmm. there's probably an argument to be made, but yamato does agree with the overall sentiment. (overall, because there's not always a way to fix things that go wrong. unfortunately.) it means after all of that he sighs and smiles lightly ]

Riku was right about you. [ he doesn't expand on that at all! ] Even if it takes a bit, I think we should still be trying our best to fix things like that, for everyone here. But... in the meantime, I guess there's nothing wrong with enjoying the time we do have in these "rewards".

[reconnective]

[there's a way to fix things if you sacrifice yourself but that's not always an option so sora doesn't say anything. anyway! he just smiles, a little confused and a little curious. there's a "huh?" sort of noise, but he doesn't pry. riku's business is his own and sora will just bully it out of him later.]

We can definitely agree on that. [but..he gestures around the lodge.] Up for some hot cocoa? You can tell me more about you and Taichi and your world.

[this is not exactly optional but again, genuinely curious!]