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glocksuke2021-12-11 12:11 pm
alittlefuninstead) wrote in glocksuke2021-12-11 12:11 pm
Jingle Mingle...2
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!
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[ but roxis is also scrutinizing the mistletoe now, but like, outside of what they've already discovered, he's also not getting much from it. w e i r d , huh? it's almost like there's thread magic forcing them into not being able to do anything about it. there's a glint of light that thrums briefly in his palm as he considers testing something... but hm, nah. ]
Maybe if it only nulls any attempts at doing anything to the decoration itself ... not the worst idea, honestly.
[ like, what are the odds the entire lodge is constructed out of alchemically or magically reinforced material? ]
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[ how do you sharpen cards, actually? is it like knives? now flat is wondering if roxis would make a good chef with them…
he taps his chin, observing the mistletoe closely before smiling. ]
Do you wanna try?
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[ which normally he'd hate to admit, not understanding something like this, but like, they just blew up angels all across the universes with a quote unquote bomb. sometimes you accept that there are wild things out there outside of your existing frame of reference that you'd need to study up and do more research on.
he is eyeing the card he recalled a little dubiously though, trying to see if it picked up any material worth analyzing on the edges or if it's just... pristine. hint, it's the latter. anyway: ]
I don't have anything imbued with a fire ether trait on me. ... I'm sure I could figure something out from what we have available here if you gave me a moment, but do you want to do the honors?
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[ what could they use? there’s many glues out there, both natural and synthetic… could they mix them together? correct the properties to improve its resistance? how do to that in the first place—no, the how doesn’t matter.
either way, he’ll grin at the offer, nodding. ]
Sure! Game, select!
[ though he poses, with arm and hand outstretched, it’s largely unnecessary as nothing comes from his hand. the area around the mistletoe, however, spontaneously lights on fire… but nothing burns. after a few seconds, the flames disappear, as if they had never occurred in the first place. ]
Total failure!
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... nullification within a certain radius, do you think? Or— stasis?
[ any damage incurred won't actually actualize if time doesn't pass...? ]
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[ he looks around, and then at roxis, head tilted. ]
Any other ideas? I got one, but it’s not great.
[ and if flat’s saying that… ]
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[ put it in front of vayne and have him rattle off properties the way he and sulpher had once played off as being one of sulpher's abilities as the mana of sulfur if he really runs into a dead end on his own, even. ]
... What's your idea?
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[ and this makes things so much easier because— ]
I can’t understand it well enough, so I thought that it would be easier if I exposed myself to it. However I think that it needs two people to activate the spell, so why don’t we go?
[ for science! ]
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[ for?? science...???? ]
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It would.
[ for science! ]
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vosgetel is going to look up from preening herself while still situated on flat's shoulder, glance over at roxis, more or less just shake her head at her person, and then go right back to preening. preening, but judgmental.
thanks, soul. ]
...... fine? We can go. I suppose.
[ for. science, (????) ]
no subject
[ is this a convoluted set up for roxis to get under the mistletoe or not? there was a time when something like that would have been more than possible… but it isn’t now.
jack, on the other hand, is glancing between roxis and flat…though it quickly goes to preening its wings.
flat will reach for one of roxis’ hands, gently tugging the alchemist towards the mistletoe. ]
Come on, don’t look so nervous, Roxis. It’ll be over before you know it!
[ is he going to kill roxis, or kiss him? ]
no subject
it's easy enough to pull him along, at least, he doesn't really offer any resistance. honestly he wouldn't really mind it if it weren't for the venue, and how many people are around. if this becomes a public spectacle he's going to die on the spot for a third time.
anyway, haha. mistletoe. ]
no subject
anyways, roxis, don’t worry about it. sure, there’s people around them, but flat doesn’t look worried in the least.
once they get under the mistletoe, flat looks up at it, still holding roxis’ hand. ]
I kind of get it! It’s like… a condition—like a troll that lives under the bridge and asks you riddles before you may pass or like an event that has to happen to move into the next scenario. You get it, right?
[ d…does he? ]
no subject
anyway flat leads them over, hands still interlinked, and actually he has seen something like this before so he does manage to follow along, in fact, especially when flat mentions the second example. haha. ]
... A conditional lock or barrier that releases only when certain parameters or prerequisites are met? Encompassing this entire area, apparently.
[ and of course, with the condition being. well.
... if he has to be honest it almost more rankles that they're going to be doing this because a plant told them to. ]
no subject
[ he gives a firm nod, glad to see that roxis is following! ]
And the mistletoe is… is like… hm… like an amplifier? Maybe!? Because the story about having to kiss under the mistletoe is so well-known on mine and a bunch of other people’s worlds, it’s probably the best and easiest way to amplify the power of this spell without using a lot of energy…or something like that!
[ good luck roxis ]
no subject
I don't know that other worlds' magic all necessarily follows the same principles as yours, considering how more people knowing about something apparently is simultaneously a good and bad thing there.
[ you want more people aware of something because that gives it a foundation of power or strengthens the concept, or something, but you don't actually want people knowing it because understanding how it works weakens it, or something. it's a wonder mages get anything done...
this
all seems like a lot of effort to get people to kiss each other. if someone actually set this up, why. also if that's the case, then he doesn't know the story, that means he's excused, right.
is this stalling. ]
no subject
[ it makes perfect sense, roxis! jeez :/.
anyways, does flat know he’s stalling? that’s the million dollar question. ]
What’s your hypothesis, then?
1/2
[ which is to say, he has none. also we are not talking about ghosts today.
anyway. ...anyway. they can draw this out. they can just keep standing here, under the mistletoe, increasing the chances that some passersby eventually notice and call them out on it. sure. he has half an inclination to test the limits of this kiss tax anyway; like, if he just tries to walk away what's this plant going to do about it, huh.
but you know what. fine. fine!!! i am not putting myself through ten more tags of this or however long an hour is in dwrp tag time.
so roxis is going to exhale a quiet breath, mutter something under his breath, before— ]
2/2
no subject
[ not in a thousand years would have flat expected roxis to be the one to initiate the kiss. it’s a bet that he would have never made, and the look of surprise in his eyes before their lips connect should be enough of a sign of how unexpected this was.
(thank god putting up a decent bounded field is as simple as breathing; he’d die if someone saw them.)
with his free hand, he cups roxis’ cheek as he kisses back with similar energy, because he is also not a coward. there’s something sweet and fuzzy about this, but he sure as hell cannot put the words to it. however when he pulls back, his face is red right to the tip of his ears, and for once, he’s at a loss for words.
(jack has also flown away, watching the scene play from a distant perch, amused.) ]
You— I— um— [ he’s short circuiting, thanks. ] Spell’s broken.
no subject
still, this was a bit out of his comfort zone, so it's nice when the mage reciprocates the way he does. there's a faintly self-satisfied cast to his expression that tinges it as less smile and more smirk as they pull away from each other, even if his face is also a bit flushed.
(vosgetel vacated at around the same time jack did, honestly. she is currently on a high rafter somewhere, minding her own business.)
though right now while the mage fails to gather himself roxis is going to be taking the moment to examine- whatever it is that flat put up hastily in the middle of that.
there's enough to the bounded field he can sense and recognize, it seems, because: ]
... ah. So I wouldn't have had to get the treasure cape out after all.
no subject
[ the fact that roxis can see the field is a slight on flat’s side, as isolating and masking the mana is not as simple when you’re dealing with those from other worlds. having to fiddle around with the parameters has been an ongoing experiment, with middling results so far.
with the alchemist’s limited sight he will be able to tell that, even for a hasty construction, it’s intricately woven, like a semi-transparent sheet.
however he is going to huff in protest— how dare you doubt him, roxis!
his mood is fickle like the weather, however, and the annoyance does not last more than a second. now composed, he’ll give roxis a smile back with a tilt to the side of his head as he watches the other examine. ]
I could have done a better job but someone decided to surprise me. [ a pause. ] Is the cider good?
no subject
he just huffs out a small breath of his own, not quite a laugh. unless he misses his guess, they should more or less be invisible to other people right now? so he doesn't have to vanish hastily from the party and the public eye forever. ]
It's aqequate. [ beat. ] Could probably make better, though.
[ no alchemy needed. ]
Anyway... are you saying you can't work under pressure? Or were you really just that surprised?
no subject
[ he doesn’t even have circuits! flat sounds half shocked, half curious over the claim. how would roxis do something like that, he wonders? and if there is a way, how could he copy it?
but that’s correct— they are more or less out of sight and out of mind from the rest of the guests. ]
I wasn’t under pressure, I just thought you were going to stall for longer. [ he seemed so reluctant, after all! ] Now, how would you do it?
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