glocksuke | Jingle Mingle...2

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ i can think of at least one canon where both of those would be the same thing, but this ain't nier automata so it's fine.

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. ]

[ what the FUCK is nier

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? ]

[ laughs in yoko taro.

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. ]

Pretty much!

[ 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 ]

[ that part he did not follow at all other than: ]

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. ]

Wouldn’t ghosts be less scary if you understood them? Lots of people believe in them, but most people don’t understand them. It’s like that!

[ it makes perfect sense, roxis! jeez :/.

anyways, does flat know he’s stalling? that’s the million dollar question. ]

What’s your hypothesis, then?

... I don't have enough data. [ reluctantly. ] I'm mostly just taking your word for what this is all supposed to mean and represent right now.

[ 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— ]

[ stepping forward and pulling flat to him, pressing his mouth to the mage's and kissing him hard and deep, because even if this had to be forced by a plant and other worlds' holiday traditions, he's not a goddamn coward. ]

—?!

[ 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.

[ hah. he'd hate to become too predictable. flat has failed in the end to account for how much roxis hates being told what to do. (that is to say, he'll do it, but,)

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.

Of course not.

[ 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?

[ the structure's different, but it's not entirely dissimilar in nature from the enchantment woven into the silken and shimmering fabrics of treasure capes, which is probably why he manages to isolate and recognize pieces of it.

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?

Adequate!? You gave me a half of a second!

[ 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?

... I was answering your question about the cider, you realize.

[ what did you think he was talking about, huh. concerned about your ward quality?

though, well, if he's asking... hm. flat's said he's never been able to recreate the same spell twice, but general objective and methodology should be fine, right? it doesn't mean he ~*understands*~ it in a way that might compromise the spell strength, or whatever. ]

Walk me through it, then? Is it just perception based, does it refract light and sound, is there also a shift in space?

Oh.

[ no, he did not realize.

but the question does make him pause in thought. ]

A bounded field is a bounded field. It’s a basic spell for any mage, but it’s hard to get right, like pasta. Technically it should just keep people’s attention away from us, so it’s like… we’d be visibe to them, but not visible to them. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Well, I did layer it with an illusion spell, but I needed that other half a second to make it as good as I wanted.

[ hence the semi-transparency.

not that… something like that is an easy feat. if anything, it’s impossible for most magi to fire two or more spells simultaneously, but that’s just flat’s calling card as a mage. ]

It’s good enough, though.

[ the practice he's had in just. filtering any mention of food out. thanks gy. ]

... right. Well, if it's any consolation, I might just be more sensitive to shifts in this sort of thing than the average? And you did only have half a second, considering it isn't as if I really gave you any warning...

[ so good enough is probably in fact Good Enough for the majority of people here? mild question mark on the apparent literal gods wandering around though. ]

Most likely! I’ll just adjust the parameters for next time.

[ ah well, now that it’s over, he can let the spell go, right? it’s done its job, after all.

and he will… but not before stepping forward and pulling roxis towards him for a second kiss on the lips, hard but quick.

when he pulls back, there might be a small smirk on his face. who knows. ]

Next time—?

[ wait hold on he wasn't ready for that??? hold up part 2 electric boogaloo, is flat really going to do that and just. drop the bounded field while he has an armful of flustered and blushing roxis?

hello? ]

[ well, technically, yes, he did.

but it is promptly replaced by another field. a bit different, a bit more intricate. ]

I just thought that I should fix the spell.

You're going to be the death of me, I swear.

[ are they just going to be hanging out under the mistletoe now, bounded field or no. even if they're under a 'do not perceive us' illusion people can still accidentally bump into them, can't they? ]

I would never allow that!

[ though he cannot promise the same about a couple white hairs.

the mistletoe...right! that was a thing, wasn't it?! ]

We should be fine now, but maybe it's best to move somewhere else.

[ ... hm well there really isn't a good response to that when you've already died twice now, huh. that is to say, he could say something, but he ... probably shouldn't. vosgetel's stopped preening herself to instead watch the two of them from her perch, but otherwise remains somewhere up there.

he just sighs, something long-suffering and definitely not fond or embarrassed in the least shut up. ]

... Right, probably. Stop taking up this space so that someone else can deal with the decor here instead.

[ flat smiles, nodding in agreement with roxis. unraveling the spell takes even less work than building it, and they're quickly reintegrated into the party, leaving no trace of magical energy behind.

flat tilts his head, letting roxis go to take a step aside from the mistletoe. that's enough of that. ]

Well, I think you had fun testing it out, too. So it wasn't all that bad, was it?

I have no idea what you're talking about.

[ tsun noises. but yeah, roxis steps out from under the mistletoe and follows him back into the crowd. nothing happened, they've always been there, how do you do fellow partygoers. ]

[ a tilt of his head? hello? ]

Did I accidentally erase your memory?

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