jingles ur mingles

[alittlefuninstead]

By now, some of you may very well expect this. In fact, for those of you who were in attendance last year, you’ll soon find yourself lovingly agitated by a small elf who waves a golden envelope at you. As you open it, a flurry of snowflakes blasts you in the face and the letter unfolds to reveal its contents.



Then again, even those of you who are new will find yourselves with a few elves underfoot, biting and slamming their little fists into your shoes until you read the letter. The moment you register the words, however, the snowflakes begin to turn around, almost as if they have a mind of their own as they soon encase you in a cyclone of winter-y chilliness. You feel as though you're shoved inside a freezer, like the kind you'd find at a supermarket, and everything around you goes dark as you slip and slide your way down, up, side to side and upside down.

This year you're dumped right into a pile of snow, but worry not! There's a small outlet mall consisting of four shops for all of your winter clothing needs and beyond that down the slope of a small hill you'll see this year's location. It's a different village than the year before, but you can feel the magic in the air everywhere you turn. Tis the season and all of that, and it seems like the brightly-lit buildings and cobblestone paths are welcoming to everyone who wishes to explore.

Though please take notice of the large, twinkling sign that kindly states that murder is prohibited, as usual.

❄️ Sleigh Rides
Literally where do these horses keep coming from. Who's in charge of all of this? Oh well, perhaps it doesn't matter. For those of you who wish to tour the village or simply don't feel like walking, the sound of jingle bells will soon reach your ears as a horse-drawn carriage arrives. Climb aboard and settle in for a cozy ride over the river and through the woods. The horses are friendly, and while seating might be a little cramped it’s a good excuse to snuggle up to someone, don’t you think?

This year, however, in addition to the horses there are a few other friends helping out. Mind the beaks.

❄️ Christmas Market
An upgraded Christmas market is available for everyone to peruse, and while money isn't necessary for goods the shopkeepers will ask you to trade favors or holiday cheer in exchange for their wares. Whether that's singing Christmas carols, helping to bake fresh cookies, decorating small Christmas trees, etc, there doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason or hard limit to these tasks. The shops themselves sell everything imaginable, just in time to buy gifts for everyone on your holiday list. If you can think it, you can find it. There are kiosks serving all kinds of winter treats and drinks (both non-alcoholic and alcoholic in variety), but this year there are also warm, savory foods such as bratwursts, sliders, mac and cheese, tamales, stews and more. There’s no limit to what magic can do, even for the casual window shopper. But if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for…?

❄️ Santa’s Workshop...sort of.
Actually, it kind of looks like a bounce house with a sign that calls itself Santa's Workshop, but that's okay. Entering the playful exterior proves that the floor is not quite as bouncy as you'd think and the inside is much bigger than the outside. Should you be brave enough to wander inside, you’ll find a few rooms for arts and crafts to build your own gifts. There’s art studios, pottery wheels, power tools, fabrics, sewing machines, instruments and more. Scratch that creative itch and let your imagination run wild! There also appears to be a machine in the corner, programmed to dial into any universe tied to any guest for all of those special-order items you may wish to gift. Plug in the place, scour the catalogue of items and voila! Hot and ready and wrapped in a bow.

❄️ Winter Sports
Toward the south end of the village is a large ice rink with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the middle. Skates of all sizes are available for anyone to borrow and the ice is always clean and smooth no matter what time of day you come by. Just beyond that, you’ll find a small stand nestled among some trees holding all sorts of winter items including skis, snowboards, snow mobiles, toboggans, and sleds. The snow is fresh and the hills are alive with the sound of laughter. Or screams. Depending if you know how to ski or not. There are a few plowed trails heading into the mountains as well leading toward icy caverns for exploration, and the forested area around the village is home to all sorts of small woodland creatures. And bears, probably. Become one with nature as you wish...just don't freeze.

❄️ The Party
But we all know why you're here. Even if you don't actually know, other guests will likely be able to catch you up to speed and mention the holiday party for everyone invited. Hosted at the largest house in the village, there are rooms with fireplaces, games, food and more. Christmas music echoes through the halls, and just like last time should you require anything special the staff will answer every beck and call. Icicles cling to the outside of the house in beautiful patterns, frost drawn across the windows spreading messages of holiday cheer and the occasional game of tic tac toe. The garden out back appears to be more of a Christmas tree farm, boxes of ornaments set in accessible locations for those who wish to do a little bit of decorating.

This year there is also a small shed-like area...a mystery shack, if you will, given the question mark spraypainted on the door. Should you choose to enter it, you may find yourselves in a simulation that's familiar whether that's familiar to your home or familiar from the place you resided in for a few months.

...you didn't think you escaped the ever-dreaded (or anticipated) mistletoe, did you? This year, the plant truly seems to have a honing device attached as it persists the more you resist. It can, and will, appear at random in places you might not expect, and often times it will show up at inconvenient moments. That’s a little troublesome, but worry not! You’ll probably come up with some way to avoid it if you really want to, right?

But do keep in mind if two people are together and avoid it for too long, you will find yourselves stuck together for one hour or until a kiss is shared. Dealer's choice.

Happy holidays!

[ooc: it's once again mgcu mingle time! this mingle is open to characters from the following: reapsody, grimmoired, plasmatio, subdivided, thotordie, bluesclues, tropicalgetaway, notagain, redactable, snowend, 7rings, seasonality, chasma, uturns, chroma, courtrooms, suitedreams, superhell, homophonic, and becomehero.

however. you may also bring special guests in the form of characters you considered playing in previous games or characters you are anticipating playing in the future. this also includes any characters you may have brought to past endgame mingles for extra shenanigans because honestly, we've all had the itch of "OH X WOULD BE SO FUN OFF OF Y" and our castmate missed connections. otherwise, have fun mingling with strangers!]