Jack Frost (
alittlefuninstead) wrote in
glocksuke2023-12-17 01:06 pm
jingles ur mingles

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:
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!]

nico di angelo 💀👻
[ anyway throughout the market and outside in the snow, wherever you look, you will find a skeleton dressed in a black and white suit, doing a pretty good reenactment of this. and i mean wherever you look. the music seems to be following you around, and the skeleton appears in all directions.
it may take you a while to realize it’s because there are multiple skeletons doing this, actually. in fact, the skeleton(s) may want you to join them as well as they continue to dance around.
what will you do? ]
ii. santa’s workshop
[ eventually, the skeletons are off doing whatever the fuck and nico himself is standing in front of santa’s workshop with the most dubious look on his face. he doesn’t appear to be making any moves to go inside, but he is Looking. ]
…is it really “Santa’s” workshop if we’re the ones using it? [ he says, in the tone of someone who does not believe santa is a real concept. ]
iii. party
[ surprisingly, nico is still not a party person? he’s just not, and he’s comfortably sitting in a chair curled up just in position for people to see him but just out of the way enough he’s not in a direct path. should he know you, he will wave a little. even if he doesn’t, maybe you know him?
this is when i tell everyone i’m not clarifying which nico this is so have fun, let me know if you are fine with mistaken identity shenanigans or you wanna play it straight.
but also, after a while of sitting he realizes there is mistletoe slowly creeping across the ceiling to hover over him and it means nico is crawling out of his chair to try and avoid it. no. nonononono, go bother someone else! ]
Why is it moving? [ MONSTER MISTLETOE? never mind, he’s unsheathing his sword and swinging. heads up! ]
ii
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... I don't see why not!
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That's as good an answer as any. [ but it's mika, so he offers a small grin. ] Wanna come with me? We may as well take a look.
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[ no fear!! she will head right inside. and then immediately stop because ?????? ]
... Is this what these things are like inside?!
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and also stops because ???? ]
Um. I don't...think so? [ but he sounds very uncertain because there's no way on earth nico's ever been in a real bounce house. ] Usually these things are the same size inside, but this is...weird.
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iii.
If I had my thermos on me, I'd be able to get rid of the problem, but like this...
[ lil finger ectoblast!! ]
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Mistletoe haunted. [ yeah, he'll agree with that one. ] But uh...wasn't the thermos broken?
[ oh good. other people's powers exist. ]
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...guess that was presumptuous of me. Most thermoses I know of aren't that strong. [ he is now busy going "what the hell" actually but that's fine, he can work with this. ]
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Are you...used to seeing broken thermoses? Because uh, I don't think that's normal. Even for regular thermoses. They're supposed to, y'know, work.
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I'm used to seeing a lot of property damage. Monsters don't exactly care when they're busy trying to kill us instead.
[ this is still very weird because he is like. aware of the difference between danny and dan but only through dan's perspective so he's decided to be casual but careful. ]
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i
and instead, scoops up a bunch of snow into a ball and throws it at the skeleton. this is science.]
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is that how snowball fights work? perhaps. ]
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and then she tries to explode the skeleton
i'm sorry nico]
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and from somewhere in the shadows: ]
Do you think that counts as breaking the "no murder" rule or whatever?
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the voice from the shadows makes her jump just a little bit, but she composes herself easily enough, turning to look in the direction of the voice. a pause, and then, wryly:]
Do you consider the skeletons to be alive?
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iii
Whoa! Easy with the sharpened toothpick. I asked Santa if I could keep my guts on the inside this year.
[Chill, Damian Wayne.
Anyhow, there is a styrofoam cup in each hand, and they both lower slowly.]
I already shot one of those things crawling up the wall, but they just keep coming back.
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That's only if you made the nice list, right? [ it's a joke because santa is fake and he knows what kind of person jason is, but he does seem to calm down. the mistletoe, thank gods, also seems to stop away from them for the time being. he's keeping an eye on it, but he does look at the cups in jason's hands instead and blinks in surprise. ]
Hydra mistletoe, then. That explains it. [ that is not what that is. ] I feel like these parties get weirder each year.
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[Literally baseline sliding onto the end of the nice list.
He offers one of the cups out to Nico. It's hot!!]
Hot choclety milk? Maybe the hydra mistletoe are lactose intolerant. Better hurry and coat your insides with the cow juice.
[Why does he continue to exist.]
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Dude, you're too old for that meme. [ they are literally only like five years apart. but okay. lil sippy...even he is not immune to good cocoa thanks. ] And also why are you the way you are?
[ missed you too, actually. ]
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[Assumes the old guy having a heart attack meme position. Briefly. Doesn't want to spill his hot cocoa.
He is pleased that Nico does not snub said hot cocoa, though. Hehe.]
I dunno. That's show biz, baby. What are you up to besides being heckled by poisonous and parasitic kissing plants? Where's the boyfriend? Absolutely failing the relationship duties here.
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i!
though, it's mostly that they keep showing up near him and interacting with him that's surprising? he's like a startled cat the first time, and then the second...and then starts to catch on, and when the third one starts dancing around him, he reaches out to catch its wrist before it pulls him into a spin. there's a long pause where he just kind of stares at it from behind his mask, and then makes a little aha noise. and then looks around... ]
...Now, where is your keeper...
[ pspspsps ]
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which probably makes it a little easier to pinpoint his location in the shadows of one of the smaller shops of the christmas market. ]
Their keeper is once again remembering how much I'm not a fan of huge parties. [ but he will always say hello to friends. ]