kaisou | December Event Log

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December Event Log

December Event
Dominant Element: Light
Waning Element: Shadow

※
The sun has returned in all it's glory. The days may be shorter, but that's only because of the season. Throughout the month, snow will fall on Kaisou, leaving the city to look like a winter wonderland. While it's certainly cold enough to bring out the winter coats, it's not an unbearable cold (yet). On clear nights, the Spirit Vein in the sky will glow brightly in hues of white and gold.

The Holiday Season

The darkness of November seems to be all but forgotten as Kaisou enters the holiday season. The normal citizens have forgotten that the sun ever disappeared, remembering it as just a bout of awfully cloudy days. All around the city holiday decorations are being put up. There's a massive Christmas tree in Central Square, and there's not a neighborhood that isn't adorned in holiday lights. Stores are full of seasonal goods of varying sorts: from peppermint treats to chocolate coins to latkes to holiday cookies. Even places that aren't focused on Christmas got decorations for one holiday or another, whether it be Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or the Solstice or something else entirely. Basically, there's nowhere in this city you can go that hasn't been touched by some holiday spirit or another.

There's plenty of seasonal and holiday activities for you to enjoy. In Blue Fish Lake park, the lake has frozen over and there's ice skates that can be rented out. In Kami State Park, slopes have been open up so people can go sledding, skiing or snowboarding. You can gather friends together to go caroling, build a snowman, or attend the holiday ball that's set to happen in the middle of the month. While the University students finish up their first semester finals, the high schoolers are hard at work putting together their winter play: Beauty and the Beast. If you're up for it, find a way to help the school theater out or grab some tickets to watch the show.

The folks in Undertown are far from immune from the holiday spirit either. Enchanted holiday wares can be bought if you want a little extra magic to season. Some of them include dreidels that conjure chocolate coins on lucky spins, crowns of holly with candles enchanted to not burn the wearer, Christmas lights enchanted not to tangle (unfortunately not true, they actually tangle more), and so on. The Enki academy is holding seasonal one-time classes that teach about the history of the various holidays, as well as certain fun enchantments meant to make the holiday season a little better (such as spells to help with perfect wrapping jobs).

Yuletide Mischief

Unfortunately, there are some magically inclined folks that get a little too into sharing the holiday spirit. Throughout the city, sprigs of mistletoe have been hung up in inconspicuous places. Some of these have even been stashed away in unexpected locations and places not easily reached, thanks to the power of magic. Should a pair find themselves both underneath the mistletoe, they will feel a compulsion to display some kind of physical affection towards each other. Anyone that tries to leave without following through on it will find themselves stuck in place until they act it out. What type of physical affection will vary: it could be a classic kiss, a warm embrace, a spirited fist bump, a head pat, lewd handholding - the mistletoe isn't too picky! It just wants affection dammit.

However if you're really against the idea of expressing love and affection, there's a rarer variant of mistletoe can be found around the city: mistlefoe. From a distance, it looks similar to normal mistletoe. It's only when you're up close that you notice it looks a lot sharper and covered in thorns. Pairs that find themselves under the mistlefoe will feel a strong compulsion to fight one another. These fights can either be verbal or physical, but you're stuck near the mistlefoe until a clear winner of the battle is decided (or three hours past, for those extra stubborn).

The mistletoe isn't the only mischief going on. Amongst all the candy going around this season, there are some candy canes that have been enchanted. They look like ordinary candy canes, though people with magical sensing may be able to detect the magic if they're looking. A teenager or adult consuming one of these candy canes will magically revert to their childhood selves. Some will maintain their older minds and memories, some will have their memories will be hazy, and some will completely forget their adult years altogether. Take a chance to relive the spirit of being a kid in the holiday season, or just try your best to get along until you can grow up once again. The effects of this spell is thankfully temporary, no more than one to three days per magic candy cane consumed.

What's This

On December 10th, a message will be sent out by Zodiac on the Libra app.

ALERT: SHIFTING GATE LOCATED IN KAMI STATE PARK.
Element Classification: Light
Danger Level: Low
Designation: Christmas Town
3 A new spirit gate has been detected deep within the Kami State Park. Initial investigation has indicated that this may be the gate that leads to where Santa lives and works. We've also received reports that due to an outbreak of lutefisk-induced food poisoning among Santa's elves, they are currently dealing with a labor shortage. Any assistance that can be provided would be appreciated. That said, we do ask that while you're there you resist all urges to steal Christmas. Please stop by the Zodiac offices for more information.

If you head to the Zodiac offices, the atmosphere in the place is much calmer than the previous month. Professor Willow is still gone, but the fuzzier professor is back yet again, looking to fill in the void of educational knowledge. True to the season, he's got himself on a little santa hat and is more than happy to give you lots of facts about the historical St. Nick if you're willing to stay and listen. Do you really need to know about the time St. Nick revived some boys in a pickle barrel? Probably not, but it's still a fact that'll live with you for the rest of your days!

If you talk to Zodiac directly, they will explain that they found the gate deep in the woods of Kami State Park. They explain that Santa's elves approached them about extra assistance, since with a chunk of the workforce sick in bed, they will have a harder time hitting deadlines. Zodiac will also mention that if you are wiling to give them any information or any interesting items connected to how Santa runs his workshop...well, they'd be willing to give some monetary compensation.

Once you're finished with the Zodiac offices, it's time to head into the woods. It's a long hike into the Kami State Park, made slower by all the snow that's fallen. But eventually, just when you're about ready to give up, you'll find a circle of trees. Each tree has a famous holiday emblem painted and carved into it: a turkey, a pumpkin, an easter egg, etc. It seems like they're all doors, but every one except the Christmas Tree door is sealed shut and can't be open. Should you open the Christmas tree door, you'll find it looks like a bottomless void. Don't look for too long though, as after a strong gust of wind and snowflakes will blow from the door, and pull you inside- making you fall down quite a long ways.

Christmas Town

When you finally land, a massive snowdrift will thankfully break your fall. Pulling yourself up out of the snow, you'll find yourself atop a snowy hill, looking down upon a small village that's completely decked out in Christmas decorations. It's the type of city you'd expect to see only in a snowglobe honestly. Heading down the hill, you'll find a sign on the entrance arch of the village that reads "Christmas Town".

The town itself is populated entirely by short elves dressed up like they belong in a Dr. Seuss story. The folks of the city are very active - it's a busy time of year! The elves currently not on shift are seeming to try to make the most of the holiday season, engaging in every type of Christmas traditional imaginable. As you enter their village, they'll great you warmly and invite for you to join in their acts of merriment. Meanwhile the ones who are on shift are frantically getting ready for the oncoming holiday. Getting in the way of these elves will have them get irritable, telling you to either help out out of the way. This is a very busy time of year for them, and the work shortage has made it tougher than usual.

In the center of town, is a massive building that can be none other than Santa's workshop. Curiously on the front entrance of the workshop, there is a sign that reads "ALL SKELETONS MUST BE CHAPERONED AT ALL TIMES". If you inquire about the sign to the elves, they will shudder and mention that there was an incident some years ago and refuse to elaborate further. Inside the workshop, you'll find more elves hard at work assembling toys for the big day. Causing any problems within the workshop will get the elves irritated really fast, and they may try to chase you out.

It's up to you what you do in your time in Christmas Town. Perhaps you want to play in the snow and have fun with the elves. The ones who aren't on shift are always happy to have someone to play with. However, if you choose to help out as they requested, there's a number of things you can do:

Reindeer Tending: Out behind the workshop there is a stable where the famous nine reindeer reside. Magical beasts of legend or not, they're still animals that need caring for. Help with grooming their fur, feeding them, polishing their hooves, or cleaning their stables. If you have an aptitude with riding or flying, you might be invited to run the reindeer through a obstacle training course - which entails either riding on the back of a reindeer or riding a sleigh through a large obstacle course that's both on the ground and in the air.
Toy Making: Got any craft skills? Well join the assembly line of Santa's workshop! There's various tasks to be done from creating toy pieces, assembling toys together, painting them, sewing any cloth parts, and putting them in packaging. A couple elves will watch you for awhile to make sure you're doing everything up to code. Characters that do well will be given more complicated tasks, while others who struggle will be given basically the filler jobs.
Elf Tending: There are a lot of elves and worker, and they need to be looked after! Help with cooking the elves meals or giving them breaks when they look like they need one! Well rested workers make for a better product!
Toy Testing: Both the most fun and potentially most dangerous of the jobs. It's your job to test various toys and gifts to make sure they are both fun for the children and safe. Elves who have been coming up with new ideas will approach you with prototype toys for you to try out, and it's up to you to test them to see if they work, and if they don't explode. And yes, occasionally, they will explode.
Flight Planning: Santa's annual trip is easily one of the most ambitious flights ever done, and so there's a lot of logistics behind it. Help with making sure the maps are updated, the GPS is working properly, help make sure the sleigh is ready for the flight, and propose any flight paths that might help save time. No pressure though, the only risk is disappointing and crushing the dreams of children around the world!

Aftermath

After a few shifts of helping out in Christmas Town, the elves will invite you to come into Santa's office to meet the man himself. Santa is warm and friendly as you'd expect (albeit very hard at work going through his list). He thanks you for pitching into help out his workshop and making things easier for his employees. As a thank you, he is willing to help you with your own Christmas shopping! He will create a magical item imbued with abilities of a specific element (see information HERE). This item can be anything that'd reasonably exist in the world! However there is one catch. Since this is the season of giving, this item can't be for you but instead another person of your choice.

Once you decide what you want Santa to create and for whom, he'll write it down. The next day, the person in question will find the item wrapped in a present box in their home. Any attempts to trick Santa will result in a box full of coal being sent to your home and spilling all over you.

After your chat with Santa, it's time to head home! If you got any insider information for Zodiac, they'll be happy to pay you monetary compensation. Besides that, things are at peace and everyone has a chance to enjoy the holiday season.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Light! Anyone with an affinity to the light element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Shadow will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Another Zodiac Post will be going up December 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network.

Threaded | Flat

[i; mistle(f)toe+general]

[It was a weird feeling to actually have people to get specific holiday gifts for. There were a couple back at home, sure, but this was...unusual. Stranger still to have the time to do as much, preparing for semester finals aside. Several days that month would find the professor out in the city, consulting a list written in a small notebook and occasionally mumbling to himself.]

Runestones, maybe...? No, a tarot deck would probably be better. Having multiple wouldn't hurt, probably. Like I know anything about that department. Then probably...I don't know, his hair's damn near longer than mine, something durable might be practical...

[And just maybe, he'd be distracted enough not to notice the more well-hidden hanging plants he was venturing a little too close to as he went about the whole gift-procuring process.]

[ii; candy canes]

[One day in Kaisou University's science department, the chemistry professor was running a few minutes late. (Which, given how he was never late and only missed work after a literal demon attack, seemed like a sign of the apocalypse.) However, in his place a young man half-walked half-stormed in, mumbling to himself in irritation. Carried in one hand (because it was too tall for him to use and not needed besides) was a familiar silver-handled cane. In a recognizably accented though somewhat differently pitched voice, he said:]

As some of you can no doubt tell- [He leveled a sharp stare at the few he knew to be supernaturally inclined as if daring them to say something. Considering he was a foot shorter today, it looked like being glared at by a particularly small rabbit.] -I am feeling a bit under the weather today. However, we have a lot to get through and finals to deal with before holiday break, so that's hardly any excuse to slack off. My office hours are the same as always and I can field any further questions after class as usual. Let's just get through today quickly, shall we?

[With an undercurrent of tension, embarrassment, and barely contained fury, he carried on with class as usual: in meticulous detail and trying very hard to not be on his very last nerve. Maybe he'd just escape out the window when class was over, that would be a lot easier than having anyone else notice him while he was leaving.]

[iii; wildcard]

[anything else! stuff either with or without mistletoe is fine for the first prompt and he'll be stuck with candy cane effects for a couple days--tags for that will come from

littlefury!]

Mistletoe/Mistlefoe Shenanigans + General
(Isabela has slowly gotten used to life in Kasiou by this point but the holidays have been feeling down and morale in the Madrigals have been low since Julieta’s disappearance weeks ago. Working herself hard and trying not to let her mother’s absence to take a toll on her has been very tiring for days.

So distracted by these woes so much that she doesn’t seem to pay attention to a deceivingly innocent looking mistletoe hanging above her head while she is standing behind a bakery near her workplace.)

What’s This?
Oh good grief, I didn’t expect this hike to be slower than I was expecting. There is so much snow all over this place.

(The snow is making it harder for Isabela to get through the state park and the spirit gate. Even with her being bundled up for the weather, the chilly weather does give her a bit of the shivers as she is not used to the cold climate. As she looks around for any sign of a spirit gate, a part of her wonders if the gate will ever be found as the gate itself hasn’t shown up at all.)

Christmas Town: Elf Tending
(With the shortage of elf labor at the moment, Isabela finds herself looking after the elves’ welfare. Now she doesn’t mind helping them out since she has been taught to help others in need since childhood, though she does worry that her currently novice cooking skills might fail her big time as she steps into the kitchen to prepare the meals. Perhaps you could help her out with the meal prep.)

Wildcard
(Feel free to throw in any prompt below. Isa is also helping in testing toys and tending to the reindeer.)

[I. naughty or nice]

[Though Amal has been here for a year and a half, he escaped mistletoe the first time around, as he was still getting used to everything and he was working hard. He didn't have time to go native.

So he doesn't even pay any mind to the weird little plant hanging in the coffee shop, until his feet are frozen in place. He's cradling a nice warm chai in one hand. Please don't make him drop it.]

Uh... what the hell is this?

[He doesn't notice someone else is stuck with him, as he's trying to figure out why his sandals are stuck to the floor stronger than if he wore lead weights.]

[ooc: Only forehead kisses if your character is under 20. Otherwise go wild!]

[II. something in between]

[Who has a secret and completely irresistible sweet tooth? This guy. Mint isn't usually his jam but he thought, fuck it, why not, and now he's been replaced by a creature less than half his size. Though small and quick and lacking tattoos, it's hard to imagine he could be anyone but Amal, considering the massive ears on the side of his head and the mess of red hair. He's struggling inside of his older self's white puffy coat, which goes down to his knees. He can't be older than six or eight years old, though it's hard to tell for certain; he is dreadfully skinny underneath that coat, all knobby knees and bony ankles.]

Hey! Hey you!

[He flags down the nearest person who doesn't ignore him.]

Where's the market? I'm hungry!

[III. choose your own adventure]

[Gift giving, gossip, whatever you want!]

Edited 2022-12-04 17:53 (UTC)

[i; holiday season]

[Sitting on a bench, a young woman in unseasonally cold clothes paged through the manual on her apparent new phone...then sighed and tossed it lightly aside, turning the device itself over in clawed hands.]

Bleedin' tomestones, can't escape 'em no matter whereabouts I find myself endin' up. [She flicked an ear back either in irritation or to shake off a couple snowflakes. Maybe both.]

[ii; christmas town]

[Apparently she adapted to the surroundings quickly, because Scintilla was all over Christmas Town. Fetch quests, minor or moderate errands, and general shit to do? Sign her up. Primarily, however, one might find her putting toys together at an alarming speed; fine detail work was a little bit beyond her, but larger scale objects and especially creating pieces for assembly was something she looked to be flying through.]

[...And speaking of flying. Out on the obstacle course she could be found riding a reindeer at positively ludicrous speed, guiding it through the course with all the skill of someone who might have spent a little too much time at the chocobo races on some occasions.]

[Happy Starlight, your gift is a menace.]

[iii; wildcard]

[whatever else, she's settling in Fine. probably.]

Edited 2022-12-04 17:14 (UTC)

Holiday Around Town

[Yusuke is very busy this time of year, finishing his own presents for people and generally enjoying the winter. He can be found ice skating, shopping, and helping around the school get ready for parties and the holiday musical.

A thing of note, however, is that during all of this, Yusuke never has on more than jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. No coat, no hat, no mittens, no nothing. And it's true that he's a weird one but...well. It's cold!]

Toy Making

[Once Yusuke gets to Christmas Town he is instantly drawn to the toy factory and all but begs to be allowed to paint some of the toys. His color choices are...unorthodox at times, but he is utterly absorbed in his work. If it weren't for his new fox tail twitching, you might think he was a statue as he paints.]

Wildcard

[COME AT ME]

Holiday Season

[Rhel absolutely takes those classes on the holidays here and can be found leaving them more often than not. Or perhaps you're in the market for a book and hit up the shop she works at now.

Or you're at the ice rink, and there is Rhel. Standing at the edge of the rink. Thinking.]

Do I dare....

Not So Jolly | Shadowbringers Spoilers

[A few times during the month, Rhel will be found somewhere fairly quiet and not around other people, usually a corner of the park or something, and be doing...something. If you come closer, you'll see that she is summoning a ball of light and manipulating it.

And she looks terrified. After a moment the ball vanishes and Rhel crouches down, hugging herself tightly as she tries to calm down.]

Christmas Town

[Here, Rhel is her normal polite, helpful self. She quickly took to the idea of helping the elves remember to. You know. Eat, so she's going around and dropping off lunches and reminding people about breaks.

This includes other people from Kaisou.]

Wildcard

[Got something else in mind? Hit me up!!]

Edited 2022-12-04 19:38 (UTC)

Out and About:
Early in the month, Danny spends a lot of time just hanging out around town. He had a dog now, which he had only managed to keep after promising his parents that he'd be responsible for taking care of it. He can often be found out in the parks, walking him or throwing different toys for him.

Danny also spends time shopping for Christmas. He had a lot of friends to get things for now, so it was kind of fun.

School Musical:
Danny had volunteered as a tech guy and general helper for the school musical. and it ends up being a lot more entertaining than he'd expected. He helped paint the sets and build some of the props.... and then, after finding out some of the special effects plans, he starts hauling a fire extinguisher around. Just in case.

Christmas Memories:
Danny had never been a huge Christmas fan, what with his birthday being so close to the holiday. But he'd never disliked it. But even the most Christmas person could get a little frustrated at the crowds.

After struggling to navigate around the Christmas crowd near the mall, Danny can't help to start feel some annoyance. And that is closely followed by a memory that definitely wasn't his. Because seriously, what?

Struggling out of the crowd, Danny finds a quiet place to sit, and then just stares blankly for a long moment.

"Who gets cursed to talk in rhyme?"

Birthday:
On December 21, Danny shows up wearing a warm black hoodie with "I Found This Humerus" printed on it.

If he spots any friends today, he will enthusiastically wave and them and run over.

"Guys! Guys! Guess what? The Birthday Skeleton has a sense of humor!"

Edited 2022-12-04 19:42 (UTC)

Mistletoe Tidings

Raha is perfectly familiar with the traditions of Christmas (it would be hard not to), but usually those traditions are not quite so insistent. Which means he doesn't bother looking out for mistletoe. Which means now he's stuck underneath it.

"What? Why can't--" He looks around all ways before up, and it doesn't take long for the situation to click.

"Oh dear..." Well. At least he has his coffee to occupy him until... it wears off? It'll wear off, right??

Candy Cane Kitten

In Raha's defense, there is absolutely nothing about candy canes turning people into children. Which means it's not his fault that there's an adorable Miqo'te child, bundled up against the cold, peering over at people.

"What're you doing?" Especially if it's a book. Please give him your book.

Christmas Town

Frankly, he should have expected something like this to exist. Hells, there are probably multiple versions of this sort of thing. He would be a terrible researcher if he ignored this possibility.

So of course he goes to help, and he mostly manages to contain any thrill from seeing Santa's workshop and all the elves. This is easier when he gets to toy testing, and the resulting... issues.

"Get back!" One toy has gone haywire and is spinning rapidly, ready to explode at any moment. Raha will duck in front of whoever's in there with him, a shield of crystal wings seeming to form as protection- a bit overkill, but better safe than sorry with this lot...

i. The Holiday Season - Ice Skating

[Jane would not call herself a professional skater by any means, but she can stay up and skate relatively well, so when she hears that Blue Fish Lake park’s lake has frozen over enough to skate on, you can bet she is right there!

Whether or not she sees people she knows she’s going to have a good time, but should she happen to spot a friend or even just an acquaintance, she’s quick to head over with a cheerful hello and ask them how they’re doing. If anyone looks to be struggling with being on the ice (or looks too shy to get on it), they may find a smiling brunette with a very, very English accent asking them if they’d like some help.

‘T is the season and all, right?]

ii. The Holiday Season - Winter Play, etc

[When Jane offered to spend time assisting with the high school’s winter play, she definitely wasn’t all talk. The students are gifted paints and other supplies and Jane shows up herself as often as she can spare the time, sketching backgrounds and painting up set pieces, directing the students if they need it but entirely encouraging the creativity of anyone who wants to pitch in to help.

She’s so into it that she often needs a prod when it’s time to leave, before someone ends up locking her in the theatre because she’s holed herself up in a corner painting something again. Or, some nights, it looks like someone is still in her store for several hours after closing.

Outside of this she keeps her shop open its normal hours. Christmas is a very important time, of course, and a lot of people buy art supplies and books as gifts! As usual, she’s always up for getting hold of books that people might be having trouble sourcing… and there is always a discount for students on anything they might buy.

On the particularly cold days, people who come in looking very chilly might find themselves being offered a cup of hot chocolate while they look around.]

iii. Christmas Town - Toy Making

[Given what happened the last time one of these gates opened it might be a surprise to see Jane here, but she had asked a lot of questions at the Zodiac offices and had considered that if she didn’t do it now, in a place that seems relatively safe, she might be scared of these gates for the rest of her life.

So here she is, painting toys with a few elves on each side diligently seeing to their own tasks. Since she did quite well with this from the outset, she’s painting some small designs on the side of a train set and has a look of intense concentration on her face as she bites the tip of her tongue lightly between her teeth…

Even she would admit she looks a little funny.

She will not quickly sense any eyes on her, but eventually she will spot anyone who happens to be watching and will shoot them a lopsided smile.]

Did they not manage to pull you into anything yet? There’s a spot open here.

iv. Wildcard

[You know how this works! Anything goes. Hit me up via DM first if you’re not sure!]

i. The Holiday Season - Ice Skating

[Bundled up warmly against the cold, a young woman who has never seen so much snow this close up in her life is standing at the edge of the lake clutching a pair of ice skates to her chest. She’s worrying at her lower lip, looking out over the ice like she’s concerned it might break under her feet if she tries to step out onto it.

But it’s definitely safe, right..? [Dolores muses out loud, fiddling with the laces of the skates in her hands.]

I can hear it crackling…

ii. Yuletide Mischief - Mistletoe

[She’s still getting used to being back here again and everything that has happened so far has not been very forgiving of any lack of familiarity. Now that the madness of the past two months is over, with things seeming to settle down into something more normal, Dolores is out re-familiarising herself with Kaisou and seeing if any of the places she liked to go are still there.

As it happens, since it’s only been just over half a year, everything is just where she left it!

The young woman gets herself a coffee (a gingerbread latte, she was curious) and then heads for the shop next door to browse through some things there. Though she makes it out of the coffee shop with no problems it’s at the next door that she gets stuck, her feet seeming glued to the ground.]

Oh--

[Well. Um.]

What do I--?

[Help.]

iii. Christmas Town - Toy Testing

Wait…

[Everything seems to have been going well, which is why it might be strange to the person Dolores is sitting next to when she puts her hand out to stop them picking up the toy they have been playing around with. She has her head cocked to one side, brow furrowed and eyes faintly narrowed, only for them to suddenly widen as she stands up and almost knocks her chair over.]

Throw it as far away from everything as you can, right now.

[And if they don’t move fast enough? She has an impressive pitch on her for her size, and she will toss the toy into an open space, hopefully far enough away from anyone for everyone to be able to get back when it starts to smoke and make a very audible, alarming sound.]

Stay away from it!

[Definitely not up to code.]

vi. Wildcard

[You know how this works! Anything goes. Hit me up via DM first if you’re not sure!]

i. Yuletide Mischief - Candy Canes

[There is… a slender, grey skinned youth with long white hair and golden eyes walking barefoot around Kaisou, looking like everything in the world has wronged him and like he would happily commit a murder if only he had a weapon with him to do so.

It’s probably for the best, in some ways, that Thanatos did not retain his ‘adult’ memories when he was reverted to a far younger version of himself… yet the God of Gentle Death was unfortunately no more approachable in his early years than he was with several thousand behind him. He is not even half as intimidating, however, being less than half the size, and seems to be struggling with the sunlight shining brightly off the snow more than he is with the fact he’s very poorly dressed for the weather.

He shies away from most people when they get too close, but can also be found staring into shop window displays as if utterly transfixed by the lights and colours inside.]

ii. Christmas Town - Reindeer Tending

[By the time the call for the spirit gate goes out, Thanatos is thankfully returned to his usual stoic-faced, seven-foot tall self. No one could be more perplexed than he is that he ends up agreeing to anything to do with Zodiac again, and yet…

Yet here he is, surrounded by reindeer, all of whom are taking a very keen interest in him despite the aura of DOOM that he tends to give off to most people and creatures that approach him. They don’t seem bothered by this at all, and Thanatos in turn seems a little… softer than usual as he pats each one that nudges its head under his hand.]

Fine, fine… [He can be heard muttering in quiet, very ancient Greek as an elf pushes a brush into his hand.]

Since I’m already here.

iii. Wildcard

[You know how this works! Anything goes. Hit me up via DM first if you’re not sure!]

I. Winter wonderland (Nighttime)
[If you think the local weirdo on the roof was going to take the holidays off, think again! After dark, if one is looking up towards the roofs they might catch sight of a shrouded figure in white either standing or walking across the snowy rooftops. He's partly patrolling, partly just taking a walk to clear his hood. It's hard to tell if he is willing to have company.

Than again, maybe you just want to chase the guy off your roof, either or. ]

II. Mistletoe/foe
[Maybe you caught Jun in the halls of university, or while he was out Christmas shopping. Wherever it may be, Jun stops short when he finds he physically can't move forward]

Huh?

[He looks around, not quite noticing the plant hanging above his head at his.]

III. Toymaking
[Well it's not every day you get to help out at Santa's workshop! Being an artist, Jun is happy to help out with painting and decorating the toys. He's very focused on his task, doing his best to make sure the toys come out looking precise and beautiful as he paints over different parts.

If one is watching Jun? Sometimes you might notice his hands move away to work on something else, only for his paintbrush to continue moving on its own. One of the many perks of having telekinesis, it seems.]

IV. Wildcard
[Got another prompt for me? Hit me up! For mistletoe/foe, fighting or affection is fine. Probably avoid kissing on the lips though, thanks! ]

Edited 2022-12-05 03:22 (UTC)

I. School - Play Rehearsals
[Elliot had been absent the first few days of December, but the following week he returned to school. He did his best to act like things were normal, but often times there seemed something a bit more forced about his smiles or demeanor. His usually rarely seen cat ears and tail were...much more present than usual. Weird.

After school, he helps out with the musical rehearsals. He's not as intense as he is during concert rehearsals, allowing Yuri to take charge and just doing what he can to support whether it be helping with choreography or playing the piano. When rehearsal is over, it's easy to find him in the auditorium, checking over the sound equipment or jotting notes down to remember for the next rehearsal]

II. Look out for Mistletoe.
[Elliot's got his own handful of Christmas shopping to do, so he's easy enough to find around the city, carrying bags of items. But within one of the stores is when he gets caught by the mistletoe, finding himself unable to move. He frowns, and his tail swishes with nerves]

Crap...what now?

III. Wildcard
[Got another prompt? Hit me up! Elliot is open for mistletoe, kissing for adults only and go for a hug for maximum annoyance from Elliot. I guess you can do mistlefoe but like...he'd keel over from one punch probably]

1. and lead us not into temptation (mistletoe-mistlefoe-christmas party

[Hansa actually looks quite out of the ordinary for this Christmas party - hair drawn up in a short ponytail, suit crisp. He does have a priest's collar, but with the overall look it may be hard to spot - he's definitely cleaned up.]

[He is keeping away from the mistletoe, though if he catches you looking over at it, he grins.]

Looking for a little extra holiday cheer, huh?

[Otherwise, he can been seen having a generally good time at the party, chatting up anyone he approaches and getting a sip or two of cocoa here and there.]

2. candy cane me up captain (candy canes)

[There's....strange young boy going around town with unruly black hair and disheveled appearance. For the most part, he seems nice enough but shy, keeping away from everyone else, though occasionally you can see him on a rooftop or something, staring down at you with wide blue eyes (two of them, no eyepatch seen). Hey, is that a familiar mole under his left eye...? Sometimes, if he notices you looking, he tilts his head, saying in a cautious, quiet voice:]

Are you a goblin?

[Jiiiiiii.]

3. i think it looks like rain, dear (reindeer)

[Hansa (now back to his adult self) is with the reindeer in Christmas Town, as pleased as punch - there's no sign of being skittish around these giant animals, and he's having a great time petting over the head of one as he grooms over its neck with a bristly brush. Spotting whoever is nearby, he gestures with the brush to come closer, smiling wide.]

Come over here and say hello. I think this one is Prancer.

4. WILDCARD

[THROW WHATEVER PROMPT YOU WANT AT ME or hit me up at DM or plurk @ vampirize for any ideas you have!]

A) New Changes/General | OTA:

Katsuki’s December is off to a Start. Much to his chagrin, he's now sporting a pair of red-tipped, white fox ears and a matching bushy tail. He's currently struggling to figure out how to conceal the damn things, so they're usually visible. Thankfully the normies seem to be back to not noticing things. But if he runs into people he knows from the app, he's going to be giving them a look that says "don't say a word". (You should definitely say a word.)

You might find him at the park, doing a little ice-skating or just taking a jog. He's staying active even in the snowy weather. Actually, it doesn't bother him as much? He's running warmer than usual these days. A boon this winter for sure.

He's also going to be decorating his house with Christmas lights. He might as well make it look nice. Unfortunately that damn tail does keep making things complicated. Like knocking over the little bucket of Christmas light hooks while he's on the ladder.

Which means loud swearing.

B.1) Seasonal Shenanigans, Misselfoe | OTA:

Katsuki has been dodging misseltoe since the first time he spied the stuff and two people trapped under it. Nope. Not happening. However at some point he misses the more sneaky misselfoe and ends up caught under that with someone.

"Get the hell away from me! You don't have to stand so damn close!"

It's possible some shoving is happening. As if he's not fighty enough on a good day...

B.2) Seasonal Shenanigans, Candy Canes | OTA:

He also ends up with one of those magic candy canes and for a couple days, you might catch sight of a smaller version of Katsuki around town still trying to continue his daily life despite the candy cane effects.

He may be small and adorable right now, but he's still himself. And that means you may have to deal with a small child swearing at you if you attempt to help him reach things on high shelves or carry the bags of groceries he's trying to bring home, packed with ingredients for cookie baking. He's clearly struggling, but he'll resist help even so.

C) Baking and Bonding | Locked To Yoosung:

Katsuki has a lot of baking to do towards the end of December. He's made the choice to bake cookies for his friends. He has a fair few more than he did this time last year... so when he sees his boyfriend checking in on what he's doing in the kitchen, he gestures for him to come closer. Pulling him back against himself, arms around Yoosung's waist.

Lately he just wants to have his boyfriend close all the time. Could be the cold weather, his growing comfort with their relationship or the newly emerging pack instincts that come with his new fox features. Could be all three. Whatever the case... if there's an opportunity to pull Yoosung close, he takes it.

"Wanna help me bake a shit ton of cookies? I'm giving 'em out to a bunch of people for Christmas."

D) Santa's Workshop | OTA:

Given the choice of how to help out in this month's realm, Katsuki goes with helping cook meals for the elves. He's pretty good in the kitchen. "Soup is a good bet. We can make a lot at a time and it's hot and filling."

(((ooc: If you'd like to plot something else pm me, poke me at

marquiseoniongirl))) or hit me up on Discord (Raponion#3540).

Yuletide Mischief

She's never seen a winter before. She's never really had a holiday before, let alone the holiday traditions of other cultures. Which she's more than happy to explore, quite frankly - taking extensive amounts of time away to find whatever cultural celebrations she can. Songs, crafts, religious services - she'll take her time to look at all of them she can. It's all so...joyous, and it makes her feel a part of the season.

All of which is to say she might not be as careful as she might otherwise be in going to look at the weird plant hanging from a doorjamb...

[OOC: Mistletoe or Mistlefoe? Your call :P]

Reindeer Tending

Don't let anybody know this, but she has a soft spot a mile wide for most fur-bearing animals. Well, the non-sentient ones - sentient ones are just people with a hairier smell, really, as far as she's concerned. Spend enough time around Wookiees and, well, it all gets pretty normal.

But she'll be found fawning over the reindeer extensively is the point, sneaking them far too many treats and caring for their every need.

Now, as for riding one...

Toy Making

"Look this isn't..."

She'd offered to help, but this wasn't exactly what she'd meant. But here she is, shoved into a place on the assembly line by Elves. Whom she'd never expected to be so...well, like that. She'd been expecting the Elfish humanoids of her galaxy, or maybe the Selphi. Certainly not...partially shaved Ewok-sized toymakers.

A hammer is shoved into her hand, as she tries to protest.

"Look, I'm more about deconstruction in, uh...is...is anybody listening?"

They aren't. The line starts up again and she groans.

"I bet Master Katarn never had to assemble toys for unhooded Jawas," may be muttered on occasion.

The Holiday Season

The downside, of course, is the cold itself. Mal is the child of Nar Shaddaa, which always had a certain degree of warmth if only from the exhaust - then an army brat, then the resident of a jungle moon. Proper, actual winters have simply not featured at all in her life.

Her initial reaction was wondrous joy at the changes, the arrival of snow - but then the cold set in. And the layers began piling on. She did not find that much particularly pleasant. There were certain practicalities she had to consider, like being able to reach her lightsaber, which limited just how much she could wear. Not that she expected, whatever, a Sith Lord to turn up - but you never knew. You had to be somewhat ready.

In truth, though, had she wandered about swaddled in blankets it wouldn't have been enough. The cold was just new, and awful. She did not like. Not one karking bit.
Someone put her in front of fires or give her more of that hot chocolate - it's plentiful here, but it's a rarity where she's from. It'd be a bit like caviar being available like grape jelly.

But a whole lot more enjoyable.

Ice Skating
Is not something Stede is very good at. He clings desperately to the wall or wobbles about like a new born calf, ending up on his ass or knocking the wind out of himself against the wall or:

"Watch out!" careening toward you at breakneck speed unable to stop himself.

Mistle(?)
"Gosh! I haven't seen one of these in ages!" And he is standing under a mistle... well up to you, really, hands on his hips, looking positively enchanted. "Helps bring in that good old Christmas Spirit, don't you think?"

Favorite Things

Well, what is Christmas without a little shopping? Stede looks a bit like an ambulatory box of gifts and bags as he hobbles along the snow slick streets. One invariably falls to the slush but he's... in a bit of a predicament if he's honest.

"Do you mind giving me a hand?"

Mistlefoe

Luz was not normally a violent girl. In fact, one could say that aside from some specific people, Luz tended to try and get along with as many people as she could! But when the holiday reared its head and made the impossible possible, here was Luz, stuck in a spot, glaring (or trying to) daggers through you. She is trying to look as imposing as possible, but as this was a situation with no true fire, it was a little comical.

"Are you threatening me?" Luz sneered, seeming to forget for the moment she had a witches' staff. I'm not scared of you! Come on! Put up your...dukes!"

That was the phrase, right? Right.

Fun Times at the Owelry! (OTA, but especially Eda and Amity)

Ok, so NOW Luz knew what Mistletoe did, and was content with making a fool of herself only once, thank you! She was cleaning up the store and helping Eda with some sales but had also convinced the grumpy store owner to let her decorate! Luz is going wild here, putting up things for Chanukah, Kwanzaa, the Solstice and of course Christmas! She'd filled the store with what would work for each holiday, had even made sure to highlight some things to purchase for each occasion. While she is doing this though, if she did see some Mistletoe OR foe, she was quick to use a grabbed to snap up the object.

We were NOT going to do all of that again, thank you.

Christmas Town

It was a town of Christmas! Luz was easily won over here! The past few months had been something of a mixed bag, she was grateful to find something that would actually appeal to her want to make things jolly and have a good time for all!

So you would probably see Luz in a striped socked, red nosed, rosy cheeked elf outfit at one point, happily making toys and coming up with songs for the elves to sing, replacing them when needed! At other times, Luz is taking an hour to fly with the staff, only to return with reddened cheeks from the cold to try and discuss the best routes for Santa to take!

But primarily? Luz will be on reindeer duty. Animals, thanks to her mom, would always be a passion of hers, so here she was, mucking the stables, brushing their fur and taking test runs to make sure they'd be in good shape!

The Holiday Season/Mistletoe or Foe - OTA

Christmas time. Everyone was running around with their packages, buying, wrapping, giving donations to the Santa down the street with the annoying ringing bell... It was a happy time of year to spend with friends and family.

And that's why it was always so lonely.

He could go visit Da but he wasn't feeling up to meeting his latest girlfriend or hearing about how much of a screw up he was. Mom wasn't in the picture and hadn't been since she had run out on them when they were kids. And his brother Alec... Alec made the Grinch look like an elf!

So instead he indulged in the one good thing this time of year brought with it, peppermint hot chocolate, and sat back at the little café table to watch the chaos as he had ever so helpfully swapped all the mistletoe in the area out for mistlefoe.

Any minute now there was going to be a riot and those paper mache candy canes that decorated Santa's stand were almost surely to become nunchucks. He smirked and leaned back in his chair to watch the chaos.

Closed to Isabella - Sidequest

The man was bubblering something about a girlfriend and a potion he needed not to turn all werewolf during a meet and greet with the girl's family. To be honset Anthony missed most of it as much of the conversation was largely a stream of conciousness. This wolf-man needed a plant, Holy Water, and a snake fang... and he was willing to pay for these things. Mission accepted, that $500 woul help pay the rent on Anthony's new flat!

First Anthony swung by his place to don rubber gloves and his brand new, just ordered it from Amazon, hazmat suit. Using a pair of long thongs he retrieved a vial of Holy Water which had been recently liberated from one of the local Churches by a thief clad all in white from his hidden safe... and he mused brielfy about what an odd life he now lived as he took a cab to his local plant guru. He needed a weird plant and there was only one person who came to mind who might know how to find one.

The bell over the Florist's shops door sang out with his arrival.

"Isabella?"

He was a sight! A tall man covered head to toe in a bright white hazmat suit looking like he was about to fumigate the place instead of what he needed up saying.

"I have a guy you need to talk to. He needs some kind of plant but the only thing he was able to tell me about it was that it smelled like 'green'..."

Closed to Katsuki - Sidequest

He had been given a shovel and practically shoved into the park where a zombie-like ring of six foot tall ravenous snowmen had treed some little old lady in the oldest maple in the city. It had a little placard and everything making it official... not that he should have been worried about that or how a grandma had managed to throw down her walker and climb four feet into a tree. There was in this park somewhere an imp that was controlling all these evil snowmen and they were here to catch him, ghostbusters style!

"We need a proton pack not a shovel..."

Anthony frowned at the scene as grandma gave one of the cheeky snowmen a roundhouse kick to the carrot nose.

"See any sign of where this imp might be hiding? I'm thinking 'snowfort'."

The Holiday Season/Out and About

[ It was difficult to really get into the Christmas spirit right now; after losing so many members of their family, and many of them within a short period of time, it was honestly tough to really feel like celebrating. But Luisa was nothing if not ~~stubborn~~ determined, especially since she still had her older sister and cousin here in the city with her, as well as the friends she had made in this world. They were certainly more than enough of a reason to keep going.

Unfortunately, it was also difficult not to slip back into old habits. And with so many of her family missing, it isn't long before Luisa is back to pushing herself maybe a bit too hard. Part of it was to continue with the life she'd been trying to make for herself here in the city, but it was also just an easy way of not having to think about anything else. She'd always been able to work through her pain before, so why not now?

But she knows it's taking several steps back from where she had been. And it was very like because she was backsliding, and the stress that's once again starting to creep up on her, that if people happened to catch her on the street, they might notice the...interesting changes in her appearance.

Namely the cat-like ears and tail that she's currently doing her very best to ignore. ]

Yuletide Mischief - Mistletoe

[ Regardless of whatever is happening, there is still a lot to do in order to prepare for Christmas. Between the restaurant and her classes, Luisa is also helping getting the city ready for the holidays with getting decorations hung or set up.

Unfortunately, it's after she's finished helping with a store's display and getting ready to leave that she suddenly finds herself stuck. ]

What the - ?

[ Well...if anyone was worried about Luisa needing to take a break, that's one way to do it. ]

Reindeer Tending

[ Being asked to help Christmas Town was certainly an offer she couldn't pass up, but the problem was that most of the things they needed a different skill set than she had. Tending to the reindeer was a little familiar, at least, with how closely she's had to work with the donkeys back home, so she felt more comfortable doing that.

And interestingly, the reindeer seem pretty fond of her as well. Though whether they have genuine affection for her, or if it's because Luisa is willing to carry them around so they don't have to walk anywhere, is really hard to say. ]

Wildcard

(( Feel like doing a different prompt? Go for it, or hit me up at usamichan13 to plot something! ))

The Holiday Season

[ Moana is beginning to regret some things.

It's frustrating, because she honestly does like Christmas, and usually enjoys this time of year. But with the winter comes snow and cold, and she's getting to hate that part of it more and more. She's more convinced than ever that she is part cold-blooded now, with how difficult it seems to be for her to even function, let alone be out and about like this.

But she doesn't really have much of a way to explain what's happening with her, and "feeling cold and tired all the time" isn't really going to cut it. So there's little else she can do except drag herself out of the house and bundle up in as many layers as she can while still having some mobility to walk.

Which...honestly, finding that balance isn't always easy. ]

School Musical

[ As they say, the show must go on.

This was probably something that Moana should have skipped this time around, though. Had it been any other time, she probably would have been fine performing. But with the weather as it has been, and with as busy as she's been getting these days, it probably wasn't the best time to join the school musical.

Then again, considering some of the other changes happening to her, she might start having a bit more time soon. Still, she can only hope she isn't dragging rehearsals down too much until she's able to figure it out. ]

Elf Tending

[ Okay, so maybe going to Christmas Town where it was snowing all the time wasn't the best idea. But still, it's Christmas Town! How was she not going to help?

As long as she isn't outside where it was snowing, she should be fine? Especially if she stays and cooks in the kitchen, because it's especially warm in there. And she's a pretty decent cook, so it all works out. ]

Wildcard

(( Feel like doing a different prompt? Go for it, or hit me up at usamichan13 to plot something! ))

Winter Play

[Souta isn't the type to enjoy being up on stage, but he still wants to support the other students. So he arrives at the school on the night of the performance, dressed in a dark green sweater and snowman pin. Very festive.]

Excuse me. May I have two tickets, please?

Mistletoe

[He was out doing some holiday shopping near the start of the season. Some of his gifts were already ready, but there was at least one surprise addition to his list. Window shopping seemed a good start. It certainly got the festive spirit going with all the decorations and displays.]

[While passing one of the nicely decorated stores, Souta suddenly finds himself stuck.]

Eh?

[He looks around, expecting to find a branch snagging his coat or... something.]

Christmas Town

[Low danger level has been a bit of a rarity with the Spirit Realm. So naturally, he had to take this opportunity to help Santa. After all, it's Santa!]

[Perhaps that is why the sudden wind and long fall comes as such a surprise.]

[He doesn't yell, possibly because his voice feels stuck in his throat at the sudden drop. Then they all crash land into the deep snow. While others might be regaining their bearings and brushing off, Souta sits in a daze. Those who have been in Kaisou a while might recognize the distant expression as one stuck in memory.]

[That said, Souta is still half buried in snow. A fact he is quickly reminded of as the cold catches up to him.]

Achoo!

Santa's Workshop

[Souta would love to help, though admittedly there's only so much he can do away from his gardens. That said, he has been practicing art on the side. So given the options, Souta ends up in the toy making workshop. Mostly painting, though he can package toys if the role needs filling.]

[Souta paints a wooden train, trying his best to stay in the lines. His work might not be perfect, but it's decent. While cleaning the brush, he tries to strike up a conversation with someone nearby.]

I wonder who chooses what colors we use?

Threaded | Flat

Waver Velvet/Lord El-Melloi II | Fate/ | ota

Isabela Madrigal | Encanto (OTA)