// HOLIDAY PARTY

[eluviomods]

WHO: EVERYONE!
WHERE: The Atrium
WHEN: December 24th
WHAT: Holiday party!
WARNINGS: None (but please mark if there is questionable content!)

// Jingle Mingle_ ➣ Sparkles and Spirits Late the night before, visitors will be asked to leave as the atrium is going to be closed for a few hours. It's completely blocked off from sight. In the morning, it will be open once again and the entire space is covered in a soft padding of snow. With more still falling! It's not entirely clear just where it's coming from or how they rigged it up to not even melt, but it's here. Throughout the day, the snow will keep falling though won't get any higher than one foot. Except for a designated area on the western side of the atrium. There characters will find copious amounts of snow to build forts or snowmen or wage an all out guerilla warfare snowball fight. Stationed throughout the atrium in various places out of the way are buffets and bars to provide everyone with delicious delectables and delightful drinks. These stations are constantly manned and refreshed so that nothing is ever empty or anyone is left wanting. Don't see a food you're dying to have? Ask and one of the workers will be happy to seek it out for you! Late morning to mid afternoon, there will be a gingerbread house contest. Everyone is encouraged to participate and show off their creative skill! All items needed will be provided to create your masterpiece. Various awards will be given out, including Best Use of Gumdrops. Once the magic hour begins, all the lights in the atrium will begin to flicker on. Twinkling lights in the trees and candied garden lights will mark the path appropriately called Candy Cane Lane, which is little more than a means to encourage a more romantic atmosphere with a walk around the atrium itself. ➣ Flannel and Frost Once night falls, the party is still going strong. More food is brought out and the drinks just don't stop flowing. Because what's a party without booze? On the east side of the atrium a large canopy is stationed with a dance floor beneath it just waiting for everyone to cut loose. A DJ will be playing all night with pulsing, hypnotic beats that not one booty can say no to. Invite someone to cut that rug or dance by yourself like no one's watching. It's time to cut loose! While walking through the atrium, be careful! There's enchanted mistletoe that will spring up anywhere at anytime and will trap anyone without restraint. (Did you think we wouldn't have this?) It hovers in the air with a soft green glow, encasing two passersby within an arm's length radius. Get those lips to puckering to get yourselves free! (A kiss anywhere counts, so don't fret!) Tucked away on the north side of the atrium is a large maze. It boasts to be the best activity for the holiday party, but those in charge could be a little biased. It's a mystery as to what goes on beyond the entrance and the only way anyone can find out is to just march right in. The rules of the maze are: 1.) No one goes in alone (max. 2 at a time) and 2.) If you feel too trapped or lost, take off the visor and the experience will be over. Upon entering, everyone will be given a visor and set loose inside. Each group will experience something different should they choose to go into the maze, so please go HERE for a customized maze trip! Everyone is free to stay as long as they wish, but around 3:00 in the morning, workers will begin dismantling things and ushering people out so they can clean. Once everyone is nestled all snug in their beds, they'll be visited by someone to get their holiday gifts! Happy Holidays!

Comments

[genice]

i | walking in a winter wonder — wait, what?

( Victor takes to walking through the Atrium after he's out from "work," (he's not sure what he's doing 99% of the time, but he's taking it in stride) Makkachin walking at his side. It's strange to see snowfall out of nowhere, in just this portion of an encased sort of winter landscape.

Which is nostalgic, if also quite tame compared to what he's used to. What he's not as used to is bolting after his dog when Makkachin smells something irresistible, bounding right up to whoever's holding the Item Of Interest and jumping up with his tongue lolling out, tail wagging. )

Makkachin! Down!

ii | his first time seeing forcefields and mistletoe's involved

( He figured out the strange forcefield mistletoe fairly early on, trying to move around a couple that were standing in the middle of the pathway. The green glow around the mistletoe guided his eyes upward, along with the change in body language of the two underneath.

He thinks Yuri would be a little mortified if things like that had been present in Barcelona. Not that Victor finds he'd have disagreed. It's a little bit much, as far as public performances go. Takes the spontaneity out of things. )

What do you think makes that work?

( He gestures toward one of the glowing green plants with his drink as he directs his idle question at a person passing by. Talk about strange sorts of traditions... )

iii | wildcard

( hit me up for a personal starter or throw down anything you'd like and let's get this thing on the road! )

for ax

[genice]

( The mulled cider he holds in his hands keep them pleasantly warm, while he's otherwise feeling like he needs to spend some time carefully combing the shopping centre to find what it is he needs in order to be prepared clothing wise. A few weeks of struggling with this new reality and settling in as part of the necessity has led him to various necessary shopping forays. He refuses to live in just the suit he was given at arrival.

Now he'll wear it under layers, but layers are his best friends. Even now, dressed in the blue suit he arrived in, he's considering his next (clothing) move. (All other moves as well.)

Ax is a figure that catches his attention from the corner of his eye, until both man and dog have shifted their attention from gazing across the softly falling snow to look on the young alien who'd started in on adventures in baking and cooking with Victor. He smiles, lifting one hand away from the sacred warmth of his mulled cider to wave. )

Aximili! Have you tried any of the mulled cider? It's nice, a different kind of spiced than I've had before.

for nekomaru

[genice]

( Victor sent off the text to Nekomaru regarding introducing him and Makkachin while he was waiting in line to order mulled cider. Once the cider's in hand and paid for, he heads out toward the area he'd said he'd be waiting in, Makkachin at his side. He's given up any pretense of not being the guy who talks to his dog, directing comments toward the poodle as they walk, largely about the things he sees. "Oh, look at that!" or "These lights are lovely" earn tail wags and a canine look of general acceptance of his pack leader's oddities. By the time they've settled down onto a bench with its own light dusting of snow, Victor, dressed in the suit he arrived in (the space jumpsuit worn as a layer underneath all the rest), there's still ten minutes or so before their meet-up time.

Victor takes to forming snowballs from the nearby snow, tossing them up and out for Makkachin to chase after and catch with a cheerful exuberance that has him smiling. His cider is carefully kept steady on the bench and upright between his legs where he sits; Makkachin trots back up to him with slow flecked over his muzzle and down his back. This is much the tableau Nekomaru will find them in: a man dressed in a fancy suit throwing snowballs for a poodle, both looking like they're enjoying themselves in this light flurry of ever falling snow. )

i;

[tenkofan]

[It's much easier to blend in and go unnoticed at a party unmasked, which is why on this occasion Hayatori's head and face are bare. He has plain, unremarkable features; being easily forgettable was a highly useful asset in his former life. He's not particularly sociable, but he is interested in overhearing gossip and information.

Or rather, he was.]

I do not mind.

[The faint pink colouring his cheeks as well as the warmth in his eyes and his soft smile as he looks down at Makkachin suggest that he really means it. With one hand he holds a mince pie up out of Makkachin's reach. With the other he pets Makkachin's head, basking in the dog's soft fur.

There are few things that Hayatori loves more than cute, fluffy animals.]

ii

[finethanks]

[Hmm, what's this... Eichi wasn't really minding his own business, so it's fine to be spoken to out of the blue. Perking up easily enough, he takes a quick look at the glowing plant with a hand at his chin before snapping out his answer.]

Magic! [Simple, right?? He chuckles, dropping his hand a little lower to his own chest in a casual gesture.] The glow is unmistakably like something out of a fairy-tale. Fufu, watching the way it glows, it's enticing enough to make me want to take a step towards one myself. Ah, but then I wouldn't be able to watch.

[Who asked about literally half of this?? No one, and yet there he goes, speaking for ages. He smiles cheerily at Victor.] What's your guess?

i.

[yotsubas]

[ it likely smells like nothing of importance to a human, but perhaps its technological smell is something that makes a dog curious. miyuki holds up her CAD, careful that makkachin doesn't get ahold of it. it would be very dangerous if that happened, after all. she would have to have the device recalibrated, which can't be done without her brother's assistance. ]

Oh, what a lovely dog. Please calm down, and why don't we go look for some yummy treats instead?

[ hopefully the dog understands what she just said! ]

[aploun]

( one )

[ Christmas isn't something Lee really knows. There are festivals in winter that they had on Caprica but, not this. And he's got to say, if this is what Christmas is—a boatload of food and drinks and games, well. Count him in! While he may not want to be on this frakking ship, all things considered, it's nice to have something relaxing to do. Maybe it's all a huge ploy to lure everyone into a false sense of security before unleashing something massive. ( Hey, when you've been through a near mass extinction event of the human race, a guy becomes a little paranoid. )

Might as well get drunk while he waits for his inevitable demise.

The majority of the day, Lee will have something in his hand—be it food or drink, something will be going into his mouth at all times. Which is clearly the best recipe for building a gingerbread house. Because he's so entering that contest and will trash all of his opponents because he's crazy creative. ...At least, that was the idea at one point, but he's pretty far beyond tipsy by the time the contest starts, so his house is more like a dilapidated shack. It's a disaster.

Later on in the evening, before he somehow winds up in the maze, this guy is hitting the dance floor. You want embarrassing moves? Friend, you've got them. Enter Lee Adama, man who couldn't find the rhythm if it was handed to him in a color-coded organizer. But, he's trying. In that tipsy kind of way.

Please save him from himself. ]

( two )

[ It's entirely possible he should have been paying more attention. But, his belly is full ( some of those cookies are just delicious, okay?? and those tiny cakes...!!! ) of good food and drink, so he's really kind of not. Or else he might have seen that green glow of whatever that is.

But, he's not. And now he's paying for it. More so when his drink sloshes a little over the lip of the glass because he wasn't expecting the abrupt stop by, well, nothing. Lee groans, then frowns as he looks around for the solution to this very strange problem. It's only then he notices the green glowing plant.

That's not normal. ]

What the frak is that?

( three )

( feel free to hit me up via plurk/ooc post to get something more personalized. or just throw something at me as lee will literally be everywhere! )

( for sam )

[aploun]

[ Well, there are probably worse things to have happen. Of course, at the moment, Lee can't really think of what any of those are. But, he's pretty sure the last person he should be entering an enclosed space with is Sam Anders.

And yet...

And yet, here he is. Standing at the entry to the maze with the odd visor in his hand, blinking down at it as if it will replay the scene that got them here. It doesn't, of course it doesn't, and Lee is left trying to piece the fuzzy memories back together on his own. Maybe he shouldn't have had so much to drink. That's obviously what got him into this mess to begin with.

Well, he's not going to back out now. He bets that's exactly what Sam is expecting. Jerk. Lee glances over at him, lips drawn into what he thinks is a frown ( it's not, it's just some strange wobbly expression ) before he jams the visor on with a huff and just barges on inside.

Then promptly slips on something and goes tumbling ass over tea-kettle into a soft bank of snow. Lee is a tangled mess and may or may not have yelped like a little boy ( he totally did ) on his way down. There's something on his feet, he feels like a huge puffy marshmallow ( flashes of his out of control diet flicker over his mind and he thinks he's gained all that weight back for a terrifying moment ) and can't seem to get up. His ams and legs flail and more snow drops down on top of him. ]

Frak! [ He's struggling so hard and for some reason one leg is unable to move, but it's not even touching the ground. ( The ski is embedded into the ground, but he has yet to realize... ) ] Are you going to help me or not?!

two

[genice]

( It's the generally convivial nature of the thing (what thing, he wants to ask, but he takes all of this as a general celebration of Winter and an excuse for the people of this ship to simply spend time focusing on something other than their work) that's kept Victor out and wandering through the region, Makkachin a steady presence at his side. Right now he's also a steady presence marking the snow over by a tree, something Victor is politely ignoring.

Considering the far more sapient individuals on board have been doing the same...

Regardless, he turns his head when he hears Lee's exclamation. The glow is familiar, as is the sense of minor amusement (and annoyance) that filters through as he recognises the man's unplanned position. Holding a cup of spiced wine, Victor shifts his weight and waves from where he stands, oh, a meter or so away. )

Mistletoe, I think! If mistletoe managed to trap people in place until they kissed, like some kind of teenage prank.

( #helping )

[nodyinteam]

[A. Snow Problem]

[Nekomaru is garbed in his usual get-up, with the addition of a Santa hat atop his head. First, you can find him in the middle of the snow, in the process of efficiently constructing a snow fort. But he knows that where there's snow forts, there's snow wars...

Whenever someone approaches, Nekomaru turns to see them while holding a lump of snow in his bare hands, and whether he knows this person or not, he surveys them warily.]

So... Are you friend, or foe?

[B. Party Training]

[During the festivities, Nekomaru sits by a table and digs into some food enthusiastically. He doesn't consider himself to be a dancer, so he's primarily just sitting on the sidelines with food and drink. He hadn't meant to get any booze, but through some sort of mix-up he's ended up getting some juice with alcohol in it. Oh well... He doesn't seem to notice it yet, at least. For now Nekomaru will just enjoy everyone having fun and also be just a bit wary because of the last party that happened shortly after arriving at a strange location.]

[C. Misletoe No]

[Candy Cane Lane, a tranquil road filled with romance in the air... and a large teenager desperately running down it to try to reach the nearest restroom, only to find himself suddenly stopped in his tracks. He grunts in frustration while being unable to move forward.]

Rrrghh... No!! Not at a time like this!!

[He doesn't yet notice the mistletoe that has materialized above his head.]

[Tales to Amaze (Locked to Hayatori)]

[Eventually, he looks at the entrance to the maze with scrutiny.]

The best in party experiences, you say...? Now this is something I just have to see for myself! Sign me up!!

[Except he's then told that two people are needed to enter. Nekomaru quickly turns around and points to someone nearby at random! Who happens to be Hayatori.]

You there!! Come on over and join me! You won't regret it!

[Wild Card]

[Feel free to improvise a scenario!]

no business like snow business

[canadese]

[Ax merely happened to be walking past. He looks at Nekomaru, then at the snow he's holding, then back at Nekomaru. Then he tilts his head.]

Are you participating in the snow-throwing ritual? [He's seen this on TV.]

tales to amaze;

[tenkofan]

[While his interest is certainly piqued by the maze, the rules seem to rule him out -- or they did.

When he realises it is him being addressed, Hayatori decides that he has more to gain by agreeing. He nods once, and wordlessly joins Nekomaru.]

Let's go.

A

[yotsubas]

[ OH... oh my, to be accused of a foe... miyuki recoils in shock, but she manages to speak moments later-- ]

I do not wish to be regarded as your foe, sir!

[allweather]

cookie house contest
[Reim has no idea what a gingerbread house is. He doesn't know what holiday (or holidays?) all of this is supposed to represent, it doesnt match anything he's encountered before, so— He's quite content at first to just get some freshments and loiter.

But then someone elbows him into the gingerbread house contest and he eventually concedes to participating, if and only if someone will show him a picture first of what he's supposed to be making.

Space google is employed and the most generic house possible is shown, and Reim is off. He's going to make this exact house.

Exactly. Down to the angle of the candy canes and the most minute lean of the trees in the frosted "yard." He is genuinely producing an exact replica of someone's space Pinterest gingerbread house. And demanding without looking up:] Pass me more of those infernal gumdrops!

[aid him in his quest to 3D print this house]


lips,
[He doesn't know what mistletoe is either. Just making that clear, or he would not be caught dead under one of these weird plants. Instead, it will be very much an accident, and someone will have to explain.

He'll offer a gentlemanly kiss on the hand...??]

this one is for eichi

[allweather]

[Why does Reim spend so much time with Eichi...?? It's a mystery to everyone, including Reim, maybe even including Eichi. Perhaps because he's a familiar face, in that they arrived here at the same time and so he's the first person Reim spoke to in any capacity beyond the detached and professional. It could be something kind of nice, like that.

Or masochism. Maybe if he doesn't have at least one acquaintance who sets the corners of his brain on fire, his heart stops. Maybe that, instead.

Either way, they're going into this maze, and Reim is already put off by having to put on this visor thing. He frowns at it, turning it over in his hands a few times while the rules are explained to them, and then he turns his frown sharply to Eichi. This was probably Eichi's horrible idea, so.]

You heard them. No running off alone! [That isn't exactly what was said, but it's Reim's new rule.]

cookie house...

[cattlemilk]

<sub>[ Reim picked the wrong person to mess with when it comes to making a gingerbread house...
A gingerbread.. something, at least. Crow looked like he was building a replica of something else instead of a house. In fact, it looked like a person— kind of? A person with a really extravagant hairstyle.
Okay, well. It looked like a mess, honestly, but he was doing the best he can with what he has.

The gum drops in question are in Crow's hand, and Crow looks visibly insulted when he is asked for the gum drops in such a demanding fashion. ]</sub>

Eeeh!? You want me to just pass you these? There's just a few left!
_{[ uh oh.. ]}

mistletoe. also i apologize in advance

[canadese]

[Ax also doesn't know what mistletoe is or its cultural purpose. It is a mystery to him why this strange man is pressing his mouth against the back of his hand. He doesn't yank it away, but he does stare and generally seem visibly uncomfortable.]

What are you doing?

closed to ax;

[cattlemilk]

_{[ Crow has been taking in all of the activities all on his own, mentally taking note of each little change on the ship. His last investigation is the ice maze, but when he finds out there are certain rules involved, he hisses slightly. What's the deal with this? ]}

Jeeze, c'mon. Why do we have to go in pairs? Why the hell would I want to pair up with anybody else here? Ugh.. guess it'll have to do..

_{[ He purses his lips slightly and catches sight of somebody nearby— looks like another hooman, of course. He's seen plenty of those already. ]}

OI, BASTARD!! Get over here and do this maze with me!

[canadese]

[Ax stares at Crow. Then at the maze. Then back at Crow.

Then he sort of leans back and looks down at him, incredulous.]

I will not.

closed to maine

[sixth]

[ Wash may not be in the mood to celebrate, but he isn't going to turn down what looks like all-you-can-eat food and drinks either. A little mingling won't kill him, he hopes, and if someone else is footing the bill for dinner, that just means more money he can save for something he might need later. He's not exactly rolling in the credits; working for a shelter in an enclosed environment without a surplus of cats doesn't require him to really put in the overtime but it keeps him busy and earns him what seems like a decent wage. Still, it pays—literally—to be thrifty in unknown locations.

Besides all of that, somewhere deep inside of Wash is the ghost of little boy from the dirt poor family who had to go without simply because there wasn't enough money for food. And that ghost is never getting fully exorcised.

He's had a few glasses of alcohol and more than one plate of food by the time he catches sight of Maine. Things aren't as awkward as they were when they'd first encountered each other, but it isn't exactly smooth sailing either. Having a tiny bit of liquid icebreaker in his system is probably a good thing.

Polishing off the last bit of cheesy substance he's been eating, Wash sets his plate down, drains his glass, and heads over to his old comrade. ]

Hey. [ A brief upward quirk at the corners of his mouth accompanies the greeting. ] Enjoying the party?

[rumbling]

[ Maine definitely isn't in the mood to celebrate. Not even a little bit. Not that he ever has been, but right now he's definitely not. The only reason he's here is because of the free food and alcohol. Maine's never been entirely frugal, but, like Wash, he's learned to be thrifty when he needs to be. Maybe it just comes with the territory.

By the time he sees a familiar face, he's put down at least half a table of the nearest buffet and considering taking some of this back to his bunk. He wipes his mouth with a napkin, tossing it in the bin nearby. He doesn't say anything in response first, instead just looking up and around the atrium itself. It's almost a strange thing to see—he can't remember the last time he saw such a fuss over something. ( Birthdays were the closest thing to a party they ever had on the MOI and they were never anything like this. )

He lifts a shoulder in a roll of a shrug as he looks back to Wash. It's not the worst thing he's been to, not the best. The crowd is putting him off and he's thinking he's ready to leave sooner rather than later. He just gives a near imperceptible tip of his head to return the question to Wash. ]

[straycloud]

[OPEN - 12/24 - afternoon]

[ On the list of things Koumyou had counted on, suddenly being trapped by a glowing plant wasn't near the top. It makes itself known rather abruptly as he slips by another partygoer and, after a fraction of a moment's hesitation, manages to walk right into the field with a dismayed yelp.

This is bad. Very bad. He pats at the barrier that has managed to pen him in without much elbow room. Just past it is where he'd left his drink. ]

That's a problem. [ He sighs. ] I shouldn't have set it down.

[OPEN - late 12/24 - early 12/25]

[ If one doesn't know what they're looking for, Koumyou just happens to be comfortably settled a few meters up in the branches of a tree and people watching. That's not entirely incorrect, though it's not immediately evident that he's been rather merrily working his way far from sobriety. It took some doing, but there he is with a drink in hand and and an entirely incongruous safari hat on his head.

Oddly enough, there are entirely too many icicles on the tree, but Koumyou is resigned to this abnormality. (It helps that it's entirely his own fault.) While none of the ice is so large to hurt someone, it cracks and falls to the ground with a merry tinkling whenever he shifts position to get a better look or maybe wave at someone coming close. ]

[CLOSED - 12/24 - Ukoku]

Ukokuuuuu, come with me!

[ Koumyou's still somewhat sober, but not so much that he won't practically carol his request.

(But when wouldn't he do so normally, anyway?)

As it is, that sobriety has been steadily waning throughout the day. That's probably for the best, ultimately, though nothing will deter him from going after Ukoku with a clear single-minded determination. He's on a mission, and his fellow priest is damned to this fate. ]

late 12.24-early 12.25

[ouzel]

[ None of the icicles may be large enough to hurt but they're definitely large enough to startle, which means that Cassian jumps a little before he narrows his eyes and looks up.

Huh. A guy in an odd looking hat, that doesn't appear warm at all, is waving at him. ]

Hola. [ Squint. ] Are you sure it's safe for you to be up there drinking?

Mistletoe shenanigans

[remainingtwin]

[Mio is already tired and she's only been here maybe an hour or two. The food is good, the shown is nice and pretty, but Mio can't help but feel bitter and depressed. Christmas? Already? And without her family--more importantly, without Mayu.

She's already debating if she's spent a socially acceptable length of time by now to bow out when Koumyou slips by. She recognizes him and turns almost instinctively towards him to follow and-- what? Say hello? Why? What did it matter? In the end it doesn't, really, because she's trapped in the barrier too now. She tries to step back only to find she's well and truly trapped as well and makes a face, melancholy replaced with irritation.]

Is your drink really the thing to worry about here? [She assumes it's either a drink or food he's talking about]

[existentialcrisis]

[ He's extra damned, because he's much more sober than Koumyou is. He's been wandering the edges of the atrium with a drink, but he's only been sipping it: it's the kind of prop that (hopefully) says hello, I'm normal, I'm here to drink and be merry and not eavesdrop or anything. In his defense, there are a lot of interesting people here—not to mention staff. He's lingering within earshot of a conversation between two workers now, but when Koumyou calls him he turns immediately and abandons it. (Nothing good.) ]

Koumyouuuuuu. Where are we going?

[ He's game, regardless. He takes his drink with him. ]