Happy Holidays

[polymods]

✖ THE MALL

Ⅰ. THE REASON FOR THE SEASON
Boy, wasn’t November exciting? How about those Black Friday deals, huh? Hope you’ve had fun camping out in furniture stores! You can of course continue to bunk there, but the High Temple is also open to all Travelers again this month if you’d rather sleep there. Don’t forget to stock up on items that could fit inside your Traveler bag - this is the perfect time to get that fancy moisturizer you’ve been missing, some books, or maybe a copy of the hot new video game Bonestorm!

As December rolls in, you’ll notice that there’s even MORE holiday cheer to be found! Pressing in on all sides of you! Suffocating you! Or maybe you’re one of those people who just lives for carols and huge plastic evergreens decked out in tinsel and lights, in which case you’re going to be thrilled!

There are indeed plenty of those aforementioned trees throughout the mall, alongside wire and light reindeer, glowing stars, and oversized novelty gift boxes. If you have keen eyes you’ll notice that hidden throughout the mall are dozens of small, creepy elves with dead vacant eyes. They don’t do anything. They just… watch.

Who on earth could they be reporting to?

---

Ⅱ. HE SEES YOU WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING
At the center of the mall concourse there is now a miniature village set up, themed entirely in ice and snow and candy. At the center of this plastic paradise is a lavishly decorated chair, and in front of it a camera. At times marked clearly on a schedule at the village gate you can wait in line behind a red velvet rope for your turn to see him.

Who? Well. That depends.

In many worlds, there is a benevolent figure who appears in December, bearing gifts for all the good children. Santa is the most likely person you’ll find sitting on that big chair, ho-ho-hoing and looking as kind and jolly as any creature possibly could.

Maybe you’re from somewhere without a Santa Claus, but with some other equivalent. In that case, you might see what you’re familiar with instead!

Regardless of his exact form, the figure who beckons you to sit beside him has only one concern: have you been nice?

Niceness is subjective, but if you’ve managed it you will be rewarded. With a twinkle in his eye, the Non-Denominational Mall Figure will reach into his magic bag and pull out a gift, JUST for you! What could it be?!

Oh, and don’t forget to smile for the photo! You may pick it up in half an hour once it is developed.

But if you’ve been naughty, or if you sneak over to that chair during the OFF hours? In that case there will be a cracking noise and the sudden overwhelming scent of rank goat.

“Better luck next year,” the Non-Denominational Mall Figure says sadly, his eyes trained on something over your shoulder. Turn your head and you’ll see that your naughtiness has attracted another holiday staple: Krampus.

Yes, this hairy, horned devil carries chains and bitch rods, the latter of which he uses to whip the everloving shit out of you if he catches you. You’ll have to outrun him long enough that he gets bored, or find some other way to distract him or pay him off. Maybe there’s a German market set up in the mall somewhere where you could get Krampus to do a Smorgasvein with you?

Notes:
1. This month if your character has been nice, they may receive ONE special item! They may only receive this gift once - multiple attempts to see the Non-Denominational Mall Figure will result in Krampus appearing instead.

The special item you may pick for your character can be one of the following:

- one animal companion. This animal can travel with your character from island to island from now on. The only stipulation is that it must be able to fit comfortably on the ferryboat. If your animal is too large, your character can instead get a mini version!

- one carriable item from your character’s homeland. In the case of weapons, this must be something that is not game breaking in terms of power level. (ie: yes, you can get a gun, no you can’t get a gun that explodes the sun.)

- a collection of holiday candies, all of which have magical healing properties.

2. You determine if your character’s actions put them on the Naughty or Nice list

---

Ⅲ. WINTER WONDERLAND
As you wander through the mall you will notice that amongst all the holiday decorations a large area on the first floor that was closed last month is now lit up and has a welcome sign standing outside. Whatever could it be?

Perhaps a bigger and better Orange Julius?

No silly! It's an indoor ice skating rink. And as if that isn't cool enough - get it? Cool? - it would seem that for the whole month skate rentals are free. So go on, slap on a pair of skates and take a whirl around the ice rink! Show everyone your fancy moves or just try not to fall on your ass.

Don't feel like skating? That's okay, there are dorky performances happening at noon and 5pm where a group of people dressed up as holiday creatures will skate around in formation and do tricks.

If you’re more mature, at 8pm there's a live jazz band that will play music for the skaters.

There’s plenty of beverages and foods to be sampled from the holiday kiosks that have popped up close to the rink.

Notes:
1. This is a public ice rink so you will have to share space with people, so if you plan on throwing out a triple lutz or whatever then you might want to make sure you don't hit or slice into anyone with your skates.

---

Ⅳ. ALL I WANT IS YOU
Cheerful generic holiday music fills the hall as the Christmas celebration hits full swing with a slightly panicked glee. The same rotation of a dozen different carols cycles through, one after the other, hour after hour. There are only a few refuges from the mind numbing music through the mall - that one New Age import shop that hasn’t changed its world music CD in a decade, and Spicy Subject which only plays pop punk covers of carols. Even the bathrooms aren’t safe from that rise and fall of notes that let you know a certain diva is going to tell you that you’re all she wants for Christmas.

Just as the hundredth iteration of the song is about to drive you mad, there’s a tremendous crash. A twenty foot tall Christmas tree that had once been suspended in the middle of the food court has crushed the Pizza Corner and taken out the power source for half the Mall’s sound system in one go. A caped figure escapes along the rafters that once supported the tree in a cloud of heavy fragrance. He pauses only once to bow as banner unfurls. Crude letters have been painted over a previous black Friday announcement: You have been warned: The Phantom!

The crowd begins to murmur and huddle in groups, and if you get nosy there are plenty of rumors. A teen from one of the ear piercing boutiques mentions a ghost story about a Luxuriate employee who got in a terrible accident while mixing bath bombs on site that rendered him permanently aromatic and with a permanent splitting headache that would have killed a lesser person. An older man from the Hotdog Hut pipes up that he disappeared into the labyrinth of hidden hallways that allow employees to navigate the mall for restocking and avoiding the overly aggressive salespeople. Every year the Phantom emerges in an attempt to banish the sky high notes of that ever popular Christmas carol, and every year the people who run the mall put it back in rotation.

Even after the incident with the choir.

A mother with two small children who are more puffy coat than person hushes the hotdog seller. It’s all nonsense of course. Some kind of interactive theater to drive up sales before the holidays. The looks that pass between the other employees, and the signs that the poor twenty-something postgrad working at Pizza Corner might have been crushed say otherwise.

So does the pungent waft of multifloral scent that starts to stalk you through the mall. Apparently, someone’s formed a crush, or are you giving him a terrible headache? What is it about you that you do better than anyone that might be appreciated by this deeply eccentric murder? Or what makes you the most annoying? Either way, it might be good to keep your hand at the level of your eyes because you’re about to be whisked away to the depths of the Mall into the Phantom’s lair.

Notes:
1. The Phantom is now more archetype than human. Killing him will probably not solve the issue, but it will make you smell like you’ve been eating bath bombs and drinking essential oils until New Year. Which could be fun.

2. Alternatively, if you agree with him about the music, you can always agree to team up to take out the rest of the sound system.

3. The Phantom has an excellent tenor voice. Just, you know, in case you were wondering.

Come on Jessica, come on Tori! Let's go to the mall, you won't be sorry!

Network · Logs · OOC · Memes · Plurk

Comments

[unkindled_madness]

I don't really have a space.

[If he did he might leave his sword there sometimes instead of carrying it with him constantly.

He fails to recognize any unease on her part, preoccupied as he is with not letting on too much about the nature of his encounter with Connor.]

...poorly. [That's normal though.]

[neverwither]

At least the carnival did have the individual caravans.

( Sephiroth doesn’t seem much like the communal sleeping type. She can understand not wanting to be that vulnerable.

Poorly is not… entirely shocking. It’s more a question of how poorly. Neutral as she aims to remain, she can’t keep the concern from her face completely. )

May I ask what happened?

[unkindled_madness]

[The individual trailers were... pretty nice, actually. The best option they've had so far.

Oh, well, now she's asked directly. He can't think of any particular reason to lie or to keep avoiding it.]

I believe he was under the influence of some magic. He attempted to bite me.

[neverwither]

( Out of all the scenarios she could have pictured, 'he attempted to bite me' is not among them. That's a whole new dimension of poorly. She can see why neither have mentioned the incident. Just another fun story from the magical isle. )

You're alright, though? Did the two of you... get into a scuffle?

( She assumes if they'd gotten into what Sephiroth would consider a fight, Connor would have considerably more hack and slash marks from that sword of his. )

[unkindled_madness]

If you want to call it that. It was brief, and I did not harm him.

[Her first question may as well be rhetorical to him. Obviously he's fine, he's Sephiroth. The more probable outcome is that Sephiroth would have hurt Connor.]

He is quite strong. I suppose that's typical, for an android?

[neverwither]

Not entirely typical, no. It suits Connor's purpose to be strong, fast, agile.

( After a moment she adds: ) I didn't assume you would have hurt him. ( Another pause. ) Do you think he was on his way to bite me?

( From what's been said, she assumes so. It's more a question of Sephiroth's intervention than Connor's intentions. )

[unkindled_madness]

[Chloe, he was trying to redirect the conversation away from any additional details. If this makes her sad, then he's really not sure how to deal with that.]

...yes.

Clearly he didn't.

[neverwither]

( Never fear, there's no sadness in sight. Magic is magic - she doesn't blame Connor for heeding its call. No, Chloe just has a fond sort of smile for Sephiroth. )

It's fortunate I had you looking out for me. And fortunate it didn't escalate any further. Though... perhaps it would be nice for the two of you to meet again under more favourable circumstances?

[unkindled_madness]

[Well, that's... unexpected. But she hasn't expressed any overt gratitude, so apart from a flicker of surprise, he manages not to be too awkward about it.]

Indeed.

I would not be opposed to a meeting.

[neverwither]

( Chloe's learning to be more low-key with Sephiroth. It doesn't always transpire, but she tries. The hug-fest at the carnival makes it particularly pertinent as she doesn't want their friendship (she's determined it's a friendship) to become strained. )

Wonderful. If nothing else, I think it would be good to clear the air. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mean you any harm. He's very lovely.

[unkindled_madness]

I would hope that you wouldn't designate someone as "more than a friend" unless they had earned it.

[He has... some doubts. It seems very easy with her to earn the "lovely" descriptor. But his opinion of Connor remains, for the moment, neutral.]

[neverwither]

( He’s not wrong. Chloe’s ever hopeful internal logic says that if the Ancient selected them for this journey, those here must be capable of being more than they themselves may believe. If no one has faith in anyone, how could anyone possibly have faith in themselves? As much as it’s naivety, it’s a conscious choice to believe in better.

But she grows more serious, losing the bashful edge when she speaks about the android in question. )

Connor would have every right to view me in a poor light, due to events that transpired where we’re both from. During our time here, in spite of everything he’s gone through and is going through now, he’s chosen to be there for me. Everyone has been more accepting and understanding than I ever would have thought, but there are some things only another android can really understand.

[unkindled_madness]

[She's right, of course. Sephiroth is not an android and will never know the experience of being one; of course there are things she could only share with another of her own kind. But in its own very small way, it's alienating. He may relate some to certain people here, for once in his life, but he doesn't even have the certainty of what he is, much less someone to share in it.]

I'm sure that's a valuable perspective to have.

[neverwither]

Everyone's perspective is valuable. It's nice to have someone who knows certain things. ( Namely the history she doesn't have to find the words for and say them out loud. ) It's equally useful to have those who can see it all with completely fresh eyes. Assuming fronts aren't being put up, we're all just as we are and accepted. The things that separate don't really seem to matter so much here.

[unkindled_madness]

...but that isn't the same thing. You said as much yourself. There's no reason to backtrack on it.

[It's fine. It's always been how things are for him.]

[neverwither]

I wouldn't call it backtracking, necessarily. It's just an explanation. ( Is that a stubborn little huff from Chloe? It would appear so. Quickly as it was there, it's gone. )

Then it would stand to reason that you would relate more to the humans here and consider their perspectives to be the ones of value?

[unkindled_madness]

[Chloe, he really thought he was expressing agreement and it feels like you're trying to argue.

His faint confusion fades at that question. How is he meant to answer that question? He's never related to humans. But to say that would be either to admit that he isn't sure he's one of them, or to concede to... whatever point she's trying to make here. No, he's just not going to answer it at all.]

...one thing having value doesn't mean that another is devoid of it. You do understand that, don't you?

[Is that what she took the wrong way?]

[neverwither]

( She blinks. Her brow furrows. Wires have seemingly gotten crossed. )

That’s what I was trying to say. Considering the experiences we’ve shared, I was concerned that what I said about another android may make you feel, well, invalidated. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take a tone with you.

[unkindled_madness]

...it's fine. [Just another case of other people considering his feelings when he's used to ignoring them completely. Always confusing.]

But I don't believe my feelings have any relevance to your relationship with Connor. We are allies. He is your... boyfriend? [Is that the right word?]

[neverwither]

I think they matter. As allies, you matter to me and therefore your feelings matter. ( Even if he doesn't agree or want to acknowledge any of his feelings at all.

Perhaps a slight change of subject would be the way to go. )

What do you think to the three of us watching the jazz band together? ( More low-key than throwing Connor and Sephiroth together and waiting for the two of them to strike up conversation. At least an activity provides a framework. )

[unkindled_madness]

[He gives her a skeptical look, but agree to disagree.

He was 100% expecting the "thrown together and forced to converse" scenario, so the suggestion of an activity makes him pause.]

Would that be easier in some way?

[neverwither]

Well... yes. I thought it might be. It's another point of focus, isn't it?

[unkindled_madness]

...I suppose I'm unused to scheduling leisure activities.

[People don't do that with him.]

[neverwither]

Then it’s fortunate I’m used to scheduling all sorts of activities. I’ll make sure it’s not too formal an introduction.

( As much for her own benefit as for his and Connor’s. )

[unkindled_madness]

I'm sure the jazz will be adequate.

Although I do wonder how one might achieve formality, under these circumstances.