polymods: (Default)
polymods ([personal profile] polymods) wrote in [community profile] polylogs2021-12-01 03:10 pm

Happy Holidays

POLYMYTHOS: THE MALL

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

antifungi: (iSmOQHd)

iii

[personal profile] antifungi 2021-12-08 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Dorky performances are not high on the list of Joel's interests. The sound of live music, though, invariably draws him in. Even if jazz isn't exactly his favorite, either, it's a welcome break from the constant cycle of tinny, canned Christmas music everywhere else. And serves as a decent distraction from the rest of the trappings of a season he's no more inclined to celebrate now than he'd be if he wasn't trapped in this whole surreal nightmare.

Ordinarily, he wouldn't pick a familiar face out of the crowd for anything less than necessity. Idle small talk isn't a skill he's kept honed, over the years, and one he's got even less use for. But - it's not like there's a whole hell of a lot else to do around here, and even he can only spend so many hours out of the day paranoid and preparing for the worst.

He's not sure what she's preparing for, with a veritable mountain of gingerbread, but it sure seems a lot more serious than a simple taste test, given the mass quantities. "You plannin' on feeding an army?"
neverwither: (small side smile)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-12-12 03:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Admittedly she's kind of surprised when Joel strikes up a conversation. It's good, right? Hopefully he's been integrating himself more with the merry band of misfits that island hop together. Either way, Chloe's content to indulge in some chitchat.

"How have you been, Joel?" she asks, all perfectly pleasant and like they're not stuck in a world where any means of magical mischief can strike at any moment. In the midst of chaos, one must seek to make calmness where one can. "This is all..." She peers down into the bag holding her festive treasures. It is a lot. It hadn't seem quite so excessive when she was picking bit after bit up at the various stalls.

"Well... some of it is for a gingerbread house," she half explains, half justifies. "And some is..." Examining her wares again, she picks out a package of star shaped cookies wrapped in clear cellophane and tied up with a red ribbon. Offering it to him, she smiles. "...just because."
antifungi: (Default)

[personal profile] antifungi 2021-12-12 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Integrating? No. But maybe he's blending in a little better, at least. And, at the end of the day, even Joel needs some semblance of social connection - however much he prefers to pretend otherwise. Tess was proof of that, once. Now it's just him and— Well. Just him, now. Not a state he's all that happy to be back in.

"More of the same." Short and only informative by the loosest definition, but it's something. He can't really say better, anyway, no interest in mustering up the lie or putting on a front.

He almost rebuffs the offer, hand half raised to ward her package of cookies off (after that carnival, the thought of more sugar just makes his teeth ache). But he takes it, instead, after that halting second of indecision. "You're gonna need more than just the gingerbread to build a house."
neverwither: (It killed the cat)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-12-12 07:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Those connections are what Chloe seeks. Years of feeling alone have left her both wary of trying to bond and craving to do so. With the friends she's made, the intensity of the feelings have lessened. It isn't just her, a creator and other Chloe models she floats around any more.

She nods and decides not to pry any further. He's making an effort, and she doesn't want to spook him by delving any deeper than he's willing to give.

In the same vein, her smile is small, though no less warm. Where she wants to hesitate, uncertain of herself, she forges on ahead. Any awkwardness on her part might make the whole encounter more stilted than it needs to be. "Yes, I'd say you're right. Have you ever built one before? If so, I could use the advice."
antifungi: (DwYrcmw)

[personal profile] antifungi 2021-12-12 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"No." Yes. But he doesn't want to head down a road that leads into such dangerous territory. Not now.

There are easier parts of the past to navigate, though. Less personal.

"Built enough real ones to know that won't hold together on its own, though."
neverwither: (small side smile)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-12-12 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
The casual question of whether building houses is what he did in his own world almost slips out. With what he has said about his world, avoiding much discussion on it seems wise. At least for now.

“Since it’s bound to be a transferable skill, do you think you might be able to lend me a hand?” It might serve as a distraction for a while. It’s a relatively normal type of activity (the fact it’s with an android on a mystical Christmas island notwithstanding).
antifungi: (↺)

[personal profile] antifungi 2021-12-13 12:13 am (UTC)(link)
Avoiding much discussion at all is a good baseline for any interaction with Joel, honestly. He's not exactly good company and he knows it. Which makes her invitation all the more odd, for as mundane of an activity as she's suggesting.

What the hell, though. There's nothing better here to do.

"I might." He nods, the closest thing to agreeable he's bound to be.
neverwither: (A curious girl)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-12-13 10:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Good company or not, Chloe doesn't seem any less pleased. Not that she'd describe him as bad company. More interesting company.

"Thank you, it's very much appreciated." A thoughtful look crosses her face as she considers the best way to proceed. "It would seem to make sense to do the more intricate decorating before assembly... I think we're going to need quite a lot of icing..." Probably not what he signed up for, exactly.

Her contemplation gives way to a sparkle of amusement. "My offer about homemaking skills might come in handy after all."
antifungi: (Default)

[personal profile] antifungi 2021-12-14 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
He lets out a breath through his nose. It's not a laugh; it's not even close. But it's not irritable, either, so. Maybe that's as close as she's going to get.

"Just how much detail are you thinkin' of putting into this thing?"
neverwither: (you can tell me all your sins)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-12-14 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Chloe will take not irritable. To be fair, she'd probably take irritable too. But a semi-pleasant interaction, at least, is far more preferable.

"Well... there are windows and doors, of course. Tiles for the roof. Then there's making it fit the season with snow and suchlike..." she explains like she's planning the next great monument and not a candy house. "I'd like it to be special."
antifungi: (bMjxzpm)

[personal profile] antifungi 2021-12-17 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
Special, huh? Well, that explains the enthusiasm, he thinks. Not a whole lot of reasons to put that much effort into something - let alone something so trivial.

"You makin' this for somebody?"
neverwither: (look down look down)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-12-22 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Hesitating, Chloe looks a bit embarrassed. There isn't much she regards as being trivial, and the silly holiday activity holds more significance than it should. "Well... It's nice to try and bring a general sense of some cheer with these sorts of things." Because the mall isn't already littered with enough decorations and displays.

"But I do have to admit that it's also for me. It isn't something I'd really do where I'm from and so... I thought I'd try now." A gingerbread house of wholesome rebellion.
antifungi: (YYrxwF4)

[personal profile] antifungi 2021-12-29 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
He takes that roundabout answer as a yes. Not that it really matters, either way. It doesn't lend any more weight or significance to this activity. Just gives it a reasoning he can put behind it, makes it seem worth something, maybe. However little.

"All right." He nods, a gesture angled back toward the long hall of shops behind them. They've got shopping to do, if they're really gonna make this work.
neverwither: (A curious girl)

[personal profile] neverwither 2021-12-29 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Before Joel can change his mind, she's up on her feet and signalling for him to do likewise. The stores await. A decent internal map of the mall and what lies within it has her making a confident beeline for a hobby shop. A quick glance to the signage and she's leading him down an aisle filled with baking supplies, grabbing a basket on the way.

"I assume structural integrity would be the best place to start...?" she asks, genuinely consulting for his opinion so he isn't merely along for the ride. "I'd probably get caught up in the decorative aspect of it, you see."
antifungi: (b8p0HVe)

[personal profile] antifungi 2022-01-02 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
"Shouldn't take much to hold it together." Depending on how easy it is to carve up those slabs of gingerbread, anyway - if it's too brittle, they'll have to get creative. But there should be a decent paring knife somewhere around here. (Right now he's seeing too much pastel, baffled by the array of tiny frosting accessories.)

"You just worry about your decorations. And maybe sketching out a basic idea of what you want."
neverwither: (side smile)

[personal profile] neverwither 2022-01-06 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ah! Edible glue. Let's get that..." she decides, and into the basket it goes. It's swiftly joined by royal icing, piping bags, various tips for said piping bags and edible glitter. She thinks that will suffice - for now.

"I'd say that's a good start for making it pretty. Now for the practicality." She gives Joel a smile and nods towards cutting mats, knives and suchlike. A decorative silver board is also scooped up to give the finished product a place to sit.

"Is there anything you think we should add to the house? Since we're doing this together, it seems only fair you have your stamp on it, too." Well. Other than his knowledge of how to build something that won't instantly fall apart.
antifungi: (↺)

[personal profile] antifungi 2022-01-06 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Joel makes a noncommittal sound, as he picks up one of the smaller paring knives. Good for carving, thought gingerbread'll be a new one on him. He's not sure he cares to do much of the decorating, but he's already in it, now.

"Pretty sure you're supposed to cover these things in candy, too." He gestures to the bags lined along the other side of the aisle just behind them, stuffed with peppermints and gumdrops and candycanes.
neverwither: (i'm listening)

[personal profile] neverwither 2022-01-06 08:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Chloe keeps on breezing along, his lack of shared enthusiasm apparently washing off of her like water off a duck’s back. His suggestion has her adding a few bags of the candies to the basket. It isn’t completely in line with the aesthetic she’s been envisioning, but that’s of minor consequence. Visions can be cast aside in the name of participation.

“I think we might have everything,” she announces with a pleased smile. “I can draw up a plan for you or would it suffice for me to just give you the dimensions I have in mind? I think we could improvise the decorating to some degree, hmm?”
antifungi: (A4YXHI9)

[personal profile] antifungi 2022-01-06 10:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Go ahead and draw somethin' up. I can work from that," Joel agrees, nodding. Even if it isn't totally precise. Contractor work, you learn to build around a lot of people's ideas of what's concise and accurate. Or possible. At least with a project small enough to fit on a table, he shouldn't have to get too creative.

...Hopefully, anyway. He is still kind of picturing something about as dangerously avant garde as your average birdhouse.
neverwither: (100% interest 100% of the time)

[personal profile] neverwither 2022-01-09 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)
With their purchases made, Chloe directs Joel to the section of Pottery Barn she and Connor have claimed as their own. A nearby dining table on display seems the perfect place for their project and so that's where she asks him to sit, please and thank you.

All of the supplies are unloaded and quickly organised; tools for construction first and together, the decorative elements grouped. She makes a brief retreat to fetch her sketchbook. When she returns, she takes a seat next to Joel and turns to a blank page to lay out her design.

The house she draws is simple (there's no need to test his generosity further by making it needlessly complicated). She includes all the measurements in her sketch, all neat and precise. It looks straightforward enough.

"What do you think? I've tried to keep it an even weight distribution rather than it being too top heavy."
antifungi: (Default)

[personal profile] antifungi 2022-01-11 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
While she's fetching her notebook and drawing up some plans, Joel makes himself comfortable, leaned back in his chair, and pulls that knife over to his side of the table. He uses it to quickly slice open the bag of gingerbread cookies she handed him earlier, and contents himself to whittle at them a bit while she works, just to get an idea of how difficult this is going to be with larger pieces.

It's less of a pain than he would've thought - especially with a fresh, sharp knife, which still feels pretty novel, all things considered.

"Looks fine." Better than, really, given she actually put that much thought into it. A subtle raise of his brows is the only definitive notice that forethought elicits, of course. "You wanna open the rest of that stuff, and I'll get started piecin' it together?"
neverwither: (small side smile)

[personal profile] neverwither 2022-01-12 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
She gives him a nod and does as suggested, smiling a little to herself. He seems to be getting into the spirit of it. Or he's just far nicer than he gives himself credit for. Either way, it seems like a win in Chloe's book.

Icing is prepared, bags of decorative candies are opened and all that they'll need is within easy reach. Sitting herself next to him, she watches as he works, making sure to keep her gaze on the gingerbread rather than him. She's ready with that edible glue so she can contribute something to the construction and lend him a hand. Teamwork makes the dream work.

"It's exactly like I was thinking," she compliments. Doesn't matter that the biscuit is still bare. It's all coming together beautifully and she's already pleased.
antifungi: (Ga8fGXk)

[personal profile] antifungi 2022-01-13 05:39 am (UTC)(link)
"Uh-huh." Joel is not especially responsive while he works, but in this case, at least, it's not on her. There's a definite learning curve to carving something as soft and quick to crumble, but he's precise enough to avoid disaster. A few minor fumbles don't amount to much her edible glue and frosting can't fix (or cover).

Though with the pieces slotted fairly neatly together, they don't need much help to stand, bracing each other up. It should hold up decently well under a mountain of candy and glitter.
neverwither: (i'm listening)

[personal profile] neverwither 2022-01-14 09:08 pm (UTC)(link)
The mistakes don't matter to the android. They're inevitably noticed, but they aren't noted. What stands out is the effort he puts in. Truthfully, the whole structure could have been a mangled disaster and Chloe would have appreciated it.

House proudly standing, Chloe sets a piping bag and a few of the decorative bits and bobs in front of him. "It's okay if you'd rather not but you're very welcome to add some things."

For her part, she starts adding detail to one of the gingerbread walls. Palladian windows are delicately piped, tiny dots put into a couple of corners to make it look like they've been catching snow. The android herself looks focused and content.
antifungi: (WDX33TF)

[personal profile] antifungi 2022-01-15 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
There's something quietly tolerable about this activity, which is a lot more than Joel can say for most of the pastimes he's tried to distract himself with, of late. And paranoid preparation can only take up so much of the weirdly uneventful days that fill the gaps between freak disasters (and unwanted confrontations with the self).

Still, his expertise ends with how to fit the pieces together. He leans back in his chair while she gets to work (with that almost eerie precision), only glancing at the items offered.

"Looks like you've got it covered."

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