![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Happy Holidays
✖ 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?
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.
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.
Come on Jessica, come on Tori! Let's go to the mall, you won't be sorry!
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.
III
Then again, when Chloe isn't there beside him he has a much greater incentive to get on with his day. Chloe has flitted off to who knows where, a whirlwind of enthusiastic energy as she prepares for the holiday season. Connor hadn't even heard of Christmas or the winter holidays until their arrival on this island, as the topic had never come up during his time in Detroit or their previous months here. It all seems to have descended upon them very suddenly, but then that could probably be said of most things in his life, and many of those things had turned out very well indeed.
So he wanders the mall, in and out of various stores, getting ideas and purchasing a few small items, what Chloe might have called "stocking stuffers", silly little things that he hoped she might appreciate. Soon enough he finds himself at the ice skating rink, and after spending time watching the skaters and deciding it doesn't look terribly hard, he slips on a pair of skates (free rentals? Is that an oxymoron?) and heads out onto the ice. Tentatively at first, his attempts illustrate his initial anxiety. But as he finds his footing and with it, his confidence, he's soon gliding along the ice like a seasoned professional. He's not thinking of trying any jumps or fancy moves just yet, but given time? He always accomplishes his mission.
no subject
Thus far her fear of embarrassment, of failure, has prevented her from slipping on a pair of skates herself. Being a public spectacle when she could be bad at something hits the perfectionist buttons that linger.
The motivation is that Connor isn't going to judge her. She's sure about that. Nor would any of the other Travellers, probably. If she stumbles, she and Connor can laugh about it together. Carry on and keep learning. There is something to be said for picking up a skill the way a human would.
With her skates on, she hovers near the barrier to begin with and waits until he's about to pass her. "Excuse me, fine gentleman, do you think you could hold my hand?"
no subject
He startles when Chloe draws his attention, recovering quickly as he skates a wide arc and comes back around to stop neatly in front of her, palms resting on the top of the barrier between them and offering her a shy smile.
"I would be honored to hold the hand of such a lovely young woman." He backs up slightly to give her a small bow, then reaches his hand out to help her step carefully out onto the ice, hovering closely to assist should she slip and lose her balance while she gets used to the slick surface.
"Have you ever been ice skating before?"
no subject
Keeping a tight hold of his hand, Chloe stares down at her feet as though it will make them act according to her wishes. All too aware of how she’s more awkward duckling than graceful swan, her cheeks already begin to burn with a blush. Logically, she knows she’s being too hard on herself - she’s only just gone out onto the ice, for goodness sake.
Before she launches off to do her best to skate around with Connor, she looks out around the rink. For all those who appear to be right at home, there are those who echo her nerves and newness.
No one is paying any attention. No one cares. No need to be so paranoid.
Grip on his hand loosening, leaving their fingers comfortably entwined, she glides off slowly so she can get a feel for it. “I’m not holding you back, am I? You looked like you were ready to spin and leap.”
no subject
"Don't look at your feet, just hold both of my hands and look at me, alright? I won't let you fall, I promise." Her blush is a charming blue that's only slightly darker than her eyes, and it falls prettily over her features. Does she have freckles, or is it the lighting? His eyes follow hers across the ice for a moment before he shakes his head with a smile. "Eyes on me. Whatever anyone else is doing doesn't matter."
But then she must be feeling confident, because once she has her footing she begins to strike out on her own, pulling him along as she glides so that he's the one left stumbling behind her. One eyebrow raises, and the sense of wonder and surprise overtakes him again as he catches himself and paces her.
"No. I'm nowhere near that good, believe me. I was preconstructing the possibility, but I need more experience first. Ninety-three percent of my simulations had me falling hard on my ass. The world will have to wait for my Olympics debut I'm afraid." He grins sheepishly at her with a small shrug.
no subject
Without speeding up - she isn't quite there yet - she enjoys the moment of doing. Being. No mad dash to the finish line in the hope of praise. No need, or indeed desire, to prove anything. They are as they are, and that's all they need to be.
Coming to a steady stop, she says nothing. Just looks at him with a soft, glowing smile. Right now, she's happy. It dawns on her that's how she feels. Happy. Separate from the guileless good cheer of her programmed devotion, it's an experience that has her catching an unnecessary breath.
A squeeze of his hand, and off they skate again. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to take care of you if that happens." The sweet smile is lightly teasing. "We can come here as much as you like, though, while we're here. I like it. We might even be able to find you a beautifully sparkly skating outfit. To be aerodynamic, of course."
no subject
Her smiles at him are praise enough, and he finds it an odd sort of thought that his happiness has become so easily entwined with hers, the simple joys of doing things together, giving to each other. Her happiness is now his, the most important mission he's ever undertaken.
She's radiant as she smiles at him, silhouetted by the glow of the lights shining behind her, catching her hair in golden highlights as it frames her. The almost irresistible urge to kiss her overtakes him, the desire to claim her for himself. Almost, almost, but he forces himself to concentrate on their surroundings and what she's saying. Because this is nice, too. This is enough. She's lovely and funny and looks almost at peace with herself, and he would not change anything about this moment, capturing the memory and holding it close to his chest.
"In that case, maybe I'll go ahead and try," and while Connor's own smile is equally teasing, there might be an undercurrent of something else in his upturned lips- that soon quirk down into a wryly twisted frown. "Yes to coming here more, and a definite no to a sparkly skating outfit. Show me the specs on the efficiency of the aerodynamic attributes and I won't change my mind."
no subject
Taking both his hands, she carefully brings them both to a stop. In front of him, can't stop herself smiling as she pleads her case. "But we could wear matching ones. I think you'd look very handsome..." The last part is said in a bit of a sing-song, which is the most convincing of tones. Of course, she's absolutely convinced he would look handsome and absolutely biased because he would be gorgeous in anything.
She leans in closer and while she doesn't kiss him, she does brush her nose against his. "Though you'll probably be relieved to know I've already gotten your gift so you won't be getting any bedazzled surprises. Not yet, anyway."
no subject
He looks at her skeptically, then dubiously down at himself. "But does it have to be sparkly? I don't think sequins would flatter me." They wouldn't even flatter Chloe- her personality and charm, not to mention her stunning good looks, would make sequins and sparkles pale in comparison.
"Thank rA9," he breathes, almost into her mouth. Then he pulls back, looking at her uncertainly. "You got me a gift?" He's been turning over in his mind the perfect gift for Chloe, but it never occurred to him that she might have gotten him something. It makes his chest feel strange, like maybe he's overheating, but all of his diagnostics come back fine. Chloe got him a gift, and his heart is warm.
no subject
They care for each other. And secrets eat away at it all.
Her gaze follows his to look him over, head tilting to the side appraisingly. "You're right," she has to admit with a sigh. "You definitely deserve something more suave." A well-tailored suit, for example. She would be on board for that.
The first thing she wants to do is ask shouldn't I have gotten you a gift? Biting her tongue, she takes a moment to rationalise rather than react. She isn't entirely sure what Connor might make of the specific gift but she doubts he'd be opposed to the concept. Surprise. He must be surprised. And that's a whole can of worms in itself. One she won't be touching just yet. They can just enjoy the moment.
"Of course. You could open it when we've finished skating?" She's keen. And funnily enough, she hasn't considered that he might get her something too.
no subject
"I could do with a suit. I miss wearing ties." It's true. The tie he wore with his Cyberlife suit was not a part of the uniform; he'd added it himself because he thought it made him look more professional, and no one in the lab had objected.
"You have it here?" His eyes roam over her, and while normally he might feel self-conscious to be so obvious, his intentions this one time are more innocent, even child-like. She got him a gift, and she has it with her? He can feel his thirium pump speeding up with excitement, but he forces it back into a normal rhythm. After they've finished skating, of course. Which is another sort of excitement altogether.
"When we get back, maybe we can exchange gifts?" He feels warm again, the flush of happiness and the idea of taking part in a holiday tradition making him feel light on his feet. With a small huff of a laugh, he strikes out his leg to start gliding over the ice again, pulling her along with him as they circle the rink.
no subject
"You do look good in a tie..." she agrees. Before when she had thought on Connor, it hadn't been in this manner at all. It didn't make the image of him any less present in her mind. The focus was always upon the software instabilities that had been written all over his face. How she wanted the chance to reach out to him. It's an odd sort of catharsis to be able to frame the image differently. Connor, who looks handsome in a tie.
His reaction is utterly adorable, and makes her feel a little guilty for not having the gift with her. "I'm sorry, I meant that we could go back once we've finished skating. Your gift is under your tree." As in true Chloe fashion, she'd wanted to make it special in that overboard way of hers. Gathering around some trees in a mall store is a far cry from a first Christmas spent with, she presumes, the Lieutenant in his home but she attempted to recreate a similar atmosphere. And like Connor himself, she doesn't assume he has a gift for her and does assume 'exchange' simply means 'give Connor his present.'
All too happy to follow his lead, there's a smile on her face the entire time they skate together. When they've finally had their fill and leave the rink, she laces their fingers together and leans in close to him. Affection comes easily to her. Right now, it feels easy to show it (without the assistance of cotton candy or anything else the island provides).
"I really love this," she tells him quietly as they stroll back to the spot in a store they've secured for themselves. "Maybe it's silly to say it out loud like that but I want you to know." This - the security, the safety, the sincerity and the sweetness - is his gift to her.