all at once the winter's here —

[happyheartsstaff]

all the lochs are frozen over

SNOW FUN

11/11 - 11/15

By the middle of the second week of November, the winter snow has spread out from the Pool of Tears and into the rest of the hotel. It falls gracefully in the hallways, the bar, the restaurants, even the nightclub and the gym. There's a gentle chill in the air, though there never seems to be more than a faint dusting of snow on the floor and it doesn't gather on the furniture.

The lobby quickly becomes a different story. Here, the snow begins to stick, and hotel staff can be seen piling it up in some kind of structures.

"Snow forts!" they will exclaim excitedly, and do their best to get any curious Oysters to help or make their own.

Shoes and foot coverings are still not available other than the ice skates in the pool area, but any Oysters who participate will find that the snow feels soft and fluffy beneath their bare feet, not cold at all.

Before long, multiple snow forts have been built in the lobby. It is then that hotel staff will start a game of capture the flag. Oysters will be encouraged to join one of the two teams and either try to sneak into the opposing side's heavily guarded forts to steal their flag, or guard the forts of their own team.

The game will span multiple days, and all Oysyers who join in the fun for any of it will receive a special reward!

HOW ABOUT A CUP OF TEA

11/12 - 11/23

If you can avoid all the commotion in the lobby to get to them, there are a few cozy spots tucked away that certainly weren't there before. Fire places have sprouted up in these, and though no one ever seems to tend to them, there's always a fire crackling merrily away. The fires seem to change colors, and will never be the same color twice.

"Of course it changes colors," hotel staff will scoff if asked. "Next you'll ask how it knows what it knows."

If pressed further, the staff member will share a Wonderland legend about the fire. Anyone who burns something in it and asks it a question will get an answer in the form of a glimpse of the future or a truth of the past.

Sofas, arm chairs, and bean bags are scattered around the fire places, with small tables covered with snacks and hot teas between them. Bookcases have also sprung up here, filled with fiction stories from all different worlds. Except, of course, for anything related to Alice in Wonderland.

BABY IT'S COLD IN HERE

11/24 - 11/ 30

In the final days of November, the novelty of the snow seems to wear thin. The uniforms of the hotel staff change, all of them now wearing coats, hats, and gloves even on duty. Whatever it was that kept Oysters' feet from freezing in the snow begins to fade. The air shifts from crisp and clean to cold and sterile, sinking deep into the bones of anyone who stays out in it too long.

Oysters will find some relief in their rooms, as the snow still doesn’t fall there, and the chill in the air is more bearable. It will drop lower at "night," and Oysters will find it harder to ward off the cold. Unless, of course, they happen to be one of those lucky enough to have someone to keep them warm at night.

Hotel staff won't admit to seeing a problem with this, when asked. Surely this is the perfect time to find that special someone, or discover the benefits of platonic cuddling! Why not try it in front of the fire, first, it does wonders to combat the cold in the hotel lobby!

Of course, their first recommendation is always going to be to enjoy a lovely cup of tea.

If you have any questions, please leave them over here! All characters who participate in the game of capture the flag will receive an item from home (which must follow the same rules as the AC reward) and a superpower tea of the player's choosing. This can be one of the character's own abilities, but it will not be permanent. Any character who chooses to burn something in the fire will be able to see a scene from their future or past. The future scene could be one from further in their canon, or could be a potential future either in canon or at the hotel (feel free to make this up!). The scene from their past can be any scene from their past. Anyone in the vicinity of the fire will be able to see either of these.

PREMISE RULES FAQ TAKEN RESERVES APPLICATION MOD CONTACT HIATUS & DROPS WORLD INFO NPCS CALENDAR AC REWARDS PLAYER CONTACT

© tessisamess

Comments

Wei Wuxian | MDZS

[scaredofdogs]

GAME ON
Wei Wuxian cracks his knuckles as he gets into a stance that says he is ready to run full speed ahead towards that fort he can see in the distance. This is a competition and Wei Wuxian is used to being the best...or close to it.

He finds it a little strange that the snow beneath his bare feet is not cold but that is of little concern. The fact that whatever magic there is in this place is making it so they don't have too many shoeless regrets is a good thing.

As soon as the signal is give, Wei Wuxian takes off full speed towards the other fort. No one better get in his way!

Setting the Mood
Fires crackling, warm tea in hand, comfy chair beneath his butt..Wei Wuxian is oddly content with this whole thing. He hasn't actually taken a drink of the tea, far smarter then that when it comes to those things. But he is using it as a kind of hand warmer. Hopefully he doesn't forget that it is nothing but that as he stares into the strange color changing fire.

He has heard the tales of the fire and how it shows the past or the future and to say he is tempted would be putting it mildly. But he also isn't sure he wants to see what the fire might show him..

Wildcard
[Feel free to just throw out any scenerio! He'll be out in the snow until it starts to actually feel cold.]

Setting the Mood

[jinlingers]

"Why aren't you drinking?" Jin Ling asks after sitting in relative quiet with Wei Wuxian (which is really weird actually). But he'd noticed the other just sort of holding the tea and not drinking it. It seems pretty pointless and he'd been sipping at his own here and there between snacks here and there.

He watches the fire more than he considers the books, although, he is vaguely curious. Maybe he'll pull out a few when he's alone.

[scaredofdogs]

"Because I know better then to fully trust the tea the hotel gives us." He has had some pretty rough experiences with them. Not all the teas are dangerous but more often then not they make things awkward.

He looks down at the one in his hand, wondering what kind of emotion it might try to stir up.

"You feeling any different after drinking them?"

[jinlingers]

Jin Ling hasn't had any bad experiences yet but he doesn't drink tea all that often as a rule either. He glances down at the one he's holding, his brow furrowing.

"Not...really?" he hasn't drank all that much really.

[scaredofdogs]

"Maybe we will get lucky and these ones will be normal." But that doesn't mean he isn't going to be cautious about it still.

"Some aren't so bad. They can make you happy or full of good feelings. But others can make you sad or angry. You never really know what you are going to end up with."

He stares at the strange fire, "I think these ones might be okay since I don't feel like the hotel has any ill intentions right now."

[jinlingers]

"I hope so..." Because he can't undrink the bit he has and he kind of wants to drink more because it actually was good.

"It's weird to talk about a place as if it's a person."

[scaredofdogs]

He laughs a little and considers that. It really is true but the hotel does seem to have its own personality at times.

"I suppose it is the staff that is actually giving us the teas and creating them. But I still think it is the hotel itself that creates the snow or the monsters..otherwise the staff wouldn't seem so confused by it sometimes."

So he should blame the staff for the weird drinks, but he can't help but lump all of them together with the hotel itself.

[jinlingers]

"How can the hotel do that?" Maybe there's someone behind it all it's easier to digest than the idea of the place having its own personality and some kind of consciousness almost.

[scaredofdogs]

"If a spirit can attach itself to an item or an artifact, then why couldn't it attach itself to a building? I've spoken to spirits here before. It's possible that someday we could speak to the spirit of the hotel if we ask the right questions."

It's just a guess and there are many guesses in play when it comes to the hotel and how everything works.

"Of course, most people believe it is the queen that controls everything that goes on. Which is probably the simpler answer."

I.

[inquiryguqin]

Nowdays, Lan Wangji was in a state of mourning and melancholy. It's only when the snow starts to show up outside and within the hotel, and before long, multiple snow forts have been built in the lobby. A change of scenery makes it slow for him to climb out of his moods.

It took him a while to get into it, but he wanted to participate. When he sees Wei Ying racing around to outsmart the enemy to capture the flag from those defending their snow fort. He decides to join in.

"What kind of game is this?" He asked his husband, seeing the snow forts being built.

[scaredofdogs]

"One goal, Lan Zhan. Get the flag!" He doesn't even slow down as he shouts the instructions at his husband. This is a welcome distraction for him, having spent so much of his time recently in the bedroom and not wanting to really be out and about.

He might not have been the one who died this time, but it hit him just as hard. And seeing Lan Wangji in such a depressed state makes him feel even worse because he doesn't know how to fix it.

So racing around and trying to avoid being tackled to the snow is a great way to get his mind off of everything.

[inquiryguqin]

For Lan Wangji, he's much slower to recover, and he tries to focus on the purpose of the game, which is to have fun as he did feel cooped up and he requires at least some form of semblance of exercise.

With a heavy sigh, he wanted his husband to have fun, so he is trying. "All right. As you say." And he does his best to participate. His movements are slower, but gradually he picked up the pace and catches up to his energetic husband.

He's worried about how the staff reacts when he returned. Some who recognized him doesn't seem they want to play with him, but there are others who did decided to pelt him with snowballs, which he stood still to allow himself to get hit...which he didn't bother to return the snowballs back in retaliation, afraid of getting into trouble if he attacks the staff by accident during the play.

Turning to his husband, "Which flag we should try to capture?" Well, it could be any flag, but he figures he'll try to capture the flag that Wei Ying wanted, or make an attempt as he infiltrate one of the forts to get it.

[scaredofdogs]

Wei Wuxian dives behind a snow fall as more snowballs heads his way. He stays hidden there while determining his next action.

"The blue flag! Need to get that and take it back to the red fort!" Of course Wei Wuxian chose to be on the red team.

When he hears the staff pausing in their attack, he figures they must have run out of snowballs and so he takes off like a shot. He heads straight for that blue fort, never pausing to make snowballs and only aiming for a blitz attack.

[inquiryguqin]

As Wei Ying makes his evasion of the snowballs heading their way, Lan Wangji did the same. "The blue flag...?" He turns to look.

He's quick on his feet. For some reason, the snow isn't cold but it does hinder movements. "All right, I'll capture it. For you." But Wei Ying's nimbleness and cleverness may have an advantage and he maybe the one to capture first.

In the meanwhile, the staff was having fun, throwing at their opponents the oysters. Lan Wangji makes a dive and tries to sneak in the back of the fort and avoiding the attacks.

[scaredofdogs]

"We can make it a contest between us as well. Whomever gets to the flag first wins and loser has to give the winner a gift!" He laughs as he hides behind a couch as more snowballs get tossed his way. He is so very close to the fort, but some of those snowballs are packed pretty hard and sting quite a bit when he gets hit with them. But he is determined..

He sprints away from the couch, aiming to get the flag in this run.

[inquiryguqin]

"A gift? Really?" While he's up for a challenge, wanting a gift badly from him, for Lan Wangji Wei Ying is a gift himself. To see him laughing and smiling. He had been lost in thoughts for days, and just to see him again is a precious gift.

Still, up for a game. "All right. I'll agree to your conditions." He does the same, waiting for the right moment. He'll happily lose to give Wei Ying a gift, but then, that wouldn't make the game exciting, so he plays along trying to capture the flag.

But in the end, he slows his steps, and he lets Wei Ying step ahead first to let him win and capture the flag.

[scaredofdogs]

He jumps up and snatches the flag, avoiding a few more snowballs and starts to run back towards his own fort with it.

"I got it first, Lan Zhan! You better be thinking about my prize!" He laughs as he sprints to the other side of the playing field with that flag proudly displayed. He might have a slight inclining that the man let him win, but that is hardly important.

setting the mood

[billowing]

Lan Wangji has noticed that Wei Ying appears to be cold, and not drinking out of his teacup - which is good, because the teacup is usually bad news.

He disappears only to come back several minutes later, blanket in his hands, draping it over Wei Ying.

[scaredofdogs]

He startles a little when someone appears with a blanket, having becoming completely distracted by the fire. He looks up in surprise and then that smile breaks out across his face as he shifts a little in the chair, beckoning for Lan Wangji to join him.

"Let's share the blanket, Lan Zhan."

[billowing]

He nods and then takes a seat by Wei Ying, spreading the blanket out over both of them. Lan Wangji is used to the cold - he likes it, even, prefers it to being overly-warm, so he doesn't mind this temperature.

But he knows that Wei Ying prefers something sunnier, more cozy.

[scaredofdogs]

Winter can be fun but swimming and sun is definitely his preferred time of year. He hooks his arm through Lan Wangji's as the man settles next to him.

"I knew the hotel was going to do something like this. But still doesn't make the transition any easier." He sets the cup of tea in his lap that is now covered in the blanket. He still hasn't been brave enough to take a sip.

[billowing]

Lan Wangji would caution him against it if he tried.

"No, it is sudden. But winters are like this in Gusu," he warns. Wei Ying had come during the spring and summer. Winter in the mountains was cold, but not treacherous.

[scaredofdogs]

"Ah the things I'll have to get used to." He looks forward to learning all about the seasons of Gusu whenever he does go back to enjoy them.

He lays his head against Lan Wangji's shoulder, "It will be worth it though...even if I have to endure cold winters."

[billowing]

It will indeed, be worth every moment, because he'll be with his beloved, and they'll have a whole life ahead of them to bundle up Wei Ying for the cold, find him someplace to swim in the summer.

He draws Wei Ying onto his shoulder, and keeps him there.

[scaredofdogs]

He sighs contently as he resumes staring into the fire. "Have you gotten to read any of the books in the bookcases, Lan Zhan?" With all the bookcases around the fire it almost feels like a cozier version of the library at Cloud Recesses. He wonders if he will get to curl up with Lan Wangji in the library there while he reads or if there is some rule against it now.