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

I

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang has had about his fill of the game when he runs into Wei Wuxian and smiles some at the sight of his old friend. He sighs at the question.

"I don't know... the team that you are on?"

[sadflutenoises]

Wei Wuxian pelts a few snowballs toward any other approaching players and grins back at Nie Huaisang.

"Is that right? I suppose you can be my second-in-command," he nods, pointing at a small pile of snowballs he's stored up.

"The goal is to steal both flags, and hide them," he explains, as if that has been the true purpose of the game all along. He pulls one from his belt, where he'd tucked it away for safekeeping, just long enough to show the other, then it's gone again.

"I've got one so far, now we just have to infiltrate the other base."

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang smiles and it's usually better to be on Wei Wuxian's side even if it's the side of mischief and mayhem.

"Ah, that sounds easy enough," Huaisang says lightly and he picks up a snowball, turning it in his hand slowly.

"I suspect you have a plan for that as well."

[sadflutenoises]

A plan? Well, he did have one, but now that he has an extra body at his disposal, he can probably make it work a little bit more smoothly.

"Really easy, yeah," he agrees, "with my binding spell, I only need to get within maybe... twenty feet of the flag to snatch it."

Wei Wuxian points, a thin line just inside the team's territory.

"I set a trip wire, just there. All I need is someone to distract our enemies, lead them toward the wire, while I make the grab. You won't even be in much danger! If they come out to chase you, they'll fall flat on their faces."

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang is sure that the other could do this without him but it had always been fun to get in on his mischief and it has been...years since Huaisang had truly done something for the pure fun of it. His eyes survey the area indicated, seeing it easily enough as he listens to the rest of the plan.

"Oh I do think I can do that," Huaisang says, tapping his finger to his lip and he's pretty sure he can make enough spectacle to distract if not get them to chase him.

[sadflutenoises]

Wei Wuxian gives a friendly pat to Nie Huaisang's shoulder, glad they have a mutual understanding and penchant for getting up to the usual wild nonsense.

"I knew I could count on you Nie-xiong," he says with all the solemnity he can muster. It lasts all of a handful of seconds before he's grinning again, loading Huaisang's arms up with snowballs.

"You'll want these," he insists, grabbing just a few for himself and wishing he'd borrowed some of Lan Zhan's robes to help blend in with the snow. Ah well.

"Count to 100 and then go," he adds, and in a blink, he's gone.

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang smiles and sometimes around Wuxian it's easy to let the weight of the years fall off to be something of the youth he used to be when they had first met. He takes the snowballs, balancing them carefully in his arms.

"Okay!"

He'll wait and count and then he's on his way toward his goal.

[sadflutenoises]

There's plenty of ground to cover, but Wei Wuxian has always been speedy. He treads lightly over the snow, circling around to the other team's fort, slowing as he approaches. He can see the flag from here, but there's plenty of defensive staff on hand. He'd rather not waste his energy trying to dodge, restrain or slow them all. Instead, he crouches low in wait, and listens for Huaisang's shouts.

[eternalgrief]

Huaisang finishes counting and then begins his distraction, shouting and drawing the attention onto himself. He’s a little regretful of this plan now but it’s too late to turn back! So snowballs fly through the air as he makes sure to keep the defenders from getting into Wuxian’s way or even noticing him at all.