JINGLE ALL THE WAY | GAME EVENT | TEST DRIVE MEME ❅ 2

[nightmods]

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

---

The Yetis work year-round in Santa's Workshop but that doesn't mean they don't have to do some last minute cramming. The ramp up to Christmas Eve makes it clear that all the hustle and bustle of the season so far was nothing. Even up to the Christmas Eve, kids are writing Christmas lists, letters are coming in to the workshop, and the naughty and nice list is being magically updated.

(North, being the softie that he is, never leaves a child coal anymore, but sometimes there's a note from Santa in the vein of "please be nicer to your sister next year" that makes some kids sigh and realize yeeeah maybe they weren't entirely well-behaved.)

Phil the Yeti and Jack Frost are noticeably more and more exhausted in the lead up to Christmas Eve, what with Phil having to handle far more of the actual day to day production leadership without North and Jack having to handle a lot of decision-making he's only barely qualified for.

But. Being the Guardian of Fun means he's still more qualified than most at figuring out how to make fun happen.

"I know, I know, we've got no lead up here, but the last few mail calls have shown a huuuge increase in Bluey Toys, and -" he turns to look at a yeti at a nearby work table "- hey, Marv, I know you're in a rush but look at what you just grabbed."

Marv the yeti looks at his hand and sees that it's not a Dreamworks Trolls toy he was about to box and wrap - it is in fact a very cranky, wiggling troll.

"Oop," says Marv putting him down on the table.

"That is the third time! I'm done!" Branch kicks over a little container of paint brush water in annoyance and storms off, muttering, "Branch, go small and help us do paint touch ups, they said -"

"...Yeah, that's probably for the best. He's going to wind up wrapped up in a present in Zanzibar at this rate." Jack says, carrying on. "Speaking of which, we've got like an increase in requests for toys from the new movie, last minute because they showed it right before the holidays -" he grumbles "- thanks a lot, Dreamworks - so you'll need to get on the orders I just put in."

Phil throws his head back and sighs.

"I know, buddy, I know, but we're almost there."

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

a) HE'S MAKING A LIST
The yetis need more help than just toy-making (though there is a ton of that.) Presents need to be packaged and wrapped, pallets need to be guided with cranes to the loading areas where everything is tossed into Santa's magic sack. Those who are good at organizing and delegating are tapped for that duty. The reindeer need to be corralled and fed and watered.

The best way to make the work light is with many hands, and the best way for the owners of those many hands to work fast without boredom is by chit-chatting with the people you're working with.

Being assigned doesn't mean you're fit for the particular task however, but they're desperate for help - they'll take anything. Even if all you can manage is something sloppy.

And for those new to the Pole, it's quite a bit of chaos to walk into. You may find themselves handed a comm, nudged towards a table, and plunked down to do a task with some other Otherworlder Myths. No reason you can't keep busy while having everything explained to you, right?

b) WHEN, WHAT TO MY WONDERING EYES SHOULD APPEAR
Time to go! The sleigh converts to its roller-coaster like state so you can all pile in. It's time to travel over the whole world but you've got magic on your side. The sleigh, Santa's magic sack, and the good will Jack garnered last year by convincing children he was Santa's helper, mean there's plenty of magic to help time slow down and to fill you with boundless energy that makes the work seem to pass in a flash.

But Jack still isn't Santa. Time will slow, not stop, meaning he'll still need help to keep on schedule. That's where you come in.

The magic is strange, making it seem like the outside world is slowed to a crawl. But after magically whooshing inside through ventilation systems and fireplaces, inside each house is a bubble of living Christmas that seems to move at normal pace, despite the fact the clocks in each house have stopped. Sometimes children wait up and try to catch a peek of old St. Nick.

It means everyone is sent off in pairs or trios, so some of you can keep watch for the little ones and maybe handle milk-and-cookie-eating duty (you'll get sick of cookies before long but it at least seem like you never get full), while the others fills stockings (if present), and place presents under the tree or in other appropriate places, based on each culture. (You'll know instinctively what to do at each house.)

In some houses, Guardians may find that the children taking a peek are huge fans of you, and utterly delighted to see you, their presents ironically ones from your personal stories.

In households that don't celebrate Christmas there will be culturally and religiously appropriate gifts for the season, or gifts that are simply more general in nature, like the childrens' favorite candy, letting them get a nice surprise that is still respectful of their family's culture or beliefs.

New people may find themselves swept up in this strange time-frozen ritual, as you're spotted by others and brought into the sleigh, which keeps sprouting a new seat for every new myth. You may be asked if you want to help bring joy to the season, get handed some presents, and get ushered into some breaking and entering. (The clock is ticking, after all, albeit slowly, and the group needs all hands on deck).

As far as entrances go, yours could be a lot worse and far less magical than to be pulled onto a magic flying sleigh, getting an explanation of your circumstances, and asked to help bring gifts and joy across the world.

c) LET YOUR HEART BE LIGHT
The world is full of sadness at times and despite the happiness Santa's giant crew tries to bring, and the winter holidays are no exception to this rule. But there are things the Guardians can do to help, on their long path through the world, moments where a bubble of unfrozen time allows them to intercede and help those who need it. They can become visible to adults even more easily on this night and the magic of Santa's sack lets them find whatever might help most.

In many cases, it can be quite practical, like providing wads of thousands of dollars of cash to hand to the homeless, enough to start them on a path to getting off the street. Or providing a car part so one of the more tech-savvy individuals in the team can fix a family's only car up like new, in a repair that would otherwise be too expensive. Or maybe you can quietly visit a ward in a children's hospital when you're characters from something they love, or magical illusions from the sack make you appear to be.

In some instances, it is clear that Story is bleeding into the world a bit too much thanks to the current state of it. There are more than a few little match girls from other dimensions that need comforting and warming until they fade back into their world of origin, having actually survived the night. (It certainly wouldn't hurt to provide them with some thermals and shoes from the sack before they fade back, as well.)

And sometimes a man in threadbare old-timey clothing can be seen carrying his son on his shoulders - a son who holds a crutch in his hand. Sometimes the two of them are anthropomorphic frogs (don't question it). Just load them up with a massive goose for supper from the sack and send them happily on their way.

The sack gives just enough so that a real difference can be made, but not so much people are suspicious - they'll simply chalk it up to the kindness of mysterious strangers or a minor miracle. These little gifts and gestures are sometimes subtle but often enough to lift a great burden off an individual or family.

Those who are new to this world may find themselves roped into one of these moments of charity - or perhaps you try to help someone before you're even found, and those who have come to the Guardians' world before you can provide some concrete gifts you can hand over to those you're trying to aid.

d) THERE GOES MR. HUMBUG, THERE GOES MR. GRIM
This isn't a usual function of Nicholas St. North but there are quite a few spirits in the world that also do good on Christmas - and some of them have been captured by Kuk too.

So if any of the gang wants to pretend to be spirits and try to terrorize a billionaire or two into being more generous, they're welcome to, and the magic sack will provide them a dossier of personal details to use, as well as an illusion of perhaps some dead colleagues of theirs to use in their schemes.

Like in other areas of the holiday, time will be frozen yet simultaneously be running in the homes of these skinflints.

Those who don't want to leave things to chance can always do things like, say, hack their bank accounts and redistribute their wealth to their exploited and underpaid workers. Jack's made it clear you get to choose the plays.

[ooc: Please use fictional billionaires to not make this weird but if their names are things like Melon Dusk or Biff Lezos, it's fine. Go be funny.]

e) GÄVLE GOATS CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE
The Gävlebocken getting destroyed is now something of a yearly tradition, a thing some people enjoy as a sort of primal sacrifice to the new year. in the town of Gävle, bookies even run pools on if, when, and how the goat might be destroyed. In fact, the goat has become so popular that other places throughout the Guardians' world have started to create their own straw sculptures in response, often in the shapes of animals or objects associated with Christmas.

Many of these are under heavy guard, making it hard for humans to burn down.

That is where Nicholas St. North, champion of the people, comes in. In his travels as Santa, if humans hadn't set these sculptures on fire, North used to make sure the masses were appeased. (Only when it was safe to, of course.)

But North is gone, captured by Kuk, and you have to take over his place.

The goat and these other sculptures often come under the protection of various myths and spirits now, relishing the challenge of preventing the legendary North from accomplishing these destructive feats. Not out of any sort of personal grudge, but simply for the accomplishment of it all. It's a bit like a hockey player idolizing Wayne Gretsky and jostling for a chance to try to block his slap shot. These spirits sometimes come from all around to a particular sculpture just for a chance at the bragging rights. North being gone hasn't changed things, either, as they see Jack as his worthy replacement.

But Jack's awfully busy, so he's tasked you with jostling past the various spirits and myths and burning one of the sculptures.

Of course, newer people might not be sure what's going on here, as Guardians seem to be in conflict with other spirits, and some of them seem to be trying to set something on fire??

f) I'M MISTER HUNDRED AND ONE
Despite the fact Santa has substitutes, the absence of Nicholas St. North means all kind of beings moving in on his holiday or simply acting up a bit more than they usually would. For instance, Krampus seems to have split into many furry duplicate selves and is straight up trying to kidnap children who are on the naughty list tonight. Mari Lwyd, normally more of a wassailing custom, has incorporated as a spirit, and is getting drunk at people's houses and alarming them by staying around and singing (in Welsh of course) rather than leaving, and maybe needs to be nudged along. As is to be expected, hustling a drunk spirit out of people's houses is as annoying as it sounds.

That's also not to speak of the various beings being temporarily drawn into the world. For instance, a certain furry green someone, his heart two sizes too small, will have a wonderful, awful idea, and steal Christmas from one and from all. The Grinch will be a problem that can't be ignored, and everything he stole must of course be restored.

Another town will be beset by two angry brothers, Heat Miser and Snow Miser, taking advantage of the fact Santa is out of the picture, making the weather alternate from too hot and too cold, something the mystified town can only chalk up to climate change. Someone needs to intercede to get them to simmer down.

g) MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
When it's all over, when presents are given, and imposters are dealt with, when people are helped, and billionaires are spooked, it all comes to one final thing:

Everyone in the Pole collectively collapsing.

When the group gets back, you'll see the yetis have all thrown themselves down and starting napping on the toy factory floor, though a few are awake and conversing and happily high fiving each other over a job well done. Jack Frost simply flops down on his face near Phil, his little belled Santa hat dingling for one last time. He gives Phil a high five, too, and quickly falls asleep. The yetis that are the least exhausted, the ones who've been assigned to care for the others and therefore had less toymaking duty, still have a little zip to their step, and they use it to toss everyone pillows, blankets, and cushions.

Most people will find themselves too tired to even make it to their rooms. At best, they might have it in them to flop on the cushions on the toy factory floor. But it's a pleasant place, an almost slumber party-like atmosphere, where the yetis that do have energy left pass around cocoa and snacks. (Not cookies, though, they're smart enough to understand the group might be cookied out). So everyone can simmer down a little, chit-chat as they settle, and either fall asleep right there or try their best to drag themselves to their rooms.

If someone new comes in then, it's a very odd but cozy, scene, with some sleepily having their last slumber party conversations amidst piles of collapsed yetis. Elves run rampant around them all, still wrapped up in Christmas excitement, playing with the presents they just unwrapped (usually the ones they loved best while testing toys, as well as new jingle-jangles for their hats and new pointy boots.)

The holiday is over!

And to all a good night!

h) WILDCARD
Have a scenario idea that doesn't fit under the others? For a new character, do you want to set an intro a little before the wild toy-making lead up? Go crazy! Do whatever you want.

GAME INFO


Premise | Setting Info/FAQ | Reserves | Apps

OOC DETAILS
❅ Starters TDMs in game are also in-game plots, being treated as game canon unless a new player requests a thread not count. Therefore this plot is open to anyone to create starters, both new players and current players. Characters who are already in game can use the event like a normal plot (and also tag it with character tags).

If a new character isn't apped, it'll simply be treated like their temporary presence was holiday magic drawing more people in to help, after which they were sent away again.

❅ NPCing: The mods won't be npcing but players are free to npc any characters or random people they need for threads, from Krampus to the Grinch to imaginary billionaires to terrify. The single detail anyone needs to know about one of the npcs is that Krampus hates Santa and has a history he won't talk about. That's it. Otherwise, go ham with npcs.

❅ Jack Frost: Jack Frost will be handwaved as directing everyone to their tasks but leave how they pull them off up to them. A comment will be provided below, however, if people have questions as to how something will be handwaved with Jack or how he'd answer something.

❅ Environment: Feel free to manipulate the environment. They'll be traveling around the world. Want to burn the Gavle goat by loading a shopping cart with flammables and shoving it at it? Go crazy! The entire world is your oyster.

❅ Threading: I'd like to encourage people to experiment! Obviously ask other players if they're down first, but it could be fun to do something other than 2 person threads, like maybe 2 PCs tagging a new character and so on. Also, if you're a current player, please clearly mark OTA prompts so players of new characters know what's open.

❅ TDM Info: New players, in the subject of your starter please list NEW CHARACTER: Character Name | Character Canon. Since plots and tdms merge here, we'd like to make sure new characters are highlighted for people to look for.

Also, you can opt to keep threads as game canon when you app, or handwave them as not-canon and start fresh. If you decide to app in, please just let threadmates know what specific threads you want to keep as game canon.

❅ Invite Info: The game is invite-only, but there is an option to request an invite from the mods by noting it in the invite section of your app. In this case, it is required to give your plurk and player handle, but if you want to keep it private from public eyes, you can tell the mods in the mod contact. Players are also allowed to tdm characters even if they don't know anyone in game if they just would like a place to RP.

Comments

NPC QUESTIONS | JACK FROST

[nightmods]

Ask any questions about information your character might need from Jack here and I'll say how he'd answer.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

[nightmods]

Ask any general questions here!

NEW CHARACTER: Dr. Albert Wily | Mega Man Megamix

[alifeforgedinsteel]

A: A Scrooge, Strong-Armed

There's an old man working with the yetis in their toy-making, running about to help make tweaks and fixes, all the while trying to set up a number of patchwork machines to help automate some of the more tedious parts. A couple of different groups of robots are mingled in the chaos, doing the best they can to help out. (The Mettools, being small and armless, are having a harder time of it.) Wily's a grumpy grouse, but not overly much as he tightens some screws on a toy truck, idly rambling at anyone who stands still long enough near him. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind after turning down the big spooky guy. I expected a little more 'ragtag rebellion,' where my genius could truly be put to good use, not..." He pauses, making a circling gesture with the screwdriver, slightly disdainful at everything going on. "...playing substitute Santa."

Much as he's complaining, though, he's still going along with it. Begrudgingly.

NEW CHARACTER: Taylor Hebert | Worm (Content Warning: Bugs)

[arthropoda]

Content Warning: Bugs on third prompt.

A: Worker Ant

Of all things that could have happened, being drafted into what seems to be Christmas-saving preparations wasn't anywhere near the top of the list of Taylor's guesses. This fifteen year old gal takes a look around, a little taken aback by the hectic atmosphere, only to get prompted to go towards the table, where Taylor begins to pack gifts, trying to keep the rhythm up. Her handiwork when packing is sloppy, leaving a lot to be desired when it comes to aesthethic. She's calm, but the way her brow furrows shows she's a tad self-conscious about how it's turning out, she giving priority to speed than to making it look pretty.

Curious thing, though...she keeps shouting alerts about things happening elsewhere in the workshop.

"That pile of gifts is going to topple over! Box at the bottom, it's uneven!"
"Dropped toy train, under that table there!"
"That yeti over there ran out of gift wrapping!"
"One of those little cans of paint is leaking ten feet away from me, it's going to ruin some stuff in around ten seconds, someone please get it!"

Every single one of her alerts turn out to be surprisingly accurate, even though Taylor isn't looking up from her station, always keeping her eyes on the gifts she's wrapping.

C: Firefly

Getting into the Christmas spirit is easy enough for Taylor. She's kind of a generous person by nature, so she's pretty fine with giving things around. She was just done giving one of those shivering match girls a coat, after having bought all of her matches, stashing them away. She has been pretty into this all, and it's easy to find her with a small smile, looking wistfully at someone whose Christmas she just brightened.

"...feels good to make a difference, doesn't it?" she asks conversationally to anyone around her. Just seeing proof that she has improved things, even if it's for now, makes her glad to be here.

D: Wolf Spider (Again, Content Warning for Bugs, here)

Taylor Hebert doesn't like to be cruel or ruthless, but she's more than capable to do it, to an extent even herself is concerned for.

There she is, browsing a file for a particularly selfish and abusive billionaire living in the area. Anyone coming nearby and offering help will get Taylor to look away. "Don't worry, it's fine. I'll give this to someone else." After all, what can this rail-thin girl with glasses and not much of a threatening presence do?

It's really unnerving, though...not that long afterwards, someone who was going to spook this billionaire will find a very, very unnerving scene: bugs. Swarms have formed into a humanoid shape, cornering the billionaire. The buzzing of the swarms mimic human speech to a terrifying degree:

"Before the month ends you will undo those adjustments you made to your company." That's what one of the swarms say, approaching the terrified man. Another one, taking features that vaguely resemble one of the photos from the dossiers related to this billionaire, adds: "Public apology. Nothing can compensate what you did to me, but you must apologize in front of everyone."

Nothing can deny the effectiveness of this. The billionaire looks like he's going to go right now, in middle of the night, to do all the swarms are demanding. It's a tad excessive, admittedly...because this is no illusion, nor is a spirit trying to spook. This is a very real-looking threat, the kind that would happen from someone who isn't playing around. Someone is very experienced at inflicting terror on others, apparently.

[kemonookami]

B: Encountering Children

Needless to say, Garurumon helping in the workshop had been a little dicey since he's, you know, a quadrupedal creature. He had kept the reindeer under control, mostly through intimidation of them. Didn't go great at first because he overdid it and a couple fled, but it could have been worse.

Now that it's gift-delivering time, well, Garurumon encounters what he didn't want to encounter anytime soon: human children. Garurumon leaves wrapped gifts under the trees, supposing that nobody will mind the obvious teeth marks on them and all, when he turns around and sees a couple children looking at him. For a moment Garurumon stares back.

"What?"

The children come closer. The younger one extends a hand, intending to touch him.

"Hey, no touching! Come on, you can't go petting anyone you see in front of you!"

Garurumon backs against the wall. Although he's not tremendously happy, there's not a single aggressive move towards these kids. Even though he's this large beast, it's as if he's cornered by these two kids who are starstruck at seeing their favorite Digimon -- not that he'd know that's what Kemonogami are known as over here!

After a moment, Garurumon sinks a little.

"What am I supposed to do now...?"

He's at the mercy of kids trying to show appreciation at him!

E: Encountering a Goat

Okay, so, what they have to do now...is ensure the straw goat over there is burned?

"Is that part of the spirit of these celebrations? Burning things to ashes?" Garurumon laughs under his breath. "What's up with the human world...?" Honestly he finds it hilarious. Perhaps that's why he comes closer to one of the other myths in his group. "We're supposed to get this done. Come on, let's do it."

Garurumon seems pretty eager to do this!

G: Encountering Exhaustion

Upon the return to the workshop, Garurumon intended to go to the sleigh room, to rest there as usual, now near the very wary reindeer he had been terrorizing, uh, I mean corraling earlier. He's too tired to even get there, though. Garurumon steps forward, his four legs trembling, and collapses on the floor. He tries to drag himself a little more, not really wanting to be near the rest because he's as misanthropic as usual, but his body insists: he's to stay where he is. A yeti throwing a blanket on top of him seals his fate.

"Shit...so this is what happens every year...?" Garurumon's face is smushed against the floor. "There has to be an easier way to do this all..."

Most exhausting tradition ever.

crowley | good omens| all prompts ota unless marked otherwise

[demonicmiracle]

he's making a list

[Crowley isn't really the type for menial labor; there's a reason he avoided Hell as much as possible, since it really does involve a lot of boring, menial work. But he didn't have much choice in the matter, since a yeti sort of just sat him down in front of a stack of presents that need to be wrapped and he'd feel like a dick if he just wandered off.

Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, he's actually very good at neatly wrapping presents. It probably helps that he's using a miracle to tape each edge down, rather than bothering to do it by hand.

If anyone wanders by or sits down to help, he'll give them a flat look.]

If you laugh, you'll end up wrapped and in Santa's bloody sack along with all of these damned things.

[Normal threats to make.]

when, what to my wondering eyes did appear

[In the spirit of the season, or more accurately, in the spirit of committing to the bit, Crowley has swapped the color palette of his suit, from black with red accents, to red with black accents, so that he looks a tiny bit Santa-esque as he sneaks into various houses to drop off presents.

It's sort of fun, a little bit of mischief in breaking and entering, a little bit of a challenge in trying to stay undetected, and he just has to pretend that he isn't doing something Nice and Kind and Good. It's a very Jack Skellington vibe and despite having actually met the Pumpkin King himself, Crowley does not recognize the irony.

Maybe the delivery goes smoothly, maybe they get caught by some kids, maybe there's an argument over who has to eat the cookies, or maybe you're a new myth who's going to get the world's worst introduction spiel to the situation at hand.]

let your heart be light

[If there's anything worse than being caught wrapping presents and delivering presents, it's doing straight up charity work. It's not like he hasn't done this sort of thing before, he's done assignments for Aziraphale after all, and those frequently involved blessings and charity and spreading kindness in the world. But there was a level of distance, when he was just doing an angel's job.

But there's a fucking little match girl, and Crowley remembers that story, and he remembers Wee Morag who died too bloody young just because she was born into the wrong family, the wrong area, the wrong life. He groans, and taps the person beside him to catch their attention.]

Bring the sleigh down. If we don't help she'll freeze to death in the next hour.

[Even as he talks, it doesn't take much effort to shift appearances, pulling on the familiar Nanny Ashtoreth look, in the hope that an older woman will be more comforting than a strange man. It doesn't occur to him that his might be a little startling to the other myth, he's already thinking about the best way to approach this situation to make sure the girl survives this night and hopefully plenty more.

It doesn't matter that she's from a story. All stories have some truth in them, and he knows from experience just how much truth this one holds.]

there goes mr. asshole, there goes mr. bitch - closed to Jaskier

[This particular task is perfectly suited to Crowley. He's had plenty of practice manipulating people, especially the rich and powerful, and the only difference now is that he's going to convince them to do something good rather than something selfish and shitty.

The thing is, though, after the sharp reminder of how fucking cruel humans can be, hoarding wealth while others starve or freeze to death in the streets, he doesn't feel like being especially subtle in his manipulation.

It helps that he's got Jaskier for company this time; the man knows how to perform, and Crowley isn't too worried about scaring the shit out of him while he does what he wants to do. It's clear on the sleigh ride over that he's deep in thought, pouring over the document they were given and stewing on this whole shitty situation. It isn't until they touch down on the rooftop that he turns his attention to Jaskier.]

You've seen plenty of monsters when out with your Witcher, right?

[He needs to figure out what Jaskier's tolerance is, because it'll change how horrifying he chooses to look.]

merry christmas to all

[Demons don't really get tired just from basic activity, but Crowley isn't as tapped into Hell's power as he used to be, and he's been burning miracles left and right throughout the night, for his own convenience and to help with the whole… Christmas situation, so he's knackered, to put it bluntly.

When they return to the Pole, he drops onto one of the benches, shoving unused wrapping paper aside, and summons himself a glass of whiskey.

This is the chill and cozy prompt. He's just vibing, he'll talk to anyone who approaches if he hasn't already fallen asleep. It's kind of hard to tell with the sunglasses.]

[mr_waynes_assistant]

arrival

One minute Dana was in her room, alternating between homework and writing up a summary of Wayne-Powers's latest meeting, the next she's in a warehouse. A very loud warehouse in every sense of the word. The chaos is overwhelming and she covers her ears to try to filter out at least a little bit of the noise as she looks around. The goods... look expensive, and the staff... are just bizarre.

She's been through something a bit like this before, when a bad guy tried hypnotizing her so she'd rob her boss for him. It wasn't exactly like this, but close enough that she thinks she has the situation worked out. Closing her eyes as well, she shouts, "Not falling for it this time, illusion guy!" Eyes still closed, she fumbles for her phone. "Call the commish," she tells it.

getting to work

Once the arrival shock has worn off and Dana's realized this is real, she jumps to help. She's not sure what's going on, besides that they have to fill in for Santa for some reason, but if there's one thing she's gotten good at, it's getting things where they need to be. Anyone who finds themselves lacking a needed tool will soon have it supplied by her, and she whisks completed toys away in short order.

When the apparent leader asks for volunteers to play Christmas Carol ghosts to billionaires, she takes a break. She has two names in mind and wants to look them up.

She was not expecting the result from the first one. "BRUCE WAYNE IS WHO?!" The shout can probably be heard even over the general din. Or you might stumble over the teen girl who has just sat down heavily on the floor in the middle of everything.

outside

Dana's on a street corner, handing out bundles of money to late-night retail workers and the like as they pass. "Compliments of the Wayne Foundation," she says with a smile, getting more than a few smirks in response.

On the opposite side of the street, a woman holding a child's hand meets up with a man accompanying a teenage boy. It's a totally ordinary innocuous event, but Dana's transfixed, staring at them, eyes tearing up.

NEW CHARACTER: Webber 🕸 Don't Starve Together

[spiderfriend]

🕸 Helping with the Reindeer 🕸

Amongst everyone scrambling to help out, there's a fuzzy little spider-child in the mix - and like most people recruited to help out in some way, he's been tasked to help with the reindeer. His prior attempts to help organize or carry stuff had been moderately successful, sure, but with the reindeer he seemed properly in his element!

"Hello, mister reindeer! Your harness is really pretty!! Is it itchy? We know what it's like when hair gets all itchy under clothes! The beefalo always liked this too!" The child chattered away, eagerly brushing out the coat of the deer and giving it a few extra spoiling scritches.

🕸 A Light in the Darkest Night 🕸

While there was a lot of excitement and joviality in gift giving, the weight of helping those in more dire need can weigh heavily on the heart... but Webber seems to not struggle, excitedly running to people in need with the sack. Sometimes they're mortified of his monstrous visage, but he still smiles and pulls out warm blankets, filling meals, anything that person truly needs and passes it to them.

"Think of us as the Winter's Feast Spider! Here, here, take some extra for anyone else you know - it's more fun feasting with other people, we know from experience!"

After the recipient reluctantly accepts the gifts, Webber bounds back to any partner brought along for this more somber task. "Alright!! We're ready for the next one. Are you ready too?"

🕸 An End to a Christmas Night 🕸

The cozy, relaxed atmosphere at the end of the night is a treat in and of itself. Webber doesn't remember the last time he felt truly safe to unwind, so he almost is a little too wired even through being exhausted to actually sleep.

He's sat himself off to the side where people aren't sleeping, and whisper-talking (maybe a little too loudly) excitedly either to himself or to whoever will sit with him and enjoy the hot cocoa offered in reward for a big day of work.

🕸 Wildcard! 🕸

[[OOC: Honestly, any event and task in the log is one that Webber will take to with excitement - feel free to write him into any scene with your character, and he'll be a bundle of spidery creepiness and child-like joy at your side!]]

Miguel • Spiderverse

[ninjavampire]

A Spidey Christmas: The International Tour

‘Twas the night before Christmas, in a park needing joy, there was an unusual visitor tired from helping make toys.

On his head was a red hat with a rim of white, in his hand a wooden Jingle Bell he would be playing tonight. (One way or another.)

“Can’t they get Peter for this? Doing something humiliating is more his style.” He grumbles, sounding pissed.

Miguel was his name, and he could be a bit of a grouch. Luckily, he had a partner to keep him from slipping out. (They all had to chip in!)

This hour he was given a very important task: singing some yuletide music from just a few years past. Beneath his mask his face was glum, but it wasn’t so bad, he just had to perform the Spidey Christmas Album without looking sad.

So he finds his place on the wooden bandstand, he was hard to miss, a little girl was following along with phone ready for viral hits. (The social media hustle never ends!)

Giving a few tepid jingles, drawing eyes from the street, it’s clear he needs a push from his partner to really find the beat.

wildcard

[ I am down for w/e holiday jinglejangling comes to mind. Brackets/prose welcome, rhyming optional. ]

NEW CHARACTER: Zagreus | Hades

[upstyx]

1. He's Making A List (The New Guy)

As you're scrambling to help with the frantic preparations, a stranger is approaching to flag you down.

"Pardon me. I couldn't help noticing that things seem to be in a bit of a state," he says.

There are a lot of details about him that could hit first. It might be the eyes, one bright red one sharp green. It might be the laurel wreathe resting in his dark hair. It might be that he has a blanket draped across his shoulders, warm and be-Christmased and of the customary sort offered to people who have only just been ushered in out of the freezing cold for the first time.

It might also be that he's walking around the north pole bare-footed, leaving a trail of prints that appear to burn and smolder for a moment before vanishing harmlessly in his wake, but that's probably a second or third thing to notice at best.

He's still talking, though.

"Can I help you with whatever it is you're doing? If you don't mind the presumption."

2. When What To My Wondering Eyes Should Appear (An Offering?)

Zagreus is more than a little out of his depth on the surface. He keeps half expecting to feel that sudden stabbing in his chest that always comes when he ventures too far and too long out of the Underworld and begins to die again, but it keeps on not coming. Whatever has been done here, whatever he's been told about worlds with different rules and different beliefs, it seems to be working.

Other than that, though, helping out with this winter ritual is exciting. He's gladly accepted the strange red-and-white clothing he's been offered (it's wonderfully warm, and he is not used to snow) even though the boots have not worked out (melted and smelled really bad the whole time they were doing it).

Breaking into somewhere instead of out of it is certainly a change of pace. And so, so, so, easy.

The only thing that seems to have given Zagreus real pause is the plate of milk and cookies.

"Are you sure it's alright to take this?" he asks quietly as he looks it over, eyes landing particularly on the note with the name Santa at the bottom... "This is an offering, and it's not actually in my name. I don't want to step on any toes here."

NEW CHARACTER Ruffnut | HTTYD

[ruffplay]

((Canon point is end of the second film, with TV canon included.))

A "Helping" the yetis

"Oh, I get it! This is basically Snoggletog, right?" The lanky teenager turns a delicately painted music box over in her hands, before shaking it violently and holding it up to her ear to listen for the rattling. The poor yeti behind her makes a shocked yelp and reaches out as if to claim it back, but she deftly steps away, while still clawing at her prize. "But why're we dealing with the presents and not Odin? I mean, I know it's not reallyOdin, he's doing all the God-stuff, that's why your parents--

"Mum isn't here, is she?" She finally looks up from the box, and but as she does so, she flicks the latch, and the lid pops up to reveal an equally beautifully made ballerina, spinning as a gentle tune starts to play. Ruffnut's frown deepens, again distracted, as she holds it up to peer at the spinning figure.

"What's that dress supposed to be?"

E Loki'ing the goat

"So, let me get this straight." The lanky teenager leans forward, looking at her quarry once more. "You and me, we've got to set fire to that goat." She rubs her hands, a wicked grin filling her face, as she thinks of all of the possibilities. "Too easy. You might as well stand back and watch an expert at work."

NEW CHARACTER: Ami Bites-Thumb | Werewolf: The Apocalypse

[dontleavehome]

a) HE'S MAKING A LIST

Ami is not a particularly crafty type of person. It's not that she has two left hands, but art and crafts have never interested her and were also never something she needed (if her kids needed help crafting, there were always enough other adults around who could do it with them. Adults with more time on their hands usually, too). So being shoved at a table with fiddly little mechanical bits to assemble seems like... a Choice. But inquiries bring the result that no, she's really meant to do this task, and well. It's not like she's got anything else to do (which is a weird, weird feeling. She hasn't been in this position for a while). Might as well roll with it and try to figure out the lay of the land some more while she's at it. Observe, learn, and... try to follow the instructions for how to assemble this.

Uh.

She doesn't even know how to read those. Back home she would ask Serenity, but her packmate isn't here, so... Why not start networking? She looks up and asks the closest person: "Hey. Can you make sense of these instructions?" And pushes them over towards them.


b) WHEN, WHAT TO MY WONDERING EYES SHOULD APPEAR

...yeah, this is jarring. Not the sleigh ride or the whole cookies and milk thing. It's strange, but after all else that she's seen it's honestly almost expected. No, the jarring part is stuffing toys into stockings and realising that there's little action figures of war-form werewolves among those toys.

She has to double-take before she can believe it, and then she wastes a moment longer, long enough for her partner in Santa-replacment to notice her pause, to stare at it, before she finally stuffs the toy into the stocking.

Way to drive the whole "your history is a published story here" home to someone who is used to keeping the very existence of her kind secret from the world. ...Jarring is an understatement, really.


f) I'M MISTER HUNDRED AND ONE

Oh for - Ami narrows her eyes at the Krampus and its very filled looking bag.

She could just go in for an attack, but the way the creature has the bag shouldered means that it can in a heartbeat swing around and get in the way of any attack.

And if she's right and there is a child (or more) inside, that would just not do. So she turns to the person next to her and very quietly states: "We need a distraction. Could you do that, while I sneak around to get the bag away from it to get the kids inside out of harm's way? Or we can do it the other way around. Your choice."

new character: Hisako Godsup | Tortall OC

[steelfeathered]

g-ish

Well here's a big, ungainly tree-topper: a kind of harpy with gleaming metal feathers and steel-clawed feet. The feathers are sharp; just by perching on this tree she's rendered it the worse for wear, bending the tip under her not inconsiderable weight, sending severed needles, branchlets, and the odd ornament tumbling to the ground.

Not that anyone here knows how Stormwings usually look and smell, but she's cleaner than most of them and doesn't smell as strongly. This is not to say she doesn't smell, a clammy metal-and-skin odor like you get when, well, when skin oils and sweat mingle with steel. Her long black hair is falling out of a messy bun, which invites the question of how it got put up in the first place, since she's not the kind of harpy with hands. If she has any modesty, it's questionably preserved by necklaces that drape across her otherwise bare chest.

"Looks like it was quite a party, pigeon," she calls down, and smiles lazily. Her teeth have the gleam of steel.

aziraphale | good omens | we OTA out here

[oldbookshop]

.

A.

[ Now this... this Aziraphale can put the full weight of his enthusiasm into. Dare he say, just what the doctor ordered. A little bit of worker bee energy channeling for ~Christmas~, as a treat. Love that.

He can be found on toy-making and wrapping duty on and off. This isn't a very frequent post for Aziraphale, because frankly he... well, he doesn't make very much progress when he's at it. He wants to do things properly, you know, no miracles, the way he often gets it into his head to do certain tasks, which comes with a high time cost.

To say nothing for sometimes being at a total loss on the toy-making, depending on how modern it is. Basic assembly and painting? No issue. Bookbinding for the lil bookworm nerds out there? Say no more. Anything with too many moving parts or too technological, well, he's simply not doing that. He's leaving it towards the center of the table and looking moderately anxious about it even being there.

Most often, he settles into forklift duty (occasional crane duty) to help move pallets along. Look. Why have so many licenses if not to use them when they're handy?

Local angel successfully wheeling around, cardigan and tartan bow tie (which he's very boldly opted to change up a tad specifically for holiday spirit purposes) and all, very content to be part of the process. Although other nearby Guardians may find themselves wearing safety equipment they weren't just a moment ago.

Safety standards, you know. ]

Ah! Are these ready to be moved? I'd hate to take them too early.



B.

[ Here it is gang, requisite deliveries prompt! Aziraphale is... mostly pretty focused and efficient when it comes to this part. He can be a bit absentminded and can lose track of time getting carried away with ~flourishes~ or ~Christmas miracles~ to leave behind, so occasional herding may be required.

But consider: he's also thrilled to be here doing something very nice and good after the Halloween mission got a bit, well, extremely sad. Enthusiasm has to count for something.

Plus he's basically been training for milk and cookies duty for thousands of years. He is a true soldier of Santa-adjacent-crumb-leaving evidence. Do you know how many of these cookies were clearly made with love???? It's incredible. 10/10.

Please do not talk to him on the sleigh, he's busy holding on for dear life, probably to Crowley's arm or something, RIP. From passenger princess to passenger survivor... the struggle is real.

(And, strangely, if in a Christmas household with a bit of music on, should he hear any part of Away In A Manger, he will in fact snap his fingers and make the radio change over to something else. He can't abide it. He's not sulky maybe you're sulky.) ]


E.

[ This is perhaps the most outright nervous Aziraphale has looked the entire night. Which is saying something, considering every time he's in the sleigh, getting into the sleigh, or just exiting the sleigh, he tends to look like he's had about forty near-death experiences in transit.

It's just so. Well.

He feels as though there are moral components to consider in arson. But if it's the assignment... ]

We're, um. [ He fidgets with his hands a bit, stopping just long enough to make a quick little gesture towards the statue. ] We're quite certain this is a necessary tradition, are we?

[ Does it spark joy? In the children? Truly? ]


G.

[ Tired? After a night of helping and gifting and good deeds and free reign on minor life-changing miracles and eating cookies as part of a job description?

Skill issue. Aziraphale is posture-perfect, not a thread out of place. He's practically glowing. Like a slightly eldtritch capybara in a hot spring. The pillows within a certain radius? So fluffy. The blankets? Slightly warmer. The vibes? Immaculate. ]

Well! I think we've all done a lovely job of it, don't you?

NEW CHARACTER - Apollo | The Trials of Apollo (Percy Jackson/Riordanverse) | will match style

[divasmio]

G - Merry Christmas to All

[ Apollo doesn't really get Christmas, but that's never stopped him from partaking in merriment before. A winter festival is a winter festival, after all — A celebration of the sun returning after a stretch of long, cold nights. Mortals eat hearty food, huddle around a fire, and appreciate the time they have together.

That last part is a concept Apollo has come to understand quite well in the months leading up to his arrival here.

After the holiday hijinks, Apollo spends those hours chatting with the folks and yetis who had stayed behind to get a read on the situation and understand what this "guardian" thing was all about. There hadn't been much time to chat about it before this, seeing how busy everyone was. ]

You know, when your friend in the moon called me here, I hadn't been expecting to join another Pantheon.

[ Not that he minds. He'd like to try getting a chance at performing his duties outside of his father's sphere of influence. ]

Rowan | OTA

[rallieshearts]

A He's making a list

While Rowan's not bad with their hands, their real skill lies with software, and there's only so much set up they can do on new phones and the like before they start to go mad. So instead, they've assigned themself to elf wrangling duty. As cute as the little buggers are, the yetis look like they're about to explode if another one falls in the paint or causes a cuddly toy avalanche.

In a corner as far away from the main chaos as possible, they've set up a toddler elf craft table. Perched on a little chair, they're encouraging the little menaces to paint wrapping paper, glue noses on wooden reindeer and decorate biscuits, to varying degree of success. There's too many elves to wrangle them all, but at least they seem to have gathered a rotating hoard of them, and that's one hoard less to get underfoot.

“Okay, good job! Can you get another hand print there, in that corner? Yeah, just like that. Hey, careful of your hat in the icing. Don't lick it-- well, it ain't going to do you no harm, I guess.” It's not dissimilar to keeping a bunch of toddlers occupied, and Rowan has a surprising amount of patience for them, but it's still a task and a half for one person, which explains why they keep having to turn to anyone who passes and ask for a quick bit of help. “Hey, mate, you couldn't grab me another kitchen roll, could you? These fuckers are going through it like no one's business.”

C Let your heart be light

Rowan remembers just how hard it is to accept hand outs, so for once they don't mind being dressed up relatively smartly. The baggy, kitschy christmas jumper over the top keeps them from having to stay too neat, anyway. The sack has been hidden out of sight, but from it has been removed a hamper packed so full of treats that Rowan's leaving it to their partner to handle, while they carry just a clipboard.

Knocking on the door smartly, they step back and wait for it to be opened. “Mr. Andrews? Congratulations! We have the hamper from the prize draw for you here, we just need you to sign for delivery.” Of course, there was no prize draw, but there's enough food and treats in there to keep everyone full and happy over the holidays. There's going to be a lot of prize draw winners in this neighbourhood this evening.