It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Oh it's the hap-happiest season of them alllllllL!!! That's right folks, it is Christmas, and this year that means you're spending Christmas on a strange new world! Well I want to hear all about how your characters spend Christmas on this new world. So starting now till January 1st each player is free to participate in this One-Shot event!

Prompt: It's Christmas on a New World! How does you character celebrate? Or if not celebrate then what are they doing to take their minds off the Holiday season?!

Requirements: These are one Shots, I everyone participating will post under this event their story to be graded, you have a 500 Word Minimum requirement, Otherwise have fun and be as serious or as silly as you want!

Rewards: When the time limit is reached this Event will be closed and your submissions graded, at the end of which Santa will Grade your event post as "NAUGHTY" or "NICE" and then he will leave you with the gift you deserve. You will also be getting experience points TBD.

(Any question feel free to ask the GM)

[Shiloh]

Shiloh smiled as she donned her outfit. The little red skirt was significantly shorter than she had expected it to be, and the dress clung to her thin frame in all the right ways, but she didn’t mind it too much. She completed the look with green and white striped socks, little red shoes with bells on the toes, and a great big old Santa hat. She looked great. She had even worked her little butt of in all of her free time to sew two extra large red and white bags.

The night before, she had split the gifts for all of the new Meta’s between herself and her new friend, and then stuffed them into the two bags. They were both heavy, hers almost too heavy for her to carry, but that was fine. She was looking forward to spreading Christmas cheer!

She took her phone and, out loud, began to play festive Christmas music. The walk from her apartment to the old complex where the Meta’s were housed was an awkward one, filled with strangers staring at her as if she was insane. She simply smiled and waved at them, calling out an excited “Merry Christmas!” Eventually, people were joining in her joy, and people were laughing and asking to stop and take pictures with the beautiful young elf. It took her twice as long to get to the apartments, but that was okay. Her spirits were lifted even further by the time she got there.

Rai had given her a list of how many Meta’s there were, and what their genders were. She hadn’t asked for names, but luckily, Adelaide had come through. She had just enough time to write their names on their cards, which were attached to their presents. Each card was handwritten in Shiloh’s beautiful flourish, and individualized as much as she could. They each had their own version of the same message.

“Santa wants to welcome you to this beautiful new world! He is sorry he couldn’t bring you these himself, but he sent a few of his favorites elves to spread the Christmas joy! Know that you are loved, know that you are welcome, and know that you are home.”

In her best signature, she signed “Sincerely, Santa Clause, and all of his Christmas elves” to every card. She didn’t bother to put her actual name on it. After all, she didn’t want to take any personal credit for it.

Shiloh went door to door, knocking and singing whatever Christmas carol was playing at the time, making a big show of going through Santa’s bag until she found the gift with their name in big, beautiful letters; then, she would hand it to them, wish them a “Meeeeeeerry Christmas!” and be on her way. She had even taken the extra step by making sure the few humans in the complex had their own gifts. Some were grateful, some were not, but at the end of the day, she did what she felt she needed to. She tried to bring a piece of this very human tradition to each of them.

Each gift was a box wrapped in beautiful, brightly colored paper, and topped with a bow. She wasn’t the best at wrapping, but it was something. Inside were little pay-as-you-go smartphones, complete with a set of instructions of how to use, a warm and fuzzy blanket for the cold nights, a pair of fuzzy socks (blue for the boys, pink for the girls), some chocolates and other sweets… and a singular Christmas ornament. Each ornament was completely unique, beautiful, shiny, and new. It seemed silly, but attached to the ornament was another note. Each of these notes said the same thing.

“Right near this place, your new home, is the last remnant of your old home… and it seems so lonely, so sad. So Santa has brought to you something new, something beautiful… A Christmas tree. It stands just outside of the Ark, where your two homes meet. It has been covered in lights, in ribbons and candy canes… and all it is missing is Christmas ornaments. This is such a silly little tradition, but every family comes together most years to decorate the tree and to hang their favorite ornaments. We hope you will join us. Bring your ornament, and we can all hang them together. Like a family.”

[WR Harthe]

The dreadful day that had been plaguing WR since the Ark incident was quickly approaching, in fact, there were only a few hours left. It was Christmas eve, and WR was sitting in the dark living room, staring at the wall as the clock's ticking filled in the silence. Stevie was out and they had not heard from Drake, Dj, Shiloh, or Adelaide, so that meant they were to spend the first holiday season on this new world alone and depressed. Part of them was angry that nobody thought to check on them, but they knew it was an irrational feeling. Those people had other commitments, friends, and family. It wasn't their fault. No one was to blame for WR's pain, nor was anyone responsible to tend to it.

It simply was what it was.

After hours of attempting to shake off the dark feelings that had been clawing at them for the past several months, they finally shot to their feet and turned on the lights. Their apartment was... depressing. It was somewhat messy, barren, not decorated for the holidays, and despite Stevie's recent move-in, it still emphasized a lonely, single soul fighting for contentment. But, as with their pain, it simply was what it was.

WR skulked around the apartment, piddling here and there as they sought for something to take their mind off of things. After all, this was probably the last time they were going to have control over their mental for awhile, seeing as how it took them literal days to gather the strength to get up again. As they searched for something to do, they had unknowingly entered the "forbidden room". It was a room that housed all of the things that reminded them of home, as well as the people that had shaped their life into what it was now. As soon as light filled the room, their eyes shot open, and they staggered back, staring at the jacket hung up on the wall. If their eyes weren't so tired of crying, they would have filled with tears again.

They clenched their fists and grit their teeth, slowly stepping back into the hall as they fought to tear their gaze away from the jacket. But then their legs locked, and they were pulled into the room. They would shut the door behind them and immediately fall to their knees, breathing in the stale air of bittersweet memories. They wanted so badly to just leap into bed and die, but in the back of their mind, they knew it was time. There was a reason they were drug back into this room, and no matter how much they dreaded it, they knew it was the only way they would heal. They had to finally say their goodbyes. They had to finally grieve their losses.

After they managed to break their gaze from the jacket, their mind was immediately flooded with overwhelming memories and emotion, and in that moment, the room seemed to fall dark, as if all of the light had gravitated toward one side of it. Instinctively, their eyes would follow, and they would rest on a dusty box covered up by other miscellaneous keepsakes. They quickly crawled over to it, knocking everything aside so they could pull the box out of its resting place and set it on the floor.

They would stare at the box, body shaking, as they remembered what was inside of it. Their arms trembled as they reached to open it, and as they popped the top off, they squeezed their eyes shut as if hiding from a nightmare. They took a deep breath before opening their eyes again, and the room fell completely somber as they gazed upon the contents. There were four items: a lapel pin, a voice recorder, a locket, and a photograph. There was an indention for one more item, but it had been taken out sometime prior.

They scooped the items into their hands and held them up close, a few loose tears staining the beloved keepsakes. First, they would say goodbye to Andre. The lapel pin would be plucked from among them, and the rest would bet gently set on the floor.

WR cupped the lapel pin in their hands as they lightly smiled. It was black and the letters "MS" were inscribed into it in bold red letters. It was a design made in collaboration with Andre for their high school band.

"I think about you every day man. Your energy sparked something in everyone around you, and I fucking envied that. When we started MS, you challenged me to top my energy at every recording and every show, and I gladly welcomed that challenge. You might not be here anymore, but I promise to bring that energy everyday with everything I do. For both of us. I don't know where you are now but I sure as hell know you're rocking it. Love you man."

They crushed the pin in their palm and dropped it back in the box. They were pained, but they felt a weight being lifted off of their shoulders as soon as they let go of the pin. Their smile faded as they turned their attention to the voice recorder. There was only one message on it, but it was one they used to playback religiously. When Folly died, they tucked it away and never listened to it again. They weren't sure if they could handle hearing her voice, but they knew they had to. They hesitantly gripped the recorder in their hands and closed their eyes as they hit the playback button.

"What's up homie? It's Folly. God, I feel so dumb for saying that... I just wanted to check on you and see how the surgery went. Well I guess I can ask you whenever I see you again since I'm giving this recorder to you, but whatever. Now you get to hear me being an idiot anytime you want, hehe. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood but it's just not the same without you. Come visit me sometime please Ro? ... um, anyway, I'll talk to you soon, and I love you, and yeah. Bye."

WR mouthed the words out with a smile, wiping the tears away as they formed. They almost choked up at the last part, and could barely bring themself to say anything.

"You were the biggest idiot and I loved you all the more for it," They finally said with quivering lips, "You taught me to always be myself, and I'll always be thankful for that. Now I guess I gotta be twice as me for the both of us, yeah?" They wiped their eyes again.

Now, it was time to say goodbye to Sylvye...

WR crushed the recorder and dropped it back in the box, taking a deep breath as they felt another weight being lifted. They swiped the heart shaped locket from off the floor and held it up high, smiling as it opened up and revealed the tiny picture of them and Sylvye when they were kids.

It took them several minutes to gather the strength to speak to her.

"Oh Syl, haven't been able to keep you off my mind recently. I fucking hate you for leaving me to face the world alone. Why'd you do it? That's what hurts the most, is I'll never fucking know why. You were the sweetest person to live but you were also the most selfish for taking yourself from me. But... I love you, from the bottom of my fucking heart I love you. I wish I could have told you that much sooner. And. I'm tired of being angry, I'm tired of being held back. So I gotta let you go sis. I can't do this anymore."

They couldn't bring themself to crush the locket, but they dropped it back into the box and kicked it against the wall. It was the only thing they could think to do to keep themself from crying. Finally, it was time to say goodbye to Vivienne. They knew this one would hurt the most.

They carefully plucked the photograph and held it up to the light. It was the last picture taken of Vivienne before she died.

"You brought out the best in me, and continue to everyday. You made me more human, more caring, than I ever would have been without you. I love you so fucking much girl, but... I gotta move on. It's what you'd want for me, yeah? I just... I feel like I made everything so much harder for you, and even if it was all in my head, thank you for putting up with me. Really. I know I'm a tough one to love, even more so now. Don't think anyone else could do it, heh..."

They smiled at the photograph, this time genuinely. "Forgive me for what I'm about to do."

And with that, they would clutch the picture between their fingers and ignite it. Within seconds, it would be engulfed in flames, shriveling to ash as the remains fell to the floor. They watched the embers disperse into the air before trembling onto their feet.

There was one more thing they had to do before they could start healing.

They turned their attention to the jacket hanging up on the wall. It was black and gray with draconic text all over the sleeves and a white dragon head on the back. It was given to them by Leon for their dragon training, and they always took pride in wearing it before he died. They didn't know where it originated, but it was designed to weigh down the wearer and make everyday tasks more difficult, which obviously amped up training...a lot.

They took another deep breath. They felt somewhat liberated having said their pieces to their loves ones, and they almost felt like they were ready to take on the next challenge. They would throw their beloved bomber to the floor and tear the jacket off its mount, staring it up and down as they held it under the light.

"Alright Leon, I'm ready for my next test."

[Gidget]

Christmas was always a rough time of the year for her. She was used to living in a different city, a different state even, than her family… whom she despised anyway. They never bothered to view her potential or see her as the genius she was. They always blamed her, insulting her, begging her to be different. They never took the time for her. It was so easy for her to just… break away from them.

But every year, right around the holidays, that feeling crept back in… that feeling of loneliness. She swore to herself and everybody that would listen that she didn’t miss her family, but somewhere deep inside, she did.

She was spending Christmas as she so often did, alone, in her apartment. She was sitting in her computer chair, clicking idly to refresh her work e-mail, her gaming profiles, everything she could… just waiting for somebody to come online that she could spend time with, to ignore the holiday season with… but everybody was busy. She sighed, finally giving up and logging onto her random Facebook account. It wasn’t associated with her in any way, and there were no pictures or friends added, and it was a safe way for her to browse social media. Gidget scrolled through a few different people’s profiles before finally getting the courage to go to her mother’s.

She immediately regretted the decision.

The last dozen or so posts were pictures of the entire family together, even her oldest brother Scott. They were all wearing matching pajamas and eating plenty of cookies and sweets together, doing dorky things and watching holiday movies. They seemed like they were all enjoying themselves, and it made her heart sick to see. She clenched one useless fist as tightly as she could, her eyes narrowing. No, they weren’t wet! Why would she be crying? She didn’t care! She nearly screamed in frustration and threw herself back, her computer chair rolling a few feet away from the desk. What did she care, anyway? They all hated her. Well, all of them except Scott, of course…

She pressed the palms of her hands hard into her eyes, trying to choke back a sob. It was Christmas, and she desperately wanted to be anywhere but there. She was shaking, her tiny body quivering. She hated them. All of them. This is why she didn’t want family, why she didn’t want friends. She didn’t need them. Nobody would understand her, nobody would care. They’d all just turn from her in the end.

Her phone began to ring from her desk, and without looking at it, she snatched it up and answered it. “What the fuck do you want?”

Listening to the voice on the other end, her quivering slowly stopped. The official tone was piercing, and somehow, it managed to calm all of her worries and fears. She lifted her head slowly to stare at the picture of her family that filled the screen.

“Yeah…. Yeah, I can do that. Yeah, sure. Yes, I know what paperwork I have to fucking sign. I don’t care… When will the car be here? Yeah. Yeah, I’ll be ready.”

She only had ten minutes to get herself ready, but ten minutes was too much time. She showered, scrubbing her head until it was almost raw, and dressed herself. She stared hard at the hoodie she always wore, meshing her teeth together. Scott had given it to her for Christmas one year, calling her his little imp. She wore it any time she left the apartment, to keep a piece of her only loving sibling with her at all times. She almost started shaking again… Almost.

Grabbing it, she held it tight in her fist, and then stormed downstairs, walking immediately to the black car that waited for her at the curb. She took just enough time to text Drake, then handed the phone to the man in the tux. “Nice Men in Black get-up,” she snapped at him. He cocked a brow but said nothing. He simply opened the door…

And without hesitating, Gidget got into the car.

[Lillian Sita]

Lillian opted to work on Christmas Eve, but Christmas Day, the entire vet clinic closed down. She hated the idea of not working, of not managing to accomplish much. She hadn’t put up a tree, hadn’t gotten any presents for anyone (except a small one for her brother), and she wasn’t willing to cook anything. She wasn’t a great cook, anyways. She was gearing up to spend another Christmas avoiding everything altogether when a local shelter called, right as she was closing the clinic. She answered, and they asked if any volunteers would be willing to come down the next day to help with an animal capture. There was a pregnant dog with her puppies, and for three days straight, the shelter and animal control had done everything they possibly could to try to get her and the puppies to safety… but there was no getting close to her.

Early Christmas morning, she dressed in her usual non-professional attire, and went down to the spot where the volunteer had told her the dog was located. She was a large Great Pyrenees, usually a very calm and loving breed, but starvation and homelessness had made her feral. She had a terrible case of Mother’s Mange and multiple bite marks and scars decorating her body. There were already three volunteers there, trying to coax her out of the little cage she had created for herself and her puppies with treats, but she simply continued to snarl.

Lillian rolled her eyes at these amateurs. She walked straight over to them, grabbing one by the shoulder. “Let me handle this,” she growled softly. They immediately attempted to argue with her, but she fought back, demanding they give her a shot. The dog only grew more and more agitated with their raised voices, until finally, Lillian said, “Everything you have tried hasn’t fucking worked. So back up, and let me give this a shot.” Finally grumbling their consent, the volunteers moved a few feet away.

She lowered herself down to her knees and showed her hands, speaking softly to the dog. To anyone listening, it would sound like a series of low noises, but no recognizable words.

“Hey there, Big Mama. How are you doing?”

The dog shook her head from side to side and bared her teeth, lowering herself over her puppies. “No!” she growled. “No, you shall not take them from me! They’re mine, and you can’t have them! They’re mine! You humans…”

”Shh, Big Mama. It’s okay. Nobody is going to take your puppies from you… but if you all stay out here in the cold, your puppies aren’t going to make it.”

The dog lowered herself slightly, whining. “I can keep them warm. I can do this for them. I can help them…”

Lillian smiled, careful to not let her teeth show between her lips. She lowered herself again, almost mimicking the dog’s protective posture. ”I won’t hurt you, Big Mama. I promise. I won’t hurt you, and I won’t hurt your puppies. But I need you to come with me, okay? Let me help you help your puppies.”

The dog whined again, but after a few more minutes of coaxing, she began to crawl out from her makeshift cage. She began to drag her puppies out, one at a time, and set them down at Lillian’s feet. Each time, she looked up to the girl, her amber eyes ablaze with uncertainty, and would softly name them. There were six in total, and only one of them was a girl. “Nina…” she whispered to Lillian. “Nina… and I want… Can you keep Nina safe? Keep her safe with you…” 

Lillian had handed every puppy to the other volunteers, assuming she was going to have to handle Big Mama herself. However, she paused, and looked down at Nina, the tiny little puppy, her eyes barely opened. Unlike all the other puppies, who were off-white with the same amber eyes as their mother.... this puppy was a different kind of white. She looked almost like a ghost, with no pigmentation at all, and her eyes were a striking, icy blue. She was whining, shivering slightly from the cold. Lillian scooped her up and turned back to the dog.

“They’re going to take my puppies. They’ll let me stay with them for now, but they’ll all go to homes, far away from me. I don’t know… I don’t know what homes they’ll go to. Maybe they’ll go to a home like me, where they’ll be mean. I can’t stop them. They don’t understand me… but this one…” She nosed little Nina, cuddled up in Lillian’s jacket. “This one is special… Can you take her? Keep her with you. Keep her out of the bad homes.”

Lillian smiled softly, stroking Big Mama’s head. ”All of your puppies are special…” she said quietly, but the dog sat, determined, and looked straight into the girl’s eyes once more.

“Take care of her. Promise me, not-human. Promise me you’ll keep her safe. Keep her with you.”

Feeling the strangeness in the dog’s tone, the low, rumbling growl in her chest…. Lillian finally nodded. She walked Big Mama over to the waiting volunteers, who all stared at her with shock and amazement. When she spoke again, she spoke in a voice that they’d understand. “You. Take all the puppies… and Big Mama here… Take them to your shelter. But this one? I’m keeping this one.”

With that, she turned and walked away. Now, she’d have to go to the damn pet store.

[Adelaide]

Adelaide would be in the rec-room of the large house that she and he dad were living in. Punching the punching bag and working up a sweat. She had a lot on her mind. After finding about the Meta's being from a mirror world, to finding out that there is apparently a male version of her out their roaming around, to kissing Shiloh, and meeting WR... so much had happened and she had had VERY little time to process it. So, here she was, fighting a giant dummy, hitting it over, and over, and over, and over again. Punching her feeling out, just like daddy taught her, she snidely thought to herself.

She was breathing hard as she had been going at hit non stop for awhile. There was one thing that was specifically on her mind that she refused to bring up. She wasn't going to think about it. Cause every time she did... No! Not going there.

"FUCK!"

Adelaide would scream as she proceeded to unleash a volley punches into the bag.

"I. WILL. NOT. GO. THERE!"

She yelled as she swung harder and harder and harder! He final hit was so powerful it busted the seam of the back ripping it up, it's contents spilling out onto the floor. She would grab the top of her head and scream!

"FUCK THIS!"

She stormed off the mat cursing. She began pacing and thinking... this was a bad idea as her mind began to betray her by returning to thoughts of her mother.

"Fuck!"

She would scream again turning to punch a wall only for her fist to slam into the palm of Rai.

"Whoa there kiddo."

She would pull her fist back and just glare at Rai.

"What do you want."

She would say coldly as she walked over to get some water. Rai followed behind her.

"I heard you yelling so I figured I'd come see if you were ok..."

She wouldn't say anything, not even looking at him.

"So... is everything ok? Since you completed your training you've only come in here when you were stressed or upset."

She continued to ignore Rai. He would reach out to touch her.

"Addie..."

Adelaide would slap his hand off her shoulder.

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

She would say angrily, but the tears in her eyes were telling. Rai let his hand drop... He sighed. It had been awhile since Adelaide had one of these episodes.

"I miss her too..."

Adelaide would freeze in place.

"I loved, Love, your mother and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss her terribly..."

Adelaide spun around slammed her fist into Rai's cheek. He didn't stop it or dodge he let his daughter hit him, he could take, and she needed to get the emotions out.

"YOU LET HER DIE!"

She screamed as the tears started pouring down her face.

"I did everything I could sweet heart, you know that..."

Adelaide punched Rai in the chest, though this time not hard, just full of emotion.

"You could've done more! YOU... YOU!!! Yo-"

And with that she broke and clung to Rai crying... He just held her tight, he too would cry a little as he brushed her hair like he had done when she was a little girl.

"Why couldn't she wait... if she had just- we would've found a way to help her!"

"I think, in her mind, she did what she had to for us. We would've spent our entire lives hunting down any means we could for her... I almost died searching for leads here and there and I think... I think she was afraid you would put yourself in danger for her, and she didn't want that kind of life for you."

She clung harder.

"It's not fair..."

She whimpered.

"I know sweetie... I know..."

They sat there together in relative silence clinging to each other, letting their pent up emotions out in their tears... as time passed Rai would pat Adelaide on the back.

"I've got something for you, I... I've been selfish and keeping to myself, but you're old enough now, I think you would like it."

Adelaide looked up at him curiously and he would motion for her to follow him. He lead her to the living room where he sat her on the couch and told her to wait as he disappeared into his room. After a moment or two he would come back hold a small sliver necklace with a Crow on it.

"This belonged to your mother, she said it was her mothers, and her mothers mother, and so on, and I think... that now it should go to you."

He would say as he put the necklace on Adelaide.

"It isn't much... but-"

"It's perfect."

She would say as she looked at the Necklace.

"Thank you Dad."

She would say. Rai would smile and give her a hug.

"So... I don't have much work to do to night and, since it's Christmas Eve, how would you like to spend the night watching all those old movies that your mother loved? You know the especially cringey ones we would make fun of her for loving?"

Adelaide would chuckle.

"I'd love that."

She would say with a smile, and with that the two would curl up on the couch watching old movies. They would laugh and joke making fun of them, and bonding over how much her mother loved them. All in all it was the best Christmas either of them had had in a long time. The two would fall asleep on the couch together like they had many many many years ago when Addie was still just a little girl, with her head in his lap and his hand resting protectively on her shoulder...

[Lorelai Khaalid]

Christmas for Lorelai’s family was far from a big deal. They all gathered the night before and were allowed to bring one gift for each member of the family. It made shopping easier, considering how many children showed up, and how many of those children brought children. She went, every year, and spent more time than not sitting on the couch while everybody ripped off the wrapping paper and cooed over whatever they had received. As per usual, she was given socks, underwear, a sweater… basically, a bunch of clothes. It was always obvious, year after year, that her family understood her less and less. She had grown to accept this with her usual silence.

Family dinner was the last event of the evening, and as per usual, the food was amazing. The conversation, however… was not.

“So, Lorelai,” her mother asked, finally turning her attention towards the pink haired girl. She paused, her fork raised from her plate, and cocked a brow at the woman. “When are we going to meet this… friend of yours?”

Friend? Lorelai couldn’t remember ever talking about a friend of any kind, especially not one that would cause that sort of tone. She set her fork back down on the plate and furrowed her brows, tilting her head slowly to one side. What ever could she mean, friend?

“We saw a picture of you, on the news. You were standing there, with your… friend. You two seemed quite close.”

Ah. She must have been talking about Haku. They often stood close together, nearly shoulder to shoulder, especially in front of the news. That explained everything… though she wasn’t entirely certain she would call him a friend. He was more of her boss, most of the time. She gave a shrug of her shoulders, and went back to her food. The conversation around the table fell quite for a moment, until one of her siblings picked up a different topic and everybody went with it. Nothing else was said to her.

She sat there, after, contemplating what her mother had asked. They had never expressed much of an interest in meeting Haku before that, or really having anything to do with him at all. They made their disapproval of her career path as obvious as they could without outright saying anything, even going as far as to explicitly tell her that swords of any kind were not allowed in their home. She wouldn’t argue – after all, it was their home – but she did not understand it. They seemed to expect so much of her, but they never quite voiced those expectations.

The dinner dragged on, and when dessert finally came, Lorelai stood up to excuse herself, as she often did. She had to get back to work, she had a mission to do, and people to protect. Her family gave their obligatory “No, please stay” comments, but let her go without much argument. It was obvious that they were glad to be rid of her. Giving her mom an awkward hug good-bye, she turned around and set out again.

The moment she left the house, it was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She closed the front door and leaned against it, sighing. She kept away from her family, mostly for her own personal sake, but also for their own. They lived fairly normal lives… Most of her siblings had children of their own, and those that didn’t were either engaged or married and sure to begin popping out kids any day now. She was the odd one out, as she had always been, but she loved her family dearly. She wished them all well.

And everywhere she looked, now… she saw only threats. The city was plagued with corruption, and the Qi users had only made that more obvious. She grabbed her katana from where she had hidden it when she arrived, and unsheathed the blade to stare into the metal, watching the way the light glinted off of it. She took a deep breath, and turned, catching sight of the same man she had seen upon her arrival.

Walking over to him slowly, she kept her sword ready in one hand, staring at him. She couldn’t tell if he was homeless and just looking for scraps of food… or if there was something more sinister about him. He refused to scurry off as she approached, holding his ground and staring at her with bright, mismatched eyes. As she came closer, she realized he was little more than a boy, a teenager… and yet, that gleam in his gaze screamed “danger.” She kept her distance, standing where she was.

“Isn’t family nice, on Christmas eve?” he asked with a sneer. She refused to rise to the bait, and he only clapped his hands a couple of times before turning around to leave. She watched him go, and gripped her sword tighter. Something in her screamed to cut him down before he could leave, but attacking a retreating opponent went against everything she stood for. Instead, she took a deep breath, and looked around.

It was as if she could see eyes everywhere, peering at her from the shadows… watching her. She knew they were in her head but it brought her no comfort. There were monsters, real monsters, out there… and they knew where her family lived. She had no idea how to keep them safe, other than staying away. Glancing back over her shoulder, she took a deep breath. She had known this day was coming… and luckily, it was so much easier, knowing how little they understood her. Disappearing wouldn’t bring them pain. They would expect it of her, she was certain.

Taking a deep breath, Lorelai turned back to the city, the twinkling lights. Out here, in the outskirts, it was so easy to see why people thought this place was beautiful… It really was, in some ways. And there, on the other side of the twinkling lights, was the TSI Bunker… the home she had made for herself. She refused to look over her shoulder as she began to walk, making her way back home.

It wasn’t until she got to the bunker that she realized… she had forgotten the gifts her family gave her. The last ones she would ever be able to accept from them.

[Kaia Galanos]

Christmas time. In her old life, that would have meant they were going to the Rhamos family’s house. It was their year to host. She would have had to spend hours over there in the presence of her hated rival. She would have had to try and behave…and chances are, the two of them would have started fighting as usual.

She would have received thoughtful gifts from her parents. She would have been surrounded by familiarity. Comfort. Her home.

This Christmas was a joke. The only reason she wasn’t on the streets was due to the good grace of those who had so willingly accepted them. Those who likely pitied them. Poor children whisked away from their world and into an unknown one where they were what? Some sort of prophesized saviour? Give her a break. All she’d accomplished in her time here was a slow decent into hopelessness.

She hated it here. She didn’t know these people, these lands, and worst of all, she wasn’t even allowed to leave. Her dreams and aspirations couldn’t exist here. So what was she? Who was she? What did she have left? What was the point in existing here? She didn’t want to die, but, some days it felt like she may as well.
Kaia strolled through the town, making absolutely no eye-contact with the other civilians. There was nothing she wanted to see from their faces. Hope, Hate, Disdain? Keep it. She knew she was just existing here, currently. She knew she was just taking up resources and offering nothing in return. She didn’t care about anyone else. In some ways, maybe she enjoyed the petty slights. Yes. That’s right. I’m eating your food. Food that could go to a member of society that was actually contributing. Fuck you.

As she approached a bridge over a sizeable pond, Kaia would lean against the railing and stare down at the birds. Little goslings following their mother. A cute little family unit, together and carefree. It was nice…it made her wonder how her own parents were doing. She had refused to see them for a while now, embarrassed that they may see the mess she’d become. The only person she spent any time with was Cain, and that was a desperate attempt to cling to familiarity. Their arguing didn’t even feel real anymore. Most of the time, they just shared in each other’s feelings of being lost and quite frankly…depressed.
“Are Christmas wishes still a thing?” Kaia would murmur to herself, rudely tossing a rock at the birds and watching the geese panic and scatter.

“Not that I deserve one. But if there is a horrible fat man out there, I want to go back home. Send me back there.”

A waste of a wish, honestly, but very much the only thing she wanted. Could they maybe rewind time? She just wanted her life back. She just wanted a purpose, and this new world didn’t have the means to give her one. Everything here would be a waste of her talents. She was born for Godhood!

“If you can’t send me back there, show me how people become Gods here.” She’d say, before turning around and starting back for her…house.

“Otherwise I might have to make it happen myself…”

[Cain Rhamos]

“This is fucking awful.”

Cain complains for the fifth time that evening. To say he has been miserable ever since taking the ark to the new world would be an understatement, and he had barely even left his household since the change. He had no desire to go out and explore this new world, see its people, experience their cultures. His own had been wiped out, and it was this thought that consumed him time and time again. For once, his mother had seemed to take pity on him, most likely due to his father’s influence, and had left him alone for the most part.

Until today.

The door to Cain’s room tears open, and Annabelle Rhamos storms into the room to grab her son by the arm, lifting him up from where he had been moping on the floor next to his bed.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

“GET OFF THE FLOOR, IT’S CHRISTMAS! YOU ARE GOING TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH YOUR FAMILY, DAMN IT!”

“I DON’T WANT TO!”

Yet, despite his protests, Cain is pulled by his wrist out the door into the hallway, then to the main room, where his father is currently decorating their tree.

“This is stupid! This isn’t even our house!”

Cain’s basically shoved into his seat on the couch, and his mother leans over in front of him, glaring into his eyes.

“Now you listen to me. I have waited, and waited, and waited for you to try and get yourself together for months, and you have done nothing but mope. I thought if I gave you time, you would sort yourself out and come back to us, but you keep isolating yourself more and more.”

“Yeah, but-“

Her hand shoots out to smack him over the head, cutting off his protests.
“DON’T INTERRUPT ME!”

Gritting his teeth, Cain tries not to cower.

“You are the strongest man from our village, now. You fulfilled your dream of becoming a God. It’s time you started acting like one! This world needs you, Cain, even if you don’t want to help. Otherwise, everyone we knew who died will have done so for nothing.”

Annabelle stands up with a huff.

“Now clean yourself up. We’re hosting Christmas this year, as you know, and the Galanos’ will be here in half an hour.”

She turns and walks away into the kitchen, dinner preparations still to be made, while Cain remains where he is, staring at the floor. Two large feet come into view, and he looks up to see his father Maximus smiling down at him.

“She’s worried about you. We all are.”

“I know.”

He grumbles in response, causing his father to chuckle.

“It’s fine to miss them. I miss everyone too. But to go on like how you are is to act as though you died with them. I’m sure they don’t want that for you. She has a point, Cain. Besides, you don’t want to look messy in front of your sweetheart, do you?”

He reaches down to ruffle his son’s hair, who scowls and gets up from his seat to start leaving.

“Where are you going?

“…I need to clean up.”

[Thorn Wyatt]

Even in a world of shadow and flame, there still managed to be colder months. It was this fact, among a few others, that had driven Thorn and the others to create a shelter. However, with the colder weather came a familiar memory from the kingdom of Gaia, one that Thorn knew very well.

Tribute Day.

Completely on reflex, he had walked outside with every possession he still had, and had been about to gather up what Pride and Joy had with them too, before he stopped himself. Gaia didn’t exist anymore. His father and mother had been inside the building that had disappeared, and had gone far out of reach from what Thorn knew.

“You’re alone.”

He says, heading outside.

“No. Stigma is here. So is Pride and Joy.”

He walks further, moving to sit down next to a tree and stare at the creek.

“But your family is gone. The people of Gaia no longer exist.”

Despite never seeming to show emotion, Thorn’s lips pull downwards into a frown. He had been taught to never particularly care about Gaia’s citizens, instead being told to focus on ensuring they follow the rules and putting down dissenters.

And yet… he missed them.

“I want them to exist.”

“It doesn’t work like that, Thorn.”

“I want them back.”

He lets out a long sigh, then looks up at the sky.

“It’s so confusing without them. Mother… father… Stigma helps, but she can’t spend all her time with me.”

“She doesn’t have anywhere else to go.”

He frowns again. The answers he was getting from Nobody weren’t helping like they usually did. It was as if the state of the world had draining on both of them. His protection was… gone.

Thorn really was alone.

“I miss them.”

His frown grows again, seemingly fighting between a sad pout and a disappointed frown.

“…I know. I miss them too. This isn’t a good place for you to be, Thorn. It’s dangerous, for you and Stigma. We should find a way to follow that building to wherever it went. Then we’ll be back where it’s safe, and given direction.”

Even as the words spill from his lips, he feels the hope drain away. There had been no sign of the building, no way to track where it went or how to follow it. Instead, they were stuck in this hellish landscape of fire and death.

The thought is depressing, and Thorn is already on the verge of just shutting down, resting against the tree until someone comes along to move him. Nobody isn’t ready to take over yet, however, and there is a very real desire to keep the both of them safe, thus it makes him continue to speak.

“…but as long as we’re here, I’ll protect you. Both of you.”

That seems to take Thorn by surprise, his eyes widening briefly before slowly closing in relief. This, at least, is something familiar. He has Stigma, Nobody, Pride and Joy.

He wasn’t entirely alone.

[Julius Kane]

Julius lifted his head, his black hair flipping forward from the momentum. With a quick but lazy movement, his hand fell onto the screaming alarm, returning the room to silence. "Mmm.." he half groaned, half sighed as he rubbed his eyes. Running his fingers through his hair, the Aedrian examined the unkept grey room around him. It was only his second day in the apartments, and he was still getting used to it. Though the bed wasn't his favorite, beggars can't be choosers. It was nice to at least have a bed.

Saving up for a new one was exactly why he got the job he was now getting ready for. It wasn't much to get ready, being a mechanic. A simple throwing on of anything that could get dirty worked well enough, such as what he wore today: a white t, black jeans, and a plaid green flannel for warmth on the trip there.

The cold air barged into the building as he opened the door; his flannel shook with the intrusive breeze. Isn't California suppose to be warmer? Julius thought to himself as he stepped outside.

The outside world was rather strange; not as many cars as usual, and fewer people walked the streets. Hm… was all that came to the Aedrian's mind. Beginning his walk, Julius fumbled his wireless earbuds out from his pocket. They sang their jingle to let him know they were connected. They then began playing the rock music he selected as he hung them onto his ears.

He hadn't listened to music in a while, with the craziness of life and moving in and new places and everything. Plus, he had listened to music his entire trip down; a break from music was needed and helpful.

A few songs later, he was coming up on the shop. Before the next song could play, however, an ad came up.

"Are you looking for the perfect gift this holiday season?!" it began, instantly inducing an eye roll from Julius. He couldn't stand it, but he also couldn't afford premium.

Returning his phone to his pocket, Julius looked up and saw the shop….empty. There wasn't a soul in sight, not one of the tools disturbed from its normal place. Today is Friday right? It wasn't the weekend yet..

"So just remember listeners!" the ad shouted in his ear. "No one does Christmas, like we do Christmas!"

Then it hit him. With a close of his eyes and an annoyed sigh, Julius reached in his pocket to check the date on his phone.

7:58am 

Fri, December 25 

It was Christmas morning. That explained why no one was here. He got up and walked all this way for nothing. He knew it was coming soon, but didn't realize soon was today.

Putting away his earbuds and phone, the young man looked around. Was there anything he needed to do while he was out? Not on Christmas; everything would be closed.

Now that he had gotten himself out here, he felt restless. His body had prepared itself to do work, so he needed to do… something.

Julius chuckled as an idea came to mind, placed there by a pile of old rebar sitting in an old construction site by the shop. It wasn't exactly his usual style, but it wasn't so deviant as to repulse him.

The smith got to work, dragging all the rebar he could into the shop. Once his pile was satisfactory, he pulled down the door.

The next two hours, anyone walking by would see flashes and hear cracks from sparks coming from the hidden project. All that was louder than the pops was the rock covers of Christmas music coming from speakers within the metal sheet walls. It was a little ridiculous, but it kept his inspiration flowing.

Then, the sparks stopped and the shop doors rumbled open, revealing a tall metal Christmas tree. It's branches were painted green and dressed with bent rebar pieces, painted to resemble candy canes. Of course, the tree was crowned with a metal star topper.

Wiping his dirty hands with a rag, Julius admired his product. He would call it art, and he was hoping the guys would think the same come morning. Before walking away, the Aedrian left an old license plate with an inscription hanging on the tree.

[Djoser Aneksi]

Christmas was a new Holiday for Dj. It was one that Shiloh brought into his life, and so he spent the first part of his day with her. Dressed up in a cute, form fitting christmas dress, he made sure he was early to help Shiloh carry one of the heavy bags to the event.

Every time Shiloh yelled something out or tried to add emphasis, Dj would make a huge sparkling illusion to the mix. Some grandiose display of Christmas colored sparkles in festive shapes or a bright aurora beaming from the tree. This was Shiloh's special event, and Dj wanted to make sure it was everything she could have wanted and then some.

He'd help hand out gifts, welcome people as they came in, and made sure he let everyone who tried to thank him that Shiloh was the one who planned it. This was special, and he wanted to make sure that it was going to be.

Though, when it was all said and done, and he stared at the tree, a wave of different feelings came over him. Seeing all the ornaments, all the beautiful lights and trinkets covering the tree, there was happiness.. This really was a magical holiday and it felt good to be a part of something. He would never deny that.

However, there was a feeling of separation from the grandiose display. The nuance, the awe filled expressions, the familiarity and nostalgia. He knew it was just his inner demons, but he felt distant from everyone else. There was something so new about all of it, he felt a little insecure about how he may be doing all of this wrong.

He would never let it show on his face though, and maintained himself as quiet and sociable the whole time. Though he could never fully shake the feeling that he was interrupting something special.

Afterwards, he would spend most of the rest of the day with Shiloh. Giving genuine smiles and laughs because he loved being in her presence. Then he would leave the rest of the day to her and Adelaide, loving both of them but being concerned about overstating his welcome as a newcomer in their lives.

When he got home and out of the dress and make-up, he had mixed feelings. Then he felt bad for being the only one being weird about it. So, he decided to work on something that would make him feel better.

3 special gifts. 3 things that would tie back in some small way to his world while also being for the people he cared for. So after saying some prayers and doing some small rituals, he would start working.

For Drake, he got an all black outfit made of silk, and spent hours sewing gorgeous details in a lustrous green egyptian cotton. It was Drake's style, but in familiar material to him.

For Shiloh a silk and egyptian cotton blanket. This took the most time to do and had so many beautiful symbols sewed in with care. On the other side, it had Shiloh's name engraved in stunning gold hieroglyphs. This was a special piece, and it was fitting because she gave a blanket to everyone else.

For WR, he decided to go a bit of a different direction and bought a pure black leather seat colors, and engraved some badass looking hieroglyphs into it.

He wasn't sure if any of them would like it. But they were heartfelt and he spent an enormous amount of time on them. He'd just have to see how they felt as he delivered them. Regardless, he finally felt peace about the holiday. He found his own way to be involved with it and was happy he did. Now he just needed to see how his friends felt about his gift. 

[Soni Vox]

Here comes Santa Clause,
Here comes Santa Clause
Right down Santa Clause lane!

The Christmas music sounded as Soni got dressed for her big day. The switch to the new world definitely wasn't what she wanted, but one thing she did love about this world is the explosion of Christmas music she was able to be introduced to. She always had a song here and there in her old P.T. when she was 13, but not near as many as there were in this new world.

Boots? Check. Pants? Check. Everything else? Check check check.. it looked like she was ready! With a quick sigh and a nod to herself in the mirror, Soni ran to the door.

"Whooooo's ready foo- WAIT" she interrupted herself, ripping her hand from the door handle. She nearly forgot the most important part. With a quick swipe, she snatched the beard that she laid on her bed and put it on.

"Whooooo's ready fooooorrrr-" the door swung open and Soni leaped out wearing a full santa costume, complete with a fat belly. "SONI CLAAAAUSE!"

The kids that filled the hallway cheered and leaped at the sight of their teacher in such a silly costume. Admittedly, some of the older ones were not as ecstatic, but they chuckled at the sight nonetheless.

"Soni look at my ornament!"

"Mines a pony!"

"Soni look at how shiny mine is!"

They all swarmed her with their ornaments from Shiloh, relentlessly excited to hang them up that night.

"Y-yes thats- I know Katy thats- Okay okay SONI SAYS LISTEN!"

She shouted, and the kids in sync shouted back, "WHAT ARE WE MISSIN?"

Sighing a breath of relief, she was glad to see that that worked. It was a new thing she had been working on over the past month, which the kids were still getting used to. They seemed by now to have it down though.

"I will tell all of you now I am SO excited to see all of your ornaments-

"Like mine Soni?" One of them interrupted.

"No mine first!" another whined.

A fuss began to arise. "No no no- hey HEY!"

Thankfully, the kids quieted down pretty quickly without need for the rhyming command. "Let's not fight right now, it's Christmas! I know we're all very thankful to MISS SHILOH, right? For gifting us those?"

The kids erupted in a mixed wave of responses, ranging from meek "I guess" mumbles and loud "YEA!" screams.

"Alright! Well tonight when we all hang them up I'm sure we can all say thank you to Miss Shiloh for her wonderful gifts!" Soni chuckled as the kids gave excited shouts. That was gonna be fun to watch.

"But uNTIL THEN!" she shouted above them. "Let's go down stairs to our Christmas tree! Grown by our other good friend Gene!"

The children all cheered as they followed Soni down the stairs and into the main room. Halfway down they broke into song, and with a laugh, Soni provided the music.

"You better watch out, you better not cry! You better not pout I'm telling you why!

Soni Clause is coming, to toooowwn!"

[Raikotsu Sudeki]

Everyone: +2 Exp

Shiloh - Nice, Snow Globe: This is a special item that they found Christmas Morning Laying behind their Christmas tree (Even if they hadn't set one up) this Item is a one time Consumable. Make a wish and either turn the crank and listen to the music or smash it, and it's said one's wish will come true!

WR - Nice, Snow Globe: This is a special item that they found Christmas Morning Laying behind their Christmas tree (Even if they hadn't set one up) this Item is a one time Consumable. Make a wish and either turn the crank and listen to the music or smash it, and it's said one's wish will come true!

Gidget - Naughty, Coal: This is a special Item that a person would find on there bed. They can speak their greatest regrets to it and either light it on fire, or crush it into dust! It's said to help you get over your regrets.

Lillian - Nice, Snow Globe: This is a special item that they found Christmas Morning Laying behind their Christmas tree (Even if they hadn't set one up) this Item is a one time Consumable. Make a wish and either turn the crank and listen to the music or smash it, and it's said one's wish will come true! (Lillian's Globe is broken and wish has been made already)

Argos (Message GM for Argos thread)

Adelaide - Nice, Snow Globe: This is a special item that they found Christmas Morning Laying behind their Christmas tree (Even if they hadn't set one up) this Item is a one time Consumable. Make a wish and either turn the crank and listen to the music or smash it, and it's said one's wish will come true!

Lorelai - Naughty, This is a special Item that a person would find on there bed. They can speak their greatest regrets to it and either light it on fire, or crush it into dust! It's said to help you get over your regrets.

Kaia - Naughty, This is a special Item that a person would find on there bed. They can speak their greatest regrets to it and either light it on fire, or crush it into dust! It's said to help you get over your regrets.

Cain - Nice, Snow Globe: This is a special item that they found Christmas Morning Laying behind their Christmas tree (Even if they hadn't set one up) this Item is a one time Consumable. Make a wish and either turn the crank and listen to the music or smash it, and it's said one's wish will come true!

Thorn - Nice, Snow Globe: This is a special item that they found Christmas Morning Laying behind their Christmas tree (Even if they hadn't set one up) this Item is a one time Consumable. Make a wish and either turn the crank and listen to the music or smash it, and it's said one's wish will come true!

Julius - Naughty, This is a special Item that a person would find on there bed. They can speak their greatest regrets to it and either light it on fire, or crush it into dust! It's said to help you get over your regrets.

Dj - Nice, Snow Globe: This is a special item that they found Christmas Morning Laying behind their Christmas tree (Even if they hadn't set one up) this Item is a one time Consumable. Make a wish and either turn the crank and listen to the music or smash it, and it's said one's wish will come true!

Soni - Nice, Snow Globe: This is a special item that they found Christmas Morning Laying behind their Christmas tree (Even if they hadn't set one up) this Item is a one time Consumable. Make a wish and either turn the crank and listen to the music or smash it, and it's said one's wish will come true!

To unlock these rewards message the GM of what you are doing with your item!