STATION LOG.04

[ximilian]

● ● ● S T A T I O N   4 . 0

ALL WORK, NO PLAY • REPRIEVE • THE CHOICES AHEAD • FYI

// INTRO. ALL WORK, NO PLAY  

Throughout the month of December, the Orbers will find that the door to the North Wing is sometimes left open — perhaps, at this point in their stay, the two permanent residents of the wing trust the other inhabitants of the station to tread with care.

Should anyone slip through the doorway, they will find that the large sphere, crackling sharply with magical energy front and centre and surrounded by open circulation, is still there, and so are the orbs it houses, many more now than a year ago at this time, swirling inside it. The voices are still there, too, whispering, sometimes louder, sometimes barely heard; sometimes threatening, sometimes offering everything you could imagine, if you just take a step closer — and one more, one more...

However, if you do, the barrier will not hesitate to throw you across the room, a safety measure both for you as much as it is for the orbs. That very barrier is what takes up most of Degar’s time, and he can be often seen striding into the barrier like it doesn’t exist, spending hours upon hours inside the barrier, fortifying it, making sure there isn’t even the smallest crack that could spread when the orbs are finally all together.

The rest of the North Wing remains as it has been: in the AI maintenance room, 0-L1V-14 still remains in Viveca’s old body, walled off from the systems of the station, but still online, with Viveca trying to spare a few moments each day to fix her coding, revert her back to the uncorrupted version she used to be.

The former team’s living quarters are still unchanged, too — or perhaps “carefully preserved” would be the better term, every single bed and item where it had been last left by their owners. The room may mean more to those, now, who had witnessed the old memories during June’s mission: the small elephant toy bringing to mind Yudae, clutching her daughter’s toy in one of the memories; the leather jacket Emerton always wore left bundled on one of the beds; a large, well-carved bow resting against the wall; a pile of neatly-arranged books underneath a bedside table.

In the power and life support room, most of the pods lining the room are still decorated with a glowing, blue stripe; all but one, which has a red one. The large room connected to it on the side, with one chair in the middle, is often occupied by Viveca — though just as often, she sits in the chair with a vacant expression, pupils moving infinitesimally, as if scanning something no one else can see.

TOP

// PART I.REPRIEVE  

With Viveca working hard to locate the last two orbs and Degar dedicating most of his time to containing the restless energies of those that have already been acquired, there’s really not much else to do but play the waiting game. Fortunately, the season the station has timed itself to is steadily approaching what many know as winter, making for a number of seasonably-themed options with which to distract oneself.

1.0   Though most of the Ximilia remains relatively the same, hanging from the ceiling at different parts of the station will be an unassuming sprig of mistletoe — a holdover from a previous celebration of festivities. The mistletoe (brought over from the lush forests of the planet Yeviunus) come pre-charmed with a small spell that invokes a feeling of peace and affection, meant to encourage camaraderie among the crew. Of course the festive foliage is easy enough to avoid, and the spell’s potency depends on the Orber’s susceptibility to influence.

2.0   Any members of the crew wish for a little more wintery ambiance are welcome to take a stroll in the sunlight room. (Don’t worry, this room’s projected sun is a very regular sun of the Earth variety. No watching pupils here!) Every day a fresh blanket of snow covers the ground, thick enough for one’s feet to sink into and leave impressions, and the air is crisp and full of the scents of various conifers.

The pond has frozen over, making a perfect canvas for ice fishing and ice skating. Fishing poles, hockey sticks, and ice skates of every possible size and shape can be found around the pond’s shoreline, ready for use.

Every evening, right as the sun dips into the horizon and the temperatures drop drastically, large bonfire crackles away in the room’s largest clearing. Scattered around are conveniently-placed fallen logs to offer any interested party view of the calming scene, with plenty of knitted blankets for everyone who might want one. (Or not! Perhaps there is a blanket-thief among you, and poor Orbers may be forced to share a blanket between them. Woe!)

Located not too far from the bonfire is an out-of-season tiki bar that is nevertheless doing its best. It is always fully stocked, with plenty of options for even the most discerning of drinkers.

Elsewhere within the sunlight room, Orbers may come across the memorial erected by members of the current crew. The memorial itself is a large stone pillar, its colouring hovering between gray and black; carved into it are names of everyone who has ever been a part of the crew — not just the current crew, but the past crew, too. On the stone slab the pillar stands on is a small plate, for wishes and letters; should one be placed on it, it will rise into the air as if someone were pulling it, stop once it reaches the name of the person it was meant for, and burst into flames, burning away — as if by disappearing, the words could cross between worlds and reach the one who should hear them.

3.0   Sometime in the middle of the month, the common living area will feature a simple wooden table holding a box and a sign. On the sign is a note hand-written by Degar that reads:

Hey, guys! We've been having a pretty high-energy time of it lately, huh? I know I have. So, I hear quilting's a pretty good way of relieving stress and I thought it’d be fun if I made it into a kind of group effort. Everyone loves a good group project, right? Anyway, feel free to take a block and jazz it up any way you like, there's a bunch of materials you can use. And when you're done, just leave them back on the table and our good ol' Nannybot will ferry it back to me when it does its nightly cleaning. I’m thinking 5, maybe 7 days should be enough time? It can't be that hard, right? I’ll unveil it all during our Yulevibes Dinner! (By the way, there’s a Yulevibes Dinner happening.) Thanks!

Next to the sign, in the box, are a neat stack of various quilt blocks for the taking, along with a number of art supplies. Perhaps now is the time to finally show off your handcrafting skills… Or maybe ask around to see who's willing to teach it.

OOC NOTE: Submissions for a finished quilt block should be sent HERE. Deadline is December 18, 6PM GMT. Players are welcome to create more than one, but we do ask you limit it to 3. More information is located on the submissions page.

4.0   So, about that Yulevibes Dinner. Inquiring more about it from either of the permanent residents of the station will reveal that it is a dinner meant for celebration and companionship. Every Orber is invited (and highly encouraged to attend, but of course that’s their prerogative), with the simple request that — if they so choose — they bring along a dish from their world. It’s not entirely a potluck, as there will be more than enough food to feed them all should none choose to participate, but the hope is to encourage Orbers to share a little more of their home with one another… perhaps with the intent to remind them that home is not so far away now.

The dinner is held on the third week after their return. The entire common living area has been transformed into a cozy winter retreat with low chairs, plenty of pillows and cushions, knitted blankets, stringed lights and flickering lanterns. Projected onto the walls are scenes of a calm winter evening, not unlike what one might find in the sunlight room. The main event, of course, is the dinner itself — there must be twenty, maybe even thirty-something dishes occupying a long table flanked by dozens of mismatched chairs. Have a seat, get cozy, fill up your plate and enjoy the vibes and company.

Afterwards, it’s time to lounge around and relax. Board games of various kinds from various worlds appear on low tables, popcorn is inexplicably encouraged to get strung up and worn (what else are you meant to do with it?), and hot cider is passed around by the mugful. Degar plays a few songs on his lute, but as the food coma starts to hit he switches instead to DJing a few songs he’d handpicked especially for the evening.

Barring any food fiascos (or drunken mishaps, you do you, Orbers), the evening is one of relative peace and comfort. Though brief, it provides a much-need reprieve from all that might plague one’s mind… Which is good, because the next morning comes with some rather concerning news.

TOP

// OUTRO.THE CHOICES AHEAD  

The morning after the Yulevibes Dinner, Viveca’s voice rings sharply in everyone’s earpieces.

// VIVECA

“I have some good and some bad news for all of you. The good news is that I think I’ve located where the missing orb is. The bad news is… it’s exactly where the signal for the last orb is coming from. It seems that instead of returning here, it was able to twist the terms it was given to seek out the only free remaining orb. Of course, this means that once I have enough information to send you all to your final mission, it’s not to two different universes… but it also means you’ll be going against two orbs, not one.”

Her voice, having started out as calm and serious, turns even more grave.

// VIVECA

“With the end so close in sight, I just want to say a few things. Firstly… don’t let yourselves be caught off guard. The free orbs are still a part of the larger whole, and the larger whole is more powerful now than it’s ever been before, with just two pieces missing. To assume the last mission will be an easy one would be a mistake. Throw away everything you’ve thought you knew about the orbs. You’ve already seen how powerful they are, even without a deal, now.”

It sounds as if she’s grimacing, thinking of what a single, free orb was able to do in Amaryllis Grove, all on its own.

// VIVECA

“Secondly, you need to start thinking about what you want to do, once you return. Degar is working constantly to make sure the barrier around the orbs will hold… but last time, just one regret being undone was able to break it. If you all decide to go through with it, let your regrets be undone…”

She trails off, but what she leaves unsaid hangs in the air: no matter how much magic — no matter how powerful — that they pour into the barrier keeping the orbs from influencing everyone around them… it might not be enough. Whatever the team’s eventual decision is going to be, it might not be as clear-cut as they might have thought.

TOP

F Y I

• The events in this log take place during the month of December.

• Throughout the month, remember that all the locations in the two wings and the center of the station are available to use, even if they’re not detailed in the prompts in this log. So feel free to make your own wildcard prompts using the training room, the armory, the living quarters, the kitchen, etc.

• If characters want to speak with Viveca or Degar (or both of them) regarding anything mentioned in this log, they are encouraged to do so through the reach the residents page.

• Please note that the voting post regarding what to do with the orbs will go live on December 20 in preparation for endgame.

• And finally, if you have questions about anything in this log, please direct them here.

TOP

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QUESTIONS

[ximilian]

For any questions regarding this log and its events, please ask them here.

joric | original character

[drawsblood]

PART I
{ 2.0 }

[ The tranquil beauty of the sunlight room is the perfect locale for Joric. He always enjoys it the most when it's winter themed because it reminds him of home where it snows for half the year. Being in his element, he needs no more protection than a long sleeved shirt along with regular pants and boots. This is where he spends his days, basking in the quiet stillness and trying to let it wash over him. It's no easy task with thoughts of the missing orb or going home soon weighing on his mind, but he would be far more stressed if he was in a different location. This landscape calms him. Most of the time he can be found ice fishing from a little fold out stool. He stays near the edge of the water for safety (he's a big man, after all) but he enjoys catching fish only to throw them back. Can you eat a simulated fish?

Later on, he sits by the bonfire without a blanket and sips at cocoa. He's interested in hearing any stories people might have, and offers a few of his own. Mainly creation myths from his world. ]

{ 4.0 }

[ There is a part of Joric that wants to share the food he's used to with these people he's grown attached to over the past year, but then the other part says that he can't cook at all so don't bother, and that settles that. Instead Joric just attends empty-handed, thinking it's for the best. Better than showing up with something he burnt beyond recognition.

He fills up his plate with practically everything as long as it can be plated and he's seriously considering filling a bowl too so he doesn't miss out on the soups and stews. But eventually he decides to hold off on that idea and finds a chair instead. Maybe he's sitting next to someone whose food he's eating. Maybe his lack of table manners is being noticed. Whatever the case, he tucks in like he'll never get the chance to eat again, though that is nothing new for him. ]

OUTRO
{ the choices ahead }

[ Joric has never been much of a deep thinker. He likes things simple and what Viveca said has his mind twisting in knots trying to decipher it. Wherever he happens to be at on the station, should he see someone he poses a question: ]

What did Viveca mean about our regrets?

outro

[coordination]

She means that if we go through with undoing our regrets, it may be too much and cause the barrier around the orbs to break and scatter them all over again.

[ Nothing in Yzak's expression looks happy about that at all. It's dark, it's pensive, it's angry. ]

So essentially at the end of this we're being told that we should consider not doing what we came here to do.

[drawsblood]

[ That had been something that crossed Joric's mind, but he thought he was just misunderstanding. ]

And so our choices are between getting what we want but starting the cycle over again, or not getting what we want and the orbs will be stopped for good.

[ He looks away with a grimace. ]

I want this spell in me gone. I want to go home.

2.0

[morethan084]

[Unlike Joric, Daisy is bundled up for the cold weather in the sunlight room. The fresh, cold air, feels nice. At least at first, but soon enough her face is flushed from the cold air and when she spots Joric by the lake she excuses the person she was talking to.]

Hey.

[She says softly as she approaches, there's some bruising on her cheek and surrounding one of her eyes from where she had gotten caught in the crossfire of a physical fight. Other than that, she's fine.]

[drawsblood]

[ He looks up at her approach, concern immediately etched across his features. ]

Hello. Come here?

[ Beckoning her closing by holding out a hand, he wants to take a better look at that bruising. ]

When did this happen?

Sherlock Holmes | Sherlock Holmes The Awakened (2023)

[astudyinviolet]

Part I: 1.0: The Dancing Sea

[ While some may consider a weakened mental fortitude to cause more harm than aid, there is a case when it helps. Sherlock would have otherwise been absent and languishing in one of his moods after the mission's conclusion, not opening his mouth for days on end. The charmed sprig of mistletoe influences Sherlock (amidst everything else going on in his mind) to leave his room and to be present around others. He's not the picture of holiday merriment, but he is a few steps above being a skittish but weary stray cat hiding in the shadows.

He's surrounded by papers filled with scribbles and a disturbing looking book. Did you ask what he was doing? Possibly so. Possibly not. It does not matter. Thanks to the mistletoe, he's explaining anyways as he paces back and forth. ]

E is the most common letter in the English alphabet, and it predominates to so marked an extent that even in a short sentence one would expect to find it most often. However, that only applies if this text is written in English, which I expect at least parts of this book are. I've heard two phrases in relation to my case. "Ymg' ah nafl lloigog llllw'nafh l' mgah ahf' l' ah nog." and "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn."

[ Sherlock shudders at speaking those words willingly, but he continues. ]

I have never heard of a language with those sounds before. Which complicates matters if this needs to be translated instead of decoded. I-I am at a loss for how to continue. All my attempts to pull answers from this book have not turned up any results.

[ Sherlock is less a great consulting detective and more a lost young man needing help but unsure how to ask for it. ]

Part I: 3.0: A Stitched Legacy

[ Sherlock isn't sure why he participates in the making of the quilt. Maybe he wishes to leave evidence of his existence, like when he and Jon would leave their initials all over Cordona. His needlework is limited to quick alterations of disguises or amateur medical sutures. He can draw, but his skills require him to have seen the subject in question. How does he start decorating this square of fabric? What does he decorate it with? ]

Part I: 4.0: A 93% Solution of Coffee

[ Why do people keep asking Sherlock to cook? Wasn't the disgusting stew in Amaryllis Grove enough? No, Sherlock spares everyone that and serves coffee. It is a staple in 221B. He may not be Mrs. Hudson, but he knows how to use the coffee machine on the station. ]

Would you like cream or sugar to go with your coffee?

Outro: It doesn't get any easier

[ Sherlock can hear the unsaid words. The gaps in his knowledge do not hinder him in understanding what Viveca alludes to. ]

Ah.

[ There's no outburst of anger or dismay. No, it's probably more telling that Sherlock laughs under his breath. This feels familiar. The only way forward is the abyss.

Oh, how he had struggled with what would be his choice, and now he discovers that there isn't a choice at all. Not for him. What is one life, his life, over all the others' regrets and the people he cannot fathom ever meeting? The events of Amaryllis Grove will not become another possibility on the account of undoing his regret. This Sherlock Holmes is not worth it.

And just like that, he knows what role to play. That role remains, despite and to spite all else. ]

You need not worry about undoing my regret. It is too insignificant to risk a repeat of such chaos, and I previously had reservations about the fix. However, I'll still help to secure the last two orbs. I do not like to abandon those needing help, and I'm here to be used.

[ Please, just leave him some sanity left, so he may solve what may be his final problem before he falls and drowns in the waters of his madness. Let him find and save as many of those missing people before then. Sherlock has to try.

Maybe he'll even get to have his Watson by his side again if the good doctor hasn't already given up on him. ]

Wildcard

[ Want to do something else? Write a prompt or drop me a line at Sherry's journal, aviekokyre, or on Discord @ aviekokyre and we can plot something out. ]

1.0

[facultative]

[Anakin has not asked for an explanation that he's currently receiving, nor has Sherlock approved of him picking up the loose bits of paper for a cursory look before they are discarded carelessly.]

What's English?

Natasha Romanoff | MCU | OTA

[deaddrop]

1.0

[A thing about Natasha: she likes to people watch. That might be an unfortunate holdover from her career as a spy, or maybe some kind of voyeuristic impulse to watch the kind of normalcy she never quite feels like she has access too.

Not that Ximilia is full of normal people, per se, but it is full of people who she likes to keep an eye on.

Also, she's spotted the mistletoe, and they have the potential to be hilarious.

She can be found leaning discreetly against the wall of a corridor, a mug of hot chocolate in one hand, sipping occasionally as she waits to see the meetcutes happen. Or the fights. Whichever.]

4.0

[Natasha has made a nest for herself, comfortable with her feet tucked up (on the chair, in her shoes, like she was raised in a barn) and cushions and blankets arranged just so around her. Is it real? Not technically, but if they're all in on the same roleplay, maybe that's almost as good. The winter scene "outside" adds to the cozy atmosphere, and Natasha is committed.

She's brought her current knitting project, a half finished scarf that's hardly a master work but doesn't look bad if you don't get in there too close.]

Happy Yulevibes?

[She tries when someone joins her, frowning slightly as she tries to figure out what she did wrong on a particular stitch.]

Is that what we say for this thing? Merry Vibesmas?

[She looks up then, shrugging at her attempt.]

Something like that?

Wildcard

[Or something else? I can roll with other ideas too.]

1.0 - I mean...?

[endofcompliance]

[Bucky is observant enough he's kept track of the plant. He has no idea what this version will do, but he knows the general tradition, and he's not really in the mood. At least, he doesn't want to be caught unaware. He manages to avoid it, for the most part, until he notices Natasha.]

[He smiles a little, cants his head at her and starts in her direction, just to walk right under it. He realizes his mistake five seconds after and looks up. Well, no one else is around, right? Should be fine.]

4.0

[hallowing]

If you're gonna wander around sayin' 'happy vibesmas', I'm gonna expect a l'il somethin' somethin' in my stocking, babe.

（ he has a cigarette dangling out of his mouth, and he gestures for her knitting. give it here, he'll fix it. he's a helper. ）

a lil bt 4, a lil bit wildcard

[constructually]

[There are traditions that have lasted long since humans left Earth, and birthdays are one of them. The traditions vary between cultures, but Murderbot has learned enough about twenty first century Earth at this point to understand that presents are a vital part of the tradition for them. And the man on the network had made it clear it was Natasha's birthday.

Murderbot had, frankly, agonized over whether it was appropriate or expected to give her a gift. It had also agonized over whether it even wanted to give her one, since it implied awkward human things, like caring and/or thinking about another person. But it had been... nice, giving Vic a gift.

So Murderbot has spent a couple of days standing in a corner while writing some complex code, loaded the code onto a fist sized drone and placed in a simple white box, accented with a bow.

Murderbot finds Natasha in the sunlight room, looking cozy wrapped in blankets, and approaches a little stiffly, offering the box and very much not making eye contact.]

It's for you.

[No shit, Sherlock.

Without waiting for Natasha to open the box, because Murderbot missed the 'surprise' part of the tradition, it adds:]

It's a defensive drone with limited surveillance protocol. It can electrocute people.

[It isn't as small as Murderbot's drones; it just doesn't have the equipment, tools, or knowledge to accurately recreate them, so this is as small as it could get one.]

joe — open

[malta]

☾ reprieve

sunlight room ☀ [ joe hates the cold. if he had his way, he would not drift far from the equator but of course he has found himself in such hellholes as siberia and greenland and boston (an actual hellhole, albeit one molasses scented) over the years, so he tries to avoid the cold in his down time.

hence, malta.

despite this, he's often found in the sunlight room, bundled up against the cold and sketching the orbers doing their wintery activities. watching him get up after a long sit, groaning and carrying on like he is elderly, is actually pretty funny though. ]

—

bonfire ☀ [ he much prefers the bonfire, toasty warm and still wrapped in a blanket because he is a baby man. ]

Who is up for ghost stories?

[ it's a bonfire! come on. ]

—

memorial ☀ [ other days, and often, he can be found in front of the memorial, letters burning away as they reach nicky's name. it's always nicky's name and joe will brush his thumb across his beloved's name before he leaves, but sometimes he simply sits in front of the memorial and thinks, only drawing himself from his reverie when someone else approaches. ]

Sorry, I'm in your way. [ he hastens to stand and give the other orber their time with the memorial. ]

—

quilting ☀ [ yusuf loves fiber arts and quilting is especially comforting. he is from a time before sewing machines and he still prefers hand-stitching because he is.... pretentious. after a millennia, he is quite fast with it. he and andy already made degar a quilt, but that doesn't mean he doesn't jump at the chance to add a square to degar's group project quilt.

unfortunately, part of joe's regret change is what seems to be arthritis in his hands so he can't sketch for long periods of time. it also means sewing tiny little delicate stitches becomes painful much more quickly than it used to and he has to shove the quilt block away with a groan, massaging his knuckles. ]

Didn't even finish one side, [ he grouses. it used to be that he could have finished the whole block in one sitting, but alas. this will take a few days. ]

☾ wildcard

( go where your heart takes you or hit me up on disco @ dostoevskyish or plurk @ baleinette if you want to hash anything else out xoxo )

( bonfire )

[offseers]

What's . . . a ghost?

[ that's not a word he's ever heard before. ]

ghost stories; (cw drug/liquor use)

[hallowing]

（ cy is an arrogant, swaggering tower of contradictions. violently offensive hawaiian shirt? check. bottle of liquor held loosely between his fingers? also check. cheap cigarette hanging from one corner of his mouth? annnd there we go. at the invitation, he drops down beside the fire in a boneless heap that's just a little more practiced faller than town drunk. he kicks off his shoes which are sopping wet from an unfortunate foray into an icy creek nearby, and props them near enough to the fire that the entire area is going to smell like feet before too long, because he's just. Like That. ）

I'll bite. （ a broad wink. ） Not hard. And only on one condition. We gotta have s'mores, man.

（ sweet tooth thy name is... ）

lan sizhui | the untamed

[deferences]

reprieve;


part 2.0;

[slightly underdressed as he may be in just his robes with his favorite all-over cloud-printed sweater underneath, this doesn't stop lan sizhui from enjoying the new snowy weather inside the sunlight room, meaning that when he spots the skates nearby, he also wastes no time making his way over to the icy pond where he begins sifting through them. it takes him a moment to find exactly what he's looking for – white, of course! – but when he does, sizhui's heading toward the ice and quickly trading his boots for skates.

once they're on, however, it's a different story. having to make his way out isn't so bad, he can maneuver well enough to get himself back or near somewhere he can grab, though trying to get any actual momentum is a bit harder than planned. balance isn't difficult, fortunately, and perhaps one can catch sizhui crouched down, both hands pushing him along until he's sliding a little ways, looking far more pleased with himself than he probably should. perhaps he hasn't figured out the whole of this, that won't stop him from enjoying it.

other times, after he's (somewhat) gotten the hang of it, he might be seen actually upright and moving around, not wholly fluid motions, but something more graceful than scooting around in an awkward sort of squatting position.

either way, if any other orbers happen by, he raises his hand in greeting and calls out,] Hi there! Are you going to come out on the ice too?

⚊

[ice-skating shenanigans done and over with, sizhui has parked himself in front of the bonfire, draped in an oversized blanket and holding a mug of hot chocolate.

he has no idea where it came from, but a bag of marshmallows sits beside him, getting a questionable side-eye, like he's wondering if they're safe or not. it isn't too surprising when food appears out of nowhere, he's seen the kitchen restocked, after all, the squishy treats just look a bit suspicious— which is why he doesn't hesitate to pick it up and offer it to whoever may be nearby.] Here you go, these are all yours!

[might as well let someone else enjoy them, right?]



part 4.0;

[the moment they're told to bring something from their homeworld, before all the festivities kick off proper-like, sizhui commandeers the kitchen for as long as he's allowed to work on making what he'll be contributing; red bean, pork and chicken, and vegetable bao, mantou, and tanghulu. a decent spread, he thinks, plenty of variety for the rest of the crew to choose from.

his choices do take a while, what with kneading all the dough, mincing and dicing filling for the bao then pleating them up all nice and neat, which he can be found doing throughout any of this process. maybe he's working dough or chopping vegetables when someone comes by, prompting him to glance up, smile and release what produce he's holding to wave at them instead.] Hello!

Ah... my apologies, I still have a ways to go. I hope that won't be a problem?

[or perhaps he's in the middle of carefully stirring boiling sugar syrup in preparation for his other food, sneaking some pieces of fruit here or there, humming delightedly at the mixture and the burst of flavor from whatever it is he's eaten.]

⚊

[with everything finally finished and tucked away for later, he figures he's deserved a break. so, after getting changed into the same cloud sweater he'd been wearing before, sizhui makes his way to the common living area, picks out a spot that's not super close to the scenery yet still near enough to enjoy, then drops unceremoniously into one of the oversized cushions, exhaling a contented sigh.]

This is nice, [said to himself and anyone that might hear, and if answered, he'll turn to face the individual, grinning outright and either gesturing to the remaining seating,] Go ahead, help yourself! [or if they're already sitting, he points toward a nearby blanket.] Would you mind handing me that?

[and if he isn't doing that, he's fawning over the stringed lights and lanterns, even going as far as touching some like they aren't really there or they could disappear without notice.]

⚊

[apart from relaxing, he will definitely be found browsing the selection of food after getting his own set up with hot tea alongside it. sizhui isn't biased either, he chooses things he knows and things he doesn't, filling his plate a decent amount, but not being overzealous with portions as there's a lot he wants to try too.

he prefers standing most of the time though, watching as others eat and drink and be merry, happily picking at his dwindling plate, his head bowing in acknowledgment toward other folks while he motions down at what he's nibbling.] Have you tried this yet?

part 4.0

[astudyinviolet]

No, no. I only need access to the coffee machine.

[ Sherlock is taking the easy way out with providing something for the banquet. Coffee is among the drinks he regularly has back in Baker Street, and it spares everyone from his attempts at cooking.

It's the best for everyone, really. ]

part 2.0;

[endofcompliance]

[ It's been a long, long time since Bucky ice-skated. Surely, with his grace he still could, but it's the nostalgia, that sadness that seeps into him that gives him pause. ]

[ One of the individuals skating along - looks pleased, too - speaks out and Bucky shrugs his shoulders, arms folded over from his distant watching spot. ]

I'm still thinking about it.

2.0

[singlelogbridge]

[When Wei Wuxian first spots Sizhui moving across the ice, a faint smile twitches at his lips and then quickly slips away. He hasn't seen him since the last mission. He wishes he could say it was by accident, and in truth he hasn't gone out of his way to avoid him, but the truth is he hasn't gone looking for him either and it's already been more than a day. A frisson of shame curls around him and he sighs. Wei Wuxian is many terrible things, but he's never much thought of himself as a coward, and yet...

Resolved, he leans against the bridge near the frozen pond, arms crossed and expression purposefully casual. He knows Sizhui will forgive him, it isn't fear of rejection that's kept him away. The boy's simply too kind for that, but the shame in his gut tightens all the same.

It never should have happened, influenced by the mission's madness or not.

After a while he finally calls out.]

I'd think you'd be an expert, what with those Gusu winters.

andromache | ota

[oiorpata]

🗡

[ the return of the holiday season continues to be how andy retains any sense of time as to how long she's been around on this ship. it's her... third time? her third holiday season? even having those three solid points of time, she still struggles with it. it's been somewhere between two and three years, which is objectively nothing. it's a blink. but it is a blink she's come to cherish in small ways, even with the blurs that come along with it. she doesn't care much about christmas, but it's continued to be a striking moment for her sense of time passing here. it feels especially big now with the end looming. ]

🗡SUNLIGHT ROOM

[ the sunlight room, her favorite from the start. unlike her brothers, she thrives in the cold, a steppe child through and through. the nature of the simulation means it isn't even that cold. catch her lacing up some ice skates at the edge of the pond, full on sitting in the snow without a care in the world. ]

Hockey? Regular skating? [ pick your poison, she just wants to get on the ice. ]

[ she will, however, absolutely throw a snowball at a familiar face too, especially if one is not inclined towards the aforementioned ice. ]

[ the tiki bar is absurdly delightful but she hits it up anyway, going for the most obnoxious sounding and colorful drinks. she'll even be nice and bring an extra over as she settles in at the bonfire, offering out the smaller of the two drinks before sitting on the log. ] Next one's on you. Should we be telling stories here?

[ maybe she'll be more effusive than normal. ]

🗡YULEVIBES

[ she brings baklava. what makes it special is she actually made this one herself. just because andy prefers trying it from all over the world doesn't mean she can't whip it up herself - and her favorite kind includes walnuts, beware of allergies. ]

Yule's not even the oldest one out there. Stop hogging the blankets. [ she says this regardless of how many blankets are being hogged, sitting down on the cushions with a plate of food. it is a plate full of food, having put as much variety as she can, like she's determined to share the favorites of everyone on board she cares about and then some. ]

🗡 WILDCARD

[ hit me up or let's do a closed starter! romanitas @ disco or communism ! ]

🗡SUNLIGHT ROOM

[deaddrop]

[Natasha sits at the edge of the pond, lacing a pair of skates, her eyes flicking up and a smile flickering across her face, before she answers.]

I think skating. Hockey seems like it would be more interesting with more people.

[And Natasha would rather a little one on one time with Andy.]

Besides, I have the feeling you'd be good at that too. You didn't invent hockey, did you?

🗡YULEVIBES

[endofcompliance]

[ It's only the one blanket, on his left side, currently covering his metal arm, so when this stranger comes over with a plate full of food, Bucky decides to say something in return, rather than just stare at her with that intense look of his. Bucky's eyes flicker to the plate. ]

Then stop hogging all the food. [ Being a smart-ass can have perks. ]

THE IMPORTANT MISTLETOE THING

[groupiedrifter]

[Newton spends his time scheming, drinking, tinkering, and drinking some more. That's the best way to spend the holidays, as far as he's concerned! And now he has decided to run amuck amid the crew while they're trying to be festive (or maybe not be so festive) in the sun room and hallways. Upon his approach, something whirrs over his head, and it's very very clear what it is when you look up...

A mistletoe, rigged to a very clearly engineered piston-based robotic system that not only hovers the cursed plant over the both of you, but makes sure to adjust for any height difference that Newt (the shorty) and you (probably not a shorty) may have.

He's BEAMING SO PROUDLY about it, of course, his arms held out in showmanship.]

Ohoho, would you look at that?! What were the odds of the two of us being under the mistletoe without a doorway in sight?! Guess we've got to adhere to the very important holiday customs...!



[BEHOLD: The Newtletoe 2023.]

Pucker up, buttercup!

[No one over legal age is immune from this tipsy idiot's approach, obviously... but of course, he also, in all of his wisdom, put an 'EJECT' button on the pack, so that if he runs into someone like Itachi, he can hit it...



Huh. Wonder how that works.]

look you threw a gauntlet, i had to

[blackfire]

（ why does it feel like someone just walked over his grave, actually???


but

as it happens, when itachi spots newt wandering around with his obscene, ridiculous machine, rather than risk any manner of approach at all he makes like a fuckin' tree

and leaves.

how did this random log get in the middle of the station???


idk man.

idk. ask the ninja. or don't. ）

[lostdestiny]

intro.

[ Did your character bet on "which new crew member is most likely to recklessly poke a forcefield"? Was that bet on Shinn? Because he is getting thrown across the room with a yelp, barely managing to land in a crouch rather than on his ass. ]

Shit--!

[ That lesson about not grabbing energy constructs with bare hands is never gonna sink in. ]


2.0.

[ Wait, people are supposed to have positive associations with snow? Snowy lakes in particular? Shinn grew up on a subtropical island and then moved to space, so he didn't have any experience with this kind of weather before the Minerva was ordered to wintery Berlin. And that sortie had been one of the worst days of his life. ("You promised you'd protect me--")

So Shinn is even more sullen and withdrawn than usual as he trudges along the shore of the lake. From a distance, he just seems downcast; closer up, a character will be able to tell that he's looking for something on the the ground at the edge of the water. The snow makes spotting them difficult, but after a while he bends to pick up a freshwater shell. It's very small, very ordinary, but so was the original gift.

Without interacting with people actually enjoying the weather (unless he's interrupted by someone who will ignore or smash through an aura of hardcore broodiness), he slogs back through the snow to the memorial, and drops the little shell into the offing plate. He turns his back on the memorial immediately, rather than waiting to see what does or doesn't happen. The shell is a wish for a dead girl who never set foot on this station -- there's no reason for the magic to work. ]