[closed] by all calculations, we're pretty sure...

[pocketspa]

Who: The residents of Horny House (imported house 5-1) and their esteemed invited guests (The Drakes, Alphys, Gren, Ephemera, and Cecily)
What: It's Candlenights! And considering how much the rest of the month has sucked, it's fuckin time.
Where: Horny House (imported house 5-1)
When: Backdated to December 25th
Warnings: Should be clean, other than some drinking and cursing.

The thing about Candlenights is that nobody actually knows what day it is. The nature of Candlenights is it's appearance- its not Candlenights, and then suddenly it just is. There's calculations you could do, sure, but that sounds like a lot of work, and the twins about figure that it's been roughly a year since they last did this. Plus, this month has sucked in an incredible way for them both, so you know what?

It's Candlenights now. Boom, just like that. Fuck you, Gods. It's Candlenights.

So when the guests arrive, the house is as decked as they're able to get it, under the circumstances. The front hall has shiny beads and a line of floating candles to and up the stairs, which guests can climb to find the party on the top floor. The living room has the familiar warm ambiance of the house itself; more candles floating around the room but giving off no heat. If someone takes the time to brush them, they might realize they're illusions, capable of producing at least light. Thankfully, a fire pit in the center of the room burns bright and strong, hitting some sort of invisible wall if it tries to flick outside the boundaries but providing warmth to the room at large. The kitchen holds plates of food, a large stew on the stove with meat from one of those large beasts simmering to taste. Additional hors d'oeuvre, mostly breads and fruits, lay in dishes for guests to partake. And for later, a large cake dusted in powdered sugar sits atop the mantle, waiting to be cut. A few bottles of wine, obviously hoarded since better times, sit on top of the bar to be distributed as one sees fit, as well as a large punch bowl filled with... something. It's alcoholic, but uh, maybe take it slow. Or don't, and get drunker than you've ever been. It's Barry Bluejeans' Ultra Punch (what if Punch...... but More) and it should be imbued with caution.

And finally, the thing Taako is most proud of, is a real bush sits in the corner surrounded by gifts. If one were to look closely or think about it critically, they might realize only Carlisle's gardens have bushes, and this one looks very similar to one of those. Don't think about it too hard! Just marvel at the bush! It's also been covered in illusory candles, so it isn't a fire hazard, but they're not above putting real candles on it. What do you think they are, safe? Please.

But for once, among the gloom from the last planet to this one, and the darkness in their lives, Candlenights brings warmth and good tidings for the year ahead. Time to get through the winter, folks, and maybe quite literally forget your problems for a while.

This is a mingle log! Post top levels, give gifts, get incredibly drunk on magic punch- anything goes. Happy Candlenights, everyone!

Comments

[closerift]

Your favorite sun? [ Cecily laughs lightly, genuinely amused and endeared by the thought. ] I'm not so sure. I'm more of a fun of our original sun. You know, when we were underground.

[ Get it?? Because there was no sun??

(Some people burn more easily than others, okay?) ]

[pocketspa]

[Man, it's a good thing Angus turns to mess with the bush. If Taako has viewed his precious little boy smile for another minute, he might have actually felt something. How bad would that be for business, huh! Feeling something! Terrible, for sure.]

See, there you go boyo. What, you think I'd make subpar shit? Come on, best wizard ever, remember? We're just keepin' the whole branding in line.

[Not that the Krebstar resembles it now, not that they match, but... maybe it's more of a passing of the mantle. A symbolic handing down of the only heirloom he has.

Don't think about it too hard.]

[sciencelizard]

[LISTEN, IT'S GAY,,,

To be fair, she can't imagine Lup would have done it on purpose-- Lup wouldn't hurt her, even as a joke. But there's lots of ways for humans, or at least non-monster beings, to accidentally kill a monster. Just not a lot of HP to go around, she's afraid.]

Ohmygosh, y-- you're gonna-- y-you don't have to...

[Is she already waiting for it tho, ur damn right.]

If you were from my world, it uhm. You might have known what yours was like, too. Human souls come in a couple different types, actually.

[Look at this. She could be making out with a hot elf and she's still thinking about science. Alphys, girl.]

[hellosirs]

[ It's like flicking a lightswitch. Angus goes from composed to starry-eyed in an instant!]

I'm very hyped! I just didn't know that you got me one, which was very nice of you!

[sciencelizard]

[She giggles, though it's a little more nervous than the last one.]

Well, the o-original sun is probably the one Tranquility made. When he uhm, when he came back. Do you remember that, the uhm, the big fake beach?

[pocketspa]

[Taako snickers, laying a hand on her back as he starts to lead her away.]

Damn right, sis. C'mon, we'll get you some wine.

[nonscriptum]

[ All of this is a mess.

Having imbibed more than his fair share of whatever prison-quality, rotting-fruit-in-a-bag hooch they have, Nate is feeling wonderfully loose and content. So much so that he doesn't find altogether too much wrong with indulging the crooked finger of Lup even after flashing her a confused look.

Story hour. Okay, it's fine. He can tell stories, even when not sober. Nate semi-reluctantly gets to his feet and ambles over, drink in hand. ]

...what, you need a volunteer?

[hellosirs]

[ Look, telling Angus not to think too hard about something is like telling him not to breathe too much, he know how big a deal this is! There's no backtracking out of this one!

The bush floats another foot and a half in the air, carefully spins in a circle, and is set back down with a light thump.]

Nosir, not at all, I was just testing it out! It's heavier than the plastic one, you know? But it feels great! I guess wands that sort of look like umbrellas are part of 'the brand' now?

[closerift]

Actually, no, somehow. [ It seems so long ago, and more than one of the details escapes her. ] Was it at least a good fake beach?

[pocketspa]

[Oh, Nate. Oh poor, sweet, stupid Nate.

Taako is sprinting back into the room as soon as he can, having effectively locked Angus in his bedroom for the time being, and slides right up behind Nate to place his hands on his shoulders and duck to the side of his head.]

Aaaactually, we needed you specifically, my guy! See, it's tradition to uh, to tell a tale on Candlenights, and as the party hosts we get to pick uhm, who reads what parts and stuff. But there's one that we think you would really nail.

[His eyes snap up to Lup, a grin on his lips that looks like he's about to burst with laughter.]

Right, Lup?

[pocketspa]

I mean, basically. Lup made the first one, I had the ol thing for a while, like she might hate it but it's pretty good branding, right? Then we can sue anyone who has a cane.

[Taako no. It's evident he's thinking hard about something else to distract from the like, abrasively sweet sentiment Angus is getting from all this that he Absolutely Didn't Do, For Sure, Not Him.]

People are gonna wanna kill you over a piece like that, y'know. Stay sharp kiddo.

[taako,]

[sciencelizard]

[She doesn't blame her; lots of other happenings have escaped her memory over the years, blips of activity down the line. But she'll always remember that sun. Even if it turned out to be fake, the feeling wasn't, a carefully crafted knowledge of the right feeling and sight. It was the first time she felt happy to be in Hadriel. A turning point, to the rest of her journey here.]

Well it uhm, I t-think so. I had never been to a real beach like that, and I guess I still uhm, still kind of haven't? Unless the watery planet counts but that wasn't really the uh, y-you know, sunny thing.

[She doesn't feel the need to be cagey about it, so she just admits it outright.]

It was the first time I'd ever seen the sun. K-Kind of. It wasn't the real one, so, I don't know, but... I'll remember it forever I think, just like the uhm, the real first time when we went to the desert world.

[closerift]

I'm not sure I've spent much time at any beach either, if that helps. [ The Storm Coast is far from idyllic.

She listens to the story, though, smiling faintly. ]

I'm glad it was such a positive experience for you, then. I know that a lot of the dwarves in Thedas - those who spend most of their life underground, that is - are terrified of the sky when they first see it. Some say they're afraid they'll fall up into it forever.

[ But the sun is different. She imagines seeing it for the first time is an experience - as Alphys says - that you never forget. ]

[restinglichface]

[You realize that's Lup's biggest turn on, right? Nerds rambling on about science when she's made it clear she wants to jump their bones. Hot.]

What about elves?

[Human and elf's aren't the same, even if their appearance certainly lines up more than with a monster's. But now that she's asking it, Lup's not sure if Alphys has ever mentioned knowing other elves or not, if they even exist in the world she's from. Maybe it's only monsters and humans, nothing else. She's been on stranger worlds.

Lup's palms slip down to tenderly press against Alphys' face, to trap her between the elf's hands.] What do ya think my soul would look like?

[restinglichface]

[It's one of those rare moments when the kid actually looks like a kid, absolutely and totally psyched by his surprise gift.

Seeing that expression on Angus always leaves the woman feeling warm and fond, her hand flopping onto the top of his head before Lup's turning and gesturing for him to follow.]

Keep up, kiddo.

[She leads him right over to the front door before pulling it open and stepping outside. In this ridiculous getup, she'd absolutely freeze to death if she wasn't already dead, but for a reaper, the chill means nothing, so Lup barely reacts to the frozen ground under her bare feet. Grab a jacket and join her, Angus!]

[sciencelizard]

[It's funny to think about how she knows dwarves and the idea of them from fantasy, but Cecily just says it so casually and it still tends to make her soul feel bright. Even if she's at the home of two exuberant elves, the idea of all of that being real is just stunning.]

Oh gosh, I can, uhm, t-totally see that. We were lucky in that even though we were Underground, we could like... well, we weren't always Underground, so. Our King had been up there and he knew better.

[But she can totally see the line of reasoning, if they didn't have much reasoning.]

Plus I could see it, uhm, just a little. If we went to the throne room. There was just enough sunlight to let some flowers grow.

[closerift]

That sounds beautiful. [ A little, sunny haven underground. Nothing like anything she'd seen underground herself, traveling to the Deep Roads. ] It's nice that you were able to have a bit of the surface down in your home. Best of both worlds, isn't it?

[ She certainly doesn't think she'd like to live beneath the earth, but Alphys doesn't seem to mind, anyway. ]

What is your king like, if it isn't anything painful to speak of? I know a lot of rulers are, er. Less than ideal.

[hellosirs]

[ Oh, so it's gonna be like that. Angus is onto him now, he'll let Taako back away from the precipice of Dangerously Emotional Territory, but he's also prepared to goof right back on him. ]

I don't think that's how legal branding or copyright law actually works, but I will! I promise. Maybe they won't immediately recognize it as a wand, they might think it's a really badass candy cane.

[sciencelizard]

[I mean, were there monsters in your world Lup? Some worlds don't Have things. Not that there couldn't have been, hidden somewhere underground, some far off place forgotten by the world. There are always legends, always stories. Who knows.

She starts talking almost immediately after Lup asks, a babbled train of thought.]

I mean, we never heard of there being other races, since we just knew humans, b-but maybe we were just in a really human area or elves came later or--

[Her snout mushes up a bit as Lup grabs her face, and she has to stop and think of a way to say this without sounding totally nuts. At least this was the not traumatizing part of her research; she's one of the only people with any sort of knowledge about this.]

Well, uhm... theres 7 types. Each ones a different color, so there's uhm, red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, and purple. Each one has uhm, different... well, it's not really magic for humans, but we have magic based on them that exemplify certain traits.

[She should probably get to explaining that, because otherwise she'll be here forever.]

So p-purple is like, sustained damage, but sort of the power to fight through opposition. Dark blue is gravity, it's like... a heavier one, but one that knows it's uhm, what it's about. Light blue is all about staying still and b-being patient, and green is like... being there for someone and not running away. Yellow is uh, kind of hard to say, it's a seeking one for uhm-- it always finds it's target to bring justice, kinda. Orange is about charging in and g-getting through, and red is... well. Determination. The power to change fate against all odds.

[She looks away just a bit at that one. Just a moment. But this isn't about her. It's about Lup.]

I, uhm. For you, it's... hard to say. Probably purple or orange, but, you have a lot of good qualities, so...

[pocketspa]

Yeah, little boy with a candy cane sounds like you.

[Should he have sharpened the tip?? Maybe it can also be kind of a knife. Seeing as Taako's weapon is now like, six knives, he just has it on the brain.]

We just gotta get you a holster like its a cane. Or it's collapsible or something and then bam, magic missile to the face. Really, it's the ultimate stealth.

[hellosirs]

But I already have a lanyard!

[ This part is not a goof. You can give the kid a cool new wand, but he'll still be a giant nerd. Case in point, Angus unclips the star-tipped wand from the lanyard around his neck, and since the cane-wand doesn't have a little clip on the end (yet!), he just hangs it from the lanyard by the hook, and beams. ]

See? This is stealthy! Or it would be, if I had the sweater over it.

[ Maybe he can get a knife next Candlenights. Candleknives. ]

[hellosirs]

[ It takes Angus a few horrified moments to remember that oh yeah, Lup's a reaper, freezing cold temperatures aren't a big deal, and oh boy that is definitely not the case for him. Two seconds standing in front of an open door, and he already feels like a frozen ice cube. ]

L-Lup!

[ He pulls on a coat, shuffles into some boots, and goes chasing after her while casting a quick Produce Flame to warm his hands. ]

Where're you going?

[sciencelizard]

[She didn't mind because it was all she knew. If you go your whole life without seeing the real sun... can you truly miss it? Can you truly know?]

It was, uhm... it was something, right? It was b-better than nothing.

[But the discussion shifting is a more welcome topic of conversation, ironically, considering she actually likes him better.]

Oh! He was uh, he was here for a little while too, though I don't know if you ever spoke to him... uhm, he's about nine feet tall, big horns, uh, goat monster? His name was Asgore.

[She misses him. Maybe won't ever see him again.

She shakes her head just a little, forges on.]

He's really nice. And really g-good at gardening and ruling the Underground! I was the Royal Scientist, so he was uh, he was kind of my boss too.

[restinglichface]

[idk her brother is kind of a monster if u ask her

But Lup behaves while Alphys answers her questions, the elf's head tipping thoughtfully to the side while she considers all of this, lips pressing together tight while she thinks. It's interesting to think of colors with certain traits, instead of associating them with the elements, like red to her usual fire. But thinking of red as something that changes fate against all odds? Yeah, that's definitely something Lup can agree on.

It certainly fits for their little band of red robes flying against the Hunger all of those years. It works.]

Fair, I'll eat up those compliments for sure. Sounds like me. But you didn't mention white. [She gives the other woman's cheek a pat before she's slipping one hand away to point towards Alphys' chest.]

Yours is all white, babe. What's that color mean?

[Please don't be anything depressing, Lup wants to get her smooch on still.]

[pocketspa]

[He can't stop himself from bursting into laughter when he just. Hangs it there. Oh my god he's so dumb and he loves him so fucking much. This is illegal. Absolutely banned.]

You don't-- you don't think someone's gonna see the fuckin', cane lump moving under your skin and think you're about to have a fantasy chestburster experience right there? Or like third pec? What if it's just the nipple?

[Sorry Angus, you can get heartfelt gifts, but only with horrible mean teasing attached.]