(december catch-all) LEGGY KRAMPUS IS COMING TO TOWN

[vestigemods]

DECEMBER CATCH-ALL

► YOU WANT SNOW? WE GOT SNOW

To all who've endured the last couple of dismal months, congratulations - you've broken through the windy rains of October and damp, depressing ones of November to an inexplicable peace falling over the containment zone. Untouched snow covers the ground, a veritable winter wonderland. It's almost idyllic, even if not quite in the same way that the early weeks of summer may have been. The air is brisk and chilly, but at least you can see the sun again. In fact, the heat of it on your skin is almost enough to make up for the chill, at least when the sun is at its peak.

Make snowmen! Have a snowball fight! Perhaps even skate on the frozen lake - Foodland seems to be stocking brand new sets of ice skates in various sizes, their colors obtuse enough to make sure you'll be spotted even if it starts to snow. And... consider showing a little pity on the local wildlife if they come a-scritching at your door? If you're cold, they're cold, et cetera.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

But December has a little bit more misfortune in store than just a little bit of nippy weather. On the 16th + 17th, you might start to feel... a little strange. Maybe you've come inside from a rousing snowball war to park by the fire, but instead of warming up, you just... keep getting colder. In fact, your temperature keeps on dropping no matter what you try - blankets, a hot bath, none of it seems to do more than slow down the speed at which you're cooling.

Or maybe you're not cold at all... but oh, you're starting to wish you were. Because your temperature only keeps rising, like a hot flash from hell no matter what you do to cool down, with sweat beading on your forehead and dripping down your neck. You may even find yourself desperate enough to strip down to your underclothes and lie in the snow, if only for some sort of relief. Don't worry, though - whether you're too hot or too cold, it'll go away on its own eventually. Let's hope it's before the hypothermia gets too bad or you go delirious with fever.


Then, throughout the couple of days before Christmas, the snow kicks up to a flurry. According to the children's books in Foodland, this is a telltale sign that a magical gift-bearing man called Santa Claus is on his way. But kids' books never do tell the full story, do they?

True to form, there's a pitter-patter up on the rooftop. Is it reindeer paws? Since when do reindeer have paws, anyway? Then the fire in your fireplace, if lit, goes out with a magical puff of air... but what comes down your chimney is quite a bit worse than the stories. His Naughty List is filled with those who have yet to satisfy the elder gods with their horrible death, and rather than bringing gifts and cheer, this particular Santa has come to collect.

Two clawed hands wrap around each side of the fireplace, eyes pale as the snow, the beard around his gaping mouth tinged with the red of blood. But there are more hands now, so many hands, so many too-long arms, peeling himself from your fireplace to attack. He moves quickly, almost uncannily so, with an agility one might not expect from one with such gangly arm-legs. His hands are sharply clawed, perfect for swiping and drawing blood - but that's not what he's trying to do. No, his goal is to drag those who've been Naughty back up the chimney from whence he came, hauling them off through the flurry of snow and disappearing from sight if you try to pursue. But it's fine. Being choked to death by Leggy Krampus's obscenely long prehensile tongue isn't... the worst death, at least?

► MOD NOTES

• This is the December Catch-All Log, for any action top-levels throughout the month. Large gatherings (parties, meetings, etc) are still encouraged to post their own logs for organizational purposes!
  
• Refer to the bottom half of the November + December Bulletin for any December-specific info to potentially include in your prompt, as well as more specifics regarding the events.
  
• Because this is a catch-all for everywhere + all month, try to remember to label your top-levels with identifying information like the IC date and location of each prompt (whether in the subject or in the prompt title within the comment). Also consider mentioning if any of your prompts are event prompts!
  
• December's specific resources can be found in the Not-Bulletin.
  
• Any questions can be directed to this top-level or, for a quicker response, to Trace on discord/plurk.

Comments

[lethechained]

[ She recognizes the body language before his answer actually reaches her ears, her brows jumping slightly with a surprise that becomes open concern. ]

Not even a little bit?

[ As much as that sounds like a waste, she's more than a small amount familiar with how terrifying it can feel to know you're of harming others with magic, even when you don't mean to. But-- you know, that was just her experience with it, and she's not about to assume it was the same for him. Still, she hasn't got the presence of mind to hide her sympathy or her curiosity as she inquires with tilted head, ]

Weird... how?

[theprezident]

I don't know, like ... Like it's just not me.

[ A shrug. It's hard to explain. Just a sort of feeling of unease. Not to mention the idea that someone had given him that power without asking if he wanted them, whether that's actually how that worked or not, made him incredibly uncomfortable. ]

[lethechained]

[ Naminé's head angles just a tiny bit further to the side; her own magic has always been such an integral part of her that she can't claim to feel the same way. But she's got enough extra memories to draw from and a sufficiently clear perspective of others to say, ]

Oh. Like it isn't natural?

[ Which one so inclined might describe all magic as. Curling a hand against her mouth - then flinching slightly when the sting helps her remember she's got a burn on that part of her finger - she reconsiders. ]

Or... like it's not a part of you?

[ Funny, how he's been able to accept a metal arm; her eyes drift toward it a moment, thoughtful. ]

I think I can understand that. If it wasn't something that belonged to you before, I suppose it could be pretty hard to get used to.

[theprezident]

Yeah, something like that.

[ A shiver courses through him, and he wraps his arms around himself with a displeased noise. ]

Anyway, even if we can't seem to get warm, standing outside is probably still not a good idea. We should probably get inside.

[lethechained]

[ The girl gives a soft, sympathetic hum, which becomes a little breath of surprise as he shivers. She's been trembling this whole time, but the cold has become such a constant experience today that she wasn't paying it much mind; it's his discomfort that prompts her to agree, ]

Right - that'd be best. But... where should we go? My cabin is a bit of a walk.

[ Not that they can't make it, of course. ]