JINGLE BELL JINGLE BELL JINGLE BELL

[mansionstaff]

Who: YOU
What: SNOW
When: DECEMBER 7th
Where: EVERYWHERE
WHAT: SNOW (BONUS TREE DECORATING)

As a quiet Saturday dawned on the school's campus, one could perhaps...feel it in the air. A creeping chill, a silent, barely-detectable indication that yes. Tonight would be the night.



By Sunday morning, the entire academy would be covered in snow.

BUT WAIT



That wasn't all--a large pine tree had made an appearance on the main quad, in desperate need of decoration.

Comments

[forgetbeam]

[Morning]
The first snow was always a beautiful sight. Especially when one woke up as early as Kiyotaka did, long before people began the hustle and bustle of their day and trampled their uneven, muddy paths through the fields of white fluff.

Of course, since winter break hadn't started, he still had to put school before pleasure. But that didn't mean he couldn't budget his time so he he left for classes a little earlier, so he could afford to take it slow and appreciate its pristine beauty. And maybe take a longer route that involved a swing by the lake. There would be no falling in this year, thank you very much.

If anyone dared to go out in the pre-dawn twilight, they may just come across one of the lone sets of footprints outside, or maybe even the guy making them.

[Evening]
Well, it wasn't evening, per say, but by the time classes were all over and done with it sure was getting dark enough to be considered as such. Winter, am I right? But even with the hustle and bustle of campus life going on as usual, there was still something kind of peaceful about the scene.

But it seemed colder now than it was in the morning. Was it just Kiyotaka feeling it? He was shivering like crazy, caught out between buildings, working up a sweat besides that. When he wasn't experiencing fever chills, he could be found getting up close and personal with some of the decorations on the tree.

A shame that poison epidemic was still going on, huh.

morning

[inspirethefire]

Regardless of weather, maintaining a morning routine was important for anyone, and Hajime kept as strictly to his as possible. It was natural, expected even, simply a matter of logic and not at all design, that his daily schedule met up with Kiyotaka's early and often.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?"

Two sets of footprints began to run alongside as Hajime caught up with his friend.

"Not something seen too often, I'm sure."

evening

[richasshole]

togami also kissed him

"Should have expected a moron like you to do a moronic thing like stay outside in this weather. You look about two seconds away from collapsing."

Byakuya had been quite scarce recently because Kiz exploded, so the sudden but familiar voice, sneer audibly present, may have cut through unexpectedly. If not slightly muffled. The heir had a scarf wrapped around neck and chin several times over, and stood a safe distance away from Kiyotaka, arms crossed, winter coat immaculate.

Evening - Kiss me with your sword.

[bloodycrow]

It was not the first winter Caim had seen. It would not be the last either. In fact, even Midgard had its days and nights of chilling snowfall. Had Caim ever truly felt cold, however? Certainly there was nothing pleasant about windchill. But at the core of things, Caim hadn't found many things to be particularly pleasant about. At least up until recent. Not to say things were more or less enjoyable than they ever had been. Only that they were more tolerable.

His class and his students made things more tolerable. For as much as he was without Ai, without his sister, and so on and so forth, he still had people there he could rely on. If and when he needed to. (So virtually never and never.) One such was Kiyotaka. Kiyotaka was a promising pupil and that made swallowing his oft overeager personality much more convenient. Had he not been in Caim's class at all, the prince of Nothing Land likely would have paid him no attention.

There was a tree. And there was a Kiyotaka. "You." For Caim was hardly any good at being a respectful kind of fellow. "Do you intend to die out here? You do not look compatible at all with this weather." If Kiyotaka's melodramatic shivering was any indication.

evening

[andthefungoeson]

What kind of loser would wake up so early on a frigging cold day? Certainly not Leon, that was for sure. During the early evening, though, Leon was definitely awake and about, throwing unwanted snowballs at almost anyone who he deemed worthy be pelted.

Which totally included loser Kiyotaka.

So a snowball flew through the air, splatting on the back of the other's head, followed by the annoying laughter from Leon.

[blueburnshotter]

[Indoors]
It wasn't that Hayato disliked winter. It was just that he noticed the cold a whole lot more than he used to. That was why he spent a good chunk of the day admiring the snow from the warmer side of a window while doing such important faculty duties as going through pamphlets for tropical getaways in the teacher's lounge, or eying the food in the cafeteria with suspicion and disdain. "Stop squandering the squad's budget on fine dining," his ass. It wasn't like they were short on funds. What even was half of that glop?

[Outdoors]
Well, he couldn't keep cooped up indoors all day. Nor did he want to. There was a big old tree that needed decorating, and Hayato did so love making things look glamourous. He didn't know who supplied the tree or the decorations, but he was going to make the most with what was provided for now. A garland here, a shiny red bulb there...

And so much sparkly tinsel.

He would cheerfully rope anyone who passed by into helping out, too. Don't you doubt his pushiness.

Indoors........

[stopstaring]

It was mostly thanks to Hayato's good care that Olivia actually felt well enough to leave her quarters. Otherwise, she would have still been holed up behind closed doors, miserable and alone. Even though she was feeling better, however, it didn't mean she was interested in rolling around in the snow.

Not to mention that she simply wasn't dressed for it.

But since Hayato had taken such good care of her when she was feeling down, she felt it pertinent to find some way to compensate. She just didn't know what he liked. Except his dog. And his hair. Probably. And unable to make a final decision that she was confident in, she'd settled for baking him... cookies. Some nice snickerdoodle cookies.

When she found him, however, she wasn't as courageous as she wanted to be. Which meant almost choking her words out of her. Even though it was just him and her in the teacher's lounge. For the time being anyway.

"Erm... Hayato?"

[andthefungoeson]

Snow! Leon always liked getting a good amount of quality snow. He didn't mind the cold, especially when there were better things to do than complain about the cold. Like snow fight.

During various times of the day, Leon would be seen outside. If not, then you would be getting a snowball pelted into your face or the back of your head, along with Leon laughing at your face from a distance.

[flamejock]

A youthful man wearing shorts and a tank top is out in the snow.

What.

What is he doing.

Why is he approaching you.

Why is he walking up to you and looking intently at your face.

Why is his hand reaching out for your chin.

[stopstaring]

She was seriously minding her own business. Really, she was. In fact, she was shivering very much so in her dancing garb (for she didn't have a lot of concept on snow wear), just trying to make it back inside.

The snowball was an unwanted companion. As was the numbing ice that lovingly embraced her.

But all she could muster to do was not trip over herself into the snow and just to give Leon a very firm look. Like he should have known not to do that. (And the chances were that he was aiming at something else and she got in the way.)

[mach_n_roll]

So what's a hedgehog with an addiction to high velocities to do with several inches of fresh powder?

Use it, of course.

The side of the snow-filled crater left by the subspace bomb makes for the perfect slope. With a slat of metal "borrowed" from the machine shop, Sonic takes a running leap and careens down the crater's face. Conservation of energy says that what goes down must come UP, and with a whoop of delight the hedgehog is launched into the air.

The courtyard is his final destination, and he bounces from conifer to conifer, doing tricks with each vault into the air, before sliding down a couple of strings of lights and up the ice-covered kraken fountain. A final air-to-fakie and he lands on his boarded feet, kicking up a wall of powder in the process.

"THAT WAS GREAT! I'm so gonna... do... uh..."

Looks like he just made a snowman out of someone with that wall of powder. Who was it? Was it YOU?

[vela_nova]

It was Blaze.

Oops.

She was just walking by when all of a sudden a hedgehog on a snowboard came from out of nowhere, covering her in the freshly fallen snow. She barely had time to let out a noise of surprise.

[inspirethefire]

Rather than acting like a normal student and going to play in the frozen wonderland, or helping decorate, or even huddling inside to keep warm, Hajime had taken it upon himself to help and shovel pathways through the snow. It was a little more mundane than his usual methods of helping out, but he realized a bit more practical for other people. There was something to be said for actually putting his full physical strength behind something, rather than just his spiritual force.

Also he probably wouldn't freeze to death this way, probably. Sudden bouts of nausea and dizziness, sure, but those passed pretty quickly, ha ha, don't mind him he's going to rest a minute.

[crystal_ballin]

Why is your roommate walking behind you while you shovel, limply carrying a shovel of his own but not really shoveling at all?

Why is he wearing about eight coats?

Why is he shuffling so listlessly?

Why is he even here?

[cottonhearted]

There was always tons to do once the snow started falling! Despite Jumpluffs being massively cold-intolerant, Alorah wouldn't possibly dream of staying shut up indoors. Whimsy had gotten the better of her, and she'd found a clear, empty spot in the campus green to start rolling up snowballs. While maybe not as instantly recognizable as a snowman, a snow Jumpluff was just as easy to make -- all you had to do was stick a bunch of snowballs together and there you were!

[magicdancer]

Shantae spent plenty of time in cold places. The tall mountains near Bandit Town, Frostbite Island... She lamented not bringing a coat those times.

Now she had the benefit of hindsight, and wore a long red coat out in the snow. When she found her roommate rolling up snowballs without a care in the world, she decided to stop by and see just what she was working on.

"Having fun there?"

[birdlady]

The concept of "seasons" was still something Melia was getting used to. On the Bionis, snow could be found in one place and one place only, whereas everything else remained green all the time. The trees losing their leaves was a sign that snow was on the way, but she was still taken aback when she saw the familiar school grounds turned into a winter wonderland. But snow was snow, and this time she could stop to enjoy it for a little while.

Out in the quad, Melia can be found building a snowman. Well, it was round and made of snow, but it wasn't exactly a man.

[heartofarapier]

For being as good with people as she was reputed to be, Eirika had failed to spend any extended time with her living companion. Mayhap that was because the moment she started getting close to any of them, they ended up getting up and leaving. First it was Lyra. And then it was Furiae. It was difficult to go back and forth, forming attachments, only to have them relentlessly pulled away. As if the world was toying with her, dangling a string, and Eirika was nothing short of a cat.

But none of that was Melia's fault.

So Eirika had tried to be more subtle and inconspicuous. Wordlessly she'd attempted to keep an eye on Melia's schedule—when she'd come in, when she'd leave, and vaguely what her interests were. All she'd really seemed to figure out was that she was a naive princess type, and not too unlike Eirika. Perhaps a little more lighthearted and eager.

While not particularly fond of the snow, Eirika was intrigued by Melia's creativity. Although to be fair, she couldn't identify the sculpture at all. (But it was still better than anything she could have done.) Finally when she felt she'd observed enough, she politely cleared her throat.

"...What is it? It looks endearing."

[zombnambulist]

It has been proven, by lots of science, and testing, and tv and movies, that snow is the best weather to have of anything ever. You could do all sorts of things in it. You could play, or fight, or make things, or destroy things, or do nothing at all an just watch it, and it would all be fun, and it would all be nice.

Snowmen were a quintessential necessity during snowfall. Already, a number had sprung up all over the campus from excited winter lovers of all ages. Some made of simple stacks of overlarge snowballs, but many with decorations of coal, twigs, or whatever other might be on hand.

Someone had decorated one snowman in particular with both a long carrot nose, and a fashionable pink scarf and knit hat. How cute. Ah, here's another one! Or... is it... the same one...? Ha ha. No, snowman don't move. And they definitely don't follow you, leaving a long trail through the snow behind them. Hmm.

[fakespeech]

Ecolo had never experienced snow to its fullest before. He's seen it, yeah, also knew how cold it was, but he never actually played around in it. The last time was when he was possessing someone's body and he was more focused on creating destruction with jellos. So he had been aimlessly wandering about in his usual shadowy blob form when he ran across an adorable snowman.

"Oh~ Hello, snow...man!" He waved at the regular one before tilting his head, confused. That was when he realized there was another one, which was moving...?

"Hello, moving snow man! Do you have anything fun to do~?" Ecolo greeted with his usual smile. "I hear throwing snow balls is fun! Is it really that fun~?"

mystical times and places

[testgasm]

There is a tiny soccer ball robot left helpless in a snowdrift, yelling something about water in his circuitry. How did he get here? Who was so cruel as to abandon him, limbless, in this snowdrift? Will you save him from his terrible fate?

[awakeningwill]

Normally things that wriggled about in the snow were akin to something like Shrimpolin, burrowing enemies that would spring up at you and hurl snowballs when your guard was down. So when Zero saw movement in the snowdrift, his battle-tested instinct told him to ready his weapon and approach with utmost caution. Who knew what kind of dangerous creatures could lurk beneath this powdery and seemingly peaceful veneer?

Carefully, he crept up to the robot soccer ball and aimed his buster gun directly at its big blue eye, anticipating the worst. Its whining was vaguely familiar but Zero couldn't allow it to distract him. It was probably capable of anything. Was it a bomb? Wordlessly, he watched it for any hint of a threat.

[raced_god]

this part is open
GUESS WHO did not check the weather before driving his car to school (hint: it is this guy). Though everything was fine when he parked in the morning, upon leaving at the end of the day, Falcon's beloved F-Zero machine is, unfortunately, covered in several inches of the white stuff.

This will not do.

He can be found in the parking lot, shoveling snow and painstakingly cleaning it off his car. Look at him. Look at this dedication.

this part is for Samus
Falcon was pretty sure there was no better place to watch snow fall than from a mile above a brightly-lit city, which explained why he and Samus were camped out on the top of Aero Dive, despite the cold. Despite the fact that they were essentially suspended above a bustling city of millions of people, the abandoned track itself was quiet, serene, and all-in-all, a perfect place for a respite.

Or a date.

It really was cold, though, which meant all the better to huddle together in blankets atop the Blue Falcon, watching the snow come down in flurries onto the metal grating of the track. Aero Dive was sentimental, a spot they visited occasionally, a reminder of one of the first nights they spent together.

If it got too cold, they could leave, of course. Falcon just had something he wanted to do, first.

[star_punched]

Oh, it was this guy. Mac has spoke to him less these days, those couple of deep conversations from the past withstanding. Mac just stayed a good student and a good football player. Just stayed a good kid, and away from trouble, or disappointment he could have from Falcon. That was a major fear.

He was out for his jog on the paved sidewalk, when he came across the not-plowed parking lot; and a sad Falcon and sad car.

He couldn't look away from a guy in need, a guy he liked in need especially. They didn't need to talk about deep things, he could just help.

If Falcon was so focused, he wouldn't notice Mac come and leave, only to come back moments later with another shovel.

Mmmmmmax is building a Snowlax

[tank_rockarms]

So, Max is out in the quad, using up All Of The Snow to roll up a snowball that appears to be about 6-feet in diameter. He's stripped down to his tank top and cargo pants, with a cloud of steam rolling off his shoulders.

That snowball probably weighs something like 2 tons. And he's pushing it by himself.

But he looks to be near completion. Maybe. Maybe you can help.

[pinkgingham]

In the middle of the morning, Sable emerged from her office and adventured outside to admire the snow. She always loved this time of year - she could drink as much decaf coffee as she wanted to warm her up and making sweaters was always fun to do.

Nursing a thermos of coffee, she wiped off some snow from a bench and took a seat to take in the scenery. Yes, the bench was very cold and very wet, but that was okay. While she was essentially in the zone, you can still talk to her!

[liberatedempath]

Voile was decked out for the season, scarf, endearing quality of garb, and a sophisticated prima dona sort of class about herself. If there was one thing about her, it was that she was unforgettable and she made sure of that with the way she carried her posture. A lot of the rigid composure faded, however, when she spied Sable. If ever there were troubling times and occasions, Sable had a way of making things better.

Kind of like a mother. And somewhere beneath Voile's looming madness, there still remained a pang of longing and desire. A need for a mother's praise to her daughter. Even when they weren't truly mother and daughter at all.

Without asking for permission, she used a bare hand, pale as it was, to push aside some of the snow, and she sat beside the home econ teacher, who was responsible for so much of Voile's success in the academy. "Are you enjoying the scenery?" she asked with a surprising amount of tenderness that she hadn't really shown to many.

[liberatedempath]

It certainly was beautiful.

The first snow in the academy always had been. It was utterly captivating the first time Voile rested deep red eyes on it. There was still a reasonable amount of idle fascination, but time had a way of causing things to wane. Perhaps she took it for granted. Witnessing it twice was enough for her mind to automatically assume that around the same time each year, snow would return. Days would grow longer and colder. She would be forced to bundle up in garb that was probably too sophisticated for a mere student. And she would later cocoon herself in fleece blankets to sprout into a proverbial butterfly come springtime.

Snow flurries continued and she stood out in it, looking at everything and nothing. Plenty on her mind. She listened to the best of her ability. Felt even more if she could manage it. Pried into the sentiments and unlocked mentalities of those who passed by around her. It was like standing in an ocean and for once rather than feeling utterly overwhelmed, she only felt out what was and wasn't beneficial to her.

Which meant that Voile was silently up to no good, but nothing about her even outwardly implied it. She seemed simply content to let cold breezes whip about loose green hair across her face, around her neck, and every which way.

[thelittlestsparky]

Snow was finally falling, and that meant it was time once again to build the biggest snow fort ever! Even Watt wasn't sure how long she was out in the cold - her fingers were frozen and her nose was bright red but she showed no signs of stopping.

She was making some pretty good process as well! She was starting on her fourth layer of snow bricks. Even though she was hard at work, that didn't mean that she didn't have time to chat! Heck, some more help would be fantastic too!

night timeeee

[rivalkidneypunch]

Getting a Charizard to sit still was like herding cats, sickness or not. Logically, Char knew he should probably stay put in bed until he was feeling better, but outside just seemed so much better to him. No worries that his tail would belch out enough smoke to set off any fire alarms, for one thing.

For another, it was cold outside. Fire-types generally didn't have much concept of "too warm," but Fire-types generally didn't get feverish like this, either. So after too much time sweating and shaking and kicking the blankets off and not being able to sleep, Char had given in and crept out to the great outdoors.

Once he'd dragged himself outside, he bellyflopped down onto a snowbank, sighing at the blissful shock of cold against his underbelly.

[rivalsolarbeam]

Herding a bunch of cats was exhausting, honestly. Especially when the cats were really just dogs that were paralyzing everyone, trainers shouting rollout at odd hours of the day, and Charizards confined to bed. Whether they were together or apart didn't seem to make it easier, but at least most of them tended to stay in one spot. Generally. That wasn't really the cat way, tho. Leave it to the one with wings to take metaphorical flight.

Bulba had just been making another quick round of checks before he tried to get a bit of sleep himself, and had despaired when the only person waiting for him in Char's stead was Rasputin. Any other time he might not have worried quite so much, but...

Several sweaters later and with a flashlight in hand, the den mom was on the case.

[rivalairslash]

Flying types never did well with certain weathers.

If you're an early riser, you would probably catch Pidge staring in horror out the window and at the white scenery called "hell" for the poor flying type in the morning. Pidge had been trying to prepare his mentality for it, but it's another thing when you actually face it in person...

Later in the day, when he's forced to be out and about, you would see him with various layers of sweaters, a scarf, and gloves as he grumbles endlessly under his breath.

By evening, though, he's completely given up and is parked in front of heaters and/or in his room wrapped up in blankets.

[flowerofmtsilver]

Ah, a fellow Ice-vulnerable Pokemon. Unlike the Bird Pokemon, however, the icy hellscape was actually quite nostalgic for him. He saw the snow as a challenge - an element to be endured. After all, winter was an integral part of nature's cycle. He could either try to deny it, or let it make him stronger.

So he wasn't packing nearly as many layers as Pidge. Just a thick, pink hoodie and some long sleeves underneath. Notably, he wasn't wearing a sweater. Despite the fact that Bulba had got him an ugly sweater for this year, to include him on the annual team tradition. Being ever the responsible one (sort of), Pidge may have been aware of such arrangements.

The team-less Saur had just been in the kitchen making some (vegan) hot cocoa when he ran into the Pidgeot - and he couldn't help but stare. Those were enough sweater layers to rival Green's starter. "You're starting t'look like Bulba," muttered the Venusaur as he took a sip of his cocoa, about to continue on his way.

shovel da snow

[planking]

Snow day! What a great time to forget all your troubles, go outside, and have fun! Unless you're Flint, because somebody's gotta shovel these sidewalks.

Starting early in the morning and throughout the day, the cowboy can be found throughout campus, clearing the walkways and sprinkling salt behind him. Boney is always nearby, having enough fun for the both of them.

he's in trouble

[mohawk_tomahawk]

Morning (Eirika):

Connor left his dorm, after spending days unbelievably ill. Vomiting, fever, and he was sure he was out of his flipping mind. It was all fuzzy at first, for the first few moments, he didn't feel like he was attached to this level of reality. Then when he "woke" up, it was like he missed out on time. He would've looked at the calender to notice the time that has passed.

The things he could've said or done, he thought with horror.

He didn't trust himself that he truly just laid in this bed and slept for a few days. (Not to mention; he thought about the state of the school's cleanliness since he was so sick.)

The light-headed feeling made him sure that he was delirious for at least a little while. He felt weaker, and hungry, and suspected he probably hadn't had far too much solid food for a few days. Maybe he lost a little weight.

It took a while to collect himself, and then he nearly mentally pinched himself.

Eirika, he was sure he did something. He could feel it. He could tend to himself later, he had to find her. He threw on his robes and left the dorm, and he saw all that snow. How familiar. He ran through the snow, with one person in mind.

The rest of the day, A.E. - After Eirika:

He was either in the woods hunting, or really just around the grounds. He wasn't having a good day. Talk to him anyway.

boop boop - Morning

[heartofarapier]

Done something, indeed. Well, half done, and mostly said. Or maybe it was mostly everything done. Eirika didn't know anymore and after her talk with Gordon, she felt even more perplexed. Her days had been spent with her still reeling. It was too much information all at once and she still hadn't even spoken with Connor about the simple dinner invitation. Something that seemed trivial, but likely wasn't trivial at all.

And when she'd told Gordon what Connor had told her—about herself—he hadn't seemed surprised at all. Had he already known? Had Connor even spoken to his own mother before her? There were so many questions she had, and so many answers she didn't want to hear. She just wanted to live in denial, if she could. In comparison, it almost seemed like saving Lyon would be an easier feat than trying to confront Connor about anything.

Yet she couldn't act like he hadn't. She'd tried to, but with how she shied away from him at any point after and how she'd withdrawn into her own thoughts, it was impossible to pretend nothing happened. But it didn't mean she was going to talk with him. Because she had that suspicion that what he said was true. It made a lot of sense, after all. Training. Taking his land back from the colonials. That Achilles he spoke of. The ship he sailed on. His adventures.

Connor was nothing short of a mercenary. Lower than a commoner, almost. A distrustful sellsword. A man who made a reputation on killing and slaughter. And when she thought about it like that, it made her insides twist up.

And briefly, keeping Melia company had warded against that. But the moment she was left to her own devices in the snow, she was back in thought. Yet she was dressed for the season, hair pulled up, and she stood out against the white snow, even when she hadn't surrounded herself with people.