XXXIV.

[hellshaped]

[Hellboy dictates idly to the journal from a little distance away; he's working on something in the background, and sounds a little distracted.]

Aside from all the magic kissing, this place likes to give people presents around Christmas, too. Which sounds a lot more ominous than it really is, come to think of it.

I didn't get anything last year, so don't be disappointed if you don't, either. Most people get cars or horses or little trinkets from home. Something like that.

If you ask me, the only thing I want for Christmas is a solid answer from this place. For once.

[And if anyone happens to be around the church in town, they'll see what he's so distracted by -- he's constructing an Advent wreath to place on the bannister. The first candle is already in, but obviously he hasn't lit it yet.

He's just happy to be keeping busy.]

[ooc. open over the journal or in person. kissmas or kiss-free tags are both ok!]

(no subject)

[ladywinter]

( Arya | Room filter )

( People who care about Arya + people Arya has bothered )

( People who know the true identitiy of 'Alayne Stone' )

It is almost a year I have been here. [And a year since she lost her Ned. She starts to say something more, maybe a little of her feelings on the matter, but she falls short.] Strange.

1/020: THIS ISN'T SANITARY. THIS ISN'T SANITARY. THIS ISN'T SANITARY.

[wheatdos]

(  Dictation to Hank Henshaw )

( Dictation to Mistress )

(  Dictation to GLaDOS )

[ACTION]

[There is a rather tall bloke hiding underneath a table somewhere in the lobby, trying his best to keep out of sight. It would have honestly worked, if he weren't terribly tall and lanky, awkward limbs trying their best to keep from spilling out from under the small table. He is curled up, journal open.

Too bad he doesn't notice the nutcracker sitting on top of the table he was hiding under.]

Sa-say, there wouldn't happen to be anyone immune to this... this... thing, would there?
Anyone? I kind of need help... and by kind of I mean really need help. In fact... I think I'm stuck.

[He's not about to be caught in the crossfires. Feel free to pass him by and smooch him up. Or ask him what he's doing! Or help him out from under the table.]

[KISSING OPEN. Anyone! Feel free to kiss him whether you know him or not. Come on, everyone knows men hiding under tables deserve a little bit of smooching!]

{ two. action and dictated }

[nihilo]

[ Alice is sitting on one of the couches at the lobby with one nutcracker on her lap, like a ventriloquist's doll.

She can't quite speak through her stomach or anything, but she does try, moving the puppet's hand to wave at passersby and making voices. ]

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Lothar.

007 Spells Cast//Dictated

[bootsweremadeforcasting]

[Jade's holding one of the odd nutcrackers and has taken up a spot outside the Castle. His glasses are perched on top of his head as he's trying to figure the little thing out.]

I've never seen one of these things before. They've been popping up all over the Castle and I've seen others avoiding them. I assume they're not entirely benign in nature?

[It's little mouth can be heard clicking up and down as Jade opens and closes it repeatedly. It's got a purpose other than making the residents skittish, but thus far, he can only gather you're supposed to put something in the mouth. There's no space for storage, after all.]

((OOC: Open to kisses and just general CR gathering! I need all the CR!!))

Station Identification Break - 525,600 minutes

[hard_talker]

[December was, so far, a surprisingly decent month for Mark. he knew, of course, that his second anniversary in Castle Wonderfuck was nigh, and he was expecting some sort of shit to go down. so when his broadcast got hijacked the night before, he'd considered it the least of his troubles and taken it in stride.

maybe that wasn't what the castle wanted, though, because as he got dressed the next morning, he woke to find that no matter which shirt he took out of the closet, it turned into something else as it touched his skin...]

Hey, uh. Anyone have experience with the whole "I'm stuck wearing stupid clothes because the Castle thought it'd be funny" problem? Because I think ... I dunno, I think it's slowly losing its mind or something. I'm stuck in ... a vaguely preppy sweater no matter what I do. Which ... makes absolutely no sense to me. I thought at the very least it'd be ugly Christmas sweaters.

[with that, he'll ... be sneaking down to the kitchen to get some breakfast. he's going to try and be stealthy and avoid getting smooched. do not let this happen, please.]

eight paintings burned (and many kisses received)

[thehangedrose]

[This is already starting to be one of the worst weeks in his life, in Garry's opinion.]

[He's been warned about what would happen by Ino, but it seems that avoiding the kissing going around is easier said than done. So many kisses he hadn't even meant to instigate...darn it, most of those people were his friends, he didn't feel that way towards them at all!]

[He opens the journal, and he can't really hide the uneasiness in his voice.]

If someone has a cure for sheer embarrassment...I think I would like to take it off your hands, if I could.

[And he shuts the journal, trying his best to keep his composure. He's trying his best to avoid people as much as he can, and is hanging out in the library, somehow stupidly sure that whatever magic is making him do this to people won't happen in a place like this. He's been noticing the nutcrackers around, but he's too frazzled to make the connection at all between his impromptu smooching and their appearance.]

[Too bad there's a nutcracker on the shelf above him where he can't see...]


[ooc: OPEN TO PLANNED AND UNPLANNED KISSES OF ALL KINDS! Make Garry's life even worse, you know you want to.]

4th Song; Dictated + Action

[rockinout]

I guess this place is okay for a laugh, huh?

[Translation: Weird kisses are weird. Has "Marshall Lee" noticed what's causing the kisses? Not yet, although once that's figured out, things are sure to get interesting. For now, though, he's actually pretty focused on the nutcrackers anyway. He's got one with a particularly long beard and a blue paintjob that he's playing with, switching between making it speak in a funny voice about princesses to just staring at it kind of sadly. He's all over the castle with it, feeling pretty chill. One weird kiss isn't enough to get worried about, right?]

(ooc| SO! Planned or unplanned kisses for "Marshall Lee" happen here, but non-kiss threads are totally fine, too! If you want to wait for girl-body Marceline, she'll be around later in the month. Or go for both, as Marshall hasn't owned up to being Marceline yet, anyway!)

☣ 04

[separateways]

[The cold doesn't keep Ada away from the shooting range. Instead of a gun, she's using a bowgun, reloading after each shot and occasionally heading over to the targets to retrieve her bolts.]

Christmas decorations, even out here.

[Nutcrackers are hideous.]

There are worse themes, but nutcrackers? A picturesque castle would have more taste, I'd think.

[[ooc: Open for kissing or just general interaction :) ]]

Eighteenth House of Westeros ♛ Filtered/ Action ♛ Kissmass

[songsandstories]

( [Lady Lucrezia] )

( [Ser Ezio] )

[Dressed in fine fur, Alayne has taken her bow out. It's been sometime since she's been out with it. She isn't all that good with it since her last instructor left the castle months ago. It's at least relaxing, to be out and focused.

She's not that far from the castle, working on her aim. Most of her arrows don't hit the tree, but she is trying.]

ooc: the latter is for anyone who does have plans, and I couldn't think of something specific. We can just say there are some nutcrackers in the tree as decoration. Or not if you don't want kisses. Opened to plan and unplanned kisses.

☇twelve.

[20thcentury]

[Jenny is standing in the lobby, cigarette in hand. She's also staring sourly at the giant Christmas tree in here, like it's a personal affront to her.

Occasionally she'll flick a cigarette at the thing before lighting up another one. It never seems to catch fire, though, which just makes her even more irritated.

She has her journal open nearby in case something interesting happens, and she turns to dictate toward it.]

Somebody tell me I'm not the only Scrooge in this place. I feel like I'm going mad with all this holiday bloody cheer. And we've still got weeks to go, sweet christ.

[She pauses to toss another cigarette at the tree.

Still nothing. Damn.]

Has anyone figured out the thing that makes everyone kiss yet? That'll be a welcome distraction, at least.

[ooc. open in person or over the journal, kissmas or general!]

sixtieth labyrinth

[lord_wizard]

[Felix walked into Chimera headquarters and smirked to himself. The castle hadn't missed decorating up here, either, and seeing that gave him a flutter of nostalgia, since it was here that he and Ashura had first kissed. Accordingly, it's the first day he's been in what might genuinely be called a good mood. Maybe that holiday 'good cheer' thing really did work.

He settles into a desk in the offices and gets to work.]

The castle certainly works quickly. I should probably be more surprised at it's abilities. Even accepting it as magic, it's...frankly amazing.

I can't help but wonder, for the rest of you, if you don't believe in magic, how do you explain this? And, if I may ask, why? I've found the reasons for not believing in magic says a lot about a particular world.

It's common in my world, but only because a good segment of the population manifests such abilities. And while we cannot exactly snap our fingers and decorate our homes, it's something the rest of the world simply accepts. I suppose it is one of the few things they do agree on.

( To magic-users and away from First-Gens, allies, and people without good intentions toward the castle residents )

( Duke )

( Thamuris )

( Crowley )

(no subject)

[secondchances]

I brushed my teeth. I even used mouthwash. I am prepared for any and all awkward that will ensue in the following month.

I'm not totally sure what's causing it, yet.

But I'm ready. Do your worst, castle.

[Steph's walking around in the city, trying to get some Christmas present ideas. And trying to not worry about kissing random people. Totally not a big deal if everyone is doing it, right? Right.

She's trying not to hurry back to the castle and to her room.]

[[ooc: Feel free to encounter her anywhere from the city to the lobby, and obviously open for kisses and whatnot :) ]]