Yuletide 2019

Hand outstretched, the first snowflakes of the late winter were caught between his fingertips, its pure white deeply contrasting the yellows and greens that otherwise painted the hills and valleys of Fiore. A clear shift in the season, how it had once been a foreign concept to him, and in many of the years he had observed it there had been nothing other than insanity as a lens. Yet now things had changed, at least Leo wished to believe such, as the faintest smile traced his features he did what seemed to be a tradition for all of humanity upon the first snowfall, sticking out his tongue to catch more of the precipitation before abruptly closing his mouth as Eris stared at him. "What?" he asked, turning toward her.

"Nothing," she answered with a shrug. "If winter is upon us, however, we should probably consider wandering down south a ways."

He held up a finger. "Or, there's a town not too far from here...." Leo trailed off.

"You want to stay in a town? I thought you hated them. I mean, I do."

"Just for a little while, please? There's, ah, there's something I want to show you."

"And it doesn't involve murder?"

"Promise."

A day or so later, they faced the small settlement of Aster, a sleepy town that was mainly known to passerbys as a shred of civilization in the great wilds of the kingdom. A wooden sign outlined in greenery was all that denoted the location, covered in a blanket of silver from the previous night's storm. Similar decor wreathed the buildings to follow, establishments ranging from stores and a tavern to houses and even, in the center of the town, a temple. Cloaks upturned, they drew a few glances as they proceeded to the inn, although nothing more than what was expected given their somewhat unusual appearances, him especially as Eris had slipped on the earring that concealed her more... demonic features.

"Okay, I have to ask, what's with all the decorations?"

Leo grinned, flicking a ribbon that hung below the entrance of the tavern as he opened up the door. "I think you've traveled a little too much. It's almost Yule, you know, the time when the gods linger closest to Earthland?"

She rolled her eyes, although addressed the innkeeper for a few moments. After a brief exchange of currency and a key, they headed upstairs, in which Eris immediately picked up the conversation. "You believe in all of that nonsense?"

He shrugged. "My mother did. Then again, she also married Alastair, so she might have been slightly insane. That aside, it's more about the tradition, the feasts and scaring small children with tales of spirits that snatch them up if they're naughty." With a chuckle she opened the door, a simple room with two beds revealed.

"Can't say my mother celebrated any particular holidays unless you count Lapasdeikirea, but isn't that nice," Eris said.

Throwing his bag on the mattress, Leo sat down on it, twisting a piece of straw around his finger as he let shadows consume it. "You really were robbed of your childhood," he remarked, before cracking a grin and abruptly standing. "We're going to do something fun." He strode out the door, beckoning her to follow as his pace was enthusiastically set.

"I thought I said no murder!" Eris protested.

Soon they were armed with enough garland to hang somebody, along with an assortment of bows, candles, and other festive decor. "Oh dear, it's been a while since I've done this," Leo muttered, laying some of the greenery across the windowsill. Eris watched, head tilted slightly as she fiddled with the jewelry on her ear, eventually removing it entirely. What was once concealed beneath an illusion was made carnate, the horns he knew she hated to even look at. Holding a strip of ribbon in his hand, Leo narrowed his eyes for a moment, even as she looked away. As she did so, however, he tied a little red bow on one of her spehhia, clapping his hands together once as she glared at him, then glanced at her own reflection in the window and started laughing.

"Alright, that can't be the stupidest thing that happens all day," Eris said. "I think there's one of your traditions that I remember someone telling me about, something about mistletoe?"

He was suddenly flustered, glancing down at the floor. "Um, uh, yeah, there is something about that, but I didn-" Before he could finish she kissed him, although it lasted for only an instant, a smirk accompanying her withdrawal.

"And now we're both idiots."

Reserved.

Considering Jak's profession, it would make sense that family gatherings would be... awkward.

Even not taking Jak into consideration, work was a very touchy subject amongst the Rousseau family, as over the years, they had essentially become a group of bandits for hire. And sometimes, this caused schisms within the family, when they were hired by opposing families. Of course, this was basically a given when it came to any relationship between Jak and the career criminals. It had gotten to the point that for every member of their family who supported Jak's decision, there were at least two more who viewed her as a traitor. It was only Nox's endorsement that kept them from acting out against her, directly. It still didn't keep them from being absolute dicks, however. But each year, around this time, Nox hosted a party at the manor, and the entire family was invited. And every year, Jak felt like a pariah... but she felt like ignoring Nox's invitation would feel worse. While he may have absolutely terrorized her as a child, Nox was by far one of her favorite people, and she didn't want to disappoint him. And so, each year, Jak went to the gathering and silently dealt with the cold shoulders and glowering stares.

It felt like she had only just arrived when a snide voice accosted her from behind.

"Well well well... If it isn't the Nonner, herself."

Jak gritted her teeth and balled her fists, "What do you want, Dalton?"

"Aw, can't I just say hi to my least favorite cousin?"

Jak spun around, jabbing her clawed finger at Dalton's chest. But before she could say anything against him, Dalton was gone. For a moment, the portal which had opened at his feet lingered, but before Jak could follow it closed up again, accompanied by a self-satisfied giggle. Jak sighed.

"So it begins..."

It was practically impossible for Jak to find anyone sympathetic to her amongst the rabble. For the most part, her family was being childish, incendiary, or just plain rude. She was at her wit's end when someone grabbed her from behind, locking their arms just under her chest. The snarl that escaped her lips was completely by impulse, causing the arms to quickly release their grip as Jak spun around.

"Jules!" she gasped, "I'm- I'm so sorry. I-"

Jules, Julie, that is, was one of Jak's closest friends inside the family. While many Rousseaus were the hands-on sort, using their magic to aid in their slew of robberies, break-ins and general thievery. Julie, however, spent most of her time behind a screen, providing intel for operations taking place across the galaxy from the comfort of her own home. And unlike so many of their family, Julie appeared to be entirely human, despite still having full access to the potent magicks of the Rousseau clan. She had a bemused expression on her face, not dissimilar to the one which Dalton had greeted Jak with almost an hour earlier, though much more friendly. She seemed to have come to tha party straight from "work", dressed casually in a light jacket, half-zipped over her tank top, her blonde hair tied back in a simple ponytail.

Julie stood with her arms outstretched, waiting expectantly, while Jak continued to stammer and apologize.

"Shut up and give me a hug, dummy!"

With a smile, Jak yielded. These parties could be pretty shitty... but it was the bright spots which kept her coming back.

---

EDIT: EPILOGUE~

---

Jak was surprised by the gift... She wasn't really the type to give gifts. None of the Rousseaus were, really... For the most part, they eschewed that part of the holiday tradition. But Jak and Julie were both pretty different, as far as the rest of the family was concerned... even if Julie was beloved by pretty much everyone.

"I- uh..."

"Fuck. Dude. Just open it and stop thinking so much!"

Jak chuckled, tearing away the paper. Julie was always as thoughtful as she was sarcastic. And honestly, Jak was just happy she was reigning in the snark for today. It would be pretty hard to deal with, today, of all days... and Jak was pretty sure that's exactly why Julie was on her best behavior. Instead, the teen Rousseau was waiting expectantly, a dopey smile plastered across her face. But upon seeing the confused look on Jak's face, the smile was quickly replaced by exasperation.

"It's a thermos, dummy." she explained.

"Yeah, Jules. I know that! I'm more confused as to... why? You know I don't make coffee."

"It's already full- Just... Fuck. Just drink some, ok?" she pleaded, "It's magic. It keeps coming back and it'll keep you safe."

"Just... be careful out there, ok?"

---

Taking two Hospitable Hot Cocoas.

Merry Christmas! As promised, I have gifts for everyone!

Name: Mistletoe Missiles
Class: C
Description: A set of 10 sprigs of mistletoe, their stems unusually sharp. The set is bunched together and secured with a red ribbon, tied in a little bow.
Effect: Each sprig acts as a C-class throwing knife, capable of dealing damage as such. However, upon being thrown, they take up the role of missiles, of a sort. So long as a target being aimed for has a heart, or a mimicry of one, the mistletoe will travel in that direction with a Speed and Power of 30, changing its course of flight if the target moves so long as they do not escape a range of 50 meters from the plant. The only way to truly destroy this effect is the destroy the sprig in question, or let it run its course.

Name: Hospitable Hot Chocolate
Class: C
Description: A mug of hot chocolate that always stays warm. It seems to also always have hot chocolate in it regardless of how much is consumed, although only a finite amount of cocoa can be poured at a time. Marshmallows included, of course, although oddly enough there are only ever three at maximum.
Effect: Upon consuming a marshmallow, up to 1 intense injury can be healed over the duration of a single post. After doing so, a 3 post cooldown incurs, and only as many injuries can be healed as marshmallows in the hot chocolate.

Name: Candy Cane Katana
Class: C
Description: A red and white striped candy cane, its flavor a delicious peppermint. It never seems to wear down or get sticky, no matter how much somebody licks it.
Effect: At will, the candy cane can transform into a katana of similarly themed colors, with a length of 39" and a weight of 1 kilogram. This form can last for an upwards of 3 posts, with a 3 post cooldown once it is deactivated. Alternatively, the katana can be summoned in its sheath, in which case it takes the form of a larger candy cane.

If you participated in the writing event, you get to pick two items instead of one! Entries and claims are open until December 31st, and as always feel free to rename the items if you'd like. If you already posted, you can just add your claims at the bottom of your original post, to make things easier.