ph_logs | December Event - To All a Good Night

December Event - To All a Good Night

To All a Good Night

Givingstide

Winter is hard for everyone, but none more so than the residents of an island that has been isolated by the cruel hands of fate. Where the rest of the Emerald Isles is able to rely on imports from other nations in warmer places, Marrow Isle has no resources but her own. All the while, her mettle continues to be tested against the horrors brought on by the curse.

It is for this reason that among all the holidays celebrated by the Mothers' children, Givingstide is particularly beloved. A warm and cozy festival based around wishing each other prosperity and love in the new year, the lengthening of days, embracing generosity even in the lean times, and celebrating the fact that the darkest part of the year is coming to an end.

The fireplace is lit at the Oak & Iron. A wreath of pine boughs hangs over the merry blaze, paper horses and snowflakes decorate the walls, and a table in the center of the room has been done up to look like a silver sleigh. As people file in, hot food and warm drinks begin coming out of the kitchen and bar, and gifts begin piling up on the sleigh table. (Ultimately, a fair amount of them end up on the floor around it.) Everyone greets each other warmly with hearty handshakes, firm hugs, and wishes of a blessed Givingstide. Perhaps if you have a clever eye, you may even see a horned figure drinking hot cocoa in the corner harmlessly, enjoying the atmosphere of good will and keeping watch over the party to prevent any troublemakers. And for once, just once, for the first time in so long on this frightful, forsaken island, there is true peace.

[ Enter the Tavern. ]

The tavern is warm. Orange firelight flickers, as if dancing with the shadows. Decorations of shimmering silver and hunter green, the colors of Givingstide, adorn the dark wood decor of the Oak & Iron. The stucco and timber walls of the dining hall safeguard those within from the bitter wind and snow. It's no Leeds gala--- the food is simple, but it is beautifully made. Roasted chicken, potatoes, onion soup, and fresh-baked bread. Slices of pumpkin pie are passed around for dessert. Hot cider with or without alcohol, mulled wine, coffee, and spiced tea are served with the meal. It isn't glamorous, but it's made with love and tastes like coming home somehow.

As dinner carries on, music begins to be played from the tavern stage, and Mayor Poe has Yorick assist her in doling out the gifts from the table. They read the tags and summon the recipients to the table to recieve them. You can open yours right there or at your table, and decide for yourself whether you care to announce the name of the giver to the room.

Once the gifts are distributed, the partygoers are left to their own devices, allowed time to laugh with friends, dance to music, drink to their hearts' content, sneak off to while away a private moment in one of the inn's sitting rooms, or head home for an early night. Regardless of your choice, let it be with a loved one. A friend, a partner, a member of your newfound family. Blessed Givingstide, and may your lantern ever stay lit.

gifts and vouchers

Some important information regarding gift-giving and vouchers can be found below.

[ Review. ]

Gifts can be purchased using your own Brass, or via the holiday bazaar vouchers found in our December TDM. If you haven't taken the trivia quiz on the TDM, you still can! You can take it for each character or just once and give all your characters the same voucher.

For simplicity's sake for both our mods and our players, we will allow you to decide for yourselves the prices of your items so long as they are reasonable. You can use other purchase requests in the bank as a reference or simply decide on a price you believe is fair based on your experience. You do not have to list prices. We will trust you to make fair decisions! If you're still unsure how much an item ought to cost, feel free to ask us in the question thread on this post, but in the spirit of the holiday season (both real and fictional) we would rather allow your characters to get gifts for all their loved ones than worry too much about financials. Perhaps your character is simply a very good bargain hunter!

As a slight aside, we would love to thank each and every one of you for being a part of making Pumpkin Hollow amazing this year. We truly could not ask for a better group of players and are extremely grateful to have met all of you delightful, creative, talented, funny, incredible people. We hope you had a great holiday season, whatever that looks like for you, and we're so honored to greet the new year with this fantastic community!

Hand in hand, we put the darkness to our backs and step into the light. Rejoice, spring cometh.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Erik is woefully uninformed about what the college life entails. He did eventually get a degree, but he was a little old for the Greek scene on campus.

"I hope it remains sweet, because there will never come a time when I do not concern myself with your safety." Their continued trust in him is something he never wants to betray again.

He leans into their touch, feeling instantly grounded by the weight and warmth of them against his shoulder. At the same time, he's casting warry looks into the room.

"I want you in every conceivable way," he says, knowing full well that's not what they were asking. "You're... not concerned if others see?"

"I'm not too inclined to give people that kind of show, especially not for free," Chris replies with a giggle. "But if you mean... am I concerned about other people seeing you bite me, then no. I'm not worried about that at all. Seems like a silly thing, to get up in arms about a vampire biting someone willing."

Chris cuddles up a little closer to Erik. "To be clearer, my lord -- is there a place on my body where you want to bite me?"

"I never give that kind of show for free," Erik quips, falling into teasing with Chris once more like settling into his favorite armchair.

"You would think, but even in my own world some find such open displays offensive to their sensibilities." It's treated with the same level of taboo as moderately graphic public displays of affection.

"That aside, yes, there is. Do you mind having your finger pricked?"

Chris nuzzles Erik affectionately. "I'm not offended. But if anyone else around us does protest, I know you'd be polite enough to stop."

"I don't mind." Chris slips their hand into Erik's, turning it over so that both their palms face the same way. It gives Erik easy access to the softer 'inner' side of Chris's fingers. "You'll be much gentler than the practice blood draws I went through in my medical assistant training."

"Well, yes, of course. As long as they are polite with their request." He might cop an attitude if someone throws the word monster in his face.

"I've spent a long time perfecting my method," he admits, guiding Chris's middle finger to his lips as if he means to kiss it. "I used to practice on myself as well."

He takes Chris's finger between his teeth and firmly stabs his canine into the pad. Practice taught him that hesitation is what makes it worse. Blood wells and he laps at it lazily, swirling his tongue in what he hopes is a sensual feeling for Chris.

Unlike the way it works in humans, where the alcohol takes some time to get into their system, the effect on him is immediate. His face is beet red the moment he's gotten a few good drops. That's all it takes to make his head feel pleasantly fuzzy.

"Thank you," he says, releasing their finger from his mouth and moving, automatically, to puncture his own so he can heal the wound.

Chris gives a little hiss when Erik bites, then a soft sigh and more nuzzles as Erik laps up their blood.

"You're welcome," Chris murmurs. A series of soft kisses are dropped along the flushed skin of Erik's throat and face. No resistance to the steps Erik takes to heal the wound either.

The nuzzles and kisses are threatening to distract him from finishing the job, but he keeps his head just long enough to see to it their finger is healed. After that, though, he turns his attention to reciprocating with featherlight nibbles along their collarbone and up their neck, pressing his nose into their nape and inhaling their scent.

"I think I may actually be blushing," he says with a giggle. For some reason that seems very funny right now. "Do you know, I love to see you blush? It's very cute. Not that you aren't always very cute. You are. Not only. But you are."

"Oh, you're definitely blushing..." Chris says softly into Erik's ear. The mention of being cute when they blush is enough to bring a flush of pink across Chris's face. They give a little giggle of their own and kiss Erik's cheek again.

"So I'm very cute, not just when I blush. And you like me for more than being very cute?"

If he wasn't before (he was) he is now as they speak softly in his ear. Desire tingles through him and at the same time a giggle threatens to bubble up out of his throat at their kiss.

"Yes? I think that's what I said." What a way to find out your date is a cheap drunk, eh? "That's what I mean. You are a multifaceted being and I like every edge and curve."

Chris sighs happily at those attentions from Erik, and murmurs, "You're so sweet... I like you, Erik... and the more I learn, the more I like."

They stroke one hand along his side and nuzzle against his neck and shoulder.

I hope it always stays that way. That thought lurks in a dark corner of his mind, but he leaves it there unsaid. It's not fair to Chris, who has seen him at some of his worst, knows of his past, and still can take him for who he is.

"It feels good to be liked by someone as gentle as you, Chris. I have been respected, feared, reviled, and revered but... liked..." He softly shakes his head. "Not often do I feel liked. It is a treasure."

"Well, now you know you're liked, my love." Chris gives him another kiss, and then says quietly, "And I try my best to be kind... and gentle, I suppose. I think you deserve kindness, just the same as anybody else."

"My love," he repeats fondly. It sounds so sweet on their lips. Their lovely, kissable, lips. And, oh, it's like they read his thoughts because here they are kissing him again. He drinks it in, but his reciprocating is far sloppier than usual. (He at least manages to keep the fangs out of it.)

"You know what it is to not be afforded the kindness you deserve. I can tell, you try to treat the world better than it treated you. You are a beautiful soul."

Chris curls themself around Erik as much as they can, holding him close. Their voice is very soft as they say, "I don't know if anyone sees through to the real me like you do..."

It's rare, and it's precious... to see not only the kindness (the benefit one gets) but also the reason behind it (why Chris chooses kindness so often). Maybe it's because Erik was also mistreated by the world. But that perception, and Erik's own kindness, has always drawn Chris to him. It makes them feel safe and happy, to be with Erik.

"I would shine a light on it, and on you, as much as you would let me." Chris is, among other things, humble. But they deserve to be recognized. It shouldn't be rare.

Unfortunately, Erik knows from experience that just because it shouldn't be doesn't change that it is.

"May I... tell you a secret?"

Chris smiles warmly, continuing to pet one hand along Erik's side. "Always."

He snuggles in close, leaning harder on Chris than he intends to but, inebriated, it's harder to know his strength.

In their ear, he whispers, "I'm not certain I want to go home. I think I could stay here and... be happy."

Chris's face and neck flush red all over again, and they close their eyes so that Erik might not see the longing there.

"I don't know... if I want to go home either."

What about when home needs you?

Chris is not going to think about what happens when the barrier comes down, not yet. For now, nobody is going home, and they have nothing stopping them from spending time with Erik.

I'll never begrudge you happiness...

And Chris won't say anything to spoil this moment of happiness either, even if their confession is nowhere near a promise.

Erik releases a long breath (sorry, that might be loud in their ear) and smiles in a way that can only be called tragic.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one."

It isn't a promise. Not for either of them. They both know nothing is ever guaranteed in life or death. Erik was told, once, that his death might lead to a vampire civil war. The source of that information is suspect, but it weighs heavy on him. He has a territory he's supposed to be ruling. He has underlings who depend on him. It's foolish to wish to run away and live a simpler life here. And yet...

He lifts his head off their shoulder so he can look them in the face. "Let's not worry about the future. I'm very much enjoying living in this moment. Well, unliving if you want to be technical about it. But, I don't."

(Later, maybe because of this, Chris will receive a reminder that they could be recalled to their home universe at any time. The source of that information won't be trying to be cruel, even if it seems like it.)

For now, Chris smiles softly at Erik when he pulls back enough to look them in the face. They run one hand through his hair... and then giggle when he talks about being technically unliving but not wanting to dwell on it.

"All things considered, I think we're both technically unliving," Chris comments, "but whatever state we're in, my love, I enjoy spending time with you. Whether we have forever or not."

The two of them could have forever -- Chris's borrowed memories hint at that, with those alternate universe past selves not aging after a certain point -- and Chris aches to claim that with Erik... but the pair aren't worrying about the future tonight. Not tonight.

Chris leans in to kiss Erik instead.

"That just makes us evenly matched," he chuckles, closing his eyes briefly to fully enjoy the sensation of fingers through his hair. "I couldn't have said it better. I'll treasure my time with you, always. I love you, Chris."

Here in this bright and happy moment, he won't let anything spoil what they have, especially not fears for a future that is never guaranteed. If this kiss and this night is all they may ever have again, he still wouldn't regret it. Something in the back of his mind tells him he should be terrified by such a thought, but he isn't. He just isn't.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

December Event - To All a Good Night

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heading for a wrap?

yeah, i think this will be a good spot <3