nexus_crossings | Ho Ho Ho! Happy HP Holidays!

Ho Ho Ho! Happy HP Holidays!

There is something different about the Nexus this Christmas season. There is a light snow falling over the entire Nexus plaza. The snow is gentle, with no real coldness to the falling snow flakes. As one approaches the main gathering area, they will notice that there are many Christmas decorations, including garland hanging from the air, and there are twelve towering decorated Christmas trees, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles. There are also thousands of floating tiny candles in the Nexus plaza, that gently move at their own discretion.

In one corner, there is an orchestra, directed by a Dwarf. All of the musicians are playing music on instruments made from ice. In the center of the Nexus plaza, is a huge banquet table, loaded with holiday foods and treats that showcases a variety of food from different cultures, and some of the different worlds that gather into the Nexus itself. The main delight of the banquet table is that magic can make the food replenish itself, meaning Christmas dinner never has to end. Most will be able to find something they would enjoy. With the added perk that the food is LOL-free.

There are some added little Christmas adventures, for those who get caught up in the holidays. Here are some of the extra options for the Holiday season.

Secret Santa!
There is an added bonus to the Secret Santa gifts this year. The presents will deliver themselves! There are tons of wrapped gifts floating through the air, destined to only drop when they reach the person to which they are intended. Please note that not all gifts will be given in the spirit of the season. There are a few prank gifts floating around too. Be sure to watch out for them!

Christmas Crackers!
There are Christmas crackers scattered among the tables, and in amongst the branches of the trees. They are decorated with festive paper that is twisted at either end like a sweet wrapper. Inside of the tube are prizes, and some contain Muggle prizes such as a paper hat, a plastic toy, and a slip of paper with a joke printed on it. But the rare person will receive a unique, peculiar magical prize, and will envelop everyone nearby in a cloud of blue smoke.

Weasley Sweaters!
Time to try your luck at the Christmas Sweater bin. There is a large rotating clothing rack that seems to have an endless supply of them. Each one more Festive than the last! Pick one and show your Christmas spirit for the rest of the day.

Enchanted Mistletoe!
Be warned Nexus traveler, the Nargles** have hung enchanted Mistletoe all around the plaza. If an unlucky person steps underneath the Mistletoe, they will find that they are magically stuck to the spot, until they can find someone to kiss them. Of course, the kiss can be platonic, familial, or even romantic. For a few unfortunate people, the kiss may be the last thing they would want to do... but it is that or be stuck in the same spot for the rest of the season.

**Nargle Wiki
[Click Here for information on the HP Holiday Event!]
[Your character is free to give other Christmas gifts to people they care about -- HOWEVER, please do not deliver your Secret Santa gift. That will be handled by the Secret Santa moderator. Please post details on your Secret Santa gift in this post please.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Not magic. But my friend has a special connection to plants. So she used her special abilities to make them last for a long time."

Harley grins as she watches the K'da catch a snowflake with his tongue. It seems like a fun idea. So she tries to catch a few snowflakes herself.

It's more difficult than it seems, but Faris is fairly certain he manages to catch at least one. No taste, no coldness, simply vanishing into seemingly nothing. How strange.

"The Nexus contains infinite wonders," he responds, after a moment to consider if such an ability would not be magic. Perhaps it depends on how well one understands the science behind it?

In any case, Harley has collected more than enough food for the K'da to begin feasting, and he looks around for a good seat. There is a table with benches wide enough for him to stretch out on, and he tips his head in that direction. "If you would place the food down over here, it would be appreciated."

Harley heads towards the table he spotted, and placed the plates down. She even made up a third plate for herself. Mostly fruits and sweets.

"Can I join you?"

"Of course." Faris absolutely does not mind. She has done him a favor, and as a social creature, the K'da welcomes the chance to continue their conversation.

He hops up on the bench seat, positioning his tail out of the way so that passersby will not step on it.

"So Faris..." Harley pops a grape in her mouth. "Tell me a little about yourself."

That is quite a broad request for information, so Faris decides to begin with the basics. "I am a poet-warrior of the K'da, symbiont with Chanath of the Shontine. We are part of the scouting force sent from the Tearsinger."

"A symbiont? Wow. That is so cool." Harley smiles again.

"So does that mean you are scouting the Nexus? Are you looking for a new home? Because that is what I am doing too!"

"It was not my intention," Faris admits, in between bites of food, sampling the unfamiliar items on the plate. "But yes, in a way. I am currently negotiating access to a colony world in the United Federation of Planets. This would mean bringing the entire fleet through the Nexus, and ensuring sufficient support waits us on the other side, so it is taking a good deal of time." He is a patient K'da, though. They have already been fleeing from the Valahgua for generations. A few months should make little difference.

"That sounds like a big project." Harley whistles softly.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I do not know of anything at the moment," he answers apologetically. She does seem quite considerate, and he would not turn down additional help if it was available.

"It is very complex. There are many difficulties still to overcome, and my people are not all united in agreement whether to accept this relocation or continue seeking in our own universe. We will come to an agreement in time."

"Well, if your people ever need to hear from someone else how nice it can be to feel safe and secure... I could maybe talk to them."

"The Nexus is so much better than where I used to be from..."

Ah, another person who has left their original home behind. Whether by choice or by necessity, he has met others here before. "Do you want to speak of your old home?" he asks politely.

"Oh..."

"I come from a very... crime-orienteered world. Where there are more people thieving and stealing, than doing any good. And I caught up with those kind of criminals, unfortunately."

Harley paused for a second. "I was in a place called Arkham Asylum, where they keep those they believe can not change their ways. I was put on a special Task Force, where I got a chance to help others. And that feeling sort of stuck with me. Even when people didn't realize we were helping..."

"And now I am here. Looking for a new start. A new path. A new life."

Though Faris knows that not all people follow the path of honor and justice, lawlessness on that kind of scale is drastic indeed. And this Arkham Asylum place does not sound effective or pleasant. Is prison not meant to rehabilitate?

"They were wrong about you." How many others might also be unfairly imprisoned? "It is good that you have this chance."

"Thanks!" Harley beams at him.

"I have enjoyed the opportunity of getting to meet new people. It is just fantastic to know that there are people who are willing to give a gal a second chance."

Faris dips his head slightly in agreement, tail swishing back and forth. "No one is without flaws or fault. All should be given the opportunity to make right what they have done wrong, and to seek the correct path."

Harley dips one of her strawberries in some icing from a cake, and licks the icing off. Thinking for a moment.

"So is your partner here? Chanath?"

"Not at the moment," Faris answers, though as always, he thinks fondly of his beloved host as he speaks of her. "She may attend later. I have told her where to find me, and assured her that I will return before our time to reunite is past. She may yet decide to see what the Nexus is like."

"That must be a very special relationship." Harley smiles. "You likely know her better than anyone else in the world. And vice versa."

"We do," Faris agrees, pleased that she understands this. "We have been together since I reached adulthood. The bond between K'da and host is a close one, closer than between K'da mates."

He tilts his head slightly, curious. "Do you have a mate?" That's something he's noticed that others ask, so he must follow the local customs if he want to be polite.

"It must be difficult to really explain how close that bond is... to someone who is not a symbiont and would not understand."

Harley twists a strand of her hair at his next question. She thinks for a moment. And then shakes her head. "No. I have never been that lucky to find someone who understands me that completely."

"Just unfortunate and a bad relationship with a bad person."

Faris' long ears lay back a little. "My sympathies." Whether or not humans require the same kind of companionship as K'da, it sounds to him as though she did attempt to find a lifemate and found only trouble.

"That is one of the reasons I am so happy to be in the Nexus now. So many new opportunities. One never knows what will happen..." She grins.

"This is a place of endless doors to be opened," Faris agrees, enjoying both the metaphorical and literal meaning of the word. "I am glad to have found this place."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ho Ho Ho! Happy HP Holidays!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject