Ho Ho Ho! Happy HP Holidays!

[mudblood_andproud]

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.]

Comments

[rogueinladysclothing]

She shivers at the tapping on her shoulders and rolls them a little. It's an... odd sensation, to put it lightly. No time to focus on it when they need to get unstuck, though.

"Enchanted?" Of course it is. The Nexus loves its tricks. "Do you think I could free us if I set it on fire?"

She's not great with her magic, but maybe it's worth a try? She has no idea how the spell works and while she's been taught about "spreading the love and joy" of the holiday by kissing under the mistletoe, she's the last person to ever suggest something like that.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Ohhhh don't do that!" Harley gets a panicked look in her eye. Red would never let her hear the end of it, if she found out she helped destroy a plant. Even one that is enchanted.

"Maybe all we have to do is follow the tradition of mistletoe... you know... kissing underneath it?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

The first comment deflates Amelia's mood a bit, but that doesn't have a chance to stick when Harley suggests the next natural idea.

"K-kiss?" Her cheeks flush a deep pink. Wow her corset feels uncomfortably tight all of a sudden. "I-I mean, I could kiss your hand and that... that would be enough, right?"

Please let that be enough. Dreams let that be enough so this can stop being awkward right now.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Don't think so Amelia... a kiss on the hand usually doesn't count as a real kiss." And there is more giggling.

Harley waves her hand in a gesture. "See? Someone is obviously waiting for us to just do it..."

"I will be gentle."

[rogueinladysclothing]

That giggling is not making this any less awkward for Amelia.

"I-it's not that I don't think you won't be," she stammers, her cheeks flushing even more as she draws her hands back to wrap her arms around herself. Her eyes follow suit, and she finds herself staring at the ornaments in Harley's skirt to give herself a few more second to think. "I've only... I-I mean I have... twice... but..."

Dreams that panic rising in her is making it hard to breathe.

"I'm sure I'm bad at it and I don't want something bad to happen to you because we kiss." If her experience has taught her anything, it's that Amelia's a magnet for bad things. The first man she kissed is now trapped away from her on her world and the other... well, that ended even worse.

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley moves her hands, so they rest at her side. She doesn't want Amelia to have more to overthink about. And she listens.

"Twice?" She blinks at that. Amelia is a very attractive woman. It really doesn't make sense to her. Must be the culture difference. And she is trying really hard to respect that.

"Amelia... I am tough as nails. You kissing me ain't going to make something bad happen to me. And if it does, I can handle it."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Relationships in general are hard for Amelia, so the fact that she's even made it to the point of kissing the men she had feelings for is amazing. Friendships are hard, but feeling enough for someone to kiss them? It requires a level of connection and feelings that's difficult for her to reach.

"Yes, but..." She grips her arms tightly. "I've never kissed anyone I didn't... love."

That's a hell of a confession to drop on anyone, but there doesn't seem to be much of a choice here. If they're going to get unstuck, then they're going to have to do this. Somehow. No matter how much Amelia's shaking out of anxiety right now.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Oh...."

Harley frowns slightly. She has to approach this situation carefully. She studies Amelia for a second or two. Then smiles, that soft smile she has.

"Amelia. I love our friendship. And I love hanging out with you. But I just would rather we have control over our time together. And not be stuck in a little... five-by-five zone."

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. But it is our way out."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Harley uses the word 'love' in a casual way that Amelia doesn't fully understand, but it's not lost on her that she's been called a friend. It's such a rare gift to her and she finds herself grateful to be stuck in this awkward situation with someone who wants to call her their friend.

Slowly, she looks up to meet her friend's gaze. A timid smile pulls across her lips and she offers her hands to the other woman.

"I trust you." It's as powerful as telling someone she loves them, but Amelia means it without hesitation. Harley has shown herself to be someone Amelia can relate to and who keeps her boundaries in mind. That's more than enough reason to trust this strange, remarkable woman she's stuck under the mistletoe with. "Let's do this."

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley gives Amelia another bright smile. She gently squeezes Amelia's hands.

"I am going to touch your face now..." She prepares the other woman. And frees one of her hands, so that she could gently place her hand on Amelia's jawline. And uses her thumb to gently tilt the other woman's face just slightly.

Then she leans in and places a soft, gentle, tender and affectionate kiss on Amelia's lips. If one thing is obvious... Harley has kissed way more than two people. She knows just how to make the kiss a good one, while keeping the pressure soft enough not to frighten Amelia.

[rogueinladysclothing]

Is it normal for one's eyes to fall closed like this when touched like this? Or when kissing? Because Amelia can't seem to keep them open despite her best efforts. Her breathing is soft and fast as Harley moves closer and tips her face, but her breath catches in her chest when their lips come together.

Are... kisses normally this warm? The two times she's tried this before have nothing on this one. The expertise Harley brings to this goes unnoticed, but the effects don't. Amelia unconsciously leans into the other woman a little bit, stumbling into her for a second kiss when their feet are released from whatever spell was keeping them in place.

"Dreams!" The rogue unconsciously grabs holds of Harley's waist to help stabilize them both and keep them from falling over. When they're both upright again, she blushes brightly as she meets her friend's gaze.

"That..." There's words somewhere in her mind that would be perfect for this, but they're a little lost right now. "I... didn't expect...." Come on, Amelia. One more try. "...wow."

She's never going to hear the end of this reaction to the kiss, is she?

[sweetcandygirl]

When Amelia leans into her, Harley places her other hand around her waist, to provide her a little support. And when she stumbled into a second kiss, Harley returns it, just as soft as the first, but a little more passionate as is her nature in most things in life.

It does not take her long to realize that they can move again.

She laughs, softly, when Amelia blushes deeply. "It worked."

And she isn't moving away. But won't hold Amelia if that is what the rogue needs to do right now.

[rogueinladysclothing]

Moving away would be the right thing to do now, but Amelia's still a little dazed. This is definitely not what she was expecting to happen when she came to the party. She's going to hold here for a little longer. Just to catch her breath. And slow her heartbeat. And...

Dreams those kisses are distracting.

"Y-yeah. I guess we can." She draws a deep breath and draws herself to her full height, still a little shaky as she tries to get control of herself. "Sorry for almost knocking you over. I didn't think it would happen that fast."

[sweetcandygirl]

"How about we move away from the mistletoe... just in case?" Harley nods her head towards a nearby table, and chairs. Where they could sit.

[rogueinladysclothing]

Sitting is good. Amelia nods and slowly pulls back so they can make their way over to the nearest table. She exhales a silent sigh as she sits down, and looks over at Harley with a shy smile.

"I never expected something like this from a party. You're..." She hesitates for a moment. Words are going to be hard all night for her, aren't they? "You're very kind for being so gentle with me." And an amazing kisser, but how does she say that without sounding more awkward than she already does?

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley is watching Amelia carefully. Treading on those eggshells, just in case the other woman starts to show signs of stress.

But the compliment gets a smile out of her. "You said you only kissed someone twice before. I didn't want to be... too passionate with you."

[rogueinladysclothing]

It's not stress so much as being overwhelmed. She's kissed people before, but they never kissed her back.

"Passionate?" The answer surprises the rogue a little. "I don't understand what you mean. There are different ways of kissing, true, but how can one be more passionate than another?" Oh how many things she still has yet to learn.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Oh Amelia..." Harley laughs softly. Where does she begin to explain. She is not sure she is the best person to even start this conversation.

"I am a very passionate person. And our kiss... was me holding back expressing any of that passion."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Amelia's a passionate person, too, but she's also a very inexperienced one when it comes to any kind of physical contact. She wishes Harley would explain more of what she means, because she wants to understand.

"I didn't... do anything wrong, did I? To make you hold back like that?" Self conscious and critical so she is, this is an important thing for her to ask.

[sweetcandygirl]

"Oh no Amelia... you didn't do anything wrong. Promise."

Harley plays with her hair for a moment. "I just didn't want to accidentally upset you, Amelia. Your friendship means the world to me."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"Oh."

For a moment, Amelia's not sure how to respond to that. It's not often people call her their friend or talk about their appreciation of her and their friendship. This all new territory for her and yes but exciting and terrifying.

"Thank you," she says softly, looking down at her feet, her cheeks flushing again. "That... that means a lot to me, that you think so highly of me." A beat as a slow, shy smile touches her lips. "I value you, too."

[sweetcandygirl]

Harley reaches out to take Amelia's hand in her own. And smiles softly.

"I am glad to hear that. I look forward to our time together."

[rogueinladysclothing]

She jumps at the touch to her hand. She doesn't need comfort right now, so why does Harley want to hold it? Nothing about this makes sense in her mind, but it feels... good, and Harley's hand is warm even through her glove. To her own surprise, she doesn't want her hand back right now.

So when Harley smiles at her, Amelia can't help the way her own brightens.

"Me too." She takes a breath, needing it more than she realized a moment ago. "Maybe after the new year comes we can start our training routine? Unless you still need to find a place to live. We could start with that, instead."

[sweetcandygirl]

"Steve offered to give me a tour of the Nexus apartment he is currently renting. He is looking for a bigger place. And it might work out that I could live there..."

"It is close by. And we can visit often."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"It's a very cozy space. Lots of light and easy to warm or cool depending on the time of year." She's certainly been over there enough to know.

The idea that they could see one another often is one Amelia likes a lot, though. Her fingers unconsciously tighten around Harley's and her smile pulls a little wider. "My room's not really built for visiting, but I'd be happy to host you sometime if you'd like. Or I could come visit you. Steve's place is the perfect size for two people to spend a day visiting in."