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.]

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She's not bothering to hide her blush, and there's a tiny smile that always seems to go with it, at least when Caspar is the cause. Maybe it is safe to ask! Although by the time she has the snowglobe back in her bag, the moment seems to have passed.

"No note?" Hmm. That is something of a clue in and of itself. "Oh, I don't know if it'd be cheating... maybe not very sporting, but it's such a thoughtful gift... I think they'd like to know how much you appreciate it."

Caspar doesn't appear to agree, but he sips his cider again and keeps his mouth shut. That expensive switchblade is burning a hole in his pocket, but like hell is he going to thank the person he thinks is his Secret Santa.

"I must consider it, then," Faris says, giving her a K'da smile. He would not want to sour the ritual gift-giving by behaving inappropriately, but the knitted paw coverings are both comfortable and thoughtful. Perhaps if an opportunity makes itself known, such acknowledgment would be the correct thing to do?

Speaking of opportunities, there is a sharp scent of peppermint that has been teasing his attention throughout the conversation. Now that the eggnog has been thoroughly sampled, another treat remains, and Faris crunches down on the hook-shaped sweet, freed from its crinkly plastic wrapper. The pungent flavor is as he expected, but there is an odd sensation on his tongue as he chews. "It is cold," he exclaims in surprise.

"Good luck," she says encouragingly. "If it makes you feel any better, the person I got a gift for hasn't guessed me yet."

"Mine, either," Caspar adds. Not that he cares or anything.

The alien's reaction to the candy cane makes Adia giggle. "It's the menthol. It tricks the nerves in your mouth into thinking it's cold. It's why mint is such a good breath freshener." This seems to remind her of her own candy cane, which she pulls out from her hot chocolate. The end has melted off some of its red stripe; carefully, she sticks it in her mouth to avoid dripping anything onto her sweater.

"S'good in the hot chocolate," she says around the candy in her mouth, sucking at it rather than biting. Caspar watches her with an unreadable expression. Now it's him who's gained a little color in his face. He coughs and drains the rest of his cider.

"Is it good in eggnog?" Faris wonders. Perhaps it is time for an experiment.

Oh, that is interesting. Caspar has changed colors also, though not as brightly as Adia Costas had. Perhaps this is a second opportunity to ask. "Why do only your faces change color?" he asks, somewhat innocently.

Based on the way Adia wrinkles her nose and pulls the candy cane out of her mouth, the answer to that is 'no', at least in her opinion. But she'll let Faris decide for himself. Caspar told her that he likes motor oil, so she's not about to assume what sorts of flavor combinations he would enjoy.

Still. Mint in eggnog. Ew. Caspar seems to agree, but before he can say anything on the matter, he's being asked about his face changing color. "Excuse me?" He seems confused more than anything.

Adia peers at him. "Oh." She smiles softly and lightly brushes one of Caspar's cheeks with her fingertips. "He means your blush."

As if on cue, Caspar's blush magnifies. "What? No. I'm not blushing."

"We do it when we're feeling self-conscious or embarrassed," she explains to Faris. "It's the blood rushing to the surface of our skin. A blush can sometimes go all the way down to one's chest. It depends on a lot of factors." She looks back at Caspar curiously; she doesn't say it out loud, but it's obvious she's wondering what had him feeling self-conscious earlier.

Frowning, Caspar leans in and whispers something into Adia's ear. And look at that, another blush, right on cue. "Naughty," she tells him, sticking the candy cane into his mouth, which he accepts without complaint. "Our skin also flushes when we're over-heated, or angry, or are physically attracted to someone. But technically that's not blushing."

"So technically I wasn't blushing," Caspar says around his candy. "What about you, Faris? Do you change colors?"

How odd. Why would a candy cane in one sweet drink be acceptable, yet another is not? Perhaps it is the temperature? But the candy cane tastes cold, and humans seem to put frozen water in their cold beverages also. It makes no sense to Faris, and when he dips the sweet into his own drink and crunches down on it, it tastes strange but delicious.

Humans do not know what they are missing, it seems.

His ears twitch forward only momentarily when Caspar leans in to whisper to Adia Costas. It would not be polite to listen, he feels, as it is clearly not a message intended for the K'da to hear. Instead, he waits patiently until he is being spoken to again, and listens attentively to her explanation, and Caspar's following question. "Oh, yes. Our scales darken with blood when we are stressed also, or preparing for combat. It is the only time that every K'da may share the same colors as a species. A team of K'da in battle-black is a sight to behold."

"Let me guess, you think that tastes good," Caspar says dryly, although there's a hint of smile on his face. He's quick to get used to this alien's quirks. Just don't let him find out that Faris could have easily overheard his whisper to Adia. There'd be way more blushing. But, at least for now, both Cylon and human have gone back to their natural colors.

That's an impressive mental image, and Caspar nods in approval. "Is it a conscious change?" Adia asks. "Blushes are involuntary, for us. There's a long history of humans using warpaint to look more intimidating, though."

In reply, Faris dips the candy cane in the eggnog yet again, coating it in the sticky beverage before biting into the candy yet again. "I would recommend it. One cannot know if a thing is good if it is never attempted, yes?"

She sounds so interested, so it is unfortunate that he cannot demonstrate. "No, it is instinctual behavior for K'da also. In the absence of fear or anger, we cannot cause it to happen." He tilts his head to the side, curious. There was much paint used at the Halloween gathering, but that had been a single event. For daily use, he has noticed a common factor in some Nexus patrons, perhaps even Adia Costas herself, though it is difficult for him to tell. "Is this warpaint the reason why some human females enjoy painting their faces and claws?"

"I can imagine how that tastes without trying it," Caspar counters. "I'll take a pass on it, thanks." He already doesn't like eggnog, minty eggnog sounds like a gustatory nightmare.

So it is similar to blushing. She's about to ask more about it, when his question on face and nail paint derails her thoughts. As does Caspar's amused chuckle. "It's not for war," he explains, "Although you could say it's for hunting."

"Caspar." There's that blush again. She does, in fact, have on a little make-up, although it's on the subtle end of what Faris might have seen on the human females out and about in the Nexus. "People wear make-up for all sorts of reasons. Some people do it for fun, others are trying to hide acne or scars. Make-up can make you look healthier or younger than you really are, so some people use it for that, too." She glances at Caspar, who is still smirking proudly over his joke. "And I guess for some of those reasons, it helps you look better to a potential partner."

This seems to clue the Cylon in, and he looks at Adia apologetically. "I was talking about my sisters," he clarifies. "You're beautiful no matter what."

Faris listens closely to her explanation of human painting rituals. So many reasons to decorate oneself, from attracting a mate to simple personal enjoyment. It is a source of endless fascination to him to learn about the complex social habits of the human species, in many ways so similar to his own peoples, or occasionally so different that it is surprising to learn. "Do male humans not also wish for these things? I have not seen many with the same decorations."

"It depends on the culture," Adia says with a shrug. "A lot of times guys will wear make-up for photographs or if they're going to be filmed. But it's usually not as colorful or obvious. Which is weird, because a lot of times it's men courting the women, and in other species you'll see males use natural color to attract a mate, so..."

She trails off, glancing at Caspar's blue suit. And suppresses a smile. "Would you ever wear make-up?" she asks her boyfriend without any sort of judgement.

Caspar shrugs and rubs his jaw. "I wouldn't say no to good bronzer."

"He spends more time getting ready than me," she tells Faris, much to Caspar's chagrin. "Even including when I put on make-up. What about K'da, though? Do you ever do anything to alter your appearance?"

"We do not," Faris answers, somewhat regretful that this is not a thing to which he can easily relate. For all its social aspects, the human ritual of self-painting is a fascinating one indeed. "Any materials that are not part of our bodies are removed when joining with a host, so it is not practical for K'da. Some Shontine do," he adds, finishing off his candy cane with a crunch. "Those who are not hosts sometimes tattoo themselves, or wear decorative jewelry. It is a matter of personal preference for both males and females."

She's not surprised by his answer. A species that loses all adornment when switching forms would find make-up rather pointless. "We do that, too," she says, holding a hand behind one of her ears to show the delicate silver icicle earring hanging from its lobe. "Tattoos and piercings are culturally dependent where I'm from. Tattoos usually have a lot of meaning, because they're permanent."

Caspar sips his cider, remaining conspicuously silent on the matter. He would very much like to get a tattoo, specifically of Adia's name, but he suspects it's too early in their relationship to do that. It's all right; he can wait until he has her approval.

That gets a chuckle from him, the odd splashing sound of rain in a puddle. "Yes, for those markings that cannot come and go as they wish, it would be an important decision indeed." His temporary host had many, but it was not his decision, so Faris knows that he cannot take Hunter as the cultural standard. "Is there a meaning for your ear decorations? They are quite beautiful."

"That's why I've never gotten one," she replies. "Well, that and it hurts. Although I'd probably be willing to grit my teeth through it if it was important enough to me."

His compliment makes her smile, although she shakes her head in answer to his question. "Thanks. I happened to have this pair and it matches my dress." She looks down at her snowman sweater covering the upper half of the fancier, more delicate fabric, and laughs. "Well, it did, anyway." Turning her smile towards Caspar, she asks playfully, "You think you'd ever get a piercing?"

Caspar quirks an eyebrow. "No. Although a Two probably would." It doesn't sound particularly complimentary when he says it. His expression changes subtly and he asks, "Why, do you want me to?"

Adia giggles. "No, not really." She returns her attention to Faris and adds, "There are lots of places you can get a piercing other than your ears, but they aren't as common, at least where I'm from."

Faris does not pretend to understand why this exchange appears to amuse Adia Costas, but he is attentive regardless, learning more about human courtship the longer he watches them interact. He busies himself with finishing off his eggnog, lapping at the bowl as he listens, ears perked forward.

"Sensible," he agrees, once her attention turns his way yet again. "Humans are softer in skin than my peoples. It must be liberating to have so many options for self-expression."

"It is, but humans don't take advantage of it often enough." Caspar looks a little troubled by this thought. Humans have a tendency to conform, but Fives took it to a nearly unhealthy extreme. And that conformity nearly lost him the chance to reconcile with the woman standing next to him.

Picking up on his discomfort, Adia reaches up and traces the shell of Caspar's ear. "Cylons have pretty soft skin, too," she remarks, causing said Cylon to blush. "But there are other ways to express oneself."

The troubled look vanishes. He leans into her and whispers something in her ear, and she giggles in return.

"It's getting late for us," she says apologetically to Faris. "I'm glad we had a chance to talk to you... and get you unstuck from the mistletoe, of course."

"Do you think whoever threw this party would mind if we grabbed a non-cursed sprig?" Caspar asks, looking over the decorations.

"My thanks again for my rescue," Faris says, bowing his head to them both. He does not mind that they must leave; he is used to being on a schedule himself, and they have had an excellent conversation yet again in the meantime. "It has been pleasant to see you again, as always."

Caspar's question makes the K'da tilt his head slightly, an amused tone creeping into his voice. "I am uncertain, but it seems unlikely it would be a problem." And if they should have trouble finding one that does not bear the curse, it seems to him that freeing themselves will present no obstacle either.

The alien's blessing to swipe some mistletoe is all the permission Caspar needs. There is a sprig hanging not too far from the cursed one; he walks under it a few times to make sure it's ordinary, then snatches it out of the air. He's going to put this little bit of vegetation to good use.

"We'll see you again soon, Faris," Adia says warmly. It is so nice to have him as a friend. Doubly so that Caspar gets along with him.

The Cylon gives him a nod goodbye before wrapping an arm around Adia and teleporting them home.

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Ho Ho Ho! Happy HP Holidays!

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