Monthly Mingle Log

[thalassino]

Is it that time of the month already?

...No, today is not the start of shark week.

The Station Master's taken precautions to make this month's mingle party nice and laid back, after that rather magnetic week. Today, locals are all over the Plaza starting to put up the decorations for this strange holiday known as "Christmas", and they're more than happy to cheerfully rope any foreigner who doesn't look too busy into helping them.

The food tables are back, albeit with more drink than food. Hot chocolate, gluhwein mulled wine, a huge bowl of fruit punch, you name it, it's there. Foodwise, there's snowflake shaped crackers with cheese and meats, shrimp cocktails, cups filled with green or red jelly, and plenty of cookies to go around.

Near the food tables are the two usual booths, one belonging to the Welcoming Committee, armed with all the information a newbie would want to know, and the other belonging to the Host Club, manned by all the male eyecandy you could ever need. Have they done something special for their booths this festive season? Better sashay their way and find out!

Walking around all the tables and booths is what looks to be a giant lobster(???) in a Santa suit handing out candy to anyone and everyone nearby. It seems the locals don't understand that it's "Santa Claus", not "Sandy Claws."

Finally, it looks like there's been a new addition to the plaza. Was that ice skating rink over there last night?? It certainly fits the theme, and the locals don't seem to be surprised. They'll even help you lace up those skates and take them for a spin. Bundle up and try not to fall too much!

Comments

SKATING RINK

[thalassino]

[beauchevalier]

[Angelo skipped work at the Host Club to go skating. Anyone passing by might see him being a bit clumsy, yet he still gets back up to try again. This was something he had been looking forward to and he's not one to back down from a challenge.]

[livingvessel]

[It didn't take too long for Ilya to find a pair of skates and lace them on before joining the people on the rink. She hadn't done it too much back in the land of the winter castle, but it certainly wasn't her first time. Zipping by with relative ease, she stopped when she saw a man struggling a little.]

Do you need help, mister? [She didn't hold back from giggling slightly. Besides, it would come across as being with good intention if it was from a little girl, wouldn't it?]

[sonlight]

[Noticing his new gray-haired bff had abandoned his all-important Host Club duties, mascot and ace detective Chibiterasu sets out to find his obviously kidnapped companion! He bounds around the bend, intending to give Angelo's distractors a piece of his doggy-mind when--



...Oh, he's just slacking off.

Chibi skirts around the edge of the ice, quite unwilling to venture out onto something that is possibly just the frozen surface of a deep, oddly shaped pond.]

Arf!!

[sorcery_fledgling]

[Rinoa could count on one hand the number of times she's gone ice skating, and it didn't take very many fingers. But when she saw the rink, she had to try it out. So if you'd like, you can see her lacing up her skates as she tentatively stares at the rink. Come join her? Or talk and watch?]

[formerabyssinian]

[Ice skating isn't his thing, so Aya is more than happy to sit out and watch others skate.]

[Although the real reason is that he can't ice skate.]

[He notices a young woman not too far away lacing up her skates, but staring at the rink in uncertainty.]

Are you sure you're ready?

[sonlight]

[You have a companion, Rinoa! And he's staring at that ice with even more trepidation than yourself.

He pokes tentatively at the edge of the slippery surface, then backs up about two good feet.]

[monadont]

[Shulk's never seen an ice skating rink before. Colony 9 never got cold enough for snow, and it certainly didn't get cold enough for the lake to freeze over (they'd be in big trouble if it did, too). He was more than happy to watch other people skate, but when a local forces a pair of skates into his hands, Shulk doesn't have any reason not to try himself.

Most other people by this time are already on the rink, so when he spots Rinoa, he approaches, skates dangling from one hand. The huge red sword, the Monado, is still strapped to his back.]

Excuse me? Do you know how to skate?

[overbiterestart]

[Jane hasn't been ice skating since she was a little girl. So tying the laces on the skates and stepping onto the ice was a huge deal. Not to mention that she's already fallen a couple of times.

Someone should join her, they could hold one another up.]

[shippingmath]

[Dirk's just standing near the edge of the rink watching things for the moment, not moving to join anyone on the ice. When Jane nears him, in a particularly steady moment of hers, he raises his hand in greeting.]

[monadont]

[Shulk has never been ice skating before. But he's been taught the basics from another foreigner, and he seems to be doing alright. He's not even wobbling!

... Too bad no one's taught him how to stop yet.]

Look out!

[fulmination]

_{[Kimblee would be lying if he said he remembered how to skate. As such, he's taken to holding onto the railing, having decided to go without the skates as he makes his way around the edges of the rink. He makes it halfway across before the ice decides to kick his pride, ending with the alchemist clinging to the fence for dear life as he focuses on regaining his balance.]}

Oh for pete's sake, it's just ice--you've walked on this plenty of times back home, Kimblee.

_{[...Yeah, he sure was talking to himself.]}

[crabbygenius]

[She goes skating by and realizes that the person clinging to the fence is someone she knows. It doesn't take much for the petite scientist to turn around and come skating up to Kimblee.]

You know~, it works better when there are skates on your feet.

[fullmetalfanboy]

[Excuse you, there will be no kicking of your Pride.

Selim was actually staying outside of the ice rink while holding two cups of hot cocoa. When he notices his guardian clutching to the fence, he really couldn't help himself. Crossing around the rink to where he was giving himself a pep talk as he grins.]

Ready to take a break now? [Yes, the other cup was for him.]

[crackpotcrocker]

[Denzel continues to try to get off of the ice. Without skates and a lot a lot of yelping, Crocker’s body in a constant limbo of extreme balancing] Look out! I can't stop!

[Noticing Kimblee along side the wall, tries to reach a hand out. Please help me?]

[socryptidshescryptic]

[Skating isn't something a cryptid girl in New York city who doesn't like being around huge crowds for fun has too much experience with, although she's sure her cousin Verity would be a whiz. Still, the crowds in Vatheon never seem to be unreasonably large, and it's a good experience to try.

She's clumsy, at least a little, and has opted against using her psychic powers to make herself seem less so in favor of hoping that someone might give her some tips.]

[loyaljudas]

[Riff had only been happening by, but he noticed Sarah on the new ice rink..and noticed her having a bit of trouble. He came to edge nearest to her and gave his usual small smile.]

If I may suggest: longer strides should allow you to keep your balance better.

[He hadn't gone skating in over a year, but he wasn't too shabby at it and just seeing her try at it reminded him of Miss Mary and teaching the girl how to skate.]

[crackpotcrocker]

[Denzel is wobble running ice skating. Which means he's out of control in his shoes on the ice. I anything better watch out! Cause this isn't Santa coming towards you]

Re: SKATING RINK

[crackpotcrocker]

[Before heading back to be alone. Denzel can't help but notice the skating rink that just magically appearing and does a double take and stare] FAIRIES!

[Which by mistake found himself on the ice with no skates. Help? Make fun of?]

[theredrose]

[She still wasn't sure about this place. There'd been the pamphlet which had explained things well enough...but it all seemed pretty weird. Of course, she hadn't been chased by any art pieces yet, so that was already an improvement.

Ib didn't really know what she was going to do now, but at least she was dry and she'd found cookies, which helped since she was starving.

She'd wandered around for a little while, rose still tightly held in her hand, but the sight of an ice rink had caught her attention. She wasn't really certain about going out onto the ice itself, but watching was good enough for now.

So, Vatheon, there's a little girl with cookies and a rose watching the skaters skate, what will you do?

>Approach
>Stare back]

Re: SKATING RINK

[crabbygenius]

[At the sight of the ice rink, Washu just can't help herself. As soon as the skates are on, she's off doing lazy circles and figure eights. It looks like she's enjoying herself~.]

[of_the_lake]

[Berserker, in a turle-neck body-suit might have looked like a figure-skater, but he was feeling anything but at the moment. Instead, he sat on a bench, dreamily watching everyone else skate. Though it was pleasantly cold, he didn't move, simply keeping quiet and letting everyone go about their business.

He should have maybe asked someone where the hell he was and what was going on, but there didn't seem to be a problem with him sitting still and enjoying the moment.]

[faiofmisfortune]

[Coming from a world of perpetual winter means that one of the few things Fai is comfortable doing is ice skating. He can't do any sort of fancy tricks, but here's one person who won't be wobbling at all past the first go around.]

[420]

[Actually, Gamzee has never gone ice-skating. Never bothered to last year when this thing was here. Never at home either. He grew up in a hive near the sea. A sea that didn't freeze over.

For a little while he just stands there, happily transfixed by the shimmering lights and the happy people and the noises, before he moves to find one of the little gates to let people onto the ice, intending to make his way on there too.

Someone should probably stop him. I mean, he isn't even wearing skates or anything.]

SKATING RINK

[detectiveprincess]

[Naoto had only recently learned how to skate. She had never really been one to go out on the ice since she hadn't been taught until this past winter. That had also been during the time that she had learned how to ski, but that was a different story.

As of right now she was trying not to fall all over herself on the ice. For the most part she seemed to have gotten the hang of it again - it had been at minimal a few months since the last time. Her strides were shaky and small, but she was slowly getting better. Of course it didn't help that she had a puffy blue plaid-designed jacket and a white hat. But then it was padding in case the small detective fell... Right?]