T'is the season | Open

[momsboy]

Who: Anyone! Feel free to tag Peter or mingle around with each other.
What:It's A Magical Time of the Year, aka, Christmas Eve dinner.
When:December 24th.
Where:The Guardians' ship the Benatar (open), and Sigyn's garden (closed).
Warnings:Tacky Christmas sweaters.

EXTRA: Peter got some presents for certain people so here's a full list. If he can't give them in person, the chars will find the presents on their doorstep.

Vol 1. | Closed to Gamora | Sigyn's Garden, early afternoon

The wish to ask Gamora to marry him had been in Peter's mind long before his conversation with Alice. Talking to the girl only helped to cement it more clearly, even if he was still terrified that Gamora might tell him no. That she might think it was a too big step, too quickly, or that she simply wasn't interested in him as a husband.

Holding back and chickening out of important situations wasn't really Peter's stile, so he started with the basics and moved on from there. First, he got a ring custom made, a bit fancier than what Gamora was used to wear but that would look nice on her skin. The next step was to find the right place and moment to pop the question. Due to all the trouble they had gone through the last months, it just wasn't happening. Fighting zombies, herding cats and then being trapped in the castle for a whole week...none of that screamed 'romantic' to him.

The bad weather had calmed down and Peter realized that he wasn't going to find a better time than the present. He asked Sigyn for permission to use her temple so he could pop the question and then spent the whole morning decorating it to make it look romantic enough for his standards. Aiming to surprise her from the beginning, Peter texted Gamora and asked her to meet him at the Teitr Morginn temple, next to one the beautiful benches surrounded by bushed with dozens of roses of every size, color.

As he waits for her to show up, the blond man nervously smooths creases from the front of his clothes, more imaginary than anything else. Peter wanted to look presentable but a suit was a bit much and he needed comfort over style so she wouldn't notice how nervous he is. It never occurred to him that Gamora might not understand human marriage proposals.

Vol 2. | Open to all | The Benatar, afternoon - night

For more than three decades, Peter never had the chance to celebrate Christmas. It wasn't a known tradition outside earth and any kind of celebration concerning Yondu and the other Ravagers had involved copious amounts of alcohol and not much more. Now that Peter is no longer traveling across the galaxy and he has people to celebrate it with that might actually enjoy it, nothing is stopping him from going all the way with it.

The wind turbine that he built next to the Benatar - the first step of a project he's been working on with Isha for some time- is decorated with Christmas lights, curling around the whole tower. Next to it, the warm light coming from inside the grounded ship is welcoming. With the turbine generating enough energy to make the ship properly functional, he no longer needs oil lamps to light up the different rooms. The heating actually works, the bathrooms and kitchen are finally fully practical...it is, at last, a proper home.

Gamora and Peter have opened the ship to their friends but also extend the invitation towards those who might need some company tonight. No one should be alone during the Holidays. For those who come, there's a long metal table with plenty of food and candles, and in another, there are presents with names on them and a big plate of home made cookies. The table is not too fancy and there's hardly two plates and glasses that look alike but it was set with care and obvious intent of making it welcoming. There's also an attempt at a Christmas tree, that might or might not contain one or more of their six cats because there was no way to keep the pets away from the tree.

There's mistletoe hanging on the ceiling and the ship is open, minus the bedrooms, for curious people to explore. But those should be careful not to open the wrong room unless they want to the tackled by a really hyperactive, really huge, golden retriever named Thor who wants to play 24/7. If the person is lucky, they might find one of the bunnies instead, demanding pettings or falling sleep on people's laps.

Comments

ota.

[ikols]

[ Currently swooping around the Benatar like Mothman or an Evil Disney Queen, Loki is enjoying wearing his new shawl to the fullest. He may be hiding Thor the dog under it and feeding him scraps off the table when no one is looking, too. ]

[momsboy]

[ That's quite the way to describe what Loki is doing, and when Peter catches sight of him, he just laughs quietly to himself before approaching the God. Peter himself is dressed for the occasion...the occasion being terrible Christmas fashion, as he's wearing a rather colorful sweater. ]

Having fun, I hope? I'm glad you like the present, I wasn't all sure about the colors.

[ He's oblivious to the dog hiding under the table, thinking that Thor is still behaving in another room far away from here. ]

OTA

[spirited_lissie]

Felicity's there, not just because it's something for christmas, but because it would be her first time in such a vessel. She doesn't even mind that the decorations are all over the place or don't entirely match.

Instead, she's exploring around, careful not to touch anything. Once and awhile she'll bend down and play with the cats, dangling bits of ribbon infront of them, but for the most part she's more interested in the actual space ship.

[momsboy]

[ ooc. ;w; I knew I was forgetting someone! Lissie's presents are added to the list, sorry! ]

Peter's walking around carrying trays of food or making small chat with people when he finally spots a familiar mop of hair from the corner of his eyes. It's good to see Lissie around because he hates the idea of little kids being left alone at Christmas. It is hard to be away from your family and even more so during these kinds of holidays.

"Nothing will break if you touch it, promise." Peter announces when he walks over her, having noticed the way Lissie stared at the ship.

[winscenario]

While exploring the ship, Felicity will come across Jim's room. The door is only slightly open, and as she gets closer, a little snout will poke through, followed swiftly by the dog it belongs to.

"Scotty! Get back here," Jim opens the door, looking down at the girl standing outside. "Oh. Felicity, hi."

The dog is standing next to him, whining a little and wagging his tail furiously. "He's very friendly. He just wants pets."

OTA

[keybearing]

[Sora, for his part, was of course all over celebrating Christmas. Especially ever since visiting Christmas Town back home. Still, he arrives as Peter instructed, admiring the lights, glancing up to them and the decorations at the turbine and outside of the ship before he actually entered. Once he is inside, he enters and sees the table with food, the presents and cookies. He takes some to munch on and laughs, when he sees the cats, trying to help one of them down if it might seem stuck in the tree.

He might also be leaving presents here for some friends himself to add to the pile. Along with of course letting Meow Wow play with the cats, or Thor and the bunnies.]

[momsboy]

Where did the unicorn cat come from?

[ Peter wonders out loud, spotting Sora playing with Gamora's siamese cat and...that other thing. He's pretty sure it is not one of their, unless his girlfr--future wife also adopted it.

He blinks at Meow Wow, then at Sora, confusion all over his face. Peter is also wearing a special Christmas sweater that he think it's hilarious, because of course he does. ]

OTA

[lan_wangji]

Lan Wangji is deeply, deeply confused.

This celebration, Christmas makes no sense. There is a baby but the baby is also a God but there is also a tree and gifts and an insistence on the chastity of a woman who gave birth to said God. There is also a fat man in red who is not a God. Wei Ying's second hand explanation had been worrying enough for Lan Zhan to check his level of intoxication.

And now they are here, upon the invitation of Master Hector inside the metal, flying ship full of buttons and glowing things that Lan Zhan cannot begin to understand. He feels...very lost and very backwards. He'd also not been entirely aware of the gift giving custom and is feeling horrifically embarrassed to have failed protocol. He wonders if he can get away with finding a random corner to hide in for the evening. Wei Ying will enjoy himself and Lan Zhan can simply keep an eye on him.

[vagabone]

Don't worry too much, the idiot who invited his 'nephews' will come along and join Lan Wangji sooner or later. After all, this was his idea, he's somewhat responsible... Probably he should have expected this many people to show up and had a little more foresight. But that's not exactly his strong point, thinking ahead.

His limp is a little better, though not completely gone--seems he did actually keep his promise to work up the nerve and ask for healing. Such a wonderful relief, to be nearly pain-free, something he never thought he'd experience again.

"Doing alright, cuate?"

[momsboy]

Now there's a face Peter doesn't see often but that he recognizes immediatelly. They might have only talked once but Peter remembers Lan Wangji and gives him a smile when he spots the man trying to go...well, unnoticed. It reminds him of the first days after he met Gamora, she wasn't big on socialization either. Which only made Peter all the more curious.

"Hello." He's carrying a plate with eggnog when he walks over to Lan Wangji, a welcoming smile on his face, and wearing a colorful Christmas sweater. "Would you like something to drink?"

[yiling_laozu]

Wei Wuxian is incredible at flip cup.

He hadn't even heard of the game until most of the party was deep into their cups, but as soon as he'd watched the cups being flipped - and drinks quickly swallowed when the cups were passed - Wei Wuxian had applied his clever hands to the game and won.

A lot! So much so that he'd become arrogant and yanked off one of his gauntlets to wear as a blindfold.

He had then...lost a lot, as the endless stream of wine finally addled his senses.

Still, even losing is pleasant when one is spectacularly inebriated, and Wei Wuxian finally staggers from the tables with a smile. Only it's very dark. Have all the lights on Quill-gongzi's ship suddenly winked out?

"Ah," Wei Wuxian realizes all at once, collapsing against the closest wall in a fit of laughter. "Still blindfolded." He lifts his hands to tug at it, clumsy fingers closing around the empty air and not the knot.

vol. 1 | closed

[amongfriends]

Her conversation with Alice has always stayed in the back of her mind as well. Unlike Peter, she leaves it there to stay buried. Gamora never lets herself have such romantic notions. She'd never ask to be a Star Lady or for anything more than he was willing to give. It is enough they survived everything that has come their way. It is enough to live in a place where her abuser does not exist or her many, many sins.

That doesn't mean she's blind to the beautiful scene Peter has set here. No, Gamora looks around her in open awe as she goes to meet Peter as planned and then a warm smile. Any human woman might know what's about to happen. Peter isn't a subtle man. Gamora is not of Earth. She takes it as his way of cheering her up, a celebration of the fact they have survived just a little longer.

Not even the suit is a giveaway. She does run her eyes over him appreciatively. Gamora is always presentable, but she's dressed a little better than casual. She's not ready to be a blushing future bride, but his gift later should help with that much.

For now, she greets him with a smile dripping with affection, eyes warm as she regards him... so you know no different than usual unless he's done something to vex her. "Is this one of the traditions?" She still doesn't quite get how this works even if he's undoubtedly explained it before today.

[momsboy]

"'Mora..." Peter's heart leaps to his throat when she finally shows up but he manages to return the smile in no time, expression bright with affection. She looks gorgeous this evening, then again that's a thought he has every day. Did Gamora figure out what he wanted to do? She's always been smarter than him.

Okay, focus, Peter. This is happening. He could do this, he knows the steps, he has practized...with his familiar Sandy, but still. It's only a matter of not screwing it up. Too bad Peter's naturally inclined to fuck up every time but he's trying his best here.

"Yes, well no...not one of the Christmas ones, but kinda it's just.." Peter babbles, fumbling a little with his hands before he clears his throat. After a beat he gestures towards the elegant bench next to them. "L-let's take a seat? The sunset from here looks wonderful."

He knows because he double-checked days ago for the occasion. Once they're sitting, he turns towards her and reaches for Gamora's hands, giving them a squeeze and looking at her in the eyes. The smile is still ever-present on his lips, he doesn't want her to think he's going to give her bad news."I wanted us to have a talk. We've been together for some time now, we went through a lot, and I know the only reason why I haven't lost myself it's because you're beside me."

Looking down at their entwined hands, he lets the pad of his thumb brush over her skin gently as he thinks. She had tried to kill him the first time they've met and not in a million years would he had predicted that one day they would end like this. "I can't imagine life without you in it."

[yiling_laozu]

i. the Benatar

Quill-gongzi's ship is extraordinary! Wei Wuxian had been thrilled to be invited to yet another party, but he'd been expecting something like the feasts and dances he's already attended in Asgard. Instead, he's in the belly of a large, flying ship. Immediately he wants to find Master Ye and see if this is what his people travelled in, but Wei Wuxian is just as immediately distracted by the strange lights hanging in all colors. They must be magic, for he can feel no heat coming from them at all.

Dazzled, Wei Wuxian wanders deeper inside.

ii. gifts!

There is a gift for him! Wei Wuxian picks it up with delight, and, spying bits of torn paper here and there on the floor, opens it at once. Inside is a lovely hair pin from Quill-gongzi and some cookies that he tucks into right away, turning the pin this way and that to catch the light.

He reaches up, fitting it into his topknot and smiling for the delicate sounds it makes as the fine chains dangling from it clink together. But...why has he been given a gift? Is it perhaps Quill-gongzi's custom to gift all who enter his home? Now that he pauses to study the rest of the gathering, he sees more gifts being exchanged, but Wei Wuxian has come with nothing!

Well, not entirely nothing. Reaching into his robes, Wei Wuxian removes the blank book he's taken to carrying everywhere, fetching his brush and ink to swiftly begin quick, thoughtful sketches of every new friend that comes to mind. "Ah!" he calls, seeing one of them approach now. "For you!"

[ooc: happily for all on the receiving end, he's a decent artist]

iii. mistletoe?

"Ey?"

There are so many mysteries aboard the Benatar. The presents, the mysterious lights, the oddly decorated tree. And now, this little sprig of a plant left overhead. Wei Wuxian heard whispers that any caught beneath it must be kissed, but if the plant is enchanted, he can't sense it.

He waves his hand beneath it, then steps below, easily able to step away again. Wei Wuxian hums to himself, dragging his fingertips thoughtfully across his bottom lip. "Wei Wuxian has never been kissed," he murmurs. "Perhaps it knows."

iv. cats!

The spiced white drink is very tasty, but Wei Wuxian quickly discovered it hurt his stomach and switched some time ago to wine. It's a different sort of wine than he's used to, not so strong and dark like berries that stain his lips and tongue, but alcohol is alcohol! He drinks quite a lot of it, finding himself sprawled on a chaise and covered in no fewer than three cats. No...Wei Wuxian spots another tail swishing from the space between his extended legs, half covered in his outer robes. Four cats.

"Why can't all animals be kind like you?" Wei Wuxian asks of the green eyed one atop his chest as he strokes its fur. "Māo gē would never bite Wei Wuxian. Not like those fearsome dogs! Māo gē wants only to be quiet and sleep and come for scratches."

The cat's purr rumbles through his chest, and between the wine, the warmth, and his animal friends, Wei Wuxian's lids grow heavy. Perhaps no one will notice if he falls asleep.

Benetar

[lan_wangji]

Lan Zhan has been hiding with the rabbits for the past thirty minutes. He is deeply ashamed of his possessiveness and for trying to shame Peter.

He is just gsthering himself to stand when he sees a familiar figure pass by the open door.

"Wei Ying."

Mistletoe

[lan_wangji]

No.

Lan Zhan simply cannot watch this happen. An explanation of the hanging greenery had left Lan Zhan scandalized and finding Wei Ying in such a position is far too much.

"Does Wei Ying truly want a first kiss from a stranger?"

cats!

[vagabone]

Catless at the moment, but also having had a bit more than usual to drink and rather sleepy himself, 'Uncle' settles himself down not too far off. This isn't his room in Frigghaus, but his room is not his hammock in his shack in the land of the dead, and who cares? It's plenty comfortable enough for him.

"Māo gē, what's that?" The cats, presumably. "Ay, I don't know if you noticed, but this guy has a ton of animals."

...Which is pretty hard to miss, honestly, but he's drunk. Shh.

OTA

[thequitecontrary]

Mary has, technically, come to the party with Jim because he asked her to. It isn't really much of a big deal. Both of them live on the Benatar and knew that they were coming to this party. Jim just asked her to come with him, which probably makes it a bigger deal than she's trying to play it off as. Thinking about feelings is exhausting though and Mary would rather just enjoy herself.

She's sitting on one of the couches, wearing the lovely coat that Peter got her for Christmas, with one of the bunnies in her lap. One hand strokes the soft fur while the other feeds it carrots. There are a lot of animals on the ship and Mary has kind of gotten used to them by now. It's still better than having to share a room with questionable people at Tyr house.

"This is nice, isn't it?" she says to whoever is near her. "I didn't think we would get to have a Christmas celebration here."

[momsboy]

Peter is holding a glass of eggnog, a drink he hasn't had in decades, and wearing a rather colorful sweater. He feels warm, relaxed and happy for more reasons than just Christmas and seeing Mary in a similar state only make shim smile more.

"Very. I haven't celebrated the holiday in a long time, so I couldn't miss another Christmas."

OTA

[folkscallmewander]

Gifts for everyone

[There's a holiday about gift-giving coming up and Wander didn't know?! Isn't this a situation! Thankfully, finding a pair of knitting needles is easy in the village. Then comes all the wool that's he's going to have to pay back for. That's fine! He can clean house and make sweaters for the entire family of shepherds when he's done.

Just inside the warmth of the ship, Wander has a few scarves folded in a pile - these are ones for the folks he already met, and he's frantically making more for those that are gonna ask for one, too. He hasn't counted how many scarves that's going to be...but better to make sure no one feels left out!][Green sweater! He tosses balls of yarn in search for something that matches.]

BUNNIES

[You know what's good when your hands hurt from hours of fast-paced crafts? Food! You know what's even better? Three rabbits demanding pets.]

Look at you! You're so fuzzy and warm. [He holds one in his arms, already heavy for the small alien.] What're your names? You wanna go out and get dinner?

[The rabbits don't respond, but they do follow their furry friend down to the dinner table.]

bunnies

[beefaroni]

[There are few things in life that Asterios will and truly loves. But animals are one of them.

So he blinks to see the parade of bunnies, and silently begins to follow them, perhaps oblivious to who in fact THEY are following.]

OTA

[theprezident]

A. DOG

[ For the sake of his continued survival, Rhys doesn't tend to wander the city much. He keeps to Klaus and company's house and the library for most of the day. For the sake of his continued survival, he is also a little hesitant about going to a party that isn't enforced by extraneous circumstances.

But he's here, and he's mostly concerned about figuring out places he might be able to hide if necessary. (It's almost starting to feel like home.) So, yes, he's snooping, and opening all doors, and will indeed find himself with an armful of big golden retriever. ]

Oh god--!

[ Let's just say he does not have the balance or strength to stay upright.

HELP. ]

B. Wildcard

[ He'll, you know, be around. ]

[momsboy]

[ Peter doesn't mind the guests snooping. He had already disabled the weapons of the ship and anything that could have been dangerous if activated by accident.

What he did not expect is that one of the guests would be so unfortunate as to pick the single room -among many, many others- that contained a very excitable and large dog. Rhys just has that sort of luck, it seems. ]

Need any help? [ Peter looks down at the man lying the floor, with this hands on his hip and a smile on his face. The dog seems to be trying to erase Rhys' face off, licking him nonstop. ]

OTA

[beefaroni]

[Asterios didn't want to come. But he was bribed - by bunnies. Look, you tell him animals are gunna be there, he'll be there.

So, secluded to a corner where he will hopefully do the least amount of harm, Asterios sits there... pretty much covered in bunnies. And occasionally Thor the dog.]

[vagabone]

[Adorable.

Guess who's creeping up as quietly as possible to snap a photo with his magical bracelet??]

OTA

[sanityinruins]

i - presents
Christmas was a Haixing thing, one that he had looked on with amusement, especially when the various cultures of Haixingrens mixed up in Dragon City. Here was the family that went full traditional, there one that adopted the more Western idea of the whole mess, the words changing and shifting. His people's traditions were ones of reflection, remembrance and regrets.

But he would be a crude person to not show up after an invitation. So despite the cold and snow, Ye Zun did show up, and spent a few minutes lightly running his hand along the side of the ship. Familiar, but yet not, and he huffed to himself before stepping inside. There he found his gifts and smiled before setting out his own present for Peter. That done, he tucked his two gifts away and heads in to explore the rest of the ship.

ii - about
Ye Zun can be found poking among the rooms, either being bothered by the cats or the large dog, or ending up staring at the flashing lights and looking rather lost in memories. He doesn't have much of the food or drink, and he ends up in a room, wrapped up in his new blanket, and humming to himself as he pets the rabbit that decided to burrow on his lap.

presents

[lan_wangji]

Hanguan-Jun is a terrible party guest. He knows this.

He's just not certain how terrible. He must ask someone he feels certain will be honest with him about his mistake and is relieved when he sees just the person.

"Master Ye," he murmurs, offering a proper bow. "May Lan Wangji request a few moments of Master's time with a question?"

ota

[vagabone]

Of course he accepted the invitation, even going so far as to drag along two others. Because it's a rocketship. Or a spaceship. Whichever, what's the difference! It flies in space, that's the main part.

He can be found dressed fairly nicely, though still barefoot, poking through the ship... but being careful not to touch anything, especially button-shaped anythings. Wouldn't want to somehow blow the whole thing up, that would be his luck. Mostly he just wants to look, sipping various drinks (alcoholic or not), nibbling on cookies and petting the cats and dog. The bunnies he's not sure enjoy petting from skeletons, honestly. Eventually he'll drape himself in a comfortable spot, a bit tipsy and sleepy. Not a bad night.

[momsboy]

Not a bad night at all, no. Peter is pleased that so many people have shown up, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves for the most part. As it should be on such a special night.

He has spotted Hector around, talking with other guests or playing with the pets but he had been too busy himself to talk. When Peter sees the skeleton starting to doze off, he grabs a blanket and walks over to him.

"You okay there, my friend?"

ota

[splitinvain]

one demon cat crashing the party
Usually Shadow would be safely confined to the tattoos sported by her summoner, or idling her time destroying demons. Wandering off to explore was not something the great familiar was use to doing - at least wandering off without any other companion or master. So given a chance to explore, the cat was going as far and as wide as she could. There was no lead, no leash, so nothing stopped her from seeing all the activity around the glowing ship, or catching the scents of humans, animals and food inside.

It was the food that drew her in. The panther padded into the ship and barely needed to reach up to snag a nice bit of meat to drag off and devour. After that, she prowled around the ship, nosing in corners and sometimes taking a nap in corners. Maybe she has reached out to swipe a treat from a passing by human, or maybe she decided that pounce was a new game to play.


and the human follows
Maybe the familiar has pinned the dog Thor. Maybe the familiar has decided to hide under the table to paw at those humans coming too close. Maybe she had just jumped out of a shadowy corner and was gnawing on your shoe. In any case, Shadow is there, being as cat as a big panther with faintly demonic eyes and glowing weird lines can be when a scruffy young man covered in tattoos arrives on the scene. He barely manages to catch his breath, glancing at the big cat and then at the person cornered by the big cat and then tries not to laugh.

"I do beg your pardon," he says, leaning on his silver cane. "I didn't know Shadow was here at first."

Demon cat

[momsboy]

Peter's own familiar, Sandy, sometimes wandered around in the shape of a caracal; there was the chance that if the guest spotted Shadow, they mistook him for the other familiar. Peter could never turn Sandy into something so big, though, and he had turned her into another cat tonight.

When he spotted the panther stealing a piece of meat from the table, his first reaction was a raised eyebrow. For a moment the wondered if this new 'pet' was Gamora's doing. He should be more concerned that a wild predator was around but Asgard was a strange place, maybe the panther was another wanderer.

"Really, kitty?" Yes, he was talking to the panther in a stern dad voice, hands on hips. "There's food for you and the other pets in the kitchen, no stealing from people's plates allowed."

[ Close to Jim Kirk ]

[momsboy]

Peter had disappeared for a little while, checking on their various pets and making sure all of them had plenty of food and water, and that they weren't causing trouble. He spent some time with Thor too because the bi dog got angsty if left alone for long. The dog was hard to handle sometimes but Peter did like the big oaf and wanted to make sure he didn't feel lonely.

On his way back, after he washed his hand, he spotted a familiar mop of blond hair and walked over to Jim. Peter was wearing a rather colorful sweater for the occasion too.

"Having fun?"

[winscenario]

Jim had spent a bit of time with his new dog too, who was thankfully calmer than Peter's golden retriever, but still had plenty of energy. At least the farm was big enough to tire him out more often than not, and right now Jim had left him in his room, where he was taking a big nap after a long, taxing day of running around chasing cows.

"Absolutely, great party," Jim answered, glancing down at the sweater and breaking out into a soft laugh. "Great sweater, too. Where did you even find that?"