Jingle bells, Batman smells—!

[taintedcrimson]

Happy Holidays Meme

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Wherever your character is, whatever their feelings on the plethora of holidays found in December, they're bound to be caught up in the festivities. It's up to you what kind of holiday they'll experience! (Feel free to exchange Christmas for whatever holiday your character celebrates.)

Directions
1. Comment with your character, series, preferences, etc.
2. Roll a number between 1-17 (gen) or 1-4 (smut) for a prompt.
3. Reply to others and play out the scenario!


Gen Prompts
1. Tree Shopping — There's nothing like a freshly cut tree at Christmas. Do you go out into the woods to find one yourself, or do you stroll through a lot while it's snowing, looking for the perfect tree?

2. Ice Skating — Do you skate at rink or out on a frozen pond? Have you ever skated before? How many times do you fall?

3. Pinterest Fails — You're set on making your own gifts this year, so you try out some adorable Pinterest ideas... And fail miserably. How do you salvage Christmas?

4. Secret Santa — The names have been drawn and now you're tasked with finding the right gift for someone who you may hardly know. Is it easy, or do you have to do some reconnaissance before making your decision?

5. Christmas Market — There are stalls of handcrafts and delicious goodies lining the streets, with crowds of people out walking in the snow and drinking mulled wine.

6. Decorating the Tree — How will the two of you decorate the tree? Do you spend a half hour untangling the twinkle lights, make popcorn strings while listening to carols, argue over who gets to put the star on top?

7. Road Trip — The snacks are packed and you’re ready to go to grandma’s house. But what happens when you lose GPS signal and get lost in the middle of nowhere or the car breaks down?

8. Stuck in the Airport — You’re snowed in and the hotels are full of fellow delayed passengers. Why don’t they make these chairs more comfortable for sleeping in?

9. Avoiding the Family — You’re obligated to go home for the holiday, but there’s only so much you can take of your family. Go for a walk, stop by the bar, whatever it takes for a little peace and quiet - and meet someone along the way.

10. Christmas Party — Are you hosting the event, or just bringing an extra bottle of wine? Is it a work function? How many glasses of spiked eggnog have you had?

11. Baking Shenanigans — How long does it take for the two of you to destroy the kitchen, either with forgetting to put the lid on the blender or simply starting a food fight?

12. Burned the Turkey — Well, the main course is a little blackened. Time for Chinese food, or is it pizza this year?

13. Mistletoe — The little sprig of green strikes again! Are you the one stuck under it, or the lucky finder ready to claim your prize?

14. Last Minute Shopping — Are you out fighting the crowds for the best deals? Or are you behind one of the counters, stuck in the annual retail holiday hell?

16. Turbo Man — You have one last thing on your shopping list, but it's the hottest of the season and everywhere is sold out. There's only one left — but they've spotted it too! Who will walk away victorious?

17. Taking in a Show — Who doesn't love going to the theater during the holiday season? The shows always seem a little more magical this time of year, and that new musical sounds like just what you need to get in the spirit.

18. Write-in Option — Is there something we missed? Is there another scenario you want to play out? Go for it!



Smut Prompts
1. Present Under the Tree — You've wrapped yourself up and are waiting for that special someone.

2. Sneaking Away at a Party — No, you can't wait until you get home or the guests leave, you need them now.

3. Keeping Warm During a Snowstorm — The power's gone out and you have to stay warm somehow...

4. Baking Surprise — How on earth did you get chocolate there? Oh well, can't let it go to waste!

Comments

ikaris | eternals (mcu)

[iptamai]

( sersi or established cr for shipping; ota for gen. )

[redchaos]

[Christmas outing for two losers that accidentally texted one another that one time and lowkey expect to be catfished?]

[iptamai]

[ yeSSS - maybe christmas market w a side of avoiding the family, since he can just fly out to join wanda for a reprieve? open to anything tho, i defs wanted to see what they might be like in person ]

goes with the flow!!

[redchaos]

[A wrong number turns into random texts turns into a silly idea of meeting up. There's a little Christmas market out in a quaint little town in the middle of nowhere, far enough away from major cities that only those very determined to get the right Instagram photos would make the journey. Or, you know, if they really wanted unique Christmas goods and food. It's a perfect mix of lively and not too busy, which Wanda supposes is good for a first meeting.

She's still careful, hood of her jacket drawn up, but when she sees just about the only other person arriving alone, she makes her way towards him.]

... Isaac?

[She's not sure if she should be calling him Ikaris in public.]

[iptamai]

[ Maybe indulging in those texts hadn't been the best idea.

It feels— dangerous? selfish? Ikaris has been stewing over it ever since, examining his behaviour from all angles — but he also can't deny the novelty and intrigue of finally, finally speaking to someone new after so many millennia. He can still remember Gilgamesh's companionable clap to his shoulder after the breakup, and still hear the words ringing in his head from Kingo's well-meaning but pitying Dude, you need to, like, make some friends.

So. Making friends. Let's try that this time.

For this meetup, Ikaris is flying under the radar, so to speak: he landed a mile out of town, alighting safely unobserved in the forest before trekking the rest of the way to the market on foot. His outfit is well-dressed but simple: jeans, knit sweater, navy blue peacoat, a scarf to blend into the crowd even if he doesn't feel the chill. The streak of grey hair at his temple is perhaps his most noticeable feature, incongruous with his youthful appearance. When Ikaris hears his false name, he turns sharply on his heel, searching for the face he recognises from the headlines. (Sokovia. Lagos.) ]

Hello. Yes, that's me.

[ Oddly, the immortal has a Scottish accent. There's a small beat, while he sizes her up and considers the topic of pseudonyms: ]

Is there something else I should be calling you, or—

[redchaos]

Wanda.

[The copper hair spilling out of her hood really does nothing to help her, if she's trying hard to be unnoticed, but she doesn't seem to be. She at least skips out on that urge to wear red. Black jacket, black jeans, black boots. Black gloves too, and she extends a hand to her new... friend.

He's not the only one trying something new. It's been a long time since she's willingly socialized.]

Nice to meet you in person.

[The accent is surprising, but he looks entirely normal. A nicely dressed man out and about. But she supposes she looks entirely normal, too.

He probably won't try to kill her.]

[iptamai]

[ There's the slightest pause and hesitation — as if this whole 'social niceties' thing is an ancient rusted routine for him, and those instincts are taking a while to grind back into motion — before Ikaris reaches out, takes her hand, shakes it. A machine running through its motions, executing the correct etiquette. His grip is too firm at first, before he seems to remember to adjust his augmented strength and his fingertips loosen. Everything about his behaviour is a little too stiff and polite. He hasn't really blended well into mankind like the rest of his family has.

But he seems to thaw a little a moment later, with a short, self-conscious laugh. ]

Likewise. Is it just me, or does it feel a bit like we're spies executing a rendezvous?

[ That or internet friends meeting for the first time, which they sort of are, but he doesn't have any frame of reference for that either. ]

[redchaos]

[His rusty awkwardness makes Wanda's awkwardness a little less obvious, and she echoes that little self-conscious laugh.

Maybe don't ask when the last time he shook someone's hand was.]

That, or we're the start of a bad joke.

[An immortal and a witch walk into a Christmas market--]

[iptamai]

Ah, one side-effect of being around for so long: I've heard plenty of terrible jokes. [ Ikaris tilts his head, and she can practically see that distant thoughtfulness in his gaze as he shifts through his memory, having to pore through so many years' worth of recollection for... well, they're usually Kingo's jokes. He eventually remembers one which seems fitting, and clears his throat. ]

What kind of noise does a witch's vehicle make?

[ He waits just long enough for Wanda to acknowledge, and then continues with the punchline, almost apologetically: ]

Brrrroooom, brrroooom.

oh no spare her

[redchaos]

[He's already fascinating to watch. There's a very sudden urge to peek into his head, see for herself what's going on in there, but she behaves.

Her acknowledgement is a lift of her brows, and they stay high on her forehead even after that punchline is allowed to be said.]

Wow.

That is... awful.

[So awful she laughs.]

You're going to get us kicked out before we've even looked at anything.

one (1) lame old man

[iptamai]

Hm. But I didn't see a sign saying 'no terrible puns allowed'.

[ Ikaris does have a sense of humour, apparently, but it's dry as a desert, muted and understated. Speaking of the holiday market, though, he finally turns his attention to the stalls nearby and, with an inquiring look at Wanda, joins her in heading further in, the pair of them melding into the crowd where it's a little busier. He stays by her side yet maintains a respectful distance. Now that they're standing closer, he's not as tall as most of the men in the Avengers, but there's something in his straight-backed and rigid posture which makes him seem taller.

Markets haven't really changed, over the millennia. There's always rows on rows of stalls offering handmade trinkets, crafts, woven decorations, woodcraft, snacks and drinks. (For a moment, a flash of memory: his ex-wife teaching a young girl how to weave, fingers twining the colourful yarn. His ex-wife pouring him a hot drink in a clay cup.)

He shakes off the memory. Drags himself back to the present. ]

Do you have any favourites at— this sort of thing?

[redchaos]

[It's a sense of humor that Wanda can appreciate. It matches his posture, really, though Wanda hopes he might loosen up once they feel one another out some more and allow themselves to have some fun at the market.

That was the idea, anyway. To try to be somewhat normal, to blend back into society.]

Um, it's been a while since I've been. [Out. Anywhere. At all. Wanda feels herself floundering as she tries to remember things she likes.] Popcorn. Kettle corn, the sweet one. Have you had that before?

[She doesn't really have any need for baubles or home decor, but food? Always.]

[iptamai]

[ And here lies some of the trouble: his answers to questions like this are always Yes. Live long enough and you'll have seen it all come around, and then fade out of fashion, and then come back, and come around again. In his brief interactions with humans, Ikaris has always had to step around the topic of his age; but here, at last, he can be honest: ]

Quite a lot of it, but mostly back in the 1700s. The Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania— they would have fairs that were actually very similar to this. They'd cook the corn in cast-iron kettles.

[ Time loops back in on itself, a snake eating its own tail. Sometimes it's so exhausting that he's seen almost everything before. He sounds weary of it where some of the other Eternals were bright-eyed, delighted. But shrugging deeper into his coat, he adds, a little lighter: ]

More comfortable clothes now, though.

[redchaos]

[It's not that Wanda's forgotten what he said, being so old, but to hear him actually saying it aloud and just so casually has the polite smile freezing in place on her face as her brain cells fire.

Right.

Of course.

He's probably older than Christmas itself.

Wanda can't help but laugh.

(Oh, but it's a change, because once she had to introduce Vision to so many things that were just part of the human experience--)

And she'll chase that thought away before it can hurt her.]

That's right. I'm with an expert. How about you, then. There has to be something here you like enough to want to see or try.

[iptamai]

I've done pretty much all of this already.

[ He sounds so impossibly tired while his blue gaze drifts over the holiday market, seeing only the same things he's ever seen before. But a moment later, Ikaris seems to realise what a joyless grinch he's being, and so he shakes his head. Murmurs an apology. ]

Sorry, I know that's not—

[ This is why he's bad with people. Bad at socialising. He casts another, closer look at all the stalls around them, and sees one which piques his interest: ]

Actually. You know what, I haven't tried the flavours for those mini donuts.

[ The shop is full of idiosyncratic flavours, labeled with bright and cheerful names for the tiny donuts: Green Tea Buzz with matcha, honey, and ginger; Chai Me to the Moon with chai masala and black tea. Strawberry and lemon-thyme, peanut butter and cayenne— they're all curious mixes as the more idiosyncratic flavours become popular nowadays, and so Ikaris moves to stand in front of the display. ]

D'you want to split twelve of these?

[redchaos]

You don't have to apologize. It's okay.

[She doesn't take offense. Why would she? He's not being awful, and he's not trying to leave already. She gives him a little smile, and it's one that grows as he does find something new. Wanda moves to his side to peer at the names.]

"Purple Rain" is taro. I've never had a taro donut. And that one there looks spicy. [The world had to cling to something, in those five years when half the population was dead.] Some of these sound... really bad. Let's do it.

[Wanda doesn't miss a beat, waving the cashier over and asking her for an assortment of the most popular flavors. As they're collected and placed in a cute little mini donut box, Wanda lightly elbows Ikaris.]

This was your idea.

[iptamai]

It certainly was. I really don't know what compelled me.

[ It's another rueful joke, as Ikaris stares down into the box full of bite-sized donuts with their dustings of sugar and flavouring, the eclectic tastes on display. He really didn't do this often. For all that he led the charge in battle for the Eternals — the first into the breach, ploughing into their enemies, carving his way through them — he rarely showed initiative where it came to mankind themselves. He'd always followed Sersi's lead in that regard, let her practically hand-hold him through human culture.

It had been a while, though.

To distract himself from those lingering thoughts as he and Wanda turn away from the stall and start to meander off again into the festival, he reaches into the box, seizing the peanut butter and cayenne first and popping it into the mouth. And his face promptly makes a face. ]

Well. It's not— terrible—

[redchaos]

That really doesn't tell me much when you've probably had a lot of really terrible food in your lifetime.

[But the face does make Wanda laugh, and she plucks out the green one. Matcha something or other, with a heavy dusting of matcha powder on top. Wanda takes a small, tentative bite--and grimaces.]

This tastes like grass.

[Not her favorite, despite enjoying drinking tea. She's a monster and puts the donut back in the box to try another, though she does pause to look around.]

I think we need some hot chocolate to wash these down.

[iptamai]

At least it's something new and unique. I like it for that.

[ Which might be tipping his hand a little about how tired he is of everything, but. No matter. It's not the worst thing to reveal.

Ikaris wolfs down a couple more of the mini-donuts — he's often been a nervous eater, for whatever reason — and trails Wanda over towards the stalls tending vats of warming hot cocoa. While they wait in line, he chews over how to ask all the things he wishes he could ask. (Why isn't she with the Avengers anymore? What happened?) Plus, there had been so many metaphorical blind alleys and dead-ends where he'd clammed up during their text conversation; so many details that he wasn't allowed to discuss, and didn't want to discuss until he'd at least met her in person.

Well. Now he's met her in person.

So he asks, delicately, his voice feigning lightness but there's a real curiosity there: ]

How long have you been on your own?

eternals has entered my eyeballs

[redchaos]

[It's a logical, expected question. It's why Wanda doesn't look very surprised, eyes lifting from the donut she's bitten in half and was trying to remember the name of the flavor for, because she is pretty unsure about what she's tasting.]

A while. After Thanos, after... dealing with the fallout, it was easier to just be apart.

[Safer, for everyone.]

Less... complicated.