A Fort Aegis Thanksmas

[Deathkeeper]

The not-so-lonely fortress has had its gates thrown wide for the holidays. The former home of AEGIS has been coated in a delicate layer of snow as the border of Autumn and Winter blur, and soft lights hang from delicate strings to cast it all in a warm glow.

The festivities are all along the fortress walls and its wide courtyard. Most of its upper rooms have been converted to warm, cozy affairs full of fires and cocoa and warm rugs. Lights are everywhere, and so are its resident kobolds. Each has been dressed in a hand-made green and red outfit, though only some have attempted to get their ear-fins looking halfway elfish. The ones that have mostly tried by sticking little fake ones onto their fins. The attendants scurry everywhere, offering guests hot drinks, blankets, guidance to rooms, and coupons for trips to the hot springs.
Those interested in going into the fortress' lower levels will find a large hot-spring bath with intricately carved Thanksmas panels. Those who are looking for a smaller, more private affair will have to book one (though the kobolds rarely charge too much).

All are welcome to the festival, so long as they don't mind occasionally stepping over the gaggle of dragonlings in reindeer costumes galloping throughout the grounds. Or their father, in a similar if huge version of the same costume offering to give children a ride with his sleigh.

Atop the Thanksmas throne in the courtyard coils a multi-colored metallic dragon in a large red hat and a cape that has been lovingly sewn for him.
Spako Highclaws doesn't consider himself to be suited for this role, but as host who's willing to talk to people it has fallen to him. And so with a ring of a large bell does Santa Claws declare this holiday officially BEGUN!

[Morty]

As it happens every year, Fort Aegis is swarmed by goblins in varying degrees of smallness. They seem interested in the kobolds, since they don't often see people as small as goblins. They're also very interesting in the dragonlings. Who might find themselves accosted by tiny goblins seeking to pet them. Fortunately, the kids are accompanied by some adults, who will rein them in so they don't mob the small dragons too much or make them uncomfortable.

Dipsnig's wolves have likewise arrived as is tradition, wandering around and offering pets and cuddles.

Finally, Michalson has visited Thanksmas for the first time. Thanksmas cheer is not something he can intuitively grasp. In fact, most forms of cheer have left his body a while ago. But he's determined to try and have fun. He feels like it's important.

[bc56]

Arrivals
Clop, clop, clop, clop.
Someone walks into the party. Sekhmet Brignole, Queen of the Scorching Depths has dressed to the nines for the occasion. Her dress is fairly simple; a long red garment with a fluffy white lining. But the real costume is her body. Her horns are transformed into branching antlers. Her ears are cervine, rather than human or elfin like normal, her barefoot feet are turned to hooves, and her tail is short and furred, like a deer's. The fire that normally hovers above her head is smaller and floating right in front of the tip of her nose.
The reindeer demon looks around. Lots of dragons here, that's different. She heads for somewhere warm; she doesn't handle the cold well. Unfortunately, she didn't bring a bathing suit for the hot springs. But for now, she'll take a mug of hot cocoa.

[Ironsmith]

Arrivals

Braon Hexenborne isn't very far behind her warden, and for once, is slightly outdoing her in the modesty department. The fiendling wears a thick black dress, with the skirt over a pair of wool tights, so a wayward wind doesn't chill her legs, and with a coal-black, elbow-length shawl over her shoulders. As if that weren't enough layers, she's still wearing her mottled green cloak over top of everything else, and she has a red scarf wrapped around her neck and face, going twice each around the bases of her horns. Her hands are covered with a pair of mittens, which looked like they'd been hand-woven by a well-meaning amateur, decorated in garish Thankmas symbols. Unusually for a dress, Braon has chosen to accompany this outfit with a pair of thick leather boots, the soles of which are expanded to accomodate the snowfall. Between everything, the only patch of bare skin visible is a small area around her eyes and the bridge of her nose.

Despite the generally festive air, Braon's expression (such as it is) is one of annoyance and disappointment. This had to be her least favorite time of the year; owed; no doubt, to the fact that she so often spent it alone, outside, or before that, surrounded by "family" she absolutely loathed and wanted nothing to do with. In both cases, she'd also had to endure irritating songs that, over the course of the season, wormed their way into her head and refused to leave when spring came. Even now, she was having difficulty expunging "Flurry the Snow Golem" from her brain, and finds herself somewhat involuntarily humming a few bars every now and then. Ugh. Stupidly sweet tunes.

Still. It was good to be out of the Depths for a little bit. She might not like the reason, but she does appreciate being given a longer leash for a while. When Sekhmet goes for some cocoa, Braon will follow, curious about this drink she'd heard so much about and yet had strangely never actually had.

[Recaiden]

A bunch of cat-people arrive, here to enjoy the holiday cheer.

They're each a little peculiar.
Omiko is the sort of weird you'd only find in the Nexus, being a demon crystal cyborg space-pirate cat sorceress. She's wearing a santa outfit that's been customized to accommodate the ears, the tail, the mechanical gun-arm that's aiming itself around the courtyard automatically, and the fact that at the time of the holiday, she's 8 months pregnant.

Then there's Shan, who is doing a very good job pretending to be a grade-school child, and not a boneless avian horror from an unfathomable hell. Look how they run over to Spako Claus, full of festive joy. Just like any kid would.

Walking behind them is Torry, who actually is a grade-school child, but is being something of a humbug - he is too old and sophisticated for all these tacky Thanksmas celebrations. He's just here to keep an eye on his little quarter-sibling, and not to do anything jovial, got it?

And finally there's Ankhenesmeryre, who is a perfectly well-adjusted cat-kid. Being made partly out of crystal doesn't make her peculiar, thank you narrator. And you can't tell under the winter hat anyway.

[Earl of Purple]

Arrivals- Royalty

Accompanying Sekhmet and Braon is Prumathe, a bulky young man with dark skin and dark green eyes. He's muscular, but not a bodybuilder; he's a mason, working with heavy blocks of stone all day. He's wearing a red sweater with a white tree knitted into the pattern and a pair of sturdy jeans. He's got a bag slung over his shoulder, and occasionally he fiddles with his wedding ring- he doesn't actually wear it often, as it's dangerous to wear whilst working. He's got a big smile every time he looks at Sekhmet, and follows to get a hot chocolate.

Arrivals- Swarm

Amongst the goblins is a gnome, with pale skin rosy from the chill, long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She's wearing a pink dress, pink stockings, pink wellies and a pink jacket, with a pink woolly hat with a white bobble on her head. She's a bit more nervous around the dragons, to begin with. But it doesn't take long for her to join in the fun.

Arrivals- Birbs

Two women approach, not quite together. The first is a pale mostly-human woman with grey eyes and short black hair, a pair of black auk wings emerging from her back with eyes in the central joint. She's wearing a red flannel shirt and a pair of sturdy jeans, a leather satchel hanging over her shoulder with a stylised crow branded into the flap. She's quite androgynous, so only those that know her- and her misbehaving shadow- might know she's a she. Her shadow is following, but slightly out of sync, as though it's copying her movements rather than actually following them.

The second is a half-elf wearing a dark red cardigan and a pair of dungarees. She's got short, pale brown hair, tanned skin, and bright green eyes, and after their arrival she splits from the first woman with a wave.

[bc56]

Royalty... And Braon
Sekhmet also wears her wedding ring, but she normally does, so she's not playing with it as much as Prumathe. Instead, she's occasionally putting her hand to her tail; normally it's much longer and it feels weird to have it so short.
She takes a long drink of her cocoa. Before coming to the Nexus, chocolate was something too rare and expensive for her to have. Now, it's cheap and everywhere, and she loves it. "So, uh, Braon, this is my husband, Prumathe. Prumathe, this is Braon, my, uh, spymaster." Although technically the dealings between the two are much more complicated than that, it's a good baseline for their business relationship.

[Ironsmith]

[Royalty plus Braon]

Braon's eyes flicker over Prumathe, and with so much of her face concealed, it's difficult to tell exactly what sort of emotions he's bringing out in her. On the one hand, he's... well, he's a he. That cost him points already. And he's Sekhmet's husband; what kind of person would get that close to the old shrew?

On the other hand, he's- Braon's eyes flicker up and down his body- he's... wow. And he's Sekhmet's husband; quite obviously and likely inflexibly taken. Forbidden fruit; he couldn't have had a more visceral appeal to Braon if he tried.

So the look Prumathe will ultimately be recieving is... rather passionate. It's just a question of whether she wants to choke the life out of him or drag him off to the nearest room with a functioning lock. Maybe both? Probably both.

"...Nice to meet you." She says finally, nursing a cup of cocoa between her bemittened hands, barely seeming to notice the warmth.

[Morty]

[The Swarm]

"Are you going to be okay with all those dragons around?" Brinika asks her sister as their cousins spread out. The young goblin is wearing a long dark blue coat and an oversized Santa hat. "Most of them are tiny, but there's a big one over there. I wonder if the small ones are the big one's babies. I've never seen a baby dragon before."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[The Swarm]

From a moderate distance, reindeer-Sylvess, perched by his sleigh, is keeping an eye on his kids - who are (for the most part) quite eager to play, and seem to have at least learned that playing doesn't include biting, which is probably for the best, as they have rather sharp teeths.

"Uh, y-yes, they're mine- uh, our kids." He calls out in answer to Brinika's question, nodding over at Santa Claws. "A-and don't worry, we've taught them to play nice. A-although mind the copper one, he's still a little, um, he- sometimes he still steals stuff."

[Earl of Purple]

Royalty and also Braon, I guess she's there too

"Um, pleased to meet you too, Braon." Well, that's... that's a concerning look. Does she want to eat him, curtain him, or both? He looks to Sekhmet as he offers a hand to shake, wondering if she's seen it too and what she makes of it. "So, uh, spymaster. I guess you're helping keep my wife safe, from other spies and stuff, so thank you." He genuinely means it, too. His lips quirk into a smile when he looks at his wife- except when he's worried about something, like for random example the look Braon gave him- and he stands as close to her as he can.

Swarm

Cheasadh has Pookie with her, just currently resting in a pokeball where it's theoretically warmer than outside. "I should be, I mean they're only little. Most of them, anyway." Reindeer-Sylvess might be an exception, though Earl's not sure how big he is. She eyes him a little nervously, but smiles as the gambolling dragonlings crash into scuttling goblins. "I don't think I've got anything on me to steal yet. Maybe my gloves, they're in my pocket for when we build snowmen or something."

[bc56]

Royalty and also Braon
"Braon," Sekhmet says, warningly. If Braon touches Prumathe, in either way, she'll be in big trouble. "Despite her, uh, current demeanor, she's been very helpful to me." She hasn't prevented anything that would have really been dangerous to Sekhmet, but she has alerted the queen to several assorted plots.

[Ironsmith]

Demonic Royalty and Braon, fiiiiine

"What?" Braon says defensively. She didn't do something wrong already, did she? Sekhmet seemed impossible to please some days. Braon just sighs and bears it.

"Ounce of prevention, as they say. I've probably indirectly saved her life a dozen times by now, it's just not obvious because nobody ever got to the dagger-to-your-throat step." She gives Prumathe a proud little smile, which quickly changes to an annoyed glare directed at Sekhmet as she pulls her scarf down. "But no, go ahead, pass that job off to a random cultist, see if I care." She grumbles saltily.

She follows this up by taking a sip from her cocoa and immediately regretting it. As seasoned cocoa drinkers know, there's a window of time where the beverage is not fit for consumption due to the heat involved, where its sweetness goes unappreciated thanks to a set of newly-scalded taste buds. Braon, however, is not a seasoned cocoa drinker.

The fiendling spits out the steaming beverage, fanning her tongue hurriedly. "Sonuddabish, haa du yuu peeble dreen dit tubb?!" She groans.

[Earl of Purple]

Demonic Royalty (Also Braon)

"And for that you have my thanks. I don't want Sekhmet's throat opened by a knife." Or a claw, garotte, or any other throat-opening device, for that matter.

He winces as he sees Braon swig the cocoa. "You need to wait a bit, for it to cool. It's really nice, just... not when the water's straight out the kettle." Although Prumathe and Sekhmet are probably OK with drinking it that hot, since he can boost his tolerance to temperature using his biomancy and she's immune to fire.

[Morty]

[The Swarm]

Brinika looks up at the huge... reindeer dragon.

"That's a lot of baby dragons. I didn't know dragons had this many kids. It'd be a lot even if they were goblins. They're cute, though."

[bc56]

Demonic Royalty and Braon
"Oh! Are you okay?" Sekhmet looks concerned. She has never burned herself on hot chocolate. Even back when she wasn't immune to fire, she was still very resistant.

[Ironsmith]

Demonic Royalty plus one

Braon scoops some snow off a nearby branch and dunks it on her tongue, letting out a little groan between relief and annoyance. After a minute of this, such that her mouth isn't in a state of agony, she spits it out and nods slowly. "Y-yeah... yeah, I'm okay." She grumbles, tossing the rest of the drink (cup and all) over her shoulder.

"...But seriously. Why don't you tell your dear hubby here what assignment you've given me now that the [curtained] palace has rendered me obsolete." She crosses her arms and gives Prumathe a look that says "just listen to this, it's crazy".

[Earl of Purple]

Demonic Royalty and some uppity minion

Prumathe moves slightly to make sure Braon didn't hit anyone with the mug or the liquid within, but can't do much to stop her.

"How can a palace replace a spymaster? I mean, for one a palace can't really go get spies outside itself, can it?" Prumathe ponders a moment. "...Can your palace walk around, Sekhmet?" Spying on the succubi and other denizens of Sekhmet's kingdom is one thing, but there's other people out there that Sekhmet might appreciate people watching, such as the Slaver's Guild or some of the rulers neighbouring her part of Hell.

[Deathkeeper]

Santa's Throne

The very shiny Santa perches upon the enormous wooden seat for the holiday. In turn, Heuldranwm perches upon her father's horns.
"Hello, little one. What can Santa do for you this Thanksmas?" asks the dragon of the tiny definitely-not-horror.

[bc56]

Demonic Royalty and that one girl too

"Uh, sort of. She has a separate body she can move around, but she can also see everything inside her walls." Sekhmet explains. "I've, uh, had Braon looking into some of the outlying communities in my realm. I want to understand what their, uh, society is like and how I can, uh, help them."

[Ironsmith]

[Demonic Royalty] plus anti-fangirl

"And it's been the most boring assignment since this b-... beautiful wife of yours had me actually locked up." Braon adds, quickly amending her description of Sekhmet to avoid getting into any more trouble. "Do you know what they do out there in the more remote parts of the Depths? It's the actual, literal middle of nowhere. I can't really sneak in because everyone there already knows everyone else, intimately, then promptly got bored of 'knowing' each other, some-flippin'-how, and so most of them just stare out at the horizon all day, every day. When I do show up, I'm not an agent of the queen, I'm the first entertainment they've had in centuries. Which wouldn't be so bad if they didn't just run me down asking for songs and dances and stories and jokes and whatever. I only know so many!" She sighs. "You want to help those people, Seksy? Just show up."

"...At least, that's been the case so far."

[Earl of Purple]

Demonic Royalty and some weirdo

"Wait, you were locked up? Why?" Although the revelation that Sekhmet's palace is a woman and can see everything within her walls means Prumathe will feel quite uncomfortable if he ever needs the toilet there, he's trying not to think of that right now.

[bc56]

Demonic Royalty.There was someone else?
Sekhmet has neglected to tell Braon that she's been sending her to the relatively tame communities first. And Braon is most likely neglecting to mention at least one encounter with predatory fiends. "She, uh... Let's, uh, not talk about what she did right now. She's gotten better since." Attempted child murder doesn't sit well with Sekhmet.
Also the nickname, "Seksy" causes Sekhmet to react with thinly veiled disgust, but she doesn't say anything about it.

[Ironsmith]

[Demonic Royalty] (King, Queen, and Jack***)

"What was I locked up for? What was I locked up for?!" Braon throws an arm around Prumathe's shoulder and leans into him in a way that's entirely too familiar. "Being too stupid to leave well enough alone and not get shot in the process, that's what!"

She leans in and whispers in Prumathe's ear noisily. "I heard all about your little problem with expanding the royal family- maith thu, by the way- and I thought to myself, 'Y'know, Braon, it's an uphill battle for you to not get pregnant, maybe you can help the nice lady out and earn yourself a high-ranking favor in the process, yeah?'" Braon stops for a moment to swipe up some eggnog from the table (clearly labeled as the hard kind) before continuing.

"And in the process of doing that, we get to learning a couple things about each other. For instance, I learn she's looking for a certain cultist, she learns I didn't get these-" she points up at her horns, "-at a costume shop. She gets offended at a few of the things I've admitted to doing, tries to toss me to the Depths then and there. I did what I do best and ran like hell." She stops and slugs down the eggnog in one almighty gulp to punctuate the statement.

"Now." She continues, making a bit of a face. "If I was at all intelligent, I would've left it there. She collapsed a minute into the chase, probably couldn't follow me too well. I could just lay low for a little while and let her forget we ever met. But for some reason, Adea alone knows why, I decided to track down the cultist and bring him back. Sure, maybe it'd be enough to get in her good graces, but that wasn't a guarantee. My dumb butt would be giving her something valuable for what could easily be nothing."

"Long story made short, I tracked him down and he shot me. I dragged both our sorry carcasses back to her heinie. Nearly gave up the ghost on her couch." She refills her cup and smirks a little. "Fortunately, her royal painness saw fit to bring me back to the Depths to heal me. Until today, she's just never brought me back. Thought it was safer for all concerned if I stayed down there." She goes to gulp down her second helping of eggnog. She's left out a lot of little details- including her work deal with Sekhmet- but she figured that was a complete enough account to bring Prumathe up to speed. "...Ha. I believe you people have a relevant saying. Something about good deeds and an inevitable subsequent punishment."

[Earl of Purple]

Demonic Royalty- Queen, Prince Consort, Knave

Prumathe also winces at 'Seksy', when he realises what was said.

He's looking a little awkward with Braon's arm around him, but doesn't really know how to shrug it off politely. "We've, uh, sorted that now. I think." Sekhmet might know she's pregnant, and she may have told Prumathe, but he won't spill the beans unless Sekhmet wants him to. "Do I want to know who the cultist is?" The only one I think he knows is Bluefoot, and she's safely locked up by Vigil, he hopes.

[Morty]

Another person has arrived at the Thanksmas celebration. Calm Reed, Vigil's resident Immaculate monk, has decided to visit again. After all, shouldn't she pay attention to the local celebrations? Even if no gods as she understands them seem to be involved. She's wearing a thick threadbare cloak over her robe (an acceptable necessity) and a wide straw hat. She wanders around slowly, unable to partake in most of the food and drink available.

[Shadowcaller]

[Thank Amassing Aegis]

An armored woman wanders into the resort.
She seems to know her way around here, probably since she had been here before.
For once that tome she usually is carrying around isn't floating after her or in her belt. Instead she had a sword that is more seldomly seen in its scabbard as she wanders the resort.

[bc56]

Demonic Royalty: Queen, Consort, Jester
Sekhmet does know (or at least strongly suspect), and of course she told Prumathe. It's not really a secret, but it's not something Sekhmet wants openly discussed either, not yet. She looks at her husband when he asks about the cultist. "He's my father, Prumathe." That's significant. "He ran away again while I was tending to Braon's injuries. I don't know where he is now."

[Recaiden]

[Arrivals- Birbs]

Two women approach, not quite together. The first is a pale mostly-human woman with grey eyes and short black hair, a pair of black auk wings emerging from her back with eyes in the central joint. She's wearing a red flannel shirt and a pair of sturdy jeans, a leather satchel hanging over her shoulder with a stylised crow branded into the flap. She's quite androgynous, so only those that know her- and her misbehaving shadow- might know she's a she. Her shadow is following, but slightly out of sync, as though it's copying her movements rather than actually following them.

The second is a half-elf wearing a dark red cardigan and a pair of dungarees. She's got short, pale brown hair, tanned skin, and bright green eyes, and after their arrival she splits from the first woman with a wave.

After a little while of strolling through the courtyard, Omiko decides that the thing to do is to throw a snowball at the half-elf.
They look like just the woman who needs to be in a snowball fight.

[Santa's Throne]

The very shiny Santa perches upon the enormous wooden seat for the holiday. In turn, Heuldranwm perches upon her father's horns.
"Hello, little one. What can Santa do for you this Thanksmas?" asks the dragon of the tiny definitely-not-horror.

"Hi Santa Claus! I've been good this year."
"And I was wondering, do you know the future? My parent's really worried about it."
"Oh, and can I have a flying carpet or something?"
The horror nods rapidly. Such a good kid.

[Ironsmith]

[Demonic Royalty] (featuring a fiendling)

"Yeah, I figured. Learned pretty early on that succubi don't really put on weight, and given what you two lovebirds have been trying to do, it wasn't hard to put two and two together." Braon shrugs and finishes off her second eggnog, smacking her lips appreciatively. "I won't ask for details- boy, girl, early name picks, whatever, I just don't care enough- but hey, good on you for... you know. Contributing to the demon population." Her other arms goes around Sekhmet, pulling the three of them into what was either a conspiratorial huddle or a genuine attempt at a group hug. She's a little too flush-faced for it to be obvious which she's going for.