#i bought us some fun card games for xmas to try and give us something to do together

[ridiculously-over-obsessed]

I swear, this is the last ever New Year that I ring in with people who don't value me or my time and efforts. This is the last year that I spend the holidays etc feeling utterly despondant and miserable. This is the last time I spend the 2 weeks that encompass Christmas, New Years, and my birthday with my cunt of a mother and sister. They have had almost 25 of them in some way or another, and this is their last. I'm done.

[szopenhauer]

Have you ever tried to walk on a moving vehicle and fallen over?: I didn’t fall When was the last time you were a passenger in a car and sat in the back?: I always sit in the back

What is the longest your hair has ever been?: to my butt Who does the grocery shopping in your household?: we all do but me and dad most often What is the best thing you’ve ever bought at a thrift shop?: I bought so many things! Have you ever been pulled aside by security at the airport?: not applicable Do you watch The Simpsons regularly?: I don’t but I like this show anyway :) Did you ever go to summer camp when you were younger?: twice Do you know anyone who is fluent in a second tongue?: me Have you ever been pressured into doing drugs? Did you say yes or no?: I said no

When you were younger, did you have a swing set or a playhouse in your backyard? had a swing Do you burn incense? I heard it causes cancer :(

Does being in love make you nervous? yep Have you ever been so quiet that nobody noticed that you were there? from what I remember Did you ever stop having feelings for someone and then started having those feelings again for them? yeah Do you stay home when you are sick or do you still go out? stay home What’s your relationship with the person you last texted? we’re datinh Have you had more than 3 gfs at the same time? nooo Are you in a good mood right now? sigh... Have you kissed someone with braces? I have XD Who’s your favorite redhead? real, celeb or character?

How do you feel about being in the house alone? cool When was the last time you burnt your mouth from eating something too hot? it happens often as I don’t feel it being hot most of the time :( Do you prefer instrumental songs or ones with lyrics? lyrics Do you have any old friends who you still kinda speak to but it’s awkward? sigh...  When was the last time you used a quote from a movie in real life? today? Do you forget things easily? depends/some

Would/Do you like having brown eyes? maybe Do you spend a lot of time on the internet? too much Have you bought anyone a Christmas gift? not yet

What is one of your favorite compliments to recieve? compliments are awkward :x Do you compliment other random people? rarely What do you use Facebook for? texting mostly Do you love cartoons? some are nice Do you paint your own nails? I did

Describe your style in one word. comfy Describe your current personality in one or two words. complicated Are you afraid of child birth/pregnancy? it’s one of the reasons why I don’t want any kids What are you favorite bottoms to wear? leggings or pajama pants Do you like dresses? not really Do you eat cake with a spoon or a fork? tiny fork but spoon is fine as well What is your favorite sex position? ;) I'm not a fan of sex What color will you paint your nails next? black if any Are you afraid of ghosts/hauntings? kinda What is your favorite game to play with family/friends? board games and/or car racing games with dad What is your beer of choice? I don’t drink beer Do you like glitter? could say so Have you ever owned a Ouija board? hell no Do you like to text? it seems If you had to be an animal for Halloween, what would it be? bat, cat or wolf (eventually a raccoon but it’s not a Halloween related animal) Do you have more dry skin or oily skin? mixed

Name something that starts with the first letter of your first name. zoo Name something that starts with the first letter of your middle name? - And your lastname. chicken Would you spend 20 dollars on a candle? no way What is the goriest thing you’ve seen in real life? hmm... Twilight or Harry Potter? HP Would you rather be a vampire or a mermaid? vampire P.E or Math? Math or Science? dunno What do you do when someone is really rude to you in public? hard to tell Do you argue with your significant other a lot? we don’t argue  Have you ever had a really painful breakup? they were painful to me What do you like to write with? my hands lmfao Do you prefer to be pale or tan? Don’t say in between. pale What is your favorite thing about Christmas? decorations and gifts but also spending time with my parents Do you prefer white or black electronics? black A stranger comes up to you and gives you a big hug, what do you do? :o Do your eyes tear up when you’re nervous? might Apples or Bananas? apples Water or Milk? water Would you milk a cow given the chance? it’s weird Where do you shop for your underwear? I don’t have a fav place to do that

Do you feel more comfortable sleeping in your own bed or in a hotel bed? my own 

Do you prefer to travel by plane, car, or boat? car

Who is your favorite travel buddy? dad

What’s the best souvenir you have ever purchased? can’t choose

What’s your favorite book to read during a long ride? I don’t read while travelling

What’s the most entertaining story you have about getting lost? me and my father been talking so loud that someone on the street just stopped by and told us where the place we’re looking for is ^^”

What was the most expensive trip you have ever taken? ask my family

Which songs are on your travel playlist? whatever

Which travel blogs do you follow? none

Do you complain when you are bored, or look for something to do? I’m never bored so I don’t complain about it

Do other people’s complaints ever get on your nerves? some/depends

How did you develop your specific taste in music? can’t explain that 

If you drink coffee, how do you like it (with cream, black, etc)? I don’t drink coffee

Did your parents sign you up for things like piano lessons and ballet? no and now I’m a loser

What is your favorite children’s song? Kokoszeczka

Are you good at telling jokes? I am

Other than gas, what do you frequently purchase at a gas station? I don’t purchase anything there

Ten years ago, did you think that this was how the world would turn out? ...

Ever think you might be better off living in a different time period? yup

Do you walk regularly? not regularly but often

If you could have the answer to one question, what question would that be? personal

Do you like any bands from other countries? obvi, most of those I like aren’t from Poland, I don’t like polish music 

When was the last time you mailed a handwritten letter? years ago

Do you still receive Christmas cards? my mom does

Do you know anyone who is really hard to please? sadly

What gets you through the day? I wonder myself

If you found out your bf/gf was homosexual, how would you react? I know she is - elseway we wouldn’t date (ok, she could be bi, I know)

If you are homosexual, and you find out your bf/gf is straight, then what? we break up 

Have you ever sung karaoke? What songs? Was it fun? it was Ich troje song *embarassed*

Have you called anyone today? What did you talk about? not today

Do you drive around the neighborhood to look at lights around Xmas? I like to look but I don’t ride around just for that

Why are so many single people bitter on Valentine’s Day? because they’re lonely and because this day is fake 

What is one tradition you hate participating in? personal

Have you made a fool of yourself today? probably

When was the last time you did something for someone else? recently

Do you let other people choose the radio stations in your car? but I don’t have a car 

Would you say that you are an accepting and openminded person? am not

Have you ever been convinced to try something you didn’t want to do? I have been

When was the last time you cheated–at anything? last time I used motherlode in The sims 4 game?

When you are mad at someone, how do you show them? depends

When was the last time you felt you had a reality check? blergh

Have you ever felt out of touch with reality? dissociation, derealisation, depersonalisation etc.

Have you ever had a tooth pulled? not since I was a kid

How long do you you usually chew a stick of gum? didn’t check the timing

Was there any teacher that made life living hell for you? it wasn’t THAT bad but it wasn’t good 

How about any student(s)? I’ve been bullied if it’s what you’re asking me about - still could be much worse

When was the last time you felt overwhelmed? 24/7

Do you have any coffee mugs with funny pictures/sayings? Did I just rolled my eyes out loud 

Describe something strange that you own? where should I start...

Do you think graffiti is a valid form of artistic expression? I don’t approve of it when it vandalizes property

Are you afraid to walk places at night if you are alone? I’m a petite woman so...

What do you think of people who are shy? hard to keep contact with them

Have you ever gone through a time when you had no friends? How did you deal with it? not counting my family - last several years - I was ok with it as I’m a loner, homebody, introvert

What is something that shouldn’t bother you, but does anyway? fuck off!

Has any food ever made you sick to the point where you’d be afraid to try it again? that happened more than once already

Can you hear traffic right now? I don’t hear anything :3

Have you taken a painkiller today? no

Have you had a nap today? neither

Are you currently in a relationship? If so, do you think it will last? don’t feed my paranoia...

Do you have a hyphenate name or know anyone with one? (eg. Carter-Brown) my sister

Do you take your Christmas decorations down before or after New Years? after

Have you made a large purchase today? I didn’t buy anything today, it’s Sunday

Have you ever used a leaf blower? we don’t own one, we’re not rich

You see someone running around naked in the street. Your reaction? if it’s neighbor’s kid that’s no surprise

Has someone close to you died of murder? no one close to me but still a family member of some sort

Would you ever have sex with the last person you texted? done

Do you abbreviate when you text? that’s lazy of me, I know

Is anyone in the room on the phone right now? I’m playing a game

[theonyxpath]

Yes, we’re down to the last few days of this extra-long Kickstarter campaign for They Came From Beneath the Sea!

Holding a Kickstarter over the Xmas holidays is always a risky venture, but we’re pretty happy with the response we’ve gotten from this brand-new game. The extra time time allow a bunch of groups to try out playing the Early Access version that is available to all backers, and it seems like hilarity has been had by all!

Except for one group, actually.

But, to be fair, that was sort of the point of their playtest. Allow me to explain.

C20 Players Guide art by Jeff Holt

Red Moon Roleplaying contacted They Came From Beneath the Sea! developer Matthew Dawkins with an interesting idea. As much as they liked the inherent humor in TCFBtS!, it wasn’t really the tone they’d set for their podcasts. Their previous broadcasts have been much more strictly horror oriented.

So, they asked Matthew, could TCFBtS! handle a non-humor session?

“Hell, yes!”, I imagine Matthew responding, although I’m sure his real answer was less rude and a bit longer.

In fact, Matthew and I discussed this very thing when we were originally talking about the game. We both wanted to give the game its own feel, and thought that the material cried out for a funny direction, but agreed that it is so focused and robust a game with the Storypath System underlying it, that folks could easily play it straight.

So that’s exactly what they are doing with Matthew’s help. He sent me this earlier:

I’ve just concluded recording the first session of They Came from Beneath the Sea! with Red Moon Roleplaying, going through all of character creation, a breakdown of the rules, and an introduction to the scenario. It went very well!

What’s going to be a lot of fun once they are ready to air the show, is that they add sound effects and selected music to their show, so this promises to be very enjoyable to listen to. Here’s a sweet visual they prepared:

The first episode is slated to start this Wednesday the 23th and here’s hoping you get a chance to listen to it. I know I will! https://www.redmoonroleplaying.com/

You’ll also be able to find the first episode on our Onyx Path YouTube channel! We’re getting more and more excellent content over there – like interviews with our creators from MidWinter and Gentleman Gamer news and review segments – I strongly suggest you check it out, there’s something for everybody! https://www.youtube.com/user/TheOnyxPath

I bring this up because a lot of games and their fans can get locked into a “this is all this does” mode, and we’re still reallllly early in the life of our Storypath System. There’s still a ton of different gaming styles and genres we can use Storypath as the basis for.

Geist 2nd Edition art by Drew Tucker

Horror, as an example, is something we’ve discussed, but haven’t specifically built towards, but if we hear from our community, you wonderful people, and we see support for other Storypath powered games, then we can use those indicators from you as guideposts for our future plans.

So if you are interested in us exploring a new game, a new genre, whatever, with the Storypath System, let us know. Here, in our forums, Facebook pages, on Twitter. Back our Storypath game Kickstarters even just for the PDF so we know the interest is out there. Like I said, we’ll look at these sorts of things as indicators that the interest is there.

But maybe you want to know more before you pledge, maybe you have questions not covered by all the various They Came From media bits we’ve been giving the links out for. That’s fair, and we actually have you covered.

On the Onyx Path YouTube channel tomorrow, there will be a live Q&A with the They Came from Beneath the Sea! team of Matthew Dawkins, Larry Blamire, Bianca Savazzi, and John Burke! Tune in and throw them your questions about the game, B-movies, and RPGs in general! The broadcast is scheduled for Tuesday 22nd January at 20:00 GMT!

Dystopia Rising: Evolution art by Mark Kelly

Next week, I think I’ll be talking about where we are with all of our Kickstarter campaigns, what we’re trying to achieve with them now that a lot of our emphasis is on making KSs that fund getting our books traditionally printed and in stores, and what’s up next.

If you have questions about our Kickstarters you’d like to see answered in next week’s MMN blog, lay them on me in the comments to this one, and I’ll try and work them in. Kickstarters are, after all, one of the ways we are able to create games that explore:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

KICKSTARTER:

They Came From Beneath the Sea! (TCFBtS!) has only three more days left as I write this and we’ve passed through Stretch Goal after Stretch Goal including getting Larry Blamire to illustrate a horizontal scene usable on a screen, three entries for a book of additional soggy Threats, a T-Shirt, two added Adventure Scenarios, digital wallpaper featuring our submarine menaces, and we are rising up on the next goal!

TCFBtS! has some very different additions to the Storypath mechanics we’ll be explaining during the KS that take an excellent 50’s action and investigation genre game and turn it to 11! You can see the actual play here:

Check out the teaser:https://youtu.be/kxLydk4t76s

Hope to see you there back in the 50’s, fighting watery menaces and cracking wise!

ONYX PATH MEDIA

Illustration by Michael Gaydos

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast features an interview with long-time White Wolf and Green Ronin writer and developer Joe Carriker. Joe has lots of STRONGLY held thoughts and opinions about a lot of stuff, and we’re betting that a lot of tables get flipped! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

As mentioned above, on the Onyx Path YouTube channel tomorrow, there will be a live Q&A with the They Came from Beneath the Sea! team of Matthew Dawkins, Larry Blamire, Bianca Savazzi, and John Burke! Tune in and throw them your questions about the game, B-movies, and RPGs in general! The broadcast is scheduled for Tuesday 22nd January at 20:00 GMT! 

Celebrated podcasters and actual play dramatists Red Moon Roleplaying will be starting their broadcast of Terror at Make-Out Point, ran by our very own Matthew Dawkins, on Wednesday 23rd January! If you’re at all on the fence about They Came from Beneath the Sea!, here’s a fine place to hear it in action, complete with sound effects and music! https://www.redmoonroleplaying.com/

On our channel Matthew Dawkins is recapping his campaign of Scion that he’s named “Tokyo Noir”. It sounds like a lot of grisly fun and mixes the children of Bishamon, Kissh?ten, and Loki in a murder mystery. Matthew is involving viewers in deciding the direction of the game, so get in early with your suggestions! https://youtu.be/cKpHy3W4Z-E

YouTuber Stuart Armstrong has put together an interesting video on crossing over They Came from Beneath the Sea! with the World of Darkness! Check it out and give his channel a subscription: https://youtu.be/2wBFny9mSng

One of our forumites, Cinder, has started a written recap of their campaign of They Came from Beneath the Sea! It’s in its early stages right now, but you can subscribe to the thread for updates: http://forum.theonyxpath.com/forum/main-category/cavaliers-of-mars-and-pugmire/1278691-explorers-of-the-fathoms-tcfbts-actual-play

Caffeinated Conquests concluded their actual play of A Slippery Conspiracy, the sample adventure in They Came from Beneath the Sea! Check out their footage here: https://youtu.be/2Z724VBdqV4

Twin Cities by Night posted their actual play of Scion: Origin – A Light Extinguished to YouTube. In this story, a scion of Re is found murdered. It’s up to the protagonists to find out why and who the killer is: https://youtu.be/CeMWhD92hIg

The Story Told Podcast has produced overviews of both Scion and They Came from Beneath the Sea! Here’s a link to where you can find their shows: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/

Caffeinated Conquests (again!) posted a review of They Came from Beneath the Sea! on YouTube! If you’re on the fence about backing the game before the Kickstarter ends, perhaps this video will sway you: https://youtu.be/JDqOVHcgjwI

ELECTRONIC GAMING:

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is now live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is both rolling and rocking!

ON AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE:

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue you bought it from. Reviews really, really help us with getting folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

OUR SALES PARTNERS:

Running until Feb 3 is the Trinity (Aeon) 1e Bundle of Holding: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Trinity1E and the Aberrant 1e Bundle of Holding: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Aberrant

Check them out and get some amazing deals on the first edition PDFs (same as we have on DTRPG) and watch how the Bundles grow during the duration of the sale!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the Screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can now order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=296

DRIVETHRURPG.COM:

This Wednesday, we’re offering PDF and PoD versions of the Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition Jumpstart : Hearts on Trial on DTRPG!

CONVENTIONS

New convention notices coming soon!

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM FAST EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Geist2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Distant Worlds (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Let The Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

TC: Aeon Ready Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Redlines

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Memento Mori: the GtSE 2e Companion (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

C20 Novel: Cup of Dreams (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Ready Made Characters (Scion 2nd Edition)

Witch-Queen of the Shadowed Citadel (Cavaliers of Mars)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Development

Hunter: the Vigil 2e core (Hunter: the Vigil 2nd Edition)

CofD Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

CofD Dark Eras 2 (Chronicles of Darkness)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Manuscript Approval:

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Scion Jumpstart (Scion 2nd Edition)

Editing:

Aeon Aexpansion (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Dystopia Rising: Evolution (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

M20 Book of the Fallen (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

In Media Res (Trinity Continuum: Core)

Tales of Excellent Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

V5 Chicago By Night (Vampire: The Masquerade)

V5 Chicago By Night Screen (Vampire: The Masquerade)

Spilled Blood (Vampire: The Requiem 2nd Edition)

Wr20 Book of Oblivion (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Post-Editing Development:

C20 Players’ Guide (Changeling: the Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition)

Signs of Sorcery (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon (Werewolf: The Forsaken 2nd Edition)

Adventures for Curious Cats (Monarchies of Mau)

Indexing:

Scion Origin (Scion Second Edition)

Scion Hero (Scion Second Edition)

ART DIRECTION FROM MIRTHFUL MIKE:

In Art Direction

Dystopia Rising: Evolution

The Realm – Contracted.

Ex3 Monthly Stuff –

Chicago By Night – Rolling on contracting next bits.

Aeon Aexpansion – Going over the notes.

They Came From Beneath the Sea! – KS over in three days!

EX3 Lunars – Updated KS finals are in, KS prep begins.

Signs of Sorcery – Over to layout this week.

In Media Res – Sketches starting to come in.

Hunter: The Vigil 2

Shunned By the Moon – Got the notes, contacting artists.

Book of Oblivion – Contracted.

Contagion Chronicle

Marketing Stuff

In Layout

Geist 2e

C20 Player’s Guide

Proofing

Scion Hero – Indexing.

Scion Origin – Indexing.

M20: Gods and Monsters – Sending for WW approval.

Pugmire Roll of Good Dogs and Cats – Getting backer PDF ready to send to backers.

Trinity Core – Errata closed.

Trinity Aeon – Errata closed.

Ex3 Dragon Blooded – inputting XXs and then off to Indexing.

CtL2e Condition Cards – Sending for PoD proofs.

Ex Novel 2 (Aaron Rosenberg) – Sending for WW approval.

At Press

Wraith 20th – Shipping to fulfillment shipper.

Wraith 20 Screen – Shipping to fulfillment shipper.

Scion Dice – At Studio2.

Scion Screen – At Studio2.

CtL2 Jumpstart – PDF and PoD versions on sale at DTRPG this Wednesday.

Fetch Quest – Shipping to US.

TODAY’S REASON TO CELEBRATE: 

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr Day! Here in the US, for some of you out there, that may just mean you get a day off, or can’t get your mail as it’s a Monday holiday, and for others celebrating MLK’s birthday may mean a lot more. Humanity, and protest, and civil rights, and a man who stood up and spoke forth in a time period that sparked changes in laws and attitudes that we are still dealing with today.

[ultranova00]

TWICE (xmas one-shot)

Title: You’re My Secret Santa

Pairing: Mina x Chaeyoung / michaeng

She stared at the bright blobs of colors on her palette again. Then back to the painting. Then back to the colors. Which would she choose for her next brushstroke? What if it didn’t turn out perfect? And why oh earth did she decide on acrylic painting, not color pencils and ink like her other drawings?

Chaeyoung groaned inwardly in frustration at her inability to make a simple decision, at the same time, her heart fluttered with the excitement of Mina seeing her present. No, she would just have to keep trying and not give up on this. As she dipped her paintbrush in the titanium white once again, her mind wandered back to yesterday when Jihyo brought up the idea of secret Santa. 

“Everyone it’s that time of year againnnn~ You all know what that means!” Jihyo’s melodious voice sang with the holiday spirit. Tzuyu, who was sprawled on the couch, looked up from her phone and quizzically arched an eyebrow.

“Jihyo unnie, why do you sound so excited?” she asked, though her resigned tone made it sound like she knew what was coming. “Are you gonna make everyone do secret Santa again like last year?”

“Secret santa again? Aww, can we try something new? It’s just that I still have no idea what to do with all the selca portraits that Nayeon gifted me with last year,” Jeongyeon looked over at the two, pausing in the midst of hanging a string of brightly colored Christmas lights over the fireplace.

“You can still look at them every night before bed to remind you of my gorgeous existence,” Nayeon called from the kitchen, where she was drinking hot cocoa with Momo. Jeongyeon rolled her eyes at Nayeon’s typical remark before continuing her work.

“Yes,” Jihyo clapped her hands together, her smile beaming warmly. “Let’s do secret santa. But this time, we’ll make it different. To change things up a little.”

“Oh? How so?” Tzuyu still looked a little skeptical. Her last year’s present from Sana was highly impractical, not to mention barely appropriate for the innocent maknae.

“Trust me on this, my dear Tzuyu. We’ll have everyone give each other handmade gifts this year, no store-bought gifts allowed! It’ll be a fun and heartfelt way to express our love for each other as one big TWICE family,” Jihyo winked, already set to work on writing out everyone’s names on slips of paper.

And that was how TWICE ended up sitting in a circle, cuddling up in big comfy blankets, sipping hot drinks. Everyone pulled the name of their secret gift recipient from a hat, with much giggling and teasing one another about who might have gotten who.

Chaeyoung was both surprised and pleased to read “~Myoui Mina~” on her slip of paper. She tried not to be too obvious and did not glance immediately at Mina who was sitting across from her, leaning gently on Momo’s shoulder and sipping her cocoa thoughtfully. Instead, she just cracked a lame joke with Jeongyeon sitting beside her, though inwardly she was blushing like crazy. Her mind set to work wondering what kind of handmade present Mina would appreciate from her. Besides rapping and dancing, drawing was one of Chaeyoung’s many passions and seemed like the perfect idea to create a work of art for Mina’s gift.

The snow was falling delicately on the darkened city outside, and Mina could feel the friendly feeling of the Christmas holidays spreading slowly over her. She could hear the voices of Dahyun, Sana, Nayeon, and Jeongyeon downstairs playing some card game and Jeongyeon’s outraged voice at Nayeon’s obvious cheating. She gazed out the frosted window, feeling so lucky to be spending the holidays with some of her most favorite people in the whole world.  Her mouth curled in a slight smile at the thought of Chaeyoung unwrapping her present.

Of course, Mina tried not to give away her secret too easily. She avoided looking at Chaeyoung right after drawing her name from the hat and pretended to cuddle next to Momo. But she already knew the perfect gift Chaeyoung might like from her. Knitting was always one of those therapeutic, yet hardly used skills Mina always thought she had, so it seemed natural to knit Chaeyoung something. She’d challenge herself by making a pair of gloves, the design of which she had seen in Pinterest boards online, and decided it wouldn’t be too difficult to DIY.

Finally deciding on starting up her little project again, Mina picked up the knitting needles and picked up from where she last left off. The wool was a cute, wintery blue color, and Mina already kenw it would be the perfect size for Chaeyoung’s smol hands by furtively measuring some old leather gloves from her closet (also, leather gloves? When she found them, Mina wondered when Chaeoyoung stopped wearing something as cool as those).

These warm gloves would be the perfect accessory for the winter season. Motivated by the thought of Chaeyoung happy and pleasantly surprised at the gift, Mina continued her knitting and began to softly sing the notes of a classy holiday carol, a gentle smile on her face.

“Ready? Ok, don’t look yet,” Chaeyoung made her final arrangements, as Mina sat on the couch with her eyes covered. “Ok now, 3..2..1..”

Mina opened her eyes and gasped. There, in front of her displayed on the coffee table in a frame, was an artistic rendering of her, painted against a snowy landscape. The Mina in the painting looked off into the distance, her graceful and delicate expression filled with hope and longing. In the painting, her beauty, sadness, and rare quirkiness was captured all at once in a single frame. Snowflakes cascaded all around in the portrait, and one could almost be reminded of a penguin at the south pole.

“I..I..” For a moment, she was lost for words.

“Do you like it?” Chaeyoung looked at her, hopeful and anxious at the same time. She’d spent the whole afternoon on the painting. After so many years of friendship, it was the first time Chaeyoung had drawn Mina and she was eager to see her reaction.

“I love it.” A huge smile lit up her elegant features. “Chaeyoung, this is amazing! Thank you.” Her look of humble gratitude and fondness spoke a thousand words to Chaeyoung. They embraced by the warmth of the fireplace, the bond of friendship between them strengthened like the bow of a Christmas ribbon.

“This is for you,” Mina presented an impeccably neatly wrapped gift box, decorated with cute penguins and polar bears on the wrapping paper.

“No way! You got me for secret Santa too?” Chaeyoung said, her hand covering her delighted surprise. She opened it excitedly and took out the contents. “Ah, these are so cute! And warm,” she tried the gloves on and put both hands, warmed by the soft wool, to her face. The knowledge that Mina had hand-knit these gloves, just for her, made her cherish them even more.

“This is the best Christmas I could have ever hoped for,” Chaeyoung’s words reflected her genuine happiness.

Mina felt a tingling warmth at seeing her Chae’s adorable smile. For now, as the other members still lay sound asleep upstairs, only she could share this rare moment with her baby lion cub, and it brought her unspeakable joy. 

As they sat there on the couch, treasuring each other’s presence in the brightness of the early winter morning, the future felt infinitely hopeful.

[vamporchid]

Just for fun!

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? I can’t use milk...or dairy...so almond or soy, so more cereal...but I hardly ever eat cereal so yeah...

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? I’m Canadian, it’s a given lol

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? Uhm, bookmarks oh and business cards LOL

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? coffee, two sugar and cream, tea all on its own or with honey

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? Yup, thanks mom...I has a huge mouth lol

6: do you keep plants? Ahahahaha yeah. Sorry laughing to a friends response as I’m doing. Yes I do, all kinds and I have a garden and flower garden.

7: do you name your plants? K not that crazy...

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? Uhm, I do traditional drawing, paintings, crafts, tattoo and now I’m venturing into airbrushing. Oh and I can’t forget writing.

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? Who doesn’t?

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? My right side. Stupid spine.

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? Squirrels. Ahahaha. Bucky and Squirrels.

12: what's your favorite planet? Other than earth? Pluto. It’s neglected.

13: what's something that made you smile today? My two year old son, getting excited when his sisters let him play with their stuff. He’s funny.

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? Farm house chic with chickens!

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! In the late 1950′s, by way of something labeled Project A119 the United States decided it would be a good idea to launch a nuclear missile at the moon. Why? Evidently they felt it would give them a leg up in the Space Race. Fortunately, however, the plan was never executed.

16: what's your favorite pasta dish? Lasagna, but I can’t eat it no more...

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?  Fire engine red!!

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.  I grab a cop by the collar once to try and drag him to my friend that was in trouble. That ladies and gentlemen is not the correct way to get an officers attention.

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I used to, not anymore.

20: what's your favorite eye color? Green

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. My black and pink school bag. I actually used to live out of in College. I refuse to get rid of it even though my husband hates it.

22: are you a morning person? No!

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?  Write, read or draw!! Oh and crafts.

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? @amethystflame, she’s my witness, muahahha. Squirrels.

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? Mayor’s office LOL.

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? None, I’m always getting new footwear.

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? Uhm Bubblegum.

28: sunrise or sunset? Sunset. Sunrise means I’ve been up all night, again. Ugh.

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? @amethystflame, every morning we always text each other good morning lol

30: think of it: have you ever been  truly scared? Hells yes. One of my kids almost died. Scary.

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. No socks in bed, but other than that I like them lol. But not in the summer.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. Broke into the mayors office, that is where I’ll end that LOL

33: what's your fave pastry? Apple turnovers are underrated.

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? A pink seal, Nicky. My kids use it now.

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? They are pretty, I’ll use them, but it’s not like that’s all I use. I use whatever is on hand.

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? Green Day

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? Clean! Major OCD!!

38: tell us about your pet peeves!  Oh there’s not enough time for this!

39: what color do you wear the most? Blue or green, black as a shade.

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? Like random jewelry? Well I have a Lapus Lazuli pendant I ordered from Egypt with a clear quartz stone on it. It’s suppose to help with all kinds of things. And I love things that have to do with Egypt. So yeah.

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? Gail Z Martin’s The Summoner Chronicles.

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! Timmies, I am Canadian. That is all.

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? My husband lol.

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? Is never a good answer?

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?  Hellz Yes!

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.  Can’t think of any

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?  Span and Klik! Nasty!!

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?  Zombies and yes I’m still terrified.

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? I haven’t bought either in years.

50: what's an odd thing you collect?Knives, I guess. Because I collect a bunch of things.

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? Person, uhm my husband, True Love by Pink. Fictional Character, Winter Soldier, Simple man by Shinedown

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? Anything Marvel or cats lol

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? Rocky Horror picture show, beetlejuice and pulp fiction.

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? My Two year old, when his dad left for work this morning.

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? My ex was driving me nuts. I kept telling him if he kept claiming I was nuts, that I would start to act like a psycho. I was decorating an Xmas tree and hit him in the face with around 25 Xmas glass ball decorations. That night we got to spend the night at the hospital getting his eyes washed.

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? Random acts of generosity or kindness.

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?  I always do and I love Queen, still sends shivers down my spine when I listen to them.

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?  At this very moment. Well I’m into the wine and @amethystflame is into the vodka ahahahaha.

59: what's your favorite myth? I was gonna write good men aahahahahaha. Shut up you laughed. I don’t believe in myths. They are stories that probably happened that got some pazzazz at some point.

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? Yup. Edgar Allen Poe. The Pit and The Pendulum.

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? The dumbest gift I’ve ever given was probably to my sister, a grow a man and some stress ‘balls’ ahahaha. Received...spongebob square pants season two...I don’t watch that cartoon...

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? No. But I do have a glass of hot lemon water every morning.

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? I have OCD, everything organized lol.

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? Black, it’s night and it’s not a clear night.

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with?  My old work friends, but I actually just got to go visit them this past weekend after not seeing the for 14 years. Woot.

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? Daffodils, sunflowers, cat tails and fall leaves!!

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? Uhm, gloomy lol

68: what's winter like where you live? I live in Northern Ontario Canada, cold, long and tons of snow. TONS OF SNOW.

69: what are your favorite board games? Monopoly and anything that makes you think, like clue.

70: have you ever used a ouija board? Why yes I have, I own one, it’s on my bookshelf.

71: what's your favorite kind of tea? Chai Tea!!

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? Nope, not usually.

73: what are some of your worst habits?  I crack my joints, a lot.

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. Pink-ish hair. American, Yank. Cap obsessed ish. Naps. Squirrels. Kids. NO MARK!

75: tell us about your pets! Three cats. One is old and dying. One’s a bitch. And the last one well he’s young and huge. I think he’s part lion. Who knows.

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? Working out.

77: pink or yellow lemonade? BOTH!

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? There are ppl that hate them? WTF?!

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? My husband proposed to my twice. And I got two engagement rings out of the deal lol.

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? Olive green. Was like that when we bought the house. I’m ok with it, so it’ll stay for now.

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. Skip! LOL

82: are/were you good in school?  Yup. Like at the subjects. 90s. Was I a good kid...well my parents threaten to put me into military school lol

83: what's some of your favorite album art? Rob Zombies stuff is always great and so it Tool’s

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?  I have a forever growing list. But my next one is a comic book sleeve with all my fave characters and quotes.

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? Yes, Mostly marvel.

86: do you like concept albums? which ones?  Concept albums? HUH?

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?  Boondock saints for sure and The Crow.

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? I don’t think I understand this question lol.

89: are you close to your parents?  Ish I think. LOL. They’re all good and stuff. I am a lot more now then when I was younger that‘s for sure.

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. Uhm. Cities? I’m not a city fan. I did really like Mexico when I visited though.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? NYC @amethystflame Comiccon is happening!

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? I can’t eat dairy...

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? Curly Mohawk.

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? My twin girls, big 11.

95: what are your plans for this weekend?  So far watching Marvel Movies with my friend lol

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?  Mine are on auto update.

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? ENFJ, Aquarius, Raven Claw

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? Pfff Can’t remember. Probably lol.

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. Full Circle by Aerosmith. Simple Man by Shine down. Had Enough and Firefly by Breaking Benjamin. And many more...

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?  Five years into the future so that I can see what I can fix before it happens lol.

Ok. @amethystflame, @chenria, @r2smuse, @mellorian-j if you want!