Forums » Forum Games » Samiakki's Amazing Winter Raffle 2023! [CLOSED]

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MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND BLESSED YULETIDE! My name's Sam. Recently, I went to my mother in real life and asked her, while carrying an armful of presents to put under our Christmas tree, "Can I be Santa this year?" To which, of course, she replied she wouldn't buy me a costume, but I could absolutely hand out presents. Which I didn't mind; I don't actually celebrate Christmas, I observe the equinoxes and solstices (and I'm happy to answer questions about it!).

So, I thought, "Why not I be Santa for others on RPR this year? In fact, even better; why not I express the generosity of the Holly King?" Thus! I have amassed an amount of some pretty sweet goodies (if you ask me!); some of which had been sitting in my inventory; some of which I acquired just for this raffle!

What kind of goodies, you may ask? Allow me to give some examples!

• Items that give Epic membership!
• Lemonade Stand items!
• Cloaks that give character slots!
• Epic Week items!
• . . . and much more!

I have twenty presents to give out, half in green wrapping and half in red wrapping. They're mystery gifts so you won't know what you get!

Green Presents Left: 0! Everyone left will now receive red presents.

Red Presents Left: 5

Interested in getting one? The rules are simple! They can be found below.

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RULES

1) Use a character and have them discuss their favorite winter- or holiday-related activity. If they don't know what either of those are, or you don't want to do that, have them discuss what having family or friend connections during 'dark' parts of their lives mean to them. Posts can be as long or as short as you like! User accounts and anonymous characters are not allowed, the latter since I can't give presents then!

2) Roll one d20 in your post. If you accidentally roll multiple times, your first roll is the one that counts. An even number gets a green present and an odd number gets a red present! If one color is gone, the rest of the other color will be given out to the remaining people.

3) One gift per person! Raffle starts NOW and gifts will be sent out on December 21st. Raffle officially ends either on that day or when I run out of presents to give, thus I will have the thread marked as [Closed].

4) Last rule! While you're welcome to trade away received presents, please do not use this thread to do so. And please do not complain about what you have received from your present box!

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Enjoy the raffle and have a wonderful winter!

"My favorite holiday activity?" Noel's responds languidly. Half lidded liquid gold eyes gaze out at his interviewer as though he barely sees them. That is until they flick away to gaze out the nearby window into the gently falling snow just beyond the glass.

"Why, the reindeer games, of course. I always watch from my family's private box. The Dasher's have been on Santa's sleigh team for nine generations now you know. Well, ten once my father finally retires and I've won the competition myself." There isn't an ounce of humility in the young man's whole body as he smirks and fiddles with one of the golden chains dangling from his jacket pocket.

(( On an ooc note, thanks Samiakki! This is very generous, even for an old Grinch like me. ))

"What is my favorite winter-related activity? Walking alone in the fresh snow late at night as it falls from the sky. There is something about that serene, muffled, quiet sound when everything is covered in snow. Coupled with the crunching of my boots as I step, and looking up and seeing the snowflakes fall toward me, and picking one to try and catch and eat."

Thank you so much for participating in my raffle! My apologies, but anonymous characters can't receive presents, as stated in the rules.

If you feel comfortable sending me your username in a private message and letting me know who you are, I promise to keep it confidential and delete the message afterwards, as the only thing I'd do is keep it in a private (for my eyes only) Word document to ensure you are listed to get a present of the right color. Yours is green!

If not, that's okay, too. You just can't get a raffle prize! Thank you for participating!

It's my pleasure! Thank you for participating. Your present is red with a white bow, just like Noel's colors!

((Thank you for hosting this! Not only is it really kind and generous, but also, the whole setup is creative, with it being unique from a more typical raffle; I love it! Happy holidays and such to everyone!))
"I... don't celebrate the holidays like most people do..." Yoru began haltingly, anxious at the prospect of speaking publicly and what it might mean for them. But, it was a special time of year, right? For the sake of plot convenience and Good Vibes(TM), it didn't seem likely that anything bad could come of this. Thus, the cryptid continued...
"I don't really have... family... or friends... nobody to celebrate with. But... there is something... magical... about walking the streets at night... the snow... sparkling under the stars and the lights people decorate with... the vibrant evergreen trees... I like looking at it all... imagining the ways people might be celebrating... behind warm walls and frosty windows..." (And maybe visiting a graveyard and absorbing a festive memory or two, they thought but did not say. That was probably a bit too creepy-sounding to mention out loud.)
Yoru trailed off then, peering into the distance. They fidgeted with their fingers, uncertain if they should say more, or just leave... Then it occurred to them that, as per the rules, they should roll the mystical dice of fourth-wall-breaking convenience...

”Gotta say, m’kinda new to ‘tis whole holiday-thing,” Sprite shrugged, a lithe grin of embarassment shining through the thin film of nonchalance that she’d attempted to hide it under. ”Don’ get me wrong, Konis got shitloads’o different cultures ‘n holidays ‘n shit, but I didn’ grow up there an’ didn’t really get the time to get used to those, wit’ ‘em war and m’exile and all that. So..” Many a gear ground beneath her messy brown mop. An interpersonal connection that brought her relief in dark times? Dark times she could count on all body parts available, but only a couple of times, someone’d been there to help her out. Zero, of course, but she couldn’t depend on a poor kid to lift her spirit- that was her job. Mad Madina’d helped her escape, though as part of her wicked lil’ agenda. ”I.. I think if w’talkin’ ‘bout good suckos helpin’ me outta t’mud, all of my Rustbucket mates come t’mind? Oh! I’d.. I’d talk ‘bout my girl Artie any day, f’course, but.. well, I think ol’ Rando really deserves some shine too.” With renewed energy and a grin that beckon in even the grumpiest of onlookers, Sprite got up from her slouched position, ready to preach her grumpy-cat-detective gospel. ”Met Rando through ‘em worst way possible, at t’worst possible moment. Z an’ me sneaked on his ship, an’ I went ahead for the kill when he turned up to look for us. Good thing m’future girlfriend knocked me out, or w’woulda ‘em whole hull into a mortal combat battlefield!” Her voice jumped up a couple of decibels with excitement. ”Anyway, shit wasn’ good back then. Z an’ me were both war fugitives an’ criminals, an’ ‘em whole-ass Konian ‘new government’ was after us. Yet Rando, bein’ ‘em good gumshoe that he was, had our backs. I was a shitbag to ‘em in the beginning, I didn’ wanna work with some creepy-ass robot cop, but he showed that he was so much more than that, an’ even if we hated each others’ guts, that I could still depend on ‘em.” That was, from what Sprite had gathered, what set him apart from the cops from most of the worlds she’d visited. Randle was a vigilante, and as such, actually had a moral compass to speak of. ”He figured out what I done, what I was, an’ all the while, he only judged me for what I did in ‘em moment, and what I did to try an’ mend what I broke. He was a total sourpuss, sure, but he was genuinely interested in seein’ me become a better sucko, despite all ‘em fights we had.” Her hype had died down, and had instead been replaced with a gentle happiness. Sprite’s eyes’d wandered off, and a tender smirk glimmered on her absent-minded face. Knowing where she once had been, having found a family like this felt like an unbelievable achievement. ”An’, y’know, we’re best’o buddies now! He helped us get back on track, gave us a life an’ shit, an’ I couldn’ be more thankful for ‘em.” There, how was that for holiday cheer?

"Holidays were always so awkward growing up," Jim said taking a sip of his frothy monstrosity of a coffee. The creamy concoction was contained in a basic paper cup with some corporate logo plastered on the front perpetuating the image that Jim himself was also quite basic. "It was one of the few times I actually got to come home though."

He took a moment to consider, his free hand sliding neatly into a well-creased pant pocket. "My Da' would make a big to-do of it -- large, lavish dinners showcasing his perfect little family, and making everyone believe we were the pious, upper-class lot that we very much weren't. Nobody liked midnight mass, but there was always getting to be around my favorite tiger. Sebastian made it all tolerable."

Moriarty swirled the contents within the cup thoughtfully. "Really though, three-out-of-ten, wouldn't recommend. I throw much better parties."

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[ Thank you kindly for being our gracious host! It's thoughtful of you to do this for everyone. /tips hat/ ]

During these seasons I travel from my summer home to my winter and with my wolves I hunt and survive with my family. This is the first time in a long time where I can appreciate the season changes because I am alone. It's easier to appreciate all the things you had when you now have nothing.

"This'll be the babies first winter so I'm sure they'll enjoy all the festivities." He smiles while surrounded by tiny creatures and carrying the smallest of them in his arms. "In the past I would have just tucked away in some remote cabin in the mountains somewhere or like I had the past few years, remained on a tropical island enjoying the warmth. I'll have to see what Curly wants to do, I'm sure he'll want to make an event out of things for these ones." gesturing to the pups. The one in his arm squishing his face into Yaaz's side while the other three lay against or on top of his tail and feet.

Coretta stared out the window at the falling snow, a soft smile on her face. "I always loved Christmas time," she said gently, reaching up and taking hold of the locket that hung on a chain around her neck. "We would often play in the snow, making snowmen and making snowangels on the ground. My parents and I would gather around the fire every evening, and read countless Christmas stories. But we always saved the most important one for Christmas night." She picked up a book from her lap, fingers running along the weathered cover with reverence. "We've read this one so many times that I can recite it all from memory. But I still love opening the pages and looking at the pictures, because it reminds me of them. It reminds me of all of those moments we had together." Coretta chuckled softly and set the book down. "Christmas looks different this year...but I'm so happy that I get to spend it with new friends I have made, a new family I have chosen all on my own. And I'm excited to make snowmen with them, and read them this story, just like I did with my parents."

(OOC note: This is so kind of you! Hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a fun time giving out your presents IRL too! )

"Well, I mean.. I haven't really had a true Christmas."

"I don't have family, or a home. But.. I do really enjoy it when the city puts up their Christmas lights and store displays." Gregory warmly smiled. "All the colors, decorations, songs, it's really fun." He said.

"And when it snows? Beautiful. Cold as heck, but beautiful." Gregory laughed softly.

"So, uh.. yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck.

I love having snowball fights with the local kids. Oh, and did I mention I sometimes put goodies in the snowballs??

(My die rolls are acting silly but I got a 12)

D I C E because my previous post didn't have it because its dumb

As she approached the Holly King, Cris's expression was the plaintive one of who struggles not to find a memory worth sharing, but to nsrrow the pick ontk just one. There was wistfulness too, albeit distant, as she cleared her voice.

"As fsr as I go... it's more like winter itself that holds a special meaning for me." Realizing that sounded more cryptic than intended, she smiled apoligetically behind the mask.

"Do you know there is an old italian fox about the fox when the winter comes? It goes..." She began chanting, "What will be that shadow in the courtyard of my home? What will be that shadow in the courtyard of my home?...", then, as her voice lifted and something glimmered at the corner of her eye: "It'll be the fox when the winter comes, it will be... It'll be the fox when the winter comes..."

A deep breath, as if trying to rein in her emotions, before she went on: "It was the song that my husband and I fell in love to. Winter was our special season. Some days when Shadow was not working, we would sneak out early and go look for some frosted lake or other and skate for hours, just him and me, away from the world. Then we would sit on a wood log or a rock and enjoy russian tea or hot caramel latte... and don't get me started on the winters in our lake cabin, when the first snowfalls would warn us that the lake was about to frost and then we only had to get outside to have our very own skating field. Shadow always said he woukd someday teach our kids to skate... but he never got the chance. We, er... had to leave when Chiara was still too little and Reyn not yet born."

Usually, in the past, whenever she recollected the happy moments of her ill fated wedding, her expression became darker and darker until.she apologized and took her leave, to mourn in private. This time, however, as the recollection drew to a close, her eyes seemed to spark... warmer. Like a jolly bonfire sparked off a snow-dusted, chilly wood log, the sparks hesitant and elusive at first, then bolder and glowing.

"You see, for a long while I could not bear talking of the cabin or even thinking about it. Not until..." And now the reason for that warmth in her gaze was unmistakeable: she was smiling behimd the mask. "... a cherished, beloved person - Damien, my Badzooka - fought off at my side against the ghosts thst place held. It was a shock at first, it brought everything back, but I was not alone facing the memories good and bad... I had him. And I could tell him everything, break down, I didn't have to be strong... i could grieve, I could process, and I could find comfort in his presence, in his support. Like always. More than always. I... it's difficult to explain... but he made me reconcile with winter, and with my past... and with the strange and beautuful knowledge that my heart still beats. And every instant we spend together, every silly conversation on the phine or cozy afternoon he spends with my real family, every joke and every meaningful talks and..." Was it a flicker of the light, or her cheeks had slightly flushed behind the mask's eyeholes? "... every time we are close, it has the same importance, the same meaning of each and every favorite winter noment of the past I could recollect off the tip of ny fingers."

And then she drew back and smiled apologetically at the Holly King. "Ah, sorry - I got a little bit carried away, didn't I? That happens to me at times..."

((Thanks so much Sami for this AWESOME game!! I am so excited and the set up is just so creative and cozy!! I love everything about it and all the replies there have been X3 ))

Wow!! From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for participating!

Currently, I have a little less than half of the presents left. Green presents are almost gone. Plenty more red presents left! If I run out of green presents first, which is very possible, any entries after that point will be given red presents, no matter what they roll.

Let's keep the winter cheer going! Come on in and get a present if you haven't entered yet! Entry rules are in the first post.

"Patches loooooves Christmas tiiiime!"

The little ragdoll ambles forward with one paw wrapped tightly around their pullstring, giving it a sharp tug every so often.

"Patches makes lots of new friiieennnds," A pause, to pull their string. "Because Patches gets to be a present sometimes!"

They seemed to be giggling, but as they hadn't pulled their string, nothing could be heard.

"Patches gets to hide in a biiiiig box," It explained, tugging the string as needed. "Then Patches jumps out in the morning and saaaays..." Another pause. "Meeerrrrry Christmaaaas! Heeheehee."

... "Patches loooves to play with new friends," ... "We play with toys and Patches gives them caaaandy canes," ... "Sometimes we play outside in the snnnooooowwww!"

Patches looked around. "Onnnly sometiiiimes. Snow melts into water," ... "And Patches doesn't liiiiike waaaaterrrr."

More mute giggling. "But water can't stop Patches and friends from having fuuun!~"

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(On an OOC note, thank you so much for doing this! Incredibly kind of you. Happy Holidays, Sam!! )

The badger stood, cradling a cup of chocolate in his hands. He watched as the snow fell from inside the glass.

"It's been a long time since I celebrated this time of year. First time I've felt like I had a reason to. Last year it turned out I was called back, for Imperial examination. Spent the holiday buried in corridors without a glimpse at the sky. At least I was able to bring presents back with me. But it wasn't the same."

He stepped away from the window. "With luck, this year will be different, I'll get to spend time with lovers and friends. Before this... I had no one. I was a recluse. I took my parent's death during the Warbird's rampage hard. I was little better than a walking corpse. Practically dead inside for 10 years."

Jason took a long sip from his cup, and churred softly. "It's a big difference now. I see winter as I did when I was a kid. The world rests. A soft and silent promise of what is to come. All too soon the world will wake again and sing with life. But for now, we can take a moment. Hold ourselves close to those we hold dear and cherish them in this pristine world."

I am now out of green presents to give. Rolling is now not required at this point, since everyone left will receive red presents, no matter what they roll.

Seven presents are left! Come and get one if you haven't entered yet!