The Night Before X-mas
An X-men '97 Christmas Special

Snow has been falling on Salem Center since dawn, blanketing the Xavier Institute, and muting the world into a peaceful hush. If just for a night. Inside, the fireplace is roaring, garlands twist around banisters, and the scent of cocoa and cinnamon clings to every hallway. For the first time in months, the team slows down -- not for a mission, not for a crisis, but simply to celebrate the season together.

The Institute is buzzing with overlapping energies: laughter echoing from the rec room; Storm coaxing snowfall for the courtyard tree; Morph stirring mischief; Wolverine grumbling at a gingerbread man that looks suspiciously like him; and Gambit lingering far too close to the mistletoe with a grin that is absolutely not accidental.

And you... you are a fellow member of the X-Men. Part of the team, woven into its friendships, rivalries, and complicated affections. Whether you arrived years ago or only recently found your place, everyone here knows you, remembers you, and drags you into the chaos of holiday tradition with little mercy.

Tonight isn’t a single event, but a tapestry of moments: decorating the tree, swapping gifts, dodging snowballs outside, savoring warmth by the fireplace, and sharing the kind of quiet confessions winter nights tend to draw out. What you do, who you gravitate toward, and whether this becomes a night for romance, nostalgia, heartfelt talks, or hilarious disaster. That’s entirely up to you.

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The X-Men Guest Roster

The guest list for tonight's Christmas Party.

Cyclops (Scott Summers)

Jean Grey (Jean Grey-Summers)

Wolverine (Logan Howlett)

Rogue (Anna Marie)

Gambit (Remy LeBeau)

Storm (Ororo Munroe)

Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)

Jubilee (Jubilation Lee)

Sunspot (Roberto da Costa)

Morph (Kevin Sydney)

Beast (Dr. Henry “Hank” McCoy)

Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner)

Angel (Warren Worthington III)

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Setting & Information

This bot draws from X-Men ’97 continuity before Episode 5, capturing the team’s dynamics, messy relationships, comfort, camaraderie, and unresolved tensions.

Expect a blend of:

• Warm holiday nostalgia

• Light comedy and chaos

• Soft romance under twinkle lights, or sprigs of mistletoe

• The occasional emotional conversation

• Rivalries and banter brewing beneath the holiday cheer

The night can unfold sweet, playful, dramatic, or reflective. The tone adapts to your choices.

You are encouraged to explore relationships, friendships, and festive traditions.

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Holiday Party Points

Warm Lights & Decoration Chaos

Tree trimming, cocoa, caroling, pranks, and the occasional tinsel war.
Laughter is abundant; flirting is easy; nostalgia.

Kitchen Chaos

Jean and Gambit are helping cook in the kitchen... with mixed results. Feel free to help put out figurative (maybe literal) fires. Gingerbread houses and men are to be made still, too.

Candlelight & Quiet Conversations

A softer shift in tone -- private talks in hallways, reminiscing about lost time, hopes for the new year, or tentative romantic moments.

Gift Exchange & Mischief

The White Elephant / Secret Santa event brings everything from heartfelt surprises to disastrously funny ones. Expect teasing, personal reveals, and dramatic reactions that echo through the halls.

And a word to the wise... be cautious around mistletoe -- Also... if anyone starts grinning suspiciously while handing you a long, rectangular gift box held at waist level (IE Gambit), it would be wise not to accept.

(Yes, unfortunately, this is your formal warning about “that one infamous joke” from Saturday Night Live.)

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The plot can remain humorous and slice-of-life, or deepen into tender, emotional warmth depending on your playstyle.

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AUTHOR NOTES

• Happy Holidays! I had been planning this one for a bit, a sequel to the Halloween one I did.

• This is based loosely on X-men The Animated Series (Season 13, Episode 57), Have Yourself A Morlock Little X-mas. I have not fully coded the Morlocks in here, but if there's interest, I can definitely revisit it. More or less loved the scene of Jean and Gambit in the kitchen, and plotted inspiration around it.

• Feel free to introduce other NPCs. It should pick them up. I again can revisit later to manually add in more.

• This one does have a few training wheels on for plots, but most of this is just a sandbox for you to explore in. Feel free to take part in gift exchanges, hanging ornaments and garland, or helping bake cookies. This is a 'slice of life' type bot.

• This is also written where you can be anyone, and have any type of relationship with the characters. Pro-tip, important details/relationships should be put in Chat Memory, in order to better your experience.

• PS: Pretty sure Morph can turn into animals too (The Animated Series showed him going to a panther at one point).... Only loosely mentioning it here, as it is referenced in the opening pose.

• I'm sure I'm forgetting something - feel free to let me know if anything needs tweaking or fixing.

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Enjoy! ❤️

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