chestnuts roasting over an open fire...

[feintofhart]

Who: YOU!!!
Where: Claude's Apothecary (also known as: his house)
What: Claude and Ethlyn decide to host a Christmas party -- they may not be familiar with Christmas, but when in Rome! There will be drinking, dancing, and much revelry, and it's open underneath the guise of a combo grand opening, meaning that it's free for all and sundry to attend!
Warnings: Probably some underage drinking Claude will make no effort to curb, but that's about it.





Welcome, one and all to the Apothecary's grand opening celebration -- which just so happens to coincide with winter festivities! Despite the fact that neither Claude nor Ethlyn have any familiarity with Christmas whatsoever, they've decided to put together a party anyway, and what a party it is! At the front of the room, Claude and Root have put together an assortment of festive outfits for people to wear: all manner of ridiculous Christmas sweaters from Root, and from Claude, an assortment of reindeer horns and Santa hats if you choose to get as decked out as he is.

Inside, all breakables and valuables have been safely tucked away and have been replaced by all manner of decorations: glittering lights, bristly boughs, a Christmas tree and, of course, an assortment of mistletoe hanging over everyone's heads, ready to ensnare an unlikely couple or two in a requisite smooch. The entire place is, in fact, absolutely covered in festive greenery, courtesy of Kurama -- a little overkill, maybe, but they can't help themselves. Even if you duck past the mistletoe, it may have a way of finding you anyway; Kurama has a mischievous streak, and the ability to grow unlimited amounts of mistletoe to dog your steps.

Every surface seems absolutely covered in anything you might want from a feast, from unctious meats still dripping in their own fats to enormous platters of roasted vegetables and freshly prepared rolls and flatbreads to trays filled with biscuits and pies glittering with sugar. Also available for everyone's consumption - and Claude's not checking IDs as long as the kids aren't being too foolhardy - is a seemingly endless supply of libations, from steaming jugs of mulled wine to mugs filled with buttered rum to an open container of punch ready for the spiking. In the background are a few local musicians that Claude hired to play for them, though the stage is set for any tipsy guests to try their hand at entertaining the crowd.

On a table at the back are wrapped presents that are ready for the taking for anyone who wins at an assortment of games - with anything inside ranging from the Apothecary's own wares of teas and tinctures to pantry items from local vendors to a cute cuddly stuffed animal or two - if you choose to partake. Games of Questions and Commands (essentially Truth or Dare), Flapdragon (a game in which you must drain your glass to see what prize you win at the bottom) to card and board games are available for people to compete at. Everyone loves a good parlor game. Or, for those with a bolder constitution, Snapdragon is available outside, in which people set shallow dishes of brandy and dried fruits out, set it aflame, and ask people to go bobbing for the fruit at deadly risk of losing their lashes and brows. Spectating the whole scene is Claude's wyvern, who guests are welcome to go out and greet anytime they like.

Finally, for those more retiring in nature, and exclusively Claude's closest friends: he will allow some into his private quarters to have a little rest from all the fuss and noise. It's a good place for quiet conversation if you can hack it, or even to nap off the worst of the booze. For anyone else who wants some peace and quiet, you'll have to settle for the employee break room, a modestly undecorated place with a supply of caffeinated beverages and flat surfaces to rest upon.

Feel free to make up your own prompts and just use this as a fun holiday space for gift exchanges and drunken festivities! Happy holidays, Expiation!

Comments

claude von riegan | ota

[feintofhart]

i. host with the most

[ Claude is here, ready and eager to greet people with a wide smile on his face and dressed as foolishly as he could get away with, a set of velvety reindeer horns affixed to his head and the middle of his colourful ribbon of a bow-tie affixed with a jingling bell. He's here to welcome each and every guest personally, arms flung out to the sides. ]

Welcome, welcome to my humble shop! And Merry Christmas, or so I hear that's what we're supposed to be saying these days. It's not a celebration I'm familiar with, but far be it for me not to get in the spirit of things, [ he says with a quick wink. ] Can I get you a drink? A plate of food? A fellow sucker to trap underneath the mistletoe?

[ He's a good host. Whatever you need, he'll bring to you, and if you look like you need a little urging to get in the spirit of things, he'll supply that too. ]

ii. get your dancing feet on

[ While a lot of Claude's affinity for parties has more to do with bolstering people's spirits than having that inclination on his own, one thing he well and truly loves with all his heart is dancing. As the music picks up and the tables are pushed to the walls of the shop to make room, he may approach you - without any particular preference when it comes to gender or appearance - with a hand outstretched and a cheeky glint to his eye. ]

Care for a dance? I solemnly swear not to step on your feet. I've been told I'm quite good, you know.

iii. fun & games

[ Otherwise? Claude can be found at any of the games.

If you find him over at Snapdragon, he's watching the festivities with his hands planted on his hips, and a vague anxiety knitting at his brow. ] We keep the fire in the dish, all right? I'm not battling any fires today!

[ Or perhaps you find him in the corner with one of the board games -- he has a particular affinity for chess even if it's not the most festive of games, and he's perfectly happy to accompany someone for a game or two, his plate laden with food and his cups full. It's a nice pastime when it comes to taking some time to gab and get to know someone else.

Or perhaps you find him playing Questions And Commands, drumming his fingers against the table as he tries to come up with something. ] Okay, pick your poison: Question or Command?

[ If you want to catch him under the mistletoe, though... it's incredible how he manages to dance just out of the way. He'll be a good sport about it once caught, but good luck catching him! It's not a fruitless endeavor, though: where else will you be able to watch Claude turn as red as a tomato? ]

iv. private quarters

[ For all that Claude is the life of the party, there's only so much socializing he can bear before he grows weary enough to want a break, if not only for half an hour or so. You may catch him slipping quietly out of the party to head upstairs -- why not join him in his personal quarters, away from all the noise? Claude looks a little tired, but he's not against some company. Have a cup of tea, take a breather, indulge in a little light gossip, and maybe take the chance to peruse his expansive library. When else will you get the chance? Claude never takes personal visits to his abode, after all. ]

v. the morning after.

[ After a night of good, clean fun, that leaves only the aftermath aside, something Claude had left to tomorrow Claude that has somehow turned into today Claude. The place is an absolute wreck, floor littered with pine needles, the tables tacky with spilled sweetened beverages, and more dirty plates than Claude knows how to deal with.

If you happen to visit the morning after, you may catch Claude lying flat on his back in the middle of the mess. It's fine. It's fine. He's just having a little rest. ]

iv **spoilers for s2 of arcane

[bulleting]

you have been warned!!

[Caitlyn's only been back in Aldrip for a day and half. It's been...quite the adjustment, returning to a life she forgot she had. And not for the first time, apparently? It was all. So much. Thankfully it was only an additional eight months of time she gained, but that was still a lot, in the grand scheme of things.

She thought maybe attending the event would help ground her back in this reality, but she found herself a bit overwhelmed, which is why she ended up in the private area. She's grateful for a bit of quiet, and the tea. Gods, she forgot how much she enjoyed Claude's tea.

So much happened in those eight months. The loss of her mother. The war. All the scars she got, from nearly dying, but the biggest, and most drastic was her eye. There's a violet eye patch resting over her left eye. The healers tried to save it, but the damage was too severe. Ambessa's knife cut too deep. Her vision would never have returned anyway, so she made the call. They least put an implant in, so she'd eventually be able to use a prosthetic. But that was still weeks out, it's only been about a month since that surgery.

And now she was here. She had already been planning to reach out to Claude and Ethlyn for medical advice, maybe some ointments to help with moisture and healing, but she'd been preoccupied by settling back in, and even with the partying going, she hadn't wanted to bother either of them. They were the hosts, after all. She's already settled with a book and a cup of tea when Claude finally enters the private area, and her one good eye blinks in surprise, but her expression quickly softens as she smiles at her friend.]

I was hoping I'd catch you at some point tonight. It's been a while, Claude. [For her, so much more so than for him.]

[computation]

[ Root isn't up to Claude's level in festive dress, but she's obviously in the Christmas party spirit, and a rarely-exhibited skill of hers is that she's a trained dancer. She's confident in her body and has a high level of physical energy, and once upon a time before she became an assassin, she'd needed another outlet.

Now she doesn't hesitate to take Claude up on his offer to dance. She can probably match him in any style he picks, letting him set the tone; if she doesn't know it already, she picks it up quickly. After a while she gets hideously hot in her ugly Christmas sweater, and grabs him by the arm to pull him off the dance floor. ]

Come on, I need a break. Let's get a drink.

[ It's all very natural. Root knows how to work a mark, and she trusts Kurama's sense of timing. There's just something about being a demon for thousands of years and refusing to answer any of her questions outright that combines into Root having a healthy appreciation for his ability to troll someone. This is all meant as a joke, a way to force Claude to participate in some of the fun he's set up, and she's prepared to play it off with a sly kiss on the cheek if need be.

She guides them over to a side table and promptly strips off her Christmas sweater. Underneath is a tank top, leaving her arms and some of her chest bare. With the motion she deliberately glances upward and catches sight of some suddenly-appearing mistletoe, which she affects surprise at.

She sets the sweater down on the table. ]

Oh my. I think we're supposed to kiss, Your Grace.

iv

[invinciblemikey]

(the party is downstairs, sir. he's not dressed in anything fancy, a jacket, a sweater, boots, but he is here, because how could he not be? but after a while, he notices he doesn't see claude around the festivities, which means he has to go sniffing.

a tap or two to the door he can see claude through the crack of, in what seems to be a safe moment for him to open it and close it behind him.)

Festivities are out there, man.

iii

[cactusy]

What is that, like truth or dare?

[Shaw glances over at him from her spot over by the snapdragon bowls, where she's been lingering for much of the night. She has the loose limbs and easy posture of someone who's a few drinks in, but if the half-finished glass of brandy in her hand is any indication, she isn't slowing her role.]

Truth. Uh, question, I mean.

i

[chimericalclaw]

[The tall stranger in a thick but plain sweater is, ultimately, here for business. But he's very good at pretending to be social when the occasion calls for it, and he's a patient sort.

There's open amusement in his face at the enthusiastic greeting (and costume), even though it mildly irks him that this world, too, is saturated with... specifically Christmas. Does no one celebrate any other winter occasions? Not that he acknowledges any of them outside of necessity, but still—]

And happy holidays to you. For not knowing, you've certainly put in a generous amount of effort. Mr. Von Riegan, wasn't it?

[He holds out his hand to shake.]

Please call me Altius. You have an impressive setup here, even outside of the decorations.

i

[solitarysoul]

Wow, it really looks good! You did a good job on remodeling everything.

iii

[entreats]

[ The good news? Ange did come, even if she had to kind of be wrangled into it by Claude. And she hasn't attempted to sneak away from the party yet while he was busy being a good host to the other people present. It might be a Christmas miracle. Ange is even wearing one of the sets of fake reindeer horns on her head, golden butterflies perched onto it as she approaches Claude at the table with the chess set.

The bad news is that those butterflies made of light change shape into knives made out of light the moment she's standing next to them. They're not moving from their spot up on her reindeer horns, but it probably doesn't really help the sour look on Ange's face. ]

Claude, why the hell is there mistletoe everywhere?! [ THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. You can't bring her to a party that has that!! Everywhere!! ]

v.

[sinningtree]

[Kurama is not going to leave without doing some cleaning up, so when that becomes a problem for tomorrow to deal with, he wastes no time returning the next day to do so. To find Claude lying on the floor. There's a bit of a tease to his tone, no formal greeting of any sort preceding it.]

Party a little too hard, did we?

[As if he isn't fully aware that the social aspect itself was exhausting. He spent most of it in the shadows, back to a wall and observing the others more than participating, himself actually.]

Root | OTA

[computation]

[!]:./merry

[ Root is indeed the purveyor of a huge pile of ugly Christmas sweaters in all sizes. She herself is dressed in one, of course, complete with a ridiculous headband that has a tiny stuffed Santa on top of her head. She's liable to throw one at people entering the party who aren't dressed festively enough. ]

Catch!

[ Or, if you're more cooperative, she'll help you look through the stack for the perfect one... ]

[!]:./snapdragon

[ Dangerous drinking games with a fun historical bent are right up her alley. Root actually doesn't drink to inebriation very much -- the past few years, at least, she's lived in a state of constant readiness for the Machine's next direction, which means she didn't dare take anything that could disrupt her ability to act -- but here in Aldrip there's no reason not to.

It's been a long time since she actually relaxed by any measure. Now she's a few drinks in (hot buttered rum is delicious) and allowing herself to kick back a little. Come find Root outside pouring brandy into a shallow bowl, tossing raisins in, and about to set it on fire with a lighter.

This is relaxing for her. ]

[!]:./mistletoe

[ Alternately, Root has done plenty of things as part of a cover before, up to and including be a bride in a wedding. She has absolutely no shame about teasing people by noticing they happen to be standing under some mistletoe. She doesn't actually care if they end up kissing or not -- she's just buzzed and using her powers of deception to troll people.

She bumps into someone comically and then looks up in believable surprise. ]

Oh, darn. Doesn't this mean we have to kiss?

snapdragon

[spidermenaces]

(he tried to drink in another party, it hardly hit him, and it still feels like something he shouldn't do until he's a little bit older, so he isn't back to doing it in this party - but that said, it's nice to see everyone enjoying themselves, they all had quite a time lately that it feels way too welcome.

except that fire hazard about to happen, to which he runs to it almost too fast.)

Heeeey, Root? Maybe let's not redo the girl looking back at the burning house meme, how about we don't set fire to stuff?

(party pooper :( )

merry

[cupidsammo]

[ She's caught off guard by a flying sweater, but it's easy enough to catch. Once in her hands Koharu lifts it up, staring it down in all its ugly sweater glory. What even... ]

Are we supposed to put these on?

[ Was there a dress code she didn't know about? ]

snapdragon

[cactusy]

[Holiday get-togethers with a bunch of strangers isn't Shaw's scene, but she has to admit, this is a cooler shindig than she thought it would be - and this particular drinking game is a big part of it, because anyone willing to play with fire gets a few points in her book. She'd resisted the draw of the ugly sweater (having tossed it right back to Root with a deadpan "Look at that, it's a boomerang"), which means she's easily missed as she glides around the darkened outdoor space. She also purposefully picks Root's bad side to slide up to, making her presence known only when her hand flies up to Root's face, intent on tugging her down for a kiss.]

snappy dragons

[manifestering]

[Octavian is here solely thanks to Root's needling, and since that leaves him... less than keen to just walk into someone's house he doesn't know, he's lucky to catch her outside.

...Doing god knows what, but still lucky. He has even come in his body for the occasion, so his footsteps can even be heard on approach. He moves oddly like this, both too loose in some places and stiff in others, because it takes some getting used to - being whole again. Here he shuffles up to linger beside the... event...? The flaming thing.

Hmm. It is on fire. Indeed.]

Hello. What is this, then?

mistletoe

[traumaticus]

[Well, well. Look at that, finally a party that 'matches Richard's freak', as the cool kid say. The atmosphere was something that he was more familiar with, a quite lot of it reminding him from his own home. From the activities to decorations. So yeah, he does notice the mistletoe and does not think too much of them, seeing that these are somehow free of the pesky toads, and keeps a polite distance to them.

Or you know, he tries to with a varying success, seeing that he just wound up under one with Root.]

That is what the tradition would demand, yes. [He says dryly, quickly glancing up at the plant above them before looking back at Root.] However, I believe there is another your lips would prefer.

CATCH

[ashesofkatarr]

[The Force warns Visas that something is flying through the air towards her, even before she hears Root's warning--but it's not anything harmful or hurtful.

It's... clothing? Visas unfolds it. There are blinking lights and felt patches in the shape of strange animals sewn on.]

What is this?

snapdragon;

[runeing]

[ he is only here as... hm, in gratefulness to claude, really — caitlyn had brought him to the apothecary, and claude's healing magic, while unable to heal his condition, had still made things better. and so he is doing what he normally never does: socialise willingly.

at least there is something interesting to look at — namely, root standing near a bowl of alcohol with a lighter. viktor approaches the woman he doesn't know, but that's fine; he doesn't really know anyone except claude and octavian here, anyway. ]

Go on, [ he says, eyes flitting between the lighter and the bowl. ]

Ethlyn | OTA

[baldrshand]

Sweaters

[Ethlyn is considering the heap of sweaters on the table. She's never seen anything like them. Some of them are simply garish, with clashing patterns and clumsily-stitched festive patches. But others positively drip with bells and baubles, and even have blinking lights stitched into the fabric.]

Some of these look more cumbersome than full plate armor. [She grins as she shuffles through the pile.] Did you have your eye on any in particular?

[The mischevious gleam in her eye says you're walking away with one... whether you like it or not.]

Feasting and libations

[In her capacity as the hostess, Ethlyn is moving about the party to ensure that everyone is having a good time, and if anyone is trying to seem really interested in a potted plant, to either chat them up or direct them to somewhere they can decompress. She carries a mug of mulled wine with her, since she thinks she's earned a nice warm drink after all the work helping Claude to organize this.]

Have you gotten a bit to eat yet? I think we've managed to find something for everyone to enjoy.

[Or you may find her sitting in a comfy chair, with her feet out in front of her as she gives them a bit of a rest.]

Goodness, I'd forgotten how much work this is.

[But pleasant work, to be sure.]

Snap-Dragon

[Well. The feudal system may not have survived the centuries everywhere... but Ethlyn is not the least bit surprise to find out that this did.]

Oh, for the love of... [She puts her fingers to her forehead when she sees the bowl of brandy, the raisins, and the flames licking between them, ready to singe the unwary... or more likely, the wary and terribly tipsy.] I suppose I might as well stay here for the inevitable burn injuries, mightn't I?

Wildcard!

[HMU with your own starter if none of these suit!]

Snap-Dragon

[sinningtree]

[Kurama has been observing more than anything, as he typically does. Arms folded as he watches the antics of this particular "game", frowning in what might be concern. Or judgment.]

You'll miss out on the festivities and only exhaust yourself here, if this keeps up. Perhaps... we could take shifts to ensure nothing gets too out of hand.

feasting

[chimericalclaw]

[It doesn't particularly surprise Altius that Ethlyn has practice as a hostess, given her general demeanor just from their brief exchange before, even if he thinks of her as fairly young. Then again, his ward wasn't that much younger and had a similar sense about him, no doubt from—

... Hmm, no, let's not think about him. With a smile as he approaches the reclining woman, a drink in hand:]

I suppose you haven't had much time or chance to arrange a celebration like this, hm? But it seems like you haven't lost any of the skill for it.

Feasting

[solitarysoul]

[Levi pauses by Ethlyn's chair as she speaks up.]

Y-you mean hosting? I didn't realize it was hard.

sweaters

[entreats]

Absolutely not.

[ It seems like Ange didn't even have to think about that one. She's answering the question right at the very second Ethlyn is done asking it, the teenager's arms folded across her chest like she's ready to show how huffy and determined she is to not have to wear any of this stuff. ]

Why is any of this even here? Who put this here? [ Was it Claude? Ange guesses it does seem like the sort of dumb prank he'd pull to make people look dumb.. ]

spock >> ota.

[ashaya]

i. did it right there out on the deck.

[ If there is one thing that Spock has always known how to dress for, it is for gatherings that command a certain amount of sharpness and attention. Uniforms, suits, ceremonial robes? Certainly. Galas and parties that request a certain amount of flair despite his intentions to linger along the sidelines as much as he might be permitted? Yes.

Tonight is no real exception. While he does not opt for the typical Human colors associated with such festivities, he has moved into a richer sort of blue in minor deference. His makeup has been done with an ever more wicked precision, the wing of his liner blacker and sleeker and surer than it has any right to be (at least, presently - catch him toward the end of the evening and there may be some peculiar and artful smudging and a smattering of golden glitter as though it were almost intentional). And yet? There is decidedly a palpable sense of fatigue about Spock's shoulders.

Which is not to get confused, of course, with a more Human analog. It is the sort of fatigue of one who is taking a moment to show that he may in fact experience fatigue at all if you squint. Or, rather, if you happen to know him any capacity. For a man who was just a few days ago subject to the world's most potent (and tiniest) dose of mystery compound with no further conclusions yet to draw? He's not doing too badly.

Well, all things considered.

Predictably, he doesn't seem particularly keen on moving about. But, either way: he's tucked in an optimal position where he gets most of the heat of the fire without sweating out his occasional (and singularly steadfast) tablemates.

It looks like he's brought along his own assortment of games, too. Just to supplement. If he's embroiled in (standard) chess games with more than one person at the same time? Don't worry about it. If he's somehow drawn in people to a play a hand of cards? Like, say, Poker? Or perhaps something even more... Alien (like Fizzbin)? Doesn't matter. He approaches it just the same. ]

I believe it is your move, [ he'll say after a time, his hands folding neatly on the table before him. His nails are a deep, deep shade of blue. He's a patient guy, but he knows if you're dragging out the play for your own benefit. Better to just ask him to remind you of the rules, unless you're angling to distract him (though, that one is quite unlikely). ]

ii. put her canine teeth in the side of my neck.

[ Perhaps you've decided you've had enough of the mingling.

Or, perhaps, you've decided to join the quiet, smartly dressed man at his table when some (or none?) of his companions are there.

Or, even perhaps, you've caught him idly observing a tall, blue-eyed man across the room as he flits through conversations. Maybe you watch as he lights up like some kind of Roman Candle whenever said man glances back (don't worry about it). Perhaps they're just sort of... Staring across the room and not talking, but seem to be? Whatever. Most of the time, most of you know at least one of the two and that the other arcs like a orbiting body about the other's gravity.

Regardless of how you've caught him, he doesn't seem opposed to company and doesn't really seem to do more than acknowledge you've come around. He might make a passing comment about appropriate steeping times for tea if you've brought one along, but otherwise he's neatly marking down observations and odd mathematical strings in a notebook with whatever hand happens to be free at the time.

There's a very good sketch of one of the aptly named "missile toads" on one page.

But, the longer the night wears on and the more golden his makeup seems to turn, he might offer you an idle: ] Greetings.

[ And, depending upon how far he's gotten in his (very dark) hot chocolate? ] May you experience a safe and prosperous end to the current solar cycle.

[ Uh. Okay? ]

iii. why don't you come over?

[ hit me. you know where to find me if you want something specific. ]

i; playing fizzbin or some other alien thing of your choice

[solitarysoul]

[Levi's played and learned a lot of card games, so the chance to learn a new one seemed like fun. He furrows his brow and his hand]

O-okay, I, um...

...w-what am I supposed to do here again?

[New things are hard, okay.]

Hiei | OTA

[jaganshi]

00. CRYPTID HOURS

Hiei is a chronic lurker. The fire apparition ducks the sweater and accessories station by simply slipping in, leveraging his speed as an easy way to bypass a potentially blood pressure raising interaction over being decked out for the holiday. He would make an adorable little elf in the right hat, and it would more than likely stick straight up in the air over his hair…

Apothecary workers may recognize the fire apparition from fleeting sightings as he runs errands for a certain redhead all around Aldrip, something of an ingredient and errand Shinkansen for a certain busy fox. So he’s shown up to get a drink and a few plates of food more than interact with the other employees, though of course he is often caught somewhere in Kurama’s vicinity. Habits of lurking die hard, it would seem.

That being said, feel free to catch him lingering like a wall flower pretty much anywhere, eating and people watching as his form of entertainment, his greeting a rather grumpy - “What?”

01. FLAP & SNAP (DRAGON)

Hiei participating in games is fairly rare, but when they involve eating and drinking.. count him in.

Though the fire apparition is small in physical size his appetite is seemingly never ending - it takes a lot to fuel not only muscle but a spare eye and the dragon that still lingers in his body despite his inability to use it.

A. Flapdragon is a reflection of how Hiei typically treats food and drink- knocking everything back just as quickly as possible - the prize at the end does not offer much incentive, for him.

“If this is a stuffed animal - you can take it.”

B. Snapdragon Hiei participates in without a single hint of fear. In fact the little fire demon will watch with mild amusement before opting to participate, leaning over the flaming fruit within the flaming alcohol with a relax pace and, in fact, opting to take the time to pick out his favorites simply because he can. Will he ever stop flexing because he cannot be burned?

Never.

”I don’t understand the fuss about this game.”

02. WYVERN VISITS

The wielder of the black dragon can’t not visit a wyvern when given the chance - Hiei is much like a moth to flame when he realizes the beast is there, drawn to the creature even when he ought to exercise at least some measure of caution.

Hiei exercising little caution is not at all surprising, however, and soon enough he will be bold enough to reach out with his right arm to offer himself up for inspection.

03. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

Of course here’s your choose your own adventure starter - if there’s anything you’d like to play with Hiei that I have not set up here please feel free to shoot me a starter and we can go with it from there! Or send me a PM here or on Plurk goblinrex and we can chat!

As a note I will do any format, brackets or prose. Tag in your preferred method and I’ll follow along, no biggie. :)

[computation]

Oh, it's Kurama's stalker.

[ Root is dressed in a terrible Christmas sweater and is a little tipsy at this point. She maybe also shouldn't have strictly noticed Hiei wherever he is, but with the alcohol her better sense is reduced, and she drops her usual act that she has no idea he's there. ]

You have a name? I've been wondering what your deal is.

Kurama | OTA

[sinningtree]

mistletoe (general public announcement)
While the decorations were put up well before the party started, some of the more attentive to details may notice that the plants seem to occasionally move as if with a life of their own. Vines creep along door frames, garlands that seem to hang lower or higher from one moment to the next. The shifting is subtle, slow and isolated, only a few plants moving at once, if they're even moving at all.

Those avoiding the mistletoe may come to find that it sits overhead when they look up next. Some looking for the excuse may have to seek it out with more intent, the plant going from practically everywhere to almost elusive in nature. Call it a whim of the resident spirit fox that these things happen in the most (in)convenient ways for party-goers throughout the building, up to player discretion, of course.

ugly sweaters
Kurama is already wearing his own sweater, but he has no shame in helping others pick one out for themselves or herding someone over to the selection as they arrive.

“You know, in some cultures wearing one is a very important tradition.” Is he serious? Might be hard to tell.

feast & libations
The fox prefers to keep sharp in general, but having the constitution of a demon allows him to partake in the drinks without much worry, using the time to observe others as they let loose. He doesn't stay in any one place long, never taking the time to really sit and eat even when he moves about the table loaded with food, but he's keeping an eye on what seems to be popular with the crowd.

“It's interesting, isn't it? Many of us come from different worlds entirely, yet some things seem almost universal.”

wrapped presents
During some of the games, Kurama opts to stay out of the fun itself, instead keeping score for interested parties and passing appropriate gifts to the winners. Too much socializing in large groups wasn't really his thing, so it gives him the chance to decompress and distance himself a bit without leaving the party entirely.

after party
Of course, Kurama is there to help with the clean up. He's too responsible to leave that on Claude even if Claude left it for the next day. While there was plenty to get to, the quickest and easiest for him to address is clearly going to be the plants. Using his energy to gather and collect anything loose scattered around or return any live decorations to their innate state to store for later.

Once that's done he'll start on whatever other tasks are left, picking up scattered debris or sweeping around the place, maybe even turning to anyone else that might be there, to offer assistance.

“could you use a hand?”

wildcard
[Want him somewhere else or doing something different? Drop your own or request a custom starter! Happy to throw him into games etc.! I figured we didn't need another [frowns disapprovingly at snap dragon] post, and didn't have any fresh ideas. Reach me at thesinnerwithin or the discord server to plot or discuss!]

feast & libations

[entreats]

"Speak for yourself," Ange says.

There's something about it that has the potential to be grumpy, but there doesn't seem to be any real anger or upset in her voice at all. The tone is just simply too flat for it, leaving the remark sounding more deadpan than anything else, a perfect match to her poker face.

Though the girl is very noticeably not wearing any of the sweaters or other accessoires. Like she has been avoiding them completely, instead just sipping her drink while not seeming to care all that much.

"This isn't anything I would be attending right about now where I come from."