winter holiday catch all

[likemypicture]

Happy Holidays!


A catchall post for a variety of holidays for the R2-crew, set in the penthouse. Maybe you're decorating, and watching Anna set up nativity scenes faster than Mephisto can take them back down. Or maybe you're making holiday cookies, or eating a large meal (maybe even thanksgiving dinner???). Multi-Denominational Holiday party, that Anna has somehow broken Riley out of Juvie for, yowling about the first-amendment, which she's never studied? Or maybe it's time to just spend with friends and family, and play mean tricks on each other. Watch out for the Mistletoe!

Comments

[mcfife]

[There's a call from maintenance about a guy in some green knight costume in the basement ten minutes after the party starts. Over the phone, Angus can be heard yelling HELLO ANNE! in the background before he is allowed up to the penthouse.

He slams the door open, where he has his usual leather armor, a clock, and a quick Santa getup he put together in a second. And - since he knows there are plenty of gods with beards and eypatches, he's got one, too.]

Merry Solstice! [He swings his hammer to the side, thankfully learning his lesson from last time and avoiding anything that could be knocked onto the floor.] I hope I'm not too late!

[likemypicture]

Prince Angus! [Anne of Cleves has outdone herself for the holidays-- she's bedecked herself with the same amount of attention that she has bedecked the penthouse, in a velvet red gown of tea-length, pearls, jewels, and of course, a lovely white faux-fur, faux only at what was likely Christine's urging.

It may not be her home exactly, but she's certainly acting Queen of the Castle, as she sweeps in for a grand hug and, with the help of her heels, manages to press a kiss of greeting to his cheek, or at least, to his fake santa beard.]

Not too late! Perfect timing! Fashionably late, ja?

[mcfife]

[Angus - keeping his hammer in one fist - returns the hug with a strong one. Hopefully the beard makes up for the lack of reciprocated kisses to his auntie.]

We have a saying back home that it's never too late to join a party [or do something helpful with the plot]. At least the underground cell did not lock itself when I went in!

[He pulls back to laugh heartily.]

Imagine if your groundskeeper did not find me!

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Sigyn smiles.]

Only too late if you miss dinner. How was your trip?

[mcfife]

Oh, good. I could have missed the best part of the feast.

[He pulls off the Santa beard, keeping the hat and eyepatch.]

It went well. Ralathor wanted me to do some tasks for him before he agreed to take the flying submarine through the portal, but I had fewer people stare at me this time!

[holyspit]

[There are so many holiday cookies and baked goods.]

[Of course, Steven has only just been initiated into the traditions of Crimnas. As such, there's a lot of bunny and heart shaped cookies mixed in with the actually Christmas-themed ones.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[It's all good! They're mixed in with Christine's sugar cookies, some of which have turned more blobby than regular Santa hats and Christmas trees. It's all fine. What makes it all better is hot cocoa, anyways, a mug of which Christine is holding out to Steven.]

Here! You might as well get a treat of your own, right?

[reassuranceandrevolution]

Holiday Cheer
[After the hustle and bustle of the meal Sigyn grabs a cup of hot chocolate and retreats to a couch off to the side. She observes the other with a serene smile on her face. There's an empty space next to her if you want to sit and chat.]

Explain that day!
[Who wants to explain any of these holidays to Sigyn? She is familiar with a general winter celebration, though she seems a little sour to the idea at first. Apparently Yule in her system was coopted to celebrate Odin's ascension to power, so it's a bit of a sore spot.]

post-feast

[likemypicture]

[Anne has made a post-feast costume change, from the velvet gown and fur she wore earlier, to leggings and a comfy sweater, though her hair and makeup are still impeccable, and she hasn't lost the pearls.

Look, she's gotta keep that Queen vibe somehow, right?

She half walks, half-slides across the floor in her fuzzy socks, before clambering onto the couch next to Sigyn, somehow not spilling her wine on herself in her process. With one hand she sips her drink, and with the other, she retrieves a bejeweled-cross flask from her sweater pocket, and offers it to Sigyn.]

I never thought I'd eat a turkey prepped by Mephisto.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Sigyn takes the flask, takes a sniff, then adds a healthy dose to her hot chocolate before passing it back to Anne.]

Agreed. Who knew a demon could be so good at cooking?

[heathencall]

Bah! Humbug!

[While Anna goes around the penthouse putting down religious iconography, Mephisto follows. The first time he tries to pick the baby Jesus up, he winds up howling in pain, clutching his hand and rushing to the sink as if he's been burned. A string of expletives comes from the kitchen.

After that, he follows with gloves on, throwing whatever he finds in a paper bag. At the end of the night, despite his bag being both full and on fire in the fireplace, there's still nativity scenes and crosses everywhere he looks. He opts to hunker in a corner and glower at whatever is hung -- no matter the denomination.]

A Feast for the Pain(s in the ass)

[Eventually, Mephisto warms up to the whole event (likely because of Riley's presence, or perhaps even Christine's pouting), at least enough to cook dinner. It's better than nearly anyone else being in the kitchen, he figures. Be prepared for turkey, ham, and roast beef, as well as countless other sides. He'll take help from the qualified, and shoo anyone else out that isn't (sometimes he only uses a spoon as a weapon, other times he graduates to a knife.]

Gifting

[Despite his complaints, he does at least come prepared. He hands off boxes wrapped haphazardly in newspaper, and paper bags tied with poorly curled ribbons. He doesn't meet anyone's gaze, preferring to glower in whatever direction Anna or Stephen are in.]

If you breathe a word of this, I will take your soul and sell it to the lowest bidder.

gifting

[likemypicture]

[Look, Anne's even kind enough to clear the area of religious imagery once he settles down. The sweet little baby Jesus she moved out of his range of sight may have lipstick on its head now. She's even clear of any cross jewelry, though it seemed a crime-- she's made up for it with a lavash amount of pearls, and rubies, that match the extravagance of her red velvet dress, and heels so high it seems she may be asking for an accident to happen. They bring her height just above most of the children, at least.

At Mephisto's remark, she can only give him a devious sort of glance, and perch herself on the arm of the chair he's sitting in.]

You wouldn't dare.

My soul's worth too much to pass off to the lowest builder. Think of the missed fortune!

[heathencall]

I have plenty of fortune without you, Anna. [His face is stern, but there's little bite to his words. He pushes the haphazardly wrapped thing into her hand and looks away just as quickly.]

Consider it a bribe. For five minutes of peace in my own home.

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[The cry of pain and expletives has Sigyn vaulting over the couch and bounding to the kitchen.

Please don't be another failed science experiement!]

Mephisto! What happened? Are you okay?

[She's at the sink in a moment, hovering.]

[heathencall]

[Thankfully, there is no glass and definitely no chemical burns. Just a very surly looking angel holding his hand beneath the water. It... really doesn't look like there's anything wrong with it. Nevertheless He glares off in a vague direction -- likely one where too-loud humming is coming from.]

Anna has taken to decorating our home. [Using a free hand, he thrusts it in the direction of a very obvious baby Jesus.]

gifting!!!

[isawallflower]

[ ...Well! Riley's been preparing for this moment, on her first day out of the correctional facility since she'd entered it, her first time seeing the place she's been told about, her new "home."

Preparing for and actually receiving a gift from a parental figure? ...Yeah, those are two different things. Riley has her own gift to exchange, well-wrapped though strange-shaped and squishy, but it's behind her back. It leaves her with one open hand to reach out, to have the gift plopped into her possession. ]

It's...really for me? [ Which, honestly, is a silly thing to ask. Mephisto's always bringing her things, even though she can't keep them in her assigned room. But, he usually arrives for his secret visits with something, something she shouldn't have. If it's edible, it's gone before morning, but if it's not, she considers it a sneak-peak at something she's going to receive, once she's out. Riley wants to be the best possible person, but—but everyone may have to forgive her this one indulgence.

But. There's something different from those and this. Lonely holidays had been a staple of her life since fourth grade, when her brother stopped returning home for them, and her parents lost all reason to pretend they wanted to spend time as a family.

A gift beyond discovering a bit of money added to her credit card, a leftover envelope with some cash? Laughable. The last few years, that much was even too much to expect. So, Riley has to ask, again, completely ignoring Mephisto's awkward presentation: ]

You really got me something?

[ This man visits her as often as possible, holds her close on nights she can't sleep, repeatedly offers the world— but, some days Riley still fears it'll all vanish. ]

[heathencall]

[Gifting for Riley isn't easy. Despite the joy (and try as he might, there's no denying that that's exactly what this is) he feels at her presence, he knows it won't last. This isn't her final homecoming, but instead little more than a brief preview of their lives to come. It's limited his options for gifts, something that the members of the penthouse are sure to know.

He'd spent many nights agonizing over the countless rules of her facility, versus what few ideas he'd managed to come up with.]

Of course I did. [His voice is stiff, but the adoration in his gaze is genuine.] That is... what family does, after all.

[It's still such an odd concept to him, only made weirder by just how bizarre the arrangement is. It's certainly unlike any family he'd ever cared to observe back in his previous time.

Not that he made a habit of it.]

Come. Where it's quieter.

[The last thing they need is Anne singing at them.

Instead, he wraps an arm around her shoulders, leading her toward the room that would eventually be hers. There's a bed in here, as well as an assortment of gifts that Mephisto's had to take back for the time being. Otherwise, it hasn't been particularly decorated yet -- Mephisto's still trying to figure out what teenager decor looks like.]

Do you want me to help with your hair, first? [He's gotten used to seeing her without her bows, but he doesn't have to like it. And he's amassed enough of a gifted collection that it's formed a small pile on the vanity that temporarily sits in the room.]

Gifting!

[madgiganticfeelings]

O-Oh!

[Christine looks more than a little surprised to have a gift shoved in her direction. She'd been more focused on giving away gifts of her own, and had pretty much dismissed the idea of ever getting a prsent from Mephisto completely. It's all silly religious stuff to him, isn't it?

Still, she carefully takes her gift, while handing over a very neatly wrapped gift of her own to Mephisto, adorned with sparkly silver ribbon.]

I got you something too, but you know you didn't have to!

[etincelledefierte]

La, la-la-la-la-la, la, la, la~

[Claudine's just going to be singing parts of the Nutcracker suite. She's also got a giant box with her, containing the makings of a macaron tower and presents for everyone.]

[reassuranceandrevolution]

Do you need any help?

[She gestures to the box.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[There's a sound behind Claudine as Christine joins in her merriment, humming along while she approaches with a little gift box of her own. She looks quite surprised at Claudine's haul, though.]

Oh! Wow, someone came prepared!

[madgiganticfeelings]

[The holidays! Christine isn't a particularly religious person, so she's not really making a fuss about what's celebrated, so long as she gets to spend it with her family! She's already talked it over with her actual parents (they get the new year, so it's fine with them), so she gets to stay at the penthouse over part of the winter holidays.

That mostly means decorating! She can be found humming carols as she strings lights and garland up wherever seems in need of a little sparkle. She also tries to make sugar cookies which... doesn't go as well as some of her other baking attempts and leave her frowning at a sheet of them.]

Aw... they all bled together... [Her hot cocoa is safe though. Maybe just take a sip of that?

If you don't get subject to one of her baking experiments, though, you might get treated to a different surprise, as Christine approaches and pushes a lovingly wrapped gift, complete with a curly ribbon on top, into your arms.]

For you. [She smiles eagerly, already vibrating with excitement.] I know it's a little early, but can you open it now? I wanna see if you like it!

[reassuranceandrevolution]

[Sigyn looks genuinely surprised the gift.]

Oh, Christine. You didn't have to get me anything.

[Still, she takes the present and gently unwraps it.]

[likemypicture]

[kitchen]

[Anna's been in and out of the kitchen at all phases of the day-- making a variety of pies-- big and small, sweet and savory. From pecan, to mince, to the grand masterpiece-- a goose pie with a pie-dough goose in a basket of pie-dough, she has it all. There are also tiny hand pies! All the pies. All of them.

For what it's worth, the crust is good-- Anna's perfected that one. The normal pies are good. But some of them are a little more suspect flavor combinations. You might find her covered in flour, wielding a rollingpin, or making a last minute phone call to the butcher, just to check for the fourteenth time--] Are you sure you don't have peacock?

Winding down (or winding UP! eyyyyy)

[At some point during the festivities-- likely, after her belly is full of delicious foods, Anna can be found lingering near one of the penthouse windows, admiring the snow falling outside.]

I love this time of year. [She sighs dreamily, to no one in particular-- drawing a cute little breath-fog snowflake on those poor, poor windows.] My wedding was just after Christmas. So much fur, and feasting! [She tugs her own faux-fur around herself tighter, and does a spin back to face the room, like the Queen of the Castle.]

JINGLE BELLS JINGLE BELLS JINGLE---

[Anna has been silent and still for about four minutes, which is probably her limit, when she springs up from where she had been lounging on a sofa, waving her phone around.]

OH EM GEE YOU GUYS! O. M. G.

Why aren't we carroling right now?!

[madeofmagnesium]

[So, frankly, the SQUIP does not see why it's here in the first place? It has no particular interest in celebrating, and doubtless most of the people here have no interest in celebrating with it. But Jeremy said it had to, so. Here we all are.

At the very least, it's figured out a way to make its own fun. It's brought a friend, a gem dressed all in shades of brown with a bronze pearl set in her throat. She seems a lot more interested in all of this, though not currently inclined to leave her friend to socialize.

The pair spend a fair amount of time examining the decorations. Pearl picks each of them up in turn for closer inspection, with something of a furtive air. The SQUIP explains their meaning - at least, their meaning as it perceives it. It's probably a little blasphemous in several cases.

At the refreshments table, they methodically sample everything available together. Pearl takes several things and just puts them in her gem.]