THE CHRISTMAS MINGLE YOUR PARENTS WARNED YOU ABOUT

[carpevinum]

At some point in the night, taking advantage of the perma-silence, Lucifer and a few others sneak about to decorate the dormitory for the holidays. The morning of 12/25, you'll wake up to the smell of Christmas cookies wafting from the dorm kitchen, and upon actually leaving your room, there are string lights and decorations thrown up in the hallways and the common room proper.

The decorating is, of course, courtesy of Nene, who has been working hard to ensure that there's something more beautiful than those ghoulish paintings on the walls here. You can thank Helena, Sidney, and Lucifer for both the cookies and other, more substantial food which will periodically be presented throughout the day — Lucifer practically lives in the kitchen for the duration of the party and can sometimes be seen shooing the other two out to go have fun. That said, the table housing all of these dishes, ranging from traditional Christmas meals (as best they can do with limited resources, anyway) to more ostentatious treats will never be empty, so please eat to your heart's content!

Thanks to Amami, there's a large, undecorated Christmas tree in the middle of the common room that looks to be very well taken care of. Next to it is a table full of art supplies for making colourful paper ornaments, and a small card lying nearby that instructs those participating to write down a wish on the ornament proper before hanging it on the tree. It may not come true, but you know it'll be safe since no mysterious forces set this up — wish away!

Should you come to spend time at the party and fraternize, you'll find that you're being waited on by a number of small little imps except they're all wearing tiny Santa hats — they'll bring you food and drinks and candy should you request it, and they're on their Best Behaviour, so please be nice to them! They are simply underpaid service workers. They're absolutely thrilled to talk to you in chirps and weird demonic chittering, and they understand what you're saying at least.

In the back corner of the room, there's a minute-to-win-it type game set up: two chairs are tied by the backs together by two ribbons, about two feet apart from one another. Nearby, there's a table of candycanes for use in this game. The goal of the game is to toss a candycane while standing on one of the chairs and get said candycane to catch on the ribbons, or to see who can get the most candycanes on a ribbon in a minute. The instructions are explained on a little card sitting nearby, with further note to not eat all of the candycanes (there are more set out on the food table, you see) so people can play, and another smaller note banning the use of magic against an opponent who doesn't have it. Let's keep the game fair, people. And let's thank Hikaru for running out to get an obnoxious amount of candycanes for everyone.

Lucifer will intermittently come join the festivities from time to time when he's not cooking, wearing this, please feel free to bully the demon for celebrating the holiday from the religion he hates. He can take it, it's okay.

Last but certainly not least, Noah is roaming about the party using his magic to try and liven the place up. Little stars hang from the ceiling around him in a ten-foot radius, and should you frown at all, he will come up to you and put cat ears formed of magic shadows on you until you laugh. On occasion, he can be seen slipping out of the party with cookies and stacking them on a plate in front of Komaeda's door. The stars go with him, but the good news is that Natsume is also helping with their little lightshow, so the twinkling indoor galaxies will not be absent for long. It's a joint effort between Clamor's apprentices, and their hard work really shows through, magic training is difficult after all. Feel free to bother either of them to do magic tricks for you, if you'd like, or just lie down under a curtain of stars.

The night promises to be magical (semi-literally), even if we're all stuck in purgatory, so relax, put your feet up, and sing Christmas carols to your heart's content. And don't worry about the cleanup — just try not to pass out on the floors.

[OOC: Merr Crimmus try not to kill each other, that is my only request, otherwise go buck wild]

Comments

[dereban]

[Given that Inaba doesn't actually stay in the dorm area, she's actually at the party rather late. And while she isn't necessarily a party person, she is a 'free food' kind of person, which means that people may be seeing her trying to take food - naturally, after seeing that someone else has eaten from it, just to be safe - before trying to sneak out of the party.

Of course, she isn't trying to be subtle about it in the slightest, so she can easily be caught trying to escape the general dorm area.

It's probably fine, though...

(Although for those who are much more observant, they might see the bags under her eyes and just how red they look. How strange.)]

[carpevinum]

[Party host #1 spots her running off with food... is she alright? Lucifer follows after her to make sure. He can't say he talks to Inaba very often but hey.]

You do realise you can stay for a spell, right? [Is what he says when he catches up, but he's brought another plate of food with him — saran-wrapped in case she doesn't want it right now.]

[dereban]

[For a flicker of a second, Inaba's whole body tenses up, but she tries to pretend that she isn't locking up by plastering a smile across her lips.]

I do, but I really have no reason to stay, really.

[carpevinum]

[Lucifer holds out the plate of food, then, brow knit.]

Well, regardless — don't feel as though you need to sneak around and steal food. We made this for everyone, including those that don't want to stick around.

[For example, Komaeda's being slipped cookies.]

[stubbornhope]

[Satou is, likewise, not living in the dorms… But she is attracted by the lovely smells and hope to see people. Inaba happens to be one of the first people that she sees and she lights up with excitement.]

Inaba-san?! You’re here! I thought you didn’t want to do a Christmas party~!!!

[dereban]

Huh?

[She smiles, something strained and a little forced; she doesn't seem entirely enthused to be here.]

I never said I didn't want to--just that I didn't want to run one. And well, still don't really want to be here, but I'm not a great chef and this would be the easiest way to get food, so here I am for five seconds to grab some before I leave.

[stubbornhope]

Eh? Is good your favorite part?

[Satou pretends to miss the point. She would regret it if Inaba left with only food, but Satou can also understand. Mikale was the type who couldn’t feel comfortable in large groups either, and Satou has long since learned to accept that.

Still. She can try to slow Inaba down, simply because Satou is a selfish girl. So long as she is discreet about it.]

It’s been a while since I had a warm meal, actually. Who knew living out of a school was so stressful!

[dereban]

[She shakes her head at that question; no, it's not, but a party like this... like this - it doesn't make her happy at all.]

I'm not really a masterful chef or anything like that. Back home, I always got frozen meals... of course, I had been trying to learn better, [for him, it was always for him] but, well, you can probably tell how far I've gotten with that.

[Not very far, given that she's here trying to get food from the party.]

Any other school would be less stressful, I'd imagine.

[stubbornhope]

Hmm... I'm still learning to cook myself. I couldn't even make good food with my magic.

[She tries to steer the conversation is a cheerful direction. If not to keep Inaba around for a while longer, than to give her something nicer to think about. It's been hard enough to survive in the school before they got snowed in.]

Maybe. When I tried living in a school before though, they would lock up the food and stuff pretty tight. It was suuper cold too... [This isn't her first time having no bed to return to at night, after all. Satou's 'curse' made things quite complicated.]

Ah, but! I wonder if we can find carry away boxes and take some extra food for breakfast tomorrow..? Do you think that would be too greedy?

[dereban]

Ah-

[There's the mention of magic and it causes her expression to falter, a little. After all, she has nothing good to say about magic or the supernatural and it makes her want to leave this conversation, immediately. As fast as she can, without being rude.]

Can't say I have any experiences living outside my home until now.

[That's a lie.

But she says it so smoothly, completely practiced.]

If there was a cafeteria here like any normal school, maybe those would exist. Can't say I'm too certain about here, though. Maybe a bento box... anyway, I should - get going. You know, before it's too late.

[stubbornhope]

A bento might work... Oh, but I'd feel so bad if I stole something without asking. I wonder if the cafeteria staff would mind...

[Hm. It's strange how quickly Inaba suggests that she needs to leave. Satou doesn't think it's suspicious, but she does find it concerning.]

Aahhh right! We probably want to be settled down before... Quick! I'm sure we can find bread or cookies or, I dunno, something we can put in napkins!

[dereban]

Well, this is all student-made since we don't have a cafeteria.

[She scoffs a bit before shaking her head; this isn't the time to be making jokes.]

Plates should be fine. But best to be quick about it, I suppose.

[For a few moments longer, she can be somewhat cordial--got to hide as much of her discomfort as possible.]

[stubbornhope]

Oh... Haha. I thought I just kept getting lost.

[Satou is oblivious to any discomfort, focused instead on quickly selecting some snacks for them. She doesn't want to be too greedy, but she knows that she doesn't want to starve either.]

I'm so bad at navigating this place sometimes. It only gets worse at night, when I can barely see where I'm going. Are there any tricks?

[dereban]

I have the layout of the school memorized--well, with the exception of any locked rooms I haven't been to, and there has been no hair or hide of a cafeteria. If there was, it'd be easy to ask about with the other classmates.

I don't usually go around at night... especially when the sound dies out. That's just a path to going insane.

[stubbornhope]

Really? That's amazing. You're like a map app on a phone.

[Satou giggles at her own bad joke,] Yeah, that time of night is definitely the worst. I still don't understand why it happens. Usually cursed stuff happens during the 'witching hour,' right?

[taketori]

Done for the night?

[ Given the previous conversation they had, Miyuki figured that Inaba had pretty much just been dragged along. Though looking at the spread she was slipping out with, maybe not.

Hell. Free food, relatable. This kid's poor and knows free shit's the best. ]

I'm sure if you had asked, someone would've brought you some food back.

[dereban]

I was already done the very moment it started.

[She isn't here to participate in the festivities after all.]

And hell no--I need to see with my own two eyes that the food isn't poisoned.

[taketori]

Sure. I'd guess the fact that nobody's writhing in pain on the floor is evidence eno--

[ It takes him a second. Miyuki could actually buy that Inaba just showed up for the food and left, and even so much that she'd come to check out what they had instead of relying on someone else. On the other hand, that's... an extreme way of looking at it.

At this point, he notices her current state. He's looked in the mirror enough times-- he knows what someone who's dead tired and pushing themselves looks like. ]

Is that a hard rule of yours? [ A beat. ] You realize that some of us would actually make sure nothing here's been tampered with.

[dereban]

Ever since the whole "there's fucking human meat in the fridge", yeah.

[She probably would have done this even before or after that, not that she's explicitly saying that.]

"Some", yeah. [Does she trust that some, who knows.]

[taketori]

[ --He vaguely remembered that. Eugh, that makes sense then. Other than that though. ]

"Some", yes. We do want to make sure you're taking good care of yourself, Inaba. We're in this together, and I'd rather not see you so tired.

[dereban]

'We', huh. Who's included in that 'we', I wonder...

[Her voice is quite dry.]

[taketori]

[ That... actually is pretty damn cutting. ]

Is it that hard to believe that there's more than one person that doesn't want you to run yourself ragged?

I don't know exactly who you've made friends with here, but I'm including myself in that 'we' I'm talking about.

[dereban]

And who said that I was?

[She smiles, in a way that's awfully painful to watch. But it doesn't dissipate in the slightest bit.]

Besides, there's no reason for anyone to concern themselves over me.

[taketori]

[ That's incredibly clear. Miyuki's able to admit that he doesn't know Inaba that well, at this point they just speak from time to time.

But that's not going to stop him from saying: ]

Cut the crap, Inaba.

[ His sharp eyes are just about piercing through at Inaba's, unrelenting. Sorry-- he's stared into an icy void before, he's not terrified enough to back down now. ]

The reason is that you're going to wind up running on empty, and I can't over look that. I can tell just looking at you that you're exhausted.

Just allow yourself, for one day, to relax.

[dereban]

Is that all?

[There's no fear on Inaba's end either; her expression is that of exhaustion, but also of keen determination as well.]

I know how to handle myself. Besides, I really don't have much of a reason to stay.