[Mousen]

Nick Lazenby | Mary-Jane Lazenby | Vernice Williamson

It had been decided, but by whom no one was sure. It had originally been suggested by Indie, and since then they'd all just sort of gone with it, none of them really wanting to take full responsibility for organizing it, but pulling together nonetheless. With this haphazard style of events management, it was surprising it had even been pulled off at all. Instead of conflicting schedules, absent taxis and people calling it off at the last minute they had three of them (Indie was ill with the flu), all gathered together to enjoy the festivities.

There was Nick, running ahead ahead, exited despite herself, and following behind was her sister Mary-Jane, linked arm in arm with Vernice. They were walking slowly, the amount light and Vernice's guidance enough so that she didn't need her cane for the moment. It was folded neatly under her other arm. Vernice kept waving to Nick, telling her to slow down.

As she came to the bonfire, she stopped, and found herself a seat on one of the logs. It wasn't that she wasn't happy to wait for her sister, simply that she wanted to get started. This place was interesting, it had been awhile since they'd been out like this, and she wanted to kick things off as quickly as possible.

((This is a little shorter than I'd like my posts to end up being, but I really would like to claim a slot before I go to sleep. Heh.))

[Post 1 | Area: 1 - The Bonfire]

[FrostWynd]

She could hear it, smell it, and see it. All the Christmas cheer that surrounded this place, even within her she could feel the merry spirit of this occasion. The little Kuhna had dashed right along to be the first one there, hopping into random piles of snow she came across purely out of her excitement. Leaving behind a pretty obvious trail to follow in the process. By the time Sayen had finally reached the bonfire, their destination that had been agreed upon to stop by first, she was already breathing hard from using all that energy. But that happy grin never faded as she peered around the area curiously. Spying a vacant log nearby that was close enough for them to enjoy the warmth from the fire. "Hey guys! I..." Turning around let the others know, the female was surprised to realize that nobody was actually behind her. "Uh... Guys?"

Shoot. Looks like she got a little too caught up in her excitement again, that she totally left the others behind. Checking around again, she could tell that they weren't here yet. So she headed over and sat herself down on the log she saw. Knowing exactly who might get mad at her, Sayen grew a little worried over what may happen once they caught up. On the bright side though, she totally got here first before them! So there was that at least.

[1 ~ The Bonfire]

[crow]

It was the reindeer which first attracted Suvi's attention. The three of them had actually been going somewhere else at the time, but once Suvi's interest had been piqued, then there was absolutely no getting anywhere until she had gotten to the bottom of it, whatever 'it' happened to be. Sivain and Rhodes had been hoping that this would be quick, but to their dismay, they found that the little deer led to a whole festival, filled and bustling with people. Merry, well set-up, and on the whole quite inviting... but not quick in the least, and not the sort of event that appealed to either of them in particular. Oh, but to Suvi? Of course it did. What little girl didn't love this sort of thing?

“It talked! Er, she did,” Suvi said, correcting herself. “And she said it's a celebration! There's gonna be presents and, um, other stuff.” She frowned for a moment, making an effort to try and come up with what 'other stuff' was, but she gave it up with a shrug; the explanation she came up with would have to do. She was too excited to wait any longer. “C'mon!” Dragging Sivain bodily by the arm, which no child of her age ought to have been able to do to a man of his size, she tugged him toward the fire that burned pyre-high near the front of the area. Rhodes, sitting on Sivain's shoulder, was a passenger in their descent to Christmas doom--- and all of it sponsored by the eagerness of a child.

Well, there were worse things that could happen, Sivain supposed. The trip they'd been making had been for her sake anyway. If she wanted to go somewhere else, they'd still be expending the same amount of trouble... more or less. That's what he told himself, anyway. The festival itself still looked horribly daunting, and he wasn't ready for an entire day of... this, but then Christmas had never been his cup of tea.

[1: Bonfire]

[crow]

Christmas was a thing that Rhodes and Suvi had picked up. Sivain had never known it; by all rights Suvi shouldn't have either, for they came from the same place, and there had never been such a thing. There were winter festivals, and due to the seasonal quality of it some of the trappings had been similar, but not many. They'd spent many quiet, insular winters at the estate without ever having touched upon it, beyond Suvi marvelling a little at the decorations in shops when necessity drove them to cities for supplies.

But then the other residents came, and they brought Christmas with them. In truth, it hadn't been Rhodes who started it. It might have been Kenric, come to think of it; the doctor had set up a tree quietly near his own dwelling, and Suvi had come to admire it greatly. She had asked if they couldn't have one of their own, and Sivain hadn't thought it important enough to deny her. They had asked Rhodes, who told them in his dry and irreverent fashion about the process of setting up a Christmas tree. It had been Sivain who felled it, and who worked out how to get it to stay up, with Suvi watching eagerly and the cat providing mostly unhelpful comments on the side. She had decorated it, with more enthusiasm than skill or taste, and it spent the rest of the winter shedding needles onto the carpet.

[2: Bonfire]

[crow]

In retrospect, Sivain should have put a stop to it there. Or at any of the other points where it became increasingly clear that the holiday was going to be a bother. He hadn't, and now he was suffering for it, dragged to civilization and to a gathering of some sort by Suvi. He had no idea why Rhodes had come along too, considering how Rhodes loved to gripe about his workload, though he privately suspected that the cat was here to laugh at him. That was one of their holiday traditions, after all.

“Look! Look how tall this bonfire is, Sivvy! I've never seen one this big. Do you think we could do something like this at the estate? We've got plenty of room outside, and there are trees, or we could buy logs...” She was staring at it in rapt fascination, grinning as she took in its scale. Sivain eyed it unhappily, already formulating his refusal. It would leave him open to another week or more of wheedling and whining and begging from her if the idea really took hold, and that was the only thing that held his tongue. To discourage it now would do the opposite of what he wanted and entrench the idea all the more firmly in her mind.

The fire would not have been practical. She was right about there being space enough, but that was not enough. They--- and by they, they usually meant he--- would have to dig a fire pit. There were not logs enough, he couldn't figure out how they contrived to get something that size burning. And what would it be for? They were not poor, but neither were they made of money, and to throw away so much wood for so little cause seemed a dreadful waste.

[3: Bonfire]

[Ander]

Arterial Blood & Blood's Breath

"I don't...know about this, Breath. I would say that Halloween is more our holiday... Perhaps-"

The blue 'Wockee laughed lightly, but firmly, and wrapped his tail around the fleeing red's. Their bands slid together and mingled like the notes of an oft-played song; the red 'Wockee blushed. She couldn't help looking sheepish at the humor in his eyes, nor flushing at his firm grip. "I won't have you running away based on a silly old stereotype, Arty," he admonished, with the air of a man who was almost serious. "You've been hanging around that Skellington for too long." He pulled her closer - despite the mask covering their faces, his red eyes were tender. "Come and spend some time with me, instead."

The woman's sigh was mostly for show as he lead her to the fire. In all honesty, this wasn't a bad place to end up. It was a tamer party than the type she might have attended before she began walking out with Breath - she looked over at him fondly, carefully selecting logs for them to lounge upon - but that had its benefits. She could just hear the tales being shared in the circle of firelight, and the murmur of teller's voices were as sweet as any back-beat. Maybe more so, simply for the sound of people enjoying each other's company.

[1; Bonfire]

[Mousen]

Her sister and Vernice followed momentarily. Vernice, predictably chose to sit next to Nick, wrapping an arm around her, which Nick shrugged off, after a moment or two. "Would you stop that?" she grumbled, rolling her eyes. She didn't look angry or upset, just slightly annoyed.

Vernice tilted her head to the side. "What have I ever done to you to deserve this treatment? You scandalous minx." She smiled mischievously before adding in a more sensible tone. "Honestly, though, if you want me to quit it, I will. I'm not going to spend my time making you uncomfortable."

Nick shook her head. "No, it's fine. I just don't like people being physically affectionate in public."

Mary-Jane smirked, hiding her giggles behind her hand. "I hope you know what this sounds like from your conversation alone."

"Oh my gosh, Mary, shut up!" Nick exclaimed, blanching. Vernice simply laughed.

[Post: 2 | Area: 1 - The bonfire]

[Mousen]

"Okay, okay. Fair enough. We might as well get this thing going. After all, it seems silly to waste our time here. We never do anything like this." Mary didn't accompany them when they investigated, instead she helped them afterwards when they met up to go over the footage and audio recordings seeing if there was any anomalies. As the group's resident skeptic, she was quick to debunk anything they came across, though there was a few things even she had trouble explaining. Still, she remained resolute and fiercely logical. In Mary's eyes, there was nothing that couldn't be explained.

"Yeah, we should definitely do more social stuff. I always feel bad leaving you behind anyway, so I'm really glad to be out here doing something we can all enjoy." Vernice added, looking toward her dark-haired friend.

"Keyword is all. Tramping around in the dark for something that doesn't even exist in the first place isn't my idea of fun regardless of whether I can see or not." Hearing Nick's small huff, she sighed. "That doesn't mean I'm not happy to go through stuff with you guys, I can see the appeal of it. I like helping out, I just wouldn't want to go tramping around in "haunted" forests looking for ghosts that turn out to be raccoon infestations."

"That was one time!"

[Post 3  - The bonfire]

[Mousen]

"Er, let's not go into this now, guys. We have enough arguments over this as is. Besides, we should set out and decide what we're going to do." Vernice said, pulling her short, glossy black hair into her usual top-not. She'd forgotten to fix her hair this morning, despite it looking strange if she didn't, the longer hair on top covering the two undercuts on each side of her head. With her hair and her lip piercing, you wouldn't necessarily assume she was the brains of the group.

"I say we skip straight to the bakery and go from there. Nick slept in and we ended up in a hurry. So, we kinda missed lunch." Mary-Jane was a tall girl, with brown curly hair, and bright red lipstick.

Nick looked up. "There's a bakery here? Since when?"

Mary started to giggle. "Oh my gosh! I'm the observant one and I'm the one with impaired vision. There's always been a bakery here."

"Oh."

[Post 4 - The Bonfire]

[crow]

“You have a sour expression on,” Rhodes remarked. “Thinking of something unpleasant, are we?” The cat was smiling, which meant that yes, it had officially begun. It was now open season on Sivain the Humbug, and all bets were off. During the rest of the year, there was some mutual respect between the two that insulated him from the worst of the snarking. One would think that in the name of holiday cheer, Rhodes ought to be taking it easier on Sivain, but the opposite was true, alas.

“If you have any suggestions, I am open to them,” Sivain said. He didn't really think Rhodes was about to offer him anything helpful, but even their conversation might be some distraction from the people. There were people enough, and the sight of them still haunted him a little. Not people he knew. Not people he--- he wasn't responsible for them anymore. It was just the estate, just Suvi, and--- it could be less if he wanted it to be.

He looked, and thought fixedly, of Rhodes. The cat seemed to sense something in his gaze, and flicked his ears in his approximation of a shrug before looking away. Sivain caught himself and turned his heavy gaze to the fire instead.

[4: Bonfire]

[crow]

“You may as well sit down,” Rhodes said, looking out at Suvi who was still wandering around the fire. She looked like a moth, flitting about a lamp on a summer night. Sivain hoped she had the sense not to get burned.

He took Rhodes' advice and took a seat on a log, carefully going out of his way to choose one that was unoccupied, at the far side of the ring. Rhodes took up next to him, jumping up in one neat movement. His tiny paws tucked in, and his tail curled over them all, hiding his toes from view. Sivain hunched over, his elbows braced on his knees, a habit from when his height had sat less well on him. He had been a tall, stocky child; having grown too fast, there had been a time when he was at once gangly and stout, tripping and heavy. He wasn't that now. He had learned to fight, and godhood had given him grace, refined his features. He was no more than a well-built man now, but sometimes he still moved as if he was that same ill-conceived boy.

Suvi had spotted them, and rushed toward them with all the enthusiasm that only a child could own. “It's so hot near the fire! I'm sweating a little. Isn't it cold where you are?” she asked, sitting down on Sivain's other side. She shiverred slightly, despite her thick clothes, and huddled into Sivain's side for warmth. He put an arm around her shoulders automatically.

[5: Bonfire]

[crow]

“No one else goes that close to the flames,” he said.

Immediately, she shook her head. “Not true. I saw people! There was a boy and his dog. His name was Chipper. He licked my face, and his breath was gross, but he was so fluffy. Waaaay fluffier than Rhodes.” Rhodes, who had been listening, now turned to lick at a paw in disinterest. Sivain sighed.

“We're not getting a dog,” he said.

“I didn't say I wanted one,” Suvi replied. By the lack of sullenness in her voice, Sivain was assured fro the moment that she probably didn't want one either. Granted, a dog was more feasible than a bonfire, but at least the bonfire would be over when it was over. Dogs went on for years.

“Anyway,” Suvi continued, “there was a man there too, putting wood on the fire. I asked if I could try, and he gave me one, and I threw it in! It threw up sparks like this, and I nearly got one in my hair, but I didn't.” She motioned to the spot where the spark had apparently nearly missed her.

“Don't play near the fire, Suvi,” Sivain said.

“But I didn't, did I? I didn't! And anyway, I'll be more careful next time.” Suvi's chin had gone stubborn, and Sivain sighed. Well, it wasn't worth the argument, even if he didn't like the idea. They had come here for her sake to begin with, so they might as well let her do as she liked, within reason. Better that she got her fill of it here than demand it when they went back home.

[6: Bonfire]

[Mousen]

They stood up, leaving the warmth of the bonfire behind and moved by the Christmas tree. The splendor was lovely, lights, presents, people gathered around enjoying the spectacle and the friendly buzz of conversation. Since they were passing anyway, Nick stopped to admire it.

"Oh wow, that's pretty cool." Nick said, looking to where Vernice was stood.

"The tree?" Mary-Jane guessed.

"It's massive, like, larger than any one I've ever seen. It's covered in golden tinsel and fairy lights, with large glass baubles in green and blue and red." Nick explained.

Mary nodded. "I can just pick out the fairy lights." She still had a little of her vision remaining, although she could really only pick out light and dark with it. "I love the smell of pine trees."

[Post 5 - The Christmas Tree]

[Mousen]

"It's very pretty." Vernice agreed. "But let's keep going, there's not really much for all of us to do here."

They left behind the Christmas tree and eventually stumbled across the bakery. The smell alone indicated they'd arrived, it wasn't so much any one particular baked good, but a collection of many different ingredients and products. Freshly baked bred, cinnamon, citrus, and a sweeter smell that indicated cakes or confectionery.

They didn't linger long outside the building, instead choosing to enter straight away. Vernice found a seat by the  window, and Mary followed her. Nick hovered by the table. "What do you guys want? I'll go order for all of us."

"Hm..." Vernice looked around. "I'll have a slice of their coffee cake, in that case." Typical. Vernice's usual diet included far more caffeine and coffee related substances than was good for a person.

"Do they have any pecan cookies?" Mary-Jane asked, after a moment.

"To be honest, I'll be surprised if they don't. This place seems to have everything." With that, Nick left to wait in the line, leaving the two other girls at their table.

[Post 7 - The Bakery]

[crow]

She sat quietly with them for a few moments, but her excitement got the best of her again soon enough, and she went haring off after something else that caught her eye. It was just Sivain and the cat again. But Rhodes was oddly quiet, and they went for quite some time without a word from him. Sivain looked at his companion a little more closely, and found Rhodes staring into the fire. The look in his eyes was not unlike what Sivain's had been, briefly, when he had caught sight of the crowd: distant, almost vacant, as if he was seeing something that wasn't there.

Loath as he was to be the one to break such a peace, he could not help but ask. “Are you alright?” he said. Rhodes came to himself with a start; Sivain could see the little twitch along his spine, the way his head snapped back just slightly. He was still for a moment, then shook himself off.

“Yes, I'm fine,” he said. He almost sounded it too, but Sivain knew better.

“You don't like fire,” he said. It wasn't a question. To tell the truth, he should have anticipated it. It wasn't news to him. Rhodes never lay near the hearth in the estate either, for all that he loved sunlit windowsills and other warm places. Another cat would have, but not Rhodes. He had never asked about it, out of respect for Rhodes' privacy, and every year it slipped his mind until winter came again. The cat was so self-possessed that he often forgot about things like that. This was the closest he had come in all their years of acquaintance to broaching the subject.

[7: Bonfire]