oh dear god

[unweaving]

Lady A's Christmas Chaos!!!

Saving the world from assholes dressed like a sofa is hard work, and even heroes need to let loose. What better time than the festive season? So what if you're in a world where Christianity isn't a thing! It's time to don your ugliest Christmas sweater, put on your dancing shoes, and tell those around you just how much you love tolerate them. Dance, sing, bone down on the couch, get so drunk on eggnog you puke on the carpet -- Aranea doesn't care, she's way too smart to do his in her own damn house! GET TO PARTYING.

Comments

Jinglin' and Minglin'

[unweaving]

People always take a while to warm up at these things, right? That's what booze is for, but you're welcome to stand here and make chitchat until you get a buzz on.

[newrecipe]

[Ignis starts the evening as reserved and composed as ever, having found himself a flute of champagne among the various alcoholic offerings and taking great care to avoid standing under any suspicious greenery as he mingles-- for now. As gatherings went, he was used to those that demanded a certain level of decorum.

This one, he was certain, would be far different, though he could at least make an effort to survive the evening with his dignity intact. A greater feat would be ensuring that his royal charge also made it through with his.

Still, for all his concern regarding people behaving themselves, he is warm and approachable, with a bright greeting for near everyone he meets, as well as a heartfelt thank you to their hostess.]

OTA

[noodledream]

[ There are some people here who look very refined in their festive attire. Gladio didn't even bother trying to be one of them, because this was supposed to be a party and he'd rather be comfortable. So here he is, in denims and an ugly Christmas sweater he'd picked up somewhere that he can't even remember. He's not even sure what it's supposed to be, but as he'd seen the way it made a certain overly-dignified companion twitch when he walked in, he counted what effort he had put into it well worth it. The furry santa hat atop his head was the final touch.

He's in high spirits for the evening, always enjoying a party and the chance to kick back and catch up with people, never shy about starting up a random conversation with friend or stranger alike. He's got a can of beer in his hand for most of the night, preferring the holiday ales to the sparkly stuff and is quite content to poke his nose into pretty much everyone's business while he's here. ]

[newrecipe]

[Ignis sighs heavily as he and Gladio gravitate towards one another, one hand carefully balancing his drink while he lifts the other to rest his index and middle fingers against his forehead.

By the Six.]

Interesting choice of attire.

[noodledream]

[ Gladio's grin can only be described as 'shit-eating'. ]

I know, right? I'm glad you like it. I got you a matching one for your Christmas present.

[somnolentus]

[ ... it's really hard to miss gladio, especially in that get up. so! noctis makes his way on over, edging up behind him to nudge him playfully in the side. ]

I think this is probably the most clothing I've ever seen you wear. [ normally gladio is always taking off layers, not adding them. ]

[noodledream]

It's cold out!

[ Gladio offers this with mock defensiveness, even if the sleeves of said sweater are already pushed up his arms, revealing the dark shadows of his tattoos. ]

Besides, it's a Christmas party. You're supposed to dress up all festive. Not look like you're attending a funeral. Here. [ He plucks the santa hat off the top of his head and deftly plunks it down on Noct's instead. ] You need this more than I do.

~Under the Mistletoe~

[unweaving]

Come on, we all know what mistletoe is for. If you don't, be sure to stand under it and look all innocent. That's the universal sign for someone to come and explain!

Kiss your friends! Kiss your enemies! Hell, kiss yourself, Aranea's not here to tell you what you like.

[somnolentus]

[ ... listen.

he didn't pick out the spot underneath the mistletoe, okay? it just happened to be the thinnest spot in the crowd, and he hasn't exactly been to enough of this kind of party to even know that he needs to check above his head. the kinds of christmas parties normally held in the palace were ridiculously formal affairs, after all, mostly populated with older important political figures and their ilk. there's no spiked punch, no one ever gets duct taped to the ceiling, and there is a profound lack of any mistletoe-related makeouts.

... maybe it would have been a good idea for ignis to include some sort of crash-course party survival training into his upbringing. ]

[unweaving]

[ Have you ever seen a shark in red lipstick?

Sadly for Noctis, there's no cello accompaniment to warn of her approach. She just strolls on up, steps measured, smile wide. ]

Look at you, prettyboy. Never knew you had it in you.

[somnolentus]

[ ... he's practically like a baby animal led directly to the slaughter. ]

What, socializing? [ not that he's doing... that. at all. whatever. ] Guess I'm full of surprises.

[noodledream]

[ Where would the fun in that have been? If Iggy had done that, Gladio would have never had the opportunity to take advantage of the prince, sauntering up with a vaguely smug sort of smirk tugging at his lips. ]

Enjoying yourself?

[somnolentus]

... this isn't really my sort of thing.

[ honestly, he'd be just as happy finding a quiet place elsewhere to take a nap, but that doesn't seem like it's an option that happens to be on the table. so. instead, he squints down at the cup of punch in his hand, nose wrinkling slightly. ] And I'm pretty sure someone dumped booze in this.

[newrecipe]

[Some time later in the evening, Ignis is several drinks in and no longer quite so vigilant about taking care where he stands. As a result, he finds himself loitering beneath the mistletoe with a recently refilled glass, smiling and laughing a great deal more openly than he was at the start of the evening.

Obviously, someone will do the decent thing and suggest he step to the side to avoid any embarrassing incidents. Right?]

[noodledream]

[ Oh, Gladio is obviously here to do the decent thing and rescue his friend from all embarrassing incidents.

Not.

It just so happens that each time he's caught sight of Iggy throughout the course of the evening the other man has seemed to relax a little further in increments until this particular moment when he catches Gladio's eye completely by accident, attention drawn by the familiar sound of the man's laugh, rarely heard so open and easily.

It makes the man smile as he excuses himself from the conversation he'd been having and makes his way over to Ignis, carefully avoiding looking upwards just yet. If Ignis hasn't realized where he's standing yet, Gladio's not about to ruin the surprise until the perfect moment. ]

You sound like you're having fun.

[newrecipe]

Do I?

[A smile pulls at one corner of his mouth, warm and genuine and without a trace of the usual dry wit.]

When you put it that way, one would assume you thought me incapable of it.

[redsoles]

[ cor has no idea what he's doing here anymore. he'd heard about the party and the thought of the kids hanging out with someone like highwind was enough to have the immortal instantly on edge. now he's wondering what the point was; only a drink here and there is stopping him from wandering back off.

he's also preoccupied enough keeping a wary eye on the kids that he's not even bothered to look up, unaware he's actually a sitting duck for funny comments and attempted smooches.]

[unweaving]

[ Seriously? Seriously? Cor the Immortal under the mistletoe? Where's the kid with the camera when you need him?

Probably off fiddling with his f-stop and trying to work up the courage to smooch the man, is where. She has to be around to see that. She walks up with her most pleasant smile. ]

So is this like a training exercise, or what?

[redsoles]

[ Great. Of all the people that has to come and talk to him it's the mercenary for hire, the one that last he'd looked had been floating around on the Niff side of things. Then again that's probably unfair and he knows it, but then Cor is more than happy to look unimpressed at everything in life.]

If it was, I wouldn't be divulging that information. Maybe I should be asking you the same thing.

[unweaving]

[ Look at all these poor lost little lambs, strolling around under the mistletoe and completely unaware of their predicament! It's terrible, someone should do something about it.

Instead, Aranea steals a sprig and tucks it into her hair. ]

Party Games

[unweaving]

Are we talking musical chairs and pass-the-parcel, or 7 minutes in heaven and strip poker? You'll never know until someone turns up and tries to take your pants off!

[unweaving]

[Aranea's sitting at a smallish table, glass of whiskey at her side as she flutters cards from hand to hand to shuffle them. An observer wanting to take her up on a game might notice that there's a rosy glow in her cheeks that might indicate a disadvantage, but they might also spot the turquiose-colored tie that is thrown around her neck like a scarf and clearly not hers.

Her lance is propped against the side of her chair, but it's fine. It's got tinsel on it. Festive as fuck. ]

[noodledream]

[ The turquoise tie is actually a fairly helpful hint, especially because he'd seen who had been wearing it earlier in the evening and the fact that she'd won it away from its owner despite the flush to her cheeks stated pretty clearly that she wasn't at that much of a disadvantage.

But then again, Gladio was rarely one to back away from a challenge either.

Which is why he sinks down across from her in a graceful slouch and shoots her an easy smirk. ]

Well, don't you look all merry and shit.

[unweaving]

My bells are positively jingling.

[ It's not until she's said so that she actually looks at him, and cracks

the fuck

up ]

Shiva's frosty nipples, where'd you find one of those to fit a big unit like you?

[newrecipe]

[Ignis sits himself down opposite Aranea without ceremony, having moved on to eggnog some time ago. His collar has been loosened, the top two buttons of his shirt undone to offer reprieve from the alcohol-induced warmth-- but he's still sharper while inebriated than many people are sober.

He levels a smile at her, curious.]

Festive, aren't you? So what's the game?