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

~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.

[unweaving]

[ A little black kitten, equal parts fluff and fight. It's adorable. ]

Is that what you're calling it in the city these days? Cute.

[ Noct she's

pretty close now

seriously dude ]

[somnolentus]

[ the second he notices how close she's creeping, it... flusters him. and his immediate impulse is to drop his gaze, but with aranea? that's a terrible idea, because it just means he gets an eyeful of all that generous cleavage pushed up in his direction. instantly, heat floods up from the nape of his neck and into his cheeks, shading his skin a pretty damning pink. ]

U-Uh. [ managing to stammer over even that, because he's the king of cool. ] ... they have a different name for it, out here?

[unweaving]

[ Well, shit.

She was going to liven up her evening by seeing if she could plant a kiss on him without him flinging her ass across the room with magic, but that's so hopeless it's sweet. She sighs, and folds her arms.

(jiggle) ]

I call it standing under the mistletoe looking like a target.

[ and then, not unkindly: ]

Aren't you supposed to have people looking out for you?

[somnolentus]

[ ... how does someone manage to jiggle that much in armor.

but. ] ... mistletoe?

[ and he directs a look upwards, nose scrunching. ] What, that stuff?

[ ... yeah, he's hopeless. ]

They're around. [ the last he saw, ignis had been prowling near the table of refreshments, no doubt hoping to find something worth jotting down in his recipe notebook. and gladio's obviously at least a few beers in, judging by the easy sound of his occasional booming laugh. ... and prompto?

well. someone convinced him to stop dancing and get down off the table, so. there's no telling. ] ... more or less.

[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.

[noodledream]

Well, it is a party. That happens at these things. helps everyone loosen up. Even when it isn't their sort of thing.

[ That totally makes it better, right? ]

Why? How much did you have?

[somnolentus]

... I think this might be the first party I've ever been to.

[ he blinks at the realization, nose wrinkling slightly. it's not exactly like he'd ever had the chance to attend many high school parties -- his social circle was always ridiculously small (read: prompto), and not many people want to risk inviting the prince if there's a chance that the entire crownsguard will show up to act as chaperones. ... so. here he is, a fully grown (lol) adult, attending his first party.

but the next question is enough to distract him from his woeful set of life experiences, because... wait, how much has he had? it took him a bit to realize that the weird warm and tingly feeling probably wasn't a usual side-effect of punch, and it seems like a cup keeps getting shoved into his hand whenever he turns around, so... ]

... uh. [ it's a damning answer on its own. ] Enough?

[ oh god. ] ... too much, maybe.

[noodledream]

I guess all those fancy state things don't really count, do they?

[ Gladio muses over that for a moment, because he's been to his fair share of those too. Out of the two, he much prefers the atmosphere of ones like this, where people are more interested in having fun than politicking. It made him want to make sure that Noct enjoyed himself here too.

Although from the prince's answer, it looked as if he might be well on his way there already. Gladio just chuckles. ]

You're still standing upright, you obviously haven't crossed the line into 'too much' yet. Although your awareness has obviously been compromised.

[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.

[noodledream]

Who me?

[ Gladio's grin tugs a little wider as he shifts to lean on the doorframe beside the man, crossing his arms over a broad chest and takes in the other man's manner. ]

Hardly that. I know better, after all. But no else here gets to see that all too often.

[newrecipe]

I like to think of it as having a profound air of mystery.

[Still, while intoxicated, he's somewhat less guarded than he's often known to be.]

I suppose you do know better. I appreciate you not spreading it around and tarnishing my sterling reputation.

[noodledream]

Please. If I were going to spread scandalous rumors about you, I'd make them way juicier than that.

[ Which is a lie, because he knows how carefully Ignis guards his reputation and his privacy. But that doesn't mean he can't tease the man about it. ]

Then again, you are giving me opportunity tonight.

[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]

[ And just like that, the pleasant smile gets replaced with something infinitely more genuine and a bright bark of laughter. The Immortal is funny. Who knew? ]

Judging by the dazzling social skills on display tonight, they could use a little training. Thankfully, that is not my department.

But if you're worried, ask away.

[redsoles]

[ Just stares. Either Cor isn't aware he made a joke or he simply just doesn't care. It's a mystery.]

They're just kids, I'm certain that they will figure it out along with everything else.

Worried?

[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. ]