Thank God the holidays are over. Got some business to take care of tonight. A little bit easier when everyone isn't standing out on the streets singing fucking carols and shit. How the hell does it make any sense? You all should be like that every day of the year, dumbasses.

Christmas with everyone at the Warehouse was pretty awesome. The days after Christmas were pretty crazy and not quite as awesome.

Also, everyone, this is Mojo:



He's my dog from home that Rosella made a deal for. Is she the best best friend ever? I think so.

So, what are everyone's plans for New Years?

[Private to Rosella/Unhackable]

Hey, you okay after this weekend?

A full house with ... new blood... for the holidays. Let us hope Seras Victoria and her mercenary are handling things well at home. A small pain for her absence. Tche. She hadn't changed a bit in thirty years.

Still snow, huh? How festive. Maybe I should have a snowball fight with Kyo for the fun of it.

It was an interesting holiday weekend, to say the least. Curses all weekend long, and Yuki... aah, at least he is okay.

Also, thanks everyone for the gifts. They all were great.


[ooc: Haru would've gotten people presents, so assume you got something if you're a friend or relative. B| I never picked stuff out. DX HARU IS A NICE GIFTER OKAY?]

[ It's early morning in the City, and snow isn't the only thing falling at the moment. Above the square there's girl in the air, descending slowly on white wings and dressed in a winter coat. ]

This isn't the first time I arrived from the sky...

[ She lands carefully next to a toy shop, wings fading away as she rubs her hands together to warm them up. ]

The snow... it looks just like my dream! And all the decorations everywhere- it must be Christmas here? I wonder if...

[ Sakura is momentarily distracted by the large plush giraffe in the toy store window. It's adorable, okay. ]

... I'm glad I remember.

[ooc: I'll be out all day, so I'll tag back tonight! ]

[Voice Post]

This has actually been pretty nice so far, I mean, yeah, the curses- well, we won't talk about the santa one again, but the snowfall is great. And it's really busy and fun in the City! Christmas was pretty and busy and fun and peaceful! I kinda think the feeling carried over. Well maybe not the peaceful. But really!

[Post switches to video mid-way]

[You see Hiyori sitting at her desk, but with a little white cloud, with snowflakes flitting down around her.] Even my curse today is holiday-related! I hope that everyone else enjoyed it, too.

[Edit!] Oh, also, to my apartmentmates, if you notice some strange-looking guy wandering around the apartment or sleeping on the couch or something, don't worry, that's Proto. Yeah. I know.

[/Post]

[OoC: Link not IC, just lolarious. As for gifts, I've been commenting around to say specificities, but it's pretty much 'you make up your own gift that she gets you' this year. I'm not going through that same list I did last year. :| Uh, comment for more specifics, and if she's talked to you but isn't close, you get a little fruit basket.]

( Voice Post | Private to Hiyori | Unhackable )

This again? Man.

Rosella, I've just got a letter from my uncle--in reply the one I sent him about our being engaged. Uncle Neil approves of the match, though I think he's the only one. My younger uncles probably want a chance at you themselves and my aunts probably only see you as being in their way. As much as they wanted me married six months ago, they certainly aren't very enthusiastic about it now. But you needn't worry about any of them. I won't even let them in. It will be your house, and you'll far outrank all of them anyway.

So we'll be married in the spring, as we planned, and we'll leave this horrid City. Once we're married, my father won't be able to touch us, and my fortune will really be my own. Will it be England or Daventry? Or perhaps both? We can travel back and forth easily enough, at least, perhaps, until the children are born. You'd probably prefer Daventry, and it's probably safer there than in London.

I just can't believe my aunts wouldn't approve of you. You perhaps don't like me talking about it all, but it hasn't been very long since Emmeline died, I know--and that she died in such a way probably only makes it worse for them. I know a few of my aunts were very much in favour of that match. But, then, they were friends with the Lauderdales and probably were some of the force behind Uncle Neil's arranging the marriage in the first place. How strange that it would be him both times. Of course, that first time he told me that I could either marry Emmeline or I could be sent off to boarding school. I think it was a way to keep me under some kind of control, but it hardly worked, you know.

So perhaps they're angry with me because they think I've leapt from one woman to another to another to another far too quickly. But that's an utter lie. Perhaps I did love Emmeline in some way. She was my thorny princess, and I didn't realise that untile after she had died. It was when I saw her body laid out in its coffin that I think I realised my affection for her. She still seemed so alive. She still seemed as though she was about to open her eyes and shout at me for having slighted her somehow. But it has been a sad parade of doomed love affairs to me, I suppose, even so young as I am.

Of course, after Emmeline's death, her parents decided that Merry ought to marry Emmeline's brother, Guilford, who was a madman and was kept locked in the basement. They were that desperate to preserve their family line and fortune that they would have taken my sister. They wouldn't leave us alone. They were determined to fix themselves with our family however they could. They were in a desperate way, I think. Perhaps it was a shame that their son couldn't be kept so drugged and childlike any longer. He was a grown man, and a grown madman. I'd never let him anywhere near her, and certainly not to marry him, even if it was to be a very long engagement. Maybe none of my aunts approved of that match either, and it was only his parents who forced it all.

As I recall, that wasn't very long after I'd been reunited with Merry--of course, I call it 'reunited' though we'd never met before. It's a strange thing to meet one's younger sister after so many years. Her mother was a maid in my father's house and she is their child. I'm not at all surprised that my father would carry on affairs with the maids in the house. I suppose that makes her my half-sister, but she hardly seems like it. That she'd try to avenge her mother like she did might as well have proved her to be my sister. I'm glad to have found her, even if she has nearly managed to get herself killed at least three times. She's forever wandering off and getting herself in trouble, or else she's being kidnapped, or else she's just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I plead with her to keep herself safe, and I try to keep her in the house, but she never listens to me. And yet, she never learns, no matter how many times I've saved her from burning houses, that mad doctor, or insane police officers. She hates me when I insist that she stay indoors for her own protection. Either she's in absolute peril or she's furious at me. But she's my sister, and the last of my family. I'll keep her save, her above all others. It's best that she isn't here, even if I do miss her. She's safer in London, waiting for me. I'm sure she'll take to you, Rosella, when you two finally meet. She's been kept carefully away--that's my own doing, so that the family curse won't hurt her the way it always hurt me.

And I won't let it hurt you either, darling.

Merry could come with us, of course, if you don't mind. Riff will come with us, certainly. I can't have a household without him. And we'll keep those indiscretions between us between only us--I think I understand now why his eyes were so sad when I was so desperate to understand who Meridiana truly was--

I'm far happier to have been reunited with my half-sister than I was to discover I had a half-brother. There's enough madness in my family already between my father and myself. We certainly didn't need a third, and certainly not one older than me. I'm glad he's gone from the City again. He was the one who spoiled so many of my chances--he even found Lailis while he was here in the City that very first time. I've never forgotten her nor ever really forgiven him.

I'd hoped that fleeing here would put me out of my father's reach, even though it did mean leaving everything behind. But I'm the one my father wants most to hunt down and find. He wants to reclaim his fortune. But he was declared dead, and his fortune came to me. Perhaps he should have considered that ordeal before pretending to kill himself. I know he hates me and for more than that, and I know he'll stop at nothing to find me. But we'll escape, Rosella. I know that we will.

It really has been something of a parade of unfortunate love affairs for me--both in London and now here in the City. And you must be tired of hearing about them. It's a wonder you paid any attention to me at all with my reputation. I've never been quite sure what it was that drew you to me, but I've never forgotten how we danced together. Perhaps it was because it was a challenge to you. I know you like puzzles and riddles. I hope I'm the most complicated one you've yet found. That would gratify me more than anything.

But Rosella, it's the day after Christmas and why haven't I see you yet today? I know I've been a bit melancholy--it's the season that does that to me. I saw you yesterday evening, but unless there's some sort of strange custom about it, I don't see why I shouldn't see you again tonight. You must be tired of hearing me talk, so I shall be perfectly silent and only listen to the things you have to say.

And you didn't have any mistletoe up last night at Christmas dinner, you know, so I've found a spring for you.

May I be so forward as to pay a call on my bride-to-be even this late in the evening?

[Private to Dorian Gray || Moderately Hackable]
You know I'm to be married in the spring. I hope it's completely obvious why I'm telling you this. You've known about my engagement to Rosella for weeks now, I think. It's the only thing I could do at this point, ask her to marry me, and my uncle supports it. I can't imagine that she's not been scared off already given all the madness in my life. We've quarrelled, of course, and I've thought more than once that that would be it. Especially after my own selfishness nearly killed her friend--I rather think she might be in love with him, though she won't admit it.

My real purpose in writing to you is to tell you that I've not told Rosella--if only because she's quite different from Emmeline--that I intend to keep lovers even after we're married. With Emmeline, we almost agreed to it, even as angry as she was with me when we did agree to it. I think it might destroy Rosella if she were to hear of it. She's been raised to be delicate, I think, despite how often she tries to act daring.

It's dangerous to write this so openly, I know, but I want to see you again soon. Tomorrow, if you can. I've seen enough of Rosella. I've acted like the good fiance for long enough. I'd rather see you. And I want to see you tomorrow.

I know that this too might be another doomed love affair, but I think I almost love those as much as anything. Do you care? I think you must not.

I want to see you tomorrow, carelessly.
[//end private filter]

~C.

[ooc: Today on Days of Our Young and Restless Passions... Guess who's cursed to think he's engaged to Rosella but still carrying on a love affair with, shockingly, Dorian Gray! So much drama! Stay tuned! Although, really, lol, a lot of the rest of the stuff...is just canon. And with barely a twist. Sob. Also, in regards to IC Christmas presents...please to be handwaving? ;; I could barely get my RL shopping done, so I've had no chance for IC shopping. If Cain knows your character, please imagine that he either sent or delivered a gift. If you want to work out specifics, please just drop me a line!]

It's really amazing how fast the year goes by! But I'm glad I still got to celebrate Christmas with my friends here. Even if most of them are gone now. I hope they're all okay back home, even if I miss them.

Umi, is there someone new staying here? I'm sorry I haven't been around to meet them, things were really busy at the orphanage. The kids all had a great time. It was a good distraction and kept me busy--


...It's that kind of weekend again, isn't it?


[ooc; Got busier than I'd anticipated with the family so pretend there are amazingly awesome gifts for anyone she's talked to here. ;A; If she's talked to you at all, you're getting sssssomething + cookies. I hope you all had a great holiday!

and I hate to post and run but I'll pick up tags in a couple of hours]

[In the Square, there are two boys - Hikaru and Kaoru, of course, the wonder twins! - singing very terribly despite the fact that they can actually sing pretty well.

This is just to annoy everyone- but, hey, get into the Christmas spirit!]

JINGLE BELLS! JINGLE BELLS!

[They're not sorry.]

[ooc | Caroling! Except terribly. If you wanna know what Kaoru gave you for Christmas- comment cause idk yet.]

Christmas! Oh, how splendid! And it's snowing, too- not a single decaying body in sight! I hope I've not spoken too soon, but I believe this will be a wonderful holiday season.

However, I realize that there are those without gifts, and I find this very heart-wrenching. As a result, I shall be baking several sweets for the unfortunate- and for my friends as well.

If anyone would like to assist me, I'd love to invite you to this Christmas charity drive.

[ooc | Orihime, Natalia, Marta, Flynn, Arche, and anyone else who wants in. BEWARE!!!

ALL FRIENDS AND EMPLOYEES GET HER LOVE-BAKED HOMEMADE GOODS.]

メリー クリスマス - Merry Christmas, everybody. I sent the oseibo already, but I have your presents. I know is more traditional for us to get them only to our real close friends and relatives, but since I don't have family here and most of my friends are in this place, I hope you enjoy them.

Huh. Snow without disastrous side effect makes me wary about what will happen tomorrow, but let's enjoy the evening while it lasts. Starting by Christmas Cake:


No, it doesn't have peaches, Rokuta.

I baked several, if anyone wants to try a typical Japanese Christmas dessert. Suit yourself. We don't really have a fancy tradition for this day, we sorta reserved those for New Years celebration.

[Filtered from Shoukei]

Shoukei and I agreed the 27th this month could be a good date for her birthday, but there's one problem. It could fall during those weekends with many curses and spoil the party. So, I was thinking to have a plan B and get everything ready for Monday. I don't know how many friends has she made in the City, but I'll need a headcount to organize the food and the location. If it's so cold, we'll have to move indoors.


(ooc; PRETEND THIS WAS EARLIER. In addition to the oseibo, Youko would have handed Christmas presents to: ( Long List is LONG! )

( PRIVATE // OFF THE NETWORK just thoughts, and so unhackable. )



What is 'eggnog'? It doesn't taste like eggs...at all.

[Look whose going to pull ninja cat move on a certain somebody.]

Phew, finally finished. Great ob everyone, this has been the best turn out yet, the snow didn't put people off last minute shopping at all.

Okay staff, you get the day off tomorrow, make the most of it before the sales start. Oh but don't leave without seeing me, you need to get your bonus payments, and your Christmas presents, alright?

Have a Merry Christmas!

[OOC: Yes, Akindo staff get a bonus in their pay and Christmas off, and friends/employees will also get newly made vouchers for the shop to to spend as they would like. Employees, you also get your discount remember. ^-~]

As much as Aniki and I don't get along... I'm happy he's my brother. If it weren't for Kuromi's Dark Power and us falling victim to it, we would've continued to hate each other's guts.

It's nice to know that despite how much of a jerk he can be, deep down he really does care. He just needs to stop being so overly talented and snooty.

I'll forgive you for throwing that frozen vase at my head the other week. But just this once.

Not too surprising I would return during a curse.

Little seems to have changed during my absence from this world. Few more holiday decorations have been added - how festive.

( (Private to Road) )

My father, Malcolm Dresden, was a good man, a generous man, a hopeless loser. A stage magician at a time when technology was producing more magic than magic, he had never had much to give his family. He was on the road most of the time, playing run-down houses, trying to scratch out a living for my mother. He wasn't there when I was born.

He wasn't there when she died.

He showed up more than a day after I'd been born. He named me, then took me with him, on the road, entertaining children and retirees, performing in school gymnasiums and grocery stores. He was always generous, kind-more kind and more generous than we could afford, really. And he was always a little bit sad. He would show me pictures of my mother, and talk about her, every night. It got to where I almost felt that I knew her, myself.

( He died in his sleep one night. An aneurysm, the doctors said. I found him, cold, smiling. Maybe he'd been dreaming of Mother when he went. )

The weird thing is he's come to me in dreams and visions since then. It's odd meeting your father when you're the same age.

My mother is a whole different story. Margaret Gwendolyn LeFay Dresden was a scary, scary lady. She's been dead for over 30 years and people are still afraid to speak her name. I guess she wanted to revamp the laws of magic to include things like justice rather than just limiting use of power. It sounds good but in the end it's not. People tell me she was brilliant, erratic, passionate, committed, idealistic, talented, charming, insulting, bold, incautious, arrogant... and short-sighted.

But I know she loved me. She's also visited me in visions and I can tell she regrets a lot of her decisions. Probably all of them but having my brother and I and marrying my father. She died when her former lover was so furious over her leaving him he had an entropy curse cast on her, causing her to die in childbirth.

Aaaaand that's way, way more than anyone wanted to know, I'm sure.

[ooc: *I pretty much just quoted that entire top part from the books, so Jim Butcher's words, not mine.]