Participants:
| Scene Title | Reindeer and Grinches |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | A Safe Zone Christmas Village brings out cider, smiles, and … sourpusses? |
| Date | December 23, 2019 |
Someone’s taken a small corner of Park Slope and turned it into a winter wonderland. It’s not much, but Santa, his helpers, and indeed a Christmas Village has come to visit the Safe Zone.
It’s also a far cry from the better-equipped Christmas Market set up last year in Yamagato Park, but you know, it’s a work of imagination.
Seren Evans stands positively beaming in the middle of it all, dressed as a workshop elf complete with pointed ears. They're nearly as enchanted with it all as the small group of children before them that stand fascinated with the creature that stands by their side. The pale svalBaird reindeer with his fuzzy antlers and amber eyes lowers his head to sniff at the hands that reach out. "Now be gentle with him," Seren reminds them, and Baird flares his nose with exhales a puff of air across mittens and palms that sends the children giggling.
The weather is far milder than anyone could have anticipated, any natural ice and snow from earlier more frigid weeks melted down, but still the Zone around Santa's chair is dusted in a light coat, as is the area immediately surrounding the reindeer stall. The snow nearest Seren is somehow a little more blue— like it reflects idyllic moonlight on a clear winter's night. But it's overcast, with plenty of light cast from crystal bulbs on strings over the small area that's been reclaimed just for this occasion. A cart for hot chocolate and hot cider is set up on the edge of the space, supplies going fast.
Maybe it can be owed to the arguably pleasant weather, but there's quite a few people checking out the village tonight.
Some kids rebel by smoking cigarettes and riding skateboards in the park. ‘Ella Damaris volunteers to sell hot cocoa and cider in Park Slope. It’s not a Yamagato affair, so it feels like participating in something out-of-bounds. It’s not true rebellion anyway. Her mother knows exactly where she is tonight, and she has her cell phone on her.
“Hot chocolate! Hot cider! Get it while the getting’s good!” the teenager chimes happily, dressed in a green sweater with red trim at the cuffs, neck, and hem, and a pair of red skinny jeans. A green hat with fake ears adorns her head, marking her as one of Santa’s helpers. Most of her peers wouldn’t be caught dead like this, but she enjoys the smiles on the kids’ faces. Occasionally, she casts a glance toward Seren and their display, longing to go see the reindeer for herself. Later, she’s sure.
The line for the hot beverages is substantial, but the prize at the end makes it worth it. The scent of the drinks is pleasant on the air. Rhett adjusts the warm black scarf at his neck, lifting his shoulders a little and repositioning it more securely against the chill. He bumps into his companion with one elbow, deliberately, as they stand in the line. Almost to the front.
“Give me your hands again,” Rhett teases the woman next to him, drawing her palms towards him enveloped in his own and rubbing them quickly between his own gloved ones. He then raises them to teasingly blow warm air onto her hands as well. “Soon the cider can take over hand-warming duties,” Rhett chuckles to Elaine, glancing ahead up the shortening line to count how many people remain before it will be their turn to purchase. “Chocolate or Cider?” Rhett asks Elaine, watching the person in the front of the line obtain a cup of steamy beverage - he’s guessing chocolate. “One for each hand?”
The redhead at Rhett’s side doesn’t seem to be enjoying the cold too much. “I should have brought gloves,” Elaine mutters, offering Rhett her hands as he tries, mostly successfully, to reduce just how much she’ll be complaining in the following minutes. “I don’t know why I forgot them.” But the suggestion of hot chocolate and cider is one that has her almost forgetting just how cold her hands are.
“Chocolate,” she decides. But while a joke, his suggestion of one cup for each hand has her actually considering two beverages. “How about… I get one cup and you hold my other hand.” She considers it a fair deal. As the people in front of them move forward, she scoots her way closer in line. “It’s not just an excuse to hold your hand, I swear.”
The dark-haired young woman walking through the little wonderland has a backpack slung over her shoulder and walks next to a golden labradoodle in a service vest. Her jeans and boots are well-worn but in good shape, and her gray hoodie is also covered by a black wool jacket. A red knitted headband keeps her ears warm, and Brynn's gray eyes are taking in the people lingering in the relatively mild day. She grins at the sight of the children waiting around for Santa. Her dog stays right at the side of her leg, and she pauses regularly to look at things in the village, but Baird catches her gaze and she seems fascinated. A place to curl up and draw is a little hard to find out here.
When it comes time for Rhett and Elaine’s turn in line, the woman is greeted by the teenager at the kiosk in a manner as warm as the beverages she’s serving up. “Hi, Miss Darrow! Happy Christmas!” ‘Ella waves both hands briefly, excited to see a familiar face outside of Yamagato Park.
“Hot chocolate, right?” The dark-haired teen pours from a carafe and into an insulated cup, setting it out on the counter for the redhead. “One sec.” ‘Ella holds up a finger and ducks down to reach for something under the counter. She returns topside with a canister of whipped cream. Giving it a good shake, she turns it upside down and dispenses a sizeable dollop onto the top of Elaine’s beverage. “Lids are over there,” she gestures to her left - their right. “What can I get for you, sir?”
Clad all in black save for his white longcoat, Isaac Faulkner trudges along, observing the Christmas village with a mild, detached interest. He's always glad to see pieces of Park Slope getting cleaned up.
Unfortunately, even the bright lights and the work that's been put in on this little Christmas outpost doesn't seem able to cure the gloom that's been shadowing him of late… though it does help to drive it into remission, at least.
Feh.
Maybe some cider will help. Certainly worth a shot, at least. With that in mind, he shuffles towards the line for the cider stand.
"All right, now, gather round…"
Seren hunkers down, hands on their knees as they look out over the kids with a knowing grin. "My friend Baird here? He can do some pretty amazing things." Their eyes flicker wide, the edges of their irises a gleaming silver. "He's not one of Santa's team, but he's pretty special too." The 'reindeer' lowers his head and bumps Seren's shoulder with his nose, pushing their arm forward. Seren looks back at him, snickering and lifting a hand to pat his nose before turning back to the kids.
"You want to see?"
Enthusiastic nods ensue from the kids, some clamoring vocally. Seren stands properly and turns to Baird, asking him like one would consult another person, "Think you're up for it?" The svenBaird thinks about it for a moment… and then shakes his head with a jangling of the silver bells that hang around his neck.
The children giggle at Seren's mock dismay. "Come on, now, Baird— I think these kids have been very good this year…" they say with a wink, nodding and gesturing for the kids to assert just how well-behaved they've been, waving them forward. The kids catch on quickly. "Yes, I swear I've been good!" "I help out my mom a lot, I gotta be on the good list!" "Me, me, me!"
"—so I think they deserve to see." Seren surmises. Baird appears to think about it a moment longer, turning his head this way and that as he observes the kids … and then turns his amber eyes skyward. With a crooning animal tone, the edges of his fuzzed antlers begin to glow softly. They bleed hazy, pastel light outward like an aurora, painting a canvas over his head.
"Whoa…" One little boy murmurs, his eyes wide as he looks up at the lights. Inside the canvas of aurora, pinpricks of bluish-white light stand out like stars. They coalesce together into the familiar shape of a reindeer — one with a 'nose' that's a noticeable if faint shade of reddish-pink.
"Do you know who that is?" Seren asks the kids. A girl bundled in a coat a size too large for her gasps out, "Is that Rudolph???" and Santa's helper only grins. "Can you guys help me sing his song?" they ask earnestly. With a warm smile, they start the tune softly, though the children quickly and excitedly pick it up and carry it at a much more noticeable volume. "Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer…"
“The same for me,” Rhett decides after watching the process for Elaine’s drink. He snoops on it, looking over at it in Elaine’s possession with a kind of mild, playful jealousy. Money is produced, to pay for both of the hot chocolates, though the rousing song of the children nearby ends up being a distraction, and he messes up with the accurate amount of coins at first.
“No whipped cream needed on mine, though; give a kid double,” Rhett says with a smile, stepping away to pick up two lids, offering one with two fingers to Elaine. He moves out of the way of the cart, lingering to wait for his to be completed, but not staying in the way to block other patrons.
“Happy Christmas,” Elaine offers in ‘Ella’s direction. “Don’t work too hard out here, alright? Christmas is no time to be tired out.” She’s one to talk. While she steps aside, she accepts the lid from Rhett, but not before she sticks one cold finger in the whipped cream and proceeds to boop him on the nose with it. There’s a wicked smile on her face before it disappears to a casual innocent look. She fits the lid onto her cup, taking a long sip while she waits for Rhett to get his all settled.
She glances over her shoulder, noting the singing and she turns the tiniest bit to peek at what’s going on. “That looks like fun.”
“Oh please do tell me your mum is around here dressed like that,” comes a familiar voice to one side of Ella. Godfrey looks like a cat who caught a canary… or could potentially catch one, if he can get a picture of Kay dressed like that. It might get hung up at strategic places around work.
“Ella,” he offers pleasantly in greeting, “You are looking rather…” dark eyes flick up and a brow arches curiously at her choice of head wear, “…festive.” He doesn’t sound completely convinced that is a good thing.
While she might enjoy looking like that, Godfrey Wells would never be caught dead looking like that. In fact, he’s dressed as ever in a sharp suit, this one black with only a subtle red shine, where it can be seen from under a tan long coat.
“Have seen a rather petite thing running around? Yay high?” Hand held just below chest high. “I fear I lost m’ date, dodging…” Godfrey flicks some fingers at some rug rats that run by, even taking a step further away from them, not even bothering to say what they are. “She said something about a show.” He watches where the kids are running - to see where not to go - when he catches sight of Seren and their display of… oddness. Curious. Of course, there at the back of the gaggle of children is the woman he is looking for, clapping with the children, enchanted by the antics of Baird. “Ah! There she is,” Godfrey says, sounding rather horrified that she is over near the rather large gathering of children.
Pity.
This turn of events also brings another familiar face to his attention. Godfrey turns and offers a dip of his head to Elaine and offers a “Miss Darrow, a pleasure as always,” he practically purrs out in greeting, before noticing her date. He gets a look over, before a well groomed brows lift in interest and he offers Rhett a brilliant smile. “Well, I certainly can’t fault your taste in men, luv.” He offers a hand to the man, “Godfrey Wells.” The greeting is very business-like.
Silently edging to side of the small group, Brynn and her companion find a space where she can see what Seren is doing pretty well and then rummages in her backpack to come out with a small sketch pad. Flipping it open, the petite brunette starts roughing in a pencil sketch of the illusion that is happening… and the joy on the children's faces. A subtle tweak here and there assures that the children in the sketch are not actually identifiable as the real children standing there, though the detail is a small one. When she catches Seren noting her presence, Brynn waves a bit with a small smile. She's not doing anything shady, promise.
“No whip. Got it.” ‘Ella snaps her fingers with a grin and pours a fresh cup of cocoa for Elaine’s apparent boyfriend, setting it down in front of him with a flourish of one hand. She’s having fun. “Enjoy!”
The familiar voice at her shoulder has the teen turning sharply. “Oh! Mister Wells!” Some color creeps into her cheeks, possibly embarrassed by his teasing. Or maybe it’s something else. The girl takes in the sight of him all fancy in his suit, as always. “Can you take over for me?” she asks her partner. The line’s thinned out a bit with Seren’s show starting up, giving ‘Ella the opportunity to step away.
She makes an earnest show of looking for Godfrey’s date, standing on tip toe and looking through the crowd for someone glamorous enough to be on the man’s arm. “You’re not dating a twelve-year-old are you?” she’s joking, of course. But she’s spotted his arm candy around the same time he has, gathered up with the children and singing along to the popular carol. “Have you ever thought about dating someone more mature?” Wait, does she mean…?
“You know, my mom’s single.”
Oh, thank goodness.
"Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say…"
Above the glimmering reindeer constellation, the words Ho Ho Ho pop up one by one before fading like a dimming firework.
"'Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?'"
Suddenly the little red-nosed star reindeer is leading a team including a waving starlight Santa. "Then how the reindeer loved him; As they shouted out with glee…" With a whip of his reins, the driver sends the team of reindeer figures running, and they whish off through the air. The constellations run right off the edge of the aurora canvas, continuing for a few feet before dispersing into shapeless sparkles.
The mesmerized kids lose the fullness of their strain for a moment, but all come together to finish the tune out. Seren claps boisterously for them and with them, their eyes still glimmering silver while they smile. "Wow, guys, that was really great…!"
They're looking up over the tops of their heads, though, scanning the crowd. They're not looking for a kid at this point, though.
They're looking for an adult in need of a little Christmas spirit.
The little sandy-blonde girl is walking through the Christmas Village marveling, her hand gripping that of her mother tightly. "Look Mummy. Seren! And Baird!" Aurora waves frantically from the back of the crowd of kids, but she's not letting go of her mom. She's in awe of the decorations and people around them, and well… even though she knows Seren made the colored lights and stuff, she's staying right here for now. Dressed in bright red leggings, a heavy white sweater with her hair pulled up in pigtails that have red and green jingle bells holding them in place, she dances from one foot to the other. "Is there gonna be more singin'?"
“Thank you; smells fantastic,” Rhett smiles back to Ella, pressing the lid down onto the chocolate before picking it up and moving it to toast it against Elaine’s. “It does. Do you sing?” Rhett asks of her.
Rhett’s nose is now dotted with whipped cream and a sideways smirked expression towards Elaine’s playfulness as Godfrey gives him the once-over. He brushes the whipped cream away with the edge of fingers of free hand, orienting on Godfrey’s greeting with curious pale blue eyes.
Rhett’s smile is mellow, reserved; he swaps the hot chocolate to other hand to answer Godfrey’s handshake with his more clean glove. “Rhett Thorne,” Rhett introduces himself, with just bemusement and no correction to the suggestion that he’s with Elaine. Rhett’s handshake is low key, relaxed. “Are you— coworkers?” Rhett guesses.
Out on a Christmas venture, one can find Harmony, Ricky and Lili walking to Christmas town bundled up in their winter gear. Warm coats, gloves, scarves and the whole works. Except Ricky has on a pair of cat ears that double as bluetooth LED headphones, and he has his face painted like a cat. Harmony, who is a mom that joins her kids in their play, has on a pair of white bunny ears, and is face-painted like a bunny, with a tiny little Christmas hat on top.
As they enter, Ricky jumps and makes a childlike 'raar', "I'm a lion! Raar!" he mimics having claws, which looks ridiculous in his mittens. His sister seems immune and unamused by his candor, but mommy is supportive. Spotting the reindeer, Ricky points to the beast, "Mommy! Mommy! You can eat those!" he looks back to his mother.
"Ricky! You can't really eat a reindeer, I don't think they're good for it." Harmony winces at her hyper-spawn
"Not the reindeer, the horns." Ricky corrects her. To which Harmony looks at him weird.
"He's talking about a podcast I was listening to. Glenn Villeneuve, he's a survival guy and he talked about the ends of the horns of reindeer are soft and can be peeled and eaten like a potato." Lili explains to her mother, translating Ricky as usual. Nevermind the fact that she's doing podcasts rather than cartoons. She does those too, but it's known that Lili is pretty brainy.
Harmony takes in a breath, ready to reply and just simply closes her mouth, conceding to her young prodigy, "Ok, but we're not going to try to eat THIS one, are we? Are we clear, Lion King?" She puts her hand on Ricky's head and wobbles him playfully while he protests. "Why don't you guys go see about hot cocoa?"
Making his way from one end of the makeshift village to the other, wandering in a passive loop and loitering here and there to chat, Dumortier has a wooden hoop full of plant crowns and a bag of similar things with him. He is content to be busied with selling sprigs of mistletoe to couples and shilling pine, holly, and poinsettia crowns. Not every day is business, but somehow Rene manages to circumvent it and have fun, too. Long blue coat, sleek boots, trimmed in white fur and sprigs of holly; Dumortier is less Santa's elf and more Tolkien, but he's absolutely found some ears. The front of his hair is pulled to the back, pinned there above the rest with a growth of crimson poinsettia.
"It looks great. Pinky promise." Hand on knee, he leans in to a little girl now preening at her glittery Christmas crown, parents nearby. She lifts a tiny pinky finger to his, and it's a promise only then, a chirped thank you given before taking her mother's hand and slipping away.
"Don't mind them, but I am Never having kids." The agrokinetic asides to the vendor he's taken up beside, an older fellow selling jams. Rene's sweet smile is enough to have the guy chuckling and shaking his head, finishing a transaction in progress.
"I sing passably. I enjoy it though." Elaine certainly knows the words to all these Christmas carols, but she'll never admit that. She offers a genuine smile to Godfrey, then turns her attention to Rhett. "You're correct. Mr. Wells and I work together." She looks between the two of them. "I would certainly say that I've got very good taste." The man at her side is offered a wry smile.
"I'm certainly getting the good end of the bargain."
Watching with deep disappointment as his date enjoys the spectacle of weirdness, Godfrey almost misses what Ella is suggesting. It takes a moment to sink in.
What?
“Oh.. you’re serious.” Godfrey realizes after a few moments more.
“Why, Miss Damaris, I do believe you’re pimpin’ out your mum,” he teases with a brilliant and teasing smile. “But, I fear I must decline. She is far too classy of a woman for the likes of me. She deserves much better.” Does he mean that? Who knows.
Spotting the approaching wildlings, Godfrey offers an apologetic smile to all around him. “I hate to greet and run, but I fear I’ve about had my fill of Christmas spirit.” How long has he even been there? “So if you will excuse me, I must go fetch Holly and get her home before her bedtime.”
Godfrey is quick to vacate the area of the cocoa cart in the face of the herd of children coming that way.
Target acquired.
Godfrey's approach to the woman who had been taken by Baird's magic doesn't go without note by Seren, their eyes twinkling with a certain set of knowing. He would not be humbuging this moment away for her, oh no.
No, he was about to become a part of the show.
"Sir," Seren lifts their voice, smiling in his direction. "You seem like you need a hand…" With a lift of their own, they flip their palm back and forth. An itch on Godfrey's knuckle might prompt him to look down and discover it's turned green and is sprouting long strands of coarse, string-bean hair. "… before you turn into a proper Grinch tonight."
Waving him closer, Seren proposes, "Let's get you fixed up, shall we?" The change hasn't hit his other arm yet, but the color starts to bleed up from his collar, painting his face clover green.
Brynn, who has been sketching Seren's activities, narrows her eyes suddenly at what's happening. The new man in the group is … oh dear. Apparently he's in trouble with Seren. She recognizes the particular shade of green Seren was going for, and the deaf chromakinetic presses her lips tightly together to hold in a grin. Oh, if only Joe were here to egg her on…. (she really might not need the encouragement, if the mischief that suddenly lights her eyes is anything to go by. But alas, no one who knows her well enough is near enough to see the wicked imp of laughter appear in her expression).
Aurora tugs on Elisabeth's hand, "Mama Harm! Hi!" She knew they'd all meet up here at the festival, but she and Mummy were late cuz WORK again. As they make their way through the group, she meets up with Ricky and Lili, waving cheerfully at the bodyguard trailing those three — her own Mr. Matthew stayed behind cuz Mummy's Mr. Mike came with! Ooops! She forgot she's not s'posed to wave at Miss Hannah and the others. Draws attention. For a moment, she pauses. And then the littlest of the Cardinal-spawn grabs the twins and drags them toward the group where Seren is holding court. "She found the Grinch in disguise!"
‘Ella’s nose wrinkles up when Godfrey suggests she’s pimping her mother out. “Ew,” she squeaks. “It’s not like that.” There’s amusement, however. She can see his point, even if she disagrees with it completely. And besides, he just called her mother classy. Has he even met her? Maybe he’s just aware that Kaydence Damaris could kick his ass in a fair fight.
As he starts to extract himself, ‘Ella almost turns to head back to her post at the beverage stand when Seren’s voice raises and calls her attention to what’s happening to Godfrey. One hand covers the teen’s mouth as she tries to stifle a laugh. That’s what he gets for being a stick in the mud.
Isaac smiles a bit at the sound of the chorus of children singing, but he doesn't pay it any particular mind; at the moment, he just wants a cup of cider. Once he's got that, he steps away, cradling his cup of hot cider in his hands and working to extricate himself from the crowd of children that had suddenly swarmed the place. "Excuse me. Pardon me," he mumbles, trying to slip his way out of the horde.
"Oh hi honey, are you having a good time?" Harmony chirps to Aurora. Oh thank god, there is a Liz here to vent off some of the array of questions that the twins seem to have at any given moment. And Aurora is a nice buffer from that too. She changes their course over towards Liz, like she even had a choice, since the twins go tunnel vision over there, taken by their sister.
"Ooh, I kinda feel sorry for the dude." Harmony winces over at the new distraction that the kids are bee-lining over. "That one is gonna pick him apart." she points to Lili, "That one is gonna try to taste him or climb him or something." she points to Ricky, and she pauses for a second to think, "Maybe I better— Ricky! Do NOT try to eat the Grinch!" she calls out to the children, "He's on this whole lion thing from this video game he was playing. Hopefully he doesn't teach Aurora how to be a lion. Lili is immune to his childish influence, of course." Harmony asides to Elizabeth.
"He's not really the Grinch. It's got to be a trick." Lili peers as they go to approach. The little red-head shows skepticism, "Ricky, go see if that's real fur." she directs, and she looks back to where Liz and her mother are, "But careful. Mommy said."
Ricky seems all too eager to accept the challenge and heads for the rming Grinch unashamed, "You know who could beat the Grinch? Krampus! He'd put him right in his sack for being all sour!"
“I suspect,” Rhett asides to Elaine as Godfrey moves off, “that either my chocolate is really spiked with something, or your coworker has an ability to change colors?” And obviously the drink isn’t spiked, Rhett would be well aware. Also he hasn’t had any, except for the dab Elaine put on his nose.
“Is that normal?” Rhett is a bit alarmed, actually: it doesn’t look healthy, and the medical guy in him can’t just ignore it…
The swarms of moving children don’t bother Rhett in the slightest; though most of his attention is between Elaine and her furry coworker of awkward flirtations.
“I have certainly never seen that happen,” Elaine says, glancing over in Godfrey’s direction before looking back to Rhett. “But I’ve seen weirder things. You could always chalk it up to the magic of Christmas. Mysterious things happen, after all.” She chuckles slightly, then gives Rhett a small nudge, pointing in Seren’s direction.
“I don’t know the nature of their ability, fully, but I’ve seen them do some pretty amazing things,” she says. “I’m certain it’s safe.”
He had planned on simply ignoring the person on stage; he knows she’s calling to him. Godfrey was not interested in any of their shenanigans. Nope. Except, Holly was looking at him in horror, with hands covering her mouth. So of course…..He looks down.
“Bloody hell!”
He looks over at Seren with wide eyed surprise, which quickly bleeds into anger, even as the green bleeds up his neck. This was not an ability he has ever dealt with before and he is clearly not a fan. Vanity is a thing with him and Seren has encroached on that and his pride. He turns a helpless look towards his date only to see that her look of horror has turned to laughter.
“Don’t look at me, you deserve this,” Holly says through her laughter.
There is a mighty sting to his pride there, even if she might be right. A step is taken back as the miniature humans start to swarm him, Godfrey’s arms jerk upwards to avoid any becoming attached like leeches. It is becoming increasingly clear that he just can’t even with this all. Never again will he get suckered into going to enjoying a little Christmas Spirit. No amount of sex was worth this fresh hell.
The turning point might be the shout of a mother telling her son not to eat him.
That’s it…
“I’m bloody well out of here,” Godfrey shouts. A glare is turned towards Seren, as he continues to try and get away from the hoard of giggling hellspawn, peeling the arms of a little girl from around his waist. “Find someone else for… for… whatever this is!” Godfrey is clearly flustered by this turn of events.
That grinchy glare is turned to the kids, as his ire settles on them as well, “I don’t even understand what the big bloody deal is.” He manages to pull away more, but it’s taking too long, so he pulls out his Hail Mary pass.
“Santa isn’t even bloody real!”
Godfrey will probably regret those words later, but for now it does what he needs shocks enough kids for him to make a break for it. Holly is on her own to find a ride home.
Elisabeth would totally laugh her ass off at Godfrey, even not knowing the man, if she weren't already doing so at the idea of Ricky licking a stranger. "Please, God, keep him from doing that," she agrees. The dickGrinch move of claiming Santa doesn't exist, to a bunch of kids, though, erases her laughter. "Aw man, really??"
Narrowing her blue eyes as a couple of young children look shocked and even desolate, Elisabeth tips her head and helps Seren out. A jolly, booming voice rolls over the kids as Elisabeth murmurs under her breath, "Ho, ho, ho… Guess who's getting coal in his stocking this year!" Harmony is close enough to feel Elisabeth tense slightly while she works a little Christmas magic. The sound of jingle bells, like a sleigh taking off, follows and recedes, as if Santa dropped in for a moment and left. (Sound courtesy of borrowing the jingling from a set of bells on a nearby headband.)
"Offff course he did." Harmony snorts as Godfrey kicks over some kid's dream castles. And then she is on the move to help her co-Super-mom deal with this possible crisis. "This is going to have Lili Googling 'Is Santa Claus real' for weeks." Harm mutters to Liz, "Oh, hey I know!" she get an idea and calls out to the group ahead, "Hey! Buddy! You better change your tune, or you're gonna end up on Krampus' list! And you know what happens to bad people who end up there, they get sacked, right Ricky?"
"Yeah!" her son agrees, "Put the mean ol Grinch in Krampus' sack!" He proclaims.
Lili looks around at all the kids and her brother's candor. You can tell gears are turning, "Sack! Sack! Sack! Sack!" she starts to cheer, to which Ricky starts to join in. The level of intent behind her cheering is quite clear, she intends to get all the other children cheering. She'll show him for being mean on Christmas!
"Excellent idea Liz." Harmony asides. The twins do pause at the message from Santa t rings out, "You heard that kids? Santa himself took time out of his busy schedule to deliver a message to the bad man who doesn't believe in him!"
Watching is the name of the game tonight. Selling a few more tiny bouquets before he rightfully hears the content of the commotion, Dumortier stops to watch from a small distance the swarming and shouting… And Godfrey. All of that. The man's idea of instilling fear is not the kindest. Good thing someone is quick thinking enough to send a phantom of Clause. Might not be enough.
"We have a blasphemer here, don't we?" Dumortier's lighter voice is by no means a basso profoundo, but it's loud and clear as he makes his way closer— in that full elf garb, ears and all— parting a few bodies by presence alone so that he stands on the edge of the ruckus. With the wintry costume and evergreens, the ears, hair, there's no mistaking his angle. At least, for the wiser adults.
"You're a brave one," Rene's arms lift in a wide, cheeky gesture. "Coming here and daring to smear the legacy of Pere Noel, lord of the Yuletide and friend of the aos si." The act is a fine one; his heart is completely in it, a distinctly obvious professionalism. Santa's 'elf' friend makes a bold, boot clicking approach, brandishing a crown around his fingers. The twine of branches blossoms with holly leaves before the eyes of the gaggle of kids.
"Take this blessing and be on your way, and just perhaps the spirit of judgment will spare you." Dumortier offers out the ring and it loosens under his touch. Less of a crown now, more of a size to hang around his neck.
More importantly… The agrokinetic is giving Godfrey a true opportunity to escape. Those shining blue eyes say take the damn necklace.
For a second— fleeting as it is— Seren thinks that Godfrey might capitulate for the sheer fact he might be fixed, and quickly. They look hopeful for it, even. Were the moment stripped of outside factors, maybe the hook would have even been successful. The kids crowding him is something even Seren recognizes as too much, but they're a little too far away to impact it. "Ricky," they say when he starts to intercept Godfrey. "Let him be, if he comes right over here we'll fix him right up, all right?"
And then it just cascades into something worse and worse, until Godfrey's standing there shouting Santa isn't real.
That has them frozen in place, unsure of what at all to do. The just-familiar ho ho ho that comes from the air brings Seren back to their senses a little at a time, their head swinging along with Baird's to find the source. He huffs, his antlers no longer streaming 'magical' light from them. When Seren sees Elisabeth among the cloud of shorter heads, they smile in relief. When Dumortier rolls closer, people parting for his path, their brow raises.
Baird's ears perk up in particular at the man’s invocation of aos si. His head lifts with interest.
When Dumortier pulls forward the growing bloom of holly, Seren nods to themself. With concentration, they shift the green on Godfrey, the illusion of it pulling down him and back to his hand, stringy hair receding. The closer he gets to the holly, the more it seems to sparkle and suck away the grinchliness from him.
It's a different Christmas miracle than they'd been hoping for, but it'll do. Seren looks to Dumortier with a subtle nod of appreciation before looking back to the kids. "All right, everyone, I think we should leave him be, don't you? I think Santa and his helpers have this well in hand, and any good boys and girls would do well to leave it to them." A warm smile accompanies it, hoping to change it from less of a warning to more of a call to return to festivities.
"But Lili said…" Ricky is going to protest to Seren's request before the new element to the show beigins. At the very least, the display has the children's attention.
Harmony is making a face that looks like she has tasted something sour, "What in the actual—" 'Ok Harm! No major emotional shifts, remember your zen state right?' With a breath, Harmony lets a calm wash over her and moves to where her kids are, "Lili, Ricky, Aurora? Why don't we go make something for grandpa? Huh? That sound good Liz?" she looks back to the co-mom, "Some white chocolate cocoa, and then we can put a candy cane in it to stir and melt. Annnnd we decorate some gingerbread cookies. He'll probably love that" Harmony's attempt to diffuse things a little by removing her kids from the equation.
Good news is, her kids seem onboard with the suggestion. And she wants to toss Godfrey an apologetic smile but… the man tried to destroy the magic of Santa!
Elaine cringes a bit, hiding behind Rhett’s shoulder at the shout. “Oof, this could get messy.” She takes a sip from her hot chocolate, then slips her free hand into Rhett’s and both into his pocket for warmth. “You want to go for a little walk? I’m not sure I particularly want to stick around and see if things get worse.”
That and it’s certainly not in the Christmas spirit.
Godfrey had been planning on just fleeing the scene, but then Dumortier is blocking his escape route dressed in a ridiculous outfit. He can only stare at the theatrics, brows tipping up towards his hairline.
What the bloody hell was going on?
When the crown-turned-necklace is held out, Godfrey doesn’t reach for it. Not for an uncomfortably long time. Moments stretch on until it dawns on him this guy is really trying to help him out. Wot? Gingerly, the man reaching for the necklace looking almost skittish, as if waiting for it to suddenly attack him.
Instead, there is relief when the green hair fades away. “Thank you,” Godfrey manages to force out looking over his towards the kids and Seren.
Okay, he might regret what he said now… just a bit…
”Lot of you are insane,” Godfrey grumps under his breath.
Okay, a tiny, very miniscule bit.
His possible freedom obtained, Godfrey brushes past Rene, like the posse was nipping at his heels. He’s out before the children and their pissed parents have a chance to devour him.
“Yeah,” Rhett agrees uncertainty with Elaine. The man that OBVIOUSLY needed medical attention (green fur is not generally a safe condition) gets a long concerned stare from Rhett. Still, he trusts Elaine’s judgement that the guy is all right — they are coworkers, after all — though he’ll have questions about this later. It didn’t seem like part of a christmas show.
Rhett turns his attention to Elaine more fully, accepting her guidance, and taking a drink of his chocolate, enjoying the warmth of it both in his hand and through his throat. He gasps at Elaine’s ‘cold’ hand, squeezing it and holding it warmly in his jacket pocket, rubbing her fingers to warm them, and bumping briefly against her side. “I can hear more carols over there; let’s take a look,” Rhett suggests, as they move away.
Phew. Maybe he can still salvage this? Dumortier gives Godfrey a more observant look as he takes the leaves, committing the face to memory for later. May as well. There are a few tinier kids practically using him as a blockade to jeer at the retreat of the 'Grinch'. He carefully pries a tiny hand clinging at his bag, other hand moving to herd the pack of littles back to parents.
"Magic can do anything, even fix a Grinch." Rene may not subscribe to this all the time, but for kids? Sure, whatever. He pulls a cluster of poinsettia seemingly out of nowhere with a theatrical flourish, handing it out to the nearest set of puppydog eyes. "Happy Christmas, younglings."
Now get outta here with those cute, disgustening little faces.
When everything appears to smooth over, Seren's shoulders sag with relief. A beamed smile of thank you is directed to Rene while they lean against Baird's side, a hand pressed into his fur. It's a shame their volunteer Santa looked to be a no-show, but between the efforts of everyone here, it was shaping up to be a pretty great night after all.
Everyone was putting in their best to give the place a little bit of Christmas magic.