[ArosFarron]

It's the most wonderful time of the year and Liliana knew it was. She had planned for months to get everything right for this event. Everything was ready. The tree was up next to the stage, Poinsettias on all the tables, food being prepared. She was excited and worried at the same time. Having worked on everything by herself, she was feeling the stress of it all. She wanted to just give up and walk away. She knew however that she would just go back to do it anyway. After hours of prep, she gave a sigh and a smile. She was done setting up and was leaving to work on her set list and rehearse.

Later that night
Lily greeted every student and teacher as they walked in. Her long rose red dress stood out among everyone else and complimented her cherry blossom pink hair. She had a small mic attached around her ear as shortly after everyone had arrived she was going to being her set and then mingle with other students.

[Kingnoname1]

Managing to secure himself a position in the kitchen Calen was sure to keep himself busy to avoid the memories of Christmases past. And drunk. 'Accidentally' misreading the schools recipe for non-alcoholic mulled wine with grape juice becoming sherry had a very quick impact on the gaunt boy keeping his mind nicely muddling. Luckily the meals wasn't anything he hadn't prepared a thousand times so the exact extent of Calen's drinking hadn't become obvious although the smell of ethanol filled the kitchen. Finishing his little part in the food preparation as well as effectively spiking the 'non-alcoholic' mulled wine Calen slipped off with a hearty mug of the stuff to doze in the rafters.

Awoken by the sounds of people entering the hall Calen found himself both too and not drunk enough but still forced to intermingle if he was going to fix the second issue. Luckily almost always wearing a suit had it's advantages as Calen was already dress for the formal including a holiday themed tie and a branch of mistletoe pinned over his breast. Almost subconsciously Calen straightened out his clothes rumpled by his sleep and quickly made his way down to the main floor. Not exactly managing to walk in a straight line but Calen did manage to put on the front of not being already totally smashed as he truly was.

[Frankenstein Joe]

Abigail sighed. Pulling a finger from their ear from dealing with the music her aura was producing. Wearing a white and black dress, she'd look at the entrance of the party before heading in, their semblance sizzling away as the stress and intensity of actually attending faded away. It's not like they had made friends so far into the year who would have attended with them. 
Looking over at Lily, she'd spot the microphone, a small hint of a frown on her face flashing over her face before she went for a glass of water and sat to the side, moving her thumb around the side of the glass in a circular motion.

[Riven]

The winter holidays. A time of joy and delight to many... a source of painful, solemn memories for others.

Rory knew with absolute certainty which category he fell into, and it wasn't the fun one. As decorations began going up throughout the city, as multicolored lights gleamed from storefront windows and festive greetings echoed in the ever more frosty air, he smiled... but only outwardly. This was supposed to be a time that brought people together with goodwill, yet looking back so many of his holiday memories carried shadows... and those that didn't rang false alongside those that did. When "home" isn't safe and "family" can't be trusted, celebrations turn into theater-under-threat and that which is meant to be delightful sours and curdles. He'd never let anyone know it, of course, but the memories still tore at him like a pack of Beowolves with every carol and ornament. Which is why he usually tried to spend this season to himself as much as possible.

This year... would not be so easy.

When Fabled Goods ended up being enlisted to bake for the Beacon Holiday Formal, Mr. Chadwick had thrown himself into it with giddy abandon: festive cakes and pies, honeyed rolls and nutmeg twists, savory and cheesy biscuits, maple blackberry danish, eggnog loaf with a caramel-vanilla twist glaze... and, of course, plum pudding. So many plum puddings! Rory could say with confidence he'd never seen that many plums before in his entire life, and of course the entire bakery staff, Rory included, had been recruited to help bake, decorate, and carefully bundle the whole order. It was overwhelming, but that should have been the end of it. It wasn't. Chadwick had insisted that Rory help with the delivery, and further insisted on covering the young shieldmeister's ticket to the event. And now here they were, running behind schedule and rolling huge trays of baked treats towards the event hall entrance. Rory had no idea who was running the show but hoped desperately that the delay wasn't giving him or her a panic attack.

"Think of it as making a grand entrance!" Alec joked, trying to soothe the boy's concern and agitation. "Food this good deserves a warm welcome, after all!"

"... If you say so boss."

"C'mon Rory, cheer up a bit. You'll ruin the party with a frown like that!" Turning a corner, the pair finally came in sight of the right door. "Here we go -- remember the festive cheer, now!"

People were still streaming in; it was a bit of a challenge to wind their way through the crowd, but after a few "excuse me"s, "sorry"s, and "pastry coming through"s, they finally got to the door way. Alec turned to see the hostess personally greeting people as they came through. "Miss Blossom, I believe? Happy holidays! Alec Chadwick, here with your order from Fabled Goods bakery. Should we wheel these into the kitchen, or did you want the trays set up somewhere?"

[Siuwa]

Winter holiday! ...Yeah it would be much nicer if his teammates are present. Catalina Glenn kinda wanted to wear another of his T-shirt, the one in purple and black, with a round shield that also have an hourglass on it. But fine, trying to conform to the rules lest he either is denied entry or makes a scene. He makes it back to Liliana after getting a can of cola(it's always cola) noting Calen on the way, attempting to subtly use his semblance to make more room as he walked.

"Miss Liliana? I'm Catalina, we've met before. Just dropping in to say good job organizing this. Well done."
Winter holiday! Happy times! ...Even happier times for Sheer Gold if he can make some friends! So maybe he'll make some now? But where to start... Man, if only there's someone to start introducing people to each other...

[Walter]

♪Iiit's the most wonderful tiiiime ooooof the yeeeaaaar♪

Razzy loved a great many things. He loved his friends and family, he loved cute animals and pictures of said animals. He loved a nice cake and he loved to sing. He loved to dream and to play. But there were few things in this world that Razzmatazz Gele loved more than the holidays.

What he, quite possible, liked the most about the holidays was how people would all get together to have fun and celebrate, giving each other gifts and sharing the love. To him, it was a magical time full of miracles. He still had a child-like naivety about the world, you could say, and nothing could bring him down.

And so, he had arrived, dressed in the usual casual outfit which he had brought to most events like these, despite suggestions from his peers to 'maybe get a suit or something', but with one important addition: a santa hat with a large, fluffy ball hanging from it, almost as big as a fist. He was looking festive as heck tonight.

The boy skipped into the room after giving the greeter a big, happy hug, then stopped on the balls of his feet, taking in the decorations, amount of people and food around. As was the usual case, he made a beeline for the food, hugging people and wishing happy holidays to everyone he passed by. The boy was like an excited little ball of happiness and color, even among the festivities.


The only good thing about events like these was that you could always tell who around you was even worth your time. The pink-haired nuisance who hadn't even bothered to wear a suit, for example, would have nothing to do with Reginald tonight.

Reggie had come, of course, because no party would be complete without the most prestigious cunt sneeze at Beacon being present. Yes, he was there, with his purple suit and stupid fucking wig. He looked like a total tool from a distance, and it wasn't much better up close; his posture and facial expression as he scanned the room showed disgust and judgement. Sure, he had come to the party, but that didn't mean he understood it.

This entire 'present' thing always seemed preposterous to him. Did these poor peasants really need a separate holiday just for other people to buy them things? Truly, he pitied them. And so, he stood to the side, having almost entirely ignored the person greeting him, and hoped that he could find someone who he could see as an equal. The chances remained slim.


Ever since Anza had been a little girl, formal events like these had been her bread and butter. Yes, going out, jumping across rooftops and fighting grimm was all great fun, but events like these could be just as exciting. The people attending them were like a single living organism, intermingling and chatting, discussing important and trivial matters alike, seeking companionship or distancing themselves, all of it creating an atmospehere which made one think that just about anything could happen. Anza absolutely adored it.

There was one key difference from the usual formal events she had gone to with her parents, though. This time around, the crowd mostly consisted of people her age. Many of them being cute boys. A coy smile made its way onto the girl's face. She had gone out of her way to look her best tonight, after all. The girl had gone for a long, shiny, nyanza-colored dress with her usual burgundy gloves on her arms. She wore a pair of deep red heels, currently obscured by her dress, and had opted to put on a silver necklace and a pair of ruby earrings, both recent gifts from her mother. And yet, she hadn't put on any makeup aside from burgundy lipstick, and her hair still had several stray locks going in diffrent directions. She never liked makeup, and, as a result, was usually ignored as just that plain, polite girl at events like these. Before, it had allowed her to eavesdrop on the craziest conversations, but today would be different.

Today, she would socialize! But, with who?

[ArosFarron]

Lily smiled at Alec. "Thank you Mr. Chadwick for this with such short notice. You usually have what, 3-4 months before an event? And for the food, just set it over next to the ice sculpture of the Ursa. I'll set it where it needs to go. After all this party is for all Beacon students and teachers, both former and current." She gave him a warm smile and shook his hand. She wished him the best before turning to Catalina. Her happy demeanor quickly faded to embarrassment. "Welcome Catalina. I am sorry for how our battle turned out in the Festival. I would love to fight you again in a much more casual format. Congrats on making as far as you did. Please enjoy" She looked away before wishing him the best.

<--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Blair arrived shortly after everyone else had. She had some trouble trying to find a decent outfit to wear to the party as she had not really thought of parties here. She luckily had some help from others who took her into town the day before and found an elegant sky blue gown that matched her hair and a small daisy hair band. Her hair was tied up in a way that extenuated her face. While not usually dressed like this, as she walked in, she had eyes all over her. She blushed before finding a table and sitting down.

{===========================================================================}

Merletta arrived just before Alec did and sulked in the back of the room. While festivities were not her usual idea, this one was different. She had returned to Vale to visit the grave of her wife. She had eventually decided to pay a visit to Beacon and had found out about the formal. She managed to get her dress in time and arrived. She still was not going to mingle, just being there was enough to ease her mind from thoughts of the past.

[Riven]

"My pleasure -- and thank you! We'll both stick around for the festivities!" Chadwick gently elbowed Rory on the word 'both', indicating that staying and socializing wasn't optional (if he wanted a ride back home, at any rate). Taking the hint -- and not wanting to be unreasonable just because the holiday put him in a gloomy frame of mind -- the shield fighter mustered a smile and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for the invitation."

Letting Lily attend to the rest of the line, the two of them rolled the carts over to where she'd indicated and deftly undid the bows and wrapping paper that were (somewhat hastily) secured over the goodies. Soft bakery scents began to mingle with the other festive aromas in the room, sure to draw a few curious or hungry people's interest. Clapping Rory on the shoulder encouragingly, Chadwick nodded over towards the refreshment table. "C'mon, let's grab some punch. Then you can hear this old man spin a few yarns about what student parties were like back in my day!"

"Oh joy. I'm sure I won't regret this conversation one bit..." The blatant sarcasm in Rory's voice was only half-faked.




The winter holidays were always something of an... odd season for Dr. Budonoki. With the song of nature ever the background music of his life the chill, dark days at the years' endings and beginnings were a curious time. Contrary to what many thought, the verdant world didn't so much "die back" during winter as it did "fall asleep"; even in that slumber, however, it murmured and stirred in drowsy fits, as though whispering dreams into the crisp wintry air. And, of course, there were the evergreens -- those that stood watch over the slumbering earth, their bright and clear psalm of resolve lending notes of strength and surety to the chorus ringing through the old Faunus' heart.

And, of course, there were other songs, too. It was those that drew him now as he approached the crowded line eager to get into the Holiday Formal. He could hear them as he approached the door, the old familiar carols mingling with the murmur of voices in a way that brought him back to when he'd been a much younger man. This was, after all, not only his first Beacon holiday party in several decades, but his first as a staff member -- there were sure to be memories, new and old alike, throughout the evening. Dressed in a fine holly-green shenyi-style robe trimmed with white accents and wearing a conical rice-weave hat with a thin wreathe of fake greens and bright red berries sewn in to the outer edge, the old doctor looked every bit like a Mistrali holiday tale brought to life, complete with silver bells jingling lightly from atop his gnarled wooden staff and a mysterious sack slung across his back. More than a few people turned to stare as he joined the line to get in, much to his amusement.

"A happy and healthy holiday to you, miss Blossom!" Budonoki greeted his fellow cat-Faunus, absolutely jolly as he glanced in at the festivities. "Why, the celebration looks marvelous! Well done! It warms this old man's heart to see what you've put together here tonight."

[Dakir]

Azzar walked towards the venue, her footsteps alternating between the soft click of a high heeled shoe and a more metallic clang of her artificial leg, which she had modified to at least give the impression of a high heeled shoe. Why did he want to meet here? I can't stand these things. She wondered as she walked through the doors. he wore a sleeved, shimmering silver dress and long elbow-high gloves, so that just the elbow joint of her gunmetal grey right arm was visible. She had done her hair in such a way that it fell, quite perfectly, she thought, over the eye-patch that covered her right eye, as well as most of the rest of the scarred half of her face. I really should just tell him to screw, I've done my time. 
 
She nodded to the greeter, walking straight for the punch bowl and getting herself a cup. She tasted it, found it far too sweet for her taste, and decided to opt for water instead. She threw the cup out and got herself a glass of water, moving over to the side of the room, over by Abigail, coincidentally, and found herself a seat. She pulled her purse up onto her lap, removing a small flask and taking a sip from it, the bite of the whiskey warming her stomach. She followed it up with a sip of water, and sighed, settling down to wait for her contact.

[GingerAvalanche]

Lilla had been standing outside the ballroom for quite some time, idly twirling her lock of red hair between her fingers, slightly swaying back and forth as if about to leave one moment, then about to enter the next. She wore her lilac dress self-consciously, as if she believed all the other students were staring at her as they walked in. She stood there as the severely-underdressed but very excited boy in the Santa hat had run by, she had almost been run over by the baker and his assistant as they quickly passed with the foodstuffs.

She furrowed her brow and let go of her hair. "This is silly," she thought. "It's cold. Everyone's already seen me. Just... just do it." Stiffening her shoulders, she stepped toward the door and around the food carts as the gentlemen talked with the girl at the door. She offered a small bow and wave as she passed, not wanting to interrupt, but also not wanting to be rude, and moved into the ballroom behind another group of students. "My legs are cold," she thought, wishing she had worn a dress longer than just to her knees. But there was nothing for it, now that she had passed the door.

She was at the refreshments table, pouring herself a glass of punch, when she overheard the boisterous man from the door suggest to his young companion that they also get some punch. Before she realized it, she had already set her glass down and had grabbed two others and begun to fill them.

[Kingnoname1]

Choosing the safe path of walking around the room using the wall to stabilise himself Calen slowly but surely made him way to his goal, one of the kegs of mulled wine he had prepared earlier. Managing to make his way without making too much scene he found himself in front of a new face, well new back of the face anyway. Blond, little bit shorter than himself and clearly not the most comfortable given how she was shifting and fidgeting. 'Might want to try something warmer dear. Always makes these things a lot easier.' Calen remarked playfully to Lilla as he pointed at the mulled wine. The socially awkward were always so fun to play with and he knew from past experience that it was always worth trying to slip under the shell.

'Shrike, Calen Shrike. I haven't seen you around much. How are you finding the party.' Calen asked pouring a second glass for Lilla. He put on a comforting smile and tried to put the nervous girl at ease. Using the hopefully growing conversation as a excuse to look behind Lilla and examine the quickly filling room. There where a lot of faces he recognised, a few he didn't, mentally noting the latter Calen then gave a simple nod to the former. Social interaction and drinking both seemed to be doing a good job of keeping Calen's mind on the present, magnifying his alcohol infused good mood.

[GingerAvalanche]

"You forget how cold it can get when you're always wearing pants and a jacket," Lilla replies out of hand, putting down the punch ladle and handing two glasses of punch to two passing students, nodding in reply to their thanks. She suddenly notices that those students weren't the boisterous man and his assistant, so she quickly gulps down the drink Calen offered and goes back to pouring another pair of glasses. A shiver passes through her body as it processes the drink, but she ignores it.

"Lilla Bleidd," she says, then steals a glance at Calen out of her peripheral. Her eyes widen slightly as she realizes she's talking candidly with another student. "It, uh... it's nice. Here. In here, I mean. It's warmer than outside." She trails off at the end. Yes, because ambient temperature is what decides the quality of a party, Lilla silently chides herself.

[Riven]

They'd only just begun making their way towards the refreshments when a familiar face showed up at the table -- even in a room full of formal wear Calen managed to stand out just a little bit extra, though at the moment that may have been down to his height more-so than attire. He began talking to a girl who was almost as pale and tall as he was; Rory didn't know the speed-Semblanced first year all that well, but based on looks it wasn't hard to imagine the two might be related. The conversation that played out, however, suggested this was their first encounter.

"Hey, Calen! Happy holidays." It was good to see a familiar face -- it would make getting through the evening a bit easier. Momentarily forgetting his boss was right beside him, Rory made his way over to join Calen at the table. "Haven't seen you much since that crazy mission protecting Cami Unis. How've you been?" He turned to offer a friendly smile and handshake to Lilla. "Rory Vogel, Team VCVS. Not sure we've met."

Suddenly, the shield-fighter's nose picked up a faint hint of alcohol. It didn't take too long to tell where it was coming from, at least not when he noticed that Calen seemed just a little bit... unsteady. Eyebrow raised and voice dropping to a whisper, Rory leaned towards Calen slightly. "Are you... drunk?"

Chuckling with amusement, Mr. Chadwick suddenly stepped into the mix. "Cut the guy a break Rory -- it's the holidays! Besides, sneaking in a little something special to the holiday formal is practically a Beacon tradition!" The baker gave Calen an approving smile and a nod.

It took a moment for Rory to fully process what his boss was implying. "... You didn't."

"You bet I did." From the folds of his coat Chadwick produced a bottle of Scotch, the gold-amber liquid catching the light just so. Careful not to let it be too visible, he turned to Calen with a grin that was halfway between festive and wicked. "Calen, was it? You seem a smart sort. I bet you know which drinks here could benefit from a touch of liquid gold, am I right?"

[ArosFarron]

Blair eventually got up and noticed Abigail sitting alone with a frown. She walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hi. What is wrong? You look a bit upset. I know we don't know each other but mind if I ask why?" She gave a soft smile before sitting down next to the girl.

Merletta watched as both Chadwick and Budonoki walk in. She gave a small signal to Budonoki before walking over to Chadwick. He had just pulled out the Scotch when Merletta walked over. She raised a hand and smacked the bottled away from him, hearing it hit the ground and shatter into bits. The stench of the liquor was strong enough the cause heads to turn. "Alec Chadwick, what the hell are you thinking? Bringing Scotch to an event like this. At least learn from your past you idiot." She scolded him before pulling out a cigarette from her clutch and lighting it. "At least show a bit of decency. Now if you will excuse me, I need to ask the doctor something." She walked off, giving a couple puffs to her cancer stick. She subtly pulled Budonoki away from Lily and into a more quiet spot of the room. "Dr. Sophos, I did not see you at Samantha's funeral. Was it too much for you to take a bit of time away from what ever the hell you do? But enough of that. I've been tinkering with an idea in my head. With all the advances in science and tech, could one, theoretically, reanimate a person using enough tech. Just hypothetically thinking." She seemed a bit to focused on the topic.

Eventually, Lily found a way to sneak off from the greetings to get ready on stage. Underneath her dress was a performance outfit. She cleared her throat and turned on the mic. The ambient music shut off and she walked onto the stage. "Thank you all for coming tonight. This celebration is not just for current and former Beacon students, but our friends from all the kingdoms. We are all one family and we should be together for the holidays. I hope you can all love your fellow man. Please continue with your conversations, I'll be back to speak again in a couple moments. Thank you." She smiled then shut off her mic, causing the music to begin again.

[Kingnoname1]

Calen frowned at the mention of the temperature and how it was bothering Lilla. At least 40% a gentleman Calen went to remove his own jacket and place it around Lilla's shoulders. The piece of clothing seemed to sit rather well her given both of them had rather emaciated forms. Quickly noticing Lilla's hesitation upon seeing him Calen manoeuvred himself to be side on to the timid girl, banking on her confidence returning the more they talked. 'Not used to the cold I take it? I must confess I rather enjoy it, much more than the heat anyway. So are you from Vale? You don't have an accent but then again you don't seem that used to the climate.' Calen continued in a soft tone, it wouldn't be the first time he had drawn someone out of their shell but it was the first time while drunk so it might not be as effective.

Looking up at the sound of his name Calen saw Rory making his way over accompanied by a much older and much larger man. 'Tidings of joy be upon you and yours Master Rory and I've been well, busy but well.' Calen responded thinking back to the intervening weeks, a lot had happened. Teddy had join ASTC and he had gotten into a fight with almost everyone on his team and then there was the mission with Malina which Calen still didn't know what to make of, particularly the prophecy. Calen banished those thoughts with another large gulp of mulled wine and turned to introduce his newly met companion. 'Please let me introduce Miss Lilla Bleidd.' Calen continued bowing in deference which wasn't 100% a joke.

Calen laughed at Rory's accusation of how intoxicated he was. 'I believe during the holidays it has a more sympathetic term... Embracing the Spirits perhaps? Or maybe Running Full Sails into the New Year.' Calen responded loudly with expressive hand gestures dispelling any of Rory's attempts at subtly. Turning to Alec Chadwick as he started to defend Calen the gaunt boy responded. 'That would make you Mr Chadwick, Rory mentioned you a few times and I've seen you around the bakery. And yes I do have something that could use a little bit....' Calen began reaching for the newly revealed bottle only to see it smashed to the ground by a passing woman. Letting out a defeated moan as the woman had a few words with Alec before storming off as quickly as entered.

As she let Calen brightened slightly. 'It's OK Mr Chadwick luckily for all of us I was the one preparing the drinks before. They should be strong enough to ensure a fun evening, even if most of us won't remember it.' Calen remarked happily taking a smaller sip of the mulled wine warming his hands. 'So have you two came up with any new recipes over the holidays? I imagine the colder months are quite the boom time for bakeries if people are wiling to brave the cold I suppose. Myself I haven't been able to cook much lately, between missions, recovery and performances I seem to have lost any semblance of free time.' Calen continued pouring glasses of mulled wine for both Alec and Rory.