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Mokoyis put out her hand for Angel to smell before reaching out to pet her silky fur. "Pretty rabbit" ((I'm to lazy to go look up the Blackfoot tonight)). She listened quietly to the exchange between the three people, not strangers now that she knew all their names. She tried Eponine's name silently in her mind before repeating it aloud, "It is good to meet you Eponine. I have never been to France." She decided the girl was much like a rabbit, always wary for predators, always ready for flight.

The other girl was like a prairie chicken, always talking and strutting around. She smiled as she rose, "Christmas is not much fun I think, but perhaps them priest messed it up. What's a proper Christmas?"

Angel hopped a few more paces closer and tilted jer head up to sniff the proferred hand. There was the smell of light sweat and curiousity, but no outward malice. She settled down on her padded feet to be pet, wiggling her pink nose.

"THEY TAKE OUT ALL THE GOOD INSIDES AND THINK AH DON'T NOTICE!" Estrelas bellowed, thankfully concentrating the shovel on the ground rather than in the air or on hapless limbs. "THEY TAKE OUT EVERYTHING! KIDNEY AND LIVER AND SWEETMEATS AND BRAIN AND EVEN FAT!" Thunk, crack. Thunk, crack. Frozen dirt shattered and half-shriveled radishes flew in every direction. "OH AH DID DRAG MISTA SIAN TO THERE AND GIVE THEM PIECE OF MY MIND! A VERY BIG PIECE!!! TRYING TO CHEAT ME LIKE THAT! SO AH NOT MAKE SAVORY SWEETMEATS LIKE AH MEANT TO DO!"

Eponine watched Mokoyis carefully. She had never seen anyone interact with animals as if they were people... But then again, wasn't Angel quite more human than the majority of people in the old theatre? Eponine decided she rather liked the woman, with her strange clothing and all. But then again, the term 'strange' was rather subjective. Perhaps Mokoyis thought that Eponine's own clothes were the strangest things ever? She giggled a little bit, at ease with Mokoyis's easy familiarity with the large white rabbit, and managed to muster a light stutter when the two other women addressed her.

"Um... Well, I've had these old clothes since my manufac-" With a surge of terror, she realized what she was about to say. Manufacturing date. Manufacturng date. "...Since before I joined up here," she finished lamely, fidgeting with the raggedy sleeves. It had taken her the entire night to pick off the embroidered flowers and Abarasque designs, courtesy of Estrelas and an unlocked door. She kept her eyes narrowed out of security. She knew that the circuitry around her eyes only showed when they were widened far enough, but the nagging suspicion that everyone could see her mechanical insides and drag her back to the Manager was ever on her mind. "Yes, you should go to France, I mean, I'm from France, I should know," she mumbled, keeping her gaze down while answering Mokoyis. "Well, right now it's not exactly safe, you know, with the shooting and the barricades and all the stuff about police officers and who knows...."

Estrelas's eyes came centimeters away from popping out of their sockets. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO LIKE CHRISTMAS?" she spluttered, as if someone had just declared they disliked cute rabbits and chocolate cake. (It wasn't HER fault about the chocolate cake anyways. When someone left out a delicious, delicious cake unsupervised on the table, that normally meant the cake was to be eaten, not saved for Prime Minister of Britain or whoever.) "CHRISTMAS IS THE BEST HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR! MAH WHOLE FAMILY AND VILLAGE AND THEIR FAMILY COME INTO BIG HALL! AND UNCLE JOHAM DRINKS TOO MUCH AND RIDES FATHER PEDRO'S DONKEY INTO THE HALL! AND WE HAVE COD AND CAKE AND PASTIES DU NATEO! AND EVERYTHING! AND MEAT! WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS! AND THE HALLS HAVE SO MANY STREAMERS YOU NOT SEE WALLS! AND FATHER FERDINAND GIVE SERMON WHILE OLD MAN RODRIGO SLEEP OFF THE WINE!" Estrelas did not bother stopping for breath. Stopping for breath was something OTHER people had to do. "AND THEN WHEN TOO MANY PEOPLE START TWITCHING WE PUT OUT THE DANCE FLOOR AND DANCE! DANCE ALL NIGHT! AND YOU KNOW WHAT AH EAT ONCE? CHICKEN! WHOLE CHICKEN AND JUST FOR ME AND ESTICA! A FAT ONE, AND COOKED IN PORK GREASE UNTIL IT WAS SO SLIPPERY THE MEAT SLIDE RIGHT OFF THE BONES!"

Eponine was silent. "Yes, Christmas is nice... I thought it was like relig-"

"Oh, of course, we celebrate the Holy Son Jesus," Estrelas puffed indignantly, "and we.. Do stuff to honor Him and His son.... Lots of things," she declared. Because really, sitting through Father Ferdidnand's sermon while three pints of port and half a chicken while the dessert table was just a few yards away was... Something. "This year Mista Sian say Ah cannot cook a pig in the kitchen. But Ah know what he want. He not gonna say it but Ah think he has craving for sheep!"

Sighing quietly with relief as the shovel resumed its whacking on the soil, rather than the air, she flinched as chunks of dirt and frozen radishes flew around her. Suddenly regretting the lack of a coat as a couple of the chips slashed into her. Making a mental note to herself to take a shower once she got back to her room, she gave a wan smile at the angered woman.

Lokiari didn't really have a clue what to say to ease the woman's fury, and so merely listened to her, nodding her head at what she thought were likely the most crucial points of the tale. A stern look taking her face when Estrelas mentioned the travesty of all the insides being gone, nodding in agreement as if Estrelas had every right to be angry. Every ounce of her body posture said that she listened and agreed whole heartedly, though inside she was just counting the seconds until Estrelas' rant was complete and the plastering of dirt and radishes would cease. It was a habit she'd picked up while listening to boring lectures and briefings, to appear like you were thoroughly interested and your mind fled elsewhere. Taking in the details, but not paying much attention to the excess.

Tilting her head as the quiet woman stuttered a response, she frowned in thought, trying to think of how many words started out as 'manufac'. Attempting to turn her frown into a polite smile, Lokiari wondered at the dullness and emptiness with which the woman spoke. It appeared Eponine was not only introverted, but preferred to keep her secrets to herself. A trait that Lokiari shared, but wore a mask to cover up as best as she could. Nodding, she agreed with Eponine, "I have heard France has lovely architecture, but it would definitely be better viewed without the barricades and riots." Laughing a little, to try to break Eponine out of her shell, she wondered if they'd ever get Estrelas to let Eponine talk - or for Eponine to be a bit more open.

Wincing as Estrelas started back up again, Lokiari's eyebrow slowly arched at the woman's antics. The woman had some odd views about what made a holiday fun, but it wasn't really Lokiari's place to agree nor disagree with her. After all, everyone was fully entitled to their own opinions. No matter how crazy said opinions made them sound.

Grinning mischievously as Estrelas' rant on Christmas finally ended, she gave a little wink, "Personally, I rather prefer Halloween to Christmas, myself!" While it was true, Lokiari was admittedly partially just saying it to bait Estrelas. And for the humor of it all. Though she would rather the decibel level went down, she was entertained with the ramblings of Estrelas.

Frowning a little at the woman, she added, "Perhaps it might be best if you let Eponine finish a sentence every now and then. The girl won't be able to learn to speak for herself if you don't let her do so."

Chuckling at Mokoyis' outburst, Lokiari gave a shrug, "Just about anything could be strange. It depends on how you look at it - and who you're talking to at the time." Her interest in Mokoyis went up a notch at the mention of talking to coyotes. She had read about that, but had never really had the opportunity to sit down and discuss it. Lokiari had an odd curiosity in, well, just about everything that might be considered 'odd', and she made a note to herself to talk to Mokoyis about it later.

Mokoyis looked strangely at Eponine. She was surprised that the girl could talk for that long without being interupt, but it bode well for futire meetings at least. Her descriptions were what caused the odd expression though. It almost seemed recited, but then again one may have to tell the same story to many people here, and if she was from France english was not her first language. That may account for it. "Yes I am from what is now called Canada. I lived on the prairies with my grandparents, if we were hunting buffalo it could be days before we saw trees and the sky went on forever. We had mountains too, but not so big as here."

She giggled again at Estrelas, "Coyote is a funny creature, he and Napi had all sorts of adventures when they made the world together. He likes to play tricks though so you have to be careful of him," she nodded solemnly.

Tilting her head as she listened to Eponine speak, an eyebrow raised in silent shock at Estrelas' ability to keep silent for the duration. Though the description was vague and could have described many places, Lokiari accepted it with a shrug. Eponine was obviously not comfortable around them, so there wasn't too much point yet in pursuing much information out of her. Amused at the hint of a melody that had touched some of the words Eponine spoke, Lokiari filed it away in her mind for later perusal.

Grinning in entertainment as Estrelas started up again, Lokiari chuckled as she barely contained the comment she had been about to say. Shaking her head as she laughed, unable to talk as Estrelas completely missed her point, Lokiari concluded that pointing out that Estrelas' primary subject had been just what she complained coyotes only thought of - food - would be sorely missed by the girl, as well. Laughter finally subsiding, she managed a weak grin, cheeks sore from all the grinning and laughter she'd been doing at the girl's expense.

"Its easier to understand someone, if there's no one shouting over them." Winking to show she was merely joking, she added, "Its best to learn when to hold your tongue - and when to unleash it." The last hadn't entirely been a joke, but had been a lesson that would be well learned by Estrelas. At least, it would be in Lokiari's opinion.

Turning back to Mokoyis, and about to make a comment to her, she quirked an eyebrow as a man approached them and introduced himself. Giving another of her flamboyant bows in his direction, she grinned mischievously, "Lokiari's the name."

The gardens. The Italian woman couldn't remember the last time she'd been here, it was a while ago. Everything seemed far away in the back of her mind, tucked back under something important. She didn't have amnesia, she could remember very well what happened here, and what happened in Ireland, and on her mission... But she couldn't for the life of her remember how long it'd been. That was shaky; time has a way of slipping away when you're alone in your room hiding like a coward, doesn't it? Moira had only left her room after two days of resolving her will. She knew that, eventually, she should probably talk to someone to get over her... not-quite-a-phobia of leaving her room.

She was a social creature, damnit, and she was slacking off because of what? Nothing, that's what. Her resolve was steeled even more, right until she got to the door going out to the garden. And then she sunk into herself a little, and really... really... didn't want to go out there and find out what changed. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped out into the garden.

All of those old feelings the garden had brought to her, that feeling of freedom and lightness and just plain happiness at being out brought a smile to her face, the first one in a long time. It was times like this that made it worth getting out of bed, and Lord, if she'd known that a little while earlier... She walked into the garden more, and that's when she heard a... pretty... familiar voice.

Estrelas.

Moira's smile grew more into a grin, and she went over to see the eccentric and good-spirited girl, a familiar face she hadn't seen in ages. She stopped a good few feet away from the group when she realized that yes, while Estrelas and Eponine were there...

There were new people, too.

Crap.


((OOC: I apologize in advance for Moi's stand-offishness towards the new recruits. >.> <.< she meets no harm.))

Johannes thought it was amusing that a woman gave a bow, especially a bow like Lokiari. "Hello, Ms. Lokiari," said he as he tried to kiss her hand while fending off Angel of his leg.


"I don't doubt Angel's kindness, only her choice of hate." Johannes glared at the rabbit. "We got off to a bad start and apparently will continue being that way."

"Mokiyis?" "Sara?" "So you have two names, then?" asked Johannes as he bent down and bowed, while kissing her hand. Many people in Spain tended to have two names and two last names. Perhaps she's the recruit from Spain, after all?


"Yes, Ms. Alvares, it is cold. Much more than I'm accustomed to." "You're certainly more dressed for it, though," said Johannes, trying even harder to not let out a laugh. He smiled though, for he couldn't help but admire Estrelas' strength with the wheelbarrow and her 'outfit.' He also noticed a shy girl next to Estrelas, and smiled at her. "What is your name?"


Suddenly, there was a new girl coming. Is today a girls' official outing or something?, thought Johannes.

Angel continued snarling and leaping back, only to pounce at the pants again. Her little nails skidded on the ice, making scritchy-scrathy noises as her front end held onto the pants and her back end flew everywhere.

"A very sweet rabbit indeed!" Estrelas declared proudly, diplomatically turning a blind eye to the plight of Johanne's pants. "Oh of course she gets.. Excited once in a while, but no, she ees so glad to see Mista Johannes, ees she no?"

But there was no mistaking the gleam of rabbity rage in Angel's liquid pink eyes.

"Oh, but she... Only so energizingly greet Mista Sian..." Estrelas stopped. "...Mistas Faustus, Rodney, Menenenfer.... Father Asmadai..." She stopped again as she realized she was listing the entire male population of LOTUS. "...And.. A couple of other men. No doubt they glad to see her too, right Mista Johannes?" she chirped, grinning hopefully at the Austian man, but then saw Moira.

"OOH MEEZ MAIRA SO GLAD TO SEE YOU!" she exclaimed, waving hysterically and catching her balance on Eponine. "You here too? You see Christmas decorative Ah put up in hallway?" she asked delightedly. "It take me long time to make Mista Sian out of potatos and carrots you see."

Eponine trembled like a leaf in the wind. She shivered, but more out of anxiety than cold, but nevertheless, she lent Moira a shy smile. "Hi," she offered, smiling in her timid little way. "Um. Well. Hi..." She waved at Johannes too. "Hi." She accidently waved at Lokiari again. "Hi- Umm! Sorry!" Eponine tucked her hand back into her oversized sleeves abashedly, at least before Estrelas threw an arm around her shoulders and waved again. "As Ah say, Christmas decorative not possible without Eponine! She the one that get the carrots for Miss Sian's arms!" the Portuguese woman crowed. Eponine tried to hide behind the sheep-smelling Estrelas, taking advantage of her huge wool-made bulk.

Humans! Everywhere! Popping up like radishes- were they in the middle of a human-patch or something? Her stainless-steel heart beat wildly, sending fight-or-flight signals to her brain, or rather more like hide-or-hi signals. Eponine had certainly lost an amount of paranoia already, but that still left quite a sizable plot left. She was secretly grateful for the distraction Angel provided, although she did feel a bit sorry for Johannes and his pants.