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Rubbing her hands together Beth walked down the street, wearing a huge bright blue coat and matching lighter blue gloves. The coats length was down to her knees- due to Beth never wearing pants she only owned long jackets for the winter. Rushing over towards the growing mass of people, she scooted next to Rea and Ume and chimed in giving a smile to both."

"Silver bells silver bells you hear those silver bells"

The caroling grew more enthusiastic as more girls joined the group. Ari recognised some of them from Crystal Academy, but most she couldn't place at all. And that was fine, because Christmas was a time for coming together. If you couldn't sing in the company on complete strangers on Christmas, then when could you?

Throwing her head back, Ari let herself get a little carried away by the festive season. "It's Christmas tiiiiime in the city!"

Khalla's smile only brightened as more and more girls began to join them, her heart swelling at the sight. This was who she was, it was a part of her nature, and to see others responding to it was simply beautiful. Christmas was the one time of the year that she truly felt like other people came into the spirit that she had year-round. It was a time of year that she didn't feel quite so alone in her good will.

Thus, she simply sand aloud, her mediocre voice her last care in the world. Caroling wasn't about beauty, it was about the heart behind the words. She squeezed the arm of the girl next to her, flashing a small smile, then reached out to take a small bag of seed as Ume offered it. Her free hand tossed a bit out, birds flocking to the scene to peck near their feet, and sang out with the rest of their ragtag choir. "Soon it will be Christmas day!"

It had been nice to situate herself back in the Jazz Club, Janice thought. This evening's rehearsal had gone very nicely; their violinist was really starting to open up some and tap into her potential, and as always the bass and piano had unsurpassable chemistry. When they had to pack up and leave for the night it had felt like far too soon after how many weeks she'd gone without them -- needless to say, as she walked down the street with her clarinet in tow, she still felt in a musical mood.

So when her path took her to a group of unfamiliar schoolgirls, all merrily caroling...

Well, why the hell not.

She made a beeline towards the group, a series of clicking noises in her wake as she fished out her instrument, assembled it situating it in her hands. By the time Alba had started in with her contribution, the homely girl was within earshot -- and played the cheerful next line with syncopated charisma.

Carolers sung. Sleigh bells rung. And Corinna Grant was listening.

She couldn't help but listen: the -- sweet -- sounds of Silver Bells were overpowering the voice on the other end of her cell phone. Eventually, with an irritated grimace, she snapped, "I'll have to call you back -- ," and flipped the phone closed without waiting for an answer. She shoved it down into a side pocket of her purse.

Corinna strode over to the line of carollers, looking petite and lordly with a red wool beret pulled over her ears and some of her vibrant indigo hair. She looked at each of them in turn, then closed her eyes to listen once more, a cup of Shufflepucks coffee clutched between her mittens. When she opened her eyes again, it was to say:

"You -- " she pointed " -- and you. You're both flat. You," the second girl she'd pointed at, "also have the vibrato of a yellow-breasted warbler. This is not Snow White. And whoever you are, " pointing at a third girl, "you're not a soprano. You'll wreck your vocal chords."

She took a sip of her coffee, as though nothing at all was wrong with interrupting them, and then went on.

"And when you stand in a straight line like that, that's why none of you on the ends can keep tempo with the people in the middle. If you stand in a horseshoe you can hear each other." Corinna gestured with her hands to indicate 'horseshoe,' as though they might not have known what that meant.

"Heeeeeeeere to stay, is the new bird!"

Veronica Harvey laughed, her own voice clearly (and terribly) out of tune as she sauntered her way onto the scene after her high maintenance best friend. Donning her own turquoise gloves and jacket set, the older girl gently moved to nudge arms with the ever beautiful, ever prim Corinna Grant, giving the girl a playful look.

"Come on, Cora, these gals don't know what you're talking about."

Green eyes wandered to stare at the singing crowd, Christmas cheer clearly evident on their faces, though a few looked rather crestfallen at the reprimanding they'd just received. Her own Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate rose, and she gave a thoughtful look as she took a sip.

"Or...did you want to join in? I mean, you could always show them how it's done?"

Corinna linked arms with Veronica, huddling in close to share her body warmth. "Join in?" she echoed, giving the blonde girl a stiff, discomfited look. "On Winter Wonderland?!"

She took the book the dark-haired, pitchy girl had offered her, and began thumbing through it (awkwardly, given the mittens she had on and the coffee in her hand). "This would be better. The Cherry Tree Carol. Or maybe The Holly and the Ivy. Not some pap that Elvis Presley's covered." She looked around at the line of singers in front of her, as though to say, and they're not even Elvis Presley.

Still singing in tune with everyone else- Beth nodded at Rea happily- and squished herself between the two. Luckily all the songs beind sung she actually KNEW. It was tradition in her household to sing carols. Even it was just her mom and her singing to the family cat...

Beth, not being the best singer in the world and knowing it, didnt let the claim of being 'flat' bother her. Yeah she sucked, yes she knew it, she jsut really couldnt find herself to care when it meant having fun with her friends.

"Innnn the meadow we can build a snow man~."

Deciding to be sneaky about it- she pushed her arms under theirs and locked them with Ume and Rea on either side.

"And pretend that he is Parson Brown!"

Beth turned a head to eye the two newcomers- they were thinking about starting a new song...frosty the snow man? beth knew that song of course too- but... she'd rather stay with Ume and Rea- and this was what they were singing. She would help sing the song with the other two- once the current one was finished.