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Caelum Dawson || Happy faec @ Jack

Caelum quirked a brow. Terror and chaos? Beauty? What kind of poetic waxing was this? But the thoughts seemed to slip his mind when Jack made an offer that was too good to pass up.

"Oh, hell yeah," the boy said, almost shouted. "God, anything to make this more fun."

He rubbed his hands together like a smarmy Bond villain and glanced left and right. "But how? There's people, like, everywhere. I'd rather not get led out of this place in handcuffs. Or a body bag. Wouldn't be much of a happy holidays, man."

Kitomyx

Caelum Dawson || let's do the thing

Caelum gave a little grunt and averted his eyes, too ashamed to admit it was because his dad was going to kick his a** if he didn't give him some space. Oh well, his dad was going to kick his a** anyway if he found out he was a perpetrator in this little flower flop.

Jack's reassurance was met with a brightened facade, but the teen couldn't help the small flick of fear inside. He was more inclined to help someone out, not hinder them. Still, there was something positively fun in causing a bit of mischief. He was the hero as Sailor Cadmus, not regular ole Caelum Dawson.

He nodded his head twice and returned his companion's grin, gearing to go at any second. "Yea, simple enough," he said. "Just make sure you knock the entire thing down. And the name's Caelum. Or Cae. Doesn't matter what you call me."

Kitomyx

Clay Mercer

'Open buffet' meant a lot to Clay, and for that reason alone he justified showing up to the Botanical Garden. Five dollars for all-you-can-eat in a fancy setting with plants and s**t sounded like every reason to skip meals and gorge himself at the evening hour. Sure, the fake snow and the decorations looked cool or whatever, but he wanted the food. Let the geeks talk about the plants.

Before bathering to gauge attendance, Clay made a beeline for the food offered and filled a paper plate with fall- and winter-themed goods. Mashed potatoes, ham slices, candied chestnuts and more littered his plate for the promise of stretching his five dollars' worth as far as he could. Within seconds, Clay did away with the ham. Perhaps the fiscal leanness of the holiday season left him a little too strapped for diet variety, because the ham itself tasted exquisite after a solid month of eating nothing but squab. The mashed potatoes, likely yukon golds by the taste, complemented their gravy helpings marvelously (and Clay was a sucker for gravy - he even tried to make pigeon gravy once). The candied chestnuts rattled around patiently as he loaded up his plate a second time, and finally left the buffet area to see what the attraction was tonight.

And, surprisingly, it was a plant. Clay didn't know what they were called, he didn't actually care, but the fact that the plant was glowing left him stranded between impressed and disturbed. "What the ********," he cursed aloud around his food. "Why is it glowing." Maybe it said in the brochure, or on the signs or whatever, but he wasn't asking for an answer.

He was asking why the rest of the DC populace here didn't seem disturbed by it.

Some kid was creeping around the crowd and made his way toward him, so Clay took the opportunity to flag the blonde down and see what he knew. "Yo, Slinky," he nicknamed on the fly, "you know anything about why that thing's glowing? Tell me they taped lights to the leaves or something, because that s**t ain't right. Plants don't glow." Unless… Maybe they were Death Plants from Outer Space.

Yes. Despite his late night television bingeing, this answer sounded right.

Delilah White
The event had been something her parents had been invited too. Two tickets sent over to have them there in hopes of a larger donation later. Of course due to 'prior' engagements, Delilah had ended up with them.

That was when she hatched her little 'scheme'.

Things had been rocking for her friend since Halloween with the boy and this was just the thing, she hoped, to try and fix that. But, that meant part of her plan had remained secret.

"Come on Mercy. I'm starving." Delilah chuckled, leading the way towards the center of the gardens. It felt like winter and she was bundled up in the white cloak with faux fur she used when patrolling. It was too cute not to pass up.

She was also keeping an eye out for someone else. Would he be on time?

Julian Laurence + Adrien Davids


Somewhere in the back of the room, a young man with pale blond hair stood looking relatively uncomfortable with the goings on around him.


A short distance away, Adrien was trying to find out where the wine was, because nothing said a good party like a good glass of wine.

Mercy Haynes
Mercy both loved and hated winter. Winter was awesome because it meant that there was going to be a break in school. It meant Christmas was right around the corner, and Mercy had never, not had a good Christmas. Though, this year her expectations and excitement were a bit more tempered. Her parents had initially been worried when she hadn't seemed so... Excited about the oncoming festivities and family parties and events. This worry had seemed to have dissipated when it appeared that there was nothing seriously wrong with Mercy health wise - and that her lack of excitement seemed to be old fashion maturation.

Her mother's amusement that part of that lack of excitement seemed to be because she was pining over a BOY had rankled her somewhat - but she'd take her mother's amusement over her father's sudden overly protective watchfulness. It had been Annabelle pointing out that Mercy had been invited by Delilah that had gotten Samuel to stop insisting that maybe they needed a Father/Daughter day... on the same day... at the same place... at the same time.

Not that Mercy wouldn't have liked that - on any OTHER day. Her father's constant, overbearing worry was beginning to annoy her. More than her mother's seeming... aloofness. No, it wasn't that Annabelle was aloof with her daughter, it was more that - she'd been so busy writing the Mercy she wanted to see in her books that when it came to dealing with the real with she was sure she paled in comparison and that threw her mother for a loop. After all - she wasn't the Magical Princess Mercy of Aernorth, Friend of Unicorns and Bearer of the Brightstar Pendant. She never would be. That Mercy was an effervescent creature who solved her problems through love, caring, and friendship.

Oh, and having the most powerful Witch in the Kingdom as a best-friend probably didn't hurt. Then of course there was the Dragon and Dragonslayer that also traveled with her and...

The point was Mercy would never be the daughter Annabelle thought she was. Wanted her to be. That put a strain on their already... stressed... relationship. Sure, Mercy had talked to her mother about her feelings - and it'd worked for a time, but around the third novel things had taken a dive again and at this point Mercy just couldn't be bothered anymore. Her mother had made her choice - to live in the fantasy land that Mercy truly was the inspiration for her books - and Mercy wasn't petty enough to point out that it really wasn't the case anymore.

Which was why today was SO important. She had to get away from her family for a bit. Johnathan and his Fiance were... insufferable... making kissy faces at each other and just overall being... gross. Her parents were likewise irritating because they expected her to put up with it. The only member of her family she would have happily hung out with for any length of time was Nathaniel. They had grown closer thanks to Nick and his suggestions in games and what not. They had both started to talk a lot more about games and comics and Mercy was coming to understand that her brother was a very creative individual and she had done everything in her power to encourage that. She'd even come to find that her nine year old brother was an amazing artist, and she had encouraged that even more.

But sadly, Nathaniel was spending more and more time with his friends that mercy didn't see him much lately. Granted, she wasn't about to be the overbearing older sister and force herself into his business. The boy needed his space and she was willing to give it.

This left her with dealing with her own issues alone. And after her confession to Delilah about how poorly things had been going as of late - barring a few family things, because, really, it wasn't important - she'd felt a bit better.

Which is why she'd jumped at the chance for this outing. She'd bundled up of course, sturdy, warm fur trimmed boots overly equally warm leggings. A long, pleated skirt and equally warm sweater. Over the whole thing she'd tossed on her unicorn jacket. Named so for the Unicorn embroidered on the back. She'd found it during one of her thrift store dives and it fit and she wasn't about to even doubt it had been fate.

Her hair she'd done up in a braided bun, and that had been that.

"Food sounds great!" She said to Delilah, before hooking her arm in the older woman's and leaning into her a little.

"Hey... Thanks." She said softly, keeping her eyes on the ground ahead of them as they walked. "I really needed some time away from the crazy at home... You know?"

Well she didn't really know, but the statement had been purely rhetorical and Mercy wasn't really thinking about the implications. She just wanted to enjoy the time she had with the woman who was probably the closest thing to an older sister she'd ever had. That wasn't to say that she didn't care deeply for Sita and the others she'd met thanks to Delilah but...

Well, suffice it to say, there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for Delilah, and that was saying something.

Delilah White
The hooked arm made Delilah smile. There were some things that she missed out on in high school that she made simple things like this even more enjoyable. Your childhood friend being hospitalized in another state made things hard...

When Mercy had finally confessed to her friend what had been on her mind, it was like an elephant had been lifted off both their chests. Hannah's disappearance, and pulling away may have left a small tick for the raven haired woman.

Seeing Mercy smile though now made it all worth it. Now if she could mend another part of this...

"The Holidays are an insane time. And with your mother's book..." Rolling her eyes, the woman sighed. Mercy's mom was becoming more and more of a lost cause. "Look, if you get bored at all or just need to get out, seriously, you are welcome to come by. My parents are insisting I come over more with the potential of just staying at home through the new year...." Head turning, she gazed at the woman with a look of despair.

"You have to save me! I can't do those fancy parties all year again..."

To be honest, she was only half joking as they approached the line. "I wonder what is on the menu? Hope not all vegetarian." That was her excuse as she once more scanned that direction...

Where was he?