[ORP] Tis the Season to be Shopping

[Manda]

Tedan had no idea that there was any kind of organized shopping group. He just knew where the portal was, and that he had a few gifts to buy. Some for friends, some for enemies, some for ... well, he wasn't sure what Julie was, exactly.

But when he stepped through the portal and saw what looked like a full-blown snowball fight going on, he wasted absolutely no time in joining in the fun. He ducked and dodged a few snowballs flying around, trying to sneak over to somewhere more out of sight. Once he thought he'd found a likely place, the Sun Hunter started making a pile of snowballs.

Then he started throwing them. At anyone and anything moving.  

[Bilious]

Jerry was ready to TAKE ON THE WORLD.

Unfortunately the world took him on first.

 

[Nio Love]

HE SHOOTS. HE SCORES.



Robert leapt from his fort and did a dance of victory right there in the snow.

 

[Sosiqui]

SNOWBALLS

EVERYWHERE

Madison took shelter behind a car, only to get pegged by several snowy projectiles at once. WHAT WAS EVEN HAPPENING?? What happened to manicures and Starbucks and facials and and and and-

8|

"SANTA IS GOING TO BRING YOU ALL COAL."

>|!  

[Bilious]

"I DON'T GET SANTA! I GET! I DON'T KNOW! THE HANUKKAH PIXIE OR SOMETHING AHAHAHA!" Jerry shouted from the dirty snow-pile as though it was the most sparkling, majestic field of snow he had ever seen and just wanted to lay and make snow-angels and omg there was even an elf, what was happening-

You. Really are. A nutcase. Roar was in the spirit as well, clearly.

Fumbling to his feet, soaking wet and somewhat dirty and shivering but grinning all the same, he glanced at his friends who had stopped their fight for now before another ball knocked him off his feet once again from the back of his head.  

[Sosiqui]

Madison pointed at Jerry.

"JEWISH SANTA WILL BRING YOU COAL, THEN. C'monnnn, guys! Manicureeees!" She wiggled her fingers at them, apparently expecting that the delight of manicures transcended all barriers. "We can get candy cane nails!!"  

[Nio Love]

Robert snuck up to Madison, very carefully, on his tiptoes..

And then..

He smiled.

 

[prolixity]

I'm COLD, Ferros whined. Why are you in the snow? You're all wet and cold. I don't like it.

"Oh, fine, fine," Jordan laughed, and picked himself up, glancing around. "I don't want coal anyway. Last one inside's a rotten egg!" And he promptly took off towards the mall doors.  

[Sosiqui]

ROBERT

WAS

SMILING.

Clearly that meant he was down with manicures! Madison beamed and grabbed his arm. "C'mon, Candace! Last one to the salon's a rotten e~egg!!" And then she, too, powered towards the mall doors, attempting to tow Robert behind her.

Nio Love

Eight

 

[Bilious]

"Ahaha-" Jerry wobbled back to his feet again, his smile faltering a bit as the Joy in his system ebbed for a moment. Something in the back of his head shouted Look out! as yet another mysterious snowball smacked into his head and dribbled down his coat, sending him staggering, "W-w-wait for me! Ahaha..." He glanced over his shoulder frantically, but spared no time trying to slip his way out of the trajectory of the surprise attacker. Had someone followed? Maybe Ennea? She'd have to catch them first.  

[Nio Love]

Salon?

Waitaminute.

Robert, the big, burly, snow covered elf, was dragged stumbling and confused off to a salon, which was probably the worst idea ever.

.. or maybe dressing up like an elf had been - who was he kidding. That had been THE BEST IDEA EVER.

"ROTTEN EEEEEEGGS" He screamed, no longer needing to be dragged as he bolted off head first to the mall, full speed ahead.  

[Eight]

Jerry got slammed with snowballs and Candace just fell into the snow laughing, squeaking as another snowball hit her from a direction that wasn't Jordan, Jerry or Robert. Madis--oh. Tedan. She was still grinning as she raised an arm to wave at him until she was forced to quickly drop it and protect herself from being hit again. Even as Madison finally cried out they were going to get coal and laughed and managed to stand up. Atropos was sighing at her behavior but she didn't care. Haha! Jewish Santa!

...Candy cane nails! Candace gasped. "I'd love that, Madison!" She was content again until Jordan let out the most childish yet challenge-inducing words in the English language: Last one inside's a rotten egg.

Oh hell no.

"No way!" Candace cried out, turning on her heel and running after everyone into the mall. Seven months since she'd been in a mall, huh? Was that really all?

She did stop when she was inside to pause and give Jerry a sweet kiss when she found him, brushing snow out of his hair with a warm smile. "Let's meet up later, okay? You have fun with the guys while I go get your present and a manicure with Madison. Text me, okay?" Giving him one more kiss she waved and hurried off to go find the salon she and Madison were going to girl it up at. "Wait for me, Madison!"

Manda

Bilious

Sosiqui

 

[Sosiqui]

Not all malls had salons. Fortunately, this one did, and it did nails and hair and facials. "I WANT. EVERYTHING." Madison proclaimed as she entered, flashing the bemused receptionist a thumbs-up. "Look at these poor nails! Just look at them! They've been so abused, what with the monsters and the picking up dead bodies and-"

Madison!!

Madison realized that the clerk was backing away. "Ahahaha... kidding, of course I'm kidding, Halloween was... weeks ago! That joke's so old. Um. Anyway... something festive? Candy cane nails? You do them, right?"

And, within a few moments, Madison was comfortably installed in a salon chair, as one woman buffed her nails while another shampooed her hair.

HEAVEN.

Eight

Nio Love

 

[Eight]

Madison wasn't the only one ecstatic about the salon that did everything under the sun. This was going to be amazing! Her hair and nails could seriously use some TLC. She was looking down at her poor nails when Madison started to say a little too much. Candace gasped and gave Madison a sharp look until she saved it. Good, good.

"Yes, Maddie. It's December now. Have you really lost track of time that much?" Candace laughed and pat her on the shoulder. "I want the same thing as her, please." Oooh it'd been far too long since Candace had been pampered! She was so excited for this!

Candace was out into a seat beside Madison and she practically melted with happiness. Her nails might not last long but she was damn well going to make them last as long as possible. The woman working on her nails made a comment to one of her coworkers about the state of Candace's poor, mistreated fingernails to which Candace sighed.

"Why couldn't we do this sooner, Maddie? I missed this kind of thing."  

[Sosiqui]

"Because they wouldn't let us... until the light of Christmas entered their hearts." Madison closed her eyes in sheer bliss. "God bless us, every one. Or whatever."

'Light of Christmas'?

Kouki sounded frustrated. How... how very un-festive of him. "Hey, maybe we can find something for our weapons, too," she said, idly, as the manicurist pressed on the acrylic nails. They were red and white striped, the pattern small and surprisingly delicate. "Sharpen their blades, maybe?"

The attending women exchanged glances again.

Eight

Nio Love