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((Harrison > Anita > Zeke))
((Camille > Booze))

Harrison ducked over to Anita, smile large on his face and easily moves through the crowd despite his limp to bestow a friendly hug, arms arched up over he like a willow tree before a gentle squeeze and release, "Anita, hey, good to see you doin' alright. Just wanted to pop in and say, hi. Not meaning to cram your style here."

The older man chuckled and gave a passing wave to the 'harem' Anita was departing from. His helmet bag still clutched in a hand. He glanced back at Anita and then to the crowd, taking a short breath, "gonna see if I can't find Zeke. Looking for a Raevan named Luka? And I guess Zul too... I'll catch up with you in a bit, okay?"

Harrison gave a small wave before turning to see a shock of hair and a sweater to rival Camille's own. He chuckled and moved towards Zeke, calling his name.

"Hey there, Zeke!"

---

Camille gave little notice to the compadres to his left and right, merely smiling and nodding and raising his flask at the man to his left. He shook it slightly with a face and decided it was getting low. The toxic concoction within-- the flask had never fully been emptied nor had it ever been washed so the remnants of 4 years worth of hard liquor into a poisonous brew- was sure to have a touch up in his opinion. He spied a bottle of Tequila and grinned wildly.

[ Domevlo --> Christmas Tree w/ Elai and Revontulet ]

"Ren is welcome." He seemed to smile more his eyes closing briefly. Relief? perhaps? It was good to be back out and mingling with his own kind. He couldn't remember a time he'd felt at ease. With the moving and uprooting of his life he had did everything in his power to make his guardian's life miserable. Anything that would get it through that thick cowboy's head that he hated being so far from his own. Even going far enough to poison those stupid mutts. It was a means to an end.

As Ren moved closer to him, his eyes seemed to hone in on that hand, watching carefully. He wasn't used to contact and didn't know what reaction he was meant to give so he did nothing. It wasn't uncomfortable to have her touch but neither did he find comfort. Somehow he was indifferent. If she found pleasure in being close then he would allow it. Besides he did enjoy having her near so that was a step in a positive light. His eyes warmed from their earlier sharpness as he nodded his head with approval.

Attention now on Elai, Domo gave an agitated sigh but responded to the man's inquiry. "Thanatos. The guardian that has come with Domevlo, he is the cowboy at the alcohol bar..." Lifting a single finger he pointed the cowboy out who was still plastered to the bar nursing another drink. His dislike of the cowboy was palpable in that he was glaring death to the man before he returned his attention back to Elai.

((LuLu : Cocoa booth Luka > Doucette
Josh : Cocoa booth > Alcohol table Luka ))

Josh seemed confused at Luka's words. It seemed as though he had not actually expected them to have a history much less a bad one. His smile was wry as he accepted the gift, "Glad to hear she is staying out of trouble then. I appreciate it." He could not help but shake the gift gently only to hear a tinny rattle within it. His eyes widened and you could practically see ideas spinning in his head as he tried to guess the contents. "A Merry Christmas to you, too."

With that said, he tore a strip of paper off the reveal the top seam of the tin. His next flourish of movement was to rip the lid away and place it on the counter behind him. A low, impressed hum came from within Josh's chest. The boy plucked one of the treats, a small cake, from a piece of parchment and placed it in his mouth. He nodded approvingly, "Tastes amazing! My complements to the chef." He washed the rich bite down with a swig of hot chocolate.

Josh noticed Lu's eyeing the treats and smirked. He lowered the tin down to her and gave the container a small shake. The numerous confections jostled around but remained unharmed. "Plenty to go around."

LuLu chose a scone instead of a cake and took a tentative nibble from a corner. She soon also chimed in with her approval, "Yummy." The rabbit finished off the rest of the treat and fought the urge to lick her fingers. Instead, she wiped them on a napkin from the table.

With the gift exchange complete, LuLu looked around for her next stop in the party. As much as she wanted to make the most of her time with Luka, she could not commandeer the frei. Also, Dou was still around the cocoa table and Lu wanted to greet the woman properly. The sigel nodded to Luka, "It was nice seeing you again. I look forward to the next time." She gave one last squeeze to his shoulder before she moved past him and to the red head.

LuLu chirped to her friend, "Ms. Dou!"

Meanwhile, Josh replaced the lid on the dessert tin and decided his cup of cocoa could use a little more... zip. He clapped Luka on the back as he walked towards the alcohol assortment.

[[Fathle > Bar [Xan] || Dayo > Lobby [Cruz + Ethiriel]]]

Fathle looked around the room. A raeven with a crocodile soul. His eyes kept on returning to a green-shaded raeven that was with Dayo’s group. A part of his back glittered with green scales. Fathle gestured toward the raeven.
“You may want to try the raeven by my Dayo. He has dragon-like wings and scales. He seems to make a reptilian description…”

---

Ekundayo had given Lulu’s hand a squeeze before she slipped away with Luka. She would have followed the rabbit but she had found her secret Santa person. She smiled at Leo’s thanks.
“You’re welcome. Faye and I hope you like it,” she said before Leo politely excused himself. Her golden eyes fixated on Cruz as he introduced himself. She smiled at his compliment, blushing happily. She had been told before by humans that she was pretty but hearing it from a raeven… it was more substantial to her. Dayo took Cruz’ offered hand with both of her hands and shook it firmly.
“Hello, Cruz! And thank you. You’re the second boy raeven I have met besides Luka,” she said with a smile. “You remind me of a statue I saw in Italy, very handsome.”
Dayo knew she was gushing but she couldn’t help it. It was the combination of her excitement to be back home and the fact that everyone’s happy emotions were soaking into her skin.

Dayo withdrew her hands from Cruz and was momentarily distracted as Ethiriel pressed small kisses to the crocodile’s face and one to his lips. Dayo had asked Faye once why humans did this when she saw couples on the streets. He had said that that was how they showed the other person they loved them. A small flicker of longing sparked in her chest but it died as quickly as it came when Ethiriel politely posed a question.
“Oh, yes, of course! I have a soul of an eagle and the essence of a little storm cloud,” she said with a smile. There was a small pause before Dayo tentatively posed a question. “Are you and Cruz girlfriend and boyfriend?”

[Revontulet --> Christmas Tree with Elai and Domevlo]

"Yes, I know Luka," the newborn replied to the guardian warmly, her cheeks hinting the palest of rose as she blushed, "We are both princesses." Revontulet's lips were curled in the slightest of smiles that indicated her enjoyment of the inside joke, their interaction on the bus one of the few highlights of the eventful journey into the jungle.

With her fingers lingering upon the gray frei, Ren's own eyes twinkled as he nodded his ok. She cared not so much about comforting Domo, rather connecting with him physically for her own, somewhat selfish purposes. Touch was integral to the frei, and with his acceptance she moved closer, resting the entire breadth of her palm upon the man's upper arm. Upon her back, the pale green appendages of her wings hummed in a sound that was almost akin to a purring, the aurora simply happier when she was touching another.

Upon Domevlo's mention of his guardian, and the outright iciness upon his words, Revon lofted a slender brow into the sweep of her bangs. Her own response of "Doucette" and the general indifference of her tone seemed downright friendly in comparison. To be truthful, the moonstone had no such interest in inviting the redhead along, but she did not dislike the idea so much that she would deny Luka's guardian the company. It would not be seemly for a lady to show disgust and influence Elai's opinion of her negatively.

Perhaps he could some day forbid them to spend time together?

Inconceivable...

[Doucette --> Hot Chocolate Bar with Lulu]

While the newborn made friends, her guardian finished her second hot chocolate, gazing about the room once more in hopes of figuring out her next course of action. The moment she convinced herself to move into a group and try to join the conversation, Doucette psyched herself out and retreated back to the cocoa bar. Despite seeming outgoing and bubbly, the woman could also suffer from crippling social anxiety, especially if she didn't know the people around her. With so many new guardians and the people she did know already tied up, the Irish woman simply smiled and offered hellos to people who came near but offered very little else in terms of interaction.

"Lulu!" Doe's expression brightened like the sun coming from behind the clouds and sparkling off the snow. How kind of the rabbit sigel to come and speak to her despite having so many others of her kind to interact with. "How are you? You've grown!! What a beautiful young woman you are!"

The compliments continued to gush forward, the guardian's mind not only on Lulu but now also wandering off to the idea of her own charge some day growing and how she would change. Of course that would not be for a long time, but could it hurt to let her imagination drift? "How have you been?" she prompted again after finally coming to the end of her compliments.

( Arriving )

Despite the date, Phiel had managed to wrangle it so that he would be off. Christmas parties were not his forte, but Zurine had insisted. Having missed everyone all summer and a fair bit of the fall, she wanted to be certain she'd get to see them all now. She was, in fact, dragging him a little; he was dragging his loafer-clad feet, and she was floating ahead, gripping one gloved hand in her pale ones. "Hurry, Phiel," Zuri chided. "We are already late." Her sweater was shimmering softly in the cool light, pinned back with a big silver bow, and she looked just like a Christmas present herself, especially in contrast to Phiel's sober black. He had conceded, however, and pinned to the collar of his turtleneck was a little enameled pin in the shape of a cardinal gripping a holly sprig in his orange beak. Zuri thought it looked quite festive. Christmas was one of her favorite times of the year and she intended to enjoy it to its fullest.

(( duncan previously / mordekai -> lobby, alcohol bar, camille ))

Mordekai stood up from his chair and downed the rest of his lazily spiked coffee. He rummaged through a few of the bottles available at the alcohol bar-- he took the Bailey's again and poured more into his cup to drink plain-- then let his eyes wander over to Camille. Boy was a damn cajun? And he was addressing him. Despite Cam's initial deadpan face, Mordekai immediately lit with a curious, quirked smile, then leaned forward against the table.

"Be real honest with you, couyon like me cain' even tell if any brain is left in all'a this swamp slog," he drank from his cup and stared at Camille as he took a swig; he sighed in faux-disappointment, "Speakin' of, I must be real asleep if I'm seein' another coonass 'round here. Mam tol' me real good that they wouldn't bother me none 'cross the Atchafalaya." He spoke faster than he usually did around other company-- the way he talked often embarrassed him for one reason or another, but he couldn't bring himself to care so much for now. Mordekai scoffed, though, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Christ, hear me talk. I try coverin' it up an' it jus' spills right back out. You really hear what I say?" It took him a while to realize, but Mordekai beamed at Cam and firmly returned a handshake.

"Mordekai Kantor. You are?"