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After a very productive morning spent with markers and paper, Misha felt as if the trauma in the swamps had retreated another few feet. It was amazing what a shower, some time with people she enjoyed in a non-lethal situation, and a midnight brainstorm could do. Halloween was right around the corner. Everyone was still reeling. People needed music and laughter and alcohol. Maybe even some bad decisions. It only made sense to have a party.

She smiled to herself and hugged the stack of papers to her chest. Juvenile as it was, she felt that her early morning hours had been well spent creating fliers for the party. It wasn't as if she was in the habit of sleeping after these so-called heroic missons, anyway. Closing her eyes just made her see hordes of animals, sneering witches, and... A bobcat.

Misha shook her head. That was something to think about later. Much later.

Today was for putting up her signs and making sure everyone understood that she was in no mood at all to take no for an answer. Also to understand that costumes were not optional. As she passed the Demeter dorm, Misha spotted a vaguely familiar form and drew herself to her halt. She tilted her head and tried to place the name. It eluded her, sadly, but she did not think they had ever been properly introduced so Misha figured she would be forgiven. Shifting her papers to one hand, she lifted the other and called out, "Hello, there!"

WC: 253

Misha beamed, wide and bright and full of sunshine. The more she studied the other woman, the more fleeting interactions back in the bayou teased at her mind. However, no name stuck so Misha gave a mental shrug and simply approached with a bounce in her step. "Hi," she repeated, "I don't think we've really gotten to meet yet. I'm Misha Durand. Aphrodite Chosen."

She stopped within touching distance of Sontao, head tipping slightly to one side as she studied the other woman. "You haven't been here too long, have you?" she suddenly asked. "Did you come through that swampy mess okay?"

"Mmhm but I spent most of the time we were there as a big cat. It made things a little more difficult." In a lot of ways, really. Misha inwardly grimaced at the memory of losing her speech, of not being able to communicate efficiently. On the other hand, and one corner of her mouth quirked up at the thought, she had all of the cuddles and attention she could possibly want during down-time. Everyone seemed ready to scritch her ears or invite her onto their laps. That was nice.

Nonetheless, Misha shook her head slightly before lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "But we all survived and came home," she continued, "and that's the important thing."

"Yep, that was me." Misha chuckled. She had spent more than enough time in that form to have managed a few looks in handy compacts in addition to all of the comments the others had made. The way she had responded to scritches, too, indicated feline. It hadn't been as bad as it could have been, she thought.

"I remember you now. You use a shield and you were working with Izzy. The two of you seem to be a good team. Have you known each other long?"

"Fliers!" Misha shuffled them in her grip in order to extract one from the sheaf. She handed it over to Songtao with a wide smile. "I got the idea the night after we got back from you-know-where and it just seemed like such a good idea. I think we could all use a chance to relax. Maybe even get to know each other better," she explained. "With Halloween right around the corner, what better timing?"

The question stunned Misha but, luckily, she managed the surprise gracefully and without a flicker of it showing on her face. In fact, she simply smiled brighter and gave a little shrug. She was not blowing off the question or dismissing it; Songtao got the impression that the gesture fell into the category of self-expression, a sort of Gallic non-chalance. "Halloween is a lot of things," Misha explained. "Basically, traditionally, it was the night that all the ghosts and demons and things could run around the place and do what they wanted. Nowadays, though, I would say it is about candy and costumes and having fun."

She slipped the stack of papers under one arm so she could more freely move the other in vague, sweeping gestures. "When you're little, you go door to door for trick or treating. When you're all grown up, you stay in and trick or treat." Her grin flickered with wicked mischief. "I don't think we're ever too old to not like dressing up and partying. Candy is a definite bonus."

That was a good question and Misha paused in consideration. "Well," she finally answered, "it's usually parents that stay home to give out candy. Most twenty-somethings don't have homes of their own yet and trick or treating in apartment buildings are hit or miss so we usually end up going to parties instead of staying home." She brightened. "It's no fun dressing up if no one sees you, after all."