(Ok, so, how do we start this one?
And yeah, that would be helpful.
Also, Merry Christmas.)

(Hey there! Merry Christmas!

I was thinking we could start in the late afternoon of Christmas Day and have people getting ready to head to a party somewhere? They'll be one held at the palace, probably.

And yup, I can do that. I'll need a bit of time to write it though.)

(Ok, let’s do that. I assume this is a few weeks after our latest interaction?)

(Yeah. I'm not sure how long exactly, but at least a couple of weeks have passed.
Shall I start?)

(Sure! Go ahead!)

The sun was beginning to set over Sovereign City. Now that it was the middle of December, the place looked a lot different. Nearly every tree in the city had been decorated, colourful lights were strung up between the buildings, and a thin dusting of snow coated the rooftops.

Ivy was on her way to the palace, accompanied by a brown-haired guy who she was chatting animatedly with.

On a different street, Armin was walking along more slowly, taking the time to admire all the lights and decorations while humming quietly to himself.

Fred had time off from his job as a guard, and was already inside the palace, helping a few other people make the final preparations for the Christmas party. It was being held in the same room that the post-war party had been in, except that it was now full of Christmas decorations.

(My wifi is probably going off soon, but tomorrow morning I'll post my gift ideas thing.)

(Sorry for the late replies. It’s been a busy holiday season.)

(Don't worry about it. I don't mind. X))

{Meanwhile, Lucci was walking down the same street as Armin, but in the opposite direction. He waves as Armin comes into view.

Jerry was in transit to the palace, sporting a thicker trench-coat than usual. looking about at all the festive decorations.

Pythia was walking along, dressed warmly in pants and a blue jacket. Up ahead, she noticed Ivy, but said nothing, not wanting to interrupt her conversation.

Dianne was the closest to the royal palace, dressed in a thick, down winter coat and a fluffy scarf. It seems that, despite the snow only being light, the cold bothers her to the point of needing heavy winter garb.}

Armin nodded at Lucci in greeting. Once they were close enough to speak, he said, 'Hey, Lucci. What's up?'

Ivy continued chatting with her partner for a moment, before sensing the presence of Pythia walking behind her. She turned around and started walking backwards so she could talk to her without stopping. 'Hey, um... Pythia!' she greeted, taking a moment to remember her name. 'Are you going to the party too?'

While Dianne was walking along, Rex appeared in raven form, flying above her. The light snow dusted his black feathers. //Something tells me you don't like winter,// he said telepathically.

Lucci: “Hello, Armin. Headed for the holiday party as well?”

{Pythia fell in step with Ivy, so she could chat.}
Pythia: “Hello, Ivy. Why, yes, I am.”

{She takes a moment to glance at the boy who Ivy was chatting with.}
“Um...hello.”

Dianne looks around until she spits Rex above her.}

Dianne: “Noticed that, did you? Yes, this is my least favorite time of the year. Prey becomes scarce, the weather becomes harsh and cold. I have to wear this ridiculous thing just so I won’t shiver uncontrollably.”

'Yep,' Armin replied. Like everyone else, he was dressed for the cold, wearing a black sweater and grey scarf instead of his usual shirt and jacket. 'It's been a long time since I've experienced a Christmas without Sargon being around, so I'm going to make the most of it.'

Ivy smirked. 'I think this might be the first time I've seen you walking around outside and not in some temple... Oh, and that's Jonathan. He's not my date, before anyone asks. Just a friend.'

Jonathan nodded and smiled politely in greeting.

Rex flew down and shifted to human form, walking alongside Dianne as they approached the palace. 'Not too fond of winter myself,' he said, 'though maybe for different reasons. So, you're going to this party, are you?'

(Before I forget to do this...

CHARACTER GIFT IDEAS

Ivy - she's kinda picky, but the safest bet is jewelry. Because even if she doesn't like it, then she can still sell it for lots of money. :/ (She wants a car too, but doesn't expect to get one because that'd be really expensive.)
Armin - anything involving alcohol. XD Especially if it's red wine or whiskey. He kinda wants a new sword too; his current one is getting really worn-down.
Fred - he doesn't care much about Christmas and doesn't want anything. (Though if somebody gave him something anyway, he'd still thank them. He doesn't want to make anyone feel bad.)
Rex - nobody except Armin is likely to give him anything, but for the record, he likes collecting old guitars. (And also knives, but that's a slightly weird hobby that he keeps to himself.)

(Ok, cool. I'll keep it in mind.)

Lucci: "That's good. I hope you enjoy yourself. I will attend, introduce myself to the king if I can."

{Pythia nods back and smiles sweetly.}
Pythia: "Hello, Jonathan, my name is Pythia. It's nice to meet you. Oh, yeah, work keeps me very busy. I hardly have time to myself. But today, I'm giving myself a break to attend something fun."

Dianne: "Yes, I am. It will be nice to spend time with friends over the holidays. After all, this is my first Christmas with any friends to speak of."

'I'm sure you'll be able to meet him,' said Armin. He started walking in the direction of the palace, eyeing the decorated trees growing along the sides of the road. 'Do you have anything like Christmas where you come from?'

'That's good,' said Ivy firmly. 'It's no fun to be working 24/7. Everyone deserves /some/ time to themselves, to just have fun, and socialise, and relax...'

'Really?' said Rex. 'Then I'm glad you have the opportunity to do this. Christmas isn't worth anything if you don't have friends or family to celebrate with. I don't have too many fond memories of Christmas, but I think this time will be better.'

Lucci: "No. My home is nothing like this world. It's like...Well, it's difficult to explain."

Pythia: "I know. Dianne says I work too hard. But, in my line of work, taking a day off might mean that someone will die, if I'm not there to treat them."

Dianne: "I agree. Which is why I have never bothered with the holiday until now. I've had many people refer to me as 'Ebeneezer Scrooge' for shooing carolers off my doorstep and refusing charities."

'I'm not surprised,' said Armin, slightly amused. 'Your world is probably impossible for us ordinary people to comprehend.'

'Eh... I guess so,' said Ivy, shrugging a little and shoving her hands in her coat pockets to keep them warm. 'I'm sure glad that /I/ don't have a job like yours. It sounds like way too much responsibility and stress.'

'I wouldn't blame you,' said Rex. 'I don't like carol singers either. So, now that you're celebrating Christmas properly for the first time, are you going to be giving gifts to anyone? Not that you have to, of course, but it's supposedly traditional.'

Lucci: “Ordinary? Bold of you to assume that you all on this plane are ‘ordinary.’ Our origins are different, to be sure, but that doesn’t make one lesser than the other. The only reason you could never comprehend my world is because you have no frame of reference. You belong here, so you understand this world. I belong there , so I understand The Mountain of Light.”

Pythia: “Perhaps. But, I’m the only person with this power. I need to do this, because I’m the only one who can. It’s my blessing and curse.”

Dianne: “I am. I’m getting Armin a bottle of his favorite liquor. Jerry’s getting a new hat. That ratty old thing he wears smells like werewolf. Everyone is getting something, even if I have no idea what to get them.”

'Yeah, that's true,' Armin replied. 'I guess this world is ordinary to me because it's all I know. Your world is unusual and interesting to me, so it's not ordinary.' He thought for a moment. 'Is is possible for people from this world to visit yours? Not that I actually want to, but I'm curious.'

'That's kinda stupid,' Ivy commented. 'There should be more people like you, so you don't have to do everything yourself.'

'That's generous of you,' said Rex. 'I'm sure you'll get some nice gifts too.' They were now drawing close to the palace entrance. Two large trees flanked the main doors, decorated with lights and tinsel. A steady stream of people were walking inside, undoubtedly to attend the party.

{Lucci shrugs.}

Lucci: "Yes, Armin, that's more or less correct. No, you couldn't visit it. You see, my world is one of pure energy, and it is infinite in both intensity and quantity. If you tried to enter it, you would be incinerated."

Pythia: "Just because things 'should be' some way, doesn't mean that they can be. If you were to look out in the world for others like me, you would be hard pressed to find any."

Dianne: "We'll see. Let's go in, see what Fred's up to."

'Yeah, I think I'll pass,' said Armin humorously. He turned a corner and saw the palace grounds up ahead. 'How long are you planning to stay in this world?''

Ivy huffed. 'It's still stupid that you have to do everything alone. If I were you, then I'd probably get tired of it.'

Rex didn't answer, but approached the palace doors and stepped inside. The guards glanced at him and Dianne, but made no attempt to stop them entering. The party was being hosted in a single large room, but there were still quite a lot of people wandering around the corridors, socialising.

Just then, Frederick noticed the new arrivals and walked over to greet them. 'Rex, Dianne,' he said. 'You're here for the celebrations?'

{Lucci sighs, thinking things over momentarily.}
Lucci: “It honestly depends on how quickly Dianne makes progress. Honestly, I’ll probably be coming back and forth as needed, staying only for hours at a time. Why do you ask?”

Pythia: “It’s not that simple, Ivy. I can’t just quit because it’s hard. People will die if I’m not here to help.”

Dianne: “Yes, Frederick, I am.”
{Dianne glances back at the guards at the door.}

“But it doesn’t seem like everyone else is happy to see me.”

'Just wondering,' said Armin with a shrug. 'I thought it might be kinda weird for you, living in a place that's so different from your homeworld. But you seem pretty accustomed to it.'

'Yeah yeah, I know,' said Ivy. 'I guess all the work is worth it. It must be nice to know you've helped so many people.'

Fred glanced past Dianne at the door guards. 'Who, them? Don't worry about them. They've been ordered to make sure nobody suspicious comes in.' He lowered his voice slightly. 'Apparently there have been rumours that a certain crowdragon is thinking of sneaking back here for the party.'

Lucci: "I have been coming back and forth for eons. I'm pretty used to it now."

Pythia: "It's the best feeling in the world. It might be hard some days, but it's well worth it, knowing that I've helped those in need."

{Dianne gives a surprised expression.}
Dianne: "What? That feather-head wants to come back here? Why? Where did this rumor come from?"

'That long? Huh, sometimes I forget how old you are.' Armin walked up to the palace entrance, ignoring the door guards who were eyeing him and Lucci carefully. Stepping into the warmth of the crowded front corridor, he looked around, taking in the scene.

'Well, I'm glad you like it,' said Ivy, also approaching the palace entrance. 'And I have to say, it's pretty reassuring to have someone like you nearby.'

Frederick shrugged. 'Apparently, some people in a southern village have seen him wandering around and visiting bars. He kept talking about how amazing the Christmas parties in Sovereign City are. The villagers told the king about it, and now he's on edge, expecting Crowley to show up at any moment.'

{Lucci walks in and looks around at all the people.}
Lucci: “Hmm. Everyone’s just about here.”

{Pythia walks into the palace with Ivy.}
Pythia: “Oh? Why’s that?”

Dianne: “Well, if he shows up, I’ll break him in half. Sound good?”

'Yeah, seems like it,' said Armin, surveying his surroundings. 'Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to run ahead and find out where the party room is.' He grinned, then hurried off down the corridor.

Ivy smirked. 'Because I know you'll always be there to help us if we get injured, silly! We don't have to worry about a thing with you around.'

'Unless he's actually causing trouble, I'd prefer if you didn't kill him,' said Frederick dryly. 'The staff don't want to spend their evening mopping blood off the palace floors. But if he shows up and starts making a scene, then feel free to do whatever you want with him.'

{Lucci smiles and waves Armin off.}

Pythia: “Well, I’m happy to hear that. I’m here to help, after all.”

{Dianne shrugs and removes her scarf and coat.}

Dianne: “Very well. Sympathizing with your co-workers, huh? Don’t want to make them work through the holidays?”

Ivy nodded in response to Pythia. Now that she was inside the palace, she was quickly losing interest in the conversation and turning her attention to the other guests. With Jonathan in tow, she wandered off to talk to people.

'I suppose so,' said Frederick. 'I'm not working tonight, but I'll keep an eye out and let you know if I see him trying to come in. Most of the guests have already been warned that he might show up. I wanted everyone to be prepared.'

(Will post a new room a bit later today, not on my DS right now.)