[The video clicks on to a smiling face that should be familiar to most of the dome.]

Hello! I wonder if I could have everyone's attention.

[She tilts her head, looking fondly out into the video audience.] I need some help. You see, [She turns the device so that the shelter stairwell is visible and at the bottom is a redhead—twisted and lying limply.] Orihime is blocking the stairs, and I wouldn't want anyone to trip and get hurt! Could someone remove the body? Watch your step please!

Acumen took the gun I was using, but I still need to kill the rest of the Japanese here. So, if you're Japanese please go ahead and kill yourself or meet me by the koi pond. I'll drown everyone just as fast as I can.

Oh, I hope the fish don't mind.

( OOC )

[Alois smiles as the video turns on, his overly cheerful smile shows no evidence of the crying screaming fit he had on waking up earlier or when he was unable to get out of the restraint. There is blood on a couple of his fingers which he ignores as he cheerfully starts to speak, clapping his hands together eagerly.]

So this is a prison then? How exciting~! I hope someone will release me from this this ball and chain soon though, it's rather hard to move around with.

There... There are so many new individuals.

[She's a little awestruck, wide-eyed and enchanted. New people...! New people means people who are confused. New people means people who might need help...!

And so she's flitting excitedly around the areas she believes to be most frequented. SHE CAN FEEL IT! Her healing senses are tingling. At every corner there's a person who needs her help she's sure of it! Staring into the screen she's nothing if not enthusiastic.]

YOU HEAL HELP PLEASE LET ME!

[...OH! That came out wrong. A small flush, before she shakes her head, hair swaying this way and that beneath her large hat. Lifting her hands up she makes determined fists.]

That isn't what I mean...! What I meant to say is...

Welcome to Marina~ ♥

[She gives a sparkling smile, seemingly unaware that she herself has been gone for a little while now.]

I know the baskets help a lot, but if you're confused or need any help at all, please let me help you! I can give you a tour, or... or explain things, or heal your heart, or or or do all kinds of things. Let Kobato Hanato do all the work!

[And because Ioryogi thought people might take issue with this before, she decides to clear things up right from the beginning!]

Oh. And don't you worry. I am not a suspicious person.

Well. [ the strains of a voice which is evidently more high-pitched than it usually would be, between each word the hints of a controlled and well-thought out panic ] Er, yes. Well! Acumen.

[ A deep breath and suddenly: a million words, though slow and practiced ]

Whilst I can’t totally contradict the crimes you have charged me, I can point out a number of flaws in your "argument", mostly regarding your definition of "known criminal".

Furthermore, rather, [ gaining confidence, and with it, gaining speed ] the argument here is that I am not under your jurisdiction and, thus, not someone you are allowed to imprison, nor do you have the right to confiscate my belongings- and when [ peppered with anger ] has it ever been morally just to kidnap and imprison someone without a fair trial during a ministry-implemented exam period!

This is a complete breach of rights and as an [ almost-silent snort ] authority figure, I would have thought your priorities would be  imprisoning real criminals- of which there are a fair few skulking about, I'm sure you know - and not just people who- who, who had to- who were morally obliged to smuggle a stupid-. Well.

At any rate, [ through thin lips, and finally her steam begins to escape her ] I look forward to proving my innocence officially.

[Welcome message has been read, somewhat processed and now comes the reaction time]

I think you've got the wrong slayer. I'm Buffy [Significant pause]

The blonde one [Another significant pause]

You know...the good one?

[Oh and there's a nose scrunch and her 'uh oh well I might have done something wrong' look]

Is this about Sunnydale? Because the town was full of vampi-asbestos. And okay it sort of destroyed the mall and that's definitely on the side of bad but everyone had already left...because of the asbestos.

...Are you sure you're not some freaky deaky demon sealed in a book by monks a hundred years ago because been there, done that and this doesn't look good for you.

[As midnight nears and the effects of the costume party start wearing off. Over the network, there's giggling -- starting quiet, and then growing louder, happy. The giggling separates into three distinct voices; one deep, one light, one female.]


How was it? How was it? Did you have fun?

It's been pretty tame here lately, but watching you all tonight was -- was just classic. Grade A entertainment!

Ahhh, I feel so much better now.

You poor dears. You should go to bed early, get some rest! In the morning it'll all seem much funnier.

You're welcome, fellow inmates!

Happy anniversary~!

[Just as evening starts to fall, one of the parks in Sector 4 has been festooned with streamers, bright lights in a variety of colors, a big upraised dais, tables of refreshments, and music. It looks like a perfectly normal party from the outside. Optional masks are provided in little bins beside the dais, but you're responsible for your own costumes...!



...And if you're dressed as a character, the moment you step onto the dais, you will believe yourself to have led that character's life for your whole life. This effect will last until "midnight", in this case Sunday, even if you leave the party.]

I've never seen a place so fond of parties before. [ Lenalee is thumbing curiously through the costumes hung through the clothing store, and her topic is vaguely serious but her face still light ]

It does seem to like its little. "Surprises", doesn't it? [ she rolls a plastic crown between her fingers ] I suppose, considering its strange idea of criminals, it might as well be a strange prison.

[WV wants to paint the walls of his house! Unfortunately, his shopping trip yesterday was interrupted before he could get very far, and he spent the rest of that day at home, recovering. Today, he's gathered his courage and started out for the Education Center. Hopefully, he'll complete his afternoon errands without getting sliced open this time. Wish him luck!]

[he'll be passing through Sectors 4, 3, and 2 first, and then to Sector 1 to visit PM: she's going to help him figure out all those strange, brightly-colored packages of food at the convenience store. In the meantime, anyone in the area is welcome to bump into a little alien in an aggressively colorful outfit on an important interior decorating mission.]

[Ciel is cranky today. Very cranky. Especially since he was woken up earlier than he wanted to wake up.]

This place is ridiculous. How can you all be so cheerful? [It's ridiculous.]

[Tamaki is days late for standing outside of Kyouya's door like this. Just standing there feeling upset and sorry for himself because Haruhi is gone. The same way he'd been feeling so soon before he'd been brought to Marina. The same way he was really tired of feeling. But not having Haruhi here felt strange, though it really shouldn't have felt that way considering she hadn't been here for very long. Apparently it didn't take long for him to get used to her presence.

He's not entirely sure why he would ever go to Kyouya for comfort. It's hardly the Shadow King's area of expertise - he guesses it's just for the reassurance that Kyouya hasn't gone any where without him like Haruhi did. That would be too much. Hopefully Tamaki will come to his senses enough to knock on the door some time soon, though, or he'll never get that reassurance.]

[ judges it warm and dry enough to have class outside, again, by the tree. he's brought a ball and little bag with slips of paper in it for this class, intending to play a game. the book he read recommended games; he is skeptical, but it's worth a shot. he's kind of looking forward to the class... after the last few days, being in control of his element sounds pretty good right now. ]

[ Jade is in a wide open park, running through his artes. he's been doing this every day, feeling out the boundaries of the "seal" placed on him by Acumen and... pushing at it. he believes he's starting to get a handle on its exact composition, though he has to give it many props; he managed to undo the last seal placed on him much more quickly... so far, he's not even completely sure he's making progress.

so, this amounts to him making big, splashy magical displays, for anyone in the area to notice.

a little bit later in the morning, he pauses, taking a break in the exercise to turn on his communicator and murmur, only slightly breathless from all of the exertion ]

The limitations imposed by this place are rather frustrating, aren't they?

[ even though the words should be irritated, there's a little curl of amusement in his voice; on some level, he's enjoying the challenge. ]

[Jennifer has a camera full of pictures and she's not afraid to develop them! So she's just gonna spend a few hours in the photo lab at the education center looking through them all and picking at the best ones to send out later. So much to do! So little time. Especially with all the pets in danger at the pet cafe!]

((ooc: You can catch Jennifer between Sectors 2 and 4 before and after the photolab too if you'd like.))

This is a much better prison than the last, I suppose. I was getting tired of that stuffy apartment. [Rufus sounds bored, almost as if this happens every day. There is a pause as Rufus examines the device, curious, but lets out a breath after awhile.] Interesting.

[He stops playing with the device as he gets back to business. He is still calm though serious as he speaks again]
That aside, I would like to know who is here or not here before deciding my next course of action. Turks and any ShinRa employees, report in.

Acumen's systems tick over to midnight, and somewhere in the depths of the holding facility, dozens of little silver spheres shiver and come to life. They rise up into the air, dangling little bouquets of mistletoe, and hover in waiting for the door to open again. And when it does, they swoop out and work their way into the dome proper, making it out just in time for daybreak.

Now they're scattered all over the dome, Anissina's gifts and Eggman's souvenirs. They're seeking out people to bring together in the holiday spirit...

Whether they like it or not!


[Comment here and other people will comment to you. Details and index here. Please specify your time of day and location in your tag!]

Night was falling, the smell of spices were in the air and Jennifer was busy putting the last finishing touches on all the hard work everyone had done to get the athletic complex decked out and festive.

Walking through the front door, you'll see a table where you can put all your presents on for now with a tree sitting behind it. Don't worry, the bots will make sure no one but Jennifer takes any gifts off the table! There's also a series of volunteers ready and willing to help you out of your coats if you need it, but otherwise, please don't hesitate to shed off a few layers.

It might be a little warm if you don't.

Inside the main entrance, Jennifer's taken care to section off the room into the main dancing area and a stage salvaged from the Valentine's Day auction off to the side for the performances later on. Surrounding the outer edges, are tables and settees salvaged from the Shelter so that those who wish to watch can do so in comfort. Do be careful though. Scented candles are lit on each table to provide a soft light to balance out the harshness of the lights over the dance floor.

And of course there's food. Punch and egg-nog and shrimp and cheese and a myriad of other finger foods. There are cookies decorated with frosting and lemon bars and cranberries and a giant bowl of sugared dates. Marzipan is scattered across the table and a small gingerbread house sits as a centerpiece, but the cake is the main attraction.

But the cake comes with a price. Anyone who wants a piece, must do what it says on the toothpick first. Have fun! And no cheating. Someone might be watching to make sure no one does.

Music is already playing and Jennifer's leaving things up to the host club to make sure people start dancing, because what's sadder then a ball with no dancing? Do make sure to enjoy yourselves. It's why we're all here!

((ooc: The first thread is for the cake game and will list various things you must do. The second is for performers to do their act so we can group reactions together in one spot. And last, mingle, threadjack, and have merry with whatever your characters want to do in the rest of the post!

As an ooc gift meme was suggested instead of actually threading out every gift exchange, we will be doing that instead, but we highly encourage you to still seek out your gift recipients and build CR in the post as you will.

Also, mistletoe can be found neatly tucked inside wreaths at the main entrance to the Athletic complex and also from the cloak room leading into the dance hall. Be nice! Ask permission first.))

ETA: Directory (Edited 12/28 10:30pm/22:30 EST/-05:00 GMT, new marked with ***)

Cake Game: Reply to Cake: Midori - Mistletoe Cake: Road - Dancing Cake: Ryu - Dancing Cake: Otoha - Singing Cake: Wisely - Compliment Cake: Alucard - Dancing Cake: Orihime - Ornament Cake: Hikaru - Mistletoe Cake: Yuuki - Song Cake: Kaworu - Mistletoe Cake: Milly - Dancing Cake: Tyki - Mistletoe Cake: Hiling - Mistletoe/Dancing Performances: Reply to Performance: Naoya Performance: Lacus Performance: Choir Individual: Saki Individual: Ryoji Individual: Peregrine Mendicant Individual: Wolfram Individual: Zelda Group: Kaworu, Hiling or both Individual: Himawari Individual: Feferi Individual: Cain Individual: Jeanne Individual: Ashton Individual: Midori Individual: Cosmo Individual: Fou Individual: Greed Individual: Minako Individual: Eridan Individual: Orihime

Individual: Fran Individual: Allen Individual: Tyki Individual: Chibiusa Individual: Hikaru Individual: Dean Individual: Harry Potter Individual: Wisely Individual: Axel Individual: Kamrui Fuuma Individual: Ushiro Individual: Maleficent Individual: Kaoru Individual: Zelman Individual: Yuuki Individual: Kyouya Individual: Joshua Individual: Yuuri Individual: Sam Individual: Zero Individual: Kitty (aoa) Individual: Juri Individual: Alma Individual: Lavi Individual: Milly Individual: Rinoa Rain of Flowers: Sakura Individual: C.C. Individual: Takashi Jun Individual: Suzaku Individual: Kanda Individual: Jade Individual: Duo Individual: MOMO Individual: Kitty (evo) ***Individual: Ciel

[Naoya is in the park this afternoon, trying to decide if he wants to go to the ball or not. He's not sure yet... but in the meantime, the snow is still fairly fresh on the ground.]

[And that means snow sculptures.]

[So if you're wandering in the park today, you might find Naoya making various small sculptures. There's a row of ducks and a small dog there already.]

[And before you ask, there is not a Jack Frost, nor will there ever be one.]

[video]
Good afternoon, Marina. For those of you privileged enough to sleep through yesterday morning's incident, my name is Kyouya Ootori and I am the Vice President of the Marina Asylum Host Club, which will be having it's first meeting shortly in the Education Center. Tamaki assures me that he's already announced his intentions of forming a Host Club within the facility, but I would like invite all those interested in joining the Host Club to attend this meeting.

If you should have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I would be happy to answer them.

[action]
[Kyouya's hijacked one of the larger rooms and is currently sitting at the table with his precious laptop that he's reclaimed in front of him. There's a small stack of papers next to him, mainly forms for the new members as well as general rules and guidelines. The set up is fairly standard - chairs, tables, assorted snacks, a tea set. Not as fancy as he was used to, but it would have to do for now.

Assuming Tamaki wasn't completely incompetent when recruiting, there should be a few people filtering through the door about now...]


((OOC: Everyone is welcome to comment on the video! And show up at the meeting, though you may get strange looks if you are of the female persuasion. Also, both handwaving and backtagging are perfectly acceptable if you are currently too busy to tag. And because this is the Host Club, there may be threadjacking everywhere.))

[ The room above the arcade is decorated today -- nothing too much, just streamers and balloons and a dorky handmade banner with "HAPPY BIRTHDAY LELOUCH" written on it in large colorful letters. It's a dinner party, albeit the least formal dinner party ever, with plates and silverware spread over multiple tables of random shapes and sizes, and a buffet-style table of foods.

Help yourself to as much of the food as you want; some of it was made by ORIHIME so it will look very weird but taste great and some of it was made by CECILE (Suzaku is so sorry in advance, he didn't know) so it will look great but taste very weird. There's also some actually-normal food, made other, less scary people, and some by bots at the last minute. There are also several completely different strawberry shortcakes, all of which have candles in them.

And don't forget to leave a gift! There's a pile of them on one table near the door. ♥ ]



((ooc: Event-style posting! Tag once to arrive at the party and then reply to other people's tags to interact. :D EVERYONE WHO IS a.) a friend of Suzaku's or b.) a friend of Nunnally's or c.) a friend of Lelouch's or d.) on the DF or e.) generally seems nice is totally invited. If you just saw the lights from the street and got curious, you can also wander up.

ALSO, CHAR: if Milly wants to interfere with the decorating or add anything else to the party, IM! ♥))