christmas party, ota;

[rumores]

WHO: Allison Hargreeves and OPEN TO ALL
WHAT: Christmas Party
WHEN: Saturday, 12/19
WHERE: Club Ares
WARNINGS/NOTES: Feel free to add a toplevel, tag out, have fun!



Club Ares has been transformed for the night. Equipment has been stored away, or sectioned off with lights or decorations so that it wouldn’t get in the way. And, with Tony finding out on Friday about his new account balance, he had insisted on splurging on a few things for the party. Remus had helped her to enchant the ceiling, to give the illusion of snow falling throughout the place, for the winter wonderland that Allison had been wanting to more or less create. In one section of the gym, there is a sitting area where people can sit down and eat, hang out, or enjoy a drink from the bar. If anyone feels like dancing, there is a dance floor, along with a DJ to help keep the music going.

For those that feel like doing something more tame (and for the kiddos), there is a corner of the gym that has been set up as a mini movie area where family friendly Christmas movies will play. There is also a hot cocoa bar, along with chocolate and truffles provided by Remus from the shop he works at, and a tall Christmas tree where Santa will stop by to give the kids a present.

The Hargreeves may not have grown up really celebrating Christmas, but between her life in Hollywood, and how much her daughter loves the holidays...Allison may have gone all out. Considering the last few months they've all had, though, they all deserve a fun night, so why not?

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Allison Hargreeves | OTA

[rumores]

For a long time, Allison had debated whether or not to throw this party, but now she’s so glad that she did. Initially it had been more as something for the others, as if distracting herself with it and putting up a good attitude would fool herself into thinking her heart wasn’t feeling like it was shattered, but everything had changed on Thursday. Claire was now in Eglaf, and while she knows it’s not permanent because nothing this good ever is, she’s letting herself enjoy it. She has her daughter back after years of being apart, and for the first time in a very long time she feels like she can finally breathe again.

While there are a million logistics to figure out for Claire’s stay in Eglaf (school, child care, clothes, would they need to move?), Claire is so thrilled about making it on time for a Christmas party that the little girl is quick to make Allison forget about those things for now. She and Klaus take her clothes shopping on Friday, and after finishing the set up on Saturday they go get their hair done, and they fall in sync with each other as if they haven’t really been apart.

By the time the party starts, Tony has taken care of hiring a party planner to handle the logistics so that she doesn’t have to, but she still makes her rounds throughout the venue to make sure things are in order. The dress she had picked for the night has been hemmed so it won’t drag, and while it has been a long time since she has dressed up for something like this (or that she has had this hairstyle), the confidence she carries makes it obvious she’s in her element.

Throughout the night, she’ll hang out at the sitting area every once in a while to snack or talk to someone, she’ll grab a nonalcoholic drink or two at the bar, and will accompany Claire to visit Santa and grab hot chocolate when he stops by for a visit. While Claire won’t be right next to her all night, she’ll always be within eyeshot, wearing her own burgundy dress to match her mom, courtesy of Uncle Klaus.

[duelo]

While Derek doesn't dress up very often, he cleans up nicely when he tries. He knows that his friends have had a rough couple of months and so when Allison brought up the idea of having a Christmas party, Derek jumped to offer any help she wanted to take. He hasn't been a big Christmas kind of guy for the last decade or so, give or take, but this year, he has both of his sisters with him and he can't help getting a little bit caught up in the season.

He waits until Allison has had a chance to make her rounds before approaching when she looks to have taken a break from it. "This looks awesome," he comments with a smile. "And you two look amazing," he adds with a smile meant for both his business partner and her adorable daughter. He'd been so happy for Allison when she'd walked into the gym the other day with her daughter in tow.

"I like the new look, by the way," Derek offers, giving a vague gesture at her, indicating the new hairstyle.

[rumores]

"I couldn't have done it without some help, so really, thank you for your help with the logistics." Allison knows she's not the best at asking for help, but Derek had helped her coordinate what sections of the gym they could start closing off to start decorating, and with his added abilities to help them move things... She really does appreciate his help.

At the compliment about the look, Allison can't help the small chuckle that escapes her lips. "Thank you. Claire and Klaus are the best worst influences. When I said I wanted to change things up, Claire brought it up since I've had it like this before back home, and...then it just happened."

Claire, who is dancing nearby (because apparently she inherited that from her Uncle Klaus), grins over at them when she hears her name before waving at Derek. Based on the warmth in Allison's voice, though, it's obvious that she hadn't minded the suggestion at all. It actually feels good to no longer have her hair from Dallas, as if she's closing off that chapter - even if the wedding band is still something she can't quite get rid of just yet.

"But look at you, I like the suit. You clean up pretty well, Derek Hale."

Darcy Ainsley ❤️ OTA

[totalmilf]

With her finances from Lawrence rolling into her account here in Eglaf, Darcy has some much-needed peace of mind when Allison's daughter Claire arrived a couple of days ago. She likes the idea of coexisting with another mom and another child because it reminds her a little of the closeness she'd had with Jo — and the closeness Darcy's twin boys had with Jo's twin girls — but realistically speaking, it's not a very big space for five people and two dogs, even if three of those people are very small. With her money from Lawrence, she should be able to find herself a place so that Allison can stay close to her family.

Earlier in the afternoon, Darcy left her boys with Cindy so that she could do a little bit of shopping for the Supers' children. Allison had mentioned hiring a Santa, so Darcy thinks maybe she can get away with sneaking the kids some early gifts. When she gets to the party, she's dressed nicely, but casually, and she comes with her twins, dressed in sweaters and khakis, in tow. Since Clark is a mischievous little snot, Darcy will probably spend a lot of the evening over with the kids near watching movies and helping them use the hot cocoa bar.

She does make a pit stop at the Christmas tree to leave two gifts each for Claire, for Olivia, and for both Conner and Clark.

When she can safely duck away, she'll absolutely snag a couple of drinks at the bar and socialize with any and all adults willing to tolerate her distraction every time one of the boys darts into her periphery.

[raisedasasoldier]

Considering Dean isn't exactly a social butterfly, when he spots a familiar face, he can't help but walk over to her to say hi. He may not know her like she knew him back in Lawrence, but she had invited him over for Thanksgiving, and welcomed him in even if she didn't need to. That alone makes her good in his book.

Before stopping to see her, he asks the bartender to make a drink for Darcy before grabbing a beer for himself, and once he's assured it's what she had asked for earlier, he walks over to her.

"Merry early Christmas," he says with a smile, offering her the drink he had gotten for her. "Figured I'd save you a trip to the bar."

[totalmilf]

When she hadn't heard from Dean much after his arrival, Darcy sort of assumed that he'd decided the brunette Ruby 1.0 thing she has going on was too much for him. Knowing Ruby personally, Darcy can't say she'd blame him. Ruby was a fucking bitch. She's actually still a fucking bitch, only now she's an insufferable one, as well. Darcy wouldn't have held it against him if Dean had decided to subtly bow out after Thanksgiving.

But he surprises her a little by approaching while she's standing back and watching the boys and Claire running and hopping around on a section of the dance floor in the sort of thing children consider to be dancing. Looking up at the greeting, her expression shows pleasant surprise. "Hey, thank you! Merry Christmas," she says, "you're going to give Santa a run for his money if you keep this up," she adds appreciatively with a smirk as she takes the drink and sips from it.

Darcy takes a look at the dance floor again, making sure the kids are still where she can see that they're not making trouble, and then she turns her attention back to Dean. "So, are you settling in better now that you've been here for a little while?"

[offtheboard]

It was very much a debate as to whether or not Stan was even going to drag Olivia to this thing tonight. Christmas isn't exactly his thing, it never has been. This isn't the first Christmas party that he's been invited to, but it's the first as a new dad, and Stan's still not entirely sure if he should even be here. There's a part of him that feels like he should be alone, bonding with her. But socializing with other kids is something that she's going to need.

Friends were such an important part of Stan's life growing up, whether they always realized it or not - he can't fathom not trying to help her foster the same.

Granted, she's just a little over seven months old, but still. Despite his indecisiveness, Stan's here in a casual attire. Olivia he went a little more dressed up, and she's in Stan's arms grinning and trying (intermittently) to gnaw on the pink stuffed animal that was gifted to her. "That's not for chewing on, silly girl." Stan tells her playfully, trying to dissuade her several times - being met with giggles and huffs interchangeably. As he spots Darcy near the movie set up it's a little bit automatic that he makes his way over. "Hey there - you and the boys having fun so far - and do you mind if we join you?" Stan gestures with a small smile.

Caleb Michaels 💡 OTA

[atypically]

Having been stuck in Nonah away from his family last Christmas has made Caleb numb to the crippling upset that had overcome him last holiday season, so he's got that going for him this time around, he supposes. If he has to be away from Adam and his family, though, he's glad he can at least be here with Sally, Steve, and Richie.

Parties haven't ever and still aren't Caleb's thing and he probably won't be able to stay long because his empathy makes it difficult to be in large groups. The type of empath Caleb is extends beyond emotions. Once the adults start drinking, Caleb will start feeling the confluence of everyone's varying levels of inebriation and if he hasn't managed to get more control over that than he had last year at this time — he hasn't — his friends will probably have to drag him outside to clear his head every once in a while.

He'll definitely be found in the sitting area because, as an atypical teenage boy, where there is food, there is a Caleb. He might also pop over by the hot cocoa bar, even though it's for the kids, since he can't have alcoholic beverages. He's also pretty likely to be on the dance floor on and off, or hanging out outside to clear away the "adult drunk" feeling that he'll almost definitely be intermittently feeling all night.

On the plus side, everyone is having a good time, so that means Caleb's in really high spirits, so it's a pretty fair trade for the second-hand inebriation.

(( ooc: before interacting with Caleb in person, please make sure you've commented on his permissions post for me, as he's a very powerful empath and I want to make sure that I'm respecting your character's boundaries as we play! ))

[themanofiron]

After spending some time dancing with Klaus, and then with Claire, Tony grabs a bottle of sparkling water from the bar before going over to the sitting area to hang out for a bit. As much as he generally hates December and the holidays, today has been a pretty good day. It helps, of course, that he had woken up on Friday to the news of his account reflecting a much higher balance than what it had been the night before, and he had done some retail therapy to get ready for tonight after coordinating a few details so that Klaus and his sister wouldn't need to worry about anything.

As he walks over to the tables, he spots Caleb sitting on his own and pauses at the sight. Considering the 'exposure' to his powers that Tony had last month, he's actually pretty impressed with the fact that he's here, that he's around so many people and seems pretty put together. For a moment he considers going somewhere else, as if that will minimize what he himself could bring into his emotional radar, but at the same time he already knows that he has probably already picked up on whatever vibe he's giving off. He has been in his shoes, after all. He's just glad that he hadn't been around Caleb a few days ago, when his mood had been considerably more on the depressed side and nothing like the more relaxed and even happy energy he has right now.

"Hey, man," Tony greets as he walks closer. "How's it going?"

klaus hargreeves | ota

[imprudency]

For the first time in what feels like weeks, they can all really breathe. Whether that's to the thanks of Supers finally being at the helm of the portals or the sort of peace that has come over the locals, but all the same, Klaus is happy to be enjoying a good, old fashioned party, with no fucked up strings attached.

He's even dressed up for the party, in what fancy, quirky way he does. He drifts between Tony and Claire early on, and one might even spy Klaus twirling the little girl around the dance floor. Every Hargreeves simply must know how to waltz, he might comment on a twirl or two. And when Claire has gone off with her mother or another friend, Klaus still enjoys the music and the dancefloor, sipping at his mocktail. Be careful, any time a ballad comes on, he might sweet an unsuspecting super into a dramatic ballroom spin. And when not terrorizing the others, he definitely makes a few pit stops at the bar for a refill.

As the night goes on, he stops by the hot cocoa bar to grab something sweet, or lounges in sitting area to enjoy a little quiet after a dance or two. But when the party gets to be too noisy or too crowded, he takes a smoke break outside, leaning against the building to light one up.

[sanguinescry]

When Lydia spies Klaus at the hot cocoa bar, she can't help herself from coming up behind him and leaning against him with a grin, the ball of her Santa hat bumping against his arm as he's reaching for something.

"There's my gorgeous husband. I was wondering when I'd bump into you tonight," she says loftily. "I didn't want to interrupt while you were in the middle of dancing with the prettiest girl in the room," Lydia adds, nodding toward the little girl sitting with Allison a little ways away.

Lydia Martin 💋 OTA

[sanguinescry]

Dressed in neutral colors so that her Santa hat will pop, Lydia is more than a little excited about a party. She'd been pretty bummed about seeing some people's wishes granted and her own being neglected, but she's decided that it's not the end of the world. She'll see Prada again when she sees Prada again. Allison H. is throwing a Christmas party and Lydia wouldn't miss a party for the world, most times. Certainly not a Christmas party.

It's incredible the way the gym has been transformed and Lydia can't help being awestruck at the magic illusion of snow falling from the ceiling. That and, well, she can't not be enamored with the beautiful tree.

Ever the social butterfly, Lydia can be found mingling with any and all. between stints at the bar — where she'll be trying to charm her way to an alcoholic beverage or two and settling for seltzer and lemon wedges if she's unsuccessful — the hot cocoa bar, and of course, the dance floor, where she's likely to initiate dancing with a friend or a particularly handsome stranger.

Once the kids have had their chance to see Santa, Lydia is not above asking for selfies with Santa, as per tradition that she and her mom have been celebrating since Lydia was a little girl. It's not the same without the elder Martin woman in the picture, too, but Lydia will take what she can get.

[wonafight]

He hasn't been to a party in what feels like way too long. When he arrives, his mouth drops at the care that's taken to make the place look festive and he grins from ear to ear as he jumps in.

His eye catches Lydia on the dance floor with one of her friends and he gives her a smile as he makes his way to the bar. He waits until the dance is over and then comes up to her with a drink. Unfortunately it's nothing alcoholic, but he's beginning to understand what she likes.

"Hey," he says in greeting. "Thought you might be thirsty after tearing up the dance floor. I like the hat."

Dean Winchester / OTA

[raisedasasoldier]

This is most definitely not Dean's scene at all, but considering there's not a whole hell of a lot to do around here, he had decided to check it out. Why not, right? The holidays don't really hold a lot of significance to the Winchesters, considering their lives as nomads, so celebrating Christmas isn't exactly something he's planning on doing. But, well. Parties meant food, and booze, so he's here.

Not really wanting to dress up, he had opted for something more casual. It doesn't dawn on him that he'll probably stick out like a sore thumb if everyone is dressed up, but thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case. There seems to be a little bit of everything, and with a 'here goes nothing' under his breath, he walks into the party.

For the most part, Dean will be either by one of the tables, nursing a drink or eating something, or visiting the bar and hanging out nearby. He's not exactly the dancer type, so he has no plans for that. But the music isn't terrible (although he'll never admit it), and the food and booze is good, so he doesn't hate this as much as he had initially thought he would.

[imprudency]

After a few dances with Tony and far too many dances with little Claire Hargreeves, Klaus finally decides it's time for a break. He leaves his boyfriend with a handful of people, makes sure Claire wanders back to her mother, before he starts for the bar. Holidays are so strange, and to think he's here, celebrating Christmas with his family and friends around, feels a little surreal.

So the bar, of all places, offers a welcome change of pace. When he catches a mostly unfamiliar figure, he can't help but sidle up beside them. He doesn't pay him at any mind at first, ordering an Atomic Cat from the bartender before he lets out a long suffering sigh.

"Come here often?" Can Klaus do anything without a flirt in his voice? Probably not. But he'd made a mental note to check in on Dean Winchester regardless, considering their first conversation, and what better way than at a party, at a bar. "I mean, the winter wonderland vibes really say drink your way to oblivion, right?"

[ltbrownnoser]

Never one to miss an excuse to eat, drink, and be merry, there was no way in hell Sarah was going to miss this Christmas party. It's like a bloody collection of beautiful people all in one, small, easy to peruse space. It's only a shame that so many of them are otherwise attached and she can't necessarily have her pick. Then again, enough eggnogs, and who knows what might happen, yeah?

He does, in fact, stick out like a sore thumb. Not just because he's dressed more casually than most of the other party guests, but because he's so strikingly handsome and, well, new. If he's been around a while, she's somehow managed to miss the boat which, in her opinion, is an absolute tragedy.

Sarah glides up beside him at the bar, ordering a Royal Fuck, partially because she actually enjoys them, but mostly just to say it. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth as she grins, Sarah looks over at him. "Hello, gorgeous," she croons in her Welsh-English hybrid accent. "Are you new or have you just been hiding that pretty face of yours and simply depriving us of the view?" Or, perhaps, she's just been asleep at the wheel, so to speak, and hadn't seen him about.

Allison Argent ; OTA

[fateless]

As someone that uses the gym regularly either with Isaac or by herself, she's amazed at the transformation of the whole place and it's easy to get into the spirit of it all. Which is good, considering she had been sort of bummed to see other people were apparently getting her wishes, and she hadn't gotten anything. Which feels stupid, considering she had told herself to not get her hopes up, but...she can't help it. Bringing her father here wouldn't be easy, she knew that, but she had hoped the bunker would at least be a comfort. As if, that way, she would have a part of him even if it wasn't him, exactly.

But, maybe she shouldn't be that surprised. Shouldn't she know better by now?

Not wanting to focus on that, Allison gets herself a dress and after getting dolled up, makes her way to the party. She will spend some time on the dance floor, and will try her luck at the bar to sneak a boozy drink or two (or three, depending on how things go). Whenever she takes a break, she can be found sitting by the tree, watching the falling snow from the enchanted ceiling as she drinks hot chocolate.

[frigidaire]

Isaac shows up a little later than most people. It's easier to slip into a crowd and find people to talk to that way instead of awkwardly mingling to one side. Parties can be a lot on his senses, all things considered, but seeing everyone in one place is kind of nice.

He catches sight of Allison across the room by the tree, and almost misses her. Not that he hasn't seen her dressed up before, but they've spent so much time hanging at the gym that he almost doesn't see her. He makes his way across to the bar as a pitstop. He manages to sneak not one but two alcoholic beverages from one of the pretty bartenders. (Isaac doesn't even try, he doesn't know how to be smooth, but this one's a local that knows his face, apparently).

Coming up behind her, he reaches over her shoulder to sit the cocktail down in front of her. "Hey," he smiles a little. "Can I sit here?"

peter parker | ota

[klebrige]

Seeing the gym alight with Christmas decorations, the magical snow, and the music? It feels like stepping into a different place altogether. Peter, between trying to finish up his school work and also dedicate time to the labs, is grateful for the reprieve that the party brings. It feels a little more like home and less like a mission this way, and when he arrives after having tried desperately to find something a little fancy, he stands off to the side of the door, looking around.

He can't help but feel a little melancholy, even if he doesn't mean to. Christmas reminds him so much of Aunt May and their traditions, and the idea that he's missing one with her? It feels a little odd.

But it doesn't stop him from roaming the party, particularly stopping by the hot cocoa bar a couple of times, both for something to keep in his hands and for the sweet treat. One might catch him entertaining the kiddos when they find him amid the crowd, occasionally making a fork or napkin or paper snowflake stick to him, pretending he can't get it off, causing a fit of giggles and shouts.

He checks out the Christmas tree, dropping off presents for Conner and Clark (sorry, Darcy) and something for Claire even though he only met her briefly at the decorating session. After, he settles in the sitting area to eat and tries not to look as ravenous as he feels because yes, working between the labs and Tony's shop means he's hyper focused on solving bigger problems and worrying less about how much he eats. So he gets carried away, big deal.

Toward the end of the night, he'll be hard to find inside. In fact, someone might be more likely to catch him while they're leaving, as he sits on the edge of the building's roof outside, feet dangling over the edge as he looks up at the sky. It's been a welcome reprieve, being around everyone, laughing and enjoying the party. And while he feels happy, he feels content, he can't help but send some good thoughts back home to May and the others.

[rumores]

Allison doesn’t necessarily notice Peter on the roof by seeing him as she’s leaving, but more because she notices as he makes his way up there as she’s checking on Claire while she sleeps on the sofa in her office. After making sure the little girl is warm and comfortable, Allison makes her way up the stairs to the roof, handling the steps with her heels like a damn pro, and a small smile tugs at her lips when she sees him. She may not know Peter Parker very well, but it has been easy to grow fond of the kid in the interactions that she has had with him. It was especially endearing to watch him with Claire while they decorated, and to say she has a soft spot for him would definitely be accurate.

Besides, Allison remembers being his age and slinking off to a quiet corner of the house to be by herself. Back then she would crave the quiet, wouldn’t want anyone to find her, but looking back on it too, she wonders if the sense of loneliness all the Hargreeves have ingrained in them would have changed if someone would have done more for them. If Reginald had been an actual father, if Grace could do more than what she had grown to learn, if Pogo hadn’t been solely committed to pleasing her father.

So, while she’ll respect his wishes if he says he wants to be alone, she just wants to check on him. The holidays are hard in general, after all, and considering the fact that Peter is still just a sixteen year old boy... Well. She really can’t help but check on him.

“Hey,” she greets as she walks over to him, as if seeing him up here is the norm. “How’s the view from up here?”

[pantomath]

Hermione almost sits it out. Almost. Only, she's been in good spirits since the arrival of her photo album, so she decides at the last minute to make a late arrival and stay just a bit. As she hadn't necessarily planned originally on attending, Hermione doesn't have a planned outfit, so she goes with a simple black dress. Then, she uses magic to replicate the updo she'd worn for the Yule Ball years ago and transfigures one of her necklaces and a pair of her earrings for a pop of color. She doesn't bother covering the Mudblood scar on her arm; Hermione's given up on wasting effort there. It's a part of her; it hardly matters. Most people don't ask, anyway.

All in all, she looks low-maintenance fancy, she supposes.

Not entirely sure what to do with herself, she can't help taking in the visual of the surroundings. She wonders whether Remus or Sirius made the snow and smiles up at it a little, reminded of the Hogwarts that had been before the battle had shattered the wonder of the place for her.

She'll probably mostly be in the sitting area observing because Hermione's never been very brave when she hasn't got her friends at her side. That and sometimes people-watching is actually quite nice, especially when they're all dressed so well. She might also be found at the bar ordering mocktails or at the hot cocoa bar being especially creative with her concoctions and perhaps adding a bit of magic to make the candy canes dance for the children.

[frigidaire]

In the same vein, Isaac had considered ditching the party, but with Lydia and Allison going, he decided to get himself out of the house for a little while. It's been nice, seeing his friends. He's just on his way to get a drink for himself when he catches sight of Hermione.

He blinks for a second, surprised, and for the second time this evening does a little double take. They see each other all the time in the apartment, but he's pretty sure she didn't look like this when he left. How girls manage to pull off going from casual clothes to glamorous clothes in the blink of an eye, he doesn't know. He wades through the crowd of people to get to her. By the time he catches up with her, she's at the cocoa bar, and the idea of his own drink from the bar turns instead to making a cup of hot cocoa.

"Hey, you decided to come," he says, a little smile on his face. "I could have waited around for you."

[skygazing]

Where Hermione isn't exactly brave without her friends, Remus can sympathize. He's not one for large parties or fancy affairs, but he enjoys seeing everyone having such a good time. It's been so long since they've had a chance to relax, and just seeing his loved ones smiling again warms his heart.

But the noise and commotion is a bit much for him. He's making himself a mug of hot cocoa (not for the first time this evening, mind), but makes a second when he catches sight of Hermione in the sitting area. He carries both carefully, trying not to spill it on himself. He'll never hear the end of it from Sirius or Klaus if he stains his outfit.

"You know what I say about chocolate," he leads and smiles, offering out the mug to her where she sits. "If your sweet tooth hasn't expired yet, of course."

Stanley Uris | Open

[offtheboard]

Stan can't really believe that he's a dad. And he can't believe, either, that he's a dad with a little one in tow at a Christmas party. The new father wasn't even entirely sure that he and Olivia would make it here tonight, or that he wanted to drag them both. The fact that he knows this community of so-called 'supers' is all they have, and that there'd be at least some other children to socialize with here won out in the end. Even though he definitely still can't help but wonder if he should have stayed home and spent more quality time with her one-on-one to bond.

Stan's lost count of the number of times that he's asked himself if he's doing all of this right since he picked his little girl up, and not for the first time he's come up with a big, fat no idea - he's got no clue if he's doing any of this right.

Still, Stan shows up dressed casually, more than happy to let Olivia and her outfit steal the show. For much of the party, at least until he's comfortable, Stan can't help but keep the diaper bag (though it does look like a backpack) close at hand - switching out teething rings for toys and vice versa. And, of course once she's gotten her new toys they're all she seems to want, especially the pink one....even though it creates the constant mantra of, "Silly girl, you don't want to eat that."

Stan, though not unfriendly, does spend the vast majority of the party with Olivia watching the movies, and when she gets fussy he takes her to check out the Christmas tree, and...okay he does wind up sneaking in a visit to the hot chocolate bar for himself (with much shifting, taking quite a while with Olivia on one hip, and taking care not to spill. He doesn't really visit the bar because the new father thing makes him wary for the moment, but all-in-all enjoys himself thoroughly right along with Olivia, who soaks up all of the sights and whatever attention she manages to get throughout the party.

[riskanalyst]

For the first time, Eddie is at a public Supers event with Sally and it feels...pleasantly strange. He's admittedly a little bit self-conscious because, well, he's practically twice her age and he feels like it most of the time. Though, on the other hand, it's also a bit of an ego boost that a beautiful twenty-something wants to spend time with him in this way. Cliche? Sure, but Eddie's not complaining.

Spotting Stan and the baby, Eddie excuses himself from Sally and makes his way to his fellow dead Loser, pausing at the bar to grab a couple of beers. "Hey! Who invited the fucking Jew to the Christmas party?" he calls playfully on his way. "Glad you made it, Stanley," he says. His eyes move from his friend's face to the baby in his arms.

"Hello, little princess," he greets the little girl. "Shit, Stan...this is so crazy..." Eddie holds up the beer bottles in offering. "How's it going so far? Are you shitting your a brick, yet?"