[ open ] for i've grown a little leaner, grown a little colder, grown a little sadder

[holyshihtzu]

Who: Juliet O'Hara + You
Where: Juliet's room
When: December 1st-4th
Rating: PG
Summary: Juliet is getting into the Christmas spirit early by hosting a little get-together at her place. Network video and party post below the cut!
The Story:

[ ✹ .002 [ video ] ]

Happy December, Wonderland!

[ Juliet offers a brilliant, if somewhat strained, smile to the network. The camera isn't directly aimed at her face at first--she's still getting used to video chatting--but she reaches out to adjust it quickly before continuing. ]

I know not everyone here celebrates Christmas or... Even knows what Christmas is, but! In the O'Hara household, Christmas is a big deal. I mean, I really big deal. All my family comes in and there are games, and arts and crafts, and a ton of food...

[ People probably get the idea, Juliet. ]

So! I know things always get really crazy during the holidays anyway and I wanted to get on top of things so I'm having a little pre-Christmas get together at my place. So whether or I know you or not, come by room three on the seventh floor anytime over the next few days and I promise we'll have a lot of fun. Open door policy.

[ She pauses. ]

Not literally. Knock first.

[ room 3, level 7 ]

Juliet has gone all-out for the holidays, as an O'Hara is wont to do. With no financial limits and no job to distract her, she's put everything into decorating her place. Anyone walking past room three on the seventh floor will be greeted immediately with an timely wreath and equally festive doormat.

The decorations don't stop there. Juliet has decked the halls to the point that they are bursting, having even extended her living room quite a bit to accommodate food, fun, and hopefully a lot of guests. Every wall is decorated with some kind of garland, wreath, or lights. She's even got a sprig of mistletoe hanging in the corner for any couples who visit that might be so inclined.

And, of course, there is the the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room.

Anyone who visits will also be greeted by an unimaginable spread of food from cookies, cakes, and various snacks to some traditional Scottish fare like mince pies. There's another corner table dedicated to just Christmas crafts, from cutting out paper snowflakes to sewing Holiday themed pajamas.

Maybe it's a little early to go full out, but Juliet couldn't wait. Christmas is her favorite time of year and she hopes that getting to it early will help her miss her family less - and maybe help her find a new family in Wonderland.

[ This is a party/mingle post! Feel free to top level and tag out with other people, or just thread with Juliet, or just respond to her network post if you so desire. Have fun and get into the holiday spirit before shit goes down! ]

Comments

[bibliocorn]

From what I understand of those sorts of worlds, yes, it was.

[He offers a wan smile.]

That depends on your definition of normal. 'Normal' for me is a world filled with magic and ponies and celestial bodies being controled by our royalty. Something that I'd say is decidedly not normal for you. But in turn, something from your world would definately not be normal for me.

[holyshihtzu]

That's a good point. I guess taking a walk near the beach with humans everywhere would be weird for you. Or not weird, since there are humans here. And a beach.

[ Now she's just back to thinking there is no way her world would be interesting enough for an event. ]

It's different, though! Santa Barbara is really nice and exciting.

[bibliocorn]

When I first got here it was very weird. But yeah, I've gotten used to you guys by now.

[He's even used to having to look UP at everyone all the time to talk to them. ]

It is? What's it like? From my understanding, Earth's climate can be as varied as my own world.

[holyshihtzu]

Earth's climate is very different and really complex. There are a really varied amount of ecosystems, and they are actually pretty delicate which is causing a lot of problems in my world right now.

[ Humans kind of ruin everything. ]

But, I live near the ocean. It doesn't get that cold, but that also means we don't really get snow. I love it there, though. I love the sun and the beach and all the people that visit. And before that, I lived in Florida, which really wasn't all that different, it's just on the other coast of the country I'm from.

[bibliocorn]

Ponies control our own weather, in Equestria. But the other countries just deal with it as it comes naturally. I suppose if it's meddled with in the wrong ways, it could cause trouble.

[Not that the ponies have to worry about that.]

That sounds nice. I bet the beach was really nice to be near when you were little. I grew up in the mountains, myself. In a really little town.

[holyshihtzu]

I don't know if we'd be better or worse off if we could control our own weather.

[ She wrinkles her nose thoughtfully. It seems like a great idea, but someone was bound to ruin it somehow. ]

It was great. Miami and Santa Barbara are very different, though. Miami has a pretty big population, and Santa Barbara isn't a small town but sometimes it definitely feels like one. Did you like living in the mountains?

[bibliocorn]

It makes harvesting crops easier, given we can time our own seasons. When you're from a herbivorous species, that's kind of a big deal.

[But equally when their magic gets screwed with everything goes to hell twice as fast.]

Sounds nice all the same. [He grimaces because he hasn't been home in years and really never wants to go there again.] It was pretty? But like is a strong word. I liked the setting?

[holyshihtzu]

That makes sense. [ What ponies eat hadn't entirely occurred to her, but neither had them tending to crops. How would they... With hooves...? She's not sure how to ask that question in a way that wouldn't sound incredibly patronizing. ]

A lot of people don't like where they grew up. I think everyone just gets used to what they see every day and take it for granted, even if it's something that would be unique for someone else.

[bibliocorn]

[She best not, that's a rabbit hole she'll very much regret peering into. Therein likes questions such as 'but how do ponies BAKE?' and 'but if cows are sentient why are they kept in paddocks for milk?' No good lies in this direction.]

Hmm. I prefer where I live now, the Crystal Empire. It's got a very rich history, and if the name didn't give you any clues, it's very pretty.

[It's also in the Far North well away from the vast majority of the rest of civilisation. Which is what drew him there in the first place.]

[holyshihtzu]

It sounds beautiful. And magical.

[ Like something out a storybook, which isn't surprising, considering she's talking to a magical pony. ]

What's it like there?

[bibliocorn]

Oh it is! Very.


[He's more than happy to talk about his adopted homeland. ]

It has a fascinating history! It was cursed by the tyrannical king who once ruled over it with an iron hoof. It vanished for a thousand years! It showed up a couple years ago when Sombra returned. He's been dealt with [from what Sunburst understands, he's SUPER DEAD] and the Crystal Empire has been ruled under Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armour ever since.

The place is beautiful, covered in crystal and the ponies who are native to the Empire are utterly unique! They are bound, emotionally, to the Crystal Heart, an ancient relic which protects the Empire from the Frozen North surrounding it. It's the light and love in the Crystal Ponies that power it- and that light and love shine across all of Equestria, helping power the harmony magic my world thrives on. It's fascinating!.

[holyshihtzu]

Wow, that is pretty fascinating.

[ It's so much history, and while Juliet wasn't exactly expecting a history lesson, it isn't unappreciated. ]

So, your world, it's all about love? [ It sounds like exactly the kind of place Juliet would want to be. ] That's really amazing.

[bibliocorn]

[He adjusts his glasses with a forehoof.]

Yes and no. Friendship is one of the strongest forces in my world. Which...sounds pretty insane even to those of us within Equestria, so I'm well aware what it sounds like to an outsider. Buuuut battles have been won with the power of friendship for years now, so I find it best not to question it too much.

[Plus he's not exactly GREAT at friendship himself. Hard to explain how a magic works when you only vaguely understand the concepts behind it. ]

[holyshihtzu]

I think it sounds lovely.

[ She looks at him dreamily. If only all the problems in her world could be solved by friendship. Juliet would be out of a job, but it would be a small price to pay. ]

Having friends can be life-changing if they're the right people. I don't think that's insane at all.

[bibliocorn]

Most people come from worlds where friendship isn't an actual force. Like...there's villain defeating rainbows and everything. I think it's insane sometimes.

[It's SO WEIRD, Juliet. So very, very weird.]

And...yes, friendship is important. But even we ponies forget that from time to time.

[Or a lot of the time, in his case. ]

[holyshihtzu]

[ IT'S NOT WEIRD IT'S MAGICAL ]

I know my world isn't like that but I've seen the kind of things friendship can do. It might not be an actual force, but it still has power.

[ Granted, friendship is more important to Juliet than it might be to a lot of people. It might make her seem a little soft, sometimes, but it's just who she is. ]

I try not to forget that, even if it can be hard sometimes.

[bibliocorn]

That's nice. I mean...it's important everywhere, right? Especially here.

[He thinks. He has a few friends here who mean a lot to him and a smaller number back home who are equally precious. He does his best to be a better friend for them. But he does still sometimes forget its importance.]

It's really hard sometimes. There's always so much going on and then before you know it, oops, you haven't spoken to your best friend for a month and she thinks you've forgotten about her again.

[Though he does that so much at this point he's pretty certain Starlight just expects it now.]

[holyshihtzu]

Honestly, I've never had a problem reaching out to my friends. Or even making friends.

[ Everyone likes her. Even people she arrests. It's canon. ]

But I know it's not always easy. Sometimes life gets in the way. But we can't let what's important fall away.

[bibliocorn]

Then I guess you're lucky. And yes, that's very true. Forgetting that can create damage you can never really undo.

[Look, Juliet, his world has several dystopian alternate futures now because he was a shitty friend. ]

..You just have to try and do better.