Posted by: @arwenel

[Ian said,] "Wow. Are we in one of those ice caves now? I think the temperature just dropped thirty degrees."

"Oh, are you cold?" said Mel. In her fur coat, she was toasty warm, but humans and those who looked like humans had different standards for comfort. "There's usually a roaring fire in one of these rooms. One year we had a basket of chestnuts, and it would have been nice to roast them, but that's not something I can accomplish with my paws."

Her ears drooped at the thought of the missed culinary possibilities, but it wasn't like she would go hungry, not with the variety available at the party.

As Ainsley went off to find a home for the rest of the doughnuts, Kaelin surveyed the room. She was a bit disappointed that Grace was not in attendance, and felt the tiniest bit left out (being the youngest, and therefore much shorter than everyone else, she was prone to being overlooked). She saw Faye, and almost hoped her nemesis would be in attendance as well, but alas, he was not.

She decided her best course of actions would be to eat her feelings. 

But then, almost under the (rather glorious) table of sweets was a familiar, furry face.

"Mel!!" Kaelin exclaimed, going to hug her friend. "I'm so glad you're here. I was afraid this was going to be boring."

Posted by: @mel

"Oh, are you cold?" said Mel. In her fur coat, she was toasty warm, but humans and those who looked like humans had different standards for comfort. "There's usually a roaring fire in one of these rooms. One year we had a basket of chestnuts, and it would have been nice to roast them, but that's not something I can accomplish with my paws."

"It's just an expression," Ian assured her. "I'm perfectly warm. Lauren, you good?"

"I think I could use a chair in front of a fire right now," Lauren said. "Nice to meet you, Mel. Excuse me."

For a moment, Ian worried that he had pushed Lauren too far -- he had a knack for irritating her, and Lauren had a talent for getting irritated -- but she wasn't stalking away like she did when she was mad. She was wearing a rather thin blouse, and she had taken the three or four block walk here in heels.

Ian always thought picking clothes for fashion rather than comfort was like picking food based on style rather than taste, but apparently people did both for some unfathomable reason. At least Lauren never tried to make him dress fashionably.

"So, is this just a snack-and-mingle kind of affair, or is there more to do at these shindigs? I mean, either one is good with me, I just like to be prepared."

He was just finishing his sentence when Mel was hugged by a young girl.

Posted by: @valiantarcher

"Have you been before -" Moira faltered. "I'm sorry, I don't know your name."

"Oh, I'm sorry! How rude of me. I'm Faye Brixton." Faye paused for a moment, before shaking her head and admitted, "I'm afraid my travels haven't taken me to Kinnelmore, no. Yes, this party happens every year around the holidays, and it's a wonderful way to meet people, especially visitors." Faye decided to leave it at that. This year seemed to be going very smoothly with no runaway tiny reindeer, so no need to bring them up.

But something Moira had said caught her attention. "You said 'we' are passing through. Are you here with someone else?" Faye glanced around at the other strangers, trying to see if any of them seemed to be with Moira. She secretly hoped that she was referring to the bull - after all, she was standing near him, and Faye was very curious about that particular story....

Giving a final pat to her fiery red hair, Molly Brown ran up the steps of the Mansion.  She looked back impatiently.

"Hurry up, Mr Waters," she said.  "We're none too early as it is."

Molly hadn't planned to bring Mr I C Waters with her--far from it.  But he had shown up at her door only half an hour before she was ready to leave, and the time since had been spent in getting a present together for him to take.  Now he had dropped his perennial sports bag, and was trying to pick up the spilled bottles off the ground.  Molly sighed, and then forgot her annoyance as she saw the first few flakes of snow begin to fall.

Once inside, she was pleased to see how many people she recognized.  And there was the gift table.  She walked over and put down two parcels.

Spoiler

Small square box with FRAGILE written on it

A box of apple cider and hot chocolate mixes, along with a Torquay puzzle jug, with the motto:

In this jug there is good liquor,

Fit for parson or for vicar,

But to drink and not to spill,

Will try the utmost of your skill

Posted by: @Ryadian
"You said 'we' are passing through. Are you here with someone else?"

"Yes, this is my...traveling companion," Moira, gesturing behind her to where the bull stood (for the moment, patiently, which was a wonder). "Could you tell us more about this party? Is there entertainment planned, or do the guests just stand in the hall and converse? And is our host present?" She hoped Faye wouldn't mind all the questions, but she had so many of them and the woman seemed friendly and not at all put out.

As was their custom, Dan and Angie Baxter led their two daughters through the big-box store, helping them choose gifts for each other and their grandparents. The girls had a little money of their own – Grace occasionally babysat for their neighbors’ children, but at age eleven it was more the case that she played with the kids under adult supervision, with Emma’s eager assistance.

New this year was the white elephant gift exchange at the Ditto Town Mansion.  To help their daughters enjoy this new experience even more, Dan and Angie had decided that the girls could each select a gift, and those two would be the only ones their family would offer.

Dan led little Emma around the store while Angie shopped with Grace.  Included among the treasures she’d picked was her offering for the Mansion’s white elephant gift exchange.  Dan couldn’t help smiling at his daughter’s choice.

Back home again, they quickly wrapped the white elephant gifts, each parent praising their kids’ choices.  Then the girls donned the their grandparents had provided; this year they were silver and gold.  Dan couldn’t help thinking of the old classic song of the same name.

When they arrived at the Mansion the kids were fascinated by the “big music car” as Emma called it.  “That’s gotta be Junior,” Dan whispered to his wife.

“He knows how to make an entrance,” Angie replied as she led them into the foyer.

Not surprisingly, Grace ran off to see Kaelin and Emma sought out Mel.

Angie placed their gifts on the table.  “Sorry we’re late,” she said to no one in particular.

Emma’s gift (about the size of a loaf of bread, wrapped in green paper decorated with candy canes)

Grace’s gift (slightly smaller, wrapped in white paper decorated with reindeer and Christmas trees, and marked ‘fragile’)

"Oh boy! I bet you stay plenty busy. Souls being so slippery and all. Have you caught any good ones recently?" Ainsley asked with a wry smile and nervous flip of her hair. 

"I've always been curious, how exactly do you catch them?"

Kaelin heard a pitter-patter of feet behind her, and whirled around to see Grace and Emma.

"You made it!" she exclaimed. "I was afraid you weren't going to make it this year."

~~

Maeve smiled at Ainsley and her doughnuts, then turned back to Jeff.

"What keeps you busy these days? Are you still working a beat?"

Delia's head jerked up from her drink, and she fixed her gaze on Ainsley. If Ian had been paying attention to them, he would have felt it drop another thirty degrees, but as it was, no one was minding them at the moment. 

"I have my ways," she finally said. "But a favorite is to let them have their memories--all of them--back. No memories lost because they're on a different plane. After that, most choose to come home. It's as simple as that. Why so curious?"

"I was up for a promotion to detective a few months back; then I wrote a ticket for some wealthy political donor. Word came down from high to let him off. I didn't. So instead of solving crimes, I'm still out in the streets toting a nightstick." 

~~

Ainsley reached down and grabbed a bunch of grapes from a nearby table, popping one in her mouth before responding. 

"Oh no particular reason. I run across all types of folks in my travels. But you're the only one I know that hunts souls. So call it a bit of a professional curiosity." 

Posted by: @valiantarcher

"Could you tell us more about this party? Is there entertainment planned, or do the guests just stand in the hall and converse? And is our host present?"

Faye found herself wondering if, perhaps this wasn't a talking bull? That raised almost as many questions as the idea that he could talk, but she decided not to ponder them just now. Instead, she focused on Moira's questions. "Well... it's usually just a social gathering, but the guests tend to provide their... own kind of entertainment." Faye debated the best way to explain some of the crazy adventures from previous years. "Suffice it to say that parties in Ditto Town are very rarely dull - or predictable. The gift exchange is new this year, though."

"As for our host," Faye glanced around before finally spotting Delia Death, talking to Ainsley a little ways away, "that would be Ms. Delia Death." She quickly added, "Don't worry - despite the name, she's quite... erm, hospitable."

"Good to know Ditto Town's just as vulnerable to hiney kissing as everywhere else," Maeve replied. "It seems impossible to get away from corruption. I guess that's just how life is."

Mel wagged her tail happily as Kaelin greeted her with a hug. Moments later Grace and Emma were there too and Mel went from girl to girl, giving puppy kisses and not minding the giggles and rebuffs that accompanied the process.

"It's so good to see all of you!" said Mel. "Merry Christmas!"

With the first exciting moments over, Mel remembered that Ian had been asking a question, and she turned back to bark a quick answer. "I know there's a gift exchange planned. If you want to be prepared, it's best to expect anything and everything. One year we had an informative talk on grape salads!"

Delia smiled kindly at Ainsley.

"That makes sense, especially since I'm sure your travels have interfered with your ability to hold down a job of your own. It's a good thing you have a good, stable, down-to-earth man like Jeff in your life."