((OOC: @gazer: ))

Lady A smiled back at Abby.

"Oh, you're welcome. She's such a sweetheart, and I really like her, too," she said. "Everyone ready? Pull on three! One...two....THREE!"

Anne finished pouring some foul liquid on the last gingerbread man that was clinging to her skirt - all the others had disappeared down the throat of a rather nice-looking dragon that reminded her that she had neglected to bring her own faithful pet Trevor to join in the festivities. The cookie creature shivered and became a small lump of colored sugar on the floor. I told my mom alchemy would be a useful line of work, she chuckled to herself.

At Lady A's announcement, Anne smiled gratefully. Although she had come late to the party, forgotten to bring her pet Pocket Dragon, been made to speak French by poisoned punch, knocked out by a pill and attacked by cookies, she couldn't recall having a better time.

With a broad smile, Anne pulled at her blue Christmas cracker.

Erik pulled as Lady A called THREE, and his cracker opened with a bang. Inside he found some cloth rolled up into a cylinder. He pulled it out and revealed a pink blanket with a big letter "M" in the middle.

"I'm not sure pink is your color," Abby teased as he handed it over to their daughter, who immediately grabbed it and tried to stuff it in her mouth.

"That won't taste like chicken," he said as he took it out of Molly's mouth and watched as she played with it.

Now how did they manage to get a blanket for her into one of these? Erik thought to himself.

Bookwyrm pulled his pctarine cracker and it opened with a small explosion, revealing some sort of ray gun.

"Oh my goodness! A zat'ni'katel! This is the best Christmas present ever!"

Out in the Square (now emptied of both Gingerbread army and Dragon) a gentle snow begins to fall again. At the same time, a subtle music can be faintly heard on the wind, if one listens carefully.

There are sounds, too, that spark the notion that someone nearby is laughing.

More snow is falling now, the wind shaping it into drifts and clouds of white; human eyes could now barely pick out the Fountain from ten feet away.

Ever so quietly, dressed in the same shimmering white as the swirling flakes, one figure at a time slips into the Square. The music is clearer now; an airy panflute whose source cannot be identified.

The figures, the long-absent Madcaps, move to its rhythm effortlessly- long cloaks and flowing sleeves stirring up still more snow into the air. There is more laughter, and it sounds like the tinkling of ice.

Snowballs are made and hurled in rhythm, muffled mittened claps and booted stomps keep time, as joyfully they celebrate the quiet, cold beauty of a deep winter's night.

Anne's blue cracker burst open to reveal the dried form of a very rare flower - horticus malspellen - which is the key ingrediant to many potions in advanced alchemy.

"Oh, Lady A!" she said, staring in delight at the gift. "I've never even seen one before! Thank you so much!"

She glanced up at the window, and smiled to see the snow falling again. Maybe there's still time for some sledding, she thought, carefully stowing the horticus malspellen in a bit of silk and placing that in her coat pocket. Then, she grabbed a mug of hot cocoa (she couldn't remember Bookwyrm going near the hot cocoa all night, so it was probably safe) and lifted it high in salute. "Merry Christmas, everyone! And a happy new year!"

— Lady Z —
"Indeed, it does get better! I must say, I'm quite looking forward to it," I say in response to Cor.

I watch as Cor executes his plan: luring the gingerbread men out into the Square to be eaten by Vern. "Nice plan, Doctor. Very well-played." I high-five him, then turn to the dragon. "Good to see you, Vern."

I head back inside, shivering a bit as I leave the cold exterior. "Brr." Right as I enter, everyone's pulling apart their Christmas crackers. I grab one from the basket and pull it apart. Inside is a piece to upgrade my time-travelling corset to go at even higher speeds. I smile. "Thanks so much, sis."

I look around at everyone. "Happy New Year, my friends! And... do yourself a favor and stay away from the punch," I say with a laugh.

Deciding that we need to freshen up the mood, I head over to the DJ table. "Dance party!" I yell. After surveying the selection of songs, I decide to put on a rendition of "Everybody Dance Now." I'll definitely avoid the dancing, but that doesn't mean I can't watch everyone else, I think with an evil smirk.

"I don't dance, but I'll happily shoot anyone else who refuses to dance," Bookwyrm said. He was itching to try his new toy out on someone.

Lady A smiled as everyone opened their crackers, and gave her mug a raise at Anne's salute, then cringed as her little sister started the music.

"Oy, ow, no," she said, quickly changing the playlist to some proper dance music--in this case, a snow waltz.

"I don't dance, but I'll happily shoot anyone else who refuses to dance," Bookwyrm said. He was itching to try his new toy out on someone.

"What do you mean you don't dance? What am I, chopped liver? Wait, don't answer that. However, I would be greatly honored if you would dance with me," Lady A said with a smile, extending her hand toward Bookwyrm. "And you'll be very sorry if you don't."

[Great Madcap Siren post, JP!]

"Now that's more like it," Erik said with a smile once Lady A put on some proper dance music. He bowed to his mate. "My lady, may I have this dance?"

"Of course, kind sir, but first -" she turned to Lady A. "Thanks for tending Molly all this time. If you like, I can hold her while you dance with that gun-wielding Bookwyrm. See, I have a convenient baby carrier to hold her in while we dance."

In the meantime, little Grace Baxter came running up and grabbed Erik, insisting he dance with her. Abby smiled as the girl led him out onto the dance floor.

Reemerging from the kitchen with a tray of fresh hot cocoa, I notice everyone is popping off crackers. "Ah! Holiday crackers!! Those are always fun, though rather nerve racking if you're not prepared."

Meandering through the crowd, I deliver a cup of frothy hot chocolate-y goodness to Ze Favored One before heading over to Lady Z. "And here's one for you, my dear!" I hand over a vaguely TARDIS shaped mug to my new companion.

Taking a sip of my own drink, I ever so slightly curl my nose (it's hard to do, but Time Lord-y people have an uncanny knack of doing it... sortof) at the choice of music. "I think we need some ABBA hear... or Led Zeppelin!" I set down my mug and make a quick run for my TARDIS. I return a few minutes latter with a stack of vinyl albums (yes, I went there ).

"Hmm... I also have The White Album, Abbey Road, Cosmo's Factory, Rumours, Houses of the Holy, Led Zep I-II-III and IV.... oh! And Dark Side of the Moon, of course!"

"Oy, none of that is for dancing," Lady A called over her shoulder. "Put it on, and I'll let Booky test his new toy on you, and then shoot you mid-regeneration myself."

" I can make a magical duplicate of myself and let you dance with it while I shoot Cor," Bookwyrm bargained.

Lady A smiled and shook her head.

"Won't do. I'll promise not to get any lipstick on you."

"If I so much as see lipstick anywhere in my vicinity, I'm detonating the too bombs I've hidden all throughout the building."