[Second Life] The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

[cityship]

Ah, the Fairplay Christmas Pageant. It took place in the Fairplay VFW Hall every year, which, due to the regular needs of the town had received enough money to expand the hall to use it for most community events. People filtered in and out all night so that most families in the town made an appearance at some point. There was punch, egg nog, Christmas snacks, a guy who dressed up as Santa, little kids doing the Nativity play, the mayor's speech, Christmas raffles...

Everyone was expected to attend. Everyone. Parents dragged their kids and teenagers sulked in the corners, presents were exchanged among members of the town, people who did business together used it as a time to talk shop and be a little social, and parents talked about how great their kid's grades were or how little Johnny was doing on the football field.

What a wonderful celebration of townish togetherness, right? People talking about gifts they'd gotten their family members as the status symbols they were, people trying to compete with others in a competition of "Who has the most impressive child?," people sniping each other because of what happened at the last PTA meeting or because they were jealous of another person's success with their business. Funtimes, funtimes.

And as sad before, everyone was expected to attend. Everyone.

[ooc: Follow the rules for each subthread that are in the ooc notes.]

Comments

Mingling

[cityship]

The main thing to do at the pageant was to mingle in between raffles, plays, and Christmas games. Teachers could talk to students they only ever saw in class, business owners could talk to other business owners, everyone could talk to the mayor and pretend he made perfect sense.

[ooc: Mingling subthreads are go!]

Re: Mingling

[icanhashat.livejournal.com]

Jayne was dressed...comfortably for the evening. One could even go as far to say nice.

But he still felt horribly out of place.

Clad in a ugly brown and beige sweater with a diamond pattern on it he lurked about awkwardly by the snack table with a little plate of cookies and some fruit punch.

Why was he even here this year? His daughter had made it very clear she didn't want to go. The kind of clear that in his house resulted in her yelling hurtful things at him and slamming the door. Even with such blatant disrespect he couldn't bring himself to discipline her.

So while she was out having fun he was at the town pageant watching the other families mill about and silently wishing he had one of his own that would play along with his silly sentimental traditions.

He popped another cookie in his mouth and chewed slowly. This was just another place and another day. Nothing special about it anymore.

[boundlesslight.livejournal.com]

Corinne was simply passing through, waving delicately and playing her part as a wholesome teenager. By luck, she happened to focus on someone in the crowd.

The man looked...cozy, for lack of a better word, but alone. As she was, and lacking any spark of holiday spirit. Painfully familiar.

"Happy holidays, sir," Corinne said quietly, curtsying as she was expected to do. "Are you well?"

Pleasantries, sir, but there just might be a spark of genuine concern behind them. Coming from a teenager, though? Her motives probably appeared questionable.

[icanhashat.livejournal.com]

Jayne blinked slowly and glanced to his side to see if she meant someone near him. After settling that she meant him he gave a curt little nod. "Um...yeah thanks."

OK Cobb think...who was this kid? Seeing as he was janitor at the school she could be any one of them, but maybe she was a friend of his daughters? The same daughter who was off doing god knows what.

Best to remain guarded. It wouldn't be unusual for a kid from the school to be addressing him just to inform him of a spill or some such. "And you?"

[boundlesslight.livejournal.com]

No, Corinne hadn't taken note of any spills in the area. If she did, well...she wouldn't handle the nasty business of noting that. Someone else could do it.

She simply smiled that plastic smile of hers. Her encounters with her acquaintance's father had been rare and fleeting, but he had done nothing to her.

Other victims could say the same, but she mustn't examine that too closely. Her rationalizations might start to crack. "It's wonderful to see our town come together. I prefer the warmer months, but we can't afford to chase them."

It was snobbish to say, really, considering how many people didn't vacation at all. Something in her heart told her to do something else, anything else...

"Would you like a hot drink?" The punch didn't appear to be helping.

[icanhashat.livejournal.com]

"Oh um...sure." Why did he say that? This was just asking for trouble.

Of coarse he knew exactly why he had said that. He was a pushover. A doormatt. The only person he argued with these days was his daughter and even that could hardly be called an argument. More like she yelled at him, he meekly opposed her and she did what she wanted.

Re: Mingling

[starlightace]

Nanoha's family, of course, had set up a sale table as they had every year - this was just the sort of event at which people bought cookies, pieces of cake and pastries ... and it was the sort of event that had kept them afloat financially every year, just barely squeaking by. She was manning it right now.

[cityship]

"Right, so, Mr. Takamootchi--"

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"It's pronounced Takamachi, dad."

[cityship]

"Right, right, now, Mr. Takamachi, you wouldn't happen to be interested in some new ovens for the bakery, would you? Because At Vin's Appliances, we have some new commercial ovens that we're having trouble getting rid of, just for the dearth of businesses in the area that would use them, and well, I could easily arrange for a discounted price--"

Jerry Stenson was, yes, the type to try to sell anything, anywhere, whether people were interested in buying or not.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Dad, if they're selling other people stuff, they probably aren't really looking to have other people selling them stuf--sss."

Yeah, that sharp little intake of breath was from his father putting his hand on his shoulder in what looked like a genial way and squeezing a little too hard, trying to be discreet about it.

Re: Mingling

[gunslinging.livejournal.com]

Axl didn't have much interest in religious anything, or much patience for the kind of social pussyfooting that was always going on at events like this. But if there was one thing that was always a surefire distraction from the parts of the event that bored him to tears, food was definitely it.

He wasn't exactly a regular at the bakery (he didn't really have much of a sweet tooth, he was more a spicy kind of guy), but he did drop in often enough that Nanoha's name had always stuck in his head easily enough. Though when he thought about it, weren't there places he dropped by more often where he still couldn't keep track of the employees...? There didn't seem to be much of a reason why he'd find her more recognizable than anybody else, but...whatever, he was probably imagining stuff.

"Sup, Nanoha." He took a glance across the table. "What's the most decadently chocolatey thing you've got out tonight?"

Re: Mingling

[starlightace]

Nanoha, on the other hand, was very good with names - and she favored the boy with a polite, welcoming smile as she pointed to some slices of cake. "How about some triple-chocolate cake? Chocolate cake, mixed with chocolate fudge and covered in chocolate icing? It's pretty decadent," she laughed.

Re: Mingling

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie's family was always at the pageant, and this year was no exception. At his father's insistence, the young Scot had put on a respectable suit and a matching tie. Once his father had left the room, however, he had switched the tie from the rather dull specimen to a tartan one, patterned in the McCrimmon colors. Luckily, his father hadn't noticed, thanks to having already indulged in some Christmas 'cheer' earlier. The elder McCrimmon was now off making his rounds of the other business owners, leaving Jamie to his own devices.

Currently, he was idly wandering through the room, occasionally sipping from a cup of eggnog in one hand. Donald's booming voice carried back to him, sounding just a little too cheerful. He must have a flask with him, Jamie thought, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, looking pained.

It was going to be a long evening.

Re: Mingling

[governorkang]

Kang and Felicia both hated the Pageant. They didn't dare not attend, though, no matter how tempting the idea was; spending a short amount of time in the uncomfortable atmosphere was preferable to the long-term treatment they'd receive if they didn't behave like good townsfolk.

Felicia had disappeared somewhere, probably to talk to some of her friends. It didn't take him long to spot her halfway across the hall and confirm it. His parents had already zoomed in to harass the two of them, luckily, getting the most unpleasant part of the evening over with. Laughing politely, he managed to extricate himself from his conversation with one of the teachers, and went to fetch himself more punch.

[Responses for Kang go here!]

Re: Mingling

[governorkang]

When Kang and Father Thomas had talked before, they had purposely kept their voices low, and had assumed that all the other noise in the bar would prevent anyone else from overhearing their conversation. Unfortunately, someone had. And, even though this particular person never intended to share this information with a soul, they had, quite by accident. A simple slip of the tongue while speaking with one of the rumormongers, and within hours, it had spread to nearly every adult in Fairplay.

At first, the couple was unaware, and confused, at the glances and whispers that followed them when they entered the VFW. It wasn't until one of the older ladies in town came up to them and told them in sympathetic tones, "It's alright, dears. You're good people; when the time is right, it'll happen."

"...Mrs. Evans?"

"Oh, don't call me that, you make me feel older than I already am. Call me Caren," she smiled, giving both of them a warm, tight hug. "You know, my sister and her husband had problems for years, too, but then one day, bam! Pregnant! A miracle, it was."

Kang froze, and Felicia nearly dropped her glass, "How... how did you find out?"

Caren put a comforting hand on her arm, "Patricia told me; she overheard Mrs. White. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"If Mrs. White knows, then practically everyone else does by now," he muttered, biting back a curse. Wonderful. He really didn't need this right now.

Felicia gave Kang a worried look and pressed herself closer to his side, "...Caren, we, ah, appreciate it. Really, we do. We never wanted anyone else to know about this, though."

"Oh, I understand, dears," the woman smiled kindly. "My sister was the same way. I just wanted to let you know that there are people here that wish the best for you. Do try not to let this ruin your Christmas?"

"We'll try not to," Kang said with a wry smile.

[No responses to this one, please! I'm just setting something up for future stuff.

It's unlikely that any of the kids will hear about this, but the majority of the NPC adults around town will know. So, it's completely possible for your character to not have heard if you'd rather that be the case. They may, however, notice that Kang is a little more... stressed lately, and that others in town are treating him a little bit differently: odd looks, whispers, avoidance (because obv. there must be something wrong with one or both of them), all that jazz.]

Re: Mingling

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Jono considered not coming, despite the long-term treatment he might receive. He'd felt more than a little off since his attack at the music shop and all he really wanted was a night at home with his feet up and Siouxsie in his lap. Instead, he was at the pageant, leaning heavily on his cane.

He nodded toward Kang as he approached the punch, pouring a second cup and offering it to the older man. "How long do you think's polite t' make nice before yer allowed t' leave?" Making nice was not one of Jono's strong points when he wasn't feeling well.

Re: Mingling

[governorkang]

Kang accepted the cup with a wry smile, "Any amount of time is too long. Felicia and I aren't planning on staying any longer than Mayor Westling's speech; we almost didn't even come tonight, damn the consequences."

Re: Mingling

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

"Amen to 'at." Jono raised his cup before taking a sip. "Came close t' not showin' up meself. Havin' a bad body week."

Re: Mingling

[governorkang]

"Ever since Iraq, winter's been a bad knee season for me," Kang rolled his eyes, taking a drink. "It's ridiculous how the people in this town are. No one should be required to be here if they're not feeling well; you especially have a damn good reason."

Re: Mingling

[nothawkingbird.livejournal.com]

Kate or 'Lizzy' yawned, feeling a bit bored. She walked around, occasionally waving to the more popular teens from school. Her father was too busy schmoozing to really notice so she knew she was on her own. She had her arms folded in front of her. She was dressed in a simple but stylish blue dress with a wrap and coat against the chilled air. The refreshments didn't interest her much, and many of the games seemed so lame. She hoped it wouldn't last much longer.

Re: Mingling

[neverwastenaya.livejournal.com]

Tenaya made her way over to a chair against the wall, near Kate. She didn't hear her, so as far as she knew, the area was empty. Which was fine for her; she didn't want to be here anyway.

"Tennie, stop arguing," Dylan had said. "You know Mom and Dad would want us to keep up our old traditions. You'd disappoint them."

"Easy for him to say," she sulked. "Everyone admires him for being so brave to quit school and take care of his poor, blind, difficult sister."

[riseupnchargem.livejournal.com]

Jamie slouched in a chair in front of the stage where the nativity play was going on, watching the proceedings with bland detachment while he nursed a cup of punch. His dad was off chatting with some of his friends from work, leaving Jamie to his own devices.

The entire holiday had seemed increasingly weird and alien to him this year. None of the traditions or symbolism felt familiar; it was as though he was viewing them through some kind of filter that made them appear unrecognizably bizarre. A teenage virgin giving birth to a god, in a barn, in the middle of winter. Foreign dignitaries travelling across the desert to bring him gold and frankincense and myrhh, whatever those last two things were. And somehow the celebration of this event tied in with a completely different myth about a fat man in a red suit who employed midget slave labor and watched people throughout the year to weigh their deeds on a moral scale. What the hell was this holiday.

Jamie shook his head and took another sip of punch, wondering where the sudden cynicism had come from. Sure he'd been more than a little dour the past year, but so far he'd limited his incessant scrutinizing to things like his own future and how best to handle the parade of disappointment that was his life, not the internal consistency of holiday symbology.

Maybe it was just the depression talking. Who knew.

[gunslinging.livejournal.com]

Axl wasn't sure if he was remembering the guy's name right offhand -- Jamie? something like that -- but he did look awfully familiar.

Well, duh. Not in my grade, but it's not like the school's that big.

"You look about as thrilled to be here as me," he said cheerfully, dropping into a chair nearby. Random? Sure, but randomly bugging people was one of those things he'd always been good at, and at least he was pretty sure Jamie (?) probably rated pretty low on the Bullshit Social Posturing scale.

[riseupnchargem.livejournal.com]

Startled out of his thoughts for the time being, Jamie regarded the newcomer with surprise. Somebody from one of the younger grades - Jamie'd never really bothered to keep their names straight. He chuffed a little. "Wul, yeah. 'f you've seen one Christmas pageant, you've seen 'em all."

He glanced back to the stage, where an eight-year-old in a white sheet and tinsel halo was woodenly proclaiming the birth of the Savior to a group of prepubescent shepherds who were clearly supposed to be sore afraid, but instead simply looked disinterested. "These things seem like a bigger waste of time every year."