defenderofdesmoines | MHA #2 | Friday Evening and probably onwards

It was a Christmas miracle: an even tackier, way-too-early ugly sweater party.

With way, way too much alcohol, and a kinda ridiculous number of activities.

There were, of course, the ubiquitous plastic snowmen haunting (almost) every corner of the apartment, and one out on each of the Smokers' Balconies for good measure. There were strings of lights lining the ceiling, as well as tracing the edges of each window. There were cookies to decorate (and eat, because you definitely should eat, and there were moddable snacks aplenty as well.) While there was, of course, Christmas music playing, those with keen eyes (or at least, enough wherewithal to look around an apartment before you started potentially drinking heavily in it) might spot a karaoke machine that would come out later. One particularly tinsel-y corner had an abundance of Santa hats and reindeer antlers and wearable strings of lights to wear while taking photos, and in the guest room -- of course -- there was a much-fabled craft table, where you could make an ornament that didn't have to be in an immature shape, but definitely could be.

There was also, hovering slowly through the party, a drone with mistletoe dangling from it. A Mistle Drone, one might call it, even.

And, because this was the Christmas Rager, there was alcohol. There was so, so, so much alcohol. The kegs of Christmas ale had once been reordered, there was a Make Your Own hot chocolate and coffee bar, and while Annie would never argue that Summer's shot table wasn't the star of every party...this year was a little different. Mostly because of how they'd decided to serve Annie's punch: in a freestanding bathtub, just slightly off-center from the room.

Welcome to the third annual Christmas Rager. Hope you wore a sweater, because the hostesses both have glitter cannons in case you didn't show up festive enough!

[~~please hold for way too many threads~~ and we're off! open to literally every single adult on the island -- students are welcome to attempt to crash, but they'll be busted.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Well it'd be silly for us to try to imitate what you've already done," Steven said. "Especially you doing it so well. So yeah. I mean there'll be music and games and all but food and friends is mainly what we're going for. Hopefully people will like it."

"It's going to be amazing. Don't even sweat it. And besides -- lots of people around here don't even have holidays where they're from, or have never celebrated," Annie told him, trying for reassuring. "It's part of why I like going so big with this."

Steven appreciated the reassurance. "That's part of why I wanted to do it as well. Especially since it falls Christmas week this year. Figured there may be those who aren't celebrating or have no where to go. How about you? Are you heading anywhere for Christmas proper?"

"We'll go see my mom in Iowa for a little of it, and otherwise probably just hang with Diego's siblings on the mainland," Annie replied. "My birthday's the twenty-first, so that's always kind of part of the whole deal, too, and this is the first year I've had the Hargreeves around to celebrate anything."

Not because she and Diego were married now, but because the other four Hargreeves had been lost in time for awhile. You know, as one was.

"Oh, cheers, happy birthday in advance then," Steven said. "And must be wonderful having a partner to share it all with now. Especially him having family of his own that's now yours."

Steven really did have a surprisingly optimistic mental picture of family all things considered.

"I've told Llewellyn that this year I'll teach him how to have a proper Jewish Christmas," Steven said, with a grin. "We're going out for Chinese."

MHA #2 | Friday Evening and probably onwards - the THIRD ANNUAL Christmas Rager!!

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