[ open ] as cuddly as a cactus, as charming as an eel

[devotedtothecore]

Date & Time: December 24th (backdated), sometime in the morning onwards
Location: The Museum of Old and New Art
Characters: An assortment of current residents of the creepy castle
Summary: Ill-timed maintenance, i.e. The Unintentional Ruin Of Christmas
Warnings: None!

Though it had taken some elbow grease and a certain level of penguin bloodshed, the castle has been a veritable haven of heat and light for the last couple of weeks, what with the presence of a surprisingly robust (and reasonably intact) geothermal power generator brought online. The snowy days have passed in relative calm since, though once or twice the more attentive may have caught the odd tremor in the ground (faint, perhaps no more than the rumble of a passing vehicle or heavy machine).

And so, when the occupants of the castle wake up this morning to find their breath misting in the air of their respective rooms, they might find it perhaps mildly disconcerting.

There's a helpful message on the network, should one turn to their tablet for answers:

To the residents of the MONA and associated premises:

Due to technical issues with the geothermal system, and for the safety of all residents, it has proven necessary to put all operations on hold for the next 24-48 hours. Efforts are being made to restore them in the shortest time possible.

Space heaters and portable lights are available in the main hall.

Sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.

-Chrysos.

Comments

[senseandcecilbility]

[Note to self: teach Break to carry his notes. Meanwhile, his eyes lock on the feather disappearing into Chrysos' breast pocket. He feels a brand new wave of panic.]

Apologies accepted!

[He lunges forward and grabs the front of Chrysos jacket.]

This, sir. This is awfully dirty. Can't you see the penguin blood? Completely unsanitary, I tell you. Allow me to wash it. Undress immediately, please.

[devotedtothecore]

[ Given that the penguin blood in question happens to be smeared rather generously over his shirt and trousers as well, it does not occur to Chrys that the direct order refers only one particular article of clothing.

And so there is a rather disconcerted staring at the pair of hands on his jacket. ]

I-- Excuse me?

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ Xerxes Break chooses this moment to exit the bathroom, now dressed in his purple snowsuit. He actually makes it look good, probably because he's so thin, the puffiness of the suit make him look more normal-sized. He is zipping it up at the throat and giving his wet hair a good shake (which certain persons in the room might see in slow-motion anime style, water droplets flying).

At which point, he hears the commotion, and comes to the conclusion that either:

1. Having once had a taste of forbidden fruit, Kevin is now insatiable.
2. Some other shenanigans have transpired.

He makes the appropriate probability calculation, and cries: ]

[maddeninghatter]

Mister Cecil, you cad! You faithless creature! How could you use me so?

[senseandcecilbility]

...

[Kevin stops what he is doing as soon as he hears Break's accusation, which is struggling to remove Chrys'jacket with his white gloved hands. Feeling his cheeks on fire, he gives the fabric another petulant tug.

Now. Now Mister Break chooses to leave join them. ]

...I guarantee my intentions are nothing but pure, sir! [He grunts the next sentence between his teeth.] However, it is paramount that Mister Chrysos removes his jacket.

[devotedtothecore]

[ Chrys stops at the same instant as Kevin, head swiveling to look simultaneously.

...

Of course it had to be that kind of timing, didn't it. Chrys contemplates, briefly, the strange feeling of relief at not being the one in the most compromising position for once, and decides that the least he can do for the one in said position (due to his apparent steadfast dedication to Cleanliness) is play it cool. ]

Look, it's fine, I can take care of it myself. I'll need to empty it out.

[ While calmly, gingerly attempting to prise said gloved hands from his clothes. ]

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

I'm very well acquainted with your pure intentions, Mister Cecil. And all I have to say to that is —

[maddeninghatter]

— the more, the merrier~! ♥

[ He twirls on his toes, crossing over to where Chrysos is standing, and sets about trying to tug his jacket off, too. ]

[senseandcecilbility]

[He...He is going to die of shame. But while Break is distracting Chrys, Kevin is certainly sliding his hand into his breast pocket. A gesture that will be seen as completely natural and pure by all parties concerned, no doubt. ]

1/2

[devotedtothecore]

[ For a moment, frozen with a look of abject horror on his face, Chrysos Kineas has a brief recollection of a rather similar set of circumstances that he had thought quite thoroughly erased from memory.

Not unlike a war flashback moment. ]

[devotedtothecore]

[


---followed by a pair of flailing hands attempting to plant themselves on their respective faces and SHOVE. AWAY. ]

Wh--- leave me out of this!!

[maddeninghatter]

[ Giggling all the while, Break doesn't resist being shoved away. ]

A fine time to say so, after you've pushed yourself in~! Make up your mind, honestlyyyy~!

[senseandcecilbility]

[He was so close, the soft feather right within his grasp. But then the terrible plumber shoved him away. Remembering Break's balance issues, he makes sure to stretch his arm to support the human's shoulders as they both fall back, the gesture so natural and instinctive one would think he has done nothing else his whole life.

It would haven been a very touching scene if Break was not giggling his head off.]

[devotedtothecore]

[ And the terrible plumber is already making large, stomping strides towards the blessed doorway, tugging his jacket back into place, a veritable thundercloud hanging over his reddened ears as he considers that maybe he should have just let Xerxes Break freeze upon this fine morning. ]

When you're quite done, I'll see you downstairs.

[maddeninghatter]

[ He feels himself caught about the shoulders, and reaches for Kevin in turn — and hangs on, in case somebody has any ideas about following Chrysos out.

With his other hand, he waves. ]

Okay, okaaaay! I'll be down in a jiffy!

[senseandcecilbility]

Mister Chrysos, come back with this jacket immediately!

[Kevin might be just a little obsessive, and he might wish very much to fall upon Chrysos and rip the jacket from his body and search it until he gets his feather back, but Mister Break is there and...well, he will content himself with taking a few steps forward and look as ominous as he can with a giggly ventriloquist by his side.]

[devotedtothecore]

Good day.

[ "Just a little" seems an understatement. It's enough to inspire a concerning level of doubt as to Kevin's intentions for his jacket, which, garishly colored as it is, he finds increasingly reluctant to surrender.

SLAM. ]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Three..... two...... one.....

Break drops his silly voice and asks, seriously: ]

What on earth was that all about?

[ Because damned if he can figure out why Kevin wants this man's jacket. Particularly what with everything else that's gone on this morning. ]

[senseandcecilbility]

[Kevin heaves a deep and forlorn sigh and starts fussing with Break's shirt collar and hair to soothe his nerves.]

My apologies. He took one of my feathers. I...I will retrieve it later.

[And will have his mind populated by worst case scenarios until he does.]

[maddeninghatter]

He took —

[ Totally not a guilty pause. He submits to Kevin's fussing, in the meantime. ]

Is that... a problem?

[senseandcecilbility]

I-I wonder if anyone would have it...tested.

[The science of Exsilium is still quite beyond his comprehension. He also remembers what Lucifer has told him, and cringes at the vast number of experienced magicians amidst the Transports.]

I was also told they were worthy a small fortune.

[maddeninghatter]

When people see a feather, the usual inference is bird, not angel. I believe this is particularly true in Mister Chrysos' case, he seems to be a very, ah, concrete sort of thinker. I can't think why he'd want to get something like that "tested."

[ He is patting Kevin's arm, and guiding him back to the bed, to sit down. ]

As for being worth money, is that because people will pay for a real angel feather or do they have some other valuable properties?

[ He is asking out of pure curiosity, of course, and not because he has a pillowcase stuffed with somebody's moultings.... ]

[senseandcecilbility]

A concrete thinker...

[The naive little archangel is genuinely comforted by Break's words. He sits down by his side, and leans on Break's shoulder. All the excitement has left him exhausted.]

I would say they have the same properties as I do. On a much more limited scale, naturally.

[If one day he finds that pillowcase, he will hit Break with it.]

[maddeninghatter]

Same "properties?" So they're beautiful and warm?

[ He turns and plants a kiss on the top of Kevin's head. Then he sighs. ]

Oh dear. I'd better go down and talk to him. About the power situation. In the meantime, you should...

[ He gestures vaguely, indicating the penguin carcasses that need cleaning up and putting in the larder, probably. Penguin stew for Christmas dinner, why not? ]

Anyway. Come back here when you're done, okay?

[senseandcecilbility]

["Beautiful" and "warm" surely causes a new wave of blushing. It is a pleasant kind of blushing, though. ]

For once, I believe you have chosen the most difficult task.

[He'd rather clean up the carcasses of a doomed army of penguins than suffer the shame of interacting with the plumber after all the things he has witnessed. He takes Break's tiny hands and kisses them lovingly.]

I will be right back.