With the kids in tow, Remiel stops at the central landing of the bifurcated grand staircase, preceding the main parlor. Their vantage point there grants them clear view of all the shenanigans happening below. From Felix Gallagher 's kiss with BARNABY FINCH , to Martín del Mar putting the moves on another poor soul (Matilda Greenlaw ).

Eris Halla 's voice is the only thing that serves to tear Remiel's amused (and slightly flushed) expression away from it all. He blinks as she shoves a gift in his hand, holding it up before inspecting it with a wide and merry smile. "You made this yourself, Eris?" He asks, reaching down to gently pat her head in thanks. "I absolutely adore it. Earl Grey will, too."

Though he proudly clips the ball to his belt, lifting his cardigan slightly for a moment to show it off for a moment, Locke Jamison 's sentiment doesn't go disregarded. Remiel chuckles as the boy covers Eris' eyes, moving to pet the Yamper before nodding. "I'll take care of this, kids, don't you worry." The royal assuredly states, briskly walking down the last flight of steps afterward.

Seeing Alexei Ivanov with his phone out, recording all the amorous play, Remiel wags a scolding finger in his direction. He reaches luka chêne and the small group she surrounds herself with afterward (Martín del Mar , Matilda Greenlaw , Dominic Grey ), gently grasping her hand with his own as he approaches from behind. If they need a moment to soak in the antlers, the ears, and the red reindeer nose, they're given it as the royal gauges the tipsy expressions on some of their faces.

"She's right, you know," He chuckles. "Everyone is free to stay the night in a room of their own, especially with that particularly nasty blizzard on the horizon." Fingers entwine softly with Luka's as he pauses to side-eye her, tickled pink and fascinated to see her in such a state. "Which I suppose means you all can get properly sloshed without worry."

---

🎅 it's the most wonderful time of the year — andy williams

DECK THE HALLS + Eris Halla

☉

Dom was still very sure that his whispering had gone off without a hitch, even when luka chêne muttered something about beds. He turned to her with a quizzical stare, squinting his eyes far more than was probably necessary. It was only a moment later that someone else (Remiel Calcifet, who Dom absolutely did not recognize as the owner of the estate and purveyor of this very fancy party) confirmed the existence of crash space. Dom pursed his lips, nodding thoughtfully. He patted Martín del Mar and Matilda Greenlaw on their shoulders and said, "Mmm, carry on, then." And with that he turned and toddled back to his chair, slumping into it with a contented sigh. He was unconscious in a moment.[break][break]

He would have indeed wished for a kiss from Mars. Instead, he snored quietly in his chair, blissfully unaware.

[break][break]

+ prompt: exit the event in festive style (by... passing tf out).

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[attr="class","credit"]milky

Matilda shoots a look at Dom when he 'whispers' to her, but as Mars pulls her into him she forgets Dom's existence entirely.[break][break]

When Martín del Mar releases her with a wink, she can't help but flash an amused smile up at him. He turns to the party and continues on his charismatic way, and Mattie's attention is pulled to Dom briefly when he claps a hand on her shoulder. Her grin of amusement only grows as she helps her wildly inebriated friend back to his seat. She stays quietly out of the way of the group's proceedings, pouring herself another glass of mulled wine as she contemplates the interactions of the group she's found herself in.[break][break]

The sight of a Dreepy sticker on a Pokeball pulls her out of her thoughts, and her face lights up as she excitedly bounces over to Remiel Calcifet. "A Dreepy?!" she asks rhetorically, releasing Dziban. The small dragon flicks over to Matilda's shoulder, hiding in her hair so just his snoot and eyes are visible as he looks around at the group. "In all my travels I haven't been able to find anyone else with one of the Dreepy line!" Matilda's joyous gaze is locked on Remiel, ecstatic at the prospect of finding a friend she could talk Dragons with.




[break][break]

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[attr="class","credit"]milky

Quick delivered banter, with little room for rebuttal, was to be expected from Martín del Mar . But it must have been the alcohol that had made him so bold as to tease Remiel with a kiss on sweet Luka's cheek... before planting another onto the ambassador himself. Mild shock and confusion hit him like a bucket of ice water afterward, washing away any sense of envy or insult that may have been blooming otherwise. 

luka chêne 's round of smooching serves to bring him back around again, however. Suddenly feeling competitive, Remiel narrows his eyes on Mars before turning to carefully frame Luka's face with his hands. Raising the sleeve of his cardigan with his wrist, he gently rubs her cheek in circles before leaning in. But the erasure of Martín's peck ends up being little more than a bluff after all.

Instead, Remiel's lips sweetly meet her own, savoring a space he knows has remained untouched by the other. The act may be short, but it's done with such boldness and ease that it'd be difficult not to see it for what it was: a declaration. Exactly what that declaration entails, however, is left for the others to wonder as the royal turns to greet an old friend.

Though not before casting Mars a proud wink.

"Ahh, Alexei! My apologies for not showing up earlier. I was caught up with things." Gift wrap, ribbons, and sticky tape, mainly. Although he isn't given much time to elaborate before his friend produces a gift for him: a pokéball with a Dreepy sticker on it. Alexei Ivanov knew his taste in Pokémon quite well, no surprise there.

"Oh, you shouldn't have, friend. But thank you..." He smiles, disregarding Alexei's attempt at 'clearing his name' with a few waves and a chuckle. Oh, it wasn't that serious!

Just then, a young woman (Matilda Greenlaw ) regards the ball in his hand with awe, releasing a Dreepy of her own. Curious, Remiel summons his recently appointed gift, too, finding it to be a DRAKLOAK instead. It croaks after looking up at its new master, absorbing the sight of him, reindeer horns and all.

"In all my travels I haven't been able to find anyone else with one of the Dreepy line!"

"Is that so?" He remarks, supervising as his Drakloak takes a curiosity in the lone Dreepy. "Even with the Galarian embargo lifted, I suppose most people in Hoenn find it to be rather odd. I have an entire colony living in my draciary. Perhaps you'd like to see it sometime, miss... ?"

DECK THE HALLS + luka chêne

☉