2024-11-29 - All Hands on Deck the Halls: Mechano-Arcana Midway Edition

Lucien is one of the most recent arrivals at the park, only having been here for a few days and still getting settled in with the ice show. But the opportunity arose to come out and stay up all night decorating and hanging out with his new coworkers, and so here he is in a pair of faded jeans and a grey hoodie, sipping cocoa and watching as people bustle around, hanging lights and fastening be-ribboned tophats to animatronic characters. For the moment, he's standing off to one side with both hands wrapped around his hot cup, taking a break.

Jett, as one of the game operators, is of course part of the crew hanging the new plushies and swapping out colors to fit the theme. He's presently finished hanging a giant reindeer looking character that has lightning bolts on it's rump and big googly eyes, while it has a very Christmas like saddle. Jett exhales a breath from where his arms were stretched on the ladder, admiring the hanging job for a few moments before climbing on down to retrieve the next one. The next one is a Christmas horse, white as snow, with a holiday saddle and is about as big as the reindeer, "These are good looking prizes." He remarks on the holiday quality of the big plushies and once again meanders on up the ladder to hang it in succession to the reindeer. This gets repeated with alternating reindeer to horse for the water-gun racing game.

Once he's done with that row of plushies he grabs up all the plastic bags that they were wrapped in and marches the bags to the recycling bin where all the plastic is being gathered. That's when he will skirt off to the break area and catch a cookie. He has to have a cookie! He can't just let them sit out here in the open! He takes one, sticks two more into his pocket. Food is never safe around Jett. He doesn't even care who's watching! He absconds with his treasures and makes for the hot coco. He was on shift earlier so he's still in his uniform; a teal shirt with purple highlights and white pants. The white pants he doesn't necessarily like but it's better than purple pants. He notices someone else standing about on break and wanders over to Lucien after obtaining coco. His greeting? A pretty neutral tone, "Hey." He looks over Lucien and doesn't immediately recognize him, "Having fun yet?"

Theo comes strolling into the Midway. Probably looking for Jett. When he heard there was going to be decorating to be had he didn't know where to go. He knew that Jett worked at Midway so he figured that is where he could find him.

He is dressed sort of festive. Maybe? Either way he's in a red sweater, black jeans, and black vans. So red was the splash of color on him. Ah there is his roomie hanging up a reindeer. A snort as he begins to make his way in more. Then the horse gets hung next. He was just about to offer to get hot chocolate but Jett is a busy bee and already there.

Saying to Jett, "Hey." Seeing the new face his hand is extended in Lucien's direction, "Hi, Theo. You have this look that you might be new. Am I right?" He asks in a curious but friendly manner.

Lucien watches as the new plushies get put up into place, studying them with a kind of fascinated interest. He's never worked a theme park before. He's never really done anything like all of this before, and so he is still a little bemused by it all. "Hey," he says as Jett comes over and stands near him, a small smile appearing. "Yeah. This is kind of cool. A little overwhelming but cool." There are a lot of people all rushing around in different directions. "Needed a minute to step out of the frenzy."

Theo gets an up-nod of greeting as well and he reaches out one cocoa-warmed hand to give his a shake. "Hey. Luc. Yeah, real new. You work the midway too?" He nods, indicating the general area around them.

Jett is sipping on his coco after the initial heys are passed between one another and the answer he gets from Lucien makes him smirk a little, "Yeah. It can be a lot but it's all been worth it." At least from where Jett's coming from, "Are you working this area of the midway or are you still kind of figuring it out?" He offers, "I enjoy working the games myself, especially when the tough guys loose and the underdog gets the big prize." He chomps on a cookie and helps to give Lucien that minute by not asking anymore questions yet.

Jett regards Theo as he catches up to the busy bee that is Jett! Jett immediately offers a pocket cookie, "Cookie?" Of course there's fresh ones right over there but who could resist a Jett Pocket Cookie?! Honestly the crud in his pocket probably adds to the flavor. He doesn't offer one to Lucien, nope, just Theo. Lucien's too unknown to accept pocket cookies from strangers. Jett immediately rolls his eyes at Theo when the other young man goes right for the question period, not that Jett isn't interested in how Lucien answers but he also gives Theo a lifted brow. "I wasn't sure you'd make it. I figured you'd be with the other Royalty of the park," his expression is deadpan before he says, "Glad you came. Ready to actually do some work?" As to help answer Lucien's question he notes, "Nah this one is a Prince and sings for his supper."

"Nice to meet you Luc." Theo's expression is warm and friendly. "Yeah, it can be a bit overwhelming." He amends what Jett has said to Luc about Theo. "What he means is that I work at Lamplight Amphitheater. I do the show right before the fireworks-laser show starts for the night."

He turns to just give a look to Jett. "Uhh, yeah sure...." He does take the pocket cookie. It doesn't mean he is going to eat it straight away. But he's the kind of person who doesn't want to offend another person and that includes his roommate. The pocket cookie just sort of sits on his hand instead. He's not exactly sure what to do with it. It very well could end up in his own pocket later when he actually goes for a fresh cookie when Jett isn't looking.

"I'm here. We sort of talked about it, right? I am capable of doing work." He squints at Jett.

"Oh, no, I don't work this area," Luc says with a shake of his head and nods back in the direction of the mountain area and says, "I'm over at the ice palace. I'm a skater. I just got sent over here to help with decorating this area. Was helping to put together the big presents earlier." He gestures toward one of the displays with the 8 foot tall boxes with gigantic bows on top.

He lifts his cocoa and takes a small sip from it. When Theo explains what he does, he nods and says, "Nice. I'll have to catch that show sometime when I don't have one."

Jett by contrast to Theo is wearing all the makings of an emo kid, at least around the uniform. His hair is black, he's wearing guyliner, black eye shadow, mascara, he's got a nose ring, lip ring, and so many piercings on his ears. His necklaces seem to be made out of scraps, like a paperclip necklace, there's bracelets on his wrists that seem to be made of bolts, his rings are beaten and hand shaped metal and if it wasn't for the product in his hair he'd look like he came out of a trash can with all the weird junk he uses for accessorizing. His lip quirks a little as Theo amends the introduction to something a little more professional than a Prince singing for his supper.

The pocket cookie is thusly handed over and Jett watches Theo for a moment with expectancy that Theo would start eating it soon. Of course these two have different eating habits, Jett being someone who will mow down anything put in front of him. Maybe Jett gets some pleasure out of watching Theo figure out how to navigate these situations.

"We have more toys to hang. We have to put those .." he makes a spinny motion with his hand, "stringy sparkling ropes around the racing game tubes... and probably the booth's posts. There's balloons to fill; they're red, green, white, silver, and gold." He looks around at the place, "I don't know. I mean, if you think something needs more Christmas umphf... then have at it? Oh. There's some big sparkling balls you can hang too."

Upon hearing that Lucien is an ice skater Jett ahhs softly, "Saw the Ice Princess practicing her show the other day that way. It's pretty good. I wouldn't know where to begin with all that." He nods at Lucien, "Appreciate the help. Maybe we can catch your show sometime."

"We know Esme." Theo offers a name up when Jett says Ice Princess. Just in case Luc doesn't know what Jett is talking about. "Yeah, I would love to catch yours too when I have a moment myself. Recently got told I work too much. I am trying to amend that and besides its always good to support fellow co workers."

Theo can appreciate the gesture that this pocket cookie was given but is that lint on that cookie? Or something else? He doesn't want to know! He's seen what Jett has done with lettuce. He tells Jett, "I'm just gunna save this for later. Because it sounds like we have a busy night of decorating!" Yes, that is a good excuse for not consuming the cookie right now, right? Right. It gets slipped into his front pocket. Again, when he gets a moment he will throw it out in the trash where Jett is not looking because Jett will give him a lecture or something of wasted food.

"Alright, Chief, put me to work." This time he nudges at Jett. "I actually think I'm gonna tackle those ropes. They look fun." He grins when he says that. Nodding his head at what Jett says about catching Luc's show. That is one thing the both of them can agree on.

"Oh, you mean Esme?" Lucien asks when Jett mentions the Ice Princess, apparently knowing exactly who he's talking about. "Yeah, she's been here a little longer than I have. Met her when I got here." But then there's also a lot of information on what needs doing and so he asks, "Want some help hanging the prizes? Then we can do the lights? Figure it'll go faster if we're all doing it?" He glances over at Theo to see if he's in.

He finishes off his cocoa and tosses the cup in a nearby can, rubbing his hands together for warmth as the snow begins to fall and then moving to help out. There's a nod when Theo says he's going to get started with the ropes of lights. "Let me know if you need a hand." Seems he's willing to be a floater between the two.

"She did call herself that though," Jett clarifies when Theo puts a name to the Ice Princess. Jett regards Theo as Theo makes a big long sentiment about supporting fellow coworkers and shakes his head a little bit, amused but also just affectionately annoyed. Afterward he's sipping on his coco some more, allowing Theo to have the opportunity to command the audience as it were.

Still he is curious about where that cookie goes. At least Theo put it in his pocket; pocket cookies are safe! The pockets might not be safe after from all the crumbs though. "Yeah we do," Jett says about the decorating and yet doesn't move yet to go back to work. He just got on break. Sip sip sip sip. Besides there's a whole assed other cookie he has to eat; he slips it out of his pocket and starts to take rather large bites out of it. Cookie monster in the flesh!

The nudge has him smirk over at Theo, "I think there's a box of them over that way." He points to the box sitting sort of midway of the midway, and all the other similar boxes near by. It's going to be a hunt to find the 'ropes' because they're actually garlands and labeled that way. But then Lucien offers a solid plan of prizes first, then lights. Jett cannot deny that, "I mean that sounds like a good way to get things accomplished." His eyes flick up as pieces of snow start sprinkling over them, "We probably should get too it before it dumps snow on us." Seeing Lucien and Theo both ready to decorate he chugs his coco and also tosses it in the bin. Garland... light, lights are probably better!

"Ah yeah, snow." Theo smiles when he takes notice of it because he loves snow even if he doesn't work in the ice rink. He also knows that Michigan is colder than North Carolina but he can appreciate. When he does speak he's got that drawl that North Carolina is known for. He's just going to follow Jett and Lucien as if he's the lost puppy of the pair. But he's got good hands and some muscle. This can't be too difficult, right?

Theo has not partake in the hot chocolate or the cookies, yet. But he surely will when this is all said and done with. "Okay, so if I am understanding correctly, garland and then lights." He tells Jett, "This is your domain. I am just the helper." Moving over to where he thought he saw a box of garlands when he scanned the area when he first came in.

It looks as if the Ice Skaters were sent over to help out at the Midway for some reason so at some point even Esme shows up! she's dressed festively with a Santa's hat, candy cane earrings, a candy cane striped scarf and a pretty red Santa dress with white fur trim and tall red lace up boots. Theo might know by now that she probably has ice skates that match these boots.

"I'm sorry that I'm late!" She calls out carrying a box of tinsels which she should have brought earlier but didn't, because she only just arrived. At first, she hadn't realized that it was snowing until she nearly slips none too gracefully too as it looks as if she's dancing, unfortunately, not very well, and then there's that high pitched squeal because she doesn't want to fall. She never falls on the ice. She'll be damned if she falls off the ice! But fall she does, on the first falling snow of the season. I mean, probably not that exact snowflake that she slipped on, but one of its friends.

So she sits there on her knees looking disheveled with a box that just exploded with tinsel before her, and she might just cry if not for the snow. "OH MY GOD. Is it snowing?? Are you all seeing this??"

Lucien doesn't look like there's any doubt that Esme called herself the Ice Princess. He certainly recognized who they were talking about quickly enough. Once they seem settled on a plan, he moves behind the booth to unwrap prizes and hand them up to Jett and Theo so they can hang them while he disposes of the wrapping, clearing the way for more prizes to be unwrapped and hung.

He glances up when he hears the voice and then watches as though, in slow motion, Esme does a little snow dance that ends up with her and an exploded box of tinsel on the ground. He blinks slowly for a moment and then coughs to stifle a laugh, one hand in front of his mouth. "Uh, hi Esme.. Yeah, we noticed that."

Hopping back over the booth he wanders over to offer her a hand up.

Jett steeples his fingers over his forehead when Theo points out this is his domain and closes his hand until he pinches his now, "Do I look like someone who knows how to decorate for Christmas?" His hand drops away and he throws his arms wide, "I don't know. Just make it bright and Christmas-like... Like it was last year." He did not participate last year, "How hard can it be to hang the lights." Very hard. It can be so hard people throw a fit when doing it. "I'll get the ladder, we can start with ... whatever lights or the rope thing," Aka garland. He moves back to the water gun racing game to fetch the ladder, "We can start on the milk jug game over there... it's got nothing on it yet." The milk jug game is where you try to get the ball into the milk jug container; it looks super easy but the deception is how bouncy the balls are. "The prizes for that should already be in the booth. I think they're giant snowmen and Christmas mice. There might be weird stuff in there too like animals with Santa Hats on. We'll alternate them. The boxes marked extra large are the ones you hang on the very top. The others go in sequential order from large all the way down to small. Smalls tend to go in the buckets.."

"Oh shit. We probably have some Christmas magnets to go over the paintings on the milk jugs. If anyone sees them make sure you slap them on the jugs..." He carries the ladder over and sets it up near the exterior of the game so that lights can be strung around the booth, down its pillars, and all that fun stuff.

He's getting up on the ladder just about the time that Esme shows up in that darling outfit! Jett does a look over at the call but then does a double triple look over at the Santa dress ... well no the person ... well.... yes the dress... cause like ... It's a good thing he wasn't carrying anything just then because the man does wobble the ladder and has to do a hand slap to the top rung to steady himself. He'll blame the squealing! He will totally blame the squealing...!! "Shit," he mutters to himself as he rights his balance on the ladder, side eyeing the situation over there with Princess Clause.

Hey! Both Esme and Theo match. Sort of. He's got a red sweater on. That counts right? Maybe. He does a whistle when he spies Esme coming through only to say a bit loudly, "Uh oh." But Luc is there to rescue the woman and he just sort of stands there as if he doesn't know what to do. Whoops. "Yes, the snow is lovely." Theo affirms as he goes to her side and tries to pick up any tinsel if it's saveable. "Glad you could make it."

But now Theo is looking over at Jett. He is so distracted. One moment he was going after the garland and then the next he's trying to pick up tinsel. He is so confused in what he should do he literally sits where he is at and scratches his head as if doing that action will give him an idea of where he can help. It doesn't. In case, anyone was wondering.

He does grin when he heard Jett's little explosion about Christmas last year and how it should look this year. "You know we can make it bigger and better." He confirms. He just waits for Jett to catch his breath. Hazel gaze staying trained on the man who is now on the ladder. Oh wait was that ladder wobbling? Tinsel is likely a lost cause and Esme is being taken care of by Luc so he moves to be closer to Jett. "Look if you fall on your ass you still owe your half of the rent!" But he's there now and will hold the ladder steady to help his friend out. The other stuff can wait because that ladder had attitude.

Hearing Lucien cough, Esme almost pulls her hand back and away from him, not wanting to catch germs. "Are you unwell, Lucien?" She couldn't afford to be sick herself. Not this close to the Christmas Show. She watches him with concerned eyes, before reaching out to take his arm rather than his hand, so that she can at least pull herself back up. "You might want to check into the clinic. There is no time to rest before the holiday events. Not if you want to be a headliner anyway."

And yes, there's tinsel in her hair, on that Santa's cap, on her clothing. EVERYWHERE you can imagine. There is tinsel. And snowflakes now too.

Now, however, she is only focused on that. (And Lucien's cough) "Iiiiiiiiiiiit's snowing! This must mean that we're going to have a wonderful Christmas show! I just know it!" And with that, she does a few spins. No, not figure skating spins, just spinning around with her arms outstretched to catch a few snowflakes in her mouth. She doesn't realize that her left knee is slightly bloody and scraped, because there's snow! And tinsel everywhere. And look! "Friends!" She calls out the trio. "Oh right! I am here to offer my assistance!" She gives an excited wave in Theo's direction and then all the way up, up to Jett, before stating, "Jett! Be! Careful! Don't you dare fall!" Though she seems relieved that Theo is probably holding that ladder upright, right?

"I'm fine, just a little uh, something caught in my throat," Lucien decides to go with as she hauls herself back up to her feet. He studies her for a minute as though deciding whether or not to tell her that she is covered in tinsel and in the end decides not to, just offering her a bit of a smile up until she mentions being a headliner. Then, some of the light goes out of his eyes and his expression drops into something a lot more neutral. "Yeah," is all he says to that, and turns to head back toward where the others are still decorating.

Crouching down, he rummages in one of the boxes and comes up with the magnets for the milk jugs. "Found the magnets," he says, "I'll put them on where they belong." And he goes about focusing on that to take his mind off other things.

"What does falling on my ass have to do with rent!?" Jett snipes down to Theo, grateful though that Theo is keeping the ladder solid now, extending his hand down to Theo, "Lights..." He looks up toward the top post and the booth's banner board noticing the fasteners already in place and the nails hammered in just waiting for things to be hung on them. "That makes it easy," he claps his fingers into his palm, "Come on. Lights." He gives Princess Clauses over yonder when she calls out to him a thumbs up, "Keep your tinsel on! I'm fine!" He scowls down at Theo, muttering to him, "Thanks for drawing attention... man. Thanks." SCOWL.

He takes notice of the music that comes over the speakers, at first, thinking it was to motivate them all to decorate and something festive... but then it stops. "That was weird," he notes, "maybe they're testing the music set for the Christmas season..." Something like that.

"Who's the headliner?" Theo asks. Is he stirring the pot between Lucien and Esme? It is not his intention but he is curious so hence the question. "Hey." He is trying to call Esme's attention. "You should probably clean your knee up. It looks banged up." But he is not a medic and that is all the advice he can offer right now.

Yes, Theo is still holding the ladder for Jett so the other man will not fall. How high up is Jett anyways? He squints a look upwards as if to judge the distance and then shrugs. But then the broadcast system comes on and there's a small frown. "You all heard that right? The voice? Were they singing?"

Theo looks up at Jett, "If you end up hospitalized because of your antics I can't cover the whole rent myself is what I mean. Just be careful!" His words are said with affection. Living with a person after a while you either have them as your sworn enemy or friend. He likes to think that he and Jett are friends even if he's giving grief for the shaking ladder. "Don't even wiggle! I will be right back." Going to the box where the lights are and in a few minutes he's trying to feed Jett the lights that he was able to gather from one of the boxes. "Don't electrute yourself either." Theo, such a nag. Maybe this is how he shows his concern. He does blow a kiss in Jett's direction when his friend mutters at him. He thinks it's funny. "Oh good, I am not the only one that heard that." His gaze drops to Lucien and Esme, "Right?"

Esme catches that deflated look Lucien gets even in all of her excitement. She won't approach her fellow skater right here and right now about it, but now she feels bad that in her mind she called him Germy. When she hears Theo's question regarding the headliner, that's when she shoots Lucien a glance first, before returning full attention to the Storyteller now when she clearly states, "The wicked Ice Queen." Oh, there's no animosity there!

By now, there's bright red lines dripping down the Ice Princess' leg, staining one of her already red skates and the ground below. Just a touch. This is something she might not have noticed if Theo hadn't draw attention to it and to this she lets out a dramatic gasp! "Oh God." If it hurts, she doesn't show it and it's obvious that she's not going to let a scrape stop her from her practice later.

When she looks through boxes, all she can find are, as you can guess, tinsel, some sort of cotton fabric type things and prizes, like stuffed animals. While it's tempting to grab a giant dragon to blot blood off of your leg, someone might want to win that one. Maybe even her! This is when she ventures towards where the cocoa is set up. "They must have napkins here!"

And that's when the music starts to play, something which makes her stop in her tracks. At some point, she even begins to hum along to this unknown melody, as if trying to mimic it as best she can, so enthralled by its beauty. Then it's gone, leaving Esme, like the others to look at each other in confusion. When asked by Theo if she had heard it, she firmly and vigorously nods her head, making her brown curls bounce around her shoulders. "Whatever that was... it was beautiful!" She even tries her best to recapture the melody before she forgets it completely by humming the parts she remembers as she wanders off to grab some napkins once more.

"Headliner?" Jett asks in confusion of what Theo is asking, "What are you talking about?" And then Theo is giving extra advice for Esme which makes Jett roll his eyes with so much exaggeration it's good that he's on the top of the ladder and not somewhere that his expressions could be seen.

Jett is as high as this 8 foot ladder can go, which means 12 feet off the ground. He's stepping on the top too to help him get the height he needs to hook the first part of the lights in and around the pillars of the booth. He starts to wrap it around the pillar and shrugs his shoulder, "Sounded like piano to me." Wrapping wrapping the lights are being curled around the pillar. WEEE.

"You'll break my fall," Jett says with confidence down to Theo and purposefully tries to shake the ladder before he laughs down at Theo, "Just keep giving more lights to hang! And Lucien, great work on the jugs!" It's the only time he can say that without getting in trouble! He looks back down when Theo takes off to get more lights, muttering under his breath as he gets nagged at some more. The blown kiss? Gets a middle finger of love and a snatch of the string of lights. "Oh my god Theo..." he grumbles down at Theo, "Go help her already... don't leave her bleeding!" He up nods toward Esme and widens his eyes as if to mutely express... what are you doing!

Whatever Lucien felt about Esme's comment, it seems that he's been distracted, both by the music and by the task of putting the magnets on the jugs. He gets them all set up and straightens up one or two that were a little crooked. He's only half paying attention to Jett and Theo's back and forth about the rent, their bickering seeming to just flow around him. He doesn't answer the question about who the principal is, since Esme answers that question for them. There's no reaction from Lucien about that, though, so perhaps there's no animosity with the Ice Queen, herself? Or maybe he just got his face under control.

"Yeah, it was pretty," he says about the music. "Wonder if that's what they're going to play all December. Do they just play Christmas music on loop until January here?" It seems a question to anyone who might have been here through the holidays before.

"Oh." Theo gives a one word response when Esme speaks about the Ice Queen.

Theo looks up towards Jett, "The star of the show. The one they spotlight. That is what I mean by headliner." He attempts to explain. "Jfc. Stop that Jett!" He grouses when the ladder is shook on purpose. "I will not!" They are starting to sound like an old married couple. He's been feeding Jett the line of lights and when he looks ready to accept more Theo continues. "Fine." He thinks he understood the look and gives one last line of lights to Jett and moves to Esme.

"Probably need to get some water on it first." He asks Jett, "Is there a first aid kit around here? Do you know?" Because honestly all he can think of is napkin blotted with blood. Sure it might match what Esme is wearing but it ruins her aesthetic she had been going for this evening.

"Yeah, they do Luc. I pray it isn't any of that Mariah Carey stuff. I'm a singer but I'm not a fan of that nonsense."

Jett flashes Theo a toothy grin when he gets Theo to swear back at him and grouse in return. He takes the string of lights that he was fed and works his way across the top board of the booth now, weaving the lights where they need to go, stepping down the latter, shifting the ladder over, and repeating the process.

As for the first aid kit he vaguely waves a hand, "In the arcade." He's on the top step again and is balancing to hoop the strings of lights in place.

"The music is on a loop. It should probably start like tomorrow I think... now that Thanksgiving is over. They don't wait with that shit," Jett is also of the mind that Christmas songs on repeat for a month or more kind of blows. It's part of the gig though; a lot of the songs on the midway are on a daily repeat.

If only Esme took notice if the crazily swaying ladder, she would have words. Fortunately, at this moment, she's either trying her best to memorize a mystery song or trying to mummify her leg with bloody red napkins. They started out as white, now parts of them are red. The wound itself isn't anything major even if there just seems to be a lot of blood, most of which actually are hidden within her boot, which is gross in itself.

Now that she's settled with a bunch of bloodied napkins though, she does take the moment to remove one lone red Christmas boot. Her stockings were ripped (and they were sparkly too), which means that she would have to repa-- stockings aren't a simple fix, but she'll find a way. All of these things are racing through her mind, all the while she continues humming the ghost song, but then Theo show up and mentions the need to clean the wound first. "Right! There should be a bottle of water somewhere and if not.... snow?" Or, yeah, a first aid kit would be ideal if one existed.

Did Theo say Mariah Carey? This is when Esme suddenly just belts out the lyrics to All I Want For Christmas as if on some Hellish cue. Just the mention of Carey triggered that in her at this time of year! Be warned.

Once Jett gets off the ladder, that's when she stops herself to everyone's relief, "I figure you both would be used to this by now. It's like working retail at the mall. Christmas songs over and over and over and over. It's like... practicing your program on repeat until you get it right and practicing it again and again until the competition day."

Jett groans when Esme breaks out with Mariah Carey, calling loudly over to Theo, "I BLAME YOU FOR THIS!" Theo is the one after all who said the NAME out LOUD.

It's one of those songs that just grates on the nerves and he manages to get the frontside of the game booth done with lights .... by the time she actually STOPS. He does not coordinate her stopping with him stopping what so ever; if he did he would probably think that was annoying!

He puts his hands on his side, giving Esme an exasperating look, "I thought you were cute in that dress... but not anymore." Deadpan angsty tone, completely emo and insulting.

"I'm going to look for the first aid kit and if I can't find it I guess snow will have to be the option?" Apparently Theo was no boy scouts and using snow seems to be a foreign concept to him. "Oh yeah, water." He moves to where he thinks things like that could be but he doesn't work HERE, Jett!

Even Theo groaned when Esme does that and he grimaced. "Where are the ear muffs?" He protests. Theo eloquently looks at Jett and sticks his tongue out when he gets accused like that.

When Esme starts belting out Mariah Carey, Lucien does a slow turn and looks over at her, just sort of staring for a moment. Then he looks to Theo and Jett. He's holding both of them responsible. Why? They are a unit now in his mind, a single bickering pocket-cookie-holding entity. And they both made her sing. Loudly.

"You could try smashing two stuffed animals against your ears," he offers to Theo ever so helpfully. He does, however, see where there are some bottles of water along with the cocoa and everything else so goes to fetch one and make himself useful. This, he presents to Esme, along with some fresh napkins from the cookie table.

Esme honestly doesn't know what all the fuss is about. Sure Mariah Carey songs can be annoying in their oversaturation, but if you asked her, she sang them BRILLIANTLY. So at what Jett says, whether she's bleeding or not, only wearing one Christmas red boot or not, she hobbles over in his direction after first gasping in utter shock that such words were said to her. Did he say that she was uncute?? "Excuse me! I'm sorry if my natural lark-like singing voice and my years of mimicking my mother, who was a singing teacher, BY THE WAY, offended you enough to think that my outfit was not cute! What a low blow! And someone here must be tone deaf."

And then there's Theo asking for ear muffs, but not to look cute for winter photos, SHE GETS IT. And Lucien helping with stuffed animal suggestions. "That's it! I don't need to listen to any of this." And with that she leans forward to snatch up that bloodied boot of hers. "I'm going back to my apartment, where I KNOW WHERE THE FIRST AID KIT IS." She actually doesn't know if there is one, but she had to say something. And with that, she marches her way out.

Jett literally puts a hand on his face because of second hand embarrassment! Lucien is evidently able to solve Esme's issues and ... Theo... Theo is running around doing something but not actually helping?!! Jett lets his hand fall away from his face and he regards Lucien with a favorable gesture, "At least someone knows how to help around here. Thank you Lucien!" He adds on, "And for the decorations too." He is totally not a bickering single entity with Theo! He simply stands there and takes the tongue stick with a grunt, "Don't stick it out unless you mean to use it."

"Mental note to self, do not ask Theo for help in an emergency...!" he monotones that one out.

Then Esme is walking over to get into his face. Okay maybe he brought that on, just a little bit. One can just imagine his hair being blown back by the spitfire that gets thrown his way. Jett's mouth hangs a bit open and while he tries to come up with something to say, he's left with a gaping fish mouth until he snaps his mouth shut completely. Then... laughter. It starts up as a snicker as his brain clues in to what just happened and then turns into a rumbling laugh before bursting out with merriment! Somewhere in the wheezing laughter, he wonders, "Are you serious?!" His waves of laughter continues because he doesn't at all think she's serious. Until she starts marching off.

Then he calls out, "Hey we were just clowning you! Aww come back Princesssss!" His arms are out, "Where are you going?!"

Theo is not aware of the trauma er drama that he and Jett might have started towards Esme because he was trying to be helpful and got distracted along the way. He was suppose to be looking for water bottles and Lucien beat him to it! The gall!

But what Jett said was true he was just messing with Esme and she's stomping off. "Oh no." He mutters when he sees that. He's not good at all this stuff even if he has empathy. Looking to both of the guys left here. "Now what?" He's confused in what next actions should be next and Jett is already trying to get her to stop.

"Esmeeeee!"

Maybe if he draws her name out it will make her pause. Oh or maybe this will work, "I am sorry if my words or actions hurt you. It wasn't intentional. Please stay! Maybe we can build a snow princess after?"

Lucien stands there for a moment with the bottle of water in one hand, wiggling it slightly, but Esme is already taking off and while Jett and Theo call out to get her to come back, Lucien just wanders on after her. He waves to the other two and says, "I'm gonna.. make sure she does get to a first aid kit, I guess," he says to the other two. And off he goes.