BACK TO BLIGHTY

Eve: We are...its weird to think about.

Nancy: I'm a little miffed to be back so soon after my escape. But knowing you're here with me more than balances out my distaine.

‘Christmas cake? Ugh, no, darling I wouldn’t be caught eating such a thing! This is banana cake. Not banana bread. Banana cake. Much softer, like a  true, quality cake,’ she hummed before taking a bite of the slice of cake that was sitting on the plate she was holding, ‘The main principle of Christmas is giving, generosity, doing something without expecting anyone to anything in return, and being with the ones you love. If you want some of my chocolates, I might as well just give you part of your Christmas gift now!’ she smiled.

“why dirty?” Alicia questioned, her voice croaked slightly as she looked at the other women. She stretched up her hands towards the fire place and warm them up. “they’re pot brownies but yeahs sure.” she chuckled, pushing some towards the brunette. She rested her head on Nancy’s shoulders for a while, “don’t you love Christmas?” 

“Looks like muck.” Nancy answered, her lips forming an upside down horse shoe. The offer of pot brownies resulted in an invisible recoil; she had never dabbled in such things, had always accepted the mess her imagination made in reality without enhancement, and that any kind of help from any kind of drug would not be at all a fruitful endeavor. She politely declined, though went a little brittle at the uninvited contact. Her thumbed twiddled and she thought a little too much into it, began catastrophizing but as eagerly as she could, shoved it back down and told herself not to be so silly. This resulted in an extremely uncertain hand to pat awkwardly on Alicia’s back. “Not very much. But I want to love it, I really do.”

Eveleen looked down at the food she had on her plate, from the Dirty Cake to the chocolates…. she was a happy camper with her food. The girl’s nickname, while fading from common articulation still held true. Lupin she was. She’d never give up a Harry Potter nickname. “Maybe it is…” She said in a sassy, playful tone. Her eyes drifted to the girl and she smiled a bit. The image of Nancy by the fire made her flash back to old memories, made her miss their past. “Only if you dont mind sharing the fire.”

This was all too nostalgic, and for the first time since she could remember, the overwhelming butterfly mob was welcomed within Nancy’s stomach. It was now common knowledge to both her and Eve that good things that came to her were crushed of her own accord, but perhaps those days of self inflicted suffering were over? A smirk appeared on Nancy’s lips, and she shuffled where she sat, welcoming her former lover in open body language. “Come on over,” she cooed, trying her very best to bat away the nerves that nipped at the fringes of her tangible joy. A memory of the note that had been given with Eve’s gift to her flickered in the hopeful licks of flames she stared into, and the corners of her mouth twitched with an infectious smile. “I ‘ope you found your presents...?”

Chase sat near the fire, just reminiscing over the last couple of days. Her mind wandered to all the distant memories, forever becoming stapled to her mind and etched into her veins. It wasn’t until she heard another voice that she actually realized someone was near her. “Oh sorry, yes of course.” Chase said, nudging the box of French macaroons near the girl. They were from Jakob, a small holiday gift as he was passing through. “Have as many as you’d like, really I’m not a sweet tooth person,” she said, having had one or two in the last day, and just nibbling on them. “What is a Christmas cake though? I’ve never heard of such a thing.” She was in such deep thought before, she felt guilty for not acknowledging the girl next to her. 

Examining the box of coloured treats offered to her, Nancy chewed her lip and let a tiny trace of a smile split through.She was modest, however, and only took one. It was an ingrained etiquette that she inherited from years of being taught to share with the 10+ other children in the home she was living in. She placed the macaroon daintily on her tongue. “Thank you,” she said courteously, propping up onto her knees as her hazel hues flickered from the unfamiliar woman to the temptation of her chocolate box. “Oh, must ‘ave been dreadin’ the worst. It’s this horrid dense cake what’s brown an’ got dried fruit in it. S’got marzipan on it. Yuck.” Her nose wrinkled and a shiver overcame her uncovered, freckled forearms with the memory of her food hell. “Glad it’s all over an’ I can turn me back on me sworn enemy; the Bastard Dirty Cake. But that’s jus’ me. ‘Ave you had a good Christmas?”

Hello there my precious roommate, we may not have talked much but I wish you the best of christmas! I hope you’ll like this present, as a welcome in New York City! The second my eyes fell onto this mug I thought of you. Merry Christmas darling!

   Harriet had left the show four months ago with a torn heart. Her mother had learned about her sexuality from the buzzing streets of Manhattan and lit camera focus. All of her years roaming her parents life with season changing beards seemed wasted. She felt free, realizing her arms were wings that had a purpose to fly, but she was guilt ridden. Her family was upset, hurt even, and the girl had a pure heart to the extent of overlooking their shame upon her and giving into their coddling. She needed to discover herself without her parents, without the smothering camera’s all around her. The pressure was suffocating. The awkward girl stood at the top of the stairs with her earbud wire wrapped around her fingers. The beat bopped through her ears causing her to dance, though most would call it awkwardly twitching. “Pop, pop it’s show time…guess who’s back again…” She twirled along the balcony stairs one toe away from falling down them. “put yo’ pinky rings up to the mooooon.” Harry spun again, this time interrupted by a sucked in gasp noticing close company. “Jesus!” she choked in, her cheeks flaming red. Her fingers yanked the chords from her ears. How was it she now managed to embarrass herself not once on an entrance on this show, but now twice. “Uhm..Hey…eh..Hi..How..–are–..hey…” The girl stumbled on a small laugh, eyes shifting, as she wanted to scurry off to her room and hide. 

There was a girl doing a funny little dance right where Nancy needed to ascend, but instead of approaching and asking to squeeze past, she stayed poised at the bottom of the flight, peering around a pillar and blushing with a suppressed laugh. It wasn’t until she was noticed spying that she emerged, and ringing her hands nervously under the billows of her blouse she approached with a genuine beaming smile, letting tiny giggles slip every now and then. “It’s Nancy, actually. Not Jesus.” She said, and then immedietely felt proud of herself for popping a joke. “Bless ya- don’t be embarrassed. Should see me when Louis Armstrong comes on. I try an’ do his voice an’ everythin’. We all need a private boogie once in a while.”

Addison felt quite shy, she had just arrived to the mansion. Everything was new to her, and she didn’t really know anyone in the place. The time she had spent wandering through the house, made her be able to at least find her way to the kitchen. She currently was standing in front of the counter, making herself a sandwich. The brunette had also placed a teapot over the stove, in order to have some hot water for tea. Addie was just about to finish her sandwich when she heard someone else in the kitchen. She turned around and smiled “Oh, hey!” She was definitely willing to at least make some friends. “I was just making a sandwich, would you like one?” 

Clasping a piping hot mug of comfort tea in her palms, Nancy blew softly between plump lips whilst scanning hazel hues over small print text. She daily felt under obligation to push herself out into the communal areas, save festering in her room alone, so did. But always cursed her choice, always regretted it for the interruptions she incurred. Then again, the offer of a sandwich was awfully tempting... She eyed the food after passing a meager greeting to the stranger, and her stomach seemed to answer for her with a gentle nudge of a rumble. “Depends...what’ya puttin’ in it?”

Delilah walked in the place - her home for she doesn’t know how long. She’s heard of the show and its “goal” if it is the right term to use. Dragging her bag with her inside, Del sighed. “Hi, excuse me,” she started, a warm smile plastered on her pale lips. “Do you happen to know where the rooms are? Or where I could find my assigned room, if there is any?” Talking to people is never a big deal to her. So maybe, just maybe, this is not a bad idea after all.

Nancy wasn’t usually one for loitering in the lobby, however tonight she was waiting for something special to arrive. It was late, and she was growing increasingly irritable and anxious for a number of reasons - the first being that it may not be coming, the second that she may be approached and talked to. She was in no mood for that, hence her lurking in a chair in one corner with her hood up, slouched with her hands in her pockets. The moment the latter happened, she sighed inwardly, but made an attempt to be at least marginally amicable, and perked up her posture. “Depends what ya room number is. They’re all over every floor; ain’t clustered or nothin’ like that. Nah, that’d be too easy. These people intend on befuddling us.” She applied a wry smile to her lips, eyes darting to the door every few seconds, very evidently on edge. “I reckon the staircases change. Like in Harry Potter, y’know? Only ‘coz I get lost at least once a day and me room never seems to ‘ave the same view out the window. It’s spooky, I’m tellin’ ya.”