entranceway | video/action;

[Souji appears on the network looking pretty upbeat. He's in the diner, because where else would he be ever, which has been decorated just like everything else in the Mansion. Of course, he made his own additions, like the Colonel (plus twinkling fairy lights). He brought the statue out late last year, so he's decided to get a looooong head start this year.

This will be his third annual KFC Christmas in Wonderland, though this time he's on his own. Which is exactly why he's making this appearance.]

I'm going to call it and say Charlie's gone home. I'm the only one working in the diner now, so the hours might be shorter than before.

[Because Souji gots to get some sleep once in awhile. He offers a small smile.]

On that note, if anyone wants to come help out any time, it'd be excellent. No experience necessary or anything.

[He'll leave it at that, cutting the feed off after a small wave.]

[As usual, Souji can often be found in the diner. Anyone who comes by from 12/24-12/25 will be greeted by the Colonel (plus lights) and a sign board advertising Japanese Christmas. Inside, he'll have plenty of fried chicken (with Souji's best approximation of the 11 herbs and spices), a few appropriate sides, and plenty of Christmas cake complete the menu today. Cocoa, coffee, tea, and various other drinks are available.

From 12/13-12/15, Souji is affected by The Little Match Girl event. That starts out as just wearing way too many clothes for someone who's inside cooking, but midway through 12/14, he disappears from the diner and wanders around the Mansion trying to warm himself up and resist feeling lethargic. He's pretty sure something's wrong, but somehow, it doesn't occur to him to ask anyone if they know what's up. He returns to the diner late that evening and, in his confusion, ends up spending the night there, trying to use the oven to keep warm, which is always an excellent idea. He spends most of 12/15 back in the kitchen, hallucinating about Nanako and the kotatsu at home in Inaba and eating hot food with his friends.

He finds time to make a few gifts for friends, though, and can be found in the library, looking at a couple of books about origami patterns, or in his room working on said gifts. He also takes some time to just wander around admiring the Mansion or going outside with his very fat, small pet dragon to make a rather distinctive snowman, which Tefra (the very fat, small dragon) immediately pounces on.

On Christmas Day, he passes out his gifts and then spends some time in a tea room, staring in silence at the omikuji he found in his Christmas stocking. It's hard to gauge what his actual reaction to it is--his face is pretty carefully blank.

Come by the diner or feel free to catch him around the Mansion and the grounds!]

[OOC: I'll be tagging around with Souji, but this will be his catch-all for the event. Feel free to respond to his video or action it up. Prose or brackets are both fine; I'll match your style.

He'll have origami gifts for pretty much everyone he knows come Christmas, so if your character's spoken to him more than once, it's safe to assume they receive a gift from him. No need to thread it if you don't want; for anyone he doesn't run into, he'll leave it somewhere they're likely to come across it with a brief note saying it's from him and Happy Christmas.]

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[James lets him sink to the floor and watches for a moment, trying to figure out if he's gotten worse or not. But then Souji starts to move and James laughs - it's like watching a toddler!]

Where're you going, mate?

[He sounds amused, but he follows Souji over to the table.]

[James's voice distracts Souji and he looks up at him as though he's not sure how James got so much taller than him so quickly. Then he looks back at the table and a puzzled look crosses his face.]

...I keep seeing things.

[He runs a hand along the underside of the table, then puts it on top, palm down, before finally crossing his arms on the surface of the table and resting his head on them.]

Seeing things?

[For a brief moment, James wanders out of view, but only so he can grab a warm blanket and drape it over Souji. Then, he plops down next to him and keeps talking, to try and keep him awake and conscious.]

What've you been seeing, Souji?

Warm things.

[Souji closes his eyes, his voice muffled as he speaks into his arms.]

Nanako under the kotatsu...

[He lifts his head, glancing around. He'd thought to show James his picture of Nanako's family, but in trying to remember where he put it, he remembers he doesn't have it anymore.

That makes him a little sad and he puts his head down again. His mind wanders quickly, though.]

...Why don't I have a kotatsu....

I'd help you out, but I've got no idea what that is, mate.

[What he can do though, is conjure a teapot and cups. Somewhere in another, his mother is probably deeply unsettled, sensing that her son is somewhere conjuring tea instead of making it properly, but she's not here right now and he needs to be quick about it.

Once poured, James slides one of the cups closer to Souji and nudges him.]

Oi, head up, alright? [He's gentle about it though, like he's trying to make sure Souji's awake.] Try and drink something. It's warm.

[Souji glances up at James without lifting his head, as if he might decide to refuse, before doing as James instructs and reaching with both hands to take the cup. There's no reason to be unpleasant or contrary with James, and there are a lot of reasons to try and shake off the gloom settling around him.

Taking a drink, he swallows and lowers his hands, keeping hold of the cup. It's almost painfully hot against his palms, but he hangs onto it.]

Thanks.

[He searches his thoughts for anything to talk about. Not much is coming to mind, so he says the first thing that comes to mind.]

Do wizards have Christmas?

[He's pretty sure they do, since he has no recollection of James ever not knowing exactly what the holiday is. It probably doesn't have the same meaning that it does for some people from England, though.]

[James doesn't mind. He stills right down next to Souji, fully intent on keeping him company until he's no longer frozen.]

Sure we do! And from what I've seen, it's not all that different from Muggle Christmas either. Our decorations are a bit more magical, but it's still celebrating all the same things. We still exchange presents, have big feasts, things of that sort.

[He hums, thoughtfully.] Actually, with the magic I suppose it's more like Christmas here. No events, but it's not the first time I've seen halls seemingly deck themselves.

Is it religious at all?

[Souji lets go of his tea to pick at the surface of the table with one of his nails, thinking out loud in a vague, mumbling sort of way. It's clear from the way he glances at James occasionally, though, that he's talking to him and not just in his general direction.]

I think it's supposed to be, but it's not where I'm from. It's pretty different from how it is here.

It is, a bit. Perhaps not as much as for muggles, but it is.

[Muggles always seem so surprised about that, that religion and wizardry can go hand-in-hand.]

Yeah? What's it like then?

[He's usually the talkative one between them, but if it keeps Souji awake then it's worth it to have him take the lead for once.]

[It's less that wizardry and religion might be connected, and that Japanese Christmas is entirely disconnected from religion.]

Like what we do at the diner.

[He makes a vague gesture with one hand, as though they're still in the diner and he's gesturing at their surroundings. Also, he doesn't correct himself when he says "we," as though he's not typically alone in the diner these days.]

You order your chicken way in advance, then you pick it up on Christmas Day. Couples go on dates for Christmas Eve, and they eat Christmas cake. You gives gifts but...it's not really a big thing, like it must be for most.

[James looks around when Souji gestures, glad that he's engaged in telling this story.]

It sounds fun though! Our holidays don't involve nearly enough fried chicken. [He laughs a little.] For Christmas we usually have turkey - like the Americans do whenever they do their Thanksgiving celebration here.

[Wonderland is such an odd mixture of cultures sometimes.]

Turkey is hard to make. It gets all dry inside.

[Souji raises his hands and makes a grabby motion in the air that is somehow supposed to pantomime the idea of dried out turkey.]

I practiced all fall. I got so tired of turkey.

[He can't help laughing a little. He has no idea what that gesture is supposed to be but it's very funny to watch.]

Anyone'd get tired of turkey if they made it that often.

I guess you'd get tired of anything you made or ate too often. ...Except, I don't know, there are some things I might not get tired of.

[Beef bowls.]

I like new things, though...trying things.

[Like grass.]

Mostly....

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