Scene #9537: Hikaru Hunts Santa Down to Crash His Workshop Party

Owner	Pose
Star Twinkle	This assault on Santa Claus's headquarters is clearly something that has been a pet project of Hikaru's for some time. Yuma's wormhole summons you all to a different forest than the one that usually conceals the spaceship; higher up into the foothills, the shape of Mihoshi town can be seen clustered around the sea below, and closer, the blue dome of an observatory sticks out above the trees. From that direction, Hikaru comes scampering into the woods, papers and journals held tightly to her chest. She's wearing her pink star hoodie and a scarf while her breath fogs in the air from running around. The spaceship is here too, of course, and Lala's reluctant to do anything more than poke her face outside of the porthole in the cold. She's bundled up in a puffy winter coat, teal Santa hat already on her head, and clasped in her arms is an alien heater device that glows red with warmth from the electricity of her antennae plugged into either side of it. Lala beckons everyone into the spaceship interior, while Yuma floats behind her shoulder with a luminescent snowflake bubbles into place on her face. Inside the saccharine and cluttered spaceship interior, Lala plops down on the lower bunk in the bedroom indent off of the 'foyer', pulling her heart-covered blanket up around herself. Hikaru spreads out her papers across the star-shaped table as if she's revealing a grand conspiracy-- in fact, on the wall besides the string of adorable photographs and drawings, is a corkboard pinned with red yarn and pictures of Santa Claus. The papers, as Hikaru authoritatively places them down, range from blurry pictures through security cameras, low resolution satellite imagery, doodles of the night sky made by Hikaru, and a journal whose faded pink cover and childishly shaky kanji suggest that it's at least a few years old. When she starts flipping through it, it's made up of a lot of scientifically-dubious doodles of constellations she's made up, and very enthusiastic drawings and pages of excitement about spotting a yeti or some other cryptid in the woods, and occasionally a printed picture from the observatory's telescope. Hikaru speaks quickly and moves frenetically to brief everyone before flight. "Alright! I checked in Uncle Ryotarou's observatory, and the unidentified object-- and I know it's unidentified 'cause I can't find NASA saying what it is, and it's not a UFO because Director Abraham would've told us-- was moving due north. That's gotta mean that Santa's heading back to his workshop right now, and then we'll meet him there and join in on his huge Christmas party! Galacticool!" The picture that Hikaru gestures to for her unidentified astronomical object is an unreadable cluster of, like, four pixels, but that's just how photos of space are sometimes. In Lala's lap and around her on the bed, filling up the interior of the spaceship with a warm buttery smell, are aluminum-wrapped trays of homemade cookies, and Lala peels the foil to the side to show off its contents.
Star Twinkle	"We've made cookies with Terumi and brought milk in the fridge, since Santa's supposed to like those, lun. Hikaru wrapped him a gift too, but I don't think he'll be expecting anything." "Which is exactly why!" "Lun. I just don't know him very well, just the one who dresses up at the shopping center." Lala looks up at the lights at the apex of the room, that glow in time with AI's speech. "AI? Can you please plot a route to Santa's workshop?" "Affirmative, Miss Lala. However, from compiling Miss Hikaru's data, my calculations estimate a 16.012419% chance that we will find the entity known as Santa Claus." "That's one hundred percent! I'm the expert about this, y'know!" "Understood. My apologies, Miss Hikaru. Shall we depart?" After buckling into the plush couches around the table, the rocket shudders as the jets roar to life, and then through Yuma's wormhole to teleport right to the North Pole. Once there, the spaceship angles to the side so that the large star-shaped window angles downwards, giving a view of the ice below out of the 'wall' while artificial gravity keeps the floor stable. Sheets of featureless ice extend in every direction, and the polar night does the vista no favors, with the searchlight lancing down from the ship being the only light visible anywhere. "Hehehe... alright, we'll start at ninety degrees north, and then between AI's scans and Yuma's senses, we'll find him in no time. Twincooooool! I've never seen the North Pole for real before!"
Riku Asakura	Riku comes today in his normal get-up, except that instead of the jean coat, he's got a winter coat on for this expedition to one of the coldest places on earth. Instead of, like, actual super cold weather gear, he's still got on jeans and a pair of tennis shoes. It will probably be a mistake, but so is thinking that two girls will find Santa's workshop and infiltrate the Christmas party successfully. Riku believes in people, and what if something happens to these two, and he didn't come with them? He'd feel guilty! So here he is on the ship, listening to Hikaru excitedly describe her plan, with Lala going along with it reluctantly. "I haven't seen the North Pole either. I thought it was just a bunch of frozen water and snow..." Riku says to nobody in particular. "I can't believe we're going to meet Santa. I never met anyone important like that before..." he says, holding his excitement in as best as he can. "So what happens when we meet him, Hikaru?"
Chuyao He	Chuyao is here in his shenyi robes, albeit hanging on more layers of insulation than usual. He's taken it upon himself to ensure that Hikaru and Lala don't get into too much trouble for their meddling in the purview of gods and spirits. Grandfather Christmas must surely be a spirit, to travel the whole world in one night with gifts for every child in it. Therefore... That's gotta mean that Santa's heading back to his workshop right now, and then we'll meet him there and join in on his huge Christmas party! Galacticool! Chuyao clears his throat. "Junior sister Hikaru, surely, with the libations you, Lala and Terumi have prepared, there is ample supply to have our own Christmas party? It is most improper to invite oneself to a function." All the same, he buckles in and watches the passing arctic darkness in silent awe. "There is more snow here than this unrefined scholar has ever seen. One would need a truly impressive hearth, to withstand such cold!"
Lilian Rook	Despite the fact that it's not hers, Lilian has really started to grow fond of this spaceship. It's hardly one of her 'homes', but it's just familiar enough that she always relaxes a little bit when entering it, and she always smiles at the ridiculous pastel decor and the evidence of two girls living their lives inside. 'That's gotta mean that Santa's heading back to his workshop right now, and then we'll meet him there and join in on his huge Christmas party! Galacticool!' Well, Lilian didn't exactly have high confidence that Hikaru was actually going to track down a Santa Claus, but after having reason to remember Kale Hearthward shooting down an actual Santa that one time, she's a little bit relieved to hear that Hikaru just wants to go to a Christmas party instead of, like, put him in a speciment tank or something. 'We've made cookies with Terumi and brought milk in the fridge, since Santa's supposed to like those' "Oh my, she had the time?" Lilian says. "I'm so glad that she's taken a liking to you. That must be . . ." What's the word here? Nice? What a ridiculous, filler-like understatement. Lilian doesn't know the parents of any Elites, and the parents of all her classmates hate her fucking guts. "Very reassuring." 'That's one hundred percent! I'm the expert about this, y'know!' Lilian nods approvingly. That's the attitude girl! When the ship takes off, Lilian finds a seat around the main table, crosses leg over leg, and, realizing her smartphone won't have any connection, opts for her usual time-passing hobby of reading through practical occult books instead. Her coat is hung over the back until such a time that they're at the actual Arctic circle, which makes her suddenly reflect on the idea that she probably should have had specialist explorer gear on hand, rather than gloves and a nice scarf and hat. Hm. "I can't say I've ever been either." Lilian says to Hikaru. "We shouldn't stray far from the ship, though; that much I know well."
Natsuki Nuki	This night had been engineered to perfection as soon as one of the Golden Caterpillar Club's oni gangers had mentioned in goon-like sotto voice observation that the Christian Saint Nicholas, patron of Christmas, 'had a wicked coal curse'. "A curse... of coal? Now I can do something with that!" Natsuki had darkly-chirruped in wicked laughter while stroking claw to chin thoughtfully. "And I know just how to get on that naughty list before the night is over." Setting down her queenly spread of Christmas fried chicken half-eaten, Natsuki stalked out onto the streets of Osaka to find her target: A child enjoying candy outside! Unfortunately... It was Christmas! Those kids were inside! And, with time of the essence, Natsuki rounded back to the club to call her brother, ending with them both near a snowbank by the stairs up from the riverway. "I told you to bring candy. Do you have the stuff?" Takeshi, wearing a big scarf in his blazer jacket, nods and produces a fistful of lollipops. "Sure do. Why do you need me to buy it, though?" He asks. "Great. Nevermind why. You have the heart of a child, right?" "You should've asked me to swing by and get-" "I mean metaphorically. Like you." "I'm four years younger than you!" Takeshi exclaims, squeaking. Did she forget? "Oh. Right." Natsuki nods. Then she reaches for the candy with one hand, and shoves Takeshi over with the right. "For a [yan-kee] Nicholas-sama, you're still a child." Natsuki insists as she steals Takeshi's (child for Western reasons) candy. Phase one complete, she made for the warpgate to meet up with the Star Twinkles. --- Riding in on a chopper motorcycle with flaming wheels through the gate, Natsuki has switched to a locally appropriate disguise of an eyemask-pattern sporting Osakan young adult with platinum blonde hair, and a black street fashion t-shirt depicting the word 'NAUGHTY' wrapped in burning tinsel and Christmas lights under a white puffer jacket, a studded black leather belt high on the right and low on the left with big central snake-head buckle, paint white shorts, black leggings, and red sneakers with bells off the back that jingle-jangle like spurs as she steps with purpose. First, she steps on the brake, sliding into the girls' little meeting area and pulling classic police-grade aviators off of red eyes to tuck them into the cleavage of her shirt. "Girls!" She greets, clapping her hand together. "I heard you were assaulting Santa Claus' headquarters and I've come to help! I'm really looking forward to this, I've even stole -- wait, is this still Japan? Tch, I might've only stolen candy from a legal adult, which isn't as..." Trailing off, Natsuki pulls out a Tootsie-Roll pop and holds the stick outside of her teeth. "Whatever. It'll still be coal time." She states with confidence, moseying in. 'I've never seen the North Pole for real before!' "Oh, the north pole! Where..." Cookies. Milk. Things Santa likes. Natsuki, rapidly recalculating that she might've aimed at the wrong understanding of 'assault', slowly moves to zip up her puffer jacket while not making eye contact.
Tamamo	If ever there was a time to bring her winter coat back out of the closet, it would be a trip to Santa's Workshop. Accordingly, Tamamo's clad in a large, hooded coat with fur trim, two columns of buttons down the front, and matching rubber-soled boots. She keeps the gloves in her pockets for now, and her hood down, while trundling over to Lala's space heater with a talisman between her fingers. Tamamo carefully smooths it over like a sticker, providing a summery blessing to help it keep up with where they're going. Summer won't extend very far, here in a land of double-wintery winter, but the bunrei always tries to take a little with her. After that, it's... a bit warm for coats! She ends up unbuttoning hers while going to sit near Lilian, just for her presence, while looking around the room. "However many times I visit, it is always so brightly cheery, here." The north pole! "Oh, that was a rather short trip, after all. From here, your calculations..."
Angela	The Magical Girl of Love has actually learned about, you know, Normal Santas by this point in her life and so she has a secret goal today. You see, Santa knows when you are sleeping and when you are awake, sure, but he also knows if you are naughty and nice and Love has been trying SO HARD to be good this year and she wants Santa to confirm that she's been so good. She doesn't care about presents or anything, she just wants to have confirmation that she has successfully been such a good magical girl lately and hasn't eaten a single face all year. Indeed, even the gerbils and rodens she ate were the whole rodent all at once! And this is her chance! But she also wants to help Hikaru and Lala. It's nice having other magical girls ot hang around with. Since Santa will probably not be arrested today, the Knight of Justice has not come along today and has decided to trust Love that she will be 'totally cool about everything'. Anyway, she's decided to dress up in a reindeer costume for the holiday, complete with bright red nose and antlers though her reindeer costume has tiny little angel wings on the back. She doesn't seem to be trying to combine snakes and reindeer this time--maybe she's worried that Santa doesn't like snakes or maybe she just figures she better not risk it by reminding Santa of her face-eating form. "Wow...you really found Santa..." Love remarks, amazed. "That IS galacticalcool." She did her best. "I know that sometimes Santa has trouble getting around everywhere so I put on this reindeer outfit in case he needs me to help pull the sleigh at the last minute."
Tamamo	'It is most improper to invite oneself to a function.' "This is true. It is, however, known that Santa Claus is most concerned with fulfilling the wishes of good children. I expect there will be lenience." After a moment, she adds, "For the two of them, I mean, of course. For... most of us, it is quite another matter. It would be..." She glances toward a certain shirt, "quite 'naughty' to intrude, though I wonder whether he will be impressed simply to have been found. It does not happen often, I think." A little lower, "The spirit of Santa Claus from my own world is a more capricious sort of spirit than most know, and even more difficult to find. At least, from the outside, I would say so. The logic by which 'goodness' is judged, and a 'child' is so called... a Grandfather of Winter is like to be certain in his judgments, but one unlike such knows not the measures."
Star Twinkle	"I'm so glad that she's taken a liking to you." Lala smiles down at the cookies in the tray, swinging her legs a bit off the side of the bed. "Me too, lun. She's busy all the time with her job, but Earth holidays have traditions about spending time with family, so I helped her and Hikaru. Even though I'm not an Earthling, I really want her family to like me, lun." "Yeah! They do! Mom does, at least! And Dad-- didn't even tell the government about you!." Hikaru's feelings about her family liking Lala are a bit more complicated than Lala's, but her preference is still that they do. And there's a lot of cookies here, and a decorated Christmas-themed cake, so it seems like they spent half a day baking all of it. "Whatever. It'll still be coal time." Hikaru doesn't quite understand Natsuki's intent in manifesting her coal curse through ritualistic cartoon evil, but she does understand her vibes. In her most goodgirl outfit-- snuggled into a scarf, adorable thematic hoodie, putting on not one but two Santa hats-- Hikaru nonetheless puffs up her chest and plants her hands on her hips. "Pfuh! I'm probably on the naughty list too, but that won't be stopping me! He's definitely gonna give us presents and not coal, 'cause we'll be in his house, and what else is he gonna do? And besides, if the nice list is just about behavior and not adventurousness, then maybe we've gotta have a talk with him while we're up there." "It is most improper to invite oneself to a function." Hikaru settles down a little bit from implying that she might point a magical gun at Santa's head to rewrite the global qualifiers for good and evil. She snuggles into the couch besides Lala while the spaceship launches upwards, and they exchange a look before coming to a mutual conclusion. "It's probably fine. He's so jolly." "Lun. Finding him is too impressive for him to just brush it off." "And besides, no one else ever does it. He's probably never had a Christmas party with anyone new around." "Lun! He's probably curious!" That's a lot of 'probably's. But if they somehow invoke a Santa Claus fury state, that's what everyone else is here for. "I can't say I've ever been either." "I thought it was just a bunch of frozen water and snow..." While Hikaru springs up to the window to press her face against it and excitedly watch the bleak snowscape roll by below, Lala's antennae coil up in a vaguely pleased expression. She raises up a finger and closes her eyes, happy to lecture about something she's learned. "Actually, it is, lun. The southern pole of Earth has continental rock, but at the north pole it's just ice floating on the ocean. It's just very very thick ice, so you can't tell from up here, but it moves around constantly, so nothing's ever at a fixed location." In response to Lilian, Hikaru chimes in, "And that's part of why we shouldn't go far from the ship! Those big chunks of ice are so heavy that when they move, they can crush entire ships like they're little toys. Nebulamazinggggg! I bet we could find a bunch of ships up here of expeditions that failed when they got trapped by the ice, and now they're stuck in the arctic forever, ships and spirits together...!" "Hikaruuuu!" "Sorry, sorry." Lala presses a pair of stuffies that she grabbed against her ears and kicks her feet, good-naturedly distressed about the ghost talk. Laughing apologetically, Hikaru takes one of her antennae into her palm and pets it with a thumb until she relaxed. Once she does, pillows in her lap, "There's research bases around too, so we'll have to make sure not to mix them up." "Mhm. Dad went to one once, because the Russians thought they found a giant monster under the ice."
Star Twinkle	"I know that sometimes Santa has trouble getting around everywhere so I put on this reindeer outfit in case he needs me to help pull the sleigh at the last minute." "Twincool!!! That's so smart!" says Hikaru, who is by now wearing a santa hat equipped to each pigtail. "I wonder if Santa crashes his sleigh sometimes... maybe he'll need us to help repair it...." "From here, your calculations..." Some time passes, with the spaceship making passes scanning over the arctic ice sheets. Lala and Hikaru start getting antsy in their own ways, with Lala double checking their equipment, making sure the cookies haven't suddenly vanished, and lifting up the Tamamo-improved heater like a lantern before putting it back down. Hikaru fidgets with her clothing and suggests, "Maybe I should just transform and go out there myself to look!" "Negative, you would not cover more ground." "You could get lost, lun." "Please rest, Miss Hikaru. I thoroughly making use of your data." Hikaru puffs up her cheeks and sits down at the table. Above it, the hologram scan of the North Pole floats in slowly rotating 3D, little pings of light for the very few and far between research bases and nothing else. Yuma's face stays steadily towards the window as she watches for any Santa magic, but she settles on top of the space heater like a cat. After a few more minutes of nothing, Hikaru's the first to suggest, "Maybe Chuyao's right, and we should just have the party in here instead."
Riku Asakura	Natsuki's declaration about stealing candy takes Riku aback. "You stole candy from a legal adult? Why..?" He asks, trying to understand the woman who just walked in brazenly admitting she had done this and is looking forward to assaulting Santa's workshop. He is starting to think she's up to no good, or at least has ulterior motives for helping out today. He's suspicious of her intentions, but not ready to fight her over them... yet. After Hikaru admits that maybe they should have the party in here, Riku nods. "We could have hot chocolate and the cookies here instead. It'd be a pretty wonderful party..." he says, though he senses that would make her sad on some level. Like she's giving up... He sighs and pulls out the Fusion Riser. "I could always go out and look. I am an Ultraman, so the cold wouldn't bother me as much as anyone else here...also, I'm larger as an Ultraman, I could cover more ground with AI assisting me!"
Lilian Rook	'Even though I'm not an Earthling, I really want her family to like me, lun.' Lilian nods. Internally. It's important for your girlfriend's family to like you. Or so she hears. 'Yeah! They do! Mom does, at least! And Dad-- didn't even tell the government about you!' "I'd certainly hope so. He did promise, after all." she says, missing the point. 'Pfuh! I'm probably on the naughty list too, but that won't be stopping me!' Suspending disbelief on the whole naughty and nice list thing for a second, Lilian looks like she's surprised to hear that. "Really? Practically all you and Lala do all year is flying around the galaxy and helping people. You helped someone on Earth just recently." she says. "Several at once, in fact." 'Nebulamazinggggg!' "I think that's the first time I've heard you express that sort of enthusiasm for natural science." Lilian idly says over the top of her book. "On Earth, especially." 'Mhm. Dad went to one once, because the Russians thought they found a giant monster under the ice.' "Sort of a shame they didn't." While the scanning goes on and on, Lilian invites Tamamo the seat next to her, gratefully taking one of the summer talismans and holding it in reserve. Idle chitchat to the effect of things like, "On your world? You never told me there was an actual Santa Claus." and "It's not as if we need to kick down his door or anything. There's no way he'd mark it against Hikaru and Lala as long as they're polite.", until the talk dries up and she simply leans against her shoulder, reading. 'Maybe Chuyao's right, and we should just have the party in here instead.' "I'd personally feel quite silly if we do it now and then find something right after." Lilian says, then looks up. "AI, how long will it take to exhaust the list of potential locations with your scan?"
Chuyao He	For... most of us, it is quite another matter. "Indeed..." Chuyao nods, content in this knowledge. "If this venture cannot be avoided, and the only options shall be us or the two of them, then this unrefined scholar shall kowtow to Santa Claus on their behalf, and bear his coal with relief." He's definitely gonna give us presents and not coal, 'cause we'll be in his house, and what else is he gonna do? That shocks Chuyao out of his quietly resolute rumination. He blinks owlishly at her, almost like he's surprised the thought came from her. "Junior sister, this road is best not traveled, with spirits or mortals. If we are to meet Santa Claus, show him the side of yourself that you would have showed Medusa, and you are sure to endear yourself to him." Maybe Chuyao's right, and we should just have the party in here instead. The tension in his body fades at this suggestion, though it's not altogether a positive thing. Meeting Santa is obviously very important to the girls--he doesn't like to see them disappointed, even if there's less risk of offending a powerful being like Grandfather Christmas. I'd personally feel quite silly if we do it now and then find something right after. "This lowly scholar shall consult the coins," Chuyao says with resignation.
Angela	''Really? Practically all you and Lala do all year is flying around the galaxy and helping people.'' "What does Santa do if someone is neither naughty or nice?" Love suddenly asks. "Do they still get presents but, like, maybe with a little warning writeup?" Love hasn't experienced many people that are neither naughty or nice in her life as far as she can tell but she's heard tell of the mysterious ''complicated'' people her whole life so surely there must be some out there. ''Twincool!!! That's so smart!'' Love beams, a bit smugly. "Eheh...I was pretty proud of thinking of it!" She says, feeling like a genius wondering if two santa hats means you're twice as festive. But is Chuyao correct? Should they just do their own party?? "Well we can do one after if we don't find the guy... He's gotta be pretty fast but I really think we can get the drop on him like this." She's really hoping this Santa isn't secretly an unfestive monster. If he's a festive monster it's okay though. ''This lowly scholar shall consulte the coins.'' "Are they chocolate coins?" Love asks. "If he needs help finishing gifts we might have to become temp elves too."
Natsuki Nuki	Natsuki, who had a particular present in mind from Santa herself, settles in at the fanciful glowy-table with a draping-forward lean and a palm splay across the table near to her while she watches the scanning and Hikaru's little demonstration. Hikaru, wearing not one but TWO Santa hats, is certainly demonstrating something as she puffs up and makes her proud declarations. "Nau-ghty?" Natsuki asks, indulgent and huyu-huyu giggly. "But you're right! With enough power and leverage you can make matters of 'naughty' and 'nice' be things of mere labels, suggestions! Seize the presents you want with the means you have available!" She rallies, quietly also presuming the girls are handily on the Nice list despite Hikaru being adorable. There was no way... Jolly in her confidence, Natsuki smiles slyly at Riku. "I was try-ing to steal candy from a child to score as much fast naughty as possible since otherwise I'm a perfect role model and I'm looking to score some coal from that Western saint, Nicholas-sama. Get it?" But things turn to light arguments about parties, and worse, someone involving spiritual advice about seizing presents. Realistically, Natsuki had simply encouraged the girls to use their natural gifts just as Chuyao goes on to council, but you see, Chuyao spoke in opposite to Natsuki even if they said the same thing! So Natsuki turns, rising halfwise to step around the table to loom over the man fiddling with coins. "Oi, oi, oi." Declares Natsuki, a more paced-rumbling rounding-about of her usual indignance. "Do you come from the school of politely hope for what you want? Take action, reach! Consult your coins, if they think they'll bring you wisdom. Turning away from your own instinct to ask your coins their mind sounds like a merchant's meditation. Do you think they guide you without their own input?" "Are they sweet coins of candy?" Huyu-huyu-huyu laughs Natsuki, bouncing off Love's wonder. "Maybe you can escape by eating the evidence!"
Tamamo	'You stole candy from a legal adult? Why..?' "To treat with the fae according to their rules is by far the easier path to arrive at one's destination." Tamamo isn't placing value a priori on being naughty or nice. She's not immediately noticing if that was a hard explanation to understand, either. 'You never told me there was an actual Santa Claus.' Tamamo makes a hand-wobbly gesture. Wherever did she learn that? "You know how some stories can become so powerful as to come to life, yes?" A totally normal and sane thing to say. "I think it was more like this... though I am not sure. I do know that the spirit of that 'jolly old elf' possessed different people on a few occasions, and granted them his powers and duties. One need not quite be 'real' to do that much. A shared ritual among many who long to see the story come true, on a world that still possesses enough 'mystery' to grant their wish, is enough." In the quiet, Tamamo busies her hands with beads and yarn, not all in a line, but tying off loose knots in patterns that unintuitively begin to form people... or animals? It'll become clearer when she's done, surely. 'This lowly scholar shall consult the coins.' Responding directly with no more than a small, brief smile, Tamamo shifts away from her seat, and reaches for the projected map. "AI, would you please hold us still for a few moments? Just long enough to, ah... yes, here we are." Eyes focused somewhere entirely elsewhere, Tamamo spreads her hands, letting her yarn figure fly and loop around one finger, then swing over the table, unravel partway, bump into and loop, then slip from nothing at all, and land on the table, below a point... to which Tamamo points. "Landing for a party 'there' would be best, perhaps." It's as good a point as any, surely, and better than any other if she's said so.
Star Twinkle	"Really? Practically all you and Lala do all year is flying around the galaxy and helping people." Hikaru taps her finger against her cheek and tilts her head, dual hats swinging down. It's not clear how much value she sincerely puts into the naughty and nice lists, but she takes the question seriously at least. "I don't know if Santa would take the Precure stuff into account, though? It's not like anyone else does." "What does Santa do if someone is neither naughty or nice?" As a follow-up thought, Hikaru says to Love, "I think that just makes them naughty. Unless it's just a strict difference between what's naughty and nice and everything you do's either one or the other. And then he weighs your heart on a scale against a mistletoe." "I think that's the first time I've heard you express that sort of enthusiasm for natural science." "That's because they're like the jaws of some super huge monster!" Hikaru holds up her hands in front of her face with her fingers curled like teeth, and then lunges forwards towards Yuma and chomps them together with a little growl. "Chomp!!!! And the whole boat's gone!" To make up for grappling Yuma in her terrible maw-hands, she hugs the Star Drop and starts kissing her rapidly on the forehead. "Seize the presents you want with the means you have available!" "Huhu! Yeah! It's...." Hikaru starts to look a little conflicted after her automatic villainous goon laugh, blinking and trailing off when she hesitates. "Er... well, I wouldn't want to have to force Santa to do anything. If he really thought I deserved coal, then I'd get coal." With Chuyao also chiming in, Lala turns towards Hikaru and decides to save her from her poorly considered fate. "Hikaru means that there's no way Santa wouldn't want to be our friends, since we're the first people who found his workshop, right? It'd be too cruel to give us coal after that, lun." "Yeah! He just wouldn't do it. And, and, I even--!" Hikaru pulls out her small gift (in space-themed wrapping paper) with the 'to: Santa' tag on it. "I even got him a gift, because he's probably never gotten one before. They're super fuzzy mittens I made in my katei-ka class." "For the two of them, I mean, of course. For... most of us, it is quite another matter." A little bit worried now, Lala leans forwards to suggest, "Um, I'm an adult on my planet. Do you think he knows that...? Or maybe, taking a present even though I know I'm adult would put me on the naughty list, because adults aren't supposed to get those. That's how things work back home, lun." "I'm looking to score some coal from that Western saint, Nicholas-sama." While Lala is very invested in being perceived as 'nice', once Natsuki's goal becomes clear, she's actually fully on board with it. "Oyo, like the dagger you got at the auction. I think if you ask him to curse you, he will, lun. Or maybe he's got more cursed treasures there...." "Like a dragon?" "Like a dragon, lun."
Star Twinkle	"AI, how long will it take to exhaust the list of potential locations with your scan?" "This lowly scholar shall consult the coins," With a faint hint of resignation audible in her neutral synthesized voice, AI's loading noises last slightly longer than usual. "... I have already done so ten minutes ago, Miss Lilian. I have been verifying and extrapolating data in order to double check. My apologies." To Chuyao's readings, there is no path in the future where Santa Claus is found, for the simple fact that there is no Santa Claus in this world. Lala frowns and taps her antenna to Hikaru's shoulder, emitting a soothing fuzz of electricity, and Hikaru leans against her, brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, Hikaru. It'd still be a fun adventure if we tried to find a Santaseijin somewhere in the galaxy, or...." Hikaru shakes her head, nuzzling her face into Lala's shoulder like a cat before making a little 'haaah!' and speaking again. "No, no. It's okay. It's alright. I'm just wondering..." She pops up from the couch and presses her palms into the table, looking through the papers and pictures. "Where'd I go wrong? I must've had some problem with my methodology," she says, of doodles she made when she was nine years old trying to track Santa through satellite and telescope imagery. "I totally thought I was onto something! Drat. Next year I'll have to see if I have a better explanation for all this...." "Oyo? You're not upset?" Hikaru looks up from the table, over to where Lala is nervously fidgeting and smiles at her. Then she spreads out her arms and suddenly spins around, gesturing at everyone around her. "How could I be? I've got all these special and magical people here already, don't I? So, so! Even when I'm searching for more, I shouldn't forget what I've already found, right?" Lala widens her eyes, and then nods decisively. "Lun! Then we'll have the party here!" The best place to have the party, to Tamamo's divination, is right on the ice sheet below them, and AI guides the rocket to land there, with nothing but nighttime and a perfectly clear view of the stars around them.
Riku Asakura	'To treat with the fae according to their rules is by far the easier path to arrive at one's destination.' 'I'm looking to score some coal from that Western saint, Nicholas-sama. Get it?' "But coal is for naughty children..." Riku says, taken aback by the straight-up admitting of her goal. What catches him off guard the most is Tamamo backing her up with her words, or at least confirming her goal is to appear naughty to nab coal from Saint Nick. It's beyond him why Natsuki /wants/ to be considered naughty. This is especially true when she confirms that she is mostly a good role model most of the time. With the hunt for Santa a bust, Riku wonders if his world has a Santa Claus in it or not... but still, it's a little sad that the hunt for Saint Nick ended with failure because he isn't here in this world. Still, it's not like they don't have the best spot in the multiverse to have a party, and it's so far away from everything. Riku looks up at the stars and wonders if this is the place for him, of all possible worlds to be born into. "Then we'll have a party here!" he says brightly to the two girls.
Chuyao He	Are they chocolate coins? Are they sweet coins of candy? "In fact, sisters," says Chuyao, procuring three stamped copper coins with square holes in the center from his traveling pack. "They are inedible." Setting them on the table, he also retrieves a well-used, paper-bound book and sets it beside them. "Before the coins," he says, with a brief flick of his eyes and a smile towards Natsuki, "There were the yarrow stalks, and before those, the tortoise shell. Some dislike this modern method. It is my preference, if for no other reason than the space which three coins take in one's pack, compared to fifty stalks of yarrow, or, indeed, a tortoise shell and hot poker. As for the Book of Changes, it has been good enough for kings, sages and saints, therefore, it is good enough for this lowly scholar."
Chuyao He	"Now then..." Chuyao next retrieves a sheaf of paper and a lacquered box. He grasps the coins, closes his fist over them and closes his eyes, thinking on a question. Gently, he tosses them onto the table, six times in total. After each toss, he records the result with the calligraphy brush from the lacquered box. When it's all done, there are two hexagrams on the sheaf. He jots down notes and descriptions under each, cross-referencing the book--the one on the left is called 'Obstruction,' and the one on the right 'Great Possession.' Obstruction... >Others, who are evil, are obstructing you. Do not persist, it will not work out. The great depart, the petty gain. The earth and sky are out of alignment, and one cannot accept honors in such conditions. >Who is obstructing us? Even sister Natsuki wishes to meet Santa... >Sixes in the first, second and third places. >Persistence, despite such an omen? >Following orders...? >Accept the sadness... That last line causes his brush to pause. He underlines it. "Could it be...?" Chuyao frowns. >The possibility for danger is present, and effectiveness... >In such a place where snow is as vast and endless as the sea, confusion is all but certain, should one wander too far. His brush paused, he then turns his attention to the other hexagram, flipping forward two pages in the book. Great Possession... >Supreme success... >Hinder evil and promote goodness, following Nature's will... Chuyao nods, solemnly capping the calligraphy brush, putting it into the box with its twin and his inkstone, sweeping the coins into his pouch, closing the Book of Changes and putting the rest of his divination supplies away. "It would appear that Grandfather Christmas eludes us," he states with a frown. It softens, slightly, as he adds, "However..." I've got all these special and magical people here already, don't I? So, so! Even when I'm searching for more, I shouldn't forget what I've already found, right? Lun! Then we'll have the party here! The frown melts away completely, and Chuyao nods again. "Indeed, it would be this unrefined scholar's pleasure to attend junior sister Hikaru and junior sister Lala's celebration of the winter season."
Tamamo	'And then he weighs your heart on a scale against a mistletoe.' "Only the man himself could know... the exact measures of his judgment. Even if they are measures he wishes others to know." Tamamo nods, solemnly. It's so difficult to know what goodness truly is. Or rather, this topic is really about something else. 'To make up for grappling Yuma in her terrible maw-hands, she hugs the Star Drop and starts kissing her rapidly on the forehead.' Just visible above the fur of her collar, Tamamo smiles. 'Um, I'm an adult on my planet. Do you think he knows that...?' "Ah, but you see, Lala... this, too, is part of his judgment. Should you one day feel the same need to 'spread cheer to children with presents,' you will be the one to decide those who qualify, no? No matter their age, one may still be 'a child,' to another who seeks to care for them as such." '...if we tried to find a Santaseijin somewhere...' "A Santa...?" "In truth, Hikaru... I have a confession." Once their course is decided, Tamamo takes a breath. "I, too, wanted to eat the cookies."
Lilian Rook	'I don't know if Santa would take the Precure stuff into account, though? It's not like anyone else does. "Why would--" Suddenly, Lilian finds herself stunned by the assertion. Paused, staring, then blinking, she drags up the rest slowly. "Why would that not count? You're keeping being Precures secret from everyone. But if Santa knows what you did all years, then why wouldn't he know?" The thought of it is simply so unjust that it horrifies her, just a little. More than a little. It's too familiar. 'That's because they're like the jaws of some super huge monster!' "Oh." Lilian looks back down at her book. That makes sense. 'Hikaru means that there's no way Santa wouldn't want to be our friends, since we're the first people who found his workshop, right?' 'I even got him a gift, because he's probably never gotten one before. They're super fuzzy mittens I made in my katei-ka class.' "In his situation, I'd want to be friends." Lilian says. Authoritative in tone, perhaps, but she'd dote on Hikaru and Lala for so much as showing her a weird bug. '... I have already done so ten minutes ago, Miss Lilian.' Well. That's disappointing. Even for Lilian. She'd actually gotten her hopes up, just a little, without realizing. "Well, it was sixteen percent." she says, mostly for her own benefit. "Conveniently, we're all together for this, so . . ." 'Oyo? You're not upset?' 'How could I be? I've got all these special and magical people here already, don't I?' Lilian puffs up her cheeks on the exhale. Now Hikaru is showing her up by being less weird about it than her. "When did you get so mature?" she says, having previously thought of Lala as the one who grew up early and not Hikaru. Compelled not to fall behind the ninth-grader, Lilian folds up her book, sits up in her chair, and smiles behind her hand at Tamamo's 'confession'. "If only we'd brought a few board games. I suppose it wouldn't be difficult to get the old classics going, though. This ship is big enough for a scavenger hunt, I think, and it wouldn't be hard to get music or a movie downloaded quickly. Perhaps make a bingo out of it. As for . . ." Well, truth or dare would be within the right age range for Hikaru and Lala, but that's scary. Lilian shakes her head. "Goodness I was eyeing those cookies though."
Angela	''You know how some stories can become so powerful as to come to life, yes?'' Love nods firmly. She is, like, SO alive and real now. She's so happy to hear this from Tamamo that she immediately throws a piece sign with one hand and dabs the air with her other fist. It's been a minute but sometimes Love just has to dab. "I bet I could still eat them." Love assures Chuyao, eyeing them thoughtfully. She looks at Natsuki to see if she agrees. It's okay if Natsuki is evil and naughty because if Natsuki is evil and naughty that means there's still evil out there in the world and that means she gets to continue being the good girl. She's so thankful for all the evil out there!! She prays to Santa for a moment, praying that Natsuki gets the coal she oh so dreams of. She's been so evil this year, Love prays, she deserves the best coal you can drop in her stocking. ''I think that just makes them naughty.'' Love's appreciation of Hikaru soars as she nods rapidly. Yeah! Yeah!! "I wonder how he gets the heart... The elves maybe...?" ''Where'd I go wrong?'' "Santa is really tricky... I guess he knows a lot of the tricks and has some tricks of his own... Christmas tricks... Trick or Coal..." But she isn't so easily stirred from disappointment. Oh, not for herself--Love will just have to believe in Love! But she knows that this means that a friend.... is missing something. "I'm sorry Natsuki-chan..." Love tells Natsuki. "I know you really wanted that coal... I promise, next christmas, I'm gonna give you the biggest chunk of coal I can find." But she IS glad that Hikaru isn't upset. That means that a lesson of the day was learned. She looks towards where she imagines a hypothetical camera might be recording them and says, "And that's the lesson of the day, Junior Magical Girls... Merry Christmas...!" She waves. Just in case any young elves are spying on them.
Natsuki Nuki	Natsuki is all keyed up, and nods along to Tamamo's explanatory wisdom. "I want something that I know I'll get if I act a way. It's simple, really, smart business." She preens, Riku's general non-understanding only making Natsuki more amused by going back to him with a big grin. "Smart boy! You've remembered your legends, Ultra-Jeans, and so all you need to know is that a simple material gift doesn't mean anything to me - but the magic coal of Santa Claus? That's a treasure, cursed or not." Pushing off near Calvin, Natsuki drops into a new seat besides him while he consults the coins. Natsuki is consulted by Lala, which gets a serene-calm look towards the bundled-up young alien. "Exactly like that morsel I got at the auction!" She answers, off for a moment as gears start turning and she mouths back 'cursed presents'. Natsuki had not considered the possibility of presents that were cursed. Was coal better? Was-- No. Stay the course. 'Naughty' was her way of life now. "Dragons tend to have plenty of cursed items, it's true..." Natsuki imagines, couching cheek on elbow-braced fist as she thinks deeply about the over-under on coal and cursed treasures from Nicholas-sama's dragon board. But it's not to be. Even with the most auspicious coordinates from Tamamo they don't land anywhere more special than 'perfect for a party'. 'In fact, sisters, they are inedible.' "I bet you they are edible." Natsuki insists, then looks across Chuyao to Love and winks. "You're outvoted, and your coins are on notice." Natsuki continues to Chuyao, but doesn't give him the same kind of shit as before. "Tortoise is edible, and yarrow is definitely for eating." Natsuki shakes her head. "You tell the future with food." The future is still a little disappointing, but not too bad, overall. Unzipping her jacket again once the threat of sabotaging the girl's party plans with the Santa man, Natsuki gets up to console Love. "It's fine. It just means next year I'll be extra naughty and so he'll have to award me even more cursed coal. A repeat offender gets more, I hear." She explains while there-there'ing the magical girl on the shoulder. "It was about the curse, not the coal itself. But thanks for thinking of gifting me - I'll take a-ny-thing you offer!"
Tamamo	'I want something that I know I'll get if I act a way.' Tamamo nods along. She doesn't want any cursed coal, herself, but she can imagine why someone else might without too much trouble. Collecting cursed items... isn't even a particularly unusual hobby, in her experience. While Chuyao speaks of music, Tamamo retrieves her cards... and more cards. Hanafuda and a French-suited deck are both small enough to be in her 'just in case' social supplies. 'Santa is really tricky... I guess he knows a lot of the tricks and has some tricks of his own...' "Any old elf should be so, after all." Even after getting done explaining how Santa is probably not entirely real, on her world. 'Elf' is pretty unclear, too. 'Goodness I was eyeing those cookies though.' Course decided--! Tamamo retrieves a cookie, breaks it in two, slides on up against Lilian's side, an arm around her back to steady, and offers the cookie-half with two fingers in casual snapping distance. The other half is for her, of course.
Star Twinkle	"There were the yarrow stalks, and before those, the tortoise shell." "Oooohhh..." Hikaru thinks that anyone performing any magic at all is interesting enough to watch, so she slowly pokes her head up over the side of the box that Chuyao is divining on, just to peek at his process. "Should you one day feel the same need to 'spread cheer to children with presents,' you will be the one to decide those who qualify, no?" <J-IC-Scene> Chuyao He says, "Moreover, junior sister Lala, it is this unrefined scholar's understanding that, across the known world, adults do often give presents to one another, whether for the Christmas rites or for other occasions." Lala considers this for a bit, antenna bulb patting on her cheek while she looks around the room until she eventually settles on, "Then next year I should get presents for everyone. Otherwise I'm just 'receiving' cheer, instead of spreading it, lun." "But if Santa knows what you did all years, then why wouldn't he know?" As though she's debating theology, Hikaru clambers onto the chair beside Lilian and squats with her knees up to her chest, elbows on top to prop up her chin, with a very serious expression. "But we're usually doing Precure stuff in a whole different galaxy... can he see the Starscape Galaxy? Or maybe he just learns about it whenever you come back to Earth...." Eventually she giggles and drops the thought, but not before it catches onto Lala. "Oyo... maybe it just doesn't feel fair to keep it secret but get credit for it anyways." "Mmm, but there's lots of people who know! We just have to keep it secret for safety, and to not mess with Earth." After that exchange, Hikaru makes a small smile, melancholy but for reasons only indirectly connected to Santa. "Well, not that it matters anyways. We're just having a party on our own!" As much 'cute maximalist girl's bedroom' clutter there is around the spaceship, there's still plenty of space for everyone to be able to stand and move around for the party. Lala dims the lights and Hikaru plugs in the star-shaped string lights draped all around the central area (and clustered around Hikaru's bed). AI's lights beedle-boop and the kitchenette flashes, water beginning to heat up on the single burner stove for hot chocolate, and the calls for cookies are answered when Hikaru brings out the milk while Lala carefully unwraps the cookies and sets them out on the table. "Yeah!! I wanted to try them too!" "We haven't had any yet, lun." "But there's sooooo many of them, just in case of the elves!" "We worked super hard, too!" "Love, Love! I found the one I tried to shape like a rat for you!"
Star Twinkle	The girls, actually, have stacks of VHSs and board games already, for the flights through space and the sleepovers they regularly have. Hikaru immediately proposes watching The Thing and is shot down, so she puts up Home Alone instead. There's an assortment of snacks beyond that, sweet and otherwise, and the board games are roughly the kind of tweenage sleepover fare you'd expect. "When did you get so mature?" During all that setting up, Hikaru drifts back to that question, leaning against one of the teal metal pillars under a star-light and idly gnawing at a candycane. It takes her a bit to find her words. "It's not like that, really. I wish we did find Santa Claus. Just...." "When I was little, like, really little, before Dad left, I got lost in the snow once. And I was gone for the whole day, but I was okay! Because this big hairy white monster found me, and we played around until the storm was over, and right when it did, they found me but not him. That's why Yeti's named that." "But ever since then, I've never seen a cryptid." She shrugs, and bites off the end of her candycane. "And Dad hasn't either, even though it's his job. So if I didn't make it all up, he was probably really an alien, right? None of you are from this Earth either. So maybe that's just the way it is." Regaining her cheer, Hikaru pushes herself back to her feet and swirls around. "So! I'm not disappointed, 'cause there's so so so much more out there! Even more than I've ever seen! That means I shouldn't ever need to be let down by not finding something here, right?" Excitedly, Hikaru claps her hands together. "Oh! It doesn't feel like it because it's still early back in Japan, but it's nighttime out at the north pole, isn't it? So we could totally play truth or dare!"
Chuyao He	<J-IC-Scene > Chuyao He says, "This lowly scholar does happen to have an instrument on hand for music, if it please." <J-IC-Scene > Lala Hagoromo says, as if this is a nearly unheard-of talent, "Oyo?? You can play music??" <J-IC-Scene > Chuyao He says, "Indeed, this was part of my education at the Five Virtues School. If this unrefined scholar's middling musings may provide some cheer for the gathering, all the better." <J-IC-Scene > Lala Hagoromo says, still amazed, "Oyo... with a real instrument? You should, lun!" <J-IC-Scene > Tamamo says, "Music is part of the tradition of the festival, no? Ah, but I suppose I know no... appropriate songs." <J-IC-Scene > Chuyao He says, "Never fear, this lowly scholar has studied the Christmas rites." Chuyao's choice of instrument is not quite so portable as 'three coins,' and he doesn't own its smaller cousin. That being said, his guzheng has made an appearance today, because he feared that an offering of festal music might be necessary to appease an angered spirit. A hemp-wrapped bundle about the size of a musical keyboard is tucked away in the nearest space that can hold it. Smiling warmly, he unties a silk rope, then strips the hemp covering from the instrument, revealing a finely polished guzheng, a rich dark brown with gleaming black inlays at either end, just past the strings. The ends bear motifs of plum blossoms on the branch. He lifts it, props it up against the nearest wall and then sets up a pair of matching stands to hold it, pulling up a chair from the table to set it down. He reaches then into his traveling pack, procuring another book--not the Book of Changes, but something he must have written himself. He flips through it, searching, until... "Ah! Here we are." Chuyao's eyes studiously dart over the page, he nods, and then sets the open music on the instrument's left side. He pauses, stroking his chin, as if going over a list in his mind. Reaching the next line item, his face lights up with recollection as he digs in his pack for a pair of metal finger picks, which he slides on like rings before taking a seat in the chair. "May this merry offering appease the spirits of this frozen place, and usher in a harmonious new year..." He flicks each wrist, one then the other, places them on the instrument, and... plays a very sweet and heartfelt medley, regularly glancing to his left to read his music or turn the page.
Lilian Rook	If Tamamo wants cookie share, Tamamo gets cookie share. Lilian scoops up one of her own, but first straightens up to support Tamamo on her side, leaning forward to ever-so politely chomp on the cookie-half offered by Tamamo, evading her fingers, then offering the other half across-armed for Tamamo, giggling like an idiot as she adjusts her treat one micro-bite at a time whilst snapping a new cookie between her fingers. 'Oyo... maybe it just doesn't feel fair to keep it secret but get credit for it anyways.' "Iff no' faiw tu--" Lilian holds up a hand until she can actually swallow her cookie, makes a quiet little squealing noise at the flood of flavour, and clears her throat awkwardly. "It's not fair to give you no credit at all. You're keeping it secret for everyone's safety, not because you're hiding some secret that's only bad for you. I think basically every religion says that good deeds that aren't rewarded materially because nobody sees them are rewarded by whatever deity or spiritual process to make up for it." 'Because this big hairy white monster found me, and we played around until the storm was over, and right when it did, they found me but not him.' Lilian nods along with the heartwarming childhood story, and opens her mouth to return a conforting platitude about-- "What?" She looks around the room. "Seriously? We're just going to . . . Alright." Getting herself together for a second, Lilian says, "I don't know if that means he was an alien. Aliens on Earth aren't exactly all that common, after all. And getting lost in a storm isn't something that even cryptid hunters would want to do voluntarily." 'So! I'm not disappointed, 'cause there's so so so much more out there! Even more than I've ever seen! That means I shouldn't ever need to be let down by not finding something here, right?' She feels a slight twinge of something she finds difficult to identify, at considering the idea that Earth, of all places, is the only boring planet in the galaxy. Her eyes drift away and defocus, at first just to examine the feeling, but eventually drifting to what Petra had said to her about other planets in her own universe; something she has only just recently thought of for the first time, and then often, to stave off the existential anxiety of everything else. In a way, it fits. Lilian waits for the melancholy to wear off before speaking. "Mm, I think that's right. It's sort of silly to be sad that your back yard isn't always exciting when the whole world is out there." 'So we could totally play truth or dare!' Lilian smiles soooo sweetly. Her fingers touch her neck to make sure she isn't sweating. "Why not after the movie?" Lilian says, hoping that she can insert a board game first, and then orchestrate a 'scavenger hunt' somehow via timestop cheating, and by then maybe Hikaru will forget! She probably won't.