Christmas Morning [open]

[Dreamchild]

Alice Liddell managed to convince her family to allow her to remain in Epcot City for Christmas break. Though she loved--as any good child should--spending the holiday with her family, she also wanted to spend at least one Christmas with her alternative, secretive family. Her family away from her family, as it were.

Whenever she slept overnight in the Overlook, she either slept on one of the couches in the TV room (usually with Bongo on the other couch), or one of the spare rooms if available. On this Christmas morning, she woke up in one of those available rooms. She didn't bother looking at the alarm clock on the stand, but it was definitely earlier than nine o'clock. Christmas morning was one of the few days of the year where she sometimes acted less than a dignified lady, and more like an actual child. With a single telekinetic push, the blankets rocketed off the bed. She hopped off bed and grabbed her eye mask, fastening it immediately. She was about to unlock the room's door and step out, but she figured that she'd probably slip into the evening robe she brought along with her, from her wardrobe in St. Blair. She was proud of her Wallace & Gromit-logo nightshirt--the claymation duo were not only her favorite animated characters, but she loved them even more for being so deeply British--but she figured that she should nevertheless be modester in appearance. Her feet entered her slippers as she tied her dark blue robe into place, and only then was she ready to leave the room.

The nearest Dreamer to the room was Sunshine, no doubt still slumbering. She wondered if Mechnician was still rooming with her 'sister from another mother' (to use layman terms), as she viewed Sunshine, though the mouse was also highly respected and admired by Dreamchild, especially after their frightening mission in Phantom Manor.

The door was ajar, and Dreamchild pushed it open and padded swiftly to the sleeping beauty. Said sleeping beauty's back faced Dreamchild, and so her face was completely hidden. She brought her right knee onto the bed's surface to lean in far, and she gently shook the sleeping teenager.

"Sunshine, wake up!" she whispered enthusiastically. "It's Christmas!"

[Sunshine]

Sunshine had spent some of the previous night, Christmas Eve, teaching Dreamchild and Bongo how to waltz. Sunshine loved many people, but she particularly enjoyed spending her time with her 'little sister' and 'furry little brother.' In between the Christmas Eve waltz lessons, Dreamchild continuously hinted that she was excited to wake up early the next morning, and, sure enough, Sunshine awoke mere minutes before Dreamchild entered. She heard Dreamchild enter the room, and Sunshine, her face hidden from the visitor, grinned playfully. She closed her eyes and relaxed her lips, appearing asleep.

When Dreamchild shook her and whispered, Sunshine moaned softly and shifted her legs, implying that she was in her usual deep sleep and wouldn't be easily awakened. She waited until Dreamchild mentioned this character trait ("Why don't you ever wake up when we need you?!"). Once the little girl had let her guard down, Sunshine spun in bed and grabbed the child to surprise-tickle her. "So, I never wake up? Well!" She then pulled the girl into a hug and giggled. "Merry Christmas, Dreamchild!"

Sunshine was in a pink nightgown. Even though her hair was messy, she wasn't concerned by how she appeared.

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild did not expect Sunshine's surprise attack. She shrieked when pulled and laughed uncontrollably from the tickling. She kicked her feet and tried to squirm out of her friend's diabolical clutches, but, alas, she proved too weak! "No, haha!" she protested. "Stop it!" She caught her breath when Sunshine hugged her. Though she was slightly annoyed, she nevertheless was glad to return the embrace.

"That was very naughty of you!" Dreamchild said with feigned irritation. "I suppose I should be more careful what I say around you." She pulled from the hug and smiled happily to her 'big sister.' "I still can't believe Eyvindria has never heard of Christmas!"

[Mechnician]

No one in The Overlook had seen much of Gadget on Christmas Eve. The little mouse had needed to complete the gifts she was giving, and so she stayed up a little too late putting on the finishing touches.

But when she heard people stirring, she leaped out of bed, as excited as any child would be.

Peeking out of the door of her mousehole, an apartment she had built for herself in the hall baseboard (though it was still far from finished), Gadget could see nobody. "Is it time to give out the presents?" she whispered to the air, afraid to wake up the late sleepers.

[Bongo]

A cheery, excited-sounding growl suddenly barked out amongst the trio of female dreamers, most likely putting a damper on the quiet atmosphere that Mechnician had wished to uphold. Scampering excitedly around Dreamchild's feet was Bongo, who had awoken to the playful squabbling that had gone on between her and Sunshine. Typically, the little bear hated nothing more than being abruptly awakened from his slumber - but today was different. He had been told about what a special day this was, and was looking forward to it for quite some time since then - and, indeed, he could feel a certain joy in the air on this morning, which was only strengthened by the happiness he could see between Dreamchild, Sunshine and Mechnician. It just made him want to... run around and jump!

The bear cub looked between Dreamchild and Sunshine excitedly with an eager grin, awaiting for this most anticipated day to begin. Atop his head remained a floppy Santa hat that had been put on him by Dreamchild, which he seemed to take a liking to - he hadn't removed it since!

[Sunshine]

The unmasked Sunshine smiled humanely to Dreamchild. She pushed off all of her blankets and freed her legs, which were mostly covered by her flowing pink nightgown. She sat on the bed and hugged her legs, as she listened to Dreamchild. It seemed Dreamchild still couldn't get over the fact that Eyvindrians had never even heard of Christmas, let alone celebrated it. Sunshine wasn't offended by the surprised reaction, though, and had since learned to embrace the holiday season.

"No," she replied, "but I'm happy to have learned about it." She watched Bongo bound in, and she grinned when the bear growled happily. Sunshine got up on her feet and playfully tapped the tip of Bongo's nose with a finger, as she walked out of the room. "I'll be right back," she said over her shoulder. Once in the hallway, she knelt to the entrance of Mechnician's humble abode, and saw the mouse's head peer out of her doorway. Sunshine brought her warm face close to her diminutive friend. "Good morning, Mechnician! How long have you been up?"

[Mechnician]

The freindly face of Sunshine came suddenly into view.

"How long have you been up?"

"Not too long. I didn't want to get up too early and wake anybody. But I'm ready when you guys are."

The little mouse stepped out into the hall wearing a floor-length purple night-shirt, her hair still tousled from sleep, but her eyes bright and eager.

[Savage]

Cracking his bedroom door open a few inches, Doctor Doppler peeked out into the hall before stepping out. He had thrown his plum-colored bathrobe over his white pajamas, and had on a pair of house shoes.

The klutzy doctor thought he could hear some of the Overlook's other residents beginning to get up for the day, which was why he was rushing to set the present that he carried underneath the Christmas tree. Although trying to return to work at the university had been problematic for him (many in the community worried about having him around the students and other teachers due to his 'condition'), he still had quite a bit of wealth to his name, and it was with this money that he had bought gifts for his fellow Dreamers.

Some people had been easier to shop for then others -- he had gotten a gourmet snack basket for Bongo, for example, but had to go to some of his teammates for advice on what would make a good gift for a young woman, and for such a unique one like She-Wolf.

Jogging down the stairs, the box, which had been wrapped in shiny gold wrapping paper tucked away under a gangly arm, he paused to look around. No one was around, or so it seemed. It was perfect! Delbert made a beeline for the immense living room where the tree stood.

[She-Wolf]

Unfortunately for Doppler, he wouldn't have succeeded in his attempt to slip his present under the tree unnoticed - there was another Dreamer who had the same plans as he, and had slipped into the living room in incognito fashion.

Underneath the Overlook's grand, towering Christmas tree, a tiny, crudely-wrapped box held in her hands, was She-Wolf. The Dream League's resident wild woman appeared to be in the process of slipping a gift of her own underneath the tree, just as Delbert had planned to do - she had hunkered down to place the small box, whose wrapping clearly indicated that it was She-Wolf's first time doing so, in a small cranny between other larger presents. However, upon Delbert's entry into the room, she froze, and whipped her head towards him, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Her face, unpainted, flushed red almost instantaneously, and she stared wide-eyed at the dog-man with a combined look of frustration, fear and embarrassment.

"....." She was silent for a good few seconds, caught on the spot and unsure of how to react to being discovered. Like the others, she was dressed in her own nightwear - the long, blue tunic that she typically wore underneath her usual costume, coupled with the light blue pajama pants that were a gift from Sunshine. The first time she was discovered in these clothes, she had never before felt so embarrassed since joining the Dream League - however, over time, she had gotten used to being seen in them, and only Duck Avenger dared to taunt her about it. They weren't the reason she was so embarrassed this morning, however.

After realizing she was just sitting there and stupidly gawking, she hurriedly hid her gift away and sat there defiantly, a stern almost pouty look on her face that seemed to say "if you dare say anything, you'll regret it." She continued to blush bashfully, however, and her eyes darted to the side anxiously to avoid Delbert's gaze.

[Savage]

Due to the angle from which he had been approaching the tree, Delbert wasn't aware of She-Wolf's presence until he noticed movement and found her gaping at him. In his surprise, he jumped back. The present nearly slipped from under his arm, but in a bit of fumbling, he succeeded in getting a hold of it.

He let out a sigh of relief as he glanced down at the gift and then back up at She-Wolf, wearing a sheepish, nervous expression of his own. Breaking the present you were supposed to give someone for the holidays, especially when said person was right in front of of you... well, that would've been terribly awkward.

'Smooth.' Savage commented, acerbic as ever.

'Not now.' Delbert replied shortly. He was glad that in times like this only he could hear his alter ego.

For a moment, neither spoke. At length, Delbert was a bit amazed to notice that the feral girl looked about as embarrassed as he felt. It was also kind of strange to see her so dressed down the way she was now.

"Uh, She-Wolf, I didn't -- I thought you would be elsewhere. Well, since you're here, I guess I can give you this." He held the box out to her. "Unless you want to wait for the others to join us, so we can open our gifts together?"