Between the dorms and preserve, a moderately sized--if only because dragging over more wood than was already stockpiled nearby was far too much work--fire was lit as the sun set and the longest night of the year began. In the main lobby and by the fire there were much larger supplies of spiced cider and ale.

...look, people in ye olde times really liked to get drunk and light things on fire. It was a time honored tradition.

[[Open for all!]]

Just a few hours ago, the flamingoes had given up on their sudden, magical performance, and retreated to their usual perches for the night. The lights had gone out across Fandom Town, and so no one was awake to witness the start of the gentle tinsel snow. Glittering paper floated down, spreading across the fresh snow, coating it in shimmering colours. It was pretty, it was unnoticed, it was...

The fire alarm cut through the air without warning. The fragile peace of Sunday night shattered into tiny little shards, like a lunatic firing bullets into Christmas decorations with utter abandon. The tinsel? Kept falling. The alarm? Would not stop blaring. The firemen? Were out on the town. It was time for the annual 'strange weather' drill, and no man, woman, or angry pseudopod was going to dissuade them from ushering all the students away from the school.

As they rushed into the school, the tinsel kept falling. Enjoy, kids. We hope you stole a coat upon leaving, or you're going to be plenty cold.

[[ HAVE AT THE FIRE DRILL! Go here for our previous fire drill. Y'all know the drill! ... bad pun. bad. ]]

Much as Angela appreciated a little bit of snow, there was a point at which even she saw the downside of actually going out in it. Today it had about hit that. So instead of wrapping up and going outside she was in the common room in the midst of a masterpiece of a gingerbread house.

Bits of it were getting eaten along the way, so it was probably lucky there was a lot to go around.

And in case anyone who might worry about testing her baking, this one came with pre-baked gingerbread (since this was rather more an artistic activity than a culinary one) as well as a lot of glittery sugar icing, sprinkles and chocolate. It was lucky she had a good metabolism.

[[I now want caaandy. Open!]]

Raven had spent a great deal of the day watching the snow fall outside her window before making her way up to the roof for a better view. The pristine blanket of white that covered the island took her breath away -- as did the drop in temperature. But for now, the view and the still heavily-falling snow dazzled her more than the cold bothered her, and she was so enchanted by her first sight of snow that soon she was spinning in circles, arms outstretched, catching snowflakes on her fingers and tongue.

It would get old. Eventually.


[ooc: Open, of course, though this rooftop has been claimed in the name of the DC Universe!]

Mat arose at the crack of noon, as was his habit, took one look out the window, realized that snow was nothing he particularly wanted to deal with today, and headed down to the common room instead to look sad until someone made lunch for him.

Besides, company was always welcome especially since it would bring mistletoe. He flopped into a chair and began pushing random buttons on the remote control.

No, he hadn't yet figured out how to get the television to turn on.

Jonas hadn't seen snow since leaving the Community. Even then, he'd been more concerned about the damaging effects the extreme weather was having on himself and Gabe rather than just enjoying it. Today, though, he had no such concerns. He'd managed to get through a semester of school on his own, without completely breaking down, and it was almost like the snow was his reward.

He was standing there, a few steps away from the dorms, hands stuck in his pockets and face upturned, letting the light flakes hit his face and stick to his jacket. With the vague memories he still had, he remembered snow making everything sound so quiet and still. He remembered it being wet and making your cheeks pink.

Despite nearly losing his life and nearly watching Gabe die to due extremely cold conditions, Jonas found that he still liked snow. And, with no consideration to the cold, thought just walking around outside the dorms and enjoying it was a nice way to pass the morning.

[the weather channel says there's snow so there's snow! open post, of course!]

The fact that Bobby was in the common room was not, generally speaking, cause for alarm. The fact that he was in the common room kitchen area with a box of brownie mix might be, though, depending on who you asked.

Kennedy didn't seem too concerned from her spot on the couch. She did, however, look pretty pleased with how the t-shirts that both she and Bobby were sporting had turned out. The t-shirts that read "I can't help it if the ladies know a good thing when they see it".

The gaggle of snow-angels that had been following Bobby around all day apparently agreed with the t-shirt's sentiment, at least from the way they sighed dreamily every time he glanced their way. Bobby was pretty sure he'd seen one of them swoon, even.

[ooc: open like an open thing!]

"I really wish I could go to Sandover with you for a short visit," Dinah said over her shoulder to Jak, holding the door for him. She threw her towel on one of the pool chairs and kicked off her flip-flops. "But this'll have to do!"

[for the Sandover sweetheart, but open, as pools are]

Raven had been trying to make more of an effort to listen to the radio, so after hearing on Wednesday night that Anakin had talked to Max and then on Thursday that Max had been in a fight, she had confused mixed emotions. She was hesitant to jump to conclusions, but if what she suspected was correct, then she was dismayed that violence and injury had been done on her behalf, but she also experienced a strange warm and fuzzy feeling of satisfaction. It was...interesting.

This morning, because she was all done with classes, she had settled in the common room to watch her very first DVD purchase: season 1 of Rumor Gal. It was so she could study the complexities of emotions, really.

The weetiny snowangels who were marching through the room might disagree.


[My last day of work before ten days of vacation. Help me survive!]

After having broken a carafe and having to redo most of the cart (donuts with glass shard sprinkles were not something she thought was safe to feed the student body), Jennifer took drastic measures to makes sure cart number two went better.

She reverted back to being her 'normal' self. So there's be normal, petite Jennifer Walters in the lobby, ready to serve you pastries and various forms of caffeine for most of the day, barring her History final.

And she wasn't sulking about being her normal self. Really. She was just bummed that classes were over, honest.

[ooc: Open! I will be around to grab pings for a short bit this morning, and then after work!]

Sookie was still kind of iffy about her...thing, but she was getting tired of hiding. She hadn't zapped anyone yet, and as long as she stayed calm, she should be okay, she figured.

In any case, in celebration of the end of the semester, she was camped in front of the TV with Christmas movies playing. She intended to make it a marathon, thank you. And she wasn't baking, but she'd made some popcorn and hot chocolate, at least, and she'd share those things.

[I AM FREE OF SCHOOL FOR THE SEMESTER. ENTERTAIN ME.]

And after this moment, Kate wasn’t going to do anything useful for a long while, at least not until she’d have to start packing for her trip home.

After a handwavy ballet workout in the gym, she had headed to her floor’s common room and made some orange chocolate muffins. And now that they were done – and she'd put them in a basket on a near-by table – she was hogging a couch in front of the TV, and watching a random cooking show about extravagant wedding cakes.

Life was good, at this very moment. And so were the muffins.


[ooc: Open, as common rooms usually are. Mod your wedding cakes if you wish.]

After lunch, the cart full of Student Council goodies was back in the lobby, along with Sam. The treats from J,GOB had been fully restocked with fresh items, and the Perk had provided them with hot and cold drinks today. There might have even been some Diet Coke left over from yesterday.

Pay no attention to the size of Sam's cup. There was still plenty of coffee left to be shared.

[I'll be around to reply to pings around 4pm!]

Now that everyone was in their right minds--hopefully--Merlin was ready to once again try and face the public. He might end up hiding in his room if this went badly again.

At least he could take biscuits from here before he fled to a life as a hermit.

"Hello, everyone. Today we'll just be having a bit of a free week. Since it's finals for most of us and holidays for many soon after. And there is no need for any--er--excitement after last week, yes?"

"Yeah, the last few weeks have been pretty stressful for people, so we thought something a bit more low-key might be in order," Karla added, standing a precisely-considered distance away from Merlin. 'Close enough to show that we're still friends' was balanced by 'far away enough to show the lack of shenanigans.' She might have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about that, it's true.

"Last week, however, illustrated something very important. As with all kinds of power, magic can be misused and abused. Sometimes it's accidental, like in cases where people don't know what they're doing. Other times it might unintentional, like when people don't understand what they're doing is wrong--or even have no idea they're doing anything at all. Either way, it's important to know what is considered ethical--and, more importantly, what's considered unethical."

Tony nodded.  "I think the big one is free will. If you're affecting someone's abilities to make choices, that's a big red flag.  I can't think of any time it's okay to mess with someone's head, unless you're trying to undo something worse. Any others? What do you guys think?"

[OCD up!]

The StuCo cart of pastries and coffee wasn't going anywhere, it seemed. Not while finals were still going on. There was the addition of diet Coke to things because Jean might possibly live on the stuff.

But that was okay. It was diet. So it was good for you.

Yes.

She was just going to stay inside with her fake sugar soda and avoid looking like she fell in a rainbow, thanks.

Calvin had been awake since before dawn, when some inner sense had informed him of the presence of the snow.

Since then, Calvin had been very busy. He was an artist who'd been deprived of his favourite medium for far too long, and once he'd realised that this wasn't any ordinary snow there had been no stopping him (even if Hobbes had decided to watch from under cover and call out questions and advice from a distance rather than get his fur stained, the wimp).

Soaked, and spattered and smeared with stray streaks of colour, he carefully patted snow into shape with chilled fingers. He had a vague awareness he'd been at this several hours, if only from the sheer number of twisted and tormented shapes scattered across the lawn in front of the dorms.

Calvin could be quite productive when he put his mind to it, and given what he came up with when his palette consisted solely of white, anyone passing by the dorms today was in for a surprise.

[Mostly establishy on Calvin's part, but so very open for anyone who wants to react to his handiwork.]

Eeeeverything was awesome. Everything. Okay, some left over weird from last week with all the marriage and stuff, but Jak was happy (and eager) to leave that part in the past. Especially when he had an enormous bowl full of nachos, some dip, and the television.

People were going to rue the day they introduced Jak to television. Seriously.

He perched his feet on the table, snagged a nacho, and turned the channel to professional motorcycling. Oh yeah.

[[ open! ]]

Arthur scraped his throat after everyone had arrived. "I hope you all enjoyed Reno's presence last week. Today, we'll be concerned with two things, reservists," he said, "First of all, I hope all of you have taken the time to visit the Magical Reserves at work some time during the past few months. If you haven't, please do. They are hard workers, and worthy of our trust." After a pause, he continued. "We will all at some point encounter a foe using forces we don't understand." Thank God for that 'we', or Arthur never might have managed to get the phrase out of his throat.

"In such case, it's important not to panic, and to keep some kind of plan ready. A way to shield or shroud yourself. Keep hidden and strategize, or think on your feet, use your surroundings. I am not necessarily speaking of magic here; running into technology you don't know might have the same devastating effects." ...Boy, was Arthur happy he'd learned about guns before running into anyone using them.

"I'd like to open the floor for debate about the best ways to deal with an attacker who uses powers or materials you don't have a direct grasp on. How would you improvise? Likewise, if you have such a man-- or, er, a woman. If you have such a person on your side instead, learn from them. Find out what your fellows are capable of. That way, you won't wind up underestimating their abilities in a fight, and cheating yourself out of a good partnership." Cough. "On either end, understanding is our greatest tool. It might even bring you friends where you used to see enemies."

Arthur crossed his arms. "Secondly, we'll be repeating an old exercise," he said, "Pick a partner. One of you hides in the preserve, setting a trap, the other tracks them and tries to take them out." Beat. "Without lethal weapons, if you please. That will be all. Get to it."

[[ open! ]]

The Student Council's coffee cart was back in the lobby today, having been restocked with muffins, pastries, and other sugary sweets, along with plenty of caffeine. There might have been other things Sam wanted to be doing with his day, but his sense of responsibility was too strong for him to ignore his presidential duties. So, with the exception of cooking class and a visit to Anakin's office, he was around to serve anyone who needed a pick-me-up.

There was a radio in the lobby, but he was making sure to turn it off every time it threatened to come on. He liked Christmas music quite a bit, but there were certain songs that no one needed to be subjected to.

[I'll be around to pick up pings around 4pm EST!]

Hurley Reyes was baking a cake. It was delicious, moist, and definitely not a lie.

It was chocolate cake with chocolate chips in it. He was baking it mainly in attempts to give something to Penelope to be all 'sorry I was a jackass playboy that weekend'.

He felt it needed cake to make the apology better.

[ooc: Severely open, like a common room.]

Raven and Karla had A Very Important Mission: there were cookies to be made for Santakin Santa Claus! After all, they had promised the appropriate tribute in return for their ponies. Though Raven had never baked before, so she was relying on Karla's guidance in preparing them.

It might be wise to seek cover.

One thing was certain -- they would not be using the cookie cutters that Raven had found at 'Dite's Decadent Delights the other day.


[ooc: open as common rooms are, but enter at your own risk. :D (Cookie cutter link is kinda NSFW, but not graphic.)]

There was a cart set up in the lobby. Not just any cart, no, but a magical cart of caffeine and sweet sugary goodness. Oh yes, it was Student Council's Finals Week coffee cart, and the Perk and J. GOB had outdid themselves in their offerings to the magical cart of caffeine.

Also George was around when he wasn't taking his Sex Ed final. And if you thought he wasn't overdosing on caffeine and sugary goods, well, clearly you have never met the magical cart of caffeine and sweet sugary goodness.

[OOC: IDEK. Open to all, mod your drinks and snacks and YAY FINALS]

It was a Monday. Arthur was training. The weekend had been... normal. These were all good ingredients for a decent morning, if you asked him, and since he was the only person in the room who was currently involved in narrative, damn straight you were asking him. Or something.

Practice was quick and fierce today, combining his natural discipline with more than a measure of fire as he went through some of his more intense attack drills.

[[ open! ]]

She'd managed to forget that there was a party going on until late enough that she'd have felt sort of weird showing up—not to mention 'bout the fact that Ino was a bit weirded out by the idea of showing up at some strange grown-up's place for a party—and so, with her Santa hat perched jauntily on her head, she'd wandered into her common room to make hot chocolate.

It was totally seasonal. And so was the candy cane she was nibbling on. The candy was obviously the best part of this holiday, especially for someone who only had the vaguely concept of what the holiday entailed beyond 'shiny presents'.

But presents? Were pretty awesome too. She leaned against the counter and sipped her hot chocolate idly.

[Because I had to use this icon today, yes! Toootally open common room!]

Bobby was in a much better mood than he had been in... a while, actually. Which is why he was actually out in the common room, randomly flipping through channels and munching on a bowl of popcorn.

There were a few strategically-placed blankets draped on the other couches to help combat the fact that the room was mysteriously cold, if anyone felt like stopping by.

[ooc: i'm bored. it's open!]