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Tiamat blinked in surprise as a man larger than Joe suddenly appeared from the shadows. What was more surprising though, was the sight of Zodiac climbing the man mountain. She tilted her head towards Ripper as he made way through the crowd. She watched him for a couple seconds before turning her attention back to the mountain and koala.

“What is it about this man that makes all the women want to climb him,” she asked. She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear as she stood there. “This is the second time I’ve seen something like this.”

She carefully ran her fingers around the snake ring on her finger. “Well, if my idea works, it’ll solve a slew of problems. Also, your dress looks lovely as well Zodiac.”

She looked around thoughtfully, seeking out the perfect person. There was the Head Elf that Doc had been speaking to. She doubted he or any of the of the other party staff would have the same impact. She went from group to group, but none of the other attendees seemed viable to her. Most were either vampires, or unimportant. She let an audible sigh in annoyance.

She spotted one attendee, Flynn weaving through the crowd away from the man Tia had seen him kissing. She had an idea what he was doing. Another sigh escaped as she prepared for a minor argument over payment.

“Tonight just keeps getting even more interesting as it goes.”

Surprise was an understatement.

An arm more or less looped through hers and turned Ainsley back around to the direction of the party, all while talking. The voice-was unmistakable. Bohan could be gone a week, a month, a year, and she would never forget the sound of her sibling's voice. "BOHAN!" Ainsley all but screamed out, pleased that her brother has returned from his travels.

They had talked often-almost every other day while he was gone, but it wasn't the same. They were still close and Ainsley suspected that would never change, but life was always a little better with Bohan around. He had been--everything while Ainsley was grieving, and sometimes she wondered if she had taken her toll on him. The crying. The sleepless nights. The mood swings. Practically taking over his apartment. He never complained. He never indicated she was a drain on him in any respect, but it would be a lot for anyone. Even him.

"You're with me. You don't need one." She said in reference to the invitation. "Merry Christmas, brother." This was well and truly the best Christmas gift she could get, because Ainsley had doubted he would have been home in time and hadn't expected to see him before the new year. Just as she was about to ask about the flight, someone more or less pushed past them and said a few words. No sorry. No apologies. He was a man on a mission and while most people would have said something, Ainsley was feeling festive and thrilled her brother was home. It would take a heck of a lot to dampen her spirits.

"Right? Banecroft must be loaded to a point that he probably wipes his *** with dollar bills." Ainsley said with a snort, impressed at the aspect that he was giving to the children in the city, but less than impressed he was so giving. On her way out seconds before, an elf had given her a large sum of cash-was it money to win a favor or? Who could afford to give people thousands of dollars like that? And to hire a reindeer, and to decorate a place as big as this, as extravagantly? "Old money, I imagine. He must be smart and invested it well. Good for him, but he would win me over by actually showing his face and giving a speech."

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Doc wrote: Finally able to make it to the bourbon bar, he looked at the bartender, “Three fingers, neat, please.” Turning his attention to other occupants there at the bar, he smiled, “Ari .. Chub.. you ladies look lovely tonight.”

Ari slid her glass back across the bar and signaled to the bartender for a refill and a cider for Kaelyn when she heard a male voice behind her. Her shoulders tensed and her mental connection with the security network of the building that she was attempting to work her way into momentarily faltered. Without turning, she made another signal to the bartender. "I think you'll like some of the stuff we've been bringing in from the regional distilleries. High quality, smooth finish... usually small batch or single barrel." She picked up the glass as it was returned to her and slid Kaelyn's cider over to her, nodding slightly at Doc in the process while she attempted to reestablish her connecting with the unusually finicky security network. "Doctor. You look well. I trust you've been keeping out of trouble?"

Was it rude to talk about people and how they had money? If it was, she didn't care. She suspected those that had money talked about those that didn't have money and that was how the world went round. She wasn't envious, or jealous, or petty that some people had money and others, like herself, didn't. It was just life. She would be lower middle class, but she was happy. Finally. Again.

"I think everything is the main event." Ainsley admitted, not really knowing what was going on. "There's been things going on all night. Snowman building. Some guys dressed as elves giving away money...thousands, by the way." WHich reminded her to tuck what she managed to get in her brother's suit coat for safe keeping. "The children were here singing and still are, I imagine, and something about reindeer rides." She gave him a glance, really taking him in. How was he really doing? A conversation best left for at home. "I had some wine. It's not my flavor. A little too high class for me. Give me a pint any night of the week over a dry white." She said with a laugh, indicating that she didn't want or need anything to drink. "Let's see if we can meet a new face. There was this woman with dark hair-foreign. Stunning." Ainsley suggested, mostly for the sake of her brother. No, she wasn't meddling with his life, or love life, but she seemed to be someone to know since she had drawn such a crowd around her at some point. "Probably rich too, but seems to be making friends."

Well, seeing how the girl she was talking to went dead pan on her, maybe she was lost in her mind somewhere, oh well so much for conversation, she started to leave and "accidentally" bumped into Doc. "Pardon me, Sir. " She said with a soft voice and continued onward towards the door. Perhaps this party wasn't meant to be, rather boring she thought. She glanced down at what she wore and pondered on where to go next, another fancy club maybe? Who knows. She sighs again and glanced around once more, then spotted ripper and headed in his direction. Did she have a smile on her face? Nope, it was a dead pan look nothing Cherie going on about it when you confront a Vampire.

A reassuring hand held against his back brought his attention back down to earth and although he allowed himself to be lead, he couldn't help but roll his eyes and scoff at the compliment she paid to him.

“Let’s not make it into to a silk purse here, Elle. Fighting may be something I’m always prepared and ready for, but this doesn’t mean how I was looking to protect any one else this time - other than myself.”

A rich aromatic olfactory of scented perfume and mulled spices soon begin to permeate through out the air and filling up the room. The Killer casts an extended side long glance warily at the conflagration's source which burns in the middle and stepped up his pacing from being guided to urging forward in quicker step where the gusts and eddies from the open back entrance door kept the main effect of the smoke packed located more densely to elsewhere nearer mainly centralizing around and thickest in the middle portion.

“Some quick spot of fresh air sounds like a damn good idea all of a sudden.”

The bartender slid a glass across the bar towards him. Doc took the glass and took a healthy size pull from it before he answered. “I suppose that would depend on your definition of trouble.”

Had he broken the law? No. Had he equated himself well in regard to Ariadne? No. Not really. That is what she really wanted to know. Did he see and accept that he had done her wrong? Well that was a matter of opinion. She had walled herself away from everyone long before he left her. He had tried to get her to come out. To not stay walled up, but he couldn't reach her, and so he left her to her decision. What brought her out of her fugue back to society, he did not know, be he did know it wasn't he.

He took another drink and felt the condemnation in her gaze. Had he known she would pull herself out, would it have changed things? Would he have waited? Who can say. What he did know was that he had tried and failed, and for whatever reason she had resumed a life, she laid blame on his door. “Some would say, my trouble hasn’t yet begun.” He gave her a crooked smirk, just as a female bumped into him. “Watch it.” His tone going from affable to hard.

He eyed the would be female thief that had no reason to bump into him, save one. He was out of everyone way, up against the bar, and yet she bumped into him. He didn’t keep his wallet where most expected it to be, and he could tell he still had it. He sent a telepathic message to Lizzie, ~Be careful.. There is at least one pickpocket in the crowd. Where there is one, there are others.~