Thanksmas 2022: I Can't Believe That Tiny Dragon Is Actually A Very Tall Cafe Proprietress Dragon And Is Running Thanks-

[Mee]

"Oh," would be Khannie's reply to the very shy comment. Given how boisterous and out-going Khannie is it is pretty difficult for her to even imagine being in that sort of head-space. "Well, tell her thanks for me? These look really good."

"Of course~" Sally smiles and nods once. "Just come let me know if you'd like more, I'll have her make some extras."

Cheasadh waves at Khannie before she gets distracted by the hosts, thumping her staff against the floor as she leans on it a bit. "You look... a lot bigger right now." Cheasadh remarks to Sally. "I love the decorations you've got. Could I have a hot chocolate, please?"

"Y-yeah! Yeah I- um . . . g-get that a lot." She grins happily though, her tone clearly kind of sheepishly acknowledging, more than any sort of being upset or sarcastic with the reply. She truly does get it occasionally, and she definitely doesn't ever ever mean to trick anyone . . . But she does occasionally worry about it. "Oh thank you so much! I thought the decorations were lovely myself! And hot chocolate? Of course! Whipped cream and sprinkles, marshmallows, or a candy cane in slash on the hot chocolate? Or just plain? And regular milk, coconut, or almond?"

Brinika waves enthusiastically at Khannie when she sees her, then turns back to look up at Sally.

"They're definitely Cheasadh's kind of decoration. Pink. I'll have a hot chocolate too. That's our friend Khannie over there with her dad. She couldn't come with us to Civvy's realm. I've heard of dragons that can turn into people before but I didn't think they could be tiny dragons and big people."

Sally waves at the pointed out Khannie, before nodding a few more times. "Same question for ya then! Plain cocoa, whipped cream and sprinkles, marshmallows, or I can stick a candy cane in? Also regular milk, coconut, or almond?" While she starts to work, Sally works on the other question slash comment, "Yeah! I'm . . . um. I guess a bit backwards? I am a tiny dragon! I do tiny dragon things. I love headpats. I love sleeping in the sun. Getting scritched on a warm day with a friend, in front of a fire? Happiest li'l dragon.
I just . . .
Can also turn Very Tall." Sally shrugs slightly. She doesn't -- consciously -- know why she can, just that . . . she can. And does. She never really thought to question it.

"Here are drinks for you all~" She'll slide their drinks across the counter, once she gets the customization requests, and has a sec to get them all mixed up!

A redheaded human woman walks in. She's wearing a cheerfully ugly green and red holiday sweater, equally garish red and green holiday leggings, and black kitten heel boots. She's also got a backpack on, with baby bottles tucked into pockets on the outside. After she takes a quick look around--equal parts cautious and curious--she holds the door open wider for a baby stroller to roll in. Motive under some unseen, arcane force, it carries two babs bundled up against the cold.

"Hello hello welcome! Merry Thanksmas! What can I get brewing for you? Snack?"

[bc56]

Sekhmet glowers. One of her (im)mortal enemies is sitting across the table and telling her to enjoy it, there is no way she'd ever be happy with this situation. Mary, for her part, looks bewildered and is looking to Sekhmet for guidance. "Even if you are on vacation," a fact Sekhmet seriously doubts, "I would prefer you didn't spend it in my company."

[Ironsmith]

"And again, you forget the boundaries of the whole 'queen' thing. In that your authority stops with your subjects." Libidine smirks, though it fades after a moment. "...Besides..." She continues, her gaze falling away from Sekhmet. "...I... really don't have many other options. It's either you, or go spend time with Dolor and Inertius. Or, wait, I suppose you have no context for that, do you? They're my... I hesitate to say brothers, especially given the context of our relationship." She gives Sekhmet a meaningful look here, one she's probably recieved from more sympathetic succubi in the past. "...You'd know them as the Devils of Wrath and Sloth, respectively. Pride doesn't much care for anyone. Gluttony's been on an extended 'mental health day' since the universe began. Envy might as well not be there, and Avarice won't spare the time. So if I were to spend Thanksmas with my own... 'family', my options are the worst imaginable." She shakes her head. "Even as much as you hate me, trust me, you're leaps and bounds the better option. Unless you want to send the message to your daughter here that some people should be alone on Thanksmas?"

[Earl of Purple]

Cheasadh requests cattle milk and marshmallows for her hot chocolate, though she does request a seperate candy cane. She'll spend a bit of time nibbling it so it resembles her staff before she chomps it properly. "Pink is the best colour, and nobody can convince me otherwise." Cheasadh smiles as she blasphemes against her player. But she's not smote for it; not here at least.

[Morty]

"Almond milk, whipped cream, candy cane," Brinika declares. Almond milk is easier on a goblin stomach than dairy milk. "I don't know a lot about shapeshifting but you're a very cute little dragon. Our cousins loved you too. Tuskfang was jealous he didn't get you meet you. He's our cousin from the other side of the family. A half-Wolfen. Or a woblin."

[FireFox]

"Hello hello welcome! Merry Thanksmas! What can I get brewing for you? Snack?"

"Hi Sally, merry Thanksmas to you too!" Tovia Solomon waves to the dragon and then leads the stroller over to her. "A hot cocoa would hit the spot, but first look who I brought~." She grins, all but shining with enthusiasm to show off her babies.

[Thursday Violist]

A certain woman, Talah Cathwulf, enters from outside -- Geez, it's way too cold outside.

She hangs out in the building's vestibule, looking for where she can hang up her jacket, before deciding...she takes it off and ties it around her waist. There! That looks better. She then spends a few moments checking her hair. This is a good networking opportunity, after all.

She enters the building proper, glad that it's so nice and warm in here.

Talah is a redhead, with her hair back in a ponytail. She's got a pretty cute blouse with little black flower patterns near the shoulder. She seems to have matched her socks with the pink atmosphere of this place, too. She also seems to be under an enchantment or spell or something. A fairy enchantment, a demonic curse, some other kind of spell or whatever. But, in spite of that, she's just...human. Normal human.
Oh.
Also, she's pretty.
Just pretty, though. Not, like, gorgeous. Not hot. Just....pretty. Like the kind of pretty that you'd see as the background character in a movie.

She walks up, spots some salads in the case at the counter, and asks for one.

Then, instead of going straight to a table, she pulls out her phone and pretends to be typing something out when she's really just checking her hair again.

[bc56]

"...I'm the only person you know who isn't either your terrified subject or just as awful as you are," Sekhmet analyzes. She sighs. "You're right about one thing. I don't believe anyone should be alone on Thanksmas. Don't make me regret it." Sekhmet will grudgingly accept Libidine's company.

[Keeper]

It should probably be noted, for the record, that Maridia is currently snoozing inside of Khannie's backpack. It's really only a matter of time before the smells wafting around awakens the fairy dragon and sends her into a candy devouring frenzy.

"Laaaame jokes. Oh hey did I mention I met a guy who was sorta like Death from those books? With the loud voice in your head and stuff? He was taking a ghost to... wherever ghosts go," Khannie reports as she snags three of the chocolate peppers, holding the sticks between her fingers with one hand and grabbing a fourth for immediate eating with the other. "He seemed kinda nice but that's gotta be a depressing job."

But oh no!

The ravages of hair ruffling are incoming!

Khannie shoves one of the peppers in her mouth and grips her ugly Thanksmas cap with both hands to protect her hair from being accosted. Sadly her voluminous hair is just as poofy whether she's human or zoroark, which means most of it is sticking out of the back in the form of a huge pony-tail. "Daaaaad, don't pet me in front of my frieeeends!"

That is, no doubt, a plea which won't be heeded.

One of the most important jobs of a parent is embarrassing their child in front of their child's friends.

Bringing a fairy dragon here proves that Khannie truly is the daughter of an avatar of chaos.
"It's true. Being a psychopomp is not a job I'd take willingly."

Ruffle ruffle.
"It's not petting; don't be silly. Besides, this is around the time you would be trying to lose me to go hang out with your cool friends without me, isn't it?"

[Rebonack]

Aaaaaah!

Khannie gets pet!

Ruffling is absolutely petting, Jace, you can't fool her.

Anyway!

Khannie glances over at her cool friends. Brinika and Cheasadh both look busy. And Arthfael looks like he's been assaulted by the roach witch. Ugh. That weirdo is like a bad smell that just won't go away. Maybe she should go rescue him? Or... She gives her father a contemplative look. Is he trying to get her to go? Or is he...

"Do you want me to hang out with you a bit? I haven't been home much 'cuz of living at the dorms. I haven't seen you a lot. That's why I asked you to come to the party with me tonight."

[Earl of Purple]

"He's here now, though. Probably somewhere hoping for snowballs. We usually have a snowball fight at these things." That would probably require going outside, though, and Cheasadh at least is nice and cosy here. Someone might persuade her to leave for a snowball fight later, though. Potentially Pookie, who is probably wandering around getting things sticky.

[Ironsmith]

"Come on. I'm not that bad." Libidine protests, rolling her eyes and giving mother and daughter a playful smirk. "In fact... in the spirit of the holiday, how about a gift or two?" She reaches forward with her hands, a pair of pitch-black voids appearing in front of her, bringing with them a blast of bitterly-cold air, the sort that would make even the hot-blooded demons in front of her shiver. When she withdraws her hands again, she's holding a pair of bottles; one filled with a sort of pinkish fluid and a little bulb-and-nozzle mechanism for spraying its contents, the other something closer to a wine bottle filled with an unidentified blue substance.

"For you, your highness, a nice tall bottle of Chill." She smiles and gives the blue liquid a little swirl. "Good for unwinding after a long and stressful day of running a hellscape. And I would know; this one comes from my personal collection." She sets the bottle in front of her. "You may also find it to be useful somewhere in the middle of said day, as well. Pour some for yourself and your subjects, and you can talk about your problems without anybody getting all-" Her hand bursts into flames and an agonized woman's scream reverberates around the table, before the effect ends as abruptly as it started.

"And as for you..." She smirks and sets the pink bottle in front of Mary. "How old are you again, princess? Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen? Somewhere around there? Old enough to start getting attention, I bet." She gives the bottle a little spritz, filling the air with a pleasant, vaguely-floral scent. "And with this, even more so. A perfume made from Liquid Love. One whiff of that, and your classmates won't be able to take their eyes off of you." She gives the demon princess a satisfied little smile and flicks back her hair. "Again, from my personal collection. Use it in good health, kid."

-

Cheasadh's assertion is promptly followed by a gentle flurry of pink snow settling in around her, drifting up from some unseen source high above and settling in her hair or around her. Miraculously, it's only pleasantly cool to the touch, as opposed to the freezing temperature it reasonably should be. It also somehow manages to avoid drifting into anyone's drinks, unless they go out of their way to catch it (at which point they'll discover that it has a sweet, vaguely fruity flavor, comparable to bubblegum or cotton candy).

It's also sticking to itself in the perfect consistency for building or packing into snowballs, should Cheasadh feel the need.

-

"...so much money to never hear that story again." Arthfael grumbles, looking disgusted.

"I just think it's important that you know about them. I-"

"No, really, I don't want to hear it. Especially if you think my sister's involved. That's just gross."

"Okay, but-"

"Stop."

"I'm just sayi-"

"No."

Tahara stomps her foot in frustration. "I'm just saying, maybe check in with her when you can. Make sure she's okay. All right?"

"...Sure. Fine. Whatever."

[Shadowcaller]

Anika had no idea what kind of dragon Sally was but she was expecting something big.
Or at least bigger. Since she couldn't even see the dragon when she approached the cafe which ruined her expectation that Sally-The-Dragon would be bigger than the building.

But hey, maybe the dragon had just assumed a person-form to fit inside the building? That made sense.
Since surely a dragon that hosted such an big event had to be huge, thus really important.

Anika will slam open the door to the cafe and walk inside to see if she could spot anyone she knew.
Since surely at least someone from VIGIL had to be here, right?

[Murkus]

A little girl follows in Anika's trail, trundling into the coffee shop. She's about eight, very spare and slim, with a voluminous head of pink-petaled flowers for hair. Her eyes have little horizontal blocks for pupils, as a deer's might, and her ears are the large and expressive ears of a deer as well. They flicker to listen to the chatter as she enters, decked out in puffy white pants, a yellow sweater that's at least a couple sizes too big, and a white coat that looks thick and cozy enough to see her through the arctic. She has so much puffy flower-hair that it nearly drags on the ground, and she trails little pink petals everywhere she goes.

She seems a bit giddy, for whatever reason. This was so exciting, being here all by herself! And all these people! Lucy, for that's her name, will just stand there with the door open and goggle around at the decorations and patrons for a moment.

[Rebonack]

And shortly following Lucy is another child. A little half-drow girl with her mother's black hair and her father's red eyes. Her dusky, bluish hued skin is specked with little yellow freckles lending her a passing resemblance to her namesake.

One Lapislazuli Xar'Cha.

Or just Lapis to most.

She looks like she's on the cusp of hitting eleven, a few years the senior of Lucy. The girl is dressed in a pretty blue and white dress that absolutely does not look like it should be warm enough for the weather right now. In spite of this she seems pretty care-free. She's plenty warm enough! After all, she just ran a long ways! And running is a good reason to be warm.

Another good reason to be warm?

Because your heart warms at the sight of ANOTHER friend!

"ANIKA!" Lapis exclaims as soon as she sees the towering purple elf! "Hello Anika! This is my friend Lucy she asked to come to Thanksmas with me and I was hoping you would be here so you could meet her and here you are! Lucy this is Anika she's one of the BRAVEST people at VIGIL she knows how to turn into a bear and a shark and bird and maybe other things too but I don't know all the things but she's really good at them!"

There might have been a breath in there.

"These decorations are so BIG and so PINK I love them this is the best Thanksmas ever!"

[Shadowcaller]

Anika smiles widely as she turns around to find the two girls. "Heeey! My tiny homies!" The druid leans down low and will attempt to give Lucy and Lapis a give-me-five even if her hand absolutely dwarfed theirs.

"Since of course I know Lucy, Lapis! Anyone that's anyone around here knows her, duh." She declares as Lapis is introducing them. Since she and Anika had come across one another while they were both visiting Mithar Keep. "Greatest of the Frescots, am I right?" Her giant eyebrows raise to an impressive height as she points Lucy out.

"Since I also heard that your family are some tough bitches so that's saying something." Considering that Lucy's dad was about Anika's height she would probably be used to have people tower over her like this.

[Murkus]

"Oh! Yes! I remember you!" Lucy pipes. How could she forget someone so tall! Taller than dad! She doesn't know anything about turning into bears and fishes and things, but it sounds pretty awesome. She gazes up at the elf, thinking that she'd like to be that tall when she grows up. Then dad will be the munchkin!

The little girl emphatically slaps Anika's hand, beaming from ear to ear. These two were just so much fun to be around! She didn't know what 'homies' meant, but it seemed good. "Yep, that's me! I'm glad you remembered!" She strikes a foolish pose and puts her hands on her hips. "The greatest!"

Then Anika calls her family 'tough bitches'. That's good too, right? But... Lucy gasps, blushes, and points at Anika. "You swore," she says, as though Anika had just committed some grave taboo. She looks amused at the same time, on the verge of giggles.

[Rebonack]

Yeah high fives!

Lapis does a little hop to slap Anika's hand, not because it is strictly required but because it makes the whole experience more fun. Whack! Exciting!

"I love all the Frescots they're my friends," Lapis says, not wanting to be playing favorites with people who she cares about. "But Lucy's my good friend we've done all sorts of fun games and things."

Different sorts of games than she's played with Cora and Bastion but still fun! Games that involve lots of running and imagination are the best since imagining things is hard for Lapis so it's good practice.

"Oh! I got a gift for you too Anika my big sister Karaglen helped me make it and I've got it in this box," Lapis explains as she pulls a colorfully wrapped box from her backpack and begins handing it to Anika when suddenly!

A swear!

"Anika you shouldn't use bad words it isn't nice," Lapis admonishes very seriously.

[Shadowcaller]

"What bad word?" Anika asks though is right now paying more attention to the present she got.
She gives it a light shake as she presses her ear against it. Hoping it wasn't something soft. Clothes were... alright, but she preferred making them herself rather than other people giving them to her.

"Pretty sure I only said nice words." The druid sounds a bit puzzled. She was pretty sure she had only used compliments there.

[Murkus]

Lucy almost repeats it, but stops herself. Mom wouldn't want her saying a thing like that. Perhaps only if absolutely necessary. "The b-word," Lucy leans in and explains in a low, hushed voice, as though her mother were about to jump out of a dark corner at any moment. Still smiling all the while.

The Frescot girl is still at that age where she doesn't really think much about gifts for others; only getting them herself on Thanksmas day. It occurs to her that giving a gift to Lapis would be nice, though. She is her good friend. Maybe the very best.

[Rebonack]

"The word for girl dogs that's a mean thing to call people who aren't dogs," Lapis gently explains. If someone is a dog and a girl maybe calling them that is okay. "I don't think you meant it as a mean word like I've heard people say-"

Lapis lowers her voice and speaks in a hushed tone as if the word she's uttering is the highest form of profanity imaginable.

"-floof-"

Terrible.

How could you, Lapis?

"I think maybe people don't know that's a bad word that putti use and they use it because they don't know that it's rude."

Of course angels would have innocuous sounding curse words.

But! Box! Shaking it reveals nothing. It's packed really well and it feels pretty heavy for its size.

"I brought something for you too Lucy but did you want it now or should I leave it at the tree at your house maybe or something else?"

[Shadowcaller]

"Bitches?" Anika inquires as Lucy answers her question, just before Lapis decides to answer it as well. "Ehh, swear words are only as bad as you make them, kids. It's like one of those fey of yours Lapis. The more you fear 'em the more powerful they become. So if you fear 'em too much you might explode if you hear them. So never be too afraid of swear kids since that's how the swears control you." The druid nods as she shares her sagely wisdom.

[Keeper]

Aaaaaah!

Khannie gets pet!

Ruffling is absolutely petting, Jace, you can't fool her.

Anyway!

Khannie glances over at her cool friends. Brinika and Cheasadh both look busy. And Arthfael looks like he's been assaulted by the roach witch. Ugh. That weirdo is like a bad smell that just won't go away. Maybe she should go rescue him? Or... She gives her father a contemplative look. Is he trying to get her to go? Or is he...

"Do you want me to hang out with you a bit? I haven't been home much 'cuz of living at the dorms. I haven't seen you a lot. That's why I asked you to come to the party with me tonight."

"Well I certainly wouldn't mind being able to spend a holiday with you for once."
Khannie usually runs off to hang out with her friends on holidays.
"But this is also still about you. So you're free to do whatever you like on Thanksmas." he winks. "As long as it's nothing I wouldn't approve of."

[Rebonack]

"Then let's do it! One Thanksmas spent together," Khannie retorts, not mentioning that she stayed at home last Thanksmas but ssshhhh. Then she gives him a rather impish smile. "You wanna try one of the chocolate covered peppers?"

The tray is brandished at Jace.

Khannie is pretty sure she already knows what the answer to that question is.

"It doesn't have to be about me," Khannie replies, her smile faltering a little bit. "I think... maybe too much stuff has been about me lately. All that wish stuff was dumb and selfish. I'm sorry I put you through all that."

She really, truly is.

But hey!

That has passed.

What would JACE like to do this Thanksmas?

[bc56]

Sekhmet frowns subtly. She knows where this stuff comes from, and is unlikely to use it. But she also knows not to reject a gift given in good faith while the giver is watching. She slowly slides the bottle across the table towards her. Mary grabs her own gift more eagerly. Sekhmet sends her daughter a message, Don't use it now. We'll talk later.
Of course receiving a gift means she should reciprocate in kind. She opens a small portal and reaches through, retrieving a folded-up bundle of fabric. "It's got the same enchantment I use on some of my clothes," she explains, "It'll fit perfectly no matter what shape you're in." It's a dress, similar to the one Sekhmet is wearing right now.

[Ironsmith]

Not an especially useful gift for someone who prefers body-surfing to shapeshifting. It'd have its applications, sure, but for the most part it's basically just a pretty dress that she doesn't have to go get altered.

Libidine accepts the gift, rolling over the fabric in her hands, a small smile on her face. Or at least, it starts small. The more she examines the dress, the bigger it gets, to the point where it seems almost manic when she looks up at Sekhmet again. "...Thank you." She says, taking a second to rub away at the corners of her eyes with her fingers. "...Even at Thanksmas, you have no idea how rare it is for someone to actually give me a gift. An actual gift, I mean. That backhanded thing Dolor and Periculus do with self-help books and exercise equipment doesn't... doesn't count." She stands, holding the folded dress under her arm. "I'm going to go put this on right now. Thank you again. Really."

True to her word, Libidine turns and walks to the bathroom, and when she returns, she will indeed be wearing the new dress, the old one nowhere to be seen (presumably sent back to the Abyss). She won't be gone long, but Sekhmet and Mary will still get a minute without her around.

[Murkus]

"The word for girl dogs that's a mean thing to call people who aren't dogs," Lapis gently explains. If someone is a dog and a girl maybe calling them that is okay. "I don't think you meant it as a mean word like I've heard people say-"

Lapis lowers her voice and speaks in a hushed tone as if the word she's uttering is the highest form of profanity imaginable.

"-floof-"

Terrible.

How could you, Lapis?

"I think maybe people don't know that's a bad word that putti use and they use it because they don't know that it's rude."

Of course angels would have innocuous sounding curse words.

But! Box! Shaking it reveals nothing. It's packed really well and it feels pretty heavy for its size.

"I brought something for you too Lucy but did you want it now or should I leave it at the tree at your house maybe or something else?"

"Bitches?" Anika inquires as Lucy answers her question, just before Lapis decides to answer it as well. "Ehh, swear words are only as bad as you make them, kids. It's like one of those fey of yours Lapis. The more you fear 'em the more powerful they become. So if you fear 'em too much you might explode if you hear them. So never be too afraid of swear kids since that's how the swears control you." The druid nods as she shares her sagely wisdom.

Before Lucy can make a decision about her present, she instead is forced to erupt in a fit of giggles. "She said it again!" Lucy just grins at the towering night elf, trying to understand what she means. "...My parents just say we shouldn't say them. We hear them on TV sometimes, you know, and I heard em' from daddy once or twice. But he always says not to repeat after him!" Lucy nods. Is Anika saying her parents have it all wrong? Are swears no big deal, unless you make em so? Lucy looks at Lapis to see what she thinks of this wisdom.

[Rebonack]

Uh oh.

Lapis is being put on the spot!

"I don't think faeries are strong because people are afraid of them I think some of the meanest ones just like people being scared."

Lucy's memory of that horrible night likely confirms this. Of being frozen while that awful black puppet reached for her, her body heedless to her commands. That turned out okay. Her mom yelled at it and then her dad beat it up! Parents are great for keeping monsters away.

But that's a distant and foggy memory from years ago when Lucy was half-asleep. Right NOW the subject is Thanksmas gifts and swears.

"Mother says you shouldn't use swears because because they aren't kind. We can choose to be whatever we want and so we should choose to be kind," Lapis concludes after some thought. Also! She's pretty sure Mother NEVER swears and she hasn't ever exploded.

And none of her friends use swears and none of THEM explode.

"I think maybe that's just a debuff from where you came from Anika I don't think that happens to other people."

The swearless debuff! If you don't swear enough the you take damage whenever you don't hear swears. Or something.

"People should say nice, beautiful things whenever they can. And swears are ugly things that come out sometimes when people are hurt or being hurtful."

Lapis is pretty sure about all of this. Just like she's pretty sure, "You could say the Frescots are tough people! Or tough friends. None of them are dogs, Anika, they're all deer except Russell he's a flower and I guess Mrs Sakura too she's a dryad."

Maybe Anika was just confused. She probably thinks a dryad is like a night elf with a deer for a lower body or something!

But then!

Lapis has a VERY clever idea. She can change the subject!

"Wasn't there a special drink you wanted to get Lucy because Thanksmas is at a cafe this year?" she asks, turning to her friend.

[Mee]

Cheasadh requests cattle milk and marshmallows for her hot chocolate, though she does request a seperate candy cane. She'll spend a bit of time nibbling it so it resembles her staff before she chomps it properly. "Pink is the best colour, and nobody can convince me otherwise." Cheasadh smiles as she blasphemes against her player. But she's not smote for it; not here at least.

"And I agree with you!!" Sally says with a vehement nod, sliding the drink (and two separate candy canes) over to Cheasadh with a little 'shhhhh' placing of her finger against her lips, and a doofy little smile.

"Almond milk, whipped cream, candy cane," Brinika declares. Almond milk is easier on a goblin stomach than dairy milk. "I don't know a lot about shapeshifting but you're a very cute little dragon. Our cousins loved you too. Tuskfang was jealous he didn't get you meet you. He's our cousin from the other side of the family. A half-Wolfen. Or a woblin."

"You bet! I'll get that going for you!" As Sally does her dance of drink -- truly the only coordinated thing she can usually manage -- she blushes a bit as she listens. "T-thank you! I-" Gosh Sally isn't actually quite sure how to reply to this. It's flattering, for certain! But she always had a lingering worry of like . . .is she tricking people? She always kinda worries about it . . .
But sounds like it's okay in this case!
"I- . . . well. I certainly loved them all too. They're a wonderful group. Thank you. And-" She adds, in a fit of genius, "Please know that any and all of you have a perfectly safe place here, and are welcome to visit at any time. I'll make you all hot chocolate."

"Hi Sally, merry Thanksmas to you too!" Tovia Solomon waves to the dragon and then leads the stroller over to her. "A hot cocoa would hit the spot, but first look who I brought~." She grins, all but shining with enthusiasm to show off her babies.

"Certainly! What flavor of milk would you lik- OH MY GOSH TINY BEANS" Sally beams at the li'l babies. "I LOVE THEM THEY ARE PERFECT."

A certain woman, Talah Cathwulf, enters from outside -- Geez, it's way too cold outside.

She hangs out in the building's vestibule, looking for where she can hang up her jacket, before deciding...she takes it off and ties it around her waist. There! That looks better. She then spends a few moments checking her hair. This is a good networking opportunity, after all.

She enters the building proper, glad that it's so nice and warm in here.

Talah is a redhead, with her hair back in a ponytail. She's got a pretty cute blouse with little black flower patterns near the shoulder. She seems to have matched her socks with the pink atmosphere of this place, too. She also seems to be under an enchantment or spell or something. A fairy enchantment, a demonic curse, some other kind of spell or whatever. But, in spite of that, she's just...human. Normal human.
Oh.
Also, she's pretty.
Just pretty, though. Not, like, gorgeous. Not hot. Just....pretty. Like the kind of pretty that you'd see as the background character in a movie.

She walks up, spots some salads in the case at the counter, and asks for one.

Then, instead of going straight to a table, she pulls out her phone and pretends to be typing something out when she's really just checking her hair again.

"Hi hi hello! Merry Thanksmas! Welcome, can I get you something warm to drink? I know it's a bit chilly outside."

Anika had no idea what kind of dragon Sally was but she was expecting something big.
Or at least bigger. Since she couldn't even see the dragon when she approached the cafe which ruined her expectation that Sally-The-Dragon would be bigger than the building.

But hey, maybe the dragon had just assumed a person-form to fit inside the building? That made sense.
Since surely a dragon that hosted such an big event had to be huge, thus really important.

Anika will slam open the door to the cafe and walk inside to see if she could spot anyone she knew.
Since surely at least someone from VIGIL had to be here, right?

Well . . . Sally certainly is big! In some regards, at least! She towers over a good amount of the folks in her little cafe, and will smile over at Anika upon entering!
"Hello! Welcome! Merry Thanksmas! Can I get you anything warm to drink? I think it's still snowing outside."

[Shadowcaller]

Uh oh.

Lapis is being put on the spot!

"I don't think faeries are strong because people are afraid of them I think some of the meanest ones just like people being scared."

Lucy's memory of that horrible night likely confirms this. Of being frozen while that awful black puppet reached for her, her body heedless to her commands. That turned out okay. Her mom yelled at it and then her dad beat it up! Parents are great for keeping monsters away.

But that's a distant and foggy memory from years ago when Lucy was half-asleep. Right NOW the subject is Thanksmas gifts and swears.

"Mother says you shouldn't use swears because because they aren't kind. We can choose to be whatever we want and so we should choose to be kind," Lapis concludes after some thought. Also! She's pretty sure Mother NEVER swears and she hasn't ever exploded.

And none of her friends use swears and none of THEM explode.

"I think maybe that's just a debuff from where you came from Anika I don't think that happens to other people."

The swearless debuff! If you don't swear enough the you take damage whenever you don't hear swears. Or something.

"People should say nice, beautiful things whenever they can. And swears are ugly things that come out sometimes when people are hurt or being hurtful."

Lapis is pretty sure about all of this. Just like she's pretty sure, "You could say the Frescots are tough people! Or tough friends. None of them are dogs, Anika, they're all deer except Russell he's a flower and I guess Mrs Sakura too she's a dryad."

Maybe Anika was just confused. She probably thinks a dryad is like a night elf with a deer for a lower body or something!

But then!

Lapis has a VERY clever idea. She can change the subject!

"Wasn't there a special drink you wanted to get Lucy because Thanksmas is at a cafe this year?" she asks, turning to her friend.

"Hey, that's not true!" Anika can't feel but to point out when Lapis claims that swears are hurtful. "Swears can be used to compliment stuff." She gestures at Lapis. "Like maybe that 'special drink' you mentioned is bitching' sweet?"

She then turns to Lucy. "So what's the drink Lapis is talking about anyway? Maybe I can get it for you?" She offers.