When they came back to the livingroom, Elizabeth and Tamara were engaged in a lively discussion about medieval siege tactics.
"What the... ?" Eternia was stumped. "You guys sure get along well."
"Well, your friend is a very clever and educated lady." Elizabeth agreed. Tamara seemed disappointed about the abrupt end of their chat.

Nareen laughed. "You two should look at the new rooms, too! We have a lovely bathroom now."
"Bathroom?" Tamara sat up.
"With a tub." Eternia added with a smug grin.
"I'll stay over the weekend!" By the expression on her face, there was no way to know whether she was joking or not.

"Now that the house is okay again we urgently have to finish our detailed plans for Christmas." Eternia reminded the others. "We invited a lot of people to the party and we don't even have a designated party space yet."
Nareen remembered the sign on the outer wall. "And we have to take into account that men don't fit in our house well. The ceilings are too low."
"AAAAIIIIIEEEEEEH!" The redhead paled. "Garden party! It must be a garden party!"

Eternia sank down on the sofa. "Good grief! Good thing you're on top of those things! Christmas without men would be a desaster!"
"Especially for you," Tamara said flatly. "Poor thing."
"We should make a mixed party, then, so Giselda can serve the hot food here where it's warm." Nareen didn't seem willing to part with the fireplace for a whole evening.
"But we still need to decorate everything, though. Can we cut enough paper stars in time?" Eternia was unsure.

"You're such amateurs." said a familiar, high voice. Libra appeared in the middle of the room.

Elizabeth leaned forward. "You know, the more I look at this girl, the tastier she looks," she said appraisingly.
"Ambassadors may not be eaten." The tiny faerie whirled her wand as though she was a gunslinger.

"How unfortunate."
"Now wait, we still need her." Eternia was curious. "What do you mean, we're amateurs?"
"Didn't you read the letter? You're supposed to ask me when you have problems with your party."
"That's right." Nareen stood up. "So? What shall we do?"

"Be a bit more curious about your surroundings. Half of the decorations are here already." Libra went to a chest and removed Nareen's jacket from it. "I saw your self-made stars in the kitchen. If you plaster the flat with those, your guests will run off."
"Why, you little..." Eternia growled.
"Calm down, Eternia."

Libra hit the lock of the chest with her wand and it sprang open. The chest was overflowing with decorations.

"Aw, how nice!" Nareen loved the tree ornament.
"That's great for the flat but for the garden? I think we need more." said Eternia, who got on her knees to take a closer look.

"Aah, the memories." Elizabeth took one of the santa socks. Although she was a vampire, she could still remember watching her little cousin from the shadows through the window on Christmas Eve. For a moment she felt nostalgic. "This isn't exactly my style but I start to think living with you will be an interesting experience."

"These snowflakes are so cute!"
"Whoa, what is this thing? It's freaking long!" Eternia almost got tangled up in a garland of snowflakes.
"It's for the tree, of course."
"Tree? Do you mean the thin ones in the garden?" asked Nareen.

"Of course not, you dummies," Libra scoffed. "I spent over an hour letting it grow, so you better appreciate it."
She waved her hands in the air and cast a spell.
"Better wrap you up or you'll catch a cold in those empty heads of yours."

"Jackets are not done yet, so these will have to do," Libra announced and put on a Christmas hat herself.

Before anyone could answer, Giselda barged in waving her arms and hopping joyously. "Hooray! Look at me! I got a cute hat all of a sudden!" The little wingling looked at her friends, then laughed even louder. "Whee, you got some too!"
"Are we done celebrating now? Good. Then let's go. I'll show you the tree." Without waiting for a response, the faerie marched outside.
"You guys have fun", said Tamara. "I'll stay here with Elizabeth and Giselda and put up some decorations."

Dolltopia Archive 30 <-- # --> Dolltopia Archive 32