cuddlecity | → i don't want a lot for christmas, there is just one thing i need

CHARACTERS: Barbie House Residents & You.
LOCATIONS: That pink little number where superpowered girls live.
WARNINGS: None in post, please let me know if I need to change that.
SUMMARY: Ugly sweater party time.

( If you know Kimberly and Clary at all, then you'll know there's been a festive treat in the works for a while. People will have received their personally designed invitations during the week, but neither of them have been shy in mentioning the party while wandering the city laden with shopping bags. The house is suitably decorated - enough mistletoe to potentially be a biohazard - but with a little help from the world's best ( and most stylish ) warlock Magnus Bane, it's definitely looking the part. And if it's a little small, well outside is covered in lights too, an army of space heaters dotted in their garden to make things as cosy as possible.

There's multiple flavours of punch, though be wary of the one that smells overwhelmingly of gingerbread, someone was a little heavy handed with the liquer. If that doesn't float your boat then the living room table is laid out with different drinks and snacks, some more festive than others. Eat, drink, be merry. And if you hear Blue Christmas at any point in their festive playlist, please track down Baby and give him a hug ( or a drink ... or one of those sprigs of mistletoe. )

The only rule ( and it's definitely a rule ) wear a Christmas sweater or suffer the wrath of women scorned. Though maybe not something with tassles or baubles, Simba might be after them. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He turns back to look at the house at Magnus' gesture. He's not entirely sure why his first assumption hadn't been magic, magic should be his go-to explanation for everything by now. ]

I heard about it at the mall, but the decorations told me I was in the right place.

[ his cheeks get a little pinker before his glass is even half empty; total lightweight. ]

It may not have been the best venue but if I want to be part of the community I have to start somewhere.

[Magic is Magnus's go-to for most things, there's no reason to change that now that he's here. But he'll keep an eye on the level of that drink, there's no call at all for Tomás to get a little too loose, especially if he's trying to make a good impression.]

Are you new here too, then? I just arrived a few weeks ago, I was lucky to find Clary here. I've known her since she was just a little biscuit. I hope she's finding a way to relax here, her life back home is just nonstop. Not that any of us have gotten much rest lately.

[Tomás doesn't need a top-up, but Magnus does, and he snaps his fingers to refill his glass with a little flourish.]

Getting to relax was half of the appeal.

[ he can't help staring at the glass and at Magnus in turns as it refills itself. and then he shrugs a little, if Magnus is doing magic like this then he probably doesn't have to worry about people reacting poorly to his job. ]

I'm an exorcist— well, my partner would still call me a trainee. [ he says that with a little fond smile that only has a hint of self-deprecation. ] The work doesn't give us much time to breathe.

Oh, exorcisms. [Magnus shudders a little theatrically, but not by much.] I don't blame you for needing to relax. They're exhausting, and they never go as well as you hope they will.

[That probably sounds strange to anyone but a priest.] I didn't know the Church still did them. That's where most of mine come from, people who can't find someone willing to go through the process. Most of them aren't actually possessions, but occasionally something else will be in there. ...I'm sorry, you probably don't want to talk shop.

No, no, it's actually nice... refreshing? I've never talked about it to anyone not directly involved with a case.

[ He sips at his drink again. It's weird to think about, it's only been six months but having a parish, taking confession, it feels like lifetimes ago. ]

We were in the middle of a case when I got the invitation to come here. [ for a moment he gets a faraway look, like he's reliving something, but he recovers quickly and smiles at Magnus again. ] How do we know if your demons and my demons are the same kind? I understand we're in a multiverse situation.

[That's a relief, most people don't react so calmly when he needs to vent a little about what a pain exorcisms are. He groans, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.]

A multiverse situation and a multiple timelines situation, as I've personally discovered. The demons I have difficulties with are Lesser and Greater demons from Hell. The Lessers are easier to handle, the Greaters are...well, it generally takes more than one warlock to subdue a Greater. I tried once. [He looks a little pale, even outside in the dark.] That's...it didn't go well.

[If he could call having his soul switched with his enemy's and then being tortured for information while in the enemy's body "not going well."] Ah, what case were you working on? Is that why you're here?

[ Tomas is immediately engaged, even if it's a different universe there's something to be learned about this for sure. He's been ranking demons as weak or strong, lesser and greater seems more reasonable.

He listens very intently and purses his lips when Magnus asks about him again. ]

This demon's been killing for centuries. When it gets hold of a victim it uses them to kill their families, parents killing their kids—

[ He takes a longer drink this time, because having a meltdown in front of the friendly guy you just met would be terrible manners. ]

I saw it and... I was there, I was the victim. Victims. [ He gives Magnus a very tight smile. ] I'm not having a great month.

[Magnus listens with open sympathy on his face, and when Tomas lowers his glass again Magnus touches a finger to the side and gently tops it up with magic.]

I'm sorry. Of course we don't need to say another word about it, we can go straight back to that feeling of Christmas in the air, but if you need to talk... [He can't help giving the man's shoulder an understanding squeeze.]

I've seen it too. For a few centuries.

[ Tomas nods at him, he appreciates it, he just doesn't know how to explain his faith in God, or that he believes God's plan for him somehow involved him experiencing various gruesome deaths, or that he'd be happy to go through it again if it meant he could help Andy Kim and his family.

Luckily he's pulled out of his thoughts by the word 'centuries' ]

You don't look a day older than thirty. [ His smile turns more relaxed. He wasn't expecting to meet an old powerful magic-user today, but it beats by far, reliving the day he had just before coming to the city. ] I'd never seen magic before.

Tsh, stop. [Or don't, that's fine too, but Magnus pretends to shoo away the compliment. After skirting such dark topics, it's good to have something ready-made to steer the conversation back toward lighter things.] Warlocks are immortal, we all stop aging eventually. I just got lucky.

[He takes a sizable gulp of his own drink, mostly to finish it off so he can replace it with something new.] You'd never seen magic before tonight? I can do much more interesting things than top up a drink and put a few decorations around the house. I'm guessing that even if your world has warlocks, or some...local equivalent, you don't personally have much to do with them.

[ Warlock, so that's the word. Tomas likes it better than wizard, although he's sure if he went to the etymology, wizard would have friendlier connotations.

He takes another sip of his drink. A year ago the world was exactly what it looked like and now he fights demons and drinks with immortal warlocks. ]

Back home there are curanderos, healers. Well, "healers" [ He's holding a drink in one hand, but he does the air quotes with the other. ] And santeros, who practice a blend between a handful of religions. No magic though, most people who claim special powers are charlatans— is that the word? [ his pronunciation is a bit off. it's partly because of the drink and partly his accent. ] But honestly, I learned about demons less than a year ago, so I'm not ruling anything out.

[ He takes one final sip of his drink and then sets the glass aside. He doesn't want to get drunk. ]

→ i don't want a lot for christmas, there is just one thing i need

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