He opened his eyes reluctantly, stirred awake by the light footsteps of someone who probably thought they were being a lot sneakier than they really were.
Blinking a few times, he tried against his better judgment to shake off the drowsiness. His only aid to identify the would-be intruder was a thin, pale beam of moonlight shining through the otherwise darkened bedroom.
He was just about to concede to his body's demands and go back to sleep, when he spotted it. There, just faintly visible in the far corner of the room, a silhouette shifted before slowly taking another step forward.
He watched as the silhouette inched closer, not even bothering to be subtle in its presence any longer. As it got closer to him, he was able to make out more features of the shape, such as its distinctly female body structure and the outline of a bow sitting slightly askew on its head.
MC continued his idle observation of the figure's shuffling approach right up until she finally reached his side of the bed. With neither of them making a single noise that might break the spell, the figure slowly drooped, lining her featureless face up with his. She was so close to him now, he could feel her breath on his skin.
Click.
He had to squint against the harsh light abruptly flooding the room from the flashlight held directly beneath Sayori's smiling face as she stared at him with barely contained excitement in her sapphire eyes.
"It's CHRISTMAS!" She exclaimed loudly, as if dying to inform anyone of this fact after months and months of forced silence.
Before he could even begin to form something resembling a cohesive response, a horrifying growl erupted from his side.
"It's ONE. FUCKING. AM!" What appeared to be a sentient nest of brightly pink bed-hair rose from its position next to him, every inch of it vibrating with barely contained rage.
"I know, right?!" Sayori literally bounced on the spot, seemingly oblivious to the tidal wave of fury she was building up in his bed-mate. "Can you believe it's already been a whole hour of Christmas and nobody's even done anything yet?! Crazy!"
"I HAVE TO GET UP AT FIVE TO BAKE THE LAST OF MY HOLIDAY ORDERS, SAYORI!" Natsuki howled. "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU RUINING MY SLEEP SCHEDULE?!"
"Ehehe… Christmassssss!"
Turning off the flashlight, Sayori hurriedly skipped through the bedroom door, undoubtedly on a direct pathway to terrorize Monika and Yuri next.
"…I'm going to kill her." Natsuki stated matter-of-factly, venom dripping from her voice as she began throwing off her covers.
"Nat, don't-" He made a half-hearted attempt, all too aware that no force on Earth would be able to stop her now.
Already she'd sprung off the mattress and, still in her underwear, spurted out the room to catch up with the girl who'd dared disturb her slumber.
Sending a quiet thought of sympathy towards his childhood friend, he leaned back onto his pillow with a sigh. Natsuki would have to explain to him later why she thought chasing Sayori through the house and losing even more of her precious hours was a better idea than simply shrugging and going back to sleep. He was sure she had some kind of genius reason that he was just too simple-minded to see, but whatever. It wasn't like he had the ability to get up and assist anyone, so he might as well try and catch a few more Z's in preparation for all the festivities tonight.
He shifted a bit to make himself more comfortable and closed his eyes, not even a little bit worried about having been left alone in the dark.
But why should he be worried, anyway? After all, he hadn't had so much as a trace of his usual nightmares since he'd confessed everything just over three days ago, exactly like Yuri had hypothesized.
He smirked to himself as faint, shrill cries sounded from the floor below, suggesting Natsuki had managed to catch up to her victim. It acted as a strange sort of background static, perfect for falling asleep.
I'm free. He thought with relief as he slowly but surely began losing consciousness. Finally free…
"All right Yuri, so if you just shift it a little bit to the left on your end-"
"I'm trying Monika, b- but- it's a very narrow doorway…"
"No, not that way, I meant my left!"
"…like this?"
"No no, just- okay, hang on a second while I figure this out…"
"Are you guys sure you can handle that thing by yourselves?"
Unable to do anything of value from his current position in the living room couch, he looked on with mild worry as the two girls struggled to push and prop a medium-sized pine tree through the tight doorway.
"Oh, yes!" Came Monika's assuring voice from somewhere behind the strutting green branches. "We've got this completely under control! Okay, so what if we try twisting it this wa-"
Crash!
The sound of glass breaking echoed throughout the room.
"…oh dear, what was that?" Monika asked, still shielded from view.
"I, uh, think one of the branches just knocked over one of your picture frames…" Yuri said, glancing downwards.
"Which one?"
"Uhhh… I believe it's one of your family members. He has your eyes, and… a most exceptional moustache, from what I can tell."
"Ah, Cousin Klaus. Good, good, just an NPC then. I was worried it might have been one of MC!"
"Monika, we've talked about this…" He objected. "Please don't deify me."
"Yes, my Lord!" She teased back. "Okay Yuri, I'm gonna try and give it one last big push, so get ready okay?!"
"You're going to wha-"
"Aaand GO!"
There was a great grinding noise as rows of branches were forced through the doorframe so fast it completely overwhelmed Yuri, whom with a cry of surprise fell to the floor with the tree crashing down on top of her.
"Did it work?" Monika asked, now visible from the other side of the door. She was still dressed in her winter clothes with bright, red cheeks from having been out in the cold for so long.
"Yuri, you okay?" MC asked, watching the collapsed tree shifting as the girl underneath slowly started to crawl out.
"I- I'm fine…" Yuri groaned, brushing and spitting out pine needles as she got back on her feet. Thankfully, it seemed her winter coat had absorbed most of the impact. "Although… next time, I'd appreciate a bit more warning before such a drastic decision, Monika."
"I did give a warning!" Monika shook her head with indignation as she stepped over the tree and into the room. "Said I was gonna push, so I pushed! And it worked out brilliantly, didn't it?"
"Maybe she means you could have given her more than half a second to react?" MC suggested.
"I don't like wasting more time than absolutely necessary." Monika shrugged. "Hmm, but perhaps I should have gotten that net thingy around the tree the guy offered. Probably would have come in handy."
"Wish I could have helped you." MC sighed, reminded once more of his uselessness. "Did everything else go well at least?"
"Oh yes, without a hitch!" Monika sang. "Perhaps not so surprisingly, Yuri was a natural at handling the axe!"
"…what's that supposed to mean?" Yuri frowned, taking her coat off to reveal her favorite white sweater underneath.
"Nothing!" Monika said innocently as she grabbed hold of the tree branches once more. "Okay, final stretch! Let's get this bad boy into the stand!"
"Wouldn't it have been a better idea to get the tree a little earlier?" MC asked, watching as the two girls wrestled the tree into an upright position. "I can't imagine many plantations would be open on Christmas Eve itself."
"My- ugh!" Yuri groaned in effort as she helped Monika lift and guide the bottom stump into the stand on the floor. "-sentiments exactly."
"Oh, stop complaining." Monika let go of the stem and bent down to secure the stand. "We've been busy this Season, and everyone's open if you wave enough money at them!"
"Oh my gosh!"
Sayori had just entered the living room, wearing a predominantly white apron stained with a large variety of sauces and a chef's hat covering her hair.
"It's so… beautiful!" She exclaimed, staring at the newly erected tree with literal stars in her watering eyes.
"Glad you approve." Monika smiled back, taking off her gloves and winter clothes. "I wanted to get a bigger one, but Yuri said we couldn't realistically set it up ourselves, and she wouldn't let me call up my muscle guys either."
"We cut it way too close with this one as is." Yuri sighed, her exasperated tone indicating they'd had this conversation multiple times already. "They're promising a massive snow storm tonight, it would've been far too irresponsible to wait any longer."
"I think it's perfect!" Sayori threw her arms around Monika's frame, squeezing tightly. "So, uhhh… can we put the presents underneath it now? You guys have bought presents, right?"
"We have." MC said, putting on his best poker face as he remembered the many strategic times he and the girls had taken turns helping each other shop online whilst ensuring Sayori stayed distracted elsewhere. "But there's no way we're bringing them out a second before it's time to open them."
"What?!" Sayori cried indignantly, unclasping her grip around Monika. "But why not?!"
"You know why." He raised an eyebrow.
"Huh?" She tried feigning ignorance even as her face flushed.
"It was easily the most unanimous decision we've ever made as a group." Yuri nodded knowingly. "I'm sorry to say this, but… you don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to waiting and surprises."
"I do too!"
"If we bring presents out now, you won't be able to help yourself." MC spoke calmly from experience. "You'll stare at them, then shake and eventually open any and all you can find with your name on it, and then you'll be sad when you don't have anything when it's actually time. I know you, Sayori."
"No you don't, this is lies! Lies and slander!" Sayori sniffed and turned. "Tell them, Monika."
"I'm sorry, Vice President. I'm afraid I can't do that." Monika shrugged apologetically. "Remember last year when I gifted you that Homework Planner just before Winter Break? I very clearly told you not to open it before Christmas, and before the end of our meeting I caught you sliding the book back inside the wrapping. I'm afraid to say that when it comes to these things, you have zero self-control."
"Yes I do!" Sayori stomped her foot which looked way more adorable than she probably intended it to. "This is fake news! False conspiracy! I'll sue you for defamation, you meanies!"
But even though trying her best to pretend outrage, she was still quite unable to hide the bubbly laughter creeping into her protests.
"Are you guys finished yet?"
A very grumpy voice spoke up from behind them as a disgruntled-looking, frowning Natsuki stepped into the living room, dressed in the same attire as Sayori (although with considerably less stains) and arms crossed in impatience.
"Hey, Nat!" Monika waved. "We just got back from the tree plantation, look!"
"Yeah, cool." Natsuki looked wholly unimpressed. "But if you're quite done ogling your new houseplant, d'you think you could give me a hand in the kitchen? Christmas dinner isn't gonna cook itself, y'know!"
"Oh, come on Nat!" Sayori said, running to the smaller girl while pulling what looked like a piece of red and white cloth from her pocket. In one swift motion she'd ripped off Natsuki's chef's cap and replaced it with a sparklingly vibrant Santa hat. "Where's your Christmas spirit?!"
"Probably in bed, getting those three hours of sleep I should've had…" Natsuki retorted, glaring at the white bobble dangling in front of her face.
"I really wish I could help you guys out with the preparations instead of just… sitting here." MC sighed miserably.
"What are you talking about, you've got the most important role of us all!" Sayori rushed to his side, pulling forth another Santa hat which she flung over his face. "See?! You're the decoration in charge of bringing joy and good vibes to everyone!"
"Unfortunately though, 'joy and good vibes' can't stir the pots in the kitchen." Natsuki sighed. "Well, I suppose we could stuff a cooking spoon in his mouth or something, but I think he'd be more of a hindrance than a help…"
He smirked, finally seeing an opportunity now that they were all together. He was frankly astounded they hadn't discovered already.
"Considering today's development, that might change soon enough…" He suggested enigmatically.
"What's that s'pposed to mean?" Natsuki raised an eyebrow.
"Well…" His smile widened. "Has anyone noticed anything… different about me?"
The four girls stared at him blankly, clearly at a loss.
"…your eyes are yellow!" Sayori then gasped, only to immediately frown. "Wait, no, they've always been like that…"
"Come on, girls." He raised an eyebrow. Just how much more obvious did he have to make it for them? "Look closer."
"Gladly, but I don't know wha-" Monika began, her eyes drifting downwards. Just then, her entire body froze. "…oh my GOD!"
And the penny drops.
"Pretty cool, right?" He smiled in satisfaction.
"What?!" Sayori demanded. "What is it?!"
"When?!" Monika ignored the Vice President, speaking directly to him with a mixture of urgency and exuberance in her voice. "How long?!"
"Just this morning." He casually replied. "Been doing it pretty much non-stop since you helped me out of bed. Surprised none of you noticed sooner."
"Wanna maybe fill in the blanks for us puny mortals sometime today?" Natsuki asked irritably. "Not everyone is psychic like you!"
"You don't have to be psychic, just a little more observant!" Monika shook her head in admonishment, but pointed a finger down towards his waist. "Look!"
"…I still don't get it?" Natsuki furrowed her brows in concentration as she followed the finger. "It's just MC's hand, what's so special about-"
She then froze in much the same way as Monika.
"…holy shit." She muttered to herself quietly, realization quickly dawning. "Holy shit, his finger's moving!"
"Took you long enough!" He laughed at the delayed gasps from Yuri and Sayori as he continued rolling, twirling and clawing around the air with his newly usable appendage.
"This is… magnificent news!" Yuri stared in awe at his index finger. "Y- you're actually recovering then! That- That's wonderful!"
"Can you move anything else?!" Sayori butted in, reaching out with a finger of her own to experimentally poke it. He could not even begin to describe how great it was to feel her touch on him again. "Like a toe, or maybe another finger?!"
"Just this one for now." He shook his head. "It's not much, but I don't know… thought it seemed pretty noteworthy to point out."
"It's enormous progress!" Yuri smiled at him reassuringly.
"Progress?!" Sayori exclaimed. "It's a gosh darn Christmas miracle, is what it is! WOOOO!"
"Yeah, this… this is pretty cool!" Nat nodded with the first genuine smile he'd seen on her face all day. "Seriously, congrats."
"And to make things even better…" Monika said with a mischievous smirk. "You know what can be done with just a finger, right~?"
"Eugh-" Natsuki visibly cringed in disgust. "Congratulations, Monila. You just ruined the moment."
"Honestly, yeah." He agreed, laughing. "I was so excited to show you all, and now it just feels gross!"
"What?!" Monika smiled along, feigning ignorance. "You know I'm spitting facts!"
"Well, you need to stop doing that, get an apron and come help out with the dinner already." Natsuki commanded, all the good will evaporating as she sobered up. "You too, Sayori. We've wasted more than enough time standing around doing nothing already!"
"O- oh!" Yuri stammered nervously. "Th- then I'll come and h- help as we-"
"No!" Natsuki snapped at once, making the taller girl flinch. "Stay here, watch MC, and don't come anywhere near my kitchen while we're working, got it?!"
"Y'know, as the owner of this house, it's actually my kitchen…" Monika pointed out, frowning.
"Not anymore." Natsuki sent her a withering look. "And especially not today! Everything needs to go perfectly in there if we wanna finish on time, and I am not risking that by letting the 'Human Hurricane' roam around while we work!"
"You- you're over-exaggerating what happened last time, as per usual!" Yuri sniffed in dismay.
"Am I, Yuri?" Natsuki raised a testy eyebrow, already grabbing Sayori and Monika by their wrists to pull them towards the kitchen. "Am I really?"
Yuri didn't respond, but her rapidly flushing face told the truth more efficiently than words could ever do.
"How much longer do we have to work!?" Sayori groaned, shuffling her feet exhaustedly to keep up with Nat.
"Until we're done!" Natsuki replied shortly, and pushed both girls inside.
"Uh- remember to have fun!" MC tried calling after them just as Natsuki slammed the kitchen door shut.
"Well…" Yuri gave a hesitating sigh before bending down to the box of ornaments brought out the day before. "Might as well make myself somewhat useful, I suppose…"
"Yuri… what happened the last time you helped Natsuki bake?" He asked, mystified. Usually the pinkette would accept any and all help she could get her hands on to alleviate some of her eternal stress. He knew Yuri wasn't exactly what you'd call a 'natural' in the kitchen, but it still seemed strange that she'd outright reject another pair of assisting hands.
"…if it's all the same to you, I- I think I'd prefer not to say…" She muttered softly, her blushing face resembling the scarlet bauble she'd just fished from the box, and proceeded to hang from the tree branch.
"Whev, I am stuffed!" Sayori let out a satisfied sigh, leaning back in the armchair to massage her belly. She'd dressed up for the evening in a cute, green elf costume, complete with a long, flowing skirt, striped red-and-white stockings and a pair of green boots curving upwards at the toes like a trumpet.
"Same here…" Monika concurred, wearing a near identical outfit- except a whole lot tighter, with no skirt to conceal any part of her long, candy-cane legs, and most notably of all, a low cut down her front putting a rather conspicuous amount of cleavage on display. "Haven't had a Cook employed since I was a little girl, I'd almost forgotten how convenient it is!"
"You better not get any 'servant' ideas like that quack Doctor suggested!" Natsuki narrowed her eyes suspiciously. In direct opposition to the other girls' attire, her ripped jeans and white t-shirt were so plain and bog-standard it was like she'd gone out of her way to pick the least festive outfit as humanly possible. On a related note, MC wondered how long it'd take her to discover the 'SCROOGE' sign Sayori had taped to her back. "…out of curiosity though, where do I rank among those you've had?"
"Oh, there's no comparison." Monika winked back. "This was easily the most delicious Christmas meal I've had in my life."
"It was so tasty even I forgot to feel self-conscious during dinner." MC nodded. "And considering what I'm wearing, that's no small feat."
Both Sayori and Monika had been adamant about his costume for tonight, completely unwilling to take "no" for an answer. Sayori's Santa hat from earlier still covered his head, but had now been accompanied by a bright red bodysuit, a big, black belt and of course the fake white beard strapped to his chin. He counted his graces that they'd at least listened to some of his objections and hadn't stuffed a giant pillow down the front. Dying of heatstroke on Christmas Eve would've probably put a dampener on the mood.
"…thanks…" Natsuki muttered softly, lowering her face. Maybe it was a trick of the flickering fireplace light, but he thought her cheeks looked a lot more crimson than usual.
He was soon distracted by a particularly noisy rattle from the windows across the room as wind and snow crashed violently against the frame.
He had to admit, it felt a bit odd to be this cozy and warm in the mansion, considering the current climate. It was just him and the girls isolated from the rest of the world inside this little slice of Serenity, forged for their convenience whilst the elements raged outside.
Although the more he thought about it, the more he realized he wouldn't have it any other way.
"…geez, Yuri wasn't kidding about that storm." Sayori frowned, glancing at the windows too with a hint of worry on her face. "We- we are gonna be safe in here, right?"
"Oh yes, nothing to worry about." Monika assured her. "That's reinforced glass, they could stop a bullet if need be."
"Speaking of Yuri, where the Hell did she go?" Natsuki frowned. "Going to the bathroom shouldn't be taking this lon-"
"I'm here!"
A slightly breathless voice came from the opposite end of the room as Yuri entered, a black pouch held firmly within her hand. Her choice of attire overshadowed them all without even trying- a long, elegant dress of deep lavender hugged the generous curves of her body, its fabric so bright it seemed to shimmer faintly in the humble light. Two lone straps intervening around her neck kept the garment afloat while she hurried towards them.
Without any sleeves to speak of, her bare arms were on full display for everyone to witness- but her breathtaking beauty was more than enough to keep everyone's attention from the numerous scars. If Monika's mansion resembled a castle, then Yuri looked like the royalty fit to inhabit it.
An actual, fairy tale Princess, almost too good to be real.
But she was. And she was his girlfriend.
"Sorry for my delay." She apologized softly, clutching her side as she reached them. "I only just remembered to get something special I've been preparing for the evening."
"No worries, better late than never." Monika shrugged, eyeing her pouch curiously. "What is it?"
"It's… uh-" Yuri hesitated, her hand stopping just short before reaching into the depths of the pouch. Judging from the redness in her cheeks, it seemed she was having second thoughts. "…first, promise you won't laugh?"
"I will only promise an attempt." Natsuki said, shifting from her seat in the couch opposite to get a better look.
"Is it a present?!" Sayori exclaimed, hopefully. "For me?!"
"It's… for everyone, actually." Yuri said, finally reaching into the pouch with a shaking hand. "Or, everyone who'd like to try, that is…"
"Wait a second…" MC said, starting to get a clue. "Is it…?"
Without further fanfare, Yuri successfully pulled out a big, black glass bottle, and settled it upon the small table with a light thunk.
"W- would anybody like some wine?" She asked, mouth stretching into a nervous, uncomfortable smile.
For almost an entire second the room fell into a deep quiet, save for the crackling of the fire and the continued howling of the wind. Then, like clockwork, Natsuki was the first to break the spell.
"What have you done?!" She exclaimed with exaggerated urgency. "Quickly, someone shield Sayori's eyes! It's only a matter of time before she starts screaming again!"
"Oh, knock it off!" Sayori groaned, pulling her eyes away from the bottle long enough to send a glare her way. "I was just caught off guard last time, I can handle seeing a stupid wine bottle!"
"Oh, the humanity!" Natsuki bemoaned, trying and failing to contain her laughter. "The innocence, ebbing away from this young maiden's eyes! I can hardly stand to watch her once pure mind corrupted by the evils of alcohol! It's a tragedy, I tell you! A tragedy!"
"You bought… wine for us?" MC asked, ignoring Natsuki's continued melodrama.
"Yes, I- I thought it appropriate for the occasion." Yuri smiled back, still blushing up a storm. "Celebrating our first Christmas together should feel special, and as far as I know, I'm the only one of us to have already tried it before. I just… wanted to share this experience. With my friends."
She then blinked and timidly glanced at Monika, seeking her approval.
"Uhm, that is- if it's all right with our hostess…?"
"Hmm…" Monika mused, staring at the bottle with a thoughtful expression. Then, she smirked. "You know what, sure. Let's do it. After everything we've been through, I'd say we've earned a fucking drink!"
"Heck yeah!" Sayori raised a fist in the air. "Let's get wasted together, I'll have two- no, three glasses!"
"Uhm, w- with all due respect Sayori, I- I really don't think that's such a good idea…" Yuri tried to deter her. "W- what about you, Natsuki?"
"I'll pass, thanks." Nat shrugged. "Not exactly in a rush to get drunk myself, considering… well, past experiences."
"O- oh my God!" Yuri gasped as her eyes widened in shock. "I- I'm so sorry, I never meant to- I didn't think- Do you want me to put it away? Is it triggering?!"
"Do I look triggered?" Natsuki gave a relaxed smile. "It's okay, have as much as you want. S'long as you don't try beating me up after drinking the stuff, I'll be fine."
"We'll try our best to resist the temptation." Monika jabbed. "How about you, MC? I think you of all people could use something to take the edge off."
"I don't know…" He said, considering the offer. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious- who didn't fantasize about the mythical 'grown up drinks' when they were young? It was an exciting prospect, and just a little bit scary too. Legally speaking, he knew he was well within his right to try it, but… Was he really ready to dive head first into this area of adulthood tonight?
…well, he couldn't imagine a better crowd of people to try it with.
"Count me down." He said, smirking at the multiple celebratory cheers that followed his statement.
"Let's go!" Sayori leapt to her feet and ran towards the kitchen. "I'll get us some glasses! Nat, ya want anything?! Water, soda? Juice-box?!"
"…Juice, please." Natsuki grumbled begrudgingly, crossing her arms at the choked chortle from Monika. "And you can shutty!"
"I didn't say a word!"
"I just like the flavor, is that so ridiculous?!"
"Of course it's not." MC interjected before the two could get riled up further.
"Gffs! Ghff whtt!" Sayori soon exclaimed, entering the room again with a frankly concerning amount of expensive-looking glasses in her arms, and a single Capri Sun between her teeth to seal the deal.
Thankfully recognizing the oncoming disaster for what it was, Natsuki and Monika both leapt from their seats to unload the items from her and carefully placed them next to the wine bottle.
"Would it have killed you to walk back and forth twice?!" Natsuki sighed, unwrapping and stabbing a straw through her Juice container.
"Nonono, shh, shut up!" Sayori shook her head with a wide, unperturbed smile. "Guess what happened in the kitchen- I got a text message from Hana! She's found another boyfriend since her visit, and is spending Christmas with him! It's another miracle!"
"Well, now we've got to celebrate!" Monika cheered, gesturing to their table set-up. "Hey speaking of, did I ever mention how much of a fucking bitch Sophie is and that I'm not surprised at all about the web of misery she's spun?"
"Only about a hundred times during cooking…" Natsuki muttered.
"Well, it's worth repeating! God, I can't wait to get back to school and make her life a living Hell again…"
"Mm-hmm, well you have fun fantasizing about that. Yuri, can we get this drinking business started already?"
"Certainly." Yuri nodded, reaching into the pouch anew to pull out a silver screw. She proceeded to expertly uncork the bottle, and poured a deep, scarlet liquid in each of the four glasses. "There we are."
"Okay, so uh- do we just, like, chug?" Sayori asked, swirling her glass around and inspecting the liquid inside like a chemist appraising a strange, undiscovered formula.
"I think we'd better follow the expert's lead on this one." Monika said, gesturing at the lavenderette.
"Very well, then." Yuri nodded again, and raised her glass. "In that case, I propose a toast- for the one keeping us in line, always accepting and accommodating for all our oddities, and managing a Club that's personally changed my life forever. Thank you, Monika!"
He, along with the three other girls cheered loudly.
"Oh, so that's how we're playing this, huh?" Monika smirked as the cheering died down again, and raised her own glass. "Then I'll toast the best Vice President, and friend anyone could ever ask for!"
"Wha- huh?!" Sayori snapped her head sideways, eyes wide with shock.
"Without her, there'd be no Club, no 'us,' and certainly a whole lot less love in the world!" Monika went on, winking at her colleague. "She's easily, without competition the best person here and we owe her all of our thanks. To Sayori!"
"Oh my gosh, stop it!" Sayori protested as another cheering session began, reacting in much the same way as she always did when on the receiving end of praise.
"Never gonna happen." Monika shook her head, still smiling.
"Ugh…" The aforementioned girl facepalmed, but recovered quickly enough to grab her own glass. "Okay, then I toast Natsuki for… baking so many delicious treats for us all the time, and generally being one of the sweetest people I know- even if she doesn't wanna admit it herself!"
While Natsuki didn't visibly react to this, or the subsequent cheering at all, he couldn't help but notice her glassy eyes as she raised the Capri Sun in his direction.
"You guys are such… stupid… dorks." She muttered slowly, a slight wobble to her voice. "I g- guess I'll t- toast MC then, for e- everythin-"
Her voice broke before she could even finish the sentence.
"Natsuki?!" Yuri exclaimed, her shock echoed across the room as Natsuki collapsed her head into her remaining hand. "W- what's wrong?!"
"N- nothing's wrong, dummy!" Natsuki sobbed, aggressively wiping at the tears rapidly streaming from her face. "It's just- this is- fucking Hell- the best C- Christmas I've ever had-!"
It happened in the blink of an eye- the three remaining girls abruptly rose from their seats, abandoning their glasses as they joined Natsuki's couch, embracing her as one.
"Shhh…"
"It's okay, Nat…"
"Take your time…"
He wished he could join in on the group hug, but had to settle on watching as Monika, Yuri and Sayori comforted and soothed their bawling friend.
"G- God, look at m- me…" Natsuki hiccupped, with something resembling a faint chuckle. "L- literally crying over n- nothing… G- guess it's a good thing I didn't have that g- glass of wine… If I'm this m- much of a weepy b- bitch now, then j- just imagine…!"
"It's perfectly understandable, d- don't feel ashamed…" Yuri soothed, her own voice treacherously meek. "To t- tell the truth, I… feel much the same way. I'm usually alone at this time of year, but spending it like this, with you… has been the greatest time of my life."
Sayori nodded in agreement, her cheek rubbing against a tuft of Natsuki's hair.
"I want every Christmas to be like this from now on." She proclaimed. "All of us together, at Monika's house, forever…"
"I'd be more than happy to have you." Monika said, softly. "But- there's just one, tiny hurdle in the way…"
"What's that?" Sayori asked.
Monika raised her head, glancing directly at him with those bright, green eyes of hers.
"Someone's told me in the past not to make big, elaborate decisions and assume people will go along with them." She said, mechanically. "So I can't in good conscience approve of this before asking everyone here if they're on board."
He returned her pointed look with a smile. Maybe you could argue how cheeky it was for her to so aggressively exploit an emotional moment like this to further an agenda, but… you couldn't really deny the strategy's effectiveness.
In any case, it didn't really matter. He'd already made up his mind about three days ago, and should have probably let them know sooner, but… procrastination had always been an issue for him. Better late than never, right?
"Sayori?" He asked, getting her attention. "If I understand this game well enough, I think it's my turn to throw a toast now. Could I get some help?"
All girls stared back at him with bewildered expressions, neither of them expecting this from him. Even Natsuki seemed to take a break from crying to frown, mystified. This went on for a few more silent seconds before his childhood friend suddenly jolted into motion.
"Oh!" Sayori jumped, leaving the huddle of girls on the couch. "Sir, yes, Sir! I'll be right there!"
Grabbing his wine glass on the way, she gingerly closed his right hand around it and raised it into the air. The hard glass felt pleasantly cool to the touch of his one, functional finger.
He cleared his throat with a slight cough.
"To all of you…" He announced, looking at each of them in turn. "…for helping my stubborn, indecisive ass realize that it's okay to be vulnerable every now and again. I honestly have no idea how you put up with me."
There were a few scattered giggles, probably more out of pity for his lame attempt at humor than anything else.
"I've been thinking this over far longer than I should have." He kept going, undeterred. "And I don't need anymore time to consider. Of course I'll move in with you, Monika."
"…R- really?!" The brunette's emerald eyes seemed to glimmer with emotion.
"Really." He confirmed to hooting cheers as the crowd of girls rose again, clapping at him and raising their fists in celebration.
"I- ahem." Yuri cleared her throat, being the first to simmer down although sparkles of joy still glittered in her eyes. "I… propose we all drink to that!"
"I can get behind it!" Monika accepted readily as she lifted two glasses from the table, handing one to Yuri.
"Here, you want me to get that?" Natsuki offered, gesturing to his hand still held in place by Sayori. "Can't imagine your first drink'll be much fun with your attention split like that."
"Oh yes, thank you!" Sayori said, letting Natsuki replace her grip, and grabbed her own glass.
"Is everyone ready?" Yuri smiled, lip curling as she lifted the glass to her mouth. Natsuki echoed the movement, positioning his glass beneath his nose.
He caught a whiff of a heavy, fruity scent that seemed almost enticing.
"Then, to our bright, and prosperous future- and of course, a Merry Christmas!" Yuri announced, tipping her glass.
"Open wide!" Natsuki sang, tilting the contents of his glass into his waiting mouth.
The taste was unlike anything he'd ever tried before, somehow towing the line between sweet and sour at the same time with just a hint of bitterness. It didn't burn his throat like he'd seen it do in some anime, although perhaps he was confusing it with some other alcoholic beverage- whiskey, maybe?
He wasn't sure how to feel about it, really. He didn't actively dislike it per se, but there wasn't anything particularly amazing about it, either. When Natsuki lowered the glass from his lips, he couldn't actually decide if he enjoyed it or not.
…although it definitely had an aftertaste. Eugh.
Looking around the room, he found Yuri still drinking at a much slower rate than him, her eyelids closed in apparent enjoyment as she savored the taste.
Monika for her part seemed to have already finished and had now taken to staring intensely at the empty glass in her hand with wide, round eyes, as if witnessing some holy miracle.
"…where have you been my entire life…?" He heard her mutter in a voice of hushed wonder.
Finally there was Sayori, who hadn't managed to drain her own glass completely, although a sizable chunk of it was missing. Curiously enough, her face seemed much more flushed and red than any of the other girls, with both her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as her eyes darted back and forth in what looked to be… alarm?
"…Sayori?" He asked, feeling mild worry. "Are… you all right?"
She didn't answer, only lowering her face to her half-empty glass once again, opening her mouth and-
"BLEEEEURGH!"
-released the remaining wine back into the glass, all the while making exaggerated, choked noises with a look suggesting pure disgust.
"Oh, that's nice." Natsuki commented slyly, reaching out to relieve Sayori of the unwanted glass.
"Ew, ew, ew, EW!" Sayori jumped on the spot and retched, as if she could somehow exorcise the taste from her mouth this way. "How can you guys drink this stuff?! It's terrible!"
"I suppose it can be an… acquired taste, for some people." Yuri smiled apologetically, finally lowering her glass. "Although it seems a certain President is enjoying herself…"
She nodded pointedly in Monika's direction, the brunette having grabbed the entire bottle and was currently in the middle of refilling her glass.
"…huh?" She looked up obliviously, only now noticing the attention she was drawing.
"Great job Yuri, you've just given birth to a new alcoholic." Natsuki rolled her eyes and picked up her Capri Sun anew which she handed to Sayori. "Here, this'll get rid of the taste."
Sayori gratefully put her mouth to the Juice-box's straw, sucking greedily.
"What? Oh, no no!" Monika denied quickly, her face burning red. "I- I'm totally fine, don't worry. It's just- oh man, that was good!"
Even as she said this, her eyes appeared fixed on the glass.
"Yeah, I'm not convinced at all." Natsuki shook her head, smirking.
"I'm pleased you liked it, Monika." Yuri smiled diplomatically. "Although- maybe you'd be wise to consider slowing down a bit? Even experienced drinkers tend to space out their glasses…"
Monika appeared to internally struggle with herself for a few seconds, before finally managing to deposit her glass back on the table.
"…all right, fine!" She exclaimed reluctantly. "I'll show you I don't need it at all! If I can beat smoking, then alcohol's nothing! This lady's not getting addicted to anything!"
"That's the spirit." MC said, feeling as if he was watching a reality drama show unfurl before him.
"Uh- But what if I wait 'till after we open our presents and then drink?" She hesitated slightly. "Would that be all right in your opinion?"
"That sounds very reasonable to me." Yuri nodded patiently.
"Wait, so we're getting the presents now?!" Sayori perked up at the mention, only now detaching her lips from the juice straw.
"Yeah, I mean… waiting another day seems a bit pointless, doesn't it?" Monika said. "In Germany, we open the presents on Christmas night itself, and my family's always followed that tradition."
"No complaints from me." Natsuki smiled. "Totally down to follow other culture's traditions. They can only be better than the Christmas Eves I've endured over the years."
"Freaking finally, where the heck did you guys put them?!" Sayori exclaimed impatiently. "I've literally searched the entire house!"
"Oh, that's easy." Monika chuckled, seemingly distracted from her wine urge for the moment. "They're in the one place we knew you'd never look- under your bed!"
Sayori's face turned pale with shock and realization.
"…what?" She whispered softly.
"My idea, by the way." MC confessed calmly as Sayori's head snapped his way. "We knew you'd turn the whole mansion inside out in your search, but why would you ever try your own room? There's no way anyone would be dumb enough to put the goods directly inside the lion's den, right?"
"It was a plan so fundamentally stupid, it couldn't not work!" Natsuki grinned, clapping the dumbstruck girl on the shoulder.
"You mean I've been sleEPING ON TOP OF THEM THIS WHOLE TIME?!"
"And so, the penny drops…" Yuri said, nibbing up the last of her wine as Sayori practically sprinted from the room with flailing arms, shrieking at the top of her lungs.
"Don't shake the ones with your name on them!" MC called after her, knowing full well his warning would fall on deaf ears.
"And don't open any before bringing them- oh, why do I bother?" Monika sighed, cracking her knuckles.
"We'd better go after her." Yuri echoed the sigh, rising from her seat. "This isn't a job for one girl, and certainly not for her to do alone."
"Yep." Natsuki nodded, already going the same route Sayori had, albeit at a much more reasonable pace. "Really, it should be your responsibility- y'know, since you didn't help us at all cooking dinner."
"But- you were the one who said I wasn't allowed to-" Yuri sputtered, enraged. "…wait, you- you were making a joke just now, weren't you…?"
"Careful. It's learning." Nat cackled, exiting the room. "Don't worry, I'll catch up and keep her from ruining any surprises till you guys get there."
"Much appreciated." Monika thanked her as Yuri followed suit, shaking her head in exasperation. Then, she locked eyes with him.
"There's… a lot of presents in there." She said, apologetically. "I should go help- will you be okay here in the meantime?"
"Of course I will." He smiled back, reassuringly. "I'll see you in a bit."
She smiled and leaned in close, briefly pressing her lips against his.
Huh. Cherry lipstick…
"Won't be a minute!" She giggled and straightened up, sending one final, longing look towards her newly filled wine glass before bouncing from the room with remarkable agility for someone wearing curvy elf shoes.
He sighed and leant back, idly drumming his finger against the upholstered fabric of the couch as he listened to the atmospheric howling of the wind outside.
Naturally he wished he could help out the girls carry all of those heavy presents, but after a whole day of them assuring him that he'd be of most assistance "sitting still" and "looking cute," the message had eventually sunk into his thick skull. All he could really do at this point was sit back, relax, and take in his marvelous surroundings.
Yuri had really outdone herself with the décor, which perhaps wasn't all that surprising considering it'd been the only thing Natsuki had allowed her to actually do wasn't a single corner, nook or cranny left untouched by some form of festive ornament or trinket.
She'd even gone the extra step in making some of the decorations herself, in the form of handmade origami, streamers and other paper-craft far more impressive and elaborate than the stuff he'd helped her make for last year's festival (probably due to the fact that he hadn't been able to muck any of them up this time around) and yet, it never overwhelmed your senses or became "too much." All of it was strategically spaced out to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible, which only someone with an innate talent for these things could manage.
She's going to be an amazing hairdresser one day…
He exhaled slightly, vaguely amused by his own sappy retrospection. Was this the wine getting to him?
"…aaand we're back! Did you miss us?"
He turned at the cheery voice to see Monika entering the room again, bearing one of her usual sweet smiles as well as an armful of smaller, wrapped packages. Not far behind her, he saw the three other girls following suit.
"Wow." He smiled back, blinking in mild surprise. "That was… quick!"
Sayori's room was pretty far down the aisle, and he could have sworn they'd only been gone for maybe two minutes at most.
"Oh, you know me." Monika laughed in a bubbly voice, approaching the tree to dump her load at the bottom. "Not one for wasting time, remember?"
Without the presents obscuring her body, he thought there was something unusual about her appearance, although to what, he… couldn't exactly say. It was as if something was staring him right in the face, and yet for the life of him he could not put his finger on it.
But just as he was about to ask if she'd done something about her hair, a cold, rough voice from behind caught his attention.
"Out of my way!"
He turned his head just in time to see Sayori pushing Natsuki to the side, with so much force the shorter girl actually fell to the floor face first.
His smile vanished.
"…Sayori?" He exclaimed, unable to believe his eyes at first. What could Nat have possibly said to make her of all people resort to such violence?! Was Natsuki even okay? That fall had looked incredibly nasty…
Although he might've misjudged the impact as when the girl sat up again, she didn't look bothered in the slightest. In fact, judging by her large, ear-to-ear grin, she looked to be having the time of her life.
He was unable to make sure however as something big and heavy collided against his chest, nearly knocking all the air out of him. He glanced down to see a brightly wrapped, red and green present in his lap, apparently thrown.
"There!" Sayori hissed, and he looked up to see her glaring at him, face twisted into an intense scowl. "Maybe now you'll actually care about me?!"
"W- what…?" He stammered, without the faintest clue what was going on.
Before he could ask however, the sounds of splashing liquid distracted him yet again and he turned his head to see Natsuki having seemingly gotten over her fall, currently in the process of soaking Yuri's beautifully decorated Christmas tree with a water pourer, laughing her head off all the while.
He stared at the madness, lost for words. Sayori stomped away, approaching Monika while ignoring Natsuki's antics and periodically shooting him looks of open hostility.
He could feel his heart rate begin to increase as a nauseating chemical scent began infiltrating his nostrils. What was going on? Had he done something wrong?
There was the tiniest of movements from the corner of his eye. He blinked again, and turned.
"Yuri!" He exclaimed in relief at seeing the one remaining person he could trust to act with a degree of normalcy. Surely, she'd be able to explain what was going on. "Do you have any idea what's wrong with Sayori and Natsu-"
The words died abruptly in his throat when Yuri instead of responding suddenly flinched away from him, making an oddly muffled "mmpfhg!" noise.
It was only when he got a proper look at her face that the rapidly sinking feeling in his stomach reached rock bottom.
Yuri wasn't speaking, not because she was scared of the lunacy around them, but because she was literally, physically incapable of opening her mouth with the thick, black threads clumsily sewn through her lips, tying her jaw securely shut.
At that moment, the millions of questions going through his head reached an abrupt stop as he found himself unable to do anything except stare transfixed at her. The more he looked at her mutilated face, the more distressed she seemed to become. Her muffled whimpering got more pronounced, her eyes bulging outward and the threads on her mouth starting to strain.
He didn't want to look, but he couldn't close his eyes either or even blink. Yuri seemed to be suffering much the same symptoms as even when her eyes reddened and she backed up against the opposite wall, she kept her gaze locked on his.
Right until the moment when blood began oozing from forcing her mouth open despite the threads tearing through her lips like soft cheese, allowing her to finally release a drawn out, wail of terror.
Even as the shriek hammered against his eardrums and assaulted his senses, he still couldn't look away. Her purple eyes were still… widening, inflating like water balloons, becoming way too large for her sockets to contain-
Pop!
The expansion came to a sudden, abrupt end when both eyes literally burst in a small explosion of blood and viscera, leaving only two empty, black sockets in their wake.
He- he could even feel droplets of warm liquid splash against his face-!
"Ah, shoot." The small part of his remaining consciousness still capable of thought recognized Monika's disappointed voice speaking over Yuri's howling scream when she approached them. "Did Yuri seriously just ruin our big surprise? And after all the trouble I went through stitching her up, too…"
It was only then, as Monika calmly entered his field of view that he realized what was so different about her. It'd taken him so long to notice because she looked completely normal by all accounts- except for the context.
She wasn't wearing the scandalous elf costume she'd left the room with anymore. Instead, she stood dressed in her school uniform.
"But then again..." She smirked knowingly at him. "…you've probably already realized what's going on here, haven't you?"
"Might have to spell it out completely..." Sayori's hard voice rasped as she slouched across the floor to join Monika's side, her body rapidly decomposing right in front of him with every step she took. "He has an awful habit of missing the obvious when it's convenient for him."
Before he could even begin to formulate a reply, further splashing from his side pulled his attention to Natsuki, still standing by the tree, but no longer dousing it in liquid. Instead, she'd taken to raising the water pourer above her own head, soaking herself.
As if sensing his stare, her neck twisted itself around with sickening crunches and cracks to look directly at him, fluids dripping from her inky black eyes and unnaturally wide grin. Then, apparently deeming herself sufficiently wet enough, she finally tossed the pourer aside in favor of reaching into her pocket and pulling out what looked to be a small, wooden box.
"What've you got there, Nattie?" Monika asked encouragingly, following his gaze.
Seemingly incapable of replying more coherently than a gurgling giggle, Natsuki merely proceeded to pull the box open and fished out a single, solitary match. She held it high in apparent triumph.
"Oooh, yes! Great idea!" Monika cheered and clapped with the same kind of enthusiasm she usually had back at the Club when someone suggested they share poems. "Let's lighten this dull place up a notch!"
MC watched in silent horror as Natsuki slowly placed the match on the side of the box. It only now dawned on him what that chemical smell reeking across the entire room really was.
Petrol.
Natsuki struck the match.
He had to close his eyes as a shockwave of intense heat and light crashed against him, swiftly followed by the searing sizzle of burning flesh. Reluctantly, he squinted his eyes open just enough to see the blazing inferno standing where Natsuki had been only moments before. The arms of its vaguely humanoid shape were stretched to the sides and a hoarse, echoing squeal of what could only be described as pure, unfiltered, pleasure erupted from the head area.
The burning figure vibrated on the spot before taking its first, tentative steps towards the Christmas tree. It wasted no further time in embracing the multitude of branches, immediately causing a second flashbang of flames.
"You never really answered my question, MC." Monika said, no longer disguising her shrill, pitch-shifting voice or her cracked, porcelain face as she walked into view. She was quickly accompanied by the corpse-like Sayori staring silent accusations of blame at him with her empty eyes, and the freakishly tall, white-skinned Yuri, blood pouring from her vacated eye sockets and newly ripped knife-fingers.
"Did you miss us?"
Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, everyone! My proofreader was busy.
Fun fact: As someone raised in Denmark, I was originally going to include what I BELIEVED to be a world-wide Christmas tradition in this chapter- The Dokis and MC, dancing around the tree before opening their presents. But then, at the very last second, I did a Google and discovered that apparently we're some of the only ones weird enough to do that, and promptly deleted the section to avoid looking like even more of a lunatic than I already am.
But this leads me to ask, foreign readers of this fic- If you celebrate Christmas, what are some of your traditions? I'd love to know!
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