Susano-o: IT'S SHAPING UP TO BE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY!
Sekhmet: Calm down. This chapter will be put up probably more around Halloween. Nowhere near Christmas.
Susano-o: THIS CHRISTMAS FEELS LIKE THE VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS TO ME!
Sekhmet: Christ. On with the show.
Duel 43: Under the Mistletoe
"It's coming," Rose said excitedly as she jumped up and down in front of the calendar. "It's coming!"
"Sarge maybe you should calm down a bit," Tyranno said nervously edging away from his giggling leader.
"No use. When she gets excited, there's no stopping her. This though… yeah this is extra so." Yuko sighed.
"3...2...1…0!" Rose screamed as she marked the last day off. "Merry Christmas Eve!" She shouted running around the dorm digging through closets. "Quick we only have 12 hours to get ready!" She ordered grabbing tons of christmas decorations, and at some point switching her black jacket and hat for a green and red one with candy cane hat decorations.
"Only twelve?" Yuko deadpanned.
"Yeah duh!" Rose laughed. "The other 12 is for partying and watching christmas movies together, for now though Tyranno get "A Year Without a Santa Claus" going!" She yelled. "After that we need "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Miser Brothers!"
"10-4 Sarge!" Tyranno yelled running around to get the VHS tapes in.
"Yuko we need food! Chips! Dip! Christmas cookies! Mac and Cheese! Lasagna! Go grab some of the Black Knights and get cooking!"
"You got it boss." Yuko said in an exaggerated Brooklyn accent, and went to assemble a cooking staff.
"I'll get decorating," Rose smiled as she pulled out a large plastic Santa. "Let the Christmas party planning begin!"
…
"Hello my children," Sartorius said happily. "As you know it's Christmas eve, so we must prepare, Bastion you will be in charge of exterior decorations."
"Yes Master Sartorius!" Bastion yelled with a salute.
"Alexis interior decorations."
"Of course sir," Alexis nodded.
"Chazz you will be party coordinator."
"Yes Master," Chazz agreed.
"And finally Syrus you will prepare the food."
"Of course," Syrus smiled.
"Now then," Sartorius said putting on a santa hat. "Let the Christmas Eve planning begin."
…
(Very First Christmas to Me-Spongebob Squarepants)
Rose smiled as she and Tyranno held up their axes. "It's shaping up to be a wonderful holiday!" They sang as they started thwacking at a tree with their axes. "Not your normal, average, everyday!" They finished as the tree finally fell.
Bonaparte growled as he looked up from his paperwork. "Sounds like someone fell my old Evergreen!" He yelled before looking out the window. "Rose Warren, why'd you do this to me?!"
"The world feels like it's in loverly!" Tyranno sang.
"Go away before I harm you bodily!" Bonaparte screamed.
"This Christmas feels like the very first Christmas to me!" Rose laughed as she dragged the tree back to the dorms.
The scene switched back to the Red dorm with everyone setting up decorations. "There'll be shopping, decorating, and plenty of snow," Yuko sang smiling.
"Hey Yuko, who's that under the mistletoe," Rose said cheekily as she pointed to Bonaparte in their doorway, with a piece of mistletoe tapped to it.
"What? Who Me?" Bonaparte said nervously looking at the small plant. "Would you look at the time I should go!" He yelled running away from the dorm, passing Aster along the way. Aster gulped as he walked into the red dorm and up to Rose. "People seem a little more brotherly," He sang holding out a present. "Here's a special something to you from me."
Rose glared suspiciously as she grabbed the box and opened it, seeing it was a fruitcake she took a bite, and nodded. "Even the trash on Christmas smells sweetly!" She said cheekily grabbing Aster in a side hug. "This Christmas feels like the very first Christmas to me!" The two sang together as they went about doing more preparation.
Bonaparte growled angrily at how today had been going before a knock was heard at the door. "What do you want can't you see that I'm busy?" He yelled.
"Step outside, we've got something for you to see!" Rose and the rest of the red dorm sang as they danced with giant candy canes.
Bonaparte warily stepped outside to see the entire front of the academy was covered in decorations.
"Silfer Red take this stuff down immediately!" Bonaparte screamed, and was promptly ignored.
"Chestnuts roasting and burns in the third degree!" Rose giggled as two black knights tired eating red hot chestnuts.
"Tonight things are as good as they seem to be!" Everyone sang as they looked over their decorations and party prep. Rose smiled as she handed Aster the star, and with a shocked look he put it on the tree.
"A star on top will complete all the scenery," He sang as the star light up.
"This Christmas feels like the very first Christmas to me!" The Black Knights all sang together, with Crowler proving the high notes. "This Christmas feels like the very first Christmas to me!" They finished with a flourish.
…
"Well then," Rose said smiling as she finished setting up the TV while the Black Knights enjoyed the party. "Time for the final Christmas Eve tradition."
"And that would be?" Yuko asked.
"Watching Christmas Vacation!" Rose said holding out the DVD. "Now then where's the DVD player?"
"We don't have one." Yuko said.
Rose's smile went tight as she blinked. "I'm sorry what?" She strained.
"We've never had one. Last time we tried to order one it got lost in the mail." Yuko said.
"So who has the last one!?" Rose yelled angrily. When suddenly there was a knock on the door.
"Who's there?" Aster asked opening the door, revealing Sartorius and the rest in their christmas clothing.
"Hello there," He said calmly before Rose had a chance to snap his neck. "So apparently you have the last copy of Christmas Vacation," He explained.
"Yes," Rose said warily.
"And we have the last DVD player," He said holding up the box.
"Correct," Rose nodded.
"So that means we are at an impasse," Sartorius concluded.
"I guess we are," Rose agreed. "What are we gonna do about it then."
Sartorius and Rose glared at each other, the air seemed to waver and shake as their powers started leaking out of them, with nervous looks and stilted movements the two slowly reached out and shook hands. "Truce," They agreed in unison.
"After all we've been through, we're really doing this, huh?" Yuko thought. "I have a feeling I'm gonna need this." She thought before downing a small cup of eggnog. "Alright, where are we taking this party then?"
"I guess the main auditorium," Crowler suggested.
"Ok then," Rose and Sartorius agreed as the two dorms packed up their stuff and moved their parties into the largest room, it was a tight fit but they managed.
"Ok then," Rose said as the two looked up at the large screen, holding their bargaining chips. "On 3."
"Yes," Sartorius agreed.
1...2...3..now," They said before putting the DVD and player together, starting the movie.
The two groups sat together glaring at one another, both determined not to be the first one to laugh, that went out the window the second Santa slammed his head into the roof trying to escape the house and everyone broke down laughing. From there the tense atmosphere broke and people genuinely started enjoying themselves in the way only Christmas could cause.
...
"So Yuko," Syrus said drinking his eggnog. "How have you been?"
"I've been fine." Yuko said, almost there but still on her way to fully opening back up. She'd been steeled for so long it was taking a hot second.
"Ok then," Syrus said finishing his eggnog. "Hey you want another too?" He asked. "I think Rose dumped about twice the recommended amount of brandy in it, but it's not that bad."
"Absolutely." Yuko said, and passed her cup over.
Syrus refilled their cups, and then did it again, and again until they had each drank about a bottle of brandy's worth of eggnog between them, had they not been under the influence of the Gentle Darkness odds are they would both be unconscious rather then very very drunk.
Yuko, who has been laughing along as only a drunk person could, suddenly got very quiet. She hooked her hand around Syrus' arm in a suggestive way. "Come on. Let's get outta here." She slurred, the look in her eyes only communicating lust.
"Umm," Syrus said blushing madly, the combination of alcohol and Rose's brainwashing reversal turning him into a stuttering mess. "S-Shouldn't we open our Christmas Eve gifts first?" He asked nervously.
"Look around us. Everyone's either drunk or distracted. It's the only chance we'll get." Yuko slurred, and started to lead him away. To where was still unknown.
"Ok!" Syrus said excitedly undoing his pants. "Can I be on top this time?"
"Whatever you want." Yuko said with a mischievous fox like grin.
…
"Well then," Rose said chugging another bottle of Allen's Coffee Brandy. "I'd say this turned out pretty well."
"I agree," Sartorius said sipping his cinnamon wine. "Much better than spending the holidays alone with my sister."
"Yeah," Rose sighed. "Or at a shitty orphanage."
"Hmm," Sartorius said looking at Rose sideways. "Guess we're not so different."
"Guess not," Rose said shrugging. "Shame you had to steal my girl."
"Shame you beat up my protege," Sartorius quipped back. "-But lets ignore that for now," He said holding out his glass. "To Christmas."
Rose clicked her bottle to it. "To Christmas," She smiled as the two turned back to watch their groups interact.
…
Yuko finished writing her note and put it on top of Syrus' pillow. Slowly, she shuffled back into her clothes and quietly exited the lounge. If all went well, but it never did, Syrus wouldn't remember anything of what just happened. "It's for the better." She thought, a blatant lie to herself.
She rejoined the long sleeping group in the auditorium and tried to go back to sleep. Tried to forget about their time together in that room.
… (Christmas morning)
Rose glared at the White Dorm from her front line, it was a cold day, Yuko was dying of a hangover and generally seemed sad,Tyranno ate too many christmas cookies, and Rose was sure if someone lit a match near her she'd combust due to alcohol fumes, all and all, no one was at their best, but the war must go on.
"Sarge maybe we should stay in today," Tyranno groaned.
"I second that." Yuko added. "I'm not in a maiming mood today."
"Well I don't either but I think they are," Rose said nodding at the Society members that were coming out to meet them. "You guys think you can duel?"
"Absolutely not." Yuko replied, a mix of actually sad and pissed off. "I bet the Dark Priestess could if we got her on the horn." She offered.
"Wait," Alexis said calmly showing her empty hands. "We don't want to fight either," She said. "It's Christmas, lets just relax."
Rose glared at Alexis, anger bubbling in her chest and darkness nipping at her heels under her coat, before letting out a loud and tired sigh. "Yeah it's not worth it to fight on the holidays," She said smiling. "Come on, let's open gifts and watch 'A Christmas Story' till we can't stand it anymore.
"10-4!" Tyranno yelled excitedly.
Yuko groaned at the mention of the film but went along with it just fine. "I can get behind that."
"Cool," Chazz said nodding. "Come on, let's go to the auditorium, I think half our dorms are still there after passing out last night."
The two dorms walked towards the school, smiling and laughing together as Kaiba wearing a Santa suit and beard flew over the school in a sled pulled by Blue Eyes White Dragon Robots.
"Ho Ho Ho," He deadpanned. "Merry Christmas dweebs."
Mokuba, dressed like an elf, poked his head out with a smile. "And a happy new year!" He laughed waving as they flew away.