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[It's been near a year, Arno's shocked to realize, and it's the mention of the Christmas holiday approaching that tells him as much as that. Last year seemed to have mostly...not gotten involved in things but this year? Perhaps it can be different. He'd like to find out actually, which is why he is here, in front of the camera, smiling a bit expectantly, hands folded as he looks into the camera.]

A query, if you would.

I am told that Christmastide will soon be upon us here, and that there are some who intend to celebrate it. ...How? If we're so far from home, stuck here in a world where it isn't native...What does everyone Do?

The giving of gifts is easy enough, but are there parties? Is there Revellion, the watching? It's seemed like just a day to me before, but knowing I'll be HERE for it...that does change things quite a bit.

Does anyone have any ideas, parties to invite me to, or tips for throwing my own?

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If you need a party planner I am so your girl.

[First shopping with Erskine and now party planning with Arno? It's some kind of Christmas miracle or something.]

That could be a fantastic idea.

[Arno considers the idea of Revellion for real. It should be workable enough, after all. His eyes brighten as he thinks over the possibilities, actually.]

Do you suppose any of the businesses here would allow for the sort of party that continues well past midnight? ...And can thirteen desserts be found?

Of anyone, I somehow think I might trust you most.

The desserts shouldn't be a problem, unless they're all, like, huge or super complicated. There's a couple of confectioneries that are pretty into making Foreigner food. Any particular reason for thirteen?

[What is a Revellion and how crazy is it? Pepper looks thoughtful.]

For the venue... well, I bet if you paid them enough someone would rent it out pretty late. I know a couple places from when I was planning my birthday party.

And they needn't be SO complicated. [Arno appears to be considering.]

We'd usualyl have dried fruits, things like that for some at least. It needn't be all massive tarts or cakes or anything. It sounds a bit silly, considering I'm hardly the most religious...

[Yeah, the whole "assassin" thing kind of isn't the most Catholic virtue ever, IS it, Arno?] But it's done for the apostles. And we usually...well it involves waiting until midnight, to see Christmas morning in properly.

Any names would be a BIG help, there.

Oh, okay. You shouldn't have any trouble with that, then.

[She gives him the names of the two confectioner's shops she's visited and three or four possible party locations.]

That's a nice tradition, even if you're not religious. I mean, Christmas isn't really a religious holiday so much anymore. And it was pagan to start with, so it's come full circle or something.

[Arno's jotting down the names, looking pleased.]

It's been some time since I was in a place to do it too. We would sometimes try to organize it but...The Parisian Brotherhood and holidays...we may have been a little hit or miss. The memories are nice ones. I think this year they may help.

[He's been mourning Elise for a few months now, after all. Perhaps a chance, a formal one, to really do something without her that stands out will help. He does hope so anyway. As to Christmas itself...he's smiling at that, looking a bit bemused.]

I remember learning as a child that there were parts of America where Christmas was...discouraged by those who were really religious. Puritans or somewhat like them.

It does seem, more like, that Christmas is for everyone, or becoming so. Nice to hear it goes that way in the future.

Yeah, the Puritans were seriously uptight, [Pepper agrees.] And it's still technically a religious holiday, but it's a lot more secular than it used to be. Hallmark is probably to blame for that. Tis the season of mass consumerism.

[Not that she really minds. Gift-giving-and-getting, the lights, the music, the snow, the food - she isn't religious herself, but she loves Christmas as much as anyone.]

What's the Brotherhood?

[Better have a good way to explain that, Arno, or Pepper is going to find out about your old day job. She probably won't try to arrest you.]

Ah consumerism. Just what the wealthy needed to keep them moving along, isn't it?

[So speaks the nobleman himself. On the other hand, he'd probably suggest that circumstance drove that instead of anything else. Arno Dorian, so perfectly blinded to some facts.] It sounds as if it COULD be worse. The idea, at least, is nice.

[As for the Brotherhood? It's pretty enough explainable. Arno's mentioned it a few times without the rest of the details. After he accidentally, drunkenly, let the WHOLE thing slip to Tony that time, he's been a lot more careful talking about his murder cult.]

That would be my roof climbing sneak around society. [Okay, it's a dumb explanation, but.] better than the Masons, even. We don't have a secret handshake to remember.

Something like that. I try to stay out of the politics of it all. The War on Christmas is an annual event in complete and utter stupidity - although it's entertaining enough if you can pretend they aren't being serious.

[Her eyes narrow slightly at his explanation. There's still something he's not telling her, because Pepper is fairly certain that a secret society taking part in the French Revolution wouldn't have been purely founded on the desire to sneak around on rooftops.]

Uh-huh. [Beat.] The Masons have a secret handshake?

It sounds as though it's gotten there. [That's said in a tone of...pretty legitimate disgust.] Trust politics to get mixed into things and ruin them for everyone. Although some debates CAN be ridiculously entertaining.

And politics in and of themselves... [he's waving a hand at this.] I see the comedy in any case.

[Not ENTIRELY, no. Largely, but...]

So I hear it.

Oh, yeah. We've got entire shows that are literally just satire about all the crazy stuff going on in politics. You'd probably like Jon Stewart.

Christmas is still... well, it's still a good time of year. People actually seem to like each other more.

[Pepper loves Christmas. Homesick or not, she's going to celebrate as much as she can.]

And what kind of circles are you spending time in that the secret handshake of a society that's central to, like, half of all the best-known conspiracy theories is a subject of conversation?

Shows... like on the Tee Vee machine? [Arno looks a little dazed at the thought of those, still.] I admit, those are hard to imagine, at first, but probably very useful. I had a few people at the cafe, my cafe, that I spent the most time at, who enjoyed their political performances very much indeed.

Any time that people seem to at least listen to one another strikes me as a particularly good one, somehow. Any sense of peace...it does sound nice.

[Arno's close to that mindset himself. He might be alone here, he might have lost those he cares about, but traditions and all the rest? Those are important. Those can, and should, stay. ]

Very secretive circles, so I've found. Or quite bored ones. YOU know the bits where all the cults and societies make fun of everything and every one else.

Yes, [Pepper says slowly, reminding herself that Arno is from Revolution-era France. She's glad someone else has explained this to him, even marginally. On TV. I guess politics has always been a good place for entertainment. [See: all of Voltaire, the Aeneid, and Paradise Lost, just to name a few.

His evasion is, at the very least, amusing. It's not a response she's used to; normally when you confront people about their secrets they get defensive, not cheery.]

Ah, right, so the part where they try to make everyone else look bad so no one leaves the fold? Good tactic, until it implodes on you.

[Arno's understanding of television is that someone has used science to project plays into people's homes. Or other forms of information too, he supposes, like the adverts section performances at the cafe. And then, once they've done that, they can record and share them again. He's not particularly scientific, Arno, so the explanation works for him. Or it does a vague job anyway.]

Ah so it is. When the public can watch proceedings, they are more than happy to. It takes a lot to be admitted to an inner sanctum to watch politics in action, but they flock to it. And, of course, the executions. Nothing like a good beheading for entertainment. I do think I prefer the sort on pages still to those.

[It IS, isn't it? Especially the way he makes it exaggeratedly clear that he's evading things. It almost gives one the impression that he's playing up his little club, instead of downplaying what they do. It's a fun approach to take, and he's so sick of being cautious. Besides, for all intents and purposes, he's technically kicked out of the Paris chapter and needs to find another soon.

Which does tie into what she's saying.]

Rather good tactic, yes. Shame-mongering and all the rest. Being on the opposite side of that's rather unfun. [And then he's making a rather sad, pathetic, popping sound, drawing it out so it's quietly disappointing more than anything else.

"Ah yes, the implosions. Saddest part just there. So much shaking on the foundations of everything."

You realize beheading people is, like, totally illegal nowadays, right? [You are so lucky you are a product of your time, Arno, or she would be all over you. As it is that is not a statement she likes hearing. She does admit, however grudgingly:] Crowds like a spectacle, I guess.

[It's like he's getting away with evading the questions by pointing out that he's evading the questions. What are you even doing.]

I'm guessing you've been on the opposite side of that, then?

Probably for the best, all things considered. Taken under advisement, it wasn't going to last. Something about suspicious circumstances and gore.

[He DOES have the tendency to be a bit flippant about the things like this that he comes across on a regular basis, that much is true. It's probably something that he should consider dealing with one of these days, sooner rather than later.]

That IS the draw for most of it, I think. Appealing to the lowest masses. I like to think we're above it, but...

I'm not so sure about it anymore.

Though, yeah, Just hit the implosion side of things myself. It didn't seem especially all that promising as a career goes.

[Iss it working? That would be his main question. Maybe he's being too weird for people to notice much.]

You are completely odd, Arno. [It's said with a mixture of curiosity and fondness. He's proving to be quite an interesting fellow.]

So your roof-climbing-sneak-around-society is really a cult, then? [Pepper considers this for a moment.] Well, you seem to have turned out okay.

[Arno laughs at that, inclining his head in acknowledgement of the comment, accepting it, whether it's that, a compliment, or a complaint. At least, at any rate, he's made an impression, yeah?]

Exactly like that, if we're not mincing words. I think most of us HAVE, actually. The majority of us are normal. ...Enough.

When you find out, let me know. I'll admit some curiosity.

I can easily do that, certainly. I've been debating holding something myself, now. If it does work, I shall post details.

Something like 'Revellion'? [he doesn't sound too familiar with it, but at least he gets the pronunciation mostly right.]

Indeed. [There is a little smile from Arno, reminiscent, really, of the holidays that he was able to spend with Elise, when they were young.] It involves watching and waiting for Christmas to officially arrive at midnight. There are candles, and a meal, usually fairly fancy but I think that it could be adapted here if needed.

A tradition that seems as if it might be nice to remember.

[they have a name for that, huh. Callaghan just remembers staying up late a few years with Abigail, waiting for Santa, waiting for her to fall asleep...

his smile is fond with memory, but a little...sadly distant? he tilts his head after a moment, bringing himself back to the present.]

It sounds like it'd be fairly easy to adapt. I wonder if we could merge it with one of their own traditions.

[Well, any excuse to turn it into an actual party, right? It's one of those things Arno's pretty familiar with doing anyway. He's smiling too, and nodding at that.]

Do they have anything along those lines then? The war's end is soon...perhaps something to link up with a celebration then....

Probably best to ask a kedan for that. I've been here a while, but I'm still finding new things.

Easily enough done. And I DO know the feeling. It seems like things are always cropping up the longer I am here, somehow.

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