(Untitled)

[caring_hand]

Penny's been around. No, not in that way.

She's been tucking herself, nearly unseen into corners working on the ever-growing pile of scarves and hats for the Caring Hands homeless shelter back home. Billy promised to take them in, and she's determined to get them all knitted by Christmas Eve.

She's on the couch today, over by the fireplace with

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[source_fairy]

Sirona says hello.

She's got a large mug of white mulled wine in her hand.

[caring_hand]

Penny looks up from her work and smiles a little.

She's still nervous around new people, but, she's getting better.

"Hey," she says, "Getting excited for the winter holidays?"

She hopes that's non-specific enough for most Milliways denizens.

[source_fairy]

"Oh yes," Sirona says, sitting down, elegantly, without crushing her tulle fairy wings. "The Christmas market at home is gearing up for the fourth Advent weekend and rolling in the drink by the aluminium cask, and the gingerbread by the pallet. Fun times!"

[caring_hand]

The smile brightens a little.

"That sounds like it'd be a lot of fun," she says. "I like this time of year the best. People seem...more friendly and happy, for the most part. And all the time to spend with your friends and family...I like it."

Granted, she's going to be probably alone for Christmas again this year.

[a1enzo]

"Hey!" A uniformed, green boy with the look of a living mannequin plops down into an adjacent armchair and looks curiously at the box of knitwear by Penny's feet. "That's a lotta hats."

[caring_hand]

She glances up and blinks.

Blink.

"Uh, thanks. I'm making them for the homeless shelter back home."

[a1enzo]

"That's nice of you! You did all these yourself?"

[caring_hand]

She nods slowly. "Yep; been working on them since October. Billy's going to take them back home."

She eyes the boy.

"You sound like...Enzo? Is that you?"

[guppy_sandhu]

Guppy, with his little son in tow, whispers something to the toddler and encourages him forward.

Alex stands in front of her for a moment, remembering his lines, then says.

"Messy Kissmas."

He looks around at Daddy, who motions for him to give her the card, however he decides to chew it instead.

Guppy moves forward and gently extracts the card from his son's mouth, passing it to Penny. Inside is a card with a sponge painted Christmas tree on, saying 'To Penny, love from Guppy, Frogspawn and Alex'.

[caring_hand]

She beams, watching the entire scene, quietly.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Alex," she says, opening her card and pulling one out for them.

It's a generic winter holiday card. Nothing exciting.

"Thanks Guppy. That was really sweet."

[guppy_sandhu]

"And thank you." Guppy says.

"How are you doing? Have you seen the party poster?"

[caring_hand]

She nods, "Yep. It looks really good! I've just been working on all these scarves. I saw Billy...he's a lot better."

[likes_toastems]

"Hey," says Needy, gesturing to the empty half of the sofa. She too has hot chocolate, and a thick book that she has one finger in to keep her place. It may or may not be a Learned Tome of demonology. "Mind if I sit?"

[caring_hand]

"Hey," she says back, making room, and dragging all her supplies over. "Sure, make yourself comfortable."

She smiles over at her.

"I'm Penny."

[likes_toastems]

"You didn't have to move anything," she protests. "I don't take up much room." But she does sit, tucking her legs under her and resting the book, still closed, on her knees.

"Needy," she says, relieved to be talking to someone normal for once. Just wait until she realises that Penny's dead.

[caring_hand]

"Oh, it's no problem. I just want you to have plenty of space."

She smiles over at the girl. "It's nice to meet you. What're you reading, if I can ask."

[doesnotmiss]

One of these days, Sam will start a conversation, rather than people-watching his way into one.
Today is not that day, and it probably won't be that day until he actually catches up with Cata, at this rate. In any case, he's people-watching in Penny's vicinity, at the moment.
And at first glance, he might look horribly familiar.

[caring_hand]

Indeed he does look...horribly familiar.

"Billy?" she asks, and then takes a closer look. "Oh, sorry, you look like my friend."

[doesnotmiss]

"Do I? That's a new one."
To him, anyway. Cata briefly mistook Billy for Sam, but Sam doesn't know about that yet.

[caring_hand]

She nods. "Yeah, on the first glance, you reminded me of my friend Billy. I think it's a...good thing?"

Sorta.