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[never_shall_yield]

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the...stable? There was...not much of anything going on, really. Javert has been sleeping out here for the last couple of weeks, and tonight will be no different. Cheval has been nosing around for his next bottle, so he fetches it from Bar, trying not to yawn too obviously where anyone can see. He also considers another blanket, but it seems indulgent, so does not. 

Bar also produces a gift, which he stares at for a moment. This again? But then, he supposes it is the season. He asks the bar to keep them for now, and walks back through the snow to the foal. It may be Christmas night, but it the same as any other to him and he is sure it will stay that way.

Valjean, watching this exchange, follows him out.



[OOC: Merry Christmas, everyone! This post open through New Year. If you want to chuck random animals etc in, go ahead. The more cracktastic the better, say I. If not, no worries - he's taggable at the bar too. Also, I will be tagging up everything I owe as soon as I've wrapped the last few presents over here. <3333 you all!

ETA: I completely forgot to set this up the way I planned. Ah well. Valjean, when I tag him in, is also entirely taggable by anyone. And will probably be in a far more festive mood, lets be honest. Also, feel free to tag each other if you want to be all 'wtf I'm in a stable' to someone else! I'm allgood with that. <3]

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[ostro_goth]

There is one of the forge cats, the small grey one, balancing elegantly on the narrow top of the stall door, ostensibly going about his feline business, but potentially waiting whether any milk ends up being spilled.

[never_shall_yield]

Javert sends the thing a neutral sort of look, but ignores it otherwise. It is only a cat.

[ostro_goth]

As soon as the foal will spill anything, the cat will come jumping off the door, right at the milk.

[redintheledger]

Nataliya had been out for a work. It's night, and winter here, but she'd bundled herself up properly (overcoat, boots, fur hat, gloves, scarf). And gone for a walk.

(To perhaps be fair to her, it hadn't been night when she'd set out, merely close to.)

The light at the stables catches her eye and, hesitating for a moment, she walks over to peer in.

Why not, and so on.

"Hello?"

[never_shall_yield]

He looks up, caught by surprise for once.

'Bonsoir, mademoiselle.'

Cheval pays no attention whatsoever, being entirely engrossed by his bottle.

[redintheledger]

"Madame," she corrects, voice more tired than cold. The idea of a widow being addressed as 'miss' still hasn't stopped annoying her, but her black dress is currently covered.

"Evening. Why-"

Her mouth tips a little to the side, and she gestures to Cheval.

"Sorry, Monsieur, I saw the lights on, and wasn't sure why."

[vyvyan]

In the stables, just quietly, there is the sound of bells...

It seems to be coming from the ceiling lights.

[never_shall_yield]

...that is odd.

No, wait. Some fool has probably attached bells to a cat, which will now be wandering around the rafters. Well, so long as it is being useful and catching things to kill.

[damncompass]

Joshua is doing inventory in the Christmas aisle (wasting time waiting for Christmas dinner) when he comes across a golden box with faience pictures telling a story in picture and picture-writing of a man rising to power.

He, probably against his better judgement, picks up the box, and looks at it for a moment. After a few seconds, his attention is caught by a light hovering above the end of the aisle, sparkling, and drawing his attention. He follows it, still carrying the box, until it brings him out of the Warehouse and into the stable.

As soon as he materializes in the Stable with a flash of gold, his pin shines, and his suit turns into an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh's regalia, complete with the double crown and a huge pectoral necklace.

It takes him a moment to take in the scene, and he stands there for a moment, holding out the box stupidly.

[never_shall_yield]

Javert stares at him.

Valjean, having joined him in the stable (against the man's wishes) also stares, but with rather more wonder. A stable, tonight of all nights...well, the imagery is not lost on him. And now a man dressed like this?

Javert, though, frowns. Not angrily. More in confusion.

'What is this?'

He says it in a stupid kind of tone, to match the stupid kind of way the box is being held out.

[fluffiest_archadian]

From one of the stable's stalls, a flightless yellow bird the size of a horse pokes its head out.

It peers at Javert for a moment. Then at the horse. Then at Javert.

Then, with great dignity and solemnity: "Kwee."

[never_shall_yield]

Javert's eyes goes wide. That is a big bird. Bird? No, surely not. Nothing with wings can be that large.

'Hello?' he says, stupidly. Because what else can he say, really?

[road_to_calvary]

Valjean leans over the stable door, and cannot help smiling. This is something he would not have expected to see. Teja had told him about the young horse, but this is still strangely...homely. Which is not a word he would ever associate with Javert, in normal circumstances.

'Good evening, Inspector. I have brought your charge a gift.'

[never_shall_yield]

'It is a horse,' he says, with automatic ire.

'It needs no gifts.'

[friend_of_lucy]

Tumnus did not expect to be in a stable, he was going to get a few presents he had hidden in his home for his friends at the castle.

So when the door opens to the forest of Milliways, he makes his way to the stable and comes in.

He soon finds his way to Javert and the foal, he leans down and says to the foal, "Hello, I think you're going to grow into a beautiful horse."

[never_shall_yield]

Javert's jaw is somewhere near the floor at this point. It is, after all, a man who is half a...what? Goat? And also talking.

'Monsieur?'

Valjean, seated by the side wall, cannot hide a grin at Javert's reaction. And for his part, nods amiably at the faun.

[scarred_grin]

"Do you think he's in here, puppy? I'm following your lead, here. Ooh, maybe we can look in at your grandpa's horses. We can't go in, but we can look..."

Hey look, it's a Pyrrha--apparently immune to the cold, with just a jacket to go with her usual tiny shorts and sneakers--carrying a very bundled-up baby, who is looking around curiously. He's never been here before either.

"Um, hi. Teja's not here, is he? He wasn't at the forge."

[never_shall_yield]

Javert shakes his head, showing no surprise at the man's name.

'I have not seen him since this morning, madame. The forge is usually closed by this time of the evening.'

There is a rustling of straw as Cheval loses his grip on the bottle, and fumbles to find it again. He pats its nose absently, and guides the teat back to the searching mouth.

He cannot see her state of undress with the stall door in the way. It is probably a good thing.

'I can take a message, if you desire. Though you would likely do better leaving it at the bar.'

[ostro_goth]

After a while, when Pyrrha has finished speaking with Javert, Teja will turn up in the stable and find her there.

He is leading in his horse Bramble, whom he had been riding in the snow, out to the mountains, to fetch in some branches of fir tree.

[the_cupbearer]

"I'd consider this ironic if celebrated Christmas," says Ganymede, who is carrying a small box in his hand as he watches Javert returning to the stable.

"Given the time of year and the fact that you're out here. Still."

[never_shall_yield]

'Oh? What do you mean?'

He sits down on a blanket in the straw, and idly runs a hand down Cheval's nose. The foal is lying down, all legs and eyes, pushing its nose out for food. Javert offers it the bottle, which it latches on to at once.

[never_lost_faith]

There is a red-headed woman in a black dress, in cut and manner not all that different from the times that Javert and Valjean witnessed, walking into the stable later that night, having seen the light.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she says, politely. "That is a very sweet little horse you have. The bleak mid-winter is an odd time for such a young creature to be around, though."

[never_shall_yield]

'We do not have anything,' Javert says, pointedly.

Valjean is far more polite, rising to his feet at once and bowing to the lady. 'Yes, madame. He is born out of season, so the inspector here is caring for him as his mother will not.'

Javert shoots Valjean a black look at this, but says nothing more. He just inclines his head shortly at the woman, and returns his attention to his charge.

[cook_the_rude]

It's already midnight when Dr. Lecter comes to the stable and leans on the door of the stall to look at Javert and the foal.

[never_shall_yield]

The foal has his head resting on Javert's thigh. Valjean left a while ago, though he said he would be back later. Javert does not doubt him, and does not have it in him to argue tonight; he sits with his head resting back on the wall, dozing. Badly, and uncomfortably, but dozing.

His eyes flick open after a moment, when he feels somebody watching.