[text / action for Goldenrod / go ahead and make mingley top levels if you want]

[meteorman]

A. Text

To whom it may concern,

This is an invitation to a casual Hanukkah celebration to be held tonight at the Skellington House in north Goldenrod. Food will be provided, though if you wish to bring some to share I'm certain that no one will object.

No RSVP necessary. Anyone who would like to is welcome to stop by*. In strange times and places it pays to be able to find common ground in what little may be familiar.

- Dr. Stanford Pines

*Except for Rick Sanchez, unless he promises to behave himself. There will be children in attendance.

B. Action

[The mansion is hard to miss, partially because it's awfully large and partially because beneath the Christmas decorations the Halloween ones still appear to be up. Add the menorah in the window and the combined light the place gives off is probably visible from space.

As promised there is food: it's not a proper sit-down dinner, considering he figures people will keep trickling in as they have the time, but there are latkes and sufganiyot (he may have asked for Mabel's help with those) along with more Johto-appropriate foods and some things that fall squarely in-between. There are also driedels available, with markings that appear to be painted on in glitter, for people who would like to play or at the very least learn how.

It ought to be a nice night.]

Comments

ITS YA BOY STANFORD

[meteorman]

A. OTA

[It's been a long time since Ford did this and even longer since he did it what someone might call 'properly'. He was never all that faithful, he fell out of being particularly observant when he left home (hell, he started eating bacon just to spite his father), and then when he left his dimension it became incredibly difficult to find universes that even knew what Judaism was. It's not like riding a bike or firing a crossbow or hotwiring a Xorxian spacecraft; he's rusty.

He's managed the basics at least. Really he's just excited to celebrate a holiday, any holiday, with other people instead of alone in a cave on an off-map asteroid. It is undeniably a step up. He can be found hovering around, greeting people as they arrive, and in general soaking up the cozy atmosphere while at the same time pretending he totally isn't. He's a rational adult man and not a man who spent thirty years more or less completely isolated from meaningful interpersonal relationships and community, what are you talking about?]

B. For Dipper and, later, Mabel

[At some point during the night Ford takes the kids aside, each on their own. They've been largely traveling apart despite showing up nearly all at the same time, and while that suits him just fine it does not escape him that this is his first real holiday spent with a family in a very long time.]

I have something to give you, if you have a moment.

B

[sneezelikeakitten]

[As long as Ford doesn't mind a Cleffa following Dipper around, then yes, Dipper doesn't mind.]

Yeah, what's up?

[meteorman]

[How could he ever mind a Cleffa? Cleffa is delightful.]

I admit gift-giving is not my strong suit, but I have quite a few holidays to make up for.

[He pulls a package from his coat. It's wrapped in simple blue paper and he didn't bother to write a name on it considering he planning to give it to Dipper directly. It's about the size of a paperback book, but it's more rounded around the edges than a book might be.]

HEY NERD GRANDPA

[schachmeister]

[Armin only has a tentative grasp of what Hanukkah is. Church had explained some of it to him, but clearly actually experiencing it will be the best way of finding out more about the holiday. Plus, it is a chance to actually meet Mr Pines face to face. So far they've only been able to speak via their gear.

Oh look, there is Mr Pines now.]

Ah, Mr Pines. Thank you for inviting us.

[Yeah, his friends are around somewhere. Like they could resist the lure of fried foods!

Armin glances down on the bag he's carrying. It's just donuts, but those are fried and delicious, right? Still, he hopes it is the right thing to bring.]

Um, It was fried foods, right? That you eat during Hanukkah, I mean.

[meteorman]

[He is probably both taller and wider in person than he appears on a tiny screen. Whoops. He smiles brightly when he sees Armin -- for a man who likes to think he's mysterious and reserved, Ford Pines tends to wear his emotions on his sleeves.]

Quite correct! Go ahead and put them with the others. Anywhere is fine.

B

[meowbel]

[At the same time, should Ford look at Mabel, one could see her being covered in nothing but yarn. Does he want to get any guesses on what she's doing?]

Of course I do! What's up?

[meteorman]

[Now, see, a man who didn't know Mabel Pines would guess 'sweaters'. Ford does know Mabel Pines, and he knows not to assume. For all he knows she yarnbomed the main staircase or knit two-hundred unique snowflakes or something else equally ridiculous. He's learned to roll with it.]

Considering I'm not certain when we'll be in the same city again, I thought it prudent to give you your gift now.

[motherfucking_ghosttype]

[The holidays seemed like a good excuse to stay in town. Even if he did miss...everybody, seriously, did everyone from his world up and disappear? Church has never been the most meticulous with the holy days, either. It's hard, being shipped around and stuck in places filled with fucking stupidity. (Among other reasons he's not going to name.)

So it's kind of weird getting in to a stranger's home and seeing all the sights of...well, all of the holidays, really, but especially Hanukkah. Hell yes he's going to have a latke, thank you. The whole gang isn't with him this time, opting only to bring Osiris the Yamask, as an excuse to get him out of his shell a little more. There might in fact be a yarmulke on Osiris' head. And Church's! Three guesses as to who probably helped with that.]

Uh, sup. You must be Stanford? This is...a real nice thing you got going on here, man.

[notvaljean]

[Jean got dragged to this thing by Armin, so he's been slinking around the edges of the festivities like a semi-feral cat, watching everything and not quite interacting with a whole lot of it. He recognizes Ford, though, from their conversations on the network, and creeps up next to him.]

Uh, hello, sir.

[Please recognize him, or this is going to be so, so awkward.]

Thanks for throwing this thing.

[Text]

[cyan_maid]

Mister Stanford?
Hello, this is Jane Crocker! I have a question for you.
If perhaps someone was so inclined to want to send you a gift for the holidays, where might they want to ask the Pidgey Post to deliver it to?
I'm just curious.

[Jane you are far too transparent for your own good]

[meteorman]

Ah, well. If someone hypothetically were to want to send me something I think the Goldenrod Pokemon Center would be their best bet. I spend the majority of my time there, considering it is my place of employment.

Dippin' Dots reporting in

[sneezelikeakitten]

A - OTA

[It's a family holiday! Albeit a strange one, but it's great. Dipper will be mostly sitting by himself, playing with a driedel and trying to teach his Cleffa what it's all about. The little Cleffa is having more fun watching it just sparkle as it twirls.]

Minnie, there's a point to this.

[Minnie don't care! Keep making it spin!

Otherwise he'll be mostly chowing down with his Pokemon. Feel free to hit him up and chat. He's up for convo of any kind. Maybe he'll tell you all about what he's been working on!]

B - Pines family

[While Dipper got little things for his friends, he's gotten some actual decent gifts for his family. Yes, that includes Soos. He'll hit up Mabel and Soos when he finds them and hands them a box.]

Here. This is for you!

[schachmeister]

[Armin isn't sure if the game Dipper is playing is a Hanukkah thing, a thing from their world or maybe a pokemon-world thing that he just hasn't encountered yet. It certainly leaves him curious enough. He observes from a distance for a little bit, before his curiosity wins from his natural inclination towards shyness and he approaches.]

Ah, if you don't mind, can I ask what you are playing?

[Is it a game? What is the goal? Is there a strategy? Please explain everything to him.]

B

[meowbel]

[Should Dipper look around, he might see one young Mabel Pines dancing the night away! As she tried to dress in the most sparkliest sweater, it was clear that she was having the time of her life!

However, when she saw her brother, that's when her smile widen!]

Awww, you really shouldn't have! Whatca get me, Dipdot?

A

[veggie_vamp]

Is it okay to come without knowing what Hanukkah is?

[meteorman]

Of course it is! One of the greatest things about our disparate origins is that it gives us the unique opportunity to learn about worlds and customs we never would have encountered otherwise. Please, do come.

[meowbel]

A - OTA

[Guess what Mabel has been doing ever since October? Now that the holiday season was kicking in, the girl has been busy during the past 3 months! As she tried to make as much as she could, it was clear that she definitely tried her hardest at everything!

Which was why when she saw somebody nearby, she'll be handing a box to them. Given how she was covered in yarn, do they dare guess what she made?]

Hey there, welcome to the party! And here you go! Hope you have an awesome holiday!

B - Party time!

[Hope you don't mind Mabel dancing the night away! With her singing over the top 80s music somewhere, she'll be making sure she makes the most out of today! It was a time for celebration and spent with everyone! Granted, as the night went on, it was clear to see that she was getting tired.

Does anyone dare to disturb the young girl's partying?]

[heartdive]

what's hanukkah?

[meteorman]

Well. Like most holidays there is a long and complicated history behind it, but the short explanation is that Hanukkah is a winter holiday celebrated by those of Jewish faith and/or heritage.

Which may tell you very little, I realize.

[The Multiverse sure is weird.]

FREE FOOD? DON'T MIND IF I DO! OPEN!!

[shortandsweet]

[ Looks like her day just got better! And here she thought being stuck in this city would be boring. Someone is opening their house and offering food out of the kindness of their heart. Gross. At least the gesture is. The food better be good. Naturally, Neo is bringing herself. You're welcome!

Neo at least made sure to change out of her uniform and into the clothes she came in so she could blend in. Team Rocket isn't exactly welcome company, after all. Anyone can spot Neo with a small Espurr on her shoulder, as she rarely puts her into the pokeball. She hands Espurr some treats from time to time while Neo takes up some food. There are tentative bites at first, but they aren't so bad, so she piles on a bit more before she sat at a two person sofa, taking up the space.

How can someone so small be taking up so much room? ]

[meteorman]

[Oh boy. Here comes the worst grandpa in existence to make things awkward because he doesn't understand tact.]

Pardon me -- are your eyes natural?

[He assumes the hair isn't -- dye is easy -- but he hasn't yet quite caught up with the times enough to know about colored contacts.]

Lust | Open

[a_sin_for_him]

[This is only the second year that Lust has even known what the holiday is. She'd made a small attempt at celebrating last year, but it had been such a private and almost uncomfortable thing. Her own desire to know and understand her own heritage was always met by Scar's refusal to talk about it or keep to any traditions.]

[But this year...this year she is determined. She's learned so much more about the culture that's as close as she'll come to ever knowing her own. Ishbalan, Israelite, there isn't much difference but the worlds they came from. When she sees the message on the network, she decides to go. She can spend the morning with her family, they all celebrate Christmas anyhow. Though they've been very supportive.]

[So here she is, in a perfectly respectable sweater and long skirt combination, at Jack's place, at a party thrown by a man she's never met for a holiday she's never properly celebrated before. She'll mostly be observing, at least to begin with...]

[sneezelikeakitten]

[Oh my gosh that is a very pretty lady. Excuse Dipper as he tries not to stare. Excuse a Cleffa coming over and tugging on your skirt. Her trainer is interested, so why not have a cute little fairy get the pretty ladies attention?]

Cleffa clef?

A

[coolskeleton_95]

WHAT'S A HANUKKAH?

[meteorman]

[See, this one he can forgive. He is fairly certain skeleton monsters don't have Judaism, though of course, there's always that chance. One never really can be sure with these things.]

Hanukkah is a human holiday celebrated by a particular group of humans of which I happen to be a part. Generally it is a winter holiday and lasts eight days. The particulars of why it is celebrated are complicated, but I could attempt to tell the story if you wish.