The lights of the set slowly flicker to life revealing the desk and the couch for guests. The camera pans out to reveal a large Christmas tree beside the couch two familiar faces are decorating.
“I thought the rest of them were supposed to help. I mean this is a big tree Jimmy.” the half elf female groused as she places another ornament on the oversized tree.
Jimmy shrugs, a practiced nonchalance, and tugs a strand of silver tinsel through his fingers. “You know how it is, Selaim, union hours and all that. The rest of the gang clocks in after first rehearsal. Besides, do we really want Phelan helping with the tree? He’s gotten all twitchy since he died at Riddermound. We need someone with an eye for dramatic placement.”
Selaim rolls her eyes, but fights a smile as she balances on tiptoe to string another garish bulb onto a sagging branch. “Dramatic placement,” she repeats, nasally, as if the words taste sweet but she’s determined to keep them sour. “Remind me again, how many years did you study at the Academy of Fine Decorative Arts?”
He gives her a sheepish grin. “They wouldn’t let me in. Said my tastes were too ‘avant garde.’” He flicks a bauble, sends it spinning. “
“So when is the Boss going to start the final round of voting? I heard he already has the submissions.”
Jimmy snorts. "He has them. He just wants to make a scene out of it, you know? Big reveal, swelling music, confetti cannon, the whole bit. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has an extra suit made just to rip it off mid-monologue."
Selaim cocks an eyebrow, evaluating a particularly tasteless ornament, which seems to depict a reindeer being abducted by tiny green men. "Fashion is pain," she sighs, and then, after a pause, asks, "Did you turn in a ballot?"
He freezes, tinsel mid-air. "Am I allowed to vote? I thought staff votes didn’t count."
Selaim laughs—a high, tinsel-bright sound. "That’s only if the Boss suspects ballot-stuffing. I, for one, hope you voted for Mina’s. Speaking of I hope Dash can come by the set again."
Jimmy looks shifty. "Not if everyone shows up. I mean Phelan was served that Restraining Order and all. But I heard the Boss banned him from set.
Then Miales comes out of the Green Room a tumbler of egg nog in hand. “You aren’t done with the tree yet? Its time to start the vote.”
He gestures broadly, nearly sloshing egg nog on the synthetic snowdrift lining the hearth. “Audience is coming in, Jimmy. And we want the tree perfect. This is live. Show some pride.”
Jimmy gives the tree a slap on the trunk, which shakes the entire artificial pine into a nervous dither. Selaim bites the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. “That’ll do, tree. Don’t work too hard,” Jimmy says, putting up both hands in surrender.
The lights in the studio deepen, then blaze into their showtime brilliance. Through the glass, a thin crowd of seat-fillers—dragged in off the street with promises of cookies and a much-hyped celebrity cameo—shifts and settles. There’s a hiss in the air, the sound of every surface buzzing with static and anticipation.
Backstage, somewhere, someone is yelling: “Thirty seconds! Where the hell is Boss?”
“On the stage you buffoon,” Selaim. She turns to the Boss and Jimmy, “Did we seriously put Phelan in the production booth? I’m telling you that was the dumbest thing we ever did by adopting him from Quincy.”
Miales ignores her grousing “No wild and crazy intros this year. Everyone is too busy with the Holiday. We’ll just introduce them with a song about our DL ACRO Family. HIT THE MUSIC!!!”
"And here they are... what you've all been waiting for!!! The submissions for the FINAL ROUND of SEASON 2025!!!"
1. Reindeer And Santa - it's that time of year
2. Respectively Asking Santa (for Christmas donuts)
3. Raccoons Acrobatically Summersault (into our hearts with their adorableness!)
4. Reindeer Appreciation Society (Yes, even Rudolph)
5. Real Acro Strategy (Second place plays. First place deals.)
6. Relatives Are Staying? (NOOO!!!)
7. Reading And Solitude (My ideal holiday...)
8. Reminiscing About Someone (The holidays aren't the same without Grandma.)
9. Rudolph Adores Santa
10. Roast Apple Strudel (Anyone? OK then Christmas pud it is)
11. Regroup After Snacks (How I get through the day)
Remember Vote for your Favorites... In order that you most like them.
Your Most favorite gets 3 points,
2nd favorite gets 2 points,
and your third favorite earns 1 point.
As a reminder... You CAN NOT vote for your own Definition.
During the voting we will have some color commentary from the peons of Miales... Enjoy... have fun... but most of all....
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