"Oh, hello!" Huaisang says brightly, greeting the party-goers like they're dear friends. "Ethel, isn't it? And Ann-Louise? It's such a lovely party--we were going to go and look at the Christmas lights in this neighborhood. I'm still getting ideas on how I want to decorate our own house. Did you want to come along?"
Cheerful misdirection comes naturally to Huaisang, and he's had two weeks here (and October) to reconnoiter among the more terrifying locals. They may be dull, but that just makes it all the easier for Huaisang to fit in.
"Oh, but you wouldn't want to miss the carolers," one of them chirps.
"You couldn't possibly," the other affirms.
"Oh, no," Huaisang agrees earnestly. "But that isn't until nine, is it? There's plenty of time for a brisk walk--really, with all the sandwich cake I've eaten, I might just burst a seam on my gown without a nice walk!"
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Cheerful misdirection comes naturally to Huaisang, and he's had two weeks here (and October) to reconnoiter among the more terrifying locals. They may be dull, but that just makes it all the easier for Huaisang to fit in.
"Oh, but you wouldn't want to miss the carolers," one of them chirps.
"You couldn't possibly," the other affirms.
"Oh, no," Huaisang agrees earnestly. "But that isn't until nine, is it? There's plenty of time for a brisk walk--really, with all the sandwich cake I've eaten, I might just burst a seam on my gown without a nice walk!"