Everyone enjoyed a good Christmas party, be it put on by one's employers or by one's family and in many ways it was something often brought people together, and in the end the Meat Market was no different. Sure, it's day to day operation was as a strip club which ultimately worked well with the fact that Animalians seemed to have higher libidos than normal humans, but that didn't mean that the club didn't enjoy Christmas. However, given many attitudes that tended to criticize Animalia and Animalians as being over-sexed and immoral in various parts of the country, even the Meat Market knew not to throw a party that would involve nudity or sex to celebrate Jesus's birth. The fact that various major news networks tended to cover things in Animalia fairly frequently, likely in amusement at what was still a very new society developing alongside human society, was enough that the Meat Market decided to have a more "morally" acceptable party.
However, that didn't mean that the party was acceptable for children. The party still had a rather healthy flow of various drinks that contained various levels of alcohol in them. That included the egg nog that was being served. In this it was figured that it was probably a better idea that the party remain "adults only" with only those at the legal drinking age be allowed in to party. Those members of staff that were younger and held part time jobs behind the bar or serving food could be allowed in, but it was stated that there were monitors in place to make sure they didn't get themselves drunk. In this, the club took on an atmosphere that was more like a typical high end nigh club with many of the areas that were normally used in the club's various "shows" set aside people to dance to the various carols being played over the loudspeakers. Others were content to sit and chat about their year and so on.
The biggest thing was a fake Christmas tree that was set up in one corner and included a few gifts under it. These were marked as gifts for the Meat Market's various staff members, as the party also served as something of an office party for them and the club's manager felt it "fair" that various members of staff had to come in on Christmas Eve, it'd make sense that they'd get a present to essentially reward them for their troubles. And as the party went on, the Meat Market's manager found the time to deliver a couple of them.
"Uh... thank you," Steve said at his point behind the bar, where things had been quiet for the most part and he'd actually spent his time talking with Ava.
The club's manager offered a modest sized box in a way that it soon rested on the bar between the two of them. Both White Tiger Animalians were a intrigued by it, though Steve also looked a bit nervous. He had the job as a part time gig to earn some money to help Ava with many of the things she wanted to do in life. In their time together, Steve had really come to love her, and in a way that went beyond just sex, and it was something that the club's manager had noticed.
As a white tiger and former circus animal, it was unlikely that she ever would have been released into India's jungles, as the potential birth defects that white tigers had would likely hurt her ability to hunt and could make for greater conflicts with man. And even if she survived, that would mean that those defects might be spread into the already wild population and thus render it ever more likely that the Bengal Tiger would go extinct in the wild in the relatively near future as the defects that were the result of inbreeding coming from human desires for rarities wouldn't benefit the survival of a critically endangered animal. Before her uplifting, it was more likely that Ava would have been offered to a zoo in India and used as an educational tool on why certain human practices were not good for nature and so on.
Her uplifting had actually improved her chances at a good life, but Ava did still hold the desire to work to try and benefit the world's wild tigers. In that, when she wasn't at school at WSA with Steve or helping him at the bar, she'd taken interest in groups like the World Wildlife Fund and other groups that employed naturalists and scientists that worked for the benefit of nature and so on. It soon became no secret that that was the sort of work that Ava wanted to do. Her largely white coat might make it difficult for her to hunt, but it wouldn't impede her ability to learn and study and try to do good for animals that weren't uplifted, and it soon became clear that she'd won Steve over to that as well.
"Go ahead and open it," the manager urged, "we have the garbage bins and it is Christmas..."
Steve glanced over to Ava who shrugged. With that, he then made short work of the paper that was wrapped around the box. Tossing into a nearby garbage can under the bar he found a pair of things inside the box. On top were a series of soft white washcloths with a tiger's head stitched into the corner of them. Underneath it was a hardcover book that was a biography on the life of Edward James Corbett.
"That'll both have you ready for the future," the club manager explained with a smile, "the cloth for when you two have little ones to look after... and the book... well, it says the guy was a hunter who turned conservationist. I figured that if you end up working for any of the groups working in that part of the world, be it for a government or for some other organization, having some knowledge on one of the men who lived there would be helpful."
Both were glad that no one could seem blush after the manager's explanation. Sure they were double dosed, but Steve felt that it was way to early to really think about having children. He still had to finish high school and go through college as well. Ava was beautiful and he loved her, but it was probably too early for them to even talk about having children let along going through with that.
"Thank you," Ava said to the manager, "you have been very thoughtful..."
That brought a smile to the manager's face as he then moved about to mingle with other party guests. Some followed his actions with some amusement, among them Maddie and Theseus. Being free for Christmas Break had brought Maddie back, and she found Lyre and Animalia to be quite the lovely place to be, regardless of what some people said. There were certain parts that some people wouldn't understand, but in general the two communities were far more open and accepting than most other places Maddie had known. Sure, she was studying into ancient cultures, language, literature, and history and hoped to build off that to work on researching ancient topics, especially with regard to ancient Greece and Rome, but that didn't remove the effect Animalia had had on her. It got her her confidence back and that was more important than anything else. In that, while it might mean a lot of traveling with regard to a permanent job in the future, Lyre and Animalia was where she wanted to live, with Theseus by her side.
"That was awfully nice," Camille commented from across the table from the two Belgian Blue Cattle Animalians.
"He always has been," Theseus commented, "in a way it goes with how the Meat Market was started... going from a slaughterhouse to what it is now. I think he and his family had owned the old works, but as Animalia grew and many felt the "need" to show off as it were... he then worked with the various groups that got it going as a club."
"And it's done rather well," Maddie commented, "even with people from Lyre and humans outside Lyre occasionally coming in to enjoy the shows put on."
"In some ways it makes me chuckle as that people complain that we're "over-sexed" and then they come and enjoy the same "entertainment" they attack us for," Theseus gave a low chuckle.
"Some people are just odd, I suppose," Maddie gently patted her mate's hand, though she didn't think that people who were critical of Animalia came to Lyre to hang out at the Meat Market.
"So... do you think he'll have a gift for you two?" Camille asked, "I've heard some stories..."
"Probably not me," Maddie managed a small smile, "I only did part time shows so I could be with Theseus and focus my plans for college. And since UNLV accepted me I'm not here at all when I have classes."
"But your mate is still here," Camille noted, "aren't you...?"
"Jealous... worried?" Maddie laughed, "No. He picked me out of a volunteer list for Project Phoenix and found beauty in me when I was skinny as a rail and to the point where I was starving myself to death because of my lack of confidence in myself... That was touching and in a way it makes me feel secure with him. We may only get to see each other during breaks and weekends... but I know that Theseus loves me... and I love him."
Camille watched as Theseus nodded beside his mate. She'd had a few run ins with him since joining the lineup of dancers at the Meat Market, and he had been polite to her, but for the most part it hadn't gotten too much more than a polite "hello" or asking into what was going on with her. In this it was a bit of a surprise that he and his mate and joined her a table, but it was a nice surprise that let her learn more about him. In this, she found that while he was powerfully built and probably way too big for her as a Chameleon, he was very smart and a gentle soul.
"You can only see each other on holidays and weekends?" Camille asked.
"I got into UNLV," Maddie smiled, "and while classes are in session... I need to be there and in class so that way I can learn, grow, and gain the recognition that may allow me to move on to other things in life. For the moment, Theseus's work here and my part time work will help either A) pay bills and B) save up the money to pay the loans for college... but it'll be worth it."
"It must be lonely at night without your mate beside you," Camille commented.
"It can be," Maddie admitted, "but that's what makes days like today so special and in the end it's for a good reason. Many things in life are now requiring at least a bachelor's degree just to get an interview for most jobs... or at least most successful ones will. And that's something to shoot for... earn recognition for more than having large breasts and wide hips, if you know what I mean."
Camille then watched as Maddie smiled and then rubbed her nose to Theseus's.
"And when we get time together... be it on a holiday break or a weekend," Maddie smiled and looked into Theseus's eyes, "it makes everything we do better and special... Which I look forward to when we get home from the party."
A crash from elsewhere soon caught everyone's attention as they soon looked over to see a couple of the club's bouncers restraining a human male at the bar with a smashed bottle of egg nog laying on the floor and protesting about not having enough to drink.
"And I trust you haven't been getting into the spiked egg nog," Maddie said to Theseus.
"Scout's honor!" Theseus answered.