Rejoicing Party

A **rejoicing party** is an event held in the Children's Wing of Shadows House amongst Living Dolls at regular intervals. Coffee is administered to each Living Doll in carefully calibrated quantity, so as to control their personalities and actions.

## Overview

Star Bearer Dolls oversee the weekly distribution of coffee to each Doll. Since the brainwashing effects only last for a short time, coffee needs to be continuously brewed and imposed upon Dolls on a schedule. The belief is that the coffee can only be produced in low quantities, or at a slow rate, so only a small amount can be given at any single time. This is why, at each ceremony, Olly is careful to measure the doses very precisely. It also explains Barbie's shock and intense frustration when an entire ceremony's supply is ruined during the Master Robe Arc, an incident which happens in Episode 16 (or Chapter 57). A true dosage of real mind-control coffee isn't administered in the coming days; rather, a type of placebo is given in its place in an impromptu ceremony (Episode 19), which allays Emilico's fear of being conditioned / indoctrinated again, and makes Kate think that the Star Bearers don't have reserves and have limitations on production.

However, there are signs that point to the long-term effects of coffee and rejoicing, making it harder to deprogram an older Doll who's already indoctrinated well.

## Traits

The first time Emilico and the other debutant Dolls receive coffee happens directly after Kate and Emilico's debut. Emilico and the other dolls lose control of their personalities and ability to reason, in favor of blind compliance, and unconditional love for the house's Grandfather. Kate's solution to detox her is to force her to drink water thus dilute its effects; however, John and other debutant Shadows find alternative methods of snapping the Dolls back to themselves. Emilico's first official party, post-debut, occurs in Episode 15, and the effects on Shaun and her are negligible, as they're able to clandestinely spit most of their doses out instead of swallowing, without any of the Star Bearer Dolls noticing anything suspicious. In a disturbing exercise, a Doll is chosen to be the ceremonial leader (a "representative") who recites inculcating and conditioning phrases; words that are echoed in a hivemind-like chant by all of the Dolls with little to no resistance, reminiscent of religious cults and totalitarian society. The chant is designed to make the Dolls accept and even aggrandize their subjugation. The coffee is fast acting, one of the causes of such fervor among the Dolls during the recitation of these ideas; as well, being selected to lead the chants is understood a great honor, so all of them zealously vie to be each event's "representative". The leaders are:

* Party 1: Doug (Episode 15)
* Party 2: Interrupted (Episode 16)
* Party 2.5: Mia (Episode 19)

The interruption or interference of a party is met with grave punishment, as what happens with the Belles.

After the incident of Episode 16, Star Bearer Shadows also oversee the ceremony to ensure that there is no dissidence or untimely setbacks that happen.

## Response

### Emilico, Kate

Emilico hates the ceremony, because drinking the coffee at the post-debut ceremony forced her to abandon her love for Rum callously and to act counter to her conscience, her true self: a person who's caring, uplifting, and free-spirited. The way that the coffee makes her act causes her to experience great sorrow and shame as soon as she recovers. Additionally, she wants to be of better service to Kate's goals, and being brainwashed is counter-productive to that end as well. The time and effort required of Kate to detoxify her after each party is a non-starter, not to mention that the process causes both of them pain.

The discovery of the parties worries Kate because she prefers having Emilico normal, and there's the threat that a temporarily brainwashed Emilico could out her as a heretic or iconoclast, though it also gives her important information and clues about how Shadows House operates and controls its children. The fact that these ceremonies take place further provides a basis for Kate's resistance, and motivates her to become a Star Bearer.

### Shaun

Shaun is calculating and seems to favor and guard his self-determination and free will. Since John is allied with Kate, he also sees it as his responsibility to stay sober from the coffee's effects, and silently defies the parties by spitting, with Emilico. Parties involving coffee visibly unnerve him, and he's fearful of being seen.

### Rosemary

With knowledge of the innerworkings of the Children's Wing, and the mechanics of fusion and adulthood, feigns to enjoy the weekly ceremony in order to maintain cover.

### Children

Most Dolls view it as a reward and rite associated to coming of age after debuting.

### Olly and Susie

Olly views his role of measuring and dosing as a serious matter; however, he doesn't overreact when the supply is lost in Episode 16. Of the three subordinate Star Bearers, he enjoys taking his dose with least outward enthusiasm, unlike Susie, who impatiently and expectantly yearns for a dose at each party.

### Barbie

Seen as critical and must be completed without an obstacle. If something goes wrong, however, she hides it from the adults and resolves the problem independently from them.

## Trivia

* Prior to the official English localization of the manga and the English subtitles of the anime adaption, Rejoicing Party were referred as Party of Delight in fan translations.
* In Yen Press adaptation Rejoicing Party is called Hour of Rejoicing