(open) is everyone enjoying their noel?

[gripper]

WHO: Anyone and everyone!
WHAT: Christmas Party! While originally an excuse for Secret Santas to give or drop off their gifts beneath the tree, anyone can swing by for a little holiday cheer.
WHERE: City Hall
WHEN: December 25th, starting at 10am and ending around 8pm
WARNINGS: N/A, but let me know if anything comes up!

merry christmas!

key notes

It's wintry, it's cold, it's Christmas. Hosted and put together by the mysterious Citynet user "theonewhogifts", (aka Kromer, gripper), this party is first and foremost a way for those participating in their Secret Santa to gather up and give their gifts, or to sneak theirs beneath the tree for the giftee to find if they're feeling a little shy. It'd be a boring Christmas if it were just that, though, so she's gone all-out and set things up to be a little more party-like.

Eat, drink, exchange presents, be merry—and take it easy this holiday season.

tinsel on the tree

On the 24th, the area in front of City Hall looks normal, if dusted in the now-falling snow, but by the time the eve passes, there's a rather large, plastic Christmas tree set up. People who arrive when the sun is just cresting will see Santa(?) decorating it themself, carefully selecting baubles and lights from a veritable treasure trove also taken from various stores in the area... but for most people showing up, it'll have already been decorated in bright white, gold, and silver lights, ornaments, puffballs, and so on. The skirt around it is a deep red, and as the snow continues to fall, the tree too becomes dusted with light flurries.

There's a helpful sign that says Secret Santas— drop gifts off here! to one side of the Christmas tree, while the other just seems to have been set up with the intention of being a gift-giving area, including meticulously wrapped, if empty, boxes for decoration.

Well. Mostly empty. Curious individuals (naughty children) who go shaking the unmarked boxes might find some of them aren't as empty as they seem, but what's inside are clearly meant as pranks for people who like to snoop: jack-in-the-boxes ready to spring, red-green-gold glitterbombs to mark who's been naughty and who's been nice, and those silly toy snakes that make loud rattle noises when they jump out.

cookies for santa

A party isn't a party without something to eat. Make sure you eat breakfast before you show up, because the main meals are full of hearty foods for lunch and dinner. From meals like beef rouladen (prepared beforehand and kept warm all day), paired with a red cabbage salad, to spätzle, roast duck, potato salad, and several bottles of red wine. For dessert, there's custard cake, baumkuchen, and zwetschgenknödel. While none of it looks professionally made by a chef, it's obvious a great deal of thought and care went into the dishes. Hey, it's her new hobby! She's being a proper host, here.

There are regular winter fixings too: inside of City Hall are kettles of hot water and warmed milk for hot chocolate and coffee! There's eggnog, both of the spiked-and-non-spiked variety... which one is which is indicated by little cards in front of them, but they're easy enough to switch if you feel like causing a little mischief. On the other hand, remember this is Santa's big day! Do you really want to out yourself as a bad kid?

a little winter fun

As stated, there's plenty more to enjoy: your very own Junpei Tenmyouji (coolerjunpei) is making smores for all who want a sweet treat without burning their fingers off, but you're welcome to make your own or just have some toasted marshmallows! Chase someone with a burning stick at your own peril.

And what's winter fun without a snowball fight or two? Of course, the mixture of icy rain with the snow the past few days has turned it somewhat dangerous if one were to decide to pack it with the harder stuff, but hey! At least it's just ice and not, you know, a rock or two. While there's no ready-made forts, she's not gonna go that far, there's plenty of snow that's been moved as necessary and a few piles of balls already put together.

You can use them as starters for snow creatures too, if you'd like!

Lastly, there's an area for any last minute gifts someone might need to pick up if they forgot the date! Or just couldn't figure anything out. There's a table for those who like to do a bit of handicrafting, so get your friendship bracelet making on (among other creative delights, glitter included), as well as a station for gift-wrapping itself featuring an assortment of junk from the mall.

To top off the holiday party, there's absolutely a stream of generically mainstream holiday tunes with voices that feel familiar but definitely aren't anyone in particular, like most of the media in the media shop. It's blaring from a stereo, so enjoy it or not, it's here to stay.

ooc notes

⬥ Merry Christmas! Welcome to the party. For people dropping off gifts for their Secret Santa, or who want to thread out giving it to them à la Stardew Valley's little winter festival, mosey on over to the thread for it.

⬥ Go nuts, go crazy, go wild and make your own top levels otherwise! Hell, even do gift giving on your own top level—the above is just there to make things easy. This is a mingle, so have fun with it.

⬥ If anything needs to be warned for, let me know by DMing this journal!

♡

Comments

GIVE GIFTS AND BE MERRY

[gripper]

( as described above, the tree is decked out and ready to receive gifts... or people giving gifts! on the left side is a place for secret santas to drop off their gifts if they're too shy to give it to their giftees, or if they don't know who to look for. on the right side, however, it seems to be a little more relaxed, giving people an opportunity to give gifts beneath the sparkling, shining fake tree that's been procured for the event. )

for junpei, fearne

[entwinedfate]

[ Argalia isn't shy. He simply wants to drop his presents off early, discreetly, and then mingle around until there seems to be enough presents that his might have been placed within. Procure it and then leave; the holiday season isn't particularly something he favors, even though his cheerful greeting to Santa might say otherwise, so he'll be taking his leave as soon as he can.

To that effect... With no returnee addressed, Junpei will find his own name on a clothing box with a shirt inside. There you go, Mr. Conspiracies.

... And Fearne will find something extra among the boxes as well, in a script woefully familiar to her: a short silver necklace with a small bouquet of milkvetch at the end, the slender blossoms colored by pinkish-purple sapphires.

Don't look for him. He's good at disappearing. ]

[fauned]

( ...

...

...

yeah, she's seen this handwriting before. no message this time, huh.

she thinks to leave the unopened box there for a second, even getting up from rummaging under this tree to walk away and pat off some of the glitter before eventually walking past again to swipe it up before it gets buried by other boxes.

for now, it gets shoved into a pocket to be opened later when she's alone. she does not look for him. not overtly, anyway. he stands out, so it's not like it'd be difficult to know if he's there or not if he happened to stick around.

and much later, with a book on flowers and silvered chain in hand, she's going to wonder just what it is she's meant to do with this information. if he wants an actual conversation to stem from this then maybe he should've stayed long enough for one. as for the necklace, he'll just have to find out then what she does with it, hm? )

secret santa + more

[icanfixer]

[ ...

so, sorry. don is looking more like santa herself with the sack of gift she's brought to the party, staring hard at kromer for a bit (why is she he the one who gifts?!) before resolutely setting everything with a hum. is she dressed up? of course she is. in red. the holiday stores are great. fashion and fun in one.

ahem.

• alhaitham has two gifts with his name on them, one being a set of fountain pens with various designs of birds on their casing and the other being inkwells of varying colors to go with it. no, neither of these were specified on his likes list.
  
• altria gets a box of luxury chocolates!!! they have various fillings, but they're all holiday-themed. you're just as likely to get a hazelnut creme as you are cranberry delight. and orange, of course
  
• angela's name is on a rather petite box, which houses a set of fairly pretty bookmarks.
  
• badou receives a small gift folded over in cloth, and unwrapping it reveals a watercolor of this city's skyline at sunset. the stars are nearly out at the top, while the sun reflects warmly against the glass and cloud-bottoms
  
• chesed is granted a small cloth sack of nondescript coffee beans, though the card that comes with it claims to be high quality dark roasted
  
• daan's present has been proven too hard to brew (thank the wings), but she's ensured that he's getting the brandy he asked for in a tidy little sack. it's flavored with blackberries, according to the label
  
• fearne is receiving a gift similar to badou's in its size and cloth-covering, and when she unwraps it she'll find a familiar looking sight: a water color of the feywilds from the exhibition room, only bathed in an unending dawn as the vegetation takes on hues don's more familiar with the lady herself. oranges and pinks, light and alive; all else is the same, though the lit window has fearne herself painted in
  
• heine gets one in much the same vein, and once the cloth is unwrapped he'll find a watercolor of the lake in its more serene state of winter, white and quite and sparkling. there's a sense of warmth regardless of the chilly state, brought about by the apparent sunrise it'd been painted during (present as well, hued slightly).
  
• hong lu another watercolor, wrapped well and pinned with an additional note of "ENJOY!!!!!!!!" on the cloth. beneath its cloth is... a startlingly good watercolor of kqe-1j-23, except in a suit and cap like the one hong lu wore to the gala. the abnormality is stylish.
  
• junpei, her beloved bestie of all time, is getting a t-shirt that. doesn't seem to make sense on its own; it's left one. don will be happy to show him she's got the other. additionally, beneath the t-shirt, junpei also gets a watercolor of an abnormality called the headless ichthys. another fun bit of her world.
  
• kaveh gets a watercolor as well, one depicting a golden landscape with windmills in the distance. while there's far off buildings of a city, most of the square is hues and shades of yellow wheat, farmland, and so on. a small note is tucked inside the cloth as well: "A PIECE OF MY HOME FOR THEE"
  
• even kromer gets a gift... one she wishes she wouldn't get, surely, as it's a locket with cut out pictures clearly from the gala: herself, dressed nice with her fake ass smile, and junpei's shirt. not junpei, just his shirt from the night.
  
• midnight present is in a lovely basket, each part of the gift wrapped with snowflakes! a set of orange-scented care products, from face cream to hair care. it's her favorite fruit, and so is he!
  
• the box miu receives may be small, but inside is a gift that don suits her well: a daisy bracelet, petals painted different colors.
  
• netzach is also receiving a cloth-wrapped watercolor, a square depicting one of the sunnier spots of the city. the grass is vibrant, dotted with colorful flowers, and the rays are evident in how everything seems to glow.
  
• nill is getting something similar to miu, the long box opening to the pleasant sight of a necklace bearing a golden daffodil blossom as its pendant.
  
• for shinjiro, as thanks for ever feeding her and her own, she's baked... some homemade cookies for him. they're different flavors, from raisin (?) to orange peel (??) and even some experimentals like applesauce, which wouldn't be terrible if it wasn't burned on the edges. it comes in a box of twenty.
  
• for her dear grumpy boss vergilius, who didn't want a gift at all, he's getting a sack like daan did: inside is a dark bottle of whiskey, plain and simple. no flavoring to be found. you're welcome.
  
• yesod is also, also, getting a cloth-wrapped gift, the water color within startling simple compared to the others. posed as a still-life, lavender blossoms sit somewhat angled and upright out of a dark brown vase, tucked beneath but no less present than the sunflowers above. dark green leaves frame the two, giving them a vivid beauty.
  
• yi sang, last but not least, is also the final public giftee of don's watercolor works. wrapped with care in the cloth, a simple note is pinned onto the fabric: "THEY ARE QUITE FUN TO PAINT". she can see why dongbaek had liked them so, and the golden petals of the spicebush are vibrant and alive against the dark branches they sprout from in the piece.
  

while don won't be lingering by the pile, she'll still be around. i'll put up a top level soon. ]

this is not actually here

[immortalpoet]

[i see, his gift is the report you DIDN'T TURN IN, DON QUIXOTE

okay but no he likes the gift thank u]

not actually here

[unrequite]

[ but thank you he is proud to be her favorite fruit

also he just straight up hands her oranges every time he goes on food runs from here on out. no commentary. just orange ]

for reno

[beanallright]

[ A couple months ago, Chesed heard someone's idea of life was doing the bare minimum at a cafe and drinking mid coffee. In Chesed's humble opinion, mid coffee is worse than bad coffee. At least shitty coffee leaves some sort of an impression, even if that impression is awful.

And thus, upon receiving his assigned Secret Santa, a delighted grin had spread across his face.

He arrives at the designated spot, lingering on the right side while clutching an oblong object covered in cheery red wrapping paper. Chesed stays there, greeting each person with a polite smile and a nod until he spots the redheaded man. He's only seen Reno in passing through various network posts, but the man strikes a memorable figure.

Chesed approaches with a breezy grin, presenting the item in his hands to his Secret Santa recipient. ]

Ah, there you are. A merry Christmas to you, for I have come to bestow you with a gift~

[ Should Reno choose to tear it open immediately, he'll be greeted with a glass jar. It's screwed shut with a red lid, filled with fragrant, freshly-ground coffee. ]

[astraphilia]

[ a couple of months ago, Reno did indeed make some sort of insinuation that his goal in life might be as simple as clocking in at a mediocre cafe and making mid coffee all day long. this goal, as he had protested to several people at the time, was less about the coffee itself being mid and more about having a benign job upon which no fates hang—but he also isn't much of a coffee aficionado, so the coffee being mid also wouldn't bother him. ]

Oh—heyo, you must be my secret whatever? [ SANTA Reno it's Santa. listen. he doesn't have Christmas where he's from, it's hard to remember these things. fortunately by now he's already dropped his own box off at the secret Santa table, which leaves his hands free to take the oblong package he's offered. ] Thanks, man.

[ a considering pause, then Reno glances up. ]

So how's this work? Am I supposed to open it now? [ this is a real genuine question, this is like. the third gift he's ever gotten in his life so he doesn't know what the protocol is. ]

for eddie

[featheradrift]

[ A beautifully wrapped gift package has been left in the drop off area addressed to Eddie. Inside, the man will find Vol 1-6 of A Legend of Sword. There's also an elegant bookmark with a red tassel attached wrapped neatly within the package.

There's nothing inside or outside the package indicating who his Secret Santa might be. ]

for hat guy :)

[fauned]

( oh, it's absolutely ridiculous. sorry. she tried.........

sitting under the tree is a basket tied off with an obscenely excessive amount of ribbon, enough that it'd be an absolute hassle to get through the hanging bits to get at what's in the actual basket itself.

the ''''''''''treasure trove''''''''''''' is the following:

✦    a dishtowel
✦    a pair of oven mitts
✦    it gets worse. here's the apron
✦    there's a relatively normal tea infuser and mug, at least
✦    and just for fun, a novel

it could absolutely be worse. she could've tried to cook for him. it's signed, of course, because why wouldn't this ridiculous thing be. you're sooooo welcome, wanderer. )

secret santa for donqui

[astraphilia]

[ reno will just go ahead and drop off his gift for don quixote on the table for the secret santas, just because he has a Sneaking Suspicion about how this is going to go down.

the box itself is hard-sided and red, as reno has by now gathered that red is a common christmas color. inside are two things: one, a sealed tupperware with a little bow on top; and two, a smaller wrapped parcel with a sprig of tree(? it felt festive) and some glittery charms attached.

because the one who gifts probably did him dirty, the foil-lined tupperware contains two hasselback potatoes, which look delicious to him but are probably a terrible gift to get if you hate potatoes.

the other parcel contains a set of flower hair clips, plus a note in Reno's cramped handwriting that says, "I kinda felt like 'Likes: Potatoes, Dislikes: Justice, sparkles, flowers' was the wrong order of things, so this is just in case. Pick whichever one suits ya better."

he will however be Observing. just to see what the reaction is to the potato situation. inquiring minds have to know. ]

for Kim

[justscribing]

[Alhaitham is just depositing a gift bag (that at least includes tissue paper) to be found because he doesn't actually know who Kim is and thus only had the extremely minimal list to work off of.

It has two packs of cigarettes of two different undetermined types, which he did not test for quality, and four different junk food snacks (chips, cake rolls, etc) two of which are spicy and one of which is lychee flavor.

Sorry Kim. You deserved better.]

for fearne + various

[excaliburden]

[I am extremely sorry in advance for this entire comment. Closes my eyes. Okay here we go.

For starters, all of the presents are wrapped, but, uh. Barely. They all look like this. Listen, she tried.

For Fearne, her secret santa: she's been gifted a notebook! Inside is a set of freshly pressed flowers from the park. There's no rhyme or reason or flower language to them; Altria just picked out the prettiest ones she could find. There is also... A hand blender.

For Kaveh: This salt and pepper shaker set in particular.

For Yi Sang: A notebook where she's written out a few of the constellations she can remember from Faerie Britain! ... And also a turkey baster.

For Johanna: A notebook where she's listed out a few of the spells "Merlin" taught her. Altria did write his name in quotes. They're pretty standard fare: how to start a fire, how to unlock a door, etc. There's also a a milk frother.

For Don Quixote: A hand mixer.

For Hythlodaeus: A cold brew coffee maker.



I'm sorry. Explanations will have to come from her. She will gladly hand these gifts directly to their recipient at least! Including her secret santa. I'm sorry, Fearne. She's doing a good job for her first Christmas.]

for netzach

[deathoftheauthor]

( Louis hadn't signed himself up for the gift exchange (thank you, Lestat) but his giftee's list of likes had struck a chord with him, and he found himself having a surprisingly lovely time shopping for someone with vaguely similar tastes to himself. He might have gone a little overboard. Beneath the tree is a collection of presents, each neatly wrapped in green and gold paper and tied with festive ribbons: easels in several sizes, oil and watercolor paints, the best quality brushes he could find at the art supply store near his apartment. Along with that is an assortment of candles, scented and unscented; he had gone into a fugue state when he found the candle store at the mall and desperately wanted an excuse to go back, and this had been perfect. Not knowing what his giftee liked, there's a bit of everything, and the result might be slightly overwhelming to the senses of even an ordinary human. And to top things off: a fine bottle of brandy.

His gifts are left by the tree, but Louis will be watching surreptitiously nearby to make sure he didn't do too terribly. )

for kaveh!

[thefreak]

( Don't let his usual boisterous energy fool you, Eddie can be quite shy around people he doesn't know so well, so he quickly drops his gifts off for Kaveh and scurries away before anyone might connect him to his parcel (though the wrapping paper with bats wearing Santa hats might give it away).

Said parcel is actually two boxes tied together with tinsel. The first package has a tag with messy handwriting that states: for cozy winter nights and boasts a queen-size fleece blanket with a mug big enough to fit a small bowl of soup and a spoon. There are a few packages of dried soup ingredients with various cooking instructions, mostly of the "add water and let simmer over heat" variety.

The second box contains a sketchbook and a set of colored pencils with a tag with that same messy handwriting, which reads: always keep this close by, in case creativity strikes.)

for onni

[coolerjunpei]

[Junpei doesn't know this guy from Adam, but he can handle getting some gifts, he thinks. He leaves his gifts in a simple gift bag, shiny blue with a shiny ribbon tied on it, with a simple tag labeled TO ONNI.

The bag contains:

A mini cake box from one of the city's bakeries, that contains another box, but it's cake!!! He's proud of this one, then there's-

A couple skeins of yarn and some needles he thought looked cool, and-

A shot in the dark? A genericized death metal record from the music shop, because he didn't really get how to interpret "metal music." Is this right... Well, he tried.

There's a card that's more a piece of paper folded in half, with a message:

Hey, have a good one. No stupid conversations here, but come get smores if you want to say hi.
Junpei ]

for chesed!

[aceslow]

[ In small, tidy print: I don't believe we've ever met, but Merry Christmas anyway.
- kitsuragi ]

In the package is a container of high quality coffee beans, a bright orange coffee mug, and a small moka pot. Hey, if the only clue you have is coffee, then you make like a grandmother and make it the entire theme! ]

for various

[worldexecute]

( angela, ever shy with her feelings, has elected to just dump all of her gifts for people here instead of seeking them out. vulnerability is just embarrassing, that's all.

so, without further ado, each in a red-wrapped box with their names written neatly in cursive:

• for her secret santa giftee altria caster, a green and white-snowflake patterned scarf (with matching mittens) and a small set of artisanal chocolates.
  
• fearne gets a delphinium hairclip and a small book of flower meanings, written in angela's hand but evidently copied from another book entirely based on being in alphabetical order. there's a note written on the backside of the cover.
  
• yesod gets a set of wooden puzzleboxes, with varying difficulties; there's a note accompanying it.
  
• netzach gets a few amateurish sketches of people from the bookstore, abnormalities, and patron librarians who still haven't shown up—malkuth, hod, tiphereth, hokma. there's a note accompanying it.
  
• chesed gets several bags of coffee beans, all different varieties and apparently collected from all over the City. there's a note accompanying it.
  
• binah gets several tins of black tea, all different varieties and apparently collected from all over the City. there's a note accompanying it.
  
• midnight gets a leather-bound journal, complete with a lock and a key, as if it were someone's diary; inside is a detailed explanation of angela and her past, similar to this... as well as her adventures in this city thus far, the good and the bad. there's also a note written on the backside of the cover.
  
• argalia gets a book that looks almost identical to her own cover-wise, but is not the book he's looking for: it's empty save for a note written on the backside of the cover.
  
• don quixote gets a story full of romantic adventures, of knights saving princesses, of justice triumphing over evil, of those given no choice making the right ones when they get the chance to make one; there's a note written on the backside of the cover.
  
• vergilius gets a "#1 boss" mug; there's a note accompanying it.
  

she'll be lingering around the edge of the party for some time after, watching to make sure people pick up their gifts before she takes her leave. )

For Angela

[abit_ofboth]

Loki doesn’t know Angela at all, except that he heard she likes books and is or was a librarian? He’s unsure really, so he heads to the left side of the tree for the anonymous gifts are.

Inside the gift he puts under the tree is a small but nicely bound journal type book in which he has written out a number of tales from his youth. None of the villainous stuff, but definitely a lot of (he thinks) funny stories of pranks and jokes he’s played on those he grew up with. Since there really aren’t a lot of books around, he thinks it’s something a librarian might appreciate. There is a simple card on top:

To: Angela.
From: L.

[icanfixer]

a. IN WHICH DON QUIXOTE CREATES A BOUNTIFUL ZOO OF ANIMALS

[ while she.............. hates................... that kromer is the one who has set all this up.................. it is a splendid party and she loves parties.

regretfully, she loves parties. and finding she especially loves being able to make snow into things-- yes she'll fucking go if someone beans her with a ball, but this girl is easily the happiest young woman in the world simply squatting down to form a line of small animals!!!!!!!! ]

I hope the snow stays, for I should very much like to make more around the city!!! Will thee join me? I require two more horses, if it is something thee can manage, but if not I shall permit thee to make try thy hand at another.

[ she is... building a battlefield, maybe... with animals... ]

b. DON QUIXOTE AND THE MANY FOOD CHOICES, PREPARED BY ONE OF HER GREATEST ENEMIES AND UNFORTUNATELY QUITE DELICIOUS

[ the longest, loudest sigh, picking at her baumkuchen.

so this... is the proper sort. hers is stored away safely for later, but this certainly takes the cake (ha) on that one. it's so good. ]

It is a shame that she is so good at cooking, and I do not wish to waste a single crumb... Old habits certainly die hard.

[ eating everything she's got. sigh......... there's a cup of eggnog with marshmallows in it beside her. sorry. it's probably good. nonethless!!! dear companion!!! a question posed!!!! ]

Have thee any seasonal specialties particular to thy world? If thou'rt able to recreate them, I would love to try it!!!

c. OF HANDICRAFTS, GIFT GIVING, AND A HELPING HAND

Here, here!!!

[ ... here, here! it isn't a cheer, it's a waving hand for one of two reasons:

1. she is making extra gifts for those who need it, little bracelets and other such crafts like art and poetry. ]

Art thou in need of a gift? Behold, my wares!!! I shall accept payment in the form of praise and affection, such as a pat upon the head or back.

[ they aren't like, the best, but it's that sort that has a charm to it. honesty? her wrists hurt. she shouldn't be doing any sort of handicrafts after the week she's had.

speaking of the week she's had,

2. gift-giving... if anyone wants to play out their personal gift from this list you're more than welcome to use this prompt, she's beyond beaming being able to give things to others.

otherwise, don's very keen on peering around or over shoulders to anything one may be working on. ]

Oho... Whom is this for, if I may ask? I would like to help any way I can if there is something I can do!!!

c..

[fauned]

( hello, don quixote. guess who's getting a whole load of faun all at once!!! that's right!!!! she is!

there's no sneaking around it, fearne is absolutely just going to throw her arms around don and drape off of her like she does not have bones. she's got full faith that this one can stand up to her full weight, yeah. her gift is stashed away on a nearby table, at least, just so it doesn't get ruined or crushed in the process. )

Thank you.

( a sniffle........ she won't cry yet. she's trying Very Hard to keep it together though judging by how wibbly she's getting. her gift can come after she smothers don a little. )

c-2

[justscribing]

[Don Quixote will have the luck of crossing paths with Alhaitham by the tree just as he deposits a gift bag.]

Oh, so you received my name in this gift exchange. [But he'll take both gifts, looking at them as if he's going to remove the wrapping methodically before... very much just efficiently tearing it straight and bundling the wrapping into one hand as he reveals the pens and inks one at a time.

... He twists one of the fountain pens apart, inspecting its components before carefully putting it back together. One of the ink bottles is given a shake, though he doesn't open it.

There is, as he looks down at the gifts, a blink-and-you'll-miss it smile.] Thank you. These will be useful to me.

c-2

[wordchain]

[ Yesod approaches Don to give her both her Christmas present, as well as Sinclair's Secret Santa parcel, if the recipient himself won't be making an appearance today — and he means to thank her in person for her watercolor painting. Like her suggesting the lavender in the flower shop weeks ago, the piece is filled with thoughtful meaning. Like La Víbria de Tierra Temblorosa and their viper drawing collaboration, Yesod will take good care of this gift.

Don's present is neatly wrapped in paper intended to acknowledge her apparent interest in "adorable shapes" — it resembles the theme of her gala outfit. Within, there is a decorative tin bearing an image of a horse on its lid, and opening it will reveal that it has manually been filled with artist's charcoal sticks. (Yesod may have used disposable gloves for this step, just in case.)

Sinclair's present, gift-wrapped in blue, is a hardcover notebook that can be used as a writing journal or a sketchpad. Its pages are unlined, while the paper itself should withstand either purpose, and a sun and a moon are embossed on its cover. ]

Thank you, Don.

[ She also receives a smile to accompany the words — Yesod's expression is fully visible today, too. ]

c. 1.

[luminously]

( Zelda's attention is immediately torn from her thoughts to Don when she speaks, looking to the gift she's offering to her. Though, she hesitates to take it, looking to Don with a curious gaze. )

You are generous to offer gifts to those who do not have any yet to give to others. Are you certain you wish to give them for practically nothing?

nebulous c-ish

[excaliburden]

Don Quixote!

[Altria is enthusiastically trotting over as soon as she hears her voice--thankfully, Don Quixote is always easy to pick out of a crowd.

She's got... a badly wrapped gift in her hands.]

This is for you!