THE GIFTENING (Holiday Event 2022)

The box was--unexpected, and Pride offered a heartfelt "Thank you," to Naskital. Acheron had said it was a 'gift-giving' but she hadn't mentioned him--it was good to see, however, that he was well, and Pride took a moment to wander over and tell him as much. The wrapping he undid with clumsy paws of his hooves and pulls of his teeth.

The gingerbread house, though, was another issue, and one he left to Acheron with a nod. It smelled good, and he was fascinated--he nibbled it, a little--but he couldn't carry it, not really. Not if he were going to help Lorelei along and--ahh.

He gave it another try--a breath of focus, a nod to Lorelei with distracted gaze.

This time it seemed to work; he attempted to use his magic to--whenever Lorelei moved forward--lift her a little, so it wouldn't be such a damn slog for her. It'd take patience on his part, and focus; he'd need to keep a close eye on her progress.

He focused on that, however, with a mild "This way, then," offered in polite invitation. Before he left he offered Spark another nod--invitation, too, or a farewell; it was up to them entirely. His expression, though--despite his focus--was kind.

red deer img credit - dan seagrave

All right, well--balancing the cake and the gingerbread house would be hard, but Acheron was pretty sure that she could manage.

It took her a moment to get the house wedged between her antler tines; the cake she carried in her jaws, intending to prance along contentedly. She wanted to chat the whole way, but cake-in-face meant she'd be unable.

Oh, well.

Probably that was for the best--it'd spare them her chatter, at the very least!

It was a hard balance, but she managed, trotting out with the house atop her hat and the cake dangled between her teeth. It didn't stop her prancing, though--or firing a grateful nod at Naskital as she went.

The Sentinel took the dagger from their talons, and Spark was thankful to not be the centre of his attention for once. Guilt dragged at them for feeling that way, and so soon, but…

Their own focus shifted away, as they too, were handed a present. They had to hold it between talons and chin, one limb still preoccupied with the scales. Setting the box down, they gently tugged at the white ribbon, wanting to preserve the pretty container as much as possible. White and gold- all gifts given to them seemed to echo their appearance. Curious!

Cutting gently at the edges of paper with one cautious claw, they unwrapped the present, revealing the smaller, less extravagantly decorated brown box inside. With on arm they plucked it from its container, and took the opportunity to place the scales there instead. They winced as the oil began to pool, hoping it wouldn’t soak through.

Before they could examine the contents properly, their head turned as Pride addressed them again. ”Thank you, I think I will.” The crowd was interesting, but they much preferred familiarity. And, more peculiarly, they felt as though this event would be better enjoyed amidst family and friends.

They finally got to the packets, letting Naskital do the explaining. Though the peppermint treats had caught their attention first, the rich smell of the steaming mugs were no less intriguing. If Pride had some appropriate containers, maybe they could all enjoy a warming drink.

They reconstructed their present as best they could, hoping to be able to hold it in their mouth by the ribbon, while also preserving the charm of the original. Their attempt was honourable, but not quite what they had wanted. Oh well. They turned to leave, but guilt tugged at them again, and held their place for a moment more.

”Uh, friend!” An enthusiastic label, but he hadn’t given a name to the face. ”Here- you can have one.” They held out a packet for The Sentinel to take (If he did not do so, Spark would leave at his feet, but not without an awkward pause between). ”You mix it with hot water, and it makes a drink-“ Their tail flicked towards the able, ”Like those.” They found that the creature had adorned themselves with a curious glowing tinsel, very much out of place on his shoulders. If Spark had been comfortable enough, they might’ve laughed- but they weren’t, so they kept quiet. “I’m going to leave with them. Safe journeys!” The weren’t sure how to excuse themself, but it’d have to be enough; They left with both presents held delicately in their teeth, hoping to catch up to the other group.

Qflugr watched, as their new friend Reverend received a gift. Quickly unwrapping it, watching the paper fall to the ground like colorful snow. A hat, made of soft cloth to keep ones head warm. He smiled an tried to nod, but fangs kept that from happening again. He inwardly sighed, but parted those kissers to speak.

"Looks very nice! I hope it keeps you warm. I wonder if they made it themselves!"

Q mused, his little bob-tail wagging like mad behind him. Purrs softly emitted from deep within his chest as he pondered what to do after the party. Where would he go, more importantly HOW would he get their. Dear god, it was going to be a struggle and a half. The inward sigh from earlier, slipped into a secondary outward sigh at the sheer thought of having to drag himself everywhere. Though, he still had one piece of glass to give out. The green one.

His gaze looked about, very slowly as those sabers were per usual a struggle. It was like carrying around two bratty children, who did what they want no matter how hard you tried. All the different fur colors an patterns, different heights on those around him. Some folks were leaving while others stood, ate and continued to speak to those around them. It was then he noticed the very very tall figure with a really big set of teeth and, seemingly opposite yet similar to him with tiny arms.

Qflugr excused him self for just a moment, told Reverend he would be right back. Picking up the piece of smooth glass in his mouth, he then dragged his tiny self over to something that seemed familiar even though it would not be. What seemed like eons, he finally made it to the feet of the large one called Rex.

It didn't matter that the quartz was a bit small. It was the gesture that mattered. Arquia treasured the jewel, and couldn't help but admire it. Something that was hers. Something that someone had given to her. For her. Her yellow swirls glowed brightly at the feeling.
"Polaris. I have not been there yet." A thoughtful look spread across her face as she considered the idea of a home in Polaris. Was it safe there? She knew nothing about the cave except the name. "I can accompany you to find a good spot for home." A little part of her was also curious about this cave, and how it might look like. Although she had originally planned to do more exploration, she had gotten too preoccupied in Eridanus to explore much. Either way though, it would be way too much work for Tourmaline to carry the statue alone so she felt it was her responsibility to help. After all, she was the one who had given the gift.
It was unfortunate that nothing seemed to happen, but magic was fickle like that. It was why Arquia preferred to train her physical skills. You could always rely on your body. But Tourmaline had given her an idea on how to improve upon the statue. But no matter her focus, it simply did not work. "Ah, I have also failed." She was disappointed, but her magic simply wasn't that strong.

Rex peered down at the small cub dragging itself to his feet.

Its teeth seemed oversized, and it had somehow lost its tail; he moved to meet it, concerned. Poor kid. He didn't want to force the cub to drag himself all the way over!

"Hey, little guy!" he greeted, cheerfully friendly. "You want a skull?" He pushed it forward with one foot. Wait--how's he gonna carry it? "Oh! I can carry it somewhere for ya, if you want? Or--I could carry you, too!" He could probably lie down, right, and the kid could clamber on--or maybe he could carry him carefully in his jaws?

That'd be a boring trip, though. He wouldn't be able to talk. He-

...blinked. "Oh! I'm Rex!"

Introductions, and all that.