Secret Santa

[Mr. Kaar]

"Secret Santa"

-He knows when you've been sleeping.-[/center]

Format:

Single. (You may work with someone else for storyline purposes if you like but each person must submit his or her own separate ‘trip’ to claim the reward.)

Reward:

Choice of +3 EXP, $1,000
The person you give the item to recieves it as a Canon gift

Scenario:

Its that christmas time, and you have a limited amount of money, time, and its all up to you to save christmas.

Requirements:

• 1,000 word minimum
  
• Your character only has $3,500 to spend
  
• Your character must buy an item or Build your own.
  
• You must sneak into the person's house/living area and put up a tree and leave the item signed "Santa"
  

This Monthly Event ends on Monday, December 31st.

[/size]

[Delilah A. Black]

The Most SECRET of Santas

1299 words, not including the "spoilers" at the end or code.

EXP PLEASE.

((also note that I am making another gift thread for Marcus))

[Lucien DeChain]

Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man.... Lucien paced nervously, a large slab of white oak sitting on his table. The task of shaping the wood wasn't really the daunting thing, it was what came afterwards. Steadying his shaky hands, he began to get to work. No sense worrying about that until it's actually done.

With a hand-saw, two wood planes, a large piece of sandpaper, some c-clamps, and a pencil, he got to work, like his father showed him. Measuring twice, cutting once, he made the basic outline of three shapes. They were just rectangles for now, the longest around 1 meter long, and the shortest about 50 cm. He drew a rough shape on each of them, and stepped back to make sure that it was the right way. If he was going to do this, he'd better do it right.

A song was playing from somewhere, or maybe just inside Lucien's head, he wasn't sure. He thought he recognized a few lines.

Money
Get away
You get a good job with good pay and you're okay
Money
It's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream
Think I'll buy me a football team

Apparently this was Christmas music now. It made sense, though, with all the consumerism that was, before the disasters. Pink Floyd had it right, Lucien thought. Maybe this is why Father and Mother always insisted on celebrating Winter Solstice. It wasn't that they were against the religious beliefs of Christmas, they were just against what it had become. As someone once told him, they took the 'Christ' out of Christmas.

Lucien realized he was just standing there, daydreaming. Looking at the clock, he realized he didn't have time to dawdle. And, off to work he went.

Money
Well, get back
I'm all right Jack
Keep your hands off of my stack
Money
It's a hit
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit
I'm in the high-fidelity first class travelling set
I think I need a Lear jet

After sawing the pieces down into rough, blocky shapes somewhat resembling the end result, Lucien switched to the larger wood plane, set it, and placed the largest piece of wood in a set of clamps attached to the worktable. While he started to scrape the plane across the length of the wood, he wondered what all his new friends were doing. Well, maybe friends was a strong word for some, but he, indeed, counted most of the Crows as his friends. And then he smiled, wondering how the person receiving his gift would react. It was both a Christmas gift, and a 'thank you for saving my life more than once' present. And, knowing the tiniest bit of background about them, Lucien knew it would be appreciated.

At this stage, he realized he had forgotten to check the grain of the wood. Cursing himself silently, he unscrewed the clamps and inspected the largest piece, which had begun to take shape. Tight grain, good... No knots. He breathed a sigh of relief. Knots. Were. Awful. Satisfied with all three pieces, he continued. Maybe this newfound freedom from his compulsions was making him careless... He'd have to keep it in check, now.

(Guitar solo)

Finishing his 'rough' work with the larger piece, he decided to switch pieces to the middle, and get the large planing out of the way before doing the 'fine' work. As the plane scraped across the wood, his thoughts once again wandered towards his late father. Out of everything he remembered him for, Lucien mostly remembered his.. warmth. Not just physical heat, no, he was truly a warm hearted man. With strong hands. Hands that spent years working with wood, creating beautiful pieces. Hands that Lucien didn't inherit.

“Ow, dammit!” Lucien swore as he saw the inch-long splinter slide into the base of his palm. Two drops of blood fell down his wrist before he could grab the tweezers and sanitizer out of his mini first-aid kit. Holding his hand as steady as he could, he grabbed the splinter with the tweezers, and slowly slid it out, hoping that it came out in one piece. He spent the next minute or so inspecting the wound for smaller bits of wood before gritting his teeth and pouring the sanitizing liquid over his hand.

After a small yelp, Lucien cleaned the blood off his hand and forearm and tightly bandaged the wound. It wasn't as big as it first seemed, but it was still an encumbrance. Looking down to the clamped piece of wood, he smiled as he realized no blood had gotten on the wood. While it would have added a bit of character to them, as an unfinished product, it would make the wood hard to work with. He did, however, now have a large gouge in the side of the wood from the splinter catching with the grain.

Money
It's a crime
Share it fairly
But don't take a slice of my pie
Money
So they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a raise
It's no surprise that they're giving none away

The two smaller pieces didn't take long, and the gouge in the side of the one got evened out in the next layer of planing. All in all, they were starting to look pretty good. But Lucien knew that the difficult work was still to come. The rough work was over, and it was time for precision. He retrieved the smaller wood plane and adjusted it to the lowest setting that the wood would allow. Since it was a tight grain, that was pretty low.

Starting again with the large piece, Lucien shaped the handle shape first, making sure to accomodate an extra long handle, and then made a clear cutoff to signify that he would plane farther in for the rest of it. The extra long handle was a key marking of the school this Bokuto would be from.

Finishing the design he had in mind, he took to finishing the planing on the other two, the o-wakizashi and the ko-wakizashi length bokken. Yeah, this was going to turn out awesome. He eagerly took the sandpaper in his hands, and sat down. He ran it along his fingers first, checking for consistency. Satisfied, he smiled as he ran it across the three wooden swords with the same loving warmth he remembered from his father. Maybe I did inherit some of it...

After another solid hour of work, he was done. Wiping the sweat from his brow onto a clean cloth, he immediately threw it into the laundry bin, and re-combed his hair. Then, taking a drink of water, and a bite of a sandwich, he looked at his almost finished product. The wooden blades were perfect, smooth on all sides, with just a slight, consistent curve. The edges were smoothed around the blade area, but left only slightly rounded on the back. The handle, perfectly oval, fit his hands perfectly, which meant it would probably fit their hands, too.

He would smile, and make to put the finishing touches on. Strips of cloth to make a design over the handles, tied off on the ends as to not unravel. Small, metal studs were hammered into the end of the handle. And, a few rough cuts and a few minutes of planing was all he needed to make the stand for the set of three.

After assembling everything, he placed the swords on the stand, and admired his work. Hmm. Something is missing...

He found a paintbrush, and a small amount of black paint. Swirling the paint to mix it, he carefully painted on a few characters of Kanji that he had learned from his few Japanese classes back home.

On the full length bokken, the character for truth, pronounced shin.

On the middle length bokken, the characters for war and peace, pronounced bu and hei.

On the smallest bokken, the character for patience, pronounced nin.

And he let them dry for a few hours. After a little deliberation, he decided to remain anonymous in his gift, for if they weren't happy with the gift, or the plan, he could end up in trouble. So, instead, he made a small card that said 'From, Santa'.

When the middle of the night was reached, he would be transporting them to their destination. Lucien gulped, and wondered how he would make it out alive.

After all, he was trying to break in to First Black's house.

-

Shit, shit shit! Lucien cursed himself for this stupid plan. He was nearing the place where his commanding officer lived, and he had no way to defend himself from a stabbing.

He was at the front door, with a box under one arm, and a small pine tree with a stand under the other. Setting them down, he somehow managed to make it inside with no light to speak of. As he silently brought his supplies inside, and took off his shoes, he tried to calm his breathing. She's probably not even home, Lucien tried to convince himself. Though, he was still not going to make a single sound.

The footsteps made no sound, thanks to his socks, and he was very careful not to step on any creaky floorboards on his way in to the living area. Or, at least, he thought it was the living area. It could have been the master bathroom for all Lucien knew. He had never been inside this place, and there was still no light to speak of. At any rate, he chose a random corner and placed the tree on the stand. He then opened the box and set up his stand, making sure to not make a fucking sound. Carefully placing the last of the bokken on the stand, he set out the small card in front. All it said was 'From, Santa'.

Exiting the house, he grabbed his box and shoes, and put them on outside. He would only allow himself to exhale when he was half a block away, and even then, it was still quiet.

He started to walk, and he yawned. It had been a long day, and after the trek home, he could finally sleep.

As he walked through the streets, he thought about the fact that he was still alive. And not poisoned. That made him smile. “Merry Christmas, Delilah.” He would whisper, tossing the empty box into a dumpster.

{OOC: Materials bought:
Wood (5lbs)x2 = $800
Cloth (1/2lbs) = $175
Stud (Single, High Quality)x3 = $15

Total: $990

Word count, excluding code, OOC and song lyrics: 1630. EXP Please. If I need to post this elsewhere, PM me..}

[Jack]

Jack spun the watch over and over in his hands. Admiring the craftsmanship of it all. It was perfect a kind gesture to his friend who after so long had returned and brought him back to his feet. He had ordered this in secret yet he knew deep down that Phoenix would have known about it, it was impossible for Jack to do anything that his partner in crime didn't know about.

All the intricate details had been finished the delicate work that had gone into building something which was both practical but almost magical in it's properties. A rare object he had never seen another like it yet he knew there must exist, it had the ability to draw the best out of master and student. Something Jack knew Phoenix would enjoy tinkering with. He had become the master of his mind but could he become the master of his body also? With this device Phoenix could shape himself in anyway he wanted.

Yes he thought as he studied it further. It was engraved with a memorable quote he wasn't sure what it was because he couldn't make out the fancy writing in this light and the alcohol was getting to his head. Never the less it was indeed something any master craftsman would proud off.

The clicking of the watch was peaceful, it was all he could hear the little gears turning. Carefully he wiped the watch, cleaning it with a polish that was given to him "Girl..." he called out eventually she entered the room cradling a large book "More candles and a bottle of wine please" before she could move off "Two glasses" she returned only a few minutes later to light a few more candles and then progressed to filling up his glass of wine. He took it and drained it "Sit". So she did as he worked diligently to polish this brass piece of engineered genius.

It took him hours to finish it, but they didn't spend it in silence, he asked the girl questions about her life, her job. She answered them all. At first she was shy and withheld but as they continued to drink she slowly lightened up more and more. When it all ended he gave her a curt nod followed by a smile. She took her leave. His head was swimming with the wine, they had drained three bottles well he had dunk two and a half of them.

Making he way out of the office he finally found his living quarters and fell onto the bed. He lay there still, sweat dripping down his brow, his heart slamming against his chest twisting around inside. Eventually he let out a muffled groan as he twisted over and found the bucket his assistant had left him. She's always thinking of me he thought with a twinge of disgust the way he treated her he wasn't even sure how she could ever show a hint of kindness toward him No... not kindness he thought after a while duty.

He woke up in a haze of it, the taste of vomit fresh in his mouth. He flung the heavy fur blanket off of himself and stood up, he was in different clothing. Someone had come to look after him. He looked down at the white linen bandages that covered his whole body and sighed What did they do, to me grimacing he stood up nearly stumbling as his world swirled around him. Making his way to a basin he filled a glass full of water and began to rinse his mouth out. It was the extremely early hours of the morning and the complex would soon be active. How times have changed he though. His throat too sore to speak out loud.

Walking over to his desk he lit several oil lamps which illuminated his room. The moonlight had allowed him some light as well as the embers of the fireplace. He saw an old newspaper a few days old, they had gotten a printer to work, soon they would have power but it would be too scarce to power multiple complexes or even a single complex like they used to require. No for now they relied on the age old use of coal and wood to power their intermediate needs.

Picking up an oil lamp he strode out of his room, dressed only in shorts and his bandages from neck to toe. He eventually found a bathroom, they had worked out a way to use recycled water to flush the sewerage down into the sewers. Some people were not as lucky. With a lot of the previous utilities no longer working people had to now make do with what ever they had.

Next was the kitchen they were always manned, with one or two people. If a party came back through the night they needed someone to look after them. He entered the kitchen knocking over a bucket. A man nearly yelled at him but caught himself before he did choking as he tried to apologize. Jack too hung over to care raised he hand and stopped the man. "I'm going to head out, have someone ready me a bath and I'll need some food" the man nodded and then moved into action. It didn't take long to get his food. After he ate he washed and cleaned himself a girl and another young lad attended to him. He didn't know their names but they were gentle and that is all that mattered. Cleaning his cracking skin ensuring that they were well oiled and any wounds treated with anti infectant.

Looking around his quarters Jack tried to piece together what had happened last night realizing where he had left Phoenix's gift Jack made his way to collect it. picking up the box ever so gently he checked it over not once but twice, never letting his bare skin touch it. Smiling he placed it back inside it's container and made his way out of the room and back into his quarters. Picking up a little tiny model Christmas tree Jack stalked out through the complex. Having to pass through large walkways and out into the cold night several guards stopped him to check his identity before allowing him passed. Never did he have to stop for more than a heartbeat.

Eventually he made it to a small hidden and out of the way section of the complex, where Jack's quarters were large the others around him weren't. With only a few common areas for his men there was not much space at all. All space that could be used as a training facility was. This side of the complex the inhabitants all had their own private areas. Jack crept into the largest of them crouching down by a fireplace he placed down his small Christmas tree. The box was nearly as big as the plastic tree but he didn't mind it was just a little joke. He left a letter which read "From Santa he then turned and left.

SPOILER: Click to show

TBA

OOC: Money please. 1213 words

As of 8th of January Phoenix's item is still being disputed with the staff.

[Kazuya Hikari]

Secret Santa Go!

1197 words, minus BB coding and spoiler coding.

Oh, and EXP please.

[Phoenix]

Still a work in progress but is now over 1000 words. Exp for reward please! Thanks

A figure appeared behind him and whispered in his ear, a sadistic smile spread across his mouth as he dipped his quill into the ink for a final time as he finished the t in Santa. Taking a pinch of sand he spread it across the paper to dry up any excess ink. Rolling it up, he tied a ribbon around it and stored it in one of the many folds of his coat. Pouring a glass of water he sighed as he thought about his plan which was near fruition. He studied the large black metal box in front of him, I hope he likes it he thought at last before standing up and moving on.

Moving into his lounge quarters seven men stood in the dimly lit room, "You know you're orders. Now go!" the men bowed and disappeared into the darkness to carry out his bidding. This is for you my friend he thought as last as two men picked up the large black chest with a grunt and made their way out into the complex.

Phoenix had known about Jack's little gift for some time now and he had gathered as much information as he could however even his powers of persuasion couldn't get all the details of the item out of a certain few. Fear... it's toxic he thought to himself a tinge of contempt at the idea that there were secrets out there at his fingertips yet there was no conceivable way to attain them without doing certain things he felt best not to do. Phoenix sighed slipping out of the room and into the complex major. He was disguised as just any ordinary member of the intelligence division; while they didn't have uniforms per se they did however have a certain dress style was common among them. It was not uncommon to have people from two different divisions’ dress the same but you usually could tell from a general glance at them which division they belonged to.

He took over the guard position for the gateway that linked both sides of the complex together. On schedule a large figure erupted from the building opposite him, Phoenix stood still like any sentry a cowl hid his face and most importantly his amethyst eyes. Jack walked right past him the giant 6'7'' man carrying a small box. A smile spread to his face soon... one more secret will be revealed and with it I will be one step closer .

It wasn't the fact that he didn't know what the gift was it was the fact that Jack himself didn't know what the gift was which made it all the more entertaining. How did he come across this? Phoenix thought as he left his post one of his underlings taking his spot. Showing his face to the guards was all he had to do to leave. I’ve heard only rumours of its powers did Jack make it, or have it made? How did he get hold of it? his head was spinning with all these unanswered questions.

"My men will take over from here" at first they were reluctant to obey the order. Sure Phoenix and Jack had joint leadership but that was because they both ruled their individual parties separate from one another. Jack had no more pull on the Intelligence division than any ordinary grunt and likewise Phoenix had just as much authority over the martial division as the lowest member. They were highly suspicious as this wasn’t the first time one partner has gone to war one another for whatever reason. Yet reluctantly with some extra persuasion they left their post and were taken over by more of Phoenix's underlings this time dressed as a typical martial division soldier.

As he moved closer and closer to Jack's quarters at every turn and bend he had something for Jack. For example he had his men dress up as old notable people he fought. With his current dosage of medication circling through his system it would prove to be interesting to observe his reaction, hallucinations had been a common occurrence for Jack before Phoenix started treating him. At every challenge there would be a reward a numbed key for Jack to claim or a small token to claim. The complex had certain security doors that only the gate keepers had keys to. That and the commanders, Jack's was in his quarters having forgotten them behind. So for every obstacle he surpassed he was allowed to move forward and progress closer to his goal of reaching his quarters. Every time he defeated his enemy, mentally or physically they would present him with a gift and leave being swallowed up by the darkness. The lights were dim, making sight hard forcing Jack to use his hearing, but his central nervous system under the effects of the new drugs it should make it hard for him to operate at a normal level. However this was more a homage to Jack’s past feats of strength than a series of tests design to push him.

When Jack finally made it back to his quarters he would find the large black metal chest that was previously in his quarters. The chest would be set on fire and inside it was a weapon of the ages, along with his letter. A vigil of the phoenix in the form of a bust or statue was attached to a little Christmas tree at the top most point. It was only fitting that the personal symbol of Phoenix’s was atop that tree and not any other.

Despite the flames the chest was absolutely cold to the touch. If and when Jack somehow managed to navigate about removing the burning tree the, was able to open the chest he would discover his new morning star. The second his hands wrapped around the handle he would feel a surge of power rush through his body. A sharp cold voice would echo from behind him "Now you wield darkness itself" and he would be left alone to discover the joys of his gift.

[Levi Kayamei]

Levi's muscles screamed as he forced himself out of his bed, stumbling and catching himself against a wall.

"ugh...Leon, I swear this will come back to you...."

Leon's training had become increasingly difficult as the new year approached and it was almost to the point of cruelty, but his master had seemed to have learned what his absolute limit was and pushed him to it every session. As a result, his body was much less inclined to do anything other than rest or train, however somehow between the brutal training sessions, Levi had managed to craft two presents for the object of his affections. He had made a copy of his entire musical repertoire bound in a black leather book cover with silver embroidery. The second gift was a pair of black leather gloves with a runic design and a solid, polished, dark gray steel guard across the back. The gloves were stacked together and wrapped against the book in white cloth with "Kyrie" written on the front. He picked up this package and limped to his front door, grabbing his gray messenger bag, slipping the present inside, and his coat. He walked outside as he donned his coat, it was a chilly night and with the wind striping the heat from his body, Levi found himself shivering before shielding himself with a barrier of light to protect himself from the harshness of the winter's night. Levi's face was adorned with a smile as he made his way to the nearby woods, the prospect of surprising Kyrie was exciting. His mind was mostly anxious and excited, but part of his mind was worried that his gift would not delight the shadow dancer as much as he wanted it to. He knew that his concerns were unwarranted as he was fairly sure he knew Kyrie pretty well and had really not taken any risks with the gift. these thoughts occupied his mind as he passed a fellow dragon, giving him a nod and wondering if the man was off on a similar mission.

heh, guess I'm not the only with this idea...I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

As he reached his destination, he examined each of the pine trees, making sure to pick one that would last a while and not take up too much room. Finding one that satisfied his selection criteria he set his messenger bag down and brought his hand across his body, up by his head. His hand glowed brightly as he charged his hand with intense light, walking towards his selected tree. His hand took the shape of a glowing, white blade as he brought it down and across the tree, slicing it cleanly through and causing it to fall to the side. Levi walked up the length of the tree and cut off the top six feet of the tree that would soon adorn Kyrie's home. He hoisted the tree over his right shoulder as a soldier would a rifle and grabbed his messenger bag with his left as he made his way to where Kyrie was at this moment, presumably asleep. He had never been to Kyrie's home, but he did know that she was not the one he was worried catching him as he placed the tree and his gift. Her home was the stone made home of none other than the earth dragon himself, Mathew. Through several encounters wiuth Mathew, he was fairly certain the Elder Dragon could sense anything touching the earth local to himself. This would make sneaking in quite a bit more complicated as he would have to avoid touching anything at all save for the tree and the gift, and even then, he would need to work quickly to avoid being punished for his intrusion. He stood outside Mathew's home, his brow furrowed as he thought of a way to avoid detection and a swift beating. His eyes lit up as he made a platform from light, moving it through the front entrance with his tree and himself riding on it, his eyes peeled for any sign that he was detected as he made his way to the main living area.

okay....gotta work fast.....

Levi set the tree up on the platform, making sure to avoid touching the ceiling, and reached into his messenger bag to pull out a varied collection of christmas decorations. He quickly adorned the tree with a varietly of differently colored streamers and bulbs including several musicaly themed ornaments. He topped his tree off with a decoration only he could make. His face contorted with focus as his finger tips each produced a differently colored ball of light. He moved a series of the lights to various points of the tree, making it appear to have christmas lights. He panted as he finished, this process took a significant amount of power since it was the middle of the night and there wasn't nearly enough light around to create the effect he needed. He had placed enough energy into each "bulb" to remain illuminated for a few days without him maintaining the effect.

Perfect....

He reached into his messenger bag and retrieved a collapsable tree mount, his present and a small, manilla envelope with "from Santa" written on the front. He slipped the envelope underneath the twine around the present and smiled as he admired his work. He placed the tree mount on the ground, the tree inside it and then rested his gift against the tree.

Done......

His senses maintained their vigilance as they monitored the building for any signs that he had been detected as he exited the building on his platform. He relaxed as he finally got outside, in slight disbelief that he had pulled the operation off without a hitch and wishing he could see Kyrie's face when she opened his gift. He laxness proved to be his undoing at the moment as a gigantic stone pilar shot from the building, crashing into him and launching him into the air at tremendous speed. He was too tired to stop his flight and chose to do the only logical thing in that situation.

"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAAAAAAAAIN!!!!!!"

OOC: 1027 before spoilers, exp for the reward please.

SPOILER: Click to show

$3500 remaining.
$1500-> +5 stats: +3 Con, +2 Dex
Sheet Metal- $350
Leather- $250
$1500 remaining.

Item Name: Yami no okô <darkness weavers>
Item Stats: +3 Con, +2 Dex
Item Bonus:

The leather and metal in these have been inscribed with a runic design, and while not magical, they do aide in the wearer's ability to manipulate their attuned element.

Effect:

Charisma is considered 15% higher when using elemental Qi.

Item Description:

These stylish gloves are made from black, treated leather with a runic design etched into the leather itself. Across the back of each glove, between two layers of leather, a solid metal plate covers the back of the hand, serving as a guard. The palm of each glove is open as these were designed with parkours usage in mind.

SPOILER: Click to show

$1500 remaining.
$900 -> +3 Stats: +3 Int
Cloth- $175
Leather- $250
$175 remaining.

Item Name: Senritsu no omoide <Memories of Melody>
Item Stats: +3 Int
Item Bonus:

Gives a slight increase to musical ability when being read from.

Item Description:

This dark brown, hand-bound leather music book is well made, but designed to look mundane to avoid theft. The inside of the cover has 旋律の思い出 written on it. Each page is a beige sheet of parchment and the music is ordered in the same order as it is in the master copy.

[Kyrie Blaze]

~Cling, tink, tink, cling, shing, clink, cling~

...fold the slender metal wire, gently tap it into place after heating it. Not too much. Just enough to merge it into the shape she desired. It was delicate work, and yet, only a small part of a very large project. A silver medallion lay nearby--ready to be etched from its plain face into a rather intricate work, with the sketched plans tucked safely under its weight. She was making it ready to be set into the wire casing she was working on. A cord of leather. Several cooling gems, delicately shaped glass crystals, sat to the side on soft cloth. Leather ties. Wire metal. Some small tools: delicate pliers, two hammers, what looked to be a nail, gloves, shaping tools, grinding and sanding tools.

The pretty little blonde didn't know what, exactly, possessed her to collect the tools, to make the purchases she had--why she had gathered things that reminded her of the people...

...the people that had snuck up on her. That wound up meaning just as much as her family. It crept up on her despite her resistance, but there it was. Kyrie had to pause in her metalwork, overcome by the gravity of the moment. It wasn't something she wanted to share. Not yet. But soon she would have to--with the coming deadline...

Glassy blue eyes turned to the spread she had set up. Yes. She had a surrogate family now. They could never replace the one she had lost, nor did it look like they intended to. They were separate in that regards. Other. But not unwelcome. And besides, Christmas had always been important to her. She had never gotten to spend one Christmas with her family in California. But now it looked like she had a family to do so with after these years of solitude.

With a sigh, the slow chime of metal being gently and rhythmically struck continued.

~Cling, tink, tink, cling, shing, clink, cling~

Kyrie looked up from the glowing embers and coals. She was finished with her other trinkets, and had only to finish assembling her main gift. Normally she put equal effort into every gift. That much was attributed to everyone else's gift that she had fashioned. This one...this one was slightly different. The slender blonde picked up the pieces and stepped away from her little makeshift 'forge', out into the slowly-dying sunlight. She folded her legs and sat in the light, letting it fill and warm her.

Along with the warmth, her mind slowly filled with memories of much happier times. She hummed softly and swayed, even going so far as to let her voice occasionally soar into the air. Not terribly often, as she didn't have the best singing voice, and was sorely out of practice in any case, but letting herself open up in the company of nobody but her gift and the sunlight lifted her spirits.


Kyrie focused on keeping her thoughts, memories, and emotions positive, suffusing herself with light and positive energy. It was Christmas, and though part of her hurt that her family wasn't here, she kept them whee it mattered: safe within her heart and soul. And several Christmas dates already passing helped to ease the strain. It was still there, but she wasn't focusing on it.

She delicately pulled and twisted wire around a glass gem the colour of the sun before holding it to the light to see her work. Sunlight streamed through the carefully cut and smoothed surface. It threw small prisms of tinted rainbows onto her arms and hands.

Half an hour later, she was finished.

Blue eyes roamed to the horizon as the sun was setting. She had multiple pouches ready and waiting, all with festive ribbon to go with the other bits and pieces she had to make Christmas 'complete'. She tucked a small note with the same writing in to the pouch with Levi's necklace, granting it the name of: Pesä Jelä és Kuƞe, "The Protection of the Sun and Moon". Now she just had to trust in Leon that he would do good on his word to keep Levi busy. She still had a while before she was going to make her move.

...time flows...worlds wait...Gods watch...

It was dead time when Kyrie made her way from her 'hobbit hole'. Three in the morning, with little to no moon, on December twenty fourth. Kiyr had several sacks, but wasn't terribly weighted down. Travel through the shadows expedited it. She slipped into her home, first. The easiest, and most simple, part of the trip. Mathew was used to her walking around at night, she imagined, so she doubted he would even stir. A very small (perhaps only a foot tall), but decorated, artificial tree was set on a table in the living room, a wedge of a pine air freshener hidden in the base, but poking out just enough to release the aroma of Christmas into the house. She was so focused on her task she didn't see until afterwards that there was already a tree there. Tilting her head in surprise, Kiyr quickly scrambled to tuck her tree back in her pouch. The small pouches with their festive ribbon were deposited on the table just under the small tree, cursive writing elegantly naming the intended recipient with the giver being "Santa". Recipients included Mathew, Bastille, Raikotsu, and Kyrie herself, though hers was addressed "Kiyr". She didn't look at what was there, not figuring there would be anything specifically for her, anyway.

She picked up her pouches and moved to the next locations, from David Blaze, to Leon Sudeki (and Aryn at that location), to the Peace Café for Jackson, and then finally, to her last stop. The Duelling Piano Bar that had since become Levi's home. Her bag was much lighter, but she was still hanging on to a long object in her hands as she appeared at her final destination for the night before she could return home and lay her head to rest.

She set the tree up with care, gently touching the necklace within its pouch and then brushing her fingers against the small decorations on the tree. Tears glinted in her eyes and she reverently set the long, slender package in its cloth-wrapped pouch on top of the piano, under the small tree. The pouch containing the necklace was leaned against the long package, and Kyrie stepped back to admire her handiwork with a slow smile.

She was done. The blonde melted back into the shadows to return home, sliding in through the shadows of the window to strip after stealing back into the shadows with her normal pajamas of shorts and a tank top, and then curl into her blankets to promptly pass out.

. o O ( Word Count before spoilers: 1136; exp, s'il vous plait. <3 )

Pesä Jelä és Kuƞe { Protection of the Sun and Moon }[/i][/font]

SPOILER: Click to show

$3500 remaining.
$1500 -> +5 Stats: +3 CHA, +2 WIS
$2000 remaining.
Wire metal -$200
$1800 remaining.
Glass -$200
$1600 remaining.
Unengraved Medalion -$150
$1450 remaining.

Item Name: Pesä Jelä és Kuƞe
Item Stats: +3 CHA, +2 WIS
Item Bonus:

With the focal point of the gift being the medallion, when the recipient is out in direct light with the correctly-aligning Qi, the recipient's passive healing factor is boosted to mend internal injuries such as: broken bones and bleeding. This does take time, as the boost is not an immediate effect, but an HoT.

Strength of healing is dependent on two factors:

a. recipient's qi level, and;
b. strength of the light.

[/blockquote]
Item Description:

Suspended on a sturdy leather cord is a wire-wrapped silver medallion about an inch to an inch and a quarter in diameter, upon the surface of which is etched several symbols called "triquetra". The design moves in a circular fashion around the outer edge, and upon the center is one large motif. Upon the back of the medallion is another etched engraving, simply stating in a spiral design:

"Türelam agba kontsalamaval― Tuhanos löylyak türelamak saγe diutalet."

{ Patience is a warrior's greatest weapon― A thousand patient breaths bring victory. }

Suspended by another portion of wire wrapping and another piece of leather connecting it to the main medallion is a glass pendant, carefully shaped and cut in the colour of the sun--a gentle, bright, yellow-gold.

[/font][/blockquote]

A "Triquetra":

SPOILER: Click to show

"To the ancient Celtic mind, it may also signify the lunar or solar phases. This conclusion is made as we see the trinity/triquetra motif alongside other solar and lunar symbols in ancient remnants and archeological digs. "

Spirit, Mind, Body
Life, Death, Rebirth
Past, Present, Future
Power, Intellect, Love
Creator, Destroyer, Sustainer
Creation, Preservation, Destruction
Thought, Feeling, Emotion
Other world, Mortal world, Celestial world

"The circle often seen around the triquetra signifies the infinite and eternity. It also represents protection. Circles are often drawn around Celtic knots to represent spiritual unity with the divine - a connection that shall cannot be broken. "

[/i][/blockquote][/spoiler]

Other Gifts

SPOILER: Click to show

Misc. Gifts.
Sheet Metal -$350
$1100 remaining.
Glass x2 -$400
$700 remaining.
Wire Metal x2 -$400
$300 remaining.

Item Name: Christmas Charm
Item Stats: N/A
Item Bonus:

All item bonuses are minor and limited. To receive the bonus, your character must be carrying this miscellaneous trinket. [The reason Leon, David, and Mathew get an AoE is because their stats are so high, but it is still a minor sensory boost.]

Mathew: Grants the recipient a slightly amplified ability to sense metals within the ground in a radius of five feet.

Bastille: Grants the recipient a slightly amplified ability to sense the energy within her own body in order to direct it to use her qi.

Raikotsu: Grants the recipient a slightly amplified ability to sense his own blood so long as the portion he is sensing he maintains contact with in its entirety.

Kyrie: No bonus.

Leon: Grants the recipient a slightly increased ability to sense latent electric currents caused by people in a radius of five feet.

David: Grants the recipient a slightly amplified ability to sense air current shifts in a radius of five feet.

Jackson: Grants the recipient a slightly increased ability to shape his shadow air balls so long as he maintains contact with them.

Aryn: Grants the recipient a slightly increased ability to better control her black flames so long as she maintains contact with them.

Item Description:

Each metal sheet fragment has the recipient's name etched in tiny writing upon one side and has wire metal. The glass pendants are shaped and wrapped in similar fashions to one another. This is not a necklace, but much rather, looks like it could have made a good key charm. It is simply a sort of lucky bauble. A pretty trinket.

Mathew: Along with a clear glass pendant, there are one each of a mineral and slightly rough, slightly polished, stone, as well as a metal sheet fragment cut to look like a mountain.

Bastille: Along with an amethyst glass pendant, there is a small metal sheet fragment crafted into as close a replica to her rapier as possible, the wire wrapping around the hilt to make it look like a hand grip and connect back to the charm on its leather cord.

Raikotsu: Along with a blood red glass pendant, the metal sheet fragment is shaped into a drop of blood.

Kyrie: Along with a soft sky blue glass pendant, the sheet metal is a small, long rectangle that is pitch black.

Leon: Along with a clear glass pendant with streaks of white and vibrant blue, the sheet metal fragment has been shaped into a multi-pronged lightning bolt.

David: Along with a dark sapphire glass pendant, the sheet metal fragment has been cut to what looks like swirling wisps.

Jackson: Along with a forest green glass pendant, the sheet metal fragment has been cut to look like a bear face profile.

Aryn: Along with a fiery orange glass pendant, the sheet metal fragment has been cut to look like a fire.

[Mr. Kaar]

This is going to be extended another few days, but everyone before this post may claim the rewards.