Heck, Let's All Be Santa!

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Heck, Let's All Be Santa!

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Tairais

Tairais

@Amuulzhaan 2 years ago

In the chaos surrounding the Christmas festivities, it was all too easy to find places to hide presents when their intended recipients were out of their rooms- especially for a man of his talents.

Charricthran spent the better part of Christmas Eve and Day delivering the handful of presents he and Richard had worked on together for the better part of a month. Some ideas had come easier than others, and some ideas were executed with more skill than others, but each and every gift was made with thoughts of friendship and warm hearts.

After all, they were each a creature perfectly capable of surviving alone. It just so happened that not being alone was much more interesting, and there were few better ways to show gratitude for this than a gift tailored to the thought of the individual.

~*~*~

(( Right, so neither of my characters celebrate Christmas technically, but they both enjoy the gift-giving traditions of their homelands SO! Since I felt like trying to do this on the Christmalogy thread would cause it to diverge too much, I'm going over here to give out presents.

If any of you or your characters have presents to give to other Lodgers or members of the Society, you are more than welcome to do so here! Or heck, feel free to use this space to talk about cool presents you gave or got- I don't mind!

Happy Holidays and merry Christmas! ))

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Tairais • 2 years ago

The first of his many stops was to an address he'd never been to personally, only heard in passing Whispers and Secrets gleaned from the tops of roofs. It was from those same two sources that he got the idea of what to give each individual, as well as the pair of them together.

Charricthran set an intricately carved box on Helen and Hela's doorstep, fully confident in the strength of the wards on the lid; gods help the poor fool that tried to steal it or break into it. After taking a moment to be proud of his and Richard's handiwork, he tucked a simple envelope under it.

That done, he slipped back into the shadows, melting towards his next destination. They'd find it sooner or later.

Hopefully the kids'll like it. Ya best not be leadin' me astray, here.

As always, the Whispers merely whispered in response, no comments to be made in any sort of solidity.

(( Helen Jekyll: Shinies! ))

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago

Helen stepped out of her room, fully dressed in her three piece suit (though her waistcoat was green for the holidays), and nearly tripped over the box at her feet.

“Oh-!”

She bent down, carefully picking up the gift and running her finger over the strange carvings before grabbing the envelope that had been beneath it as well.

I wonder who this could be from... Surely Lewis or Catt would’ve delivered their gifts in person?

Both items were taken back to her desk, where she cleared a spot for the box before opening the envelope with great care.

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Tairais  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

Writing that could best be described as 'elegant chicken-scratch' looked up from the letter within.

'A happy Christmas to both of you, Helen and Hela:

Don't think we've talked all that much in passing, but you were both there in the whole mess with the man I call a cockroach king and the Tontine Hotel. I found intrigue scattered among the handful of the rest of our encounters, and combined with my chats with Lewis, kinda felt like I needed to give you both a present.

Everything in this box can be divided between the two of you- with the exception of a particularly obvious broach that I made specifically for Hela, and a tome of mine that Richard hid in the false bottom of the box. Speaking of the box, it'll only open for the two of you, so don't you worry about anything being stolen or the like.

Hope you like everything well enough- Richard and I weren't sure what else we could get you. Take it with our best wishes and a word of advice: Use your treasures wisely.

~Charricthran'

The box seemed to whisper ever so slightly, a thousand words spoken beneath the surface of skin and bone.

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

A warm smile crossed her expression as she read the letter. The gesture was immensely kind, considering she knew neither of them particularly well (perhaps Hela had spent more time with them than she?) and didn’t exactly have a gift to give in return.

After returning the letter to its envelope with a silent thank you, she cast another curious glance at the box.

Use my treasures wisely...

Our treasures, by the sound of the note.

Ah, good morning, Hela. I hadn’t realized you were up.

Doctor. And, I haven’t been long.

There was a brief pause, with Helen simply trailing her fingers once more over the beautiful carvings.

You... are going to open it sometime today, yeah?

A slight smile touched the doctor’s lips. Of course, simply admiring the woodwork first.

Hmp. I see.

Before her Hyde could press the matter further, Helen opened the box, deciding to sate both of their growing curiosity.

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Tairais  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

The box opened with a quiet increase in the volume of those distant whispers that soon fell silent.

Inside was a plethora of gold, gems, and jewelry, the box all but filled to the brim. Rubies, emeralds, even a diamond or two; a veritable dragon's hoard, condensed into a relatively small box.

It was easy to see the broach Charricthran had mentioned, as it was tucked into one of the box's corners. Carved in the likeness of a branch of wolfsbane flowers from a stone that closely resembled purple tanzanite and obsidian, the piece of jewelry was about four inches long and half that width. Flecks of blue and gold caught the light and redirected it outwards.

It looked as if it had been carved out a slice of the night sky, and was faintly warm to the touch.

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago

“Oh my God...”

It’s a small fortune! And I get half!

For a moment, it seemed Hela’s pitch would surpass the range of human hearing and Helen suppressed a wince.

“A-Ah, yes, I’ll divide it up now, if you’d like to watch. Ensure I’m fair and all that.”

You wouldn’t steal from me...but I’ll watch. Her voice had settled back to its usual grumble.

Helen began to sort through the box, separating its contents into two even piles. Other than the occasional disagreement on which jewel should go where, Hela was silent.

Finally, when both girls were satisfied with their share, the doctor removed the false bottom to find the “tome” mentioned.

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Tairais  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

The tome was a massive, leather-bound thing, the cover engraved with the image of a dragon curled at the base of a set of scales. The beast seemed poised to shift at any moment, so lifelike was the attention to detail.

The title on the spine was written in the same sort of runes found on the lid of the box, though they did not glow, nor did they whisper faintly.

That being said, the longer the words were looked at, the more they began to represent English lettering and phrases.

'On the Nature of the Balance of Everything as Seen Next to the Songs of Arcaniss', author unknown.'

Inside was another note.

"Here's hoping the book does as much good for you as it did for me. Some of this won't apply since you don't hear the Songs of things, but the techniques I used should still apply emotionally, as my people's magic is intrinsically tied with our emotions and sense of self and unity.

~Charricthran"

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago

The cover was met with a quiet exhale at the illustration.

It’s beautiful...

And a bloody help book... I take it he knows about... us?

Well, it mentioned balance and unity, so it seems he does...

She began to leaf through the pages.

It did say this was yours as well, yes?

I don’t know, it was worded weird. You’ll have to ask the man.

“I’ll see if Lewis knows where to find him,” spoke Helen aloud, with a note of finality. Her counterpart seemed to be growing irritatable and she felt continuing conversation wouldn’t be wise.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago • edited

It being the morning of Christmas Eve, Lewis was in fact on his usual schedule. This, as it happened, brought him to Helen and Hela's room just as the conversation finished.

"Pardon?" he asked Helen through the door, having heard her voice.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

“Oh, good morning, Lewis,” greeted Helen with a smile, replacing the book in the box, “Do come in, I was just discussing you with my counterpart.”

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago • edited

"Good morning," he returned as he unlocked the door and came in, closing it behind him.

"A discussion about me, you say?" he echoed with a smile bordering on a smirk. "Should I be flattered or concerned?" he asked with a chortle.

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Helen laughed gently.

“I don’t see why there should be cause for either. We were simply wondering if you knew how to locate Charricthran, as him and Dr. Richard have just given us a gift,” She explained with a nod towards the jewels and their carved box.

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Oh," said Lewis, brows raising. "That's easily done. Do you wish him here in your room?"

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

“I... think that would be fine, yes,” Helen replied slowly, a slight tilt to her head, “Why, are you going to pull him out of your pocket?”

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"No, but he has a tendency to emerge from shadows, so do steel yourself."

He composed himself, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he attempted to align his own vibrations with Charricthran's.

His muscles relaxed, he sent out a mental missive:

Charricthran, have you a moment? Helen--and Hela, probably--would like to speak with you.

((Tairais ))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

'Sure thing, Weirmrith, Hang tight a moment- I'm tying up some loose ends'

Charricthran slipped out of the shadows in the ceiling to land next to them a handful of minutes later, smelling of smoke and copper.

He greeted them both with a half-smile and a bow.

"What's shakin'?"

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago

Helen took a deep breath, doing as Lewis suggested and leaning slightly against her desk.

The sudden appearance of an extra visitor still caused her to jump, but she recovered quickly thanks to the forewarning.

“Good morning, Charricthran. I was hoping to thank you for the gift,” She told him with a warm smile, “All of it is absolutely beautiful and extremely generous of you... Hela and I are both very pleased.”

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

Lewis stood by and listened.

He smiled at Helen's words.

((Tairais ))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Charricthran grinned, the corners of his eyes squinting with quiet joy.

"Glad ta hear it. Like I said, didn't know what I could do right by ya, so cheered I did."

((Helen Jekyll ))

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago

“Ah, well, for someone who didn’t know, you’ve done a marvelous job,” She assured, clasping her hands behind her back, “Though, I do have a question, regarding the book... is it intended for the both of us?”

((Jekyll1886))

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

Book? thought Lewis, a quizzical expression on his face.

((Tairais ))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Charricthran hummed and made a see-sawing motion with his hand before shrugging.

"Somewhat, yeah. Mostly you seemed like you would appreciate the nature o' the tome- meanin' ancient an' somewhat arcane, so it was geared toward you for the most part. Jus' so happens it also helps both o' ya too."

((Helen Jekyll))

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago

“In that case, thank you very much! I look forward to reading it,” She beamed, taking the tome out and passing it to Lewis for him to look at.

“See, there’s this, the box itself, a brooch for Hela, and gems to split amongst us both!”

Helen shook her head in disbelief at the generosity and smiled again Charricthran.

“You really are much too kind...”

((Jekyll1886))

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

"Very generous indeed," Weir remarked.

He looked through the book, curious.

((Tairais ))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

The book was, in essence, a comprehensive guide on the meditative and emotional management techniques used by the magically inclined in what was presumably Charricthran's home universe. Some of what was in the book wouldn't apply, as it had to do with energies that weren't as easily accessible in this realm, but the vast majority of it could be used by anyone and everyone, regardless of their ability.

Charricthran chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck as Lewis thumbed through the book.

"Eheh. 'S not like I'd end up usin' em any time soon- don' even really have a stomach that needs tendin' anymore."

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Tairais  Tairais • 2 years ago

(( Woops forgot to tag. Helen Jekyll))

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Helen Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago

Helen looked a bit puzzled at the stomach comment, but courteousy won over curiosity and she decided not to ask.

“Well, if it’s alright with you, Charricthran, and only, of course, if you’re up to arranging an escort, Lewis, I was considering using a portion of my gift to, ah... buy some presents for others,” She shared with a timid smile, looking to each of them in turn as she spoke.

((Jekyll1886))

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Jekyll1886  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

Weir nodded to Charricthran before handing the book back to Helen.

"That's generous of you," Lewis said to her with a smile. "I suppose we had better get some food and get going if we plan to shop--tomorrow's Christmas Day."

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Helen Jekyll  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

((Tairais))

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Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Richard delivered the second of their gifts out of a sense of obligation and something approaching regret.

A locket, set in a simple wooden box, wrapped in red paper and tied with a green bow. Something seemingly innocuous, with a thought process that was anything but.

A weeping willow, trapped in something like a pebble, smoothed by the ancient patience of a forgotten river. A simple note, tied to the ribbon, potentially more painful than the gift itself, penned in spidery cursive.

'I miss him, too.'

(( Alicia Ghast: Have a small serving of emotions with your Christmas c: ))

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Alicia Ghast  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

(SCREAMING. OH NO. SAD.)

Alicia heard someone outside her door and went to it. She was tired, her hands hurt, and she probably needed a snack. She looked down at the box and smiled. She picked it up and opened it, surprised to see there was actually something in it, for some reason. “Oh... it’s beautiful...” she sighed. She closed the door and sat on her bed. Finally, she noticed the note. Her eyes glanced over it and she quickly put it down, putting on the locket and trying to refuse to cry.

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Tairais • 2 years ago

Alice's gift was Charricthran's idea and Richard's doing, seeing as the former couldn't set foot in a kitchen to make anything other than soup without setting four things on fire and melting at least one pot. They both wished that was an exaggeration.

The cookies were left in a paper box tied with a purple ribbon, while they themselves were iced with pink roses. Richard thought they stood for friendship. Charricthran just thought they looked pretty. Either way, they both agreed you could never go wrong with sending cookies as a token of appreciation.

A note accompanied the box, as with the rest of the gifts, though this one had two sets of handwriting.

'My thanks to you during the 'ballooning adventure', as my friend Charricthran calls it.'

'Thanks for making sure Ricky-boy here didn't get himself killed!'

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Tairais  Tairais • 2 years ago

(( Woops, forgot to tag ya Hyde without a Jekyll! ))

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Hyde without a Jekyll  Tairais • 2 years ago

When Alice returned to her room an odd white box wrapped in a purple ribbon laid upon her bed. It was strange to say the least but this was the Society after all. Strange was the flavor of the morning tea.

The girl walked over to the box, eyeing it with suspicion. She grabbed the note from it's resting place and read it.

'My thanks to you during the 'ballooning adventure', as my friend Charricthran calls it.'

'Thanks for making sure Ricky-boy here didn't get himself killed!'

Alice had no clue to who 'Charricthran' was, but from the context of 'ballooning adventure' she could only suspect 'Ricky-boy' was Richard. She giggled slightly at the silly nickname.

Setting the letter down, the girl tugged off the ribbon and opened the box.

"Cookies!" She gasped at its beautifully decorated contents. As soon as the word left her mouth, it was replaced by one of the sweets.

Alice happily munched on her gift, not caring if crumbs were getting onto her bed for today was going to be a good day!

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Tairais • 2 years ago

Mz. Hyde's gift was an effort between the two of them to make something as interesting as the woman herself. Designing the blade had taken the greatest portion of effort of their work: deciding the right type of metal, the sort of gem to embed in the hilt to channel what sort of energy, what to make the hilt itself out of- the list went on and on. Making the gift had taken little time after that, for they both lived and breathed their crafts.

Her gift was a dagger dripping something whispering and ethereal, tucked inside a decidedly plain black box by comparison. They had both agreed that putting the gift inside Mz. Hyde's room was better than leaving it where someone undeserving might find it. In the end, Charricthran had simply reached through the shadows of her room to drop it and the respective letter onto her bed.

He didn't much like poking into his friends' bedrooms, after all. That was an activity saved for marks.

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(( Mz.Hyde: Merry Christmas, pretend the blade's in a box :P Don't stab anyone with it unless they deserve it... You definitely want to read the letter. ))

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Tairais • 2 years ago

Catt's gift was equal parts experimentation and thoughtfulness on Charricthran's behalf. The book was easy: She'd shown an interest in the stories to be found in both his and Richard's pasts, and they were more than glad to share the interesting ones. That little red book was a shared journal, passed back and forth across The Other during a time where they had been separated, but relatively peaceful.

The kettle was made with love, if a bit misshapen from Charricthran's insistence at trying metalwork. Thankfully, Richard had managed to keep the whole thing from being terribly disfigured in the end. Charricthran had insisted that the fact the kettle was made with love added character to the whole thing, while Richard merely laughed as he set about putting things to rights.

All in all, the gifts were made with love and glowing fondness that was felt in every page and dent. A note accompanied the two gifts as well, tucked under the book almost as an afterthought.

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Tairais  Tairais • 2 years ago

(( Dang it, jumped the gun on this one too: Catt Hatter: Merry Christmas from the birbman and scarmuffin to you! ))

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

(( *Happy squealing!!* Merry Christmas back! ))

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

When Catt came across the items, she was at first confused as to how they had gotten there. Then she wondered if they had been lost, or maybe they were a present? Oh dear, if it was a lost present then she should make sure they got back to the gifter so they could arrive to the proper recipient!

She picked up the kettle with the utmost care, and gently slid the handle over her wrist so she could pick up the book. Upon doing so, she saw the note.

Oh! This is handy, maybe I can tell who these are from/for from this letter! So thinking, she gently placed the book back on the table and read the note.

Quickly discovering that it was in fact, a gift for her.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

It quickly became apparent that Richard and Charricthran had written the letter together much in the same way as they tended to talk together: Namely, they interrupted each other constantly, with the ends of certain words trailing off in a manner that suggested that the paper had frequently been tugged from one person to the next.

'Merry Christmas to you, kid and a new year full of fortune to you as well!

This whole thing was a joint effort between the two of us-by which Charricthran means there were many things to have been corrected-yes, thank you for that, Ricky-boy.I remember you having an interest in tea and thought you might like a kettleand I knew you liked stories just as much as any, so we found a journal full of things you might like!I daresay there are interesting stories about both of us in there. My most sincere apologies if it happens to be there is information you would have rather not known about us.Pretty sure the worst thing in there's the time Richard set fire to his own pants while he was asleepI dearly wish I had never written about that

Rambling aside, we both wish you the best of everything!

Sincerely,

Charricthran and Richard'

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

As she read the letter a warm grin spread itself across her face, and she found that she was hugging the kettle.

A little warped, and the journal was a little worn, but they were both perfect in every way, and she cried happily, clutching the treasures to her chest.

Eventually, once she had stopped, she set off in search of her friends so she could thank them properly.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Richard had gone to call on a handful of friends after his presents were delivered. Charricthran, on the other hand, was easily found, as he was still roaming the halls and dropping off presents on the way.

At the sight of Catt, he grinned and waved.

"Heya, kiddo. What's shakin'?"

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

Had her arms not been loaded with the gifts, she would have hugged the feathery man.

"I got yours and Richard's letter, and gifts!" She said, waving the note. "I wanted to say thank you!"

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

He chuckled warmly, rubbing the back of his neck as he rocked on the balls of his feet.

"Aw, I'm right chuffed, kiddo. Richard'll be pleased too! He was worried ya might not like it, considerin' it ain't all that fancy. Glad ta hear we were wrong on that count!"

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

"How is a custom made teakettle not 'all that fancy?'" Catt asked with a laugh.

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Trust me, kiddo. Richard was holdin' himself back cos I figured something overmuch would be a bit much, yeah? Kid'd make ya something completely ostentatious or jus' plain deadly in its artfulness otherwise."

His smile turned lopsided as he laughed again, shaking his head.

"That bein' said, I see your point!"

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

Catt giggled and looked around for a safe place to set down her new treasures.

"I'm really looking forward to reading the journal too! I hope you won't mind if I talk with you about some of the events later on? I really like to know all I can about stories."

Finding a nearby chair, she set them down and stepped back over to Char.

"Can I hug you?"

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

"Yeah, sure! Ta all'o that, that is!"

He took the briefest of half-seconds to make sure that he was, in fact, still relatively solid before he opened his arms, grin stretching with the movement.

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Catt Hatter  Tairais • 2 years ago

Catt's face fairly lit up as she bounced into the hug, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing.

"Hee-hee! Thank you Char! Merry Christmas!"

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Tairais  Catt Hatter • 2 years ago

Charricthran tucked his chin over her shoulder and squeezed back before straightening slightly.

"Merry Christmas to ya too, kiddo!"

He would paint this day in shades of gold, later. There was so much joy in the air, it would be impossible not to.

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Tairais • 2 years ago

Charricthran hadn't intended to get Utterson a present- he barely knew the man, after all. Regardless, their misadventure together on All Hallow's Eve had sparked the idea at the end of that weary day, and so he'd held on to it until the time was right.

A book of myths, fables, and legends from his homeland. Thought the book had originally been written in his native tongue, he'd taken the extra month to translate it into words that both kept the original meaning of the texts as much as they could, and were easier to understand for someone not familiar with the meandering, roundabout nature of his tongue.

He'd written a little side note on the inside of the cover:

'Here's to you, Mr. Utterson. No need to have a misadventure leading to a trip in the attic for a nice story or two this time!

Best wishes for your future, and may the winds guide you ever homeward,

~Charricthran.'

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(( The Fox: Merry Christmas! ))

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The Fox  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Utterson didn't know what to make of the package at first. He was just about to step out and get a Christmas ham when he almost stepped on the book.

He dusted it off, taking it in his hands and turning it over gingerly. Gingerly, he ran his hand over the cover, feeling the impressions of the gold leafing. He squinted at the title. What language was supposed to be? Was it some form of Asian calligraphy? Maybe even Indian?

He flipped the cover open and spotted the note. Utterson read it over with a surprised smile. Ah! Charricthran! He remembered him! He was the one who'd helped him out when he was wax!

Turning the first page, he glanced over the text, its original on one side with its translation on the other. He recognized the first few lines.

This was the one story he had told huh? A creation myth if memory served right...

Yth, Wer Darastriejir, renthisj wer livaij lae nomeno.

Sva wer tlushtow di shio youwei, mobi jahen thric youwei.

---

We, The Darastriejir, speak the history as this.

At the beginning of all things, there were no things.

A warm fuzzy feeling touched his heart as he read the first page. It was a shame that he didn't know that man better, otherwise he'd have bought something for him.

Leaning back inside, he placed the book down on a nearby drawer. He was definitely going to spend the evening looking through it.

But first, The ham!

With a skip, the lawyer was off, trotting through the snow to fetch himself a holiday dinner.

( AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH <:DDDDDDDD You're so nice to give Utterson something! And the art! AHHHHHHH GOD BLESS I LOVE IT!!! I don't know whether to feel jealous or not! XDDDDDDX I hope you're ready for art man cause I'm going to have to send you some art in turn. My hand demands I do so! )

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Tairais • 2 years ago

The only other gift Richard delivered himself was Elias's. It was, for that matter, the only gift that was provided by Richard alone. Something simple and profound, left in a box with a single peach blossom, painted with care on the side.

In the box lay his father's pocket watch, the last shred of his first home. It had taken Richard far too many years to understand why his father had placed so much weight on the words carved into the lid of the timepiece. It had taken him far too little time to understand why the watch was kept in that particular box afterwards.

There was no note with the gift. What words could he say? They were stolen to the wind and tossed away.

He hoped that actions truly did speak louder than words. He had little idea of what to do if they didn't.

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(( chatterghosts: Merry Christmas, and I promise Richard's gonna start being less of a butt soon :P ))

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The Fox  Tairais • 2 years ago

Tairais Can I just say how amazed I am at your art? It's always so goddamn good and here I am drawing rinky dink floorplans and shadow cats! XDDDX

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Tairais  The Fox • 2 years ago

(( Shhhhh I love your art, I'll fight you. But I'll take your compliment, because I'm darn proud of how everyone's gifts turned out too, considering I hate not doing lineart and decided that painting everything would be a good idea XD ))

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The Fox  Tairais • 2 years ago

( I sure was a good idea! Everything turned out gorgeous! It makes my hand want to create art to give you! )

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Tairais  The Fox • 2 years ago

(( Thanks ^^ You don't have to give me anything though! I live off of compliments and validation XD ))

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Jekyll1886  The Fox • 2 years ago

((Dude both of you do amazing art!))

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

The box and watch were placed on Elias’ bedside table for him to find on Christmas morning - the only difference was that there was a note, tucked beneath box. In sweeping cursive, it simply read:

‘The joy of the holidays isn’t in what you do, but who you do them with. Seek someone who you love.’

It didn’t look like Richard’s writing - he knew whose handwriting it looked like it belonged to, but...

He eventually chalked it up to Nicolette’s doing.

(It wasn’t.)

—

There was a gentle knock on Richard’s door around noon of Christmas morning.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Richard hadn't expected company, though in hindsight he supposed he should have. He stared at the door in a state of quietly confused curiosity for a handful of moments before moving across the room and opening it.

Elias stood before him. Out of instinct, he offered a hesitant smile, folding his hands over his cane. All things considered, he was aware that he was somewhat dressed down for the day, merely in his shirt and trousers, no shoes to be found. Almost like a child wearing pajamas.

The thought passed through his mind like a wisp of smoke as he spoke.

"Hello, Elias."

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

His words were immediate, audibly forced out of his throat before he could even begin to regret coming: “I got the watch and— and, well, it’s Christmas and I don’t...”

And then, just as thoughts came to a stuttering halt—he didn’t want to admit he disliked being alone on such a day—his voice tapered out and died. He swallowed a little, stuffing his hands in his pockets where the nervous curling of his fingers could go unseen.

“I don’t, ah, have anyone to spend the day with and it’s...lonely. And- and I—“

He shook his head and stared down at his feet. “May I come in?”

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

His eyes softened gently, taking his voice with them.

"Of course. You are always welcome here."

He stepped back and held open the door, inviting Elias inside.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias’ face hardened slightly—he’d been nearly hoping for denial, if nothing else to avoid the awkwardness. That, and Richard was being so formal. He always was, and it never ceased to amuse him that even after everything he just couldn’t bear being even slightly impolite, but now it bagged at him. They were at a sort of ‘square one’ in their friendship, however understandably. It made Elias’ visiting all the more strange.

But, oh well. It was Christmas.

After several seconds more, he gave a meek ‘thank-you’ and stepped inside, raising his eyes from the floor to sweep around the room. He hadn’t been here in what seemed, and probably was, ages. He was curious to see what had changed, if anything at all.

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

His room was perhaps the only thing that hadn't changed over the course of the last few months. The last year- had it only been a year? It felt like such an expanse and yet nothing at all.

Regardless of how much time had actually passed, the state of organized chaos remained. Half-finished projects on every surface, sometimes accompanied by books. New curtains- the old ones had been lost in a peculiar incident with a pair of scissors and a spring-loaded cane.

He shut the door shut behind them and moved towards the small kitchen just off to the side.

"Tea? I was about to make some, at any rate. 'Tis a mite cold in here for my tastes."

A fact that likely had to do with the large windows found on either side of his room, but he'd never close the curtains during the day. The sunshine was kind and the view pleasant distraction from his thoughts.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

He couldn’t help the small smile that spread across his face at the practically unchanged room. It held good and bad memories alike, but it never failed to make him feel somewhat...welcome.

Tea with Richard. There was a fleeting sensation of déjà vu at the thought — what a rabbit hole to go down.

What a rabbit hole he’d fallen down, rather. What had he gotten himself into?

“That sounds... lovely,” he said softly, staring off toward Richard’s sofa, placed in front of a large window. Hesitantly, he asked, “Ah, may I sit?”

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

"Certainly! I will be but a moment."

With that, he busied himself with setting the water to boil and looking for two mugs that weren't terribly stained with paint or oil or covered in metal shavings.

It was a task that proved surprisingly difficult.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias shifted a little on the couch, kneading his hands back and forth into the cushioning as he watched Richard search for mugs. He felt somewhat of outsider here, rudely barging in uninvited. But then he remembered that rudeness was, in fact, a large part of his day-to-day behavior, and that he didn’t know much else.

Sighing, he forced himself to settle. “I...appreciated your gifts. It, uh- it made me feel... I- thank you.”

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

His heart warmed at that, unfurling wings of joy that lifted it upwards. The kettle whistled shrilly as he finally, finally found a pair of mugs that weren't too horribly messy.

"I am.. most glad. And you are most welcome."

The leaves left to steep, he carried the two mugs towards the sofa, pausing briefly as he weighed the benefits and consequences of sitting next to Elias. In the end, he decided that he might as well take his chances, and sat down next to him, leaving a comfortable distance between the two of them as he offered the other mug.

The blend of tea was familiar, tugging his mind halfway to the past, and of conversations held in the kitchen proper. Such a long time ago. So much grief and sorrow ago.

Forward, then. He'd had rather enough of misery and regret.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

Elias took the mug with a grateful dip of his head, fingertips immediately moving to circle the rim. “I- I do feel like I should apologize,” he began, his voice almost alarmingly gentle. “For barging in on today, of all days. But I appreciate the company.”

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Richard smiled, heartfelt and soft, just as gentle, tentatively kind.

"There is nothing to apologize for. I cherish your company, no matter the day. If by 'today of all days', you mean Christmas, it may put you at ease to know I am not.. fond of most celebration associated with it. Your arrival is a considerable improvement, I assure you."

He buried further comments under a sip from his mug, letting drink warm him from the inside at the cost of mild discomfort in his throat.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

((

))

Elias gave a thoughtful hum and lifted the mug, letting the warmth rest on his fingers for a moment before taking a sip himself. “Well, ah... Merry Christmas, in that case. I’m...sorry. I didn’t even think to give you anything.”

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Tairais  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

Richard chuckled and lifted his cup as if in toasting.

"You have given me your company, no? I will be more than glad to receive that."

He took another sip from his mug and wondered of all the things he should say.

With an internal sigh, he discarded each and every thought. Today was not the sort of day where he particularly wished to bring up old hurts.

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chatterghosts  Tairais • 2 years ago

He couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face, even if it was accompanied by a roll of his eyes and a shake of his head. His gaze then fell back down to his mug. “I’ll find a way to make it up to you regardless.”

The silence was rather comfortable now, unlike how it had been when Elias had seen Richard last. It was a little funny - it wasn’t often that he was content with things. He was picky, much to the point that he was sure he’d be settling for things for all eternity... so he was surprised, and a little amused, to find that he wouldn’t have traded this for much else at all. (Maybe a few things, but they were out of his mind, thank God.)

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Jekyll1886  chatterghosts • 2 years ago

((Da boys! :D))

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Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis's gift from Charricthran was the counterpart to Richard's gift to Elias in the sense that he'd made the entire thing by himself.

The packaging was as intricate as the gift itself: hours spent carving a box to fit the specifications he had in mind, hours still spent Singing the clockworks necessary into place (he told Richard it wasn't cheating to use a roundabout way of getting past a lack of knowledge, since the end result was the same). The whole process had taken the better part of a week.

The gift itself had been less time consuming, but more intensive work. Where Richard was an expert at metalwork and every branch of it under the sun, Charricthran was an expert in manipulating glass and crystal to suit his needs. It was an interesting and exceedingly difficult challenge to stretch his talent and Song in such a way to create each piece from a single gemstone (and in the case of the decanters, a dragon scale, of all things!), but the end result was something truly magnificent.

He hoped. He truly hoped.

He, unlike Richard, left a note with his gift. It seemed only right to.

'Bensvelk Onkmet'Lilbhiahin ekess wux, Weirmrith. Nomag wer z'ar-tairais dronilnr wux martivir, lilbhiahin, vur lotocra.

Good Onkmet'Lilbhiahin to you, Lewis! May the new times bring you peace, joy, and happiness.

Best, bright wishes to you and yours.

~Nald'su Welun'

There were several scribbled out sentences on the paper, much to Charricthran's chagrin. Too many things to be said, not enough words in any tongue to say them right. A familiar irritation, that. He shrugged mostly to himself as he set the box on Lewis's desk, watching the play of light and shadows in the room.

What can ya do?

His final act of the day was to quiet the humming of the Song trapped in the box, the runes engraved into the wood dampening the sound like water swallowing smoke. That done, he smiled and flew through The Other, searching for a quiet place to begin rituals cloaked in familiarity and redundancy both.

If he stalled ever so slightly to give a handful of people the chance to join him, then that was nobody's business but his and the wind's.

(( Jekyll1886: I had entirely too much fun with this- hope you like it too! Merry Christmas to you and Lewis! ))

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

((This looks flipping amazing! :DDDDD Holy wow!!!!!))

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

(( ^^ I'm glad you like it! Like I said, twas Much Fun :P ))

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Lewis entered his office...and stopped when he saw the unexpected box on his desk.

"Huh."

He walked over and picked up the note sitting on top.

Reading it, he broke into a smile.

Nald'su Welun.

How thoughtful of--

I wonder what it is; it--

I won't wonder if I open it!

Patience, Christ! he thought, chuckling a little at himself.

He examined the box carefully, then set it down and gingerly lifted the lid.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

The lid slid open easily, folding upwards to reveal the pieces of crystalware tucked within, glowing as if lit by an inner fire. The effect was heightened somewhat by the faint golden glow of runes tucked into what could be considered the underside of the lid.

They glowed with the promise of safe secrets and of knowledge held close. In combination with the symbols glowing along the bottom edge of the box's face, the whole contraption radiated a quiet sense of certain misfortune for any that tried to force their way into the box without either being Lewis himself or obtaining his consent.

The box guarded its precious treasure on its own, to be shared with only the worthy.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis found his hand lightly curled over the center of his chest in astonishment and...gladness. It was a touching gesture, this gift and all that had gone into it. He couldn't help but smile fondly.

Delicately, he lifted one of the decanters to examine it.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

The decanter was faintly cool to the touch despite the warm brightness trapped in it. It sang part of the song of something ancient and vast as the skies, of starlight for its breath and rain clouds for its lungs. It was all but opaque, the barest hint of translucency dancing with the play of light against the shards of color in the crystal. There were a rainbow of hues to be found slumbering in its shades of purple.

Glittering and polished to a shine, the intent and careful thought behind the gift was almost tangible, like fingertips hovering over humming skin.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Lewis exhaled, not having realized he'd held his breath as he beheld the wondrous thing and its energies.

"Remarkable..." he uttered softly.

Simply remarkable.

He held the decanter a few moments longer, then placed it back in the box and picked up one of the cups.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

The cups were something a little darker, Sung from rubies glittering like hungry eyes, far below the surface of a long-dead planet. Rather than follow the sharp angles of a natural gemstone, the hungry edges had been smoothed and smothered into the lazy, warm quiet of a dying fire, late at night.

Comfort found in a cup that might hold liquid comfort, though it would never forget its sharpened roots.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

A lopsided grin.

Now that's a cup.

He was going to enjoy using this set...

His thoughts turned toward the gift's giver as he replaced the cup and closed the box, noting the artful depiction of a phoenix inside its lid.

'Wonder what he's up to, just now...

...

S'pose I'll find out!

He fell into his own shadow, box and all, to reappear wherever Charricthran might be.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

Familiar whispers traipsed at the edge of his awareness, welcoming and beckoning.

Color swirled, sharp and stark and glittering in his eyes from stardust and not-quite-qanesc-not-quite-anything. Everything, bright, beautiful, whispering and singing.

Lewis fell the short distance between sky and the ground to where Charricthran stood, his form bleeding at the edges. Radient colors and golden light draped themselves across his shoulders like silken sari, weighing gently on the eyes the longer one looked. The shadows of The Other reached for him, curling like smoke between his fingers and around his throat with a smile.

Things were watercolored at the edges, fading in and out and back again with the breath of old-new-life-death, around and around.

He chuckled and turned to face Lewis properly, half-nodding, half-bowing in greeting.

"Ava'yorn, Weirmrith." The invitation of trust rang like soft bells.

A pause, a flicker of eyes. Shadows rearranging to feathers that join the play of color-light-darkness into something resembling wings. A wry grin and another soft chuckle as he noticed the box clutched in Lewis's grasp.

"Take it ya either really liked the gift, or you're aboutta chuck it at my head. I'm bettin' on the former, considerin' I've not done anythin' ta warrant gettin' boxes chucked at my head."

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Tairais  Tairais • 2 years ago

(( Annnnd because I got bored, I doodled a thing that doesn't quite match my mental image of this, but comes kinda close! ))

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

((Ooo! Pretty! :D))

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis laughed at the mental image.

"You'd be right," he replied, nodding. "I came to thank you. This is...frankly, it's exquisite," he opined with a glance from Charricthran to the box and back.

"I also thought we might put it to good use together," he suggested with a smirk of a grin. "I do recall you saying there was drinking to be done at this winter celebration."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

He smiled warmly, rubbing the back of his neck as something... golden and twisting stirred in his heart. His not-quite-heart. The space where his heart should've been, and now only held false-red-false-warmth.

His thoughts were slipping to color already, how lovely.

Cheer. That was the word.

"'M glad ya like it! 'S fraid ya wouldn't.. not really sure why, though. Jus' was. Still!" He clapped his hands together, watching as the movement blurred sluggishly at the edges with a wry smile. "You're entirely right 'bout drinkin' in celebration. 'Mong other things."

He paused to tilt his head in consideration, color flying into smoke that soon bled back into the sky at the gesture.

With a shrug that likewise trailed the afterimages of movement to his eyes, he added.

"Other things like ricin'molis. Bit o' a drug, tha'." A mischievous glint flickered in his eyes like the sparks of a fire.

"Wanna try some in the name o' celebratin'?"

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Weir laughed, enthused at the prospect.

"I'd like nothing better."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Charricthran grinned lopsidedly, excitement clinging to the edges of his face like droplets of water.

"Rightio, butcha cannae blame me if shite goes tits-up, I dunno what this shite does ta proper humans tha' don' listen ta everythin' I do on a regular basis!"

He made a twisting motion in his hand, producing a small glass phial from nothing more than the air around him. Inside was a powder fine enough to be mistaken for sand, though it was colored and moved more like quicksilver than anything.

He tossed it to Lewis with a languid shrug.

"Ya can either drink it or breathe it in, your callin'!"

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Lewis compromised and dripped two drops on his tongue as he inhaled the vapor it gave off.

Colors heightened, the flow of magic around them more noticeable. He opened himself to the familiar hum of the cosmos, the music of the spheres and flow of the tao wrapped up into glorious harmony, permeated through everything, himself a part of it all, the "self" a mere concept, a temporary shell he gratefully discarded...again.

He found himself out of his body, without form, present in and through everything--the sky, matter, Nald'su Welun, the air and ether, the gift Charricthran had given him, the phial Weir's body yet clutched in its hand, the substance within it, the space between atoms...everything simultaneously.

The experience lasted as long as it did, a time impossible to confine to and quantify by seconds or minutes or hours.

It simply was what it was, and lasted till it ended.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Charricthran watched as time passed around them both with hardly a glance, allowing himself to sink further and further into.. everything, really.

The ritual was old, familiar, and while not as involved as Wer'Thirku, was as close to recreating the experiences of it as he could. He couldn't hear the words that he Sang, but he felt the Intent behind them as they rushed past him and pulled him into the river of sensation and memory that lingered eternally behind him.

The glint of ancient eyes against a starry sky, of staring into the infinity of the cosmos and breathing duality in and out, everything and nothing at all arresting awareness and holding him fast in awe.

The shift of stars and scales in the darkness, waters of unfathomable depth, shifting above. The weight of a universe of tradition and remembrance, bearing heavily on his shoulders.

Claws and teeth clacking, cracking into smiles that knew far too much and sympathized far too little. Songs in hearts, Songs in minds, weaving and changing constantly, eternally the same in that regard.

Burning shadows, their namesakes all.

Burning shadows and burning homes, the loss of everything. It was why they remembered, why they endured.

They slipped from memory without realizing it had begun, past conversations cracking and bubbling in his throat.

A necessary heartache, one that quickly morphed into celebration.

The more the world changed, the more they could remember that it never did. They were not gone, merely transformed. They saw themselves in everything.

Charricthran saw them in everything. With a final exhalation that bled the Songs of past, present, and future, he bled back into himself, blurred edges sharpening, condensing, leaving him entirely too solid despite his distinct lack of that particular adjective.

Simple joy held him tight, humming deeply in his chest. He couldn't tell if it was verbal or not, and decided it didn't much matter.

He listened as the quiet Whispers that trailed after Lewis went from a shared cacophony to something more personal, distinctly him.

Words still beyond him, he simply grinned his shark-like smile, hoping to convey.. a great many things, none the least of which was the fact he was overjoyed to have someone to celebrate with properly.

Gratitude and joy. Two more words, tinged in gold and purple. Richness of emotion.

Flitting things, skittering thoughts.

Lotoc. The better word for something so formless.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Eventually, Lewis became a self again, distinguishable at least in theory from the whole of the cosmos, his spirit coalescing together even as it condensed into his body.

He opened his eyes and drew in breath, phial still in his slackened hand. He was lying on his back.

He exhaled. Blinked. Slowly moved his head to look to his left at Charricthran, the movement at once dizzying and maddeningly slow to his perception.

Weir's lips turned up at the corners, and he gave a little chuckle.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Responding laughter rumbled in his chest like the fall of rocks somewhere different, torpor clinging to him like vines that dragged ever downwards, ever backwards.

It would wear off in time.

He leaned back onto his hands and stared up at the not-quite-night-sky, imagining that he could still see the outlines of scale and fang. Objectively, he knew that he could simply will it to be so, and The Other would follow suit.

Practically, he knew it would break his heart to be so-close-so-far to and from home.

"'Fya take that an' stretch it out for'a week, 's what we did for the first bit. Singing too- bit like a Christian church service, come to think. Never really took part in tha' myself. Spent the time before meditatin' as per what the toffs said, never you mind the fact tha' I was perfectly capable o' waltzin' ta chat with the stars whenver I damn well pleased. They were more entertainin' anyway."

He shook his head with another chuckle and sighed.

"Ramblin' a bit overmuch, me." His mouth felt like it was full of tongues that weren't his, bleeding tar that caught, snarled, snagged in his throat, warm and somewhat sickly, but overall not unpleasant per se. "How're you farin'?"

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Well." A relaxed, lopsided grin. "Like old home week."

A pause.

"In a good way."

A peaceful breath in...and out.

"Haven't done that sort of thing in..." He couldn't remember right now. "A bit," he admitted with a chortle.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"This time tends ta be one for doin' old 'n new things. Glad ta see we're all keepin' with tradition!"

He took a handful of moments to merely be, letting the endless chattering of half-finished thoughts fall into the not-quite-grass below him.

Almost as an afterthought, he added, "'S definitely comin' home, for a bit. Then, home's everywhere, didn't leave, didn't arrive. All o' that ramblin' nonsense I'm gonna put a stop to right now, ta, in favor o' keepin' myself from joinin' the stars."

Everything about him grinned with an honest, easy nonchalance. In this way, it only served to highlight how carefully manufactured his usual cheer was to him.

A revelation he held at arms length, then subsequently tucked away in favor of examining it with a clearer mind than the one given to him at that particular moment.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Everywhere and nowhere," agreed Lewis. "Everything and nothing."

Charricthran spoke further.

Weir chuckled.

"At least this experience was a good one."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Glad for that, then."

Another pause, carried on the same glittering sparks that had ushered in this quiet moment of 'everything-and-nothing'.

"Speakin' of, ya mentioned sharin' drink. Daresay that'll make a good experience better, yeah? Anythin' particular in mind?"

Words crawled their way back, slurring less and less at the edges as his world began to sharpen into clarity. They did so almost with regret, as if knowing the rarity of the calm contentedness that had smoothed things to begin with.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Heheheheh..."

Lewis pulled out a silver flask with a crocodile-leather cover around it.

Languidly, he opened the box and poured a watery-green liquid into two of the cups.

He capped the flask and put it away.

He handed one of the cups to Charricthran and took the other for himself.

"To experiences and loved ones old and new," he toasted.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Charricthran repeated the toast with something approaching distraction as he watched the play of green-glittering in red-sparkling.

He didn't have a bloody clue what was in the cup.

Indulging in his ever-present streak of recklessness, he knocked back half of the cup's contents in one gulp. Naturally, he both relished the burn down his throat and nearly choked on it with surprise as, once again, he managed to remain somewhat solid in a place so entirely ruled by his ability to be the opposite.

For perhaps a minute or two, he didn't notice any particular effect aside from the faint taste of... licorice? and the customary sleepy warmth that accompanied his once-rare, now less-rare states of tipsiness. Fairly normal things, that, even if the taste was not quite what he'd been expecting.

After another handful of moments, he sucked in a harsh breath as the world around him shifted slowly, but undeniably.

Color filtered into The Other around him like drops of blood falling into water, breathing life into a world he'd long thought rather cold, monochrome, and desolate, save for the stars in the sky.

He had been so blatantly wrong, in every sense. Eyes wide, he glanced at his surroundings, greedily drinking in every last detail, committing it to memory that would never be able to recreate this particular experience ever again.

There was light here, from the stars above- not just the harsh, snarling cuts across the forest floor, but something soft and bruised, bleeding sky and star alike.

The trees were not the blackened, dead husks he had thought of, covered in lichen long since burned, they were... lighter, covered in something softer and green? A terribly light green, all things considered- nothing like the color he was so used to associating with earth-rot-sickness.

The cup in his hand glittered like fires he'd only once seen in the afterthoughts of dream and Song alike, and something twisted in painful joy at the familiar color, long since gone from his life by any normal means.

He looked up to share this revelation with Lewis and got as far as drawing breath to speak before promptly losing it again.

Everything he held dear and close to his heart was shrouded in red at one point or another.

It would appear not even Lewis was exempt from this pattern, Charricthran noted as his eyes caught and snagged his heart on the sight of red undertones in his otherwise dark not-quite-black not-quite-something-else hair.

Wide eyes and astonished silence before a grin almost painfully stole across his face.

"You are... radiant."

Red waistcoat over white-and-black, brighter green than what was on the trees in his eyes- gods above and Hells below, how had he not seen how breathtakingly bright they were? And green, though a further cry from decaying rot. Vibrant, stark, glittering in life.

He was entranced by it all, time slipping through his fingers like silk, rapid, rasping, soft. Impossible to hold on to, so deep was his fascination.

Tears burned in the corners of his eyes, summoned by breathless incomprehension at how the world could be both beautiful and bright- his thoughts of 'bright' being burning-falling-breaking-shattering and nothing at all kind or warm, truly. Beauty was something more abstract, but it seldom included those sorts of self-destruction and heartbreak at his expense.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis drank half his cup, as much to get a buzz going as anything else. He'd just had a lovely experience, after all...no reason he couldn't have another, even if it was of a lesser caliber. Not to mention he loved getting lost in his senses when he'd had enough absinthe. The edges of forms were always cleaner, touch more sensual, colors more saturated, scents headier, sounds crisper and more vibrant.

Little did he know Charricthran was experiencing just that, Nald'su Welun's awe-inspiring experience of color simply what Lewis saw every day.

Weir's, meanwhile, were beyond his friend's imagining.

He got looked at the cup and liquid in it with fascination, a soft smile creeping onto his face.

The red was that of fresh blood or the finest rubies as if illuminated from within.

The green echoed the color of his own eyes, had they been capable of glowing.

The sky sparkled in vibrantly rich hues of purple and indigo and cornflower blue mixed with midnight.

The rich, earthy brown of tree trunks was touched with the echo of golden amber in the dying light of the gloaming.

Lewis felt the slightest of breezes caress his skin with the velvet touch of a lover, its cool pleasantly invigorating.

Charricthran spoke, his voice full of wonder and so much more, the sound multilayered, the undertones practically palpable.

Lewis turned to look at him and was struck by how closely he resembled the sky above.

Weir stared, entranced; it took a moment for him to respond.

"Hm?" he vocalized at last, tilting his head to the side.

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Radiant, bright, shinin'- nothin's as dark as I thought an'.."

He stared at the sky with wide eyes, as if he might drink in all the colors within, as if he might draw the horizon around him like a blanket and lose himself in the soft-bright-warm-joy of seeing the world not-quite-so-dark, everything shadowed and gray-white-blue-purple-decaying-green.

There were no words for the things he felt, no reference for what he saw. A singularly unique experience.

A tear slipped out of each eye, so overwhelmed was he. His eyes ached from the unfamiliar strain and he simply couldn't care, couldn't be be bothered by something so trivial as pain when there was so... much.

He glanced back to Lewis, an expression of happy confusion on his face, voice a hushed whisper.

"I don' even have names for some o' these colors! Like the trees-" He gestured to them with a waving hand gesture that subsequently caught his attention. "-or my skin! An' your eyes.. green was for decay and sickness but yours are bright somethin' fierce an'-"

He trailed off again, words sticking in his throat. He swallowed with an audible 'click' and huffed a disbelieving laugh, lost in quiet rapture as his eyes wandered to and from everything, always back to Lewis's full-of-green-life eyes before alighting on something else.

In this way, he was no better than a butterfly. Perhaps there was something to be said about metamorphosis, but he'd be damned if he knew or cared what at the moment.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis had seen people react to absinthe's effects, but never quite so...extremely. Certainly not to the point of not having words for colors.

"I've been told my eyes are...well, they're emerald green at the edges. Then they transition to kelly green, followed by moss green as they and the brown intermingle more. Then greenish hazel, hazel, chestnut-brown, mahogany, ebony, and black."

A pause.

"If that helps."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

Charricthran mouthed the words to himself after a distant nod, trying to find experiences and memory to match.

In time he spoke, though he was still very much distracted by the display of color around him, almost screaming for his attention, no matter where he turned.

"The trees're... brown, then? I'd always seen 'em black an' blue.."

Briefly, he experienced a stab of existential terror far too familiar to him: had his life been 'real' up until this point, if something so simple as sight could be misled so completely? Was he truly real, did he or Lewis actually exist?

He shook his head to clear it, smile turning wry at the edges before smoothing once more.

None of that mattered. He'd seen what he'd seen, and he'd felt what he'd felt. It was merely a different perspective, and nothing more.

Right?

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis nodded.

"They are brown, though in this light they do take on an undertone of...dark cool gray, I'd say."

He felt the shift in Charricthran.

"Are you alright, Nald'su Welun?"

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

He waved a hand lazily as he glanced back towards Lewis.

"Fine, jus' fine. Minor stab o' panic o'er... you see this all the time? All of this?"

He paused, then shook his head, chuckling softly.

"Til now, brightest I'd seen things was as you saw em' flying with borrowed feathers. Most o' the time it ain't even that, shadows bleedin' over everythin' an' pullin' my eyes as they do. Stars shine bright only 'cos they always Sing, an' red an' gold stand out... always, but nothin' like.. this."

He looked back to the trees and to the moss (was that the right word? It was someone else's right word, certainly) growing on them. Then to one of the mesas, far in the distance- painfully sharp as they had always been, but closer to..

He didn't know. There were no words for these things he didn't know.

"'S like 'm not sure what's the proper way ta see things, even though 'spose it don' matter. Still don' wanna be the wrong kinda wrong, though."

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Oh," said Lewis. "I thought the raven-sight was just part of...I don't know, the spell or what-have-you. I had no idea you...

"Bloody Hell.

"It's...I always see colors like you're seeing right now, yes.

"That mesa over there, for example--it's turquoise and sea green normally. Whereas to me, right now, having had the absinthe, it looks even more intense--bright aqua and bright sea green, like the Blue Grotto in Capri and the Caribbean on an exceptionally sunny day, respectively.

"My waistcoat is crimson, though it looks bright scarlet to me now.

"You're the color of the night sky above--intense indigo, vibrant midnight blue, like the opaque rainbow of an oil spill or a raven's--"

He caught himself, and laughed.

"Obviously like a raven's feathers. With the absinthe, I see your colors as if in sunlight. You...must be seeing them as I do normally."

He thought a moment.

"Conversely, the shadows don't pull at me in anything more than a metaphorical sense. So I imagine you have the better vision where they're concerned. Perhaps they simply...speak to you with more affinity."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago • edited

Charricthran devoured the names of the colors Lewis had mentioned and quickly tucked their memory safely away, so that they might live long enough for him to remember on a day where ugliness threatened to drown everything.

At the description of himself, he smiled wryly and said nothing.

Lewis's last sentence knocked loose several memories that clattered to the forefront of his thoughts almost painfully in their insistence to be heard.

The sound of soldiers marching past, the burnt bones of families and friends underfoot snapping like so many twigs. Footsteps on marble floors, quick and panicked.

The turning pages of ancient tomes, quickly abandoned in order to survive. Frightened voices, hastily told histories, and the last cries of a dying people.

A second chance, and thirds and fourths given after that.

The memories did not cut as they once did, for he had outlived them all, tormentor and brother-sister-sibling alike. They did, however, share a simple truth he'd not ever had the cause to learn.

"Y'know, considerin' my particular.. bah, I don' remember how to say it in English. Ah, the people who came before my people an' made em, then. Called Valignacal'sjach, roughly 'the burnin' shadows'. Would make sense to only see the brightest o' light an' dark, yeah? 'Spose I never gotta chance ta learn that about us, 'fore everythin'."

He laughed because it chased away the indignant rage he always felt at remembering those things, because it felt good to pretend, just a little bit, and because he was still in disbelief.

He smiled the smile of a child experiencing the night sky in all its glory for the very first time.

"Vinxa, Weirmrith. 'S... awesome. Bloody beautiful- Thought I'd seen all the beauty that the universe could hold an'.. Well, this'd be the best way ta be wrong, wouldn't it!"

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

Lewis nodded at Charricthran's reasoning. He didn't know much about these "burning shadows" people, but the name alone would explain the affinity.

Charricthran thanked Weir.

"Nald'su Welun," returned Lewis, "'tis my genuine pleasure."

He refilled both their glasses.

"To being wrong...in the best way."

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Tairais  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"An' to the beauty o' everythin' unseen!"

He lifted his cup in toast before taking another generous sip of the absinthe, savoring the flavor and warmth now that he no longer had need to hesitate or entertain recklessness.

He could feel his heart coalesce in the darkness that made him, solidifying through singing joy, singing wonder. Once, twice, it beat in his heart, tripping its way through unfamiliar rhythms it soon discarded, melting into silence once more.

The joy and wonder remained, glittering in him like jewels.

To the stars turned his awestruck eyes, glowing in a sky he'd never fully seen.

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Jekyll1886  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Aye."

Lewis sipped his drink, then cast his gaze to the sky with a contented sigh.

They stayed that way for some time indeed.

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CarwashCat • 2 years ago

Sydney had taken the liberty to paint a small scene for each Lodger at the Society. Although not as large as many of her canvases, they were the size of a book cover (she did have to do every Society member after all). Weeks in advance, she painted every subject and science all the Lodgers did. Even the catering staff had paintings based on what they did.

Sydney hand-delivered them, but expected nothing in return. What she did she enjoyed, and she was good at what she enjoyed. Many had told her to give prices to her work, but she rejected the very idea.

And, at last, the final painting was finished. She wasn't sure who exactly this "Charricthran" was, but Sydney was sure that he or she would be delighted with what she had painted them. Although the pigmentation chemist had nothing to go on, she used her imagination.

A 30x30cm oil painting of a vase of lime green petunias amongst a backdrop of grey. Simplistic, contrasting and guaranteed to survive on a wall. Sydney put a smidgen of glow-in-the-dark paint on the petals, for a nice effect.

With that done, Sydney went to look for "Charricthran", but couldn't find them. She asked around, but still couldn't find the elusive recipient.

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Tairais  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

The problem with finding Charricthran was that more often than not, he really didn't like to be found.

That being said, you could always find him up with the birds when he didn't mind as much. The wind carried a great many things toward him, not the least of which were those hints of searching, curious, sometimes hungry eyes.

Slipping his way past wall and ceiling alike, he reached for the whispers of curiosity and pulled himself out of one of the shadows clinging in the corners of the ceiling.

Below him was someone he'd not yet met, which left him ever so slightly more confused.

How did she have his name? Or, more specifically, one of his names (not His Name)- more of a title (not a Title), really.

He supposed it didn't matter too terribly much.

He leaned against the wall he'd pulled himself out of with a lazy grin and called out to her retreating for.

"Lookin' for me, kid?"

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CarwashCat  Tairais • 2 years ago

Sydney jumped at the voice behind her, nearly dropping the gift in her hands, but composed herself quickly.

"Good grief, you nearly gave me a heart attack then!" Sydney remarked, smiling, joking. She calmed down, then suddenly remembered that she didn't pass anyone in the hallway yet. How did he... Must've come in through a door. But I didn't hear one- Nevermind, being rude to this man. She hugged the painting in her arms.

"Sorry, odd question, asked a lot of people already: do you know where I might find someone called Charricthran? Need to give them a gift. This..." She indicated the painting. "...Gift, actually. For Christmas. Made paintings for everyone at the Society and they're the last one on the list. Not that it means that I don't like them because they're the last one, I was just confused by the name when I got the list of people. I mean about 98% of the people on the list don't even know me! But you know, it's colleagues and things and I just thought since I'm relatively new here I might as well give them something to indicate that I'm here and that I exist and stuff. But then I suppose me locked in my room just experimenting with paints and pigments and not talking to anyone for a solid week doesn't exactly leave a great impression, does it? Or it might, you know? It could mean that they're really committed to their work... or, or... that they... are lonely... Anyway, enough about me, sorry to trail off... I do that from time to time... Where was I? Oh, yes, this Charricthran person. Odd name isn't it? I mean I've never heard of anyone with that name, but there it was! On the list! The bottom of the list, to be precise! Right, so... sorry, trailing off again. Do you know where they are?"

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Tairais  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

The kid sounded a bit like a particularly excited Richard, he noted. He pushed himself off the wall and used the momentum to carry him into a theatrical bow, lopsided grin still in place.

"'Course I do. I'm right here! Charricthran-Kothar, resident nuisance an' charming deviant, atcha service!"

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CarwashCat  Tairais • 2 years ago

"You're... Charricthran?" Sydney thought aloud. I was thinking he'd be more... Well... Dracula-y... Anyway... "Oh! Right, well... Sydney Shaw, at ... your's... Er... Here you go!"

Sydney gave him the painting. "It's not my best work, admittedly, making over fifty paintings over a few weeks leading to Christmas is the reason for that."

She kicked the floor absently. "Kind of ruined the surprise back there, didn't I? Sorry. I meant to wrap it, but er... I didn't have any material left... Apart from canvases of course! Blimey I've got shiploads of them... I guess I could've used them to wrap it... I mean stripping away the wood frame and use the hemp part of it... to wrap it... But then it would've looked like a blank canvas, wouldn't it? That would not be a good Christmas present! Unless it was a painting-kit or something like that. I mean it would be like saying 'Hi, Merry Christmas! Here's a blank canvas. Oh, have I got any paint? No! I'm not made of money you know!' Oh, I'm trailing off again... So what do you think?"

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Tairais  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

Charricthran chuckled, holding the piece at an arms length to better examine it. He didn't particularly have a place to put it, save for the attic he seldom visited.

Not that he'd mention it. Twas a thoughtful gift, if unexpected.

A wry smile. "Interestin' piece! I'm quite fond of it. Much obliged, kid. Wish I had something to give ya in return."

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CarwashCat  Tairais • 2 years ago

"Oh, don't bother, really. Got everything I need: a paintbrush, cans of paint and a heaping pile of canvases." Sydney reassured him. "I'm a painter, if you haven't guessed already."

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Tairais  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

"Heh, yeah. You're all right, definitely. An' I could tell from the play of oil in the air, kiddo, way before all o' that. Still, my gratitude to ya. I'm touched."

He pivoted on his heel shortly after that, spurred on by a sound only he could hear. With a half-laughed sigh, he flashed Sydney a somewhat sheepish smirk over his shoulder.

"I'm bein' called. Love ta chat another time- thanks again, kid. Merry Christmas to ya!"

With that, he half skipped, half ran down the hall until he could turn the corner.

His footsteps made absolutely no sound at all, not even a whispered suggestion.

Gone with the wind.

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CarwashCat  Tairais • 2 years ago • edited

Sydney was confused by how someone called him; she couldn't hear anything. She was even more confused by how she couldn't hear his footsteps, like he was those ghosts she met on the rooftop a few weeks ago.

Before she could ask him, he turned the corner and was gone. What a strange person. But then again, not as strange as having tea with ghosts. With... actual see-through ghosts...

"Merry Christmas." she quietly replied to no one, and made her way back to her room, whistling as she went.

As she stepped inside, hopping over toppled empty paint cans and half-forgotten paintings, she picked up the list of names. Nobody left then. Flipping it over, she suddenly noticed a name at the top. Didn't notice that... Great! Who is it? Dr. Lewis B. Weir. Transcendental metaphysics. No clue what that is. And I haven't painted anything for him!

Pocketing the list, she quickly yanked an absently large hemp portrait canvas from the pile and began painting. How could she have missed that name? I didn't make the list, that'll explain it. Could've told me it was double-sided!

After about half-an-hour of improvising, Sydney came up with a Pollock-esque painting and a half-screaming face on the right side. Though it wasn't her best work, it was certainly... She couldn't find the words to describe it. Exactly with his profession, maybe he'll pick that up! Must be complicated, I'm sure.

Not bothering to let it dry, Sydney ran out of her rooms and down to the main hall. Asking around, she managed to locate his office.

What a Christmas giver I am. She knocked on the door, the painting behind her back.

((Jekyll1886 It's alright if you don't want to join, I'm just trying to get Sydney to meet everyone at least once!))

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CarwashCat  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

((Jekyll1886?))

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Jekyll1886  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

((Hey, been rather busy with the holidays. Should have some time now though.))

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Jekyll1886  CarwashCat • 2 years ago • edited

Lewis wasn't in his office, though he was nearby.

He rounded the corner, having just come from the kitchen. In his hands he bore a tray of freshly-baked biscuits sweetened with saccharin, a new chemical compound he'd been itching to try out. Each biscuit was a different, festive color thanks to the variety of food dyes he'd used.

"May I help you?" he queried Sydney as he continued to walk toward his office door.

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CarwashCat  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Oh!" Sydney jumped in alarm, the painting nearly slipping out of her fingers. She wasn't used to being scared. The disadvantage of being alone. "Sorry! I'm looking for Dr. Lewis Weir? I've got a present for him, for Christmas."

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Jekyll1886  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

"You must be Sydney Shaw," said Lewis, breaking into a smile as he approached. "Just the person I was looking for."

He stopped in front of his office door.

"I've not had the chance to wrap them, but these are for you," he explained, holding the tray of vividly-colored biscuits out to her.

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CarwashCat  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Oh, what a coincidence, she thought bemusedly.

"Ah, then this is for you, Dr. Weir." Sydney told him as she held out the painting parallel to the tray, smiling. She took the tray and inspected the biscuits. "I guess I'll have to make some hot chocolate with these, they look delicious!"

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Jekyll1886  CarwashCat • 2 years ago • edited

"I made them especially for you," replied Lewis with a genial smile.

He took gloves from his pocket and put them on, so as not to get flour on the painting as he took it.

"Quite an avant-garde style you have, Miss Shaw," he remarked. "I take it you're a devotee of Edvard Munch and his ilk?"

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CarwashCat  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

She stared at the biscuits. Then back to him when he mentioned Munch. He certainly was an inspiration of hers. Sydney placed the tray on the floor to get a better look at the painting.

"I suppose I am. The painting's a comment on lack of understanding in the world. Both in art, culture and education. People don't really learn. The face screaming is just an expression of that." Sydney explained. "From the viewpoint of a Classicist, of course."

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Jekyll1886  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

"No, they really don't--some people, anyway," he allowed.

"I suppose that's either a tragic or a humorous aspect of life, depending on how one looks at it."

Though I dare say a Classicist wouldn't be caught dead with this painting, he thought.

'Tis a good thing I'm no Classicist.

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CarwashCat  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

"Classicist", what am I even talking about? Never went to art school. It just sounds authentic. And if it's at least faux-authentic then it's better.

"Of course." Sydney replied. "Which one for you? Tragic or humorous?"

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Jekyll1886  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

"In my experience, it very much depends upon the person in question.

"If it's someone I care for who refuses to learn, it's tragic for him and frustrating for me, as I would save him from his poor decisions if I could," he said with a wistful look.

"But such is life. Free will and all that."

A shrug.

"If, however, the person in question is someone I loathe, then it's downright hilarious to see him foolishly try the same thing again and again, convinced he'll get a different result," he said with a chortle.

"And you?" he returned.

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CarwashCat  Jekyll1886 • 2 years ago

Sydney shrugged.

"Humour equals tragedy plus time." Sydney quipped, adjusting her glasses. "Twain. I wasn't one to take "you can't paint" as an answer. I'm a slow learner."

She reached down and ate one of the biscuits. Like she thought, it was delicious. "But at least I do learn."

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Jekyll1886  CarwashCat • 2 years ago

"Speaking of which...happy Christmas, Sydney. May the true spirit of the season dwell within you."

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Irina Leví • 2 years ago

((I would like to role-play with you, guys, but there's something: from where I'm from, we role-play in a different way, I don't know if it's okay, but I could try to do it in your way))

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Wizardblizzard  Irina Leví • 2 years ago

((Hiya! Give it a go, this USED to be one of the most easygoing/chaotic roleplaying sites I've ever seen and I'd hope it still is if it needs to be.

How do you usually play?

You're in the wrong thread, though. This one's all about characters givin their friends presents so it'd be hard to fit a stranger in. Usually, there's a general-purpose thread each week but this week it seems to have been replaced by the "Christmalogy" thread which has a special story - you might be able to think of a way to fit a stranger into that but since it's currently all taking place on the roof I can't think of a way at present. The other way, and the "official" one these days, is to start a new thread just for your character arrivingat the Society. (Or being somewhere else for other characters to meet them. Your character doesn't have to be a Lodger, although most are - it could be someone else that they deal with in so,me way. Catt Hatter played a roaming vampire for ages, alongside her other two characters.)

Good luck, any more questions just ask and someone's bound to answer!))

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Irina Leví  Wizardblizzard • 2 years ago

Thanks a lot. Well, I'm a bit new, here in the channel, I'm almost having a panic attack because, first than nothing, English is not my native language, so, I'm worried if I offend somebody or something like that, and I don't a lot of time to spend at Internet. Here in Mexico, we don't describe al the stage and all that, we use ** to describe actions so we don't take a lot of time, you know.

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Wizardblizzard  Irina Leví • 2 years ago

((Don't worry about the language thing at all, we have people here - or have had not so long ago - who speak much worse English than you and I don't think there's ever been any trouble. One of them used to be always apologising for things she thought she'd accidentally said to offend people, but she never had!

Mz. Hyde always does the ** thing, too. I used it myself for a while not long ago, to try and teach myself not to spend so much time not fussing over what I write. (Partly worked.) So that's up to you, I think.))

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Irina Leví • 2 years ago

Meanwhile, Irina, frozen by the harsh winter, was singing in the middle of the street, all by herself, with her pure contralto notes. The music was the only present she could give to everyone:

Silent night, holly night...

((I guess I'm late))

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Helen Jekyll  Irina Leví • 2 years ago

((Aww, poor Irina! :< I’d send my characters out to fetch her, but they usually don’t go past the Society’s door.))

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Irina Leví  Helen Jekyll • 2 years ago

((Is very nice of you, Helen Jekyll. :'3))

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Jekyll1886  Irina Leví • 2 years ago

Lewis noticed Irina, the woman he'd welcomed to the Society the other day, outside singing in the cold.

Though he wasn't of a particularly religious bent himself, it was Christmas, and it wouldn't do to leave her there alone.

Wordlessly, he grabbed his long coat and scarf and exited the Society.

The air was cold but invigorating, reminding him of his childhood in Scotland. He was glad the winters here in London were comparatively milder.

He came to where Irina stood, and joined her in singing, draping his coat around her and handing her the scarf.

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