Ryo tried to hide his distaste at the gift. Weapons weren't his style, especially guns; they were so loud and reloading them was inconvenient. Magic was so much more efficient. Maybe he would give the gun to Caelyn… no, she had more than enough weapons already. Saren, maybe? Yes, Saren would enjoy this gift.
He thought for a moment and then conjured an enchanted silver ring that would grant the wearer telekinesis. As he passed the ring to the next person, Ryo was surprised to feel a bit nervous. His magic meant the world to him, but he told himself that he didn't really care whether the recipient would enjoy their new power as much as he treasured his.
Novalee wanted to laugh; but it would have sounded hideous. Oh, what I wonderful gift, quite useful too, she thought, but telepathic ability is enough for me. Maybe I should regift it…? She glanced back at the boy, wondering if he would be offended, and to what degree. No, I'll give it to Ethan. He'd love it! She signed her thanks to the boy, wondering if he could even understand sign language at all. She started to walk away, but suddenly remembered that she was required to give a gift as well. Oh, I forgot… She fumbled in her purse. Where is it? Ah, there we are! She pulled out a large, hand-knitted sweater and handed it to the next person. Woven from multiple shades of blue, it represented her deep love for the sea, and for Ethan, whom she thought of as the color blue (if that made any sense at all; though it seemed nothing in her mind ever made sense). She signed with one hand, "I hope it fits," then stopped herself. Silly, they can't understand you, she thought, rolling her eyes. Oh well.
It wasn't the same sign language that he used with his sister Jessem, but some of the gestures were concrete enough that Tal was able to guess at the girl's meaning. He accepted the jumper with a big smile and a nod of thanks and immediately pulled it over his head to find that it did indeed fit him quite well. The sleeves might be a little long, but that would only serve to keep his hands extra warm in the cold southern winters.
And so blue! Jess was going to be envious of it.
He left a small flute for the next-comer. It only played a handful of notes, but they did have a very sweet lilt to them and he'd whittled it out of rosewood himself.
@shiiaa - that's from the last gift on page 1. Do you want to go from the latest post (we're on page 2 now)?
Cierra was curious when she opened the gift to find a small wooden flute. She could tell it was handmade since she had seen lots of people play them while she was on her mission in Asia. She remembers how beautiful the sound was they made when it was played. She wasn't a musical person herself, but it gave her something to go.
She felt a bit guilty that her present might not be as good as the others, but she thought it was good. It was a special necklace that allowed you to see the happiest memories of your life when you touched it. She had asked Victoria to help her make it since she didn't know what to get besides a weapon. The necklace didn't have any memories yet, but there was a pair of instructions of what to do which was pretty easy since you just had to touch it and think for it to absorb.
Aster looked at the necklace oddly. He wasn't the most cheerful, not giving any immediate sign of thanks. A bit curiously he glanced over the instructions, a small smile taking the place of his usual no nonsense expression as he figured out what the item was. It would be nice to have something to remind him of good times, especially being the leader of a rebellion. "Thank you." He said softly.
He set his gift down for the next person. It was a small metal horse he had Ben help him with. Aster had always loved little markers or figurines for maps, but he got help so it could be wound up and used as a toy as well. If a small key on it was turned it would walk. Hopefully whoever got it would enjoy the small trinket.
Ava with shaky hands grabbed the gift. She carefully unwrapped it. She looked at the small wooden horse. It was so ancient but it was very cute at the same time. When she gets back to the lab she can have Eve play with it. Eve has always been interested in things like this.
"Uuuuhhh…the g-gift I have isn't wrapped b-because it physically can't b-be. W-well I g-guess it could b-but it would just be a hassle a-and well I d-din't want to damage it." She said as she pushed her glasses up her face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small square silver object. It was obviously high tech and it had a button on the side. If the person pressed the button than little legs and arms would pop out and a holographic image would pop up as a face. It's just a toy but more high tech versions versions of this exists for different purposes.
"Oooh," Andor says as he carefully takes the gift, "This is so cool!" He doesn't even say thanks because he's already too busy playing around with it, grinning from ear to ear like a kid in a candy store. He keeps pressing the button watching the arms and legs pop out and in and out an in, occasionally whispering "Holy sh** this is so cool."
"Oh right," he says finally, setting the toy aside, "I'm supposed to give something too." He looks around, wondering what he can possibly give away that could make a decent gift. He sets on a small carton with six large chocolate chip cookies inside. "I get these from work for free," he says, "We're not allowed to sell anything that's not fresh." He realizes that probably wasn't the best thing to say, and he knows that if Ara were here he'd be chastised for not thinking before he speaks. But Ara isn't here, so instead he quickly adds, "But they were just baked this morning. They're not gonna go bad or anything. And they're really good." He hands the next person the box of semi-fresh chocolate chip cookies.
Kydah smiled a huge smile, grabbing the box and mumbling out thanks from behind all the crumbs. She swallowed and pulled out an intricately carved spear, one made of driftwood with what looks like tribal markings on it. "Boom, Tribal spear. Only use it in times of great need and all that jazz."
"thanks…" she took the spear then put an amulet, that granted a person to stop time once a day, in a box
Lumen takes the box with his one and only hand, and gently shakes it. "Sounds like jewely of some sort." He opens the box to see the amulet. Once finished looking at it he sets the box down, and pushes a kit of weapons to the next person. Inside the kit one can find knives, daggers, poisons, a bow and arrows, a sword, and poisoned darts; mostly weaponry fit for an assassin. "Hopefully you'll have some kind of use for these," he says with a grin.
Ilya opens the kit and his heart feels like it's sinking down in his chest. This type of weaponry reminds him of his old lifestyle- one he swore to never return to. He figures that the knives and daggers could be useful for close-up self-defense if needed, and so would the sword be useful. However, he has no clue what he's going to do with so many weapons meant for a killer. Perhaps he could make sure all of his allies were armed as well.
Ilya carefully, but somehow still messily, ties up a bow on his gift for the next person. Underneath the ribbon and paper is a small stack of valuable, stolen books that he managed to get back from the thieves but also doesn't want to return to the government. He figures they're best off in the hands of someone who will read them and treasure them.
Lukas carefully untied the bow on the package, wondering at what could be in it that weighed so much. He gasped as he held a carefully-bound tome up to the light of the room's window- the light danced across illegible lettering, magic not quite subtly imbued in the ink. He quickly put the book back in the box with the other one, deciding to give it to Melora and Lilet later and see what they can make of it. Looking around his room, he searched for anything that could measure up to this incredible and pricey treasure. He decided upon an old longbow- Rowan had tried to teach him how to use it, but it was obviously not his strong suit. it was better off in someone else's experienced hands. Fumbling, he tied a green bow around the wood above the notch.
Garzlan takes the longbow and carefully removes the green bow tied to it. "This is really lovely," he says, "Thank you so much." In truth, he feels like maybe the longbow would be better off in more experienced hands. He knows a thing or two about archery but his skills average at best. Still, he would feel bad about re-gifting it. The longbow is lovely, and he can't pass it up.
Garzlan reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny box. Inside is a tiny wooden horse that he carved himself in a rare moment of spare time. In his country horses are used as a symbol of protection, especially among travellers– a belief that stems from an old legend. Garzlan's not sure that the next person will appreciate the symbolism, but he hopes they like the gift anyways.
Jasper poked at the horse curiously, unsure about it. It was beautiful and handmade, but he was sure there was some sort of symbolism he was missing. Or maybe he was overthinking it. He signed a quick thank you and pulled two jasper stones from his pocket, hastily put in a small leather pouch. They should bring the next person luck. If he did the spell right.
Aspender gingerly took the pouch, suspicious of its contents. Was it a curse? A pile of coal? Or – he shivered at the thought – a mob of insects? He remained frozen for half a second, deciding what could possibly be inside. Then, after realizing too late that he was not being polite, felt his face grow hot and hastily opened the sack. The dazzling stones captured his eyes, and he found he could not stop looking at them. He sensed an alien magic lingering there, and wondered what it could possibly be. I should hope it's not dangerous, he thought to himself as he pocketed the gems. He considered what would be a worthy gift for the next participant – he had brought multiple items with him. He decided on a small, poorly-wrapped box, which contained a bracelet made from Crystalized Air, fused with Dead Magic. He hoped that whomever received the next gift would like the idea of being able to fly using the essence of the Dead.
Brand unwrapped the box, gasping as they picked up the bracelet. It was well made, obviously filled with Magic, they could tell that as soon as they touched it. They slipped it on and smiled softly as it clinked against their other bangles.
They pulled a small statue made of different metal wires and stones. It had been working in their forge for a while, after a month they had deemed it perfect and ready for someone to have. It was shaped in the form of a magpie in flight, two black jewels as the eyes, looking as if they could see right through you. "It's not much, but it'll grant you luck and a bit of prosperity if you use it correctly. Place it near your bed at night for a few weeks." A note said, Brand setting it under the statue.
Victor picks up the statue and holds it delicately in his hands. God knows he needs all the luck he can get.
"It's lovely, thank you," he says softly, then places his gift on the ground: a thick notebook brimming with random quotes, advice, and help for anyone who needs it.
Suyin picked up the notebook, flipping through it curiously. It was an odd gift, but it was charming and thoughtful, and she already knew she would read it several times over. She certainly needed help and advice, and she'd gladly take as much as she could. You never know what knowledge you might need.
She hesitated for a second before passing on a copy of Dickens' Great Expectations. It was heavily marked up, with words and passages circled and underlined and notes written in Mandarin in the margins. Through this book and several others, Suyin had painstakingly taught herself how to read English. She'd spent so much time with the novel (and written so much in it) that she felt she'd left a piece of her soul in the book– which was stupid, she knew, and she knew that whoever received her gift would probably be unimpressed– but she had little else to give.
Ara gently picks up the book, studying the front and back back covers. He flips through the pages, noticing all the circled and underlined passages. "Thanks," he says, "I'll be sure to get around to reading this at some point." Most of the reading he did these days were his heavy medical textbooks which were necessary for his education, but hardly ever what he wanted to read. It had been a while since he read something for his own enjoyment, and he was glad to have the excuse again.
Ara pauses for a moment, trying to figure out what to give the next person. He finally lets out a sigh and takes his wallet out from the pocket of his coat. He pulls out a crisp Canadian $20 bill and sets it down. "Here you go," he says, "Do whatever you want with this." He'd never been good at picking out gifts for people. Sometimes, it was better just to let them do that themselves.
Magnus picked up the smooth bill and smiled softly, "it has been a while since I touched one of these, this is going straight into my album. Thank you." He smiled at the giver and reached inside his jacket to remove a box. It was roughly the size of a medium sized shoe box and was covered in an almost holographic wrapping paper. It seemed as though the figures were literally moving but that wasnt possible, was it?
Inside the box was a metal box, roughly the size of an adult male hand, and a pair of goggles. Along with the two items, there was also a crisply folded paper with the words 'To the Recipient' written in calligraphy. The note was very clearly typed and included instructions on how to use the included items.
'That metal box is not simply, a metal box. Press the top centre and it will unfold into a jetpack. It is a unique design and is collaborative with the goggles. Link them to the jetpack and you could mentally control where you want to go.'
Avery carefully took the box from Magnus's outstretched hand. "You're telling me this is a jetpack?" Instead of trying it out, she walked over to a bench nearby and began to look for ways to unpack it. "How does it work?" She mumbled. "Can it be replicated? Or altered?" She tinkered for a while unsuccessfully before remembering that it was her turn to pass on a gift.
She carefully packed up the box and left the bench, leaving behind on the seat a small green envelope with a red tie around it. Inside contained her latest (and what was probably her greatest) invention: a silver ring.
The ring was a simple thick band with intricate carvings on the inside, disguising a small, inconspicuous button. Once pressed, the button would give the hand it rested on super-strength.
Be careful, the note inside the envelope said. The following additional power must be used wisely. If the button is pressed three times in quick succession, it will heal the injuries of the user. But it only works once. Merry Christmas!
Pippin opened the envelope with a little too much eagerness, and slipped the ring onto his finger; he didn't even think to look for the note that was still in the package. He brushed his thumb along the silver lining for the ring, mesmerized by the beauty of its design. A grin spread across his face while he pocketed the envelope and opened his backpack. He lifted a basketball-sized egg from the bag and gently placed it onto the bench. A pink glow emitted from its center, and the light pulsed, as if it were a heartbeat. This was a giant bird egg, and after three months of care it would hatch a pink-feather chick. He pulled out a plastic ribbon he'd bought at a local store, and pressed it onto the top of the egg. If it was a gift, he thought, it should at least look like one. Pippin stood back to admire the egg one last time. He regretted having to let this one go, but the lucky person that took this egg home would have a best friend for life.
Zenith cautiously glances at the egg, inching closer.
A crack forms in it, and the boy leaps back, his eyes wide.
The cracks spread slowly across the egg, and the pieces begin to fall apart. Soon enough, there is nothing left of the egg itself, and a rather large, bright pink chick stares at him.
Zenith carefully inches closer, and once he reaches the bench, carefully sets down his sword, perfectly wrapped in a soft satin, with a bow made of oak wood on top. He's not entirely sure why you need to top your present with a old-fashioned weapon, especially without any ammo, but that's what Crystal said you're supposed to do.
The blade is magic, powerful enough to remove the supernatural abilities from any organic being it touches.
Zenith, having set his present down, carefully picks up the chick.
It stares at him with intelligent eyes, and Zenith smiles at them as he walks away.
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