Christmas Log | The Gift Exchange

[folkscallmewander]

Who: Everyone who signed up for the Secret Santa!
What: Party where everyone can exchange gifts.
When: M11 D4
Where: A conference room at the hotel
Notes & Warnings: Feel free to tag around!

There's a sign at the lobby stating that the winter holiday party for the imports is in one of the back rooms.

Wander convinced the rest of the staff to let him take some leftover bagels and other snack foods from the guest breakfast, and there's a small table in the middle of the room with the food.

Comments

Closed to Belloq

[folkscallmewander]

For most of the get-together, Wander is distracted by everyone else and checking that no one touched the box he carted into the room. His gift was fragile, after all.

The moment he spotted Belloq, he rushes over to give him a hug.

"You're here! C'mon, ya need to open your present!"

[archeologue]

Belloq isn't the sort of person who often receives hugs, so Wander takes him by surprise. Still, he puts on a charming, agreeable grin even as he thinks that Wander's large eyes and hairy body make him look rather like a living incarnation of a South American demon spirit. Only small. And orange. And smiling a lot more.

"Merci, Wander."

[what_ho_jeeves]

Bertie peered around the room searching for Agent K. To everyone and anyone nearby him he said, "What ho, I'm looking for a man named K. Just K. Dashed short name. It must have been pleasantly easy to learn to spell as a school child. I still remember poor Beauregard Aloysius Buringham-Feldings at Malvern House Preparatory, who took three weeks to get his right.

"Anyway, I have a present for this K chap, so if you see him send him on this way."

Closed to Elle

[archeologue]

Belloq sought out the diminutive girl to present his gift to. The flat white box was tucked under his arm, tied with a red ribbon and bow.

When he found her, he bowed politely and held out the package.

"Joyeux Noël, my dear. Merry Christmas."

[athousandcurses]

Grainne brought the gift she had made and wrapped, feeling a bit awkward. She honestly didn't really understand the nature of the gift exchange. Well, she knew a little bit about holidays in the modern world but not too much on the history, though she could guess. But it wasn't familiar and she didn't know any of the proper social cues, or what was expected of her.

So she stood awkwardly in a corner giving everyone that came a curious passing over. She was waiting for Ben in particular, and she hoped she had guessed well enough for his gift, given that she had one conversation with him and knew only a little about him.

At least, every so often when someone walked by, she would brighten up a little and smile at them, "Hello."

[ratkicker]

Jade barely knew anyone here, so there wasn't much point in going around greeting everyone. She drifted towards the food table and back to one of the walls, observing the others. If someone she knew passed by, she gave him a quick greeting and went back to waiting for her gift receiver.

At least, she spotted Tuco. "Hey." She handed him a festive-looking bag stuffed with red paper. "I hope you like it."

[athousandcurses]

"Kay?" Grainne repeated to herself, giving the room a glance before shrugging. "I haven't seen him yet. He is a little hard to miss though, he's the chief security officer for the resort. Rather nice man, if you ask me."

[what_ho_jeeves]

"Is he? Nice, that is. I've seen him about but we've never been properly introduced. He looks a rather dour sort of chap, with a face like it was carved from granite, like it walked off the set from that mountain they're carving up over in North Dakota. Or was it South Dakota? I never can tell the difference. I can't imagine why one would need two Dakota's anyway, it's not as if there's very much in either of them."

He shuffled nervously.

"I do hope he approves of the presents I chose for him."

[folkscallmewander]

A few more seconds of hugging, and Wander lets go of Belloq, only to grab him by the hand. "It's right over there," he points to a corner of the room with a fairly large box about Wander's size resting on the floor.

"It took a bit of time to save enough for this, but I hope you really love it!"

[athousandcurses]

Grainne blinked owlishly at Bertie, completely lost on what he was talking about with mountain carving.

"He has a lot of burdens, I would guess. He's always seemed a little bit lonely." Something Grainne would understand. Doing what one had to and being lonely as a result. "Have you gotten anything yet, Bertie?"

[archeologue]

Belloq looked at the box, then at Wander, then back at the box.

"How on earth did a little one like you carry this in?" he asked as he approached the box and ran a hand over the top, curiously.

[what_ho_jeeves]

Bertie looked downcast at the thought. A social man himself, loneliness seemed a most terrible fate.

"Poor fellow. And not even a valet to keep him company during the long and silent hours. If I should throw a party, I shall make a special point of inviting him."

He nodded, decision made. But at Grainne's question he slumps a little and becomes morose again.

"I have not." He forced a smile, as he spoke it quickly became genuine as he talked himself into good cheer. "But 'chip chip' I say. No use being glum when 'tis the season to be jolly. Perhaps they're just late. Or forgot. Many of my friends forget things like Christmas, birthdays...including their own birthdays. Whatever it is, I'm sure that no ill will is meant by it."

[athousandcurses]

Grainne laughed softly. She knew who Bertie's secret "santa" was, but didn't want to give it away just yet. "I am sure it will be worth the wait, Bertie. I do not quite understand the whole significance of receiving the presents, but you know that saying about waiting and good things. But... you're right about Kay." She brightened up a lot, giving him a small smile. "You should try to make friends with him. I am sure he would like that."

[usfuzzies]

Ben had bought a present-- it was sitting on his workstation, unwrapped-- and promptly forgot all about the exchange. He was chewing over some printouts on his way back to his room when the noise in the conference room got his attention, and his face was blank and puzzled when he looked in.

What do-?

[folkscallmewander]

Wander lets go of Belloq's hand and cheerfully follows him towards the box.

"Well, I was kinda tryin' to roll it in with one of the carts-it's kinda heavy, but I really didn't want it bumpin' around all crazy- but I was havin' trouble getting it on in real steady. But one of the other workers here-real swell lady, I need to get her somethin' as thanks- said that she could carry it all the way here by herself!"

His focus shifts to Belloq's hand. Another grin springs onto Wander's face, and he switches between looking at Belloq's curious face and back to the box.

"So..." he twiddles his fingers, "wanna find out whats in the box?"

[athousandcurses]

Trying to sneak by a Servant with hyper powered senses? No way... Grainne spotted him looking in and waved at him, then made her way over.

"Bennett?" She asked, looking a bit nervous, before she held out his gift. It was soft and loosely wrapped with a thin piece of cloth. "Happy Yule."

Inside was a well made and very soft simple leather vest, with what seemed more than the usual amount of pockets-- and inset at that--, lined with a silky material, and had leather tooling along the seams in a vaguely Celtic-style pattern. It shimmered slightly from the enchantment she placed on it, and though he probably couldn't tell just by looking at it unless he had magic ability, any arrows that found their way into the vest would stop as if they hit a wall.

[usfuzzies]

"Thank you," he said, frowning, taking the cloth wrapped package. Christmas, of course, but he hadn't been expecting any presents.

-no, wait, of course, he'd forgotten he signed up for-

"The gift exchange! Oh, the little fellow's present's in the lab." He knocked his palm gently into his forehead. "Thank you, Grainne-- I forgot we were even doing this."

[athousandcurses]

"Oh," well, that explains why Ben was late... "It's all right, I think. Not everyone is here yet. Wander looks like he's having a lot of fun but I can run interference if you want to slip out and get it. There's still time."

AKA K is a brat and fails at social.

[most_feared]

Kay doesn't actually label his present as being from him, nor does he seek Jade out specifically. Perhaps if she does the math in who is missing and who got what, she might figure out that it's him.

But he sends his via one of the resort's robots, which shows up with a wrapped package and informs her in Jeffer's quaint, formal tone that a package was left for her.

Inside is a vintage camera, since antiques are a thing that he tends to lean towards. He hoped she would like it, even if he was sticking to the secret part of secret Santa and not actually making an appearance.

[most_feared]

And Kay, for his part, didn't show. Why, because Kay was relatively stunted when it came to socialization, and somewhere along the line recently the time that he allotted for personal space was used up.

But what did happen was one of the resorts bots came by, and after offering to refresh Bertie's drink, also added in his almost Jeeves-like formal Jeffer's voice, "Chief Kay sends his apologies as he was unable to attend. However I can have his gift delivered up to his room."

[what_ho_jeeves]

He beamed at the reassurance. No need to stiff upper lip his way through it any more.

"In that case, I shall be patient as Job. If Job were receiving presents and not ill luck, that is."

And nodded at her encouragement.

"Chief K seems a good enough chap. Much better than some of the officers I've known. Why, he hasn't tried to arrest me even once yet! Perhaps I can tell him a joke, attempt to add some levity to his life."

[what_ho_jeeves]

"Oh," he said, not very eloquently, surprised by the message.

"Yes. Right-o. I bought him a present and then wasn't certain whether or not he'd care for it, so then I bought him a second present as well." He held out the two presents.

"Make sure he gets them both and give him a season's greetings and all that. Oh, and sing him a Christmas carol or two."

And with that Bertie let the two gifts be taken away. One, a crimson tie. The other, a copy of one of Bertie's favourite books. Not an improving book, like the Spinoza Jeeves read, but an entertaining book.

[archeologue]

"Of course. That is the whole joy of wrapped presents, is it not? The anticipation of the surprise, wondering and not knowing and then seeing the object unveiled for the first time."

[But he politely waits and raises his eyebrows to receive permission from the gift-giver to unwrap his gift.]

[athousandcurses]

Having no idea who this Job person was or why he had so much patience, Grainne focused on what she could comment on.

"What a wonderful idea." She stifled a giggle at the idea of letting Bertie loose on poor, unsuspecting Kay. Well, it was a good idea. Bertie was the right kind of type to befriend dour old men like him. Persistence got everywhere. "You know, he reminds me of my third husband. Cranky and sullen on the outside, even more so on the inside, but he loved a good joke and he showed his feelings in other ways. I've only ever seen Kay work, I wonder if he has any time off?"

[folkscallmewander]

Wander steps behind the gift and holds out his hands as if he were presenting it for the first time.

Inside, there is a ceramic vase, painted with an simple pattern in a variety of colors.

"I though that since you like beautiful pieces of art, I decided that it'd be nice for you to have somethin' new for your place!"