[Xanth]

When the Last Shrine fell to the quake that rocked the world, Alexandrians feared there would be no more grotto come Tesseminas 1. Even when the statue reappeared and rumours spread that Xanth herself was responsible, children went to bed on the night of Penteminas 30 worried that, this year, their parents had made no promises of a visit to see the snowmen or to make their offerings. Where, in years past, the city seemed to hold its breath as excitement twinkled through the unnaturally cold night, this year only worry entered the minds of citizens who had had their homes and livelihoods destroyed.

Imagine their surprise the following morning when not only had the labyrinthine ice grotto reappeared as if by magic, but the whole of New Alexandria was covered in snow. Between the walls of the inner city, white glistened across the mosaic squares and in the tree tops. Even the coliseum was coated in the magical stuff, yet touching it would not freeze hands as normal snow would.

The smell of roasting chestnuts filled the air. Though buildings remained damaged and awaiting repair, the worst of them condemned as too severely broken for the Fixers to manage, leftover rubble had been cleared from the streets as if it had never fallen. Tiny imp tracks criss-crossed the snow-covered cobbles as if hundreds of the mischievous creatures had been hard at work.

And the statue of Xanth was wearing a big red hat trimmed with fluffy white pom poms.

There would be no sign of the animated snowmen who normally guarded the grotto until the first of the visitors arrived at the fairy-lit white gates, over which hung a wooden sign declaring this "Xanth's Grotto". Only when that very first visitor stepped across the threshold would the snowmen appear, melting out of the snow and the ice walls to fling their snowballs and hunt pilgrims through the maze. They would steer clear of the heart of the maze, however, where visitors would be allowed a few moments' peace to make their offerings to the ice throne, beside which stood an enormous fir tree decorated with fist-sized glass baubles and colourful, twinkling lights. If one were to look closely enough, one might see themselves living out their lives in miniature form within the ornaments, as if given the opportunity to reflect.

In years past, the throne sat empty, a mere marker in place of Xanth's own presence. This year, though the goddess herself may not be present, a life-like holographic avatar sits in her stead to thank and bless those who make their offerings.

Xanthmas has begun.

Every week until the 29th of December, you can roleplay each of your characters visiting the grotto to claim a gift (one per week per character, to a total of four each). Since I can't reply to each post, the idea is for you to get in and out in a single post, and then I'll announce at the end of each week what gifts your characters have received. This year, however, you also have a chance for a random encounter with Xanth herself.

Each visit must be in-character and 50 words or more. I'm also asking you to include a wishlist for your character (from enchanted items to legendaries or even something mundane - what you get from your list will be totally random) in an OOC note in your post so I have some idea of what to give you rather than it being something generic. (And remember to update your inventory at the end of Xanthmas!)

Have fun, and
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[Kiel]

“Like, woah, man, for sers.” Like, Kiel totally hadn't expected the grotto to make an appearance this year, you know? Like, he'd seen the wreckage when the statue went down, and, like, you know. Even though he was there when Xanth herself rebuilt it and all, it totally seemed like people had other stuff on their minds this year, you know? And because he lived outside the city proper, he totally didn't notice the snow until he was jogging to work ('cause, like, Zeph totally made him late, man, for sers! The dude had gone total lazy bum since they got back from Acantha, it was crazy weird), and then he was all, like, “Wahhhhhhh, snow, it's snow, it's snow!”

Except he still had to work, and it was kinda weird but so totally awesome patrolling in the snow. Like, it wasn't cold or anything, though there was a crazy chill in the air that he totally wasn't equipped for 'cause, like, Alexandria had a similar kind of climate to his homeland. He'd seen real snow in Nirim and, like, dude, that was freezing! But he could see his footprints in it, and, like, it had actually helped him and Mickey catch a petty crook so, like, you know. And snow fights! Wahahahaha, those were so cool, man, for sers.

But then as soon as he got off, he called Zeph to meet him at the shrine, except, like, he wanted nothing to do with "that woman" so he'd told the dude to send Shane instead. And the shadowkin totally glomped his legs as soon as she saw him. Like, she so didn't like the snow, it wasn't even funny. She'd morphed into her favourite monkey form to be all, like, climb the length of his body and, like, perch on his shoulder so she wouldn't have to deal with it on her fur. That worked out great, though, 'cause she could pelt the snowmen back with their own snowballs while he navigated the maze. “Wahahahahaha, this is so fun, it's so fun!”

He ducked. He dived. He, like, did this weird little flop that was meant to be a flip and got a face full of snow for his efforts. He skidded and slid and, like, woohoo!d his way around the labyrinth and, like, cheered himself on when they reached the throne. “Like, WOAH.” He thought for a second that was really Xanth standing there waiting for him and totally almost freaked. Then he realised it was see-through, and wafted his hand right through her. “Wahahahaha, that's so cool, man, for sers. Wah, I hope she's not watching.” He peered around the small ice room to check, then poked at the air 'inside' the hologram for good measure. “Wahahahaha.”

Satisfied he was alone, except for Shane and all, Kiel whipped out a slender box from his leg pocket. “Okay, so like, I got help from ChloChlo this time on what to give you 'cause, like, I dunno. What do you even give a girl, let alone a goddess, you know? Zeph's happy if I throw knives at him or something. Or, like, not actually throwing them, you know, 'cause that would be bad. Except in a training session, I mean, and he'd just catch them anyway, ehehehe.” He popped the gift-wrapped box on the throne, but had to be all, like, angle past the hologram and stuff before finally deciding to just shove it through and let her sit on it or something. “Like, it's a watch. Like, there's this chick on the sea front in Espur and she sells them. Like, she makes them outta sea shells. She sells sea shells, wahahahaha. Dude, I bet you can't say that fast. Okay, so like, I gotta be at Marty's real soon so, like, 'cause the dude's still a mean, mean man even after the quake and all. I guess he lost a lot of stuff because of it, though. Byeeeeee.”

Wiggling his fingers at the avatar, Kiel snatched up a random box from under the tree - like, just 'cause it looked so sparkly - and raced out.

[Alistair]

When Alistair woke up on Tesseminas 1, he looked out of his window, as usual, and groaned, not as usual. The snow outside sent shivers down his spine just looking at it, and although it didn't feel cold, he dressed warmly - military boots, leather gloves, scarf. He was only to feel silly as he left the apartment, seeing it was not at all cold, and some weird magic trick. Making his usual morning stroll to New Alexandria, he frowned at the big labyrinth thing. Who the Hel had put that there? What a weirdo you would have to be to spend all night constructing some weird labyrinth thing made out of ice. His forehead creased as he entered, creased further when he saw how suspiciously quiet it seemed. Almost as if an ambush was waiting for him.

He was partially right. There was an ambush by men in snowmen costumes - nothing at all suspicious here -, who played very convincingly the part of snowman, and Alistair was the unlucky one to be pelted in the face with a few. He ran, covering his face, following the twists in the labyrinth, taking random turns and cursing when he came to a ded end. By the time he reached the grotto, and the very ostentatious projection thingy, his forehead was creased to the point that it was a cause for worry. Despite himself, the creases eased off into an easy smile. He would like to think this was all some sort of trick, having never seen Xanth with his own eyes, but subconsciously, he doubted he was right. He stood near the walls of the grotto, away from others and closed his eyes. So how exactly did you pray? And what did you say? It was worth a shot.

“So, yeah. Here I am. If you're there, or whoever the Hel is there, thanks for a good year I guess. Thanks for uh, the job, and the apartment. And thanks for getting that Nereid to open that bakery near my apartment. She is such an amazing baker, that chocolate torte is amazing, I could go for some chocolate torte, or a cream scone, or a crostata... Oh sorry. So yeah, thanks.” He opened his eyes, looked up to the statue, smiled an uncertain smile, and left to find his way back.


ooc; A wishlist, hmmm, Alistair could do with an awesome pet for a friend, or a pair of arm guards cause he's planning on learning Jiu-Jitsu, something swanky. Or you know he likes his clothes. Or punish him, it's cool.

Oh and books

[Zozeko]

“Hurry, woman. I have no desire to be seen here.” Zozeko scowled at an Elysia, no doubt a Nymph, who wrinkled her nose as she passed by he and his family. With six-year-old Rasha propped on his hip, Zozeko curved a wing around the toddler to shield her from the snowballs. “Nuri, keep up.” Hustling his family along the tunnels, Zozeko turned his head this way and that to seek out the next turn.

"This way, Papa."

"No, this way, Papa!"

"Idiot, that's the wrong way."

"I'm not an idiot, Zahrah, you're the idiot. I can smell something really tasty coming from this direction."

"Oh, sure, lead with your belly. Idiot."

"Zahrah, enough." Layla, still as beautiful - and sharp-tongued - as the day Zozeko married her, tucked their third youngest under a slender arm and a curled wing. She squeezed Zahrah's shoulder in warning.

"But Mother, he started it."

"And your father will finish it, if you are not careful. Now hush." Layla's red stare pinned their son with equal measure, shutting Nuri down before he could dare to argue against her.

The fake tunnel ended abruptly, spilling them into what could only be called a throne room. Malik was already there, staring deeply into one of the glass baubles that hung from the tree. The djan had a gift-wrapped box tucked under each arm. Upon seeing this, Layla drew away from their daughter to hurry across the throne room and clip Malik's ear. "One! I said one, you greedy boy!"

Malik scowled. Were Zozeko to feel charitable or paternal, he might have said the scowl was almost a perfect imitation of his own. "This one is for Luc. He can't come himself because Keegan broke his damn leg repairing the hull and-"

"Zozeko! Punish your son."

Zozeko flinched, shifting Rasha from one hip to the other. The toddler gnawed on his braid, red eyes fixed wide on the hologram the rest of her family ignored. “What for, wife? He already said the other gift is not for himself. Show some charity.” Though, in truth, he did not appreciate being supplanted by the ship's healer, at least Malik had learned some manners, and he was under Lucian's care so it was only proper.

"Not that!" Layla hissed, her wings spasming tighter against her body. Behind her, Zahrah and Nuri were at the tree, picking over the gifts piled there. "He swore!"

“Oh. That.” Honestly, 'damn' was the least of her worries. Malik heard far worse aboard the ship and on the docks. Nevertheless, “Malik, do not swear in your mother's presence.”

Layla huffed but Malik inclined his head to indicate his compliance. Only the tell-tale twinkle in his eyes gave away that he understood the leeway he had been granted, as well as the underlying subtleties.

“Right, then, time to leave.”

Layla crossed her arms and planted her furred boots in the snow. Zozeko sighed. Of course she would want to give thanks and all that ceremonial pomp. He had made sure she understood that she was lucky he and Malik were even here in the first place - and that he was annoyed she had spent so much to ferry them across the channel when he informed her the Artega was essentially out of commission and couldn't do it for her - but she was still insistent on wasting his time. “Fine, then, but hurry up about it.”

"Of course, husband." She gestured to the throne, clipping Malik by the upper arm when he attempted to sneak off, and they knelt. Rasha attempted to race away on unsteady legs, so Zozeko was forced to keep hold of her. Xanth, you had better appreciate this palava. I have better things to do than stroke your ego.

Ransie ∴ Piper's Boutique ∴ Wallpaper Abyss ∴ Celestial Star ↵

[Bay]

"Curiosity killed the cat, but where people are concerned, the only thing a healthy curiosity can kill is ignorance."

He'd never seen anything like the Grotto before. Back home in the Fae Forest, ice had not been a common feature of...anything, really. The temperature was simply to warm for it most of the year, and snow rarely fell...and it certainly didn't fall during the spring and summer, that was for sure. His father had told him of the Grotto and this 'Xanthmas', once, but until the sudden appearance of the beautiful structure, he had all but forgotten the story.

Naturally Bay had headed over the moment he was aware something was going on. So far, this curious attitude had not come back to bite him...well, so far. As he jogged across the city, the piece of Xanth's statue still in his sleeve bounced and swung, a constant reminder to him of the fallen statue and the look he'd gotten from the Goddess herself. He was nervous, bringing it back to the square that had once held it. Was the Goddess's statue without an eye? Was it his fault? Would she remember it was his fault?

But the chunk of statue was too beautiful for him to willingly give back, at least not yet. It was something special. Bay had never owned something special and unique before and he rather liked the feeling.

The crowd around the grotto was a bigger one that he'd expected, even in the early morning light. The rosy fingers of pre-dawn were already making the icy structure glimmer, and people seemed to be going inside and...taking boxes? How strange. Were they all stealing from Xanth? That...no, that was probably not the case, he decided. But they all did seem to be under attack by...animated snow...

Bay decided, after a few minutes of indecision, to follow the crowd in - ducking into the center of the crowd and trying to avoid the errant balls of snow flung by the stranger guards. Inside the milling crowd was a confusing place to be, and it was only after being jostled around quite a bit that he was able to get his hands on one of the brightly wrapped boxes, hugging it to his chest and wiggling his way back out of the Grotto, fleeing to the less crowded sidestreets.

By Xanth, he'd never get used to having this many people about!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Bay'd like...

• Some sort of pet?


• Writing tools/a journal


• Books. All the books.


• A CORWW crystal


• Surprise me, I guess?

[Remy]

When at last Remy and Theodore made it to the center of the grand ice maze, Remy let out a gasp of delight and clapped her hands together. Remy had been worried that the grotto would be broken from the earthquake, but it had miraculously been revived. “Xanth looks grander than ever!” Eyes lit with wonder, Remy seemingly let her guard down, as even her fangs showed when she grin. It had been ages since she'd last had the opportunity to visit the statue, and it hadn't been Xanthmas back then. Now she truly understood the excitement that tourists liked to talk about.

“You dragged me through Black Rose territory...for this?” Her companion's tone was even, as if he were unimpressed. But when their eyes met, she saw the twinkle in his eyes that betrayed his true emotions. Shaking off remnants of a snowball from his coat collar, Ted looked about the crystalline grotto. “It's too shiny.”

“Dracula”, she laughed, and giggled as the skinny man pulled her hood over her hair in response. It was a term she'd learned from Sidney long ago when she'd just grown her fangs and lost her wings. Earth-grown, the human-turned-vampire had been a delightful source of stories that Remy could never have imagined. He'd brightened her moods considerably during the days when the most she could think of was the endless hunger in her stomach. He had been a blessing, as were the rest of the Ruby Claw (history and all). She really missed him.

Pushing back her hood, Remy pushed messy strands of hair behind her ear before chancing a look at one of the baubles upon the tree. In that second, she noticed a dark-haired man sitting beside a blonde female. She didn't need to see their faces to know who they were---the scene had been from a memory. Sparing a nostalgic sigh, she looked toward Ted, who was standing and staring, with hands in his pockets, into one of the other baubles upon the tree. When at last he broke free of his vision, his lips quirked upward and he shared a small smile with Remy.

Boxes in hand, they left the small haven. Their escort was waiting out in Alexandria, and there was business to be done.

((¹ A chance to meet her new pet, ² Books from Earth, or ³ surprise? ))

[Xanth]

In the first week of Xanthmas, She gave with seasonal cheer:

To Kiel: A denim newsboy hat with sections in two alternating colours. On either side are two silver chains from which dangle sparkling silver stars.

To Alistair: A gift-wrapped shoe-sized box tied with a neatly wrapped bow. Inside is a giant cupcake from Alistair's local bakery, seated in a black lace liner. Beneath it are a pair of polished black dress shoes with a simple damask pattern pierced into the toe. They are lined with dark purple damask fabric to match.

To Zozeko: Every one of the gift boxes taken by the members of his family contained a trinket of some kind: butterfly earrings for Layla, a silver claw ring for Malik, a colouring book for Nuri, a charm bracelet for Zahrah and even a colourful teething ring for Rasha. Zozeko's box, however, was empty.

To Bay: The box Bay took was empty. However, at some point during the course of the evening, the marble eye Bay had taken from the Last Shrine wormed its way from his pocket. It rolled from his grasp to settle some distance from him, the eye fixed on him as if watching his every move. It winked, a perfect mirror of Xanth's own eye when she spotted him across the quadrangle, and then rolled further into the shadows. He would never see it again. In its place, if he made the effort to look for it, was a silver-plated book, written in Anyeli and clearly marked as the property of the Great Library of Alexandria (and most likely stolen). Each of the 100 vellum pages is illustrated, the images coloured with vibrant dyes and gold leaf, which suggest to even those who cannot read the language that it is a compendium of the various architectural styles for the different fortifications tried during the Empire's history.

To Remy: Thunder and lightning.

[Alistair]

When Alistair had opened his gift, he had been absolutely delighted. The giant cupcake, he had eaten for his supper with an ice cold glass of milk. The shoes, he had polished and buffed until they were as bright and shiny as Hel itself. The gift had made him believe in Xanth a little more, since they were perfectly fitted to his weird, bony feet. He had gone to bed that night with a little smile on his usually hardened face.

Today, he had learned his lesson, and was dressed in jeans and a warm, smart jacket to keep off the icy breezes. He even laughed unrestrainedly as he was pelted with snowballs which hurtled from out of nowhere, and ran to avoid them. The twists of the labyrinth didn't anger or frustrate him this time, but cleared his weary mind as he concentrated on arriving at his destination.

His prayers weren't hurried this time. He simply closed his eyes and channelled his thoughts into a prayer the goddess might probably never even here. “So, um, thanks for the gift. It was really thoughtful and stuff, and I'm sorry for doubting you exist. I've never seen you is all... But I suppose that's what faith is about. Don't expect too much from me though. Anyway, so um, watch over my family and stuff, especially Serana and my grandad, and not Isobel. Okay, that was harsh. Even Isobel, but couldn't you have made her less cruel and stuff? Anyway, thanks a lot. Cool.” He approached the shrine and selected a box near his feet, muttered an awkward 'thanks', and left again.

You have encountered Xanth! Continued in Mission: Likely Impossible.

[Jericho]

Jericho's return to Elysia had been a fairly triumphant one, if he did say so himself, though he managed to keep the majority of his success relatively secret. At least, it wasn't being spread across the continent like the last trip was. Well, yet, at least. He supposed there was always time for one of the men to spill the beans, so to speak.

He had been very busy since, accumulating goods for another trip and assessing potential alliances with other merchants. He could not realistically set up a trade route of this distance alone, as he had discovered from his attempts to break into the Zanaryan market, but there were very few people he trusted to work with or form him without attempting to usurp his mercantile 'throne'. There were a couple of possibilities, but his best option may be to front the forming of a new guild dedicated to Acanthan trade and then ensure he was the one in charge with the most to gain. This was why he was in Alexandria instead of back home in Corantha tending to his loanees.

“You and I have not been on the fondest of terms,” he told Xanth's avatar now. Ninian was still in the maze somewhere, no doubt complaining about his role as the decoy. Jeri smoothed back his hair and allowed a small smirk at his genius. He simply refused to get cold and wet with snow, and after all, what did he pay the Therian for but to be his guard? “However, my time in that forsaken land has taught me to be a little more appreciative of your... efforts, I suppose we can say. In the least, you have better taste than that mad dog. I should never forgive you if you dared bring a climate like the Badlands to my home.” He sniffed his disdain. “In any event, I suppose I came here to offer my thanks. The year has proven most profitable, and I find it difficult to blame you for the atrocities I suffered in Acantha.”

Laying a small posey of hastily picked wildflowers on the ice throne, Jericho cleared his throat, opened his mouth to say one last thing, but then changed his mind and simply left. “Ninian. Ninian! We are leaving.” Hopefully, the Therian would draw off the snowmen long enough for him to make a safe - and clean - exit.

[Bay]

"Curiosity killed the cat, but where people are concerned, the only thing a healthy curiosity can kill is ignorance."

Bay had spent the nights since getting the eye plagued by odd nightmares and paranoia, wondering exactly how Xanth's wrath worked. Would he know when it struck? Was it a lightning bolt, as some stories claimed? Was it simply going to be a bout of bad luck, or would some agent of the Goddess find him and enact his demise? Perhaps his health would deteriorate and he'd die slowly. Or he'd never find any food, and starve.

He had determined that an itchy rash he'd developed was probably not the first signs of Xanth's ire. And the empty box he'd wound up with had not been an indicator, either, at least at first - unsure if they were supposed to have things in them, he'd promptly turned it into a storage container. It turned out to be very good at holding useful objects, when shoved into his roomy sleeves. It was only when he realized, via listening to the crowds around town, that the boxes were supposed to contain gifts - then he realized that probably meant something.

Well - he supposed he deserved it, really, but it certainly stung considerably. And really, it shouldn't have. She was a goddess - the Goddess! The fact she hadn't made the box full of poisonous spiders or a wasps's nest was a good sign, right?

So when the Eye wormed its way from his sleeve, he had let it go. Well - let it go by yelling in alarm and shaking it out of his sleeve, the movement having at first made him think a rat had crawled up his sleeve again. But when the chunk of marble fell to the street and rolled away, he had stood transfixed, watching as the impassive stone sprung to life for just a moment, seeming to be both stone and flesh at the same time.

Then, against his better judgement, he'd followed it - or tried to, anyway. It vanished into the darkness faster than he could keep up with it, but what had been left in its wake was quite good at taking his attention away from the missing chunk of marble. The book was ornate, beautiful, and full of words he couldn't read. He had vaguely recognized the letters, but their meaning was beyond him. Even so, he studied it as best he could, wandering the city and trying to match the symbols, page by page, to some sort of context.

It was about buildings, apparently. What sort, he wasn't sure. Anything the Anyeli made was beautiful, in Bay's opinion, and to his pleasure he was even able to take the illustrations and identify some of the pieces on the Alexandrian buildings built by the Anyeli. He still didn't know what they were called, really, but he knew how to write the word! Maybe.

The book's fortuitous appearance was the only reason he wandered back to the shimmering Grotto, almost a full two weeks later. He came after dark, the original glory of the place somewhat diminished when not lit by the natural sunlight, but nonetheless the place was amazing. This time of night the crowds were less thick,and he slipped through them with ease, picking up another box. Maybe he could keep the book in this one - but he was starting to run out of room in his sleeves.

[Xanth]

OOC: This is day late, sorry.

In the second week of Xanthmas, She gave with seasonal cheer:

To Alistair: A windfur. ^^

To Jericho: A plain brown-papered box with a plain white envelope inside, addressed to Diorus Tirris, Jericho's real/first identity. The letters have been written in purple calligraphy and the paper is scented with lavender. The note is a simple Elysian proverb, "Greedy is as greedy gets".

To Bay: A thumb-sized blood-red crystal. Though not obviously so, it is a data crystal. Should Bay manage to gain access to a HoP to read it, he will find the complete works (including unpublished drafts) of Alandria the Sage.

[Kiel]

Kiel was proudly wearing his new denim hat, his chest puffed out even through the five-minute snowball fight he'd staged against the animated snowmen. Like, for sers, man, his "wooooohooooo"s and Chloe's giggles had echoed around the labyrinth for ages, 'cause, like, yeah, his baby sister was staying with him for a few days. Like, how cool was that, man, for sers? He hadn't even had to fight Pria or bribe her all that hard for her to act as ChloChlo's taxi, which probably just meant she was totally going to bleed him dry after Xanthmas was over. Or, like, maybe dragons celebrated it too?

Zeph wasn't thrilled with the idea - Chloe staying with them, he meant - but, like, the dude could go jump off the Espur pier for all he cared. Like, he adored Zeph but, dude, man, this was his baby sister, okay?

“So, like, I totally love the hat more than, like, anything, okay?” Kiel was fidgeting on his knees. Like, not 'cause the snow and ice were cold or wet, but because he just couldn't sit still no matter what position he was in.

“Oh, jeez, thanks, that's nice.”

“Huh? Like, wha? Oh! Dude, for sers, I said any thing, duh.”

“You didn't say thanks, though,” his baby nuisance pointed out. Kiel pouted and mimicked one of Zeph's glares, but was pretty sure it came out, like, a tenth of the intimidating. “Ooh. You've been practising. You look so cute.” She squeezed his cheek, too much like their older sisters. Kiel's pout deepened and he yanked his face away, almost falling flat on his back in the process.

“Dude, like, quit laughing,” he hissed, shooting the hologram nervous glances. “You're not meant to laugh at the Creator, okay, and, like, what if she takes my hat back as punishment and also holy god can you please just, like, eradicate all of the gytrashes because, like, I am so tired of them thinking I'm chow, okay?” He was speaking to Xanth now, or, like, praying to her avatar or something 'cause looking at her had reminded him of the thought he'd had a couple of weeks ago but forgotten to actually mention the last time he was here. “Like, I'm all for being a hero and stuff, okay, and I'm totally awesome at it, you know, but, like, those things creep me the Hel out.”

“Thank you,” Chloe said from where she was checking out presents by the tree.

Kiel looked at her dumbly. “Thank you? Like, for what I didn't do anything.”

The younger 'Varian glanced pointedly at Xanth's avatar. When he arched his brows and shrugged, she rolled her eyes and jerked a hand exaggeratedly. “Thank you? For the hat, for listening to your crazy requests, for putting up with you and not smiting you all year?”

“Ohhhhh. Yeah, like, thanks. Like, I so totally appreciate the whole not smiting me thing, it's not even funny. Well, like, I guess it is but not really, so thanks. Bye. Race you!” The last was a challenge to Chloe tossed over his shoulder as he darted out the exit before he'd even told her it was a challenge.

Chloe shrieked and chased after him, skidding on the ice. “Dude, that's so not fair I'm telling mom!”

[Bay]

"Curiosity killed the cat, but where people are concerned, the only thing a healthy curiosity can kill is ignorance."

The small crystal he'd gotten from the box was a perplexing mystery to Bay. He'd seen others with similar things about, but had yet to guess at its purpose. He'd heard stories from his mother about crystals people had here that stored data, though how this worked he didn't know. And by Xanth, did he want to. He didn't really have anyone he could ask about it, either.

Either way, it was a lovely crystal, and had - like everything else he owned save the clothes he wore - found its home inside his sleeves. A lucky find of twine and scrap leather a few days before had upgraded the two boxes he kept in his sleeves - now they had compartments! And his leggings had a brand new patch where one of the knees had gone out. All in all it was a good week for Bay, the nights even being warm enough that he wasn't that cold or stiff! And he'd found a stable that didn't monitor their piles of hay very well, enabling him a very cozy night's sleep.

Up until he'd gotten a pitchfork wakeup, anyway. He needed to find a way to patch up his tunic, as the spikes of the fork had not only poked into his skin but had ripped the blue cloth to get there. The pain was minimal, now, but the cuts still burned slightly and the scabs kept pulling open.

Ignoring the slight pain in his side, he returned to the grotto early in the third week, finding the place quiet again in the early morning light. He darted quickly through the hail of snowballs flung at him and snatched another box, ducking back out with it held to his chest. He wasn't sure where he'd shove this one, but...perhaps it'd make a nice hat?

[Ionia]

Although Calcia was close enough to Alexshire, Nia didn't usually participate in the festivities of the grotto. She'd decorate the shop and house with Trent during the winter season, but unlike the sidhe, she wouldn't go out of her way and enter the city just to see Xanth's statue. Today however, the skotadi just so happened to pass by the grotto as she and Trent portal-hopped back to Alexshire from Espur. They'd just gotten back from an eventful trip to Marport. Yet despite their fatigue, Trent was eager and insistent enough to succeed in dragging Nia beyond the grotto's snowy white gates. Though she'd been reluctant to enter, her initial reluctance was quickly overshadowed by her eagerness to weave and duck through the maze of snowmen. The snowball obstacle course was almost like a training exercise to her. As the two finally made it to the center of the grotto, Nia wiped snow off of her backpack as Trent shook remains of a snowball from his hair.

While Trent stopped by the trees to fawn over the baubles, Nia strode directly toward Xanth's statue and reached for something in her backpack. She hadn't planned to visit Xanth at all, so she was lucky to even have a trinket to offer. The stymphalian feather appeared plain at first sight. However, if anyone cared enough to hold it in the light, they would have realized that the anyeli script for 'perserverance' had been carved in cursive on both sides of the metal. Also, the metal was actually coated in something greenish.

“Acantha was Hel, but I lived through it.” She murmured as she knelt to toss the feather into the offering bowl. Tilting her face toward the goddess, she raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Did you play a part in that? If I lived because of you, then thank you...Thanks on behalf of Raphael and Kiel too.” She'd seen how Rusty was suffocated and also the near-death experience of that therian woman, Maaike. Thankfully, none of the horrors had happened to herself or her friends.

It almost felt odd to be addressing the inanimate statue, especially because Nia knew that the goddess truly existed. She'd seen proof of that by the River Cora so long ago. Nodding her head downward in respect, she stood and circled the area in search of Trent. Purple boxes in hand, the sidhe and skotadi exited the place of serenity.

((Surprise me? ;P ))

[Extai]

Extai had been traveling again. And in no particular fashion had ended up sleeping in a tree again. When she woke the air around her felt colder and crisp. Rubbing her eyes Extai peeked through bleary eyes, around her was bright. Rubbing them again she opened her eyes to see white, everywhere. Extai gasped and quickly glanced around, "Beautiful." She mumbled. Everything was covered in white save the spots that were covered by the tree's think branches and leaves. When Extai went to get up she was met with a tug, banging her head on the tree Extai looked down, "Of course." Untying the rope that lay around her waste Extai stood. Stretching her limbs and careful not to fall Extai glanced around again. Her mind just couldn't take it. Yes in her home she had seen snow but this was unlike anything she'd ever seen.

Packing everything in her satchel Extai scaled down the tree. When her bare feet touched the soft and cold grass she let out a shivered breathe before cursing herself as her breathe led on a gust of wind, "I'm gonna need to work on controlling that," she mumbled. Glancing around Extai found herself staring at a statue that she hadn't noticed before. Thinking back Extai realized that she wouldn't have seen it anyway, for she had made it to the tree in the night and the Statue was quite a ways away. Whistling Extai made her way to the statue. Upon closer examination Extai found herself staring at the statue of Xanth. Bowing her head quickly in respect, "Your Highness." Realizing she had nothing to give the statue in item she smiled sleepily, "It appears I lack an item of interest but I'm sure a small show would do you well?" Not waiting for a reply Extai looked around. She had not learned a lot for shaping when it came to her specialty but she was sure she could do something.

Closing her eyes and concentrating Extai pulled three wind currents to her that were in the area and set them in three small tunnels around her. It took a couple tries but she finally got all three to stay separate. Opening her eyes she focused on flowing one to grab the snow around her and drag it in the current. So in front of the statue was a small funnel circle with snow in front of Extai and two gusts around Extai. Keeping her eye on the snow one Extai pulled the next on to grab ornaments and dabbled of the tree and carry them around. Moving it to the snow ringlet she put it just below it a little bigger than before. So far it just looked like the bottom of what she was attempting to do. Closing her eyes again Extai concentrated on keeping the gusts she had now and thought of what the last one should have. An idea popped into her head and she hoped it wouldn't anger the Goddess. Opening her eyes she concentrated on the bottom gust once again she made it small and more compact. Bringing it to the top she stabilized it before concentrating on using her last unused gust.

It swept up behind her as it picked up the offerings to Xanth as Extai willed it to move them in the area under the snow ring. Once it was in place Extai took a small breath in as she summoned a small just to pick up a star ornament. She almost lost it all as her concentration started to fade but she breathed again and watched as the gusts seemed to do so with her as she brought the star ornament to the top. After waiting a couple minutes to fully gain control again Extai spoke, "Your own tree. Complete with presents." Her control was failing so she slowly drifted Xanth's gifts back behind her and dropped the other gust. Turning to face the statue as some of the items exploded towards her Extai smiled, "Well that could have gone far worse." Extai turned around and began to pick up the items that lay scattered and set them back. Turning around she clapped she hands to get the snow off before turning back to the statue, "I'm sorry if I upset you. I don't have anything in my bag but a couple pebbles, a rope, a small blanket, and some rations. And as much as I am giving I need those. Well I could have given you a pebble but I felt a small tree of your own was far better than any item I carry." Extai smiled and sat down. She was tired from her show and her mind hurt a little. She was proud of herself, she actually managed to control four gusts with out blowing up everything. Her smile widened as she remembered the wind tree, while corny it was beautiful. The top was a spinning star, the next a set of dancing ornaments, then a ring of beautiful snow, and then presents to Xanth herself. While the area around was a little flustered and Extai looked like she just was beat up, her hair was sticking in wild directions and she sat tired and barely awake, she found it worth it.



Wish List:

• An imp sort-of like the pictures I shall link.
  
• Something to help her with controlling her winds.

Imp links:
Imp One (no fire)
Imp Two
Imp Three (Female)

[Alistair]

In the third week of Xanthmas, Alistair gave to Xanth; one thought of gratitude, one prayer of hope, and a small wink to her avatar.

He had woken up for his daily walk with excessive vigour, as his new pet slept curled on the pillow next to Alistair's. He had not yet named the little windfur, but the little ball of fluff had made Alistair squeal with delight, like a sissy, when he had opened the box. The little creature was so loving and curious, and on the first evening had fell asleep draped across his neck like an ickle furry scarf (Alistair often referred to her as ickle, but don't tell anybody). He had determined it was a girl, with a little help from the Nymph in the apartment next door - thank Xanth for her knowledge of all things furry -, but he could not decide on a name. Everything he thought of seemed too cheesy, too stupid, or too serious.

Once he reached the safe haven of the labyrinth, watching a mother and her young hatchlings scoop up a box each, he paused to think about what he was thankful for this week.“Thanks so much for the gift last week, it's like you read my mind. Which you probably did. I'm thankful this week for... that time that pickpocket dropped fifty xanthai while I was pursuing him... the delicious stew I had earlier this week... oh, and the wellbeing of all Elysians, of course. I know I'm not your typical worshipper, since I have trouble saying what I think... but thanks, and stuff.” Having completed his moving prayer, Alistair approached, picked up a lovely box with a purple ribbon - of course - and left.

[Xanth]

In the third week of Xanthmas, She gave with seasonal cheer:

To Kiel: A thumbnail-sized emerald.

To Bay: A rasuli messenger bat.

To Ionia: A small wooden box with Anyeli carvings on the outside and a pair of ivory wings set into the top. It contains packets of a variety of common antidotes and curatives useful to adventurers, such as babana oil and boswellia. It also contains a set of 5 vials of carsic acid.

To Extai: A small wire cage with a pair of imps inside (hopefully both the same gender so they don't start a new colony).

To Alistair: A pair of hard leather arm guards in the same colour and with the same pattern as his new dress shoes.

[Kiel]

“Okay, so, like. Thanks for the gem, man, for sers. It's been kinda hard funding Pria's appetite for shinies since, you know, Zeph's store and everything. Even with my job with the League and everything, the council can't really pay that much for Guard wages lately because the economy kinda took a huge bite, or had a bite taken out of it, or something. But yeah, so thanks, 'cause I'm so going to need her help one of these days and I had nothing to pay her with, you know? Oh, please don't tell me you know something I don't, man, 'cause, I mean, obviously you know stuff I don't but, like, if things could stay quiet a bit longer that'd be great because I'm still getting over that whole thing in Acantha and I don't think Zeph will forgive me if I get almost dead again. Like, I'm pretty sure he won't charge in to rescue me this time, you know? Or, like, maybe I hope he doesn't 'cause that whole thing scared the creeping freepers out of me, for sers. Like, if you could see your way to, I don't know, I mean, I know he doesn't really have a great relationship with you or something but it'd be sweet if you could, you know, I don't know, not get him killed. For me. For, like, a little bit, at least. Like, I don't know, another couple thousand years, that sound good to you? That sounds good to me. Yeah. I mean, he's old but I'd like to keep him around for a while, you know?”

Kiel bounced on his toes in his awkwardness and shot a winning smile at Xanth's avatar, then glanced at the gift box slowly squeezing between his death grip. It wasn't much in the way of an offering. Like, Zeph's place wasn't the only one to take a hit, and Kiel wasn't joking about the sudden decline in his income. Rebuilding was harder and more expensive than he'd expected, but it wasn't like they could just move 'cause most of the city was in the same state and he didn't want his folks to know how bad things had gotten.

He'd thought it a bit weird to use anything from his share of the treasure they found at Dionica since it was probably all Xanth's anyway, but he figured it was a nice gesture to return this.

“So, um. Yeah, thanks. Okay, I should go. Um. Yeah. Thanks.” He did a quick, awkward bobbing thing that was half curtsey and half bow, then darted from the maze with a relieved grin - right up until a snowball caught him full in the face.

[Bay]

"Curiosity killed the cat, but where people are concerned, the only thing a healthy curiosity can kill is ignorance."

It was in the waning hours of the last day of the holiday that Bay arrived yet again, slipping into the festival grounds as the sun sank below the horizon. The small bat, whom he'd named Fen, clung to the shoulder of his tunic, small beady eyes watching the crowds. She seemed to like him, and he was very glad of the company. Even if she couldn't talk, she made for some level of companionship. But she had turned the days a little tougher; now he had to find food - mostly fruit - not just for himself, but for her. In practice, most of the food was going to her. She seemed able to eat more than her tiny body seemed likely to hold.

He skipped quickly across the snow, the sticky stuff clinging to his bare feet as he ran past the animated guards. He held a hand up to shield Fen, just in case she got hit. The noise and flying snow balls made the small bat ruffle her wings, and he gently pressed a finger into her back to keep her still. Bat shielded and otherwise protected, he snatched a box, turning quickly on the slick snow and reversing, taking off out of the maze. He was getting good at this - what had that strange, giggling man said? Acrobatics, that was it.

For good or ill, he dexterously made his way out past the guards, taking only one hit from their errant snowballs as he made his way back to the street.

[Xanth]

In the final week of Xanthmas, She gave with seasonal cheer:

To Kiel: An exact replica of his Dragon Claw katana.

To Bay: An amberic elixir.

I hope you all have enjoyed your gifts. Happy new year!