[Nexus] Thanksmasnewyearskwanzakkah 5: Now with Mall Santas!

[Lost_Deep]

"Of course, Take your time."

Pfft, I need less than you do. You need those human things like a house and whatnot, right? What could I need?

...

Yeah, what do you think I need?

[Slii Arhem]

...

"Right, she doesn't know either. Do you know anything you could get for an artist who gets bouts of random lack of creativity and flips out about it?" Mintbalm's not very hopeful with those vague guidelines, but maybe Eliza will know something she doesn't.

[Zefir]

"Oooooh! Good idea!" Brinika squeaks, bouncing up and down. She begins to help Jefferies with scooping up the snow.

The wolf's ears flick when the little green thing speaks in a language she can understand. She lowers her head and gives a short bark of greeting.

Well that's good for Mr C he could at last say some words the wolf understands befor ending as a meal.

*bark*bark*
"You won't eat someone speaking your language right?"

[happyturtle]

The little girls build a snow person, but whether it's a snowhuman, snoworc, or snowgoblin is anyone's guess. It's not likely to be identifiable as any of the three.

[Lost_Deep]

"Well, there is something for everyone if you know where to look!" Eliza pulls a large tablet out of the bag, with a red ribbon tied around it. "If nothing else, she can flip out anonymously!"

What is it?

[Morty]

Well that's good for Mr C he could at last say some words the wolf understands befor ending as a meal.

*bark*bark*
"You won't eat someone speaking your language right?"

The wolf pup shakes her head. Grandmummy told her not to eat anything in the Thanksmas village anyway.

The little girls build a snow person, but whether it's a snowhuman, snoworc, or snowgoblin is anyone's guess. It's not likely to be identifiable as any of the three.

Indeed. Much fun is had in the process of building it, though.

[Slii Arhem]

"Well, there is something for everyone if you know where to look!" Eliza pulls a large tablet out of the bag, with a red ribbon tied around it. "If nothing else, she can flip out anonymously!"

What is it?

Dunno, I guess you'll have to figure it out yourself. Maybe it'll even keep you occupied for a while." Mintbalm replies cheekily as she accepts the present.

"Do you think I could have something for myself too? I know it's not really normal for one body to get two gifts, but I did have one in mind if I was able to ask."

[Lost_Deep]

"Hmm...."

Eliza thinks for a minute. If mintbalm listens carefully, she might be able to hear an odd sound like a phone dialing.

Eliza seems to ponder for a moment. "Well, there can be an exception this once. What would you like for Thanksmasnewyearskwanzakkah?"

[Slii Arhem]

Mintbalm smiles beatifically, "A tophat that animates whatever you put it on into a happy singing golem!" She replies, eying the little snow-person that the three kids just made and plotting.

[Lost_Deep]

"Well, what do you know!" Eliza pulls a top hat out of the sack. "Look! You can even customize the playlist like an MP3player!" It's full of festive songs, of course.

When Mintbalm takes the hat, Eliza will try to slip a small slip of paper into Mintbalm's hand. It's a sheet with the names and contact numbers of a few psychologists, and the web address of some websites on dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia.

[The Bushranger]

It might, suddenly, be noticed that the line for people to meet Santa just got a little bit longer.

[Slii Arhem]

"Whoops, you nearly dropped this. Wouldn't wanted to forget who's naughty and nice, would you Santa?" Mintbalm pushes the list back into Eliza's hand with a wink, taking the hat and skipping over to the trio of little girls so she can slip it onto their snow-person's head.

[Lost_Deep]

The note is accepted back and disappears into a pocket or something. Probably better for everyone involved to pretend that never happened. Vriveka doesn't say anything, but does send Mintbalm a mental smirk.

Eliza's attention will then turn to the next person in line. "Happy Thanksmasnewyearskwanzakkah! What would you like this year?"

[The Bushranger]

Next in line happens to be a particualy bouncy, short, energetic redhead!



...and Dani skips up with a broad, happy smile to deposit herself in Santa's lap.
"Hi! I, um, actually want something for my wife..."

[Lost_Deep]

"Well, then, what would you like to give her for Thanksmasnewyearskwanzakkah?" Eliza reaches over to the bag, and begins to rummage around.

[The Bushranger]

"...something that will protect her," Dani says quietly after a moment's thought. "She's...not reckless, but bold, and I worry."

[Lost_Deep]

"Hmm..."

She rustles around in the sack some.

"You know, I'm going to default to a version of the best present!"

Eliza pulls out a tablet and gives it to Dani. It has a red ribbon tied around it. "This tablet is manufactured by B2, which prides in making products that outlive their owners! In addition to being waterproof, having satellite uplink, and a two day battery life. And it can stop anything that wouldn't puncture tank armor!"

...oh my. I guess they really do want their products to outlive their owners.

[The Bushranger]

Dani raises an eyebrow.

Decides that maybe Eliza shouldn't quit her day job.

But smiles brightly as she accepts the gift.
"Thank you!"

...and now Eliza will find herself being hugged by the talkative redheaded blur!

[Lost_Deep]

"Happy Thanksmasnewyearskwanzakkah!"

Yeah, she probably should keep her... wait. Her day job is basically this, but she gets money for it. Huh.

[The Bushranger]

Dani smiles happily and hurries off!

A NEW CHALLENGER APPROACHES!

[Lost_Deep]

Others might be surprised, or upset because they have things to do, or maybe a little tired or kind of bored.

"Happy Thanksmasnewyearskwanzakkah! What would you like this year?"

Or at least a little bit less enthusiastic about the situation. But no, Eliza continues to be an ever-chipper Santa for the next person.

[5a Violista]

Harley, the woman with the sword and the scar, gets in the back of the line before it gets too big. After all, it's an important holiday! Maybe this is exactly the best opportunity she needs to get what she needs.

She waits as patiently in line as she can. Which, to be honest, is only a little patient.

[Zefir]

The wolf pup shakes her head. Grandmummy told her not to eat anything in the Thanksmas village anyway.



Indeed. Much fun is had in the process of building it, though.

Mr. C calms down a bit. At least his high amount of lanuge he knows does help him out. (He can't know about the Grandmummy thing.)

*bark*bark*
"What are you doing here?"

[Morty]

"Whoops, you nearly dropped this. Wouldn't wanted to forget who's naughty and nice, would you Santa?" Mintbalm pushes the list back into Eliza's hand with a wink, taking the hat and skipping over to the trio of little girls so she can slip it onto their snow-person's head.

Mintbalm walks by the three girls with a varying degree of smallness and puts the hat on the snow-person. The snow glows for a second, then the snow-person shifts and starts to move. He appears to be sliding above the ground and eyes and a mouth appear on his snowy head. He's smiling and humming.

Mr. C calms down a bit. At least his high amount of lanuge he knows does help him out. (He can't know about the Grandmummy thing.)

*bark*bark*
"What are you doing here?"

The wolf cub's tail swishes. They're there to make people happy by offering themselves for Thanksmas pets and hugs. People like fuzzy wolves.

[happyturtle]

Lottie, predictably, screams and jumps up on top of the fountain wall again.

Jefferies laughs and claps her hands. "How dat happen?"

[Zefir]

The wolf cub's tail swishes. They're there to make people happy by offering themselves for Thanksmas pets and hugs. People like fuzzy wolves.

Mr. C nods.

*bark*bark* ((Strange sounds allways the same but has so many meanings^^))
"Can you give me a ride then?"

[Morty]

"It must be a magic hat!" Brinika squeals enthusiastically, jumping up and down.

The wolf's ears flick and she grins. She can give the little lizard a ride, sure. She stretches herself on the ground to let him climb onto her back.

[Slii Arhem]

The gliding snow-person's grin splits into a wide-mouthed, cheerful song that belts out over the whole of the Thanksmas area.

"Fuuuuuuuuzzy the wolf cub
Was a cheerful happy pup
With his toothy grin
And his black wet nose
When he fell he'd bounce back up

Fuzzy the wolf cub
Loved to hunt and howl and play
Then he met some kids
Who looked just like you
And he chased them night and day

Runnity flee flee
Runnity flee flee
Look out, here he comes
Runnity flee flee
Runnity flee flee
Hide inside your homes

Fuzzy the wolf cub
Chased the kids until they hid
Then he sat alone
On a cold flat stone
And he cried a little bit

For Fuzzy the wolf cub
Loved to hunt and howl and play
But the kids were scared
And they ran away
So he made no friends that day."

Mintbalm giggles madly from where she sits on a partly snow-covered bench. It seemed to her that the hat even had context-sensitive magic that altered the songs it played to fit the situation it was in. She doubted that it just had that song in its playlist on its own.

See that? Three kids being happy, and all it cost me was a gift I didn't really want anyway. I might take the hat after they're finished playing with it though. There's all kinds of tricks I could play with animated singing things. Oh wait, two kids being happy. That one's screaming. Mintbalm shakes her head at how silly Lottie is being.

[happyturtle]

Lottie stops screaming when the snow golem starts to sing. Personally, I think I'd be more scared of a singing snow golem than a mute one, but Lottie is silly.

Anyway, when the song is over, she claps and yells "Again! Again!"

[Halae]

A certain half-dragon, currently decked out in a red outfit with white trim and a festive hat on his head, will go up to Eliza, "Alright, my turn now." He'll wait patiently for Eliza to leave the throne.