middaeg | [ Open ] Life is like a blanket of snow

Entry tags:

[ Open ] Life is like a blanket of snow

Who: Vanitas + Open
When: All December
Where: Various
What: Open Quest Prompts + Closed Prompts | Hit me up at [plurk.com profile] jardaan if you'd like!
Warnings: TBD

( Wool You Lend A Hand )

[ Hadn't they sheered the sheep all the way back months ago? Why is the wool just now being used? Vanitas wonders this, of course, as the word gets around that the person who keeps the sheep needs an extra had. Given the fact that he had been an unwilling participant in the sheering of these sheep in the first place, Van is curious about what the wool is going to be used for this time around.

Really the job itself is easy. Put the wool in the dye. Swirl it around for a while. Take it out. Squeeze. Move it on to dry. Simple! ]

Don't know why he had such a hard time getting people to take on this job.

[ At least... Until Van starts to snicker. At nothing. ]

( An Eggstra Bad Mistake: A )

[ Van is holding a list as he stands before a house, scowling at it. There are several scribbles on the piece of paper. Though he doesn't really look too happy about being here. ]

The idiot pushing his mistakes off on other people to fix. Maybe we should just feed him to this creature he stole the eggs from. Then maybe he'd learn his lesson.

[ Not that he had much of a chance to refuse. The crazed person shoved a list in his hand, rambling, and took off. Now Vanitas is in front of one of the houses, about ready to knock. Someone should probably help him because this isn't going to go well. Vanitas has the mindset of just breaking in and taking what he needs to. ]

( An Eggstra Bad Mistake: B )

[ By now Vanitas has recovered quite a few eggs. They are all being kept into a rather big basket that he's found. Oh he's noticed that he's not the only one carrying eggs back to the Wilde. Just how many people did this moron enlist? How much did he steal!? ]

Anyone else thinking that maybe we should have left the guy to deal with this instead?

[ The problem now is that the eggs in Van's basket are starting to move. He hasn't quite noticed it yet! ]

( Save the Snowbirds )

[ Chances are that Vanitas has grabbed someone to go with him. He's made a promise not to go out into the Wilde on his own if he can avoid it. It doesn't matter who he drags with him - if they look competent enough then that'll have to do. Vanitas is confident that he can make up the difference in skill and strength. He's also grown into a rather adept healer in his time here.

Or, perhaps, you have snatched up Vanitas to come along with you. Either way, with some complaining about worrying about some dumb birds, they will all find their way to the nest. Seeing the state of the area immediately puts Vanitas on edge. ]

Of course it would be like this. At least now we know what happened to the dumb birds.

[ He pulls his Keyblade out, not wanting to risk using magic. That's when little growls and yips can be heard in the background. ]

Looks like it won't be such an easy job after all.

( Other Locations )

[ Vanitas can always be found here and there near the Wilde settlements, either clearing out the areas of wildlife or infected creatures. Or he'll be at the healing tents, offering some services to keep his "skills" sharp. Additionally, he can be found meandering the city this month, perusing through shops looking for gifts and trying not to be obvious about it! ]

( Gift Giving: Closed to CR )

[ Towards the end of the month, Vanitas is going from house to house of all of the people that he knows. At least those that he knows where they live. It seems silly and his ears are burning like mad because of the embarrassment over this, but he hadn't been able to do something of this nature last year. Vanitas had only just started to open up and trust people around this time the year previous, when Mira had brought him in. Since then he's learned a lot and has grown as a person quite a bit.

So he kind of wants to repay that. Don't get him wrong, it's not out of kindness. It has nothing to do with making other people happy or showing them that he appreciates them. Van isn't that soft of a person and he isn't about to say that this is what this is about! No, Vanitas is merely giving back out of some strange obligation to do so.

That's it. No other reason.

So several people are going to be finding Vanitas on their doorsteps - or in some cases just tracking them down and finding them at random times - and trying to shove something into their hands before making a hasty exit. ]

( Wildcard )

[ If nothing above tickles your fancy, by all means just throw something at me and I will roll with it! Or, additionally, hit me up on plurk and we can plot something out. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Vanitas isn't the only one looking through shops to find gifts for people, of course; Ferran has been struggling with the idea since he first learned of the upcoming holiday. Not only is he limited in how much he can spend, he also only knows the people around him so well—compared to most of his friends back home having been in his life for several years at a minimum.

Maybe Vanitas isn't being obvious about it, but Ferran knows the guy has Bonds and that Modranicht is approaching. It's an easy assumption to make. Ferran puts down a skull-shaped crystal trinket, glancing towards the dark-haired witch.]

Looking for gifts?

[He's more bundled up compared to the last time they met, the cape around his shoulders designed specifically to cover everything and keep in as much warmth as possible. It manages to keep his new, crumpled wings from being touched by the chilly air, as long as he doesn't move his arms... mostly.]

[ Now Vanitas isn't usually one that startles, but this time he does. It's a combination of someone coming up behind him and not expecting someone to catch him in the act. In the act of something that is embarrassing for him that is. He whirls around and gives the other a bit of a withering look. Or it might be more like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar. ]

...What makes you ask that?

[ Vanitas also takes not of Ferran's attire but doesn't say much on it. Not yet. ]

[The defensive reaction isn't what he anticipated, and his eyebrows rise marginally when a question is turned back to him.]

There's a holiday coming up, isn't there? [Ferran doesn't actually doubt this, but it seems like an easy way to defuse the conversation. He shrugs.] It's what I'm doing.

[ They might have had a decent conversation before, but Vanitas is a little defensive when it comes to things of a more... Personal nature. This is rather personal, considering he hasn't really done this sort of thing before. He's never been compelled to something like this before really. ]

And just who are you looking for?

[ Maybe Vanitas can get some ideas. ]

[Ferran, meanwhile, isn't at all shy about getting things for others, whether they're especially close or not. Maybe he'll get something for Vanitas too, for that matter.]

Oh, a few people. My bonded and some friends.

[It still feels odd to call people he's known for less than three months friends, but it's simpler just to say it than try to qualify it in different terms.]

I wish I had a better idea of what they liked, but I'll probably end up browsing until I find something that suits them.

[ Oh goodness. He wouldn't know what to do if he starts to receive things from people that aren't Mira or Sora. It would probably short circuit his little developing heart. Then there'd be the obligation to get them something back! ]

Bondmates are important, true. So are friends, I guess.

[ Which he can actually admit that he has a few now. It used to be a lot harder. ]

I think that's the problem I'm having. No, it's I know what they like but I don't know what I'm doing.

[New to gifting, or just always had trouble, he wonders? Either way, it's easy enough to offer his thoughts. He likes being able to assist when he can.]

Well, what do they like? Maybe I can help you think of something.

[ Van thinks about this for a moment. Sora had been pretty easy to get for... ]

Reading and writing. We sometimes bake together.

[ Mira is a very important person in his life. Bondmate and family. ]

[That's a pretty good set of interests. He's sure Vanitas will find at least one of his suggestions helpful:]

Cookbooks are usually a good idea for that, then, especially since people are always coming up with new recipes. [And it's a great way for them to spend more time together, in Ferran's opinion.]

For writing, you can get them a nice set of pens, notebooks, or ways to organize their writing... binders, bookmarks... if they have adhesive notes here, those are almost always useful.

[He's less of a writer and more of a note-taker and sketcher, but close enough.]

Reading... unless you really know what they like to read, books are harder to figure out. But reading lights and lamps, or something comfortable to sit against while they read, like a neck pillow, maybe.

[ Pens and notebooks. Pads of paper. Maybe an upgrade on a typewriter? Or whatever the equivalent here is. Those sorts of things might work. Then again maybe Mira would prefer quills and ink to actual pens. Vani is going to just have to figure out what her preference is. ]

Those aren't bad ideas. It's giving me a few different ones.

[ Van scoffs. ]

I still don't know what's appropriate to get a female though.

[Referring to a person as a female feels like nails on a chalkboard to Ferran, though he manages to keep his external reaction to a brief, rapid blink and raised eyebrows. Hopefully it's just a cultural thing... he doesn't want to make any false assumptions...]

What do you mean by appropriate, exactly?

[ Look, Vanitas happens to know several girls. However he has also been raised by a very old, nasty man. He doesn't refer to someone as "girl" or "boy" usually without insulting them or adding it on as a nickname. ]

There's some things you can get and others you can't. Things that can be interpreted poorly despite intent.

[ He hasn't done this sort of thing before after all. ]

[Is that all? If Vanitas is giving this person a gift, surely he can just communicate with her. Unless he's trying to get someone lingerie or something—but that's clearly not the case here. He shrugs.]

If you're worried she'll take it the wrong way, you can just write a note with it. Tell her how important a friend she is to you—or however you feel.

I just don't know what I'm doing with half of these things...

[ A hard thing for Vanitas to admit, all right? This is the first year that he's bothered to make an effort to get anyone anything. He's still uncertain about acceptable and not acceptable. He's concerned with getting just the right thing.

Worried, really. ]

Not sure I could say those things even in a note anyway.

[This guy really is helpless, huh... Ferran might not think of himself as the most emotionally mature person, but he's experienced enough with giving gifts and talking about positive relationships that he's pretty sure he can give the guy a hand.]

I don't mind helping with that too, if you want.

[ Hearing that, Vanitas shakes his head. It's not that he doesn't need the help. he probably does. It's just... ]

I think that's something I'm just going to have to work out.

[As eager as Ferran can be to help, he's starting to understand the other side of it, too. Wanting to be able to figure something out on his own, especially for the things he sees as important and personal... it's a struggle to balance it.]

Well, if you say so. But there's no shame in accepting help, if you change your mind.

[His offer remains open, whether Vanitas accepts it or not. Maybe he knows someone else that can help, too. And he can maybe give the guy a place to start...]

I did see some nice cards at the home store two blocks over, towards the Haven. They usually have prewritten messages on them, if you have too much trouble figuring out what to say on your own.

[ Prewritten cards... That's really not such a bad idea is it? Sure it seems a little impersonal but that's one step in the correct direction. Vanitas wouldn't have to go all out. Just a stepping stone! ]

Can you show me?

Sure.

[Thankfully, there's still plenty of time to pick out gifts, so he doesn't feel like he needs to stick around this shop and snap anything up at the moment.]

If you're done in here, we can head there now.

[He'd gone to that particular store mostly to look for things for his own home initially, but there were plenty of housewarming sorts of things that were good for gifts, too, so it's no surprise they had cards available.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Open ] Life is like a blanket of snow

Other - shopping

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