- Influence
- 2,123.00
(Fluffy Giftsgiving party from 1728 with the crew of the Hide. Including: Anithias Freedom, Julia Freedom, Jeshal the Ironclaw, Tanya Keltoi, Xhavek Mokorai, Wisp Wanderpaw, Kiptooth, Rynn, Armina Rogue, Sokea Tyttonimi, Sorrona Ashpaw, Macavity Ashpaw, and the one and only honorary Bootnose)
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
First post Primary 8, Yr. 1729, 11:17 am
Anithias Freedom/Julia Freedom
The cabin's lock turned with a click, allowing the door to swing open and admit the sounds of the ship. In this case, the bickering of the first mate and his wife.
"...don't know why we even went!" Anithias grumped, his paws working at a black tie as he entered the room. Julia, clad in a resplendent green dress and shawl, followed after him, a sleeping Falun in her arms.
"We couldn't very well turn it down," she noted disapprovingly. "Not when they delivered it in person. Besides, it can't hurt to make an effort. We used to be very close to them, after all."
"Yes, close, before they tried to marry you off, locked me in a cellar for two years, and sent Hercen to arrest us both!"
Anithias and Julia had just returned from a Christmas party held at, of all places, Heartwood Manor. Neither of them had really wanted to go, considering past events, but had no choice in the matter. "We hardly get to see our grandson," sniffed Mrs. Heartwood as Julia tried to explain to her parents that they were very busy that night. "After all, he is our blood relation as well, and we've never done anything to harm him."
"You sent a lawyer to claim custody from us!" Anithias exclaimed angrily. "Tox had to threaten deadly force to get you all off!"
"Yes, well," said Mrs. Heartwood apologetically. "That was your mother's suggestion anyway." After an hour of trying to wrangle their way out of attending, Julia finally gave in and agreed that they both would come. Anithias didn't talk to her for the rest of that day.
Things had been little better at the party. Anithias and Julia, clad in the little finery they owned, arrived at the door of the very place they had run away from, to spend an evening with the people they despised the most – their relatives. Mrs. Goldfur and Mrs. Heartwood had immediately swarmed Julia to coo over Falun for the first time. To his credit Falun immediately started wailing, giving Julia an opportunity to excuse herself.
As the evening wore on, things got progressively worse. Mr. Goldfur asked pointed questions about Anithias' rank, dropping not-so-subtle hints about how he could have been a captain by now if he had joined his family's shipping line. Mrs. Heartwood bragged overtly to Julia about how Julia's sisters were living in the lap of luxury in their husbands' mansions, occasionally stopping to inquire about the furnishing of Anithias' tiny cabin. The evening had culminated with Mr. Goldfur sporting a bloody snout, Mrs. Goldfur's dentures hanging from the chandelier, and Mrs. Heartwood in the infirmary awaiting surgery to remove a sugared almond from her ear.
Julia sighed, banishing the memories of the night. "At least there's the crew party to look forward to," she said positively. Anithias gave a non-committal "hmph," shrugging off his dinner jacket.
-------------------------------------------
The crew's party did indeed turn out to be something worth looking forward to. The galley was festooned with bright tinsel strands and holly, while wreathes hung from the rigging above the deck. Johan Van Wulfenheim lurked in a corner, drunkenly muttering obscene carols under his breath, while Bootnose lurked hopefully until a strand of mistletoe. Needless to say, the ship's female occupants were avoiding that side of the galley.
Julia floated happily by Anithias' side, attired in her favourite green dress. Anithias smiled as he realized it was the same dress she had worn on their first outing four years ago. Baby Falun, festively attired in red and green, giggled happily at all the pretty sights. Anithias frowned disapprovingly at Armina as she passed by in a black satin dress, but Julia pulled his ear close to her mouth. "Let her go," she suggested gently. "It's Giftsgiving, after all." Anithias sighed, but nodded. He checked the large wickerwork basket at his side to make sure all the gifts were there before moving on through the crowd.
Jeshal the Ironclaw
It was a strange thing, Jeshal thought, to find oneself at a joyous celebratory event. Before being a member of the Golden Hide he had never heard of such a thing. He had never given nor received a Giftsgiving present and he did not pity himself for it. The sad truth was that on some level he did not yet understand platonic affection let alone love. Passion and obsession were familiar ground, and something about the way the crew behaved at this time led him to recognise the smell of the former as being something in the air. Giftsgiving made the younger ones giddy, even if it was only due to too much of Hector Thaum's Paint Remover.
The Ironclaw was once again enjoying his habit of leaning casually against a wall – this time, the festive galley's – and watching the revelry with curiosity. He was dressed in a black velvet frock coat, a recent addition to his wardrobe since accidentally hauling in quite handsomely on the Imperium Lottery, and his cavalier hat was trimmed with gold tinsel. A black pair of sandals attired his footpaws, and a velvet glove of matching hue encased his one forepaw.
He sipped at a tankard of Bailey's Olde Speciale and grinned cruelly at Bootnose in between his glances at the general throng. He noticed the Freedom couple and their babe. His attention also flitted over Armina in her attractive dress, which caused him to ponder over what the captain of the vessel would be wearing and if in fact she would be attending.
The todd had not brought many presents with him. Mostly he intended to avoid the concept altogether but buy a drink here or there if questioned. A few items nestled in his pockets, not all of them pleasant, should the opportune moments arise. He was more interested in the guests and the potential entertainment that high energies could unload.
Jeshal took a larger mouthful and allowed himself an involuntary giggle.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor/Kiptooth
The traditional sounds of thuds, curses and vixen-pitched complaints made little difference to the year's festivities as the fox made her late entrance with little surprise. The kits of hers were absent from her coat-tails, already having as much fun as they could, safely camped out beneath the long trestle tables with food they'd purloined from the buffet above, only emerging to re-equip themselves or hand out little woven bands they'd made to random crewmembers; it was all under the strict surveillance of Tobey, of course, whom, with seven feet of muscle and fierce beak, seemed to have the incredible influence of ensuring that even the hardiest bilgerat could be reduced to 'pleasantly surprised' responses to the bombardment of fluff.
Decked out in her more formal Navy outfit (a far cry from the casual civvies she much preferred while at sea) of blue and gold, the diminutive Captain seemed to have disposed of most of the formalities of decorum as she and the unusually dapper-looking Kiptooth fought tooth and claw to lug a heavy old crate filled with objects into the room.
"You 'ad to go buy the lot of 'em sammink, din't you?"
"What can I say Kip? They're family."
"All of em?!"
"What, jealous of it, me 'brother'?"
"No – it just means that I 'ave to buy for 'em now!"
Smirking at Kiptooth over the hubbub, she and the surgeon lugged the battered crate through the busy room, Tox took the time to let her eyes flit over the decor with appraisal and admiration for her hardworking crew, feeling a slight swell of pride for the cohesion displayed in the party's organisation.
She saw the mistletoe. A muffled growl: she hadn't signed anything allowing that rubbish aboard. Her eyes stung with the bittersweet memories of her husband and how the pair had at last admitted their love for each other this night a few years back, through no spoken words, merely actions, forming that sudden, unbreakable connection of two hearts – it hurt to think of the occasion itself, her first Giftsgiving with him gone, but to see the reminder almost riled her – were the crew begging for a moody Captain tonight?
Then again, she could hardly deny them the antic: perhaps it would serve just as similar a purpose for two other young, foolish recruits in their first winter together. Glancing back down the boards with a mutter, the vixen belatedly realised she had missed a step and stumbled in surprise at the sight.
"Kip, which eejit dumb enough ter take the risk put that mistletoe there?"
"Me." A beat. The vixen's hackles flattened a little.
"Oh..."
"You can't just ignore the memories, Tox – best to remember them with a positive feeling."
"Yeah yeah, I hear yeh..."
Muttering something either obscene or as a growled warning to the empty space of air on her left, Tanya helped to wrestle the old crate into a corner, stirring up some age-old dust that had somehow accumulated (though through no fault of the cleaner, it should be noted – it was a peculiar anomaly of the ship that, no matter how well a cabin is scrubbed, one corner will always magnetise dust). That done, Tox smirked and turned around to applaud the ragtag 'band' that was assembled at the far end of the mess as they completed their first tune and continued to liven the atmosphere with another fast-paced reel.
Anithias Freedom/Julia Freedom
Anithias spotted Tanya and Kiptooth enter the galley, lugging a large chest behind them. "Quick! The gifts!" Anithias said hurriedly, pulling up the basket up so that they could rummage through the packages and check the tags.
"Why didn't you put Tanya's on top?" Julia asked, clumsily running one paw through the presents while the other held Falun close to her chest.
"I did put it on top. It's not my fault if these things move around... here!"
He pulled three large presents from the basket. Two were obviously books – one was a copy of the Imperium Navee Handbooke, handcopied by Anithias, while the other was a recently published medical journal from the royal physician himself. Julia had seized a copy the moment she saw it arrive at Ye Imperiume Books, hoping that Kiptooth would not have a copy yet. The third was a special present from them both to Tox. Anithias had spent his port time in the lobby of the Fogey Building examining the portrait of Falun Ryalor there, trying to remember everything he could about the fox's appearance. Then, when he was back on the ship, he had taken his brush and began to paint. It was not what would be called a masterpiece; Anithias had little painting talent of his own. Still, by some miracle of the muse, four days and 12 hours of painting later a recognizable image of Falun, Tanya, Vald and Aille rested on the canvas. Anithias sighed as he held this present in his arms. He hoped it wouldn't cause Tox any undue grief.
Waiting until Tox and Kip were done wrestling with the crate, Anithias and Julia approached. "Happy Giftgiving, Tox! These are for you," Anithias said cheerfully, handing over Tox's two presents. "Don't open this one until later," he whispered as he handed over the portrait. The last thing he wanted was for Tox to flip out in the middle of a party.
"And this is for you, Kiptooth," Julia said warmly, carefully balancing Falun against her hip and holding out the wrapped book. "I hope you don't have a copy." She smiled at her tutor. After having seen her father again she further appreciated her teacher, who was more a father to her than Ariscus Heartwood ever could be.
Rynn
A content smile rested itself on her face. The she-cat had been busy all day, preparing what she knew to be traditional gifts-giving eatery. For the occasion, she had donned her one nice dress. The simple black one. Not too fancy, but for the cream colored sash hung low about her waist. Shockingly enough the feline had taken the time to do a nice comb through her fur. The dark auburn headfur hung nicely about her shoulders.
The decorations had been put up with care and effort, to ensure that the festiveness of the event was felt by all. Rynn had made sure to lay out small bowls of candied and dried fruits and nuts. She had been saving a large batch of candied chestnuts since last Macabre, and was pleased with the way they had turned out.
Since early morning the feline had been baking and cooking and stirring and mixing. The funny thing to her was, she didn't mind it at all. She was a sea beast and a fighter to be sure, and it never struck her how she could willingly do all this and not expect something in return. It surprised her that she felt most rewarded when she was simply being thanked by her captain. Being aboard the Hide was different than being anywhere else. She didn't feel like she had to disappear or keep any secrets from many of the beasts she met. The reassurance she felt each morning; that she had a place here. It reminded her of something familiar. And for the longest time the cook simply could not place her paw on it until it struck her... the aura of the crew, the captain, was something akin to... Kin... to family.
Patting her small bag of gifts slung at her side, the cook continued bustling about arranging the dishes. Pointing out a few slight mistakes to some of the aiding crewmembers. "No... th'gull goes on th'side table. An' try keepin' th'fish in the middle if'n y'please."
The galley door opened as the first party-goers arrived. It was Anithias and his family. A warm smile appeared upon the feline's face as she began to wish them welcome. Quickly she brought out the warmed cider and spiced cordial, as one by one more beasts appeared. Each dressed well enough for the occasion. A few faces missing but she was sure that would soon change. She giggled at the sight of Captain Tanya and Kiptooth dragging in a substantially large crate. Was that what she thought it was?
Xhavek Mokorai/Wisp Wanderpaw
(Permission for auto on the twins)
Xhavek shivered with the cold as he and his brother made their way to the party. He and Wisp had been out doing a little last minute giftwrapping at his apartment in the Slups. Probably not the best place for a pair of beasts laden with gifts but at least they had made sure to keep to the well-lit areas. Wisp stumbled on a loose pavestone and Xhavek reached out and grabbed his brother by the collar before he could fall to the ground. Wisp stuttered a quick thanks and they continued on to the ship. When they finally made it Xhavek and Wisp checked each other over for one final time.
Both of the brothers wore garb that was a far cry from what they normally did. As a point they presented very different and almost opposing images. Wisp wore a nice well-made black dress tunic and black breeches both of which had silvery white silk lining at the hems. Around his waist he wore a black and white girdle cord with small tassels on the end. On his feet he wore black paw bindings rather than shoes and his wakizashi rested easily at his hip. His hair for once, was worn loose, the jet black gleaming dully in the moonlight. Both his spectacles and his armband had been given a good cleaning and they shined with the fresh attention. However the sedate and regal look was ruined by the obvious nervous air he exhumed. But Xhavek couldn't blame him, it had been awhile since he had worn the formal attire of the Wanderpaw sect.
Xhavek on the other hand was bright and vibrant where Will was dark and somber. Done away with were his drab gray clothes and instead what he wore was all in fiery red. His loose-fitting pants were bound just above the ankle with ties preventing the edge from becoming caught or frayed. He remained bare footclawed. His vest was an eye-shattering blood red and both his breeches and his top had the images of flames stitched into them. He still wore no shirt beneath his vest and as such a small portion of his brand scar on his chest showed through the V-cut. The most marked change however was the notable absence of any sort of glove. Instead he wore a pair of bright red cloth bracers, tied closed with red-dyed leather. On his face a red triangle was painted on the center of his forehead. All in all Xhavek was a barbaric sight. Despite that Wisp couldn't help but notice that his blood brother looked happier than he had ever before. Probably because this was the lizard's first official Giftsgiving.
The last check to see that their clothes were in order the brothers strode in their arms laden down with gifts for the crew. Unfortunately for them they were caught totally unprepared for the pouncing they received from Vald and Aille, or as Xhavek had nicknamed them, The Terrible Twins. Wisp reacted much more violently than his much more easygoing brother and he gave out a high-pitched squeak as the duo jumped them, and the gifts he was carrying tumbled to the floor. Luckily for him two of them were the toy drum and three-note reed whistle that he and Xhavek had gotten for the twins and Vald and Aille seized these and scuttled beneath the table once more. Xhavek just laughed and strode over to Tobey as Wisp hurriedly gathered up his dropped burden.
With a grin Xhavek placed his load on the floor and plucked a box out of the pile. Inside was a pair of matching brass wing clips. Before Tobey could react the lizard was off and on to the captain and Kiptooth. To the captain he presented a black silk choker that had a set of interchangeable silver charms to go along with it. Both he and Will had dithered endlessly about which ones to get her but finally settled on a crescent moon, a four-pointed star, a dagger, and the Stoatorian guard sigil. For Kip a new set of surgical needles and some fine medical thread to go with his new implements.
Wisp had finally picked up his gifts and both he and Xhavek moved to the Freedom family and placed their gifts in Anithias' paws, seeing as how Julia had hers full with baby Falun. The first mate’s gift was a stout sharkskin book satchel that had been weather-proofed for all but the most violent of storms. To Julia a pair earrings that had peridot set into them. As for Falun he received a sturdy teething ring for obvious reasons. Xhavek and Will moved apart once more, the rat towards Rynn and Xhavek to Armina. Rynn was given a new carving knife for her kitchen and a sharpening stone for the ones she already possessed. As for Armina she was given a sharp steel stiletto with a garter sheathe. When he presented this to the vixen Xhavek gave her a broad wink. "For all thoze over-eager toddz out there."
The merry pair of brothers moved on to Bootnose, Jeshal and Johan, and for good reason both of them avoided getting too close to the mistletoe. Bootnose got a bottle of the Bilge's best grog and Johan received a stout pair of new seaboots, (his old ones were getting to the point where they would need a miracle to last another week let alone a year). As for Jeshal he was given a stout new overcoat. Their gifts given for the moment, Xhavek and Wisp set their loads down by a wall out of the way. Wisp remained by the gifts, nervously chewing on a stray lock of his headfur, while Xhavek moved over to the dinner to load up a couple of plates for the both of them.
Armina Rogue/Anithias Freedom/Julia Freedom
((Slight auto on Wisp))
Anithias, Julia, and Falun accepted their gifts gratefully. Anithias exclaimed when he saw the sharkskin satchel – this would be perfect for carrying his books with him wherever he went, even on explorations on uncharted islands. Anithias had made a habit during his Aide days of writing a log for every island they visited, one which he had kept on since his promotion. Unfortunately one of the logs had been destroyed due to getting caught in a storm whilst still on the island, a tragedy that now would never happen again.
Julia immediately exclaimed upon seeing the earrings. At once she removed her own pair, a set she had bought in town, and replaced them with the peridot pair. Falun wiggled with joy at the sight of the teething ring, chewing on its tough surface as soon as he could get it in his jaws.
Armina laughed when Xhavek explained the purpose behind her gift. She couldn't honestly see Valentine being that eager, though one never knew... "I'll keep it with me, I promise," she assured him. It was strange how she accepted Xhavek being protective, yet she couldn't bear Anithias doing it.
Speaking of Anithias...
Armina gulped as she approached her ex-godfather. She had debated even getting him something, but in the end had decided that it would be rude not to. Now she nervously tapped his shoulder. "Here," she muttered, embarrassed, pressing a box into his hand. It was a silver pin with the crest of the Imperium Navy.
Anithias stared at Armina in shock. She had actually gotten him something thoughtful, possibly even – Anithias didn't dare hope it – heartfelt.
After rummaging around in the basket for a time too long to not be deliberate, Anithias came up with a long, thin present. Armina unwrapped it to reveal a large silver pan. "It's... a baking tray," she commented, nonplussed. She waved it in front of her face, as if expecting it to turn into a magic mirror and tell her Snow White was fairest of them all.
"It's a burning tray," Anithias explained. His voice was oddly quiet and subdued. "For safely disposing of papers. I suggest you use it for anything you... don't want me to see." Armina caught his gist. Anithias looked rather embarrassed, and Armina knew this was the closest he would ever get to turning a blind eye towards her activities. Armina nodded seriously in response.
The four foxes, rather uncomfortable in each other’s presence, followed Xhavek and Wisp to the banquet table to present them with their gifts. Anithias had gotten Xhavek a solid steel toothpick (he'd found it rather disconcerting to observe bits of meat stuck in the Aide's jaw), as well as a copy of the Imperium Navee Handbooke, which the crew would soon learn was his token present. Will received a silver clasp, as well as a handbook. From Armina came a new pair of fingerless leather gloves with a steel backing for Xhavek, and a rose and bottle of cologne for Wisp.
"Go gett'em, tiger," she whispered jokingly in his ear, enjoying watching him blush.
Jeshal the Ironclaw
(Slight kit auto with permission)
As yet more of the crew joined the occasion, including the Captain and Doc Kip, Jeshal was startled from his vaguely disturbing staring by a pair of paws clamping a woven band to his furred arm like a manacle. The mysterious devil dove beneath a table before he could catch whoever it was.
The dark-attired todd resumed watching the scene with an awkward rigidity. The sudden explosion of gifts-giving that occurred before him was shockingly explaining the day's namesake. The excitement in the air confused and frightened him, causing his usual grin to warp into a baffled pout.
He observed a variety of crewmembers become assaulted with presents. No sooner had he attempted to smirk at the dapper Wisp, he was set upon by the rampaging Mokorai. With no time to refuse, Jeshal found a magnificent overcoat laid into his paws. Stunned, he nearly slipped from his leaning position and was forced to stand straight, boggling at the lump of durable fabric.
"Er... me thanks," he muttered after the darting lizard.
The hem of a tablecloth lifted and the Ironclaw was giggled at by a kit. Feeling his spirits lift, Jeshal grinned slyly and flung the overcoat about his shoulders – playing a phantom. He slipped his paw into his frockcoat pocket and dangled a sugar mouse from a raspberry bootlace so that it was in plain view of those that crawled about the lower regions of the room.
"C'mere ye liddle grubworms. Best Giftsgiving present yer ever did see. Rot yer teeth clean out yer skulls, it will."
Xhavek Mokorai
When Anithias and Armina presented him with the gifts Xhavek exclaimed aloud. He had never really gotten gifts before, from anybeast. So this was a new experience for him. He thanked them both profusely and tucked the gifts away, returning his attention to the banquet.
The small lizard perused the gathered food picking out the greens that he knew his brother favored. Once his brother's plate was all settled, Xhavek was free to get his own meal. And Xhavek could barely contain himself at the sight of so much delectable meat. There was roasted gull, poached perch and all manner of sea food. However one particular thing caught the monitor's eye. For a second he couldn't believe it but it was there in all its glory.
A slab of shark meat barbequed to perfection!
With relish Xhavek cut himself a rather large piece from this licking his scaly lips in anticipation. How on earth Rynn had figured out his favorite meal was beyond him but he mentally noted to repay her for it sometime in the future. With a grin that nearly cut his face in two Xhavek brought the plates over to his brother, who was still blushing furiously from Armina's gift. The short lizard thrust Wisp's plate at him and sat himself down to get to his meal. That steel toothpick was going to get broken in, in quite a hurry.
Sokea Tyttonimi/Armina Rogue
Sokea was rather enjoying the party, listening to the pleasant murmur of conversation, the chink of glass as two beasts toasted each other, the soft whine of a fiddle thoughtfully strolling through a piece written for the violin. It was a nice mix of sounds. Occasionally a beast would loudly greet another, "Happy Giftsgiving!" and the beast would answer in kind.
Sokea moved through the crowd, a thoughtful smile on her face. Though she was unaware of it somebeast had quickly tied a bow around a few threads of her hair, apparently as a joke. The two strands of red ribbon flowed down to her shoulder, mingling nicely with her blond headfur in the process. Earlier that day Armina had presented Sokea with a new outfit. After unwrapping it Sokea asked Armina to describe it to her.
"Um... well," Armina said hesitantly, apparently not having planned on this part, "it's... a dress."
"Yes?" Sokea prompted.
"Well, it's red, and..." She paused. "You do know what red is, right?"
Sokea shook her head, her calm smile never wavering. "Right then," Armina continued nervously. "Well, it's red, and it’s got this thing called a corset, and—"
"I've heard of corsets," Sokea nodded. "My mother said she often wore them growing up."
"Right. Well, it's red, it's a dress, has a corset, and you'll look fabulous in it," Armina finished. "Do you need any help getting into it?"
"No, I should be fine," Sokea said calmly. She picked up her present, with one paw feeling her way around her bunk to the other side of Armina. She heard the gentle scrape of Armina's footpaws as the vixen turned away out of politeness.
A moment later, Sokea nervously called for Armina. The vixen turned around, and laughed out loud. Sokea had managed to get the dress on – sort of. One arm had found its way through its sleeveless loop, while the other was still fumbling for its own loop. Sokea had apparently mistaken her gloves for socks, and had tried to pull them over her footpaws.
Still chuckling, Armina moved to help her ailing friend. "I suppose this is the last I'll be giving you clothes," she mused, making her friend sit down while she removed the gloves.
"It doesn't feel right," Sokea said uncomfortably, running a paw over her bare arm. "We don't dress like this in Menetetty. It's not modest."
"Well, I think it's about time you broke the modesty code and started to live a little," Armina told her friend. "You shouldn't let any backwards nation tell you that just because you're a girl you can't live to the fullest. Look at me!"
Sokea stared at her blankly.
Armina regretted her choice of words. "Well, you can't, but... there." She slipped the strap back over Sokea's shoulder. Pulling the diminutive ferretess to her footpaws, Armina smiled. "Just go out there tonight and live."
And so Sokea found herself wandering through the crowd, wearing a conspicuously-sleeveless red dress and a matching bow, and unknowingly wandering straight into the path of Bootnose and his mistletoe.
"Oh, no you don't!"
Suddenly a pair of paws came out of nowhere and dragged her two feet to the left.
"Armina?" Sokea asked, confused.
There was the brush of fur on fur as Armina dusted off her paws. "A few steps more and you'd have been kissing the most disgusting beast on the ship. Well, second-most disgusting," she corrected herself. She shot a glance towards the corner where Johan was drunkenly rolling around on the floor, attempting to pull on the boots Xhavek had given him. Armina found it amazing Xhavek had actually gotten the miscreant wolf anything. Then again, perhaps the present would do the wolf some good; it was likely the only present he would receive that evening.
Sokea seemed confused. "Kiss? Why would I kiss him?"
Armina sighed. "We have a silly tradition here that when you walk under a plant called mistletoe, you—"
"Oh, I know about mistletoe!" Sokea exclaimed, the truth dawning on her. Suddenly her happy smile faded away. "And no one will go near Bootnose because of the mistletoe?"
Armina looked at her as if she was crazy, a look that was lost on the blindbeast. "Not unless you want to snog the five-time smelliest beast of the year." Sokea bit her lip, obviously thinking. A sudden rush of suspicion came over Armina. "What are you thinking?"
Sokea didn't answer. Reaching out and feeling her way along Armina's arm to her paw, she gave it a quick squeeze before setting off in the direction of Bootnose. She could smell him clearly, a mixture of fish and body odor with a slight whiff of soap – apparently he'd at least made an attempt to clean himself up for the party.
"Bootnose?" Sokea called hesitantly.
A slight draft of air and another waft of stench came over Sokea as Bootnose turned. "Yes'm, miss?" he asked hopefully.
Taking a deep breath from a passing current of clear air before she could change her mind, Sokea stepped forward and, taking Bootnose's face in her paws, gave him a quick, small kiss on the cheek. She could feel the heat radiating from his face as he blushed even more furiously than Wisp. "Happy Giftsgiving, Bootnose," she whispered with a smile. She turned and, with a grace she hadn't known she possessed, glided back to Armina.
She could sense Armina's incredulity even before she neared her friend. The air shifted slightly as Armina shook her head. "I swear, you're even crazier than I am," the vixen muttered.
Sokea just smiled.
Sorrona Ashpaw/Macavity Ashpaw
Swelled with an excited sigh, the exuberant Macavity Ashpaw swaggered into the galley wielding an enormous smile and a bouquet of red tulips that almost buried him entirely. His mischievous eyes twinkled beneath his straw boater as they made quick work of the other revellers.
There was the Freedom family, wonderfully dressed foxes the lot of them, being laden with gifts aplenty and giving theirs in return; the pomped-up captain, who was soon to be promoted, doling out her own presents alongside Kiptooth the ship surgeon; gentle Wisp and his monitor blood brother Xhavek – aggressively forcing beasts into receiving as he grinned in his distinctive manner; graceful Sokea; even Jeshal the scrooge appeared to be getting into the spirit as he played with the kits. Macavity’s cousin, Sorrona, was seated in a corner sipping at some wine, but his attentions were far from being upon that of family at this point in time.
The small wildcat with the overly big heart strode into the fray, dishing out a flower here and there to any lady he passed, no matter her type, as he bee-lined for the font of loveliness that he perceived to be Miss Farren. Her dress was an impeccable black with a delicately hung cream waist sash, still retaining that modest hint of her employment as she busied herself with ensuring the food was well in supply. Macavity swiped the nearest morsel of the banquet he could find and nibbled at it in his (at last) free paw, sidling up beside Rynn at a startling speed.
"I say, marm," he cried in his best mock-hare, "if this isn’t the best bally slap-up I’ve had in all my days, wot wot!" He darted to her other side before she could respond. "Boo urr, youm done a durn foine job, hurr hurr!" He beamed his most dazzling smile at the young lady before pressing a tulip into her paws. "Flower for ze pretty lady! Have one, have one!" He flourished around, plucking another tulip from his bunch. "No, no, ‘ave two!" It was slipped into her sash. "I’d offer you a kiss, m’lady, but I fear this is not the place for such things."
Macavity winked and danced off just in time to see Sokea plant a kiss upon the startled Bootnose. He smirked as the blind ferretess returned to Armina, who was remarking:
"I swear, you're even crazier than I am."
The little cat chuckled and scurried towards the mistletoe, cupping a paw to his mouth to shout a response to their banter.
"There’s nothing wrong with crazy, if it’s for love!"
Macavity skidded to a halt a centimetre from bumping into Bootnose and grinned at him.
"Isn’t that right, Booty?"
With that, the pretentious little feline deposited a flower into the revolting beast’s arms and smacked a large kiss upon the cheek Sokea had omitted.
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
First post Primary 8, Yr. 1729, 11:17 am
Anithias Freedom/Julia Freedom
The cabin's lock turned with a click, allowing the door to swing open and admit the sounds of the ship. In this case, the bickering of the first mate and his wife.
"...don't know why we even went!" Anithias grumped, his paws working at a black tie as he entered the room. Julia, clad in a resplendent green dress and shawl, followed after him, a sleeping Falun in her arms.
"We couldn't very well turn it down," she noted disapprovingly. "Not when they delivered it in person. Besides, it can't hurt to make an effort. We used to be very close to them, after all."
"Yes, close, before they tried to marry you off, locked me in a cellar for two years, and sent Hercen to arrest us both!"
Anithias and Julia had just returned from a Christmas party held at, of all places, Heartwood Manor. Neither of them had really wanted to go, considering past events, but had no choice in the matter. "We hardly get to see our grandson," sniffed Mrs. Heartwood as Julia tried to explain to her parents that they were very busy that night. "After all, he is our blood relation as well, and we've never done anything to harm him."
"You sent a lawyer to claim custody from us!" Anithias exclaimed angrily. "Tox had to threaten deadly force to get you all off!"
"Yes, well," said Mrs. Heartwood apologetically. "That was your mother's suggestion anyway." After an hour of trying to wrangle their way out of attending, Julia finally gave in and agreed that they both would come. Anithias didn't talk to her for the rest of that day.
Things had been little better at the party. Anithias and Julia, clad in the little finery they owned, arrived at the door of the very place they had run away from, to spend an evening with the people they despised the most – their relatives. Mrs. Goldfur and Mrs. Heartwood had immediately swarmed Julia to coo over Falun for the first time. To his credit Falun immediately started wailing, giving Julia an opportunity to excuse herself.
As the evening wore on, things got progressively worse. Mr. Goldfur asked pointed questions about Anithias' rank, dropping not-so-subtle hints about how he could have been a captain by now if he had joined his family's shipping line. Mrs. Heartwood bragged overtly to Julia about how Julia's sisters were living in the lap of luxury in their husbands' mansions, occasionally stopping to inquire about the furnishing of Anithias' tiny cabin. The evening had culminated with Mr. Goldfur sporting a bloody snout, Mrs. Goldfur's dentures hanging from the chandelier, and Mrs. Heartwood in the infirmary awaiting surgery to remove a sugared almond from her ear.
Julia sighed, banishing the memories of the night. "At least there's the crew party to look forward to," she said positively. Anithias gave a non-committal "hmph," shrugging off his dinner jacket.
-------------------------------------------
The crew's party did indeed turn out to be something worth looking forward to. The galley was festooned with bright tinsel strands and holly, while wreathes hung from the rigging above the deck. Johan Van Wulfenheim lurked in a corner, drunkenly muttering obscene carols under his breath, while Bootnose lurked hopefully until a strand of mistletoe. Needless to say, the ship's female occupants were avoiding that side of the galley.
Julia floated happily by Anithias' side, attired in her favourite green dress. Anithias smiled as he realized it was the same dress she had worn on their first outing four years ago. Baby Falun, festively attired in red and green, giggled happily at all the pretty sights. Anithias frowned disapprovingly at Armina as she passed by in a black satin dress, but Julia pulled his ear close to her mouth. "Let her go," she suggested gently. "It's Giftsgiving, after all." Anithias sighed, but nodded. He checked the large wickerwork basket at his side to make sure all the gifts were there before moving on through the crowd.
Jeshal the Ironclaw
It was a strange thing, Jeshal thought, to find oneself at a joyous celebratory event. Before being a member of the Golden Hide he had never heard of such a thing. He had never given nor received a Giftsgiving present and he did not pity himself for it. The sad truth was that on some level he did not yet understand platonic affection let alone love. Passion and obsession were familiar ground, and something about the way the crew behaved at this time led him to recognise the smell of the former as being something in the air. Giftsgiving made the younger ones giddy, even if it was only due to too much of Hector Thaum's Paint Remover.
The Ironclaw was once again enjoying his habit of leaning casually against a wall – this time, the festive galley's – and watching the revelry with curiosity. He was dressed in a black velvet frock coat, a recent addition to his wardrobe since accidentally hauling in quite handsomely on the Imperium Lottery, and his cavalier hat was trimmed with gold tinsel. A black pair of sandals attired his footpaws, and a velvet glove of matching hue encased his one forepaw.
He sipped at a tankard of Bailey's Olde Speciale and grinned cruelly at Bootnose in between his glances at the general throng. He noticed the Freedom couple and their babe. His attention also flitted over Armina in her attractive dress, which caused him to ponder over what the captain of the vessel would be wearing and if in fact she would be attending.
The todd had not brought many presents with him. Mostly he intended to avoid the concept altogether but buy a drink here or there if questioned. A few items nestled in his pockets, not all of them pleasant, should the opportune moments arise. He was more interested in the guests and the potential entertainment that high energies could unload.
Jeshal took a larger mouthful and allowed himself an involuntary giggle.
Tanya Rainblade-Ryalor/Kiptooth
The traditional sounds of thuds, curses and vixen-pitched complaints made little difference to the year's festivities as the fox made her late entrance with little surprise. The kits of hers were absent from her coat-tails, already having as much fun as they could, safely camped out beneath the long trestle tables with food they'd purloined from the buffet above, only emerging to re-equip themselves or hand out little woven bands they'd made to random crewmembers; it was all under the strict surveillance of Tobey, of course, whom, with seven feet of muscle and fierce beak, seemed to have the incredible influence of ensuring that even the hardiest bilgerat could be reduced to 'pleasantly surprised' responses to the bombardment of fluff.
Decked out in her more formal Navy outfit (a far cry from the casual civvies she much preferred while at sea) of blue and gold, the diminutive Captain seemed to have disposed of most of the formalities of decorum as she and the unusually dapper-looking Kiptooth fought tooth and claw to lug a heavy old crate filled with objects into the room.
"You 'ad to go buy the lot of 'em sammink, din't you?"
"What can I say Kip? They're family."
"All of em?!"
"What, jealous of it, me 'brother'?"
"No – it just means that I 'ave to buy for 'em now!"
Smirking at Kiptooth over the hubbub, she and the surgeon lugged the battered crate through the busy room, Tox took the time to let her eyes flit over the decor with appraisal and admiration for her hardworking crew, feeling a slight swell of pride for the cohesion displayed in the party's organisation.
She saw the mistletoe. A muffled growl: she hadn't signed anything allowing that rubbish aboard. Her eyes stung with the bittersweet memories of her husband and how the pair had at last admitted their love for each other this night a few years back, through no spoken words, merely actions, forming that sudden, unbreakable connection of two hearts – it hurt to think of the occasion itself, her first Giftsgiving with him gone, but to see the reminder almost riled her – were the crew begging for a moody Captain tonight?
Then again, she could hardly deny them the antic: perhaps it would serve just as similar a purpose for two other young, foolish recruits in their first winter together. Glancing back down the boards with a mutter, the vixen belatedly realised she had missed a step and stumbled in surprise at the sight.
"Kip, which eejit dumb enough ter take the risk put that mistletoe there?"
"Me." A beat. The vixen's hackles flattened a little.
"Oh..."
"You can't just ignore the memories, Tox – best to remember them with a positive feeling."
"Yeah yeah, I hear yeh..."
Muttering something either obscene or as a growled warning to the empty space of air on her left, Tanya helped to wrestle the old crate into a corner, stirring up some age-old dust that had somehow accumulated (though through no fault of the cleaner, it should be noted – it was a peculiar anomaly of the ship that, no matter how well a cabin is scrubbed, one corner will always magnetise dust). That done, Tox smirked and turned around to applaud the ragtag 'band' that was assembled at the far end of the mess as they completed their first tune and continued to liven the atmosphere with another fast-paced reel.
Anithias Freedom/Julia Freedom
Anithias spotted Tanya and Kiptooth enter the galley, lugging a large chest behind them. "Quick! The gifts!" Anithias said hurriedly, pulling up the basket up so that they could rummage through the packages and check the tags.
"Why didn't you put Tanya's on top?" Julia asked, clumsily running one paw through the presents while the other held Falun close to her chest.
"I did put it on top. It's not my fault if these things move around... here!"
He pulled three large presents from the basket. Two were obviously books – one was a copy of the Imperium Navee Handbooke, handcopied by Anithias, while the other was a recently published medical journal from the royal physician himself. Julia had seized a copy the moment she saw it arrive at Ye Imperiume Books, hoping that Kiptooth would not have a copy yet. The third was a special present from them both to Tox. Anithias had spent his port time in the lobby of the Fogey Building examining the portrait of Falun Ryalor there, trying to remember everything he could about the fox's appearance. Then, when he was back on the ship, he had taken his brush and began to paint. It was not what would be called a masterpiece; Anithias had little painting talent of his own. Still, by some miracle of the muse, four days and 12 hours of painting later a recognizable image of Falun, Tanya, Vald and Aille rested on the canvas. Anithias sighed as he held this present in his arms. He hoped it wouldn't cause Tox any undue grief.
Waiting until Tox and Kip were done wrestling with the crate, Anithias and Julia approached. "Happy Giftgiving, Tox! These are for you," Anithias said cheerfully, handing over Tox's two presents. "Don't open this one until later," he whispered as he handed over the portrait. The last thing he wanted was for Tox to flip out in the middle of a party.
"And this is for you, Kiptooth," Julia said warmly, carefully balancing Falun against her hip and holding out the wrapped book. "I hope you don't have a copy." She smiled at her tutor. After having seen her father again she further appreciated her teacher, who was more a father to her than Ariscus Heartwood ever could be.
Rynn
A content smile rested itself on her face. The she-cat had been busy all day, preparing what she knew to be traditional gifts-giving eatery. For the occasion, she had donned her one nice dress. The simple black one. Not too fancy, but for the cream colored sash hung low about her waist. Shockingly enough the feline had taken the time to do a nice comb through her fur. The dark auburn headfur hung nicely about her shoulders.
The decorations had been put up with care and effort, to ensure that the festiveness of the event was felt by all. Rynn had made sure to lay out small bowls of candied and dried fruits and nuts. She had been saving a large batch of candied chestnuts since last Macabre, and was pleased with the way they had turned out.
Since early morning the feline had been baking and cooking and stirring and mixing. The funny thing to her was, she didn't mind it at all. She was a sea beast and a fighter to be sure, and it never struck her how she could willingly do all this and not expect something in return. It surprised her that she felt most rewarded when she was simply being thanked by her captain. Being aboard the Hide was different than being anywhere else. She didn't feel like she had to disappear or keep any secrets from many of the beasts she met. The reassurance she felt each morning; that she had a place here. It reminded her of something familiar. And for the longest time the cook simply could not place her paw on it until it struck her... the aura of the crew, the captain, was something akin to... Kin... to family.
Patting her small bag of gifts slung at her side, the cook continued bustling about arranging the dishes. Pointing out a few slight mistakes to some of the aiding crewmembers. "No... th'gull goes on th'side table. An' try keepin' th'fish in the middle if'n y'please."
The galley door opened as the first party-goers arrived. It was Anithias and his family. A warm smile appeared upon the feline's face as she began to wish them welcome. Quickly she brought out the warmed cider and spiced cordial, as one by one more beasts appeared. Each dressed well enough for the occasion. A few faces missing but she was sure that would soon change. She giggled at the sight of Captain Tanya and Kiptooth dragging in a substantially large crate. Was that what she thought it was?
Xhavek Mokorai/Wisp Wanderpaw
(Permission for auto on the twins)
Xhavek shivered with the cold as he and his brother made their way to the party. He and Wisp had been out doing a little last minute giftwrapping at his apartment in the Slups. Probably not the best place for a pair of beasts laden with gifts but at least they had made sure to keep to the well-lit areas. Wisp stumbled on a loose pavestone and Xhavek reached out and grabbed his brother by the collar before he could fall to the ground. Wisp stuttered a quick thanks and they continued on to the ship. When they finally made it Xhavek and Wisp checked each other over for one final time.
Both of the brothers wore garb that was a far cry from what they normally did. As a point they presented very different and almost opposing images. Wisp wore a nice well-made black dress tunic and black breeches both of which had silvery white silk lining at the hems. Around his waist he wore a black and white girdle cord with small tassels on the end. On his feet he wore black paw bindings rather than shoes and his wakizashi rested easily at his hip. His hair for once, was worn loose, the jet black gleaming dully in the moonlight. Both his spectacles and his armband had been given a good cleaning and they shined with the fresh attention. However the sedate and regal look was ruined by the obvious nervous air he exhumed. But Xhavek couldn't blame him, it had been awhile since he had worn the formal attire of the Wanderpaw sect.
Xhavek on the other hand was bright and vibrant where Will was dark and somber. Done away with were his drab gray clothes and instead what he wore was all in fiery red. His loose-fitting pants were bound just above the ankle with ties preventing the edge from becoming caught or frayed. He remained bare footclawed. His vest was an eye-shattering blood red and both his breeches and his top had the images of flames stitched into them. He still wore no shirt beneath his vest and as such a small portion of his brand scar on his chest showed through the V-cut. The most marked change however was the notable absence of any sort of glove. Instead he wore a pair of bright red cloth bracers, tied closed with red-dyed leather. On his face a red triangle was painted on the center of his forehead. All in all Xhavek was a barbaric sight. Despite that Wisp couldn't help but notice that his blood brother looked happier than he had ever before. Probably because this was the lizard's first official Giftsgiving.
The last check to see that their clothes were in order the brothers strode in their arms laden down with gifts for the crew. Unfortunately for them they were caught totally unprepared for the pouncing they received from Vald and Aille, or as Xhavek had nicknamed them, The Terrible Twins. Wisp reacted much more violently than his much more easygoing brother and he gave out a high-pitched squeak as the duo jumped them, and the gifts he was carrying tumbled to the floor. Luckily for him two of them were the toy drum and three-note reed whistle that he and Xhavek had gotten for the twins and Vald and Aille seized these and scuttled beneath the table once more. Xhavek just laughed and strode over to Tobey as Wisp hurriedly gathered up his dropped burden.
With a grin Xhavek placed his load on the floor and plucked a box out of the pile. Inside was a pair of matching brass wing clips. Before Tobey could react the lizard was off and on to the captain and Kiptooth. To the captain he presented a black silk choker that had a set of interchangeable silver charms to go along with it. Both he and Will had dithered endlessly about which ones to get her but finally settled on a crescent moon, a four-pointed star, a dagger, and the Stoatorian guard sigil. For Kip a new set of surgical needles and some fine medical thread to go with his new implements.
Wisp had finally picked up his gifts and both he and Xhavek moved to the Freedom family and placed their gifts in Anithias' paws, seeing as how Julia had hers full with baby Falun. The first mate’s gift was a stout sharkskin book satchel that had been weather-proofed for all but the most violent of storms. To Julia a pair earrings that had peridot set into them. As for Falun he received a sturdy teething ring for obvious reasons. Xhavek and Will moved apart once more, the rat towards Rynn and Xhavek to Armina. Rynn was given a new carving knife for her kitchen and a sharpening stone for the ones she already possessed. As for Armina she was given a sharp steel stiletto with a garter sheathe. When he presented this to the vixen Xhavek gave her a broad wink. "For all thoze over-eager toddz out there."
The merry pair of brothers moved on to Bootnose, Jeshal and Johan, and for good reason both of them avoided getting too close to the mistletoe. Bootnose got a bottle of the Bilge's best grog and Johan received a stout pair of new seaboots, (his old ones were getting to the point where they would need a miracle to last another week let alone a year). As for Jeshal he was given a stout new overcoat. Their gifts given for the moment, Xhavek and Wisp set their loads down by a wall out of the way. Wisp remained by the gifts, nervously chewing on a stray lock of his headfur, while Xhavek moved over to the dinner to load up a couple of plates for the both of them.
Armina Rogue/Anithias Freedom/Julia Freedom
((Slight auto on Wisp))
Anithias, Julia, and Falun accepted their gifts gratefully. Anithias exclaimed when he saw the sharkskin satchel – this would be perfect for carrying his books with him wherever he went, even on explorations on uncharted islands. Anithias had made a habit during his Aide days of writing a log for every island they visited, one which he had kept on since his promotion. Unfortunately one of the logs had been destroyed due to getting caught in a storm whilst still on the island, a tragedy that now would never happen again.
Julia immediately exclaimed upon seeing the earrings. At once she removed her own pair, a set she had bought in town, and replaced them with the peridot pair. Falun wiggled with joy at the sight of the teething ring, chewing on its tough surface as soon as he could get it in his jaws.
Armina laughed when Xhavek explained the purpose behind her gift. She couldn't honestly see Valentine being that eager, though one never knew... "I'll keep it with me, I promise," she assured him. It was strange how she accepted Xhavek being protective, yet she couldn't bear Anithias doing it.
Speaking of Anithias...
Armina gulped as she approached her ex-godfather. She had debated even getting him something, but in the end had decided that it would be rude not to. Now she nervously tapped his shoulder. "Here," she muttered, embarrassed, pressing a box into his hand. It was a silver pin with the crest of the Imperium Navy.
Anithias stared at Armina in shock. She had actually gotten him something thoughtful, possibly even – Anithias didn't dare hope it – heartfelt.
After rummaging around in the basket for a time too long to not be deliberate, Anithias came up with a long, thin present. Armina unwrapped it to reveal a large silver pan. "It's... a baking tray," she commented, nonplussed. She waved it in front of her face, as if expecting it to turn into a magic mirror and tell her Snow White was fairest of them all.
"It's a burning tray," Anithias explained. His voice was oddly quiet and subdued. "For safely disposing of papers. I suggest you use it for anything you... don't want me to see." Armina caught his gist. Anithias looked rather embarrassed, and Armina knew this was the closest he would ever get to turning a blind eye towards her activities. Armina nodded seriously in response.
The four foxes, rather uncomfortable in each other’s presence, followed Xhavek and Wisp to the banquet table to present them with their gifts. Anithias had gotten Xhavek a solid steel toothpick (he'd found it rather disconcerting to observe bits of meat stuck in the Aide's jaw), as well as a copy of the Imperium Navee Handbooke, which the crew would soon learn was his token present. Will received a silver clasp, as well as a handbook. From Armina came a new pair of fingerless leather gloves with a steel backing for Xhavek, and a rose and bottle of cologne for Wisp.
"Go gett'em, tiger," she whispered jokingly in his ear, enjoying watching him blush.
Jeshal the Ironclaw
(Slight kit auto with permission)
As yet more of the crew joined the occasion, including the Captain and Doc Kip, Jeshal was startled from his vaguely disturbing staring by a pair of paws clamping a woven band to his furred arm like a manacle. The mysterious devil dove beneath a table before he could catch whoever it was.
The dark-attired todd resumed watching the scene with an awkward rigidity. The sudden explosion of gifts-giving that occurred before him was shockingly explaining the day's namesake. The excitement in the air confused and frightened him, causing his usual grin to warp into a baffled pout.
He observed a variety of crewmembers become assaulted with presents. No sooner had he attempted to smirk at the dapper Wisp, he was set upon by the rampaging Mokorai. With no time to refuse, Jeshal found a magnificent overcoat laid into his paws. Stunned, he nearly slipped from his leaning position and was forced to stand straight, boggling at the lump of durable fabric.
"Er... me thanks," he muttered after the darting lizard.
The hem of a tablecloth lifted and the Ironclaw was giggled at by a kit. Feeling his spirits lift, Jeshal grinned slyly and flung the overcoat about his shoulders – playing a phantom. He slipped his paw into his frockcoat pocket and dangled a sugar mouse from a raspberry bootlace so that it was in plain view of those that crawled about the lower regions of the room.
"C'mere ye liddle grubworms. Best Giftsgiving present yer ever did see. Rot yer teeth clean out yer skulls, it will."
Xhavek Mokorai
When Anithias and Armina presented him with the gifts Xhavek exclaimed aloud. He had never really gotten gifts before, from anybeast. So this was a new experience for him. He thanked them both profusely and tucked the gifts away, returning his attention to the banquet.
The small lizard perused the gathered food picking out the greens that he knew his brother favored. Once his brother's plate was all settled, Xhavek was free to get his own meal. And Xhavek could barely contain himself at the sight of so much delectable meat. There was roasted gull, poached perch and all manner of sea food. However one particular thing caught the monitor's eye. For a second he couldn't believe it but it was there in all its glory.
A slab of shark meat barbequed to perfection!
With relish Xhavek cut himself a rather large piece from this licking his scaly lips in anticipation. How on earth Rynn had figured out his favorite meal was beyond him but he mentally noted to repay her for it sometime in the future. With a grin that nearly cut his face in two Xhavek brought the plates over to his brother, who was still blushing furiously from Armina's gift. The short lizard thrust Wisp's plate at him and sat himself down to get to his meal. That steel toothpick was going to get broken in, in quite a hurry.
Sokea Tyttonimi/Armina Rogue
Sokea was rather enjoying the party, listening to the pleasant murmur of conversation, the chink of glass as two beasts toasted each other, the soft whine of a fiddle thoughtfully strolling through a piece written for the violin. It was a nice mix of sounds. Occasionally a beast would loudly greet another, "Happy Giftsgiving!" and the beast would answer in kind.
Sokea moved through the crowd, a thoughtful smile on her face. Though she was unaware of it somebeast had quickly tied a bow around a few threads of her hair, apparently as a joke. The two strands of red ribbon flowed down to her shoulder, mingling nicely with her blond headfur in the process. Earlier that day Armina had presented Sokea with a new outfit. After unwrapping it Sokea asked Armina to describe it to her.
"Um... well," Armina said hesitantly, apparently not having planned on this part, "it's... a dress."
"Yes?" Sokea prompted.
"Well, it's red, and..." She paused. "You do know what red is, right?"
Sokea shook her head, her calm smile never wavering. "Right then," Armina continued nervously. "Well, it's red, and it’s got this thing called a corset, and—"
"I've heard of corsets," Sokea nodded. "My mother said she often wore them growing up."
"Right. Well, it's red, it's a dress, has a corset, and you'll look fabulous in it," Armina finished. "Do you need any help getting into it?"
"No, I should be fine," Sokea said calmly. She picked up her present, with one paw feeling her way around her bunk to the other side of Armina. She heard the gentle scrape of Armina's footpaws as the vixen turned away out of politeness.
A moment later, Sokea nervously called for Armina. The vixen turned around, and laughed out loud. Sokea had managed to get the dress on – sort of. One arm had found its way through its sleeveless loop, while the other was still fumbling for its own loop. Sokea had apparently mistaken her gloves for socks, and had tried to pull them over her footpaws.
Still chuckling, Armina moved to help her ailing friend. "I suppose this is the last I'll be giving you clothes," she mused, making her friend sit down while she removed the gloves.
"It doesn't feel right," Sokea said uncomfortably, running a paw over her bare arm. "We don't dress like this in Menetetty. It's not modest."
"Well, I think it's about time you broke the modesty code and started to live a little," Armina told her friend. "You shouldn't let any backwards nation tell you that just because you're a girl you can't live to the fullest. Look at me!"
Sokea stared at her blankly.
Armina regretted her choice of words. "Well, you can't, but... there." She slipped the strap back over Sokea's shoulder. Pulling the diminutive ferretess to her footpaws, Armina smiled. "Just go out there tonight and live."
And so Sokea found herself wandering through the crowd, wearing a conspicuously-sleeveless red dress and a matching bow, and unknowingly wandering straight into the path of Bootnose and his mistletoe.
"Oh, no you don't!"
Suddenly a pair of paws came out of nowhere and dragged her two feet to the left.
"Armina?" Sokea asked, confused.
There was the brush of fur on fur as Armina dusted off her paws. "A few steps more and you'd have been kissing the most disgusting beast on the ship. Well, second-most disgusting," she corrected herself. She shot a glance towards the corner where Johan was drunkenly rolling around on the floor, attempting to pull on the boots Xhavek had given him. Armina found it amazing Xhavek had actually gotten the miscreant wolf anything. Then again, perhaps the present would do the wolf some good; it was likely the only present he would receive that evening.
Sokea seemed confused. "Kiss? Why would I kiss him?"
Armina sighed. "We have a silly tradition here that when you walk under a plant called mistletoe, you—"
"Oh, I know about mistletoe!" Sokea exclaimed, the truth dawning on her. Suddenly her happy smile faded away. "And no one will go near Bootnose because of the mistletoe?"
Armina looked at her as if she was crazy, a look that was lost on the blindbeast. "Not unless you want to snog the five-time smelliest beast of the year." Sokea bit her lip, obviously thinking. A sudden rush of suspicion came over Armina. "What are you thinking?"
Sokea didn't answer. Reaching out and feeling her way along Armina's arm to her paw, she gave it a quick squeeze before setting off in the direction of Bootnose. She could smell him clearly, a mixture of fish and body odor with a slight whiff of soap – apparently he'd at least made an attempt to clean himself up for the party.
"Bootnose?" Sokea called hesitantly.
A slight draft of air and another waft of stench came over Sokea as Bootnose turned. "Yes'm, miss?" he asked hopefully.
Taking a deep breath from a passing current of clear air before she could change her mind, Sokea stepped forward and, taking Bootnose's face in her paws, gave him a quick, small kiss on the cheek. She could feel the heat radiating from his face as he blushed even more furiously than Wisp. "Happy Giftsgiving, Bootnose," she whispered with a smile. She turned and, with a grace she hadn't known she possessed, glided back to Armina.
She could sense Armina's incredulity even before she neared her friend. The air shifted slightly as Armina shook her head. "I swear, you're even crazier than I am," the vixen muttered.
Sokea just smiled.
Sorrona Ashpaw/Macavity Ashpaw
Swelled with an excited sigh, the exuberant Macavity Ashpaw swaggered into the galley wielding an enormous smile and a bouquet of red tulips that almost buried him entirely. His mischievous eyes twinkled beneath his straw boater as they made quick work of the other revellers.
There was the Freedom family, wonderfully dressed foxes the lot of them, being laden with gifts aplenty and giving theirs in return; the pomped-up captain, who was soon to be promoted, doling out her own presents alongside Kiptooth the ship surgeon; gentle Wisp and his monitor blood brother Xhavek – aggressively forcing beasts into receiving as he grinned in his distinctive manner; graceful Sokea; even Jeshal the scrooge appeared to be getting into the spirit as he played with the kits. Macavity’s cousin, Sorrona, was seated in a corner sipping at some wine, but his attentions were far from being upon that of family at this point in time.
The small wildcat with the overly big heart strode into the fray, dishing out a flower here and there to any lady he passed, no matter her type, as he bee-lined for the font of loveliness that he perceived to be Miss Farren. Her dress was an impeccable black with a delicately hung cream waist sash, still retaining that modest hint of her employment as she busied herself with ensuring the food was well in supply. Macavity swiped the nearest morsel of the banquet he could find and nibbled at it in his (at last) free paw, sidling up beside Rynn at a startling speed.
"I say, marm," he cried in his best mock-hare, "if this isn’t the best bally slap-up I’ve had in all my days, wot wot!" He darted to her other side before she could respond. "Boo urr, youm done a durn foine job, hurr hurr!" He beamed his most dazzling smile at the young lady before pressing a tulip into her paws. "Flower for ze pretty lady! Have one, have one!" He flourished around, plucking another tulip from his bunch. "No, no, ‘ave two!" It was slipped into her sash. "I’d offer you a kiss, m’lady, but I fear this is not the place for such things."
Macavity winked and danced off just in time to see Sokea plant a kiss upon the startled Bootnose. He smirked as the blind ferretess returned to Armina, who was remarking:
"I swear, you're even crazier than I am."
The little cat chuckled and scurried towards the mistletoe, cupping a paw to his mouth to shout a response to their banter.
"There’s nothing wrong with crazy, if it’s for love!"
Macavity skidded to a halt a centimetre from bumping into Bootnose and grinned at him.
"Isn’t that right, Booty?"
With that, the pretentious little feline deposited a flower into the revolting beast’s arms and smacked a large kiss upon the cheek Sokea had omitted.
