I feel like Saint Nicholas is pulling my leg

[cloistre]

[So. THE DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED, LONDON. It is Christmas. A light snow falls upon the city, and even the Old Ones seem quiet and non-existent against the hustle and bustle of people giving gifts or doing emergency shopping despite the chances that literally nothing is actually open right now.

But that's probably just wishful thinking. You could pretend, if you tried hard enough.

What are you doing?]

Comments

[cloistre]

[This one is sitting in the park, with a Hallmark store's worth of Christmas cards set out in front of her.

Eyeing them like they killed her family.]

[eagnafeoite]

[Wandering over, followed by a bunch of deer--wait, what.]

...How many people are you debating lighting on fire instead of sending cards to?

[cloistre]

All of them.

[Said as if she were claiming the sky were blue. But more importantly, looking past him at the deer, uh.]

And these are...?

[eagnafeoite]

...Annnd why are we sending cards to everyone in London, Master?

[He's judging this course of action, Carine. Judging it hard.]

Oh, these are something for the kids. Also my in-laws. Their names don't...really translate.

[cloistre]

There aren't enough for the entire city. At the very best, I could send a card to 1/16th of the population.

[Again. More importantly.]

... These are deer.

[eagnafeoite]

...Are you familiar with my legend at all, Master?

[cloistre]

I didn't know that she had always been a deer.

Fionn, that is bestiality.

[eagnafeoite]

She wasn't. And neither have they.

[Flat. So flat. The most flat.]

[cloistre]

... Why are they deer currently, in that case?

[eagnafeoite]

Didn't ask. It's not really any of my business.

[cloistre]

...

[Stares at Fionn. Stares at the deer. Back to Fionn.

Gonna go back to her cards now.]

[eagnafeoite]

You do know you're not actually obligated to wish people you hate well, right?

[cloistre]

I'm lacing them with poison.

[birdenesque]

[The only time she even notices someone is leaning over her is when black hair like an untamed bird's nest falls over her vision. The source is some russian girl staring at all her stuff.]

Someone's popular today, da?

[cloistre]

Net.

[Grimacing, and shifting her position on the bench to at least get away from the hair.]

These are for a single person. I couldn't decide which he would prefer.

[birdenesque]

[At least she has the decency to flip her hair back over her shoulders.

She does not, however, have the decency to not-jump and perch on the top of the bench.]

Why not send him all of them?

[cloistre]

[Stiffens up noticeably at the sudden movement, frowning further, but the tenseness and change in expression are gone as quickly as they arrive. Shh shh it's cool it's all good.]

... All of them?

[She goes quiet (quieter?) for a moment, mulling this over. What are the chances he'll end up with a papercut if he has to open them all?]

That is... far easier than making a choice. Thank you.

[Mildly triumphantly, she then nods to herself with a slight movement, and begins to put them all into envelopes.]

Russian. Who are you?

[birdenesque]

[At least she doesn't invade her personal space any further than her current perch. She's too happy for that. Yay! She helped!]

I'm glad I could help, miss!

[Then, oh right name! When she speaks, it somehow comes off like some really uncomfortable translation that doesn't parse right. Except it's a name. What even.]

Yulia Raskolnikov, at your service.

[Her energy can power an entire city's lightbulbs.]

[cloistre]

[... Unsettling! Because Carine is not A Michi, she is slightly disturbed and it shows clearly on her face, but because she is played by me, she continues to speak politely anyway. Or as close to it as she can get, anyway.]

Carine Regnaldi. You're the first useful person I've met in this country. It is... a pleasure.

[birdenesque]

[It is obviously all in her head, simply because this girl is an idiot. If she were standing, there is the highest probability she'd be bouncing at that compliment.]

I'm useful! Thank you much, miss Carine! 'ts a pleasure to meet you as well!

[cloistre]

[... Unsettling and worrying. If she's here waiting for things to die down back home, she might as well look into it later. We'll see.]

Do you live here?

[birdenesque]

Mhm! Me and Stephen took an abandoned building near the river.

[It should only be worrying in the sense that there is someone this bird-brained that exists. You do not tell people you are homeless, what if she's a cop, ughhh-]

[cloistre]

[Well, she can't really judge anyone for not knowing things, with her upbringing, so...]

You took it? I heard rumors that people sometimes washed up on the Thames from parallel worlds. Is that the case, or are you just poor?

[Carine do you even know what being poor means.]

[birdenesque]

A bit a both, really.

[So poor, washed up in the Thames, then got poorer. Best luck ever.]

[cloistre]

Would you and your friend care to move? I'm staying in my family's summer home.