gocirclegogo | I feel like Saint Nicholas is pulling my leg

I feel like Saint Nicholas is pulling my leg

[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?]

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[She holds out her hand, not quite touching the rose, staring at it for a moment or two. Considering everything that happened before getting to London, being given a rose is... not exactly what she'd hoped for. To say to the least. It only brings to mind running through the corridors in the art gallery, carefully protecting her rose and Garry's rose and Mary's rose from the artwork, of just what would happen every time they lost a petal.

At first, she can't quite bring herself to properly reach out for it, but she can't simply leave him holding it. But... it doesn't even really look that much like a real rose, does it? And it is very pretty...

In the end, she finally reaches out for it and nods at Sei.] Thank you. It's really pretty.

[The hesitation worries him; he can see it flicker there and he almost sighs. He hadn't expected that kind of weight on the shoulders of a child, the more fool him.]

I'm glad. Ah--

[He reaches behind her ear, or the space near it, and pulls out...a very real daisy, before tucking it behind her ear and pulling out a little string of flags.

When in doubt, resort to sleight-of-hand magic tricks.]

Would you look at that? Magic does happen on Christmas after all.

[That startles a laugh out of her, until she dissolves into giggles, all thoughts of roses and art galleries leaving her for the moment.

She quickly quiets herself again, her smile widening some.]

Do you know how to do a lot of magic? Can you only do it on Christmas?

I know a lot of things, but the best magic tricks only work in the company of friends. Without anyone to see it, the magic gets lonely.

[Thaaat's better. He ties off the end of the flags and drapes it over her hair like a crown. Perfect. :|b]

[Okay, their conversation has taken long enough where having an unsupervised nine-year-old still missing is worrying. It means a person appears from the stairwell with the most tired expression ever.]

Ib, who was i--

[Wait. ... The tired expression now morphs into the most blank one ever.] You're the visitor.

[That's not a question.]

[She laughs again at the flag crown, still holding on tightly to the rose, though she's mostly forgotten about it. Yes, this is much, much better. Maybe she could even ask him to do more tricks later.

...Or she would. If Will didn't show up. Completely oblivious, she smiles up at Will and nods.] I told him to come. He was gonna be himself during Christmas.

...She lives with you. [Sei has, for the moment Ib isn't looking at him, a look that says quite plainly "how does this even happen", before resuming a rather magnificent poker face.]

That does explain a lot. [Here he'll just hairruffle Ib, careful not to dislodge her crown and stand back up and oh god his knees, let's not hit the doorframe this time.]

It would have been rude of me to break a promise.

...Technically, she resides in the second floor along with Garry, Christopher, and the girls. I happen to own the building and charge no rent.

[He is not telling Sei that he lives with his wife and the incarnation of all misery in the form of a scientist. That is all too embarrassing. Explanation over and turning to Ib.]

I'm glad you have good friends.

[And yet somehow he can deadpan embarrassing lines like that completely sincere. What even. Heading back upstairs right after.]

[Suddenly Garry!!! Garry with. Hairclips keeping his bangs up. It looks like he was messing with it because maybe he needs to look pretty for his girlfriend someday and he comes down, oblivious to all oblivious things.]

Ib, ah, do you happen to have a scrunchie...?

[What the hell people and-

ROSE!!!!!]

Ib!! Your rose-?! Ah, is- is it all right?!

[She should probably ask how they know each other. She should probably wonder how they know each other.

But Garry's here and he's got hairclips in his hair and she doesn't have a scrunchie with her just then, but Garry's panicking and that's probably more important.]

No, Garry. It's not. [She shakes her head.] This is a different rose.

...I'm sorry, I didn't realize roses were so distressing...[Sei has no idea what is going on and oh my lucifer his gaydar is going off 120% which he is going to elect to ignore but that is a man with hairclips and oh dear.

The end result is there is a very sheepish tall man in a cunning coat and scarf just sort of staring at this whole mess.]

I'm. Guessing you're the one taking care of Miss Ib, then?

Their physical states of well-being are tied to roses.

[This is called from up the stairs in the most bland voice ever. Like that statement isn't fifty types of fridge horror and also not going to freak Garry out in any stretch of the world.

Screw you guys, it's Christmas, he's pouring tea and being as unsubtle as he feels like.]

[Somewhere, Erika hates Sei for not thinking Garry is a pedophile. SHE HAS A BET TO WIN, DAMN IT.

Garry is still checking the rose out JUST TO MAKE SURE. He doesn't care if Ib isn't a frostbitten corpse. This is like. Basic art gallery safety 101, geez.]

Oh, thank goodness! [Stroking Ib's head gently.] I'm sorry for overreacting...

[Oh right person.] Ah, yes, that's right! I'm Ib's caretaker! [He sounds like the proudest mama in the world.] I don't know you...

[HE'S MET TOO MANY PEDOPHILES, MADAM, HE KNOWS BETTER.

The rose is simply pretty, frosted glass with traces of magic on it but nothing about it screams 'harmful'. Just a pretty trinket made to last.]

...My name is Sei.

[JUST IGNORING WILL goddammit man how is he supposed to know shit like that?!]

[She frowns slightly at the rose comment, but says nothing about it. Well, it is true... Garry probably told him about it.

In any case, she nods again.] It's okay, Garry. We still have to keep them safe.

[She then gestures at Sei, then back to Garry.] I told him to come over for Christmas.

[Well, these things just come up when you spazz over roses enough. But he nods and turns a little friendlier. All right! Ib's friend! Who did not kill her rose! He's good with this.]

My name is Garry. Well, the more the merrier! If you're a friend of Ib's, you're a friend of mine.

[STAGE WHISPER.] Will is in a Christmas mood but I believe he's actually quite happy with his, ah, significant other and is celebrating by being more himself than usual.

I know. [Smiling a bit sheepishly.] He's my uncle. On my mother's side, we both only recently found out, so it's kind of awkward. It's nice to see him in a good mood, though.

[And hey, if you squint, there actually is something vaaaaguely like family resemblance there! ...Squint really hard.]

It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.

[Cue another set of giggles from her at that stage whisper.

She's still smiling after she quiets down, standing a little closer to Garry.] You're really family? Then you have to stay for Christmas. It's okay.

[Garry gasps!] Family...? I didn't realise Will had any...

[Ffff and here he was, a little rude to the poor man.]

Please make yourself at home. Should I get us some drinks and treats? Ah, is Will going to join us for Christmas...?

Well, everyone has a family, right? [Neutral answer, neutral answer, not explaining anythiiiiing.]

Ah...I suppose that's up to him. As for me, um.

...Do you have any peppers?

[Well, that answer's good enough for her!!]

Will's probably gonna come later, right?

[...But wait a minute. Well, they have a lot of sweets, but that's not exactly...] Peppers? [She frowns.] Garry, do we have peppers?

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I feel like Saint Nicholas is pulling my leg

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