I wish, I wonder (SECRET SANTA SPYING)

[King William Leverich II]

Will was excited to see how the Secret Santa transpired. So yeah, some of those drawings might not have been the most optimal, but as long as his babies had fun! Because Raoul and Erik were friends. Totally. On that note, he was entirely open to doing a little "hint hint nudge nudge" as far as who wanted what. After all, even if you hated the person at least they might get you something you could actually use. Or, well, they could twist the recommendation and just get the person the total opposite.
...Ok, so sometimes he could be a bit of a manipulative bastard, but he was a bored dead guy, what else was there to do?

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HOW THIS THING WORKS:
Ok, so this is in character... mostly.
When I say mostly, I mean... here's what I mean:

Here you'll post a REALLY short IC musing for your characters. They don't have to actually be interacting with Will whatsoever, and Will will not have any actual posts for the remainder of this thread (though just assume he's nearby, listening, watching, dripping Paula Dean butter down your neck... or your character's just talking to him). And when I say really short, I mean like:

Christine wondered aloud, 'Huh, it might be nice to have a wicked cool Cadillac for Christmas. Cadillacs are cool. Though, well, blow torches could be kind of interesting too. Then I could melt Erik's mask and it'd be smooth again.'

Yes, it can be that illiterate or silly or not. You may also do this for all of your characters in one post. PM me if you have questions. It's just really simple fun so people can have ideas, though!

- Gabby x

[Gustave de Chagny]

Christmas was fast approaching, and little Gustave was busy writing away his list to Father Christmas, as he did every year. He only hoped that Father Christmas would know where to find him since they were not at home in Paris. The little boy began to write in his rather sloppy hand...

Dear Father Christmas,

This year, for Christmas, I'd like for mother and for father to be happy, and for my piano at home to not be lonely, and for Princess Meg to have a happy Christmas as well. But what I want most of all for myself is a violin, like grandfather used to have, and play to mother and father when they were little like me.

Have a happy Christmas,

-Gustave de Chagny

[Adina Gillespie]

Adina had not even begun to think about what she wanted for Christmas. She only thought of what to get- or make- for her Secret Santa. She had managed to pick up a few books from the library and began to pour over them... This was madness! How was she going to make something from a time further ahead of her own?!

She sighed deeply and let her head fall forward onto the opened book she had been reading. "Oh, heavens help me..." She mumbled before sitting back up and pushing her hair out of her face. "If only there were a way that I could keep a record of all of these images so I do not have to keep looking through these books over and over every bloody day."

[Erik Lenoir]

Erik was in his lair. Sometimes he thought out loud when he was alone. When he had signed up for the Secret Santa gift exchange, he had been thinking of what he would give someone, but hoped that whoever gave him a gift would give him something he wanted. He had the money to buy whatever he wanted, but it would be nice coming from someone else.

"I certainly could use another pair of cuff links, I suppose. Something elegant. I hope the person who has my name has good taste. Or another knife or dagger. One cannot have too many of those." Then he wondered whatever he could get for the gift he was to give....

[Christine Lucinda Dallas]

Christine Lucinda Dallas normally called herself Lu except when she was dressed in a lovely gown for a special event. She liked to call herself Christine Lucinda then. It seemed more elegant. She had several gowns Gunner had bought for her with the proceeds of some of their robberies. But she really had no jewelry to go with them so to speak.

"If only I had a necklace and matching earrings," she said aloud. Then, for Christmas, I could look as purdy as the rest of them ladies." She sighed, hoping whoever had her name would think of that.

[Erik Spectre]

Érik

Érik had honestly never received a present before, so he wasn't sure what normal people got for Christmas. In books he read children were given dolls and toys, and sometimes beautiful dresses and vests, but he was not a child.

If he were to choose what his present was to be he might choose a rope around de Chagny's neck... But not this Christmas, no, something more tangible, safe and pleasant. Of course Érik also loved to read despite his slowness in it, as it passes his time a lot nicer than wallowing in his misery. Books took him away from his wretched life if only for a few hours, so that he might feel like more than just... a monster.

But something else would be even better... Something to do with music. Music was the one thing that kept him (sort of) sane at the end of the day. If he was given music, or something having to do with music by someone, he might just treasure their present all the more.

NutMeg

Meg had been given presents before, of course. Her mother gave her dolls and new ballet shoes when she was little, and when she was older she and Christine would exchange little frivolities like chocolates and novelties. For the ten years she was in New York, however, it seemed Christmas was a little lonelier than it used to be... She and her mother never spent it with Mister Y, even though time and again she tried to give him a gift. Once she'd bought him a scarf, but that year he'd been away on business.

If she were to really have something, all her own, it would have to be ballet shoes. She'd always practiced ballet while on Coney, but she hadn't worn a pair of pointe shoes in so long she wondered if she could still dance in them at all. She sighed, remembering how it felt to have such control and fluidity of movements. She was probably too old to dance like that again anyway...

Something more modest and simple might be a new scarf, or a nice winter coat, for the one she had was a little flimsy and made for more early spring/fall weather. Or... perhaps just a kiss from Mister Y under the mistletoe...

Philippe

Philippe didn't know anyone at the manor, really, a part from a few people he'd met. He liked to keep to himself for the most part, and ride, as the aristocrat inside of him was unsure he should even mingle with the others who resided with him. But then again, he had to remind himself that his title didn't matter, here. It was so disappointing and shameful that he and his brother had been reduced to nothing by being taken here.

As it was, Philippe wondered what the resident who was lucky to get his name would get him. He of course had his rooms with all he could ever need, but he found his journals absent for some reason. He could use a nice new one, leather bound and un-lined. Perhaps a lock on it might do, in this place, since he trusted no one to keep to themselves here...

His wish was, in fact, to have something that reminded him of home. He missed France dearly, but from the sound of things he'd heard from Raoul, Ana, and the talk around the manor, he would never return to his home country again. There were rules he'd never heard of in this modern day world, such things as passports and visas and citizenships as he'd been reading in the paper. What was an airplane anyway? Whatever it was, if he was 'legally' from France he could easily get there, but he was supposed to be dead (and fictional, so it would seem).

He would truly love something from France, something he could treasure and remind him of where he came from.

[Erik Castagne]

Erik, when he had first come to the mansion had dropped his pocket watch on the very hard stone floor of the lair. It had shattered the crystal and the delicate mechanism was ruined from the shock. It had no real sentimental value to him other than it had been purchased in Persia when he had been designing edifices for the Shah. He had no knowledge of the village and if he could purchase another one there or better yet, if this one could be repaired. Erik's long case clock and several other small ones sat in various places in his lair and he took pride in winding them once a week. So, while home, he never had want of a knowing what the time was, but when he went up to the mansion, many of the clocks had stopped or were wildly different from each other. Erik really wished his watch was still working. Perhaps someone would think to purchase him another one for the Secret Santa.

But that was too much to ask. It might be more than the person had to spend. So he would be delighted with a book...something about adventures in the medieval times, when the knights were courageous and fought for their ladies...

[Raoul Edouard de Chagny]

Edouard looked at his boots. Whoever had brought him her to the mansion had done a marvelous job of bringing all his belongings with him, except for one thing. His boots. He onlyhad one pair that had been placed in his suite. And this pair, although they were comfortable, wearing them every day had made them look a bit tatty, and even with shining, they were not fit for a Vicomte to wear!

He wished that someone could get him a new pair of brown boots. for the secret Santa.

[Christine Svenna Daaé]

That was it. The aquarium was closed now. There was no more mermaid Misty until Spring. Christine sighed. She did very much enjoy working at the aquarium, and she knew it was something that she was going to miss. And it wasn't only the people, or the playing mermaid, or the getting to spend all day at the pool that she would miss... but the fish as well. Yes, she had grown quite attached to their presence. Just being around them felt soothing.

It certainly would be nice if there were fish at the manor – and not for eating, but for watching, and for making silly faces at as they swam past. Even if it was just a simple goldfish, it would make her miss the aquarium and its fish a lot less during the off time in the winter.

[Alfred Worthington]

Alfred wasn't even sure he was eligible to receive a Secret Santa gift or give one, considering the was a servant, but when he received a name to buy a gift for he was elated! He felt part of the community now who resided at the mansion. He had been certain his name would have been crossed out at the sign up poster he had signed.

It would be hard to think of a gift to give, but he knew what he wished for most. A pair of warm winter gloves. That would suit him very well n his long winter walks.

[billie]

Billie was there for but a moment to grab some coffee before he dashed back out the door to make another horse haul. It would be a longer trip than he usually made but worth it. He began to think about music and it was tough for him to really get into technology. However, he wasn't daft about it. Ana had made him several CDs of some of his favorite songs, mostly Country and Western songs. But as he thought more and more about music and the past, recalling a point in his life where he was young and wanted to be just like Hank Williams. Always wanting a guitar so he could learn how to play. He did but over time, that dream had to fade and the poor guitar was lost.

"Sure wish I had a guitar again," barely a whisper in that deep voice, more to himself as he pulled on the gloves and Carhartt coat then left the Manor on his transport run.

[mamma]

The old woman motored down the hallway at a pretty good speed but none too fast. Somewhat humming as she was thinking and thinking. The decorations were very pretty and got her to thinking of decorations from her homeland. She missed the north.

When she returned to her room once again, looked outside her door, touching the side of the doorway and looked absent minded yet reflective. "I miss my Dalecarlian horse," the little carved reddish orange horse that she used to play with as a child. She had it with her when they moved to Paris. But here... she could not find it. She missed having one, especially outside her doorway. Perhaps one to display in her room, too.

[Erik Lavalais]

ERIK

Erik was in a bit of a tiff lately. He’d finally gotten inspiration to work on that piece he’d started. BUT, he had no manuscript paper to write music on. Sure, he could draw some up, but that would take time he didn’t have.

What he wouldn’t give for a journal of manuscript paper…perhaps a new set of calligraphy quills to write with…Yes…but he’d never have the time to go get it. So it was all just useless dribble until he could convince Teressa to go out and buy some for him.

TERESSA

As she stitched the fine embroidery onto another one of her domino masks, Teressa turned it to look at it. It was such a pretty mask…what with all that beading and the fragile thread-work…She sighed.

She’d love a new lace dress, to match her new white mask. She could make one, but good lace was hard to come by and even harder to create. And it would take her forever to find all of the right lengths to make a dress…perhaps she could start a new project in the spring, when lace was cheaper. But that would be a while….Oh well…

MISTER Y

Erik sighed. He missed his home, the semi-normalcy of living in his elaborate flat…he missed his routines. Picking out the show itinerary for the next month, discussing customer traffic with Madame Giry for each day, picking out his outfits and writing in his journal…When he’d gone through his new quarters below, he found a fantastic replica of his living space in Phantasma. But he’d discovered that though most every detail was perfect, the person who’d arranged it all had forgotten his journal.

Perhaps he’d find someplace where he could buy a new journal. Perhaps not…but he could at least have a little wishful thinking, right?

[Christine Daaé]

Christine had had a much easier time adapting to the manor recently, ever since the wedding. She had been learning a bit more English, and it had become easier for her to communicate with some of the English-speaking residents and with people the few times she ventured out as far as the village. There were still some things though that she refused to adapt to, such as the modern attire. The mere thought of it almost made her feel naked. No, she quite liked her own clothes and didn't see any reason why she should dress differently.

That being said though, there were still some things that she rather missed about Raoul from before they were married. She missed how they used to laugh and play games together as children... She was rather fond of games, after all – adventures, riddles, jokes, and the sort. There at the manor though, things had been... well... a bit... different. They were both adults now, and perhaps it was merely that they had grown too old for their child-like games, but if there was one thing that she wished, it was that they could have that back. She really wished that she had some sort of game that they could play together. She could always make one up – she had when they were children – but it still was something that would have been nice to have.

[anastasia]

Walking into the kitchen then began to make herself some hot chocolate. Mixing up the smooth libation then put into the hot liquid a peppermint stick and continued to stir while moving over to the island counter then sat down on one of the stool-chairs, leaning towards the large platter of Christmas cookies and began to enjoy one as she started to think of Christmas gifts. Whatever in the world would she like?

"Hmmmm," munching on the cookie. "Do I want a pretty little china doll or a music box? Maybe some new riding attire? Or jewelry?" She was thinking more and more as she ate the first cookie then stirred the hot chocolate again the peppermint stick nearly completely gone. "Not sure what I want," then propped her chin upon the palm of her hand as the arm stood upright from the elbow. With a slight little snicker as she stirred the cup of hot chocolate again then set the spoon down, lifting the cup to her lips and a throaty snicker. Thinking a kiss would be interesting but she didn't want to take that risk really. It wasn't like she'd never been kissed before. But a special kiss from her true love... that truly was too much to ask for. "A music box," and started to hum 'Music of the Night' since that was one of her favored songs, a song that could always help ease her poor, troubled mind and soul and heart.