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Post by Christine Lucinda Dallas on Apr 21, 2013 23:27:19 GMT -5
Lu saw the tall blonde masked woman open her gift. This must be Teressa, the lady whose name Lu had received for this exchange. She smiled. The gift was so pretty, she wanted one herself. She didn't know Teressa, but she knew what any lady would like. That was easy. She would buy something pretty that she herself would want. Of course she like other things that not every lady liked, like shotguns and knives and horses and silver spurs and fancy western boots and fringed vests...well she could go on. But she also loved jewellery and pretty Victorian dresses and shawls and parasols and combs for her hair...She smiled with delight that Teressa seemed to like the fancy lace shawl. Teressa looked toward Lenoir to ask if he had given it to her. Lu had heard they were romantically involved, but he seemed rather aloof and sticking with Adina. He shook his head and looked away when Teressa asked if it was his gift.
Then Lu put her fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly., walking over to the tall woman. "Hey, Miss Teressa, yer gift is from me. I ain't seen nothin' so pretty as this. Hope you like it."
Then it was time for Lu to find her own gift. She went to the tree and searched for a bit. Then she saw it. A small box wrapped in silver diagonal blue striped paper with a shiny blue curled ribbon. She picked it up and smiled, delighted at how beautifully it was wrapped.
"Now ain't that purdy! I think almost too purdy to open!" She looked around and giggled. I did say almost! She pulled out a small pen knife she always kept on her and she slit the ribbon carefully and then the paper so she could take it off in one piece without ripping it. She opened the box and gasped! "The most be-yootyful thing I ever seen!" She pulled out three exquisite pieces from the box, a set of earrings and matching pendant. The pieces were shaped in the shape of horse shoes and they were made of silver with glittering stones. She wondered if they were diamonds, rhinestones or simply crystal or glass. She didn't care which, .. she loved how they looked...and she didn't want to betray her ignorance of what they really were. She hoped perhaps the giver would mention it. She looked around at all the people. Someone must have put a lot of thought into the gift. Who could it be?
She glanced at Adina, whose locket she had once stolen. Could she have been so sweet as to find this lovely gift? "Is it you, Adina?"
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Meg "Oh! La La" Giry
Diamonds never sparkle bright, if they aren't set just right
Just Keep Smiling...
Posts: 130
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Post by Meg "Oh! La La" Giry on Apr 27, 2013 11:40:43 GMT -5
After a while Meg stopped talking to people. She merely stayed in a corner of the room, drinking cocoa and seriously feeling sorry for herself. She was pathetic, sure, pining after a man who hardly cared for her in the slightest, especially when the love of his life was in the room. She was tempted to leave, but then she hadn't been able to open her present yet... She could always just sneak it out, but when she had looked for it it was a fairly large present. No way she was getting out of there with that hidden.
Meg watched the festivities as a silent spectator, a fly on the wall really. That's all she was, wasn't she? Her entire life she had only had cursory glances, whisperings of a poor little girl with big dreams and a little voice... That's why she became the Oh! La La Girl. She could be as loud and in the spotlight as she wanted... Of course not in his eyes, however.
She'd nearly been dozing off slightly when she heard and awful mid-western twang resound in her ears. She was a little annoyed, but when she looked to the person who'd exclaimed, she saw the shiny, blue and white striped wrapping paper that she'd adorned her present with. Meg immediately stood up, nearly sloshing her now lukewarm chocolate on her white sweater, but she set it on the table and raced forward. "No, no, haha! That would be me, missy. My name's Meg, Meg Giry, and I'm glad you like it. Almost bought one for myself, though I'm not all that big a fan of horses."
Oh, lies, lies, but she didn't care. Someone had brought her to attention again, and she looked around excitedly, expecting people to wonder what she had been given. "Guess that means I'll open my present now." She pretended like she didn't know which one it was, but picked up the slightly heavy box with her name on it. She stood right by the tree to open it, where most attention would be focused. She couldn't wait to see what it was...
"Oh my... God!" she exclaimed, pulling out the most fabulous fur coat she'd ever seen. She let the box and paper fall to the floor and hugged the garmet to her chest, buring her face in the soft pelt. "Oooh, thank you thank you thank you!" she giggled. She was supposed to guess who it was from, but she didn't know all that many people here, and the ones she did had mostly finished opening their presents... Including Mister Y, she thought.
Still... maybe she just hadn't noticed? "Was it you, Mister Y? Oh please say it was you." She smiled at him, walking over and ignoring whatever it was he'd been doing to begin with.
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Mister Y
Ten long years... living a mere facade of life...
Posts: 46
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Post by Mister Y on Apr 27, 2013 14:02:34 GMT -5
Erik had been about to reach over to the little boy in front of him to talk, but Meg Giry had addressed him, walking over to him excitedly with a fur coat. It was very nice, the kind of grade that he'd buy for himself. But, he didn't get it for her.
"I'm sorry, Meg, but this wasn't from me." He nodded politely at her. He'd always kind of liked her since the barge ride to America. Before he'd taught her English, she used to be so scared of him. Now, it most certainly wasn't the case. She always had a smile when she talked to him. Probably the product of her mother's training. He could just see and hear Madame Giry chastising her daughter for giving him a disgusted glance behind his back.
Maybe she meant it? Perhaps, perhaps not. It all depended on how the girl really thought of him, but he wasn't very determined to find that out. All he wanted was to make things work out here and go home. That was all he could really hope for. This whole world was too strange for his tastes. He didn't like it. It was loud and bright, and while those things were good in Phantasma, he'd never had much of a liking for them.
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
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Post by Christine Daaé on Apr 30, 2013 1:38:00 GMT -5
Christine was finding it increasingly difficult to hide her irritation that the person who had given her adoptive mother her gift seemed to not be present at the gift exchange. It was rather rude of them, whoever they were, to leave everyone hanging as they had.
A few more gifts had been exchanged, but the pace of the whole evening seemed to have slowed a bit since the absence of Mamma Valérius’ gifter. She knew several people there at the Manor whom she had not seen in the room… but then again, there were plenty of people there she did not recognize as well. She supposed that it was quite possible that it were someone she’d never even met before…
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Post by Gustave de Chagny on Apr 30, 2013 1:56:34 GMT -5
Little Gustave had noticed Mister Y moving toward him, almost as if he wished to speak to him, but then Miss Giry began speaking and his attention sifted. The lad sighed and turned his attention back to his new violin, plucking the strings a little.
It really was a beautiful instrument, and the sounds it made, even when only in pizzicato, were quite lovely as well. Oh, he wished that he could play the thing! But he didn’t know now how to play the different notes on it… After all, it was very different from his piano at home.
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Meg "Oh! La La" Giry
Diamonds never sparkle bright, if they aren't set just right
Just Keep Smiling...
Posts: 130
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Post by Meg "Oh! La La" Giry on May 6, 2013 16:30:27 GMT -5
"I'm sorry, Meg, but this wasn't from me."
Before she could think, Meg's entire face fell into a frown. She caught herself and shrugged, smiling to mask her disappointment. She should have known it wasn't him anyway... If it had been him, his gift wouldn't have nearly been this nice or expensive. Probably a dime-store token or knock-off item that he "thought would suit her."
"That's alright..." she said, spinning on her heal to avoid further embarrassment. She slipped on the coat and pulled it tightly around her body, not bothering to pick up the mess she made of the ripped paper. In a bright, albeit disguised voice, she called out to the room. "Whoever gave me this gorgeous coat, go ahead and open your present! I'm... meeting a friend in town!"
Her friend was a brandy in a bar, with a waiter or two to keep her company. With these thoughts in mind, she left the room, the manor, and her shame behind her.
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Erik Spectre
Don Juan Triumphant
One must get used to everything in life, even eternity...
Posts: 87
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Post by Erik Spectre on May 9, 2013 19:51:46 GMT -5
The attention he'd received eventually left Érik, standing alone awkwardly in the corner with his strange gift. He clutched the two boxes to his chest, watching the party with apprehension. He didn't know anyone else there, but didn't care to draw any more attention to himself by leaving with a show. He could just slip out, but with the number of people in the room someone was bound to notice and speak to him. The "gift of good cheer" as it were.
He sighed, inching his way over to the door, where the dreadful mistletoe was still hanging. If he could just escape quickly, no one would notice... Érik was almost there, until he saw the eyes of Christine.
She did not look at him, but merely scanned the room blankly looking for something. The young woman's distraught nature alarmed him, and though it certainly shouldn't be his business any longer, he could not help but find himself drifting waif-like over to her.
"C-Christine... Is something the matter my dear?" he muttered, his eyes drifting to the floor and clutching his presents closer to his chest. He felt so small again... Érik really should just leave. He was not wanted, and for good reason. The only woman who he found pleasure with merely sought his pitiful company.
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Post by Carlotta Corazon on May 12, 2013 21:14:11 GMT -5
"I am doing well. And no, I don't think I have met your adoptive mother. Pleasure. And isn't my dress? I got it just before I was thrown into this place but this is the first time I have gotten to wear it! Discúlpeme por un momento." Carlotta said to Christine, then walked away to a table where a few people crowded that was filled with little treats and drinks.
As presents were being opened, Carlotta satisfied herself with chocolates and cookies and sips of apple cider. If her parents had been here, no doubt they would discourage her from eating any farther but it wasn't like she had the perfect figure to begin with. And the thoughts of her parents and actually missing them some made her eat more. But then she saw a blonde woman pick up a present and reveal the lovely fur coat that she had bought!
Carlotta choked and tried to wash down the cookie she had just put in her mouth moments ago but was too late for the woman thanked her, not knowing Carlotta had given it to her, and left. Embarrassed, but didn't look it, Carlotta cleared her lungs and throat and walked carefully to the presents. She of course looked through the big ones first and then the medium till finally she found a small box with her name on it. Carefully, and somewhat disappointed, she picked up the little box and then opened it up. At first, it didn't click what it is, then her mind rushed as Franc, who was perched on her shoulder, cried out "CASH" happily.
It was a beautiful little brooch of her own dear Franc! And she thought the gold wrapping and silver ribbon on the tiny box was pretty! Obviously Franc also approved of the little present and yelled "CASH" again. Immediately, she attached it to the right side of her dress front and happily showed it off before finally asking who it had come from since she didn't know anyone except for Christine and Svenna. "Este regalo es absolutamente precioso! Gracias a quien me dio este! Realmente voy a apreciarlo. Quién lo dio a mí? Who gave me this beautiful present? Thank you really, gracias!" She said happily, Franc yelling out his favorite word once again. She looked through the crowd of faces to see who it was that she wished to thank for the small, but much liked, present.
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Roselin A. Soulle
Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
Take a leap and watch as the world around you fades away
Posts: 138
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Post by Roselin A. Soulle on May 12, 2013 21:25:16 GMT -5
Roselin yawned, but still smiled widely, all the excitement making her rather sleepy. And anyways, the faster she went to bed, the quicker Christmas would come in the morning. Roselin thanked Teressa again, hugging the music box closely to her heart and then went to Lenoir and kissed his cheek that didn't have the mask over it. Merry Christmas Erik, I am going to bed. Night!"
She smiled. "Don't party too hard." Roselin laughed then walked over to Carlotta and hugged her tightly. " I am glad to see you came tonight. I hope you enjoy yourself but I am going to go to bed. Night." Roselin smiled and kissed her cheek too then wandered sleepily out of the party and walked to the dorms till she found her name. She walked in and opened her music box and put it on her desk then jumped into bed. Roselin's eyes slowly closed as she drifted off into dreams of the night and Swan Princess.
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
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Post by Christine Daaé on May 13, 2013 13:51:20 GMT -5
Carlotta dismissed herself and went to go partake of some of the sweets and other refreshments that were being offered there at the party. She wished she would have stayed a bit longer so that she could have introduced her to Mamma Valerius (ha! There was a thought—withing La Carlotta would have stayed),but she supposed it really wasn’t her obligation to do so. She just felt bad for her poor adoptive mother sitting there with a gift and no one to talk to.
It wasn’t very long after Carlotta had left that Érik came up to her and asked her if something were the matter. She shook her head a little and managed a smile up at him. “I suppose I’m just a bit… upset,” she said. And then she turned and looked over her shoulder at her adoptive mother again. “Poor Mamma… It really was rather rude of the person who gave her such a lovely present not to come…”
She let out a sigh and then looked back up at him. “Have you been able to enjoy yourself at least?” This wasn’t exactly the typical scenario she associated seeing Érik in, though if he were going to make an effort to become more social, it was certainly a good place to start. “Would you like to sit down?”
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on May 14, 2013 18:25:36 GMT -5
Erik waited for a bit, perhaps too long to see if Carlotta Corazon would guess who had bought her the expensive parrot pin for the gift exchange. He had been rather taken aback when he had received the soprano's name. They had rather a rough start at the mansion, with Erik insulting her first thing. But they had parted amicably and after thinking about it, the parrot pin was the perfect gift. She loved her parrot so much.
Erik walked slowly over to Carlotta. He smiled and took her hand, kissing it. "It was me, dear lady, I was the one who bought you the gift. I do hope you like it. How is your bird, by the way. He always looks quite stunning, but never more stunning than you yourself, dear lady." Erik wondered if she believed any of it. However, he did mean it, every word. It was only when she opened her mouth to sing that he disapproved of her...
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Christine Svenna Daaé
Twisted every way, what answer can I give?
Screw being ladylike; Imma Pageboy!
Posts: 230
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Post by Christine Svenna Daaé on May 29, 2013 12:37:05 GMT -5
Christine Svenna squeezed her now fiancé’s hands and gave a giddy little jump and a giggle. “Oh Raoul, this… this is the best Christmas present I’ve ever received…” And with this, she gently released her hands from his and hopped up, flinging her arms around him and kissed his lips before pulling away and dropping down, taking his hands again and giving them another affectionate squeeze while swinging them playfully. This was certainly the best Christmas she ever could have hoped to have asked for…
And then it hit her. While she had been with Raoul exchanging gifts outside, someone inside of the gifting room surely must have opened the present that she had given them by now… They must be in there waiting for her…
“I must go!” she exclaimed suddenly. “They’ll wonder where I am…. Wait for me, Raoul?” She reached up and pecked his lips again. “I’ll only be a minute. I promise you that.” And giving his hands another squeeze, her face radiant with delight, she took her brief leave of him and reentered the gifting area with a certain skip and a spring to her step.
When she entered, she scanned about the room to see if anyone had opened her present… and sure enough, they had. There sat a little old woman, whom she vaguely recognized from Vincent and Angie’s wedding, holding the box with the Dalecarlian horses in her lap.
“Oh dear, I…. I see someone opened my gift already?” The young woman said with a rather nervous chuckle. “Merry Christmas… I’m sorry. I was busy with something…” Giving a somewhat awkward smile, Christine inched her way over to the tree and searched among the boxes that were left.
When she saw no box sitting under the tree, she began to feel slightly disappointed. Granted, she was more than happy already with the gift of the engagement from Raoul, but to go to a gift exchange and find out that no one had bothered to give you a gift… It was rather upsetting.
She stepped back, a somewhat darkened expression on her face, like a kid who had just found out they won a prize, but the prize was a package of socks—and not the fun, colorful, fuzzy kind of socks either… That is… until she stepped back a little bit and saw, on a higher shelf, a fishbowl with a gold and red bow on it and a tag that said ‘For Christine Svenna Daaé’
Christine gasped and let out a high-pitches squeal of delight when she saw the thing. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest excitedly and then quickly spun around once in a circle, unable to contain her sudden mood shift. “Oh! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, whoever did this, it’s absolutely positively amazing!”
After taking a few panting breaths in an attempt to calm herself down, Christine reached up and carefully took the fishbowl. It was a bit heavy, and so she braced it tightly against her body, staring down into the top at the three little fishies swimming about. “Oh! I know exactly what to name you three, too! You’ll be Flounder, and you’ll be Sebastian, and you’ll be Skuttle!”
She gave a rather cheeky grin and began making funny fish faces at the three goldfish inside, almost as if she hoped to somehow communicate with them that way. She forgot, for a moment, that she was supposed to guess who gave them to her, and so she plopped down in a seat nearby her soon-to-be brother-in-law and stared down at the fish in her lap with delight.
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Post by Carlotta Celestia Giudicelli on May 30, 2013 21:16:03 GMT -5
((Lame post is lame))
Roselin seemed to be getting rather tired from the way that she kept on yawning like that. She hugged the diva and bid her goodnight. “Buona Notte, bambina,” Carlotta told the girl as she hugged her back tightly. It seemed that she was the only friend that she really had in this place, unfortunately. Carlotta was not at all used to being so very unpopular. She hadn’t felt like such in more than twenty years!
The girl would surely sleep well tonight. It was Christmas Eve, and she had a lovely music box to play her soft lullabies while she closed her eyes in the dark. What more could one ask for on a night like this. Visions of sugarplums would surely dance in her head.
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Post by Philippe Maurice de Chagny on May 31, 2013 10:54:38 GMT -5
Philippe tried to respond to Madame de Chagny's question, but the woman became so distracted with her gift that he simply gave up. "Of course, Madame," he said when she excused herself, watching as she walked to her gifter in appreciation. She seemed to know him well... He would have to make the acquaintance of some of these masked men, eventually, though he wasn't sure he trusted a man who hides his face... Could all of them simply have scars? What an unbelievable coincidence... However the amount of "Christines" in the room proved that this sort of happenstance abounded in the manor.
The Comte leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms in the most dignified fashion he could muster. He sighed, his face drawn. He glanced at his presents sitting on the floor next to him. There was really no reason to be there any longer... He really should just leave...
After closing his eyes for a moment and practicing some deep breathing, he heard a rather loud girlish squeal issue near him. He sat up and turned his head to find Svenna pulling down a bowl of fish from a shelf near the tree. Ah, this must be her Secret Santa present... Had his brother already given her his...?
The girl sat in a seat near him. He watched her with quizzical eyes, though behind them he was exhausted. Yes, he should be going... Where was his brother anyway? He would like to have a word with him about that gift he gave to Svenna, whatever it may be...
And then he saw it. Glistening on her finger next to the bowl was his mother's ring. Philippe's eyes steeled as he stared at it. He swallowed hard, eyes searching the room for his brother's form. Yes, he had known this was the copy's purpose... But now? Why now, when he'd only been here a few months? His brother had hardly given him time to adjust to his new lifestyle, and now he has to deal with this?
Philippe stood, picking up his presents and exiting the room. He needed to think... Needed to ride... And then he would seek Christopher out and discuss this development... How he wished he could have his mother's patience.
((OoC: And with that, Philippe is outta here! Didn't want to have him linger too much longer, xD Erik is next to be exiting soon.))
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Christine Svenna Daaé
Twisted every way, what answer can I give?
Screw being ladylike; Imma Pageboy!
Posts: 230
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Post by Christine Svenna Daaé on May 31, 2013 14:19:56 GMT -5
Christine Svenna was so very caught up in the excitement of her newly found fishy friends, that she hadn’t noticed at first when her soon-to-be brother-in-law((r)) got up and left the room. Sure she’d vaguely noticed that she had sat down by him when she’d taken her seat, but…. But fish… sooooo many fish…..
It wasn’t until a few minutes later, when she thought that she ought to go back to Raoul now that she had opened her present, that she noticed he was gone. She was going to tell him goodbye and wish him a merry Christmas, but happened to look up just in time to see him walking out the door. Well that certainly was a bummer… and then yet another thought occurred to her.
She was supposed to guess who had given the gift to her. She looked around for a moment, deliberating who might have given such a wonderful present to her… granted, she’d been out of the rom for some time, so she wasn’t entirely sure who had given their gifts already and who had not, so she more chose someone at random.
“Hmmm….. Alfred, did you give this to me?” she asked, looking at the butler she had known from when she and Raoul were growing up together. There were other people in the room she didn’t know that very well could have given it to her, though she recalled telling Alfred about how she was working at the aquarium in the village, and so there was the distinct possibility that it could be him.
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