Leah's hand slips back to Tara's shoulder, opposite of her, to give her one last quick sidehug before bringing her arm back. When it looks as if Tara might say something, she gives a small tilt of her head. "Hmm? What is it, sweetheart?" she asks, ever trying to gently nudge Tara into speaking her mind without being too pushy.
#Leah'sHouse – December 6, 2020
Tara 's gaze darts up to Leah before returning to the wall. She shifts a bit and manages to get out a quiet "...thank you.", a tiny, lightning-quick smile flashing across her lips, once again meeting Leah's gaze.
Leah's big bright smile re-emerges. She gives a small, dismissive shrug. "There's nothing to thank me for." she offers in turn.
Francois gives a sharp nod. As a small silence settles into the narrow hallway, he casts a brief glance back down the hall, drawing in a quick breath. "Do you know what else this day is about...?" he asks, eyebrows furrowing as he settles his gaze back on Tara. He allows the question to linger for a moment before the smile spreads back across his face. "Presents!" he exclaims with a snicker. "And I think it might be time to
Leah sucks in her lips, causing the dimples in her cheeks to grow more pronounced as she nods along to her father's question, pom of her hat bouncing while her gaze turns from Francois to Tara. "What do you think? Ready to open some gifts!?" she asks.
Tara lets out a quiet noise halfway to a snicker, her smile returning as she nods. Embarrassment lingers in her face over having caused such a fuss, but the heavier emotions have eased thanks to Leah and Francois' firm response. It becomes harder to blame herself when they so clearly do not.
Once everyone settles back down, the group moves over to the Christmas tree. Francois takes on his annual role as gift distributor while the others sit amongst their respective piles of gifts on the floor. Leah and Tara's piles are noticeably larger than the others', but that's mostly owed to the ridiculous amount of dad gifts from Francois. Both were given fresh, colorful winter gloves, hats, and scarves. Enough socks and undershirts to
survive the apocalypse. New toothbrushes. Bedsheets. Shower supplies. Pajama pants. Leah and Tara are dadded out on the dad swag. Tara's damaged Christmas hat was hastily replaced, as Francois provided matching, family Christmas hats! Red with a white, fluffy pom, each has their respective name on the trim. Leah. Francois. Tara. It wasn't exactly Francois' plan to get one for himself going into it. But how could he pass up the year-round
3-for-2 printing special? Such value! Leah fired back at her father in kind, leaving Francois with plenty of shaving equipment, shower gels, and the like. Leah's gifts to Tara so far have been less 'utility' than her father's. A few tops. A couple of pairs of jeans. Since Tara has mostly adopted Leah's style, shopping for her was pretty easy and most of the clothing purchased for Tara wouldn't look out of place in Leah's wardrobe.
Francois, not having any real knowledge of Nathan and Sofia, went the safe route with them. Each got an identical box containing a wide assortment of individually packed chocolates and other intergalactic sweets. Wrapped with each was a Christmas card with a handwritten note from him: "You can never go wrong with candy. Hopefully I will get to know each of you better of the coming year. -Francois" as well as a credit chit with an
To Mendez, both Francois and Leah have piled plenty of sportswear onto him, well aware that he'll probably be hitting the gym hard once he has recovered. He has also gotten a box set of 'The Bold & The Burdened' from Leah with a shit-eating grin that he merely glared at her for, unwilling to admit any interest in the stupid soap opera.
For Mendez' part- probably not surprising anyone- he's a gift carder. Sofia, Nathan, Leah, and Francois all got Christmas cards with credit chits. There wasn't even a hand-written note within the card. Just a hastily scrawled 'Mendez' at the bottom. It's only Tara that got actual gifts. A pair of fluffy house slippers, each with a big, bulbous snowman's head rising off the front of them that sort of bounces when the wearer walks. And a pair
Of the gifts that remain: Mendez - One large, square box from Leah ... Tara - A box roughly the size of a large book from Leah - A large rectangular box from Francois. Large enough to be unweildy - A small, flat box from Francois ... Leah - A small, flat box from Francois ... Sofia - A flat, rectangular box from Leah ... Nathan - A box, roughly the size of a book from Leah.
Tara looked a bit embarrassed on her return to the living room, but amid the shuffle over to the Christmas tree the awkwardness was quickly forgotten. She's been very quiet since the distribution of presents started, more than a little overwhelmed by how many of them are for her. She's managed to keep from breaking down in tears, partly thanks to the earlier incident, but it's been easy to see that it's not far off. Speechless, the last
few packages added to the pile have just been met with helplessly sheepish breaths that don't quite amount to laughter. The practical gifts seem genuinely appreciated, and a few hastily wiped away tears have slipped out, the generosity of the others hard to face. The new Christmas hat went on immediately, the name on it - one of the few bits of text she's learned to identify - bringing out a smile. The slippers were an immediate hit
as well, and are already worn. Tara seems to have gotten one gift for each of the others, all identifiable by the wrapping job. It seems clear that she didn't quite figure out the logistics, and they all have a small lump of excess paper covered in tape on one side. It looks like Leah helped write the names.
Tara: 'From: Dr. Halisi, To: Tara. To fill in the gaps and prepare for the future' - a tiny box. 'From: Dr. Halisi, To: Tara. To inspire, and to connect with your heritage' - something flat and hard. 'From: Vasquez, To: Tara' - something flat and hard.
Leah: 'From: Vasquez, To: Leah' - an envelope. 'From: Halisi, To: Leah' - a very large, heavy box, lovingly wrapped. 'From: Tara, To: Leah' - a small box.
Nathan and his sister were in the midst of some sort of playful squabble when the rest of the household returned. Something about a bet that their older sisters had placed about Nate himself, one which he refused to explain when everyone returned. Although it certainly left him with a flustered look on his face. However, the assembly and the prep for gift unwrapping distracted him from whatever was spoken about before.
Sacrificing his seat to someone else and taking a place on the floor with back leaning against the couch, he watched as gifts were distributed out. All the time he bore a stupidly joyful smile on his face, the festive cheer infectious. When gifts were eventually handed out to him, he meet each one with similar enthusiasm. The chocolates, card and credits were greatly appreciated from Francois, with Nate even
attempting to pronounce some of the more exotic sounding ones. Poorly, that is. The gift card from Mendez, whilst simple, was appreciated. Indeed, it is always a safe bet and he thanked the large man appropriately for it. Once the gifts, both opened and left wrapped, were assembled next to him, he handed out his to the others. For Tara - A small box wrapped neatly with a little bow-tie top it (clearly the work of
his sister in the wrapping.) For Mendez - A reasonably sized box, similarly wrapped to the others. For Francois - A small, rectangular box with the faint sound of liquid shifting around inside. For Sofia - A middle finger raised, before being passed a small box that is clearly wrapped differently to the others. His own effort there. Finally, for Leah - A small rectangular box, also wrapped by him.
Sofia relented from whatever teasing she was in the midst of, smiling brightly to the rest as they entered. She gave a welcoming smile to Tara as she came back in, chatting away to her and anyone else who would listen as if nothing happened prior. She seems to be taking Francois' advice to heart. She too watched with barely contained glee as presents were passed out, a little camera drawn from her handbag to take photos
of the occasion. The chocolates were met with a suprising amount of enthusiasm and an eagerness to try the new and exotic flavours that were arranged neatly within this box. She thanked Francois, the card and credits greatly treasured too. Mendez's gift was met with equal gratitude, following a similar principle as her brother. Gift cards are always a safe bet. In a similar fashion to her brother, she began
parceling out her gifts to everyone. For Mendez - small neatly wrapped box with a surprising amount of weight behind it. For Tara - A small box with a smiley face drawn on the side of the wrapping paper. For Francois - A small present that feels spongey to the touch, even beneath the wrapping paper. For Leah - A small box. And finally, for her brother, a return of a middle finger and a small box wrapped with a few
Leah is seated crosslegged on the floor, all smiles as she sips from her mug of cocoa amongst a mess of wrapping paper. Her Christmas hat made its way onto Nathan's head once she replaced it with the one provided by her father. She's been in high spirits since returning to the living room, Tara's uplifted mood only adding to it. The dad gifts are always appreciated. If not for their practicality, then for the nostalgia of it. The
Mendez is already digging into his last present from Leah. Having to open his gifts one-handed makes for slow going, but what he lacks in dexterity he makes up for in sheer strength, so once he's through the paper he merely rips the flaps of the box within. As he peers inside of the box his brows slowly pinch together, furrowing. "Where did you-..." he manages as he reaches into the box.
Leah's big bright smile only grows as she watches Mendez pull what appears to be a very large plastic bottle from the box. "That's the stuff, right?!" she asks. "The-... chocolate-flavored protein you said you liked...?" The almost sheepish smile that crosses Mendez' lips is enough to confirm it.
Mendez had assumed that his words just went in one ear and out the other with Leah when he talked about stuff like this. He lifts the unweildy container from the box and begins looking it over. "How did you-..." he begins, but is once again unable to get the rest of his sentence out before he's interruped.
Leah sets her mug down on the floor, extending one leg out in front of her as she adjusts one of her candy cane colored socks that has bunched up a bit. "Wellllll~" she hums, "I'll have you know I had to order that months ago!" she brags, attention already moving to her next target: The box from Halisi. She uses her extended foot to lazily drag it closer so she doesn't have to get up and quickly gets to work on the wrapping
Francois snickers quietly to himself as the others continue to chit-chat over one another, a soft smile ever-present on his face. He has brought a chair from the dining room to sit on, worried that if he planted himself on the floor like the others he wouldn't be getting back up without some help. He decides to open Tara's gift next, lifting the small present to her in a show of appreciation before beginning to pull at the
Once the wrapping paper on Halisi's present is peeled away and the cardboard box within is opened up, it reveals a... thing? Inside the box is a wooden dodecahedron over half a meter in diameter. The wood is covered in intricate carvings of Thessian wildlife. There is a note included in the box, which reads: "Merry Christmas! This is called a Juralis. I learned of it from a friend in the Syranis Foundation. It is a biotic puzzlebox of sorts.
They are used to train fine control of biotic fields and are also, as I understand it, a traditional meditation aid. The goal is to extract a metal ball from the maze inside the container. I have been told it can often take months to complete, so be sure to approach it with patience! - Halisi"
Francois' present from Tara is... a tuque! Specifically a blue-white one proudly featuring the logo of the Usaru Maestros.
Zoe wasn't thrilled about her makeshift burrow under the tree being dismantled, nor was she thrilled to be crowded by everyone else. She stayed in Tara's lap for a while, but the jostling of present-opening soon became too disruptive, and the gzzk left to seek out a calmer corner of the house.
Tara smiles a little as Francois goes to open her gift. She, meanwhile, is opening the tiny present from Halisi. The note is lost on her, and, judging by the look on her face, so is the contents. She pulls out a small flash drive and a card with text on it, studying both with mild confusion.
Nathan goes cross-eyed as the hat is placed upon his head, giving Leah a goofy grin as he accepts the new fashion. He looks at the presents arrayed in front of him and decides to pluck up Leah's gift to him first. He carefully begins to unravel the wrapping paper, a look of intense focus on his face to ensure that he doesn't accidentally damage the contents within.
Sofia manages to snap a picture of her brother's goofy face before sniggering to herself. For the moment, she sets aside the camera and takes the small present gifted to her by Tara. She gives it a curious look, excitement at the mystery contained within. She gives Tara a smile before she begins to open the present.
Mendez continues to study the container, an uncharacteristically genuine smile on his face. Not that the gift is anything special. Just protein powder. But the thought behind it garners a genuine, "Thank you." and a small dip of his head. He pauses his gift-opening efforts for a moment, shifting in an attempt to get comfortable rather than admit that his shoulder is starting to ache again. But eventually he seeks out his next
present, seemingly at random. It just so happens to be the small, curiously heavy box from Sofia. Brows furrowing, he gets to unwrapping.
Francois shoots a playful narrowing of his eyes Tara's way, though it very quickly gives way to a genuine smile, a bit of pride slipping into his expression as Tara willingly enters into the familial warzone. He did fire the first shot, after all. Amongst the plethora of dad gifts, both Tara and Leah received Beijing Shocker pajama pants. "I see you have chosen a side." he snickers.
Leah merely gives Mendez a playful wink before focusing on her gift. She pulls the object out, studying it with mild confusion which gradually gives way to curiosity as the note helps to fill in a few blanks. She continues to look the intricate designs over for a few moments, her smile softening. Eventually she finds herself glancing in Tara's direction to check on how her present-picking is going. The confused look on the girl's
face causes her to file a mental note to thank Halisi for the gift as her focus shifts. "Hmm? What is it?" she asks with a curious tilt of her head, hand extending Tara's way as a silent offer to read the note in her hand for her. Francois' words cause her to shoot a glance his way, green eyes turning towards the blue-and-white tuque in his hands which causes a barely-contained snort to slip from her that she's quick to try
The first of the two gifts from Leah to Nathan is a colorfully wrapped rectangular box. Beneath the paper on the thin white cardboard box is a note, written in Leah's crisp handwriting. "I may not always be around to catch you." it says with a goofy little heart drawn beside it. Contained within is a new leather riding jacket. Black with some stitched accents and reinforcements on the shoulder. Adjustable straps line the reinforced forearms
As Mendez unwraps Sofia's present, he finds inside a branded box. WINDS is the name upon the box. Opening it up would reveal an array of WINDS men's shaving kit and toiletries. A little note inside reads, "To help keep that style of yours! - Sofia x". A decently reputable brand that is known for having finely tuned shaving equipment that allows for finer control with shaving.
The small box from Tara to Sofia contains what appears to be a tiny, worn plastic swan. Probably a children's toy. Maybe part of a set once? How it found its way all the way out to Aite is anyone's guess. It's... an odd gift, but it's not hard to see what prompted it, given the choice of animal.
Tara 's attention turns to Francois with a slightly puzzled, innocent expression, but when Leah almost cracks she ducks her head down, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it smile tugging at the corner of her mouth hinting that she probably knew what she was doing. She can't quite hide the relief that follows their reactions - it might mostly have been emulating Leah, but daring to joke is still a big, intimidating step for her. After letting out a
breath she notices Leah's silent offer, gratefully handing her the card. "I... don't know what it says." she explains apologetically.
The card reads: "This flash drive contains an educational VI that teaches reading and writing. It is currently loaded with a module for English. I thought it might be nice for Tara to learn a human language. English seemed the most prudent, but there are modules available for a wide assortment of languages, including French and Galactic Trade.
Nathan reads the note with a small smirk, giving her a playful roll of his eyes. However, his eyes widen as he looks at the contents. "Wha- wow!" He lifts the jacket up and examines it over and over, turning it this way and that, feeling the texture of the leather and durability of the reinforcements upon it. "This is- this is great!" He doesn't waste any time, too caught up in the moment that any other presents are
briefly forgotten. He quickly pulls the jacket on over the rest of his clothes, testing the motion and the fit.
Sofia opens her present with a small smile cast up at her brother's excitement over his gift. As she looks down, she lets a small sharp intake of air into her mouth. Her smile brightens a little, her thoughts drifting back to her showing Tara the creature. It seems to mean a lot to her. She carefully holds it in her hand, bringing it up to eye level before turning to look at Tara. "Thank you, this is a wonderful gift."
Credit to Leah, the jacket fits well. Given the wool-lined interior and how closely the fit and features line up with his current jacket, it seems she paid great attention to what he usually wears in hope of ending up with something he'd actually get some use out of. The reinforcements are sturdy, made from some flexible, hardened material that doesn't disrupt the flow of the design. The material certainly won't be blocking any gunshots, but
it would probably save him from some roadrash if he took a nasty spill off his bike. But, in regard to gunshots, its Terminus design becomes a bit more clear once one notices that it has some integrated shielding. It won't withstand an onslaught, of course. But, like the jacket Renala occasionally wears, it could buy a bit of time if caught in a pickle.
Mendez looks over the contents of the box, restrained smile still on his face. It isn't easy looking this good. At least someone appreciates the effort. Unsurprisingly, practical gifts get extra points from him and he passes an appreciative nod Sofia's way before stowing his boon amongst the rest of his gifts beside him.
Francois is most certainly not buying Tara's innocence, but his big smile persists regardless and he soon sets the hat amongst his other things. "What do we have here?" he asks, lifting the box from Nathan. The sound of liquid garners a furrow of his brow. He passes a glance towards Nathan, a small pang of guilt hitting him for not having invested a little more thought into his gifts for him and Sofia. Especially considering how
warm both of them have been towards him. It has surprised even him how easily he has warmed up to Nathan. As Leah's father, it's practically his job to dislike the man dating her! But, as he looks across the room towards his daughter and the big, bright smile on his face, he can't help but be happy that she seems to have someone in her life that brings her some semblance of happiness. He draws in a breath, willing the
Leah begins reading the card, lips moving as ones does when they speed read, certain words muttered aloud. Her brows rise, lips curling right back into that big bright smile as she comes to the tail-end of the note. But before she can explain to Tara, she hears Nathan's exclamation, causing her green eyes to turn his way just as he's slinging the jacket on. "Yeah? You like it?" she asks with a bit of self conscious skepticism.
Tara waits silently for Leah to help her out with the card, but as her explanation is delayed her attention is diverted by Sofia's thanks, a bright smile crossing her lips when it becomes clear that she got the bird right. Unsure how to respond, she simply offers a tilt of her head. Her spirits seem high as she looks around at the others, encouraged by the successful gifts.
Nathan looks at Leah with a biggest smile, stretching his arms out and running a finger over the red accents of the jacket. "That's usually what, 'This is great' means," he teases with a smirk. "Yes, I li- holy crap is this shielding?!" He sheds the jacket and holds it up once more for him to oogle, a dopey smile on his face. It's probably safe for Leah to assume he likes it by this point. He manages to break out of his
child-like excitement long enough to give her a sheepish smile. "Thank you. Really." He then turns his attention to Francois as he lifts the present, a small chuckle escaping him. "Go on, Frank, have a look."
Sofia returns the small head tilt to her. She sets the plastic swan down and lifts Leah's present onto her lap. She catches Mendez's look her way and beams brightly, glad to see that he likes it. With elation high in her mind, she begins to unwrap the next present.
Francois' present is rather easy to guess as he unwraps it. The tall, black capped bottle is filled to the brim with an almost amber-like liquid. The label on it is black with a golden trim, white cursive writing on it naming the brand and liquid. It translates to Hammer-Forge Whiskey: Gold.
Leah bites at her lower lip to restrain her smile once it becomes clear that he's not just putting on a show to spare her feelings. "It is!" she chimes in when he asks about the shielding. She opens her mouth to make a joke about how often they get shot at, but thinks better of it. Not the sort of joke that's likely to land well in mixed company. Or to keep her father in high spirits for long. So, instead, she merely snickers
quietly to herself. When Nathan turns his attention to Francois, she, too, turns hers back to Tara, bright smile only reinforced by Nathan's reaction to the jacket. "Well~" she begins in an exaggerated positive tone, using the card in her hand to gesture to the flash drive Tara is holding, "That." she lingers for a second, "Is going to teach you English!" She gives a goofy little wiggle of her eyebrows, assuming that's
probably gonna pique Tara's interest. "Reading. Writing." her smile grows as she explains, studying Tara's face for her reaction while reaching out to pass the card back to her.
Francois pulls the bottle free, brows tilting inwards as he reads the label. This bottle came a long way. Seems the man dating his daughter knows how to make a good impression. "Merci, merci!" he's quick to offer to the man across from him with an appreciative dip of his head. "Perhaps we'll try this the next time you stop by." he offers. Perhaps a subtle hint that Nathan's presence is welcome.
Mendez gathers his next present into his lap as the others continue to laugh and chatter. This one is the gift from Nathan. He picks at the box, gaze turning Tara's way as he overhears Leah.
Much like Nathan's gift, Sofia's, too, has a message written across the top of the box in Leah's handwriting once the wrapping paper is removed. 'A little memento to help remember your time here.' it says. Inside is a painting that depicts the top of the Dactyl mountains and Litae high in a starlit sky. It's set in a plain, black frame.
Tara 's eyes widen a little. "Reading?" she says quietly as she accepts the card back, a smile spreading across her lips as she studies the drive. "I will do my best." she promises with a tilt of her head, before furrowing her eyebrows and adding "I'd-... I'd like that.", a bit of embarrassment accompanying the addition. She carefully sets the drive down in front of her, atop the card, and then reaches out for her next present, opting
for Sofia's - it only seems fair. The smiley makes the corner of her mouth tug upward a little before she starts to peel the wrapping paper.
Nathan laughs with Francois, giving him a thumbs up. "That sounds like a plan to me! Be careful with that stuff, though, it's got a kick to it."He sets the jacket down, neatly folded as he picks up the gift that Tara got him. He gives her a sideways smile before he begins to slowly unwrap the present. He pauses midway through, though, casting a quick glance to Mendez as he unwraps his present from Nate.
Sofia holds the picture frame up and smiles brightly, a free hand covering her mouth as lets out a small, joyful laugh. "Leah, this is a beautiful. Oh, thank you. You're making me want to never leave!" She giggles softly, gently running her fingers along the frame. To be this welcome into a home across the galaxy with such kind people... well, it brings a little moisture to her eye. She quickly brushes it away, careful
Mendez's present from Nathan is presented in a plain, brown box. No labeling on the outside to give any clues as to what lies within. As he opens it, however, he'd find a pair of black, leather fingerless workout gloves with extra padding and grip. There's no branding on them, however, yet they seem well designed. Accompanying it is a weight-lifting belt, padded on the inside with extra support. This one is branded, bearing the logo of
Element One, a weightlifting brand back on Earth. Tara's present from Sofia comes in a little, polished wood box. A little latch keeps the lid closed. Should the latch be lifted, a small hologram lights up of a human woman in ballerina attire stood on her tip toes with a leg outstretched. Soft, almost classical music plays gently from the music box, rotating the ballerina around as the image flickers to a different pose.