Secret Santa ~ Ernst and Nei
On a fullmoon night, Ernst waits outside the tavern to give Nei one of his found treasures.
Nei walked across the stage since she was still taking her seat off and to the backstage. She walked down to the tavern floor and waved at a few of the patrons that were left for the night as she went to the outside door.
A barely recognisable Ernst, fully clothed with a sweater and one of Belcoot's borrowed jackets, was waiting outside the tavern. It was a fullmoon night, and he didn't have to worry about maintaining the transformation for a while. Even so, it was a small window of opportunity, there was no better night to participate in the secret santa event than this one.
"Excuse me..." The boy spoke out of the darkness of the night as he saw Nei leaving the tavern.
Not seeing him right away, Nei jumped hearing a voice come out of nowhere. "Oh, who is there? .. ." She turned to finally see Ernst and drew a blank for a moment while staring at him. Looking at his strange hair and eyes made it easier to identify him. "A-ah, you are Ernst, right?"
Ernst responded by smiling back kindly. "Yes, it's me... Please forgive me if I startled you." He took a step closer into the light. "That music in the tavern... that was you, wasn't it?"
The young elf was more relieved after being proven correct and shook off her silly fright from earlier. "It is nothing at all," she made sure to smile back, "The music? Oh yes, that was me!" Nodding gracefully.
He looked just as relieved about his assumption! It meant that he actually got her a right gift, or so he hoped at least. "Um... it's really pretty! And I'm not just saying that... I've heard a lot of performing musicians in my travels." Ernst laughed, although none of them ever sounded bad to him either. "But I've never heard that instrument before..."
"You have not?" She remembered that it was strapped to her back. "It's a bouzouki. I do not believe many take it up anymore, so I am not too surprised that you have never heard it before," Nei looked around the snow-covered dark, "why are you out here? You could have listened inside."
A bouzouki? The name appealed to Ernst's curious side and he repeated it under his breath with genuine interest. "..Oh! I didn't want to take up room... I could just as easily hear the music from the outside." He seemed to be protectively clutching onto something in his fist. "And I was waiting for you to finish your work."
"Hm... I would have thought it was too cold to be out here so long." Nei was slightly impressed and wondering about that. He sure didn't act as though he was uncomfortable or maybe he was just good at hiding it although his curse was not on her mind as a factor. "Waiting? Did you wish to see me for something?"
Ernst nodded with a smile, confirming her guess. "I happen to be your secret santa! I-I've never done this before, actually..." It was true, he did feel a little silly calling himself that, but that's how this worked apparently. Despite that, he did seem eager to participate. "Would you like to accept my gift now, Miss Nei?"
Nei planted a smile on her face in reply as well. "Ah, I see! I had almost forgotten about secret santa going on. I certainly wouldn't have suspected you as my gift giver!" She brought he hands, clapped together, up for a moment. "Of course. I'd be very delighted."
The leopard boy looked more encouraged by her response. He stepped closer yet again and opened his fist, to present her a musical note pendant in the palm of his hand. It was something he found on the ground during boring days as a leopard, and since nobody reported it missing, he cleaned the pendant up and decided to keep it. "I-I thought you would like this... sorry if it doesn't look expensive..."
http://store.drumbum.com/media/treble-clef-necklace.jpg
"Oh!" The elf musician's eyes lit up when she laid her sight on the sparkly necklace. She carefully touched it, looking at him as though making sure it was alright to pick it up even though it was for her and eventually did lift it. "It is very beautiful, Ernst," she smiled, "thank you so very much."
"I-it's nothing, really!" He laughed abashedly, but relieved that it was an acceptable gift. "If I earned real money, I would have gotten something better... but I'm happy that you think so." He finally put his hands behind his back again and sighed deeply, watching the steam come out of his mouth in the cold night before continuing. "Please enjoy the rest of the season, Miss Nei."
It was apparent that Nei did not mind that his present wasn't high price. She clipped it on the pendant and still had a smile while responding to Ernst. "It is no trouble at all. It's the thought that counts the most afterall." She bowed slightly as she tended to do often to show her appreciation again. "I hope you have a good time during the holidays as well!"
"I will!" He mimicked her bow, wanting to be as polite as possible, he was glad that he signed up for this. In addition to a great night, he still had time to go back to Norma and spend the rest of the fullmoon with her... assuming the poor girl hasn't fallen asleep!
Nei walked across the stage since she was still taking her seat off and to the backstage. She walked down to the tavern floor and waved at a few of the patrons that were left for the night as she went to the outside door.
A barely recognisable Ernst, fully clothed with a sweater and one of Belcoot's borrowed jackets, was waiting outside the tavern. It was a fullmoon night, and he didn't have to worry about maintaining the transformation for a while. Even so, it was a small window of opportunity, there was no better night to participate in the secret santa event than this one.
"Excuse me..." The boy spoke out of the darkness of the night as he saw Nei leaving the tavern.
Not seeing him right away, Nei jumped hearing a voice come out of nowhere. "Oh, who is there? .. ." She turned to finally see Ernst and drew a blank for a moment while staring at him. Looking at his strange hair and eyes made it easier to identify him. "A-ah, you are Ernst, right?"
Ernst responded by smiling back kindly. "Yes, it's me... Please forgive me if I startled you." He took a step closer into the light. "That music in the tavern... that was you, wasn't it?"
The young elf was more relieved after being proven correct and shook off her silly fright from earlier. "It is nothing at all," she made sure to smile back, "The music? Oh yes, that was me!" Nodding gracefully.
He looked just as relieved about his assumption! It meant that he actually got her a right gift, or so he hoped at least. "Um... it's really pretty! And I'm not just saying that... I've heard a lot of performing musicians in my travels." Ernst laughed, although none of them ever sounded bad to him either. "But I've never heard that instrument before..."
"You have not?" She remembered that it was strapped to her back. "It's a bouzouki. I do not believe many take it up anymore, so I am not too surprised that you have never heard it before," Nei looked around the snow-covered dark, "why are you out here? You could have listened inside."
A bouzouki? The name appealed to Ernst's curious side and he repeated it under his breath with genuine interest. "..Oh! I didn't want to take up room... I could just as easily hear the music from the outside." He seemed to be protectively clutching onto something in his fist. "And I was waiting for you to finish your work."
"Hm... I would have thought it was too cold to be out here so long." Nei was slightly impressed and wondering about that. He sure didn't act as though he was uncomfortable or maybe he was just good at hiding it although his curse was not on her mind as a factor. "Waiting? Did you wish to see me for something?"
Ernst nodded with a smile, confirming her guess. "I happen to be your secret santa! I-I've never done this before, actually..." It was true, he did feel a little silly calling himself that, but that's how this worked apparently. Despite that, he did seem eager to participate. "Would you like to accept my gift now, Miss Nei?"
Nei planted a smile on her face in reply as well. "Ah, I see! I had almost forgotten about secret santa going on. I certainly wouldn't have suspected you as my gift giver!" She brought he hands, clapped together, up for a moment. "Of course. I'd be very delighted."
The leopard boy looked more encouraged by her response. He stepped closer yet again and opened his fist, to present her a musical note pendant in the palm of his hand. It was something he found on the ground during boring days as a leopard, and since nobody reported it missing, he cleaned the pendant up and decided to keep it. "I-I thought you would like this... sorry if it doesn't look expensive..."
http://store.drumbum.com/media/treble-clef-necklace.jpg
"Oh!" The elf musician's eyes lit up when she laid her sight on the sparkly necklace. She carefully touched it, looking at him as though making sure it was alright to pick it up even though it was for her and eventually did lift it. "It is very beautiful, Ernst," she smiled, "thank you so very much."
"I-it's nothing, really!" He laughed abashedly, but relieved that it was an acceptable gift. "If I earned real money, I would have gotten something better... but I'm happy that you think so." He finally put his hands behind his back again and sighed deeply, watching the steam come out of his mouth in the cold night before continuing. "Please enjoy the rest of the season, Miss Nei."
It was apparent that Nei did not mind that his present wasn't high price. She clipped it on the pendant and still had a smile while responding to Ernst. "It is no trouble at all. It's the thought that counts the most afterall." She bowed slightly as she tended to do often to show her appreciation again. "I hope you have a good time during the holidays as well!"
"I will!" He mimicked her bow, wanting to be as polite as possible, he was glad that he signed up for this. In addition to a great night, he still had time to go back to Norma and spend the rest of the fullmoon with her... assuming the poor girl hasn't fallen asleep!