Room 220, Thursday Afternoon (after classes)

[swerval_zero]

After some handwavey phone calls to her friends, Zero donned her elf costume once more, propped the door open, and prepared to play--not Santa. Gift-Giving Elf Zerbie. That was the ticket.

There was a pile of presents on one of the room's twin beds, and a plate of freshly-mailed cookies from Zero's dad next to a rosemary bush hung with colorful safety pins on the desk. The refrigerator was dispensing egg nog milkshakes and Fish was warbling Christmas carols in Cantonese. Come on in!

((If you think Zero would be giving you a gift, drop on by!))

Comments

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi flounces by with a gift bag covered with reindeer (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/329478698_edb9f82743_t.jpg) for Zero.

"Marry Christmas!"

[swerval_zero]

"Pippi, hi!" Zero dug through the pile of presents until she found the box she was looking for. "Happy Christmas!" she said as she held it out.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oooh!"

Pippi banged on the drum all day.

"Nice tone!"

[swerval_zero]

Zero opened her package and squeaked with glee. "A teal deer!"

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi grinned at the squeak.

"I thought you'd like that."

[swerval_zero]

Zero squeezed her new toy and said, "Yes, I love it, thank you!"

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"thank you for the drum!"

*bap bap bap*

[swerval_zero]

"You're welcome! D'you want a cookie? Or a nog-shake?"

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oooh, nog shake sounds deeeliteful!"

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

Chad knocked on the open door and poked his head in. "Whoa. Festive."

[swerval_zero]

Fish launched into "Feliz Navidad." Still in Cantonese, but it was recognizable.

"Hi, Chad!" Zero chirped. "There's cookies and milkshakes and hang on, I got you stuff." She grabbed a book-shaped package and a cd-shaped package from the pile o' presents and offered them to Chad as she said, "Happy Christmas!"

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

Fish's holiday serenade almost had a grin from Chad, but getting presents definately made it show up in the corner of his mouth. "Awesome, Zero, thanks," he said, inspecting the packages. "An' feliz Navi--...err, rather..." He did his best to say it in Cantonese like Fish had been singing.

"Want I should open these now? I got somethin' for you in the works, but it ain't finished yet."

[swerval_zero]

"Oh, don't worry about it," Zero said with a wave of her hand. "'Tis better to give than to receive. Go on, open them!" She bounced a little, then made a grab for her elf hat as it started to fall off her head.

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

Something told Chad that it wasn't, unfortunately, one of those cool hats. Not having to be told twice, he quickly unwrapped the presents.

"Very cool," he rumbled, admiring the notebook, nodding in approval as he glanced at the tracks on the CD. Promptly, one gift in each hand, he gave her a light hug. "Thanks, Zero."

[swerval_zero]

Zero didn't think Chad would want a hat. It was felt. Very itchy. She hugged him back and said, "You're welcome!"

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

"You goin' home for the holidays?"

[swerval_zero]

"Yeh. I'll be headin' out tomorrow mornin'. You?"

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

"Nope; stayin' here." Mentally kicking himself for his laziness a bit. Late presents were still presents, but still also late.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"There you are!"

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

Chad looked around a bit as if to confirm that Pippi meant him and then observed, "Uhh, yup. Here I am."

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi held out a gift bag covered in Christmassy guitars (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/329478698_edb9f82743_t.jpg).

"Happy Holidays!"

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

"Hey, present," Chad observed as he took the gift bag. "Thanks, Pippi. Feliz Navidad, and all that. Should I open it now? I don't have your present quite yet." Chad gave himself a mental kick in the pants to stop being lazy.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh yes! Please do! And don't worry about that. It's no big deal for me."

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

"Hopefully, it'll be worth the wait," Chad said as he opened up the gift bag.

And was instantly filled with internal omg. He pulled the big little teal deer from the bag, poked at its cute big little teal nose with his finger. "This has got to be one of the greatest things ever," he said.

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

"You like it? Yay! I made one for everybody in the band, but yours is proportionally larger as things tend to be for Chad."