IC Contact [ryslig]

[catphishing]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, OLIVER. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 142.58.303.67 *** oliver has joined 142.58.303.67 <oliver> So this is my private channel. <oliver> Talk to me?

Current Usernames

<trashpanda>
<mothman>
<oliver>
<deBricassart> (anon)

Former Usernames

<creepypasta>

Throwaways

<zx01r3z>
<tfk>

Changeling Throwaways

Comments

[fourthsaken]

[Jade hesitates, not sure if she wants Oliver's help since she's considering the brunch part of her gift to him and Soeki, a belated thank you for everything they've done for her this last month especially. Oliver's been amazingly okay with her moving in the last couple weeks, and even though she's been spending more days crashing at the studio above her store or the apartments above Pandemonium lately, she's still been spending a significant amount of time at Oliver's, needing the reassurance that him and Soeki are safe and well. She definitely owes him a meal. She probably owes him more than a few.]

You don't have to help, you know. I'm only cooking here because I don't actually have a kitchen of my own anymore and I didn't want to take over Pandemonium. If I had my own place I would've invited you guys over there instead...

[She does have her own place, technically. The lakehouse didn't disappear when Kieren left, Jade just can't bring herself to live there. Just like when Jack left, Jade packed up all her belongings and moved out of the home she shared with a friend. It was too big for one person, full of memories and emptiness. (The move was harder this time without Natasha's help and she'd ended up paying a local moving company to move the few pieces of furniture she cared about, the large table that housed the first sewing machine she got in Ryslig, her favorite armchair and a dresser, cramming the new pieces into her small studio and promising herself she'd eventually find a new place and somewhere to put it all and actually buy a real bed.)]

[catphishing]

You know part of the fun of holidays is getting to do things together, right?

[If he were at home he'd definitely be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, and it's a part of both Thanksgiving and Christmas he normally enjoys. They'd all lost their Thanksgiving, but now they have another opportunity to enjoy good food together. He kind of hopes she does relent and let him have something to do.]

I'd have fun. Promise.

[fourthsaken]

... Right.

[Jade remembers that Oliver likes cooking, and she's a little embarrassed that she didn't think to include him in the plans. He makes a good point. She's been feeling more comfortable actually hanging out with Oliver lately since the couple weeks she nearly moved into his home. He's shifted from Connor's boyfriend to Soeki's boyfriend to her friend over the last year. If cooking's something they both enjoy, something they could do together, Jade doesn't want him to think she wouldn't enjoy cooking with him.]

How do you feel about chopping up vegetables?

[catphishing]

[He nods, content to take on that role for the moment. He knows she wants to do something nice for them and doesn't want to take over. It will be nice to help though. Far more pleasant than sitting around while Jade works and Soeki gets some sleep.]

I can do that. Just let me sort out a coffee and I'll get started.

Did you want tea while I'm at it?

[fourthsaken]

Tea would be awesome. The ginger one?

[Soeki made sure Jade knew the kitchen was stocked with the teas best for post-shift nausea. Despite her best efforts to pretend the shifts are barely affecting her, some of the physical symptoms don't just disappear when she ignores them.]

You, uh, wanna open your present before you start helping?

[catphishing]

Sure.

[He gets what he needs from the cupboards, not letting on if he realizes why she wants that one specifically as he makes their drinks.]

We could do presents first. Did you want yours now too?

[fourthsaken]

Dude, I'm not gonna say no to presents.

[Because sometimes Jade can still act like such a teenager.]

[catphishing]

[He laughs at that, preparing their drinks.]

All right. Just let me finish off here.

[fourthsaken]

Okay. I'll meet you on the couch.

[Jade heads over, pulling out a medium sized box wrapped in brown paper and tied with a green ribbon from it's hiding spot beside the couch. She sits on the edge of the couch, the box balanced on her lap, one foot tapping nervously against the floor.]

[catphishing]

[It doesn't take long to finish making his coffee and Jade's tea. He places them on the coffee table before going to get Jade's present so they can start unwrapping.

He takes the small pile from underneath the tree in the corner, sitting next to Jade on the couch. Jade's own presents look quite small, but there's a few of them. Each is wrapped neatly in red and white striped paper. Considering they're in a place that doesn't actually have Christmas, Oliver's done a pretty good job of finding generic paper that looks festive.]

Merry Christmas.

[fourthsaken]

[Jade goes for the presents before the tea, sorry Oliver, presents take priority. She holds them in her lap, one foot tapping excitedly on the floor as she waits long enough to be reasonably polite.]

You too. You wanna open yours first?

[catphishing]

[Oliver, meanwhile, would like his coffee. He laughs and puts the mug down when she says that though.]

All right. I'll go first then.

[He takes the present, opening it up to see what's inside.]

[fourthsaken]

[Jade can't help but watch him excitedly as he opens the box to reveal a brown leather briefcase, that though the old fashioned style popular in Ryslig would easily hold a laptop computer. Inside the bag is a blue button down shirt specially sewn and designed with button-up holes on the back to accommodate his wings.]

I, uh, know you're gonna get your laptop back so...

[catphishing]

[Truthfully, he's been a little worried about getting his laptop back. Just in case he's wrong about his theory and something happens. The bag is ideal for it, though, and he knows when he does get it back it will protect it well.

After looking at it and the shirt inside, Oliver pushes the bag to the side so he can lean over and hug Jade.]

It's perfect. Thank you.

[fourthsaken]

[Jade smiles in surprise before returning the hug. She'd been hoping Oliver would like his gift but she wasn't expecting such an enthusiastic reaction. She's glad that her gift seems to have been such a huge hit.]

I'm glad you like. I was kinda afraid you'd have found something already.

[catphishing]

[Oliver shakes his head, pulling away from her with a smile.]

Not yet. This is going to work great though.

[fourthsaken]

[She's practically beaming. Picking out a gift for Soeki had been easy, but Oliver had been difficult. She wanted to get him something nice, but had spent weeks figuring out what that something was. Seeing him so happy, was definitely worth effort.]

Cool. I'm glad. The guy was kinda rude when I asked if he allowed exchanges...

[catphishing]

[Oliver's smile fades a little at hearing that. It doesn't exactly make him happy to hear about Jade being treated badly.]

You didn't have to ask about exchanges. You were that worried I wouldn't like it?

[fourthsaken]

[She shifts slightly, looking uncomfortable. She's not sure she wants to let Oliver know just how important it was to her to get his gift right.]

I was more worried you already had something like it...

[catphishing]

[He shakes his head, still looking a little worried.]

Not yet. It's not like they have anything specifically designed for them here.

[Even this he's already thinking about tweaks he can make to the inside to maximize protection.]

[fourthsaken]

[There's no need to worry, Oliver, she seems completely reassured.]

You don't have to tell me that, dude. I tried so hard to find something that worked.

[catphishing]

You did a good job. This should be easy to fix up so it protects it.

[He nods, setting both bag and shirt carefully on the table.]

Ready to open yours?

[fourthsaken]

[Jade nods, obviously excited, actually looking like your average teenager, excited and happy to be receiving a gift from a friend.]

Yeah, definitely.

[catphishing]

[He watches nervously. The two larger ones are securely bound note pads, and the smaller two contain a case with a shiny new fountain pen in one and a bottle of black ink in the other. His gifts aren't exactly the kind of thing teenagers usually dream of, but they'll help Jade. He just hopes she isn't disappointed by them.]

They're for school. I know it's not very cool, but you said you were going back, and I thought you could use one for school and maybe you'd want to write your own things in the other one...

[fourthsaken]

[Oliver may think his gifts aren't very cool, but Jade doesn't seem to agree with him. She grins, holding the two notebooks to her chest and turning over the pen in her hand. She looks completely delighted and overwhelmed. She's definitely not disappointed.]

Holy shit, they're awesome. This is perfect.