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Post by kryss on Aug 21, 2014 6:11:14 GMT
Cici: She stood in front of the Christmas door, pulling her coat tighter. She hoped it would be warm enough. She hadn't actually been to Christmas town yet, somehow, but because of the Academy her father considered her the authority on all of the holidays. And when he had the idea to start a new line of chocolates, all of them inspired by the different towns, he had enlisted her to fetch all of his new ingredients. And Christmas was her first stop. She took a deep breath and pulled open the door. A gust of wind rushed out and grabbed her, pulling her inside unexpectedly. All she had time to do was yelp before she was falling. She landed face first in an enormous pile of snow. She picked herself up, only to stare with wide eyes at the spot of color and light in the middle of the vast expanse of snow. After a minute of staring, she picked herself up and brushed her coat off, beginning the trudge through waist-high snow to the town.
Once she got into the square she pulled out the paper her father had given her in shaking hands. Her legs were numb, and her face was redder than ever from the cold, but everything around her was gorgeous. Bright lights twinkled absolutely everywhere, and before her was the most enormous, gigantic, immense tree that she had ever seen. There were presents upon presents glittering beneath it, all with bows and ribbons and tags. People of all kinds and sizes traveled about her, some with bags, some leisurely, some with purpose. Small clusters of people gathered throughout the square, singing what she recognized by now as carols.
Heartened by the friendly scene, she wandered over to the nearest person, inquiring about a grocery store, or anywhere she could buy food. With only one or two confused looks, she was directed to the nearest store. She entered, the warmth making her feel her limbs again, which for a moment wasn't a good thing. The next thought was to be awed at the selection of food. Not the amount - they had grocery stores in Valentine's - but the selection. She didn't even recognize some of the foods available. She slowly approached the counter, candies and spices surrounding her.
"U-um, c-could I get, get some h-help, p-please?" she asked, unable to raise her voice very loud.
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Post by candyleptic on Aug 21, 2014 6:29:57 GMT
Grandpa Malaki: From a voice in another room, a quirky old man laughed, "I don't know, CAN YOU?"
Robin: She sighed and came up from behind the counter, carrying boxes. She was in her 'Summer' clothing, which consisted of a Penelope's Pies shirt, a cardigan, leg and arm warmers, shorts and tights. As always, her red shoes and hat were on her person, as well. She set the boxes down on the counter and dived back down again, only to return to more. "Grandpa, no one even finds that funny!" Still, she laughed, "And we have a cust- Oh!!! I know you! Nevermind, Grandpa!!!" "GOOD!" He laughed. The smell of something slightly resembling a fruitcake filled the air. Robin stuck out her tongue. "Sorry about that, fruitcake's pretty big around here. And it should be! It's just...whatever he's making isn't it, I assure you!! But um, I'm pretty rude, I'm sorry! You're Cici! And...you're not from here, hahaha! What brings you to Christmas Town?" She looked her up and down. "OH! Man, you're probably really cold! Uhmmmm..., hang on a second!!" Robin trotted back to the kitchen and came out with a hug of hot chocolate, covered in marshmallows with happy faces. "Hereeee you go! You can pull up a seat if you want, too!" She motioned towards the fire place in the middle of the store. Two chairs were in front of it, usually for older customers who liked to stay and chat. God bless them, old people were so cool. So, so cool. Pun intended.
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Post by kryss on Aug 21, 2014 8:13:16 GMT
Cici: She was taken completely aback by the voice shouting at her from the back. Her face went redder (surely there must be a limit!) as the exchange went on, but she relaxed when she saw who it was.
"R-r-robin!" she said, surprised. "H-hi, oh it's, it's, it's ok." Her stuttering was definitely worse because of the weather. When the elf girl reemerged with hot chocolate, Cici didn't know what to say. Maybe just all Christmas residents were entirely too nice and amazing hosts? "Oh, th-thank you!"
She didn't take the seat, sipping at the cocoa. When she saw the faces on the marshmallows she smiled, poking gently at one with her finger. She set it carefully on the counter.
"I, I n-need some th-things." She said, showing her list. "It's f-for my d-dad."
((a hug of hot chocolate, though. Can I have one of those?))
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Post by candyleptic on Aug 22, 2014 3:12:01 GMT
Robin: She leaned on the counter and smiled. "What kinda things? We've got things!!" She read over the list for a moment and then looked back at Cici. "Your dad bakes?? That's awesome! I wish Grandpa would make some Valentine's stuff!" She said that loud enough for him to hear in the kitchen, and was greeted with a "Bah, Humbug!" "Grandpa!!!" Robin stuck out her tongue and looked back at Cici. "Let's seeeeee...!"
She bent down below the counter and came back with a few jars. "Here's nutmeg! I'm not a fan of it myself, but most people around here really love it! Here's some marshmallows! I'll even give you the one's with the cute faces! ANDDDD...I'll give you six sticks of Cinnamon, and oh! Here's some grounded up too if he prefers that, instead. Bakers are pre-ty picky! I'm friends with two of the best!!" (Well, John TRIES so...) "Anyway! This is ginger, and uh, it looks really weird but it's pretty good! And some dried fruit, usually used in fruitcake...uh...but use it better, haha! ...Let's see, we have thirteen kinds of peppermint, but he didn't say what kind he wanted, so I guess... I'll give you them all!" She laughed, "He'll figure it out, probably! Let's see...he doesn't SAY sage, but let's add some ANYWAY! It's IMMORTAL...! And just in case you don't have any, I'll throw in some rue too!" She hung up a rue plant and said in a serious tone, "If you hang this in your home, it'll banish ~~~eeevvill!!" She tied little ribbons around the stems and bottles and gently placed them in a bag. "Oh!! There's one thing on here we don't have!!" She held the list away for a moment and lowered an eyebrow. "Actually, I'm not really sure where one would even GET this! I'll be back in a second!"
She disappeared back into the kitchen for a second before coming back, now with a scarf and overcoat. "So! We don't carry 'pickles', actually. Apparently there's store not too far away that DOES, though! I wouldn't mind going with you to find 'em!"
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Post by kryss on Aug 22, 2014 17:20:36 GMT
Cici: She blinked, a bit overrun by the other girl's chatter.
"I-I-I, um, a-ah, yes. Yes." As Robin barreled through the list, she found the time to say, "He d-doesn't b-bake. He, he makes ch-chocolate." she explained. As Robin gathered everything on the counter, then reappeared with her scarf, apparently ready to take on the town, she reached into her pocket. "H-how much is it, it g-going to be? D-do you take, take Valentine money? Or is there a, a, a place that will exchange it?"
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Post by candyleptic on Aug 22, 2014 20:23:28 GMT
Robin: "Don't you bake chocolate?" She tilted her head. Emma would BE SO disappointing, but Robin had no idea. "Oh! Um, we usually only take bells...yeah...I'm sure we can find SOME place to exchange it, though!" She threw on her overclothes and put a hand on the doorknob. "So are you all ready? We can stay and warm up for a moment if you're still cold, but I don't know how long the pickle place is open!" She laughed, "I don't really know WHY he would want pickles in chocolate, but I won't judge!!"
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Post by kryss on Aug 22, 2014 23:09:00 GMT
Cici: "Um, s-sometimes you, you do. B-but sometimes n-not. It d-depend on what kind you're, you're making."
She was still very cold, but she didn't want to risk the store closing. She finished off her hot chocolate, feeling the warmth slide down her throat to her stomach.
"I'm ok" she reassured the other girl. She pulled the collar of her coat up as high as it would go. "M-maybe we should go, go to the, the exch-exchange place first."
"O-oh, I don't kn-know why. I th-think he's just going to, to try a l-lot of different th-things and see what's best."
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Post by candyleptic on Aug 22, 2014 23:30:45 GMT
Robin; 'Ew, hahaha!" She tugged on her hat a bit so that it would cover her ears and called back to her grandfather, "We're heading out now! You don't have to wait for me to eat dinner!" "I wasn't anyway, hahahaha!" She looked over to Cici and sighed. "Let's get going!" She opened the door and bounced out, her scarf and hat bouncing behind her. She slid a little on the ice and called back to Cici, "Yikes, be careful!" She hoped the weather wasn't too much of a change for her! Then again, Valentine's had winter too, for a little while! Her grandmother had told her all about the town. It really did sound lovely!! Plus, chocolate was always a plus!! She walked up the street, glancing back to make sure Cici was still behind her, and took in the sweet aromas of bakers and pettlers. They weren't quite in main square yet, but this was Robin's favorite part of town, anyway!! There were all kinds of quirky shops selling little knickknacks and the like! When she was much younger, she used to put her faces on the glass of a store that sells toy soilders. Actually, she hated to admit it, but she still totally did. "Do you wanna stop anywhere first, Cici? There's a TON of awesome stuff here!! Or maybe on the way back?" She wondered if Cici had even been to Christmas Town before! Maybe she should give her the grand tour after they find their pickle!!
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Post by kryss on Aug 25, 2014 20:31:52 GMT
Cici: Despite Robin's warning, she felt her foot fly away from her, landing her square on her back. It took her just a second to regain her breath, at which point she gave many stammered reassurances that she was fine, yes, and hadn't cracked her head at all. She picked herself up and pointlessly brushed at the snow caked onto her cost and pants.
She followed behind Robin, already shivering again. Still, the thought of exploring Christmas town seemed very tempting. Even if she wasn't handling the temperature very well, she could still see how beautiful and enchanting everything around her was.
"Y-y-yes." She chattered, "I-I-I- th-think I-I'd l-like th-that."
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Post by candyleptic on Aug 26, 2014 2:22:35 GMT
Robin: "Yeah??" Her eyes widened and searched around them. What would Cici find enjoyable here?? TO Robin everything was wonderful, but the last thing was wanted to do was bore her... Oh! There was a dress shop no too far, she might really like that!! "Let's take a turn then, weee!" Robin slid on the ice and grabbed a candy cane shaped-barber pole and turned down the sidewalk. "There's a boutique RIGHT over here! It's mostly Christmas fashion, and it's really popular among carolers, actually!! I got the dress I wore to the dance I think...two years ago here!" She tried to sound happy, but to be honest, clothes shopping wasn't really her favorite. Maybe it will be fun showing her all the designs, though! She turned to Cici and smiled, "It's this green building right here!"
The boutique looked small and ornate from the outside, but on the inside was much more spacious! When they opened the door, the smell of gingerbread was strong! Clothing was packed on racks decorated with red and white streamers! They supplied everything from socks to waistcoats to wedding dresses, most designed for a winter climate, but some revealing skin too. Generally, most of the clothing was some shade of red with gold stitching. As they entered, there was a rack to hand hats, scarves and coats, as it was plenty warm inside the building. "What do you want to look at first?"
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Post by kryss on Aug 26, 2014 18:50:09 GMT
Cici: She entered the store, gratefully defrosting. She kept her coat on, still not quite warm enough. She looked around in awe at the glittering wonders around her. Everything was sparkling and beautiful, the colors bright, warm, and vibrant, almost alive. She walked from rack to rack, first looking at a deep green velvet wrap, decorated with some sort of berries, then a rich brown fur muff, so soft she was tempted to rub her cheek on it. What finally arrested her was a sparkling red scarf, golden ribbon interwoven throughout. Along the bottom borders were pearly white snowflakes, dancing in a small up-down-up-down pattern.
She reached into her pocket, sincerely considering getting it, when she pulled out a small handful of rose good coins, two that had women's faces on them and the largest, that had a mans. She sighed and placed them back into her pocket. "I-I f-forgot." She mumbled. She held the scarf up to the light. "It is beautiful, though."
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Post by candyleptic on Aug 26, 2014 20:06:58 GMT
Robin: She smiled warmly at Cici! It was so much to see people enjoying her home town! As Cici looked, Robin admired a coat nearby with black fur sewn onto the cuffs and neckline. It was a matte dark red, and smooth to the touch! Ahhh, if only she didn't already own twelve coats!! She sighed at put in back on the rack, and walked over to Cici.
"Didja find anything? I hope it's not too festive for your liking!" Or maybe, better yet, she even liked festive!! She watched Cici fumble with her coins. For as long as holidays have been mingling, one would think they would have adopted a universal currency, huh? "Don't worry!! I can cover for you!!" Robin took out two copper bells and a slightly larger silver one out of a brown coin purse with black stitching. "Actually, if you're still in a hurry, I don't mind us exchanging for now! I can always hit the exchangery during a delivery, anyway!" It's true! Throughout her rounds, Robin usually covers most of the main part of town, anyway! "It won't be any problem, really!" If worse comes to worse, she could always use them to buy something in Valentine's Ville, especially if her grandma took her the next time she planned on going!
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Post by kryss on Aug 26, 2014 20:29:30 GMT
Cici: "O-oh! Th-thank you!" At first she had been about to refuse, but then Robin suggested merely trading their money, she agreed happily. She handed pver the small embroidered coin purse her father had given her for the journey.
"I don't, don't know how m-much th-they're worth here, but, but for us the worth is by, by s-size."
She had about twenty Psyches, ten Venuses, and ten Cupids. Her father hadnt been sure how much everything would be, and he thought giving her a nice, round number of nice, round, high valued coins would be best.
"I'm sure I c-cant afford any other s-side p-purchases, though."
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Post by candyleptic on Aug 26, 2014 21:59:07 GMT
Robin: She pulled out her odd coins. They were so shiny! BELLS WEREN'T THIS SHINY... She bit her lip. "My grandma does a lot of foreign affair works, and she mentioned once that most systems work similar. Three groupings of coins...And I think the first three calender holidays-Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas use color, and the second group, Valentine's, St. Patricks, and Easter use size. Although, I'll be honest, St. Patrick's is the hardest. Lucky charms are really confusing...." There were just never enough marshmallows, sigh! "A-anyway, in Christmas Town, 12 is our basic unit of measure, soooo..." "Your twenty smaller ones turn into twenty bronze bells..." She counted out twenty and replaced them. "These ten turn into ten silver, but I have a lot more silver than gold. I usually only carry two gold, per delivery policy!" Not that there was ever any crime, but Robin couldn't carry big money because...well, she'd totally spend it. Probably in the toy solider store, sigh.
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Post by kryss on Aug 26, 2014 22:44:38 GMT
Cici: "I-it's ok." She said, taking what Robin handed her. "I don't mind change. Or if you have to, to short it a little. I'm sure the, the exchange will ch-charge a fee." She carefully folded the scarf and carried it towards the front.
"And I m-might be getting the, the better end. We have some, some smaller coins. J-jumeos. Damsons. Cl-leotonys. G-guinelots. But those are, are not v-very v-valuable."
She walked up to the counter and silently handed the woman behind it the scarf and some of the bells, trying to look nice, since she wasn't confident enough to talk. She accepted the change and happily took the scarf, trying it carefully around her neck. She smoothed it down, running her fingers over the fringe at the end. The gold in the red and the white in the snowflakes glittered in the low light.
"S-so where to, to now?"
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