Welcome to Gaia! ::

"I never expect anything less from Kash," the gargoyle told her gravely, apparently happy with being lead. He grinned at her, showing off a few slightly pointed canines, not at all ruffled about her sister's imminent justice. "It was worth it, anyway. She's cute when she's huffy, ma petit soeur. Now... What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Casca let out a fake, girlie gasp, raising one clawed hand to his other cheek. "Could it be... You're my Secret Santa?"

He looked at the gift with interest, watching her pick up the wrapped parcel from the corner; his own tail was swishing a little, apparently also relieved that he hadn't been stuck with someone who might give him socks. Or hadn't been stuck with anyone at all. Or stuck with someone who had simply forgotten. "I was getting worried I was a forgotten kid," he said, "but then you saved my broken heart, Rhye."

"I did, though I started to wonder exactly who had been gifted as my Santa," he said glibly, and he grinned at her again. Casca had a good grin. Unfortunately he also knew it. "I might've guessed your tender hand was behind those, little darling. All right, do I get to just rip it open, or do I have to poke and prod and try to guess? Give a clue."

He opened the paper curiously, ripping through it -- claws really were good for something -- and his eyes widened. Coffee bean grinder; he needed a new one, considering he'd been using his mother's clapped-out one that had seemed to exist circa 1963. And... The gourmet Starbucks coffee collection. There was a lot of coffee in there. A lot of Starbucks coffee. He could practically taste it.

It had turned from being a slightly terrible party to being a fantastically worthwhile party. The twins really did know him well.

Casca whooped and immediately spun her around in a hug, breaking from his cool facade to show one of his genuine and spontaneous shows of affection and glee -- he went back to cool face pretty quickly after that, but he was still grinning. "Oh my God," he said, "I love you. Be mine. Be mine for always, ma petit. Holy crap."

"I did kind of wonder at the hair ties," he admitted, but was already filing through the coffees to see his favourites. And it had the Christmas spice blend as well. Pretty much a jackpot: Cascati was grinning, tail swishing from side to side without even thinking about it. "This makes up for the hair ties and the bank and -- I use the bank, actually, I have to admit that. Rhye," he said expansively, "you are a thing of beauty and a joy forever, okay?"

He tweaked her ear. "Well, because you are such a good sweet girl who knows me so well," he said, "I'll make you coffee and biscuits, just like that. And mug cake -- Mum just showed me how you can make cake in the microwave. It's a miracle." He was leafing through the coffees again, in obvious admiration.