Under a very large tree, set with myriad bright flowers, a hot pink totoma tends a garden. "Welcome," he says to any who walk by. "Would you like to participate in my gift exchange?"
"Sometimes kin can accumulate things over the year, which we don't really need. Maybe a big log, that's fallen where we tend to sleep, but which someone else might think is excellent storage. Too many feathers, from your pet songbird - but which someone else might want to decorate. We've all got clutter of some sort, that's wasted in our hooves, but might bloom elsewhere - like, well, like a pink totoma, who's unhappy in the snow, and isn't much of one for brawling, but who is thrilled to live among the swamp's colorful foliage and blend in."
His idea is fairly simple: bring him a gift. Nothing that you need to go out of your way to get, but something that make someone's life easier, or that someone might really need, that you have no need for. Hide it and decorate it somewhere here, in this clearing - it's filled with rocks and pelts and large plants that might make for excellent hiding places, if you move them in front of your gift (or even bury the gift, if you're so inclined.). Collect five tokens - a gift from Lying in Wait. And return in a few days, just whenever you're ready, so that you can collect a gift for you.
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 11:57 pm
MECHANICS
1. Fill out the below form with a description (or drawing!) of the gift's hiding place or disguise, as well as a description (or drawing!) of the gift itself. The entry must be 300 words minimum, split however you'd like between gift and hiding place. If you opt to draw the gift/hiding place instead, you can reduce the minimum word count by 150 for each part that you draw (if you draw both, you don't need any writing; if you only draw one, you need 150 words!) 2. Collect 5 tokens, just for entering! 3. In a few days, on December 15th at 10PM EST 11PM EST, this thread will be closed and the list of gifts will be randomized. You'll each be quoted with an in-character gift from a different user. 4. (Optional) RP a reaction to the gift you've received!
PRIZES 5 tokens for all entrants thyPOPE box to one entrant, judged based on gift concept - I'll be looking at both gift contents and hiding place! Amorpheous bag to one entrant, rolled when gifts are assigned.
[color=pink][b][size=18]PINK TOTOMA GIFT[/size][/b][/color] [b]Kin:[/b] Put your kin's name here! [b]Entry:[/b] Describe how your kin hid their gift from view here. Remember, kin don't have wrapping paper - but you're in a clearing with lots of foliage, logs, and turtleshells to help you hide your gift. Alternatively you can put it behind a tree or something. [spoiler]Describe the gift itself here! It should be something a kin can obtain in the swamp.[/spoiler]
PINK TOTOMA GIFT Kin: Thorny Nightshade and his songbirds Entry: Thorn was not a packrat by nature, he didn't intend to gather these items. But it had happened, and as it turns out it's all for the good. This booth is all about swapping gifts, items that aren't useful to one but possibly another. And even if what he gets in return isn't what he'd like, someone in the tribe would want or need it. So he bundles up his unintended collection and searches for the best spot to hide it. Somewhere that's not so hidden it won't be found, but also not too obvious.
After some searching, he decides to put it up a tree. Not way up there, even under the best circumstances getting up a tree would be perilous. But that branch is low enough that most kin could reach it. Gently he sets the gift in the crook between two twigs shooting from the branch. The four songbirds perched on his horns not helping at all, their added weight isn't even the issue, as Thorn has grown used to them. The problem being not disturbing as he settles the nest on the branch. Bare of leaves this time of year, the gift can be easily seen. Given what it is though, it will still add to the hunt, if that is why the Totoma in charge wants them hidden.
Thorn's gift is a bird's nest, feathers from his songbirds filling it. Some woven in, by his birds themselves while building the nest. The rest of the feathers gently placed inside, a smooth slightly egg shaped stone holding them down. The stone isn't part of the gift, Thorn added it just to be sure the feathers are not blown away. He did choose a visually pleasing stone though, swirled through with a rainbow of colors and tiny sparkling specks of gold, so if the recipient does not want it, at least it's pretty. And if the recipient does want it, all the btter that it looks nice. The feathers themselves are mostly from the tails of his birds, one from his mother's bird and a pitch black wing feather from a crow or raven. That one has an oily blue-green sheen when the light touches it. The others, the ones from his birds, are an icy blue-white streaked with purple, red edged in purple, a bright rainbow and mossy-green with a swirl the color of a snail's shell. From his mother's bird is a yellow feather with bright, eye blinding, green diamond markings.
((Done))
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 12:29 pm
PINK TOTOMA GIFT Kin: Do the Honours, and his songbird, Faithful Friend. Entry: Honour was known for his flowers. It was just something that, literally, grew on him, and he was very proud of them. So, when he was requested to go and find a boquet of white flowers during a previous event, he had willingly goe forward, slowly weaving them in his horns until he had a mane of petals, enough to woo his love of his life with sweet words and scents.
Afterwords, though, he and Faith had a bunch of flowers remaining, and nowhere to put them - Hour had her flowers and Faith had taken a few to make her nest close to their home. So, Honour decided to press the flowers, hoping to dry them out without ruining them, (which was rather difficult for an acha, but his daughter's familiar, a mongoose named Glimmer, definitively helped with it's little paws).
So, here he was - he had heard about the gifting event with the Totoma, and quietly, he came up to offer up his gift. Giving the pink gardener a little nod of his head, he quickly went to find a good hiding spot, his songbird chirping softly as it flew around, attempting to help him with finding the right spot. It couldn't be too high, or too in the breeze, for he worried it would ruin the gift.
It took him quite a bit, but in the end he found it - a small fern bush, just large enough for it to be enough to hide the gift without ruining it, or staining it. Working quickly, he and his familiar pawed through it, placing the gift carefully, before darting away. He stopped for a moment to thank the pink totoma, before going on his merry way.
In the end, he and his familiar friends had created a little gift of pressed flowers in a small bouquet - it was wrapped around and placed in a way that a kin would wear it as a small headdress, connected to horns. That is, if you had horns, he was aware of kins who's horns never grew or fell off. They'd . . . find a way.
It was just something he wanted to offer, a way to wear a beautiful bouquet of flowers, he like did every day. There was a couple feathers stuck in to it, thanks to Faith, and it seemed pretty sturdy - not intending to fall apart immediately.
(If you get this gift, let me know! I'd love to draw your kin wearing it C:. WC: 420, blaaaaze)
Release Me chuffed to herself as she painstakingly tucked bits of foliage into the opening of a small bird's nest that hid her gift, hiding what was inside from view. Pleased with her handiwork, eventually, she carefully picked it up between her teeth and tottered with soft steps towards the tree. She carefully placed it and tipped her head back and forth, admiring her handiwork.
BUT IT WASN'T FINISHED.
Something was missing...something... It was plain, she saw, and turned tail to dart back into the swamp!
Some time later, she emerged and triumphantly placed a small, vibrant...but deceased Monarch butterfly on the nest-gift. The colours were a splash against the earthy tones. Bright.
Content, she skipped off!
A collection of herbs and small flowers that could be infused with regular water or munched on for a flavourful mouthful of wonderfulness!
...oh, and the butterfly, as well!
Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2016 11:27 pm
PINK TOTOMA GIFT Kin: Lost Apathy Entry:
realistically the recipient can't keep it bcuz the frog will go back to her LMAo .. . but imagine .. . a day with a hungry frog. is there any joy greater than offering an animal food and watching it take it gently??? alternatively, the pelt... that she picked up from the clearing........... so thoughtful
Ryuukishin Crew
Man-Hungry Fatcat
Online
JetAlmeara
Eloquent Raider
Offline
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 6:00 am
PINK TOTOMA GIFT Kin: PetalBug Entry:
When PetalBug heard of this little idea it had sounded like the most amazing idea ever and she couldn't wait to take part in it. Coming up with an idea though..that was the hard part! PetalBug spent a great deal of time attempting to come up with the most perfect gift ever, pacing about the area and mumbling to herself as she thought about and susbesquently rejected each idea that came to mind.
When she finally came up with the ultimate idea it seemed so obvious that she couldn't believe it had taken her so long. I mean the idea had been there this whole time stareing her right in the face and the doe giggled slightly to herself as she went about preparing her gift. First she had to find the perfect bit of foilage to encapsulate the prize. Darting to and fro she studied the local flowers and bushes intently until finally settling on just the right one, it was bright orange and pretty with large petals. Large enough to fold over and be held in place with a little bit of tree sap.
The tree sap was annoying and Petal bug got more of it on herself then she did on the flower petals but in the end, with a bit of fussing she had managed to produce a flower capsule of sorts. Only one bit remained open, one last petal ready to be sapped into place....once she caught her gift.
Petal bug made a rather spectacular sight as she darted about the clearing, anyone who saw her would likely think she was crazy but in the end she seemed pleased, sticking the last petal into place and then tucking it securely in amid the other flowers where she was sure that it would be found by an observant Kin, espechially at night.
A large orange flower with the petasl glued together with tree sap to form a 'cage' within the cage are a group of fireflies. Some PetalBugs from PetalBug!
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:46 am
PINK TOTOMA GIFT Kin: Swallows the Silence Entry:Hiding was a concept somewhat foreign to Swallows; while he understood the basic idea behind it - keeping kin from finding something, primarily by keeping them from seeing it - he had very little experience in it himself. Even his own 'hiding' was simply standing still and hoping he wouldn't be spotted, in the event he heard something threatening; it was difficult to know exactly how to avoid being seen when one didn't know how to see in the first place!
Still, he wasn't exactly entirely inept, baring in mind he was still alive, so he decided to take part in the fun game anyway. The only way he could fathom to hide his gift properly was if he could feel it, so he went with the simplest solution; he buried it, digging a deep hole and tucking some stones along the bottom to help keep out moisture before nudging his gift inside and gingerly covering it with a thin layer of dirt. He nosed carefully around as much of the pile as he could, making sure once complete he could only feel the soft, loamy touch of newly tilled ground.
Feeling quite proud of himself, Swallows decided that this was the best game he'd participated in so far, as it was both something he figured out how to conquer and it would get him some kind of gift in the end!
Several pungent, but delicious, treats, consisting of late shoots, winter roots, and a few prized, underground mushrooms. The cold keeps them from wilting too terribly, and they make a nice treat this time of year. Not a lasting gift, perhaps, but something that Swallows knows most kin will love, particularly in the cold of the season when fresh treats are much more difficult to find without an excellent nose!.
polliwoggi
Star-Crossed Shapeshifter
Offline
NymiiNym
Shy Wife
Offline
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 4:44 pm
PINK TOTOMA GIFT Kin: Fragile Bones Entry: Bones wasn't the best at hiding things, but she thought she ought to try. Her eyes flicked over the clearing, thick tail brushing against the dirt as she thoughtfully pondered. Where would she struggle to find her gift? She'd look at the bushes, first. It seemed the easiest, and her tail could quickly part the branches. Logs were easy, too. Her eyes drifted about, mouth tight. She needed somewhere small. Somewhere an eye drifts past.
Her eyes locked on the trees, padding forward to inspect them. Yes, this was good. Excellent, even. Maybe even too hard! It'd be rewarding once found however. The real question was.... how was she going to fit her strange and honestly disturbing gift within? Carefully, and without the beauty she had hoped for. Hopefully they'd appreciate the gift for what it was over how it was presented. Satisfied with her find, Bones began to work diligently, sticking her present in an opening within the tree that was covered by leaves.
Unfortunately for whoever received her present, Bones liked dead things. A lot. She enjoyed the beauty in death, and how every living thing shared the same ending. Everything died, and in a way that connected everyone together. No one could escape death, not even her.
That, and her gift represented her name, in a way. To her, it seemed obvious. To others, it probably was an unintended riddle. Fragile Bones had found the skull of a mouse, gently scooping it up. It wasn't long after she found a beautiful and almost perfectly intact dead moth, though small. Gently, she placed her gift within the hole of the tree, placing the moth behind the skull to give it what looked to be wings. Her mother had told her countless times that presents like these were strange, but Bones didn't care. It was her, and it was what she wanted to give!
EJB and Keep Up made an excellent team when it came to scavenging and hunting for special things. His little body could get into all sorts of nooks and crannies that she couldn't, while she could push things out of his way and carry large bounties over miles. They liked to spend entire weeks away from home just wandering about, picking things up, and hiding them where no other kin or animal would think of looking. They were inventive, adventurous, and bold, but most importantly, in love with the idea of having fun and enjoying everything they found.
When the time for the Winter Market came about, EJB thought long and hard about what kinds of gifts she would leave for her children from the many stores that she and Keep Up had made. There were dried flowers from high mountains, brightly colored stones from deep down in dark, wet caves, and all kinds of berries she was sure could be mashed into something delicious and wonderful... But while all of these things were fine and good for her brood, what of the kin who would be without a family or friend to receive from? Surely she and her little furry friend could bring joy to the life of a stranger who they could, in turn, befriend. The thought made her smile, and so, a plan was hatched and set into motion.
The pair decided it was best to start their gift search at the storage space they'd been on their last adventure. It was a modest hoard, but filled with treasures that they'd dug up and spent hours searching for. If they couldn't fashion something out of this space alone they had plenty of other places to nose through, but this would certainly be a good start. EJB set aside a turtle shell, filled it with what she felt appropriate, and handed smaller things to Keep Up. Then, they were on their way back home for assembly.
"Honestly, Keep Up, I didn't think we'd get this done on time!" EJB cheered, her gaze moving down to her tiny companion as she spoke. "Maybe we should make camp here and stake out for their reaction. Wouldn't that be fun?"
Keep Up chattered in disapproval and EJB, mulling it over, eventually nodded. No, they would be intruding on the hiding places of other kin. They wouldn't want to unintentionally ruin surprises, would they? She laughed to herself and surveyed the landscape around them.
"Okay, now... Where to hide our gift?" She mused, humming as she thought. "Behind a tree is a little boring, inside a tree might be too hard to reach... Ah, wait, I've got an idea!"
She trotted forward, Keep Up wigging quickly to keep pace with her, and stopped right at the base of a broken tree-trunk. The inside of it was hollow and deep, but easy enough to lean into with her head, the perfect place to place something that could be retrieved later. She let Keep Up hop into it and give it his squeak of approval before leaning down into the trunk. The turtle shell carrying the gift, which had been strung around her neck for the trip, quickly slid of and landed upside down right in the center of the trunk. However, even though the gift itself was hidden, EJB felt it wasn't quite right. It still needed something... But what?
"Maybe a garland of some sort?" She pondered, looking to Keep Up for feedback. "Fresh flowers? Stones? Just so it doesn't look quite so plain."
Keep Up gave a few squeaks and took off, leaving EJB waiting patiently until he returned with a cluster of leaves in his mouth. Though they weren't quite what EJB was thinking of, they were a nice arrangement of hues and could be used as decoration. She nodded and Keep Up hopped back into the trunk to spread them about.
"Well, I think that about does it! We did good." She said, laughing as Keep Up scurried onto her back. "Off we go, back home until our next adventure! I hope whoever finds our gift likes what we've made them, and our little bit of decoration!"
Underneath the turtle shell lies a set of anklets and a matching necklace made with stones, shells, and dried flowers. Everything is carefully tied together with layers of plant fibers and sap which has dried to form a protective seal to keep it from falling apart. Some of the stones and shells appear to have been dipped in paint, or maybe rolled around in dirt to add a weathered feel. In any case, this gift was clearly took quite a bit of time and with a lot of love and care for the recipient in mind.
PINK TOTOMA GIFT Kin: Burning Crown Entry: How to hide a gift, that was a question. Burning crown hummed to herself, looking about for the best place to hide the gift that she had settled on. A hollow log perhaps? She certainly didn’t want to bury it under the earth, someone needed to find it, not hoard it for the winter. She swiveled her ears, trotting about in thought.
The gift was waterproof, well, mostly. She hummed slightly, poking about, debating. Built a cain perhaps? A small mound of rocks? It would be work, a lot of work. It would be better to find some place dry. She poked around a hallow log, thoughtful. It was dry, and cool. Perhaps here would be best. She dropped the bundle down, and used her tail to carefully push it deeper into the log, till it was secured and nestled in the left-over moss. There. Pleased, she turned and started back to talk to the pink totoma.
Crown had decided on a handful of caiman hides to be her gift. They had been rolled up as carefully and as helpfully as Bloods’ otter could do with his tiny hands and fitted comfortably in her mouth. They had been the result of stalking the banks of the splitting river mouths for small yearling’s sun bathing on the banks. Small yearlings that could be picked up without too much trouble and crunched between sharp fangs. What was left, was small strips of hides with fantastically molted colors, and tiny jaws full of minuscule fangs. They were just a few mouthfuls but the less baby caiman, the less full grown caiman in the territory. The less danger over all. The hides had been picked cleaned by ants, carefully watched to make sure the small insects had not made off with the tiny bones or leather. She guessed if they did not care for the tiny bones on the other side of the hide, they could remove them their selves.
Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:43 pm
PINK TOTOMA GIFT Kin: Guardian of Life & Feathers the crane Entry: Guardian of Life had heard of the exchange and was rather curious about it, and upon hearing about it all gave a smile as she took the large leaf wrapped around the feathers from her crane friend Feathers. She had taken the time to wrap the leaf to keep the sheer amount of dropped feathers in one spot, though it had the added bonus of keeping things c lean and dry. Carrying it in her mouth she looked around and spotted a smallish hollowed out log and trotted that way, setting the small package in there. That didn’t seem like enough though so she went searching and located an empty turtle shell, and took a moment to pick a few berries and smash them with her hoof which she then pressed onto the shell to decorate it. That done she carefully set the shell over top the leaf packet and stepped back to eye her hiding spot critically. Looking around she decided that a little bit of grasses and flowers from the clearing layered over the shell would also be a good thing to add to it. A part of her thought that the layers would be more fun to go through, than just simply being there.
The feathers that Guardian had been collecting and wrapped in her large leaf were a variety of sizes from Feathers, who seemed to drop them at an almost alarming rate, but seemed no worse for the wear. There were smallish pin feathers, and larger ones from the wings. Each feather was a pristine white color like the bird they had come from. Each had been carefully gathered to keep from mussing the feathers in any way, so that they could be used later for any number of things.
thyPOPE generated a random number between
1 and 9 ...
6!
thyPOPE Crew
Devoted Hoarder
Offline
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 6:24 pm
A few days later, each kin returns to find a gift of rather dubious quality...
JetAlmeara
Thorn was not a packrat by nature, he didn't intend to gather these items. But it had happened, and as it turns out it's all for the good. This booth is all about swapping gifts, items that aren't useful to one but possibly another. And even if what he gets in return isn't what he'd like, someone in the tribe would want or need it. So he bundles up his unintended collection and searches for the best spot to hide it. Somewhere that's not so hidden it won't be found, but also not too obvious.
After some searching, he decides to put it up a tree. Not way up there, even under the best circumstances getting up a tree would be perilous. But that branch is low enough that most kin could reach it. Gently he sets the gift in the crook between two twigs shooting from the branch. The four songbirds perched on his horns not helping at all, their added weight isn't even the issue, as Thorn has grown used to them. The problem being not disturbing as he settles the nest on the branch. Bare of leaves this time of year, the gift can be easily seen. Given what it is though, it will still add to the hunt, if that is why the Totoma in charge wants them hidden.
Thorn's gift is a bird's nest, feathers from his songbirds filling it. Some woven in, by his birds themselves while building the nest. The rest of the feathers gently placed inside, a smooth slightly egg shaped stone holding them down. The stone isn't part of the gift, Thorn added it just to be sure the feathers are not blown away. He did choose a visually pleasing stone though, swirled through with a rainbow of colors and tiny sparkling specks of gold, so if the recipient does not want it, at least it's pretty. And if the recipient does want it, all the btter that it looks nice. The feathers themselves are mostly from the tails of his birds, one from his mother's bird and a pitch black wing feather from a crow or raven. That one has an oily blue-green sheen when the light touches it. The others, the ones from his birds, are an icy blue-white streaked with purple, red edged in purple, a bright rainbow and mossy-green with a swirl the color of a snail's shell. From his mother's bird is a yellow feather with bright, eye blinding, green diamond markings.
Variable Nonsense
Honour was known for his flowers. It was just something that, literally, grew on him, and he was very proud of them. So, when he was requested to go and find a boquet of white flowers during a previous event, he had willingly goe forward, slowly weaving them in his horns until he had a mane of petals, enough to woo his love of his life with sweet words and scents.
Afterwords, though, he and Faith had a bunch of flowers remaining, and nowhere to put them - Hour had her flowers and Faith had taken a few to make her nest close to their home. So, Honour decided to press the flowers, hoping to dry them out without ruining them, (which was rather difficult for an acha, but his daughter's familiar, a mongoose named Glimmer, definitively helped with it's little paws).
So, here he was - he had heard about the gifting event with the Totoma, and quietly, he came up to offer up his gift. Giving the pink gardener a little nod of his head, he quickly went to find a good hiding spot, his songbird chirping softly as it flew around, attempting to help him with finding the right spot. It couldn't be too high, or too in the breeze, for he worried it would ruin the gift.
It took him quite a bit, but in the end he found it - a small fern bush, just large enough for it to be enough to hide the gift without ruining it, or staining it. Working quickly, he and his familiar pawed through it, placing the gift carefully, before darting away. He stopped for a moment to thank the pink totoma, before going on his merry way.
In the end, he and his familiar friends had created a little gift of pressed flowers in a small bouquet - it was wrapped around and placed in a way that a kin would wear it as a small headdress, connected to horns. That is, if you had horns, he was aware of kins who's horns never grew or fell off. They'd . . . find a way.
It was just something he wanted to offer, a way to wear a beautiful bouquet of flowers, he like did every day. There was a couple feathers stuck in to it, thanks to Faith, and it seemed pretty sturdy - not intending to fall apart immediately.
(If you get this gift, let me (Nerpin) know! I'd love to draw your kin wearing it C:.
Nerpin
Release Me chuffed to herself as she painstakingly tucked bits of foliage into the opening of a small bird's nest that hid her gift, hiding what was inside from view. Pleased with her handiwork, eventually, she carefully picked it up between her teeth and tottered with soft steps towards the tree. She carefully placed it and tipped her head back and forth, admiring her handiwork.
BUT IT WASN'T FINISHED.
Something was missing...something... It was plain, she saw, and turned tail to dart back into the swamp!
Some time later, she emerged and triumphantly placed a small, vibrant...but deceased Monarch butterfly on the nest-gift. The colours were a splash against the earthy tones. Bright.
Content, she skipped off!
A collection of herbs and small flowers that could be infused with regular water or munched on for a flavourful mouthful of wonderfulness!
...oh, and the butterfly, as well!
Do the Honors will also meet a new friend in the coming year - it seems his gift has given him good karma. You will receive a thyPOPE box for a semi-custom kin, which will be certed and dropped in the event thread in the next few days!
ArashiX
realistically the recipient can't keep it bcuz the frog will go back to her LMAo .. . but imagine .. . a day with a hungry frog. is there any joy greater than offering an animal food and watching it take it gently??? alternatively, the pelt... that she picked up from the clearing........... so thoughtful
Lirilei
When PetalBug heard of this little idea it had sounded like the most amazing idea ever and she couldn't wait to take part in it. Coming up with an idea though..that was the hard part! PetalBug spent a great deal of time attempting to come up with the most perfect gift ever, pacing about the area and mumbling to herself as she thought about and susbesquently rejected each idea that came to mind.
When she finally came up with the ultimate idea it seemed so obvious that she couldn't believe it had taken her so long. I mean the idea had been there this whole time stareing her right in the face and the doe giggled slightly to herself as she went about preparing her gift. First she had to find the perfect bit of foilage to encapsulate the prize. Darting to and fro she studied the local flowers and bushes intently until finally settling on just the right one, it was bright orange and pretty with large petals. Large enough to fold over and be held in place with a little bit of tree sap.
The tree sap was annoying and Petal bug got more of it on herself then she did on the flower petals but in the end, with a bit of fussing she had managed to produce a flower capsule of sorts. Only one bit remained open, one last petal ready to be sapped into place....once she caught her gift.
Petal bug made a rather spectacular sight as she darted about the clearing, anyone who saw her would likely think she was crazy but in the end she seemed pleased, sticking the last petal into place and then tucking it securely in amid the other flowers where she was sure that it would be found by an observant Kin, espechially at night.
A large orange flower with the petasl glued together with tree sap to form a 'cage' within the cage are a group of fireflies. Some PetalBugs from PetalBug!
Yushika
Hiding was a concept somewhat foreign to Swallows; while he understood the basic idea behind it - keeping kin from finding something, primarily by keeping them from seeing it - he had very little experience in it himself. Even his own 'hiding' was simply standing still and hoping he wouldn't be spotted, in the event he heard something threatening; it was difficult to know exactly how to avoid being seen when one didn't know how to see in the first place!
Still, he wasn't exactly entirely inept, baring in mind he was still alive, so he decided to take part in the fun game anyway. The only way he could fathom to hide his gift properly was if he could feel it, so he went with the simplest solution; he buried it, digging a deep hole and tucking some stones along the bottom to help keep out moisture before nudging his gift inside and gingerly covering it with a thin layer of dirt. He nosed carefully around as much of the pile as he could, making sure once complete he could only feel the soft, loamy touch of newly tilled ground.
Feeling quite proud of himself, Swallows decided that this was the best game he'd participated in so far, as it was both something he figured out how to conquer and it would get him some kind of gift in the end!
Several pungent, but delicious, treats, consisting of late shoots, winter roots, and a few prized, underground mushrooms. The cold keeps them from wilting too terribly, and they make a nice treat this time of year. Not a lasting gift, perhaps, but something that Swallows knows most kin will love, particularly in the cold of the season when fresh treats are much more difficult to find without an excellent nose!.
sheepcakes
Bones wasn't the best at hiding things, but she thought she ought to try. Her eyes flicked over the clearing, thick tail brushing against the dirt as she thoughtfully pondered. Where would she struggle to find her gift? She'd look at the bushes, first. It seemed the easiest, and her tail could quickly part the branches. Logs were easy, too. Her eyes drifted about, mouth tight. She needed somewhere small. Somewhere an eye drifts past.
Her eyes locked on the trees, padding forward to inspect them. Yes, this was good. Excellent, even. Maybe even too hard! It'd be rewarding once found however. The real question was.... how was she going to fit her strange and honestly disturbing gift within? Carefully, and without the beauty she had hoped for. Hopefully they'd appreciate the gift for what it was over how it was presented. Satisfied with her find, Bones began to work diligently, sticking her present in an opening within the tree that was covered by leaves.
Unfortunately for whoever received her present, Bones liked dead things. A lot. She enjoyed the beauty in death, and how every living thing shared the same ending. Everything died, and in a way that connected everyone together. No one could escape death, not even her.
That, and her gift represented her name, in a way. To her, it seemed obvious. To others, it probably was an unintended riddle. Fragile Bones had found the skull of a mouse, gently scooping it up. It wasn't long after she found a beautiful and almost perfectly intact dead moth, though small. Gently, she placed her gift within the hole of the tree, placing the moth behind the skull to give it what looked to be wings. Her mother had told her countless times that presents like these were strange, but Bones didn't care. It was her, and it was what she wanted to give!
It seems like this "gift" has also attracted a new friend for Thorny Nightshade. You will receive an Amorpheous box for a semi-custom pet, which will be certed and dropped in the event thread in the next few days.
Shaddaling
EJB and Keep Up made an excellent team when it came to scavenging and hunting for special things. His little body could get into all sorts of nooks and crannies that she couldn't, while she could push things out of his way and carry large bounties over miles. They liked to spend entire weeks away from home just wandering about, picking things up, and hiding them where no other kin or animal would think of looking. They were inventive, adventurous, and bold, but most importantly, in love with the idea of having fun and enjoying everything they found.
When the time for the Winter Market came about, EJB thought long and hard about what kinds of gifts she would leave for her children from the many stores that she and Keep Up had made. There were dried flowers from high mountains, brightly colored stones from deep down in dark, wet caves, and all kinds of berries she was sure could be mashed into something delicious and wonderful... But while all of these things were fine and good for her brood, what of the kin who would be without a family or friend to receive from? Surely she and her little furry friend could bring joy to the life of a stranger who they could, in turn, befriend. The thought made her smile, and so, a plan was hatched and set into motion.
The pair decided it was best to start their gift search at the storage space they'd been on their last adventure. It was a modest hoard, but filled with treasures that they'd dug up and spent hours searching for. If they couldn't fashion something out of this space alone they had plenty of other places to nose through, but this would certainly be a good start. EJB set aside a turtle shell, filled it with what she felt appropriate, and handed smaller things to Keep Up. Then, they were on their way back home for assembly.
"Honestly, Keep Up, I didn't think we'd get this done on time!" EJB cheered, her gaze moving down to her tiny companion as she spoke. "Maybe we should make camp here and stake out for their reaction. Wouldn't that be fun?"
Keep Up chattered in disapproval and EJB, mulling it over, eventually nodded. No, they would be intruding on the hiding places of other kin. They wouldn't want to unintentionally ruin surprises, would they? She laughed to herself and surveyed the landscape around them.
"Okay, now... Where to hide our gift?" She mused, humming as she thought. "Behind a tree is a little boring, inside a tree might be too hard to reach... Ah, wait, I've got an idea!"
She trotted forward, Keep Up wigging quickly to keep pace with her, and stopped right at the base of a broken tree-trunk. The inside of it was hollow and deep, but easy enough to lean into with her head, the perfect place to place something that could be retrieved later. She let Keep Up hop into it and give it his squeak of approval before leaning down into the trunk. The turtle shell carrying the gift, which had been strung around her neck for the trip, quickly slid of and landed upside down right in the center of the trunk. However, even though the gift itself was hidden, EJB felt it wasn't quite right. It still needed something... But what?
"Maybe a garland of some sort?" She pondered, looking to Keep Up for feedback. "Fresh flowers? Stones? Just so it doesn't look quite so plain."
Keep Up gave a few squeaks and took off, leaving EJB waiting patiently until he returned with a cluster of leaves in his mouth. Though they weren't quite what EJB was thinking of, they were a nice arrangement of hues and could be used as decoration. She nodded and Keep Up hopped back into the trunk to spread them about.
"Well, I think that about does it! We did good." She said, laughing as Keep Up scurried onto her back. "Off we go, back home until our next adventure! I hope whoever finds our gift likes what we've made them, and our little bit of decoration!"
Underneath the turtle shell lies a set of anklets and a matching necklace made with stones, shells, and dried flowers. Everything is carefully tied together with layers of plant fibers and sap which has dried to form a protective seal to keep it from falling apart. Some of the stones and shells appear to have been dipped in paint, or maybe rolled around in dirt to add a weathered feel. In any case, this gift was clearly took quite a bit of time and with a lot of love and care for the recipient in mind.
Bouquet of Diamonds
How to hide a gift, that was a question. Burning crown hummed to herself, looking about for the best place to hide the gift that she had settled on. A hollow log perhaps? She certainly didn’t want to bury it under the earth, someone needed to find it, not hoard it for the winter. She swiveled her ears, trotting about in thought.
The gift was waterproof, well, mostly. She hummed slightly, poking about, debating. Built a cain perhaps? A small mound of rocks? It would be work, a lot of work. It would be better to find some place dry. She poked around a hallow log, thoughtful. It was dry, and cool. Perhaps here would be best. She dropped the bundle down, and used her tail to carefully push it deeper into the log, till it was secured and nestled in the left-over moss. There. Pleased, she turned and started back to talk to the pink totoma.
Crown had decided on a handful of caiman hides to be her gift. They had been rolled up as carefully and as helpfully as Bloods’ otter could do with his tiny hands and fitted comfortably in her mouth. They had been the result of stalking the banks of the splitting river mouths for small yearling’s sun bathing on the banks. Small yearlings that could be picked up without too much trouble and crunched between sharp fangs. What was left, was small strips of hides with fantastically molted colors, and tiny jaws full of minuscule fangs. They were just a few mouthfuls but the less baby caiman, the less full grown caiman in the territory. The less danger over all. The hides had been picked cleaned by ants, carefully watched to make sure the small insects had not made off with the tiny bones or leather. She guessed if they did not care for the tiny bones on the other side of the hide, they could remove them their selves.
Ryuukishin
Guardian of Life had heard of the exchange and was rather curious about it, and upon hearing about it all gave a smile as she took the large leaf wrapped around the feathers from her crane friend Feathers. She had taken the time to wrap the leaf to keep the sheer amount of dropped feathers in one spot, though it had the added bonus of keeping things c lean and dry. Carrying it in her mouth she looked around and spotted a smallish hollowed out log and trotted that way, setting the small package in there. That didn’t seem like enough though so she went searching and located an empty turtle shell, and took a moment to pick a few berries and smash them with her hoof which she then pressed onto the shell to decorate it. That done she carefully set the shell over top the leaf packet and stepped back to eye her hiding spot critically. Looking around she decided that a little bit of grasses and flowers from the clearing layered over the shell would also be a good thing to add to it. A part of her thought that the layers would be more fun to go through, than just simply being there.
The feathers that Guardian had been collecting and wrapped in her large leaf were a variety of sizes from Feathers, who seemed to drop them at an almost alarming rate, but seemed no worse for the wear. There were smallish pin feathers, and larger ones from the wings. Each feather was a pristine white color like the bird they had come from. Each had been carefully gathered to keep from mussing the feathers in any way, so that they could be used later for any number of things.
Congratulations everyone, and thank you for participating! This thread has been unlocked so that you may optionally react to the gift your kin has found/received.
Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 10:44 pm
Probably due to his own choice of hiding spots, Thorny Nightshade looked in a tree, and was not surprised to find a gift. At least, he thought it was a gift. How else would a skull and moth corpse end up so perfectly in place. Looking around he smiles, its not really his kind of thing but it is pretty. "Thank you. he says, in case the giver is around.
Then he retrieves the skull and moth, being very careful not to break anything. On his way out to the market, a crane rushes him in a flurry of beak and feathers, made even more awkward by the 4 songbirds perched on his horns also flapping, pecking and chirping. Thorn moves his head, to keep the gift from the crane, as that's what he assumes the large bird wants. It quickly becomes apparent that the crane wants to sit on him, for some odd reason. With a sigh, the large buck walks off, followed by a disgruntled crane.
Yushika
Despite not being a collector of things, Thorn will find a safe place for his gift, thank you.
