Picking Out The Perfect Gift

Solo or RP Format
Counts as 5 RP growth Points
Solo word minimum is 750, RP post minimum is 7

It's that time of the year again! Time to give presents to loved ones in the typical ceremonies of the people of Tendaji. But the question is - what is the perfect gift?

[ We're looking for two things in this world event. 1) Who is your character getting a gift for and why? 2) What exactly would be the perfect gift? You can spend the whole prompt reflecting on these decisions, asking a friend for advice on the gift to give, or going out and purchasing the gift. ]

---------------------------------

Trade was booming for Xipili’s family which meant even though they rarely had free time there was enough coin coming in to make up for it. As the oldest child – and his father’s heir – he worked side by side with the older Oban to finish many of the trade deals and financial accounts long into the night. Of course there were aspects that his father handled personally, but for the most part Xipili was able to hold his own. He’d been raised by parents with sharp eyes and a value in quick minded children. To that end he was extremely grateful, which was why he had asked to take off earlier that evening for a bit of shopping.

Not once in the years after Varisa’s marriage to Emyr did she ever treat his hybrid son as anything other than her own. She helped him to style his hair, shared his enjoyment in the fine arts, and taught little Xipili a variety of dances that would make any noble proud. Whenever Emyr’s family would comment on the plethora of accomplishments his sisters were able to make Varisa would always make it clear that he too was a hard worker and had even gone as far as to ban contact when she found them openly favoring their full blooded granddaughters. What sort of woman would do that for a boy who wasn’t her own? Who had taken away a legacy, a birthright, from her own?
Such a woman was hard to come by and Xipili needed to show her how much she was valued.

That evening had him trolling to a jeweler that was known for their elegant pieces. Every single ring, hair pin, and comb was custom made with jewels so fine they could have fed a poor family for years. The head jeweler’s attention to detail was what had drawn Xipili to him to begin with, and the reason why he’d ultimately had a piece commissioned for his step-mother.

It was a larger necklace, one that would draw the eye to her radiant beauty. The base metal was a deep gold, but the jewels themselves were a few shades darker than her eyes so as not to overpower them. Hanging below the main necklace itself was a crest made of carefully arranged crystals.

The symbol of the Goddess Hatald, patron deity of women, fertility and marriage. Varisa was known to be a very religious woman and while Xipili himself didn’t pray as much as she he liked to think that without the Goddess’ guidance Varisa might not have ever come into his life. Lifting the necklace up into the light, he watched as the sun filtered through each piece and seemed to change the room into the same colors as the jewels themselves.

“Does it meet your expectations, young sir?”

Xipili looked to the jeweler and nodded. “It’s beautiful as I expected it would be. Anything less would have been a waste of my time as well as your own.”
“Its magnificence will only be as bright as it’s wearer. And a dedication to the gods? My, what luck it will bring~”

The teenager ‘hmmed’, and pulled out his coin purse. Whether the man truly thought sweet words were what Xipili wanted to hear or if he was just fishing for a larger price Xipili couldn’t care. He had what he’d come for and no matter what it cost he would be returning with it. He could rest easy knowing that no matter what his father presented her with it wouldn’t be nearly as spectacular as this and since it was custom made there wouldn’t be anyone else in Sulburi to rival her. At every event Varisa attended she would stand out, which she did anyway thanks to her husband’s keen sense of fashion and their trending pieces.

“Is there anything else I can interest you? A hair pin, perhaps?” No doubt he’d already seen the intricate piece Xipili wore in his hair. For that reason alone the snarky teen gave him an evil eye. “Orrr perhaps a pair of earrings?”

Earrings didn’t sound terrible. And he could get a set for his sister…. “I’m interested, provided of course you stop doing-“ Xipili gesticulated toward the older man, “-all of this.” One of his younger sisters always tried to downplay herself because she didn’t feel as ‘lovely’ as the rest of the family, but perhaps with a pair of subtly gorgeous earrings she would come out of her shell. After all, if he could have one perfect gift created why not two? Or three?

[764]