❆ 1st Present ❆ [public video post] [BACKDATED to September 2]

[saltysanta]

[Have a young man in a monocle and top hat, complete with a sprig of mistletoe decorating the band, (which seems to be nothing but a belt wrapped around it) squinting dubiously into the mirror.]

She said this is some kind of..... magical intelligent telegraph, right.....? You just talk to it?

[It's a little hard to use, even after Fumiko had showed him the basics, but he's working on it--and his uncertainty is quickly covered with an irritated, impatient look.]

Right, then. Anyone who can see this, listen up! I'm looking for a reindeer with a red nose or a tall guy with long silver hair! They--he answers to Rudolph. You can probably get the idiot's attention with candy or cakes, okay? He belongs with me, and he's going to be in big trouble if he's here but hasn't tried to find me yet. You hear me, Rudolph? You'd better have a good explanation, or I'm cutting you off from sweets for a whole week!

.....Now, how do I make it go.....?

[There's a long beat of silence between his message and his realization that he's not sure how to send it. Noël's scowl softens a little in confusion as he starts poking at the mirror with a gloved hand; a few seconds later, the message ends.]

Comments

[gottastaycalm]

You kept me safe?

[ By battling monsters? ]

[saltysanta]

Maybe not you specifically; I don't think we ever met before coming here. But pretty much.

[gottastaycalm]

Grazie.

[saltysanta]

You're welcome.

[He's not entirely sure how to feel, to be honest. It's a thankless job in a lot of ways, difficult and dangerous and exhausting, and he's never going to get paid for any of it. This is..... probably the first time anyone has ever really acknowledged his work at all, too. It's..... kind of nice, though?]

You're probably still a few years away from being safe, I'd say.

[gottastaycalm]

[ A blink of surprise. ]

But I'm already 15.

[ In his mind, he's practically an adult now. ]

[saltysanta]

Veal calves take time to grow into beef cows, you know? Children are a delicacy, but they get less appealing to those monsters the more fully grown they are. It depends on the person, but usually somewhere between 18 and 21 is when they stop trying.

[gottastaycalm]

That long?

Yare, yare. No one's ever going to see me as an adult, are they?

[saltysanta]

Maybe not..... Then again, you don't have to be an adult to act like one. I'm not that much older than you.

[gottastaycalm]

[ That gets his attention. ]

How much older?

[ Now he wants to know. ]

[saltysanta]

You said you were 15? I'm 20.

[And given that Lambo has been with Tsuna for 10 years, he's actually been with the Vongola for longer than Noël has been Santa. Fancy that!]

[gottastaycalm]

[ A blink of surprise before he takes a second look at him. He doesn't look 20... ]

How long have you been Santa?

[saltysanta]

How long has it been..... over 7 years now? Getting closer to 8.

[gottastaycalm]

Goodness. That's a long time. [ He should know. He's been a Vongola guardian longer than he's been a Bovino. ]

Do you like it?

1/2

[saltysanta]

.....

[Not too long ago, he'd been shouting at Dinah about that--about how he'd been forced into this position against his will, how he had never asked for this job, how he'd give it up in a heartbeat if he could..... The pent up anger, with nobody he could realistically blame left alive, had suddenly flared up so bright and hot and painful he'd wanted to scream or cry.

Now, though? The bitterness is like ashes in his mouth, and hands slowly but steadily crushing his chest and throat, and regret that stabs like a knife through the heart. He's not mad right now, just..... resigned.]

2/2

[saltysanta]

[Noël spreads his hands and shrugs. If he thinks about it objectively.....]

I don't think I would have chosen it for myself. Once you get used to it, though..... It's not a bad job, as long as you're a good enough fighter to survive? Not everyone who gets picked manages to last very long, though.

[gottastaycalm]

[ Good enough fighter to survive... A long look. ]

You fight alone?

[saltysanta]

In pairs--we each have a reindeer partner to help us. That's why I need to find Rudolph.

[gottastaycalm]

[ He can understand that. He and Gyuudon had been together for 10 years. He was his box animal, which meant, they fought together. Like a team. But, each Guardian could still fight on their own. So this time, the question changes slightly. ]

Can you fight alone?

[saltysanta]

If I need to, I can.

[Noël taps the head of his cane into his other hand; it's not nearly as convenient as a ring, but he does at least have a weapon he can rely on.]

I try to fight at a distance with my magic, though, so it helps to have someone at close range keeping them away from me.

[gottastaycalm]

[ His brows crease at that answer. ]

I have the opposite problem.

I need to be able to touch my opponent to inflict damage.

[ No, he's not a brawler, just a very powerful lightning rod. ]

[saltysanta]

Is that so? If we need to fight, maybe we could help each other out, then.

[Reindeer partner, cow partner..... basically the same thing, right? He'd much rather Lambo not fight if they can help it, young as he is--but in a town like this? He has no illusions that someone being that sheltered is impossible. Better to make arrangements now for the inevitable, then--maybe he'll get to see what Lambo is actually capable of this way.]

[gottastaycalm]

[ He's a bull!!! >_< ]

You want to partner up?

[saltysanta]

[Bull, cow, whatever. Don't get your udders in a twist.]

Why not? If we coordinate our attacks, I'll have room to work, and you won't have to worry about them getting far enough that you can't reach them.

[gottastaycalm]

[ There are no udders!!! He's a man! >_< ]

Partners then.

[saltysanta]

[Yeah, yeah..... He'll believe it once he actually sees you man up, Lambo.]

I'll be counting on you!