One more cuz why not?

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Holidays in general!

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"Okay.....let's see: 2, 5, 7, 12, 16, 20, 22! Yep, that should be all of them!" Charlie wipes the dust off her hands as she finished wrapping all the gifts. Different colors of wrapping paper, similar sized boxes and decorative ribbon neatly trimmed, taped and labeled with "To-From" tags perfectly. "Can't believe Sam has such a large stock of bubble wrap lodged away in the back room! Well, it's worth it to get all these things in safe condition." She massaged her shoulders. 'Okay, so.....I'll need to people their gifts when there's a good chance....' she thought to herself. 'But for now.....'

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Charlie slowly traversed down the hall, looking on at the semi-empty hallways. Some students chatted in their own personal circles, either with their own thing, work, etc...She kept walking, navigating as carefully as she could until she spotted the room she was looking for.

Poking her head through a wide enough crack in the door, she smiled, seeing as no one was in the room. She leapt inside and left the door open a crack so she could sneak back out when done. She made her way over to the piano, and sat on the bench. Massaging her fingers, she placed her hands on the keys, waiting a few seconds before she began playing.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Charlie let her fingers play the keys she knew all too well by heart, and the words flowed from her lips.

Children sleeping

Snow is softly falling

Dreams are calling

Likes bells in the distance;

We were dreamers

Not so long ago

But one by one

We all had to grow up.

Charlie remembered all her Christmases like ghost stories of back then. She remembered most of them: from getting up early as a kid to see gifts Santa had left her, to wrapping presents and presenting them to her relatives and cousins, their eyes warm and shining like jewels, thanking her with all their hearts and her hard work.

When it seems the magic slipped away

We find it all again on Christmas Day...

She felt the music flowing through the air like a storm of snowflakes whispering through her hair. Her eyes closed as she belted the chorus with her heart.

Believe in what your heart is saying

Hear the melody that's playing

There's no time to waste

There's so much to celebrate.

Believe in what you feel inside

And give your dreams the wings to fly

You have everything you need

If you just believe!

Her voice carried through the halls like an angel's voice from heaven above, luring in several people to her place.

Trains move quickly

To their journey's end

Destinations

Are where we begin again.

Ships go sailing

Far across the sea

Trusting starlight

To get where they need to be

When it seems that we have lost our way

We find ourselves again on Christmas Day.....

Believe in what your heart is saying

Hear the melody that's playing

There's no time to waste

There's so much to celebrate.

Believe in what you feel inside

And give your dreams the wings to fly

You have everything you need

If you just believe! (4x)

Just believe (2x)....

Her fingers glided against the white keys as she let the last notes fade away, letting her bask in the silence.

Then applause sounded. She whipped her head over to the open door to see everyone she knew cheering for her.

"Guys?!" She leapt to her feet, a rosy red flush overtaking her face out of embarrassment.

"Charlotte, that was amazing!" Epel smiles.

"Why didn't you tell us you were in here?" Cater teased as she put his phone down, most likely having recorded her song. "We could've been there to cheer you on!"

"I...just thought being by myself would be okay....." she looked away.

"D'aw, cmon! No one wants to alone on Christmas!" Ace smirks. "I mean, I know you can't see your family back where your from but, didn't you say WE were like family to you?...."

"I did say that didn't I.....?"

"And as your family, well enjoy the rest of the day with you, whether you'd wish for it or not!" Deuce smiled.

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-several minutes later-

The Ramshackle dorm's floor was littered with colored wrapping paper and bows of every color and pattern imaginable in the aftermath of gift opening.

The others admired their presents, while Charlie looked at hers with a glee filled smile.

From Riddle: a replica of Riddle's gold crown in charm form. With red jewels decorating the charm it was also clipped onto a thin gold bracelet chain.

Trey gifts her with a small dessert cookbook with his and her recipes combined after seeing her culinary skills in the kitchen multiple times.

From Cater: what else than a replica of his phone case?

Ace gave her a basketball jersey, much like his from Basketball club,

And Deuce gave her a Baby chick plushie like his when he was a baby. Ace made a pretty snide remark about the gift and it took everything in Deuce not to full-on throttle him in front of Charlie, and with a beet-red face.

Leona just threw it at her with a 'merry Christmas': a pillow sewn to look like his lion form.

Ruggie's was fairly simple: Polaroid pics of Magift practice. And that time she nearly made Ruggie eat asphalt when she drop kicked him.

Jack presented her with a small cacti plant. He was red in the face as he shoved it in her hands and left her.

Kalim and Jamil, likely from their hometown, A pair sapphire drop earrings (blatantly told them she can't accept it knowing it'd cost a fortune, but Kalim insisted with a smile).

Azul, Jade and Floyd triple tagged in with a small but cute Seashell hairband, to which Charlie tried on immediately ('now if only we could get Koebi-Chan and Azul under the mistletoe~....')

The Pomefiore trio went stereotypical in their own style: Vil expertly wrapped up in a small thin box an ornate hairstick with jewels. The blue beads dangling off the thicker end of the stick like jewels.

Rook gave her a bow and arrow set, as well as a small certificate for one on one archery lessons.

And Epel: a small wood carving of her during her VDC performance. It was a bit messy (him claiming wood was a lot more difficult to work with than apples), but Charlie didn't mind.

Idia and Ortho doubled in with a rare Anime figurine of herself, with all the details about her spot on accurate! From her necklace and outfit to the details on her boots and side bag! Charlie felt like screaming on the spot out of pure excitement but held it back in order yo make Idia not pass out of his heart stopping.

Sebek, Silver and Lilia were triple teamed as well: a green gem anklet, but Malleus went solo, gifting her with an everlasting rose, curtesy of a magic spell he casted on the rose itself, and the glass case it resides in.

"Wow....Guys, I don't know what to say...!" She smiles, admiring her gifts.

"Maybe a 'thank you'?" Ace teased.

"Yea, but what about my I gifts to you guys?"

"They're amazing, my dear." Lilia smiles gently. "I never knew you had a thing for glass work!"

"Ah, you'd be surprised at what things can catch your attention from a young age....." Charlie shrugs shyly. Everyone admired the glassy figurine statues they were presented, showing off the fondest and most memorable moments in her eyes.

Riddle's was him and Charlie sitting together in the garden, drinking tea beside one another. He held a cup in his hands as she served him a piece of cake with a beautiful smile.

Ace's was him in his basketball outfit, holding a basketball by his hip, back to back with Charlie, who was rocking a cheerleader outfit and had Pom-poms in both her hands on her hips, striking a sassy pose.

Deuce's glass statue was both of them dancing during the VDC. He was hitting a hip-hop pose and she was leaping in the air gracefully as would a ballerina.

Trey's was leaning more to his side of him and her cooking in the kitchen. Both of them were putting finishing touches on a grand cake. He was piping icing and she was fitting perfectly cut and cleaned strawberries.

Cater's was him and her taking selfies with the roses in the garden: he had his arm sling around her, phone up high in the air as he winked, while she held two small hedgehogs in her arms, her head turned to the camera.

Leona's was reminiscent to the time Cheka got babysat by him and Charlie.

Ruggie's was him and her stealing food from poor suckers in the cafeteria.

Jack held back a blush as he tried not to stare so long at the statue, which was him carrying her after she nearly twisted her ankle after PE one day. She was resting her head on his shoulders with a smile, and he was obviously trying not to look at her as a blush swept his cheeks.

Azul fawns over the figurines of both of them Singing in the lounge. He was at the piano and she had the mic in hand, sitting atop the piano, singing to the crowd.

Jade and Floyd thanked her for the glass statues they were given together, of both of them helping her practice as they swim in their eel forms. Charlie stood front and center of the statue, hitting an action pose, in her swimsuit, the eels behind her as they swam in circles around her.

Kalim gave her a death hug when he saw the glass figurine statue was then together on a carpet ride, while Jamil thanks her calmly with his of them dancing, much similar to Deuce's, but he didn't seem to mind.

Vil compliments her on her work, eyeing the statue of them together, side by side, posing like they were models on the front of Vogue magazine.

Epel stutters a 'thank you' after studying, for a span of 15 minutes of the figurines of them together, sitting under the apple trees in the courtyard, having a picnic. He was apple carving as Charlie nibbled a small sandwich.

Rook gushed praises of the statue of both of them together, the sharpshooter and hunter with their respective weapons, hitting action poses, ready to fuck shit up.

Idia and Ortho, together: Gaming in the dorm. Idia and Charlie, controllers in hand, sitting on beanbags, were focused on the wide-screen tv in front of them, Ortho cheering them on.

Malleus pats her on the head with a warm smile, thanking her for her gift: them together in a garden of thorns, walking side by side like a happy couple.

Lilia, Sebek and Silver's statues was more towards their side: during Sword Practice one day, where Charlie faced off against both soldiers, with help from Lilia of course.

After some 'thank-yous' were exchanged, everyone decided to stay and get some hot cocoa and chat in their respective groups until it was time to head back for the night.

After sometime, when everyone had left for the dorms, Charlie and from retired for the night, but not before a little gift exchange between them both as well. Some tuna cans for Grim, and a replica of his ribbon collar and jewel to wear on her neck or in her hair for her.

It was nearly midnight by the time Charlie got ready for bed. She was about ready to pass out when she felt something under her pillow.

She lifts it to see a small box wrapped in deep red paper and a gold ribbon tied around it into a neat bow. Curiosity piqued! She picks it up a d carefully unwrapped it and took off the lid from the box.

Inside was a golden chain link bracelet, with pearl-sized jewels in every color of the rainbow. With each jewel was a small charm of significance: a ruby with a small gold crown and heart scepter, a citrine with a lion's head, a topaz with a scarab beetle, an emerald with a red rose, an aquamarine with a silver skull head, a sapphire with a gold seashell, an amethyst with a glassy apple, and a shard of obsidian rock with the Dark mirror. But in the center of the eight charms stood an even more beautiful charm that may as well, put the others to shame: A blue crescent moon dotted with blue diamonds, crossed with a golden sun and silvery-white shooting star.

She gasped softly. Who could've given her this gift?! She turns the paper over and over in her hands, but there was no sign of a tag, saying who it was from. But the only thing in the box was a small card with the words:

Kikoeru darou

Tobira no mukkou

Kimi wo matteru

Ikkou ze Wonderland!

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Merry Christmas, guys! Yea, this seemed half-assed, I know I should've put more work into this like I had planned from the start, but things just went awry....sorry 😓.

Hope it was still good enough! And happy holidays!