Fandom Island Museum, Thursday Daytime

[hasaknightjob]

Steven had noticed the lights on the rickshaws. They looked cheerful, and he imagined they would look even better after sunset as they offset the increasingly earlier darkness.

What Steven hadn't noticed was the birds.

Not until he arrived at the Museum and saw his boss, at least.

Blathers was decked out in lights. According to him - in a lengthy and detailed explanation, of course - they'd just appeared that day. They were all over him, from head to feet, wrapped like a long scarf and tucked in under his feathers where they gave off a soft, warm looking glow.

It was perfectly comfortable, he said. Nothing pinching anywhere, too heavy, or too hot. Also it seemed a lot of the bugs didn't care for the extra light and were thus keeping more of a distance when Blathers was forced to go near that wing of the Museum. So wins all around, really, far as Blathers was concerned.

Steven let him know he thought the effect was rather smart all things considered. Festive, really.

With that Blathers went off to get his sleep, no more bothered by his lights than he was by the sun being out. Benefit of being a night owl, it would seem.

Steven then sat behind the welcome desk to get to work.

[open]

Comments

[pocketpretzels]

Hopefully he did not get so wrapped up in his work that he could not take some time to break and. to have a leisurely lunch break.

“Hello, you,” Watts greeted as he swept into the museum.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven always had time for a beau. "Hello, you. Have you been noticing extra lights about?"

[pocketpretzels]

“I have,” Watts nodded. Usually this day had him feeling a bit grumpy and out of sorts, short as it was. But the combination of seeing Steven for lunch and the lights reminding him that after tonight the days would be getting longer had brightened (heh) his mood somewhat.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven put the sign out that he was taking lunch and then came around to Llewellyn's side. "And you? Doing all right?"

[pocketpretzels]

Having deposited his hat on the desk, Watts took Steven’s arm. “Better now that I am with you.” Which was a fairly standard answer, but had more emphatic feeling behind it today.

[hasaknightjob]

"Good," Steven said. "We'll see if we can't store you up with good cheer while you're here."

[pocketpretzels]

“It’s you, I have no doubt,” Watts said, smiling fondly at him.

[hasaknightjob]

"Could give you extra kisses while you're here," Steven said, softer. "If that would help."

[pocketpretzels]

“That’s an exclusive offer, I hope?” Watts replied. “Not one you extend to all your patrons?”

He knew the answer. He just liked hearing it.

[deathsmajesty]

Not so long after Steven finished his lunch, Liliana swept in, holding a small box wrapped in what she'd been assured was appropriate wrapping paper, and a distinctly bottle-shaped package in a slightly more staid style.

"Hello darling," she said, giving him a smile. "It took almost a week, but I've come bearing gifts!"

[hasaknightjob]

"Liliana, hello!" Steven said. "Excellent to see you. I've something for you as well, actually."

[deathsmajesty]

"Oooh!" That put a little more pep in her step. She adored giving presents, of course, but she loved receiving them even more. What? She had never pretended to be altruistic.

"And how are you today, darling?" she asked, setting the very mysterious gift for Marc on the desk and holding out Steven's for him to take.

[hasaknightjob]

"Well, thank you. And yourself?" Steven took the offered present and then put it down in front of him so that he could reach for and then hold out a wrapped gift in return. The wrapping paper was a dark purple with gold lines going through it. "Here. For you. It's only a little something but I thought you might like it."

[deathsmajesty]

"Oooh!" These 'oooh' was less surprised and more greedy than her last as she opened up the wrapping paper. "Oh Steven!" she said, sliding the book our to immediately flip through it, "this is wonderful, thank you darling."

Inside Steven's own gift was a hinged silver double picture frame with pictures of him and Watts from the party. The first picture was of the two of them smiling at the camera at a random moment in the party, the second was a candid shot, neither of them aware of the camera, but smiling at one another.

[hasaknightjob]

"Had that picked out before I knew about your class," Steven admitted. "But I thought you'd appreciate it. Goes over things like rites and how they prepared the bodies."

You know, if for some reason Liliana cared about the state of dead bodies.

Steven then unwrapped his gift and smiled when he saw what was inside. "Oh cheers, that's wonderful. Might put this in the library. Sort of becoming the place where we keep happy memories. Thank you."

[deathsmajesty]

You know, it could be said she was something of a fan of that, yes.

"Of course, darling," Liliana said, her nose still in the book. Look, Steven should have expected that, they had bonded over being nerds together. "I was going through the pictures of the party afterwards and I saw those and knew I simply had to give them to you."

[hasaknightjob]

"That's kind of you," Steven said. And yes, he more than understood the desire to immediately read a book as soon as you were given one. She was fine. "And the frame's lovely as well. No surprise, you being a woman of taste."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell was here with a brightly wrapped basket of holiday cheer for Steven and the Detective. In it he would find fancy gluten free cookies and scones, teas, jams, a few cookie and scone recipes for them to try if they wanted, and a small bottle of her first year of honey from the bees. ANd if she seemed a little distracted, well, she had to get to class, of course.

"Good morning, Steven!"

[hasaknightjob]

"Nell, hello! How are you?" Steven asked. His eyes widened to see all she was carrying. "Do you need help with that?"

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed. "I got it all the way over here, I think I can get it to the counter. This is just a holiday gift for you and the Detective. I know you celebrate Hanukkah, so this is just a season's blessings sort of a thing."

[hasaknightjob]

"Cheers, that's very kind of you," Steven said. He looked over the contents, now that it wasn't presumptuous to assume that they were for him and Llewellyn. "My you don't go halfway, do you? That's very generous of you."

[mylandmyrules]

"It's all handmade stuff, so it's not hard," Nell said. "And you and the Detective are so good to me, that I wanted to make sure I gave you some nice things."

[hasaknightjob]

"Beg to differ there," Steven said. "Seems to me that if it's handmade that's extra effort. Maybe not hard as in difficult for you but it's time and work all the same. More than something store bought, which is what I've for you if that's all right? I brought it hoping you'd pop by today. "

[mylandmyrules]

She laughed, "Well, it's all made with love definitely. And no I don't mind, though you certainly didn't need to get me anything."

[hasaknightjob]

"It's from Llewellyn and me," Steven said. "And if you don't like it you can exchange it for something else, no harm done. But given that you're working so hard with your shop and all..."

Steven reached under the desk and took out a wrapped present which he held out to her.