Well folks, looks like that is it! Thank you for attending, and I hope you had the very best of holidays. Looking forward, be sure to check in on March 24th for the 1st annual Ditto Town Festival of Spring--or something like that. Hugh and I are still working on the name. 

Poisoned Kisses,

D. Death

Mr Waters was still behind the curtains, so it was easy for her to collect him and hustle him toward the door, as she called out final farewells.  If she was quick, she could stow him aboard the last bus, and shake off the dust of him from her feet.  No, that wasn't quite the right metaphor.  But never mind!  She didn't have leisure to sort it out now.  Mr Ithamar Cadwalladar Waters had a bus to catch and no mistake!

"...well no, sorry, I have to give first place to Grace and Emma. They're going to show me the best places for sledding. Any other night, you would absolutely be the coolest person I've ever met, though. Have a great rest of your evening."

"That's very kind of you," Dan said, being sure he had Ian's contact information.  "We'll keep in touch about sledding. Girls, do you want to say goodbye to Mr. Ian?"

Grace said goodbye while Emma didn't hesitate to wrap her little arms around him in a hug.  "Bye," she said, smiling up at him.

"You're her favorite honorary uncle, I think," Angie said. "It's been wonderful meeting you."

There were so many friends here to say goodbye to - Faye, Mr. Norro, Kaelin and Maeve, and others too numerous to name. Dan and Angie made their way over to the coat rack to talk one last time to them.  "I can't wait for the next party," Grace said.

Posted by: @arin
Oh, yeah. If you're in the area again, we should meet up for lunch, or something. There's a café not far from our place.

"I would enjoy that very much, thank you!" Moira replied. After making her goodbyes, she walked the few feet over to where the bull was standing. "Have you been causing any more trouble?"

"Me? I have been on my absolute best behaviour! I even asked nicely for a cookie and made sure Faye hadn't been frightened, which - by the way - she didn't appear to be."

Moira eyed him critically, but she hadn't noticed any more commotion and he appeared more affronted than guilty. "Very well. I suppose you can have this then - I picked it up earlier." She held out his present and the bull sniffed it eagerly.

"Hmm...smells like apple, I think," he announced after a moment. "And something else. Would you?"

She opened the package and revealed a carton of spiced apple cider. "Maybe cinnamon?" she said, reading the description.

"That could be," he said. "I don't know that it will agree with me."

"That's just as well, as it really belongs to your brother," she commented, tucking it under her arm. "And I think it's time to leave." She glanced around - Faye appeared to be busy at the dessert and punch table, Dan and Angie were with their daughters, and their hostess appeared to be ensconced in conversation with Sergeant Evans. Well, if she hadn't cared to greet her guests as they arrived, she probably wouldn't care to farewell her guests. "Shall we?"

"I suppose," the bull said, following her out the door reluctantly. I'd wanted to talk to Evans again - maybe next time.

The pair walked down the street, Moira excitedly sharing about her new gift and her conversation with Lauren. "I had a wonderful time in the end! I hope we're invited again!" The bull grunted in reply.

"I really have to give it to him?" he asked, nodding towards the carton she was carrying.

"It's only fair."

"Very well," he sighed. "But you realise you have to give your new bracelet to Maigret then too, right?"

"Oh bother," she said, flushing. "Yeeees, I suppose it's only right." She was positive that sound coming from her companion was laughter. Moira sighed - it was a wondrous gift, but Lady Maigret had been quite generous, so she should be generous in return.

"If you really like it, I don't think Maigret will begrudge it to you," the bull conceded once he had stopped laughing.

"And I think your brother might share, if you behave yourself and ask," she replied with a slight smile after a moment, and his ears perked up.

And with those happy thoughts, the pair disappeared into the snowy night.

Ian slung his arm around Lauren's shoulder as they walked to the coat rack: a clear sign of Lauren's perturbation, since she usually did not permit such things. "What a relief, huh? I think that worked out the best possible way: it's an actual white elephant, and we don't have to take care of it! But seriously, Lauren," he added as he helped her into her coat, "if you want, we can trade."

Lauren looked at him for a moment, then -- surprisingly, wonderfully, cracked a small smile. "Oh, like I'm trading my actual elephant for your puny ceramic copy."

"Hector is not puny, he's fun-sized," Ian replied with faked injury. "It's for the best, anyway. We're best buds now, it would break his little ceramic heart if we had to be separated."

"Hector's your best friend now," Lauren said. "I see."

"You're my other best friend," Ian assured her. "So long as you let me pet this new white elephant of yours."

"We'll see," she said.

From a rational perspective, Lauren was absolutely right: their apartment had no space for a literal white elephant, not to mention the costs of feeding and taking care of one. But a small part of Ian nonetheless hoped for it, because the only thing sweeter than driving through town in a limousine with speakers and Christmas lights all over it would be riding an elephant.

"That was rather gracefully done, if you don't mind me saying so.  I must admit that I have never seen anyone handle a glass so adeptly in such difficult circumstances--more than once today."

“Well, thank you.” Being caught under a table was embarrassing, but at least the effort was in some way appreciated. Although it now means that somebody must have been watching him the whole time.

“Etiquette lessons. Long, repetitious etiquette lessons. Although they usually took place while seated at the table, not under it. However, they also didn’t involve large, annoyed cattle. Nevertheless, they taught me that sometimes it is best to ovoid confrontation.”

Junior decided to say no more. He had probably already said too much. Talking with people and not looking awkward was incredibly difficult when conversing with someone you were not paying. Wait a minute... Was Molly employed with his company? Perhaps that was why she was being so nice to him. Who knew what she was really thinking? Junior retreated a few steps back, feeling self-conscious. Perhaps it was time to leave. “I suppose if I’m going to open this, I’d better do it,” Junior related as he lifted the gift.

Junior opened the box and pulled out a notebook, spiral-bound, and a ballpoint pen colored black and gold. “Well, well. Look at this fine looking pen. With complimentary paper! Now this will be useful when creating the next big cologne.”

He liked the sleek design of the pen, and although he usually used personalized stationary, the notebook was a gift, and that meant something. Besides, it might be easier to use when hiking through the wilds in search of exotic fragrances.

Just then, Ian appeared. While they had been on good terms earlier in the evening, Junior was unsure how the night’s events had affected Ian’s opinion of him. Unfortunately, he had been one of the small party at the refreshment table. It looked like he would have to explain himself after all. At least he’d had some practice explaining to Molly. Junior was relieved that Ian had an altogether different reason for speaking with him.

Posted by: @arin

"Hey, uh, was your gift in an envelope with fancy gold lettering? I realize I'm going against centuries of tradition and all that is right and good in the world, asking a man what he brought to a white elephant, but that's the one my friend got”

You weren’t supposed to reveal who gave the gift? I thought that was part of the fun! Perhaps traditions were different in Temsee... 

Posted by: @arin

“and if it was yours, we, uh, well we aren't quite sure what it is."

“Oh! I shouldn’t have used the scientific name,” Junior apologized. “It is a white elephant.” 

"Oh, yeah," Lauren said. "If you're in the area again, we should meet up for lunch, or something. There's a café not far from our place."

As Moira walked away, Ian directed Lauren's attention to where Junior Gladstone stood, next to someone neither of them had met yet. "Maybe I should take the lead on this one?" he suggested, tentatively. 

Lauren huffed, and tugged on her blouse. "Probably," she said, with only the barest hint of reluctance. 

She followed behind Ian as they walked over. "Hiya," Ian said with a wave to the woman, then turned to Junior. "Hey, uh, was your gift in an envelope with fancy gold lettering? I realize I'm going against centuries of tradition and all that is right and good in the world, asking a man what he brought to a white elephant, but that's the one my friend got, and if it was yours, we, uh, well we aren't quite sure what it is."