Catch That Cat: ån RP Game

Growing food and eating it occupied most of their time.
Arien
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The Great Mathom Mix Up

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It’s Silas Hardwick’s birthday party! As is the custom with Hobbit birthday parties, there are presents for all and sundry... but there’s been an Accident!

Unfortunately, the table with all the presents on has been toppled over by Silas’ new kitten - and she’s torn off all the ribbons with the name labels on too...

What’s worse - Silas’ dear old Ma was in charge of the wrapping, and she’s accidentally wrapped up
- some empty boxes
- Some mathoms Silas brought home to categorise and clean
- Some of the Hardwicks’ personal possessions

... so nobody knows what might be in each box!

There’s only one way to solve this crisis: everybody get stuck in, have some cakes and ale, and start unwrapping presents! Some of them may be Unexpected, but some of them may be delightful surprises!

All the presents will have a cash value, of course, so we can have a winner at the end - but you won’t be told until the end! You will also be allowed to exchange presents, and give presents to the person you think is due them, after you have opened them! Some of the presents will be mathoms and some have a negative value!

The real prize will be to find Silas’ Ma’s heirloom ring she accidentally dropped into a present and wrapped up. If you find this she will bake you pie forever.

There will also be just a chance to RP and follow the prompts! If this goes well, perhaps more party games later.

Please suggest names for Silas’ new kitten when you’re coming in!

Rules:
- Free peoples only; if you must be a minion, please be in a disguise that could fool Silas’ dear old confused Ma
- Please don’t post all in bold red EXCEPT when picking a present to Open, Exchange or Gift to someone. I’ll do RP prompts in bold red too.
- Please leave either 24 hours or three other people posting between Opening a New Present. Only choose one present to open at a time.
- Choose your present to open by picking the appropriate number from the graph, A1 through D7. Be nice. I made this on my mobile
- No godmoding except by me, Sil
- Feel free to RP in between any prompts and present opening
- Mark OOC as OOC, no need to white out
- Rating PG13, there *will* be at least some pipe weed references I expect

Boxes chosen: (don’t pick em twice it’ll be pointless)
A1: Lora
A2: Ducky
A3 : Abelard
A4 Pearl
A5: Pearl
A6: Pearl
A7: Abelard
B1: Lora
B2: Pearl
B3: Rilla
B4: Viola
B5: Rilla
B6: Lora
B7: Ducky
C1: Pearl
C2: Rilla
C3: Lora
C4: Fuchsia
C5: Ducky
C6: Lora
C7: Fuchsia
D1: Pearl
D2: Rilla
D3: Ducky
D4: Pearl
D5: Jorgy
D6: Jorgy
D7: Viola

All The Boxes have now been chosen! Stay tuned for our next party game
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Ducky had not technically been invited to the party, but rather been hired as temporary entertainment talent. You know, to put on a show for the innocent little hobbits. There were certain stereotypes about wizards and parties amongst the Halfling community, at least in the Shire. Ducky had been happy to oblige without specifically mentioning that he had no particular eye (or magic) for fireworks. That sort of thing wasn't an inherent talent of wizards. So here he was, uh, not being entertaining, but the food and drink had presumably kept the hobbits busy while the weird wizard kind of stood around and had a drink. Or three. Or thirteen. Whatever, mate, don't judge listen it was really good ale alright?

But then there was the kitten naming thing. Ducky had been asked his opinion, with the understanding that it was held at low value because of his stature. He suggested Gaffer Gaffer, trying to make it clear that one was the title and one was an actual surname, but he wasn't sure it was clear to them. Who cared, really?

Now the presents, that was interesting. Ducky decided to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. There were many presents to open after all. Ducky decided to start with a big green one, since green was his favorite color. He picked up the box at C5, and tore open the paper, excited to see what lay inside. Maybe a manual on how to operate a fireworks show?

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Pearl Brockhouse

Today was the day! It was Silas' birthday. Pearl had woken excited for the gathering of friends (and of course, for the cake and the presents). She rushed out the door at the appointed hour and fortunately didn't have far to go to reach the Hardwicks' home.

"Happy birthday, Silas!" she cried as she entered the party room. "I hear you got a new kitty. Might I recommend the name Butterfur?" Pearl thought this terribly clever and giggled at her own idea.

She was surprised to see the wizard Ducky next. "Hello, sir," she said respectfully, recalling painfully how she'd collided head-on with him during a recent outing of the Walking Club. She plucked a gift (D4) from the pile on the table and sat down primly, only in part to prove to the wizard that she was capable of polite comportment. She undid the tulle bow and unfolded the paper delicately, being careful not to rip the paper. Wrapping paper was so pretty, so why waste it?
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Jorgy Underash

He had received a letter from Silas! Granted he couldn’t read it but he got a letter! Jorgy was making new friends! He had thought it would be hard to make friends with his fellow Hobbits, especially given how new to being a Hobbit he was, but Silas apparently had decided he was not a lava snake and was in fact a Hobbit. That must be what the fancy letter with the very pretty handwriting must have been about. He beamed with utter delight. He took his walking stick, one that Pearl had helped him find (She had also had to make sure he knew it was not, in fact, a stick that walked but a stick that would help him walk, which was very agreeable to the Hobbit), and made his way to Silas’ house.

When he got there it seemed he was not the only one. Silas must be having some sort of get together. Oh no! Was Jorgy invited? Or was the nice letter a way of saying please go away and keep your weirdness to yourself? Jorgy’s heart sank. Maybe... maybe he was wrong, maybe Silas liked him and the letter was a good one. He really needed to learn how to read. Pearl, ah Pearl, was teaching him to read and write but it was slow going, mostly he got distracted by shapes and kept asking why certain things had curves and others had edges. It all seemed very arbitrary to Jorgy.

But that was neither here nor there, and here was Silas’ house! He walked in and looked at the strange feline creature. He felt a snake urge to hiss at it and attack but he had been made well aware that it was completely unnecessary for him to follow each of his snaky instincts. So he pet the kitten instead. “I think I will call you, Silas’ Kitten.” He beamed at his cleverness, not realizing the name was not clever whatsoever.

And there were presents! He had heard of these. He wondered vaguely what the occasion was but was too distracted by all the pretty paper to think too long on that. They were arranged in the strange fashion (though Jorgy had no idea what fashion wouldn’t be strange so for all he knew it could be normal to set presents out in a grid with numbers and letters). “Oh! I like this game. Can I have… 6D please?”
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Lora Stumblefoot

It was Silas' birthday! Lora had a sneaking suspicion she had been accidentally invited, as she didn't actually know Silas. Also, the postman had been known to mix up her and her neighbor down the street, Lora Stumbletoe. Still, she had technically received an invitation, and where there was a party, there was food and presents! Of course she was going to go! Putting on her party dress (with pockets), Lora walked down the street toward Silas' house.

There were already a few people there, and even a young kitten! "Oh, how cute!" Lora exclaimed, bending down to pet the kitten. "Is it a girl? You could name it Meowly Cirus!" she suggested to Silas.

The kitten had been causing trouble, as kittens do, and Lora leaned down to help pick them. "Oh, this one is pretty!" Lora exclaimed, picking up C3.

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Welcome to the Party!

Ma Hardwick and Silas have greeted everyone at the door and directed them to the pile of presents. There’s a mini snack buffet set up (before the *main* buffet, later)!

Drinks: Mead, Ale, Strawberry juice, Fresh Milk, Water

Food: Cheese and onion tartlets, blueberry fritters, pecan pretzels, potato chips


Please help yourselves!


The results of the present openings so far:

C3: @Gwai Nothing in here Lora! You’ve discovered an empty box accidentally wrapped. Best pick another!
C5: @KingODuckingham: Ducky: You Found a gift: a pair of extra fluffy slippers! Will you keep them for yourself, exchange them with someone, or give them away?
D4: @Silmarë Pearl: You Found a mathom! It’s an experimental beard trimming device! What will you do with it? Would anyone else even accept it?!
D6: @Frostbite Jorgy, you found Mr Hardwick’s monocle! How did that get in there?!
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Rilla Banks

This must be one of the best things about meeting new friends: birthday parties! Rilla was terribly happy to receive an invitation from the hobbit lad she'd met in the Walking Club. "Happy birthday, Silas!" she bounced forward and gave him a hug. "Is this your new kitten?" Rilla spotted the little furball scampering among the presents and pouncing on ribbons like prey, threatening to cause more trouble.

"Hmmm..." she considered. "What's a good name for a kitten? How about... Pinkletoes?" Kittens had the cutest little pink toes and Rilla sometimes wanted nothing more than to cover them with little kisses. She refrained from doing so now, though, certain both Silas and the kitten would probably not appreciate it.

Orange being her favourite colour, Rilla snatched up B5 before anyone else had a chance.

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Abelard Brandybuck

Abelard, or rather Abelard's Hand appears from beneath the buffet's tablecloth. It crawled up the edge, fumbling around on the surface of the table for a moment before seizing a tartlet and vanishing back beneath the tablecloth where it may be devoured by Abelard's Mouth.
The young (and only very distantly related) scion of the Brandybuck's had been sitting beneath the table for perhaps a quarter of an hour, though it feels like weeks. He is hiding. He WAS actually invited, however he had also planned to play a bit of a prank involving the blueberry fritters, the host's good glassware, and several other guests purses and handbags. This prank has now been superseded by the Mathom-Mix-Up, a far better prank than he could ever have played, alas...

Well! He is not going home without a gift. Peeking for a moment to make sure the coast is clear (or as clear as it can ever be in a populated party) Abelard lunges out, snatches up the remarkably shiny A3 before tumbling (unstealthily) back beneath the table.
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Pearl Brockhouse

It was shaping up to be quite the party! Pearl greeted everyone with a wave and "Hello!" when they walked in. Some she knew (like Rilla and Jorgy - and of course Jorgy had arrived shortly after her, though she questioned how he'd read his invitation given his progress so far in their reading lessons), and another hobbit (Lora) who was new to her. She even thought she saw a hand fly out from beneath the gift-laden table to snatch at one, but that must have been the kitten. Pearl shrugged and opened the box she'd unwrapped to find . . . a device. It had shears and a razor attached and would have looked quite weapon-like to her innocent eyes if the wizard Ducky hadn't been in the room. Of course! It was for beards.

Pearl knew this gift would just lay forgotten in a closet back at home if she took it. Her dad didn't have much in the way of facial hair, and of course her brother was too young for such things. A wizard (or his kin) would have far more reason to use such an object. If there had been dwarves about, she would have given it to one of them, but Ducky was the best candidate for such an item.

"Excuse me!" she piped up, walking over to Ducky and nearly tripping on several ribbons that now lay discarded on the floor. On the way, she picked up another gift (A5) wrapped in colorful striped paper, hoping for something a bit better than this unusual contraption. "I got this present, but I don't quite think it was meant for a hobbit lass. A wizard is more likely to need it than me." She gifted the beard trimmer to the wizard.
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Ducky was initially delighted with the present he opened, but when he went to wear the fluffy slippers, he realized they were made for hobbit-sized feet. There was no way they were going to fit on him, making them totally pointless. He would have to give them away. He looked around at the room, which was slowly filling with new Halflings, and saw the treats they were bringing in. He was momentarily distracted. He was starving! He rushed over and began to stuff his face, glad that hobbits generally took this as a compliment rather than seeing it as something impolite. Truly they were an advanced society.

When he had taken his fill (or maybe a bit more) of blueberry fritters and milk, wiped his milky moustache away, and brushed off the crumbs, he turned around to find himself confronted with a gift from Pearl. A razor! Ducky looked at it, then looked down at his beard. It was pretty scraggly, wasn't it? And look, it had been catching a lot of the fritters too.

"Thank you!" he said to Pearl with a big smile. "I will pay it forward. And this razor will no doubt be very useful to me, although it'll have to wait--I have another present to open!"

Before he went back to the pile, he cast his eyes around the room again and spotted a young lady (Rilla Banks) bouncing in. Perfect, he thought. He intercepted her before she could open the present she snatched and said,

"Why don't you take this gift first?" and Ducky presented (heh) her with the fluffy slippers. Then he went and grabbed present B7 for himself.
Last edited by KingODuckingham on Thu Jul 30, 2020 7:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Silas Hardwick, Birthday Boy

Silas was heartily relieved that guests had started to arrive at the party - even if it was extremely embarrassing that the mix-up occurred. Of course he had reassured his dear old Ma that they could make a party game of it and everything would be fine - nobody wanted her sobbing into the strawberry juice after all, as this would make it all salty and would be yet another faux pas at his party. Also, it would get a little awkward for him and Ma and Paw to sit around with just Ducky, the entertainer, although he was sure Ducky would be a good sport and oblige. Fleetingly, Silas wondered if Ducky had brought fireworks. If that were the case they would no doubt need to hide the kitten somewhere.

Said naughty kitten was diving ecstatically in and out of the open boxes that were upon the floor as the arriving hobbits got stuck in. “Meowly Circus... Gaffer Gaffer...” Silas tried out a couple of the names thoughtfully.

The kitten didn’t respond to any of them. Kittens generally don’t.

Pearl and Jorgy had arrived - not together, had Silas been mistaken about them? and a friendly hobbit lass Lora, whom Silas only vaguely recognised. Ma Hardwick had sent out invitations to all and sundry, so it was only to be expected that some less familiar folk turned up.

Rilla wasn’t one of them - Silas gratefully hugged her back and squeezed her so tight his birthday waistcoat creaked slightly. “Pinkletoes... hmm,” he said thoughtfully. He reached for a tartlet (chewing helps hobbits think), but alas, Abelard reached it first. What the lad was doing beneath the table was anyone’s guess. Oh well; there were plenty more!
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Arien
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@Lailorn : B5: Rilla has opened her gift to reveal what appears to be a mathom... it’s a badly taxidermied ferret which is staring into your soul.

@Androthelm A3: Abelard has opened a set of nicely embroidered handkerchiefs!

@Silmarë: A5: Pearl has opened a box containing... nothing.

@KingODuckingham B7: Ducky’s latest box contains a... random dishcloth? Hmmm.
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Pearl Brockhouse

Pearl gave a little bow to Ducky (would she ever get over this compulsion to be extra-formal around him? Maybe if she could go back in time and not crash into him during that Walking Club outing...) as he accepted his beard trimmer. "I hope it serves you well!" She willfully ignored the large crumbs stuck in his beard and returned with her present to sit down next to the hobbit she didn't know yet (Lora).

"Hello there! I'm Pearl Brockhouse. What's your name?" she began, taking a seat. "How do you know Silas? I met him at the Walking Club, but it turned out he'd been my neighbor all along!" Pearl was babbling on again. "Those are some cozy looking slippers, Rilla!" she called, looking with only a tiny bit of envy on the fluffy footwear.

But back to the present! Pearl removed the curly ribbon and striped paper carefully, curious about what could be in this feather-light box. Inside was air and air alone. "Huh," she said, looking up at Silas. "It looks like this present is empty, Silas! That's weird - it looks like Lora got one of those, too. May I choose another?" She eyed the pile of presents and pointed to a blue box with yellow ribbon (D1). "I like the way the bow is wrapped on that one!"

Weirder than the empty boxes was the fact that Jorgy had opened a package with a monocle inside. Pearl was confused by that gift but honestly a bit concerned about what he would do with it. He hadn't known what second breakfast was, so how could he be expected to know about corrective eyewear?
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Arien
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OOC @Silmarë haha naughty Pearl was too keen and didn’t leave 24 hrs or 3 other people posting between your next present pick (I posted twice but I am a single person) so now you must wait twice as long before you pick another present but please feel free to RP away with us
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Lora Stumblefoot

Tearing open the wrapping paper eagerly, excited about the prospect of a present, even a re-gifted one, Lora open the box to find...nothing. She looked around in confusion. Was this a trick? Or was someone perhaps absent-minded? Other gifts looked wonderful, like the fuzzy slippers. Others, like the beard-trimmer immediately given to the wizard, or worse yet the taxidermied ferret, made her glad her box was empty.

It was difficult to know if she should go for snacks, or another present. After a moment's reflection, Lora decided on both. Walking by the table boasting cake, she carefully chose a large slice on a plate, and headed directly to the presents table, choosing A1 with lovely pink paper.

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Abelard Brandybuck

"Psst." whispered Abelard to the birthday boy. When the whisper failed to get Silas's attention, he tried again. "PSST!." It was no good. Maw Hardwick's tartlets were just too tasty, and the birthday boy couldn't hear him. There was nothing for it but to leave his hiding place. Scrambling out (and stuffing the handkerchiefs into his pockets as he did) the rambunctious little hobbit tapped his host on the shoulder.

"Hello, Silas. Happy Birthday. Hope you're, uhm, having a good birthday. I was under the table thinking, and I think I have a name for your kitten. How does Paw Hardwick sound? Also here, I got you this present." Abelard fumbled with his pockets for a moment before finding and drawing out a slightly crumpled handkerchief. "Happy Birthday."

Happy to have done his duty as a guest, Abelard scurried back to the mathom-pile and selected A7 for himself.
Last edited by Androthelm on Sat Aug 01, 2020 2:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Rilla Banks

When Ducky presented her with slippers, she momentarily forgot all about her orange box. "Oh!" She squealed. "I LOVE them! And they're my favorite color, too!" Clutching the slippers to her chest, she enjoyed the soft, fuzzy, warm feeling of them in her hands. "Thank you so much, Ducky! They'll be oh-so warm in the winter."

She stuck the fuzzy orange slippers on her feet just to try them on. They felt as exquisite as she hoped although they clashed horribly with her red paisley skirt.

Rilla screamed when she opened her box. A most frightful ferret was inside the box and it was. Not. Alive. She dropped the box on the ground but she could still feel its dead, black eyes staring into her very soul...it knew her secret. She ate the last piece of her brother's birthday cake and blamed it on her aunt!!

"Oh Pearl," she said in a high-pitched voice. "I see your box is empty...perhaps you'd like...this lovely ferret for your mantel?"

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@Silmarë: D1: Pearl has opened a box containing a cross eyed ornamental elephant.

@Gwai: A1: Loras has opened a box... to find another box... full of dried snakes. Um.

@Androthelm: A7: Abelard has opened a box containing kitten treats! You attract the immediate attention of the kitten.
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Lora Stumblefoot

Lora tore open the wrapping paper excitedly, to find a sealed box. Opening this one then led to yet another box. What was happening? Lora wondered to herself. Unable to resist, she opened yet another box to find snakes. Shrieking, she dropped the box on the floor, some of the snakes spilling out, and pulling her feet up on the chair to avoid being close to the snakes. A closer look told her the snakes were not only dead, but old and dried. She shuddered. Who would want to dry snakes? Much left gift them?

She couldn't gift it away, as nobody would want something like this. Or would they? she suddenly wondered, catching sight of Ducky. Would wizards have any use for dried snakes? For spells or whatnot, perhaps? She was not certain, and was too intimidated to ask him. Instead, she decided to calm her nerves with another piece of cake, as well as another present (B1).
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Silas Hardwick, Birthday Boy

There was a hissing noise. Silas checked the kettle - but Ma Hardwick hadn’t put it on. That wasn’t like her - although perhaps tea would be for later; there were plenty of drinks out for the moment. He poured himself a strawberry juice - labelling the presents had been thirsty work, even if it had all been ruined by... Butterfur? Hmm.

It wasn’t the kettle hissing at all - it was Abelard! “Oh; I am sorry, I didn’t see you under the table,” Silas replied, bemused. “Thank you very much! I am having a lovely birthday, and I’m glad you could make it! Paw Hardwick... I see the pun, I do, but that’s what I tend to call my father.”

He looked nervously over his shoulder at Paw Hardwick, who was so deeply ensconced within his armchair that he seemed to be part of it. True to form, the old hobbit had already fallen asleep. The newspaper he had been reading was propped upon his brow, faintly fluttering with his breaths. He smelled strongly of brandy and pipeweed. Silas surely did hope nobody played a prank on him...

“You’re too kind, Abelard,” Silas protested, making no move to take the handkerchief, “but it’s my birthday so I couldn’t possibly accept a present - they’re for giving, on one’s birthday! Perhaps if you don’t like the handkerchiefs someone else might like them?”

If not there was sure to be an accident soon that a handkerchief could help mop up, to say nothing of the dishcloth that had appeared. Honestly, this mix up was proving highly embarrassing. If the ferret wasn’t bad enough, Lora had somehow come across the dried snake exhibit Silas had been carefully restoring. The noise she had made when she’d opened the second box had caused Unnamed The Kitten to make a similar screech. Silas had another blueberry fritter, just to settle his nerves.
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Ducky took a bit of time to shave with his new razor, missing a chance to open a present. It was worth the clean, fresh feeling face he now had though. What a great gift that had been from Pearl! And he had opened some old dishrag too, which was perfect for wiping away any extra bits of shaving cream or hair that lingered. Why, he felt like it was almost the Second Age of Men again, he was so sure he was young now. But, after another quick snack, it was no doubt time to open another present. Now what was a likely looking target...

He spotted one that looked likely, and grabbed A2, opening slowly and carefully so as not to damage anything that might be inside.

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@Gwai B1: alas, the box contains ... absolutely nothing!

@KingODuckingham A2: The box contains a pair of socks. They’re knee high (to a hobbit, so less so on a wizard?) And they’re striped.
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Jorgy, Weirding it up

What on the sandy hills was this? A round piece of glass with a string attached to it. This was very strange. Jorgy had come to understand that some gifts Hobbits gave each other were unique and quirky (Pearl had taught him those words and he had put them right to use!) but this one was odd even by the Jorgy metric. What did it do? Did you roll it on the ground? Oh! Maybe it was a yo-yo! He had heard of such things before, a ball with string that you threw down and then it came back up. He had absolutely no idea how such a thing would work but he was equally absolutely certain that that was what Silas had put in the box. He beamed with joy. He tried it. He tied the end of the string around his finger, flipped the glass piece out of his hand and… it didn’t come back up. It just whirled around on the end of the string. Hmmmm, maybe he was doing this all wrong. He picked it up and looked through on a whim. The world shifted. Everything got cloudier and weirder. Some things that were far away seemed very close up, and something things close up seemed to double. He took the glass away from his eye and shook his head to clear it.

Silas?” he asked. “Will you teach me out how to use this yo-yo? It looks very fancy and I don’t want to get it wrong.”

In the meantime, that box right next to it looked very interesting, how about D5.
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Pearl Brockhouse

It appeared Pearl had been a bit hasty in jumping for a new gift. So she had sat quietly observing as others opened gifts around her. Ducky used the beard trimmer straight away, which was quite a sight to behold but still gratifying: she was glad her re-gifted mathom was not going to waste.

"Oh!" she said as Rilla approached her with a stuffed ferret. "Oh my. Well, thank you very much, Rilla." Pearl held the ferret gingerly at arm's length, avoiding its intense gaze.

Pearl finally opened her gift and found herself staring at a decorative elephant. Its eyes had been painted on rather inexpertly, resulting in a cross-eyed expression. "Oh my!" she said again. (It was the most polite and neutral expression she could think of, one she'd heard her mother utter countless times.) "This elephant is so . . . ornamental!"

Now being stared down by two different creatures, Pearl shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Perhaps it was time to try some of the food and drink. On her way to the table, she passed Lora and offered her the elephant. "I thought of you the moment I saw this!" she squeaked before moving away quickly. She hadn't yet spoken to Jorgy, so she swung by his spot, too. "Jorgy dear! How are you? That yo-yo looks like a lot of fun." She smiled, then held out the ferret. "I thought you might like this, to decorate your new home?"

She chose a new gift (A4), picked up a blueberry fritter, and settled back into her seat to enjoy the food and see if more frightening animals awaited her.
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Rilla Banks

Rilla really hadn't expected Pearl to take the ferret and to do so graciously. Then she saw her pass it on to Jorgy, who Rilla suspected might actually appreciate the odd ferret. Nonetheless, she was quite grateful to have that haunting creature far away from her...before moving on to another gift, she popped a cheese and onion tartlet into her mouth.

Abelard seemed to have received one of the better gifts. Cat treats! She watched with envy as the kitten seemed very interested in the other hobbit now. If only her box had contained cat treats...! She tried to coo the kitten over with a tartlet, calling out Pinkletoes!, but cheese and onion must be less appealing than whatever Abelard had. Hmph. Rilla stuffed another tartlet in her own mouth and picked up another box (D2).

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Jorgy, fascinated by a ferret

Somehow, beyond all logic and reason, Jorgy had failed to notice that Pearl was also at the gathering of Hobbits. Pearl! Jorgy's eyes went wide with delight when she showed him the ferret. He knew what it was! While he had yet to comprehend the ins and outs of taxidermy, he knew a ferret when he saw one! He used to eat these. Better not do that now though, people might not like that. Instead, he beamed with joy. “Oh Pearl, thank you every so much! I love it!” he even loved the weird waxy eyes and the way they stared at him. Where would be put it? That was a question for later though. “Would you like my yo-yo Pearl? I can't seem to make it work, maybe you could give it a try?” He knew she would make the yo-yo work. She was very smart that way.

It was then, of course that Jorgy noticed the food (yes a proper Hobbit would have noticed the food before anything or anyone else but he’s learning). It was so much! Greedily, as he thought a Hobbit might, he picked out a few pecan pretzels and an onion tartlet. While he had no idea what these were, he trusted Silas after his misgivings about bonbons. He plopped a pretzel in his mouth and devoured it. Since the Waking Club, Jorgy had learned only to do this with small food in his mouth while. He didn't want another repeat of the apple incident.

“Oh! Rilla!” He shouted a mouth half full of pretzel. “It's so good to see here!” His memory instant flashed back to the “ale" and he grinned foolishly. “Have you seen this ferret? Isn't it delightful?” He held it up proudly, completely unaware that she had passed the terrifying (to everyone but Jorgy) thing to Pearl in the first place. “Should I give him a name? How does Jorgy ferret sound?”
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh

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Lora Stumblefoot

Heart still racing from opening the box of snakes, Lora returned to the food table and picked up a scone. After a second thought, she added a blueberry fritter to the plate before returning to her seat. She had just sat back down, when Pearl walked by, quickly handing Lora an ornamental elephant. Lora was so startled she wasn't even able to thank Pearl properly before the other hobbit scurried to the food table.

Lora looked at the elephant. It was not particularly what she would choose to display in her own home, but she appreciated the gesture. She felt terrible she had nothing but the box of old snakes to return! There was no way Pearl wanted those. Two of the boxes she had tried opening were empty, so she decided she would try to open another gift, and hopefully find something worth re-gifting! A6

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"Oh dear," Ducky said as he dangled the socks in front of his face. "These are far too small for me!"

He searched the room for a suitable hobbit, finding Jorgy entranced with a ferret. "Excuse me," he said, "but would you like a pair of socks? They go on your feet, and would fit better on yours than mine," he said, pointing downward to indicate the issue. "It's okay, I'm about to open another present!" he continued with a wide grin.

He stopped before returning to the mathoms in order to get some ale to drink, nodding to Silas and saying, "Thanks for throwing such a splendiferous event, little hobbit. No doubt it will be talked about for months to come! Especially this excellent ale," he said, pausing and taking another long draught. It was even better than he had hoped, rich and dark.

Ah, but the present pile was calling. Ducky selected from the same column as most of the others, picking out D3. Maybe there would be a special ale in here!

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After being much delayed through catching up with various cousins, Viola had finally made it to Silas’ birthday party. The hobbit woman wore a lemon-yellow dress that she tended to save for special occasions, curls somewhat tamed by a pink ribbon. She slipped in through the door and had a look around the room. There weren’t many other hobbits there that she knew, but that wasn’t much of a surprise since she was a Bree-lander.

Viola was mainly there for the food and gossip, but was delighted to see a table stacked high with presents. Some had already been opened but plenty more remained. She had her eye upon one in particular - shame she’s missed out on the ferret, though.

Firstly though she needed to pay her respects to the buffet. Ah, strawberry juice, delicious! Viola popped a straw in a took a long slurp. With her free hand she liberated a pile of blueberry fritters, and made short work of them. She nodded respectfully at Ma Hardwick. “A good spread you’ve got here,” she said, pocketing some pecan pretzels. Licking her fingers, she turned and spotted Silas. “And a very Happy Birthday to you, young sir!”

Compliments paid, she approached the present table and picked up one with a shiny golden bow. That had to be a good sign, didn’t it? She gave it a subtle shake to see if it made any noise before peeling back the wrapping paper.

B4 please!

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@Frostbite Jorgy: D5 - you find a silver paper knife!
@Tarawen Pearl: A4: you find... one of Mr Hardwick’s vests! It is clean but has a hole in it.
@Lailorn Rilla: D2: This box has nothing in it!
@Gwai Lora: A6: You find a small ornamental clock!
@KingODuckingham Ducky: D3: This box contains nothing!
@Elarith Viola: B4: You find a deck of playing cards!
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Pearl Brockhouse

Pearl beamed at the sight of Jorgy immediately showing his new stuffed ferret around. She had hoped her unusual friend would like it, and like it he did! In exchange, he had offered her the monocle/yo-yo. Pearl took it gladly without correcting him. Teaching Jorgy about spectacles and monocles would be best saved for another day.

At her seat, she took a few nibbles of her blueberry fritter, making sure to thank the baker. "These are delicious!" she called to Silas' mother. She wondered about returning the monocle but decided now was not the right moment - she didn't want to raise a fuss, and she certainly didn't want Jorgy to think she was giving away the precious "yo-yo" - the last thing she wanted was to hurt his feelings. So she slipped it into her pocket for safekeeping - no doubt whoever wore this would want it back eventually.

She opened her present to find a well-worn vest. Pearl picked it up and stuck her finger through the hole at the side. It wasn't what she had come to expect at birthday parties, but she'd be kind about it anyway, of course. "Oh my, what a, uh, well-proportioned vest!" she said, for she couldn't think of anything truly complimentary to say. She hadn't spoken to Abelard yet, so she approached him, holding the vest behind her back. "Hello!" she said. "I'm Pearl. I'm afraid I've received a present that would be better suited for a boy!" She revealed the vest (holey side facing her so as not to put him off). "Please, enjoy this new vest!"

She scooped up a tartlet and a present wrapped in purple paper (C1) on her way to her seat.
she/her | Esta tierra no es mía, soy de la nocheósfera.

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Rilla Banks

Rilla yelped when Jorgy shoved the ferret in her face and nearly choked on her tartlet. Not that thing again! When she finally managed to stop coughing after taking a generous gulp of strawberry juice, she smiled at Jorgy. "Sorry, um, you startled me. Yes, I think Jorgy ferret would be a lovely name for it! Er, him." He certainly was an odd fellow, but she liked him anyway and was glad someone could enjoy the ugly dead critter.

"Oh those socks!" she exclaimed as Ducky passed them to Jorgy. "I love them - they'll look fantastic on you!"

Her own box was disappointingly empty, but she tied the purple ribbon into her hair.

Looking at the empty box, she had a sudden idea. Kittens loved boxes! So she marched up to Silas and presented him with the empty box before taking another (C2). "I'd like to give this box to your kitten! I know they like to sits wherever they fits."

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Silas Hardwick

The party was getting into full swing! It was almost time to bring out the next round of refreshments. On his way to the kitchen, where Ma Hardwick was humming happily to herself, Silas was stopped by Jorgy.

“Oh, no, that’s not a yo-yo, Jorgy,” Silas protested, but was too distracted to explain further before Ma began loading him up with plates of more food. Ohhh well, it wasn’t like Paw did much reading these days anyway...

He winced as The Ferret began making the rounds. At least Jorgy seemed to have made friends with it. Bustling to the table, Silas began to lay out the fresh foods. “Why thank you, sir Wizard,” he said, beaming as Ducky complimented the spread. Wizards traveled far and wide, so it was clearly a great honour for him to praise the Hardwick table.
Lunch Menu

Sandwiches
• Ham sandwiches
• Cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches
• Cheese and pepper sandwiches
• Egg and cress sandwiches

• Sausage rolls, made with pork and chopped apple
• Tiny sausages on tiny pointy sticks with cheese
• Deep fried breaded onion curls
• For some reason, mashed potatoes with peas and spring onions
• Triple fried chips
• Salad with croutons
• Pickles
• Ham and cheese quiche
• Beetroot pie, who knows why

• Fruit salad
• Trifle
• Rhubarb and custard
• Variety of fruit pastries
• Cheeseboard, with random grapes and celery

Drinks
• More ale
• Red and white wine
• Gooseberry and raspberry cordial
• Port
• Sparkling dandelion and burdock

Just as he finished his last trip Silas spotted Viola. “Hello! Welcome to my party,” he said bashfully. “Please do have more food everyone!

And thank you Rilla! I know the kitten will love it - is she still harassing Abelard?!”

@Tarawen Pearl opens C1 to find a cherrywood pipe!

@Lailorn Rilla opens C2 to find some embarrassing photos of Silas as a baby. Awkward
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Lora Stumblefoot

What a beautiful clock! Lora thought to herself, as she opened the box. It was nice not to have found an empty one! She wanted to give it away, though, especially after someone had been so kind as to gift her the elephant. The elephant would make some fine regifting, too, but perhaps not at this party. One hated to be rude, after all.

Lunch was soon served, and Lora excitedly rose once more, smoothing her purple skirt as she stood, ornamental clock in hand. Before heading to the table, however, she detoured by Pearl, and waited for a break in the conversation. "Pearl, I've just received this lovely ornamental clock! I hope you enjoy it!" she said, handing her the box, and making a direct line for the buffet table. She piled her plate high with Cheese and pepper sandwiches, triple fried chips, and fruit salad. Eyeing the plate with a practiced eye, she decided to eat what she had before going back for dessert. She poured a glass of Gooseberry cordial, and, carefully balancing, snagged the present at C6 under her arm.

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Jorgy, proud ferret parent

What a magnificent day this was turning out to be! Jorgy was a happy as a snake (but of course he was a Hobbit and not at all a snake). Not only was he seeing all his friends, but he was getting to eat all sorts of delicious foods with them and he had gotten a ferret! There were no words for how happy Jorgy was in that moment. He hoped Silas was having as good a time as he was, it was Silas’ birthday after all and even though the meaning of birthday escaped him, he knew it must be important. He thought about giving the ferret to Silas but he loved it and Pearl had given that to him. Oh! There comes Silas now! Oh my goodness it’s the wizard!!

Jorgy had been so intent on the ferret and the food that the fact that Ducky the Wizard was even here, let alone speaking to him, utterly escaped his notice (Pearl’s proximity also likely played a factor). He yelped in surprise and jumped an entire foot in the air! “Ahhh!!” poor Jorgy could not quite help the shriek that escaped him. It was not very Hobbit-like, or at least he thought so. When he fell bell down to the earth, he stared wide eyed at the Wizard. How could someone so tall fit into a Hobbit Hole? If he knew what mathematics was, he would already be trying to solve that riddle, unfortunately, he did not so there was a quiet moment of staring blankly while clutching Jorgy ferret. Then, of course, he saw the Wizard holding out socks. He had never worn socks before but he was beyond delight to receive a Wizard’s gift! “Why think you Mr Ducky. I will take good care of these I promise!”

When Silas appeared with his ma, and more food, Jorgy made a beeline to him. “Silas this is the most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much for having a birthday party! I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am.”

With a Hobbit like eagerness, he tucked Jorgy ferret under his arm and began piling sandwiches (he had no idea what they were called naturally but he loved them) and pickles onto his plate. Oh! And there was ale too! He poured himself an enormous mug and grinned from ear to ear. He sat down with his food, his drink, his ferret, socks, and his new present, a silver… paper knife? That didn’t make much sense at all. A knife made of paper can’t be a knife! Oh silly.

Rilla!” He called with a silly grin. “Would you like to see this paper knife? It’s made of paper! Can you imagine such a thing?”
Strange Fruit got holes in the flesh but it ain't gonn' spoil cause it never was fresh

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Pearl Brockhouse

Before Pearl could open her next box, Lora approached with a lovely clock. "Oh, it's beautiful!" Pearl exclaimed. She barely had time to say "Thank you very much!" before Lora departed to partake of the buffet. She smiled and looked at the clock and was very glad it couldn't look back at her.

Inside her next box was a beautiful pipe! It was a lovely deep reddish brown and looked barely used, if at all. Pearl was delighted. Her father would love this, she was sure!

Satisfied with gifts for now, she rose to join the others crowding around the food. "What a spread!" she remarked to no one in particular. She grabbed a plate and took for her first helping a cheese and pepper sandwich, some sausages skewered with cheese, rhubarb and custard, and some red wine. She caught Jorgy thanking Silas for having a birthday party and nodded fervently as she chimed in, "This is quite a wonderful party indeed! Everything has been grand."

Balancing her food and drink very carefully, she selected her next gift (B2).
she/her | Esta tierra no es mía, soy de la nocheósfera.

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Well, there had been no present inside the box. That was a bit strange. Why even bother boxing up nothing? Was that some strange hobbit custom that he was too wizard to understand? Well, Ducky would try another gift. He picked up B5, even though he didn't like the look of it. No big deal, if it was something he couldn't use (again), why he could just give it away! That was the fun of these parties, after all.

And speaking of fun at parties, more food had appeared! Ducky ran over and dithered, trying to decide whether to have a cheese and pepper or egg and cress sandwich. It was a much harder decision than what gift to pick up. He turned and asked Rilla,

"What do you think, cheese and pepper or egg and cress? I can't decide, they both look incredible! But don't say both, I'm sure that's a good hobbit answer but it's no good for us wizards!" He winked.

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Fuchsia Meadowsweet

She has not been really invited, but when the hobbit lass heard of the birthday party held in honour of Silas, she long debated whether she should come anyway. Perhaps the invitation was lost somewhere along the way and didn't reach her? The discussion took her such a long time that she arrived when the party was already in full swing.

First things first though, so Fuchsia weaved her way among the guests to get to the treats and grabbed a handful of potato chips. As she munched on those, her eyes landed on the gifts - there were not that many left, so she hurried over to grab one of those too, dropping some of the chips in her haste.

She decided that once she would be done with these important things, she might actually look around and chat with some people. It's not that she had come here to eat and snatch gifts, right... or had she?

C7
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@Gwai C6: Lora’s box contains a pretty brass acorn pendant.

@Tarawen B2: Pearl’s box contains a ball of twine! The kitten immediately leaves Abelard to come to play with you!

@KingODuckingham B5: Oops, this Box was already opened by Rilla but she put it back together so neatly (it had the taxidermed ferret) that you opened it again! There’s nothing new in here, but Sil will update the top post properly this time... feel free to pick another box without any time or post
constraints!

@Pele Alarion Welcome to the party Fuchsia! In box C7 you find the ULTIMATE prize, Ma Hardwick’s Heirloom Ring! Return it to her to win a lifetime supply of pies!
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The box's contents rustled slightly. Viola opened it eagerly to find a pack of playing cards. Not bad. Maybe she could entice someone to a game later. She was a mean poker player, and many Big Folk back in Bree had underestimated her and come away with lighter purses. Maybe she could win some of the other mathoms to take home. She shuffled the cards expertly then slipped them into her handbag.

Lunch was announced. "Hello Silas! Ooh, lunch, lovely!" said Viola, and went back round the buffet table. She was pleased to note the customary spread items, including the Tiny sausages on tiny pointy sticks with cheese, which were her personal favourite. She ate three straight off and pocketed more for later.

Another latecomer, Fushcia, came in and immediately found a beautiful ring in the present pile. How lucky! Viola wondered if there were any other good items left as the pile dwindled, so she abandoned the buffet, reluctantly, and reached for the nearest box.

D7 please

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Pearl Brockhouse

Pearl finished off her first helping of lunch then set to work opening her next box. Inside was a tightly-rolled ball of twine! Before she could think what to do with it, Silas' new kitten had hurried over and taken a glorious leap onto her lap to pounce on it. Pearl laughed and let the ball roll onto the ground with the kitten in hot pursuit, swatting joyfully at it and trailing a strand of twine in its wake.

It was high time for another round of food. On her way to the table, she noticed another guest had arrived! The new lass (Fuchsia) had unwrapped a beautiful ring, and Pearl gazed at it in wonder. She had rarely seen jewelry so fine. Suddenly, though, she recalled her mother saying staring was rude, so she returned her attention to provisions. This time she selected a slice of ham and cheese quiche and a large helping of fruit salad. Yum! What a perfect luncheon this was.

When she thought Jorgy wasn't looking, she made a point of approaching Paw Hardwick (Silas' father, not the cat). She cleared her throat. "Excuse me!" she said, pulling the monocle from her pocket. "This was in a present that my friend opened, but I think it probably belongs to someone. Does it look familiar to you?"
she/her | Esta tierra no es mía, soy de la nocheósfera.

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Rilla Banks

"It seems so," Rilla lamented to Silas of the kitten harassing Abelard. Then she heard Jorgy call her name and offer her a paper knife. "I do like that, thank you Jorgy. It might not be good for cutting things, but what do you think - do I look fierce with it?" she asked, holding the paper knife aloft and laughing. "Maybe I could re-fold it into a nice paper-bird and fly it in the air!"

Her box was full of pictures. On top was one of Silas as a hobbitling in the bathtub with a bunch of little ducklings. "Um." She said, suddenly unsure what to do. Rilla looked up at the now-grown Silas and snorted back a full-on laugh. She flicked to the next picture. Newborn Silas all wrapped up in blankets with a fat, pink face looking really quite cozy. It was adorable, but Rilla felt the Hardwicks probably wanted to keep them.

"Well, Ducky, you've certainly asked the right hobbit! I'm writing a book all about Shire-food so I'm something of an expert." She stood up a little straighter. "Of course I haven't tried them yet, but I'd guess if you like bit of zing and zest, I'd recommend the cheese and pepper. But if you're a gentleman of more subtle taste and like a lighter sandwich, I'd go for the egg and cress! I think I'm going to have both."

Distracted by the food, she accidentally left the box of Silas' baby pictures lying out where the other guests might see them.

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Lora Stumblefoot

Oh how pretty! Lora thought as she held up the acorn pendant she had just opened. Exactly something she would wear herself! She threw the remainder of the paper on the ground, one of her favorite things to do when opening presents. She always helped clean it up afterward, of course, but there was just something so freeing about throwing wrapping paper on the ground!

Stuffing (albeit politely) the last of the fruit salad in her mouth, Lora munched and looked at the gifts, which were disappearing rapidly. Much like the buffet. Someone new soon entered, whom Lora didn't recognized (Fuschia). She felt bad the newcomer had not had a chance to open any gifts yet, but the gift Fuschia had opened had a lovely antique-appearing ring. Finishing the last of her fruit salad, Lora approached the latecomer. "What a lovely ring you uncovered!" she exclaimed to Fuschia. "One of my first gifts was a box of snakes!" she confided with a shiver, reaching out to take another gift (B6).

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Fuchsia Meadowsweet

The hobbit girl unwrapped the gift neatly, taking care not to damage the wrapping paper if she could help it. Probably it would no longer be used, but then again she might just take it herself and use it later to wrap gifts in.

A ring was in her gift! Fuchsia turned it over and over, then slipped it on her finger to find that it was too big and would not stay there. And then again, it looked like something that would not be normally given away, like... a family treasure?

She turned to Lora, when the other approached her. "Snakes! Who puts snakes in the gift!" she exclaimed. Had she opened such a box she would probably scream so loudly that everyone would think that she was being killed. Then she looked back to the ring and removed it from her finger. "I am not sure this was meant to be given away really. Perhaps I could check first..." Fuchsia said, as she imagined that she would be considered a thief if it was so.

Looking to see if Lora would come with her or not, she walked slowly towards Ma Hardwick, snatching up another box (C4) as she did so.

"Dear Ma'am!"
she said, opening her palm to show the ring. "Was this really meant to be a gift? It is a bit big for me, and..." She shrugged lightly and tilted her head.
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@Elarith Viola opens D7 and finds a box FULL of fine pipe weed!
@Gwai Lora opens B6 which contains a feathery pin for a hat or scarf! The kitten scampers over...
@Pele Alarion Fuchsia opens C4 to find an experimental metal detector...

All the boxes have now been opened! Stay tuned for the next Party Game!
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"I knew asking a hobbit for food advice was the right move! What an expert you are!" Ducky said with a bow to Rilla. He proceeded to take her advice, since he thought zest and zing sounded right up his alley, and wolfed a peppery sandwich. And then two more, because it turned out he was way more hungry than he had thought. That took him so much time, he did not have another chance to open a present, even though he had, in a fit of distraction, opened a used box last time.

"Oh well," he had laughed, "some of them seem to be empty anyway! It's a very strange game, this mathom mix-up. Uh, if it is a game. I never really was clear on that."

He looked over at Silas Hardwick, but instead of asking, he decided to say, "Thank you for an excellent party, my equally-quality hobbit. I will be sure to toast your name over my next ale at the Green Dragon! Live long and hale, good sir!"

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Lora Stumblefoot

"Yes!" Lora exclaimed in response to Fuchsia's empathy when she described the box of snakes she had received. "It was quite terrifying," she said, "And I'm sure I don't know what to do with it!" she took another bite of fruit salad to calm her nerves. The next box she opened contained a cute feathery pin, perfect for a scarf when the weather cooled. In the meantime, the kitten's attention was immediately drawn. Lora bent to scratch the kitten behind the ears, trying to keep the feather out of his reach.

She followed Fuchsia toward Ma Hardwick as the ring was offered back. It was a lovely gesture, as it really did look like a family heirloom. Hungry once more, Lora suggesed, "Fuchsia, do you care for a bite to eat? I'm eyeing that trifle!" she said with a smile, ready to head back to the buffet table. Truly this was an excellent birthday party, they would not be running out of food quickly, as she tried not to trip over the kitten, who was still trying to reach the feather pin.

Arien
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OOC: Scores! In alphabetical order...
@Androthelm @KingODuckingham @Gwai @Tarawen @Lailorn @Frostbite @Elarith @Pele Alarion

Abelard: handkerchiefs 4c, kitten treats 0, Mr old vest, 0. Scoring 4!

Ducky opened 4 boxes containing; socks, (5c) dishcloth (0), slippers (9c) and nothing. He gave away both the socks and the slippers so has scored... nothing. But he did receive the experimental beard trimmer. Alas, this was worth -8c soooo

Fuchsia found the ring! 20 points. But -7 for the metal detector, it’s broken. Score 13

Jorgy found the silver paper knife (18) and Mr Hardwick’s monocle (0) but also accepted Jorgy Ferret who is worth (-15). Jorgy was also given some socks (5) by Ducky so scores 8!

Lora got the dried snakes (-10) and the ornamental clock (20) but gave it away! She opened 2 boxes of nothing, but also got the feathered pin (12) and acorn pendant (11). She was also given the elephant (-5). Score 12!

Pearl, Pearl, Pearl. She opened Mr Hardwick’s vest but gave it to Abelard. It wasn’t worth anything anyway. Neither was the twine or the box of nothing. She gave away the elephant (-5) and the beard trimmer (-8) but kept the pipe (17) - and was also given the clock (20) so scores 37! WINNER but only because Lora was so generous...

Rilla opened the teaspoons, and nothing. And the ferret (-15) but got rid of that to Pearl and then Jorgy! And the pictures of baby Silas. Ducky gave her the slippers so scoring in at 9.

Viola got the deck of cards (7) and the pipeweed (20). Scoring 27!
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Viola with a box of 'weed

The smell of pipeweed wafted up as Viola pulled back a corner of the box. This was strong stuff! And there was lots of it all packed in there. A good find, if you liked a pipe. She'd tried but had never been able to get the hang of it and ended up coughing everywhere whilst her eyes watered. It wasn't a very dignified look so she had successful quit smoking after being a smoker for a full six minutes.

Looking around, Viola saw that the wizard was still in attendance. Presumably he was doing the fireworks next? She carried the pipeweed box over to Ducky, making sure that her route took her past the buffet table again, this time for some pickles and fruit pastries. When she reached him she realised she had never had to address a wizard before and wasn't sure what the polite form was. In the end she went with "Hello, wizard!" (No points for originality.) "Would you care for this pipeweed whilst you get the whizzbangs ready?" she asked him.

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Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 9:29 pm
Pearl Brockhouse

Pearl noticed another hobbit (Viola) giving Ducky a heavily-scented box. She caught snatches of their conversation, which included the words "pipe" and "weed." She looked down at the two gifts she had remaining - the clock and the pipe. What would the wizard do with the leaf if he had no pipe in which to smoke it? Much as she wanted to gift this to her dad on her own birthday, Pearl thought that Ducky might like it. Personally, she also still felt she had to make amends for crashing into him at the Walking Club.

She scurried across the room after Viola and held out the pipe. "And what's a bunch of pipeweed with no pipe? This ought to come in handy!"

When Viola mentioned "whizzbangs," Pearl clapped with delight. "Oh, fireworks! Are you really going to put on a show for Silas' birthday? How splendid." She looked up eagerly into the wizard's bearded face.
she/her | Esta tierra no es mía, soy de la nocheósfera.

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