[ It's too awkward to give people gifts face to face so, he got a messenger bird (it's a pretty big bird) to deliver a small package of what appears to be cookies. ]
These are called yakgwa, medicinal confectionery from Kouka. I thought you might at least not dislike them. - Shu-Ten
[Sora told Bianca about Snow's birthday - how she didn't want a party, for something nice should be done for her. And Bianca agrees! So her little mechanical owl, wearing the usual orange bow, visits Snow White to deliver her gift: an apron decorated with tons of forest animals, a little pouch with berries and cute card that wishes her happy birthday, signed by Bianca.]
[Returned to Bianca, in neat handwriting is a note:]
Why dearest Bianca!
However did you know it was my birthday! And what a most adorable apron and the berries are just wonderful! I should come to you for all my berries from now on!
[The messenger bird comes early that morning with a single book wrapped in blue gift wrap. Inside is a card that has a message written.]
Happy Birthday, Snow White!
Hope you have a wonderful birthday!
As a gift we would like to build you a greenhouse so that you can have fresh veggies and herbs all year long. We hope that this gift will make things a little easier for you! Thank you for always working so hard!
[After feeding the little bird, Sora will get a reply message.]
Oh Sora!
I simply can't believe you remembered my birthday! [No, truly, she's surprised.]
That is one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me, I would love to have a green house. Thank you for the book as well, hopefully it will teach me how to garden!
[If he knows her schedule, he THINKS she should be closing up just about now. But he left "just an hour early this one time" so that he could grab the mini-cake he made at home over lunch and frost it, then get ready to teleport it over to her.]
Hey Snow, are you still at the bakery or at home already?
Hmmm? Oh! I'm at the bakery still, Arden. Is everything alright? Did you take care of whatever it was you needed to? You don't have to come back, silly goose, I'm perfectly able to close up on my own.
[After receiving Sora's heads up about Snow's birthday and knowing that she wouldn't want any sort of fuss over it...
... Well, too bad. Eleanor will turn up at her house to deliver a batch of chocolate chip cookies wrapped neatly in a tin, and a wrapped present of a handmade crochet-knit scarf and hood in... hopefully one of Snow's favorite colors if she managed to get that out of her at some point, otherwise it's a soft golden yellow.
A small card will be left with it.
- I hope you have a very happy birthday, Snow! Goodness, I know you're up to your elbows in baked goodies, but I just couldn't help myself, and there are plenty for you to share. Don't work too hard now, and I'm sure we'll see each other soon. Fondest wishes, Eleanor.]
[A messenger bird settles down, wearing a harness that bears a dollar sign medallion which will open up to show its carried missive, a folded piece of paper.]
I heard I might be able to make a deal with you to have desserts supplied to my future business! I'd like to talk to you about that. Please reply or visit the address below at your earliest convenience.
Signed,
$crooge McDuck
[Then it goes on to list the promised address, an apartment elsewhere in the city.]
[Snow White followed the directions given to her, her animal friend always in tow. She smiled as she came to the saloon and asked her animals to wait outside the doors.]
Hello? Hello is anyone here? [She called out, some of her birds peeking inside to make sure everything was alright.]
[Apple had never left Snow's side - or more accurately, refused to. She'd sweet talk the nurses in order to extend visiting hours, sneak in through the windows, have the animals distract the staff, whatever it took. She lost some sleep due to this, but she was afraid of sleeping if something worse happened.
So many thoughts run through her head. Is this what it will feel like when Briar falls asleep? Will Apple and Snow's last full conversation be a fight? What is this place, this land, Empatheias?
[Ever dutiful and by Snow's side, when her amulet was dropped off, it was just a matter of when she would wake up (since the doctors didn't dare say "if" around Apple.) It had been several hours now since the bright yellow crystal had been put on Snow White.
But, as he emotions were settling in, and the exhaustion was no longer affecting her physically or emotionally, she slowly opened her eyes and smiled at Apple, she reached out and took her daughter's hands into one of hers, still feeling incredibly weak.]
[Zeno's face pops in. He looks as cheerful and healthy as usual, but there's some exhaustion and embarrassment in his eyes.]
Bakery Miss, I wanted to apologize for skipping work so many days. Elios' thing... it affected Zeno. I only wanted to spend time with my people and I lost sense of everything else without letting you know. Anyway, unless I'm fired, Zeno hopes it's okay if I take the weekend off to recover. I'll be back soon and work twice as hard and smile even more! ♥ I hope you and your future kid and your fluffy friends are doing well.
((OOC: I was mentioning it on Plurk but Zeno's getting a canon update during his "break" and should return on Wednesday and be back to work on Thursday instead of Monday. Whoops.))
Oh Zeno, you really must call me by my name. But don't worry, take as much time as you need to rest and recover! Your health is far more important than anything else!
You're not fired at all, goodness! You can't help what happened last time.
[ Elsa's been struck with a thought, and... well, if there's anyone she knows who might be able to help her out a bit, it's Snow White. So, sometime during the day when they're both home, Elsa will stop the princess. ]
[Snow White looked up from her sewing, one of the few times she wasn't cleaning or baking. She smiled as she shifted on the couch and patted the seat beside her.]
I would like to speak to you at your earliest convenience. (He assumes she has noticed Sebastian's absence, so perhaps this is not so out of the blue.)
[Snow White receives a special delivery. It's a stack of Scottish shortbread cookies, sprinkled with cinnamon and stamped to look like sylvs. There's a note with them.]
[Sometime on Christmas, Snow White will receive a visit from a particular red-tailed hawk carrying a small bundle. She may need to be careful; the hawk is known to bite. But within the bundle is a tin of basbousa cakes, along with a note.]
This basbousa is something that I would enjoy from my home, and I hope that you will enjoy them as well. Have a merry Christmas.
[And in turn, when Snow opens her door that morning, presents are there!
... Apple may have gone a smidgen overboard. Not with desserts, there's a small cherry pie there, still warm. But with everything else - hair pins, ribbons, at least three fancy dresses, perfume, flowers, plushies of forest animals, necklaces, other jewelry... Is Snow going to be able to get out of her room?
It all comes with a very big sign that says MERRY CHRISTMAS MOM. Comes with inked-footprints of all the animals that come to help at the bakery.]
[Goodness indeed! Snow has to ask her animal friends for help to get some of the things set to the side so she can open the door. It's all absolutely lovely...
And it's all a lot. Snow has never had so many gifts in her entire life, never mind in just one day.]
Well, this is just absolutely lovely! [Several of the animals had to point out their paw print and were clearly quite pleased with how bright or vivid it was on the card. Snow listens, of course, and for her part she oohs and aahs with real sincerity. But now it's time to find Apple.]
Apple! Oh my goodness, thank you so much! I've never seen so many gifts in my life! What a wonderful Christmas surprise!
[And from the mouse at the front door - a tin of yummy cookies, slippers that are shaped like deer, and a hideous yellow sweater with SNOW WHITE in big black letters. Minnie tried.
Card!]
Merry Christmas, Snow White! You're a royal beauty inside and out! ♥
[Utena makes her rounds to deliver her personal gifts to her good friends, and she's sure to stop by Light's house! She leaves her a card and a set of measuring spoons.]
Dear Snow White,
Hope this helps with your cooking, and Merry Christmas!
[A delivery arrives from Machina. He doesn't really understand everything with the holiday, but he knows gifts are involved and he wants to be generous. So a red knit scarf, hat and mitten set are delivered to Sweetie Pies.]
[He's very unsure about the whole thing, but Sync eventually decides to take Alice's advice and get a few baking related tools to send to Snow as a present. There's also a few sweets, just in case, along with one of Gale's old scales, polished up pretty]
Sorry it's a little late, but I got you something for this holiday thing. Thanks, for the present...and for everything else you've done for me. It's really helped a lot.
Izana doesn't yet have all that much money to be buying many presents, but during one of his walks, he sees a particular small painting that looks to him like it'll fit well with the interior of the Sweetie Pie.
So he gets that, and has it delivered to Snow White with a note of thanks for him for the warm welcome and for being Machina's friend.
[ Much in the same vein as her gift from last year, Snow will be receiving pale yellow crocheted earwarmers and cute oven mitts from Eleanor, along with a handwritten note of birthday greetings, and some sugar cookies, because Snow shouldn't have to bake for herself all the time. ]
[ A few hours after Apple and Sora announced Snow's birthday, a small droid, painted in yellow, blue and green is dropped off at Snow's place.
A simple card is attached to it: ]
'Happy Birthday, Snow! This little guy here is a Mouse Droid. He can help you with errands, deliver messages, make repairs and clean your house. He gets charged through positive emotions, so a little smile from time to time will keep him happy and healthy.
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