Some very quick and poorly photographed doodles of grubs
Null and Void (Dismas/Maidel) - The Very Hungry Caterpillar: Grub Edition. Probably has some unholy combination of their psiionics
Dragonboats (Somerl/Zmalar) - Absolute menace grub, loves biting and bullying everyone in the cavern, including it’s handlers
Lonely Too Long (Ashe/Cheran) - A very calm and sleepy baby, which is great because both parents are nervous wrecks. But watch out: it does like to nibble
Served Ice Cold (Mikiel/Lyvere) - A little grumpy grub who is always cold, be careful if you have to pick it up. It’s also a very fussy eater, how did a grub end up with such expensive tastes
Guiding You Home (Lucy/Anirus) - Sweet, polite, and maybe ends up getting itself into trouble a little more than it should. Likes making little drawings in the dirt, and likely has a very weak version of Ani’s psiionics
Bluebirds (Sharle/Jamie) - Incredibly curious grub who can’t seem to sit still. You look away for a second and it’s gone, chasing after a butterfly or following after a cavern worker holding something shiny
Dressed To Impress (Viltau/Jikiro) - Troublemaker™️. Don’t leave this grub on its own for too long, because even with tiny nubbin claws it is still capable of pulling pranks. Gets away with it because it’s cute tho
its late in every timezone but my own but w/e finally i have The Energy to write my annual quads day gift post
Nancor gave Gliese a bouquet of dried roses, as well as a dark chocolate bunny. he says that the latter isn't an early Easter gift, but boy do the Easter eggs seem to arrive in stores earlier every sweep!
Dismas gave Maidel half a dozen cupcakes, three of which are vanilla-flavoured and decorated to look like sheep, and the other three are black liquorice-flavoured and decorated to look like goats
Callan bought Gerrel a cheap fondue kit as well as some fruits and a lot of snacks perfect for dipping into the chocolate. as with any of his gifts, it's clear he just wants to eat fun foods with his moirail or have Gerrel do all the work for him. He's not expecting anything from Izuili, but if Izu surprises him he's got a back-up Chocolate Bar From His Pocket as a return gift. don't ask how long that's been in there
Ashe gave Cheran a box of chocolates shaped like anatomically-correct hearts, which he bought from Viltau so they're. um. let's just say Cheran will have no issue eating them without feeling ill afterwards. And he gave Jikiro a box of various chocolate liqueurs, making sure that at least one of the flavours is plum wine
Velour made Jamie a beanie with a subtle diamond pattern, and also gave him first pickings of any chocolate / quadrants day themed gift that was sent to him by his fans. he certainly isn't going to be able to eat all that chocolate on his own
Mikiel is still Going Through Shit rn so he did not visit Lyvere, but he has set aside a box of fancy chocolate truffles to say thanks for the care packages he's been leaving at Miki's doorstep. He's also got a box for Thrixe when he returns as well
Lucy was unable to give Anirus anything for Quadrants Day due to the situation in Vernrot, but he did enjoy spending time with them regardless and promises to make them a nice meal and also some cookies next time they visit
Sharle did manage to get the evening off work, but he totally forgot about a gift and picked up a box of expensive chocolates on the way to see Jamie. he's still new to this dating thing ok he's Trying
Viltau made Jikiro a box of artisanal chocolates with some unique flavours (like rose tea or macadamia + lemon myrtle), and will challenge Ji to identify every single flavour. If he succeeds, he will receive a prize: A chocolate tanuki statue that is holding a bouquet of chocolate roses, Amaury Guichon-style. For Kitaer, he made chocolates shaped like various body parts... All preserved in formaldehyde to resemble a murder mystery he challenged Kitaer to solving early on in their relationship.
Glasya bought Mikail some incredibly hot/spicy chili chocolates, but also made their own version as well. They want him to tell them which ones he prefers, and if he says the store-brand ones they will pout and pretend to get incredibly offended... But also ask him why so they can improve their craft and really knock his socks off next sweep >:3c
Nancor bought a notebook which he decorated the front cover with pressed flowers, as well as a block of dark chocolate for Gliese. He sent the same gift to Argumi as well (since he wasn’t sure if he should deliver it in person due to Argumi’s psiionics), but instead of flowers his notebook is decorated in fabric scraps.
Dismas bought Maidel a couple video games (including a dating sim with a joking comment about how he’s always trying to find ones with the broodingest anime boys possible), and also restocked her pantry with all the snacks he’s eaten the last few times he was at his hive.
Eichio gave Gerrel a bouquet of flowers. The selection seems somewhat random but aesthetically pleasing when put together, but there are a number of yellow hyacinths in there... He also bought some chocolates for Ullane and some fruit for her lusus, as well as a nice pen holder for Viltau that matches a fountain pen Jikiro gave him.
Callan bought Gerrel a decent pair of trail runners that are black with green and red accents, since he’s always hearing about how his moirail goes on a lot of hikes and if he’s gonna get chased by a bigass bird again then he’s at least gotta look cool doing it (and not sprain an ankle). Izuili was given a 12th perigees stocking full of shitty cheap Kris Kringle gifts, because he’s not at the stage where Callan is trying to put thought into his gifts yet. Also a kazoo, because his name is totally Kazooli, isn’t it?
Ashe bought Cheran some more books, as usual. He feels a little bad that he’s not the most exciting gift giver, but he does try hard to find books he knows Cheran would love! He also made little gift bags with candy canes, chocolate coins, and store-bought gingerbread men for his employees and the Crown Clinic staff.
Mikiel managed to get Lyvere booked in for a couple lessons with a professional chef that specialises in a cuisine that Lyvere enjoys cooking the most. He also took Thrixe out for dinner, and bought him some really nice art supplies and a canvas.
Lusien made Anirus a hamper with various jams, preserves, and pickled vegetables that will last while they’re out sailing, wrapped in some starry-patterned fabrics from the local market. He also gave them the sketchbook he had with him while he was traveling with them, since it’s filled with sketches of the boat and other scenery they saw together.
Viltau obviously had to make a cake for Jikiro, but also had a custom suit jacket and waistcoat combo tailored to fit him, both of which are accented with traditional Japanese silk patterns. His gift to Kitaer was distracting him with a murder case for the entire 12th Perigees night, only for his kismesis to come home and find that Viltau had completely covered his hive in tinsel and baubles. At least he left him a 12th Perigees pudding decorated with strawberries dyed black and cut into spade shapes. Lastly, his full-time employees got their 12th Perigees bonus and some movie vouchers to encourage them to go out more.
Glasya bought Mikail some new plants for his hive, a couple of small indoor plants and one dwarf fruit tree for his apartment balcony. Since they’re spending 12th Perigees with him, they made dessert: A box of chocolates, half of which are plain dark chocolate and half that are chili chocolate, and one that is actually a chocolate-covered warhead candy as a fun surprise. They also made bags of candies for all of their friends.
Vallis bought Epsilo some saltwater taffy and some interesting shells that washed up on Vernrot’s beach, because he... May have forgotten about 12th Perigees until the last moment. Whoops!
Linnae bought some little 12th Perigees trinkets for Arctus, Aislin, and everyone at the clinic (though he asks Ullane if she can deliver Xrumon’s gift on his behalf, because he’s still wary about approaching him), probably just a novelty bauble and a candy cane. He’s not super familiar with 12th Perigees because his caretaker never celebrated it, but hearing people talking about presents made it clear that he’s supposed to buy something!
Fleure figured he might as well give Akidis something seeing as she’s allowing him to live near her hive, so he left a basket of fruit (picked from her own fruit trees so she doesn’t have to do it later) and some wildflowers at her doorstep with no indication that it came from him.
Dismas bought Maidel a box of some really bitter dark chocolates (like his soul). inside the box of chocolates is also the first of many clues that will lead Maidel on a treasure hunt for the real prize, half a dozen sheep cupcakes. he will make jokes that they’re his evil familiars that he had to make so many sacrifices to summon, but we all know he bought them from a bakery
Callan bought Gerrel a decently fancy bag of dark chocolate roasted hazelnuts since he knows his moirail is not big on sweets, and also found a recipe online for him to make his own “cuz yknow you like all that cooking stuff. oh by the by i hear that milk chocolate and sprinkles make it taste way better when you’re making them for someone else. just a lil fun fact ;)”. He did not buy anything for Izuili, and instead attempted to break into his hive to steal his chocolates and probably ended up getting caught in a well-placed trap
Ashe found some really detailed white chocolates modelled to look like all the individual bones of a skeleton (scaled down and simplified obviously) to give to Cheran, but since he knows that his matesprit can’t really eat normal foods, he also bought a bouquet of flowers and a cute spider plushie that has a heart pattern on its abdomen
Velour received many gifts from his fans as per usual, so he decided to share them with Jamie. somehow the Implications flew over his head, because he was thinking about how much Jamie loves trashing his fans for the weird shit they send him so he thought he might find their choice in chocolates to be funny
Mikiel bought Thrixe a very expensive box of assorted artisanal truffles in all sorts of unusual flavours, so that he can try as many new flavours as possible. He bought the same box for Lyvere as well, tucked away just in case he receives a gift from him
Lusien made sea salt and chilli chocolates for Anirus. He still has not perfected the art of making sweets yet so they don’t look or taste perfect, but they’re still pretty decent and it’s the thought that counts. He also cooked them a nice dinner as well, since they cooked for him on 12th Perigees
Viltau made a dozen chocolate roses for Jikiro that are also decorated with shimmering golden swirls using edible ink, and also treated him to a multi-course candlelit dinner with all his favourite foods and matching alcoholic drinks. And, of course, a candlelit slow dance to some soft, romantic music. For Kitaer he made boxes of chocolates for every sweep they’ve been together that are a true Russian roulette of mostly awful flavours with a couple chocolates he’d actually like. Also he found a cold case in the files where only a partial skeleton of the victim was recovered, and decided to send him chocolate versions of all the missing bones as a joke
Glasya of course had to make all sorts of spicy chocolates and candies for Mikail and packaged them As Cheesily Cutesy And Stereotypically Quadrants Day As Possible to leave on his desk. Then they invited him over to their hive after work for drinks and movies
On Friday night, Mikiel received a text message from Thrixe. This was not the first time he had received a text from the seadweller, in fact this was one of many in a message chain about an art gallery Thrixe had visited. He was out traveling, for reasons Mikiel didn’t care to know the details about as his friends are free to make their own decisions without his input, and they were keeping in regular contact, as friends do.
He couldn’t believe it, making friends with a half-horrorterror. A representation of everything that logically should not exist in the world, and the kinds of creatures the organization he works for was made to contain and destroy. And yet, he no longer feels the acid rise in his throat and his blood pressure threaten to burst a vein when he thinks about just how stupid that is. Thrixe is a half-horrorterror and a monster, but he is also his friend. His friend who at times seems to be a mirror to his own maladaptive thoughts molded by his time as part of the gang, and is as physically monstrous as he mentally perceives himself to be. Two trolls who exist through loopholes that allow them to avoid being culled, and can be tolerated as long as they are useful.
Two trolls, who spent the night having a conversation about 16th Century paintings, then moved on to talking about the best places to eat in the town one of them happens to be visiting. A conversation that makes Mikiel think about what it would be like if he was also there in person, but the texts and the photos are comforting enough. He’s not used to such a routine of having someone to regularly chat to who actually engages with his various rants about every subject, but over time he doesn’t dread hearing the text tone going off. In fact, he quietly welcomes it.
On Saturday night he visited Lyvere, dropping by the restaurant the other blueblood worked at just as he was wrapping up his shift. Lyvere knew to start expecting Mikiel at around this time of night, it was when their schedules seemed to align the best. But these visits became steadily more common, first once every couple of perigees, then once a perigee, then once every few weeks, and now almost weekly. They would share a meal once Lyvere had finished working (Mikiel was always his final customer), Mikiel would give a review of his friend’s cooking and point out what could be done better next time (and he was slowly finding it more difficult to find any faults with the meals), and then they would go back to Mikiel’s hive to chat somewhere less noisy and maybe watch something together. Before Mikiel knew it, he was starting to look forward to Saturdays, a nice respite from his busy life and a chance to catch up with someone who genuinely liked his company. And he liked theirs.
He had known Lyvere for a long time, and he was the first troll he could truly call a friend after his falling out with Velour all those sweeps ago. Lyvere was anxious, unconfident, and stuttered far too much for Mikiel’s liking, but he shared that same passion for food that Mikiel could connect with. And he was kind. For no reason whatsoever, he was kind to the other blueblood, no matter how many times he tried acting standoffish or unnecessarily cagey. Mikiel could not comprehend this kindness, and likely never will, but to have someone be so persistent towards treating him like he was an actual person meant more to him than he realised. All this time, he had someone he could come back to, someone who never asked too many questions or judged him, someone far away from the mess he had gotten involved with. Someone who made him feel safe.
He thinks about how it wasn’t too long ago, he didn’t believe he would ever have these opportunities or feel this way about anyone, let alone two different trolls. Back when he belonged to the Red Scarves. Back when he thought that would be the only life he would ever know.
It has been half a sweep since he took that chance to believe in someone spouting absolute nonsense about a better life. A half-hearted decision spurred primarily by the belief that someone willing to pay his medical bills would want to trap him in some sort of debt, and his choice was to either die by the hands of the gang, or from some idiot trying to teach him about magic. And anything was better than meeting his end in that fighting ring, even being thrust into a world of fighting supernatural creatures that by all accounts should not exist.
But the rug was never pulled out from under his feet, and Mikail stayed true to his word: Gaia would keep him safe. He can leave his hive and pass members of the Red Scarves on the street now, and they don’t pay him any mind. It feels almost paradoxical: finding comfort in something that should have made him feel totally uncomfortable.
He doesn’t need to worry about every good thing that’s happened to him being taken away from him anymore. No one will try to harm Lyvere as leverage against him, and he won’t need to wonder if this will be the last time he can peacefully sit next to him on the couch as a cooking show plays on the television. He doesn’t feel so on edge at all times, and especially not in moments like this. He can let himself relax, release the tension building up in his shoulders, and allow himself to rest his head against the other blueblood’s arm.
Mikiel feels Lyvere jolt for a moment - perhaps from the sudden cold pressure resting against him, or perhaps out of concern that his friend might have just passed out - but when the taller troll looks down at him and sees the closest approximation to a content look on his face, he relaxes. These quiet moments will become less of a rarity and, like everything else these past few perigees, be a nice, comfortable routine.
Cheese and Miki sitting in front of a fireplace wrapped up in blankets while eating some homemade comfort food is giving me fucking feelings
mikiel may have some Opinions on eating by the fireplace as opposed to a table Where The Food Is Supposed To Be, but you know what? this is fine. the food cheese made is nice and the blankets are cosy (as long as no crumbs end up in them) and there's soft classical music playing and while he can't feel the heat he can tell its warm enough just by cheese's content expression
its nice and quiet and its exactly how he likes it :)
some 12th perigee gifts which is early but i drafted this last night and im too impatient to save posting this till christmas LMAO -
nancor bought lonnen a large bouquet of flowers which he dried and preserved so that they can potentially last forever, and also a nice block of peruvian dark chocolate
dismas bought aislin some manga that he figured out she was interested in by stalking her twitter, and bought maidel a couple new dating sim games :)
eichio put together some little gift boxes full of 12th perigee-themed candies and chocolate to give to viltau and the other full-time employees at the mansion, apparently forgetting gerrel’s aversion to overly sugary stuff. oops!
callan bought a two pop culture-themed cookbooks for gerrel, with the caveat that if he didn’t understand any of the references then they have to watch the movie or tv series together. he also maybe forgot to buy something for maidel because he was too busy trying to think of Another Perfect Present for his moirail, so she just gets some random cheap kris kringle shit from a dollar store rip. and izu gets signed photos of callan so that he knows who the real star is B)
ashe once again spent all of the holiday season panicking over what to buy cheran because What If He Buys Something Cheran Hates Because Hes Not Very Good At This Whole Boyfriend Thing and probably went overboard with buying gifts for him, oops. hopefully cheran doesn’t feel too overwhelmed with the combination of new hardcover books, some art supplies for his anatomical drawings, a nice new mug with some fancy tea, and a few extra cute cat-themed goodies that ashe couldn’t not buy. he also bought his employees some little 12th perigees stockings filled with chocolates as a little gift, which helios and rotavh probably didn’t want lets be real here lMAO
mikiel bought lyvere some professional-grade cooking utensils that he happened to be lacking. what do you mean you’re lacking this set of knives with highly-specific purposes that are vital to this one cuisine you mentioned wanting to try cooking once??
lucy put together a notebook full of recipes for anirus and painted the cover a nice seascape for some extra personal flair, and wrapped it up in a scarf made by the local tailor so they have something extra to wear whenever they’re out sailing in the middle of winter. he also made and painted a wooden box for thrixe so he has something nice to put his own art supplies in
viltau put together an entire fucking 12th perigee-themed escape room for kitaer to solve, which may or may not have involved a little bit of friendly kidnapping to actually get his kismesis into the room to begin with LMAO his employees also got paid time off over the 12th perigee-new sweeps eve break and he booked them activities like restaurant outings and movie tickets and whatnot to force them to actually take time off. youre not getting out of it that easily eichio and gerrel!!
glasya made candies for all their friends obviously, and themed both the candy and their packaging to suit each person’s tastes. ullane got some medical-themed candies in test tubes, thrixe got pink (patrick) starfish candy in this honestly cursed mug, and mikail got some candy cigarettes in appropriate packaging and some sea creature themed candies in a fish-shaped ceramic box. they genuinely considered putting mikail’s gift in a foxy grandpa hat so everyone thank god for giving them just enough common sense to think that’s not a good idea
vallis acquired some nice specimens for epsilo to study, namely a couple sea urchins that are native to vernrot and also happen to be good pets. he also got him some miscellaneous squid-themed paraphernalia because of course he did
