kore_logs | Santa Claus is coming to town

Who: Secret Santa participants, but also EVERYONE!
Where: Town Hall
When: Evening of day 24
What: Present giving! The Secret Santa reveal, and anyone who wants to have a christmas party is welcome to join too!
Notess: Party style thread guys, so go nuts. No order, everything is chaos, tag to your hearts content, feel free to break off into separate threads, and no spiking the punch! Also I think she's sort of mentioned it to a bunch of people but want to do me some lovely favours and handwave the actual name drawing? I will backtag if people want but it seems a little pointless to thread that out.

There's another message on the network that morning from Anna, just audio again. It's about as garbled as her first one regarding the Secret Santa idea, but for anyone who is listening closely enough they'll make out a few details. Namely this evening, town hall, and bring your presents before she shuts it off.

She's spent the rest of the day trying to do what she can to make the place look nicer. She's hardly got Christmas decorations on tap, but she's done what she can with what she has all the same. There's paper snow flakes up around the place, some of the food from her house placed in bowls to make it more party-appropriate, and it's no fir but she has relocated a small tree from the edge of the woods and placed it in the hall. Barely decorated, not even the right kind of tree, it's the best she can do with the resources she's been given.

Now all there is to do is wait for people to come.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Anna had a pile of personal gifts on the table she's hovering next to, so when she sees Castiel she quickly grabs the perfectly wrapped parcel with his name scrawled on - which in contrast to the neat wrapping is surprisingly messy. Heading over, she fixes on a bright smile as she approaches him. After all it's been designated that today is Christmas, so personal feelings aside she wants to wish him a good day.

"Cas," she waves as she approaches, thrusting the package forward towards him unceremoniously, "I'm glad you came."

He smiles at her, taking the package. It's so neatly wrapped and he hadn't expected anything from anyone outside of the exchange. Is he supposed to have something for her?

"Thank you." He pauses, long enough for it to be just a little awkward. "I... didn't realize I was supposed to get you something."

"Oh, no." She shakes her head quickly, and honestly she doesn't expect anyone to get her anything, least of all Cas. Just because she hasn't quite been able to quash the guilt of former attachments doesn't mean she expects him to follow the same train of thought.

She's not quite sure if there's supposed to be more to come now. Well, she is sure, there's supposed to be hugs and smiles and all of that, but this isn't exactly a normal family gathering. Still, she's trying to keep up the spirit for everyone, so after a brief and slightly awkward hover she leans in and pulls Castiel into a quick hug, stepping back rather sharply when she releases him. "Happy Christmas."

He almost tries to prolong the hug, stiff and awkward as he is. He's so happy that she's here. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her. He needs her and he hadn't realized that, not even when she'd been gone. Now, though, he understands. Now she's here and she's beautiful.

She could have fixed everything if she'd been there. She would have stopped him from making his mistakes. He knows this, because he knows how strong and capable she is. He knows how amazing she is.

"You, too, Anna. I'm glad I could spend it with you."

His response is definitely a surprise, and for a second Anna doesn't quite know what to say back to that. It's not that she doesn't appreciate him being here, because she really does, it's just that she's not used to him being quite so expressive. She'd been expecting a courteous nod at best.

She should say it back, that's what is done during times like these, but she can't quite get the words out of her mouth and instead she just smiles and gives him a nod in return, looking around the room a little before going back to Cas with a quick subject change. "So, what have people got you?"

"You're the only person who's given me anything yet." She's so thoughtful.

He looks down at the gift she'd handed him and then he begins to open it carefully. He pulls out the sweater with an odd little smile. No one's ever given him clothes, save for Dean returning his coat. It's a strange little sweater and he hasn't seen Sam or Dean wear anything like it. It's special.

"Thank you."

"It's not anything special."

She shrugs her shoulders quickly, but he gets a smile nonetheless. It really isn't anything special, just a jumper that she personally found amusing enough to want to give someone, but he seems to appreciate it more than she had anticipate. Maybe it's just because he wasn't expecting anything.

"Look, thanks for you know- actually showing up and everything. I didn't think many people would." Everyone's enthusiasm has taken her by surprise if she's honest. It seems they really did need something good to do after all.

He shrugs out of his coat and jacket so that he can pull the sweater on with a hint of a smile in his eyes. He doesn't need to stay warm, but he still likes that this will keep him warm, anyway.

"Of course I came. You asked me to." It really is that simple to him. Anna asked him to come, so he came. Anna asked him to join the Secret Santa exchange, too, though that had been agreed upon with less enthusiasm. He is making friends here, though. He likes some of the people here. He doesn't deserve this place with new and old friends and Anna and Balthazar alive again.

Castiel out of the jacket, now that's a bizarre sight. She looks at him for a moment, eyebrow raised as she smiles away herself. She shouldn't be so amused by this, but she hadn't expected he'd ever wear it.

"That's a good look you've got going on there." She grins despite herself, and when she folds her arms over her chest it's a lot more relaxed, a lot less antsy. She's not sure what's different about him, but she's glad for it. It's a lot easier to forget about everything and just have a good time when he's like this.

"Well, you didn't have to. So I appreciate the effort." She really does, too. Whether Castiel realises it or not, being around him isn't exactly easy for Anna just yet. She's trying, and she's getting there, but it's still hard all the same. This, though, this actually makes all the difference.

He smiles, looking down at the sweater. If she thinks it looks good, then it must. She's obviously got a better eye for these things than he does and that he looks nice in her eyes is far more important than anyone else's opinion, even Dean's.

"You're worth the effort. I told you I would be here if you needed me." Of course she doesn't need him for a party, but she deserves a successful party. She put so much work into this and he appreciates that, even if he doesn't get it.

And that's when she raises an eyebrow at him, because that sentence doesn't match with Castiel at all. It's not that he doesn't say nice things, as such, but he's never usually this complimentary. Not without a direct reason, and it's been far longer since that has been aimed at her.

"Cas, are you feeling alright?"

She has to ask, after all. It'd be nice to just take it at face value, to think that he is actually just glad that she's back and fine, even if back and fine does mean stuck in this town too. It'd be all too easy to just go with his unexpected kindness, but she can't quite do it.

"It's not that I'm not...really glad that you're here," she starts carefully, "It's just that you seem...different." Friendlier? That's it, but she's got more tact than to say that.

"I..." He isn't sure how to answer. Now that he thinks about it, he feels a little different, too.

"I suppose I feel somewhat lighter." Now that she's here, he does, anyway. He'd been somewhat frazzled a few moments ago as he'd been looking for her.

He gives her a thoughtful look. "Why? Are you alright?"

"Lighter."

Now that's not really an answer, at least not a helpful one. There's not much more she can do though, except maybe just hope that Castiel has had a slightly more affectionate change of heart regarding her. It's certainly an improvement on clipped, courteous dealings, and a huge improvement on the backstabbing she remembers all too clearly.

So she's not going to question it too much, and instead just smiles and nods her head quickly. "Of course I'm fine. Just wanted to make sure you were."

"I am, Anna." The look he gives her is warm and full of affection, more than he's shown anyone, even Dean or Balthazar. "Thank you for the concern."

Santa Claus is coming to town

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject