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[youngtimer]

NeverAcorned - Standard UN || HoratioV - Fog/Lighthouse UN || 5ofDiamonds - Casino Business || Odyssean - Anonymous/Sock UN

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, NEVERACORNED. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 208.52.15.25 *** NEVERACORNED has joined 208.52.15.25 <NEVERACORNED> This is the private channel for Horatio Hargreeves. Leave me a message and I'll reply as soon as I can. If this is related to the Lucky 38, please start your message with a '38' so I can prioritize. <NEVERACORNED> Spammers will be banned, IP tracked, and have their index fingers broken. Have a nice day. :)

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[youngtimer]

[she's only his second contact after he wakes up because he came upon Gabriel knocking at his door when he returned to his suite. otherwise, she would have been first. not his head of security, the logical choice - a thought he'll have soon enough. but her. especially when he flips open his laptop to catch up on things as best he can and sees that string of unread messages.

she was up. that early/late. worrying? who knew. he knew better than to assume, even if part of him wanted that to be the case, wanted her to care.

he breathes in slowly, scrubbing a hand over his face as he works through the hard-packed shroud of cottony sleep still surrounding his brain. a part of him insists that he needs to be on his A-game when he contacts her, that she is going to rip him into confetti if she sees a single flaw in his armor... but he remembers the way she came to his suite, face bare, sleepless. she trusted him.

he decides, in turn, to trust her. without even bothering to comb his disheveled hair or change out of the clothes he'd slept in for a month, Horatio closes his laptop and heads back out of the casino. in minutes that feel like eons, he's knocking on the door of the apartment she and Mukuro share ... and hoping that his chief of security isn't there. he'd know for certain if he knew what day it was, or even what time.

he's not sure why that doesn't seem important right now.

he just knocks, though she may hear his heart in his throat before his knuckles on the door]

[gothicgambit]

[She is alone, thankfully. Mukuro had been in and out of the apartment all week, between Riley, Horatio, and everything else. And it is recognizably Celeste that answers the door, but to say she looks different would be an understatement. All of the sharp angles and points that come with her demonic form have been replaced with golden tones and insectoid fuzz that makes her look softer. It seems to emphasize how her expression shifts from polite curiosity to absolutely dumbstruck, eyes widening, mouth half open like she knows she should say something but her brain has stalled out, and she seems totally speechless.

She's so relieved to see him. Celeste had barely managed to wrangle the emotional wound that Komaeda's loss had brought on when she was struck down with killing Riley. If he had really disappeared on top of all that...

But he didn't. He looks like hell warmed over in wrinkled dress clothes and hair sticking up in the back and looking like he'd smell terribly musty. And she is so happy to see him she doesn't know how to contain it.]

[youngtimer]

[for his part, Horatio looks as relieved as she is happy. he'd been expecting a scowl of mythic and epic proportions given the way she had left off her chain of messages. he's startled at the change in her, but has seen enough of them by now to take it mostly in stride. the things that matter: her eyes, her smile, the way she carries herself? those are still intact, and she can be whatever she likes as long as that's the case.

he wants to make some glib remark, some comment about how she must have missed having a fairy around pretty badly to become one ... but his relief and everything he's been carrying around since - since the portal, even - comes crashing around him and his body betrays him. he closes the distance between them fast enough that he could have blinked, and wraps his arms around her, burying his face in the soft cloud of yellow fuzz at her shoulders]

I'm sorry. Shit, Celeste, I'm so fucking sorry.

<KrisKringle>

[getmeoutofthedraft]

Ho ho ho! Merry freaking Christmas!

Your Secret Santa recipient this year is Soo Won ("gulfan" on the network). Please buy, make, or otherwise procure him (?) a nice gift before December 26! You can give this directly, or label it clearly and drop it off at Crowe Clinic C/O Hawkeye Pierce.

Remember: Saint Nick is watching, and he knows where you live!

Happy Holidays, etcetera, and so forth,
Santa Claus

[gothicgambit]

[part of her is absolutely furious with him for pulling his little disappearing act and yes perhaps she did really miss having a fairy around. she almost manages to recover her decorum when suddenly his weight is crashing over her in a tide of affection and his breath is tracing words through the fluff around her neck. and he’s suddenly warm and he’s okay and she feels something in the space between her lungs squeeze that has nothing to do with how tightly he’s holding on.

ohhh, she is in far more trouble with this boy than she’d realized.

she goes stiff for a moment, so unused to sudden affection or really contact of any kind that she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. but then her arms weave around his shoulders, the spare set coming up around his back, and she presses her face into the juncture under his jaw. her wings give a stupid and uncontrolled little fluttering buzz, wordlessly conveying how glad she is that he’s okay.]

You look like shit.

[the smile in her voice is audible, the cocktail of emotions bubbling through her throat and coloring her words.

It’s okay. I have already forgiven you she doesn’t have to say.]

sweet jeebus I swear I replied to this on my phone. must've eaten it. bastard.

[youngtimer]

I'd appreciate it if you didn't.

[Horatio's voice comes from behind, drifting up the hall as he approaches from the elevator. He's dirty, his hair mussed and sticking out in all directions, clothing rumpled, one antenna a little crooked, but otherwise he's completely unscathed. As he approaches in the closeness of the hallway, the only scents Gabriel will pick up on are grave dirt and sleep sweat.]

If you're asking if I'm alive, I must've been out a while. What fucking day is it?

[youngtimer]

Thanks for the professional assessment.

[he chuckles a little, but ... doesn't quite let go of her yet. the hug is amazing: like the night they danced together, but better, infinitely better. he's been so starved for contact, and that night months ago had only made him more aware of the fact. he just rests his head and acts as though it's a frozen dance, like the two of them are perfectly normal like this. just ... let him have this moment, he thinks. please.]

Trade you my own pro tip: don't spend too long in the graveyard, apparently.

dreamwidth commits many crimes

[boneshears]

[Jesus Christ. A hug from Gabriel is probably - definitely - not something Horatio expects, but it happens nonetheless. He's instantly relieved that he's not gone. He doesn't even give a shit that he stinks of the dirt in the Bavan Cemetary, pulling him in before holding him at arm's length, good eye roving over him.]

Horatio, it's December. The second. [You've been out a while, is the message. I was worried is the tone.] When the staff said they hadn't seen you in nearly a month but nothing said you were gone I had to find out.

[gothicgambit]

[she expected him to let go. Well. being brutally honest she hadn't expected the hug in the first place. but now that they're both here and he just keeps holding on she almost feels a bit embarrassed. a flush is working its away up the back of her neck, but she forcefully grabs that bit of self-consciousness and shoves it far far away because what does she mind? there's absolutely nothing wrong with it and... and even if someone saw it's not like they would say anything to her or Five of all people.

so Celeste lets herself take it in, just enough that he feels her take a deep breath in, her whole body seeming to relax on the exhale. while he thinks about that night they danced, she's thinking of something totally different: when he pulled her from that nightmarish chamber in the mockery of his own childhood home. it had only been for a moment, but he'd held her while she regained her feet. he had her then, she's got him now.]

The graveyard...?
[it sits as a question, what had he been doing there, and what had it done to him? she'd thought he was dead. her tone is neutral, for now, but demonic form or not if she finds out something had harmed him-]

[youngtimer]

[he finally pulls back, because it doesn't feel right to explain it all pressed up against her like that. instantly, he's aware of her distance, of the slow creeping loss of her body heat, her support, her empathy. his antennae shiver, and he clears his throat softly.]

Yeah. ... Can I come in? I am fully aware that by crossing your threshold I run the risk of becoming a walking scratching post.

[youngtimer]

Holy shit.

[no, he had not expected the hug, but he's not going to shove him away, either. he's been here long enough and around enough huggers - even though most are gone, now - that it doesn't bother him anymore. he takes a moment to wrap his head around that]

But I - nothing attacked me, nothing happened that I can remember. I was in the graveyard, checking stones. ... So many fucking people are gone. I swear, I feel like I just ... fell asleep.

forward dated - 24th

[boneshears]

On the 24th, a very beautifully wrapped gift will be waiting outside Horatio's apartment in the Lucky 38, bound tightly in soft, green paper and a deep red ribbon. The tag is simply written - Horatio, Happy Nattensfest, Gabriel + Monty.

Inside the box contained within are a pair of black, fingerless gloves. They're leather, and the knuckles are reinforced with steel caps to protect them from harm. The gloves are designed for hefting an axe, designed for improving grip while not sacrificing comfort or aesthetics. They're clearly handmade, boasting Gabriel's tattooed sigil on the inside, picked out in red ink.

Also contained within is a bag of extremely fine coffee, and a box of homemade lebkuchen (chocolate dipped, but the biscuits themselves tend on the fiery side).

[boneshears]

[Normally the only prolonged physical contact Gabriel will tolerate or even appreciate is Montgomery, so that's probably indication enough that he was worried.]

It can happen. Just can't be helped. But God am I glad to see you back. Can think of a lot of people who'll be glad to see you.

[He pulls away, clapping a hand to the younger man's shoulder.]

With how many have disappeared recently and all the chaos after the Cube, we were starting to worry you were... Taking a much longer time away.

Nattenfest

[gothicgambit]

[Five gets two gifts delivered, albeit a day late.

The first is actually labeled for Dolores - a classy set of small pearls on a gold chain. Simple, but effective.

The second comes with an actual note included-]


Horatio,
Belated Tidings. The tailoring took time.
Yours,
Celestia

[It's a set of shirts. A set of several, specifically spider silk shirts. Each has been hand dyed a stunning red that matches the exact shade of his wings, in a way she must have studied and memorized. The kind that takes several passes and undoubtedly has left berry stains under the quick of Celeste's fingers. Sewn to his exact fit and measurements of course, as if perfection was anything less than her game. She's added a tiny embroidery H on every right-hand cuff, and five diamonds on the other.

It has a matching set of black onyx cuff-links. Does he wear cuff-links? Well, perhaps he does now. Obviously the Handler couldn't be here. So Celeste made him a little something from them both.]

12/25 - Horatio's office at the Lucky

[069]

[Sometime between the 24th and 25th a tall, narrow box was left in Horatio's office. The wrapping is, well, a complete disaster but the spirit is there; deep red paper with a silver bow, and a note. The handwriting is, of course, all but illegible. If he feels up to risking the headache to decipher it the scribbles resolve into the following message:

Boss,
I don't know what this Santa fellow is actually about or if I'm meant to take this secret to my grave. Regardless, here's a gift. Happy Nattensfest?
-J.

The box contains a bottle of top shelf spirits and a box of delicate handcrafted candy ribbons from a local shop.]

[aquilasshadow]

[On the night of December 24th Horatio will find a package left for him at the casino. Inside is a mannequin and a note.]

Sorry it took me so long to get to this project. The mannequin inside was pieced together from several others. Consider it a test run. If the quality is to your liking I can work on Dolores whenever it works for you.

Happy Nattensfest,
Altair

[Initially the mannequin's face was chipped and their arms and legs were broken but it was impossible to tell that now. The legs and arms looked like they originally came from the mannequin instead of a bunch of others and any small imperfections were expertly painted over.]

[gothicgambit]

[He moves away from her and it's like dimming the light inside a room. She hadn't realized quite how... lit up. she had felt when they were touching and now that they weren't-]

Ahem. [Ah, hm. must be dusty in here.] Yes- yes of course. Grand Bois has been behaving himself though, I've given him a stern talking-to after last time.

[The creature himself is doing his best imitation of a raggedy throw blanket on the couch, and has yet to open an eye. Celeste lets him in and shuts the door behind. And she remembers what he'd done when she was at a similar loss-]

Tea? Or coffee, since you're a heathen?

[youngtimer]

[the mirror image of the moment is not lost on him, and it's exactly the sort of thing that hits his sense of humor just right. he laughs, one sharp and bright 'ha!' with a flash of fangs that stays hanging in a grin]

I sure am. But you're my hostess, so I defer to you.

[he makes his way inside, preferring to follow her and look around rather than risk disturbing the living throw blanket with claws. it's been a while since he's been in their apartment, so he's keen to pick up anything that may have changed in the interim. in fact, he realizes, he's been in Atem and Ryou's apartment a bit more often. something about that seems wrong, somehow, even though he sees them all regularly at the casino. Horatio moves to inspect one of the decorations, idly, as he fills her in on his absence]

I don't remember if you ever met Bethan Costigan, but she was one of the first friends I made here. She was one of my sisters, like Abigail. And Gosalyn. And now Abigail's the only one still here. ... I went to the graveyard because I hadn't heard from Bethan in a while, and she was the one who told me that you could find out if someone was really gone by looking for their name there. ... I found her stone first. Then someone else I knew. And another. And the Handler's. Four people I knew, gone. I was standing there trying to figure out if I was enough of a glutton for punishment to look for anyone else, when ... I just ... collapsed on the ground.

[youngtimer]

I heard about the Cube, yeah. ... Wish I could have been there to lend a hand. Here, come on in and have a drink.

[he takes out his keys and moves to unlock the door for him]

I can't spare too much time since I've been gone so damn long, but ... I've always got a minute for you.

[youngtimer]

[on the morning of December 26th, Altair will receive a note on the Lucky 38's stationery in neat, crimson cursive, taped to a small box]

Altair,
Thank you so much for your kind gift. So much has happened since we spoke in the forest that I have to admit that I'd almost forgotten. Dolores certainly gave me hell for it, but she and I both really like the work you did on the mannequin. She's more than happy to come and stay with you for a while whenever you're ready.

I hope that the enclosed gift finds you well, despite coming a little late in the season.

Best wishes,
Horatio

P.S: How is Annie? I haven't heard from her in a while. Hope she is doing well.

[inside the box itself is a simple silver cuff bracelet set with three purple stones that match the hue of Altair's ever present crystal earring]

[boneshears]

You need to talk to Miss Ludenberg. She'll have worried. [But he follows him in, remaining eye sharp.] 'Spect if you've heard about the Cube Mukuro told you.

[Their very own Guy Fawkes. Except she wasn't aiming to hurt, unlike Guy.]

I won't keep you long. Not right to keep her waiting to hear from you. What have you been filled in on?

[youngtimer]

Yeah, she's definitely where I'm headed next. And you're right, I got some of it from Mukuro ... but the rest ...

[a shadow flits over his face as he notices that Gabe's eye is worse. Atem told him a little, but ... only his side. and that isn't fair or right of him to go on]

I want to hear your side of what happened with Atem while I was gone. I'm staying the hell out of it, but I want the whole story.

cw vivisection mention

[boneshears]

[There's a flexing of the piebald paw, and under the fur the knuckles whiten. Atem. Atem who hasn't even apologised. Atem who has been spending December's early days as if he didn't violently assault multiple monsters last month. He'd get his. That much was certain.

The manticore tilts his head back, so the damaged surface of his sclera can catch the light. Along with the previous injury from the manticore's brutal claws, there's skin that looks almost... Burned. The sort of injury Horatio might recognise if he's ever seen someone who got flashbanged up close.]

I was hunting. Combination of hunger from Elias' little punishment and my own high prey drive had me at what I'd call 'a cat playing with a bird'. [Horatio's definitely aware of how bad Gabe's prey drive is. Half time if he's interrupted while hunting it prompts a very, very catlike hiss.] Apparently Atem has appointed himself arbiter of who is and isn't allowed to be killed by a hungry monster.

[There's no lies here. Gabriel wouldn't lie to Horatio about anything.]

He told me to stop. I was half berserk and had already made it so he couldn't walk. Told Atem to fuck off. Hit him with the Fog impulse control shit I have to make him either leave or get on with it. [He has to pause to take a shuddering breath. In, one two three out.] He got bright enough to do this to my eye. I can't see out of it now.

[Hell. It looked bad before but it worked. Now it's just pure white.]

While I was blinded he took the guy away. Then started cutting me apart while I was still awake. Hamstring. Wing. [His voice falters.] I... I've been cut apart before, Horatio.

[Vivisection (from Latin vivus 'alive', and sectio 'cutting') is surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure. The word is, more broadly, used as a pejorative catch-all term for experimentation on live animals by organizations opposed to animal experimentation, but the term is rarely used by practising scientists. Human vivisection, such as live organ harvesting, has been perpetrated as a form of torture.

The scars are still visible at the base of Gabriel's skull.]

I lost it. Shouted some shit at him while completely out of my head. Felt like I was back with... Him. Think I collapsed from the blood loss. I don't actually remember much after he did the wing. Montgomery found me.

[The good eye flattens. Be Lux. Professional.]

You know I can't let it stand. I won't touch anyone else unless they try to stop me. But I can't let someone put hands on me like that. Ever.

<a.dyer>

[ohmyscream]

I forgot your Christmas gift needed to be delivered because I was in the middle of more anxiety.

Also gay panic.


I HAD TO TALK AND BE OPEN ABOUT ALL MY FEELINGS.

Pretend this is message arrived on Christmas (sorry it's so late)

[sweetrabbitwithswords]

[On the doorstep of Horiato's house, there is a smallish box wrapped impeccably wrapped with golden ribbons. Some of the box is slightly slimy (sorry about that) but most of it is fine. In the box is a fancy pocket knife and a letter. Inside the letter are heartfelt words and an eagerness to spar again. Such words are "Merry Christmas dear friend. I hope you like your gift and I hope to see you again soon. I would love to talk to you and maybe spar with you again. Until then, may you have a wonderful day."]