Clementine
'Whooooa,' Jacinta yelled to Marlow as she saw the House up ahead. 'Just wait here Marlow, I won't be a second,' Jacinta bellowed as she jumped out the sleigh with an Emerald Striped Giftbox. It had a Delicate Daisy Crown carefully packaged inside and was tied with a gold bow. This present was extra special, it was made from Isobelle's very own daisy chains.
Jacinta didn't bother going up to the front door, she knew where to find the owner of this present - around the back of the house playing outside. Jacinta peered over the fence and sure enough, she saw Clementine sat at a small table enjoying what Jacinta thought was a tea party. Jacinta climbed over the fence and was nearly bowled over by a young Devonti charging at a castle. Jacinta giggled and wanted to join in, it looked like such fun! She shook her head, No, gotta be quick so I can meet back up with Izzy!
'Clementine?' Jacinta mumbled asking a young Kora with a pretty pink bow in her curly blonde locks. Clementine looked up at her and a wide grin came across her face when she saw the gift hanging by the ribbon from Jacinta's mouth.
'Is that for me!' she shrieked, 'Oh please say that's for me and not for Oliver or Arthur!'
'It is; especially for you!' Jacinta said with glee, ecstatic with this response. 'Merry Luminaire!' she said as she turned and trotted off back towards the fence.
'Oh please sit and have tea with me,' Clementine asked. 'The boys are being mean again. They won't let me play,' she said with a huff.
Jacinta bit her tongue, turning her head back around to face Clementine, she wanted nothing more to play in this garden, between the castle and the tea party, she could be occupied for hours. She shook her head and yelled, 'Sorry, there's no stopping for Melody's Little Helpers!' She whipped her head back around and scaled the fence in one leap.
Delicate Daisy Crown!
Karen
When Jacinta saw that Karen was next on her list she was delighted. 'You're going to love where we're going next Marlow!'
The two Jollin, along with the sleigh Marlow was pulling (he had made Jacinta get out and walk about half way there. Jollin are no Legeica, he had said, they weren't built for pulling anything let alone another Jollin and a sleigh all this way) arrived at Karen's.
'Oh Marlow, you just have to come in. If Karen's in, she might give us some pastries! She has the BEST pastries ever. They are so delicious and ...' Jacinta started remembering the Decadent Chocherawb Cupcake Karen had insisted she eat (not that she needed much persuading!) after dropping off the stocking. Pastry isn't a part of a Jollin's traditional diet but after taking a bite of the cupcake Jacinta was pleased to have made an exception. It was the smell of the pastries coming from Karen's that had lured Jacinta into knocking on the door that visit instead of just dropping the giftbox off and running like she was supposed to.
'Jacinta? JACINTA!' Marlow shouted right into her large ear snapping her back to reality. 'Come on then, let's see!'
The two Jollin weren't disappointed. Karen was home and she once again insisted they eat Chocolate Eclair and enjoy a hot cup of Snowflake Latte to warm themselves up before getting back outside to the frosty Luminaire air. Marlow was a little hesitant at first, surprising for someone who would willingly fling themselves off any tall object, but after watching Jacinta face dive into the eclair he followed suit.
Faces a mess with chocolate and cream everywhere (some even managed to find its way into Marlow's tail!), the two Jollin wished Karen a happy Luminaire and hoped they would have to stop by her house again one day soon.
Pumpkin Spice Striped Ruffle Knit Scarf!
Trapeze
Marlow brings the sleigh to a halt outside a large tree. Hanging from the tree was a wire with a small pole attached. An elderly Popoko, judging by the deep pigeon-grey fur mixed in with the dawn and her half hunched over stature, shuffled into sight from around the side of the tree. Marlow was mesmerised by the beautiful wings, I could use some of those, he thought to himself.
Jacinta jumped out of the sleigh onto the soft pillowy snow with a present in tow. She went over to Trapeze with her Luminaire gift. She dropped the gift at Trapeze's feet, 'Happy Luminaire,' she yelled, unsure of the elderly Popoko's hearing.
'I can hear you just fine, dear,' Trapeze replied starting to lean over to pick up the gift.
'I can get that,' Jacinta said a little sheepish, picking the giftbox back up by the ribbon. She lifted her head up, and in turn the giftbox, and waited for Trapeze to take it off her.
Trapeze opened her gift and smiled. 'Just like my childhood,' she said to herself. This sparked both Jacinta and Marlow's curiosity.
'Your ... childhood?' Marlow asked.
'Yes, dear,' Trapeze replied, 'I used to perform in a circus, in a Big Top just like this.'
'What was your act?' Jacinta inquired, sitting down in front of Trapeze. Marlow came and sat next to her.
'Trapeze. I used to fly through the air, twisting and turning and swinging. I was the best.'
Marlow's eared perked up, 'Fly ... through the air?!'
Jacinta jumped to her feet, 'Marlow wants to fly. Gosh he has tried just about everything but with no luck so far! Maybe you could teach Marlow how you did it. Oh Marlow, wouldn't that be great!'
'Oh could you?' Marlow asked.
'I'm sorry, dear, it's the wings that allowed me to do it ...' Trapeze replied, the sincerity apparent in her voice.
Both Jollins dropped there heads, 'It was worth a shot,' Jacinta said to Marlow, trying to cheer him up a bit.
'I hope I haven't discouraged you too much,' Trapeze said. 'Don't give up Marlow, do keep trying; stranger things have happened.'
Delphi Carnival Playset!
Rue
Marlow and Jacinta had been wandering the forest for about an hour trying to find the recipient of the next gift. Well, Jacinta was wandering, Marlow was trudging along lugging the sleigh wondering why he agreed to pull this thing. It had much more appeal when he thought he might be able to fly it, but after delivering gifts to most of Jacinta's half of the list he hadn't lifted the thing an inch off the ground. ... Except when he hit that tree branch while he was pulling Jacinta at full speed. Jacinta was thankfully hanging on to the front of the sleigh otherwise she would have flown out (and Marlow would be a bit jealous of that!).
Marlow was ready to give up (and had told Jacinta numerous times) but Jacinta insisted they'd find the giftee soon. She also gave him that why are you even asking me this look.
'This Jollin must be the worst Jollin to play hide and seek with,' Jacinta remarked. Just then, Marlow spotted what he thought was a lain.
'Jacinta, look!' It was far too big to be a lain though, and the two of them crept closer to get a better look.
'I think ... it's a Jollin ...?' Marlow whispered to Jacinta.
'Wait ... I think that's Rue!' Jacinta whispered in reply.
'Let's not scare her,' Jacinta said so instead she placed the present on the ground and signaled to Marlow to pick some fruit from the trees and bushes nearby. They both surrounded the giftbox with fruit (and Jacinta quickly slipped a bit inside so the little gift wouldn't go hungry, although she was sure Rue would sniff out the pile of of fruit in no time) and hurried to hide behind the bushiest shrub they could find.
In no time at all Rue had found the gift thanks to the fruit. She looked at the name tag attached to the gift. It says my name, she thought. She looked around the trying to see who had left this for her but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She ripped open the gift, and found a little Pyllar nibbling away at an apple. She chuckled and started eating an apple of her own.
Marlow and Jacinta grinned at each other, there job here was done.
Pyllar!