#brightwindsbarony

That's when Santa comes in! No kith has he, for he looks very mortal, and yet his soul is that of changeling! Fae and mortal mix... and he carries huge bags! "Ho Ho HO! HAPPY YULE!" The rotund man looks just like the description all know and love more or less, though he is too tall to be a boggan with a beard. And he must be strong, for those packages do not look light

Sparrow blinks, but... well, time to find milk to go with the cookies!

The childlings nearly explode!

"Irene, please take these to Santa?" Santa is for the kids, obviously - though she spots some youngish local wilders lurking near the jolly old elf. 13 is a tough age!

Irene gasps "But it's SANTA..what if he thinks about some of the stuff I've pulled this year?"

"I'm sure it'll work out in the balance. Go, go..." Gentle shooing.

She moves forward, "Santa?" GULP "Would.. you like these cookies and milks?"

It is , in fact, just one milk, but yOU trying being a little girl without forgetting your line while talking to Santa

"I would love it, thank you, Irene" Santa says and takes a drink and cookie, thirsty gulp and then a happy munch, "You're the girl who likes video games yes? Your mother worries you play them TOO much"

Irene blushes "I do like them"

"So do I, sometimes, but it's more fun with friends" And he pulls a package out.

"Can I open it now?" She says

Santa looks over at the Baroness "Do you want them to wait, or can Santa see their smiling faces?"

"It IS Yule!"

"Open away" He grins

And she does.."Another controller, it's one of the new ones, and.. my favorite colors!"

"I know you like games," Santa says "But this way, you can invite a friend over to play your side, you use one, they use the other"

And Santa gets hugged, "Even mom will like that!"

"Well," Santa ho ho hos "She's been a good girl too"

Sparrow smiles. She gently encourages the shy boggan teenager (13 is hard!) to approach. "It's okay. Just say hi."

"I'm thirteen" As if apologizing for it

"And? I don't think there's a rule..."

Santa grins "Me too.. that might be in centuries. I lost track..." And santa hands over a package "NOw might be a bit grown up and.."

the right thing to say, the kid snatches it and opens it "A leather jacket? " Stunned

"Short sleeves, Santa deosn't suggest wearing that in summer"

A leather jacket, even a short sleeved one, is bad ass to any teen!

"Oh, fancy! Very rock."

"Uhm.. thanks, Santa."A blush "Do I have to hug you?"

"No.. but a lot of cool people do hug even ones with leather jackets"

The boggan blushes and gives a hug after all

"You're welcome" Santa says

He turns to see Stew "Santa...you won't see her, because she's so tiney, but Ashlee could use a present"

Is Ashlee hiding? Sparrow takes the time to look.

Yes. Yes she is. Her large (For her age) feet are stickihng out behind a tapestry

Sparrow floats over. "Hey." She greets the curtain.

"He'll see me" A panicked whisper

"Why is that bad?"

"Look, people wince when they see me. It's okay. I'm used to it, but if Santa did.. it. .I couldnt'

Santa is closing in on the tapestry

"If Santa did, then he wouldn't be Santa."

"Oh my, is everything okay?" Santa says

"Our Ashlee can be shy..."

"oh. " He nods "it's okay. I understand not everyone wants to see Santa. They feel it ruins the magic."

"Ashlee, I really do think it is safe to come out. Please?"

She peeks out revealing her ugly face

"Not so scary now." Encouraging.

"Sorry" She says

Santa looks at her, and doesn't flinch "There you are."

Grete peers out from behind Ashlee. "Whoa. He really came."

She's not sure if the Baron's nasty nature kept Santa away last year, or if the man just kept any gifts to parcel out as he pleased, but she hasn't seen a gift, oh, since the last time her parents were around in December... last year it was Aruba, and the year before... Fiji maybe?

"2 of you hiding? An old fat man isn't that scary is he?" ho ho ho