#rivervale_lodge

"I think they'd look nice displayed together."

Two smaller items are slid onto the mantle - the chieftain and the Hearth are in discussion with the Mountain as they sip what Symon suspects is doctored cider - let the grumps get tipsy uninterrupted.

A glance to Dagmar. "Did he show up yet?"

"Not yet - no Gerd either. We might have to deliver direct."

"But open youuurrrrsss."

"I guess they might be having a fam X-mas. We can go there later." Symon pulls out a small package, and offers it to Dagmar. "Okay, I'll go first. Whatcha got?"

She hands him a rather large but shallow package.

He makes a gesture as if to shake it, then grins, and slooooowly slides a finger under the edge of the wrapping.... sliding it along... prying up the tape... "Mustn't waste paper, you know..."

"Arrrgh. Tease."

And he obligingly opens it up!

Siv waits and gets out her gift to Symon ready, after those two have exchanged gifts

It's a shadowbox. But Symon might notice a little rattle in the corner...

"I thought, for your minis? You could display the really fancy painted ones..."

He peeeeers.....

In the corner is a little wooden cat, maybe an inch and a half tall.

and GRINS.

"A fitting tribute! Dags, this is amazing. You're getting REALLY good at woodwork. I'm gonna have to step up my minis game to make something worth displaying. And if I put the cat in the top shelf of honor, Lovecraft might not even try to knock them over."

He runs his fingers over it, checking the fit of the shelves the joins, with a craftsmen's eye. "You could sell stuff like this on Etsy. It's better than half the junk some people try to pass off."

It can be hard for some to tell, but his whisper is really pleased!

"Like a talisman, yeah. Smart."

"That's amazing" Siv agrees

"Now you...."

It isn't perfect - but Dag is patient and can focus, so the work is mostly clean.

"Oh, wait." He frowns a bit, and turns it over. Checking the bottom.

"Right, me!"

"..Wait? Is something wrong? I can fix it..."

"You need to add a makers mark. So when I show it off, I can say it's a Dagmar... or Sam King... original."

Purple!

"I'll forgive you. You just fix it before I hang it up. It will be harder to carve once it's on the wall."

She ducks her head. "Kay."

"Now, c'mon."

"Right!"

Dagmar tears paper, the barbarian.

"oh the savage" Siv says ignoring she wasn't gentle with her paper either

Inside is a piece of wood that gleams with glamour... wait, she knows this. A rain stick! No... THE rain stick. Hidden within paper and even a little bow.

"Symon!"

"Mmmmmmyes?" Fingers steepled.

"What's that?" Siv is nosey and .. impressed "it's got like a weather feel to it"

"It's a treasure!"

"It makes rain, like... Symon!"

"It's your treasure. I TOLD you it would be good for bunks."

"It also makes snow or ice, if it's cold enough." He says with a smug grin.

"Shit" Siv says "My gifts to Symon will look like shit now"

then she turns to Dagmar "At least you did something artistic. WAY better than mine"

Then she laughs "Sorry, sorry. Wrong way to think about it"

"Well, it's only, like, ten bucks worth of wood..."

"And we had the stain already..."

"It's the skill of the crafter that makes the material art"

"You like it, though? I knew you wanted that drum. It suits you. But this said Dagmar to me too." And he flushes a little and says, "And it meant I didn't have to buy or make anything, you know? I got to be lazy."

"I love it."