Here comes santa claus!

[callmeemily]

The holiday this year is so incredibly different than the last.

Last year? Raleigh was holed up in the boarding house, no one in 300 miles but her shitty boss knew her name, and she was so poor that she was eating rice, beans, and leftovers from the Seaside bakery.

This year, everything's changed. Orchard House is chugging along astoundingly well; Raleigh puts in long hours, but it's paying off. She's been able to hire somebody else to work the register, she's getting custom orders - the whole thing. She has friends. Honest to god friends, and she's got enough money that she's actually got presents for people. For a lot of people - it's a mix of cookies and things, but there's a little something for everybody piled on the table in the back corner, and one mass-text later she's humming through the bakery, music playing from the speakers, warm cider in a carafe, and everything's warm and cozy.

She looks at it, at this business that she's made with the help of this whole town, and she can't help but smile. Tonight? Spending tonight with friends and found-family? That's what this whole thing's about.

Gathering post! Raleigh will tag everyone who tags in, but feel free to tag one another, too. :) It's up to you if they have gotten a text, or just heard the music and seen the crowd. Everyone'll get something!

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[davin]

Davin has just gotten out of the shower, skin still pink from scrubbing engine grease from his skin, and is in the process of dropping down onto his couch with a sigh when his phone chimes. He closes his eyes in exhaustion and looks over at it for a long minute before finally reaching over to grab it. The text is from Raleigh, and it's a mass text, but she's still inviting him over.

He takes just a moment to rest, bones heavy with exhaustion, and then heaves himself off of the sofa. It doesn't take him long to get ready and he grabs the little gift he got for her, wrapped up in a neat little box, and heads out.

He'd done the bulk of his Christmas shopping online while stuck in bed, and he'd just finished all the wrapping the night before. He was so tired that at one point he woke up on the floor with his cheek stuck to a piece of wrapping paper, but he got it done.

The bakery looks amazing and a bill jingles as Davin pushes the door open, and he doesn't even think twice before slipping behind the counter to pour himself a cup of coffee. He doesn't think she'll mind, considering how familiar he is with being behind the counter at a bakery, and he doesn't want to make her do more work.

"Hey, lamb," Davin says as he dumps a little sugar in his coffee and comes over to her, setting the small gift box down in front of her. "Merry Christmas."

[callmeemily]

"Davin!" She beams up at him, and she's pushing herself out of her chair, and she hugs him - carefully, just so that she doesn't mess up his ribs or anything - but she's smiling widely - and that's when she realised there's a box on the table, and her eyes widen. "You didn't-" She pauses, because she can't exactly say that and not have something for him, but she does have something for him, and it's pretty quick to snag it off the pile so she can press the box into Davin's hand. "Merry Christmas, yourself - I didn't know if you'd make it, I totally would have played Santa if you weren't feeling up to it!"

[davin]

"Hey, you." He hugs her back, squeezing a little tighter when he notices that she's going easy on him. Sure, he's healing a lot faster than a human would thanks to his potions, but she wouldn't know that. "No need. I've already been back at work for awhile. I'm a little sore an' a lot tired, but damn near good as new."

He blinks down at the present in surprise and picks it up with a fond smile. Davin loves giving presents, but he doesn't really expect anything in return. It's not that he thinks his friends aren't the gift giving type, but he isn't really used to getting gifts on Christmas.

In the neatly wrapped little box for Raleigh is a necklace that he got off of Etsy, which is where he picked up a lot of gifts for his female friends this year. It's a silver pendant shaped like an apple pie, complete with lattice topping, and a small charm with an R on it. It seemed fitting for her, master baker and new business owner. He just hopes she likes it.

[callmeemily]

Her eyes search his face for a second to make sure that he really really is alright, but she nods once in a definitive sort of Yes, this is how this should be way. "Good! Good." She chews on her lip for a second, and nods over to one of the couches that's tucked into the corner - she found it at one of the resale shops, and traded a couple of birthday cakes for the owner's kids for it. Once they sit down, Raleigh sets her cocoa on the table, and then looks at the gift box in her hands.

She wants to absurdly ask if she should open it, but instead - because that's silly - she nods to him. "Open yours first," she's trying not to look all nervous about it - mostly because if he doesn't like it, she doesn't want it to be super all over her face or anything, but she still is really hoping she gets good presents for people, this year.

It's not a huge box - there's a set of whiskey stones in a nice glass, and four nips of Jameson, because she'd actually tried to have a budget this year, as ridiculous as it sounds. she'd gone from nothing to having actual friends to buy for, but... she doesn't know if he'd take it well, because the last thing she meant to imply was that all she knew about him was that he liked to drink. "It's because of the whole... Irish thing, and I know you like it?" She said it as he opened, and she's just... waiting, sort of.

[davin]

"Alright." He smiles and looks down at the package in his lap, admiring the nice wrapping before slipping his finger under the tape. He lights up once he realizes what it is and lets out a pleased laugh, dumping the stones in his palm to get a look at them. "This is awesome, Raleigh, thanks. I always take mine neat 'cause I hate it watered down, so this is really cool."

He leans over and kisses her cheek before packing everything back into the box and jerking his chin towards the package in her hands. "Your turn."

[callmeemily]

She smiles brightly when he seems to like it, unable to help the way she laughs when he pours out the stones. "It took a while for me to realise why you'd want to put rocks in your drink, but the internet helped me out." She bites her lip and looks down at the box in her hands - she's not really used to gifts; Spencer and Joel have been helping some in that regard, but growing up there'd not been much-- so this kind of thing is definitely unexpected and special.

She opens it carefully - she's not a rip-into-paper kind of person unless she has to be, but her brows shoot up when she uncovers what's clearly a jewelry box, and then she just lights up like a Christmas tree when she opens it. "This is awesome!" She looks at it a little closer, and she beams up at him. "This is beautiful, thank you so much! It's- It's just gorgeous," she can't help the way she's smiling, and she unwraps it from the card it's on so she can put it on.

[davin]

"Yeah? Ya like it?" Davin grins and feels a little relieved. He's never really had to buy gifts for girls before, but now he has a lot of wonderful female friends that deserve awesome presents, and he's glad he seems to have made the right choice. "Do ya need help?"

He takes the necklace from her and waits for her to turn around and lift her hair. He brings it around her neck and eyeballs the little clasp before finally just using his magic to clasp it together while no one is looking. "There, all set."

She turns and he smiles at her, looking back down at his gift happily. "You'll have t'come over for a drink sometime."

[callmeemily]

"I really, really do," she says with a smile, and once he does the clasp, she touches it at her neck. "It's really sweet of you, seriously. Thank you so much." Nobody's ever gotten her jewelry, and she hadn't really expected any from Davin. She's glad - of course she's glad, he's sweet as can be for getting it for her.

She's happy, too, that he seems to be happy with his gift. "I'm really glad you like it! Really glad." She beams at him, more than a little thrilled that things seemed to work out so well. "I'll totally come over, you just tell me when."

[davin]

"Aw, it was no problem. I'm glad ya like it." He smiles at her and reaches over to pat her knee. "Ya have my number. Just text me sometime an' we'll hang out."

He smiles and then turns around to take in the shop, nodding impressively. "People really like this place, y'know. You're doin' a great job."

[callmeemily]

"I will! And I do. Really." She smiles at him, and then looks around the shop with him, rubbing her arms because suddenly she's got goosebumps. "Yeah, I... I sort of think they do," she said as she scrunched her nose. "It's so weird to say it, or even think of it like that - I mean, in the beginning, I sort of thought I had business because I had friends in town, you know? But like... most of the people who come in... I don't even know them, it's totally crazy."

[davin]

"I kinda know what ya mean," Davin says with a smile. "I mean, I don't own the shop, but it's pretty much mine, y'know? An' it's always busy. People ask for me by name, tell their friends about me. It's surreal."

He notices her shiver and presses in closer. "Maybe we're just really good at what we do, huh?"

[callmeemily]

She flushes, ducking her head, but she nods and looks over at him, her lips quirking in a smile. "Maybe you're right. Maybe... we are."

She leans her head on his shoulder for a second, before she sighs, sitting up again. "That's actually a really good thing to hear for Christmas, so... I'm glad."

[davin]

"Happy t'help," he says with a soft chuckle, kissing the top of her head when she rests against his shoulder. "Now, ya got a whole shop full o' friends an' fans. Can I help ya at all?"

[callmeemily]

"Just hang out and have a good time? That's pretty much all I want." She's telling the truth when she says that - it's pretty much her goal, that people really, truly like being here. That they think of this as home away from home.

[davin]

"Now that I can do, darlin'." He winks and leans back against the counter, his coffee mug resting on his thigh with his long fingers curled around the handle. "But really, let m'know if ya need anythin'. I'm happy t'do it."

[starsfallen]

"Davin?" Raleigh has gone off to mingle about the room, and Corry sips a mug of warm cider, looking for a friendly face. The one she finds may not yet be a friend, but she has not seen him since the cave and its great to see him looking far less - well, how they all looked. Desperate and desolate and barely clinging to hope.

"It's Davin, right?" She shines a smile his way, tipping her mug to him. "Merry Christmas."

[davin]

Davin turns at the sound of his name and is a little surprised to see Corrine. They had only talked a little during that whole thing with the kidnapping and he hasn't seen her since everyone was found safe, but that isn't surprising. They don't exactly run in the same circles. "Aye, that's me. Merry Christmas t'ya as well, Corrine. How'vw ya been?"