[audio]

[70ftandcounting]

Is...is it over?

[A soft, quiet noise. Not a whimper, not a cry - but maybe the tiniest of sniffles]

Is he gone?

[Bartimaeus was RIGHT.]

Comments

[70ftandcounting]

Well...it's the season of giving, after all - or so I'm told and...

You were nice enough to warn me about Santa, so...I made you something.

[likesfootnotes]

[Not sure if.... sane?]

And what is this thing?

[70ftandcounting]

It's a surprise, silly! It's a gift!

[likesfootnotes]

Ah, the surprise element. You will expect us to meet up in order to process an exchange, no doubt?

[CAUTION ACTIVATED; Y SO NICE. Humans are never nice - they are self-serving, unless they are young Egyptians named Ptolemy.]

[70ftandcounting]

Well...yes! Of course! I can't stuff it through the book...

[likesfootnotes]

[There is a loooong pause before he responds. Meet'n'greets are not typically good things, you see. Poof into existence, meet a brand new magician, get stuck doing something inane, like retrieving the gold-plated soother of Alexander the Great.]

If you insist. When and where?

[70ftandcounting]

[Sheesh, she's wondering if she said something wrong!]

Well, how about now? I can...I can come to you, if you like!

[likesfootnotes]

[Not you, just the hundreds of humans that came before you!]

Let's keep it neutral.

[Where there will be no summoning circles or discoveries of where he resides.]

I'll meet you at the inner gates. But be careful, the New Year's Baby can be twice as mean.

[70ftandcounting]

O-oh...alright! I'll be there in just a moment!

[Barty you are not scaring her with that crap anymore. B|]

[likesfootnotes]

[audio-->commentlog]

[And, wouldn't you know it, but Bartimaeus considered making his appearance as terrible New Year's Baby - just to test that disembodied resolve.

But, there's a time for everything and he'll save the baby for a better time.

Instead, have one strapping young Egyptian waiting at the rendezvous point.]

[70ftandcounting]

[And here's a Rapunzel, holding a little parcel as she paces there, waiting for hi,.

She waves.]

Bartimaeus?

[likesfootnotes]

[Warning: Expressions are not quite as facetious as icons make it appear.

Bartimaeues approaches her, but not before making making a point to study the ground for signs of wayward pentacles.

As it appears clear, he quirks a self-assured smile.]

Of Uruk, no less!

And you are my staunchest supporter against the evils of the Claus?

[70ftandcounting]

Where's Uruk...?

[Looks incredibly puzzled.]

I--I am! Yes! Rapunzel. IT's so nice to meet you in person!

[likesfootnotes]

Elsewhere, according to Deior - but he, like every magician beore him, likes to be overdramatic about such things.

[Bartimaeus waves the comment away - he will inspire awe with his age and experiences later. Maybe a whole five minutes from now? Such a terribly long time to wait, he knows.]

In terribly aching essence, at least. But, it's good to see a fellow crusader that has survived the holiday season, as loathsome as it can be.

[70ftandcounting]

Oh.

[Elsewhere. It's not like she'd know much about it anyway -- all things considered. She was fairly sheltered.]

I...did. It's never been...this awful before. I mean, this time of year with Mother was always pretty quiet -- nothing bad ever happened. Not like it does here.

[likesfootnotes]

[Rapunzel, it's a roundabout compliment to assume that you know nothing. See, Uruk was a thriving place... five thousand years ago. If you'd been there, you'd be OLD and did you want him calling you OLD?]

That's the risk of the world! Sad, but true; there's always someone out there to take advantage of you if you show the slightest worth.

[This is what plagues him. ALAS, HOW TERRIBLE.

...but, you were very helpful and rather nice about it, so Bartimaeus might be feeling a bit like he could be nice to you (since there are no pentacle or silver signs that he can see offhand - and, by offhand, he means on the seven planes).]

Buck up, you have a year before HE comes back. Plenty of time to prepare against it.

Plus, you have me on your side - in a sense.

[70ftandcounting]

Really? Is the outside world really so bad? I thought…that maybe…
 
[It wasn’t. Or, at least maybe it wasn’t as bad as Mother made it out to be. She’d met so many wonderful people here and made so many amazing friends, that Rapunzel had really begun to harbor a sliver of hope for the world outside her tower.
 
…She’s also learning not to believe everything people tell her. Or at least, she’s trying that on for size. She’s tired of being perceived as naïve and stupid.]
 
At least next time the…octopus Santa comes, I’ll be ready.
 
[She smile brightly, and perks a little.]
 
Well, you have me on your side, too. So at least we’ll never be alone.
 
Oh--!
 
[She holds out the package, wrapped up in a pretty velvet covered box.]
 
Merry…um, Christmas?

[likesfootnotes]

[Never be alone? Rapunzel, that is cute and Bartimaeus actually does not call you on that wee little detail called "your natural lifespan" being quite short compared to his.

What he does do, however, is stare rather suspiciously at the package before very carefully taking it.]

You, of course, mean that as in the spirit of everything that's not Santa. You didn't happen to employ little children to make this, did you?

[Otherwise, they could having words about certain sweet fairytale princesses - oh, yes, he's seen the hair and he knows stories about ridiculously long-haired maidens and many things that could entail (usually a national shortage of scissors).

Bartimaeus does give her the benefit of the doubt by carefully opening it.]

[70ftandcounting]

[Well. If you want to get technical, theoretically Rapunzel could keep herself alive for hundreds of years with her hair -- it's how her mother does it, after all!]

W-what?! No! No, of course not!

[When he opens it, he'll be holding a deep, deep purple quilt with gold sunbursts on it.]

[likesfootnotes]

[Bartimaeus has wit and sarcasm readied upon his Ptolemy lips, sharpened to tease her a bit further in this strange meeting of djinni and human.

Then he sees the quilt.

...

Congratulatios, Rapunzel. You are one of the few humans that have made him momentarily speechless.]

That's... unexpected.

[70ftandcounting]

[She fidgets, watching him carefully, twisting her hair in her hands.]

Do...

Do you like it? I could do another -- different colors, if you don't like the color? Or a different design!

[likesfootnotes]

Don't be ridiculous. It's quite... nice. I suppose.

[Baritmaeus has shaken it out and, quite possibly, suddenly grown the foot or so he needs to ensure that no portion of it hits the ground.

His expression, typically, guarded, but little hints of shock, surprise, and perhaps gratitude are flickering here and there as he looks at it.]

You're sure that you made this without any slaves or spirits?

[Hey, he needs to sound a little bit jaded - for posterity.]

[70ftandcounting]

[She brightens at that, and fidgets by busying her hands with her dress.]

I made it all by myself. I promise.

[She says this very seriously.]

[likesfootnotes]

[Rapunzel has neared painful levels of adorable and Bartimaeus is NOT SURE IF CAN WANT OR HUMAN WRY SO NICE. His expression almost reads that way, until he coughs and gets it back on track.]

Then I have no choice but to accept it.

[Oh, how it pains him - according to the drama in his voice.]

I suppose you'll be wanting a great thank you and some temple in return now?

[He scrutinizes her briefly.]

...thanks.

But there'll be no temples today.

[70ftandcounting]

[She gives him a confused look, and tucks her hair behind her ears.]

Nooo...I don't need anything in return. Especially not a temple.

[She smiles.]

But -- the thank you is nice.