A Tropical Thanksmas (Thanksmas 2023)

[bc56]

This is not the normal sort of place to hold a Thanksmas party.
Not because of the host; Sekhmet Brignole, queen of the Scorching Depths, loves Thanksmas. An unusual trait for a demon queen, sure, but one she's held her entire life.
Not because the venue is unsuitable; Brignole Manor, a three-story mansion in the middle of picturesque forest has plenty of space both inside and out.
But because of the weather, because said mansion happens to be located in a tropical forest on a beautiful tropical isle, only a short walk from pristine white sand beaches. It's always hot and humid here, better weather for swimsuits than fur coats.

But Sekhmet is determined to do this well and do it right. A reasonable payment to a weather mage ensures one of the island's frequent rainstorms will not interrupt the festivities. A native palm tree rather than a foreign conifer has been decorated with festive lights and baubles and a pile of gifts underneath. There's a Santa throne set up, albeit unoccupied for now. And of course there are all sorts of festive refreshments ready for hungry visitors, just inside the house so that the bugs don't get to them. Everything else is outside on the lawn or on the sand.

There's also staff on hand. The majority are golems decorated with tinsel, lights, and ribbons, serving mindlessly at their appointed tasks (from delivering refreshments to cleaning up messes), but for those things that require a human (or at least sentient) touch, a few of the more trustworthy succubi have been released from the Depths to help with the celebrations. They're wearing... About as much as they ever would, but at least they have an excuse; fur-lined robes would be hellish in this weather. They've styled themselves as reindeer by shapeshifting antlers, hooves, and red noses, and their costumes are adorned with jingling bells.

And the queen and hostess of the event is there, of course, dressed in a long, red dress lined with white fur that should be far too hot for this weather (a little magic alleviates that). She's busy putting the finishing touches on a wreath hanging on the manor door, her barbed tail swinging rhythmically to the beat of the festive music. Thanksmas is her favorite holiday and she's having a great time even before the guests are arriving.

Mary's around here too somewhere, wearing a Santa hat and riding on the stone puma she got last Thanksmas, since walking still hurts. Her staff lies across her knees in case she needs it. She's mostly watching from afar but maybe if some of her friends from PREP show up, she'll join in.

[Rebonack]

Of course the Vallarm family had heard about all this well in advance. Khannie still stops by regularly on the weekends for their O&O games and there's no chance in heck she's going to miss a big party at her best friend's house. She's made some preparations, too. As in gifts! She's really racked her brain on this one and she's pretty sure she's got something extra cool for all her friends this year.

It turns out there's a reason why Mary is off by herself riding around on a stone puma rather than having her sister Bella following her around like a shadow. Bella's felt like her sis needs a little space and honestly that's how it goes sometimes. Even sisters and best friends can become sore company after too long and Bella didn't want Mary to feel smothered. Last night she had left with the Fox so she could return with Khannie-
-and help with the last minute giftwork.

All is going according to plan!

Thus, Khannie will be disembarking from one of the first little golem-driven boats that arrives, her cloven hooves splashing into the shallow water. She's really taken a liking to what's she's been calling 'faun-mode'. She doesn't illusion over her lower body, nor her ears, nor her horn. It leaves her looking like an extra purple member of the Frescot clan, honestly. But there's a good reason for it! Her hind hooves have broadened out, the dew-claws reaching all the way to ground to make it perfectly comfortable to walk purely on her hind-legs with her tail as a balance aid. It also means improved hearing and direct access to her unicorn magic. BUT! Keeping the illusion of her human upper body means fingers AND human vocal cords. While her front hooves are dexterous to grip objects they absolutely do NOT stack up to real(shadow illusion) hands.

Khannie strides ashore, her hooves leaving shadows of hoofprints in her wake rather than anything physical. Just one of those unicorn oddities. In place of her almost ever-present cap she instead has her enormous poofy ponytail done up in a long braid and a little headband with fake reindeer antlers on. To stave off the warm weather she's got on a pair of jean-shorts and with a little slot and button-strap for her tail. The shorts are short enough that about half her shadow-magic glyph is visible on her otherwise purple fur. For a top she's got a light and airy Thanksmas-green button-up shirt covered in white pictures of Thanksmas trees. She's wearing her backpack, too, heavily loaded down with gifts. And of course her extra fancy watch containing her digital not-dog. Maridia is riding on her shoulder dutifully rather than flying off to immediately get into trouble.

She young unicorn doesn't make it too far onto the property, just out of the water actually, when she spots one of the succubus servers walking past in a somewhat questionable reindeer-themed outfit.

"Ugh."

Khannie pulls off her antler-headband in distaste and shoves it in her pack.

Yeah, she doesn't feel like associating with that.

Whatever. She's still going to have fun even if the succubus have gotta make everything weird.

She turns back toward the boat with a little prance, her tail swishing behind her. She had let Blue tie a red and gold Thanksmas ribbon with some little jingle-bells onto the end and like heck she's going to take THAT off. No way. The cute ribbon's gunna stay! Now! Time to see who's gunna jump off the boat next.

[[brackets lover]]

Asami enters the party looking innocent, the hot weather allowing her to actually unzip her jacket and show off her Sonic The Hedgehog T-shirt underneath it. She brought her backpack with her and would likely be holding hands with her nerd friend, Darko, if he'd let her. Excited, she takes a glance around the room, looking for anything that seems fun.

[quillpleasant]

Darko is indeed here, and happy to hold hands with Asami (with perhaps a little wariness that she might turn on him at any moment). His other hand is holding his black canvas sack over his shoulder, which is more full than usual on account of the presents it contains. Earlier that morning he had made the realization that this mode of transport made him look like a bit of a holiday elf, and choosing to embrace that, he's now wearing a long red stocking cap, adding some festive cheer to his usual black tshirt and jeans. It's probably too hot to be wearing the hat, but that simply won't stop him.

He's also gawking around, having never been to a tropical island before. And there sure is a lot to take in here. "Woah, I've never seen a real golem before!" He considers. "Or a palm tree, actually."

[Reinholdt]

The soft ringing of a bell, the belly full of laughter, and the pulling of a sleigh. Raven Ebondark arrives, her reindeer dressed mechazombies dragging her sleigh through the sand while her trademark laugh rings out. "NYAHAHAHA!!" The CEO of the Black Abyss corporation is dressed primarily in reds and blacks this time, a mix of gothic chic and festive wear. Rose's suggestions on where to loosen the lolita dress to help it breathe were accepted and the umbrella the catgirl holds above her shields her from the worst of the sun.

She dances out of the vehicle, skipping along, the single bell tied to her tail announcing her presence wherever she goes. Raven makes a beeline straight for the Santa Throne, alighting upon it in the most needlessly dramatic fashion possible. "Rejoice, peasants! For I, Raven Ebondark: Empress of Thanksmas (and Everything Else), have once again graced your presence for these auspicious holidays. Come! Sit upon my lap and deliver your tribute! Bring me your presents!" It appears no one in the last three years has bothered to correct her on how Thanksmas and Santa works.

*****

A much less vocal catgirl is also here. The blue tailed Reina is wandering the nearby beach, appreciating the softness of the sand beneath her feet. Slow walks are about all she can do, clearly several months pregnant and looking overdue. Such is the price of carrying triplets, alas. A large maternity Thanksmas outfit covers her, patterned with cats and Thanksmas trees and candy canes in what isn't quite symmetry. For now, she simply appreciates the long, slow walk on the beach.

[Morty]

As is traditional, the Thanksmas area is visited by fluffy wolves. They do certainly look and feel out of place in this tropical setting, but they're nonetheless available for being pet and ruffled. Their owner is trying to stay in the shade and have a cold drink on hand.

Meanwhile, while it might be Sekhmet's favorite holiday, her perhaps least-favorite person (who isn't her mother) is also here. Hiep feels right at home in this climate, which is just like home. She's wearing her straw hat, a top that exposes her stomach and shorts, as well as her usual sandals. She strolls up to Santa's throne with a large drink in hand.

"Isn't it the other way around? If you sit here, you give presents."

[[brackets lover]]

"You're not alone there, though golems aren't too hard to make." she says as she and Darko walk, a wacky situation immediately unfolding before their eyes. "Down with monarchy!" she exclaims while cupping her hands around her mouth, looking in Raven's direction.

[Reinholdt]

"You'd like that to be true, wouldn't you? But I can assure you, proper tribute is made to the person sitting on the throne, not the other way around. Now get in the spirit of Thanksmas and gimme." Raven looks at Hiep expectantly, waiting for the midriff loving sidereal to understand the meaning of the season and provide Raven Ebondark, Empress of Everything, with a gift. She won't relinquish the throne until she gets at least one!

The gothic Lolita nekomancer even motions vaguely towards Asami. "See? She gets it. Probably plotting a revolution as we speak like a proper peasant. Hating your superiors is only natural." There's a thick nod of approval of Asami's disapproval.

[quillpleasant]

"Is monarchy... bad?" Darko really doesn't know. Politics in general are a total mystery to him. "One of the Wizards calls himself a king but I think it's just a title, it's not real royalty."

But regardless of the morals of monarchy, Darko did come here prepared. He's brought lots of presents, and if someone's asking for one, who is he to say no? Pausing his gait, he rummages through his bag and pulls out the first gift he sees, a small box wrapped in black paper, tied with a silver ribbon.

"Oh, this one's from the Prophet, lucky. Here you go your majesty!" He tosses the package underhanded towards Raven, slowly enough that it should be an easy catch.

[Earl of Purple]

Also here, to mingle with his wife, is Prumathe. He's a dark-skinned man with green eyes, muscular in the way of builders and stonemasons, wearing a loose, Hawaiian-type shirt printed with a bauble design and a pair of shorts. Mary's probably pretty familiar with his collection of Hawaiian shirts, though this is the first time he's worn this one.

Elsewhere is Agate. The twelve-year-old dwarf girl has dusky skin and metallic copper hair, and she's wearing a light summer's dress of green fabric and a matching Santa hat, a pretty silver ring on her finger with a red-orange gem set in it.

[Keeper]

Koshal was invited to come by Khannie so he came, even if this is...a little problematic. His winter coat is starting to grow in and now she's invited him to a tropical holiday? They're just going to have to forgive him for dressing for the beach. He's going to go find some water almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Khannie's father is having a similar issue. It turns out being a majestic mythical creature doesn't make you immune to heat. Especially when you are a mythical creature like a unicorn that is notably covered in a thick coat of hair. Even the little santa hat that Zebes stuck on his head is a little stifling. Not that anyone would be able to really see his discomfort; the Unicorn of the Bluewood appears to be as majestic and inspiring as ever.

[Rebonack]

Gunna be honest, Khannie's winter coat is growing in as well. Her legs and tail definitely look poofier than they did a month ago. That's why she's wearing a breezy shirt and some shorts. And of course no shoes.

But when you have hooves are shoes even really needed?

Aren't shoes basically just artificial hooves?

Khannie sure thinks so.

Lotsa folks with hooves end up getting little shoes anyone for walking in town on all those rocks, but Khannie is fortunate enough to have a light step. So light she doesn't leave any physical footprints! She doesn't even disturb the sand as she walks through it save for the shadows of hoofprints left behind. The big upside here is that she doesn't have to trudge at all in the sand.

Well ANYWHO people are arriving. Some she recognizes. Others not so much. And she's gunna start giving out some Thanksmas gifts she's been working on here and now.

To start with?

She prances over to her father (Maridia managing to cling tenaciously to her) and pulls a torq that looks like it's literally made out of solid shadows to place it around his neck. He'll immediately feel a pleasant cool spreading over him, as if he were standing in a nice shady spot with a soft breeze. "Merry Thanksmas, dad," she says, leaning in to give him a kiss on his nose. "I heard aheada time it was gunna be really hot so I've been working on some cool gifts."

Oh no. A pun.

For Zebes, there is a tiny box! One small enough for him to easily carry. If shaken is sounds suspiciously like plastic parts jostling around. "Merry Thanksmas, uncle Zebes. I'm gunna go say hi to my friends, okay?"

Then she's off!

Darko and Asami appear to be busy shouting at tyrants right now so she decides to wave at Koshal, wading out into the water. Her wet fur doesn't diffract light quite as it does when it's dry, removing the purple iridescence and leaving it a dusty dark grey. "Hey Koshal! You made it! Here, I made you a gift for Thanksmas!"

She fishes another black torq out of her pack, though this one is clearly sized for a minotaur rather than a unicorn.

[[brackets lover]]

Asami raises an eyebrow at Darko. "You know, Darko, the way you talk about the wizards only makes them seem even more suspicious."

Unfortunately, Darko seems intent on playing into the Empress' demands. This leaves Asami with the difficult choice of splintering off from him, where she then notices Agate from a distance.

Asami pulls a present out of her bag and takes a few step towards Agate and then a few steps away. Asami was shuffling her feet awkwardly and blushing, turning away from Agate. Finally, Asami winces hard and throws the present in Agate's direction at a stunning speed. While the present was light, it was thrown hard enough to thump her head back a few inches. Should she check the object that hit her, she'd find it wrapped with pink wrapping paper with a thanksmas lights pattern. It also had a tag on it reading "To: Dumb Loser :)".

Asami turns her back on Agate and whistles innocently.

[Morty]

Oh, hey. These kids are from PREP. They shouldn't recognize her, but then she's been surprised before. Hiep looks between Darko and Raven.

"Does it mean you'll have to give a present to whoever sits here next?"

[bc56]

Host and Hostess
Sekhmet finishes hanging the wreath and turns to her husband. She has a candy cane clenched in her teeth; she needed both hands to work. She takes it out and reaches out with her other hand to give Prumathe a quick squeeze. "There. What do you think?" A succubus in a reindeer costume jingles past behind her, ruining the moment. "I'm glad we were able to do this."

By the Seashore
As the pregnant cat is walking on the sand, another cat arrives. This one is a stone golem in the shape of a puma, and it's carrying a teenage demonic girl sidesaddle on its back. She bids her mount into the surf and dangles her feet into the water.
She sits there for a few minutes and then. "Oh. Sorry, am I in your way?"

[bc56]

Additional Arrivals
It's my thread and I can double-post if I want to!

Currently arriving are a man and his fox. Or a fox and her human. Whatever. Jade and Jason Fisher. Twins except she's a redheaded, voluptuous, nine-tailed fox girl and he's a brown-haired human and also more than a head taller.
"I'm just saying, that's not Thanksmas attire,"
"I'm not wearing fur. I already have all this fur and trust me, it doesn't feel good in this heat." Jade gestures at her tails, "Sun and sand? This is bikini weather, Thanksmas or not." True to her word, that's what she's wearing, colored more "spring green" than "Thanksmas green."
"You could just wear a T-shirt. Like I did." Jason is dressed in shorts and a red T-shirt with a picture of a pine tree on it.
"Tropical beach. Warm sun. I have a beach towel right here. I'm going to sunbathe. And for that, I need a bikini.

---

Another pair of people also arrive, from the direction of the swamp. They're lizard folk, one older and more muscular, the other younger and more wiry. Neither has any especially Thanksmassy apparel.
One of the reindeer-succubi jingles past as they're emerging from the jungle, and the older lizard yanks the younger into the underbrush. An argument ensues in their native tongue.
<Hey! What!?>
<This place is crawling with demons!>
<Yeah? It's being hosted by a demon queen.>
<WHAT!? Why didn't you tell me this!?>
<Because I figured you'd react like this. I know you don't watch the news, but she's supposed to be harmless. Her daughter goes to my school. Nothing to worry about.>
<You've fallen for demon tricks! You can't trust them! We need to leave, now!>
Of course this not-very-hushed argument isn't very concealed and could probably attract more attention than the passing succubus who's now staring at the lizards' hiding place quizzically.

[Gullara]

Eliseo rolls into the party dressed for the occasion. He's not very far travelled, so a warm Thanksmas is a brand new experience. He's come prepared, though. Swim trunks, a half unbuttoned flower patterned shirt, big sunglasses shielding his eyes, flipflops. The shirt in particular is a clashing combination of red and green. His very pale skin looks like it might burst into flame at any moment, so a generous dose of sunscreen is the order of the day.

He's not alone either! He walks along side his... girlfriend? Right? "So, like, how much do you actually know about Thanksmas anyway?" He asks, continuing from an earlier chat.

[Arkhosia]

The girl that accompanies Eliseo is dressed much the same, decked out in bright blue board shorts and a bikini top to match that complements her warm skin well. An oversized floral-print shirt hangs open to cut a blocky silhouette and a pair of chunky sunglasses complete the look, perched up on the top of a head of orange hair pulled into a simple ponytail.

"Dunno, I mean - I remember how it all worked back home, I guess?" Scarlet looks about at all the sand and tinsel, feeling mildly out of her element. "Eat good food, cozy up by the fire, unwrap a ton of presents you totally didn't sneakily watch your father wrap the night before. Never got to actually go to one of these parties myself." She favors Eliseo with a fanged smile. "Think I remember Nadia telling Ana some pretty cute stuff about you going to them though."

[Meowmai]

Yet more people join the party! A new figure steps onto the beach, hulking in form, a grin full of sharp teeth wide on her face. This person is a Kholo, a gnoll from the jungles of the Mwangi Expanse, and a shining Champion of Sarenrae! Not that anyone would likely be able to tell at a glance. She is at least obviously a warrior. Ginger stands at over 7 feet tall, muscled body adorned with scars, most notably one running diagonally across her nose and alarmingly close to her left eye. Her fur is yellowed, hence her name- and covered in dark spots. A darker blonde mane runs from her messy hair down her spine. Her usual armor and weapons have been cast aside for the party, Ginger instead dressed in a simple off-white tunic and baggy dark shorts. Her holy symbol of Sarenrae, a little wooden statue of the goddess, does dangle from her neck though. Despite the simple outfit, she has taken at least a couple steps to dress for the occassion. A pair of sunglasses- her new favourite accessory since leaving Golarion- adorns her head, and a necklace made of flowers much like a lei joins her holy symbol.

Ginger looks around, tilting up her sunglasses and taking in the atmosphere with a whistle. The hot weather aint so bad despite her coat of fur- she grew up in horribly humid jungles, after all, so this is basically like home. It is very hard to not notice the demon at the door of the manor, and her eyebrows shoot up for a moment. But then she shrugs. Off-duty, not her problem. She's just here to party. Who knows, maybe the demon is nice and donates to child charities or something. And so she moves on, immediately searching for the alcohol. It's not often she in her line of work has an excuse to cut loose and get wasted!

[Reinholdt]

[Before the Thanksmas Throne]

"Nyahahaha!! Don't be ludicrous." Raven finds the mere concept Hiep puts forward hilarious. "Whoever sits here next is but a pale imitation of the Superior Santa that is Raven Ebondark! That I allow them to- ooo present! Thank you citizen!"

Raven half-catches half-fumbles the present in the air for a half second before landing on the catch it side of the fence. It was close though. She tears into the wrapping, heedless of its beauty or the care Darko may have put into it, interested only in the prize hidden beneath.

[By the Seashore]

"Oh no, not all," Reina is quick to assure the teenage demon. "If anything, I would be in the way." She gives a little laugh, putting a hand on her own belly and trying to ignore the back pain.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to leer. It's just not often that you see a golem like that. Wizards are surprisingly uncreative when it comes to shapes. Usually so blocky and human-like. This one's much nicer though." Reina, the catgirl, thinks cats are cool. "I'm Reina."

[Keeper]

Oh, thank you Khannie. Kissing her dad on the nose results in her getting a gentle poke with it afterwards. Jace misses being able to hug his daughter but he makes do.
”Go have fun, kid.” Zebes snickers. Given the size of the box (Zebes is smol) is sounds an awful lot like clickety-clack math rocks.

And then Koshal! Koshal also happily accepts the gift.
”Oh, thanks Khannie. Here.” He passes her a small package from his bag. Inside is a delicate thing akin to a bracelet made mostly of bronze.
”Um. Where I’m from it’s traditional for girls to decorate their horns. I didn’t know if unicorns um. Do that. So I asked for something adjustable.” Shopping for Master Wenomir is SO much easier. At least since Khannie doesn’t have two horns he only had to get one thing.

Meanwhile!

Ginger will find a strange sight as she progresses into the party. A Golarion unicorn! Kinda. A slender equine the size of a riding pony with cloven hooves and a long tail and a gently curved horn. He certainly fits the description aside from the fact that he’s very blue with a blue-silver mane and a series of arcane symbols in his coat. And the fact that he’s wearing a Santa hat.

”Hello, champion of Sarenrae.” comes a man’s voice as the unicorn waves his horn as she passes. She can probably recognize a basic Ghost Sound spell. Horses can’t talk after all. He sounds deeply amused. From the snickering of the tiny metallic dragon on his back, they both are.

[Rebonack]

Khannie definitely knows the sorts of things her uncle likes. The box contains several soapstone icosahedrons she had found! The numbers on the twenty faces are in all Roman numerals but they're still pretty neat.

She also knows the sorts of things her dad likes but this was much more of a targeted gift. She's well aware that using her shadow magic to cool herself down has been an important component of being floofy, especially when she comes over to Mary's place to visit. It seemed only reasonable to make something similar for her dad!

And he could totally hug her! A horse hug involves draping one's neck across the other horse. Of course neither of them are horses but you know.

But then, over there! She'll let her dad mingle with the other adults at the party.

Should Koshal put the torc on the effect will be more or less identical to the other she had made; it'll cool Koshal off as if he were in the shade of a nice tree with a gentle breeze. Of course, being under an ACTUAL tree would help too.

Khannie takes the little box and opens it up and WOW her eyes go wide! "Holy heck this is really pretty!" Khannie says, taking it out and grinning at it. She recognizes the design from a buncha old rings and bracelets she's found in her studies. Just a loop of polished metal with pretty etchings that isn't joined at the ends. That way it can be bent bigger or smaller to fit different sized fingers or wrists.

Obviously this one is more horn sized.

"Haha, I dunno if they do either but I guess I will?" Khannie says, squeezing the ring a big so it won't slip all the way to the base of her horn. She scoots it about a third of the way down to where ribbing on her horn prevents it from going any further. "Actually some of the unicorns at Carousel Court wore horn rings when I was visiting. Horn bracelets? Whatever you call 'em. I'm only half equestrian but close enough, right?"

A thought rattles around in the back of her head. Is this a like thing? Like, usually boys only get jewelry for girls they LIKE, right? Or maybe for their mom. Or is this platonic friendship jewelry?

[bc56]

By the Seashore
"Thanks. My da made it for me," Mary replies, "He made all the golems for the party, he's really good at it." Mary is unsurprised that Reina likes cats. She likes cats too, just not enough to be one. "I'm Mary."

[Earl of Purple]

Agate wasn't looking in Asami's direction when the present was thrown, and was in fact turning to look at a palm tree. So it hits her solidly in the back of the head and makes her stumble, before the dwarf turns and picks it up. She turns it over and reads the label, frowning at the address. Someone thinks she's a dumb loser? Well, that depends on what it is, so she'll start to open it.

[Keeper]

”I mean I call ‘em rings even if they aren’t technically. I thought they look nice. And it’s nothing I could make.”
Faye materializes onto the shore where it’s dry. She gives Koshal a Look.
”…courtship presents are hand made. That’s why that’s important. It’s not that.” Koshal says, blushing fiercely at the idea that wasn’t obvious. Khannie didn’t think he liked her like that this whole time did she?

[Magtok]

[Before the Thanksmas Throne]

Her Majesty Raven Ebondark, the Superior Santa, is visited by three wise drones bearing another gift, inadvertently and unknowingly supporting her claim that to hold the throne is to have presents rained upon you by your inferiors. These drones look suspiciously like something her father would build, dopey-looking disembodied robot heads hovering around with some sort of antigravity device, each bearing a third of the weight of the gift-wrapped present. It hangs down from thin golden strings, suspended by the drones working in tandem to keep the package aloft. I don't see her father anywhere, though, and he hates beaches, so it's surely not his handiwork.

[Rebonack]

Khannie grins back. "Rings horn bracelets whatever. Dunno if the name matters much 'cuz it's the thought that counts right?" she says, still trying to get a read on the guy. She's pretty sure he isn't flirting? Like before when he said she looked nice it felt like he was more... stating a fact instead of giving a compliment?

But then explanation!

"Oh! Uh. I wasn't exactly sure? Umm," Khannie mumbles, her cheeks feeling hot. "Since rings are usually like the sorta gift you give a girl when... y'know."

You know, Koshal. You know.

But oh no. That torc is technically jewelry too and she made it herself and-!

"Oh heck, umm, I didn't know the thing about handmade gifts and dating or whatever," Khannie says, now flushing even harder. Somehow they had both managed to give each other date me gifts totally by coincidence. "It isn't like that I made all my Thanksmas gifts this year not just yours. I didn't know that was a thing."

Khannie feels very tempted to pool her shadow and just sink into the ground here and now.

[Keeper]

"Oh it's not JUST the handmade thing. When a minotaur wants to court someone but they don't think the other person has noticed all the other signs you give them a handmade gift and loudly declare your intentions. Usually in public. We're more subtle than people think...but we can be blunt." Koshal insists.
See Khannie, it doesn't count because you didn't give him your date-me gift while shouting date me.

[Morty]

[Before the Thanksmas Throne]

"...okay, those little automatons are really undercutting my point," Hiep grumbles into her drink.

[[brackets lover]]

Agate wasn't looking in Asami's direction when the present was thrown, and was in fact turning to look at a palm tree. So it hits her solidly in the back of the head and makes her stumble, before the dwarf turns and picks it up. She turns it over and reads the label, frowning at the address. Someone thinks she's a dumb loser? Well, that depends on what it is, so she'll start to open it.

The gift was a simple gray scarf, Asami having known little about the weather and simply assuming its something Agate could use, seeing how creatures of lower body mass lose heat more easily. It was made out of a gray wool and seems to have been hand-knitted, the craftsmanship being high quality. It was specifically made with Agate's size in mind.

[Before the Thanksmas Throne]

Asami takes a glance back before quickly turning back, scratching the back of her head and chuckling at Hiep. "Sometimes you just have to know when to give up, man."