#ghWishes2023

[dukemeropide]

Attached to a wrapped box is a card, not a Genius Invocation TCG card, but a regular old card for this very time of the year. Within is written the message:

Happy Holidays,

It took some time for me to find these, but I heard you like tea. I hope you have a TEA-rrific holiday.

-Cyno

Much like the spoken manner of the writer, the message is short, though with the wittiness only really displayed by "Cyno the Adventurer" if anyone knew him well enough to know this. Within the present itself is a pair of boxes containing desert tea mixes from Aaru village.

Simple and sweet. That's enough to tell Wriothesley that the sender most definitely isn't from Fontaine. But there's nothing wrong with that. He reads the message on the card again, a little amused huff slipping out over the play on words, and then pins it to the corkboard already half-filled with greeting cards. Most of the others come from residents of the Fortress, however, and are - in Wriothesley's opinion - unnecessarily formal ("to the venerable Duke of the stalwart Fortress of Meropide," one begins), so this one adds a splash of color and personality to the collection.

But more importantly, it comes with a practical gift: new tea. He returns to his desk to assess each box in turn. Opening the lid of one releases a scent that's dry, floral, and a little peppery, the way he imagines a desert would smell if he'd ever visited one in person before. He's learned some things about Sumeran tea preparation over the years, mostly gathered by word of mouth from inmates far more traveled than himself, and fills a sachet to try. The rest he transfers to new boxes, each specially crafted to seal out the damp, salty air pervasive in the Fortress, and finds a place for them among the rest of his collection stored on his floor-to-ceiling shelves. They would be pulled out again at some point in the future and shared as a novelty with some special Fontainian guest (Neuvillette, perhaps. Or Clorinde. Or even the diva who's made herself too at home here).

After a week or two, a letter would be delivered to Cyno by a courier of the Adventurer's Guild, containing a simple but heartfelt thank you and an invitation to visit, should Cyno ever grow curious about how Aaru Village's tea compares to Fontaine's.

[fanfaire]

-- THE PACKAGE THAT Furina receives is… slightly strange, to put it one way. Though the paper that covers the box - a simple royal blue paper, thin on its own but achieving thickness through its many layers - is placed there with surgical care, it is littered in creases that suggest it has been folded and unfolded many a time.

And, well, of course Furina knows it is for Furina because the writing scrawled on top says as much, scripted in silver ink that, too, has been written down with precision. ‘To Furina’.

When opened, the package seems to in fact be a bento box, a container found most often in Inazuma. In its various compartments are not food, however- well, alright. There is food in one of them, the largest: a somewhat smushed rollcake, stuffed with cream and slices of amakumo. In efforts to contain said cream, it has been wrapped in a waxy film, though it has not entirely succeeded in preventing some stickiness from oozing out onto the other items in the box.

These other items being, namely, a rather elaborate sensu fan, encrusted with a pearl at its hilt as it is stuffed into the thin compartment where chopsticks would normally be found. When unfolded, it reveals a rather artistic depiction of waves crashing upon the shore, formed in thick and purposeful ink strokes on a pale blue background.

The rest of the compartments seem to be filled with a variety of trinkets, namely fitting into the category of ‘blue’ and ‘Sumeran’ in one way or another. There are pressed bookmarks made from kalpalata lotus blossoms, jewelry from crystalized rukkhashava mushrooms.

When the rollcake has been eaten, as you lick off your fingers, you find a small square note at the bottom of the box. It reads simply: ‘You’d do well to have more practical tastes’.

But if your gift-giver was really so loathe to your requests then, well, why go through all the effort?

first, she had thought — who so ungratefully left their discarded wrapping box littered on her doorstep? the season for gifts and wintry cheer had come, alighting the streets of the court of fontaine in scintillating array, accompanied by the neverending crush of bodies big and small, rushed and joyous alike. but it also meant more and more commotion, more things left about, more carelessness. the gardes — human, meka, and melusine — had all had their hands full since the first snowfall; she certainly didn't envy them.

but if she had never thought to curiously afford the package a second glance, drawn in by its rich blue, she would have left it behind altogether, and never realized it was in fact right where it was intended to be.

' to furina '.

at the careful stencil of her name, her heart leaps. first with surprise; then, more childishly, with delight.

for this must be her gift from the guild! her reward and return for her own painstaking endeavor some days ago, for the scolding she'd endured from chevalmarin in overspending on the month's budget in pursuit of the perfect custom-crafted artisanal piece.

she snatches the box up in her arms ( pleased to find it pleasantly weighty ) and vanishes into her apartment in a flutter of taffeta, eyes alight with hope and expectation.

( for though furina, the hydro archon, regina of waters, kindreds, peoples, and laws had received far too many gifts in her time to be counted, furina, the girl who had recently retired from the stage, had never once. and perhaps some part of her had presumed that one did not receive such gifts anymore once they had stepped down from aweing the crowd. )

unpackaging the beautifully embroidered tin unveils an array of colorful trappings, such that she tucks a girlish gasp audibly in one gloved hand, eyes hardly knowing where to land.

the miniature fan? the elegant jeweled necklace?

the insidiously tempting roll cake? ( —she had already had two slices of plum galette this morning; surely she would be scolded if she had more; and yet this is the season of celebration, isn't it? )

yes, it's true some of it had gotten sticky, no doubt being bumped around on the way here, and she would have liked for the packager to take greater care with its contents in light of this, or perhaps have marked the parcel as fragile. but perhaps such carelessness, to which she would lend more heart in some different circumstance, could be let go this time. after all, a gift was a gift to the young lady seldom so blessed, and that alone is enough.

some hours later, once frosting has been licked from fingertips and the amakumo's vibrant tart has faded from her tongue, she does not forget her etiquette.

to my gracious gifter, rather than my possessing more practical tastes, it could be said that your ability to meet even the most impractical of wishes speaks to your kindness, diligence, and above all your savoir faire. see this then as bounty on both our parts, for your attention has not gone unnoticed nor unrewarded. i have here attached a selection of pâte de fruits of good quality, not merely the kind obtainable from any streetside booth. you will find the bold flavors of your roll cake complemented well by the subtle, gentler sweetness of the pear and black fig. a heartfelt thanks once again, furina de fontaine

[gnostichymns]

With Winter winds come the promise of frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall. Travelers have been advised to take it easy as the season finds its hold upon Teyvat, to huddle by the hearth with their loved ones and make the best of the less-than-friendly climate.

Of course, with adventuring in its slow season, the guild has decided to spread a little bit of holiday cheer amongst its members. What better way to experience the wonders of the world than with a gift from somewhere beyond it?

Welcome to Wishes From Teyvat, Gnostic Hymn's first minievent! This will be like an IC Secret Santa, with the focus being on sharing gifts from all across Teyvat. Here's how it works:

Sign your muse up on this form by December 8th, 11:59 EST.

Participants will be randomly assigned a recipient, and will receive an ask from the masterlist detailing who. Do not reply to this ask. Assignments will be given by December 10th.

Once you have received your recipient, send them an ask! This ask should detail what your muse has given them. All gifts will be hand delivered by the guild, so make sure your muse signs their name at the bottom! (Or doesn't-- we can't make them.)

All gift asks must be sent by December 15th, 11:59 EST.

Once you have received a gift, make sure to reply to the ask with your muse's reaction to their gift! Make sure to tag your responses with #ghWishes2023.

And don't forget to thank your Secret Santa!

The signup form will include an optional questionnaire, which you are welcome to fill out IC. Any information will be relayed to your gifter by the Guild to help with gift selection, but they are only suggestions. We encourage creativity above all.

Let us know if you have any questions!

[ragnvinedr]

A black-wrapped parcel accented with crimson ribbon and bow sits at the front porch of Dawn Winery, upon which lies a red envelope with Mr. Diluc Ragnvindr handwritten in the elegant, efficient loops characteristic of the Sumeran language.

Mr. Ragnvindr, My name is Alhaitham, and I am a member of the Sumeru Akademiya. The purpose of my letter is to offer you this gift as is customary for the season, partly in thanks for your work as the head of the Dawn Winery. As you may well know, your company makes an impact far and wide, and my friends and I have enjoyed many of your fine wines during our get-togethers. In your hands, I predict Dawn Winery will continue to prosper as it does now, which would be beneficial for Teyvat in general. I confess I had very little idea what to give you considering we are strangers at the moment, and my biggest clue was that your hobbies include "justice." From this, I can infer that you either pursue knowledge and information about justice and its systems or else partake in upholding justice in whatever ways you can manage. To this end, you will find two items enclosed in this package, which should be of use to you no matter which manner you prefer. The first is a tome on the history of the Sumeran Matra, which is the Akademiya's disciplinary branch, and the evolution of its methods and practices. I believe it should prove an interesting study in comparison with Mondstadt's Knights of Favonius and their modus operandi, with whom you are familiar. The second item is a boomerang commissioned from an artisan who works with the Avidya Forest Rangers. It's a Sumeran weapon that can be thrown in such a way that it will come back to the wielder, and it should serve you well for self-defense both in close quarters and at range. It can also be used for hunting in case you enjoy such a pastime. I don't expect us to meet anytime soon, but should we cross paths, I wouldn't mind a conversation on different judiciary methods and forces. Although I'm not from the Nation of Justice, I know Sumeru has plenty to offer in disciplining the misuse of knowledge and overstepping of lawful boundaries. Perhaps we could have a little debate over a bottle of wine from your own vineyard. In any case, the invitation is open to you if you're interested. Sincerely, Alhaitham

late winter's morning sunlight peeks in and highlights streams of dust as he sorts through business mail moco and hillie had collected and set aside during the rush of the holidays --- diluc pauses and winces as the parcel and red envelope appear below a stack of monotonous correspondence. those two maids, did they really put a gift from the early winter holidays in here?...

... still, he stops to open the letter, slicing a side with a bronzed opener; crimson eyes slowly trace over the long, elegant letter calmly --- gradually, it dawns on him where this has come from, and why it was here. that holiday gift exchange he'd signed up for on a whim... and the author of the letter was someone from sumeru.

honestly? he'd only entered it to have an excuse to send something to someone else, and had made his own responses for finding him a gift... almost intentionally vague and difficult. ( they weren't lies, though. all his responses had been honest, just... not very helpful for knowing what to give him. ) a single breathy snicker answers the long explanation of the scholar's interpretation of what he'd meant by one of his few responses on the form; justice. so... inside the package was a book that would detail the philosophies and actions of sumeru's own organization charged with enforcing law -- probably laughably more competent than mondstadt's knights -- and ... a boomerang?

interesting choices. before he can forget ( or his maids can further misplace things ), diluc takes a pen and parchment, and starts to scrawl out a letter in reply.

Mr. Al-Haitham, Apologies for the delay in response to your gift; it seems some of my staff took your parcel and improperly sorted it into business mail for the Winery. Thank you for the thoughtful gifts; I honestly hadn't been expecting to receive anything of note with replies I had provided to the Adventurer's Guild's form for their holiday exchange. The book and boomerang you sent are much more thoughtful than I probably deserved. The winery's doors are always open if you ever happen to find yourself in Mondstadt. Sincerely yours, Diluc Ragnvindr

[pressurizedfloe]

when it's dropped off at his home in the court of fontaine, there's a simple parcel wrapped in brown butcher paper with some heft to it -- and an envelope wedged under the twine that ties the bundle together. inside the envelope, crisp and neat cursive scrawls out a letter on a single piece of paper.

hello freminet, I hope this letter finds you well. though we are not acquainted with one another, it is my intention to ensure that no one goes without feeling cared for during the winter holiday season, and I was happy to find something for you that would hopefully meet your interests. within the attached parcel, you will find a traditional mondstadt cukcoo clock, customized to feature sea birds and seascapes instead of the usual woodland sparrows and finches that might accompany such a design. it currently functions just fine, but I asked the clockmaker to ensure it could be easily opened, taken apart, and reassembled by its owner, should any issues arise with it in the years to come. as I understand it, you are from fontaine, so this clock may be a tad more primitive than what is available in your nation; hopefully, the design itself makes up for the more old-fashioned approach of this gift. if you ever happen to find yourself in mondstadt, feel free to stop by dawn winery or angel's share for a drink on the house ( perhaps one of our craft juices, at a bare minimum? ). sincerely yours, diluc ragnvindr.

While it was the entire point of an exchange…Freminet hadn’t expected to receive anything. Perhaps it was foolish of him— he had no want for anything in particular…he didn’t feel as if he deserved anything— so something wrapped up so simply felt…right.

He reads the letter first. It spoils the surprise just a tad…but he doesn’t mind. His eyes widen as they take in the words on the page and a soft, shy smile spread across his lips. The description of the gift alone made him feel warm inside, as if he needed to throw himself into the freezing depths of the sea just to cool down.

The package is opened next, and it is everything he could have hoped for. “He said I could take it apart, too…” And while tempting, he decides to save that for later. Freminet was confident in his abilities to tinker with most things…but this was unlike what they had in Fontaine. Instead he simply turns it on and waits for the clock to chime, revealing the “sea bird”.

“It looks just like you, Pers…”

He hadn’t even expected to receive anything at all…and yet this gift felt so…perfect. Fontaine was his home, one he’s never left before, but…perhaps he would need to visit Mondstadt. Even just to thank him properly…it was the least he could do.

[gunnhldrs]

ー A package for Jean from the Adventurer's Guild was delivered, how exciting!

Inside the delicately wrapped gift box was a coffee mug, decorated with a simple yet cute illustration of two dandelion flowers blowing in the spring breeze.

The mug also came accompanied with a short letter which read as follows:

Dear Jean, You are always working hard for the people of Mondstadt, but please remember to take a break every now and then. Why not enjoy a nice cup of hot coffee from this mug? I hope the design is to your liking. I actually tried painting it myself. ...Well, I did make a short trip to Dragonspine to get some pointers from a certain alchemist, since I am not exactly the most artsy person around. I think it turned out quite cute though! I assume you will be spending Christmas together your sister and the other Knights of Favonius, but you are always welcome to visit me in my Teapot! I will treat you to a delicious mushroom pizza! ✨ Take care and have a lovely holidays. Sincerely, Lumine

Her index finger traces the lip of the mug, opposite hand holding the letter as though it is a treasure meant for only the most delicate of touch. A smile has curled her lips as she reads over its contents once, twice, three times before setting it back on her desk.

The gift itself is quite cute, hand painted in soft pastels and just messy enough to be charming. She can see the effort in every stroke, can imagine the warmth with which they were made. It will certainly be of good use to her-- one could not drink as much coffee as she and ever have too many mugs.

Carefully, Jean folds the letter into fourths and tucks it into her desks uppermost drawer. It's a shallow thing, not good for holding much, but the note joins a small collection of photos and old memories where it will remain until next she needs a reminder of all that is good in this world.

Hands now freed, she plucks a pen from her ever-growing collection.

Our dearest Honorary Knight, The gift is lovely. My own collection of mugs are all rather boring; dull, plainly colored. Yours will stand out among them, though I think I will favor it for that reason. That, and of course how it is a reminder of you and your time here. I will certainly pay you a visit sometime, though I must request that you do the same. I'm certain your travels keep you quite busy, but Mondstadt misses you. We owe you a great deal, you know. No words or gifts could ever express our gratitude. You will always have a place here with us. Be safe in your journeys, and don't forget to keep warm! Happy holidays, Lumine. Yours, Jean Gunnhildr.

[inscryptions]

On the desk in Alhaitham’s office laid a book wrapped in a turquoise silk ribbon. The bow that tied it held something long and slender. Beside them, there was a plain white envelope with a leaf tucked partially into it.

Hello, dear Alhaitham! I must say getting chosen to find a gift for the Acting-Grand-Sage-re-turned-Scribe is truly an honor – you must be someone reliable and respected indeed. Still, it did leave me in quite a pickle: whatever could I give you that you don’t already have? I’m not well-versed in the world of scientific literature, as I much prefer to engage in artistic styles. I have, however, found this old book written in long-obsolete Mondstadtian. As a Haravatat graduate, I’m sure you have no problems with its modern version – here’s to me hoping this will prove to be more of a challenge to decipher. The contents also seem to be focused on the topic of linguistics of that time… so, about a millennium and a half ago? Maybe closer to two? Perhaps this book should actually be put in a museum at this point. In any case, I’m sure that with you it’ll be in good hands. I imagine such an intellectual as yourself must have penned a few papers on his own account. Ah, but if writing doesn��t strike your fancy, I suppose you could also use it as a… sophisticated bookmark. This quill is that of a gorgeous, however quite rare, bird I have encountered on one of my recent travels. It was actually rather hard to convince her to give it to me, haha! I hope it serves you well. May the wind guide you, Venti

The parcel on my desk piques my interest; not many would go out of their way to give me anything other than applications and forms thanks to the nature of my job. Then again, it's the winter holiday season, and as gifts are part of the traditions inherent in this time of year, I suppose it's not so farfetched for someone to offer me such a thing. The question, however, remains: who could have delivered this to me? I raise an eyebrow as I study the package before slipping the envelope open and reading the letter.

... Whoever this "Venti" is is very well-informed and well-traveled, given by the nature of his letter and the foreign leaf that lays on my desk. Well-connected, too, to have acquired an original copy of a treatise on the ancient Mond language, or a Mondstadter (more likely, what with the familiarity used in conjunction with the Anemo nation). Undoing the ribbon and setting the quill aside for the moment, I pick up the book and open it, paging through it with a delicate touch. All things considered, it's in lovely condition, so likely a part of a personal collection, perhaps Venti's own. The thought and care made with this selection makes me smile a little, and this is only half the gift. I force myself to skim through the book, as much as I itch to dive right into translating it and then digging into its content, and find myself satisfied with the challenge it presents. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this Venti knows me very well even though I've never met such a person. Intriguing...

Eventually, I set the book down and pick up the quill. The colors go perfectly with my attire, clearly denoting it my possession; the feather outright gleams in the lamplight. AndーI examine the gears, brushing against them with my finger and widening my eyes when they turn. Bookmark nothing, this is going to get mileage what with all the meetings I attend. It's certainly a better method of keeping my fingers occupied when I have nothing to write, in any case. I test the quill out with the ink at my desk, jotting down my signature and reveling in how smooth the nib is against the parchment. High quality indeed, my benefactor certainly has a keen eye for presents.

Actually, that inspires an idea for the perfect first work for this quill...

(Logic dictates, of course, that the appropriate response to highly appreciated gifts is to thank the sender.)

[sumerananubis]

Given to Cyno is a rather unremarkable gift, at least on the surface. The wrapping paper is standard and lacks any personal flair-- though the sender has clearly tried to appeal to the colour scheme provided in the survey. A plain envelope is tied to the ribbon, the stationary inside also giving little away aside from the small drawing of a penguin and jackal by the signature.

"Hello, I'm sorry that my gift to you isn't anything spectacular...I don't know a lot about Genius Invocation, and I've never left Fontaine before, so I hope the information I found is accurate. If you don't like it, I can make something else...I don't mind. - Freminet"

The present itself is funny at first glance-- a box inside of a box-- though the one on the inside is shaped differently. It resembles a pyramid, crafted from mechanical parts and metal. The top opens automatically with a simple press, revealing a section to store his TCG cards.

The gift is nondescript, plain and in his own favourite colours. The envelope has a small drawing of a penguin and a jackal which immediately gets placed on Cyno's shelf with the letter within. The shelf of prized possessions he always kept safe. He resolved to travel to Fontaine one day just to teach Freminet about Genius Invocation TCG. It would be arranged.

The gift itself though is immediately put to use. Cyno placed his favourite deck inside it. This gift immediately became one of his favourites and the sender, though not well known to Cyno yet, immediately became considered a good friend to the General Mahamatra.