Although not heavily laden with packages for this trip, Shae had jumped at the offer for a ride over to Hamilton. The extra hands would be useful in helping Lucy transfer the spread of food and drink inside the facility, and the warmth of a car was nothing to turn down as the temperatures around the city continued to drop. While not cramped, Cris will still do what he can to keep himself tucked neatly into his corner of the backseat.
Fox may have appeared to arrive empty handed, but his gift was explained to Fin on the sly while the food was being set up. The fellow had conspired with Martta and bribed the Hamilton staff after one of his previous visits. By arrangement, whenever Fox stopped by, he?d now be able to openly bring Fin some non-facility cooking. To-go diner breakfast eggs and bacon, burgers or tacos, and most especially: Martta?s Shepherd's pie. The redhead had sweet-talked the cook into making extra (though when she heard it was for Fin, she was more than eager to help supply).
When the time came to open gifts, Shae had added her own gift for Fin to the pile. Brown leather strapping held a smooth piece of sea glass from Scotland that could be worn either as a bracelet or a pendent
Small enchantments had been laid on the piece. When held, the wearer could sense the direction of the nearest body of water. In addition, with eyes closed and a bit of concentration, the wearer would experience the sensations of a particular location. In this case: Lucy?s beach on a perfect sunny day. The warmth of the sun, the salt on the breeze, the white noise crash of the waves, and the light filtering down through the water.
Like he had the evening of Lucy's party, Cris loads only a single plate with polite portions of the food spread available, preferring cups of tea to anything he must chew. Once it comes time for Fin to receive the gifts they'd all brought, he abandons it with ease in favor of watching the other man when he gets to the single, craft paper colored box tied up with a burlap ribbon.
Once Fin lifts the lid, he'd find the acrylic case of an album titled Lifescapes: Return to Scottish Moors, a repeat of the last gift he'd given the Scot, though that seems to be a running trend, given the snowglobe he'd given Lucy the night before last. The cd is nestled on the chest of a navy blue sweater, folded into a tight square. The tag inside the collar proclaims the garment to be handknitted at home from pure, Scottish wool; the goal in mind being to supply Fin with more of a tangible connection to the home he missed down to his bones. He takes the tight neck clasp of gratitude with a broad smile, tinged with slight relief.
He doesn't expect to be traded a gift for the ones he'd given Fin, but he accepts the trinket he's offered: a wood carving, Celtic knots forming the tribal shape of a boar that he's told is a symbol of courage and strength, traits the Scot says Cris represents. When Fin makes the addendum of virility to that short list, the Nephilim thwacks him soundly in the chest and shoots a swift, searching look throughout the visitation room to gauge just how far from them Shae is at that moment. Fin?s raucous laughter is enough to wipe the strain from his expression.
Luckily, or unluckily as the case may be, Shae was occupied for that particular exchange. Presented with a gift from Lucy to open, Shae was delighted at the shawl. Both for the color and the fringe which would look well in motion. Lucy was given a warm hug of thanks in return and the reassurance that Shae has a routine she?s been working on where the shawl will be a perfect addition to her costume.
She later circles back to the Scot when he made it known that he had a present for her as well. Fin?s gift of an abstract painting in blues, dark reds, and greys touched her when he explained the source of his inspiration. Shae gave Fin a kiss on the cheek and expressed excitement over hanging the piece in her workroom or behind the minibar on the second floor.
In contrast, he expects Lucy's present (because of her forewarning) but what he does not expect is how much he enjoys it. He tells her, as he fidgets with the small camera and the slew of film packs she'd included to get it into working order, that it's an incredibly thoughtful gift that hits a mark he's certain none of his friends in town had, despite knowing he's given them no opportunity to do so. Going further, he explains that he had fun taking a variety of pictures, documenting places he'd seen, people he'd met, and the two Warlocks with whom he shared his life. That following Bianca's death, he often took photos and videos of things he thought she might like to see, were she alive, and he found himself doing the same for Salome.
Now, that he has the ability to do so for himself, he endeavors to take advantage of it. The rest of the afternoon, once he can snap shots of more than his fingers and his own face, is filled with the whine and clatter of a tiny shutter as he makes his rounds of the small party. No subject is off limits. Candid portraits spit out alongside posed pairings and trios, Cris' photography spree ending with the commandeering of a nurse to click six takes of the entire group smushed together, and smiling, a copy meant to go home with everyone present.
The lion's share of the collection he'd accrued, some thirty-five photographs, he leaves with Fin, pocketing only four for himself: the group shot, two of which capture the vitality and merriment suffusing their raven haired subject, alone, a blessing in itself for his eye, now infinitely preserved, and one with his arm lovingly circled around Shae's collarbones from behind, his hand cupping her shoulder and his mouth pressed to the side of her head.
https://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/fc8NKOEQ38Ae6I9mo8Qa3A/cid/233154907/id/wLTbm03w5xGB1epKiWqlIQ/size/c600x640.jpg
(Thank you, Shae Stormchild!)
