Greetings, threes of fans, on this Tuesday before Christmas.
It's been a crazy-busy month so far. I am traveling this week, back in Oregon to visit family and friends while The Man holds down the fort at home. I crammed in a ton of client work before I left so that I wouldn't have to worry about it for the last two weeks of the year, and between all of that and the slightly condensed timeline between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, a week of travel, and my normal habit of half-assing everything until the last minute, I do not feel ready for Christmas at all. Fortunately, my family is very forgiving when it comes to how and when we celebrate. Living with me has helped them learn to manage expectations.
Anyway, in the spirit of Christmas, I thought I'd share my characters' wishlists. While they don't exactly have "Christmas," they do have an end-of-year-new-year-type celebration, and I would imagine there are many gifts passed around during all the revelries. I think if they all showed up in this world, they would understand Christmas pretty readily.
So here you go--the Christmas wishlists for the characters of The Taurin Chronicles.
Igraine: All the Bling
For all her high-minded principles of equality and noblesse oblige, Igraine is still, at heart, a princess who likes shiny things. While she would graciously accept any meager offering from someone less privileged, she would certainly expect something expensive and pretty from anyone of a similar station. I'm thinking this Tiffany diamond and emerald pendant would do quite nicely:
Mairead: Pointed Sticks
As a woman who has taken on the job of ridding her adopted country of slavery and freeing an oppressed people, Mairead would not be opposed to acquiring more pointed sticks. I've been following David DelaGardelle at Cedarlore Forge for some time, and I think that he and Connor would probably be quite sympatico. I can see Connor ordering a custom-made knife, sword, or spear for his wife from Mr. DelaGardelle, and I think Mairead would love it. Just click through to his Instagram page and check out his work. Try not to get drool on your keyboard.
Connor: A Quiet Afternoon
What does one get for the man who has everything? Honestly, Connor would just like a quiet afternoon with his wife. But since he's probably not going to get that for a while, maybe if he could just have a really good bottle of whiskey, that might be enough for a while. Given his fondness for Eiryan oiska, and considering that Mairead is still reluctant to spend a lot of money, she might buy him just a simple bottle of Jameson. I think he'd enjoy that.
Minerva: All the Books
If she were to visit our universe, I think Minerva would quite possibly be overwhelmed with the sheer volume of information available to her in the form of books, e-books, mass media, social media, and the entire Internet. I'm sure that Minerva's deepest desire would be as many books as she could possibly get her hands on. Since the Library of Alexandria is no longer around, maybe just a plane ticket and accommodations to any one of the libraries on this list. Personally, I would be happy to spend some time in Ireland at the Trinity College Library, and since Minerva and I tend to think alike, maybe she and I could go together. Anyone want to pay our way?
Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland
Edgar: A Full Storehouse
Not that Edgar is ever really low on anything that he needs, but as the chief-chieftain of the tribes, he would want to know that everyone in his village and throughout tribal territory is ready for the deepest part of winter. I suppose that once he knows the people he's responsible for are okay, he'd probably be happy to sit back at the fire with Maeve and sip a little oiska. He's a simple man.
But he probably wouldn't be opposed to a new puppy to train for the hunt. I think he'd probably like a good sporting dog.
Maeve: A Grandchild
When Maeve found out that Mairead was pregnant with her grandchild, she had something of a change of heart about Mairead's place in her world. She realized that, given Connor's instability at the time, it might be up to her to care for Mairead and the baby. After the death of Connor and Mairead's baby, Maeve's heart was broken far more than she expected it would be. She is, in the depth of her heart, a woman who loves her son and always wanted more of a family than she had with his father.
But since she may have to wait a while for a grandchild, and since she already has access to all the precious gems and metals she could want, she would probably be happy with a pretty new gown of sidhsilk. I'm sure Edgar would commission something lovely for his wife. I particularly like this Angel Gown from designer Linda Friesen:
Logan: Some Answers
If you've finished reading Unquickened, it's probably obvious that Logan has a lot going on in his world. When he's fully connected to reality, he has a lot of questions and would really appreciate some answers. But in the meantime, if he has to be around people and celebrate with an exchange of gifts, I think he would love to receive something simple--something that just acknowledges the mortal side of his nature. A homecooked meal or a simple knitted hat would suit him well.
It's probably good that none of these people are visiting my world this year, because some of these gifts are pretty expensive. But it's fun to dream, right?
I hope you are all a little more on top of your Christmas plans, gifts, and wrapping than I am. Whatever you're doing this weekend, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, I wish you all the blessings of the season. Merry Christmas!