On the Fifth Day of Christmas PV Elsian Finished

First Day | Second Day | Third Day | Fourth Day

☽⦙ Date | 18 December, 2023 ⦙☾
☽⦙ Interacting | @Elsian Cox ⦙☾
☽⦙ Hex Code | #810B2D ⦙☾

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Dori needed a day from the heart-pounding anticipation of seeing their Elsi. Of seeing his confusion and swirling questions left silent on the edge of the lips that were too slow to catch Dori. So instead, they were buttering up an owl to deliver a slightly heavier package. Many treats, coos, and pats later and luckily they had a willing participant. Just one of the school owls since Dori did not have one of their own.

Within the claws of the owl they (Dori had no clue how to tell the gender of an owl) held four books and an envelope. While Dori knew that Elsi was not the biggest fan, they had specifically picked out graphic novels. Easy and got the point across, at least they could hope. Within the envelope was a poem:

Reducio

Bird-Understander by Craig Arnold

Of many reasons I love you here is one

the way you write me from the gate at the airport
so I can tell you everything will be alright

so you can tell me there is a bird
trapped in the terminal all the people
ignoring it because they do not know
what to do with it except to leave it alone
until it scares itself to death

it makes you terribly terribly sad

You wish you could take the bird outside
and set it free or (failing that)
call a bird-understander
to come help the bird

All you can do is notice the bird
and feel for the bird and write
to tell me how language feels
impossibly useless

but you are wrong

You are a bird-understander
better than I could ever be
who make so many noises
and call them song

These are your own words
your way of noticing
and saying plainly
of not turning away
from hurt

you have offered them
to me I am only
giving them back

if only I could show you
how very useless
they are not

There were four additional books wrapped individually; The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz, Heartstopper Vol. 1 by Alice Oseman, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher (the only non-graphic novel because Dorion loved it too much to not include), and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang. If Elsi read them all, the hints surely could not be too subtle. But with Elsi, they never knew. The owl was sent out around morning time, so wherever Elsi was at that time was where he would receive the pretty hefty package, and hopefully not be knocked out by it. Dori would subsequently return to finishing crafts and avoiding Elsi at all costs.

They were almost halfway through and there was honestly a part of them that questioned doing something that required extremely limited contact for twelve straight days with the person that they spent the absolute most time with. They did not have time to think about it though, the crafty badger was already too deep in.

Today's note read:

'On the fifth day of Christmas my best friend gave to me: five meaningful pieces of literature (no it's not jewelry.) Meet me by the lake at first light tomorrow.'

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