Day 2: Poppy the Reindee-wait what?
Poppy sighed and sat in front of the fireplace, warming her hands and staring at the crackling orange flames. The fire danced in front of her emerald green eyes, flickering. "Another boring December," she said absently. Lulu, Veigar, Rumble, Tristana, and Teemo hadn't contacted her this fall like they had last year for an early Christmas celebration.
The yordle would've liked to say that this didn't bother her, but the nonexistent early Christmas invitation had conjured scenarios that caused increasing anxiety. "What if they thought I was too much of a bore last year," Poppy mumbled. She thought back to what she'd done at the last party, cringing when she remembered a particularly awkward moment.
Poppy was a solitary yordle and was passionate about protecting, but what most didn't know, is that she loved Christmas. And what she loved even more? Reindeers. Not that she'd ever tell anyone. Except...she'd slipped her secret to Rumble by accident. But she'd made him swear that he wouldn't tell anyone. But knowing the rambunctious yordle he'd probably belted it out to Tristana. He was hopelessly in love with that girl, even though she was with Teemo.
"I guess I'll just spend Christmas with my hammer this year," Poppy shrugged.
Just then, a loud, jarring knock sounded at the door. "Maybe it's them!" Poppy spoke aloud hopefully before making her way to the door. She opened the door and was met with a blast of cold wind and the smell of pine cones. "Hey, is this...Poopy?" The woman at the door asked.
"Poppy," Poppy corrected, slightly annoyed. "And you are…?" She examined her intruder, noting her pointy ears. She had long blonde pigtails, with one of them under a santa hat. She wore a skimpy red dress with red and green stockings. By human standards, this elf wasn't very tall, Poppy noticed.
"I'm Jinx, Santa's ambitious elf!" The elf, Jinx, bowed. Poppy raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be wrapping presents or something? Christmas isn't that far away." She couldn't keep the bitterness out of her tone. Jinx giggled. "Well someone's salty. I came here because I need you to deliver something."
Poppy coughed. "I'm not a delivery yordle."
Jinx winked. "But you always wanted to be a reindeer, didn't you?"
Poppy's face turned red. "I-I like reindeers, but I don't want to be one!"
Jinx frowned. "I guess I read the letter wrong. Oh well! I think you'll enjoy it once it happens." The elf pointed something at Poppy that looked like a taser gun that was decorated with red and gold wrapping paper. Poppy's body turned cold and she backed up. "W-wait!"
Jinx pulled the trigger and a pop sounded, and Poppy shut her eyes.
A moment of silence. "Well?" Jinx asked.
Poppy opened her eyes slowly. Something felt...different.
Her ears tingled. Wait…
"Take a look at your reflection, silly," Jinx said, pulling the yordle to a mirror. Poppy's jaw dropped.
Her ears were now tufts of brown and white fur sticking out of her head. Her hair had turned into long, deer-tails with spots speckling the brown fur. Gentle deer antlers stuck out of her head in front of her two new pigtails. She wore a snug green hoodie that was lined with fluffy white cotton alone the hood, which had holes to accommodate her new hair, and the cuffs of the sleeves. A large red bow was tied around her chest, with a huge bell in the middle. Her hands were fitted with red gloves, and her feet were snugly fit into a pair of brown boots. Red pants completed the look. Her skin was now more of a human color, and brown freckles dotted her fair skin.
"Oh, can't forget!" Jinx pointed her magical taser at Poppy's hammer. "Wait don't touch that!" Poppy leaped towards her precious possession, but not fast enough. Her hammer had been transformed into a gigantic bell attached to a red stick. A smooth, round blue gem surrounded by a gold square topped the end of the stick.
"What the hell did you do?" Poppy asked incredulously. Jinx laughed. "You're a reindeer now! Well, kind of. And I brought reindeer friends!" Jinx snapped her fingers and three poros with reindeer antlers bounced into the yordle's home. Poppy's heart melted when she saw the antlers and the fluffballs with their tongues hanging out. "Wait...what do I need to deliver?" Poppy asked cautiously. Jinx glanced at her list. "Well, it's not Christmas yet...but a..Tristana? Tristana asked for an early present because she needs it ASAP."
Poppy's eyes widened. "Tristy?"
Jinx looked at the yordle. "You know her?"
Poppy nodded. "What's the present?"
Jinx paused and turned around, hefting a large present from outside. It was bright red with a green ribbon tied around it. "It's really heavy," Jinx puffed. "I think it's a shield, and an antler headband along with it."
"A shield?" Poppy frowned. "Did it have anything on it?"
Jinx paused. "I think it was a picture engraved in it. Anyway, let's stop procrastinating! We have to get this present to her ASAP, remember?"
"What am I supposed to do?" Poppy asked. Jinx dragged the yordle outside. "Pull the sleigh, with your poro-deers, of course!"
Poppy stared at the elf as if she had lost her mind. "I'm going to be pulling a sleigh?"
Jinx nodded enthusiastically. "Hop to it!"
The three poros had already latched themselves onto the sleigh, ready to go. Poppy shook her head. "No way am I running to her house with a sleigh, three poros, presents, and a crazy elf."
"Silly Poppy," Jinx giggled, "Who said anything about running? Just give it a try."
Poppy sighed but grabbed the leather strap and began to pull.
"Who-whoaaa!" Poppy's feet lifted from the ground and the poros around her made joyous sounds that sounded vaguely like bells. "Let's go guys!" Jinx laughed, bells tinkling through the air and Poppy smiled slightly, pushing forward and flying through the air. The yordle closed her eyes and let the air blow against her face, clearing her mind. It was exhilarating.
"ASAP delivery on its way!" She laughed.
…
Reaching Tristana's house seemed way too short of a trip. Poppy's face hurt from smiling as she circled down, ready to land. She stumbled slightly as her feet hit the ground. "Whew!"
Jinx giggled. "Glad you enjoyed it. You're a lot better at driving that some other people I've had to get."
Poppy was about to reply but a warm light from inside Tristana's house caught her eye. She must have Teemo over, Poppy thought absentmindedly, glancing in through the window. But what she saw nearly broke her heart.
All of her friends were laughing joyously in the living room together. Poppy could see the Christmas tree in the corner. Red stockings lined the fireplace with names embroidered onto each of them. Underneath it, there were no presents, but then again, it was only the second day of December. They looked so happy, Poppy noticed.
Jinx poked Poppy's arm, knocking the yordle out of her trance. "What is i-oh." Jinx patted her head. "Maybe it's a misunderstanding."
Poppy shook her head, taking in a deep breath. "I said I would make a delivery."
The yordle marched to Tristana's door and pressed the doorbell. The longer she thought about what was happening, the more she wanted to cry.
"Oh, it might be the package!" A voice called from inside. Tristana.
"Well, get the door then!" Veigar.
"I hope she likes it!" Lulu.
The door opened and Tristana nearly fell over. "Poppy?"
Poppy stared at Tristana. "Your package," she said flatly. Tristana blinked. "Wait, Poppy, it's not what it looks like."
Poppy dropped the present. "Not what it looks like? Not what it looks like? You know what I see? I see all of my friends not inviting me to their early Christmas celebration, and having one without me! I see yordles I thought cared about me. I see fakes. I see plastic. Thanks for making my Christmas shit." Her ears quivered. Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned around, unable to look at Tristana. The rest of the yordles inside had gathered around the doorway.
"Poppy," Lulu said. "Don't you understand? The present is for you. But we didn't know you'd be delivering the present. You should've told us you were a reindeer in disguise!" She joked lightly.
Rumble spoke. "We wanted to get everyone together and have the celebration later this year, so we could make it the best for you. I know you told me not to tell anyone, but…" he stopped sheepishly.
"We didn't know how much Christmas meant to you, Poppy," Teemo said, filling in. "So we got you a present from Santa. One you wouldn't forget. Open it!"
"Can you guys get your asses in here first? It's freezing!" Veigar interrupted. Lulu pinched his arm and he winced. "Ow!"
Poppy glanced at Jinx. The elf winked and snapped her reins, the poro-deers driving her up and away into the sky.
"Alright," the yordle stepped inside and Tristana led her to the middle of the room, near the Christmas tree. Poppy set the present down and pulled the ribbon. The box opened with a thump.
"Oh," Poppy whispered.
The shield Jinx had talked about wasn't one to be brought into war. It was a decorative shield with a picture engraved into its golden surface. It was the picture they had taken last summer, at the beach, with all six of them. "There's also this," Tristana added, pulling a pair of antlers from the box. "But, well, now you already have antlers!"
Poppy laughed slightly, wiping a tear from her eye. "Thank you," she whispered, just loud enough for the other yordles to hear. "Thank you."
Next up: Poro zoo in the Freljord?
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