"What do you think?"

"I… um, thank you, Joan?"

Arturia blinked in confusion as she stared at her gift. A robot with a Santa hat placed haphazardly on one of its eye sensors hovered by the small group, giving the two childish servants ample room. The King of Knights, wearing a red bow and matching princess dress, looked over her present for the third time. Even with the effects of the elixir, she couldn't bring herself to grin happily at the surprise present.

Directly in front of her, and still wearing a content smile, was the child Joan wearing borrowed clothing with a large sac of gifts behind her. A white shoulder shawl covered a red Santa dress, matched with Christmas colored ribbons in her short hair. The long tails perfectly matched the bow at her front as they swayed with her slight movement. The bells attached to her white headpiece chimed occasionally with her good mood.

Jeanne held back a sigh of exasperation behind her little sister, hiding it behind a small smile. The Holy Maiden was glad she was able to convince Joan out of wearing that more… provocative attire, but she never thought to check the presents she wanted to hand out personally. Gabrielle rubbed her shoulder soothingly, careful not to wrinkle the saint's more conservative Santa Dress as she stood next to her in a green retro dress with matching elf hat. Jeanne looked into the orange haired lady's sympathetic eyes, finally releasing the sigh she held back.

Arturia didn't even notice as she continued to eye her gift. Joan simply smiled. "Do you like your gift?"

"Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic," the saber murmured. To the carefully veiled amusement of Gabrielle, perceptive was crossed out in black permanent marker on the cover.

Joan looked back and grinned at her obviously confused sister. She knew the saint was confused where she possibly got all these gifts on short notice, but it was easy! Most were books taken from one of the storage bays. While many were sent to the library, copies and discarded ones filled the storage bays with other assorted goodies; No one really checked them until it came time to remove things for space. The same applied to other items, but she was primarily concerned with getting books.

"Um… I'm only curious, but how did you pick this for me?" Arturia asked quietly, obviously choosing words so she didn't offend the little servant.

She beamed back, "I chose it because Christmas is a blessed time, and it is only right I give very helpful gifts! It's what I imagine my big sister would naturally do!"

Jeanne chuckled nervously behind her, clearly in disagreement. Gabrielle giggled.

"That's not a gift, Joan! Christmas is about being jovial and having a great time! That's what Tyler says!"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Fragment 28: Art of Gift Giving

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Joan and Arturia looked to the side to see Iskandar, still in his comfy armor, had bounded over to stare at her gift. His face was blank as he looked at the book's title then back towards Joan. The little servant had her arms crossed in a small pout as the rider stared at her. "It's helpful, I guess… but this won't make Arturia happy. You have to give gifts that make people happy!"

"What does it matter if they're happy if the gift is useful?" Joan frowned in discontent. She had been very careful about picking proper gifts that could benefit others. If it enriched their lives, then it should make them happy by default! Her gifts were therefore better than anything he might possibly have in mind otherwise! She had the right mind to confute him, but she would let him say whatever he needed to first; Her sister loved it when she was kind and courteous.

"Martha said it's a Christian holiday to celebrate your god's birth," Iskandar stated rather plainly before grinning. "So it's like a big birthday party for everyone, right? Which means you should give happy gifts that will bring joy! Like this!"

Gabrielle's eyes widened quickly as Iskandar swiftly materialized his sword and thrust it into the air. "Bucephalus! To my side!"

The female master gasped in tandem with Jeanne. "You're not supposed to summon your noble phantasm in Chald-"

Too late. There was a bright flash as Joan braced for the worst. While the master groaned in frustration as the light faded, Joan squinted her eyes to try and take a peek at the damage. Bucephalus was a giant stallion of a war horse, and she expected its loud and glorious cry upon its lightning summoning. To her surprise, it never came, and she fully opened her eyes to see no damage and-

"Awwwww~! What a cute horsie! I love it! Can I pet it?" Arturia cooed happily as she bounced eagerly on her feet.

Gabrielle's mouth nearly dropped as she watched Arturia gripping her book in total enthusiasm as the saber eyed the small pony in the hallway. It was a little larger than a standard one to be fair, but it definitely wasn't the grand stallion the King of Conquerors would normally mount in battle. It simply neighed as Iskandar pet it, who motioned the saber over to do the same. Without any hesitation, she jumped over and began petting the small animal as Gabrielle giggled in total delight. This definitely ended far better than she thou-

Her intercom buzzed to life, and she raised the wrist-mounted device as Roman's voice crackled through. "We just had a large spike in prana use from your location. Is everything alright? Should we sound the alarm?"

"Nah, everything's fine. Little Iskandar just summoned his pony," Gabrielle giggled. She clicked the device off after Roman's confirmation, only to eye Jeanne's worried expression in her peripheral. She followed it not to the two happy children playing with the horse, but the lone one gripping the neck of her gift sack hesitantly.

As she eyed the dejected Joan, it was apparent everything was not fine.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ III ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

The trio found themselves outside the door of the Emiya parents' shared room, their next stop for the volunteered Santa. They had begun Joan's requested gift giving rounds an hour ago to 'help make up for her older self's attitude.' The little servant had come up with the idea at the children's dinner table, and spent all night searching storage for proper gifts in her excitement.

Her big sister wanted to help her choose gifts, but she had won that battle with her teary puppy dog eyes; In hindsight, perhaps she should have let Jeanne help. Joan's choices in gifts, while certainly much better than what her Avenger identity would have likely chosen, still weren't received as well as she hoped. The little servant's slowly sinking attitude continued as lunch approached, but she remained optimistic as the door slid open for the trio.

"Merry Christmas~!" Joan greeted happily as she looked up at Kiritsugu. Noticing the sack and their outfits, he chuckled and motioned for them to come in. The two parents were rather formally dressed, likely for a family portrait Mashu has suggested the night before. The assassin's black suit was his usual cup of tea, as was Irisviel's Einzbern dress. Rather adorably, Kuro and Illya were both in the same white and gold attire as their mother.

They flanked the younger Emiya on the couch, rather closely at that, as he tried to adjust his own black suit's tie; It was significantly more difficult with his two sisters latched onto his arms. Judging by the size, he had obtained the suit made from somewhere, unless there was a servant his size he borrowed it from. As she mentally ran down the possible list, she felt Kiritsugu pat her on the head gently. At first she grumbled about it, but there was no hiding her tiny smile; She loved head pats!

"Welcome, Santa. We were not expecting you," Kiritsugu greeted as Ruby hovered into view near the Emiya children.

"Oh! So you're playing Santa, Joan?" Kuro asked with a grin while tugging her brother towards her.

Illya pulled back the other way as Emiya sighed. "Girls... I adore both of my little sisters dearly... but can I please fix my tie?"

"You'll be fixing more than that when they're do-" Illya backhanded Ruby, sending it flying into their parents' bed. Irisviel simply giggled at the gesture, noting the kinder Illya still seemed to have some slightly violent tendencies, but only towards her boisterous weapon. Where had this more timid Illya gotten those habits from may remain a mystery to them.

"I've brought you gifts!" Joan proclaimed happily, though Jeanne noticed the slight hesitation in her voice. "I'll start with Kuro and Illya."

The child servant opened her sack and stuck her upper half in it. While Irisviel walked over to her children, Joan lost her balance and fell into the sack. There were some chuckles, and adoration from the females, as her legs flailed. She quickly regained her composure and began to properly search the bag for the unwrapped gifts. A good Santa always recovered properly no matter the mistake!

Irisviel had sat herself between Illya and Emiya, happily wrapping her arms around the two children. As she rubbed their arms, Kuro shot a triumphant look at her sister who returned it with little composure. Their mother remained completely unaware as she hummed and enjoyed having a third child to coddle; The older archer definitely wasn't as cuddly as this smaller version.

Finally, she found the gifts. To Jeanne's visible dismay, they were both books again, and her shoulder sank as she glanced the titles. The small Santa skipped over to the girls with a smile as she held the gifts out. As the girls hesitantly took the books, even Emiya had to glance at them in confusion. Irisviel blinked as she leaned over Illya to read the title. The trio by the door simply looked to each other in uncertainty as Kuro scrunched her eyebrows.

"Huh? What kind of gift is this supposed to be?" She asked incredulously. Irisviel sent her a warning glance, which only egged Kuro further. "But Mama! It's a Mathematics book! It's school stuff!"

"And I thought I escaped the homework…" Illya sighed as Ruby floated over once more. She got the large, divided notepad because Joan recalled her complain once about doing both of their homework; She figured if she was doing it anyway, she might as well have a nice notepad to do it on! Apparently... that wasn't quite the case. She thought she was being thoughtful, but instead she was choosing poorly. She was a terrible Santa...

"Your gifts are very… thoughtful, Joan," Irisviel tried to break the awkward silence. As she looked towards the little Santa, she gasped quietly upon seeing her lip quiver. With a small whimper, and blurry vision since she was on the verge of tears, Joan bolted for the door. Before Jeanne could calmly get past Gabrielle to stop her, the little servant had run out the door.

"Joan, please wait!" Jeanne cried out. She swiftly ran after her little sister as the remaining individuals looked to each other in confusion.

"We didn't mean to…" Illya started, but Gabrielle shook her head with a sad smile.

She walked over to the child's discarded bag with a sigh. "It's not your fault. Joan's been giving rather… interesting gifts. She's trying, and has her heart in it… but I don't think children should be the ones giving gifts. They deserve to receive them and be happy, without a worry in the world."

"She might be trying to get Jeanne's praise," Emiya observed. He finally got his tie fixed thanks to his mother freeing one arm from his sister's grasp.

"Possibly… but she already has that," Gabrielle chuckled as she grabbed the neck of the sack. She tried lifting, and her smile faded completely. Kiritsugu chuckled as she tried to lift it again. "…and a servant's strength. What on Ishtar's Venus is in this bag!?"

Emiya blinked. "...Ishtar's Venus?"

"I'm trying to get creative with my curses since Jeanne reprimands me whenever I use the Lord's name in vain. They're all bad and tentative, I assure you."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IV ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"Joan, please stop running!"

The child ignored her older sister's cries and continued her retreat. She didn't care about the gift giving anymore, since no one else did. As tears raced out of her clenched eyes, she bumped past employee, robot, and servant alike as her ribbons waved behind her. Sobs escaped her lips; She just wanted to be helpful to others, and make people smile like Jeanne did. She tried her best not to be like the more ill-tempered and rude avenger, yet she wound up closer to her than the ruler she admired.

What was she doing wrong? Santa was supposed to make people happy by giving great gifts, yet all she was receiving were disappointing reactions. What she desired was to be a good Santa! She wanted to make her sister proud of her and prove the alter ego wasn't all that bad! But most of all... most of all...!

What she truly wanted was to give the older avenger some memories she would enjoy before she disappeared.

She had none of a childhood to enjoy since she was a result of a caster's desire, yet due to the potion the servant had a few ragged pieces. She was a concept that shouldn't have existed, yet she had a wish to be wanted by someone. The older Joan may put up a rough front, but she's just aggressively guarding her fragile emotions from being torn apart again. Even if the wish had been fulfilled and she felt rather content, the little identity just wanted the older self to have true fond memories as a child, no matter how short. It hurt knowing she wasn't doing a good job of that.

"Joan!" Her eyes widened on the higher pitched voice before she felt herself stop in her tracks.

She looked down to see a small ensnaring rune hastily formed on the ground, colored in a rather childlike way. With a gasp, she looked to her sides as two sets of arms encircled her own as the circle faded away. Jack and Nursery Rhyme had ambushed her, and she silently worried it was because of their discontent with their gifts she gave earlier. To her surprise, they looked at her in worry as they pinned her arms to their contrasting black and white dresses with their embrace. With a whimper and sob, she looked back down as she sensed Jeanne reach the trio.

"Joan…" Jeanne whispered as she circled to the front. She eyed the fresh tears that fell from her eyes with despair; No one should cry during the holidays, but here she was making her big sister worry. Quietly, she dropped to her knees elegantly and wrapped her arms around her crying form, cracking her further. As more sobs escaped her lips, the saint rubbed the little Santa's back comfortingly as Jack and Nursery Rhyme joined in to make it a group gesture. "It's alright…"

"N-No it's not," she whimpered as she felt her tears fall onto her sister's shoulder. She couldn't move her arms since she was trapped by the three of them. "My g-gifts are t-terrible… Everyone h-hates them. I'm a b-bad Santa."

"They could be better gifts, but you tried," Jack answered comfortingly as she pulled away. They were huddled in the middle of the hallway, and she noticed they stopped holiday traffic, but didn't care. Her heart hurt so badly, and she wanted it to stop. "You just didn't have time to get something good for us. It's okay!"

"B-But I did, and I still chose b-bad gifts from storage," she stuttered as Nursery rhyme pulled away. Joan slowly wrapped her small arms around her older sister.

Jeanne pulled away briefly to kiss her cheek before embracing her warmly. It was the magic medicine that soothed her aching soul. Even as her whimpers continued to leave her lips, he heart clung desperately to her sister's compassion and sympathy. Jeanne rocked her gently, "Christmas Eve is tomorrow… we can figure something out, okay?"

Joan didn't have the will to argue as she simply nodded. Jeanne sighed in relief and rubbed Joan's back comfortingly as she stared down the hallway they came. Amakusa stood in front of a group of servants, watching the scene with the bag of gifts hefted onto his shoulder. From behind the usually black-clad saint, Gabrielle appeared with a small frown of her own. Something clearly had to be done for the little child to cheer her up, especially considering her gesture was in good nature.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ V ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Nursery Rhyme and Jack's shared bedroom was probably the most comfortable personal space in Chaldea… until loud residential construction started a few doors down. Atalanta had gone to great lengths to acquire stuffed animals, and interesting toys to fill the girls' adjacent room, much to their enjoyment. The two never had much of a childhood, so the archer always did everything in her power to change that. Shelves stacked with toys for the girls filled the lower walls as testament to that statement, though it always remained neatly organized.

Their two beds were Chaldean standard, but the maple table and plush sofa were much lower to the rug covered floor; It wasn't to accommodate the smaller servants easier, but to be at a proper height for the accompanying bean bag chairs. It was on these bags that Joan ate lunch with the regular child servants. The little Santa and the four usual children were eating there at Atalanta's suggestion, enjoying each other's company while happily chatting. The colorful and welcoming room, coupled with dinosaur-chicken nuggets and fries, did much to improve her mood, especially their most recent suggestion.

"A gift buying run?" Joan asked curiously, and received simultaneous nods. She leaned back in her seat to think, causing a small squeak to come from under her bean bag. The other four giggled as she looked underneath her bag to find a squeezable plush bear. With a small toss, she threw it onto an empty bean bag across from her. "But it's holiday break… Would the masters let me?"

"Just work up the guts and explain it to them. You'll be fine!" Kuro declared as she readjusted her own bag. She fell back down into it with a soft squish, taking a moment to fix the strap on her white dress; Neither her or her sister changed out of them yet, since they were rather comfortable.

"Chaldea only deploys for singularities. If you suggest it be paired with solving a minor one, it should go over well," Ruby mentioned as it floated above their table. Illya flashed her staff a smile, glad it wasn't always teasing or playing around.

"You can ask someone to help you choose gifts too!" Jack asked happily with an optimistic smile.

Illya finished a bite from her nugget before adding her opinion. "Jeanne is great with gifts. Maybe ask her to chaperone you?"

Joan wanted to say yes to make it up to her friends, but she was uncertain even with Ruby's suggestion. She would have to leyshift if she was to get any real gifts. But even with their encouragement, would the masters really allow for a sudden shift that wasn't an emergency? It was holiday break after all, and only the beginning of it. The last sortie had been cancelled. However, if she recalled correctly upon singularity introduction with the masters, there could still be a reason to deploy even if it wasn't urgent.

Minor singularities were not as important as the primary ones since they did not affect the Human Order Foundation directly. Chaldeas would still highlight them, though they either remained benign or turned malignant over time. Malignant ones had the chance of influencing one of the time locks directly, and so were taken care of as necessary. Benign ones could be solved at later dates since they currently posed no threat, though they had potential to either grow malignant or solve themselves; They were usually seen as supply sorties and training spots instead of true anomalies since they were simple affairs.

Would the masters allow deploying to one for Christmas so she could redeem herself as a proper Santa? The child Santa didn't know, but she was definitely going to try. She smiled. "I-I'll make it happen!"

Jack and Nursery Rhyme looked to each other in delight. They looked back to her with warm smiles as Kuro flashed her a thumbs up. "Ata girl!"

"I hope it goes well!" Illya wished as Ruby flapped its wings beside her. It whispered in her ear about getting Joan a return gift, making her blanch in realization. Joan didn't mind if they didn't get her any, and merely giggled at the sight. Though done with kind intent, her wish was partially selfish after all. She would be a great Santa, and there was nothing the older Joan or anything could do to stop her from doing this right.

"Of course! I'm Santa, so I will definitely get it right this time for everyone!" she beamed happily with renewed hope.

Yes. Perhaps she still had a chance of leaving great memories for her older self.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VI ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"Thank you again, Master Gudao," Joan spoke quietly while being carried on his back.

The master simply chuckled. "I insist, Santa. I'm happy I could help."

Jeanne, still wearing her own Santa dress, glanced to the Master with a small smile while Amakusa kept guard from behind them. His master attire was covered with a white overcoat, keeping him very warm in the chilly late afternoon. Joan had kept the borrowed attire at the insistence of her older sister, especially after seeing what she wanted instead; It appeared her shameless Avenger self had some influence on the clothing preference based on the casually showing bra. It was accompanied by a Chaldea backpack, which was one of the organization's personal secrets. Amakusa's battle attire was subtle enough for what they were here to do, so he could remain battle ready.

Jeanne looked to Joan's happy smile as she continued to hum Christmas tunes merrily from her spot on Gudao's back. The little servant was very surprised to find the master had accepted the proposal after a bit of thought and hesitation. Gabrielle's team searched for the actual singularity, and conducted supply gathering operations; Thankfully the Deployment Room was large enough to shift hastily cut lumber and other materials that they needed for the room expansions. In the meantime, Gudao took their group towards the nearby town of Carcans-Plage.

Thanks to initial scans, this singularity was quickly chosen due to its pristine stability rating and easy access to raw materials. Their landing point was close to the town, yet far enough to allow Paracelsus to set up a bounded field to deter any onlookers. Sanson's recon of the twenty-first century town had confirmed it was inhabited and looked lively, but otherwise uninfluenced. This left Joan in a pleasantly good mood since her gift buying could go without a hitch.

Releasing Joan's leg for a second, he activated the intercom attached to his wrist. "Gabby, find any trace of what could cause this to go malignant yet?"

"None, though we made quite a dent in the supply concerns so far!" The voice echoed over the transmitter.

Gudao laughed. "Alright, keep me posted."

With sparkling eyes, Joan looked around at the forest they walked through. The trees were coated with snow and glistened like crystals, creating a magical wonderland as they walked. She wished the other children could have come, but she needed to keep their gifts a surprise. Jeanne watched happily as her little sister took the entire scene in, drinking every ounce of the fine elixir winter offered. Her hum growing louder, Joan's catchy tune echoed wonderfully through the nearly silent atmosphere.

Jeanne hummed the tune of Jingle Bells with Joan, making Gudao's smile brighten. The little child was looking forward to righting her wrongs almost as much as she was enjoying this wonderful memory forged for the alter identity. She also silently wondered how she would possibly choose better gifts as she rested her chin atop Gudao's comfy head. As she continued to brainstorm possibilities, she slowly stopped humming. Her arms fell limp around his neck, making Gudao smile upon realization.

Surprised by the sudden silence, Jeanne looked over and barely held back her delight upon seeing Joan snoozing with a content smile; 'Why didn't I bring a camera for this!?'

Time passed in blissful silence as they walked through the forest wonderland… unknowingly being watched.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"Look, they're so cute!" "What wonderful, young parents." "To do so much for their daughter!" "The mother looks so saintly!" "Lucky man with a beautiful wife!"

"Jeanne, I assume they're saying good things about us," Gudao whispered to the female ruler, but kept his eyes forward with a smile. He didn't understand French, so remained ignorant of the situation; He had forgone the casters' linguistic spells typical for translation purposes.

The saint was trying to hide her blush and failing, much to the amusement of her little sister. "Y-Yes. Only nice things."

"Shall I help translate for you, Gudao?" Amakusa's disembodied voice chuckled from spirit form and rang in Joan's mind. She giggled as Jeanne blushed harder.

"D-Don't you dare, Amakusa!" she threatened back. He laughed harder, unknown to the pedestrians who couldn't hear.

The town was rather small, but the shopping area was filled with people as usual. It turns out it was also Christmas during this singularity, which made it easier for them to blend into the scenes. They had acquired francs to properly pay for the gifts, obtained through previous singularities and stored in one of Chaldea's vaults for safe keeping. They could have easily replicated the currency considering singularities corrected themselves, and the inhabitant's memories, after conclusion. It was deemed morally responsible to do the right thing, even if some of the currency was likely not recovered as legally as some servants, specifically the pirates, often claimed.

That was all just side notes for the little Santa. What mattered is finding the stores to get those perfect gifts! They already passed by a few clothing stores, but she didn't think those would make anyone too happy. With her new perspective on gifts granted by the kind Amakusa and her dear sister, she had a much better idea on what to do this time. A toy story would be the easiest first stop so they didn't save time, but they needed to locate one first. It was getting a little hard keeping her focus with so many festive sights that made her eyes twinkle with delight.

However, the funny murmured comments and stares continued, making Amakusa chuckle. "How about I materialize to ease your embarrassment?"

They quickly ducked into an alleyway, allowing Amakusa to materialize without anyone seeing; There was still clearly no threat in the town. Walking back into the streets after a few minutes, Joan had hopped off Gudao's shoulders to hold Jeanne's hand as they walked. She stared into passing windows, trying to figure out ideas. Jeanne looked down at her little sister with a warm smile as she stopped to happily gaze into a toy store. Perhaps they had something Jack and Nursery Rhyme would like? But they had a lot of toys already…

"Feel free to ask, Joan. We're here to help you pick gifts," Amakusa offered with a tiny smirk. Joan looked towards him and nodded as he moved to stand beside her.

The little Santa looked between him and Jeanne happily before gazing back into the store. Amakusa had openly volunteered to assist her task when the sortie was confirmed, but it made her secretly curious. She heard he had done quite a bit of negative actions in the past, and unfortunately in Chaldea too; Gudao and some accompanying servants had to stop him from attempting to activate a grail within his grasp during one deployment. Thankfully since that incident, the ruler had sworn to seal his own desire for the grail in favor of helping the master, though her bigger sister openly admitted she was worried it was another veil he placed.

Judging by how kind he had been since her arrival, Jeanne gave him the benefit of the doubt. Their friendship had clearly grown to mend the rift considering the lack of any animosity or discomfort between them; She supposed it didn't help her bright smile and eager eyes threatened to melt her sister's legs every second. The little Santa couldn't help it though, because her glittering eyes finally spotted a few ideas deeper within the story.

Jeanne let Joan's hand go as she quickly motioned for him to follow. Before the two disappeared into the store, the male ruler held the door open for the tiny bundle of energy. Jeanne smiled towards the male ruler as the two disappeared into the store. Before she could follow them inside, Gudao placed a hand on her shoulder to catch her attention. "Yes, Gudao?"

"I'm going to separate for a bit… I kinda want to get Mashu a better gift," he admitted with a warm smile.

As adorable as the thought was that he wanted it a secret, he was still their master. "I'm sorry, Gudao. But I must accompany you. I can't risk-"

"That's alright. I will keep watch over Master Gudao," Sanson's disembodied voice rang out, startling the ruler momentarily.

Gudao chuckled. "Sanson just arrived at my calling. His recon of the area turned up nothing. Please, I don't want to separate you from Joan."

The saint nodded slowly before glancing into the store. Amakusa was knelt down beside Joan as she stared at two doll houses. She smiled fondly at the sight, "Very well, Gudao. Thank you, and be safe."

He bowed, making the ruler giggle before quickly walking back the way they came. With a content smile, knowing he was safe with an assassin ready to strike, she turned and walked into the store. The bells on the door jingled again as she entered.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VIII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

With a break in the clouds on the horizon, the sun filtered through to bask the bustling town in golden, falling flurries.

Jeanne took in the moment with a smile, especially with how wonderful it looked framing her little sister's form as they sat together and enjoyed the atmosphere. The little servant's bells jingled on her head lightly, matching the ringing and festive cheers from the nearby street. A plump Santa was ringing his bell further down to try and get some charity donations. Children played in the fresh snow of a nearby park, with one pair in a sleigh being pulled by a pony. These were sights not often enjoyed by Chaldea, and reminders of what the servants were working to preserve for the future.

They had recently come from buying presents from the adjacent clothing store, and were on a bench enjoying the carolers singing their tunes in stunning Acapella. The two sisters even joined in during silent night, practically stealing their thunder thanks to their beautiful voices. Not that the carolers minded considering their compliments to their saintly voices, which only caused the trio to chuckle. While humming along to the tune, Joan glanced from side to side for an opportune moment.

After making sure no one was looking, Joan quickly slipped the new gifts into the Chaldea Backpack. They disappeared into its cavernous space, seemingly disappearing without affecting the bag's proportions. It was an invention made after the Fuyuki incident thanks to the combined efforts of several casters; This was but one of the few holding bags that could store exponentially more than they appeared to be capable of, and with less weight as a bonus. Quickly, she zipped the disguised bag of holding before plopping it on her lap with a smile.

Their gift hunting had been proceeding great! The little Santa already had all the kids gifts as well as a few others. She even found unique sets of knitting needles a group of Chaldean tailors would love to have! Then there were the beautiful drinking glasses for Marie, and the painting set for Serenity, and- Oh, she could barely contain her excitement! This was turning into one of the most memorable and happy days she could imagine! Sadly, they should be done within the next hour, and back by dinner if they discover the singularity's source quick enough... so she would be sure to savor the singularity's last treats!

Maybe she could ask her beautiful sister to share a Christmas treat with her on the way to the next store. As she pondered the idea, Amakusa nodded towards her when she glanced to him. "Next store?"

"After you, teacher!" Joan cheered as the male ruler chuckled. They began walking, while Jeanne trailed after them with her hands behind her back. Joan noticed this and pouted playfully. The saint giggled and quickly caught up to her. Joan offered her tiny hand, which Jeanne grasped lightly with a warm smile, making the little Santa giggle with happiness and delight.

"Now then, Santa…" He began with a slightly amused expression.

Jeanne simply watched with a smile as Amakusa continued to explain what it meant to be Santa, and how it usually doesn't fall to children. During the two hours they had been shopping, he had taken up a position as a mentor for the little servant. It was unusual, but it was without a doubt genuine. He had openly stated he never expected to have this sort of tutoring position, but Joan thought he was rather natural at it. He tried to say it could be a form on penance, but she quickly refuted that too. There was no penance on Christmas, but joyful sharing and kindness!

That's when the three of them felt the presence of an unknown servant.

Jeanne quickly looked to Joan as Amakusa's eyes shot towards the forest at the opposite end of town. Looking back to the female saint, he motioned with his head and the three swiftly moved into an alley. Jeanne shifted into her battle attire when they were out of sight, gripping her glistening standard in preparation. They quickly went into spirit form so they could move faster and avoid detection from the civilians out at sunset. Joan was nervous, since she didn't know if she could fight in this form, but the two rulers would be able to guard her in case.

Swiftly, they made their way to the edge of town and materialized with their weapons. They dashed into the forest, feeling Gudao's presence swiftly approaching with Sanson. Soon, they reached the location of the servant signature and came to a cautionary halt. Joan stood a little behind without any manifested weapon as the rulers took up defensive postures.

"Come out, servant!" Amakusa ordered as he held three black keys at the ready.

"Ho ho ho? Multiple servants fighting together... Are you from Chaldea?"

The two rulers steeled themselves in concern, both at the familiarity of the voice and the knowledge of their organization. It made sense to Joan since the voice was familiar to her too, even in her short residence. Jeanne grit her teeth and called into the forest knowingly, "Come out, Arturia Pendragon!"

"Huh... so you know who I am. If that's the case, best use a more respectful tone next time, servant."

To Joan's surprise, the servant did as told. From the trees ahead, the servant appeared and approached them without a care in the world. The trio's eyes widened as the alter came into view with a slight scowl. Her golden eyes pierced their own, and her unusually pale skin and hair sent a small shiver down Jeanne's spine. Seeing the king's alter was unnerving, and probably more so to her sister since they defeated a strong copy of her in the sixth singularity. But that's not what surprised the two rulers the most, and made Joan look at the enemy servant in curiosity… and confusion.

Arturia Alter took another bite from the fried chicken leg she held in one hand. Excalibur Morgan was nowhere in sight, and her battle armor was completely gone. In its place was a black version of a festive mini-dress, complete with white accents and black stockings. There was even a black Santa hat on her head as she scowled towards the Chaldeans. With another bite, she stared towards them completely relaxed save for the scowl, making the two rulers glance at each other in bewilderment. Joan wasn't sure if Chaldea ever encountered a more unusual servant, but she was definitely stumped...

"Do you have a good reason for interrupting Santa's dinner time?" the alter asked plainly. "I'd like to enjoy my food in peace."

Jeanne blinked as Gudao landed nearby with Sanson's aid. They joined them in perplexity as Gudao stepped forward, earning a small smirk from the alter. "Ah. So we meet again, Gudao... Got some new servants, I see?"

"...Arturia Alter?" the master asked in confusion as he stared at the servant. "...You remember me?"

"...Vaguely. You look and sound familair, but I don't really know why... However, that doesn't excuse your lack of an answer. Very disrespectful…" She growled, but decided to humor them, likely in consideration of her current odds. "I am Santa. Subject or not, you will address me as such."

It shouldn't, but for some reason it was grating Joan's nerves she was calling herself Santa. Santa was supposed to bring holiday cheer and be kind like Amakusa said! This one was trying to demand fealty and command respect without earning it! What kind of Santa did that in a joyful time of the year!?

"No! I confute you! You're a bad Santa! I'm better!" Joan cried out, earning a scowl and glare from Arturia. She quickly hushed up and hid behind Jeanne.

"A child… pretending to be Santa... How absurd. You do not have the aptitude to be a proper Santa."

"She can be whatever she wants," Jeanne retorted with a glare.

The opposing alter pulled a bucket of chicken seemingly out of nowhere, now leveling her stare at the female ruler. "Sometimes children need their dreams broken early."

"Don't listen to her, Joan!" Jeanne declared firmly, earning a quick nod from the child Santa as she put her hands over her ears.

"I don't believe you are a proper Santa yourself," Amakusa judged with a blank expression. The grown alter glared at him.

"My summoner thinks otherwise... She thinks I am proper for the role to give presents this day. Want to ask her yourself?"

Gudao groaned into his hand, clearly confused by what was happening. Quickly, he activated the intercom on his wrist. "Gabby. Get to my position with Mashu and a few others."

"Did Sanson find the source?"

"We did… but I don't know how to explain any of this. Just get here and be ready for battle in case."

After the confirmation, he dropped his arm and glanced to the rulers. "When Gabby gets here… you three go back to shopping. We'll handle this."

Santa Alter raised an eyebrow. "Last minute Christmas shopping? Even my summoner isn't this bad. How uncouth and disrespectful to all Santa-"

"You're really taking this act seriously, aren't you?" Gudao asked curiously. He was met with a firm nod.

"The title of Santa is not to be taken lightly... and so, I have done my part to bring the proper gifts to the people of the area. They will receive their just rewards, given out indifferently as a proper Santa should."

"But gifts should make others happy…" Joan murmured from behind Jeanne. Amakusa shot her a smirk, visibly glad that the student listened to the lessons he gave.

The self-declared adult Santa stared at Gudao as she finished her recent bite of a chicken breast. "It is Christmas. Do you wish to feel the wrath of Santa on this sacred day? If it cannot wait for another time, I will simply use Excalibur Morgan on all of you and be on my way to the chimneys later this evening."

Gudao sighed."No wonder this minor singularity is ranked so stable… to think, of all things… this… was the cause."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IX ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

With Gabrielle and Gudao doing negotiations with the unusual enemy servant, the trio made their way out of the woods and towards the nearby beach; It would look very suspicious if they simply exited the woods. With the waning hours of the sunset, they strolled onto the snow-covered shore. There was some ice near the tide-touched sand where the waves removed the soft beach of its winter blanket. A few seagulls flew overhead and called to each other among the sound of crashing waves.

Amakusa was giving Joan a lecture about ignoring everything the twisted Santa had been saying, but soon stopped when he realized the little servant wasn't listening. How could she with this sight before her? Her patient listening and sponge-like acceptance had been discarded. Any stray thoguhts about possible gift ideas were tossed to the wind. All she could see was the gap in the snowy horizon where the sun shined through to them with holy grace.

The snowflakes were illuminated as they gently fell to the ground. A few nestled onto her eyelashes, but she made no movements to shake them. She was frozen with fiery warmth as she gazed out across the gorgeous shore, and the more beautiful ocean. Nothing in her wildest imagination could have painted a picture like this that shimmered brightly. With every passing second, her eyes milked the natural beauty as her vision blurred. There was no denying how happy and inspired she felt, nor her overwhelmed emotions that were about to break free.

Both she and Jeanne were still holding hands as they stared out at the ocean. The female ruler had a soft smile on her face, but Joan's bottom lip was quivering. With a soft sigh, Jeanne giggled as a rather large wave crashed onto the beach. "The ocean is so beautiful, isn't it, Joan?"

To her surprise, she felt her sister's hand tremble before she openly started crying. Amakusa, completely taken back and confused, simply watched as Jeanne bent down to hug the little alter. It was quickly returned as Joan buried her face into the covered shoulder of the saint. There was no hint of surprise or confusion on the older girl's face, further bewildering the male ruler. Noticing his stare, Jeanne simply chuckled and smiled.

"The ocean… is a small wish of mine. I'm not surprised she would react like this."

"I thought you didn't have a wish, Jeanne."

"I didn't. I gave it up when I left for war, but that ordinary child in me always dreamed to see it."

With a slow nod, the male ruler looked to the little servant as she weeped openly. Even in her circumstances and blurred memories, her heart had cried out upon grasping this most precious wish within her soul; They were both technically Jeanne, after all. Quietly, Jeanne picked Joan off the ground as she sobbed into her shoulder, though the little servant had a small smile on her face. Holding her in a warm embrace, Jeanne slowly rocked her as they continued towards the town.

Joan squeezed the saint harder, completely filled with a pleasantly warm feeling. She stared back at the ocean and whimpered, causing Jeanne to rub her back soothingly. They had come to this singularity in hopes of correcting her gift mistakes, and she wound up creating a far better memory for the alter identity. They had walked a winter wonderland, enjoyed the sights of their festive country, and even seen the ocean for the first time in her existence as a wished servant. Even the groaning and discontent from the back of her mind, where the alter identity remained, had been silenced throughout this trip.

Clearly, she was feeling emotionally affected as well.

With a smile, Joan was happy for her initial mistakes with the gifts. Had it not been for that, she would have never felt the fulfillment she did now. She had received more than she could ever ask for, and she saw the irony in her ways. Giving useful gifts that brought no happiness was not the proper way, especially when the memories she wanted to forge did the exact opposite; They weren't useful to the alter identity, per se, but they brought happiness. Is this what it felt like to get a real gift?

"Little Santa, do you understand completely the power of a true Christmas gift?" Amakusa asked with a small smile.

"I think so, teacher…" she sniffled with a giggle, all while smiling towards the setting sun over the ocean. The orange hues reflected in her eyes as they did the waves, and she let a fresh tear fall as she smiled towards the setting star.

"Good. Then let us finish the Christmas shopping before things get out of hand with that… servant."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ X ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

To the team's surprise, there had been a dormant false grail that a magus was trying to activate with the help of her summoned servant; Amakusa had destroyed the corrupted artifact without even making an attempt for it, much to Jeanne's newfound trust in his word. The singularity was swiftly resolved considering they only had to deal with one servant, though the circumstances of the anomaly remained partially unanswered. All that was revealed was that some crazed magus wanted a Christmas that would last year-round, which would have been an eternal blizzard thanks to the corrupted grail.

It didn't matter to Chaldeas since it quickly registered the completion of the possible issue. Additionally, benign singularities normally didn't collapse quickly due to their uninfluential nature, so the team was able to do some final material gathering before being leyshifted back to Chaldea. This includes the large number of gifts the rulers helped the aspiring Santa obtain correctly.

With the surprise deployment done, this allowed Christmas Eve to proceed unhindered and with a more jovial tune. Thanks to the help of Jeanne and Amakusa, Joan was able to wrap the new presents that morning to give to the other servants, and the Salon proved to be the best place to do that. Lots of Eggnog was being passed around for the adults, that late afternoon, as Joan gave her previous clients real gifts. Since there were those who didn't follow Christian tradition, it was left up to them whether to open them now or later.

Jeanne and Gudao had accompanied the little bundle of energy in her gift giving, since Gabrielle got her turn yesterday. To everyone's amusement, especially Joan who requested it, Gudao had proudly worn a reindeer costume. To her excitement, he even allowed her to ride on his back since they lacked a sleigh; He even wore a round, red nose to properly look the part. It was too bad she had to borrow a simple, white dress from Atalanta's girls since she wore the Santa one yesterday. In gratitude for his actions, Joan gave him a slight break while she gave out a nearby present to Arturia.

The saber, now back to her regular self, accepted it with a smile. She sat next to the still affected Emiya, wearing a blue casual dress while the archer wore over-sized, casual clothes from his closet; It's not like he had an option. "You didn't have to get me a second one, Joan, but thank you. I find I am actually happy with the first one."

Joan blinked. "You liked it?"

"My younger self preferred the horse, which I do not blame her for… but the book will be very helpful in my efforts with Mordred. Her misbehavior is the enemy," Arturia chuckled. Emiya had to laugh with her too. They waved to Joan as she moved towards a nearby booth where Gudao was taking the small break.

"Hi Arty! Emiya!" Jeanne greeted as she walked past the couple in a simple white halter dress. They waved back as she caught up with her little sister. She gave Joan a cup of hot chocolate as she sipped on her own. The delighted Santa quickly began drinking her sister's gift as she took a seat at the master's chosen booth, joined by the older saint on the other side with Gudao.

"Amakusa's advice did wonders, no?" Gudao asked with a pleasant smile. The hood of his costume was pulled back, and the nose removed, so he could drink his water.

"Everyone who opened their gifts was really happy!" Joan cheered as she sipped on her drink once more. She pulled the sack of gifts under the table as a few employees struggled to get past. "Where is he?"

"Preparing for evening mass. We can thank him later," Jeanne smiled. He really had gone out of his way to help her yesterday. "Which presents are left?"

"Um…" Joan looked hesitant before a blush appeared on her small cheeks. She ducked under the table and fished into her bag, before pulling out a white box with blue ribbon. Slowly, she held it out to Jeanne as Gudao watched with a small smile. "…yours is one."

The saint didn't even hide her smile as she graciously took the box. She hel;d it fondly, though Joan wondered if she would open it now or tomorrow. It was the first gift from her to her big sister, and likely the first of many amusing treats when the alter returned to normal; Her big sister was definitely going to tease the older alter about this! Quickly, Jeanne got up from her seat and moved to the other side of the table to hug her. She nuzzled into her big sister's neck as she squealed, "Thank you, Joan."

Gudao watched the moment happily as he took a sip, before finding himself the new target of Santa's attention. She smiled towards him, and he nodded back with a chuckle. "I'm guessing I'm next?"

"Nope! You'll get yours when we're done giving the rest out! You need to earn it like a proper reindeer!" Joan responded and stuck her tongue out.

Gudao's jaw dropped as Jeanne laughed. "Wait, what? Have I not been working hard-"

"Nope! Confuted!" Joan cheered with a joyful smile. "We need to work harder to make more people smile! Let's do our best, Mister Reindeer!"

Gudao sighed. The next two hours until dinner would be tiring indeed, but it would be worth it! He had no idea what gift was coming for him!

"Santa! Santa!" Joan's eyes twinkled with delight.

Gudao turned his head at the cries of familiar children as Chaldea's premier child servants ran up to them. Judging by the four being in their battle attire, they must have been playing their sport of battle tag that essentially made their training ground sessions much more entertaining. Jack and Kuro were first to the table with bright grins, making Jeanne chuckle as Illya and Nursery Rhyme trailed after. The Einzbern caster had not made use of her flight in consideration for Marie.

The four happily began chatting with Joan, who joyfully joined in. She began sifting through her bag under the table to get their presents, making them even more excited as the two young adults simply watched gleefully. Atalanta and Irisiviel began their approach from the door, also in battle attire as they watched their children swarm the booth with warm smiles as Joan handed out the first gift. Gudao sighed in joy. Maybe, the next bit wouldn't be tiring for him after all.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ XI ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Gudao scratched the front of his green collared shirt, clearly more than happy to be out of the reindeer costume. She was thankful she did it for him, even if the suit did look rather hot; She wondered how those sports mascots did it? Tossing the thought aside, she ran up to the stool, placed one hand on his white slacks, and used him as a makeshift hand-hold to place herself on the adjacent stool. She just returned from giving another gift and was glad he stayed put. He gently pushed on her back gently for support so she can clamber onto the stool. She quietly thanked him as she smoothed the borrowed dress.

"Finally finished, Santa?" Dantes chuckled on the stool on the other stool beside her. Joan eyed the man in his usual gray suit while flashing a tiny smile at him. While she spent a little less time with him and the group in the past two days, it was at the male avenger's urging; She hoped the three would like their gifts as her first friends. They wanted to open them in front of the older Joan, probably to her mortification. She could put up the front all she liked, but the little Santa knew her real feelings!

"Almost. Only one more gift left!"

"Speaking of which... it's an hour after dinner, little Santa… where's the gift I was promised at the end of supper?" Gudao teased at the Salon's bar. Sanson, Dantes, and Mata Hari laughed while Joan pouted on the stool next to him. The pout quickly disappeared as the female assassin in a rather skimpy Santa dress placed a new mug of hot chocolate in front of her. She happily began sipping from the swirly straw.

With a satisfied gulp, she smiled to the master. "It's coming, I promise!"

She didn't like the smell of alcohol, but if it was to keep Gudao in place while they got his gift ready, then she was all for it. With a mental check, she confirmed he was the only gift recipient left too. She was happy Gudao had agreed to a deployment yesterday, especially with the extremely short notice. With this in mind, she ensured his gift would be one he would definitely enjoy, and even asked Gabrielle for help organizing it! The young Joan hoped it would be both useful and bring him happiness!

With another sip, she quietly recollected her experiences in that winter singularity. That leyshift had given her memories she never thought possible, and ones the alter would likely cherish without ever telling anyone; She could scowl in the future as much as she likes, but the younger identity knew the avenger had secretly enjoyed it. If that wasn't enough, all the bonding spent with the Holy Maiden in the past few days was definitely icing on the sugary cupcake.

"You liked watching Jeanne treat me like a sister. Admit it!"

The avenger identity growled in the back of her mind. "Y-You can't prove anything you little-"

"That was a stutter! Therefore, I'm right! Confuted!" The Santa happily giggled, though Gudao thought it was because of the drink.

There was a mental pause of silence, but the trapped avenger soon broke it with a half-hearted growl. "… Thanks for the memories, kid..."

Joan felt accomplished and appreciated by the identity, the one that would inevitably replace her; She wondered if the other temporary child servants could have conversations like this. It was only a matter of time before she would disappear, likely never to return to the surface. The childish servant would still exist as a small voice in the back of her mind, like a sort of subconscious… or at least, that's what she liked to imagine the voices of different reasoning were. Maybe she would return sometime, but for now, she was just glad to have helped possibly smooth sore spots, and gifted the avenger the best of memories.

As awesome of a job as she finally did, her job as Santa was not done yet as Gabrielle's voice echoed in her mind. "All set, Joan!"

She giggled and looked to Gudao. "Mister Reindeer! I'll take you to your present now!"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ XII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Gudao let the little Santa push him through the hallway to the amusement of anyone they passed. He simply smiled and chuckled, letting the child do as she pleased so he could personally enjoy the interactions while they lasted; She would be back to her Avenger form in the near future, after all, and she was usually a bag of scowls that rivaled Lord El-Melloi II. Soon, they wound up in front of his door as the child quickly fished the key card from his master uniform's pocket. He was slightly taken back as she calmly hummed and opened his door before pushing him in.

"Alright, Mister Reindeer! As promised, your present is here in your room!" Joan cheered as she walked over and motioned to his bed. Slightly distracted by the smell of lavender candles burning, he finally turned-

Gudao blinked and stared at the new covers; Had Gabrielle or Mashu help set it up for her? It was no longer the boring Chaldea white, but now a rather nice shade of green, which was his favorite color. The pillows looked extra fluffy as well, so it appears even those were new. While it wasn't the gift he expected, the new sheets definitely eluded to much better sleep, which was admittedly something many of the servants worried about with him. The side tables also had lit candles so he would have something nice to smell, a rare complaint he often voiced to Gabrielle about when trying to sleep at night. It was fitting, to say the least… but did that mean…

"It was my idea, but all the other servants, a few employees, and Gabrielle helped me get it as a gift to you!" Joan exclaimed happily as she pulled him towards the bed by the wrist. Partially bouncing in excitement, she motioned towards the quilt blanket that had black marks all over it. They were signatures and messages written all over, and his eyes widened as he read over some of them.

"Merry Christmas to our beloved first Chaldean master!" – Marie

"Thank you for warm home to back to!" – Asterios

"May your heart remain pure, Master." – Saint George

"Merry Christmas to a dear friend!" – Doctor Roman

"Stay sweet as sugar, Master!" – Mata Hari

"Feel privileged. You are different." – Gilgamesh

"May the future be brighter under your lead!" – Babbage

"You would make a fine Spartan! Keep training!" – Leonidas

"To the one who makes the impossible a reality!" – Ushiwakamaru

There were countless signatures, and judging from even Gilgamesh's own, it was also from every servant currently in Chaldea. With a growing smile, Gudao unconsciously reached out and patted the servant on the head, making her blush as she giggled. The master rubbed her head as his eyes scanned more signatures and messages. Did Gabrielle get a similar present from the servants? This was truly a gift he never expected, but appreciated.

"Thank you, Joan… I don't know what to say. This is incredible beyond words."

"I'm glad you like it, Mister Reindeer!" Joan giggled before she skipped towards the door. "It was really hard to do with such short notice, but everyone cooperated!"

To his surprise, his door slid open to reveal Gabrielle in a red Santa dress. She smiled at her best friend as Fou appeared at her feet with a tiny Santa hat. It quickly hopped onto Joan's shoulder and began licking her cheek, making her giggle at the ticklish sensation. Gabrielle smiled at them before winking towards Gudao. "Like the gift?"

"Kyuuuu!"

"Love it. You get something like this too?"

"Sorta," Gabrielle giggled before she took the little servant by the hand. "It's a gift specially made for you since you don't really like cluttering items! But there's still more!"

With that, Gabrielle quickly pulled a slightly confused Joan out of the room, letting the door shut. As he raised his eyebrow in slight confusion, the door clicked lock signaling Gabrielle had shut it from the other side. In confusion, Gudao stepped towards the door, but stopped as the lights shut off, leaving only the candles to provide illumination. Smooth saxophone music began playing through the video intercom in his room, making it apparent Roman had his hand in this as well. Confused, and his heartbeat increasing, he tried to get his hopes under control-

But it definitely pointed that direction as the door to his bathroom opened. "Merry Christmas~"

Mashu appeared with a blush clear on her cheeks, even in the low light. She wore a white robe with his glow in the dark initials over the heart. His heartbeat increased more as he noticed the rather sultry smile on her face that matched the sway in her hips as her slippers quietly waltzed towards him. He felt his own cheeks heat up as Mashu giggled shyly, wondering with slight irritation if they had gotten her drunk agai-

"It's alright, Senpai~… I didn't have any alcohol this time." It seems she had taken some seduction lessons from someone in Chaldea, and he would bet his best friend was the culprit. Then again, there were also a few servants who could be likely. "I want to remember this moment, Gudao~"

His cheeks burned at the sound of his name instead of the usual address, especially with her chosen tone. With a glint of mischief and another giggle, she let the front of the robe open, revealing a very revealing set of lacy lingerie that matched her hair. He let her sashay up to him and place her hand softly onto his chest, just as her sultry smile reached its peak as she gazed longingly into his eyes. He was about to lose complete control, but he was still worried about the love rivals sensing their proximity; Hiding the relationship wasn't his preferred method, but they were left with no choice. They had refrained from doing this in the event those two would-

"I know what you're thinking… but don't worry, Gudao…" she leaned in close, making sure to press her body perfectly against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "The blanket and robe were secretly made using the presence concealment material… so how about we enjoy an early present~?"

With a tiny smirk, he enjoyed the tiny moan that escaped her lips as his hands caressed her exposed sides. As he held her gently, the passion in his eyes matched hers without a doubt... and with an inviting smirk of his own, all hesitation was vanquished from his mind. "…Merry Christmas indeed."

In an instant, Mashu giggled and closed her eyes as he quickly pressed his lips against her own.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ XIII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"All without a hitch… You're not the only one good at planning, Gudork," Gabrielle whispered and chuckled as she walked towards Scathach and the little Santa. Fou had already run off somewhere, likely Salon de Marie if she were to guess. She gave one final glance back at his door, "I have to thank Roman for helping with the room controls..."

"Is he happy with the gift?" Joan asked curiously, obviously oblivious to what happened. All she knew was that Gabrielle promised the gift would also be useful, much to her delight. She still wasn't sure why she really wanted it to be a blanket. The master flashed a million-dollar grin as Scathach chuckled.

"You have no idea how much!" Gabrielle cheered. "Now then, let's go to the Salon to play some board games with the others! Sounds great?"

Joan happily nodded. As she took the little Santa's hand, and they started walking back towards the Salon for some Christmas Eve games, Scathach leaned in to the master to whisper. "Was the lingerie your gift?"

Gabrielle glanced down at the humming Joan, who secretly listened in. The master continued, assuming she wasn't about to hear; How could she not at this proximity? "It was actually Mashu's… my gift was burning the blackmail I took of them from Halloween. I put the remains in a small box for him to open tomorrow morning… along with a real gift, mind you."

"Oh? But Drake won't have blackmail to force a treasure sortie," Scathach smiled back in amusement.

"Not my problem. I was only going to use it if they played hard to get any longer. I think Mashu still has that kinky outfit for her to wear in case they want to spice things up…" Gabrielle pondered quietly, making occasional glances at the humming Joan to ensure she wasn't listening. She was, and she connected the dots. With a smile, she hid her own enjoyment and acted well; She was just happy the present made him happy! "Ah well… As long as they can enjoy their relationship, I'm happy… and if all goes well, it won't even need to be secret anymore."

Scathach nodded firmly as Joan began swinging the female master's arm. With a giggle, Gabrielle looked down in delight. After yesterday's disappointing run, Joan had made quite the turnaround, especially in both mood and outlook. The presents this time were much better from what reactions she received from giving them. Even the gift wrapping with her big sister and teacher was fun! She delivered a lot of great gifts, but Joan didn't realize the best gift given saving the little Santa's smile for the holidays, and that alone was priceless.

But perhaps, there was still time to make it shine brighter, since she did want plenty of bright memories for the avenger to enjoy! But what? Time was slowly ticking by, and she could already feel the potion's influences starting to wear off. Thankfully, it seemed Gabrielle had an idea. "Hey Joan, wanna race to the lounge?"

"Oh! What's the prize?" The child servant asked curiously.

"How about the loser owes the winner whatever they wan-"

Joan was immediately dashing towards the Salon. "I'm going to have so much chocolate milk and cookies tonight!"

"H-Hey wait! I didn't say start yet!" Gabrielle yelled in surprise as she tried to catch up to the speeding servant. "You can't just-"

The little Santa's laughter merrily filled the halls as they chased after her.