Author's Note: Managed to sneak in one last snippet before I go on holiday for the rest of 2022!

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/Time: Several Years before the Main Plot, Right after the Destruction of Colony 14/

/Gardin Defense Base, Syra Hovering Reefs, Keves Castle Region/

The survivors of Colony 14 were waiting for their inevitable reassignments; it was the nature of the world they lived in, alas. Little time to grieve, little time to mourn: the war demanded their efforts. Such demands could not be ignored because of personal tragedy.

Lanz really wanted to ignore it, though; leaning against the southern wall of the Defense Base's grounds, he just wanted to get away from it all.

"There you are, Lanz," said a familiar boy.

The young second-termer grimaced, looking over his shoulder at Noah and Eunie. "What do you lot want?" he asked, glaring at them.

Eunie's impulsive snort was cut off before it could truly begin, rendering its sound into a horribly snuffled sneeze. "Erm, well...agh, spark this," she griped, irritably fiddling with her head wings. "Lanz, you've kinda been freakin' everyone out."

"Oh yeah? Why would anyone be frightened of little ol' me," he grumbled. When Eunie pointed at his right hand, he looked down at the tiny little dagger in his fingers. "So? S'just a knife. Not good for much else than whittling."

"Yeah, well you've been walking around the whole snuffin' Defense Base with it in your hand. And all with that look in your eyes." Eunie huffed, leaning against the wall beside him. "Like you'd tear the ponio's arse end out of anyone who looks at ya funny."

"...'m just a second-termer," Lanz muttered. "Not like I do much on my own."

"...that doesn't look standard issue," remarked Noah, trying to change the subject. "Is that knife...special?"

"...I asked Riku for it. Didn't ask any questions or anythin'. Maybe he knew? Spark if I know." Grimacing, Lanz held the small knife up. "I...I was gonna say sorry. I really was."

Both Noah and Eunie winced at those words; little wonder, as he brought up that big Joran-shaped hole that now existed in their team. "I see," murmured Noah after several seconds of awkward silence. "It...was going to be a gift?"

"I mean...he ditched training often enough to whittle away at those little dolls of his. I bet his knife was getting dull..." A simple and practical gift had also seemed so much easier than actually saying 'sorry.' And now...he'd never get the chance. "...shows what I get for waiting."

"Lanz," said Eunie, wings slightly drooping from dismay. "...we're all hurtin', man...but if you freak people out, they might split us up. Maybe put you in a unit full of maniacs or somethin'. I don't..." Eunie gingerly brushed her fingers against the outside of his right hand. "...I don't wanna lose you too."

Lanz briefly considered a life without Noah and Eunie; maybe he'd have a chance to be all muddled in his own head in peace. (But his annoyance at their nosiness could never compare to how much he'd miss them.)

In the quiet silence, Noah raised his voice. "Lanz...I'm not telling you to let it go. Not...not now, at least. But..."

"Yeah, I get it," grumbled Lanz, interrupting Noah before he could finish his words. "I get it...gotta move on." (What a wretched lie.) Feeling spiteful (towards Agnus; towards everyone; towards his own snuffing weakness...!), Lanz impulsively stepped away from the wall, rearing his arm; with a frustrated cry, he heaved the tiny little knife into the air, watching angrily as it soared over the rim. It would continue to fall into the great void underneath the Hovering Reefs, possibly forever. "There. It's done. No more thinking about it."

Eunie shook her head at his impetuous action. "You muppet...you didn't have to do that..."

"I'll get strong enough so it won't matter, right?" hissed Lanz, clenching both of his fists so hard that it felt like his skin was going to yield to his fingernails. "I'll move on. So don't worry about me."

(Everyone knew that wasn't true.)

(Right now, you'll give anything for them to drop it.)

"...let's get to the canteen and get some breakfast," said Noah, finally breaking the awkward silence. "We need to be ready in case our reassignment comes through today..."

Thus did the trio go about their day; thoughts of the knife — a gift, sadly ungiven — eventually gave way to lingering memories of Joran, which would scab over their hearts in the days and weeks and months to come...

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It would be an unusual sight, many years later. By the time the Kevesi trio became Ouroboros, all thought of that little gift had been lost to time...

...however...in the aftermath of the battle at Colony Lambda, when Consul J revealed his true identity...

...Lanz couldn't deny feeling a strange twinge of agony, seeing Joran stab his mud-puppets in the back: his tool of choice, an old whittling knife that had once carved little dolls from wood.

(Perhaps it was a small mercy, that Lanz's gift had been ungiven; imagine the anguish, seeing his apology turned into a tool of anguish and suffering...)

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Author's Note: ...okay, so gifts are only tangentially related to Christmas.

...welp, time to head out. See y'all in 2023!