#uwaaa...

Left on the house's doorstep, separate from Vash's presents, there are two boxes specifically addressed to "Old Wolf!". Affixed to one box, there's a note that reads:

(First off, sorry about the unflattering nickname - I didn't want you to feel left out!) Anyway, I can't peek into these boxes, but I think I get to have some say in what's inside? I wanted one that makes you laugh, and one that inspires you! You can go ahead and give me coal in return if these end up being awful gifts. Here's to more good times and more good food! Yum!! Blondie

Inside a comedically large box and nested on strips of white tissue paper is a keychain of a mini-figurine of Angelina (the First). There's a switch on the underside that makes it function as a surprisingly powerful laser pointer. For whatever reason, the laser itself is turquoise-colored.

Within the smaller box of the two: a double-hinged wooden box containing a colorful wooden cube… Which in itself is comprised of more wooden cubes. It's a duplicate of the same toy from the Hopeland Orphanage, and has the wear-and-tear to prove it.

Old, huh?

Wolfwood squints at the keychain while Kuroneko hops into the giant box and makes herself at home. He fumbles with it briefly, his thumb hitting the switch when he finds it and— agh! Shining the laser directly into his eye! Christ, at least it isn't a real laser. Just a light. But it is very bright.

When he points it across the room their cat seems very interested in the dot it makes on the far wall, staring from the box with wide eyes (and her eyes are already enormous). He sets it on the table so he can crack open the smaller box, gingerly taking out the contents. It's... bringing back a whole flood of memories.

He never played with it, but the kids much younger than him did. Some of the paint is chipped away, and there's signs of old splintered parts of the wood being carefully sanded down to protect small, soft, young hands. The kids that played with it were a little too young to understand math at the time, they just liked taking the cube apart and putting it back together again.

Inspiring, huh...

As nice as Spirale can be, there are still plenty of kids without toys, plenty of kids without a family who are in an orphanage like he was. He's got a lot of tools for carving, and fresh bottles of paint.

Something he'll think about a bit more.

I’m leafin.

I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!

SOMEONE'S in the fuckin mood

DAMN