"Hoo! Hoo!" came the muffled cries of my owl companion, Puffy Face. He sounded as if he was attempting to hoot with too many marshmallows stuffed inside his puffy cheeks. "Has the chimney monster gone away? Is it safe for me to come out now?"
I gazed up from the mug of hot cocoa I was sipping and noticed Puffy Face crouching behind his gigantic red cup with dramatic eyes, his feathers all ruffled. That red cup was my Christmas gift to him some years back and I had it custom made with double handles, conveniently suited for the owl that he was. Though, I never quite understood why Puffy Face insisted on filling his mug with hot cocoa, when everyone in the North Pole knew that he disliked hot cocoa very much. It was the sweet marshmallows he was after and he fooled absolutely nobody! He'd gobble those up before they even had the time to melt into that pool of hot chocolate. And then he'd politely ask for more marshmallows to top the brown brew that he disliked.
"That was no chimney monster, " I chuckled, reassuring Puffy Face. "Did you not recognize Rudolph? The red-nosed reindeer?" I paused for a moment to set my mug of hot cocoa on the table and waited for Puffy Face to respond. He was no longer crouching now, but pecking at the fallen marshmallows littering the saucer beneath his red cup.
"Well, Rudolph was here to deliver some very important messages..." I continued, though I realized I was poor competition for those squishy marshmallows. Nonetheless, I pretended that Puffy Face was attentively listening to my every word. "The first message is on behalf of Santa BranjoHello, with the wonderful announcement that we've managed to set a new record this year as the most populated Secret Santa event since 2015! That's awesome news, don't you think?"
"Hoo! Hoo! The more, the merrier!" Puffy Face's eyes lit up with delight, his face a fluffy bundle of feathers beneath his red Christmas hat. But with his beak oozing with gooey confectionery, I was beginning to suspect that Puffy Face was talking about marshmallows when he said the more, the merrier.
"The second message that Rudolph delivered is on behalf of Santa zeffyr," I carried on. "Our Secret Santa mission has begun! We've been assigned our giftee!" I showed Puffy Face the beautiful card onto which the giftee's name had been preciously penned in ink.
"Hoo! Hoo! Holy marshmallows!" Puffy Face waved his wings in excitement. "What a pleasure to have been paired with..."
I almost spat my hot cocoa in my owl companion's direction. I don't know how I managed, but with lightening precision, my fingers squished a chewy marshmallow straight into his beak. "Now, now, Puffy Face... we have a code of conduct to respect, as Secret Santas, which forbids us to utter a giftee's name. On a still and snowy night in winter wonderland, voices carry!"
Puffy Face remained silent for a moment, possibly to contemplate the faux-pas he came so close to commit. Or, maybe he was simply blissfully savouring the marshmallow I had corked up his beak?
"Hoo! Hoo!" hooted Puffy Face, "I think I am ready to take flight!"
By the looks of my owl friend's eyes and his agitated feathers, it appears the sugar rush had taken hold of Puffy Face. He was ready to jolt, alright!
"I need a moment to consult our giftee's wishlist and wrap up the presents in colourful paper and ribbons too!" I tossed my unfinished hot cocoa aside and got busy at the Christmas workshop station. Never an easy task wrapping up DRM-free games! Fortunately, the workshop was equipped with gift boxes of various sizes and colours, so it made it a winter breeze to find the right box for the right game!
Puffy Face dashed outdoors to where the magic sleigh was parked and I followed right behind, helping to carry the presents outside and load the sleigh. Puffy Face was flapping his wings manically, a bit too eager to hit the sky with a sleigh full of joy.
"Be sure to deliver our giftee's gifts straight to Santa zeffyr," I pecked a kiss on Puffy Face's forehead. "Have a safe journey! And, please, try not to eat them all at once..."
I handed Puffy Face a stash of squishy marshmallows, for the road.
