4: True sages are those who give what they have, without meanness and without secret.

[nos_servabit]

Who: Jacob and EVERYONE EVER.
Location: Anywhere and everywhere.
Time: Backdated to Christmas Day- all day, from morning to midnight
Style: I'll follow!
Status: OPEN LIKE YOUR PRESENTS ON CHRISTMAS

[The man going around the city isn't wearing a red suit or hat. He isn't fat, and there is no white beard on his face. His nose isn't as round as a cherry, and his cheeks aren't rosy. However, his blue eyes do twinkle as he goes around, carrying a large burlap sack...]

[And he seems to be giving everyone he meets a blue or white wooden amulet, carved in the shape of a scarab with holiday greetings etched on the bottom in Egyptian hieroglyphics. He doesn't seem to single out anyone for the gifts, either- the homeless man in the alley receives the same gift and warm words that is given to the rich woman dining outside a lavish restaurant.]

[Even though he may not look like it, Jacob seems to be taking on the job of being Santa Claus incredibly well.]

[And if you are one of the select few who Jacob knows very well, you're receiving a very unique scarab made especially for you.]

[Care to greet this man as he makes his rounds? Because you're getting a gift too, whether you like it or not.]

[ooc: Jacob is giving out scarabs to everyone! Check the list to see if your character is getting a unique one. Also, for all you new people who don't have CR with Jacob yet, please fill out Jacob's permission post before commenting. Thank you!]

Comments

[nos_servabit]

It's Christmas and I thought everyone would want something as a gift.

[Here, Conan, you are having a white scarab being handed to you now.]

Here you go.

[modernholmes]

[He takes it and peers at it quizzically.]

A scarab?

[nos_servabit]

Yes. It's an amulet that was used in Egyptian times to symbolize the wonder of life and the cycle of the sun...it was also used in some fashion against evil, as well.

Prepare for an information dump

[modernholmes]

Modeled after Scarabaeus sacer. The Egyptians honored the scarab beetle god Khepera as a creative aspect of Atum and as the force responsible for pushing the setting sun along the sky in the same manner as the beetle. In many artifacts, the scarab is depicted pushing the sun along its course in the sky.

During and following the New Kingdom, scarab amulets were often placed over the heart of the mummified deceased. The amulets were often inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead which entreated the heart to, "do not stand as a witness against me."

/o/

[nos_servabit]

[His smile widens.]

You're very knowledgable, Conan. Yes, all of those things you said are very much true. Egyptian culture is quite fascinating for me- I use it often in my daily life.

Re: /o/

[modernholmes]

I saw it on television.

[nos_servabit]

But you read more books than watch television, don't you?

[modernholmes]

Sometimes.

[nos_servabit]

That's good. While television is good, I like to think the written word is much stronger in some cases.

[modernholmes]

Most of the time. [Some day someone would notice that while Conan often claimed that his knowledge was due to television he hardly ever watched any.]

[nos_servabit]

What sort of books do you like?

[modernholmes]

I like mysteries.

[nos_servabit]

Is that so? Who is your favorite author? Poe? Conan Doyle? Rex Stout?

[modernholmes]

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of course.

[nos_servabit]

[He smiles.] Of course. Considering your name is Conan, after all...

Odd that you share the same name, isn't it?

[modernholmes]

My parents were fans.

[nos_servabit]

So it runs in the family? Your love of mysteries, I mean. How nice.

You're all by yourself, though, aren't you? Without your parents. But something tells me that you're a lot more mature than you let on...

[modernholmes]

Something like that.

I'm not by myself, though. Ran-neechan is here. And so is Uncle.

I am? I wonder why you would say something like that?

[nos_servabit]

Is that so? It must be nice having familiar people here with you Makes it much less lonely.

[A simple smile, though his gaze is not so simple as he turns them to stare at Conan.] ...Because you don't act like a child. That's why.

[modernholmes]

[And that jumpstarts Conan's paranoia.]

That's a strange thing to say, isn't it?

[nos_servabit]

It is. But I have heard of stranger things than a mature mind inside a young body.

[modernholmes]

I'm a child. There's nothing unusual about that.

[nos_servabit]

But even so, children do not act the way you do...

But it might be just a hunch.

[modernholmes]

Not all children act the same.

[nos_servabit]

Yes, but not one child acts like you do.

It's almost as if you're pretending to be somebody you're not...