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annawayne · 2 days ago

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Hi Anna!! I hope this ask will make you smile! I wanted to know what you think the Ambassadors would get each other if they organized a Secret Santa gift giving for Christmas. Who would get who a present, and what?👀

Hi Stella! ❄️🎄

And oh, thank you a lot for asking, and I had so much fun with this, so I got carried away, and wrote... A bit too much...

So, without further ado, here it is!

Jean to Reiner: a knitting set

It all started one shopping day at the beginning of December when all of the Ambassadors went to buy some groceries. All of them had all the "to-buy" lists, so all of them, in pairs, went in different directions in the marketplace. It was packed with various things and so lively that Jean didn't even notice at first that Reiner disappeared: just after a few steps with no reply from him, Jean stopped and looked around, only to find the torrents of people chatting, running across the counters, between the clicks of boots against the cobblestone, covered with the first snow of the year, and no Reiner. After searching for him for a while, Jean noticed his blond friend staring at something behind the glass in the shop front. The grunt slipped past his lips, meshing with the warm breath, and Jean was ready to burst into Reiner for getting lost that easily, but when he reached the shop, he realized that Reiner was staring in all these hand-made goods: embroidery, knitting, crocheting, all of it. The same moment Reiner noticed Jean, he immediately jumped back and pretended he wasn't staring just a second ago with his mesmerizing gaze. Reiner never brought it up, but the next shopping day, it happened again. So when Jean pulled Reiner's name for Secret Santa, he knew what he would get him.

When Reiner opened his gift, he couldn't believe his eyes to see the shiny new knitting set, the smooth and pleasant threads against his calloused fingers that only knew how to pull a trigger. How could he even think about something like this when all he knew was destruction?

But Jean didn't judge him and just gave it to him.

The first thing Reiner did was the gloves for Jean. Then, all the Ambassador family start wearing the things Reiner knitted: Armin - a hat ("You have not to freeze your brain, you're our leader!"), Pieck - socks ("Your feet are always cold! Don't sleep without socks, you will get sick!"), Connie - a whole blanket because he often falls asleep on the couch, and all the blankets are too short for him, and Annie - a cardigan. As time passes, he starts taking an interest in making knitted toys, so he starts making a bunch and giving them to the orphanages, which becomes even more frequent after the Rumbling.

Pieck to Armin: a jigsaw puzzle

It was a great surprise for Pieck that Armin had never heard about the jigsaw puzzles when, one evening, they both were playing chess and just chatting in between.

"How come?" Pieck asked.

"We didn't have anything like this on Paradis," Armin shrugged, taking his next move on the board. "And even if we had, I doubt I would have it. I bet it costs a lot, and not like orphans can afford a lot".

Armin smiled, his lips tightly pressed and eyes focused on the chess board. Still, Pieck realized that despite the wrinkles on his forehead that started appearing a few months ago as their Ambassador duties took more and more time and energy and the bags under his eyes, despite the first few gray hairs amidst his golden locks, Armin doesn't lose this sheer desire to experience new things. Even back then, in this half-smile that he kept not too wide on purpose not to spill his enjoyment all over his face and not let it reach his heart, knowing too well that he wouldn't buy anything like this for himself because there was always "more important things," Pieck saw his pure interest, shining feebly inside his irises.

She made a great effort to find the biggest jigsaw puzzles she had ever seen. It was a hassle: to find the puzzle with the scenery she wanted was a true challenge, but Pieck is a woman who knows how to do things right. And she knows - it's always worth it. So when a few tears from Armin's eyes slipped down to the ocean scenery illustrated on the puzzle box in his hands after unpacking his gift, she had another proof that it was worth it.

Annie to Pieck: Set of candles, bath bombs, relax set

It's not a secret for Annie that despite Pieck's smiles and easy-going persona, she also "professionally" hides her tiredness and exhaustion. Her always sleepy eyes, slightly mischievous grin, and a bit disheveled gorgeous black hair could, maybe, make an impression that she looks like that, but Annie knows that, partially, it's true. Meanwhile, she also knows about Pieck's sleepless nights, nightmares, and always stiffened muscles that couldn't relax even for a second. "Pieck always knows everything, right?" Annie remembers how Zeke and all these Marleyan generals were saying it to the little girl with the black ponytail every day and how, despite everything, Pieck remained the one who never lost her head—always composed, rational. Always having the other's backs. But never caring too much about herself.

It's a strange concept for Annie, too - but with the difference that she never cared too much about others. At least, this is what she was forced to believe in. It's still a weird concept for Annie - "caring about others." Weird, both because it makes her all fuzzy and warm inside, and also so vulnerable and so on display, but as time goes on and she sees the happy smiles on the faces of the people she - Annie can admit - loves, the thought that, maybe, being vulnerable isn't that a bad thing, after all.

And yet, when Pieck tugs the red ribbons from her box, Annie feels nervous. What if she messed up? Is it so banal? What if-

"Oh, Annie..." She hears Pieck's voice and then feels her friend's arms circling her back, bringing her closer. "Thank you for caring about me", Pieck whispers.

Maybe the set of the aroma candles and the bath bombs looked silly to her, but when the next day Pieck didn't come to breakfast, and all of them found her happily asleep - for the first time in months - Annie thinks that, after all, caring about others is much more pleasant thing.

Connie to Annie: a book for sweets recipe and metronome

Everyone knows Annie loves sweets. The baker's owners greet her like she's their niece, and her slight smile when she speaks to the sales lady is no longer a surprise to anyone. Everyone knows Annie loves to eat sweets. But when Annie opens her gift and sees the "Baking Bible, the guide to the bakery around the world," her gaze finds Connie, her brow arched in silent question.

"What?" Connie laughs.

"I love eating sweets," Annie says, turning pages and observing the colorful illustrations of the pastries and desserts, "not baking them."

"You never tried," Connie grins, ignoring Annie's straightforwardness.

"There's a reason why I never tried."

"Well, now, you have a reason to try again."

"I... don't," Annie shakes her head, her voice losing a few confident tunes as her gaze finds the layered meringue cakes with hazelnuts coated with buttercream. She has never seen this one before, but it looks criminally delicious.

Connie grins wider, seeing Annie's interested stare, and he crosses his arms around his chest.

"But you didn't finish unpacking your gift."

With some tremendous effort, Annie doesn't want to admit that she tore her eyes from the meringue cake and focused on Connie.

"And you say you're not interested in baking," he snorts and then nods in the box direction.

Annie's gaze falls on her lap, where she sees another box decorated with a ribbon. With the tiny irritation of being caught like that, she tugged the ends of the blue ribbon, and when she opened her gift, she felt her breath caught in her throat.

"That's-"

"Yep, the metronome!" Connie declares, his hands on his hips, voice coated with the proud tune.

"That one is really expensive," Annie gulps, remembering seeing the prices.

"Ambassador job is also not easy," Connie smirked, and his grinning mouth smoothed into a caring smile. "Your piano playing is worth it, though."

Armin finds Annie sitting near her piano with a metronome this evening in their room. Her skin was fresh and slightly rosy from the bath, and her hair was still wet. Still, he couldn't bring himself to invade this serenity around her figure as her fingers hovered over the piano keys and gently pressed into the white and black rectangles, the soft music flowing into the room with the soothing hum, that bounced with the sound of the metronome. His shoulder finds the support in the door frame, and the gentle music that caresses his ears with the softest tune makes his eyelids heavy, threatening to close, but Armin keeps his eyes wide open because he knows that he's witnessing the miracle and the beauty of being alive. With her by his side, with her, learning to love and enjoy this life.

Armin to Jean: fancy pocket watch with chain and engraving

Of course, among all Ambassadors, Jean is the Ambassador: always classy, elegant, the tallest among the group, and the fanciest amongst the groups. He often talks to journalists and drags Armin to the professional photoshoots, helping him relax and being more at ease. "Chill, dude, you look nice," he would say to Armin and smile at another camera. "A lot of people find you attractive, so don't be afraid to show it with some confidence and pride."

Armin was always grateful to Jean because, otherwise, if he was alone during these endless hours of photoshoots, he would certainly go insane, not to mention that he would just spend all the night lying on Annie's lap. With Jean's help and support, Annie's cuddles and kisses are enough to calm his anxiety.

But Armin knows: Jean looks excellent, and he knows how to look great, so when he pulled Jean's name for Secret Santa, Armin immediately decided on the present - the pocket watch on the chain with JK initials. Armin isn't really well-versed in fashion, but thanks to his friend, he knows all the latest fashion tendencies (and he remembers well how Jean was talking eagerly about this accessory with Connie, on what Connie said, "You just want to impress Pieck, but you know, she's already dating you"). Armin took this mission seriously: thanks to his Ambassadors connections (and a bit of charm he devotedly learned from Jean Kirstein, "the charismatic young spirit in politics," like he was usually called in all the newspaper titles), he found the master who did the pocket watches with the personalized designs.

So when the time comes to open the present, and Jean's gaze is met with the silver pocket watch, with the engraving of his home back on Paradis and his initials, Jean does his best to hide his tears, but eventually, he gives up.

Starting that evening, he tells everyone what time it is, especially around Pieck, reminding her that "it was already 10 minutes without kisses".

Reiner to Connie: flower press kit and the kit for the picture-making

Buying presents for the funniest ones is always the most challenging thing. Especially when you're depressed like Reiner. What could he even buy for Connie, always joyful, with silly (but funny, alright, he can admit) jokes? But then, Reiner recalls that, despite his goofy side, Connie is a very careful and thoughtful person. He remembers how once he opened the book Connie borrowed him and found there the pressed autumn leaves, and when he returned them to Connie and asked what was it about, he said, "It's the first autumn in our new lives. I want to remember it. And plants remember all of the life around, too". So when he thinks about it, a lot of books Connie gave him have these pressed plants and flowers. So, his choice fell on the plant/flower press kit and the special picture-making kit. It still requires some glass frame and everything, but it's already something. Something to show that he also appreciates this idea.

Not so long after Christmas, their Ambassadors home starts to have new pictures on the walls - pressed plants and flowers, from the city they live, from the places they visit, from the places that won't ever be lived again. With time, it turned into collages, and every time Reiner passes by these pictures, he thinks that, maybe, even such fragile things like plants and flowers could leave much longer, and so he should, too.

Thank you everyone who read till the end this mammoth of the post, and thank you, Stella, once again for this wonderful ask, I enjoyed it a lot! 🩷

Happy holidays! ~🎄

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