"This is a great Christmas morning," Phil said staring at the TV screen.

"What's going on?" Adem asked as he walked into the room. He was now wearing a fancy suit with green pants and jacket, blue shirt, and a red tie. It was, after all, still Christmas.

"Everybody's on edge," Leslie replied. She and Phil were sitting on the couch, surfing through the news channels. "That Merlin guy has shook up a hornet's nest in international politics. There are some UN delegates claiming that he overstepped his role when he demanded La Perdita to had us over. They think it's setting a bad prescedent for one of the Police Units to broadcast ultimatums without Council approval."

"Not to mention that not all of the countries represented back the anti-meta undertones in his speeches," Phil added.

Adem inquired, "Has this team not made any allies in the past who might help us?"

"The Mandelovian delegate gave a rousing speech in our defense," the telekinetic responded half-heartedly.

"And then there's this," Leslie said as she turned the channel to CNN. A somewhat blurred image of miles of ice and snow covered with bodies, both living and dead, as well as strange machines was on the screen. "The Meta-Human Network has been showcasing leaked files and footage from the RAF and US Navy. The mainstream networks couldn't ignore it any longer, so they picked it up."

"I wonder where that leak came from?" chuckled Phil.

"This is all rather confusing," Adem said.

"Isn't it?"

The alien presented the two with their presents. "I think that I'd much rather continue with this Christmas celebration."

Leslie opened her present. Amidst the packaging paper sat a hand stitched doll. "What's this?"

"Something I got from the next village. According to native folklore, the owner is supposed to bind this object with a person they care about. As long as that person possesses the doll, the person bound to it will always be kept safe. Not that I believe in it personally, but I find the significance to be important. I hope I haven't picked a gift outside of the accepted etiquette."

She looked at the doll. "No. It's a fine present."

Phil looked puzzelingly in his box. "And what's the native folklore around my present?" He scooped up a handful of seeds from the box.

"Not folklore, just tradition," Adem answered. "Once a man has settled and discovered his home, he's supposed to plant these seeds. The plants that grow are supposed to symbolize his connection with that place. I'm sure that there is a lot more metaphor and symbolism in there somewhere." He picked up a few more packages off the ground to deliver them to the rest of his teammates. "But I don't really have time to delve into that right now. Happy Christmas." The alien walked out of the room.

whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules.
It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness.
This is true both in politics and on the internet."

Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."