After chatting with Blitzø for a while, Charlie practically burst into the room, her bright smile nearly as radiant as her words. "Dinner's ready!" she announced with uncontainable excitement.

Suddenly, a grand table materialized in the middle of the lobby, glittering with festive charm. The aroma of food wafted through the air as Alastor strode in confidently, carrying a massive bowl of steaming jambalaya. He wore a loud apron that read, "DON'T KISS THE COOK." Of course, Cloud didn't seem to care; she peppered him with kisses anyway, earning an amused chuckle from him.

Charlie and Vaggie followed, carefully balancing plates of creamy mashed potatoes and golden roasted chicken. Behind them, Lucifer entered the room, a tray of glossy candy apples in his hands. Everyone gathered around the table, their chatter growing as the food was served.

"This jambalaya is quite delicious," Stolas declared, his tone dramatic but sincere.

"Ah, but of course it is; I made it," Alastor boasted.

Lucifer and Vox exchanged identical eye rolls, which drew a quiet laugh from me. The back-and-forth antics continued until dinner ended, leaving the room filled with a warm, satisfied hum.

Afterward, we moved to the Christmas tree, which glittered invitingly in the corner. Charlie clapped her hands together, her energy as infectious as ever. "Who's ready for Secret Santa?!"

The room cheered, some more enthusiastically than others as we each grabbed a gift.

Cloud went first, lifting a red box with a golden ribbon. The tag read in cursive, "FOR CLOUD." She carefully unwrapped it, revealing a gorgeous hand-knitted crimson scarf.

"Oh my goodness, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, wrapping it around herself immediately.

"Who do you think it is?" Charlie asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Cloud tapped her chin, then grinned. "Maybe Alastorrrr?"

Alastor shook his head with a chuckle. "No, my dear, it's not me."

Cloud frowned, then her face lit up. "Niffty! Did you make this for me?"

Niffty giggled, nearly bouncing with excitement. "Yep! I figured out needles aren't just for stabbing bugs!"

Cloud laughed and wrapped Niffty in a hug.

"My turn!" Niffty declared, grabbing her own gift. She tore into it (quite violently) and revealed a cleaning kit. Her eyes sparkled.

"YAY! Perfect for the hotel!! Oh, there's even BLEACH!" she squealed. Then, she added innocently, "I think no-tits woman with wings gave this to me!"

Angel fell into hysterics, wheezing at her bluntness.

Vaggie groaned, smacking Angel on the back of the head. "Yeah, it was me."

Angel doubled over, laughing harder. "HA! So you admit you have no—"

Another smack. "Shut. Up. Angel."

Charlie quickly hugged Vaggie, trying to soothe her. "There, there, Vaggie. Ignore him. I love you just the way you are~"

Vaggie muttered something unintelligible, though she nuzzled into Charlie's embrace.

Vaggie's gift was next. A stunning Angelic Dagger. She stared at it, clearly impressed. "Damn, this looks expensive..." Her eyes narrowed at me, catching my smirk.

"You got it for me, didn't you?" she asked with a grin.

"Fine, you caught me!" I said, laughing.

Finally, my turn came. I reached under the tree, fingers brushing against a small, brightly wrapped package with my name on it. As I peeled back the shimmering paper, my breath caught in my throat. Nestled inside was a custom-made rubber duck, styled to look like... me. It had my colors, my vibe, even a tiny version of my glasses.

I couldn't help but laugh, holding it up for everyone to see. "Lucifer, you made me a duck?!"

Lucifer's smirk was unmistakable, his crimson eyes gleaming with a rare warmth. "Naturally. Only the finest for the one who manages to brighten even my days."

I felt my cheeks heat up as a grin spread across my face. Hugging the quirky little gift close, I said, "It's perfect. Thank you."

(I was too lazy to write the rest... soo... Yeah, everyone got their gifts and shit. Timekip!! :>)

Stolas, who was sitting (very drunk) on Blitzø's lap, startled everyone by shouting at the top of his lungs, "WHO'S UP FOR KARAOKE?!"

Charlie immediately lit up, bouncing on her heels like a kid in a candy store. "Let's do it! It'll be fun!!" she chimed, her excitement practically vibrating in the air.

From across the room, Vaggie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Can we like... not sing, babe?"

Charlie turned to her, eyes wide and sparkling, her lower lip sticking out in the most exaggerated pout I'd ever seen. "Pleeeeease?"

Vaggie sighed, clearly fighting a losing battle. "Fine."

Charlie squealed with joy, wrapping Vaggie in a tight hug. "THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!"

The rest of us laughed at the exchange, and before long, someone grabbed a microphone, and the night took off. The air filled with off-key notes, loud laughter, and playful banter.

I found myself leaning back in my chair, the little rubber duck still in my hands. As the Christmas lights twinkled around us and our mismatched voices harmonized in their own chaotic way, I couldn't help but smile. Sure, the gifts were fun, but this? This right here... being surrounded by these ridiculous, lovable people... was the real treasure.