Competition: [Fiction] Late Gifting

Finished
[Fiction] Late Gifting

Halloween festivities have gone a bit awry, and as a result, you’ve forgotten to purchase Arden a present! Using first person point of view in a soliloquy-style format, write a minimum 250-word story describing how your Main/Alt finds the perfect gift for the former Conseal.

Submissions will be graded based on the DB Fiction Rubric, as well as for humor, creativity, and voice.

Competition Information
Parent Competition
[PLA] A Very Spooky Karn Birthday
Organized by
General Ronovi Tavisaen
Running time
2019-10-31 until 2019-11-07 (8 days)
Target Unit
Clan Plagueis
Competition Type
Fiction
Awards
Third Level Crescents and Clusters of Ice as per VOICE guidelines
Participants
4 subscribers, of which 3 have participated.
Results
Member
TuQ’uan Varick di Plagia
File submission
Soliloquy.pdf
Placement
1st place
Member
Warlord Furios Morega di Plagia
Textual submission

"Well at first I ordered Arden a bottle of Whyren's Reserve, but it mysteriously failed to make it through an Alisoan customs check.  When I went to go retrieve the so-called 'contraband' with my di Plagia security clearance, the locker was empty aside from a note that read 'No double-gifting, Mr. Three-Inches-Taller'.  I sighed in exasperation, defeated by the quicker action and higher authority of the Consul and went to scour the streets of Aliso City in search of a replacement gift. Uncertain of what a former cop with a financing fetish would really want in a birthday present, I figured I'd just roam from shop to shop until something suitable caught my eye.

My first instinct was to meander about the Market District.  After a few hours of perusing the menagerie of wares being hawked, I concluded that Arden didn't need a cheap replica of a fancy chronometer or any of a number of overpriced fashion accessories. He definitely wasn't going to be pleased with a pair of Sedrian seal-skin boots. My search continued. The second area I checked Landsdown Docks, due to the plethora of stores that saturated the spaceport. Frequented by travelers and tourists, I felt like I was bound to find something amidst the many gift shops.  

After another few hours of ducking into seedy mercantiles and finding nothing of interest, I was starting to feel like I wouldn't be able to get Arden a gift he would actually like.  It was only then that a semi-brilliant idea popped into my head: stocks. I went to the Mobus Combine and analysed the lists, looking for some shares he might be interested in. I spotted one that seemed ideal, Tingel Arm Armaments.  Remembering that he'd worked in the Corporate Sector where this company was headquartered, it seemed like a good gift. I bought five shares and called it a day."

Placement
2nd place
Member
Warlord Khryso Mallus
Textual submission

It would seem in the bustle of the coming holiday and missions as of late, some tasks of mine have fallen by the wayside. First and foremost, the purchase of a gift for one of the Lords of Plagueis, the former Dread Lord Arden Karn di Plagia. Although I am not a personal friend of Karn, it would only be proper to get him something in celebration of his birthday. The unfortunate truth is, now that I am out of time, I cannot devote the proper level of consideration towards an appropriate gift. My only recourse would be to ask for some advice from those that now him better.
As I rush towards the Anchorage's communication center, I consider those that may be close to Arden Karn. Perhaps the current Dread Lord, formerly his Wrath? Contacting the man's personal retinue is also likely to bring about a tangible answer. Which gives me another idea entirely. I've got plenty to do and, while I'd rather not risk the possible loss of face, I should take advantage of the resources available to me. Instead of contacting someone associated with Karn, I'll get in touch with Seibas and have him take care of things for me. He's proved he is capable enough to handle something so simple, and it will save me any shame that comes from asking for assistance in such a trivial matter with those who see things from the outside. Should Seibas disappoint me, he knows the consequences. With that off my chest, I can get back to more important things.

Placement
3rd place