The task of Secret Santa is one that, in a normal office environment, might fill me with disdain and panic: buying gifts for people I don’t really know that must be work-friendly is not my grind of brew…
However, when the Secret Santa is among a group that I know might be receptive to a topic of my own interest, and when it is encouraged — nay, nearly required! — to be a creative and original work, somehow this only fills me with ideas… and panic.
I’ve been very busy this year, it seems, and that busy-ness has caused me to pull back from creative endeavours. At Christmas-time, for the second year in a row, I have made it a task to do something creative. My Christmas cards will be sent out (soon… and late…), which are all hand-made and original, out of my own odd mind and perspective. Last year, for the Between The Lines Studios’ Secret Santa, I wrote an original 30-page story, a Christmas story of a modern-day Dickens aspiration (if not the quality of it). I had intended to revise that story and do a reading of it this year, but the aforementioned busy-ness prevented me. (Also, it needs editing, revising and a little extension, tasks I am unfortunately loathe to do, but recognize that I must do eventually.)
This year, I was simultaneously less and more ambitious: what began as an original fanfic in the Dollhouse universe quickly changed into a dialogue between characters, and then into a little miniature audio drama fan episode. Lacking any actors in my immediate vicinity, I performed the roles myself (with a little audio tweaking), and then added a few musical cues and sound effects. Nothing truly fancy, but I am pleased to report that the recipient found it amusing.
It was my intention to put the final piece up somewhere, and after receiving permission from the original recipient, am pleased to present “Brink In A Box”.
Besides: it’s not really re-gifting if you can give the gift over and over again. Kinda like copyrights in the face of digital media: it’s not stealing when the original person isn’t deprived of their copy..
But that’s neither here nor there..
Oh: and if you get the sly fictional-universe crossover reference… good for you! 
Happy Holidays!
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