fourteen | oo34 [ voice // action ]

Entry tags:

oo34 [ voice // action ]

[ Today is a big, big day for Xion. Though she'd planned to do ... what she's about to do ... from the start, her original plans had never included the journal. Not on Valentine's Day!

But strangely enough, she seems to have forgotten there's any inherent risk to using the journal today... and since it's such a big day, she wants to be positive she'll catch him. So early in the morning, before school, she'll toss this filter up. ]

( Filtered to Luke | Locked 100% )

Hey, Luke...? Could you meet me outside after school? I have-- um... I wanted to talk to you.

[ She'll leave it at that, and not wait for a reply -- or even look for one later. It's too nerve wracking! Instead she'll fidget herself through her school day, doing something rather unusual for her -- paying exactly zero attention in all of her classes. She's a little too busy playing out in her mind all the ways this can go horribly, terribly wrong.

... and maybe, just maybe, the one way it can go right.

Yes, today is a day Xion will be making repeated and valiant efforts not to blush.

Anyway, after school, true to her word she'll be waiting not far from the entrance to the building, fussing with the bag she's got strung over her shoulder. She keeps reaching into it, to fiddle with something in there... but she doesn't take that something out.

She looks very nervous, and a little flushed. Do feel free to bother her. ]

(ooc; HEY GUYS - EVENT MUSIC! SING ALONG!

ps this post will require sending time and space off a cliff but that is totally okay. will get to backtags slowly, hooray for next two days off! happy valentine's day!!)

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[ He did that once for her, albeit in a very different situation. But she'll guide him safely. It's not like she doesn't know the way, by now. ]

Oh, come on, that's not really fair! Not that I mind singing for... [ um. BLUSH, continues. ] But shouldn't we share? [ nudge nudge. ]

[He doesn't shut his eyes for very long, just enough to enjoy the moment. But he's glad he doesn't have to open them and come face to face with a pole or something; he's pretty sure a few of his friends would've done that. 8|

And good lord, he just. Cannot stop smiling, even though he should be grumbling and mock-glaring and. Something. But no, once he looks down at her again, he smiles happily and squeezes her hand; dammit, Xion, you've ruined his tsun.]

You can share. I'm just going to enjoy your voice.

[ Oh, huff. You're a cheat and a loser, fon Fabre. ... but Xion likes you anyway, so she'll sing for you. She can't stop smiling herself, so it's not like she can even pretend to be actually annoyed or anything.

So as they make their way to his house, she'll sing. Softly, at first, her voice a little breathy, but still sweet. Again, she uses open vowels to sing along to the wordless tune -- though at a break in the song (1:07) she pauses, grins, and skips ahead (to roughly 1:34), her voice picking up clarity and courage as she moves into the jauntier, driving mid-section of the song. She sings it at a slightly slower tempo, to make it manageable, but it still sounds -- bright, and happy. Maybe it's the flush on her cheeks, or the finally bright, sunny blue sky, or the gentle breeze that blows around him -- but there's something especially pretty about the way she's singing for him right now.

Of course, maybe it's just the company that she's in. ]

[Oh, you like that cheating loser part of him, Xion. It's one of the things that makes him him, after all.

Luke's smile grows as she starts to sing, and he just lets the song flow and take him somewhere else. She sounds... happy, affectionate, almost like the time she sang for him that one winter night, but... there's something more about this one. And now Luke can, at least, identify the true reason behind it.

Keeping his hand locked with hers, he sways their hands lightly to the imagined beat of the song, and even hums along a little when he can predict which notes are coming next, to provide a sort of deeper back-up tone. It's quiet, though, and it still tells of his dislike of singing... but it's okay around her. The fact that he's even doing so says it all.

By the time she's finished, they're near his house, and Luke smiles down at her again before he lifts her hand to... Well, he'd like to brush his lips against her fingers, but that's kind of forward, isn't it? So scandalous. So, instead, he just presses her hand against his chest.]

Thanks. That was still really beautiful, you know...

[ Well .... yeah, she'd have to admit that she does. But that doesn't mean she can't get revenge through a little teasing, now and then.

When she hears his voice come in, she has to physically restrain herself from stopping, or making a sound. It's in brief little snippets, but the way their voices twine together enchants her. She can't help but let her delight show when they get to the house, and beams at him, curling her fingers slightly against his chest. ]

You sang with me! I heard you! Do it again, sometime? If you won't sing by yourself... [ can you resist these sparkly, totally-in-love-with-you eyes, Luke. Can you. ]

[No. No, he can't. Thus, some of the tsun returns to him, and he blushes brightly as he glances away.]

Fine, okay! Just... don't say too much about it, okay?

[And now they can get out of the cold, because Luke opens the door to his house, though he lets go of her hand so that she can walk in first. He's learning how to be a gentleman, okay? ~~All he has to do is copy Guy.~~]

Edited 2011-02-14 20:47 (UTC)

[ victory! this is normally where she'd clap her hands together in delight, but occupied by her flower pot, she has to come up with another plan.

... scandalous Replicas. feeling brave after her little performance, she gets up on her tip toes and sneaks him a very shy, very sweet, and very quick little kiss on the cheek. then she darts in the house, red in the face but honestly very pleased with herself. did she really just do that.... she just did that!! eeeee ♥

but she can't help but tease: ]

I won't, I promise. [ lies. ]

[And Luke... just stands there with wide eyes as he slowly reaches up a hand to feel the spot where she kissed - KISSED - him. ... Did she really just do that? Did she really- FFFFFFF. He purses his lips to try and fight down the furious blush that rises, then finally follows her inside and shuts the door.]

G-Good. [WOULD YOU REALLY BREAK HIS TRUST XION.

Now that they're inside, though, Luke takes off his coat and lays it over the couch for Guy to pick up later. If Xion's looking close, though, she might notice the long gash that runs across his left arm, between his shoulder and his elbow. Thanks to Tear, it's healed to the point where he can move it without any trouble, but there's still a long, dark, though faded mark that's left behind.]

[ it is the first of many, Luke-chan. the first of many.

and yes, she would, if it meant hearing you sing, okay. such a nice voice shouldn't be kept hidden!!

of course, she does turn to look at him once she's inside, and ...... wow. honestly, how could you miss that? the smile abruptly vanishes from her face, replaced with a quiet, troubled look of concern. in a very different tone ]

Luke ... what happened? [ her eyes are on his arm -- it should be obvious what the question is directed at. ]

[Luke raises his eyebrows at that question with a "hm?", but once he sees where her eyes are...]

Oh, uh... I just screwed up a little in a spar. [Well, it isn't a lie - it was pretty stupid of Luke to get right up close to Asch and let his guard down while they were in the middle of a spar, even if he looked too hurt to keep fighting.]

... a little? [ she'll shift the pot in her arms, using her freed up hand to lay gentle fingers over the injury. there's a somewhat critical look in her eye, assessing-- medicine and healing have become pretty important to her, after all, especially after what happened to Axel...

she frowns a tiny bit, and drops her hand. ]

That doesn't look like a little. It doesn't hurt, does it?

Not anymore... I got it a few days ago. Tear's been healing it, so it's doing a lot better now.

[He glances down at it and wonders, for the umpteenth time, why Asch did what he did. It wasn't like him, to just... lash out at someone completely unguarded. Grab them and throw them, yes, Luke had been on the receiving end of that plenty of times. But actually slicing his arm?

Unconsciously, he reaches his other hand to press his fingers against it - wincing just slightly from the spark of pain that brought on. Yup, still hurts. Not as bad as the other times he'd poke at it, at least.]

... It'll be fine in a few more days.

[ of course he winces. of course. she's not happy, but ... well, there isn't much to be done for it now. except...

she brings her hand back to it, looking up at him. ] Can I? [ help. ]

[Tear had already done some healing work today, so Luke shouldn't really need it...

But it might make him feel better anyway, even if it doesn't make the wound hurt anymore.] Sure, go ahead.

[ Make him feel better? How about make her feel better? Nngh...

Still subdued, she'll cast a wordless Curaga -- overkill, but it soothes the anxiety she feels -- the bright green glow of it bursting around her hand and his arm before fading.

She lowers her hand once more, again adjusting the flower pot, and searches his face for a moment. ]

... who were you sparring with, anyway?

[Make them both feel better, then! The green light surprises Luke - it looks about the same color as the healing artes of his world, but it's still different. And, indeed, the worry over Asch and even the lingering pain in his arm recedes, though the gash really does need time to heal. It fades a little more, but it's still visible.

And her question... Oh, jeez. He was hoping this wouldn't come up... Even he's confused about it, and he doesn't want to smear a bad opinion of Asch for Xion. He struggles with the question for a moment; it'd be so easy to just say "a friend", a nameless person, a friendly spar that got a little out of hand, because that tends to happen a lot even with the most careful of people. But the more he thinks about doing it, the worse he feels; he doesn't want to hide things from Xion. At least, not the little things.]

... Asch. But it was an accident.

[ her expression is something of a wonder. it is certainly an expert exercise in restrained emotion. Asch is ... Asch is complex. whether she's entirely aware of this fact or not ... she can't hate him. not now. that possibility is gone -- or maybe it never existed. he claimed Replicas ought to have souls. Saix would never do that. but Asch's way is also ... dark, bent in, a little suggestive of violence.

was it really an accident?

of course, she has literally nothing to justify that thought -- other than a quiet fear, and memories of Asch's disdain. as is so frequent of her, her assumptions are off the mark ... even though the conclusions she makes from them get startlingly close to the truth.

she wants to voice her doubts, but ... it's probably not worth it. after how Luke reacted the last time she talked about Asch... she doesn't want to bring up something so touchy, so potentially damaging. especially not today.

instead she tries a smile, a faint one, and nods. ] Okay. Come on, let's head to your room. I'd like to set this down. [ shifts the flower pot a little, to indicate. ]

[Aaah... good, she didn't pursue it. But that smile... How many times has it been on his own face, when he'd try to be okay with something that clearly bothered him?

Dammit. He should've worn longer sleeves.]

All right. [Luke lifts his arm, hesitates, then lets it rest across her shoulders - thank you, it'll be okay, I know what you're feeling. After that, he'll lead her to his room, and to try and lighten up the subject, he smiles as he gestures lightly to the pot of flowers.]

Do you know what those are?

[ makes a tiny noise and leans against him. she's aware he probably saw through her forced smile, but doesn't particularly care. it's easier on both of them to avoid the issue. but she'll smile a little more genuinely at his question, looking down at the flowers, then back up at him. ]

Not really... I don't know much about individual kinds of flowers. What are they?

They're called iris unguicularis. I always thought the name was too long... like the person who named it was just trying to impress someone.

[Pause. But that's unimportant so:] The great thing about it is that it blooms during winter! It freezes if it gets too cold, but once it warms up a little, it'll be normal again. It needs a lot of sun, but it actually likes to stay dry, so you don't have to water it too much! Maybe once or twice a month... Just don't let it try out completely. Try to plant it somewhere that gets a lot of sun! It likes growing in long grass, too; that's why I put some of that in there with the flowers.

[... He kind of rambled on there, didn't he. Eh heh. Let's just. Scratch his cheek a little as he reaches his room and opens the door for her.] Heh heh... Uh... I just thought you might like looking outside in the winter and seeing some flowers in bloom.

[ .... what. what was that?! what was that outpouring of detailed botanical information?!? gosh. sparkly eyes right here. figuratively, at the least.

well. you are rewarded for your dorkiness with a major blush as she looks down at the flowers she's carrying, honestly quite impressed. he put all that thought into it... just for her? gosh... she should have gotten him more meaningful chocolates or something...

(how do you make chocolates meaningful?!)

either way, she seems quite pleased. ] Maybe I'll get one of the boys to help me put a flower box outside my window... I'd really like that! Thank you, Luke.

[ now that they're safely in his room, Xion'll move over and set her little pot down on Luke's bedside table. it'll be so much easier to hug him with both arms free, after all-- I mean.

of course, now that they're in here, she'll take proper notice of the flowers on his own windowsill, and move over to them. ]

What kinds are these?

[And Luke was just checking those plants over, too. The one she indicates to, the amaryllis, lies in full, red bloom, and Luke smiles a little as he goes back to feeling the soil around his aloe vera.]

That's the amaryllis. They're really easy to bloom; they're kind of one of those all season flowers. It doesn't really matter which season you plant it in - after about eight weeks, they'll grow into this.

It's so pretty! [ a little delighted. she'll gently touch the petals, appreciating the silky feel, before turning and ... actually looking around the room. the first time she was here she was more focused on the very sick boy inside it than the room itself.

she'll eventually settle on a ... particular detail, giving the music box Luke keeps a curious look, but before she gets there she'll look back at him. ]

Where did you learn all of this, anyway?

Back at home in Auldrant, one of the servants at the manor is a gardener. His name's Pere... I told you about how I've been locked up there most of my life, right? The maids, knights and servants were the only company I had, though Natalia visited me sometimes...

[... Nngh. He'll pause a little, but then keep himself going.]

It gets kind of boring when you've got nothing to do, you know? Father didn't like it, but I'd talk to Pere a lot. He'd tell me about all the different kinds of plants he took care of, and even some he didn't. [He chuckles a little as he says the next part:] I didn't really pay attention at first, but once I realized just how beautiful all those flowers are, and that he was the one that made them that way... Heh, I kept asking to have some of my own.

[ Father...

Lost in thought for a moment, Xion moves over to his bed and takes a seat on the edge, briefly swinging her legs and looking up at the ceiling as she thinks. ]

Hey, Luke? [ finally looks down at him, her expression one of innocent curiosity. ] What was it like, having parents? Or at least... growing up with them, I guess.

[ she's wondered, from time to time, but always found it a little awkward to ask of real people. after all, it was normal for them to have families... or at least to've had parents of SOME sort, even if they never knew those parents for very long. but she was built... created like a doll. a doll has no family... and of course, Sanji does come to mind, but she didn't "grow up" with him -- she never had anything even like a parent back home. Axel, though dispenser of All Wisdom as far as Xion and Roxas were concerned back then, was more like a teacher, though kind of a grudging, confused one.

so the question is purely innocent. there's no jealousy or anything behind it, she's just ... always wondered. ]

[Action]

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[Action] HI KUKKI

[Action] HI EMILY but I've gotta leave in like fifteen minutes ;A;

[Action] thassokay I'm probably headin' out soon myself. DERPS IN THE MEANTIME. ps work?? :o

[Action] yes, work ): I MIGHT NOT SURVIVE

[Action] DON'T DIEEE ;A; COME BACK TO ME WHOLE!! good luck <3

[Action] /RETURNS TRIUMPHANTLY

[Action] /THROWS OPEN ARMS FOR YOU

[Action] /LEAPS INTO ARMS <3

[Action] /BOWLED OVER BY LOVE! ♥♥♥♥

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