fourteen | oo29 [ voice // action ]

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oo29 [ voice // action ]

... oh, that's just n-n-not fair.

[ In the woods bordering the western lake, this one, having just come to only a moment ago. Her tone may be a little irritated, but, well, she sounds okay, not hurt or anything. That's a plus, right?

Well, except for the fact that she's ... not very well dressed for the weather. She's stuck in the same training outfit her older self showed up in, a black ensemble that shows her midriff... only now there is a scar. A long scar, so long it vanishes into her clothing, extending fully from her left breast to her right hip. Of course, only the long slice of it across her belly is visible.

It's a scar, by the way, that her older self did not possess when she turned up in the same clothes. Curious.

Xion's not thinking about that right now, though. What she's thinking about is that it's freezing -- her luck to show up in the middle of a cold snap! And she's a little bothered that the scar is on display, but... well, what can she do about it? With a sigh that comes out on a violent shiver, she climbs to her feet. (At least she's got shoes.)

This has happened to her so many times now she's getting sort of used to it, and it's a nice change to at least not come back feeling sick/hurt/terrified/some combination therein. She'll flip through the journal a bit, fighting off more shivers, before speaking. Her speech is a little garbled, unfortunately, by her chattering teeth. ]

D-D-D-Does anyone know w-w-w-what day it is? I wonder if I m-m-m-m-missed Christmas. [ a beat, then ] D-D-Did they really have t-t-to drop me off so f-f-f-f-far out?

[ Walking all the way back, dressed like this, in this weather? ... send halp. ]

(ooc; OKAY SO. for once I am going to obey the rules of time and space. Luke got there first, so he's gonna pick her up. if you want to poke her at the lake in an action tag, that's totally cool, but just know it's only Luke taking her home. easier on my poor brain for once.)

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[ ...... a huge sigh, and her shoulders slump in defeat. ]

In the sink. You got it, Luke. [ gives him a half-hearted shove. ] I think that means it's your turn.

[ the turn where he CHEATS LIKE A LITTLE BITCH and hides UP THE CHIMNEY, only after lying by saying he wasn't in that lamp. or the fireplace. B|

and Jale's turn after that, which is significantly shorter... BECAUSE HE DOESN'T CHEAT. UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE.

guess who's never gonna let you live that down, Luke.

either way, it turns out to be an excellent way to pass the time. it isn't long before the trees start clearing, and in the distance, the village is visible. once Xion catches sight of it, she grins in relief ]

Hey, look!

Edited 2010-12-31 01:13 (UTC)

[One day Luke, Jale will find a way to introduce you to Semias, the cheating gambler. And he will wipe the floor with you. And take all your money. And there's nothing you can do to stop it.]

... It's not like it's moved, Xion. [Why are you so excite? :|a]

[Money has no meaning in Luceti. :| Besides, Luke has a TON of it at home. And his doting mama has more. SO IT HAS NO MEANING ANYWAY HAHAHAHA.]

Well, yeah, but still! That means we're almost there! [He can totally get Xion's excite, as being outside in the cold woods, especially after abandoning their torch sometime during Luke's turn, was a bit unsettling, even with friends around.]

[ SO EXCITE. ]

And almost to someplace warm! Don't be such a spoilsport, Jale. [ sticks her tongue out at him. ... but she's not really bothered. in fact, she's practically giddy with relief after spending so much time out here in the cold.

she'll trot on ahead of the other two, even, though not too far. she'll wait... and then trot forward again, rinsing and repeating, until they break the tree line and are finally in the village proper. she's a little bundle of energy and happiness right now, smiling and laughing. they're home! ]

["Spoilsport"? Sticking her tongue out? How old is she again?] If you wanted to warm up that badly, you could've run a few laps around the village.

[Nevertheless, Jale continues trailing along, like an aloof puppy. Maybe he should look for something for dinner tonight for everyone...]

I dunno... I ran all the way to her and I was freezing by the time I got there.

[Luke does not share in Xion's adorable, but he does stuff his hands in his pockets and watch her with a smile that may or may not be fond. He's happy that she's back. Really happy... He hadn't even realized she had been kidnapped, though he still noticed that it was... quiet, without her around.

When Xion runs a little further ahead, Luke's smile turns into a grin as he trots on after her.] Hey, wait for us!

[ her age? two. why ever do you ask? 8)

she laughs when Luke calls out, the sound of it ringing. ] Okay, okay! [ and she does wait, but it's clear she wants to keep going. she's had a lot of fun on this walk back, but she's still cold and she wants her other friends to know she's okay.

coming in from the west means that they're actually pretty close to her home, house 14; only a few more minutes. once Jale and Luke catch up, she'll walk with them again ]

I really can't thank you two enough.

No biggie. [In Jale's eyes, it's repayment for helping him out when he first arrived. Even if the later reveal was rather... embarrassing. Though, speaking of repayments... The Tentai tosses his small bundle of food at Xion.]

You and Luke can split it later if you want. Figured you want something to snack on. [Even if he forgot about it until now.]

[Luke stares with confusion at the bundle, but he'll push it to the back of his mind. He can ask what it is later. He doesn't really have time to eat... whatever it is that's in there, after all.

A few minutes later, house 14 is in view, and Luke stops along the path that leads further westward to his house.]

Jale, thank you... And it was nice to meet you, too. Oh, here- [He takes off the coat and hands it over to Jale, successfully hiding any shivers that might've come from that sudden blast of cold air with a dismissive flick of his wrist.] My house is just a few minutes away; I'll warm up there.

[Then he'll turn his attention to Xion, even leaning in a little to speak in a slightly quieter tone:] Could you come to my house later? I have something to show you.

Edited 2010-12-31 03:35 (UTC)

[ oooh! Xion smiles, poking through the bundle with curiosity. food is cool.... even if it would've been awesome a little while ago. oh jale.

once they arrive, she'll shift her grip on the bundle to one hand, so she can grip one of Jale's hands again and give it a squeeze, again in thanks. ]

Thanks again. Really. I'll see you later, okay?

[ when Luke takes his jacket off her expression immediately goes a little worried, despite what he says, and she starts to take it off-- until what he says stops her, and she blinks.

... something to show her? without really realizing it, she goes faintly pink in the face. coat forgotten, she gives him a curious look, and nods. ]

Okay.

[ with that, and a wave, she'll disappear into her home, calling for her friends. ]

[Staring blankly at the returned jacket for a moment. So it's okay if other people give away clothing but not him? Yeesh. What a weird place.

And what was with all the touchy-feely? Were all girls like that? Marica definitely wasn't, and neither was Selen. Sisuca was her own category in itself and...

... He should probably go pick up dinner. And so, with a muttered 'later' and a parting wave, Jale departs for the main square.]

[Luke just gives them both a smile before he turns and heads off at a rather quick pace - he'd like to warm up soon, after all. True to his word, it's only a few minutes until house 5 comes in view, and he leaps up the porch steps and hurries inside-

Only to pause, then lean heavily against the door with a groan. He forgot the coat AGAIN. What is with him and being such a failure with things?

... Figures, though. He's not really good for- no. Luke doesn't have time to mope. He thinks he has enough since he's sure Xion's friends will want to see her and talk to her, but who knows? Maybe she'd come over faster than he thought.

... The thought makes him blush just a little, but he shakes his head and hurries off. Aaah, if only he had an Asch-GPS like his original does for him - he'd appreciate it if he wasn't here for a little while. Guy... is better, and Luke would like Xion to meet him someday, but... not here. Not here, where Guy can easily corner him and subtly troll him in that oh so annoying way he does it.

Whether they're here or not, though, doesn't really matter. Luke still hurries about to get things ready.]

[ he's got plenty of time. Xion's friends were of course deeply worried -- Roxas especially, fussing in that way he does sometimes -- and she spends some hours with them. she actually has to more or less sneak out later, with promises to return soon!, in order to get out to see Luke.

since, well, she feels fine! she's tired, but... she really wants to see what he asked her over for.

so some time later, properly dressed, she'll turn up at his door with a soft knock. ]

[It may have been a few hours, but Luke still used it all up. He had nothing ready by the time he got home, and Luke is still very unused to doing all these things himself, even though he preferred it that way. Just a few minutes before she knocked, Luke stood back and put his hands on his hips, a frown and a tug on the side of his lip showing that it wasn't quite perfect, but it had to do.

Especially since that knock came before he could do anything about it. He nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of it, but he lets out a deep sigh to relax himself before he goes to answer the door, hoping that it's her. Lo and behold!]

Xion, hey! Come in!

[He opens the door a little wider-

Only to take that back and push it back to just a crack, the expression on his face looking as if he just remembered something. He gives an apologetic and sheepish smile next, then holds out a hand to try and clarify.]

Close your eyes first, okay?

[ she starts to smile when he invites her in, and almost says something--

but he cuts her off with that move, and the smile vanishes to be replaced by momentary surprise. then it returns with greater strength and a little amusement. ]

Well... okay. If you say so.

[ she'll take his hand, and shut her eyes. she trusts him enough for that. ]

Edited 2010-12-31 04:56 (UTC)

... You're not peeking, are you?

[He says with a suspicious look on his face, but then that breaks into a smile as he opens the door wider and leads her inside. He trusts her not to, and even if she did, it'd be all right. It's not a matter of life or death or anything.

Thankfully, Luke doesn't have to lead her far; just to the middle of the living room. Once there, he looks at the scene to make sure that everything can be seen (even if he thinks it's not so impressive), then lets go of her hand, only to set his hand on her shoulder just to assure her that she's there.]

Okay... You can open them now.

[And once she opens her eyes, she'll see a little tree that comes about up to her shoulders, strung not with colored lights, but strips of paper with just as much color, so that it looks more like confetti instead of little lights. And... is the tree leaning? It might just be, since Luke wasn't sure how to set up the tree without it falling over and thus leaned it in the corner between the wall and the fireplace instead. Because what are tree stands?

Underneath the tree is one wrapped up gift. It's definitely not the best wrapping job in the world - one corner of the dark blue paper is bulkier than the other, and the bottom is just a mess, but believe it or not, it's a lot better than the other gifts he attempted to wrap before giving up and calling for Guy. In fact, it's actually the first one he did himself.

On the coffee table in front of the tree are two mugs of hot chocolate which Luke had made just a little earlier, one for himself and one for Xion. It's quickly become one of Luke's favorite winter drinks, after all, and he intends to take advantage of it before it turns spring and the novelty of it wears off.

He just hopes that Xion likes it. It's not perfect, but maybe...

Oh, he can't look. What if she's just amused, or thinks it's a shoddy effort, or... So, he looks down at the floor, though he occasionally glances at what he can see of her face.]

Uh... Merry Christmas? Or was it happy...

Edited 2010-12-31 05:01 (UTC)

Of course not!

[ With a little giggle. But she quiets down while he leads her in, walking a little carefully. Thankfully it's not far, though it's just far enough for her excitement and curiosity to build. And then he says she can open her eyes...

... and she does, slowly, not sure what she'll see. But this ... this .... little Christmas ... wasn't what she was expecting at all.

That is what this is, right? A miniature little Christmas... all her own. And Luke's. He's spent the last few hours putting all of this together, going to all this effort, with the tree, the cocoa, and then... that little gift.

The shock and wonderment are written large across her face. Her mouth is even hanging open a little. It's clear she's having a little trouble even processing what he's done for her with ... all of this. Then, just as she feels tears starting to sting at her eyes, a huge, watery grin breaks across her face, and she turns to face him. Overwhelmed with emotion, she impulsively hugs him, throwing her arms around his neck. ]

Luke, it's beautiful. Thank you.

[The pause just makes it worse for Luke, and he shifts his feet and feels nervousness grow more and more in his chest until he lets out a deep breath and opens his mouth to tell her that it's okay if she doesn't like it-

Only to suck in that breath of air when she hugs him around the neck, and he half lifts his arm more out of surprise as he blinks and stares at the wall ahead. Wait, so... she liked it? Even though it looked so... bad, compared to what everyone else had done for Christmas? He'd passed by and seen the Christmas trees in the window with lights and stars, and he knew this was nothing compared to that, so... But it wasn't his fault that he couldn't find any lights, that the store didn't have any last time he checked.

Even though it was his first attempt at celebrating a holiday that he never knew about, that he still didn't really know about... She liked it?

Slowly, he sets his arms down on her back to return the hug, though it's still light out of surprise and some additional worry.]

... Really?

[ she pulls back a little, hands resting on his chest up near his shoulders, and smiles at him with such warmth, her eyes still a little watery. ]

Yeah. Really. This was just... [ a laugh, and she has to lift a hand to rub at one of her eyes. ] I don't even really know what to say. You really did all this just for me?

[And Luke just. Blushes, because no girl had even been this close to him for this long, smiling and teary and. His hands twitch, and then he brings one of them back to rub the back of his head while the other stays on her back. He has to glance away, too, because honestly... No one's ever looked at him like that, either. And it makes him want to shy away. Or at least just chuckle nervously, but he won't fulfill either of those. Instead, he just smiles sheepishly.]

W-Well, you were talking about missing Christmas, so I thought... you know. You'd want one, even if it's late.

[ keep treating her like this, Luke, and you might find it happening more often.

as it is, she laughs, and gives him a little space so she can go over to the little tree, gently running her fingers over the paper decorations. ]

... I did. [ smiling so hard her face hurts. she rubs at her eyes again -- they're not wet! -- and leans over to pick up the present. then she turns back to face him, with a look that's a mix of incredulity, amusement, and fondness. but she can't really chide him for getting her a gift now after he went to all the trouble. instead, she asks simply ]

So ... can I see what's in it?

[Right when Xion turns away, Luke gapes to himself and takes in a deep breath. This was really happening, wasn't it? He was doing something right, something that someone was actually happy with, and nothing bad was happening as a consequence.

... No, he thinks to himself with a wince. Don't think like that. Do it and the tree might just spite him and fall over on Xion or something.

So, he just shoves that thought aside as best as he can and moves to kneel beside the table, near one of the mugs. He's smiling, too - maybe not as hard as Xion, but he does look happy that this is actually going right.]

Sure you can. Isn't that what Christmas is about? [... It is, right?]

[ ... and then the tree falls and the house catches on fire--

okay, no, not really. she just laughs quietly and moves to join him, settling herself down on the floor in front of him. ]

You know... I'm not really sure. But I know presents are part of it.

[ with that, she'll open it up.

it's once again to her shock and amazement that she pulls out a beautifully bound tome of 43 fairytales. the book's cover is a rich, dark leather, with the words of the title engraved in gold, and all the pages are edged in gold. it's beautiful.

she's only stunned for a moment, before another quavery smile comes over her face. it's such a perfect gift she's honestly lost for words. instead, she flips through it, literally just ... beaming, like she couldn't be happier if she tried, as she skims the words. ]

It's perfect. [ she doesn't realize she's said it aloud. ]

[Luke had only heard through grapevine what Christmas was about, so he wasn't entirely sure, either. He'd woken up extra early to fix Guy breakfast (toast and juice, since anything else would taste... "unique"), promised himself to find Natalia something once she got back, and... couldn't think of anything for Asch. He's pretty sure Asch would just toss whatever it was aside, anyway. And he could barely think of things for his other friends, much to his dismay...

It was through luck that he found the book and thought it'd be perfect for Xion. As she unwraps the gift, though, he starts to have second thoughts. What if it was too childish? They were just fairy tales... even though he loved them. Growing up, fairy tales allowed him to take his mind away, to get away from the manor in his imagination. What if she didn't understand...

But when she smiles, all of his worries go away, and he lets out the breath that he didn't realize he was holding in.]

... You think so? [He asks quietly, hesitantly.]

Edited 2010-12-31 07:14 (UTC)

[ there's a word for what she's feeling, she knows it, but it escapes her. it's like light is filling her whole heart, warming her body from her very core right down to her fingertips and toes. like someone's filled a balloon in her chest and the whole thing is trying to lift her right up off the floor. it's... it's... ]

You know... last year, I read about the holidays a little. And I remember reading that Christmas isn't just about presents. It's about... spending time with your family. With the people you love and care about. And just... being with them, and being happy together...

[ with that, she looks up from her gift and takes one of his hands, lacing their fingers together. the smile on her face is one of the gentlest, and most genuine, she's ever given. ]

So... I think that makes this one of the best Christmases ever. [ yes, Luke. she does think so. ]

oo29 [ voice // action ]

[Action] y'all are just mad you didn't think of it first.

[Action] ... maybe. ;3;

[Action] ... 8( Meanie

[Action] ..... turn those frowns UPSIDE DOWN, GUYS. /tugs your faces into smiles

[Action] ... now my cheeks hurt 8)

[Action] I knew you were a squishie bear inside 8)

[Action] ... GODDAMNIT KUKKI. /RELAUNCHES. tropical can stay. |D

[Action] ... will you let go of my cheeks now? 8)

[Action] B| /can BREATHE IN SPACE

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