(OPEN) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

[symmetrophile]

Who: Villa residents and all visitors.
When: December 25th
Where: The Villa
Style: Whatever you like!
Status: Open!


[Hey, guess what?

IT'S CHRISTMAS! Which means Villa residents will be trading gift-wrapped presents and enjoying a delicious holiday feast prepared by a very hard-working Rin Okumura, so be sure to thank him!

The threads below are meant for mingling, the exchanging of gifts and other holiday activities!]

Comments

[keepsthefire]

[He just wanted to rest a little. He was feeling unnaturally tired, and only half a week in, but who could blame him with all that had been going on? Fingers and tail bandaged for various reasons, he ducked away with a weak smile to a few who asked if he was alright and headed for his room.

An hour to lay down, recharge, get certain thoughts out of his head for a while. That's all he wanted.

What he got was a reaper standing in his room.]

... lose somethin'?

[Even his tone sounds dull. There's no fight in his words, just a slightly bitter question that he doesn't even wait to get an answer for before going to his bed and flopping down.]

[symmetrophile]

Yes, I've misplaced it for the last few days, actually.

[Kid is used to being direct, and he is, albeit with a slight verbal detour he thinks is a little clever; he continues.]

Fortunately, I don't make a habit of losing what I'm fond of for long.

[There's a beat of silence, and he steps to the edge of Rin's bed, leaning over him.

There's a crinkle, as he holds out the gift-wrapped parcel.]

Merry Christmas, Rin.

[keepsthefire]

[You can be clever all you want, Kid. Rin is just going to meet it with the same tired expression he came in with.

At least until he's being leaned over. It only changes a little to accommodate a tug at the corners of his lips in to a faint scowl as he looks up, though he doesn't move back at all. It's a little unnerving, but not enough to force him in to leaning back.

The crinkle gets his attention, but it's only after another second of that scowling that he finally lets his blue eyes slide down and his hands take the present.]

... thanks.

[The mutter precedes a very slight reddening of his cheeks. He doesn't really feel like he deserves anything from Kid after what happened, more out of he behaved than out of what Kid accidentally let drop.]

[symmetrophile]

[He's patient, stoic, unmoving until Rin takes the gift.

The now recently emptied hand hangs there impotently, and, unable to waste time like this, occupies itself with brushing a disheveled bit of hair away from the path of Rin's eyes.

Correcting him. Adjusting. Making things less intolerably imperfect.

You'll have to forgive him, Rin. It's just one of the few, physical ways in which he demonstrates affection.]

Open it.

[keepsthefire]

[Weirdly, Rin didn't mind it. Maybe he was just getting used to how Kid did things quicker than would have otherwise been expected, but the recent happenings likely had a hand in just how much he wasn't reacting to lately.

But some part of him, distantly, appreciated the gesture. For everything he was feeling, things like that did remind him that he wasn't alone.

Slowly he started tugging on the wrapping, carefully trying to get it without tearing in like he would when he was younger. One end open, he pulled out the silver object, studying it with a curious expression.]

Neat but... what is it?

[symmetrophile]

Your communicator should fit into that slot. The attached clip can attach it to your belt.

[Simple.

But emblazoned with a stylized skull as it is, seems more suited to a student of Shibusen like Maka and Soul than an exorcist of an organization from another version of Earth entirely.]

I can show you, if you'd like.

[keepsthefire]

Oh. Cool.

[Not something he was expecting, but it would be easier to put it there then have it awkwardly in his pocket, or even putting it in his apron and forgetting like he's wont to do sometimes.]

Yeah, sure.

[He moves over on the bed, handing the gift back and picking up his SFC where he'd left it on his nightstand.]

[symmetrophile]

[Taking that for a nonverbal invitation (whether it was meant to be or not), Kid seats himself on the recently vacated space on the edge of his bed. Skull-shaped belt-clip in hand, and reaching for Rin's SFC with the other, he demonstrates its insertion into its home slot three times.

A fingertip indicates the clip that would fit against his belt.]

And it fits here. Why not give it a try?

[keepsthefire]

Thanks...

[That was an actual smile, given after he watched Kid clip and unclip the SFC. He took it back, standing up so he could find a place to put it on his belt.]

Like that?

1/2

[symmetrophile]

[Squaring off his view with his fingers, Kid observes it for a moment, reaches as if he intended to make an adjustment, and--

Refrains, but not without great effort.]

2/2

[symmetrophile]

[In fact, there's a moment when his fingers twitch as if he was about to give in to the impulse to make some incredibly minute correction, but he ultimately nods.]

Yes, well done.

[More importantly:]

Do you like it?

[keepsthefire]

[The motion doesn't go unnoticed by Rin, and he almost lets him fix it, but a cursory glance shows him that whatever Kid wanted to fix, it couldn't have been much. Everything looks straight from where he's standing.]

Yeah! Wish I had somethin' this awesome lookin' for my cell phone back home.

[symmetrophile]

Silver suits you.

[He climbs to his feet, hands cradled in his pockets, satisfied with what he perceives is a job well done.]

Although it's one of your Christmas presents, please also consider it an apology.

[keepsthefire]

... oh.

[That.]

... nothin' to apologize for. I was gonna find out sooner or later, wasn't I?

[The shrug was an attempt at being nonchalant, but even Kid would have to call bullshit on any attempt Rin might have at behaving as if it were no big deal. Really, he couldn't make it any more obvious that he was dealing with painful emotions unless he wore a neon sign that spelled it out.]

[symmetrophile]

[The reaper calmly corrects him:] Maybe, but there are better ways.

[Although he puts on a tough act and tries to play things off like they don't affect him, Rin's the honest kind of person who nevertheless wears his heart on his sleeve; Kid could easily tell he had been out of sorts ever since he so thoughtlessly blurted it out.]

...

Are you worried others might think you weak for being moved?

[keepsthefire]

[That's not something that can really be argued with, but there is a half shrug at the correction.]

... what? N-no! I don't give a fuck what other people think of me anyway.

[That's a lie, but he continues before Kid can immediately call him out on it.]

I don't know what to think, okay? The whole damn situation is weird and fucked up.

1/2

[symmetrophile]

[Whatever you say, Rin.]

2/2

[symmetrophile]

Then don't think too much on it.

[Brooding in here is too lonely an activity for this time of year. Besides, it makes his friends worry.]

You have here the opportunity to connect with someone you could become close to. Is that a chance you really want to pass up?

[keepsthefire]

... no, but--

[But what happens when she goes back, when I go back? What if something happens to her and I can't stop it? What if she gets to know me and hates the kind of person I've become?

The 'but' lingered in the air for a moment before Rin snapped his mouth shut. He could blurt out a million questions and Kid would probably say the exact same thing. He knew better than to try to figure out answers to things he couldn't wrap his head around.

All he could do was move forward.]

... no. I don't wanna pass that up.

[symmetrophile]

Good. Although the chances that your longevity has increased because of your half-demonic heritage, the same hardly applies to most of those you meet everyday.

As their lives are comparatively short, the saying 'there's no time like the present' applies equally.

[Getting lectured by a grim reaper about taking opportunity before it passes you by, huh. Just what he needs.

Someone might think this isn't even Kid's place to correct him, but then, being the son of the god of a whole world, he obviously feels totally entitled.]

[keepsthefire]

... thanks, like I need to be reminded of that. Can I not think about morbid shit like that until I've passed fifty at least?

[Seriously, Kid. You may be okay with it but most people would rather not think about the eventual mortality of their friends. Or the fact that they might out live them by hundreds of years.]

[symmetrophile]

...

[Wow, that face.

Only Kid would have the gall to be put out by another fellow nearly-immortal giving him some push-back about some so-called morbid shit. Only Kid.]

[keepsthefire]

[You're getting the same exact expression back, Kid.]

... I'm sixteen and I only learned about this shit a year and a half ago. What'd you expect me to say?

[symmetrophile]

It's not important.

[And for a moment, it seems like Kid might just let this go.





Nah, his luck is total shit this week, remember?]

I merely thought you'd be able to understand, seeing as you're technically a prince.

[keepsthefire]

[Ooooof course.

Don't mind the twitching, Kid. He's just trying to restrain himself.]

What makes you say that? I never said I was a prince of anythin'.