(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]

... you actually wanna help?

[Usually she just stays behind the counter and teases him.]

[spiria]

Well ... yeah. I mean, how often do we get to spend time together anymore?

[ She moves to the counter beside him and leans against it, looking at him seriously. ]

Besides, I do a majority of the cooking in my own household. I could stand to learn a few more things here and there from my genius chef of a little brother.

[keepsthefire]

... alright.

[The compliments actually sound genuine, which worry him. He'd hoped she would have missed how bad he was doing but he was starting to figure out that wasn't the case.]

[spiria]

[ Heeey, she can be genuine ... very genuine. But yeah, you don't get a lot past your big sister, boy. So she makes herself busy beside him. ]

What all do you need done right now?

[ She's still finding a way to bring up the mopey business. ]

[keepsthefire]

[Before she can even get started there's a yellow apron shoved in front of her face. After that, though, he takes out a knife and carefully hands it to her.]

Y'see that bag of pecans? Cut 'em up really small.

[spiria]

[ Kohaku blinks a few times, then smiles. ]

W-Wow, you don't miss a beat, do you?

[ She takes the apron, puts it on, then takes the knife and begins to do as she's instructed. ]

So ... do you want to talk about what's bugging you, little bro?

[ she looks up and over to him briefly. ]

You're not yourself right now, and it's pretty obvious. I'm a little worried.

[ And then, she turns her attention back to the pecans and begins chopping them again. ]

[keepsthefire]

[Not in the kitchen, he doesn't.

He doesn't look up at the question, but there's a noticeable pause in his motions. He toys with the idea of being vague, or acting glib like he doesn't know what she's talking about, or even going so far as to lie and say it's because of Yukio or the holidays being difficult for him without their dad around.

But he knows all that is going to result in her calling bullshit on him, so after a good and lengthy pause, he responds with only one thing:]

My mom is here.

[spiria]

[ She nearly cuts herself as she hears those words. ]

Y-Your mom?!

[ SHE'S OKAY, WE SWEAR. Kohaku checks her finger really quick to make sure she's not bleeding, then turns to look at Rin with wide-eyes. ]

Oh my gosh, you must be so happy about that! Though ... wow, that ... that's got to be weird.

[ Having never met her mother herself, she knew that she would be thrilled to have a chance to meet her. However ... there was no denying that it would be kind of awkward. After all, she'd lived for eighteen years now without her mother. She'd had sort of a connection to her through housing Lithia in her spirune, and Lithia had told her many things about her mother ... but she knew, if Iola had ever appeared in this place, alive and well, she'd have a lot of emotions.

Suddenly, she could see why Rin was so out of it. ]

... How is she? Is she a good person?

[ Rin had never really told her about his mother ... so she didn't know what kind of person she was like. She knew his dad was Satan, though, so there was always a chance that she wasn't all that great herself. ]

[keepsthefire]

Geez, be careful!

[Even though she looks and determines she's not cut, he still grabs her hand just to make sure. He keeps those knives super sharp, so it's easy to get a bad cut if you're not cautious.

He didn't let go right away, though, gaze on her hand but some how distant at the same time. It isn't often his ears actually droop as a result of his emotions, but right then they do just that, his tail going equally limp and hanging low to the floor.

Slowly he lets go, and turns back to his bowl.]

Yeah. She is.

[Even with that reaction, his words are genuine - she is. But it really doesn't make it any less awkward, or make his emotions any easier to deal with.]

[spiria]

[ Kohaku watched him, her hand dropping to her side as he let it go. She couldn't imagine what he must have been going through right now ... sure, she was in the same 'lack of maternal figure' boat as he was, but her mother wasn't actually here, and there was no telling if she ever would be. His mother ... was.

Kohaku took his hand again as he turned back toward the bowl. ]

Hey ... Come here.

[ And before he could protest, she made sure he wasn't holding anything sharp, then pulled him a little closer and wrapped her arms around him tightly, rubbing his back just a little as she did so. ]

It probably sucks a lot right now, but this is a good thing, okay?

[ She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. ]

Besides, she probably feels just as weird as you do right now.

[ And she definitely knows how weird it is to be dead one moment and alive again the next. ]

[keepsthefire]

[He wasn't expecting the hug, but he doesn't protest it either. He lets himself be pulled in to it, eventually returning the embrace. He doesn't cry (though he keeps wondering if he's going to sooner or later, given how he's been feeling lately) but he does bury his face in her hair with a shaking sigh.]

I'm... tryin' to see it that way... I really am...

[But it's obviously not an easy thing to do.]

[spiria]

[ It's not, and she knows it. But that's why he has the optimistic derp couple as a brother and sister. And the many friends he has, too, they'll keep him thinking positive. Or, at least attempt to. Kohaku continues to rub his back gently as she holds him. ]

I know. It's pretty hard to do that right now ... but I think it's going to be a really good thing for you guys in the longrun.

[ She looks up at him and smiles. ]

You'll see.

[keepsthefire]

... is there a point, though?

[That's pretty nihilistic coming from Rin, but it's a valid question considering the often fickle city.]

If we go back... I won't remember anythin', and she'll--...

[Go back to being dead.]

[spiria]

Would it be any different than your relationship with me? Or Shing? Or Maka?

[ She's got a serious face on, dude. ]

If we ever return home, we could all forget each other, and our time in this city. Is that going to stop you from being close with us, or having fun with us, or getting to know us at all during your time here? Sure, we might not be dead in our own worlds, but ... the fact does remain that we might not be able to see each other again.

[ she takes his hands and squeezes them gently. ]

Are you really going to let that prevent you from getting to know your mother while you have the opportunity? You've made so many friends, and have even gained a family during your time here. If you let a chance like this go to waste because you're afraid of forgetting all of it if we ever return home, then ...

[ She looks away a little. ]

... Then I guess you're not the guy I thought you were.

[ blunt, kind of. but she's got a point. gotta live in the moment and all. ]

[keepsthefire]

[Geez. Owch, Kohaku. Owch.

He stands there silently, shifting awkwardly on his feet and looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. Even his bandaged up tail is drooping.]

I'm always afraid of losin' people, Kohaku. I just... don't show it. Usually. It's the one thing I hate about this place the most, on top of all the stuff I do like. Like... makin' friends. Makin' my own family.

But-- ... how am I supposed to act? It ain't like I ever knew her. I don't... know her as a mom, I know her as some one that just showed up outta the blue and happens to be that person that gave birth to Yukio and me.

[spiria]

It's really awkward, knowing that she's your mom but also knowing that you know absolutely nothing about her. Maybe just getting to know her at all will be a huge step in itself.

[ There's something in her eyes as she speaks, but Kohaku's looking away from him the entire time. It's pretty obvious that she's thinking of how she would handle things if her own mother ever ended up here ... and yeah, there's a little bit of jealousy there. She never had a mother figure in her life. Her Aunt Sheila was always her Aunt Sheila, and Hisui was always her big brother. She never knew her mother or her father.

It was easy to see that she was a little envious of the chance Rin now had, regardless of how awkward it was for him. ]

You have the opportunity to get to know her, and have the experience of seeing her and being with her yourself. You don't have to rely on just stories and things seen from a secondhand point of view anymore. I know it's hard to really know how to deal with it right now, but ...

[keepsthefire]

But I've been given a chance at something no one else has and I should be grateful, I know, I know...

[He didn't mean to sound so huffy, but he'd been getting that line from a lot of people lately and it was starting to grate on his nerves a bit. As supportive as people were trying to be, he wasn't entirely sure all of them were so willing to see it from his side of things.

And then there was the issue of how Yukio had reacted... that entire argument just stung, because his own brother was calling him a liar simply because he hadn't come from a point in their lives where he knew all of it already.

Frankly, to Rin, the situation was a mess even at the best point.]

... I'll try, okay? I ain't making promises.