(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 might be twitching a little, and his tail is certainly lashing around a lot more.]

What part of "raised human" don't you get? You were born in to your life, you got everything explained to you probably from the minute you could understand it. I got the truth hidden from me until the day before my dad died tryin' to protect me from it all.

I didn't choose this life, Kid. And you didn't choose yours but at least you have a birthright you can be proud of. I like you, I consider you a friend, but don't stand there on your grim reaper high horse and act like you understand a damn thing about what I've gone through in the past year.

[symmetrophile]

[Hey. Rin.

Hey.

You know the kind of steady, unwavering, piercing stare that gets more and more unsettling the longer it continues? Or how about how these sorts of looks, more often than not, result in making people feel increasingly self-conscious?

Kid is fucking great at these.]

[keepsthefire]

[You say that like Rin isn't used to getting those looks from Yukio every day.

Seriously, it only phases him if he actually feels guilty about what he did. And this time, he doesn't.

But he also doesn't see the point in continuing to rant. His point has been made loud and clear - don't call him a prince, and don't act like he's okay with his life. Simple as that.

So he shifts the topic, just slightly, back to something Kid was hinting at earlier.]

... think of it this way. If you're gonna inherit your dad's position some day, don't that mean you gotta have some understandin' of the people you're gonna be rulin' over? Everything I've heard about him makes him sound like some one people don't mind leavin' in charge.

If my dad was in charge of everything, the world would be shit and everyone would hate it.

Which kinda leader do you wanna be? The kind who actually gives a fuck about his people or the kind everyone thinks doesn't care and is just some one to be feared?

Takin' the time to understand the people around you and droppin' whatever assumptions you have is a pretty good place to start, if you don't wanna be the second one.

[symmetrophile]

[There's a flinch in his otherwise stern expression, as far as Kid will permit himself to display the internal wince. That smarted, Rin, and the part that stings most is the grain of fact in it.

He'd wanted to relate with him enough to impose on him unfairly, and this is entirely deserved.

Doesn't make it any less of a slap in the face. Kid is proud enough a reaper to have difficulty responding, at least at first.]

...Rin--

[keepsthefire]

[The angered expression falls away at that, and Rin's gaze shifts away as he admits something softly.]

In a way I'm kinda envious of you. I ain't gonna sit here and pretend like what you got is easy, but you still got a chance to be somethin' great, and I'm pretty damn sure there aren't many people out there that believe otherwise.

Me... I got the whole world scared of me, just 'cause I got the same blue flames that killed so many people in one night... the only ones who wanna bow at my feet are the same ones I don't want anythin' to do with...

[symmetrophile]

And who's to say you haven't that chance? Do you think because you're surrounded by enemies that the situation is already decided for you?

[And if Rin did, he wouldn't be alone; people have felt that way for far less, and his circumstances are, as Kid has stated before, quite extreme.]

Whether they say your name with the hushed tones of reverence or loathing, the result is still the same!

[keepsthefire]

Because I don't want 'em to do either!

[The words burst out of him, louder than anything he's said so far. Fists clench on his lap, hands shaking and head down, bangs obscuring his eyes.]

If they're gonna say anythin' about me, I want it to be 'bout the things I actually did, not what they think I'm gonna do! I want 'em to say Rin Okumura was a great exorcist, was some one who stopped Satan and helped people who needed it most!

[symmetrophile]

We don't exactly get a say in the matter, do we?

[It's a sharp answer, coming right on the heels of Rin's outburst, perhaps unsurprising, considering Kid is frequently stern.]

Maybe one day, they'll say that about you, when you accomplish these things at last. Perhaps they won't.

None of that matters nearly as much as the fact that you've done it.

[keepsthefire]

[Surprisingly, Rin actually expected something like that. Harsh as it may sound, it's still kinder than any method Yukio has ever used on him to bring him back down to earth.]

... I'm going to. Whatever it takes, I ain't gonna let them take me out 'fore I can do what I want to do.

[symmetrophile]

[Kid can be just as ruthless, but quite frankly, he likes Rin too much to be downright cutting.

This seems to be a satisfactory turn in the conversation, but then, any direction besides his previous disappointment was a favorable one.]

Good. Then in the meantime, why don't you join the rest of us? It's a little early to be retiring to bed, and you still have gifts under the tree.

[keepsthefire]

... aw but I'm tired!

[There's the usual old Rin. Petulant brat, through and through. Even if it's a bit odd to be whining about not wanting to go to where there's gifts, but he did sort of make the majority of the food the Villa residents are enjoying now.

Even a demon is allowed to be tired after that.

Still he lets out a reluctant, relenting sigh and gets back to his feet.]

Ugh fine but I'm so catchin' a nap after presents are done.