Took The Midnight Sleigh Going Anywhere

[caesar]

Who: All of the Shin Megami Tensei casts + Amaterasu
Location: Volo dorms
Time: Backdated to Christmas eve, December 24th
Style: Action for the sake of ease
Status: Closed to the SMT crew (+ Ammy)

[If you can use a Persona, there's a good chance you woke up to this text message in your inbox:]

Christmas Party at the Volo Dorm

You're invited to a Christmas gathering at the Volo Dorms, hosted by Minato Arisato and S.E.E.S.

Time: 6:00

Come for a night of relaxing and fun - there will be cake and a gift exchange.

We hope to see you there - S.E.E.S

[It's not the most creative or formal invitation but hey - presents and cake? Sounds like a good night.]






[ooc: GENERIC INTRO IS GENERIC. Threads below are just suggestions, feel free to branch off if something you want to do doesn't fall below any of these headings.]

Comments

[caesar]

You could say that again... It's been a while since we've been able to just relax like this.

[He eyes that present and in return, takes a red-and-white striped box from beneath his arm and holds it out to her.]

Merry Christmas, Mitsuru.

[invoker]

Merry Christmas, Akihiko.

[She takes the present from him, meanwhile handing over her present to him. Inside would be a particular pair of cufflinks and a pair of leather gloves.]

I never thought it would be this pleasant, not having to deal with all the Group's associates. Perhaps I can get used to this carefree lifestyle.

[There is a hint of unease in her face though.]

How silly of me. Forget I said that.

[caesar]

[Her unease is met with a short furrow of his brow. Over the years, he'd gotten used to knowing when she was uneasy and how to respond to it. He puts on a smile, thumbing at the corner of the paper that holds the gift she gave him, not yet opening it.] Hey, you don't have to get used to a carefree lifestyle to enjoy a relaxed Christmas... When we get back home, we'll find a way to do this sort of thing.

[Even if Mitsuru had a lot of responsibility to shoulder back home, Akihiko'd do whatever was in his power to make sure she enjoyed the season.]

Let's open our gifts at the same time, alright? [He glances at the box he'd given her, hoping that the contents would suit her well.]

[invoker]

Minato taught me something about freedom. To have my own volition, sentiments truly from myself aren't necessarily a bad thing. But now the task at hand is to balance that with what I must do.

[One of Mitsuru's more honest moments. She looks at the present in her hands and the smile on her face becomes more sincere.]

Yes, let's...

[Her hands find a convenient place where she can remove the wrapping.]

Three, two, one.

[caesar]

[On her mark, he pulls the paper off of his gift and opens the box inside, genuinely smiling as he looks at what's inside. He takes out the gloves but now before feeling the brick of the cufflinks, thumbing over them. He tucks the gloves under his arm and takes out the cufflinks, putting them on immediately.]

I'll have a hard time breaking these things. [he adjusts them a bit, adjusting his sweater vest a little as well.]

Thanks, Mitsuru - how do they look?

[invoker]

[How touching. Mitsuru feels the material of the scarf and finds it's soft and warm. The smile on her face grows.]

It's lovely, Akihiko. Thank you.

[She moves closer to get a proper look. The accessories made all the difference in the outfit after all, and the cufflinks suited Akihiko well. Mitsuru was pleased. Setting her present down on a table, she adjusts the cuffs of Akihiko's shirt with her hands so it was all straight.]

Trés excellent.

[caesar]

[He lets her fuss, not putting up any resistance as she does so. He lets out a short chuckle as she smooths his cuffs.]

I guess now I'll fit right in if you need to take me to any of the Kirijou Group's formal events, huh?

[invoker]

[The smile face says a lot - Mitsuru is happy, more than anything else as. She pulls back, pleased with her handiwork.]

There is one more present for you.

[caesar]

[He blinks, suddenly feeling as though he missed a memo somewhere down the line - didn't they normally just get each other one gift?]

Another one?

[invoker]

Another one.

[She looks hesitant for a moment, before leaning in and giving Akihiko a small kiss on the cheek.]

Merry Christmas.

[With that, she immediately turns around to try and hide the fact she's gone bright red.]

1/3

[caesar]

[The kiss, even if it was light and merely on his cheek, is enough to make Akihiko freeze up for a moment. His breath catches in his throat for a moment, not quite expecting such a bold move from the woman.]

Ah--

2/3

[caesar]

[Mistletoe. There's mistletoe above them. That's what happened. It has to be - even if Akihiko can't seem to will himself to look up and actually check for such a thing. Why else would Mitsuru kiss him? It doesn't mean anything, right?]

3/3

[caesar]

[Calming himself down, he smiles - reaching over to place a hand on her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. To Akihiko, Mitsuru meant so much. Often times it felt like he couldn't even put into words just how important she was, how much she meant to him and how lucky he felt to have someone like her around. Through all of their time together, through forming S.E.E.S and the trials they faced by each other's side left them with a bond that he couldn't quite describe. She was his best friend - maybe something more than that, something akin to siblings in a way yet at the same time, it was still different. Shinji had been his brother but Mitsuru wasn't his sister, not like that. What he felt for Mitsuru was different.

Maybe that's what this kiss meant. Maybe... To her, he was that kind of different too? Maybe that's all there needed to be to it. It didn't need a long and complex explanation, it didn't need justification.]

You too, Mitsuru...

[What else can he say? What he wants to say just can't seem to be put into words. Maybe it doesn't need to be said at all. His hand stays on her shoulder though, giving another squeeze as he thumbs the fabric of her blouse.]

[invoker]

[She doesn't reply, but instead focuses solely on her breathing. Deep breath, deep breath. The firm grip on her shoulder is familiar and reassuring, yet her heart is still beating rapidly in her chest.

No mistletoe, just Mitsuru and her feelings. Those wonderful, terrible and mysterious feelings she has for Akihiko.

She's silent for a long while, before speaking just softly enough for him to hear.]

Are you surprised?

[caesar]

[Surprised? That would be one way to put it. It was a lot all coming at once, strange emotions he'd long thought he'd pushed aside all wanting to come to the surface. Akihiko takes in a slow breath as he squeezes her shoulder again, allowing his hand to slip down to her upper arm.

There's so much he wants to say but he can't. He opens his mouth only to close it again, the words not coming no matter how much he tries to will them. He clears his throat a little and just shakes his head.]

...Yeah.

[That's the best he can manage right now. He turns his head, looking out at everyone else enjoying themselves, mingling with each other, eating cake - genuinely enjoying this holiday and the celebration.]

Let's talk about this later, Mitsuru. After... After they've gone to bed. [He looks back at her once again, a thin smile appearing on his face. He moves a bit closer so that he can take her hand, lacing his fingers with her own.]

Let's just get some cake for now.