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 Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:42 pm
Problem with her mom? A part of him hoped that things were okay. Despite the fact that she was more Clare's friend than his, he never thought she was too bad.
The halfling blinked a few times as Karan placed the food on the coffee table, forcing himself to smile. He should have known that fox woman would have BAKED something... but then again, how would she have known that neither he nor the angel ate sweets much anymore? The banana bread looked kind of good, and he'd make sure to save the cupcake for his other half. The rest he'd probably give to the others, knowing they'd enjoy it more than he would.
After all, even HE wouldn't let good food go to waste, regardless of his darker nature.
"You'll have to tell them thank you for me," Demare said, picking up one of the chocolate covered cherries and sniffing at it for a moment. "I'll, uh... make sure they're taken care of."
He started to wonder if he should be jotting down names for who to send thank yous to.
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:34 pm
He liked it! That was good. Even though those gifts weren't exactly invited, he'd been in charge of presenting them and was glad they were recieved well. "I'll tell them," Karan promised, though more for Demare's sake than any of the gift-givers. "I just hope it's all edible."
Next came the gifts from the girls. Karan rolled his eyes as he crammed the lunchbox back into his backpack and came up with a roundish parcel wrapped in gold tissue paper, and tied at the top with red ribbon. Then another one, smaller, in red tissue paper and gold ribbon. Ying had insisted on wrapping the gifts, but Karan still knew what was in each of them: a red and gold lantern in the first, and a red flowered Japanese windchime in the other.
"The girls wanted to give you something too. I'm not really sure why." Karan shrugged, not caring to spare thought on why girls acted the way they did. There was no card, since neither Ying nor Yeine nor Rinsei had met Demare personally, but a small note scribbled on the paper of the larger gift: 'Happy Birthday! <3'
 
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:10 pm
Demare scratched his head a little bit, not sure what Karan meant by 'the girls'. Did that mean the kid only lived with two, or were these two in particular? Regardless, he picked up the red package first, untied the ribbon, and undid the tissue. Picking up the string with his pinky, he revealed the red and black item, curious as to what it was.
"I feel strange admitting that this is... pretty," he explained, cocking his head a little bit. "I think I have something similar to this, as well. Something I got when I was a baby... I'll be sure Chrys doesn't ruin it."
Placing the chime carefully on the table, he took up the second gift, undoing the wrapping in the same fashion as the first. He couldn't help but smirk as the paper lantern was revealed, his wings shifting themselves a little bit.
"Oh, Clare's gonna love this," the halfling stated, holding the light object up a little bit. "I wonder if I can put this over the light... replace the glass cover. Might be kinda nice, actually..."
He placed the latern next to the chime on the table. So far, Karan's family seemed to have good taste.
"Thank them for me, too."
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Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:22 pm
While Karan would never have admitted it on his own, he thought that the gifts were pretty too. Of course, they were picked by girls, so they were supposed to be pretty. But they weren't bad. He had a lantern they had given him in his window, next to the one he'd gotten as a baby. It was interesting to hear that Demare had something similar as well.
"They'll be glad to hear it," he replied. Who was Chrys? Another one of Demare's siblings, Karan guessed. It wasn't one he'd met before, but that didn't surprise him. His own house changed often enough, it stood to reason that others did as well.
The next gift he pulled out was tiny by comparison, a small silk pouch in silver and black. It contained a bracelet of dark silver beads, heavy and cold to the touch, and a few dried flowers. "From Prana," Karan said, though once Demare read the note he would have known anyway. "She wanted to come, but she has a cold."
Also inside the pouch was a small note, written on a scrap of parchment-like paper and sealed with a pawprint sticker.
Prana's Note
Dear Demare,
I know we have not seen each other since that incident in the winter, but I wanted to thank you for helping me then. And to wish you a Happy Birthday, of course. I'm staying with Karan for a while, which is why he's bringing this. Maybe next time I'll be able to thank you in person.
Ying and Rinsei are teaching me a lot about stones, and I thought this might suit you. Hematite is a stone with lots of healing properties, so I hope it keeps you well. Rinsei also knows a bit about flowers, so she tucked in the petals, and Aunt DS suggested a tea you might like. It's called Russian Caravan, and it's a bit smoky, but delicious!
Please take care of yourself. And again, have a very happy birthday!
- Prana
Next to the pouch, Karan placed an unwrapped tin on the table.
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:11 am
Demare stared at the note for a long moment, then at the bracelet. What was it with people and give him JEWELRY? Despite the purpose it held, a bracelet was still a bracelet, and it made him feel a little girly.
Though, the supposed healing properties he found interesting. Taking the beads out of the pouch, he slipped them on over his right wrist, to oppose the charms worn on his left.
"I hope... she's doing well," he finally said, picking up the canister of tea. Opening the lid slightly, he took a whiff before closing it again. Hm... not bad. "Please thank her for me."
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:20 pm
"She's not as bad as some of the others," Karan commented, "but she's still a girl. I guess they all like pretty things." Prana had given him a bracelet as well, made of simple crystal stones, but he almost never wore it. And when he did, he made sure his sleeves covered it. Pretty as it was, it made him feel like a wimp to wear jewelry. His belt was quite enough.
Next he pulled out a thin, flat package, wrapped in plain brown paper. "This one's from me, and Eriol. We... pooled our resources, I guess." Largely money, since Karan couldn't afford to get a decent gift on his own, and he'd never ask DS for help. At least the big-brother figure didn't make him feel silly, and even suggested he chip in for a gift. "I hope you don't have one."
Inside was a sleek mp3 player, black with golden lightning bolts decorating it. It was a relatively inexpensive model, but sturdy and big enough to hold a few hours' worth of music. Headphones were included, along with a lightning bolt charm. They hadn't had anything exactly perfect for Demare, so Karan chose the one that he thought was the best. Of course, DS had liked them so much that she bought several for him and his "siblings," but this one was the first.
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 10:35 pm
As the halfling pulled out the MP3 player from the bag, his wings drooped down a little bit. He'd seen these before... Clara had one she liked to listen to often. It was a device that played music, wasn't it? Something like this would come in handy when he was working alone at the shop.
Or he could use it to freak out Chrys when the fiend was being too hyper. PERFECT.
"I don't have one, no," Demare informed him with a smile. A part of him had wanted to buy one, but he was saving up his money for something else. "Thank you."
Maybe he could use it to drown everyone out at the party...
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 6:30 pm
Karan waited, the time seeming endless as Demare unwrapped his gift. Would he like it? Was it suitable? He inhaled nervously... and exhaled in a rush. "I'm glad you like it!" He smiled, cheeks slightly pink. He was truly pleased that the gift he'd spent time picking out was appreciated. But there was one more matter to take care of. "There is a small one left, actually."
Reaching to the bottom of his bag, Karan retrieved one final gift. It was something he'd bought a while ago, but had never seen Demare to give it to him. Strictly speaking it wasn't a birthday present, but he'd wrapped it in the same brown paper as the other gift. It was smaller than the others, fitting neatly in the palm of his hand, with something bumpy and scratchy on the side. When he examined it out, he was surprised to find a small pin taped to the package. It was something else he'd bought a while ago, and he even had a similar one pinned on his backpack, but he hadn't taped it there. It was a bit girly... but he couldn't pull it off without looking odd, so he handed the whole thing over.
"I'm not sure where the pin thing came from," he said, "but I got the thing inside ages ago. It reminded me of you, I guess."
 
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 11:11 pm
He was a little puzzled upon being handed the supposed final gift, having thought the music player was the last one. Setting the MP3 player down next to him on the couch, he emptied the final package. At first, he simply stared at the pin, unsure of what to think of it. Karan said he didn't know where it came from anyway, right? So maybe it didn't matter.
Then, Demare looked to the glass bottle. It shimmered slightly, as if it contained glitter, but as he continued to inspect it, he noticed that the glitter was shining on its own. In fact, the contents of the bottle was TWINKLING... like stars. He was honestly... and truely... in awe. Demian could not comprehend how, but something deep inside of him believed that in some shape and form, what he was staring at was indeed the night sky.
Finally turning his bi-colored eyes away, he focused on the boy's scarf briefly. Reaching his bare right hand out, the halfling carefully took up the moon portion in his fingers, holding it up slightly as if to compare it to the bottle. His cheeks began to burn a slight pinkish color as he thought about the gypsy's last statement.
The bottle didn't remind him of himself. It reminded him of Karan.
"Th... thank you..." Demare said a bit quietly, releasing the scarf and looking toward the floor for a moment. "It's..." He cleared his throat. Why was it so hard to speak? "It's beautiful."
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:08 pm
Still puzzled over where the pin had came from- or more precisely, who had attatched it to his wrapped gift- Karan just stared into space while Demare unwrapped it. At first, he didn't even realize that the gift was open. Then, when a hand touched his scarf, he looked up. The bottle was there, shimmering of its own accord. Seeing that Demare was comparing it to his scarf, he looked away. That wasn't what he'd meant, not really.
He also had a bottle, and not because someone else had gotten it for him or he needed it. He'd seen it and liked it. Its starry interior occasionally brought back uneasy memories, but all in all he enjoyed the nighttime. Furthermore, its general appearance, the darkness mingling with the light, was comforting.
"I'm glad," he said, hands moving in his lap distractedly, toying with a loose scrap of paper. "I thought so too." It wasn't something he needed to justify. It was neither boyish or girly, it was just beautiful in its own right.
Silent for a moment, Karan looked up again and shrugged. "That's all I've got in here, unless you want half a sandwich and sunflower seeds."
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:24 pm
"Hey, I wasn't even expecting any of this," Demare said as he carefully set the bottle down on the coffee table with the other gifts, running his hand through his hair before rubbing at the back of his neck. "You guys have gotten me... plenty."
Now what was he supposed to do? The halfling really wasn't good with these sorts of situations, especially the demon side of him. After all, he never really actually had a birthday before. He'd never had the chance. The first one they were going to celebrate, the two souls had been transfered into cat plush toys. Last year, everyone was still mourning over Neko's death, and he'd been trying to get used to his body having grown.
In all technicallity, this was the first birthday he was celebrating.
"Can I ask you something?" he finally got out, closing his eyes for a moment, leaning against the back of the couch. "It may sound a little silly, but... I'm asking you seriously. What... what am I supposed to be feeling right now?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:46 am
"I'm sorry if it's kind of overwhelming," Karan apologized. He hadn't asked the others to do all this, and it was even a little overwhelming just lugging all the stuff over in the first place. It also made him feel like a glorified delivery boy, which was hardly his goal. When he got back, he'd have to put a couple people in their place.
It seemed that Demare was having even more difficulty, however. Raising his eyebrows, Karan looked at his friend and shrugged. "How am I supposed to know? You're the one who's feeling it, aren't you?" While some of his feelings were confusing, he was usually aware of at least their nature, if not their origin. "I don't know if you're supposed to feel anything special on your birthday, if that's what you're asking."
Birthdays were odd, he'd found. Some people saw them as excuses for parties and presents. Kids looked forward to being another year older- or dreaded them for the same reasons. Parents often saw them as celebrations of joyous occasions. And grownups rarely celebrated them at all. Karan just thought that they were holidays, just like Christmas and Valentine's Day, that used to be important but lost their meaning. Now, anyone could think whatever they wanted about them.
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:12 am
"It's not that..." he replied, leaning his head back a little bit. "I don't have an issue with gifts. I mean, I guess it's nice... Celebrating things that other people believe in."
How could one call this a happy occassion, however, when the majority of the days celebrated were spent over tragic events? Was he supposed to be happy today? Was it really just like any other day, and not even special at all? It probably didn't help that even when the two souls were alive, their kinds didn't celebrate things like birthdays or holidays. As far as either of them knew, they were simply created, and not born.
Which... would actually explain why they never called anyone mother, now that the demon thought about it. Clare had never mentioned anyone other than Michael, and Demian only had Mordanath. Granted, he actually ACKNOWLEDGED the fact that Bazen was his real father, and never questioned who the other parent was. Did angels even have parents? Or did their Highest just make them, like he'd made everything else?
Demare shook his head a little bit, sighing lightly.
"It doesn't really matter, I guess," he decided, shrugging it off. "I could honestly care less about what's supposed to happen today. But... I'm really glad you came."
That's all that really mattered to me, he thought to himself. He didn't need the gifts... they were just a bonus. All he wanted was his friend.
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:08 am
At that Karan raised his eyebrows, then frowned. "What's the point of celebrating something if you don't believe in it? I mean, if you're humoring someone, that's one thing..." But if not, isn't it just lying to yourself? he wondered silently. Even if not, it was still sort of useless. Pretending to believe something accomplished nothing more than confused intention and crossed wires.
Then the real meaning behind the words shone through a bit, and he stopped. "You... don't celebrate your birthday," he said slowly, mentally whacking himself with each word. Idiot. Moron. It's not like you take notice of yours, so it's not unusual. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
But if that was the case, why would Demare be glad he came? If anything, it must have come as an awful surprise, with the way he just showed up. If it was him and someone barged in on his birthday, he probably would have shut the door and gone back to bed. Unless it was someone important, anyway.
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DivineSaturn Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:27 am
Demare blinked a few times, wondering how Karan had come to that conclusion. While it made sense, it wasn't entirely true. It wasn't that he didn't celebrate it... He'd just had a lot of bad luck with it.
"Neko... tried to help me see what the point of it was," he started to explain, his wings drawing in close to his back. He began to stare down at the floor. "The first time, she was away with a friend of hers, but sent me a gift. On the same day, Clare and I were seperated from the body, and... were forced to spend several weeks in cat plush toys."
The teenage began to blush furiously. He'd never told anyone about that time, it being so incredibly embarressing. The only one that knew about it was Lafe, and that was only because the fox-like legend wasn't himself either at the time.
"Then last year... she died a month before. My body grew about a week before hand as well, so not only was I mourning, but I was trying to get used to things. It was... so weird, not being able to hear that damn angel anymore. Having my own thoughts..."
He shook his head.
"I never had anything to be happy about, today. I mean, sure... I'm alive. I guess that's something to celebrate... but to me, this is just like any other day. I woke up. That's all there is to it."
Demare sighed lightly, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. This was so weird... Normally he didn't tell anyone about these things. Why the hell was he being so... chatty? Talking about his FEELINGS? It was as if he couldn't control himself... especially with what he did next. Without much thought, the halfling leeeeaaaaned over, looped his arm around Karan's shoulders, and pulled the boy onto the couch cushion next to him, giving him his own version of a hug.
"You're probably the first good thing that's ever happened to me."
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