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 Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 12:19 am
Solo Two: Leveling up (539 words)
She had been standing at the grave of a girl when she was approached. How was Serandite to have known that the girl she stole the starseed from the other night.. was a friend? A distant cousin really-- Serandite had heard when her parents informed her that Kari had met an unfortunate demise.
She had been found two days ago, one of the "mysterious deaths" of Destiny City. No seemingly obvious cause of death, just lifeless and another one of the casualties. Serandite clutched her grave, sobbing her eyes out. Why? Because two days ago, it was Serandite that robbed Kari's life in that very spot. It had just been another girl to Serandite.. someone who was vaguely familiar but the only thing that drove Serandite at the time was getting a starseed for the day.
Her casual intention had caused this.
"And the greatest honor?"
"Giving someone else's life for the Negaverse."
It's for the goal. The goal. For Beryl. For Charonite. For Nealite. For their ultimate aim as the negaverse. That firm conviction had been Serandite's mantra, once she discovered what taking a starseed really meant. It was an honor to the negaverse. So Nealite had stated.
But.. was this really an honor?
Serandite turned cold inside, wanting to run. To flee. She looked down at her pale hands before bringing them up to cover heart-wrenching sobs. She wanted to run. Run where? It wasn’t actually a question of location or place.. But a matter of life or death. Live and continue to murder .. Or abandon her duties and die. Serandie-- no, Serah, was a coward inside.
She knew what choice she would make. She would live, under the pretense-- no, pretense wasn’t the word for it. It was an excuse. She excused her actions through the façade of “moving forward.” She didn’t want to admit that all the murders she had done was for nothing.. Because lives would have been wasted. It was an even greater crime to waste lives than to run.
.. Was an excuse so bad?
The choice had been made.
There was a presence behind Serah—surprising, since nobody usually frequented the graveyard at this time. A cold shiver ran through Serah, the rapidly setting sun and evening winds blowing through the scenery. It was her General King and Queen. They didn’t speak much but their meaning was clear. She had chosen befittingly for a negaverse officer. The General King’s reaction was cold but Nealite’s one was full of warmth.
She remembered Nealite’s words, clear in her memory, like the sight in front of her.
"Just don't let fear take hold of you. If you're in that situation again, don't consider death an option. If you value your life, Serah, then fight for it. Giving in to the notion that it's the end is only going to make it your end."
Sure, those words had applied to a different situation. But she was sure Nealite would have said similar words in this situation. Serandite had created this path for herself willingly—and that was how she was going to walk it. It wasn’t going to end like this.
Captain hood was a whole new world.
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Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 3:08 pm
Solo Three: Falling asleep (556 words)
Senel was pacing around in the waiting room, filled with several other people who were waiting on different doctors to inform them of results. All of a sudden, some of Destiny City's citizens had suddenly fallen into a coma-- unfortunately, Serah had been one of them.
The door opened to reveal a young doctor, Senel briefly glimpsed the sight of his sibling resting behind the door on a bed.
The doctor hesitantly spoke-- Hesitance in a doctor was never good. "I don't know what happened. She's not in any immediate danger but.." The doctor frowned as he greeted Serah's brother, Senel, clipboard in hand, a frown on his face. ".. We've got nothing." A quizzical expression on Senel's face was returned with an uncertain smile from the doctor, using his pencil to point at the charts.
"She doesn't have anything wrong physically. Aside from the high sugar levels in her system, there's no indication to any sort of reason for her current state of comatose. I doubt, even with her bag, pockets, purse and jacket stuffed full of candy would cause such a reaction." The doctor turned his head to raise an eyebrow towards the hospital room, a hint of disapproval in his questioning look was obvious. Senel could do nothing more but laugh it off, his worry hidden by an outer cheerful facade.
"Doctor, is she well enough to--"
"--Oh, sorry. My bad. You're welcome to visit her. I don't think you'll get a reaction though." The doctor shook his head, taking out some of the confiscated candy as Senel headed into the room. Nothing wrong with eating some perfectly good candy-- he might as well share some with the staff.
--------------
Senel sat by the bed, anxiousness and worry pouring out of his tall frame. He had Serah's warm hand in his own, forehead pressed against the hospital bed in worry, black eyes looking upon the sleeping scene of his sibling with a heavy mood.
"I didn't think it was possible for you to hold an entire box full of candy but I guess I underestimated you. Where do you hide it in your small frame?" Senel said with a shaky laughter, his gaze followed the edge of the bed, where a box of confiscated candy laid. He asked the question as if Serah would answer-- but nobody answered.
His gaze returned to Serah, eyes landing on the vial of pink stones and liquid. He smiled, remembering when he had bought that for her. How it suited her so well-- with jewels that had too much damned meanings for Senel to actually read or count. He was surprised to see how she still held on to the old gift. When he had told her so, she stubbornly argued that it was her good luck charm.
Luck. She might need it.
"I hope you're having good dreams now, Sis. When you wake up, you won't be. Not after the doctor talks to Mom and Dad about your eating habits-- I can imagine it now. You're going to protest and hide your sweets in ridiculous places and drive us crazy." Senel chuckled, his mind conjured up an image of a pouting Serah armed with a lollipop that came out from who-knows-where. "We're going to need a trip to the dentist after you wake up."
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Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 4:46 am
Solo Four: Waking up (453 words)
Over the period of her coma, people filtered in and out of the room. Doctors. Nurses. Some were family. Some were friends. Some were negaverse. Heck, some might have been senshi. But only the scenery and the machines witnessed the small actions made in the sleeping student. No one else. She was merely another increase in digits of coma patients added to Destiny City's hospital. Another patient that was using one of the many equipment that the hospital had. She was a mere patient who took up another room in the far wing of the hospital. Her breathing was slow and light under the mask.
When Serandite had found the skull apples, there had been a physical reaction of stiff shock that doctors took no note of. When Usagi had died inside of Tartaros, tears had slipped down Serah's cheeks. Only her brother had come in to wipe the still-wet streaks of tear trails on side of her eyes.
That day, when he came in, he thought it would be like every other visit, silent talking and beepings of the machine to signal her heart beat. He was asleep in a chair when the machines went crazy, the constant beeping noises and the sounds of crashing woke his peaceful slumber.
It was Serah, taking off her breathing mask and staring at it for a moment like it was a completely foreign object. Her eyebrows were raised skeptically, her body covered by her bunny blanket, stuffed animals surrounding her, hand holding the mask stupidly in front of her face. The incessant beeping noise was from the machine having lost it's signal although the befuddled girl and the stunned male didn't notice it.
Several silent moments passed by. She was truly baffled. Why did she have all this stuff around her?
It was as if she had never been in a coma and had only taken a nap for several hours, judging from her manner and expression. She looked down to the mask. Up to her brother standing in his chair. Left to the machine. Right to the window. Up to the ceiling. Her finger touched her forehead, a gesture of thought, head moving up. Then down. Then up. Eyebrows furrowed as she seemed to think over her first words. It didn't take very long.
There were many things to ask. Where was she.. Why was she here.. Why were her stuffed animals clearly out of order and not on her dorm room bed.. and why her brother was here? Why the wall was so incredibly plain and needed a paint job? Too much ran through her mind, too little processed and only one sentence came out.
".. What is this? I'm not dead yet."
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2010 4:12 am
Solo Five: Untold truths (794 words)
"Sis you cannot get out of bed yet." The voice was firm and stubborn, leaving no room for argument as Senel's hand remained firm on Serah's shoulder. She was now in the family home, her parents gone and only her brother to care for her. Serah's eyes started unwavering and true to Senel's identical brown ones, shaking her head. "I have to go." She was being stubbornly vague and refused to give Senel answers. Senel's patience was running out quickly, unable to understand why his baby sister just couldn't stay in bed.
"I have to. I can't tell you."
His self-control broke when Serah refused to elaborate, even at Senel's insistence. His sister had never withheld information before-- ever. His fist remained at his side, clenched and shaking, a box of cigarettes throw furiously at the wall next to Serah. It fell with a flat noise, a moment of furious and tense silence filled the room.
"Goddamnit, what the hell is so ******** important to you that you have to leave right now to go do it? I know it's not school or family so don't you dare lie to me!" His voice resonated within the quiet room, a fist punched into the wall left a slight imprint in it's path.
----
Serah was conflicted inside. She refused to look into Senel's eyes as he demanded an explanation, only gazing down at her lap mutely, in thought. Something had happened. She knew it. She had to report back to the negaverse and find out. From the very core of her body, she could sense something stirring. She didn't like it. Not at all. It probably originated from her coma and lack of involvement in the negaverse the past few months. Serandite did not like being ignorant with events. But.. it seemed to be a more unsettling feeling. More than simple ignorance warranted.
But this hurdle was one that would have to be passed first.
She couldn't tell her brother that she was a terrorist. Or that she was a terrorist who had actually taken the lives of people. She killed. Murdered. Willingly. Yet reluctantly. But what did that matter? Murder was murder.
I cant. IcantIcantIcant. I refuse to tell him.
While she had difficulty coming to terms with it herself, she had even more so trying to confront her brother about it. She wanted to be his spoiled baby sister who always had a stash of candy within her bag. She wanted him to recognize her as his fond sibling. Not as a negaverse captain who went out at night to steal the lives of others. Who worked within a secret evil organization. She knew what his reaction would be. She knew that he would never look at her in the same light. He would ask why she didn't quit-- one simply didn't ask to be "out" in the negaverse. She wouldn't quit even if given the choice to. Serandite stayed in the negaverse for the people she had met. For the comrades she had gained. For a leader she believed was worthy enough to follow.
Above all, he wouldn't understand.
"I-I want to tell you. Believe me when I say that I really want to." Serah said brokenly, knowing that this would cause a rift between their close relationship. But a rift was far better than breaking it off.
"I cant." Her voice was unsteady and soft, almost inaudible. Her expression was filled with anguish and pain, her legs unsteadily climbing off the bed. Even as Senel protested, she stood wobbly. She didn't imagine that her body would be so fatigued and weak but that wouldnt have deterred her. "...But I promise I'll be back. Just let me have one hour. One. That's all I'm asking. I just need to find out what's going on." She pleaded, taking Senel's hand in her own.
"Why can't you just go find it on the news or radio or something?!" Senel asked angrily. But his anger was empty now, seeing Serah's conflicting desires. "One hour. One. I'll be counting seconds exactly." Senel had a deepening frown on his face and his hand held hers a little too tightly. It held on longer than it should have before letting her go. He was grouchy and grumbled. But Serah knew that was how he expressed his emotions.
"Thank you." She gently tugged on the ends of his shirt, burying her face into his chest. The hand patting her head was so very warm. Warm and kind. Serah knew that she was lucky he wasn't asking any questions.
She was putting on some clothes as he leaned against the wall, eyes averted to the window to look away.
"..."
".. It had better not be a boyfriend, little sis."
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Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:02 am
Solo Six: Anguish(641 words)
She had checked the General King and Nealite’s apartment. She had checked around various negaverse rooms—until she had come across that. She had thought it was a statue at first. That it was a sick and horrible trick. She had turned in disgust, wondering who would even try to attempt that sort of trick without getting a severe punishment from the king and queen.
But it wasn't a trick. So she had been informed.
Tears spilled across her cheeks, the palms of her hands wet with sorrow. She hadn’t been able to believe it at first.. her fingers traced the crystal that served as a tomb for who was once the most respected of the negaverse. The very people she had pledged her loyalty to… labeled horrid words, words Serandite couldn’t bring herself to believe. ‘Traitors.’
The word left an acrid taste in her mouth, whispering it as she stared at the crystal before her. The second it was uttered, a feeling of shame washed over Serandite for even voicing that word. Serandite couldn’t—she wouldn’t believe. No matter what Beryl said, it was obvious that there was more to it.
A story that would go forever unasked. Because Serandite was a coward who feared for her life.
Why? Why had she been asleep in Tartaros? Was she too full of herself for thinking, even for a moment, if she had been here, she might have been able to prevent it? Even if it was an impudent thought, Serandite truly believed she might have been able to help. Not that the thought was going anywhere now.
Why.. did they look.. so happy? Nealite’s pregnancy.. The General King’s stern face.. How could they be happy, trapped like this? The scenery stabbed Serah’s heart. How could they ever be happy, trapped in crystal for what could be an eternity? Memories fluttered through Serandite’s mind. Nevermind that she didn’t have much interaction with her Queen and King, the little she had was beyond meaningful. The General King bandaging her wounds from Kunzite … Nealite giving her honest and earnest advice that had pushed her forward, even now. Nealite, decorating the negaverse main room, reluctantly but covered with marker lines, glue, and glitter. Her awkward smile when Serandite had told her she was decorating the negaverse for ”moral purposes?” She had understood—She had helped. Had Serandite ever told Nealite how much her words meant? Had she ever thanked her General King for caring about a mere lieutenant, even if it was only a thread of care?
.. She didn’t think she had. Regrettably, Nealite nor her General King would ever know how much their actions affected Serandite.
Her fist met the wall with as much strength as Serandite could mutter, falling to her knees painfully, the sobs unable to stop themselves form raising uncomfortably from her throat. She would never get to tell them, she thought, through anguished tears and cries. It was a moment of humiliation that would be witnessed by only the unmoving couple in the room and the walls that surrounded it. Never again, would Serandite’s guard be down so utterly and absolutely. Her face was a mess, eyes red and puffy, tears dotting the ground below her. Why did she fall into that stupid and ridiculous coma? Why hadn’t she been here?!
The words echoed through her mind like piercing screams, banishing away all other thoughts. Now she followed a Queen who resembled Nealite exactly—it was a deeper wound to have those memories come back with everything Serandite looked at Beryl’s identical features and voice. It was worse to realize that inside, it wasn’t Nealite no matter how much Serandite thought it might be. No longer would she adorn the General King’s side.
No. Beryl would stand alone and absolute. The worse fate, Serandite would follow.
Follow faithfully.
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Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 12:13 am
Solo Seven: A chance forever lost. (659 words)
Serandite couldn't believe what she was hearing. Word on the block-- Kunzite was out of commission. Well, the gender confused monochrome knight couldn't possibly be. How the bloody hell was Serandite supposed to get a rematch otherwise? She had been bewildered at first, hearing the news. She hadn't believed it but there had been no absolute sign of Kunzite anywhere to be found.
Kunzite. OUT OF COMMISSION. WUT.
Serandite couldn't bring herself to believe it, even now. Half of the reason why she continued on to the negaverse, moving up the ranks, gaining power. All to defeat the male-female knight who hadn't even bothered to treat her like an opponent. Of course a mere lieutenant didn't compare to the General King's teacher-- or someone who was his teacher. While the thought brought tears to her eyes, partially from the regret and sadness that seemed to linger for eternity, it was also from frustration and anger.
It had been a life threatening blow. Physically and emotionally. Recalling the memories had Serah's hand clenched in a fist, staring at the walls of her room with a vicious anger. She couldn't forget. She would never forget. Those icy blue eyes with only contempt and pity, looking down at Serandite like a five year old whose hand was caught in the forbidden cookie jar. She sent Serandite off as a messenger-- nothing more. Because the cavalier knew that Serandite would scurry back to the General King. Like a good lieutenant should. Like every good lieutenant would.
Be a good little girl and go back to your General King. You'll be defeated-- not only you but your side as well. The moon kingdom shall prevail. That was the conclusion to their meeting.
Serah remembered Obsidian's words when she first met him. She had thought she understood. But as all immature kids thought, they really didn't. Even with her battle experience, she thought she understood what the term "combat" meant. But she didn't either. She had confused "combat" with "fighting." While the words has essentially the same definition, the connotation was nowhere near the same. Fights were simple meaningless events of life. Combat was war-- serious and life threatening. Serandite hadn't known that. Not until Kunzite came along. It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase: 'learn the hard way.'
Serandite learned. By getting stabbed in both eyes. Yes, she did learn, she bitterly reflected. All of the recollections built up a mountain of range inside of Serandite, her chest pounding, hurting .. tears of frustration marked her pink cheeks.
Goddamnit, goddamnit, goddamnit!
Each cursing word that echoed in her mind was accompanied by a harsh kick to the wall, the sounds of foot versus wall didn't cease. Instead, it only got louder and more violent. It sounded like someone was repeatedly hitting the wall with a chair. When her foot finally throbbed from the pain, her fists pounded against the wall furiously until she finally fell to her knees.
She had no energy left to fight. Even her anger had been abated with all of the beatings she had done. The wall wasn't looking well either-- various marks remained and everything had fallen to the ground. Picture frames, posters, ornaments, and more all littered the ground, their sad luck left them as objects in the path of Serah's tirade. She slumped against the wall, brown eyes staring up.
"The moon kingdom's never fair." She muttered, head on knees, arms wrapped around her knees, sitting in the corner of her dark room. Everything was falling apart.
Serandite would never get to test her strength against Kunzite again. She would never get to know if she could have been equals to the knight. Nor was there her General King around anymore to possibly inform her so. Even if the knight had disappeared, the last person who could have measured her strength was now gone too.
It was a chance forever lost.
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:05 am
 "That outfit looks good on you," Senel stated, closing the book in his hands, one hand reaching upwards to lower his glasses.
"Only after ten other ones, which you didn't approve of."
"Eleven."
"Oh, of course, eleven. Sorry, I forgot about the outfit I tried to walk out the door with. You know, with the mini-skirt and backless top. It's modest when you compare it with the neighborhood girls really."
"Of course I didn't approve of it, it showed--"
"--my lack of chest?" Serah provided helpfully, causing her older brother to cough on the sip of water he had taken. She should have spiked it. That way, she could have gone out with whatever outfit she wanted. Not that this one ended out too bad.
Her brother was still choking as he tried to get his words out, his eyebrows raised from Serah's lack of tact. "Sis, you have a chest ..I-It just requires --kcack-- a padded push up bra. A really padded up one."
"Besides, the last one made you look like a prostitute." He said, leaning back in the chair. His eyes widened as if he realized the error of his words. He leaned forward, his mouth opening to correct himself, Serah assumed.
Some correction it was.
"But a high-class prostitute." He added in, giving her a wink as he settled back into the chair. Easy A. The joke should have been funny. Perhaps, if it was in jest, it might have been. But since Senel was a little more than half serious..
xxx....
xxx...........
xxx....................... Senel was dead meat.
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Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 5:58 pm
Several graphics updated heart
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:11 pm
Out here in the quiet of the night,
Serah’s head rested against the frilly pillow, her hair falling over her shoulder. It was a rare time to see Serah’s hair down, the sight only witnessed by her brother within the privacy of her room. She really did have long hair .. It reached down to her mid-back but nobody ever seemed to notice. Of course, with her side-pony tail, who would? She stared into the vanity mirror across the room, fingers curled tightly around her cell phone.
Beneath the stars, and moon
We both know we've got something on our minds
We won't admit, but it's true ..
The plastic ring around her neck fell forward loosely, the silver chain that it had been attached to was too small for the ring. Why had she even stuck the toy on a chain to begin with? Serah wasn’t quite sure either. At first, it had simply taken a place on her bedstand, tucked away in a box full of other jewelry and trinkets. But her chocolate brown eyes always seemed to move back to it, over all the other objects in her room, she found her fingers reaching for it to simply just touch it or fiddle with it between her fingers. Occasionally, she even found herself even putting the ring back onto the finger that he had put it on.
Speaking of him ..
Her previously relaxed position, legs bent, resting on one shoulder on the bed, the pillow stuffed between her chest and arms .. When the memory she had tucked in the back of her mind skipped forth, Serah jolted up from her position, brown eyes widening and her heart skipped a beat. She sat up so suddenly, she hit her head against the wall. A low sound of pain came from her small frame, both hands reached up to rub the back of her head.
It wasn’t hard to recall their last meeting .. or his name or face.
Considering it never seemed to stray far from her mind, Serah shook her head furiously, as if trying to shake the memories away.
Sometimes love can hit you every day
Sometimes you can fall for everyone you see
But only one can really make me stay
A sign from the sky
Said to me ..
"You're one in a million
You're once in a lifetime"
He was one in a million. Akio. She doubted she could find a male similar to him, even if she went and checked out the entire school of Hillworth boys. Scratch that, she’d done that and she still never met anyone like Akio. Just mindless boys who seemed caught on any girl in a short skirt or shorts with a well-practiced wink. In fact, it was that hillsworth mixer, with the less-than-admirable boys, that allowed her to meet Akio.
She buried her lower half of her face into the pillow, brown eyes casting downward. Surely, he had his pick of girls, no matter what he said. Not many guys seemed to walk off with that kind of charisma and looks. That caused her to bury her face into the pillow fully now, muffling her breath.
She reminded herself that she was a perfectly smart, capable and independent female who had no need of a man. She had learned from her friends and brother that a majority of men could be fickle and ridiculous. How many times had this lesson be proven over and over? How many heartbreaks did she have to go through? How many relationships did she watch crumble in front of her eyes?
Far too many.
It wasn't as if Serah was completely inept with the topic of males. Before she joined the negaverse, she had been a regular girl after all. She liked them. Sometimes they liked her. Sometimes they didn't. But the results were always the same. It only took a little while for her and them to realize the sentence that had always appeared before the break-up. Every single time.
"Im sorry. You're pretty and all but you're just too .."
The lines had varied over the weeks. But they always ended with the same meaning. Males saw her in a little-sister light and she couldn't blame them. With her short looks, childish tastes and little sister-like demeanor, she wouldn't have been interested in herself either. But the question was, what did Akio think of her?
He'd been friendly enough. He didn't look uninterested. In fact, far from that. Yet .. Akio seemed like he wasn't looking for anything remotely related to long-term. That led to the question .. What was Serah looking for?
I wanna tell you, but now
I'm afraid that you might break my heart
Oh, why should anything so easy ever
Be so hard to do?
It was a heart-breaking realization when Serah realized what she did want. Was it so much to ask for, to have someone besides her brother hold her in his arms when she felt like crying? Or just for the sake of being together? To know that someone was there, that he would pick up when she called. That she would be first priority? Perhaps .. even a kiss here and there?
But along with that realization came another familiar feeling of disappointment. Serah didn't want to be disappointed again. Never again. No matter what anyone told her, even her brother, she wasn't going to find that "perfect guy." She might have found one a year ago .. but not now. Not when her hands were stained with the countless starseeds she had taken. It was her simple alliance with the negaverse that wouldn't allow it. Serah knew she was a horrid liar -- she'd never be able to explain the nights she was gone or the mysterious injuries she got. She could lie to her brother .. but when put on the spot with a person like Akio .. She couldn't count on herself to keep it together.
The negaverse was far too important. Serah would never put herself at that risk. If she steered clear of anything romantic, than her current lifestyle would never change. Her identity wouldn't be compromised. Her life could go on, without the stress of a relationship.
Did any of that matter now? No. it didn't. The result would happen again, the same break-up line. Besides, she was getting far too ahead of herself, entertaining such ridiculous thoughts. Her fingers laced behind her neck, tugging to pull the hook of the silver chain from behind her camisole top. Her fingers bent to unhook the necklace, letting the chain slide through the ring. The ring was left bare in her hands, shining with a dull plastic gleam.
It was a plastic toy and that's all it would ever be.
The vanity shelf opened and a light yellow handkerchief was extracted. She folded the cloth over the plastic, twice, thrice .. and there it sat, in the back of her drawer.
If there was one lesson she had learned, it was that loneliness was better than heartbreak.
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Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2011 10:18 pm
Serah all grown up. heart A non ic-sight but it's a sight reserved especially for Akio.
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 2:10 am
September 27th -- Art from peipur darling heart IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXPRESS THE LOVE ANYMORE, TEXT IS NOT ENOUGH! 4laugh heart 
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Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:36 pm
LORII ART CAME IN YESTERDAY heart
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Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 3:36 pm
A Night to Remember A Ghoulibad Product
Merry Christmas, RA!
Thank you for putting up with me for five years, lovely 
Had she been paying attention to the whispers and giggles from the other waitresses, she might have noticed his arrival. But the cafe had been hustling and bustling with last minute Christmas shoppers and out-of-school teenagers, so her attention had been focused elsewhere, mainly making sure orders were coming out timely and right, the register ringing up orders as they came in, empty tables were bussed...practically everything, really, but on the attractive customer walking through the front doors. It wasn't until a small jingle, almost masked by the loud conversations going around the bar area, began to tinkle that her attention was earned.
"I hear Americans are obligated to kiss one another when they stand under the mistletoe together. Any truth to this, beautiful?"
Her hands stilled, but only for a moment, and then returned to handing the waitress in front of her the change for her table as her free hand closed the register. A smile briefly danced across her lips until she turned around, her expression now both cool and casual and not the least bit excited to see the tall, dark haired boy staring intently at her. Above his head dangled a small sprig of mistletoe, spruced up by a red bow and tiny jingle bell. He gave her a wink and a mischievous grin, sending the butterflies in her stomach fluttering.
But still, her voice remained indifferent, maybe a tad bit teasing. "If it was, it's a good thing I'm not under it with you then, hm?"
A passion fruit tea, complete with decorative straw, arrived from the back window and she turned without missing a beat to retrieve it and deliver it to the approaching waitress. Serah did not miss the fact, this time, that the waitresses had noticed Akio Yoshida's arrival into her store. The young man gave her an appreciative wink, sending the girl into a fit of giggles before heading off to her table. Sigh.
Honestly, how could anyone expect them to get any work done when he was always lurking around?
"You're such a beautiful hearbreaker." If anything, his grin grew even wider, the insatiable young man's attention returning to her. The berries were laid to rest on the countertop as he moved to straddle the adjacent stool. Clearly not deterred by her disinterested look, both arms moved forward to rest on the countertop as he leaned closer. His fingers began to gently tap against the surface, his eyes roaming the cafe.
She figured he was bored. Little did she know he was actually feeling particularly antsy for completely different reasons.
"Heard you're manager now."
His expression, like hers, never wavered. She caught him studying her uniform.
A single dainty finger tapped her name badge, shiny black font reading Serah Eos with an equally shiny title of Assistant Manager printed neatly beneath it. "Yep. Now I can officially kick you out of here when you pester the staff too much."
One eyebrow rose, his grin turning sly. "There's only one girl I want to pester right now."
Her heart pounded in her chest. "And I bet you say that to every girl."
He had enough sense to look sheepish, especially considering that a second waitress had just passed by him and sent her own wink his way. "Again with the heartbreaking. Tragique. And here I was hoping you would keep me company this Christmas Eve."
He began rummaging through his jacket pockets, his perfectly coifed hair remaining still as his head tilted down. Out came two long slivers of paper, which he slid across the counter towards her direction. Tickets.
"The Russian Ballet is performing the Nutcracker this week, only three performances. Beautiful music. Dancing. About as much culture as one could ask for, in this city. I figured, what better way to welcome in the holiday?"
It was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "Christmas Eve?"
His eyes watched her, studying her expression. "Tell me you won't be working on Christmas Eve, beautiful."
In truth, he already knew she wasn't working Christmas Eve. He'd done his research, asked her coworker to check their schedule, made his plans meticulously and carefully. He'd noticed her whimsical expression upon seeing the bus stop's poster advertising the Nutcracker's arrival when they'd been out weeks earlier to see a movie. He'd scrounged up what money he'd could to get tickets before they sold out, even forgoing his monthly appointment with his stylist and nail salon. But she didn't need to know any of that.
She shook her head. "I open that day."
Moving to the side, she grabbed a cleaning rag from the shelf under the counter and began to polish the already-sparkling bar. Keeping herself busy kept her from focusing on the hazel eyes peering straight through her.
Both remained quiet while the world around them continued on with its holiday merriment. She was debating the pros and cons - she loved going out with him and their little adventures, but was it worth it? After all, he saw them as merely fun excursions - the same kind he surely went on regularly with other girls. Arm candy.
He, on the other hand, was waiting with bated breath. While every other girl he'd ever dated was an easy read - pretty on the outside, not much going on inside - this young woman still mystified him. She could easily tell him no, she seemed indifferent towards his advances... how utterly frustrating and yet it only made him want to try harder.
"C'mon. Serah."
His voice was quiet, imploring. Her hand swiped the countertop in front of him and before she could pull away to the next area, long fingers wrapped around hers, stopping her mid-swipe. "It'll be fun. The play starts at six. DC's Playhouse on the Square. We can swing by Serendipity for a hot chocolate afterwards - it's just a street over."
"Well..."
The fingers squeezed again and she dared to meet his gaze and inwardly cursed, knowing better than to have done so. He was giving her that same pleading look he always did when she hesitated. Darn him, he knew he was irresistible and worse, knew how to use it to his advantage. But didn't he realize what he was doing to her feelings?
"Okay."
The butterflies in her stomach melted into a knot as the word escaped her lips.
One last gentle squeeze of her hand and he rose from his stool, looking as satisfied as a cat having caught a canary. "Fantastic. Meet you there? What do you say...fiveish? Five-thirty?"
She nodded, withdrawing her hand and moving back towards the register, appearing to return to work. In reality, she didn't want him to notice how nervous she was feeling. "Five-thirty is fine."
"See you then, beautiful."
With that, he was off and out the door, Serah noting a little more sashay to his step than usual. Shaking her head, nimble fingers picked up the order scribbled out by the waitress in front of her and the newly appointed Assistant Manager began typing it in to the register. Akio's Phone Standing by the ticket booth. Can't wait to see you. XOXO
His thumb pressed down on the Send button and the phone emitted a short bloop as the text was delivered. His hand quickly returned to his pocket, escaping the chilly air. Why hadn't he remembered his gloves - ugh.
The small box in his jacket pocket reminded him of why, exactly, he'd forgotten his gloves as his fingers made contact with the cardboard, absentmindedly rubbing alongside the ribbon tying it closed. He'd been so determined to remember that and nervous about the whole situation that he'd forgotten his gloves and hat, nearly messed up his tie and barely remembered the tickets. It was so unlike himself - this was just another date. He'd been on hundreds. Thousands. Millions. So why had his calm and relaxed self gotten so worked up over this one in particular?
Maybe it was the cold. Probably. Yeah, that had to be it.
He pulled out his phone and inspected the time for the tenth time since he'd arrived. 5:40pm. Shoving it back into his pocket, he glanced down the street, his hand continuing to fidget with the hidden box.
She glanced at his text as she was turning around the corner towards the theater and pocketed her phone back into her purse. Some couples and stragglers loitered outside the theater, but thankfully most of the ticket holders were taking shelter from the cold within the playhouse's lobby, allowing her to spot her date easily enough. He stood outside of the ticket booth, as promised, both hands jammed into his long dress jacket as he leaned against side of the building. He was looking in the opposite direction, the wind whipping against the ends of the fabric and his belt. Finally, he turned her way. The anxious look on his face relaxed immediately and he stepped in her direction, confidence exuding with every stride.
"I was beginning to think you might have stood me up, beautiful."
Her cheeks flushed, tinting a shade of pink warmer than those of her chilly companion. "Sorry, I lost track of time."
Chuckling, he embraced her in a quick hug before ushering her through the ornate golden doors of the theater. They were met with a wave of warmth as well as an almost deafening noise of the crowd as they began to slowly find their ways to their assigned seats, herded by disinterested looking ushers.
The seats themselves were fairly decent. Orchestra level, eighth or ninth row back, perhaps slightly to the right. An absentminded hand moved up to gently comb over his inch-longer-than-usual hair. A worthy sacrifice to make, he'd admit, especially when he stole a glance at the excited expression on Serah's face when they'd found their seats. Folding their jackets, he held them in his lap as she began to play on her cellphone to pass the time.
Settling in to their chairs, it was clear that many others had shared the same idea of going to the playhouse for Christmas Eve. The theater was packed - couples, families, friends. But as the lights began to dim, every soul quieted, a hush coming over the crowd as the conductor in the orchestra pit raised his arms, baton poised in the air. With one fell swoosh, the prelude began, ushering in the magic that would take the viewers into a new world and story.
The dancers were magnificent. The audience remained enamored as they watched Clara and the children receive their presents. When Drosselmeyer handed the Nutcracker to Clara, Serah felt a gentle squeeze on her leg. Glancing over, Akio seemed attentive to the stage, but a tell-tale grin across his face proved she hadn't left his mind. In return, she gently poked him back.
It wasn't until the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy during the second act that anyone suspected anything was abnormal. As the ballerina took the stage, beautiful and doll-like, her movements made Serah think of the spinning ballerina in the music box she'd once owned as a child. It was mesmerizing, the trance only breaking when the sound of a shrill scream resounded from the back of the stage. The dancers who remained on the outskirts of the stage froze, staring back at the direction the scream came from. The mysterious scream wouldn't remain a mystery for long, however, as soon several of the dancers and stage crew hidden backstage came racing frantically out, dashing across the stage and nearly knocking over the soloist dancer in the process. All of their faces were the same - terrified expressions, some screaming, some speechless, all looking towards the left of the stage.
Suddenly, a black blur flew across the stage, accompanied by an inhuman howl. It was hard to tell what it looked like, with the thrashing and flailing of its giant arms. It looked like a dark abominable snowman or some kind of yeti, large, at least twelve feet tall with giant arms and legs. Its arms had lengthy claws at the end of each fingertip, his howling mouth exposing an equal amount of sharpness within it. In pursuit of the beast, a single young girl wearing nothing but a small skirt, a tight-fitted blouse and a giant bow protruding from her backside, matching her tall boots.
Senshi.
Serah immediately rose from her seat. Unlike her theater companions, however, she rose for a completely different reason. While everyone else was scrambling to leave their seats, she was studying the fight happening right in front of them. One senshi, one youma, one very inconvenient location.
Akio also rose, quickly grabbing his date's arm and attempting to leave their aisle with an urgent, "Serah!"
She refused to budge and he was nearly forced to lift her off her tiny feet and haul her off over his broad shoulders, when suddenly the monster turned and decided to fling itself into the audience. Long black claws slashed back and forth, terrorizing down the rows of horrified onlookers. Each claw dug deep, ripping out crystals from within chests, shredding clothing and skin with each swipe - that is, until the sailor scout, still on stage, began to scream out something incoherent.
All at once, a giant bolt of lightning shot forward, shocking both the monster and the people surrounding it. This created even more panic among the audience, several men and women shoving past both Akio and Serah, separating them as they desperately fought to run out of the theater. The young man yelled out her name, but it was lost in the screams around them.
It would have been of no use, anyhow, as Serah was now nowhere to be found. Amidst the excitement and terror, the short young woman had disappeared and in her stead stood a new threat: a Negaverse General.
The senshi stood on stage, watching the monster as it struggled to gain its footing. The shockwave had taken a significant amount of energy out of her, but she wasn't going to give up - one, maybe two more attacks and it would be dusted. Then she could return the star seeds to those who'd lost theirs and maybe, just maybe, she could go back to having a peaceful Christmas Eve of her own.
What the senshi wasn't counting on was that a General of the Negaverse had been an audience member of the theater she'd just crashed. So her back was left exposed, unaware of the pink-haired woman lurking behind with her faithful Loppy.
As the monster straightened its back, the senshi's arms rose to form her attack pose. With a forceful thwack, she was sent forward, kicked directly in her buttbow by the angry looking Negaverse agent. Caught off balance, the senshi of whatever (Serandite could really care less at this point, honestly) landed directly in the monster's path.
She had a split second to roll away before the creature's claws came down to where she'd landed, shredding the carpet where she'd been only a moment earlier. It began to chase her, thunderous stomps on the ground as the floor strained to hold its heavy weight. The senshi managed to take a leap up towards the stage, falling and tumbling across the smooth wooden surface as she raced to get away from the youma. Upon seeing the Negaverse General, she knew she'd lost this fight. She was a fledgling, a newbie in this game and she recognized a powerful signature when she saw one. This wasn't a battle she could win - or keep her life in - if she continued fighting.
Cursing and leaving her with some stupid little White Moon phrase, the senshi left Serandite alone on the stage, making her escape out through one of the backstage doors. While pursuing the senshi could result in a figurative cherry on the star seed cake, the General failed to be interested enough in a foot chase, especially since it appeared they'd already scored a bounty of seeds as it was.
Waving her hand towards the monster and then towards the audience, her eyes narrowed. "Bring me what you have, then finish off a few more. We'll make due with what's left."
The youma, nodding and seemingly pleased to be in the presence of one of its more powerful masters, lumbered forward and dutifully handed over the star seeds still clutched within one of its claws. The amount filled her palm and brightened her mood.
No....no! ******** was not the only member of the audience that had special abilities. There was another - and he was not happy. Not because the Negaverse and White Moon were here, no. He wasn't happy because his big date had been ruined and now he was going to be forced to actually intervene because like hell was he having his star seeds plucked up after paying good money to see this performance.
Sighing, long legs climbed up the back of the closest aisle row, blue shoes easily balancing themselves upon the heads of the thin chairs.
"I can't let you do that, sweetheart."
The voice was clear and loud, audible over the murmur of terrified theater goers and firm in tone.
"Excuse you?"
The General turned, ready to obliterate the next obstacle who threatened to get in her way. Her date night had already been ruined and she wasn't about to go home without some sort of happy ending. And a handful of star seeds was more than happy enough for her.
There, standing heads taller than the fleeing audience, was a tall, blonde haired man wearing an intriguingly unusual outfit. Granted, most of the senshi she'd run into had ridiculous outfits, but this...this was odd yet befitting, matching well with his piercingly blue eyes. His gloved hands were crossed against his chest, broad shoulders straight.
"I said," he said slowly, not moving from where he stood, "I can't let you do that, sweetheart."
Blue eyes met brown ones and they stared each other down. Her glare was angry, his was perturbed.
"And who are you supposed to be?" One hand squeezed against the seeds before moving to drop them into her side pocket. The other slid to rest on her hip, her head tilting as she scoffed, "Your little friend already left."
His aura felt ...different. The General could tell he was powerful, but he wasn't like the sailor scouts she'd been fighting for years. He was strange, unusual. His ears pointed ever so slightly and he had an odd marking on his forehead, as opposed to a tiara or whatever gimmicky thing the White Moon was wearing nowadays. He wasn't quipping any dumb phrases at her - maybe they'd stepped up their game, for once. Hmph. Did the senshi not have anything better to do on holidays than harass her?
"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is you leave now. Please."
His please was enunciated and obviously forced out.
A low voice rasped, interrupting their conversation. "I'll take care of elf-boy, mistress."
She'd almost forgotten the youma was still in the audience, the creature having paused his star seed harvesting as the man had begun speaking. Serandite nodded, smirking. One hand outstretched itself and she flicked a finger in the stranger's direction.
"Have at him."
Blue eyes widened slightly as the monster darted towards him, the elf looking man barely dodging enough in time to miss the creature's first swipe. He jumped forward, managing to make it somewhat gracefully to the edge of the stage.
Seal's Eye hadn't been prepared for a fight. Granted, he wasn't one to get in the middle of a spat, but it was clear that the adorable-yet-frightening girl with the frightening-and-certainly-not-adorable monster probably shouldn't be walking off with a few dozen star seeds, especially on Christmas Eve. On his date on Christmas Eve.
Goddamnit, why did things have to be so difficult all the time?
He ducked, a breeze whooshing through his blonde waves as the claw took another swing at his face. Crap.
"Can't we sit down and talk about this?"
A snarl and lunge was the only response he received, forcing him to take a leap backwards for safety's sake. He landed on both feet, arms slightly stretched as he balanced himself. "I take that as a no, then?"
As the monster lurched towards him for a third time, he began removing his gloves. With the monster's next lunge, Seal's Eye remained where he stood, simply ducking down as the arm came for him. Both hands darted out and took hold of the monster's legs, freezing him where he stood, adding extra ice around the stage for good measure.
At that very moment, a flash of pink caught the corner of his eye and he cursed under his breath. s**t. The girl with all the star seeds was making her way out the backstage. Considering that as his own departure cue, he took off after her, the black crystal in his ear bouncing back and forth with every long stride he took. Despite her shortness, the petite woman was incredibly fast, he'd give her that much.
He paused, searching for her among the props and costumes strewn across the backstage space. A click and slam - there!
Dashing towards the stage door, long fingers wrapped around the knob and yanked, forcibly shoving the heavy door back as he ran forward and into the cold night air. Only, that wasn't the only thing he ran into. With a resounding OOMPTH, he crashed into the girl, nearly sending them both onto the pavement. Thankfully, though, one hand was already out and gripping to the door's frame for balance, his other holding tightly to the pink haired menace. But why had she....oh.
Oh.
It looked as though the defeated senshi had brought reinforcements, as she now stood before them, accompanied by not one, not two, but three other sailor scouts.
"I'd like to see you and your youma try to beat me THIS time," the cocky senshi crowed with delight. The senshi appeared much, much happier than she had minutes earlier while running away. "And your..whatever he is," She added, motioning towards the blonde.
Seal's Eye and Serandite sputtered at the same time.
"I'm not with-"
"He's not my-"
Their words faded in a hush, the Negaverse General tossing the Elysion Protector a peculiar, very confused look as she realized he wasn't with the skirted annoyances. He shrugged, looking helpless.
The senshi didn't seem to care as they began to form a circle around the duo. Clearly grabbing hold of Pinkie wasn't the route he should have taken. Ah, well. Their focus seemed to be more on this Negaverse person than it was him - but he didn't like the odds. Hell, he didn't like any of this, it was giving him a headache. Why did these fools have to cause trouble on tonight of all nights?
He wasn't about to give any of the involved parties any satisfaction.
"Four against one is hardly a fair fight." His voice revealed nothing but his annoyance, his hand still holding on to Serandite's arm.
"Back off, Pointy Ears, this isn't your fight."
He made an indignant sound. If the blonde hadn't looked annoyed before, he certainly looked it now. The hand on her arm moved down and took hold of the girl's waist, the other on her shoulder. Leaning towards her, he whispered softly, "Hang on, sweetheart."
"Wha-"
With a blink, the couple vanished, leaving behind a quartet of very confused sailor scouts.
One moment she was standing in a disheveled back alley looking up at a stranger who was FAR too close to her and the next, his bright blue eyes were practically glowing against the dark, starless sky behind him.
Jerking herself out of his hands, she found herself stumbling backwards, her shoes caught up in mounds of coarse sand. He seemed indifferent to her stumble, the young man clearly focused on catching his own breath. Whatever he had done, wherever he had teleported them, it had obviously taken some sort of toll on him.
"Who are you? Where...where am I?"
The soft rumble of waves crashing against the beach was her only response as the blue eyed boy seemed almost as startled as she felt. He was quick to compose himself, straightening up. He looked uncomfortable, really, as fingers dragged themselves through his sandy blonde hair. His eyes no longer looked into hers, instead turning towards the seemingly endless beach that lay before them.
"My home."
His answer was both brief and unhelpful, as was his decision to begin walking down the beach, parallel to the surf beside them. Glancing around, she quickly figured out there was no other choice but to follow him, less she be stranded out on a strange beach alone. There was enough light to identify shapes and forms, but the night sky above them remained clear but eerily starless. There was no moon - how was there no moon if there were no clouds to hide it?
She knew she could teleport herself out, but her curiosity was getting the better of her and it didn't feel like she was in any eminent danger. Who was this guy - how could he teleport too? And why had he taken her here? Home? She saw no home on the beach, there was nothing but sand and water. Determined to get down to the bottom of this mystery, she skipped forward, catching up to the boy.
"And where is home, exactly? And who are you supposed to be?"
He continued walking. "Seal's Eye."
Her nose wrinkled. "We're at Seal's Eye? Or you're Seal's Eye?"
"I'm Seal's Eye. And you talk too much."
He didn't know why he was telling her any of this. Hell, he didn't know why he had brought her here, his sacred spot, his fortress of solitude. It had been a split-second decision and now he was stuck with the consequences. Consequences in the form of an adorable pink-haired, nosy Negawhatever. She should simply be grateful that he saved her, right?
It felt wrong, to have a stranger here in Elysion, sharing the most intimate possession he had to his name. It felt violating, having a stranger - a stranger who wanted his star seed, no less - walk down the beach alongside him. He had always imagined the first person to return with him would be someone endearing to him. Someone special.
Serah.
The name hit him like a freezing wave of saltwater. He hadn't thought about it until now, now that a stranger walked across his sand, next to his waters. Maybe this woman's hair is what reminded him of her. Whatever it was, his thoughts drifted towards her as navy shoes made gentle crunching sounds against the grains beneath them. Serah would love this place - it was a magical place he would be proud to show her. Serah. His other girlfriends were flighty and vacant - they'd see it as beautiful, but would they really appreciate the beauty of it? Would they be enamoured with his sea creatures? Would they admire the coral, the wonders of his bottomless world?
Wait.
Serah.
Oh, no.
The playhouse!
He stopped, one fist balling itself at his side as he calculated his next move. The monster was still at the playhouse, as was Serah. How could he have been so stupid, leaving her and the others defenseless against the violent beast? The young man had been so focused on himself and the star seeds that he'd forgotten the most important part of the evening.
The tiny voice beside him brought him back to the present, Serandite standing beside him. "That doesn't sound like a White Moon name."
His chuckle was as coarse as the sand. "I'm not from the Moon, silly girl. I was here long before any of you came to take this world for yourselves."
"I'm not a silly girl. I'm General Serandite of the Negaverse and you'd do best to watch your mouth." Her huff was cute. He knew he was supposed to be feeling intimidated, but it was hard - her power signature was indeed strong, but she was in his territory now. He ran this show...for the moment. "You may have thought you saved me, but there's no one here to save you from me."
Blue eyes twinkled. "Duly noted. I will remember that for the next time we meet, General."
His hand took hold of her arm, gripping tightly, almost roughly. "Well, I think that's enough time for those silly little scouts to have departed, don't you think?" She glared at his roughness and proximity, but he merely winked in return.
"Next time, sweetheart, try to stay out of trouble. I prefer not to play sides."
With that, he was gone, along with the serene beach that lay before them. She was not back in the alley either, however, but instead perched atop the roof of one of Destiny City's many tall skyscrapers. If she had to estimate, she was a good mile or two away from the theater.
Whoever he was, he had helped her, whether he had intended to or not. She smirked, mentally tallying the score of 1-0, her gain over the senshi this holiday season.
One hand rested against her pocket, safely patting her prize. Until, that is, she realized just how light her pocket was suddenly feeling. Granted, star seeds were pretty light, but this was suspiciously light. Fingers dove down into the fabric and her smirk turned into a scowl.
That son of a...
The playhouse was in chaos.
Ambulances had arrived on the scene, the paramedics struggling with their stretchers. Theatergoers that lingered were frantically attempting to revive the fallen. Voices rose as friends attempted to locate friends, loved ones searching for their missing spouses, children and relatives.
High up in the rafters above the stage, a pair of icy blue eyes studied the scattered crowd, searching for one particular individual. The youma had appeared to have been vanquished by the senshi team after he'd departed with the General, but those who had lost their star seeds were too far gone for saving. He plucked a single seed from his pocketed collection and clenched his fist, feeling the energy drain from the crystal as it crumbled in his hand. A dozen or so dead because of this mess.
Not that they really mattered to him, honestly.
Lives were lost - a pity and a waste, surely - but that had no effect on him. He didn't know those people - he wasn't the one who'd stolen their lives from them. Now losing his date to such uncouth beings causing a ruckus on his night, well, that was unforgivable.
No beautiful girls with rose colored hair were being carted away to the hospital or morgue, so at least there was relief in that knowledge. Concern remained etched on his face, however, as she remained missing among the crowd. Had she run away? He was almost certain she hadn't had her star seed taken, but the monster could have gotten it after he'd left. Maybe she'd already been taken away, or worse...
"Akio?"
The voice was faint, almost lost among the roar of the confused crowd and police. But her hair, that soft color of dawn, the adorable pink hue he'd grown affectionate of, bobbed up between a sea of blonde and brunette and his heart leaped at the sight, his breath caught in his throat.
He didn't know why this girl, this girl out of all of the ones in Destiny City had this effect on him, but he'd worry about that later. He shoved thoughts of her on his beach aside. The Elysion Protector would sort out this nonsense later, when he had a proper amount of time to think things through.
She echoed his name - hearing his name in her lithe, gentle voice made his heart swell. Reaching over, he grabbed the rail of the rafter beam and jumped over the side.
"Akio?"
This was turning into the worst Christmas Eve, by far. First, the date had turned into an impromptu star seed harvest, yet not only had she been outnumbered by idiot senshi, there was a new player in this frustrating power game. A thieving player who apparently felt he had the right to both toss her around all willynilly throughout who knows where but to pickpocket her of her precious seeds.
No date, no star seeds and a ruined evening. Fantastic.
Speaking of dates, it seemed as if hers had made a disappearing act of his own. She was fairly certain that his star seed hadn't been among the collected from the audience, which meant if he wasn't around here, then he'd taken off. The thought was more souring than she'd care to think about. Sure, he always seemed flakey and flirty, but would he really leave during a crisis like this? Was she really nothing but a fling, a fun date-of-the-moment girl? Arm candy?
She stopped wading through the crowd, crestfallen at her own train of thought. It was such a depressing notion that she was caught completely off guard when long arms came up from behind her and wrapped themselves around her smaller frame.
"Serah."
His breath was warm against her ear, sweet and comforting as his cheek pressed against hers. There were no other words. No playful nudging, no teasing or flirting. He simply held on to her tightly, as if he was afraid she would disappear altogether.
Okay, so maybe tonight wasn't a complete bust after all.
His cologne was light, but pleasant. His white dress shirt was no longer pressed and tidy, but now wrinkled and mussed, matching his hair. For once, he didn't appear to care about his looks. In fact, for the first time, she was seeing an incredibly serious Akio and while it was slightly unsettling, it was a touching moment. Proof that he cared.
She squirmed, twisting herself around to where she could return the embrace. Burrowing her face into his shirt, her smile remained hidden as she took a moment to enjoy the feeling of his chin resting softly on top of her head. "It's okay, Akio. I'm okay. I promise."
It took another moment more before he was willing to pull away. Even then, he seemed hesitant, his fingers lingering on her arms as he looked her over, as if to make sure for himself.
"You're cut."
Her eyebrows furrowed, confused at his statement. Cut? What?
Following his gaze, she glanced down at his shirt, where her own fingers lingered. Sure enough, a small red stain blotched his white shirt, where her hand rested. She must have cut herself on a star seer's edge while gripping them, prior to pocketing them away. With all the drama and fighting going on, she'd never noticed.
"I'm sorry, I di--"
"Don't worry about it." Cutting her off, one hand caught hers as she tried pulling it off the stained shirt. He squeezed it gently, before nodding towards the exit. "C'mon."
He nudged her forward, moving to rest one hand on her back as the other rested atop one of her shoulders. "Let's get out of here at least. I think we've seen enough excitement for one night."
Pushing gently, he guided her through the throngs of people, past the EMTs and police officers and through the front doors. Immediately they were met by the bitter December cold, accompanied by the newly developing snow flurries. If it hadn't been for the fighting and monsters, she might have appreciated the pretty pre-Christmas snow.
Serah didn't even realize she was shivering until she felt the sudden warmth of his jacket embracing around her, shielding her from the chill and wind. Her own jacket had been lost in the theater, but it almost seemed worth it, to be able to snuggle up in his oversized one. It smelled of him - she pulled it up close and tight around her.
Glancing up, she studied his face. His jaw was set and firm, dark eyes processing their surroundings until they lowered, meeting her stare. A smile broke across his serious expression as he caught her stealing a look at him. His hair was disheveled, now dusted with snowflakes, but his appearance surprisingly did not deter him from his surprisingly cheerful mood.
"I still owe you that hot chocolate, don't I?"
A smirk curled up on her own lips. "I don't know if I'm safe going out with you anymore, Mr. Yoshida."
"Tell you what. Why don't we swing by my place and we can get that cut taken care of and hot chocolate at the same time? I'm only a few blocks away - and monster free."
The proposition sounded promising, a nice way to salvage a disaster of an evening. But she was tired and the time...she glanced down at her wristwatch, the bunny's whiskers of her timepiece reading 9:24.
"Unless...you'd rather go home?"
The hopeful tone in his voice was precious. "You probably have to get up early to be with your family, huh."
Family?
Blinking, realization finally dawned on her. Akio was alone. He didn't have family in the city - everyone he knew was miles away, countries away, even. No wonder he seemed hopeful that she'd stay with him a little longer. He had no one to spend the holidays with. How sad.
"Does...the cocoa come with marshmallows? And maybe some cookies?"
His grin was infectious. Flirty, playful Akio quickly returned, the hand on her shoulder sliding down to give her side a squeeze. "I'm sure Santa won't mind sharing what I set out for him. After all, who could say no to such a pretty girl?"
She laughed at that, shaking her head. He was incorrigible, sometimes.
Thankfully, his apartment wasn't terribly far from the playhouse, both located near the downtown DC area. It took them about ten minutes or so, casually strolling down the sidewalk as the snowflakes continued to fall. At the rate they were falling, they surely had a white Christmas in store for them when morning arrived. She offered to return his jacket back to him at several points, concerned with his thin, blood-stained shirt being his only protection from the elements, but he adamantly continued to refuse.
At one point, she put her hands in the jacket's pockets. When she felt a hard object nearly filling one of the pockets up, she asked about it, attempting to pull out the mysterious box. He was quick to tell her "It's nothing" and take hold of her hand in his own, forcing her to let go of the object. One eyebrow rose, but she dropped the subject. The reddening of his cheeks did not go unnoticed.
She'd been to his apartment plenty of times before, for brief stops when he'd forgotten his wallet or when he needed to change clothes (it was amazing, really, how prim and proper he insisted on being sometimes). She'd even been there earlier in the month to help set up his Christmas tree, which continued to twinkle brightly in the corner of the room. Serah wasn't entirely certain what he had in store for their evening, but judging at his gentlemanly nature in the past, she wasn't concerned. So when he ushered her in and locked the door behind them, she made a beeline to his breakfast bar while he retreated to his bedroom - no doubt to change and fix his messy hair.
As promised, a plate of cookies sat on the breakfast bar, as if they'd been waiting for her arrival. She knew better, though, as Akio had almost an equally sweet tooth as her own. Biting the tip of the sugar-dusted tree shaped cookie, she made her way into the kitchen, making herself at home as she retrieved two glasses from the cabinet and the carton of milk from the fridge. She would let him make the cocoa later - right now her cookie was in serious need of some milk dunkage.
Returning to her stool, she began methodically dipping her cookie into the milk, giving it enough time to absorb, but not enough to saturate. Two trees and a gingerbread man later, Akio still hadn't returned from the back. Hm.
Feeling the warmth of the apartment finally getting to her, Serah began to peel the oversized jacket from around her. That's when she remembered: the box. Glancing towards the hallway, she made sure her host was nowhere to be seen before sliding the box from within the pocket. It was a blue box, fastened together with a light blue ribbon. The cardboard had seen better days, one side smashed, creases pressed into its surface. Probably from all the shoving and bumping that had gone on during the commotion, she figured. How curious.
"It's yours, you know."
Wide eyes shot up from the box, her cheeks immediately flushing at being caught in the act of snooping. He was standing in the doorway to the hall, one arm propped up as he leaned against the wall. Wrinkled clothing had been replaced with a fresh pair of slacks and another dress shirt, unbuttoned and exposing the Banzaii! tour t-shirt underneath. His feet were bare, his hair still a mess. Definitely the most relaxed Serah had ever seen him, but then again, she'd also never had such an eventful evening with him until now.
Nodding his head, he motioned towards the box. "Go on. You may as well - the perfect moment to give it to you never really happened, thanks to Bigfoot back there."
Bare feet padded their way towards the breakfast bar as she took a seat back on the bar stool. She might have felt ever so slightly ashamed at being caught red-handed but that didn't stop her from slipping off the ribbon and unjamming the tightly sealed box. Setting aside the damaged lid, she peeled back the tissue paper and let out a happy squeak. There, nestled in the middle of the deformed box sat a silver bracelet. Attached, two small charms. The first, a small silver heart and the second, a small bunny.
Lifting it gently from its box, she held it up to examine it better by the kitchen's light. By this point, he had made his way beside her and quietly took the charm bracelet from her, sliding the silver metal around her wrist. The charms gave off the tiniest clink as they knocked into one another.
"I know you always wear that necklace, so I didn't want to get you something you'd never wear." One finger moved around to playfully tap the bunny charm, knocking it into the heart again. "And I figured with a charm bracelet, you can keep adding to it, every time there's a special event in your life."
His hand moved up to run through his hair again, a sign of his nervousness. "Or, you know, whatever."
"Akio, it's beautiful."
She felt his fingers gently brush her hair back, pulling strands from her cheek and tucking them behind her ear. Seemingly satisfied, his fingers trailed down her cheek, cupping it softly as his thumb grazed back and forth over her skin.
"You're beautiful."
If her face wasn't blushing before, it surely was now. Even moreso as she looked up in time to feel his lips gently press against her forehead, before pulling away.
She paused. "That's it?"
The expression he gave her was nothing short of startled. "What?"
Her eyebrows furrowed. Too many relationships had turned down this road. Forehead kisses. Teases. Hugs. She was more than just a little sister figure - more than just some cute girl friend. Serah Eos deserved proper romance as much as the next girl, damn it.
Grabbing the open sides of his shirt, she yanked, jerking him towards her as she used her feet to rise up on the stool. His initial struggle stilled the moment her lips touched his. Her arms moved up to wrap around his neck and soon enough, he was kissing her back. She tasted of cookies, he tasted of sugar and neither seemed to get enough of the other. He let out a soft groan as she bit his bottom lip, she let out a small gasp as he pulled her in, holding her tightly against him. Small fingers ran through his wavy dark hair as soft lips showered kiss after kiss across his.
It was Akio, minutes later, who pulled away first. Moving to rest his forehead against hers, his cheeks were now equally as flushed, his breathing significantly shortened. He hadn't expected her to be so bold, but he was loving every moment of it.
His voice had grown low and husky, his eyes half-lidded. "Serah...I..."
"Want hot chocolate? Me too."
He blinked. His jaw remained slack, the confusion written openly across his face. Whatever he was trying to say went unnoticed, the rose haired girl prying herself out of his arms and off the chair, immediately bouncing her way towards the couch. "You make the cocoa and I'll pick out the movie. You still have Netflix, right?"
"Y-Yeah?"
Akio Yoshida was speechless. He was usually the one calling the shots, wooing the girls off of their feet, leaving them begging and wanting more. Who was this tiny enigma who could leave him wanting more, work him up and then walk off as though nothing had happened? Had that really just happened?
He remained where he'd been standing for several more moments, giving his racing heartbeat the chance to slow down. She was busy playing with the TV remote, flipping through Netflix's holiday category. His face remained red, his lips remained tender, his eyes never left her....her, the girl who seemed to remain unaffected by the evidently-not-as-passionate-as-he-thought-it-was kissing session they'd shared only minutes ago.
What he didn't notice was the similar pounding Serah's own heart was going through, as she pretended to give her entire focus to the TV in front of her. She knew he was staring at her and she forced herself to ignore it. Her fingers found the charm on her bracelet as she absentmindedly began playing with them. Soon enough, she heard rummaging going on in the kitchen - he had finally pulled himself together and started on their drinks. Good. That would be a good distraction from the fact she'd just made out with Akio Yoshida holy crap.
"Don't forget the marshmallows!"
There was a brief silence followed by the sound of additional pantry doors opening and closing. Smiling to herself, she kicked off her slippers and tugged the throw blanket from off the back of the couch and over across her lap. She had hated to break off what had been a heavenly moment, but she wasn't about to let him think he could count her as the most recent notch on his bedroom post. No, he was going to have to earn her affection - she'd merely given him a taste of what it'd be like, to be with her.
It wouldn't take long before he approached the couch, a mug in each hand. As he handed one to her and began to take his seat, she shook her head.
"If you want under this blanket, I require cookies."
Seconds later, the plate of cookies had found its new home on the coffee table in front of the couch. Nodding her head in silent approval, she lifted up the blanket with one hand, her other still clutching the mug of chocolatey deliciousness. Accepting the offer, her date slid under the blanket and fell back onto the couch, naked feet sticking out from the edge of the blanket and resting on the carpet.
The movie she'd chosen was a classic. It's a Wonderful Life. He couldn't help but wonder if there was any particular reason that she'd chosen it, but he didn't mind. It wasn't a terrible choice - especially near the ending, when the cookies had been devoured, the cocoa had been sipped and an exhausted Serah Eos had slowly drifted off to sleep, her tired head resting comfortably on his shoulder.
He was able to turn off the TV without stirring her, thankfully. Once the television went dark, the only thing that lit the room was the tree in the corner, whose bright twinkling lights gave a comforting glow to the apartment. There may not have been presents under the tree, but he had the best present sitting right beside him, snoring ever so softly.
Shifting gently, he pulled one of the throw pillows up and nestled it beneath his neck. He had enough room to turn and give the top of her head a brief, chaste kiss before resting his cheek against her soft hair and closing his own eyes.
"Merry Christmas, beautiful."
He'd figure her out another day. In the meantime, he'd simply enjoy her company on what had turned into quite the wonderful Christmas, after all.
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Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2015 6:04 am
The Next Morning
Christmas Day (Part 1?)
It took her several moments to register if it was a late or an early hour. Remnants of their cookies, two empty mugs of hot cocoa and a dark tv littered the area. Akio's image was so impeccable, it was hard to imagine that the night before, he allowed her to see him so casually. She took a moment to watch his sleeping face, as she lifted her head gently from his shoulder. The charm bracelet jingled lightly, as she stood. It reminded her of the gift she vowed not to give to Akio, reluctant and wistful at the same time.
She remembered a Starbucks nearby.. and the gift bag she left at her cafe. It wouldn't be fair, if she gave him nothing. Something was better than nothing. Before doubt could take over, she stood, planning. It wouldn't take her long at all, if she left now. A handwritten note was taped to the table. Dishes were stacked neatly in the sink, and the blanket was arranged neatly over Akio's body.
"If you wake up, Ill be back in a bit. Don't forget to let me back in or I can't promise I won't eat all of your cookies. -S"
Partially because of the practical need for more clothes, but also the social faux pas of being caught in the same clothes two days in a row, a pressed shirt was missing neatly from Akio's room. Also, his jacket disappeared, with the subtlety of a brick falling upon an unsuspecting individual.
To say Akio wasn't disappointed to find his beautiful pink head female snuggled up next to him anymore, was mistake. His hand reached out to nothing, chocolate brown eyes opening in a leisurely manner. What alarmed his was the lack of noise - confusion flared up in his eyes, until it landed on the note, as he scanned the apartment. Perhaps, he would have to remind her, that it almost bordered on a crime to leave a male hanging like that.
In the meantime, he straightened up his posture, to prepare for her return. He would adjust to her pace, because the important part, that she was coming back. His finger traced his lips, remembering last night's events, nervousness and bafflement still fogging the experience. Now that he had a small taste of how sweet she was - he struggled, thinking of how he'd crave that pleasant flavor again in the future.
Even sweets wouldn't be able to match this ache.
Akio wasn't the only one remembering last night. Serah was on the walk back, with a gift bag hidden in her purse, and two starbucks drinks in hand. She was standing outside of his apartment door, her face so heated, that the abundant snow still couldn't cool down. The weather had promised a white night, and a white morning. Snowflakes snuck into the folds of her hair, Akio's jacket and her shoulders, as she knocked. She relived the moment in her stupidly infatuated brain, over and over, even knowing she was the one who stopped it. She felt that she had sufficient time to cool down, shaking her head. She forced herself to remember she wouldn't glance at his lips, since there would be no remote of tv to fiddle with this time.
The door opened, Akio's hand pulling her into the warmth of his apartment. She was half enveloped into a one handed embrace, his hand curled around her shoulder. With his other, he took the drinks neatly out of her hand.
"I missed you this morning, beautiful -"
He stopped in his tracks, the drinks on the counter. He couldn't stop the flutter, realizing what she was wearing. It left him wondering if she even knew what she did. Did she know what she did to a man, wearing his clothes? The shirt was entirely too big on her, the sleeves rolled up on her elbows, as she tugged the jacket off. As she nervously creeped up to the kitchen, he couldn't help the hand that ran through her sunset curls. He gently brushed the melting bits of snow from her hair and shoulders, his fingers lightly resting at the base of her neck.
"Well, I knew you'd look adorable in everything, but perhaps this might make up for missing you this morning."
She looked self-consciously down, her nervousness eclipsed her earlier decision. She looked down, catching sight of the gift bag still in her hands out of the corner of her eye. In an attempt for distraction, she clasped her hands together behind her back, side-stepping into the kitchen.
"I brought drinks!"
Unfortunately, she forgot that Akio's height gave him the taller and wider field of vision. His eyebrows raised, tipping his head to address the issue. She brought him a gift, and evidently, she was hedging to avoid giving him his. As adorable as she was, that wasn't quite fair. Amused, he indulged her for the moment by sipping on his drink.
"Serah,"
She shoved the gift further behind her. "Yes?"
"If that's for someone else, I'm the one that will be heartbroken."
"No-Yes -- I mean, it's yours but not yet-"
An expression of dumb shock, before she realized that indeed, his vision spanned far more than hers. She blinked, clutching tighter. She brought it to give it to him, yet, she wished she hadn't.
As neatly as he had, the very first time they met when he took her money in the karaoke bar to replace it with his own, one hand wrapped around Serah's waist in a gesture meant to distract, while the other slid the bag onto his wrist, with a fluidity of a well-trained singer and his microphone skills. Ignoring her protests, he slid a badly made grey scarf from the bag. He could see the frayed stitching around the design, the seals and snowflakes fringing the ends. Even without being there, he could see the anxious work that looped in every stitch.
Her heart pounded so loudly, Serah wanted to curl up and hide. She settled for hiding her face in his previously worn jacket, bundling the gray fabric over her eyes. She pulled it down to cringe and peek at his expression, expecting something that showed, that this horribly made scarf did not go with his amazing style. She didn't expect the wave of emotions to cross his face, starting from surprise that it was something handmade, oh my goodness, to surprise, and then to a incredibly tender expression she hadn't seen before. The moment hung awkwardly, (at least for Serah it was.)
"its not well made, itsactuallyhorribleandthereareholesbut-"
He was already wrapping the uneven scarf around his neck, running his fingers over the fabric, as if it were fragile or that Serah would take it away at any moment. Serah would have, anxious, and hands already reaching up to try and take it back. "Careful, if you want to talk about your lovely scarf that way, we might have to start where we left off last night."
He caught her hand mid-air, pressing a kiss to her palm. He could scarcely imagine her hands slaving away for hours, her perplexed expression on how knitting worked, or her frustration over it - he wanted to see it all. The good, the bad, everything about this adorable female that entered his life. He couldn't stop his widening grin, as Serah flushed and hid under the jacket further. Lifting the edge of the opposite sleeve, and the back of the jacket, he dipped under to press a kiss against her cheek - after all, he would go at her pace. Despite his growing desire for her sweetness, he kept himself in check. Pulling back from under the jacket, he picked up the spatula on the counter.
"I've got a batch of chocolate pancakes that I could use some help with."
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