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 Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 11:47 pm
Christmas day, until now Xero had not known the significance, at least a hint of what this day was about. He had heard stories yet never once had he experienced it. Today he made the firm derision to skip his routine and visit Prisca as she has requested weeks before. After their last encounter he felt he owed her an explanation, and a little something extra. The cookies she had left him had been very much appreciated, and the pendant even more so. He had not had a nightmare since the last encounter.
Xero looked at his small box wrapped in newspapers. It was the best he could do for wrapping paper. Hopefully she could overlook that fact and be more appreciative of what was inside.
He took a deep breath as he neared the target. The area around him distorted as he disappeared than reappeared feet from the front steps of Prisca's cabin. His tail lowered as he moved forward. It was just before ten in the morning, hopefully not too late, or early, for this Christmas thing... He ascended the steps slowly than stopped at the door. One last deep breath before he lifted his right and and have a few quick knocks on the door.
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Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 12:14 pm
A large yawn broke the pretty face of Prisca as she flicked the switch on the kettle to warm up some water. Though she was alone, her purple nailed hand covered her mouth. In a crowd, it was out of respect of others. Alone, it was a dislike of leaving her mouth wide open. It wasn't lady-like. It was simply just unattractive. But one couldn't help yawning. Not that she was tired from staying up or anything. She had noticed those callings that woke her had stopped weeks ago. Right after her last meeting with Xero, in fact. This morning, however, that wasn't on her mind. The only thing she was thinking about was that cup of cappuccino she would make in a few minutes.
Taking off her glasses to rub the sleep out of one eye, she shuffled back into her room to dry her wet hair while she waited. She only got halfway finished before her senses came alive. Instinctively, with brush and dryer still in hand, she looked upwards at her ceiling, cocking one eyebrow as she did so. It hadn't taken her mind long to record how that presence felt in the back of her head.
For a moment, in her sleepy half-awake state, she ignored it, thinking he was merely passing over. All she wanted was her morning cappuccino right now.
Today, it seemed she would get it later than she wanted. While she was putting down the brush and dryer, the feeling in the back of her mind got suddenly closer, followed by the knocks on her door. Nope, not passing over. Blinking a few times in confusion, she made a mad dash for her closet when she remembered she never dressed before she had her morning cup.
The kettle popped at the same time Prisca opened the door for Xero. She was still quite surprised at seeing him there, but was sure not to forget to put on a friendly smile. "Good morning, Xero. What brings you all the way over this way?" Stepping back, she held the door open for him.
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Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:13 pm
It seemed like an eternity waiting for the door to open. The wait wasn't any more pleasant knowing she was there. She had every right to be cross with him after their last encounter, leaving so suddenly was incredibly rude.
When the door begun to open time slowed for just a moment. Xero froze as he watched the door gradually reveal Prisca. Time returned to normal once she begun to speak.
"...I came to apologize for our last encounter, It was rude of me to leave so suddenly." He looked from Prisca's eyes, down to the box, than back to Prisca. It was a subtle reminder why else he had appeared here today. "I also wanted to honor your offer... That is, if it is still available."
Xero had not once thought if she had forgotten her previous offer. He was too focused on trying not to seem a fool, again.
The tip of his tail nervously swayed from side to side. This was a new experience for him. It was completely odd yet strangely not uncomfortable.
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Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:05 pm
Quickly shaking her head, Prisca gave him a sweet smile, ignoring the urge to yawn, again. For a second, she wasn't sure what Xero meant in her tired state. Why, the only thing on her mind was how not tired he looked. He must have been up for a while already. Or was one of those lucky people to be a full morning person.
Shaking her head slightly to clear her mind from the sleep fog, she looked back up at him as she remembered what it was he was talking about. "Yes, of course it is. And don't worry about it. Even if it had bothered me, seeing you here makes up for it."
Gesturing with her head towards the interior of the house, the woman shifted her weight from one slippered foot to the other, the doorknob pressing against her back. "It's cold outside."
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Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:34 pm
Personally Xero had failed to notice the temperature outside. With as much time as he spent in the high altitudes he had figured a way around that via his aura.
"Thank you." He spoke for both accounts of accepting his apology and of letting him inside once again.
He wasted no time getting inside of the house seeing as it was cold and she would probably rather not be feeling the chill. When fully inside, twitching tail and all, he turned around to face Prisca. The small half foot by half foot box still tightly in his clutches.
"This is for you, I believe that is the custom." The words were better in his head. He meant to say for Christmas it is customary to exchange gifts, and he had already gotten his early (and it still hung around his neck). As usual around her his words didn't seem to come out quite right, but in any case he held the small box up for Prisca to take. His tail finally stopped moving and just hung about a foot from the floor hooked slightly as if it threatened to curl around his feet.
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:55 am
"You don't need an invitation to stop by," she thought she'd add in as she closed the door behind him. Before turning away from the door, she glanced up at the sky as she often did when she was by a window during winter. It hopefully wouldn't snow today. She'd had enough of it. Oh, how she couldn't wait for spring to come and thaw it all out.
Prisca's eyes glanced down towards the box in Xero's hands for a few seconds before taking it from him. The fact it was wrapped in newspapers didn't matter at all to her. For a classy lady like herself, one might think it did. That hardly mattered. When one was being given something, the decoration of the wrapping was about as important as nitpicking the color of the dishtowels you use.
The woman turned her head back up in his direction to flash him one of her none-too-rare smiles. "Custom for what?" she couldn't help asking as she started to unwrap it. "Christmas or returning the favor of a gift?" Unlike his obvious reluctance the last time they met, Prisca understood and had little problems accepting things from others. Her high curiosity over things made this easy. The two had known each other for so short a time, she couldn't begin to imagine what he could have brought for her.
Her breath caught when she opened the top and shifted through the extra paper inside. A pretty little replica of a purple rose sat below her fingers, crafted from what looked like glass, nails, and rocks.
"Oh, Xero. It's pretty." Closing the top in fear of dropping it and breaking it, Prisca held the box tightly in her hands and drifted up to eye level with him. "Thank you." And before even she knew what she was doing, she planted a kiss on his cheek to show her gratitude. It only took a few seconds after for her to realize what she had done. She floated back down to the floor with a blush creeping up to her own cheeks. "I'm sorry. Got caught in the moment...."
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:55 pm
"Christmas?" Xero spoke unsure if that was even the correct answer. "The treats you left for me are appreciated."
He tried his best to keep his focus on her eyes, but it was difficult as she opened his gift. Another silly emotion, why should he care if she despised his craftsmanship? He put his best effort into it and he himself was pleased with how the creation came out.
When she was visually pleased with the trinket Xero felt he could breath again.
"You-" He couldn't get more than that word out before he was pecked on the cheek. The fur on his tail stood on end as that strange warm feeling returned to his cheeks. For a moment he stood still with a vacant expression on his face. All words were lost to him. His hand rose to rub his cheek lightly as if to be sure it was still there and not melted from his face. Perhaps it was a custom to come with Christmas?
"It is... alright." He finally found the words and spoke them reluctantly. As if unsure it was the right thing to say. "I am glad you are satisfied with it." The fur on his tail settled once again and returned to its former position just above the floor. Hopefully she would guide him through this Christmas deal. From this point he was unsure what to do.
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 12:04 pm
At the time, the kiss felt like a good idea. Prisca was glad it never scared him off. But now she felt embarrassed. That's what human females in the movies did when a man gave them something nice. Although Xero could have given her a rock and she'd still react the same. Besides her family back at Lavender, no one has given her a real gift before. Made her feel kinda....Warm inside.
"Yes, well...." the woman started to say, glancing around her in an attempt to not making complete eye contact after her little bold stunt. "I'm not fond of peanut butter, so....I thought that would be a nice thing to do." Forcing her eyes to look up at him, she pulled her tail in under the long skirt of her dress to hide the nervous twitching it was doing. "You are welcome. I don't mind making more if asked."
Prisca frowned at his first question, with her earlier embarrassment already starting to get pushed into the back of her mind. She had done it, it was done. There was no need to continue to dwell on it. Her mind was already starting to pick up on the slight hints on how much of the world-at least the human world-Xero was aware of. Having been given the chance to experience a family life from the very moment she was allowed outside the test tube, she knew of all the different holidays they celebrated. And had been included on them.
"Don't know about Christmas?" Taking a few steps further inside her house, she turned back around to face him, a slight smile on her face. "I could teach you a few things, if you want. If you intended on staying longer."
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 8:05 pm
"Thank you." He spoke in response to the offer of more cookies. He still had quite a few left from the plate she had already given him. Though, he still could not figure out why she would make them if she were not found of them. A mystery, but not enough for her to bring the question to her attention.
"I do not. I have only experienced it one other time..." He rubbed the back of his head just above the chord. The memory, though a long time ago, was still vivid. "And even than I was not concerned with it. If you would have my company it would be a pleasure to learn of this day from you."
His hand returned to his side as he waited a response. It was awkward, not knowing what to do in the presence of someone else. This experience was foreign along with the feelings he was experiencing. He had no idea what to expect, no idea what he had gotten himself into.
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Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2011 12:02 pm
The woman's smile widened a little at his thanks. It was nice to do something kind for someone you cared about. Cared about...Was that it? It wasn't a foreign feeling to her, to care about someone else. She still cared deeply for the scientist and his son. But that was different. They gave her life. They were family. As much a kinship as she felt with Xero, he wasn't really her family. In the beginning, she would admit, it had been just that connection between them that kept her speaking to him. That lifting lonely feeling at finding someone else like you. Getting to know him more, she found it was growing to an actually enjoyment of his company and, though strange, personality. She must have been in a good mood for hours after dropping off that plate of cookies at his home.
Raising a hand, she beckoned Xero further into the house with one finger. "Then come have something hot with me. I had the kettle on." Without waiting to see if he would follow, Prisca turned her back on him to walk back to the kitchen, pulling two mugs out of the cupboard and setting them on the table. She didn't feel she needed to make sure he would follow. She knew he would.
After setting the table up with different flavors of tea and cappuccino, she picked up the kettle to pour the water in her own mug. No day would be started without her cup of cappuccino in the morning.
The plate in the middle of the table held a promise of chocolate mint squares, the green frosting in the middle just showing from behind the lid. The box with the rose sat on one side of the sweets, clear out of the way of being knocked over. Picking up one of the spoons on the table, Prisca threw in three spoonfulls of the mix before she spoke again. "I like your company, Xero. It's a pleasure just being in it."
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:18 am
As expected Xero quietly followed Prisca into the kitchen. His tail swayed a little behind him as he walked. He was curious of this morning ritual, it must have been the right way to start off this 'Christmas'. Green tea and cappuccino were both beverages he had yet to try.
When Prisca spoke his attention quickly moved from the mugs to her. Trinity had said those exact words when he was still in the tube. It was one of the last things she had ever said to him. Luckily he caught himself staring before too long and looked out of the window. How quickly the clouds had gathered, it would no doubt start to snow soon... again.
"It is nice to have someone to talk to." He looked back at Prisca. "The pleasure is mine.
To keep the feeling from lingering in the air Xero cleared his throat. "So, this is one of the traditions?"
He felt ridiculous for asking. However the feeling was minor compared to the one prior to the current. It wasn't bad, just confusing. It made him feel like an infant just learning about the world. IT... was not comfortable.
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 1:28 pm
Prisca looked up at Xero in the middle of stirring the powder and water together, a small chuckle coming from her throat. "No. Just my morning one." Picking up the milk, she added it before she finished the stirring, setting down the can before pulling out a chair at the table to sit down. She took a minute to close her hands around the mug, feeling the warmth of it creep up her arms. "Just one of the many things about humans I adapted to."
Prisca took a sip from her mug, basking in the feeling of the hot liquid sliding down her throat. From the moment she sat down, she had taken her eyes off the man. She glanced around the house for a little bit, trying to imagine what it would be like decorated for the holiday. There was nothing on the walls or ceiling now. Not even the yellow tulips on the coffee table had been changed to something more festive.
"I don't bother much with sticking to tradition," she answered softly, the memory of being offered Christmas cookies by the little boy she had come to think of as a brother. "Gift giving is the tradition, yes. Though I didn't mean the necklace as one. You don't need a holiday to give someone something, after all." She stirred the spoon around the mug in thought, watching the foam of the cappuccino swirl like the stomach of a Poliwag. "Christmas is just a day you spend with family or people you care about. Have a nice, cooked dinner. Bake things. Exchange gifts. Decorate the inside and outside of your house. I'm alone, so I don't really bother with any of it anymore." A hint of sadness entered her voice. She tried to wash it away with a mouthful of cappuccino, nearly burning her tongue in the process. Setting the mug back down, she pushed the kettle closer to him to invite him to go ahead.
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:52 pm
"I see." Xero looked at his own mug of hot water. The thought of drinking it as is came to mind. Hot water did sound pleasing, however it wouldn't have been much of a step in sharing the tradition. Or so he felt. Without much debate he went with the packet of Green tea. He listened to Prisca as he read the instructions on the back. Simple enough.
"The town decorated for this event earlier in the month, I watched for a short moment as they placed glass and metals on a large tree...." He carefully opened the packet than set the tea bag into the hot water. That ritual confused him most. He read several posters pinned up on shop walls of a 'Christmas Day Feast" to be held in the town hall. That was a bit more understandable than the tree. Xero, however, had no desire to look into any of it. He had his goals set already.
"Would it make you happy to see house your decorated?" He looked up from his mug back to Prisca. Xero was very quick to catch on the hint of sadness in her tone before. Or rather he felt it.
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Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 9:56 am
Watching him for a moment as he looked at the packet, Prisca curled her fingers around the warm mug, again. She was about to point out what to do with it until he figured it out on his own. Behind her, her tail swayed back and forth through the opening below the back of the chair. To allow it to do so, she wasn't sitting on her gown at all. This would be more embarrassing had it not been so long as to easily drape over the sides of the chair. Just one reason she loved long dresses.
The woman giggled into her mug as she took another small sip. "Those are decorations, Xero. Nothing special. Just decorations." Setting the mug back down on the table, she hooked her feet around one leg of the chair. "I don't remember what significance the tree has. Placing a star or angel at the top has religious value. Some strange culture that doesn't recognize Arceus."
Taking another sip, she shook her head at Xero's question. "It's a family holiday. I have no desire to alone."
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Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:48 pm
Xero took a a sip of his green tea as Prisca explained what the decorations were. Just decorations. Some seemed to adore the decorations being placed on the tree, but that could have been just the individual.
His tail twitched. The flavor was interesting, relaxing even. From the corner of his eye he could see the soft flakes of snow floating toward the ground.
"...Family holiday?" He asked as he focused back on her. The concept was strange, but it made it clear why he had never celebrated it. He had no family. It had never occurred to him to celebrate it with Trinity ( his lost friend), she had never asked. "I see..... You are not alone this year. If it would please you, we can decorate? If you would care to.... "
Once again he felt silly, very silly for proposing such a thing. Luckily it was not obvious by his expression or tone in voice. In fact he seemed as calm as ever with his green tea.
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