Ment = Red
Anbu = Midnight Blue

Anbu stared at the shop in front of her, forcing down her dislike of the place. Maybe she'd get over it one day...MAYBE. For now, she had one reason, and one reason alone to be there. Well...two, really. The first was named Ment, the second was the small black gift bag in her left hand. Since it had decided to be cold again, she'd dressed for the weather in dark blues and violets, with a skirt and leggings instead of pants, for easier movement. Indulging a moment of nervousness before she walked in, she smoothed her skirt out...then walked in, looking for the Peppermint Scent. Hopefully, he wouldn't run and hide before she could find him. Because she wasn't trying to torment him at this point, dammit!


Ment was sitting inside the shop quietly. It was cold and snowing outside, making him so very depressed. It was past Christmas and now the new year, the dead of winter when nothing bloomed and there was no cheer to be seen. It was like that one Scent's eyes, dead and cold. Love Like Winter, was his name and every time he remembered that it boggled him. How can you love winter?

Sighing quietly, Ment starred into one of the liquids before him, letting a candle flicker its light by the incense, causing the colors made flicker and dance off the dimly lit wood of the shop. No one else was currently around. Olivia had been feeling the sting of winter too, and left to go put a wreath on Amryx's grave. Moanna had gone to see her mother, who she had been longing for since she apparently fought with Tango. Ment... Ment was avoiding Arius after an encounter that ended in ways that left him feeling... confused.

"I hate winter," He muttered quietly.

Anbu was relieved when she found the other Scent...he hadn't noticed her first. Of course, her relief didn't show. She looked completely in control of herself. Like always. "Winter isn't that bad." There was amusement in her voice, though her tone and the look in her eyes lacked their usual mischief. "Perhaps I might cure some of the melancholy that's apparently settled on you." Normally, she might try a trick or something similar...but she quite well remembered Ment hadn't exactly gotten over what she'd done to him when she first awakened.

Ment was caught off guard by the voice that rang out in the store and broke it's hauntingly comforting silence. His stool wiggled off balance when he was startled and if not for the fact he was near a wall and was able to brace himself, he'd have surely fallen onto the floor and crashed some of their merchandise. Looking to see who it was, Ment felt a shiver go down his spine when he was faced with someone he considered a nemesis, though not like Tango was. Anbu, she was back and she was probably going to suck him into her magic ball and imprison him for eternity.

"A-anbu! W-what do you want?" He asked, his face going from startled to mildly serious, though he was mostly weary. Anbu never came without causing some sort of trouble, at least for him anyway. If Arius was here he'd be saved, or even Moanna. She would definitely try and wander off with Anbu to talk to her extensively about her magic ball, but she wasn't here either.

He was doomed.

Anbu was delighted that she could still catch him off-guard, the mischief flitting into her eyes for a moment before fading again. "I meant to visit a couple of weeks ago, but I've been rather busy, I'm afraid." She held the small black gift bag out to him. "I bought you a gift. And no, it won't explode, disintegrate, vanish, crack, bite you, or anything else like that." It was an honest (late) Christmas present...one she HOPED might start healing the rift a little on his side. She had no problems getting close to Arius, and she just needed to SEE Van to try and get closer to her...but there was a rather hefty rift between she and Ment.

"A ... gift? What for?" Ment asked, looking at her dumbfounded. Despite the fact she claimed it wouldn't explode on him, didn't mean it absolutely wouldn't. Anbu was tricky when she wanted to be, and Ment liked being on his guard. He still had nightmares every now and again about when they met, and the scary ride she took him on during the Grand General's ball. He'd never forget that, he was terrified and nauseous all at once.

"I ... I don't have anything for you, though." Ment said, looking kind of upset that he was being given something and had nothing to give in return. Genuinely upset even.

"For the holidays. I wanted to give it to you in person." Hopefully, that would mean something, despite how late it was. At the rather upset look he had, she shook her head. "Don't worry about it. As nice as receiving is, I think this time I'll be quite fine with just gifting." Besides...if this worked, it wasn't like she went completely empty-handed.

"Uhm.... Thank you, Anbu." Ment said quietly, taking the little black bag from the circus themed Scent.

He was actually rather pleasantly surprised by the gift, especially coming from the girl who he was certain would one day take his life in a freak ball-bouncing accident. It wasn't that he actually hated her, because she was true to her Scent and not evil, like Tango was, but she did scare the bajeebus out of him, and it was a hard experience for him to get over. The gesture of good will was comforting to him, making him smile a bit.

"You... you really didn't have to," He said, his red freckles disappearing in a faint red blush. He opened it quietly and peaked inside to see what it was.

"You're welcome." She gave him a softer smile than her usual one. "And perhaps not...but I wanted to." Anbu was more than relieved that he accepted the gift, and hadn't made an excuse to disappear. She just hoped he liked the gift itself.

Which was nestled in a clear-topped box inside the bag, so the item inside could be seen. The item itself was a well-crafted bracelet of rounded ruby and quartz beads, the quartz the sort that looked like cracking ice. The parts that weren't stones were silver, adding to the 'cool' color scheme.

Ment's eyes almost lit up like fireworks when he caught sight of the present inside the bag. It was absolutely beautiful and practically blew his little girlish mind. He took it carefully out of the box and placed it around his wrist, his smile growing much wider than it had ever been in her presence. It wasn't just the bracelet though, it was the thought and the sentiment behind it that made Ment smile. Especially considering how much thought Anbu must have put into the gift, having picked out something that would appeal to him other than just something.

"It's gorgeous, Anbu...," He said quietly, "Thank you, very much."

It suited him as well as she'd thought it would. And watching his face light up in joy she caused was much more satisfying than watching it in terror she'd caused. "I'm glad you like it. I thought it'd fit you well." Well...her gift had been given. It was probably best she didn't try to overstay her welcome...and she had work in a couple of hours. "I'd better be going. Belated Merry Christmas, Ment."

"Uh... Do you have to go so soon?" Ment asked, feeling a twinge of guilt in the fact that Anbu had stopped by merely to give him a gift that she didn't have to get him in the first place. The least he could do was offer her some tea and cake, especially considering the almost full cake they still had in the pantry.

"I mean if you do, than I won't stop you. You could be very busy and all," Ment muttered, scratching at the base of where his hat sat on his head lazily, "But if you're not so busy why don't you stay? I can make tea or something..."

Anbu hesitated, very, very tempted to stay a little longer. Ment was willingly offering some extra time for her to stay! But...if she was going to get home in time to get ready for work..."I wish I could stay a little longer." Maybe though...maybe she could still spend time with him later? It was worth a try, and a small gambit she was willing to take. "Perhaps I could take you up on that offer tomorrow?" For him, she'd be willing to deal with this place again. Better than being tricked there by her mother for a party. "I could contribute some cookies to go with the tea."

Ment nodded as Anbu suggested taking up the offer tomorrow. He wasn't going to force the invitation on her, and he could only imagine that she probably had a job and other things she needed to do in her life, much like Arius had. It was odd to think the teens had jobs and were attempting to be independent. He could still remember back to when he had met them both, and although he was a little working boy with his sneakers and striped shorts, he never imagined they'd be workers too.

"That sounds great," Ment said, offering her a smile. He hadn't really had anyone over in quite some time, not since Moanna and Adrian came to live with them, so it was nice to think someone other than those two would be keeping him company.

"Do you prefer a certain type of tea?" Ment asked, feeling the need to be as complimentary to her tastes as he could be. All they had in the house was a simple breakfast tea and a lighter camomile that Ment generally binged on in the evening to keep himself asleep.

Did she prefer a specific one? Anbu actually had to think to that. It took her a moment, but she nodded. "I much prefer black teas to the herbal or lighter ones." She hoped that wasn't a problem. Argh! Why was it that certain people actually got her thinking about such things? It was nice and infuriating at the same time...but she kept her outward face rather calm. "What time of day would be best for you?" She was free all the next day, so far as she knew.

And...it would be nice to spend some of that free time with someone not part of her 'family' or their friends.

"Oh, uhm, I'm free all day," Ment said with a slight pep. Tomorrow was his day off from running the store front, and while he did have to go to things like buy the groceries and drop off clothes to the cleaners, he could get up extra early to do that.

"So, I guess anytime that's good with you is good with me," He said with a slight chuckle.

It was very exciting to be setting up a get-together. He really should try and connect more with some of his old friends. He wasn't sure what they were up to, where they had headed or how their families were. It seemed like since that fateful night during the Rain Dances that everyone had grown farther apart.

Anbu gave him a slight smile, one that didn't have any mischief in it. "How about tomorrow afternoon...around 2 or 3?" Perfect time for a snack, and it allowed both of them to get anything that needed to be done, done. And if it went well...maybe she could try getting Ari to have tea with her at a later date. She'd enjoyed the dinner outing she'd had with him before, and she really did want to see him more.

"That sounds like a plan," Ment said cheerfully, his level of anticipation for the following day rising as they chatted about it. What was he gonna wear? Should he do his hair? He should probably go by some fresher tea than what they had. Oh! Do they have enough cups? Does this call for a new kettle? The thoughts buzzed in his head like bees in their hive.

"Can't wait," He smiled, twirling a piece of his hair between his fingers thoughtfully.

Anbu chuckled and nodded. "Me either." She waved as she turned to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Ment." Success! So far, the venture had been a success! He hadn't run, and had even invited her for tea...and then accepted her alternative suggestion! Work could throw the idiots at her tonight, because she was set. (And later that night, Kyoko would wonder why the hell her daughter had a far-too-satisfied look on her face.)