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 Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 4:12 pm
Honestly? Even Xiu was not so naive as to assume that Vaith had been telling the truth about his porn dreams that day. She was a baku, and as such, she was used to seeing the symptoms of someone who was having a nightmare. It was only because he had been so insistent to deny it that she didn't push the matter too far, though that didn't mean that she wasn't concerned. To soften the fact that she kind of intended on nagging him on the matter again, she had brought a few presents.
Actually, she had been intending on giving them to him anyways, but now seemed as good of a time as ever, since they would help serve a purpose.
Because she hadn't planned to train that day, the baku was dressed more casually then before...and in an actual dress this time, to ward off any complaints about the fact that she usually wore shorts lately (not to mention she didn't actually have any shorts or pants for casual wear). Her flower hairclip was nowhere to be seen--instead, there were two fresh flowers tucked behind one of her ears. She carried a tea thermos in one hand, while her other hand seemed to be playing with something in her pocket.
She had brought a lot of gifts, yes.
Once she reached the familiar door, Xiu gave it a light rap. "Vaith? are you in?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 4:40 pm
The faint sound of music from Vaith's room stopped softly, as the click of Vaith's music player was turned off by the brush of his finger against the sensitive buttons. The door clicked open, opening almost promptly after Xiu's entrance. Evidently, Vaith had been close .. although even if he had been on the other side, the distance one crossed one end of the room to the other could still be accomplished in a few seconds. He didn't seem much more prepared than he had been last time .. although, his hair was styled this time.
Mostly.
The light smell of hairspray lingered on his person, the wide window opened in his dorm to face the grey sky. He opened his door wider, his usually-empty ground littered with several hair-styling materials that had probably been stacked away the last time the baku ghoul was here. His frown turne duprght, into an easy grin, at the sight of the baku ghoul. Sure, it was a little questionable as to why she was here, when he had seen her recently .. but Xiu and tea were always welcomed.
"When I said I wanted pumpkin spice tea, I didn't mean to bother you with it so early. Unless .." He tapped his finger against the door, looking at Xiu suspiciously. She had tea. She was dressed nicely. She had two flowers in her hair. That led to one conclusion. "..Unless you're here with a confession that you roped me into some more organizing again. I burned it last time and I'm pretty sure I'll burn whatever you want me to cook again this time."
Question: Was Vaith going to burn it on purpose?
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 4:54 pm
It might have been a bad thing that the first thing Xiu focused on when the door opened was at the state of Vaith's floor. Sweet Sally, did he really use all of that in his hair? Though she had wondered before how he achieved that strangely gravity-defying hairstyle that he had going on--
--Focus, Xiu.
The baku smiled right back at her friend, and her smile actually widened at his guess as to why she was here. Not even close~"No, no! Nothing like that--I promise I'm not here to pull you into another committee!" Hugging the tea thermos to her chest, she stared up at him, wide-eyed and head tilted slightly.
"I just wanted to check up on you, is all. Can I come in?" That, at least, was not a lie--Xiu was here to see how Vaith was doing.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:35 pm
"Oh. Ok. Come on in." There was a distinct note of relief in his tone. Cooking was never going to be Vaith's forte. Vaith left the door open behind Xiu, his hand reaching up to finger a lock of some uncooperative bangs. His back turned toward her for a moment, working on some last minute adjustments. He promptly ran his that certain area through a heated object, forcing it to curl downwards. Ok, now he could declare himself done. Quick check in the mirror .. Shoving the supplies in one corner, Vaith cleared the floor for Xiu to sit and her objects.
It was a baffling conclusion that Vaith spent more time on his hair than Xiu did. She was a ghoul. He was a boil. This logic did not work out. But his strange-gravity defying hairstyle worked. It made him look cool. Vaith went to extreme lengths to become the definition of "cool."
Actually, from an unbiased point of view that wasn't Vaith's, there was an enormous amount of styling materials on the ground. Gel, heater, curler, bottles of sprays .. Vaith didn't think it was that much.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:57 pm
Xiu's eyes were glued to all the haircare supplies that were scattered over the floor, and the embarrassing thing? She didn't know what half of them were for. Of course, she had heard of gel, and hair straighteners, but what in Halloween was the rest of this stuff? Surely it couldn't be healthy to put all of this goop on one's head! Settling down on the ground that Vaith had cleared for her, she picked up the bottle closest to her, read the label with a blank expression and then set it back down.
The fact that the hairspray bottle had warning about it's contents being combustible was not very reassuring. But right, back to the reason she was here.
"So, I brought you some pumpkin spice tea!" She beamed, setting the thermos down and giving a little wag of her tail. This was a good start, right? She casually leaned forward, fingers brushing against the flowers that were tucked behind her ear. "So...how have you been lately? Sleeping well?" Hey, no one said that Xiu was subtle.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 6:11 pm
"I've been sleeping." Vaith answered carefully and casually, although the quick smile flashed at Xiu implicitly stated that he wasn't answering her question the way she wanted him to. He leaned back against the edge of his bed, deciding that this was possibly the main point of this visit. So that was why. His elbow propped on his knee, one palm providing a resting stand for his chin, he glanced at the offering of tea.
Was it proper to term this as an offering? Or a simple tea to sleep?
"Seriously Xiu, you worry too much. Are you sleeping well?" Vaith thought that the baku ghoul was too busy worrying for others .. She should save some worry for herself. After all, a lot of people counted on her, he was sure. Vaith included. He arm cut past hers, opening the thermos to appreciatively sniff it before closing it.
"That smells really good."
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 7:24 pm
...Boo, he knew, didn't he? Then again, she hadn't exactly done a very good job at hiding her intention, had she? She puffed out her cheeks, disappointed with herself, but the expression disappeared when he address her. Oh, er, how she was sleeping? "I'm...I'm sleeping fine! I mean, well..." She trailed off with a dismissive wave of her hand. Onto other topics!
She grinned at the comment about the tea, her fingers still fiddling with the flowers in her hair. It was time to bring those up. "Hey, Vaith..." What was the best way to ask? Should she try being subt--no wait, Xiu incapable of being subtle. Might as well get straight to the point. She removed the blossoms from her hair, cradling them carefully in the palms of her hand.
"These are...well, they're minipets that my family actually specializes in breeding. You might remember Shu and Jian from the other day. I was wondering..." It was kind of a big responsibility to ask someone if they wanted to adopt more minipets, but here she was. That being said, she wouldn't trust just anyone with these minis--her family tended to be rather selective about who they went to. "These two don't really have a home right now. I mean, I'm taking care of them for now, but..."
Her ears drooped as she looked down at the flowers, and then back up at Vaith. Her eyes seemed rounder and sadder than usual.
...Was she using...the eyes?
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:44 am
Xiu was offering him flowers. And she said they were minipets--- minipets like the ones right now sleeping in his room? Breeding? Homes? He stared at them, rather baffled .. but if he thought about it, his kodachinu and piko came from rings and headphones.
He froze when Xiu used the eyes on him. It wasn't as if he might have said no .. but .. bait, hook and sinker. Vaith tried to organize his thoughts, his posture frozen, like a deer stuck in headlights. Nobody had really offered him specialized minipets before .. And those minipets he saw with her the other day? They were pretty cute, he reflected, partially lost within his memories. He remembered a white fluff and a frowning fluff.
"So .. Wait, simple story cut short. You want me to take care of these guys?"
He looked down at the flowers.
".. me?"
Vaith wasn't the worst owner. No way. But he wasn't the best. But it was like hitting maximum affection points level, being given something that was implicitly selective. He could raise them, he realized. Pretty damned well, if Piko and his kodachinu were anything to go by. Vaith seemed at a little bit of a loss of words. He took a few seconds to work past the awkward lump in his throat. "T-thanks. I think that they'll do well here. Piko, Nuts and the rest will love having more company."
He held out his hands for the flowers.
"They'll grow up awesome. You'll see!"
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:46 am
Xiu simply nodded at his questions, eyes wide as she tried to gauge his reaction. He seemed...surprised? But also...happy? Was he happy? The baku looked puzzled as she tried to figure out what he was feeling, dropping the puppy-face and just looking at him with genuine curiosity. When he thanked her, her heart lit up with hope. Was he...?
He was! Beaming, she leaned forward and gently deposited the two blossoms into his waiting palms, tail wagging and cheeks flushed with delight. "Thank you, Vaith! And I know--I trust you." If she didn't, she wouldn't have given him these minis in the first place. The dream blossom and nightmare flower minis were both extremely near and dear to her heart, so she wanted them to have a good home.
Satisfied, she settled back down with her legs tucked beneath her. "I actually had something else to give you too..." The baku's hand slipped back into her pocket, and she toyed with the small object again. Actually, there were four of them in her pocket--one for each friend who she had in mind. She had actually forgotten about these altogether until she had given away her first at end of their last field trip--these little items that, to her at least, meant loyalty.
Of everyone she knew, there were four people in particular who she wanted to give one of these to. Vaith was one of them--he had continuously helped her regardless of how many times she found herself in trouble, and she wanted him to know that she would do the same for him. With a deep breath, Xiu reached forward and dropped the object into his hands to sit beside the flowers.
"H-haha, I know it's not as cool as those pins you're used to, but..."
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:11 pm
Vaith sat there a little awkwardly, cupping the flowers. He took the time to simply stare at them, mildly reflecting that he was going to have some really adorable addition of puffballs in his room. His gaze turned upwards, towards the ghoul shuffling with some minuscule object in her pocket. He couldn't help but crane his neck forward, curiosity prompting him to catch a glimpse of a black little object.
Like Xiu, his pins were almost forgotten altogether, until he recognized the small object in his hand. The school had told him when he enrolled, didn't they? Pins were highly important-- they were like personalized stamps. Vaith hadn't been all that interested at the time, never realizing the importance until .. now. You could give them out as symbols of friendship? Common sense should have told Vaith that but it only struck him now. This little object basically meant that Xiu thought of him as a really awesome friend.
His hand closed gently around the circular object, glancing back upwards to address Xiu.
"I dont know what you're talking about. This is way cooler." Vaith grinned, his hand reaching out to tuck a lock of Xiu's hair that fell forward behind her ear. Cross-legged and his back leaning against his bed, he motioned for Piko to hand him his headphones. The listening device was slowly shuffled downwards, the small vocaloid comically lowering the wire, like a scene from Rapunzel .. Not that either of them knew the reference. He passed the flowers upwards, Piko's small arms bundled up with both large blossoms, scuttling away to a part of his desk. Vaith pushed the side of his headphones, twisting the sides this way and that way, apparently some kind of unidentified button, before a pin shot out from a mysterious compact area .. No wonder it was so bulky.
The process was repeated, except am empty area opened up to hold Xiu's pin on the opposite side. Sheepishly, Vaith's hands prompted Xiu's fingers to open, laying the pin in the middle of her palm, pressing it forward. His touch lingered, linking his fingers slightly with her delicate ones.
"It'll sound weird to say I'm returning the favor but you can take this as.. Well, I dont have anything but a corny way to say this .. I guess you can take this as our trust is mutual. Hell, if you ever need this to cover, I'll be good for taking the blame. Just warn me if you're going to do that ahead of time, okay?"
That was Vaith's ultimate way of saying he'd be there for her too.
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Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:55 pm
Hands clutched in her lap, she waited nervously for his reaction, gaze flickering up to his face, down to her hands, and repeat. Deep down, she was a little amused at herself for being so worried for giving away something that was so small...or small physically, at least. She knew that the pins held a deceptively great symbolic meaning in its small size.
Therefore, it was unsurprising that the baku felt a great weight lift from her shoulders at his response, her expression blank before her lips curved into a smile. "I...I'm glad you think so! I mean, it's not going to be nearly as useful in battle, but..." She trailed off with a bright laugh, clearly happy that he had accepted the gift.
It was with curiosity that drove her to lean forward, watching as Vaith's vocal lepus passed his headphones down (Xiu couldn't help but grin at this--Piko was so precious!) and as Vaith started doing...something. She wasn't entirely sure what the reaper was up to, but she did visibly jump when something shot out of the headphones, the fluffy end of her tail bristling in alarm. Just what kind of headphones were these?! Why were they shooting projectiles?!
She warily stretched out her hand, palm up, at his prompting, head cocking her head to the side when she felt him press something into her hand. "Vaith? What's this--" Her eyes widened when the object sitting in her hand became visible. Her gaze darted up to the boil's face as he spoke, but there was no change in her expression--she just looked shocked, and maybe...a little touched? "A-are you sure? You didn't have to...I mean..." Reaching out with her other hand, she traced the pin with her finger, taking in the design. A smile touched her lips. At first, it was small, and then....
Tackling hugs were not usual for Xiu--not in the least. At least (while the gif up there may say otherwise!) she had been fairly gentle with the surprise attack. Didn't want to knock Vaith's head against the side of his bed, after all.
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 6:26 pm
"Wha---mmpphgguhh." Vaith suddenly felt Xiu's body land dangerously against his, her lack of warning momentarily stunning the noise reaper into silence. Thank goodness she took caution so that he wouldn't end up with a concussion. But the silence enveloped them only for a moment. A steady stream of laughter followed, filling the room, Vaith's arms wrapping around Xiu. One hand on the lower edge of her back, the other buried in her lengthy white hair. His touch was affectionate, the tackle-hug reminding him of Tomoko slightly. Except, Xiu's stature was taller by a significant amount.
"You dont have to be that happy over it. Although if you are, I wouldn't mind a thank-you kiss." He pointed to his cheek, tipping his head, his manner typical of a youthful tiher. But Xiu's reply was cut off when the same idea struck Vaith. His smile widened, shaking his head.
"Actually, that's a boil's job, isn't it? Considering you're the one that gave me a lot more. Here goes."
One hand returned to turn Xiu's cheek towards him, brushing his lips against her upper cheek ever so briefly. His lips brushed past her ear and hair, his arm lowering shortly after. His friendly kiss lacked romanticism or anything related to that sort-- Vaith wasn't going to be accused of stealing anyone's first kiss. Maybe their fifth or sixth but he didn't think cheeks counted. After all, that's how thank-you kisses were. Vaith sort of expected Xiu's mind to break a little .. Well, it shouldn't too much, right?
...
.......
Right?
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:06 pm
Vaith had guessed correctly: Xiu's mind did break at the kiss, even if it was just a chaste kiss on the cheek. For some reason, while the baku had little to no problem with giving or getting a friendly kiss on the cheek from her female friends, it was an entirely different story when it came to her male friends. Case in point: ...well, right now.
The petite ghoul stiffened at the brush of lips on her face, pink eyes growing round. When Vaith drew away, Xiu turned her head to look at him, her expression was unreadable (though she looked relatively calm and collected). However, after a few seconds, a change finally came over her face, and it was a pretty obvious change to boot. There was a rush of color as her pale cheeks became a glowing shade of red, and to follow, the baku suddenly sounded extremely flustered as she scrambled to her feet.
"Y-YES, t-thank you for the pin, Vaith. A-anyways!" A quick look around the room as she not-so-obviously looked anywhere but at the reaper. "I, um! I better get going! I just remembered that...uh...I promised that I would go to the maul with--" Quick, Xiu! Think of a friend!
"--Vaith--"
FUUUU--A DIFFERENT FRIEND.
"IMEANMITSU. I-I promised Mitsu that I'd go out with her today! So..." She wrung her hands uncertainly, finally turning her gaze to where her friend sat. After a moment of hesitation, she dropped to her knees and gave the boil a proper hug. When she pulled back, she looked slightly more collected than before...until she puffed out her cheeks, her face growing red again.
"Y-you're not going to...do that again without warning, are you?" She put a hand over her cheek, wondering if it was true what so many people said to her--that she was fun to tease. Sighing, she dropped her hand. "I really should get going though. I just came by to check up on you and to bring you the gifts. I know you'll take care of them." The last part with added with a softer smile, and she clasped her hands together in front of herself. "It really, really means a lot to me. Please let me know if there's anything I can ever do to return the favour, okay?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:42 am
Vaith had to give Xiu a few props on her reaction-- she delayed it fairly well. His thumb brushed past his lip as he tried to stifle a little chuckle, his shoulders shaking suspiciously up and down. He couldn't help but laugh even more at Xiu's slip up, although it was silent but not subtly stifled. Xiu's train of thought wasn't entirely that hard to follow .. Although, he did question just a tiny bit, how she could screw it up in one of the funniest ways possible.
"Yeah. Vaith. I suppose you did promise him a trip to the maul the first time you guys met." He injected, raising his eyebrows. Her eyes didn't meet his and his eyes didn't meet her's, except the reasoning on both sides was vastly different. It was likely if he looked at Xiu's puffed up cheeks again, he would---- No, too late. The markings on his clothes twitched, bobbing, matching in rhythm with his shoulders and ringing chuckles.
"You're killing me here-- I dont think I've laughed this hard for awhile."
Considering that he was smiling rather than laughing .. but he was in one of his better, if not, one of his best moods that Xiu might have seen over the school year. He returned Xiu's proper hug with a brief one, pulling away. "I warned you, didn't I? But if a thank-you one riles you up like that, I'll try my best to not do it again." Vaith reassured the ghoul, holding up his hand for a high five. Vaith kept his promises, he was just that kind of boil. With a clicking sound, he gave Xiu an nod upwards, the atmosphere light, if not a little embarrassed.
"Sure. I'll call you in when I need a favor. Same to you, ask me if you need anything."
...
.......
"Have fun at the maul with Mistu and Vaiiiith."
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:37 pm
Oh Jack, it was true, wasn't it? She was easy to tease! Xiu didn't seem entirely pleased by this deduction, lifting her hands and covering her warm cheeks as best as she could. "I-I'm glad to see you're so amused," She grumbled, and...well, that wasn't entirely sarcastic. Seeing Vaith in such a good mood seemed somewhat rare, so she was honestly pleased about that. "And I know you warned me! I just..." The ghoul made a face, but after a few seconds ticked by, the mask broke to reveal a sheepish grin.
She got to the feet again, but paused to bend down and high-five Vaith's offered hand with a bright laugh. "I will! Thank you!" A quick glance around determined that she hadn't left anything behind, so she started towards the door...
...when the reaper suddenly spoke up. Xiu froze, her hand on the doorknob. She could feel the warmth rise in her cheeks again, and with a pout, she turned to glance at her friend over her shoulder. "I-I'll have you know that...that one of my berrors is named Vaith!" So...so there! "Anyways! I'll...I'll see you later!"
Xiu slipped out of the door, but before she could close it completely, she muttered something--something that was not very quiet, and probably still audible to the boil sitting inside. ".............I don't really have to go back to my room and name one of my berrors 'Vaith' now, right?" Her voice sounded vaguely concerned, and the door clicked shut behind her shortly after.
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