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It was like any other light, winter snow. It was chilly and clouds hung in the sky but if you looked up you could swear you could still see the stars. The snow falls gently and coats the ground in a light layer--but these aren't normal snowflakes. Mixed in with the regular snow, crystalized snowflakes seem to be falling. These are roughly the size of a quarter and are light and hollow. They are fragile, like glass, but glisten like a fine cut gem. No one can explain this anomaly, but these small snowflakes won't melt. And they are all over Destiny City. You can find them gently falling to the ground, or lying in the fresh fallen snow. They don't seem evil--but they do make for some cute keepsakes!
A rip of tape from the dispenser and a soft a-ha! filled the apartment's otherwise silent emptiness as the dark haired young man put the finishing touches on the last gift to slide under the tree.
Rising to his feet, he admired his handiwork. Serah had come by weeks prior to help him set up and decorate the tree, sensing his seasonal depression having amped up to another historic level as they entered the holiday time of the year. It was easy to forget that Akio's family lived continents away, celebrating the holiday in their own traditions. In Destiny City, most everyone had someone to come home to - someone to celebrate in their own way with. He didn't.
Serah had promised to come by on Christmas Day to spend the evening with him, but her own busy schedule was full with work and friends and while he enjoyed tagging along for some after-work adventures, the loneliness of the holiday season always managed to find him. Santa Claus was in every mall instead of Hoeiosho, people gave each other fruit cakes instead of his childhood favorite, Christmas sponge cakes. Even Serah had giggled at him when he mentioned attempting to fry chicken for Christmas dinner - ah, well. Some things were simply better off left in Japan, he supposed.
Rubbing his hands against his slacks, he studied the room. The mood was missing something. He'd run out of logs for the fireplace, but the lights on the tree were twinkling enough to make up for the loss and now that he was finished wrapping, the tree looked complete.
It was as he softly hummed to himself that it dawned on him just how quiet the apartment had become. Smirking to himself, he decided it was time to try out the new present he'd been given for his birthday. The pink haired girl had laughed, telling him that this way he'd never be alone since there'd be a "girl" with him all the time and teased him that she'd struggle with jealousy. She'd shown him how to work it, but Akio was still finding it difficult to converse with the electronic voice of the Amazon Echo.
"Alexa, play Christmas music."
The speaker whirled itself awake, a flurry of colors illuminating the rim of the device. A pleasant, if not a little cold, voice responded back, "I'm afraid I don't understand your question, Akio."
Was his accent messing up his request again? Didn't the Japanese create Amazon, for God's sake?!
Taking a deep breath, he focused on his enunciation. "Please play Christmas music."
The black cylinder failed to light up, the foreigner forgetting the one key, important rule - always address Alexa.
Rolling his eyes, he let out a dramatic sigh and gave up on the endeavor. The apartment was getting too lonely anyhow - perhaps he would venture out on the town and listen to the music playing around the mall? He did still need to find presents for the little ones at his nameless beauty's mansion. Once in a while, especially when it was snowy, he'd make his infamous appearance to cheer up both the dark haired mistress of the house and little Giulia and Aidan. While the damned cat was never happy to see him, the others seemed to perk up when the white seal made a grand entrance into their pool or found his way sliding into the marble entryway thanks to the oversized cat door.
Yeah, the twins might get a kick out of seeing him, so close to Christmas. Why not, right?
Throwing his coat over his shoulders, he nabbed his keys from the breakfast bar and locked the door behind him. The cold was clearly a bother to everyone still adventuring out into the streets of Destiny City, but Akio embraced the chill as he hurried his way towards the shopping district. He used to not care for the winter months, with all the slush and wetness and frigid snow - it was amusing, how things are apt to change in such short time.
It was as he turned the corner towards the bus stop that a soft tap on his forehead caught his attention. Glancing up, he expected to see the flurry of snowflakes amidst a darkened, endless sky, but never had the snowflakes actually possessed a shape before. One ungloved hand outstretched itself as a small, tiny snowflake landed softly in his palm. It was beautiful, yet simple.
Pinching it between his fingers, he expected the flake to dissolve, but it merely rested between the pads of his thumb and forefinger, nestled softly. It was cold, as snow normally should be, but it wasn't breaking.
Unusual. He gave it a few more testing pinches and attempted to break it, applying even more pressure than before. Still, it resisted, keeping its perfect shape.
Turning his head, he glanced in both directions. There wasn't a sense of any danger around him, but still the odd snowflakes remained unexplained. They were pretty enough to almost pass for decorations or ornaments, as opposed to their destined fate of being cast aside and stomped across on the well-beaten pathway.
A figurative light bulb popped over his head as he caught a second, then a third snowflake in his naked palm as he stood still on the sidewalk. Ornaments. What sort of toys would a pair of twins want that they didn't already have anyways, right? This could make for a decent present for an innocent looking seal to find laying around - perfect.
Ducking into an alley, he gently placed what was now five snowflakes in between his thin lips. It would have been an amusing scene, had anyone actually spotted the grown man, but within a moment Akio Yoshida was gone and in his place was a young, elf-like looking human. A second later and the alley was entirely empty.
A blink later and a pudgy white seal was scooting his way across the snowy lawn of a familiar looking, oversized mansion. A muffled series of orks bellowed out into the night as he kept the ornament-like snowflakes secured safely in his mouth. A light from the porch came on and he could have sworn he heard a child's laughter before the door opened, the warm home an inviting, dearly appreciated invitation to come in from the lonely cold.
