heteroduplexing | [Free for all] Christmastiiiiime is heeeere

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[Free for all] Christmastiiiiime is heeeere

CHRISTMASTIME

comment with your character(s). leave blank or write starters or whatever floats your friggin' boat
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CHRISTMAS. CHEER. SNOW. MISTLETOE. JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON etc
or winter solstice/whatever exists in your character's world but do technicalities really matter I thought not
CATCH (because there has to be one): no Scrooges!! no matter how grumpy you might normally be at this (or any other) time of year, you suddenly find yourself in the Christmas spirit and partaking in Christmas things. That doesn't mean you're necessarily going to enjoy it, but you can't quite stop, either...
BE LOVELY, FRIENDS

Her normal routine consisted of making a warm cup of cocoa, switching on her little corner store-bought radio, and curling up with a good book until the countdown began. Even when she had been close friends with Mika, it had always been the same, every New Years Eve. The books may have changed and the voices drifting through the speakers may have gotten older. But for the most part, her routine had remained relatively the same.

It was modest and downplayed and quiet. And for Anri, it was comfortable. Going out and about among a crowd of people stumbling around in their drunken stupor seemed far from being anything remotely pleasant. But Kida had asked - insisted - that they celebrate this year together and start a new tradition of their own. Because they were family. And this was what families did. And though she was reluctant to give in, there was a small part of her that almost... welcomed the change and embraced the reprieve from the normal calm and silence.

After all, Kida was anything but either.

So, at a quarter til nine, there was a certain quiet and mousy girl wandering down the street towards the appointed meeting place, dressed as festive as she was able.

'Festive,' Kida hoped, meant 'looking super-cute and sexy in a winter kimono, ready to visit the local shrine like they'd planned', though Anri looked super-cute and sexy no matter what she wore, so he wouldn't really be disappointed even if she was in something less traditional. For his part, he was wearing warm but stylish (as always) street clothes, and when he saw Anri, he stepped out of the doorway he'd been lurking in and waved at her with his whole arm as he called out to her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAANRI-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN~! ♥ Over here!"

Definitely not calm or silent.

Mikado wasn't anywhere in sight at the moment--this could very well end up being pretty close to a proper date, if he didn't show at all.

Edited 2015-04-05 23:54 (UTC)

Well, cute was a matter of opinion that Anri was sure she had little knowledge on. At least not enough to make any sort of judgement. But Kida's hopes of seeing her in a lovely kimono comes to pass, the back hem nearly trailing behind her along the ground as she walked. It was something that used to belong to her mother, as did most of her more elegant robes. And while the young girl still did well to fill it out spectacularly, Anri was hardly as tall as her mother had been.

Still, it all made for quite a sight to behold among the shuffling crowd.

"Ah, Kida-kun..." It was hardly a surprise to her by now that Masaomi would call out to her in such a way. All the same, there may have been a tinge of color in her cheeks for all the attention it drew to him. And her by default as she moved over towards where he stood. "Um... Happy New Years."

Kida threw his arms wide as she reached him, not caring one bit about the stares turned their way--anyone as flashy and good-looking as he was had to be used to the attention! And he'd only draw more eyes if he was seen with an attractive girl like Anri, so the stares were only to be expected!

"Happy New Year to you as well, Anri-chan! Ahhhhhh~ You've already made one of the dearest-held ~WISHES OF MY HEART~ come true just by showing up, and looking even lovelier than usual in a kimono, no less! You're a vision, an image of ~TRUE BEAUTY~ and grace and perfection that makes my heart go doki doki unashamedly!"

If she lets him, he'll reach for her hand and drop a courtly kiss on the back of it, then cheerfully tuck it into the crook of his arm and start pulling her down the street.

"Mikado never messaged me back about visiting the shrine, and to be honest I think I've waited here long enough already, so let's go! He can catch up to us-" Leaning over a bit, Kida gave Anri a grin and a sly wink "-Or even better, he could miss us entirely!" ♥

Eyes widening at the initial touch, the young girl quickly lowered her gaze to stare at the ground beneath their feet as they started to wander off. And per their normal daily exchange, the heat in her face only grew, suggesting that the color of it simply deepened in kind behind the large rim of her glasses, even as her fingers naturally curved into the crook of his arm. But by now, Anri was accustomed to it while in the presence of Kida Masaomi. Her only saving grace was that Mikado was not there as well to fuel Kida's antics and mischievous nature.

Well, not any more than he may already do now that all attention would be on her, instead, without his best friend to tease.

"O-oh? Mikado-kun isn't here yet?" Brows knitting gently with worry, she turned to the other. It was not like the third person of their party to be late to anything let alone an opportunity to spend time with his best friend. And if he could not come at all, the young boy would have sent a message saying so beforehand out of polite courtesy. "I hope everything is alright..."

Kida hadn't received any news from any of his former gang members, and no news was typically good news--they would've said something if there was a Dollars or Blue Square meet-up. But his phone had been silent all night, no texts from anyone at all.

He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or suspicious. But then again, it was a holiday. Even jerks and gang-bangers celebrated the New Year.

And so Kida just gave a little laugh at Anri's last comment. "Ahh, no worries, no worries~ I'm sure he's just fine, Anri-chan! He's probably just being his usual uncool self, and didn't have the ~GUTS~ to show up tonight!"

Putting on a 'worried housewife' sort of tone and manner, Kida's face shifted into an (obviously fake and overdone) anxious expression, looking for all the world like the worried parent of a small child.

"I mean, it IS past his bedtime! Really, dear, we shouldn't've asked our son to stay up so late!"

As quickly as he'd put it on, Kida dropped the 'housewife' act, giving Anri a bright grin instead as he guided the both of them down the actually somewhat decently populated streets towards the Mitake Shrine.

"Heh, but enough about Mikado! He isn't here, so let's talk about you! Or me! Or best of all, US!" ♥

Much the same, the schoolgirl had not received any word from Mikado about any sort of cancellation to their plans. And if she were being completely honest, Anri had not expected there to be any. As much of a wallflower as he was - they both were, she and him - there had been an eagerness and anticipation in his words when Kida first proposed the idea of spending the night out and celebrating the coming of the New Year. Very rarely did she ever hear her schoolmate tell his exuberant best friend no. And even then, it was usually a customary rejection before ultimately giving in to the other's outlandish whims.

She did not want to consider the possibility that something was wrong. But at the same time, there was always a chance. And in the back of her mind, Anri considered calling on the scattering of Saika children in the city to keep a look out and make sure her worries were unfounded. But that would ruin their nights as well, wouldn't it?

What was she to do?

Bear with it, she supposed. Because Kida was still here, and waiting for the night of festivities to begin.

"Um... I guess..." Nervously, she tugged on the sleeve of her kimono and quietly followed along to where he decided to lead her. "So... wh... what should we do, first?"

Kida gave a thoughtful hum as they came in sight of the temple, easily leading Anri along and navigating the already-crowded area.

"It's pretty cold tonight, even with our combined ~HOTNESS RATIO~ that's so far through the roof it's practically in orbit, so we should get amazake while we wait for midnight to come!"

His eyes were eagerly scanning the area as they made their way up the steps, enjoying the atmosphere and the sight of so many people in kimonos, though Kida was extra careful to help support Anri on the snowy stairs.

"It'll be my treat, of course, so don't worry about that!"

The grip of her fingers came more naturally when she stopped herself from thinking on it for too long (the other even occasional moved to touch at his forearm when they moved through the thicker parts of the crowd). Because as graceful as Kida liked to believe her to be and said she was, Anri was still not as accustomed to walking in the traditional geta that came with wearing ceremonial kimonos. And while it should not have been too difficult under normal circumstances, having to walk in snow made things a little more treacherous.

She trusted Kida, though, and had faith that he would continue to be her savior. As he (and Mikado) always had been. So the worry was more out of her own habit after consigning to live the life of a parasite for so many years.

"I-i - " She cut herself off, there, at the familiar phrasing, feeling a little like a parrot mimicking words it had heard a hundred times but could hardly understand. More so, now, with the deep plumage of her kimono out on display for the world to see. But she was more than just that, right?

Hadn't she promised herself that after everything?

Taking a breath, her delicate fingers squeezed on his arm again as Anri tried to gather her resolve. And found that her voice came a lot easier once she committed herself to the task.

"I-it's okay, Kida-kun. You... you don't have to do that." Still. Baby steps. "I... I can... pay for myself..."

Kida looked over at her as she gripped his arm, and after giving a momentarily wide-eyed blink, his smile grew warmer. There was a soft sort of sincerity in it that wasn't often present, that Kida himself likely didn't know he was showing as he rested his own hand atop Anri's.

"Ahhh, you say I don't have to, but what kind of man would I be if I made my date pay for things, especially when I'm the one who suggested it in the first place!"

The usual glib cheerfulness slipped back to the forefront of his expression as he continued to babble at her happily, but the way his fingers curled around hers was telling.

"It's not every day that I get the chance to treat a beautiful girl to amazake! In fact, this is the first time I've ever had the chance! So please, Anri-chan-"

Eyelids dropping half-closed, his voice took on a calculatedly would-be seductive edge as he leaned in and murmured beside her ear, "...Let me have the honor? At least this once?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Free for all] Christmastiiiiime is heeeere

I do have quite the collection of ladies... PHASE FEEL FREE TO JOIN IN?

YES joining in is much recommended (if you want to protect Anri-chan from Kida's flirting, anyway~)

Oh Phaaaaa~aaaase~

NOPE, HE WAITED LONG ENOUGH, HE CAN STEAL YOU AWAY AND IT CAN BE A DATE NOW 8D

Look at that, Kida gets a date with Anri before Mikado does~

YEP, HE TOTALLY DOES ♥ (SORRY NOT SORRY, BRO)

AND THEN I RETURN 84 YEARS LATER EXTREMELY RUSTY AND OUT OF PRACTICE

ANOTHER 45 YEARS LATER...

BEYOND FASHIONABLY LATE

[1/2] EVEN MORE FASHIONABLE

[2/2]