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Musketeers: Special Holiday Edition!; To all friends of Selene, Jonny and Yuki!
Topic Started: Dec 17 2011, 02:10 PM (1,515 Views)
Sujin
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Dangerously Cheesy.
Yuki nodded a small thank you and a smile to Mariko, hugging her bear and feeling her cheeks warm up just a bit at the comment about her being cute. While she was often associated with cute things, it wasn't often (if ever) that the term was applied directly to her, at least not so openly. But she wouldn't dwell on it and redirected her attention.

She watched carefully while Selene peeled back the paper covering the small box in her hands. It couldn't have been much bigger than a book, yet it looked like it had a bit more weight to it than that. When Selene extracted the picture and held it up to look at it, Yuki took it upon herself to crawl (bear tucked under one arm) to a better vantage point behind the girl to look over her shoulder. The photo was set aside before Yuki could get a good glance at it but no matter, the red jewel attached to the chain immediately distracted her and gained all the attention. The pink-haired girl's eyes widened in awe at the gem, never having seen anything that almost appeared to emanate its own warm glow from the inside...though it's entirely possible that was a trick from the lights.

Her expression slowly melted into a smile after noticing how much Selene loved the gift, and giving her own gift a hug, she flashed a grin and a thumbs-up to Jonny for selecting the perfect presents.

"That looks just like you, Selene-san! Er, at least...seems like something you'd love!"

While Yume-chan was opening her box of chocolates and popping truffles into her mouth (Yuki was well-versed in what a box of chocolates sounded like when shaken), she reached over and carefully picked up the photograph that had been set aside. She held it carefully in both hands and looked it over, immediately recognizing her two best friends, and yet...having no idea where this picture was taken. She thought she was pretty familiar with all of the spots in Hyakuji, and given the date printed on the photo, she didn't think the city looked like that at that time of year. Then again, did Japan even?

"Hey Selene-san, where was this picture--"

Somewhere between the opening of Selene and Yume's presents, and the presentation of the traditional Chinese holiday food by the chocolate-devouring girl, Mariko started acting very strange. Yuki's attention was taken away from the photograph and over to the girl who had stumbled for some reason, almost appearing like she'd gotten punched in the face. Yuki left t he photo and scrambled up to help prevent Mariko from falling backwards completely, taking careful hold of her shoulders.

"Mariko-san! Are you okay, do you need to sit down?"

"I... The... But... and... You know what? I really need to stop being surprised by the events that happen like that..."

"Eh..?" Yuki frowned at her lack of understanding, tilting her head to one side in confusion. Clearly this girl needed something, whether it was to take a seat or get some food in her due to low blood sugar. "Ano...come sit down, Mariko-san! I bet Yume-chan's food is super tasty and will help you feel better," she instructed with a smile, carefully leading her over to a chair. "Sit with Kuma-kun!" And before there was any protest, Mariko would find the giant stuffed bear either in her lap, arms or vicinity--whichever made itself presentable.

Moments later another familiar figure came through the door, though she looked a bit unsure of herself with her hesitant declaration of arrival. Yuki immediately brightened and threw up her arms in celebration.

"Youma-chan! You made it!"

And whether or not she wanted one, she was going to get pulled through the door as well as a giant glomp from the energy epicenter of the room. This glomp was cut short by the severe need for Yuki to shut the door to the outside, feeling like her soul was being sucked out of her by the frigid winter air. Once the heat was sealed, she rubbed her hands together for warmth and turned to her roommate again with a grin.

"We're so glad you came! We weren't sure when you didn't seem too excited about coming to the Christmas party... you can meet Mariko-san and Yume-chan. We promise you won't regret coming!"

She may have later realized she'd eat those words when potentially the only reason Youma really showed up wasn't there...so Yuki shot herself in the foot before she had the chance to point the proverbial gun somewhere else. Whatever that means. Feeling a rumble in her tummy, she covered her stomach with her hand as if to suppress the sound and gave a small laugh.

"Eheh... time to eat?"

Needless to say, she'd completely forgotten about the photograph.
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Lawman
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Chosen of Ares
Flashback

"A giant teddy bear for Yuki-san? That's very kawaii... Just like Yuki-san is." Mariko commented on the pink-haired girl's present.

"That looks just like you, Selene-san! Er, at least...seems like something you'd love!" Yuki chimed in on the corporate heiress' present.

"Glad you all enjoyed your presents though. Merry Christmas."

And Thianbang also had a treat of her own, celebrating the Winter Solstice the Chinese way concurrently, the Chinese girl had also prepared a mouthwatering array of traditional Chinese dishes and other goodies!

"And that's one of the reasons why Jonny's so dear to us all, he knows his friends so well, doesn't he?" Selene beamed at Mariko, Yuki and Thianbang, then at Jonny. All of whom clearly enjoyed the gifts they'd gotten from Jonny - who'd certainly put in much thought into the gifts, chuckling as Thianbang jumped over to Jonny and as a gesture of appreciation for the gifts gave the super speedster a lick on the cheek like she had done earlier with the corporate heiress as a greeting.

The corporate heiress glanced over to Yuki as the pink-haired girl picked up the photo that had come with the necklace, and no doubt the corporate heiress guessed that her friend would have some questions about the photo that she and Jonny had taken during their short stay in England. And the corporate heiress could feel a knot tying in her stomach as Yuki asked, "Hey Selene-san, where was this picture--" Selene felt a tingle run down her spine; how was she supposed to talk about this photo without giving the wrong idea to her friend?

"Ah, Yuki-chan, remember that time when I posted on my Facebook saying that I would be flying back to England to visit my friends and family during the holidays? I-" before the corporate heiress could finish however, the subject of the photograph was momentarily shoved aside as Mariko displayed a rather disturbing development, with the redhead suddenly reeling like as if she'd taken a punch to the face. "Ah, Mariko-chan!" Selene exclaimed, eyes widening in shock.

"Mariko-san! Are you okay, do you need to sit down?" Not understanding the redhead's rather... cryptic response the pink-haired girl proceeded to usher her into a nearby chair next to the rather conveniently-named teddy bear Kuma-kun while Selene retrieved the photograph, tucking it away into one of her pockets.

"You got to learn to take it easy, Mariko-chan. That's what the holidays are for," the corporate heiress added, making out something about being "surprised" as she fanned her scarf at Mariko to produce a gentle breeze, making it look like as though it were an interval during a boxing match. A momentary gust of cold outside air drew the corporate heiress' attention towards the entrance, and there at the antechamber was none other than Youma, the sight of the half-phantom bringing a smile to the corporate heiress' face.

"Youma-san, you came after all! Such a pleasant surprise!" the corporate heiress spread her arms out wide with a broad smile at the half-phantom's arrival, however unexpected.

"Youma-chan! You made it!" And no one throws a warm welcome quite like Yuki, as the pink-haired girl greeted the half-phantom in the way she knows best. "We're so glad you came! We weren't sure when you didn't seem too excited about coming to the Christmas party... you can meet Mariko-san and Yume-chan. We promise you won't regret coming!" And a rumble from the pink-haired girl's belly elicited a giggle from the corporate heiress.

"Eheh... time to eat?"

"And while we're at it... I would like to present my gifts to you," Selene said as she nodded at the guests present. "First off, for the three of you who meant a lot to me..." the corporate heiress said as she went over to the Christmas tree to retrieve three rectangular gift boxes of similar sizes, albeit with different wrappings - each one that corresponds to one of the Musketeers. A shiny red one with a gold ribbon for Jonny, a pink one with a Sakura blossom print and a green ribbon, and a blue one with a white ribbon for Seth. "Eh, maybe one of you could pass this to Seth-kun when you see him?" the corporate heiress mused. "You know, even though he may not be here at this party, his friendship still means a lot to us," the English heiress said as she awaited her friends' response.

"And of course, to the others as well, merry Christmas to all of you," the corporate heiress continued with a smile before retrieving three more wrapped gift boxes of varying sizes and wrappings, one for Mariko, another for Thianbang and yet another for Youma.
Edited by Lawman, Jan 4 2012, 01:56 PM.
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Kounoko
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光の子
         And so, the poor Zhimeng struggles in the broom closet, tears in her eyes.
Posted Image
         "I am not Cacofonix... this is just mean..." She grumbled to herself through the cloth gagging her, her voice is naturally muted by the cloth.
         Oh well, consider this punishment for your sins, Zhimeng-Chan.

         Now back to the party...
         Puzzled at Jonny's actions, Zhimeng asked, "Why are you pinching yourself? Doesn't that hurt?" Totally oblivious of the result of her actions.
         "Ah! The food, a good friend of Selene-Sama and me cooked them, a pity she couldn't come today, strange, I must say, I remember Chitbang-Chan actually say she will be coming over with two bottles of Vintage Champion and a bottle of Guinness Stout. Wonder what could have happened to her last minutes. Really sad she isn't here right? Selene-Sama." She said to her good old friend.
         Apparently, that other dream had decided to paste labels that reads, '9 Pisses in 1', '10,000 Pisses Unite United' and 'Prank Arson Solution' onto her bottles of Champion and Stout in order to troll Selene, the stupid joke, naturally have the side effect of causing her unavailability due to being tied up and gagged in one of the broom closets.
         Trolling is a bad idea when attending a friend's Christmas party, it seems. Especially when you are not invited. Well, it's little wonder why the nice but stupid dream is invited but the evil one isn't, and when she decided to turn up uninvited anyway and starts trolling...
         Oh well. Too bad. Now back to the party.

         "Hi!" Thianbang greeted the girl that just arrived, " SiongKoan ThianBang here! You can call me Yume-Chan!"
         Then Selene gives everyone her gifts for them.
         "Wow! A gift from you too? Thanks Selene-Sama." the witch says as she open up her gift and find a set of Chinaware plates. "Awesome~ I like them." She smiled.

         "Eating sounds like a good idea!" Said the witch as she placed all the food Zhimeng had prepared onto the dinner table together with the other food, "What do you think? Selene-Sama?"
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Edited by Kounoko, Jan 9 2012, 07:29 AM.
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Jonny
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It would seem that Jonny had succeeded in his quest - at least with those present - to bring a happy holidays to his friends. The gifts were all appreciated by their receivers, though some had clearly shown their affection differently from one another. Still, he'd take what he could get - and if what he could get was a bunch of smiles and happy friends, then he'd gladly take it.
"Why are you pinching yourself? Doesn't that hurt?" Thianbang expressed her confusion - or perhaps even concern - at Jonny's response to her sudden licking of the cheek. He ultimately didn't give an answer to her, save an awkward stare and a grin, because he suspected he might just dig the hole a little deeper should he do so. At the very least, it distracted him from Mariko's own reaction to the rather close encounter.

Jonny then turned his head towards the door, as with much jubiliation from his friends, it was revealed that they had yet another guest to the party. However, unlike the arrival of Thianbang, this was a face he almost certainly recognised, and he smiled as he gave a small wave towards the girl who had entered with a very short hello.
"Hey Youma, it's good to se-" His attempts to welcome the girl in were preempted by Yuki's own, and he couldn't help but burst out in jolly laughter as she greeted Youma, as she had rewarded him for his present to her.

In time, Yuki released the girl, even if partly to ensure the cold air didn't rush in and spoil both the mood, and the literal atmosphere inside the room. The boy speedster was quick to extract from his sack of wonders, another present, similar to the one Thianbang had been given, though the exact brand hidden beneath the wrapping paper would be different. He walked over to the newly arrived girl, and held it out to her, a warm smile upon his face as he subsequently spoke.
"Merry Christmas Youma - here's a gift for you." Jonny handed his present to her as Yuki brought up the possibility of digging into the food Thianbang had brought along.

"And while we're at it... I would like to present my gifts to you," Selene had evidently it was now her turn to do some gift giving, instead of leaving it all to Jonny as Santa Jr.
"First off, for the three of you who meant a lot to me..." Selene went over to the tree, and Jonny only then just realised the line of presents beneath it, to be more than simply a decoration to complete the feel. One present, wrapped in red, was placed into his hands, and he couldn't but help to feel a little about waiting to open it. Whilst indeed, it was always better to give than it was to receive, the actual process of receiving a gift - particularly from friends as dear as these - was often quite euphoric, even before a shred of paper was torn.

"Eh, maybe one of you could pass this to Seth-kun when you see him?" Selene noted the absence of the third gift receiver, and Jonny began to consider their possibilities.
"Well, if I had any idea where the heck he is, I could get it to him pretty quick... Though, I know Youma tends to see him, so maybe she could...?" He asked aloud, before eventually, he decided to get straight to the matter at hand - opening his present from Selene.

Jonny pulled apart the ribbon, surprised to find that, in the day and age of cellotape, there were those who still managed to securely wrap things with such things. With it gone, much of the wrapping unfurled, and Jonny pulled it away, until he was left with an ambiguous, and fairly unimpressive, white box.
"Hmm..." Doubting that such would be all there was to the present, Jonny opened up the box itself, and his eyes lay upon what was almost certainly, the real gift.

"A watch...?" He muttered as he extracted the device, and placed it upon his wrist. He pressed the single button, presuming that was how one started it, and indeed, the screen soon lit up in a vibrant display. Icons were lined across the bottom of the screen, though in time those faded, leaving only the measure of the current time itself.
"I wonder..." Jonny said quietly, admittedly not actually bothering to pick up and read the instruction manual, as given the lack of buttons, he touched the screen itself to see if he would receive any response.

"Oh wow!" The response was indeed there, as the screen lit up once more. Now slightly aware of what he was doing, he began to scroll through the icons with his finger, reading them off, and being contually impressed by the sheer volume and complexity.
"Cities... Temperature... Global positioning system..." There was a restraint laughter in the boy's voice as he read them off - this was a freaking smartphone as a watch, and then some.
"It can even do video calls!" He yelled in amazement as he pulled out an extra screen via the provided handle, indicating it could do so with multiple people.

"This has gotta be one of the most advanced personal devices on the face of the Earth. I haven't even heard of anything like this hitting the market, let alone seen anything." That meant either this was wholly a concept creation, or it was deep in it's prototypical stages. Either way, Jonny could hardly believe it - or that Selene had been so concerned over his expenses - what was before him, and he turned to Selene with the biggest of smiles.
"I... I honestly don't know what to say. This is one of the most.... It's really incredible... Just thank you - thank you so much for getting it for me." Jonny couldn't find words that wholly expressed how he felt for Selene's kindness, but the fervent blush on his face might have been an indicator.

"I really... I really wish I could have given you more, after this..." He rubbed the back of his neck, now slightly aware of how Selene must have felt upon receiving the necklace. It was a mixture of anxiety and guilt from inadequacy on one's part, but also a desire to thoroughly express one's gratitude regardless.
And the weirdest thing, was that he could feel something else as he looked at her. Like he'd never seen her smile so bright, or her presence so warm. It made him so happy to see, even as it confused him right down to the core.
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Fin
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One does not simply eat one packet of mee goreng
"Gwah! Y-Yukiii... get a hold of yourself!" The girl in green and white was visibly flustered and suffocating when she was assaulted by the genki girl's dreaded glomp. She could never get used to the attention and affection from the pink-haired girl never seemed to run out of. It was a kind gesture, albeit quite awkward for the half-phantom. "Yu... ki... come on, you've glomped me enough time already every morning..."

She was visibly glad when she was freed, finally getting the chance to steal a couple of glance around the penthouse for that typical seedy-looking face of his in his usual black sweater. Here? There? Her face fell slightly when she failed to locate his whereabout. The place wasn't especially big, and there's no reason for him to actually hide away from her seeing as he himself had attempted to invite her (an action she had thoroughly ignored). In the bathroom perhaps? Half her mind was tempted to barge through the aforementioned door just for the hell of it. "Uh... where's Seth-"

She was cut short however, when a package specifically addressed to her was suddenly stuffed into her hand via Jonny. Her eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected gift, looking nervously between Jonny and the square package in her hand as though she had been handed a bomb. What else do you expect, that was like... the first gift she had ever gotten from like... anyone. "W-wait... boy, what is this...?" Oh, she knows what it is. It's just that, the girl was so taken aback she was actually attempting to deny the fact that she had gotten her first ever Christmas present in seven hundred years. It was a weird feeling to say the least. And as if that wasn't enough, she got another one from Selene as well. From her expression it was as though she couldn't even remember what she was supposed to be here for in the first place. "Wait...wait, what's all this for...?"

And it wasn't until Selene mentioned something about passing a present to Seth does she remember her initial reasoning. Though from the context of their conversation... he's not here? "W-wait, what do you mean, he's not here?"
Edited by Fin, Jan 8 2012, 02:59 AM.
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wolffenrirhelix
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The Gundam-nut
Very quickly, Mariko was grabbed by Yuki and steered to a chair, with the giant teddy bear occupying her lap second later... Needless to say, it almost prompted a fangirl "squee", but she was able to hold it in...

"Must... Not fangirl Squee... Over all the kawaii-ness..."

Selene's scarf-waving with the cool breeze helped as well, and it made the swirly-eye-thingy she was currently sporting vanish...

"First Christmas I've spent with friends, and I've already suffered a nosebleed like a shameless fangirl... Still, better than last year, when I was alone..."

Fortunetly, not revealling that she was also a yuri-fangirl, was a good idea... So far... Who knows how they'd react to that? Though at the mention of eating, she did blush slightly... Having not tried Chinese food before, and she said as such...

"As delicous as those sound, I'm afraid, I've never had Chinese before... Western food, yes... And obviously, Japanese food, even some Korean food on the odd few times my parents took me out for Korean Barbecue, but never Chinese... So it might be... Interesting... And a change from ramen and yakitori, like I usually have..."

Though, she was quickly cut-off by Selene's present-giving, and she unwrapped her gift.

"Nani...?"

It was a camera... A decent model and make at that too... Just like Johnny's present of make-up and a pair of bracelets had caught her off-guard, the camera was an unexpected and not unwelcome surprise... As surprises and presants went, it was better than her usual family-meeting christmas', what with the feelings being even more tender and warm-hearted than normal...

"Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu, Selene-chan..."

She hadn't really noticed Youma yet, nor had said half-phantom introduced herself to the red-head yet, so she hadn't quite had the pleasure of being introduced yet.
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Sujin
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Dangerously Cheesy.
Yuki beamed after receiving the gift from Selene, and noticed that it had a similar shape and size to the ones she intended to be for Jonny and Seth. The fact that the gifts were given to her and Jonny with the precursor of being Selene's closest friends, she couldn't imagine what was possibly inside. With a seemingly uncapped budget and state of the art research and development, she wouldn't be surprised if a tiny, robotic pet dog were in there. She briefly turned and smiled at Youma, who seemed ultimately taken aback by the gifts she was getting.

"Of course there are presents for you, Youma-chan. You're our friend, and it's Christmas!" as if it were a no-brainer. Alternately, despite the logic she had used, she didn't actually expect anything from her friends, but knowing they put thought into it was what meant the most to her.

The girl admired the beautiful wrapping paper and the care that went into putting it together, taking in the image before taking it apart. Yuki hesitated before opening her own gift, enjoying watching the others open their presents and seeing their expressions since that was usually what her family did on Christmas. Mariko landed herself a really nice new camera and seemed just as appreciative as she had been for the other gift, and Yuki couldn't help but think if that was a "back-up present," what on earth Selene got for the people she KNEW would be there.

The incredulous look on Jonny's face intrigued Yuki more than anything, rarely seeing him in such a state since he generally seemed to be a fairly calm individual (unless thrown into an awkward situation). It was like a kid getting a brand new action figure with all the bells and whistles, only this was more of a toy for big kids. Much like she'd done for Selene, Yuki inched her way over to him to check out the gadget and everything the tiny device was capable of.

"Wow... I've never seen anything like that! I wonder if the GPS can keep up with you if you wanted to go somewhere across the world? That'd be neat!"

Parking herself back on the floor, she got down to business. Much like with Jonny's present, she carefully pulled off the ribbon and took care to rip as little of the wrapping paper as possible (even if it was going in the bin anyway). She was greeted with a white box and opened it up, finding a watch similar to Jonny's, but a little bit different. Hers was pink around the band and watch face, interspersed with some brilliant silver links in between on the band. As soon as she picked it up, the watch face flashed and a tiny LED screen displaying a field of flowers illuminated with the phrase "Hi Yuki!" popping into view.

"It knows my name!" she cried out, turning to Selene with a "how did it do that??" expression. It took some tapping and exploration, but she eventually found the menu and browsed some of the things it was capable of doing. It seemed to have pretty much the same things Jonny's did, and she guessed it was all built on the same software. Yuki slipped the watch onto her wrist and tightened it to the proper size, holding it out in front of her with a beaming smile. She couldn't believe that something so advanced was gifted to her. This seemed like the sort of thing only billionaires and celebrities would be able to get their hands on.

"Thank you so much, Selene-san! I hope this sort of thing wasn't too much trouble... and if it was, I really really appreciate it!" And what Yuki thank you wouldn't be complete without a hug, although the one for Selene was more of a real hug than a knock-you-off-your-feet tackle, from which she was soon released.

Turning away from the group and glancing down at the time on her new watch, she blinked a few times to process it in her mind. If it was correct, her delivery was running late... Nora should've been there by now. Her ears perked up and Yuki caught Jonny saying something about feeling like his gifts were inadequate, and she felt a small knot form in her stomach. While earlier she was feeling very proud and accomplished with the time and effort put into her gifts, she now worried they'd pale in comparison to the others. Her budget was a bit more restricted than Jonny and Selene so she tried to be thrifty about things, but now she worried they'd warrant not much more than a polite appreciative nod before they were stuffed in a drawer post-party and never seen again.

Then again, they were her good friends. Surely they'd understand she couldn't afford new flat screen TVs for everyone...not like they didn't already have one.

Going back to an earlier comment, Yuki looked over at Youma with a concerned expression.

"Seth-kun hasn't shown up. He mentioned something about having another Christmas party to go to, which I'm sure happens a lot this time of year. Can't be multiple places at once, and I guess he's pretty popular," she said with a shrug and a small smile. Hopefully Youma's crestfallen expression at the lack of Seth's presence didn't mean she'd turn around and head right back outside.

Yuki then turned to Mariko with her new camera in hand, trying to brighten things a bit, if not just for herself mentally.

"Mariko-san's now the official party photographer! We're counting on you to capture all the memories on film! Ganbatte~!" she cheered with an encouraging thumbs-up and a wink.
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Lawman
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Chosen of Ares
The corporate heiress beamed at Jonny as the super speedster unwrapped the present she had prepared for him carefully and with curiosity, watching as he opened the box to reveal his present. "A watch...?" Jonny wondered, as Selene giggled slightly at the boy's reaction, her eyes brightening as he pressed a button on his watch, clearly impressed at the functions the device possesses. It wasn't merely a device for telling the time... it was for all intents and purposes, a smartphone the size of a watch. The corporate heiress turned over to look at Yuki as the pink-haired girl began to open her gift, revealing a watch of a different design, but otherwise had all the features that Jonny's watch possesses.

"I'm glad you all liked it," Selene smiled as she pulled back the sleeve on her left arm to reveal that she was wearing a similar watch - the corporate heiress' own was styled in a distinctively traditional appearance - with a polished leather wrist strap and gold-plated buckle, the organic LED screen on the face displaying a high-definition mechanical watch face with Roman numerals. "It's a conceptual design - the product of a collaboration between Frostfire InfoComms and a renowned Swiss watchmaker; it's practically a smartphone that can be worn around one's wrist. I can proudly say we're among the handful of those who now possess this marvelous device years before it even hits the consumer market! And of course, I had them custom-designed to suit your aesthetic tastes... hope you all like it," the corporate heiress commented as she placed her hands together, bowing her head slightly.

"Thank you so much, Selene-san! I hope this sort of thing wasn't too much trouble... and if it was, I really really appreciate it!" Yuki replied, giving Selene a hug; albeit this time this was a more normal, friendly kind of hug instead of her standard-fare tackle, eliciting a small laugh from the corporate heiress as she let go after a while.

"Ah! The food, a good friend of Selene-Sama and me cooked them, a pity she couldn't come today, strange, I must say, I remember Chitbang-Chan actually say she will be coming over with two bottles of Vintage Champion and a bottle of Guinness Stout. Wonder what could have happened to her last minutes. Really sad she isn't here right? Selene-Sama." Thianbang commented after Selene mentioned how Zhimeng couldn't make it to the party at the last minute despite having prepared a sumptuous Chinese feast for the gang. And wait... what's that about the Vintage Champion and Guinness Stout? The corporate heiress felt a sudden pang of guilt seize her... was Yume-chan really just joking? Chuckling as she patted the back of the head, the corporate heiress made a point to herself to release Zhimeng later and offer her heartfelt apologies. It would be hard to enjoy the party with a guilty conscience, afterall.

"Dōmo arigatō gozaimasu, Selene-chan..." Mariko's expression of gratitude snapped the corporate heiress out of her reverie as she turned over to look at the redhead, who'd opened up the present given to her... revealing a digital camera. It was a pretty high-end model from a renowned brand to boot.

"You're welcome, Mariko-chan," the corporate heiress smiled as she took hold of the edges of her skirt and curtsied before straightening back up.

"I... I honestly don't know what to say. This is one of the most.... It's really incredible... Just thank you - thank you so much for getting it for me." Jonny replied, blushing visibly in response to the gift. It was a little ironic, when first it was Selene wondering if Jonny had spent a little too much in getting the necklace for her, and now the super speedster was clearly wondering if his gift was inadequate by comparison. "I really... I really wish I could have given you more, after this..." he continued as he looked at Selene, rubbing the back of his head.

"Aww... don't say that, Jonny! It's the heart that counts, really! And that is more valuable than even the most expensive..." the corporate heiress replied, looking at the super speedster right in the eye as her voice trailed off. Although this time around the corporate heiress thought she could see something more. Sure, she was aware of how Jonny would normally look at her - but this evening there was something else to his gaze that the corporate heiress couldn't quite put her finger on. "Jonny?" Selene wondered, blinking in puzzlement.

"I think here's where you demonstrate an old Christmas tradition, underneath a mistletoe," A familiar voice said with a chuckle from next to Selene.

"Arthur!?" Selene exclaimed in disbelief as she stared face to face with her brother, standing next to her in a gray tailored Italian business suit and maroon necktie with a gold tie pin, his waist-length pumpkin-colored hair tied back in a mid ponytail as usual. The corporate heiress glanced around the room, but it was clear that no one else saw Arthur. It was no teleportation spell, nor was it projecting an aspect - as the corporate heiress had detected no magical signatures whatsoever as Arthur (whom only Selene could see) flashed another one of his usual mischievous grins. Arthur... why did she have to remember what her brother said back at Uncle George's estate at a moment like this?

Of course, unknown to Selene herself, what everyone else heard however, was that the corporate heiress had (unconsciously) blurted out something about "an old Christmas tradition". And of course, among the various Christmas traditions, what else was the corporate heiress referring to when she said "under a mistletoe"? Yep, it was that Christmas tradition.

"Ever the fickle one," Arthur chuckled as he sat down on the couch. "Come on Selene... are you going to deny the fact that he means more to you than just a close friend?" the third son of Frostfire commented as Selene felt a knot tie inside the pit of her belly - well, perish that thought. While she couldn't deny that her brother had a point, but at the same time how could she be so selfish to think something like that? To think that Jonny's heart belonged to her? How could she bring herself to face Yuki if that were to come to pass?

"Well, I suppose the time's right to demonstrate a Christmas tradition," Selene said with a smile, momentarily glancing over to the couch where Arthur (which existed only in Selene's own mind) was sitting, then back at Jonny. "One that takes place under a mistletoe..." the corporate heiress continued - although she appeared calm and composed, inside she was a storm of conflicted feelings, taking a deep breath, the corporate heiress put on her best smile and went over to... Yuki; putting her arms around the pink-haired girl's shoulders and planting a kiss - a quick peck on the cheek; something that was common among continental Europeans as a gesture of affection amongst friends.

"And that is the Christmas tradition that takes place underneath the mistletoe," the corporate heiress commented with a smile and a wink as she let go of Yuki. Thank goodness for quick-thinking! Although unknown to the corporate heiress, her actions may have far bigger implications than she originally thought...
Edited by Lawman, Jan 11 2012, 08:12 AM.
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Kounoko
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Skipping this turn, not much TB can do or say this round.
Edited by Kounoko, Jan 15 2012, 02:39 PM.
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Jonny
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In the back of Jonny's mind, as he stared at Selene, thoughts began to stir through the teenager's mind. They were not thoughts of Youma, though her surprise at the giving of a gift had definitely been noticed. Nor were they currently of Seth, though the lack of their friend was certainly a concern that Jonny had registered. The only thing Jonny could possibly guess, was that Seth might perhaps be at an alternate celebration, as Yuki's words indicated, though he wouldn't have any solid details on the matter. As much as Seth was one of their friends, the Musketeers could hardly claim sole ownership on his friendship, and thus if there were others with whom he wished to celebrate the holidays, then such could be expected.

His thoughts were not of Mariko either, though there had been a nagging concern at the back of his mind when he first invited her here. Of his friends, he had never formally introduced the girl to the others before this point, and vice versa. Whilst it was unlikely she would be rejected as such, the boy certainly had no guarantee - particularly given what had happened to Mariko - that she would cope with the situation. That she would at all find a way to enjoy the festive season, particularly amongst strangers.
Thus, it was with much great relief that Jonny found her welcome, cared for, and most importantly, happy. If there was any gift that the boy dressed as Santa could have given her, then the chance to smile was certainly what she needed.

His thoughts were not even of Yuki in that moment, though she had certainly been forefront as he looked towards the holidays. Of all those he knew, she was perhaps the most innocent, and equally the most grief stricken, in the life they all lead. Her best friends all took charge against forces of evil when called upon, whilst at most, her guardian Nora would be the one to step upon the field. But even then, it was rare that she would willing leap into the fray as they did, and for it, she was left to watch or learn from afar as her friends were greatly injured. She more than deserved a time of peace, in wish no great disaster or frustration would arise. Hopefully, today was to be part of such time, and heaven help anyone who tried to change that.

But still, his thoughts were not of her - and certainly not of the near stranger Thianbang. Whilst she was definitely a curious addition to the party, she was hardly unwelcome, just as Mariko was.
In all truth, Jonny's thoughts lay solely in the girl standing before him, and he was beginning to realise perhaps why.
"An old Christmas tradition... underneath a mistletoe..." His thoughts were disrupted however, by the corporate heiress' words, which escaped from her lips. It was sudden, leaving Jonny to blink as he tried to understand the context here. Why would she mention... mistletoe...

Wait, she couldn't mean...

There was no way...

Right?

"Uh... Selene... what are you saying?" Jonny asked with a small gulp, part of him wishing it might be some joke - out of embarassment - and another wanting her words to hold genuine truth.
"Well, I suppose the time's right to demonstrate a Christmas tradition," She began again, making a strange glance towards what was clearly an empty seat, before looking back to Jonny. The boy could feel a warmth rise in his cheek, and an increased rhythm in his chest.
"One that takes place under a mistletoe..." Warmer, faster, and something else. This could really be it...

Or at least, it would be, had Selene not gone over to Yuki instead. Gratification and disappointment momentarily clashed, before ultimately, Jonny's feelings dropped entirely, particularly as Selene played it off as something casual. Whilst indeed, the notion of a kiss had often less significance in european cultures, for him personally...
No, no, that was just assuming too much.
"Quite the tradition, huh?" He gave a light chuckle, though there was certainly a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Maybe we should move onto pictures whilst we still can?" He asked, recalling Mariko to have received a camera from Selene as her gift. And in being reminded of that, he looked towards Youma, gesturing towards where Mariko should have been.
"Before I forget - Youma, meet Mariko. She's a friend." He explained, as he recalled something else, and drew another present - a medium sized box - from the sack he had brought with him.
"Oh yeah, if you see Seth later... maybe you could give this to him?" He wasn't particularly looking towards the others as he did so... whether he conciously realised it or not.
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Fin
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One does not simply eat one packet of mee goreng
Uh. Okay. So girls kissing girls are a fad in this era. Noted. Wonder what's Jonny being all so worked up about anyway? She acknowledged Mariko, giving her a small nod and a brief introduction of herself before turning her attention on her presents in her hand. It was... the first time she had been given any sort of gifts really, aside anything from Seth, but that was it. She had never been given anything else from anyone else. Youma herself realized how much she would choose to stay away from the rest of the world, most of the time staying in her room unless she needs to go out somewhere. Sure, she's gone out with Selene and Yuki sometimes for a roommate trip to the big city, but not always. So... to think that she actually even deserved to be considered a friend?

And Seth knew them much much longer than she does, he's got a present from them as well, but he's not here...

...

"Tch, that idiot," Dropping the small bundle of presents in her hands on the couch she prompted herself towards the door, wrenching it open the right way this time, letting the cold winter air stream into the room. "I'll be back!" She said simply, before leaving the penthouse and closing the door behind her with a snap, taking with her nothing but her own present for Seth.
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wolffenrirhelix
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The Gundam-nut
For the most part, Mariko had suddenly gone slightly ignorant of what was going on around her... Her eyes and mind were focused on Yuki and Selene under the mistletoe, and the notion of a "Christmas Tradition"... Thankfully, there was a table nearby that was within arm's reach to put the giant teddy bear and the camera on before something exploded, well figuratively exploded... Maybe?

"Squeeee!"

Yup... It had finally gotten free, the dreaded "fangirl squee" that she had been repressing for so long that evening... And unlink her earlier nosebleed, the one that accompanied this would have proved fatal on anyone not covered by "the laws of fangirlism"... The crimson spray knocked both Mariko and the chair she was sitting on over, and continued for a few moments as a little fountain of red for comedic purposes. Naturally, the girl was actually fine, despite the explosive loss of about ten litres of blood, due to the laws of fangirlism preventing death or other ill-effects caused by blood-loss from nosebleeds... There had even been reports of fangirls losing more blood than their bodies could ever hope to contain, and still be alright afterwards...

And so, there it was, laid bare for all to see; The fact that Mariko was a closet Yuri fangirl... As they say; "Beware the quiet ones"... And "It's always the ones you least expect"...

Of course, with the whole "nosebleeding and the swirly-eye thingies" going on, the girl wasn't in the greatest state to acknowledge Youma still, though she did dimly hear Johnny talking, and Youma saying she'd be back in a moment...

Though, that aside, the janitor was probably going to have a heart attack... Or request overtime... Or have a heart attack and request overtime... When he saw the fangirl-havoc Selene's actions had wrought...
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Sujin
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Dangerously Cheesy.
Yuki was happy admiring her watch and poking at the different buttons, trying to figure out the full extent of its capabilities (though that likely wasn't going to be accomplished in a few mere minutes). Selene spoke up sounding like she was making an announcement of some sorts, and while Yuki hoped it had something to do with digging into the array of food that was presented, it was in regards to... something else? Something about a Christmas tradition.

Now, she was generally knowledgeable about Christmas given its widespread commercialization, but her traditional Japanese family was far from what one might consider "a Christmas-celebrating family" in the sense that they went all-out in the western ways. She understood and enjoyed carols, cookies, decorated trees and presents, but there were many tiny nuances steeped in history that she wasn't entirely sure of. This mistletoe thing was one of them.

First thing it made her think of was that it had something to do with feet. Thank goodness that wasn't actually the case. And so she glanced to the others for reactions as to what sort of tradition this might be. Selene seemed fairly calm, given it was her idea, Jonny was a bit on edge for some reason, Mariko stared on intently, and Youma...well, Youma was being Youma. Not to mention Yume seemed to be about as indifferent to the mention of this tradition as Yuki was. It must not have made its way into Asian culture yet.

Yuki followed Selene's gaze and saw that there was a sprig of something-or-other hung for decoration, and the pink-haired girl was apparently directly underneath it. So what was going to--

"Eh?" Yuki drew her hands into her chest in surprise as Selene took her by the shoulders and quickly pecked her on the cheek, eliciting an unexpected blush from Yuki. She'd seen her roommate greet people in such a way before, but still, it was odd being on the receiving end (as that seemed to be reserved for people of a European variation). She brought her palm to her cheek and giggled a bit, admittedly slightly worried Selene was going to start shaking her and demanding where her present was.

"Quite the tradition, huh?"


"That's so strange! I wonder what it is about that stuff that makes it so people are supposed to kiss... maybe it's good luck?"


But what she noticed when she looked over at Jonny was that despite the fact that in her mind everything was normal, he seemed a bit let down by something. Perhaps his new watch lacked a feature he hoped it had. Although he was markedly less tense now than he was a few moments ago. Before said "tradition" took place... which was recommended following a display of gratitude... so things could've been misconstrued and possibly intended for... and now he was...

Huh. Well that was quite the development. Although her lips were still pleasantly curled, the smile momentarily fell from her eyes and she felt her stomach do a small flip.

"Maybe we should do the picture whilst we still can?"


Yuki snapped back to reality and with her mind now occupied by the picture, she lit up.

"Oh, yeah! That's a great idea. Mariko-sa--"


But she was cut short once some sort of high-pitched sound was heard from Mariko, followed by an alarmingly large spray of blood. Some sort of a dam she'd been holding back had broken and all fangirl hell broke loose, legitimately scaring the crap out of Yuki. If any part of her brain had been lingering on her earlier realization, it wasn't anymore.

"Ahh, Mariko-san!"
She froze on the spot, not entirely sure how to remedy this situation with the newcomer potentially unconscious with swirly eyes. Once the insane nosebleed seemed under control, Yuki carefully approached her and lightly shook her shoulder a few times. "Are you okay? What happened??" Yuki might've loved treats and adorable objects, but she'd never witnessed an overload like this before.

Having redirected her attention, she barely caught Youma's exit and certainly didn't see it happen in time to stop it. At least she said she'd be returning. Strangely enough, just as Youma left, something else came through the door, and it did not seem pleased. Yuki's guardian Nora came through the entryway, dragging two cloth tote bags full of wrapped packages across the floor with her teeth. Most notable was the fact that she had a fuzzy reindeer antler headband across the top of her head (complete with jingly bells), and a red clown nose on the end of her face. As soon as the bags were inside, she turned around and jumped up to use her front paws to close the door.

"Look! It's Nora the Red-nosed Reindeer! Nora the red-nosed reindeer~ Had a very shiny nose~ And if you ever saw it~ You would even say--"


"It could be used as a projectile weapon to make sure that song was never sung again."
Yuki was cut-off with a very unpleasant expression bordering on potential future homicide. "Did you really think it was easier for ME to bring the presents?"

Yuki nervously began to twist the edge of her skirt in her hands. Nora got scary when she was mad.

"I thought maybe you could just 'poof' them here like you do sometimes..? I'm guessing that didn't... really..."


"No. No it 'didn't really work.' Only spirits can go 'poof,' Yuki. And these boxes are very much PHYSICAL."


"...But you're super cute with your little reindeer outfit! Isn't she?"
she tried to play off the guardian's anger by poking at one of the little bells attached to the antlers. All Nora could do was let out a long sigh, repeating a few meditative phrases in her head to lower her blood pressure. It was very hard taking the high road with the one.

"It's fine. Now take these things off. They itch."

"Oh, of course! And thank you!" She carefully pulled off the red nose attached by an elastic band around her head and pecked the cat-like animal on her real nose in thanks. Although she hated some of her antics, Nora really was glad she was able to bring a smile to Yuki's face. After the costume was removed, Yuki set out to divy-up the presents, handing colorfully-wrapped boxes to each person. Although all were about the same--the size of a large shoebox--the contents of each were very different. Jonny's was a simple, red wrapping paper with a candy cane-pattern ribbon, Selene's a metallic green with silver ribbon, and the others were in shiny silver paper with various colors of ribbon. She set the presents for Seth and Youma off to the side until later.

"I hope you all like them! I'm afraid I was a bit under budget in comparison... but I tried to make them unique! And I didn't know who else would be here so I hope those are okay Mariko-san, Yume-chan." Her moment of reckoning was here and she sat herself on the floor, hands clasped in her lap in anticipation of their reactions. Hopefully hours worth of her time didn't go to waste. As long as they were positive responses, she really couldn't ask for more.
Edited by Sujin, Jan 22 2012, 02:46 AM.
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Lawman
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"Eh?" Yuki appeared surprised after Selene gave the pink-haired girl a kiss on the cheek as she demonstrated the Christmas tradition of kissing someone under the (metaphorical) mistletoe. No doubt, thanks to the highly-commercialized nature of Christmas, Yuki has probably heard of some of its traditions. But from what she knew of her pink-haired friend's rural background, she was probably raised in one of those traditionalist families (being familial shrine keepers and all certainly does that to you) and isn't really all that familiar with foreign culture and customs. "That's so strange! I wonder what it is about that stuff that makes it so people are supposed to kiss... maybe it's good luck?"

"Aye... it's a thing for wishing good luck," the corporate heiress commented, blushing with feigned innocence. She and Jonny knew better - it probably had its roots in Scandinavian culture; but as far as the authentic tradition goes, a man and a woman who meet under a hanging of mistletoe were obliged to kiss. Except that the corporate heiress' own shyness made her decide to make use of Yuki's lack of knowledge on European culture to make up some stuff of her own, much to Jonny's dismay apparently.

"Quite the tradition, huh?" Jonny chuckled after Selene let go of Yuki and stepped back. Despite his casual demeanor, the tone of his voice seemed to hide a certain disappointment, and for a moment the corporate heiress was wondering if she'd been a little cold - in denying her budding feelings for Jonny - had she ended up (however unintentionally) hurting him? But would it give him the wrong idea? Besides, in European cultures even strictly platonic friends show affection with kisses... nope, surely this is just a thing between friends! "Maybe we should do the picture whilst we still can?" the super speedster suggested; and seeing how Mariko got a camera as a gift - it was also a wonderful opportunity for her to try out the capabilities of this high-end model...

"I'd like to request that you to stay behind for just a while after all this, Jonny," Selene said with a wink as she leaned in towards Jonny and whispered to him in English, before flashing an "OK" handsign. Jonny, Jonny, Jonny... the more she thought of it, the more it felt cold for her to sell him short like that. But ONLY provided they keep this strictly between themselves. However...

"Ahh, Mariko-san!"

"Mariko-chan!" Selene exclaimed, echoing Yuki as the corporate heiress went wide-eyed at the sight in front of the redhead suddenly experiencing another high pressure nosebleed as jets of crimson spewed from her nostrils as Mariko overdrew at the blood bank, she knew she had to get help, and fast - but the unbelievable spectacle that is Mariko's nosebleed totally took the corporate heiress' breath away, and once the whole episode was over, despite Yuki's concerns Mariko seemed mostly fine despite losing more blood than what her body could logically contain. "Do you need a doctor or something?" Selene asked after Yuki, heaving a sigh of relief now that it was over, but still feeling concerned for Mariko's health.

"Youma-san, please be back!" Selene called out as Youma left somewhat abruptly after saying that she would return, waving at the half-phantom event though she was certain Youma hadn't noticed in her hastiness. Although shortly after the half-phantom left would another spirit announce its arrival as Nora entered, dressed as a reindeer - complete with a shiny red nose and jingly bells to make her a cat-sized impression of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer; the corporate heiress would've giggled - if it weren't for the fact that the ancestral guardian clearly didn't appear pleased with her master's crazy idea as she dragged along a pair of cloth tote bags, filled with wrapped gift boxes.

"...But you're super cute with your little reindeer outfit! Isn't she?" Selene nodded at Yuki's comment, even though Nora couldn't wait to be out of the costume.

"Yuki-chan's right... and so here's one for posterity's sake!" the corporate heiress took a snapshot of Nora in her Rudolf getup on her phone just before Yuki got down to take it off the cat spirit. "Oooh, how cute!" Selene commented as she reviewed the picture she had just taken, beaming proudly.

"I hope you all like them! I'm afraid I was a bit under budget in comparison... but I tried to make them unique! And I didn't know who else would be here so I hope those are okay Mariko-san, Yume-chan." Yuki commented as she got down to giving out the presents; the gift boxes were mostly identical in dimensions, each the size of a shoe box - although it was easy to distinguish which gift was meant for whom by the wrapping and the ribbon, much like how Selene had done so earlier with the watches. For Jonny, his was marked by a simple red wrapping and a red-and-white candy cane pattern ribbon; while Selene's gift was identifiable from a metallic green wrap and silver ribbon - and the rest came in shiny silver wraps with differently-colored ribbons.

"Aww, don't say that Yuki-chan! It's the heart that matters, that's what Christmas is all about! And thank you for the presents!" Selene replied as she gave the box a hug, shaking it gently to guess what lay inside based on the sound it made, before putting her arms around Yuki's shoulders, although the corporate heiress looked up at Jonny before beckoning him over. "Come on, Jonny! Let's thank Yuki-chan in her very own special way! Yume-chan, Mariko-chan... if you please..." the corporate heiress smiled broadly, clearly a gesture for the three of them to get into a group hug before holding up her phone and pointing to the camera, indicating that she would like to have this very scene with the three Musketeers in a group hug live on in posterity as a photograph.
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Kounoko
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光の子
         Thianbang had make a rush to the ladies and missed part of the show, but she returned in time to see Selene kiss Yuki. "How nice!" Thianbang commented.

         And then she saw what happened to Mariko, "I think you will need this!" She declared as she hands the other girl some paper towel to clean the blood.

         "Yeah! You're cute! Yuma-chan!" The witch agrees with the other girls. And then she proceeds to lick Nora on the left cheek, before attempting to lick Yuki on her right cheek, "This is a wonderful day!" She declared with a smile.

         And when Selene asked for the Photo taking, she does what Selene asked her to do.
Edited by Kounoko, Jan 23 2012, 02:08 PM.
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