Tᕼᙓ ᕼOᒪIᗪᗩY ᑭOᔕT

[formidable]

Let's celebrate. ➤ For all holiday related madness. ➢ "Obligatory Christmas Music".

Comments

aι тнao ĸнa + dιarмυιd + MISTLETOE

[emotive]

[Winter in Fuyuki City ranged from mild to bone-chillingly cold. Tonight there was an unusually large amount of snowfall and while it's a romantic sight for some during the holiday season...]

—ACHOO!!

[... For others, like the young magus, Ai Thao, it's more or less an inconvenience. She wanted to make a stop into the city to stock up on some winter necessities such as coffee, tea, comforters, and matches... Those sort of things. The streets have taken on a festive fashion, with lights, evergreens, and shades of red, white, gold, decorating the insides of shops.

Ai's not feeling particularly festive though as she wraps her scarf around her nose and rubs her cheeks to warm them. ]

Nn. Lien's right. I'm too sensitive to the cold.

fun fact: i almost tagged this with kirei

[onoir]

[ Diarmuid's heard about Christmas 'on paper', of course: festivities of a religious sort, accompanied by lore and all of the modernizations that occur after centuries and centuries of being in practice. Incidentally, it also happens to be one of the many instances of Grail knowledge failing to live up to the actual event, and it's only his sense of discipline that doesn't have Diarmuid stopping at every shop window to glance at the multicolored trinkets displayed inside.

That, and the fact that Ai looks cold. She should probably be heading home and warming up soon. ]

She may be right, but it isn't something you can help, I'm afraid.

[ His general nonconporeal status bars him from being inconvenienced by the cold, but he can sympathize; reaching out with one hand, he adjusts Ai's scarf tighter around her neck, and places one hand over one of her exposed ears to warm them up.

He's grown to be a little more forward, in that sense. ]

It won't be much longer until you're home. Stay strong, Master.

kirei is stuck doing christmas services OKAY!!!

[emotive]

[His hand on her ear is very effective. She doesn't even remind him to call her by her name when they're in public because she gives a brief sigh of contentment, leaning her head into his hand before pulling back.]

I'll be able to hold out a bit more. England was just as cold, if not colder!

[The twins had to adjust to the climate change, from the humid and hot of the tropical Vietnam, to the mild and sometimes gloomy weather of Great Britain. The cold here in Fuyuki was bearable for Ai, not because she was accustomed to it, but because of Diarmuid... (It's embarrassing to say that aloud though, is what she thinks currently).]

And aside from that, at least we won't have to clean the house since Lien said she'd help out with that.

[And by helped out, Ai told her sister that she owed her when the elder twin barged in a few days ago, saying her heater was broken and Ai's place was much warmer. Needless to say, Ai was only half-appreciative of Lien's presence.]

[onoir]

Cleaning. If you've trusted Miss Lien with the task, I won't say anything more about it.

[ Sifting Ai's hair so that it sits more comfortably over her ears, Diarmuid gives her one of those looks that suggest that he has his doubts about Lien's ability to...clean effectively. Not that he thinks she's a slob— far be it for him to suggest something that rude— but the presence of a certain other Heroic Spirit might bar Lien from getting anything done.

(As much as he respects and idolizes Cu Chulainn, he can't actively imagine the other Servant helping with the cleaning. He may be mistaken, of course.) ]

Will she also be redecorating?

[emotive]

When she puts her mind to a task, she'll put her all into it! I know I can depend on her for that at least.

[Ai sounds confident enough about the matter as they head in the direction towards home.]

As for decorating, I didn't ask, but maybe she'll surprise us yet!

[onoir]

I don't doubt her enthusiasm for a second.

[ Incidentally, Lien is the one person who's been able to mercilessly tease him despite their positions in this War, so... yes, he has a good idea of how ambitious and goal-driven Lien can be. ]

We've almost returned, at the very least. Did you need help carrying anything, Miss Ai?

[emotive]

[Ai shakes her head.]

It's no trouble. If I carry a lot, it should make me work up a sweat. And then I'll get warm!

[And she'll get tired, but that's neither here nor there.

As they make their way past the bridge and back into their neighborhood, Ai thinks about how strange it is, spending a Christmas in Japan and with a Servant no less. (Then again, the life of a magus was never going to be normal in the first place.)

The thing is though, Lancer, or rather, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne is not quite just her Servant anymore at this point...

They're almost home before she speaks up again.]

Lancer? If you'd like and if time permits it, we can go out to the city again and look at the decorations. It shouldn't be as cold later on and this is your first Christmas in the modern age...

[So what she's saying is that she wants him to enjoy himself.]

[onoir]

[ He understands that in this country, Christmas is a couples' event: he could surmise as much just by observing all the held hands and shared scarves in town, from girls with their gloved hands pressed against brightly-colored displays and their male counterparts, nervously patting their wallet to check its contents.

He's not sure if he should interpret Ai's suggestion as a request to indulge in that sort of behavior— which would be hilariously inappropriate for a knight and his liege, if that was the only relationship that they shared, which he's hard-pressed to say that they do now— so he pauses, mulls over those words for a moment in his mind.

It doesn't take him too long to come to a conclusion. ]

I'd like that. [ 'I would like', not 'if you'd like'. Baby steps. ] Grail knowledge only tells me so much; if you'd do me the honor of pointing me towards the things I should experience, I'd gladly share them with you.

[emotive]

[His response is pleasant for her to hear and it shows on her face. She seems to glow, but hides it with her scarf.]

Ah, then it's set then! There's a lot to show you after all even if Christmas is slightly different in Japan.

[She almost said, 'date' but the word is too weird for her even in this context.

When she walks up to the house and opens the door, there are some lights inside, but no Lien in sight.]

Lien must have left already... If she were still here, Christmas music would be playing...

[Or greeting the duo with a knowing look in her eye and a smart remark to make Ai fume. That sort of thing.]

[onoir]

[ Let's be real, it's absolutely a date... the eternal question is if they'll finally muster the courage to hold hands in public.

Diarmuid figured as much about the house being empty, since he doesn't sense the familiar prana that he would if there'd been a Servant nearby. There's still the possibility that they're cloaking their presence, but he doubts that Lien and Cu would go through the trouble of doing that just to prank them. He chooses to place his faith in them... perhaps unwisely...

But the house is warm, regardless of the lack of a certain two people, which makes it inviting. He steps inside, ushers Ai in too. ]

Will they be returning? I understand that Miss Lien's heater may still be broken.

[emotive]

She said she might bear with it or invest in a kotatsu... Oh!

[Ai trails off when she switches on the lights and finds that not only is the house spic and span, but that there are some Christmas decorations, in the form of a small Christmas tree set up on one of the small tables, some multi-colored Christmas lights that line the wall along with paper snowflakes. And most importantly of all, most of the household is filled with pots of...]

Poinsiettias! She got so many of them!!

[Wow, Lien had a lot of time to kill.]

[onoir]

[ Whoa, look at all of this stuff. It's nothing like Diarmuid has ever seen, so pardon him for wandering around the room for a bit to reach for some of these decorations, to run his fingers over a delicate paper snowflake or two. ]

...She has a talent, your sister.

[ Note to self to compliment Lien later for her efforts!! The flowers are a nice touch, too: flora during the cold winter always warms homes up a bit. ]

It's remarkable that she found so many of them this season. Does she have an interest in flowers?

[emotive]

You know, I don't believe she does, no more than most people. Maybe it's a change of pace for her?

[Ai is recalling some very brief instances of Lien stopping to look at flowers, mentioning offhandedly about which flowers would look best in her apartment...]

I'll bring the tea and coffee into the kitchen. She might have decorated it too!

[And off Ai goes and in her excitement she has neglected to notice some extra decorations that are placed in innocuous locations where they're not immediately noticeable when one walks under them, but they're unavoidable to walk past and under. In fact, there's quite a few scattered about, one on the ceiling, some on the doorways, another one or two innocently hanging off the corners...]

[ BEAUTY AND THE SHITLORD : MISTLETOE. ]

[pragnanz]

[ Claude hadn't intended on stopping by the Grind today. In fact, he hadn't intended on even passing the street that the Grind can usually be found at, tucked between two abandoned apartments that sandwich the gilded door like brass framework— but it's a twist of fate that the wind's blown his handkerchief down the familiar sidestreet, a happy (debatable) coincidence that has him stop in front of the wooden sign and has him sigh, tuck his now-retrieved item into his breast pocket, and walk inside.

One cup of coffee. Just one, and he'll be out.

Unluckily for Claude Aubert, his life never pans out quite the way it should; he fails to notice, when the door closes behind him, that there's a sprig of mistletoe hovering just over his head, hanging by the rafters. That in itself wouldn't be a problem, if it didn't come at the expense of his mobility.

So here he is, struggling by the front door. He's quietly panicking, of course, but outwardly he remains as serene as he can manage— another one of those magic things, he tells himself. ]

...Not very good of you, trapping your guests this way.

[infusion]

[It's the most wonderful time of the year so that means that the Midnight Grind feels warmer and the usual Christmas decorations have graced the cafe. The lanterns are replaced with more festive lights, there's a Christmas tree with various ornaments, and the smell of gingerbread and other spices are more prominent than usual. The proprietor, herself, is dressed more formally than usual (because tonight, she and some of the usual customers like the younger teen espers were having a white elephant gift exchange). Iona looks up expectantly from the counter and tilts her head at Claude being stuck.]

Oh, so there's still magic left in it? Strange, most people are able to walk past it.

[Most being those who probably had powers or magic to evade it. Iona walks over, with a small wave.]

Happy holidays, by the way!

[pragnanz]

[ Iona is dressed more formally, but that's still a lot of skin for a man from dubiously Victorian times?! So Claude sensibly casts his gaze to the side for a moment, reminds himself of different standards for different time periods, and then takes it upon himself to turn his head back, smile thinly.

She really is so troublesome for him. ]

Of course, how could I forget. A normal, painfully average human like me should be more careful in your den of thieves.

[ He's just joking, of course. Maybe. At the very least, he shrugs his coat off to make himself comfortable. ]

Happy holidays, Miss Iona. I'm afraid I won't make very good decor, you'll have to help me unstick myself.

[infusion]

[As if sensing his mild trepidation at her outfit, Iona does take a knitted wine-colored cardigan that was hanging off of a chair to pull on to cover herself. Well, can't do anything about the legs though, but after she puts it on, the witch walks over, reaching up to flick the mistletoe before pulling Claude away from the entrance and into the arm cafe.]

There you go! Can't let the doctor get a cold by standing in front of the doorway.

[(There is however, another sprig hanging from the ceiling in the corner of the room...)]

And I don't allow thievery in my den of coffee and tea, just so you know. Speaking of which, what'll it be? A surprise drink or the usual coffee?

[pragnanz]

A surprise drink, then. I won't be staying too long, I hadn't intended on coming by at all.

[ What a nice thing to say, right. But as always, he's drawn to the corner seat and he settles himself down on it with a flourish, shaking the cold off of his shoulders and rubbing his hands under the thin layer of his gloves. ]

How's business? The weather must be working in your favor.

[infusion]

[Iona starts preparing a seasonal coffee (a dark roast with a hint of peppermint) as she replies to him.]

We're doing well! I'm getting a lot of visitors from the snowy places, so we've been serving up a lot of hot drinks and foods. Where I'm from though, the weather's bright and sunny.

[Which probably explains why she's dressed the way she is, it's just not that cold on the West Coast.]

And we're having a party tonight! For the kids of course, so if you stick around, you can't get sloshed. I'm trying to set a good example.

[by letting children with powers fight over gifts yes]

[pragnanz]

Children. Ah, no, I'd think our intrepid nurse would be better-suited for handling that particular affair.

[ Oren: upgraded (?) from 'babysitter' to 'nurse'. At least it isn't 'nanny'?! Which one is worse?!

Claude is also going to find out in a bit that he's glued to this spot now, again, but he'll stay ignorant for now. ]

Though I should tell them that you're known around my parts as a seductress.

[infusion]

They're not that unaware... I mean, I get my fair share of pick ups and hopefuls that drop by the cafe.

[The Midnight Grind is a triple threat with Iona, Monts, and Oren.]

No one uses seductress anymore though.

[pragnanz]

Educate me on your more 'modern' words, then. Some of the people here have asked me why I speak like an old man.

[ Aka: the kids brave enough to talk to Claude when he's around. ]

Do I?

[infusion]

[She crosses her arms as she leans against the counter and grins.]

Well, in my time sir, they would say that I have "game."

[The kids have wondered about Claude since he and Gus are a curiosity in themselves. No magic, no ESP, but regulars of the Grind nonetheless at this point. Emily, the young precognitive seemed to have a faint fondness for Claude (even though her dedication to marrying Oren when she grew up was stronger).]

As for you, I don't think you talk that much like an old man. You don't nearly complain enough for that. But to them, it's probably old.

[pragnanz]

Remind me to be more curmudgeonly from now on, then I haven't been nearly offputting enough.

[ But that aside, he tries out this new phrase; it sounds utterly ridiculous to him, but here he goes. ]

So, Miss Iona. How many people recently have tried to capitalize on your... 'game'.

[ He sounds like a 60 year old asking about 'The Google'. ]

[infusion]

[It's alright Claude, this is fun for Iona... She suppresses a chuckle, shaking her head as she pours coffee into a cup for him.]

It's not really capitalizing, it's... [She gestures with one hand, trying to find a succinct way to explain it.]

So, when people say, "He/She has game," it kinda means, they're a head turner. Someone who catches other people's attention, hooks them in, with their everything. They are effectively, good players.

[She pours some coffee with the peppermint for herself and brings both cups over to join Claude, setting his share down in front of him.]

If we're talking specifics here, Oren's got more game than I do.