sweetdevil | 58th ♫ | i heard it – that day's "snow show song"

[ Stella splutters in protest. ]

What?! No way! Even if I tried, they wouldn't help me out with that.

[ ... a pause, as she considers it. ]

... Unless...?

I don't really think they would, Stella. Sorry. But look on the bright side; you're already living the idol dream, right? That's more than most people ever get!

Uggghhhh, I guess you're right...

[ She spins a little on the spot, letting the skirt of her dress fan out around her. ]

I'd definitely rather be in the videos than just watching them...

So look on the bright side. You're still getting an amazing life! Even if it's a lot of hard work, too.

[ So, winter holiday traditions in and around the Tenmyouji household are... kind of a mess! Maybe it's not a surprise considering how many cultures got poured into the metaphorical blender, but it means the back half of the year is busier than Ruu grew up expecting. It's not that it isn't fun or that she's not used to it yet, but between Thanksgiving, Hannukah with Church and then Christmas... it's a lot! Especially now she's old enough to be worrying about getting gifts for everyone.

Which is why she's flopped over at the kitchen table of Ardyn and Church's apartment (she can't exactly plan for this at home grumbling to herself as she scribbles gift ideas in her notebook. Why do they know so many people??? ]

Uuuggghhh... I'm gonna be in debt all the way to next Christmas...

My there must be something terribly wrong today.

[Two mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows were placed on the table, Ardyn taking up a chair and leaning his head on his hand to regard her with clear amusement.]

[For 'the reason Eos doesn't have a Christmas', he'd adapted to the season quite well. Especially considering the horrendous knitted sweater with what was probably meant to be a reindeer.]

[ Grumbling to herself, Ruu turns her face up from her nigh-incomprehensible handwriting and plucks one of the marshmallows from the hot chocolate so she can pop it into her mouth. ]

I have so many people I've gotta get stuff for... my brain's all out of ideas. School's easy, 'cause I can just make a big batch of cookies and everyone's happy with those but everybody else? Guh.

[ Stupid question, on behalf of a friend: how do you ask your idiot crush to dance with you at the winter ball without making a total ass of yourself?

The answer isn't exactly rocket science. There's a perfectly reasonable solution to Chitoge's dilemma: grow a pair, put on your big girl boots, spit it out. Take her by the hand, spin her around. Nothing to it. It beats sitting at table 18 with her chin in her hand, balling up the napkin from her hors d'oeuvre in her fist like she doesn't know what to do with herself, not a pocket to be found on her burgundy gown.

The worst thing that she can do is tell Chitoge to take a hike. But God only knows whether Erina Estival is the sort of girl who comes to a dance to...well, dance. She comes off like she'd be more likely to spring straight for the buffet, instead -- to nab all of the fruit on plastic cocktail swords that her grubby little mitts can hold, eat the place out of house and home, stretch those gangly arms of hers above her head with an exaggerated yawn, and call it a night. It's stuffy, this sort of affair. And while Chitoge is used to prettying herself up, tying her blonde hair into a nice bun with her ribbon, strutting about in her red-bottomed heels like her feet aren't crying for help...she has something of a hard time envisioning Erina doing the same. Or, at least, she did.

But for whatever reason...Chitoge can't deny that this goblin of a girl looks...dashing. And the more glances she steals at her, like quick peeks up to get a sense of how bright the sun is before she fucks up her eyes, the more of her face she wants to bury into her palm, to hide the growing crimson.

Chitoge's been humoring this annoying daydream too much; some kind of fantasy land where she's about five times cooler, ten times braver. But whenever she tries to rehearse the words in her head, she can't help herself -- she cringes, and clams straight up, embarrassed at herself, and at the fact that she's actually getting bashful over this blockhead. Good grief.

It's about her fourth or fifth time talking herself out of it, before she props herself up, turns on her heel, and abruptly huffs out -- ]

I'm getting some air. Estival, you're coming with.

[ Now, if only getting her on the dance floor were that easy... ]

Dad is very smart. ...I'm not sure if he can make bread, but I bet if he did it would be delicious.

[Penny has a lot of faith in her dad.]

But yes! If you want it.

[ lbr this is just here so she can go on a date with her gf ]

[ Ah, Christmas. When a young magical girl's heart turns to love.

Yuka is dressed for the weather, a bit more than is strictly necessary - poofy jacket, fuzzy hat, mittens, scarf, warm leggings. Pants would probably have been warmer than a skirt, but there's no way in hell she's going to compromise looking cute on today of all days.

She's sitting on a bench in the park where she agreed to meet Kyoko for their date. The itinerary for the evening is simple, but the company is the important thing, right? Also the snow. They got a miraculous White Christmas, so it would be a shame to waste it. ]

Yuka-chaaaaaan!

[ Kyoko's loud enough on basically every other day of the year, but something about Christmas seems to have permanently turned up the dial on her volume. She's hurrying down the path to find Yuka, layered so thoroughly in thermals and fluffy winter clothes that she's started to look like a snowman. It doesn't seem to have impeded her movements any, given how quick she's pelting towards Yuka and how enthusiastically she's waving – enough to almost dislodge the colourfully wrapped gift she has tucked under her arm. ]

I'm here, I'm here! You weren't waiting forever, were you?

Kyoko!

[ Her expression brightens immediately when she sees Kyoko running her way. The way she's running and hollering as if there's nobody in the world but the two of them... is kind of embarrassing, but it also makes her want to throw out all her plans and just smother her girlfriend with affection.

She brought a gift too, of course, but it's not as big and flashy as that one. ]

Not at all, I was just here a moment. You're right on time.

[ At this, Erina finally lifts herself up from behind her (admittedly flimsy) cover. ]

For real? No shit? I don't have to sign, like, a release or something in case I snipe someone's head clean off with the thing?

Good! I was kinda worried I'd be running behind buwhoa-hoa-hoa...!

[ Pelting through the snow is kind of uh perilous so it's no surprise that she ends up slippin and slidin the last few steps of the way and fumbles her way ungracefully onto the bench. Skidding along the ice doesn't seem to have done her any harm though because she's happily tossing her arms around Yuka the second she's in huggin' range. ]

Merry Christmas, Yuka-chan!

...no.

[Comes a low, drawling monotone from an imposing figure draped in a tattered trench coat, cutting an outline in the crowd that- he'd hoped- would be one that people would prefer to give a wide berth. And it had worked...mostly.

Winter festivities in the heart of town were well underway by this point, but such events held no real importance or meaning to Kai. It wasn't something he celebrated; it was just another day. The busy streets and louder-than-usual crowds meant that he tried to limit his excursions out of the forest to twice for the whole month, if he could manage it. In, out.

His brow twitches as the elderly woman selling her wares continues to address him, despite him not talking to her at all. He'd been trying to purchase a new handsaw as he'd snapped the blade of the last cutting firewood- why the carpenter had a stand in the open-air market next to her was a mystery in itself- and he was pretty sure she was thinking he was talking to her, or at her stand, or something. It's obvious she's hard of hearing...

"Oh, not to worry. I have just the thing for you, dearie," she replies cheerfully, disappearing for a moment behind her stall before she pulls out a small bouquet and offers it over to him.]

...Ma'am. I said I don't-

[She shakes the bouquet gently at him, and it takes everything within Kai not to actually snarl aloud. He manages to work it back, keeping his teeth grit behind his lips where his sharp canines firmly hide as he realizes that he's going to lose his place in line at the other stand if he continues to argue with her.

"She will love them, I promise you! Happy Holidays!" she calls to Kai, now gripping the bunch of flowers in one hand, ignoring the throbbing headache he's begun to accrue as he steps up for his turn with the carpenter.

Please. Just a saw. That's all he needs and then he can leave.]

Ah--!

[ Yuka goes through a whole emotional rollercoaster watching Kyoko nearly faceplant on her way to the bench. She's halfway to getting up to dive to her rescue when Kyoko instead ends up making it into her arms. ]

M-Merry Christmas, Kyoko, but that was dangerous! Are you all right?

I'm fine, I'm fine! I managed not to fall, didn't I? And besides, I've got all this padding so even if I did fall–

[ She gives her side a hearty pat as if to emphasize just how many layers she's swaddled in. ]

I'd be o-kay! Honestly, I'd probably just bounce right back onto my feet...

Well, as long as you're okay...

[ Once she's sure Kyoko's not going to fall over, she pulls a small package out of her pocket. ]

Merry Christmas, Kyoko. [ Should she open it, inside she'll find a simple metal charm bracelet, dominated by a charm in the shape of a heart. ]

[ She's not entirely sure what to expect as a gift – this is her first Christmas swapping presents with her girlfriend and she doesn't have a whole lot of experience gift giving in general. So she's completely taken aback when she opens the gift – though given that this is Kyoko, she'd probably be just as surprised and delighted by any gift Yuka picked out for her. ]

Oh my gooooosh! It's so cute! And there's a little heart and–

[ Nope, she can't restrain herself anymore. She hastily slips the bracelet onto her wrist so she can go ahead and throw her arms around Yuka again. ]

I love it so, so much! Thanks, Yuka-chan! I'm never gonna take it off!

[ It's colder than Red expects when she heads out for the market, but she's all wrapped up in her cloak and she's certain she'll be fine. Besides – if all goes to plan, she'll spend most of the day dangling from her wolf's arm and that's enough to keep her nice and warm. Not that Kai is aware of any of this of course, but it's always better to ask forgiveness than for permission, especially when it comes to her wolf.

So she lets him traipse out to the market by himself and pretends she's going to sit around the house and wait for him to return – that's what she usually does, anyway, so there's no reason for him to assume she'd do anything otherwise. Once she's given him long enough to get a good head start, though, Red bundles herself up in her winter clothes and sets out as well. She doesn't have an excuse prepared just yet, but she's sure she can swing this into enough of a coincidence that he might just give up and go along with it.

She's humming merrily to herself as she makes her way through the market, keeping an eye out for him. It's a busy day, but Red could spot her wolf at a hundred paces or more. ]

Oh, what a surprise!

[ Her sing-song voice somehow manages to cut through the crowd's noise like butter and before he can make a break for it, here's Red making a beeline right for him. ]

I thought you might have set out for home already but you're still here!

[If Kai weren't already frazzled by his encounter with the old lady selling flowers, he might have jumped clear out of his skin when he heard Red calling out to him. Of course he hears her long before he sees her, because once you've heard her long enough you don't really forget the sound of that voice. His teeth grit, so preoccupied now by her sudden appearance that he totally forgets what he's even holding as she bounces up to him with all of the barely contained triumph of a cat that just caught a canary.]

Wh- Red, what are you doing here?

[ Oh that's good. She was pretty sure Kyoko would like it, but she was also the exact amount of sure that made her second-guess herself in her head a hundred times before settling on it. She laughs with relief, and gives Kyoko a quick kiss on the cheek. ]

Take it off occasionally to clean it, at least.

So, I think I saw that you had a gift, too...

Yeah! I'm gonna take good care of it, I promise!

[ She's so caught up in the euphoria of getting a cute gift from her GF that she'd completely forgotten about the getting a cute gift for her GF part until Yuka prompts her – at which point, she fumbles spectacularly with the present before handing it over. ]

Right, right! Jeez, I got so excited, my head's just going in circles! [ The giggle that accompanies this is giddy and nervous all at once. ] Here you go! Merry Christmas!

[ It's a soft and squishy package and it doesn't take long to realize why – when the paper's torn away, it's a comfy turtleneck sweater with a cute bow pinned to the front, wrapped protectively around a little box of hair accessories. ]

[ The perfectly innocent smile Red gives him is as transparently fake as it gets, not helped by the gleeful little giggle that soon follows. She looks for all the world like the cat that's gotten the cream. ]

There were some things I needed from the market so I thought, rather than make you walk all the way back, I'd just come here and get them myself!

[ Before he can protest, she's moved herself rather smoothly over to his side, getting up into his personal space in a very obnoxiously Red way. ]

You don't mind, right? ♥ I got lonely waiting for you all by myself!

58th ♫ | i heard it – that day's "snow show song"

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Kyoko Kagamihara | OC

IT SURE IS

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We're wildcarding this bitch

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