sweetdevil | 65th ♫ | by the look of the sky, i wonder if the raindrops will turn into snow

Lord knows she deserves the world. Shame I'll never be able to give it to her, though I'm not ever gonna stop trying.

[And her first Christmas after her boyfriend died, too. Akira's got to make sure the gift this year is the best one she ever receives in her life.

Akira gets onto the bike, a similar smile on his face.]

Taroimo is still my little sister's pet, so if I forgot him, she'd be sad, and I won't let that shit slide. Though I don't know what to buy a turtle for Christmas. Seaweed? Do they eat that?

[Come to think of it, he sees Taroimo putting things in his mouth and eating them all the time, but where does all that stuff go? It's not a problem since he's still clearly fine months later, but it's worth asking Doc Tobei about to satisfy his own curiosity, if nothing else.]

...Maybe we should go to a pet store...?

[For a robot. It's fine.]

... now that you mention it, I have no idea what turtles even eat in general. But if he's eating taiyaki and whatever else he gets his hands [ ??? ] on, then... just about anything should be fine, shouldn't it?

[ Actually, getting Taroimo some sort of traditionally Christmassy sweets box might be a nice present... again, it has to be the thought that counts, right? ]

Well, we can make sure to keep a look out. Knowing Taroimo, I think he'd be excited just to be included.

[ Which is cute, in its own way. Taroimo's surprisingly precious for, you know, a giant robot turtle. ]

Right? I don't know what they eat at all. I'll ask Kaori about it later, I guess...the big guy deserves something he likes, even if he probably would be happy with something he doesn't.

[He may be Kaori's pet, but Akira considers him a friend too. It's a weird thought, that his best friend is a turtle robot.

With an action plan, or at least something resembling it, Akira revs up the bike and heads off to the department store, but when they arrive and he dismounts...]

Goddammit, it's freakin' freezing.

[In a shocking twist, going down the road at high speeds in both an open vehicle and an open shirt has done him no favors, temperature-wise. He's holding his jacket shut, looking petulant, halfway between knowing he should've known better and determined to dig in his heels and say this is fine.]

[ Does Ryoko look a little smug as she climbs off the bike? Perhaps. ]

It is the middle of winter. It makes me glad I wrapped up warm. [ You know. Like he didn't. ] Did you know it's forecasted to snow even more later?

[ It's extremely tempting to just let him suffer the consequences of his own voluntary actions and she does let him dither for a few moments before huffing a laugh to herself and starting to unwind some of her scarf. ]

Here. It's your own fault for dressing so lightly, but...

[ She's sure as hell not giving up her own coat but if he borrows some of her scarf and they huddle in a bit, he'll survive. ]

Tch. Weathermen are wrong sometimes.

[He really doesn't have any defense for himself here so he's just going to act like a brat about it for a few more moments.

He certainly feels a little warmer already at the suggestion Ryoko's making, though, glad that his face is already red from the cold wind on the drive here. He wraps the scarf around his neck—which means now he's wearing two, but it's worth looking a little silly given the circumstances, he thinks. He closes the gap between them, resisting the urge to just kind of drape himself over her shoulders and warm up that way.]

Besides, we'll be indoors for most of it. We'll see how bundling up treats you then, huh?

[Though he already knows how it's going to go down. The only possibility is she just hands him her stuff and he carries it.]

I can still take my scarf back, you know.

[ She's just kidding. ... she's probaby just kidding. She isn't taking it off him yet at least. Besides, with his face all huffy like that and the scarf bundled up around him, it's a little cute. ]

If you are too cold, though, we can get something warm to drink before we get started.

[ Though knowing Akira, he's stubborn enough that he might just try and power through anyway... ]

I didn't say that!

[Sure enough, he's taking the stubborn road here. He said it was cold, not that it was TOO cold, and there is somehow a difference between these two concepts large enough that Akira seems vaguely disgruntled at the assertion.]

If you wanna get something, I'll treat you, but I don't need anything. I'm feeling warmer already.

[It's a primal instinct in all teenage boys to want to look tough around the person you're sweet on and Akira is no exception.]

[ Ahah, now she's definitely looking smug. ]

Are you sure? I'll take you up on the offer but it seems a bit awkward to just sit there by myself if you're not having anything.

[ Is this... bullying?? She's certainly saying it all very nicely and reasonably but just look at her face. It's the well-intentioned bullying of a big sister who knows that kind of bluster and all but... bullying is still bullying!!! ]

Then I'll get a snack or somethin'!

[It's definitely bullying, he's exchanged enough of it with his siblings to recognize it. But it's a little fun to be bullied by Ryoko—it's such a stark contrast to how distant and closed-off she was when she first arrived, and the telltale sparkle of mischief in her eyes is adorable.]

Or, I dunno, something iced.

[bro just quit while you're ahead]

Mm. If you insist.

[ Sometimes the best outcomes are watching someone suffer the low-stakes consequences of their own voluntary actions. A little schadenfreude is good for the soul, sometimes.

She gives him a little tug and starts walking. ]

Let's get going, then. We have plenty of time, but I don't want us to end up rushing.

[ She is absolutely holding him to that offer of a drink!! ]

[He follows along in your typical Anime Punk Strut, hands just a little too far into his pockets (because he isn't wearing gloves that actually cover his fingers either, of course) and hunched over just a little (because maybe it'll be warmer that way).]

Cute scarf, by the way. Is it Taeko's or yours?

[When it became apparent Ryoko wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, Taeko had taken her shopping (and made Akira carry the bags), but in the interest of not being a creep he hadn't paid much attention to what he was actually carrying.]

It's mine. I wasn't really sure if I should buy anything for winter, but... Taeko-san insisted.

[ She's already putting enough of a burden on everyone at Bright Sparks, even if she knows they'd all insist it's not the case at all. Buying clothes she's not sure she'll be around to wear seems like an unfair strain to put on Taeko's finances when she's already having to worry about feeding her... but now she's glad she listened. ]

If I'm honest... I wasn't really expecting to end up wearing it. I keep catching myself feeling surprised that I'm even still here for winter.

Hey, who knows, maybe you'll be able to hawk it as like-new vintage fashion when you go home.

[The longer she stays here, the more he hates the idea of her leaving, but...it's an inevitably, in the end.]

I'll do my best to make sure you're home next Christmas, so we've gotta pull out all the stops while you're here. I know it's not great to say something like this when you need to get home, but after the kind of year we've had, having you here has really been...

[Well, he's just not going to get into that. He and Taeko are both in their feelings every time a first without Matsu comes around and that's something he has to deal with on his own time.]

...Anyway, are you a coffee or tea kinda gal?

[ She's noticed the look he and Taeko get sometimes, the way they both trail off letting sentences hang unfinished that Ryoko knows better than to prompt them to complete. She's heard enough fragments of conversation and more importantly, knows how it feels when those sentences hang, to have made a guess at what she might be missing but she hasn't pried yet – it would feel slimy, somehow, to poke and prod what's so clearly a fresh wound. They can tell her on her own time, if they decide they ever will. It's fine by her either way. ]

I've been a good distraction, it seems. [ She says it like it's a joke, but with a smile so he knows she's giving him a Get Out Of Feelings Free card. ] Maybe by the time next Christmas comes around, the postal system will be up to sending packages back to 2010 and we won't have to worry.

[ But probably not. ]

I'll take a tea. Ah, but– without caffeine, please. [ The last thing she needs with her headaches. ] If there's fruit tea, that should be fine.

Sure, but how'm I supposed to send anything back? It ain't like our postal system's gonna have figured that out.

[Maybe he'll bully Tobei into reverse-engineering something. If he can just get that teleporter of his a. working and b. capable of traveling across time, not just space, it'll be a cinch...though he knows exactly how impossible that sounds even as he only jokingly entertains the notion.

When they arrive at Legally Distinct Starbucks, Akira orders a hot raspberry tea for Ryoko, and a pastry for himself. Ryoko, for her part, will probably notice that he has had it heated up, because it's steaming slightly as he eats it.

He is, of course, opting not to say anything about this.]

I thought of somewhere else I wanna hit up when we're done at the department store. We should probably bring a cake home for the kids or something, aside from the presents. What kind of flavors do you like? I mean, fruit, I guess, but what else?

[This is also an attempt at trying to figure out the kinds of things that Ryoko might like, since he's still doing calculus in his head to come up with good ideas. He's not used to actually having to put effort into this kind of thing—most people have an understanding of things that they want, and his emotions about all this keep swinging from earnest desire to get her something she'll like to extreme frustration that the circumstances she's been raised in don't allow for her to know what she'll like to begin with.]

[ He really does make it so easy to pick on him... but she'll let him off for now. ]

Technology's always progressing. [ she says it like she's being totally serious, but it's clear by the little smile she has that she's pulling his leg. ] Who knows what the professor might come up with before I go?

[ Putting a little turtle into a robot is already pretty uh far ahead of even the sort of thing she's come to expect from Shikishima...

But, well. They've got more important things to be worrying about than next Christmas. Getting this one sorted out first is probably the priority. ]

Mm... I don't like anything that's too sweet. Most of what we'd have in the house growing up were wagashi and traditional sweets, if we ever had them at all. So things with red bean or flavours like that... ah, and chocolate, too. We'd probably have an easier time finding a chocolate for Christmas than red bean. If it's for the others, it should be something fun to look at as well as being good to eat, right?

[That makes sense—she does like the taiyaki he makes. Maybe he should try his hand at crepes again sometime soon and give her some options for chocolate too...]

Yeah, chocolate would be a hit with the kids too. I'm not too picky, and neither is Taeko, so that's a good pick for everybody.

[Akira has something of a sweet tooth, though now that Ryoko's said she doesn't like them as much he's not about to mention it...]

Jeez, dunno what I'd do without you. I'm no good at this stuff.

[It's certainly some kind of thoughtful to pluck desires straight from one's brain to fulfill them, but he's come to rely on it. Ryoko's more traditionally thoughtful by nature, so having her along to make suggestions is already making this easier for him.

He shifts where he's seated, sidling toward her just a little. He's still cold so it's fine, probably.]

While we're here, I want you to have fun, too. There's still a couple days to get the shopping done, so if there's anything you see that you wanna check out, let me know, okay?

Well, don't rely on me too much. I'm not much better – the only person I've ever really bought gifts for is Ei-kun. [ And she hadn't been able to read his mind, exactly, but knowing him since he was six was its own kind of cheating. ] I'll do my best, though.

[ Without missing a beat, she reaches up with her free hand as she's taking a sip of her drink and sort of, fussily tucks in the scarf a little more cozily around his neck. Yes, she might have bullied him for bringing about his own chilly fate, but she's not totally heartless enough to let him freeze. ]

How about this? I'm not sure what there is around here to do during Christmas. Why not recommend me some things? I'm curious to see how people celebrate Christmas in this era, compared to mine.

...Uh...

[Akira looks a little thrown by the suggestion, his blush a little more apparent now that he's warming up.]

...It's a couple's holiday so...

[The words "I have never had a girlfriend before" are not ever leaving his lips but it is what's going on here.]

...Wanna see the lights together?

[This may be the least smoothly anyone has ever asked anyone else on a date, but listen: it's fine.]

[ Ryoko tries – and frankly, fails – not to look surprised. Maybe it's silly to be, when they're out here shopping for Christmas gifts but she hears couple's holiday and her stomach gives an odd lurch, like going downstairs and missing a step. It shows a little on her face, even if she's trying to school her expression back into something less damning.

Maybe she's overreacting. Maybe it doesn't really need to be as big a deal as she's making it in her head. It's just... strange to think that Akira might think of her that way.

Strange, but not exactly unpleasant. It's getting to a theme of the time she spends in this era.

Finally, her expression breaks into a smile. It's a little caught off guard and more bashful than she'd like it to be – but it's a smile. The sort she hadn't shown much of at first, but one that shows itself on her face more and more the longer she stays here. ]

Mm. I'd like that. If you don't mind taking me.

[Akira doesn't respond immediately, but his face does turn an impressive shade of red. He'd been not entirely unconvinced he wouldn't just die on the spot while Ryoko processed his words, but now that she's responded positively he's trying not to expire right here for totally different reasons.

This...doesn't mean anything official yet, but...that she agreed makes him really happy.]

Of course I wouldn't! I'm the one who asked.

[He doesn't have it in him to be too bashful, though the sudden bluster in his voice is probably close enough to a giveaway regardless.]

The city's always gorgeous this time of year. Kinda feels like a way to get us to go shopping, but...I ain't complaining.

[They probably don't bother setting up light displays or anything when kaiju could show up at any moment and smash everything, huh. Though he's not about to wonder that aloud.]

I just...y'know, it feels like a shame to only go shopping, I guess.

[He's trying to play this so cool but his brain is going at like 500 km/h to keep himself from stuttering.]

[ It's cute to see him trying to cover up his embarrassment like that – not that he has much of a chance with how red he's gone. It's enough to make that little flutter of unease in her chest warm into something a little gentler and sweeter. ]

I know what you mean. If I'm only going to get one chance to see it, then I should make sure I get my fill of it.

[ Right. This doesn't have to mean anything serious – how could it, when they're all working so hard on helping her go home? It's just...

Before coming here, she thinks her stomach and heart would both have rebelled at the very idea. If she could even manage to get her head around it in the first place. But somehow with Akira, it's not quite as scary or unpleasant to imagine.

The fact that she can even imagine it at all... that has to mean something good, doesn't it? ]

That's settled, then. We'll do whatever shopping we can do today, then we'll go and see the lights together.

[This is going to earn him the bullying of a lifetime from his siblings, but well, it's not like they're wrong when they make fun of him for having a crush, even though all he's done is deny it in front of them. Ryoko's inevitable return to the future is certainly an effective obstacle when it comes to actually making a move, though the longer he goes without saying anything the more it feels like he's going to regret it when the time comes. If it weren't for that, this would be the perfect time of year to confess, but...

Well, who knows what might come about after this. Akira's never been good at thinking ahead and he's not about to start practicing now. For now, he's just gonna play it casual.

He finishes his pastry while she talks, and gives her an easy smile once she confirms their plans.]

You mentioned they were talking about how it was gonna snow, right? I kinda hope that's true.

[It'd be the full Christmastime experience, even if it would also make it downright hellish to get back to the orphanage on a motorbike. It's not outside the scope of his ability, though, and if he said it out loud Ryoko might agree with him and revise their plans—the last thing he wants to have happen now that she's agreed to spend some time with him.

Rather than remain on the topic, lest Ryoko realize the situation with the motorbike herself—she's smart and courteous, so it's a real danger—he changes the subject fairly quickly.]

...Do people still eat fried chicken for Christmas in the future, or...

[If they don't, boy is she in for a surprise when Taeko rolls up with the traditional KFC bucket for the kids.]

It is Christmas. If we're going to see the lights, they'll look best in the snow.

[ Even if it's only for the atmosphere. And she hasn't had a snowy Christmas since she was too young to remember it – either it's more common back in the 2010s or Ryoko's luckier than she thought.

Some things never change, though, by the sound of it and she laughs to herself. ]

Yes, by the bucketful. Oh, but now they go all out – you can buy wine and cake and a whole meal from them, if you order far enough in advance. And I don't mind chicken at all, but I think I'd draw the line at wine from KFC.

[ If she, you know, was old enough to drink wine. It's the principal of the thing. ]

The cakes aren't too bad, or so I've heard. But if you're going to get Christmas cake, I think you should go all out and get one from a bakery.

KFC wine, huh...it really does sound gross. Even the "good" stuff tastes like piss anyway though.

[It's hard to keep alcohol out of the hands of a boy with psychic powers and the incredible determination to be as much of a problem as possible every time they pop open a bottle, though not for a lack of effort from Taeko and Matsu both. The fact that he hates it keeps him from being much of an underage drinker at any rate—he just steals a sip every now and again to see if he gets why people drink so much of the stuff.]

I'm right there with you on the cake too. Maybe other families are fine with cake from some American chain restaurant, but my little brothers and sisters deserve the best. Just don't tell 'em I said that.

[Their lives are happy enough, but it's still a fact that they've all lost their parents. A really nice cake once a year is really the least they deserve for enduring that kind of loss.]

Or, maybe you should say that, and then just not tell 'em I also said it. I bet they'd like that.

[And that way he gets out of being bullied for being soft.]

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this is Real and Actual Japanese Christmas Tradition btw i would not lie to you

let ryoko have kfc...!!!

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