compnetwork | Second Star of Fate ☯

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Second Star of Fate ☯

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Somehow... I seem to have missed Valentine's Day. I remember I was going to run by the store, but things get a little fuzzy...

[Yeah, her memories after getting hit by that arrow? Are so hazy she's pretty certain it was all just a dream. But maybe that's for the best.]

I was planning to give out chocolates, but it seems like I forgot to do that as well. Would anybody mind if I gave it to them today? I apologize for being late. I bought some extras, too, so even if we haven't met before, I don't mind sharing. Just let me know and I would be happy to give you one.

[And, as almost an afterthought-]

It sounds like almost everybody received coupons for a dinner for two. I was thinking, it might be nice if everyone went in a group. If we use the coupons for a pair of people each, we could use half of the coupons on one trip and then the other half for a second group dinner somewhere else. It would be a great way for everyone to relax and enjoy spending time with each other. Would anybody else be interested in doing this?

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*guess who actually checked the network again!*

...what is Valentine's Day, anyhow?

*guess what holiday was absent from Nosgoth! Or, you know, one of the many they don't have in common, anyway...?*

[It's Halloween, isn't it.]

It's a day for celebrating love. Girls buy or make chocolate for the boys they like, and in return boys give them a gift one month later in March.

But a lot of people give out obligation chocolates to close friends as well. Those are the ones I have with me today... Would you like one?

*Well, in its modern form, Halloween is on that list too. Depending on the more traditional forms in question, they actually may well celebrate those. In separate holidays, to boot.*

Oh! I see... well, that's rather thoughtful. And I... suppose so?

*He's curious. He gave in to the smell, and tried sucking on some of the chocolate the government sent with the other presents, finding that it melted in his mouth, so that helped, but... perhaps he ought to warn her?*

I-- my clan does have issue with things which are too solid, though... and I know some of the chocolates in the stores have nuts in them... but if it isn't those, it may be just fine. *slight pause* Ought I wait a month before giving you something in return?

These are just milk chocolate. There's nothing inside of them.

And as for the return gift... You don't need to go that far if it's too inconvenient.

Oh-- it isn't! But you said it was customary to wait a month, to give something back? *he's trying to get this right, is all.*

That's the custom in my country, yes. But... I'm not sure if it's the custom in Hinoto-Ri as well. They're very similar in some ways, but I don't know if they celebrate White Day here as well.

We don't have quite the same thing, in Nosgoth... or at least, not the same way. There isn't any chocolate, for one thing. So I suppose here, the thing to do would be to celebrate how one likes, when one likes, as it suits them.

*a lil smile to her... it seems like a decent enough idea to him, to do it like that, anyway!*

But it seems that a month is quite a while to wait... and when people here can disappear-- *his cheer falters for just a moment, but he pushes whatever thought that was aside, and puts the smile back on for her* ...well... why wait a month?

I don't suppose you've anywhere you'd like to meet? I'm in the Libra building, right now, in my quarters... but it shouldn't take me long to travel elsewhere.

[And now she's waving her hand quickly.] I don't mind waiting - even with Hinoto-Ri being as uncertain as it is. [Quite a few of the people she had intended to give chocolates to had gone missing as well...]

I'm actually in the Libra building as well. My room number is 11-09 if you don't mind dropping by.

*blink blink* I'm... *pause... how to word this, when he's trying not to laugh? It definitely surprised him!*

...I'm already much closer than I thought.

*and she can see from the background that he's getting up from where he was, still carrying the watch to talk to her with, and opening the door to his apartment... steps outside, simply leaving the door open behind him, and doesn't even walk far, still trying to hide that smile*

...All right, I'm here. *okay, so he can't entirely hide it. This is just too amusing!*

Ah...?

[...What a surprise indeed! She moves to answer the door, her expression still puzzled, but smiling nonetheless.]

So we've been neighbors this whole time... What a coincidence!

*he'll turn off the watch, since that'd just be silly to leave it on, at this point, and give up on not smiling so much after all.*

I had no idea.

*a glance back at his still-open apartment door, and then back to her*

But this does make it quite a bit more convenient than not, for the sake of sweets now and then, doesn't it? *Why yes, he probably does mean ice cream. And was that an invitation for later? Because it sounded like it....*

[And she switches her own off as well.]

Sweets...? I suppose so!

In general, it seems we won't need to rely on our COMPs as much to discuss things, either. [It may be due to coming from a traditional family, but she definitely appreciates speaking in person. Being able to talk with him so easily is frankly kind of a relief.]

It does seem so. *and the thought pleases him, too -- he's still not really used to the tech behind the COMP devices, nor having a network in the first place.*

I wonder who else lives nearby...?

*and a little glance at the other apartment doors on their level -- but he's not going to go knocking just to find out. Not yet, certainly! No, that's more idle curiosity right now, than anything....*

I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but... I'm not actually familiar with our neighbors, either. I should probably try to meet them sometime soon.

...Especially in case people vanish again in the future.

*...and there goes his smile, as his wings droop down behind him a bit. He looks away again, at the other doors, and manages a small sound of agreement, but there's clearly something weighing on his mind in this topic, that he'd rather not have doing so.*

*So, after a short pause, he tries changing it.*

...I... um....

*this would work a lot better if he knew what to change it to, though.*

...you... said something about an exchange, though?

*oh hey, there's a topic!*

[She tries to smile, noting his discomfort with that particular topic.]

Sorry, that was gloomy of me to say, wasn't it?

But yes, exchanging gifts for Valentine's Day. If you don't mind waiting a moment, I can go fetch you the chocolates right now.

Of course.

*he tries giving her a little smile again, biting the inside of his lip a bit. Was he really being that obvious? ...yes, he was, wasn't he. Well... nuts. Wasn't really his intention, he just--*

*no, not thinking about it. Think about something else. Chocolate. Right, chocolate. Good topic. Much better. She wanted to give him chocolate, and he was going to give her--*

...

*er... he hadn't picked anything out for her yet! He'll be waiting right there, while she was getting the chocolate, trying to think. He really didn't know her very well yet... but she had long hair--*

*...which she's worn down, both times he's seen her now. What about--*

*no, no. He didn't want to guess wrong. So... hm.*

[Aaaand totally unaware of his thoughts, she comes back with a small box of chocolates in hand!]

Here you go! I hope they taste alright.

I'm certain they will... I've yet to taste chocolate I didn't like. *slightly sheepish smile at that, glancing down at the little box, which seems... a bit smaller, in his odd hands, than it did when she'd held it.* Which may eventually prove to be a less than wise view of it, but it's a risk I'm willing to take, for now.

*He takes half a step back toward his own door, leaving her plenty of room to follow him, if she wants to. Or at least, that's what he's hinting.*

I still would like to give you something in return... but I'm not certain what you'd like. So, if it pleases you, I've some things I made, that you're welcome to pick from...?

*He's decided to just be honest about it and hope that the admission about his lack of being able to guess yet goes over well.*

Edited 2013-02-26 10:49 (UTC)

[He's very insistent... At this point, turning him down would be rude, so instead she will gracefully accept.]

...I would like that, Avitus. Sure, I will take a look.

*The whole people leaving thing's hit him somewhat hard lately. Harder than usual, anyhow. It happened in the Citadel, but not so intensely; humans didn't often get close enough to him in the first place for him to consider them friends, and they didn't stay for such short periods of time before disappearing with no warning.*

*...after thousands of years of dealing with the transience of human lives, and now the even more fleeting, but easier to get attached to, people here... yes, he wants to do all those friend things while he can, with them.*

*So he'll lead into his apartment, that little smile growing just a bit as she follows.*

*the walls have been decorated with what were once surely Christmas lights, but are now done up to be vines -- chains? -- of flowers, hanging up by a thumbtack from near the ceiling, to keep them from getting tangled together. The table is full of bits and pieces of whatever he'd been working on... paint, small shapes of colored glass, or plastic, glue, metal bits....*

*...and he heads to a little shelf nearby, to quickly lay out some of the things on it a little better. It's mostly hair accessories, it looks like -- barrettes, pins, clips, sticks (chopsticks? carved wood, or bone, some painted a bit on the end) and combs, and more obvious jewelry, necklaces and bracelets and earrings, though few were metal pieces, mostly carved pendants... on a little rod hanging on the wall above those, what looked like window ornaments, small stained glass pieces, mostly. On the lower shelf, what seemed to be bouquets of fake flowers in vases, or small artificial trees, or-- aha, there were cord ends down among them; perhaps those were table lamps?*

Here... *a vague gesture as he stepped back, still holding the little chocolates box to hismelf... apparently, he meant to indicate all of it, not just the pieces meant for hair.* Whatever strikes your fancy... it's yours.

[She has to spend some time staring in awe at the items, her gaze running slowly across each individual piece. It takes a few moments before she finally speaks.]

You... made all of this? By yourself?

Ah... yes? *He's doing well not to look all that self-conscious, but his cheeks did turn a faint purple. He was hoping she would like them, and it seemed to him that she probably did....*

This... this is amazing, Avitus!

[She steps closer so that she can examine the pieces more carefully.]

They're all so beautiful!

I... ah....

*blushing a little more, even if he does smile some*

It's... simply what I do.

*hm, maybe he should explain?*

When I'm not drafting designs for buildings, or making stained glass, it's what I tended to fill my time with, back in the Citadel. I would make things to station outside some of the rooms in the castle, like the baths, to make it more obvious what lay within. Or gifts for my brothers... Heldrad liked things for his hair, hence I've practice with that.

*He pauses, leaving it at that for the moment. She probably isn't that interested in more details, he figures, so he closes his mouth again.*

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