Fifth Link

[colorbymemory]

Characters: Namine and all visitors to the tea shop
Content: Christmas at the tea shop--Namine has decorated and made cookies.
Location: Traverse Town, Fourth District, Tea shop
Time of Day: Any time during the shop’s opening hours on Christmas Day.
Warnings: High potential for fluff and adorbs?

In the aftermath of the fight with the giant Nightmare, Namine stayed close to home. Given all that had happened, remaining quietly there for a while seemed best. It wasn’t a hardship, either, with so much to do to prepare for Christmas.

First, the shop needed to be decorated. While she wasn’t an expert in Christmas decorations or decorating in general, she managed to make plenty of paper snowflakes to hang from the ceiling, and small snow people to set on the tables. She’d used stencils to help make all the letters for “Merry Christmas” out of colored paper and tape them to the wall behind the counter so they spelled out the greeting properly. While she hadn’t made the small Christmas tree in the corner (and the one upstairs in the apartment), she had made all the ornaments. Finally, she’d taken a can of a white spray to the edges of the windows. It was supposed to give the effect of frost or snow, but she wasn’t quite convinced. Oh, well. One made do with what one had.

Then there were Christmas presents. She’d settled for making cookies for everyone instead of buying things; she wasn’t quite sure of what the others would like as gifts. So she got out the cookie cutters and made sugar cookies in the shapes of trees, Santas, angels, and stars. Once that was done, she made gingerbread men, enough for everyone to have one. Once they were packaged up, instead of writing names on the tags, she drew a picture of the recipient.

Fortunately, she had everything done by Christmas Day when she helped open the shop, presents stacked behind the counter. If some of the others didn’t stop by, she’d have to work out another delivery method.

[OOC: All characters are welcome to come get their Christmas cookies from Namine. Feel free to treat this party style--drop in on conversations/start a new one with someone who’s already arrived.]

Comments

[dork_of_keys]

Sora had been hovering around the refreshments when Kairi came in, though that wasn't to say he was totally inattentive. He was watching for her actually. And for Riku, but as far as he knew, Riku hadn't come anywhere near the tea shop yet. That was awkward because Sora was thinking of asking Ienzo about the spare rooms upstairs from the shop. Staying at the hotel was getting a bit expensive. That was also beside the point and an issue for another time.

"Kairi!" He made a beeline for Kairi as soon as she came in, searching his pocket for her gift as he did so. He'd kind of scrambled on getting her a gift and almost settled on a nice card and an apology when he remembered something he'd been thinking of getting for a while now. Of course, once he remembered the item, he had to hope the Moogles or another shop had it. By some miracle, he did find it. And actually, it was three items: a trio of little silver charms in the shape of paopu fruits with a bite taken out. He had one clipped to the chain of his crown necklace already, hanging partially hidden behind the crown. The second was in a little red gift box with a white trimmed green ribbon tied around it. The third charm was going to Riku, though it was also going with a small gag gift.

Now if he could find Kairi's gift, he'd be set to give it. He was still digging around in his pocket as he drew near. Perhaps there were better ways to carry a lot of gifts than in magically enlarged pockets...

[paopucharm]

"Sora!" Kairi's beamed back at him, her smile growing wider as she walked over. She hadn't seen him around that morning, so had made a mental note to find him on her way back; him being here was helpful in that endevour, really.

"Merry Christmas," she said cheerfully, pulling out a small box from her belt bag that was unwrapped, but had a silver ribbon around it. She hadn't had much time to get anything elaborate, and being Sora, it had required a bit of agonising over to get something that was just right. In the end, she decided on a simple looking black ring. On one side, she'd had 'one sky, one destiny' engraved in small letters. It had helped him before... perhaps it would help him again, too. "It might be a little weird," she said nervously, offering the present to him. "But I hope it'll do."

[dork_of_keys]

Sora had finally located Kairi's gift just as he heard her saying his name. If it had to be known, he hadn't been in town all morning because he'd been hanging around the tea shop.

"Merry Christmas," he replied, equally cheerful as he gave her the little red gift box. The silver charm came with a matching chain.

He wasn't surprised at all that she'd gotten him a gift. Aside from the first Christmas they'd known each other and the one he'd spent sleeping, he couldn't recall her not getting or making him something. He was surprised by it being a ring, though.

"It's not weird." Why would she think it was weird? To be honest, he liked it.

[paopucharm]

"That's good," she said, grinning, feeling a little relief, taking the box from him and idly playing with the ribbon. "I wasn't sure what to get for you... and I was kinda worried about it..." she admitted. Because, well, it was important that him and Riku (though especially him) got something that they liked. As the years passed, even more so. She knew their tastes quite well by now, sure, but that didn't stop her worrying about it until it was confirmed as a good thing.

[dork_of_keys]

She really didn't need to worry. As if he had room to talk. He was a little bit worried about how she'd feel about the gift he'd gotten her. He wasn't going to say so, of course.

"It's okay, Kairi." After all, the most important thing wasn't the gift, but the thought and caring that went into it. Practical, whimsical, symbolic... hell, even gag gifts could say you care. In their own way.

[paopucharm]

To that, she just smiles softly, appeased. He doesn't have to wait long to find out what she thinks to his present, as she finally looks down and begins to unwrap it. When she finished, her smiler grew wider, and she laughed, ever so slightly. "It's perfect," she said, taking it out of the box and holding it up to the light. "Really. Thanks, Sora."

[dork_of_keys]

It was only when he let it out in relief that Sora realized he'd held his breath when Kairi started opening the box. For all that he thought she shouldn't have worried about him liking his gift, here he was worried about her liking hers.

"I'm glad you like it."

[paopucharm]

"I do," Kairi smiled easily, lowering the charm slightly. "Can you give me a hand? With putting it on my necklace, I mean." she indicated her pendant with the hand that was still holding the box.