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

[shadearchivist]

Ienzo had puttered around; there was punch for adults and punch for not-adults, as well as tea and cocoa. It would be good to celebrate with everyone; he hadn't been sure that Santa Claus could even find this place, with its odd location in the realm of sleep.

He settled in next to the drinks; it would be nicer if there were snow outside, but it felt enough like Christmas indoors.

[colorbymemory]

It was the first time Namine was really getting to celebrate Christmas, so she had wanted to do something special. It was nice of Ienzo to help with her idea. Santa might have difficulty finding them, but they could make do.

Snow would have been nice, but that wasn't all there was to Christmas. She smiled as she set Ienzo's package of cookies next to him. "Merry Christmas."

[shadearchivist]

"Merry Christmas, Namine. I'm sorry that I haven't had much time to think about presents." It wasn't something he was used to thinking about; certainly the Organization hadn't been interested in celebrating Christmas.

Santa Claus probably had them permanently inked onto the naughty list anyway.

[colorbymemory]

Santa might make changes to his list, though, if things changed.

"That's okay. Thanks for the help in setting up." Presents weren't supposed to be given with the expectation of anything in return, right? Because the important thing was giving, not getting. While Namine had an idea she might like presents as much as anyone else, she wasn't going to be too disappointed.

[shadearchivist]

"Perhaps I could make an illusion for everyone." He would have to give warning, however. Still, an illusion of snow even in the local area would be nice for the season.

[colorbymemory]

A warning would definitely be a good thing--some of the others weren't used to that sort of magic yet. With no real snow, and illusion of it would have to do. "An illusion everyone would like might be nice."

[shadearchivist]

Ienzo glances around. It doesn't seem as if there are too many people who would be surprised by an illusion - not yet, at any rate - so he brings up an image of a Christmas tree in the corner. "That's a start."

[colorbymemory]

Most of the people in the shop at the moment were familiar with magic, so the illusion wouldn't be too surprising for them. Namine smiled at the tree. "I think it's a good one."

[shadearchivist]

"It will be interesting to find out how many people here celebrate the holiday," Ienzo said. Certainly the Freelancers and Princess Luna came from worlds very different from this. Most people had some sort of winter holiday; it seemed as if most cultures did.

[colorbymemory]

"It will, but we can tell them about it if they don't, right?" No two worlds were the same, but most people enjoyed holidays, didn't they? Even if some of the others didn't have Christmas where they were from, they might still want to give and receive presents.

[shadearchivist]

"Of course. It's a good holiday to share with others. When I was a child there were large festivals...of course I wasn't as interested in going when I was younger." He had been shy of people, after his parents passed away, and even before that he'd always been more comfortable with adults. At Christmas, he was expected to play with the other children.

[colorbymemory]

"Oh. I don't think Destiny Islands had festivals, but sometimes people had parties on the beach." Being in a tropical climate as they were, the islands were warm enough at Christmas to venture outside for gatherings. The water wouldn't be comfortable to swim in for long, but the beach was enough for a party. That's what Namine had gathered from Sora's memories.

[shadearchivist]

"Bonfires, that sort of thing?" It might be nice to go somewhere like the Destiny Islands for Christmas; no more standing outside wishing that you could be inside and wondering if you will ever feel the tips of your fingers again. No more pleading to go inside only to be lectured about how cold winters were when certain others were children and told that being outside was good for him. Being outside in the warmth was different.

[colorbymemory]

"I think so." The quick glimpses she'd had while working with Sora's chain of memories indicated that, yes, there were bonfires. Namine herself would find so much fire in one place intimidating, but the other party activities might be nice. Having never really been outdoors in winter, she couldn't give any opinion of the usual weather then aside from the fact that snow looked beautiful, and she thought she'd like it better than rain.

[shadearchivist]

Ienzo looked around, smiling faintly. "I wonder if we should have hung mistletoe." He didn't like the chance of being caught personally, but certain people - who, he reminded himself, he would never be on speaking terms with again - found it amusing to see who got caught.

It's Axel/Lea he's thinking of there, am I right? XD Or Braig/Xigbar.

[colorbymemory]

Namine tilted her in thought, then smiled as well. "Maybe, but I don't know if everyone would have enjoyed it." She knew enough about the tradition to know that she herself would have felt uncomfortable if caught by someone who insisted on following it.

XIGBRAIG

[shadearchivist]

"True. It can be inconvenient." The year's turning was considered to be coming up by quite a few calendars; they might do something for that as well. Usually that involved staying up all night and drinking, however, and Ienzo still hadn't forgotten the last time people had gotten drunk here.

ALWAYS HAPPY TO MAKE HIS COLLEAGUES REMEMBER WHAT 'ANNOYANCE' FELT LIKE.

[colorbymemory]

"It's pretty though." Namine had seen pictures, and it made a nice decoration. Too bad that it came with so many issues, or she would have been more intent on finding some to put up.

Doing something for New Year's would be nice. Staying up all night might be fun--she wasn't a night owl normally, but just for once it might be nice to try. The drinking part she could leave well alone--the results she'd seen hadn't looked fun.

[shadearchivist]

"It's a pity we don't have any musicians here; we could have one night a week be a sort of get-together." Not that Ienzo was wishing for Demyx or his somebody; that music wasn't conducive to a quiet get together, though people might prefer it. Musical tastes being what they were.

[colorbymemory]

"That would be nice, though couldn't we do it without musicians." Awkward as she was around groups, Namine did enjoy seeing everyone. Demyx would be welcome as far as she was concerned, but then again, she didn't know how music related to get-togethers.

[shadearchivist]

"We should bring it up to Aeleus and see what he thinks," Ienzo said. It would be a good way to share information, as well, now that things seemed to be changing. A low pressure environment would encourage people to be open.

[colorbymemory]

"I think he might like it." Though quiet, Aeleus seemed to enjoy the company of others. Maybe not big groups, but arranging for everyone to meet regularly would allow them to share information more easily. Namine would think most everyone here in town would be in favor of that.