genessia | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who: Koishi and Scott | Shinjiro and Scott.
Where: Attleton, different places.
What: Holiday meetings and shenanigans.
When: December 24th all day.
Warnings: N/A.

Late Morning | Meeting with Koishi for lunch

Scott is waiting on front of The Garden Bistro in Attleton, dressed casually. He hadn’t seen Koishi since the first time they meet, and it wasn’t even real back then. Getting to know each other in a dream had been weird and Koishi was very unusual. Now, Scott is interested in knowing more about her and having a friend who is out of the norm isn’t so strange for him.

He checks his phone again, wondering if he should have called her instead of just send Koishi a message. Maybe he got the number wrong?

Rest of the day / Afternoon

Scott, being alone on Christmas, had decided to make himself useful. He volunteered to help the Local Community of Attleton to set up the temporary shelters across the town, where homeless people could access hot meals, warmth and even medical care. They had events and activities for both the youth and elderly people that will last until the 29th of December. On the 24th, Scott had been busy until late afternoon wrapping presents, bringing supplies from one shelter to the other and making sure everyone's needs could be met the next morning.

By the time he gets home, once his shift ends, it’s past 10 pm. After a warm shower, playing with his dog and making some cocoa, Horatio and he finally crash on the couch and ready to spend the rest of the night being lazy. Mind drifting, Scott fishes his phone out of his pocket to send Shinjiro a text.

Ey, I didn’t had time to see you today and wish you Happy Holidays. I hope you’re having a great Christmas Eve.

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He had not gotten the number wrong. In fact there were several replies and messages from Koishi informing him about her progress... And his phone buzzed as he was looking at it. The message read "I'm right behind you!"

Laughing a little, Koishi drifted up and over, placing her hat on Scott's head before quickly zipping down and kneeling on the chair opposite him.

"Hello Scott!" And there she was. In front of him now. It helped that her image had been embedded in his subconscious during the dream.

"Thank you for inviting me to breakfast. I'm really hungry. Sis gave me this to give to you though, okay?" She was already rummaging in her pocket and sliding over a little bag containing homemade taffy. "Sis puts just a tiny bit of oni sake in them so they have some kick."

He turned immediately upon seeing the notification, jumping slightly when the hat landed on his head then laughing. It turned out that Koishi was just as unpredictable in real life as she was in dreams.

"Hi, Koishi." He tipped the hat up and smiled, then removed it from his head to carefully placed it on to of the girl's. "That's really sweet of her. You really didn't have to bring me anything. Oni sake? I never tasted it before, Is it strong?"

He's heard of sake, of course, but never drank it. Scot was still too young to drink but if it was alcohol mixed with sweets it would be okay. "Order as much food as you want, my treat of course."

"Hehehe." Koishi readjusted the hat, the artery over her left shoulder looping into a heart shape. She was different from her dream self, scott catching a glimpse of a scar over her left temple before it was covered. The third eye was also closed, more faint scarring visible on the top and across the lid. "Oh wow! Your mind is so bright Scott. It's got lots of color and motion. Very sharp and defined too. I love it!"

She was finally starting to settle down. "Yeah! Oni sake is very strong. A cup can kill weaker humans. But sis only uses a few drops in the whole batch so it kicks a little." Scott might find himself a little tipsy if he ate several pieces at once.

"Ohh! Really?" Her nose was instantly in the menu. "Ohh..." A pause. "I don't know what any of this is. But I bet it's good!" The mountains of feudal Japan didn't have much of a selection as far as food went.

Scott, being used to unconventional people, didn't mind too much about her appearance. But he did notice the differences between the real her and the image he saw in dreams. Behind his visor, his eyes blinked in confusion for a moment.

"Thank you? No one ever complimented my mind before." And he sure had a lot of mutant telepaths poking inside there too, mostly without his permission. Sometimes it bothers him, others times he just accepts it. "I'll keep it in mind once I try the taffy, I really don't have any tolerance to alcohol."

He gets drunk and sick with less than two glasses, it's laughable. Scott takes a look at his own menuthen leans closer to Koishi to point at the names. "These 3 first dishes are different kinds of salads. The list under them is about dishes with meat or chicken. The last two are dishes with fish and seafood. They also have rice and grilled potatoes."

"Well your mind is pretty." She seemed adamant about it. "It's got a lot of red in it though. But its filtered through in so many ways. It's really interesting. It ripples around all the other colors. They're all gentle and warm and cool like velvet in the wind." It seemed like she was seeing his mind in abstraction. Or, rather, a dream-like state.

Oh boy Scott. With such low tolerance it would be best for him to take it one piece at a time.

"Fish? I love fish! It's my second favorite meat to eat and my first favorite when humans cook it." She neglected to mention what her first favorite meat was. "Rice and potatoes are good too. I like them a lot. And I like chicken too. And beef. And ham! And bacon!" The last two had been rather new experiences for her.

"You pick for me Scott, okay? I bet it's all delicious."

"That's very poetic. Thank you, Koishi. Can you always do that? See people's mind so clearly?"

To hear someone put in words a concept as volatile and strange as a mind is unexpected but rather fascinating. Not Xavier nor Jean ever described them that way. Scott cocked his head slightly and felt a smile form on his lips. He wondered if all that red she mentioned in his mind had something to do with his mutation or how he was forced to see the world.

Yeah, he will do that. Alcohol and him aren't friends. And this time he smiled more because of how much Koishi seemed to like food in general.

"Sounds to me that any dish would be one you'll enjoy. " he looked down at the menu again. "If you like fish so much then I'd recommend the Gilthead baked, filled with herbs...it's served with tomato garlic vegetables, rosemary potatoes."

"You're welcome!" And Koishi was already distracted. She was playing with the shakers on the table. Or, rather, examining them. She hadn't spilled anything yet but it was probably going to just be a matter of time.

"Oh... Oh!" She blinked. "Clearly? No. I don't see your head clearly. Sis does that. I just feel it. All the sensations blend together and its sweet. Colors become tastes and smells which become images and more color. And they cycle around and to either side. It's like a dream. It makes sense to me though most of the time but you're not in my head anymore."

Koishi nodded when Scott mentioned she'd like anything. It was true. "Ohh. That sounds really good Scott. I'll have that. Make sure that I'm noticed though or maybe you should say it for me. They might forget it. It happens sometimes."

Scott, in contrast, was a much quieter guy. Always had been, his tendencies to try to go unnoticed or to show calmness when people looked at him had been ingrained in him since he was in the orphanage. He did not mind if Koishi played with the shakers or anything that entertained her, it was cute to see.

"That's how it works? It's still amazing. But does it give you scary feelings if someone is thinking bad things?"

How Koishi could go unnoticed was beyond him but perhaps it had something to do with her powers. Scott remembered how Dr. Strange had to use certain spells or magic artefacts to see demons and spirits, maybe that's how it worked with her. But...he could see her just fine now? Uh, weird.

"I'll order for us both then, don't worry." Almost on cue, a waiter appeared a few seconds later. Scott ordered their food with a polite smile and then realized he didn't know what sort of things youkai liked to drink.

"I'd like a soda. Koishi, do you want one?"

"What they're thinking does affect their subconscious a little bit, but the core character isn't changed. Besides, I can't feel emotions directly anymore. So I decided to make people happy. If I become love then I can just borrow and reflect the joy around me. Everyone wins."

She was beaming despite how dark what she just said was.

"Oh, okay." She was swinging her feet, staring up at the waiter as he came over, though she didn't say anything. She wasn't even acknowledged by him... At least until Scott addressed her. The poor man was quite startled by Koishi's (apparent) sudden appearance.

"Umm. I don't know what soda is." Because giving the already energetic Koishi sugar was a great idea.

Shinjiro eyed the text notification warily.

He'd been working since the early morning at the bakery - lots of people rushing in last minute for baked goods for their Christmas parties - but he managed to sneak over to Scott's during his lunch break, dropping off his gift.

Then, that afternoon, he'd scrambled to get more baking supplies. Shinjiro did some reading, and knew now that most people in Genessia had different holiday traditions. More people would expect gifts. And, most importantly, he didn't want to be a jerk, and had to at least make cookies for other people. It was the decent thing to do.

By 10pm, he'd delivered the last of his gifts to others, and walked Princess, and gave the weird box which had been stubbornly shut until the 25th a last, suspicious shake.

And then, the text.

Did Scott figure out the gift was from him?

... Did he know why he'd made it anonymous?

... Was he even aware that, back where Shinjiro was from, Christmas was more of a ... romantic thing?

(Probably not.)

Finally, he sent a series of texts:

no worries was pretty busy

worked this morning

lots of people shopped last minute

happy christmas

And then, after a pause:

what are you up to?

Scott got a mysterious present as well. Being the paranoid suspicious person he is and after being unable to open it, he left it on the balcony. He will give another try at opening it tomorrow but for now, he didn't want to think about weird boxes that could or not be bombs and the like.

I hope the last minute customers weren't too annoying. I've been pretty busy myself too, helping the Local Community.

And then he came home to a really nice present. It didn't take him long to figure who made it, no. It made him stupidly happy.

Thank you for the gift, the cinnamon bread was delicious and I loved the little Doberman. He figured out who was the gift from because it was a really special present and Shinjiro was the only person Scott knew skilled enough to do something like that.

I hope you liked my present, I wasn't sure if I got the right size.

And I'm not doing much now, just being lazy at home.

Score one for Scott - he managed to be more paranoid than Shinjiro, somehow. He hadn't even considered that it might be a bomb. He'd just left it for Princess to attempt to chew open. (Not that she was. She was a very well behaved dog, considering her history.)

nah not annoying

they're just stressed and frantic

Shinjiro blushed, looking at the phone, at the thank-you. Was it worth it to try to deny he'd given it? He did try to make it anonymous. But that was before he realized that Scott probably wouldn't consider it romantic. Maybe he thought it was a good-friend-type gift. Maybe. Possibly.

And then - huh. Scott must have left him something for him? He looked around, and saw that Aki must have put the package in his room for him. Shinjiro hesitated, but it didn't say he couldn't open it yet - and then did.

Paused, at the nice jacket, the warm gloves.

He hadn't had anything more than his old peacoat for a long time. Since running away, certainly. Shinjiro gently brushed the lapels, feeling the fine fabric. This was something that hadn't been stained, hadn't been lived in, hadn't been basically his home for the past two years.

It was clean, and fresh, and expensive and new.

A complicated tangle of feelings surged up in him, and. He knew he'd have to go through them all later. Figure out why the coat was making him feel both vulnerable and grateful.

Shinjiro had left Scott's text waiting long enough, and finally answered.

looks great. warm. nice.

haven't tried it on yet

i'll do that now.

...

He hesitates again. The note with the outfit implied he wanted to meet up somewhere on Christmas, but.

Shinjiro looked at the coat once more. This wouldn't have his life, all of his possessions, sewn into the hems and hidden in pockets. It assumed he had a home to go back to. That he wouldn't be tossed out onto the streets again.

you want company?

It's just a natural talent he has, Shinjiro. You don't want it, trust him.

It's that time of the year. Wait until the sales start, poor people working on retail will go crazy.

He had wished to see the other teen that morning but their different busy schedules had made it impossible. Scott had been lucky that Akihiko had been able to take Shinjiro's present.

Red is a good color in you.

Would it be bold to ask for a picture? Scott was sure Shinjiro would look nice in the new coat because he would look nice on anything. Even the aprons he wore at work. Those were really cute....He almost drops the phone when the next text arrived, lost in his daydreaming.

Horatio raised his head from Scott's lap to look at his owner and then dropped it again, snuggling against the teen. They weren't doing anything special on Christmas because they had no one to spend it with and Scott had been okay with that. But now...would Shinjiro think it's pathetic? He's only wearing a grey t-shirt and comfy black sweatpants, since he hadn't planning to go anywhere fancy tonight. He had been happy with the idea of being lazy on the couch with his dog and a blanket, watching a movie.

Against his common sense, he texted back.

Yours? Always.

reason number one i dont shop before or after the holidays

Hesitantly, Shinjiro removed his old coat, instantly missing its weight. Immediately feeling the suggestion of anxiety. The coat held his entire life, helped him to survive, kept him warm when his body stubbornly provided the necessary heat. Maybe he didn't need it anymore. But. But.

... He wasn't a coward. He lifted the new coat from the box, and placed it over his shoulders. It was just as heavy - perhaps more so, considering he hadn't hidden a few pounds of supplies in the pockets and seams. Should he do that in this coat? Did he need to?

He peered at the pre-supplied mirror the apartment had given him, hanging above the dresser. He didn't look half-bad, he thought.

Then looked down at the text, and blushed again.

fits well enough

Princess sleepily huffed from a corner, nestled in her bed. Looked like she'd worn herself out, trying to attack the mystery box. He smiled fondly, and then. Picked up the phone.

He might be pathetic, and want company from his friend he shouldn't be crushing on. But at least Scott was nice enough to want it.

ill come over then

thanks

You're a wise man, Shinjiro.

And Scott should probably follow his steps and don't go shopping when sales started but things were much cheaper then. He had been trying to save money for a motorcycle so he could move between cities more easily and because he missed driving. He wondered if Shinjiro liked that too or would enjoy a ride. When the next series of texts arrive, Scott found himself smiling at them.

I'm glad to hear that. See you soon then, I'll be waiting

It wasn't until he had hit sent that Scott realized what he wrote last. I'll be waiting???. He couldn't sound more desperate if he tried. He ran a hand over his face, which got him another look from Horatio.

Scott patted the dog's head and stood up, looking around the living room. It was clean because he had always been a neat freak but he still feel the need to rearrange a few things to get the out of the way. The room had a few candles lit and a small tree decorated with red Christmas lights near the window. Scott was almost 100% sure they were red. They could actually be light yellow, it was hard to tell with the glasses he always wore. Perhaps Shinjiro would like some popcorn? That was not very Christmas-y, was it? Oh god, he was a disaster already.

It helped he didn't really buy much, aside from food and supplies for the bakery. He wanted to get new tools for his kitchen - their place was cheap enough, he had the extra cash - but it was still hard to buy things for himself. Shinjiro thought he'd bully himself into doing it when the stores were less crowded.

omw

Shinjiro didn't want to keep him waiting long, but he still spent a few minutes debating what to take from his old coat to put into the new. In the end, he bit the bullet and just grabbed his wallet, keys, and bag of dog treats. Horatio always liked them.

After that small delay, he walked over, in the dark and blowing winds, hunching his shoulders. The coat was well-made and did its job - he was impressed. Even if the worse did happen, he could use this one to survive out on his own, too. The gloves were a welcome addition.

Eventually, he was at Scott's apartment, buzzing his door.

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