Christmas "Meme"

[snakewithbaggage]

Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells!
Suzu ga naru
Suzu no rizumu ni hikari no wa ga mau
Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells!
Suzu ga naru
Mori ni hayashi ni hibikinagara

Welcome to the Dinohouse Christmas "meme"! This is going to work a bit differently from most memes, but still free free to do what you want here!

The idea:
Following this post I will be making an assortment of Universe/Location "thread" comments. These will define the specific scene and universe being worked in. Comments by applicable characters will follow under that comment.

Example:
Mushverse; Shiba Mansion; open to Shinkengers

Comments following that would all be set in the Mushverse universe, be by any Shinkengers that want to participate, and take place at the Shiba Mansion Christmas party. Think of it sort of like every "top level" comment is its own post to the community.

Following that example, if your desired AU/Canon/etc isn't there, feel free to make a "thread" for it! Say there's already a Mushverse Go-busters "thread", and you want to do something in Aibouverse, or something more canon, maybe just between two characters? Make one!

Comments following the "thread" headings can be group setting free for all, or between individuals. Say it's a canon GokaiGalleon party, and Gai and Luka want to go off alone, or are on their way to the Galleon together? Their thread can be a separate second level comment thread beneath the main Canon Gokaiger thread.

I know that's a lot of information/qualifiers, but don't let it make you nervous to post, "rules" are fluid, and mainly set for added organization.

HAVE FUN. And enjoy the season!

Comments

[hakaseheart]

I come up from my bow and follow his brief gaze over to J, suddenly reminded of the sorts of Buddyroids Jin-san has managed to engineer. Still, the weight of the package is reassuring - something physical, tangible that I can do. Something he's trusting me to do.

"I'll do my best," I say resolutely. Hopefully I won't need to draw on Jin-san's assistance at all, but then again, hopefully I'll know when to cave and as for help.

I worry at my lower lip, already wanting to dash out of the party and sit down with my present. But I'm not so socially awkward to think that would be a good idea, so instead I'm shifting between my feet, trying to keep still. "Thank you. I really mean it."

[goldenikemen]

I wave away his thanks, looking sheepish at the gesture. "Honestly you're the first engineer I've spoken to since I came back here that seems at all competent."

More than competent, but I'm not going to gush all over the kid right now. My gift should speak for itself, and maybe he'll start to feel a little more confident as he works with Ene-tan, start to understand his own skills in relation to the work we do here at EMC.

"I look forward to working with you more." I smile, genuine and gentle this time. "How have you been settling in so far?"

[hakaseheart]

Something in his words bugs me, and I can't help but tilt my head curiously. "R-really?" I ask carefully, sure that he's just momentarily forgotten somehow. "You mean aside from Iwasaki-san, right?" He's probably just being kind, anyway. He can't possibly really mean that.

Then he smiles, kindly, and it catches me off-guard enough that I actually give him an answer, more or less. "Slowly," I admit before I realize what I'm saying. "It's such a different environment than I'm used to. I'm not sure if I'll ever really get used to it, you know?"

[goldenikemen]

"Ryuu-chan ins't an engineer." I say, somewhat sadly. "Not really. It's his dream that he's mostly set aside, while he finishes his role of being a Buster. But he doesn't work much with the engineers here like I do."

I nod at him answer, not dismissively, just in understanding. "Honestly? It was hard for me to get used to things here, a lot can change in thirteen years..."

I shake my head, and laugh softly at myself. "So I can kind of understand? Even though I could never know exactly what you're going through."

[hakaseheart]

Something squeezes tight in my chest at Jin-san's words. I'd thought Iwasaki-san was both an engineer and a Buster, but apparently I was mistaken. What's worse it that it sounds like he and I might actually have more in common than I originally thought.

I realize after a moment how much I'm slipping, how much I'm letting my mask fall now that I'm in this situation. I force a happier expression back on my face - although not a full smile - and nod. "How much has it changed, Jin-san?" I ask with sincere curiosity. "From thirteen years ago?"

[goldenikemen]

I waver slightly, sighing, and cross my arms over my chest. Still vulnerable at the question, but able enough to keep some of my physical shields up.

"Most of the people I knew have either died, or..." I clear my throat. "Or something equally horrible."

I shift a little, I'm not uncomfortable sharing these things with him, there's just... pain, and loss, and... a bit of an abandoned feelings.

"Others have simply aged." I glance off, at Ryuuji, at Kurorin, a sad smile on my face. "Which is good? But it was a... hard adjustment to make."

[hakaseheart]

I thought he'd meant structurally, or organizationally, or even something like 'the carpet used to be blue and now it's red'. But I realize at the crossing of his arms, the clearing of his throat, that he's seeing changes much less obvious than that. The changes of time passing.

I swallow nervously, suddenly self-conscious that I managed to poke at that sort of sensitive subject. "I'm sorry," I manage to stammer out, fingers curling a bit more tightly around the edges of my present from him. "I didn't mean to bring up anything, um, unnecessary."

[goldenikemen]

I glance up at him, shaking off the pain of my memories easily. I have to be able to do that to function at all, I can do that gladly while talking with him, who's so removed from the things that have gone on here.

Also I just like him, and I already feel comfortable talking with him.

"Don't be sorry." I shake my head, smiling, though there's still a lingering sadness to it. An honest smile. "I wouldn't have shared anything that I didn't want to, so don't apologize for asking."

[hakaseheart]

Another swallow, and a nod of my head. "O-okay then," I say, and my deathgrip on the present relaxes somewhat. I only barely know Jin-san, but I have a feeling that if he was forcing himself, it would be a little easier to see. Maybe not as easy to see through as I am, though.

"How is it?" I find myself asking suddenly, not even sure where the question is coming from. "Being a Buster?"