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

[samuraihime]

It seems we will be completing my errand first, as Umemori-kun appears to be following my footsteps after all. So be it.

"The ability to use Mojikara wasn't always as rare as it is now, Umemoru-kun," I say, trying not to sound too patronizing with my explanation. "The samurai families followed certain breeding guidelines in order to keep the ability strong and concentrated, but that didn't always stand true for other families blessed with Mojikara. It appears that your family, the Umemori line, had some luck in managing to maintain the ability and eventually bring it back to some manner of strength, even if by complete chance."

[nonsamurai]

I think she's starting to get irritated with me again, and I feel badly about that, a little. I'm frustrated that we can't seem to have a casual conversation where I don't say something stupid that annoys her somehow. But this is stuff I need to know, and, well,

"That part of it isn't so well documented in the Shiba library." I point out. "But, um, thank you, for the information. That's very encouraging!"

[samuraihime]

I can't help but smile at his enthusiasm. I wasn't bothered by his questions, just unsure as to how much he really wished to know. "There are some things that have traveled with Tanba and myself, rather than stayed here where they can be easily tracked down and stolen. Not that I do not have faith in my son's abilities to guard the mansion, it is just that I would never hear the end of it from Tanba if he didn't know exactly where certain things are at all times."

[nonsamurai]

"Oh, I see!" That doesn't really surprise me at all when she puts it like that. "That makes much more sense. There's a lot more people coming and going at the mansion, aren't there, compared to where you live?"

I'd gotten the impression that she lived pretty much alone with Tanba and her kuroko.

"Well, thank you very much. It's all very encouraging. Very positive! Now..." I pause with mock trepidation. "The real problem. Is telling my brother."

[samuraihime]

My smile slides into more bemused curiosity, watching him shift between thoughts in the way he does. But I am relieved when he says he must tell his brother, instead of a worrisome need to ask his brother. That bodes well for his goal.

"If you do it correctly," I say carefully, not wanting to intrude much more on this family matter than I already have. "Then telling him won't be a problem, as much as it will be a brief - but rewarding - trial."

[nonsamurai]

That's a cute grin on her face, but I can't really help the... expression I make at her words.

Not a frown, or a scowl or anything like that. A slightly disbelieving grin, I guess.

"I sure hope so." I agree softly. "I'm sure he'll fight against it. But I have no intention of treating it like a joke or... or like I'm doing it specifically to undermine him. This is something for me, something I need to do. As long as he understands that... it'll all work out!"

[samuraihime]

I nod, confident in his determination. "Agreed. As long as he understands your goal in this, he will have little to reasonably argue with it."

We approach the steps to the shrine, and I slow my brisk walking pace to take the stairs a bit more reverently. "I would hope that he would then shift his focus more towards ensuring you are properly prepared for what may come, than attempting to dissuade you from your goal."

[nonsamurai]

"Well, that bargains on my brother being reasonable!" It's a joke, mostly, and I laugh and hope she'll take it as one.

We've arrived at the shrine, which must be her errand's end destination, since she turns in. I pause at the foot of the stairs, watching her mount the steps. "I hope so." I say softly. I would like to train with my brother. I'd like that kind of respect and... and confidence from him.

"Did you need me to wait out here, Princess?"

[samuraihime]

His joke seems a little off-color, considering the subject, but I give him a small smile paired with a quirked eyebrow nonetheless.

We both pause at the entrance to the shrine, and I turn to give him a polite nod of my head. "It would benefit me were you to do so," I say simply. "I shouldn't be too long."

I turn and head into the shrine proper, making my way to my errand's destination, thankfully just out of sight from Umemori-kun.

[nonsamurai]

I'm not entirely sure she found my joke very funny. Well, I know perfectly well how funny it was. The best humor is the kind that plays on truths, and my brother is certainly unreasonable sometimes.

"Of course!" I agree, taking a step back and even turning my back to the entrance while she enters.

I look out across the town with a little smile. Things are going well.

What a good Christmas.

[samuraihime]

The transaction is thankfully brief, and the maiden behind the counter more than willing to thoroughly wrap up my purchases and place them in an opaque bag. I roll it up and tuck it against my body before walking back out to meet up with Umemori-kun.

I find him looking out across the town, smiling peacefully. It's...endearing, I find.

"It's a good view, isn't it?" I say gently as I come up behind him.

[nonsamurai]

"Ah, Princess." I greet her when she returns. "Your errand went well?"

I turn to look out over the town again with a wide smile and a deep nod. "It's beautiful. It's... It's just so different from the states."

[samuraihime]

"All is taken care of," I reply with a smile, adjusting the package slightly.

I follow his gaze back outwards, curious by his sentiment. "Is it?" I was under the impression that America was not that much different from Japan, in most areas. But then again, I have never actually been there. "How so?"

[nonsamurai]

"Very good."

I almost offer her my arm again, but I restrain the impulse.

She's looking out over the town with me, and I grin at her, then point. "Streets are narrower in a lot of places. There's a lot more people about, compared to where I went to school. The foliage is entirely different, so is the weather."

[samuraihime]

I look where he points, taking note of the things he mentions one by one. "Is it colder over there?" I ask curiously, eager to hear what experience he has to share.

[nonsamurai]

"Where I lived? Sometimes. It hardly ever snowed. If it did, it never stuck around for more than a day. Very rainy, all year, not just in the winter time."

She seems like she's legitimately interested, so I continue. "I didn't live near the coast, really. I had to go out of my way to see the ocean, but when I did, it looked different than it does here. Grey, mostly, but beautiful in it's own way."

[samuraihime]

"That sounds very interesting," I say, and find myself about to reach for his arm, as if he were escorting me. Very odd. I restrain the impulse and look back down towards the entrance to the shrine.

"Where are we heading to next?" I ask, trying to direct us back to the task at hand.

[nonsamurai]

"It is. Very different, like I said. But I did enjoy myself there, even if it was very lonely sometimes. I wasn't the only student at my school for whom English was a second language, but I was the only Japanese student."

She asks where we're heading next and I grin at her and make a motion with both my head and one hand, stepping away from the shrine and angling us towards the shopping districts. "I thought I would pick up a few things I know niichan has forgotten, or things he didn't think he'd need but I know better. At the grocery," I elaborate.

[samuraihime]

"But you know better, hm?" I ask with a teasing eyebrow as I follow his lead. "Is Umemori-san that out of touch with his own inventory at times?"

[nonsamurai]

"Not frequently." I admit as I lead the way. "Just occasionally, when he has much more on his mind, as he does today, with doing the majority of the planning for this event."

[samuraihime]

"Mm." I nod to him as we walk, understanding how the hustle and bustle of party planning could lead one to neglect certain minor tasks. "What sorts of items do we need to acquire at the store, then?"

I do hope these are fairly inconsequential things, and not supplies such as 'rice' or 'fish'. That might be a bit much for me to believe.