melodiesoflife | Christmas Party & Cheer

Christmas Party & Cheer

WHO: OPEN
WHEN: FORWARD DATED: December 22nd
WHERE: Christmas Town
WHAT: Celebrating the snow, the holidays, good cheery, warm fires and friends.
WARNING: Mistletoe?

With Rukia's help they were able to find a large enough hall in Christmas Town to throw the party. Zelda had set it for this day since a group of brave heroes were going to set out on the 24th. She had made sure that everything was perfect and of course everyone was invited. There were at least six decorated trees with polished silver and gold ornaments hanging from their branches. Scarlet red ribbons decorated the trees and tables with large bows tying the streaming trails together.

There was one very large tree at the halls center and there were a few presents around the bottom for those who needed a place to put gifts. At it's top was a large pointed star.

Champagne and small finger snacks were set on the tables and a part of the room was cleared for those who wanted to dance. Zelda was even able to hire a few people to play Christmas songs throughout the night. There was a table dedicated to sweets with cookies, cakes, small pies and other wonderful treats spread out for people to try.

Among the decorations was mistletoe. This little plant hung above the doorways waiting for any pair who happens to be caught in their hold. Most of the mistletoe was thanks to Minako but Zelda might have put up one sprig at the entrance to the party; it's all in good fun and kisses on the hand or cheek are perfectly acceptable.

[ooc: feel free to make open posts and tag around! It's a party!]

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It had been a busy three weeks, and the party was well-timed for a much needed break. Not only for Ven, as hard as he'd been working, but for everybody who came to lend a hand in the village. Both Heroes and civilians had been pulling their weight and then some, so he was glad for the opportunity to get them all together like this for a fun evening.

Well, mostly glad. For the past few days, Ven had been hard at work -- more than usual, sparing very little time to speak with anybody unless necessary -- and it was probably obvious to those who knew him well that he was avoiding company, and that his usual cheer had taken a sudden blow. Tonight was no different, as hard as he tried; he smiled, but it was distracted, and his laughs were halfhearted. When he thought no one was looking, he didn't bother pretending, but appeared serious and pensive.

Considering how busy and backed up Mognet was lately, Ven didn't know who all had gotten the message about Aqua falling into crystal stasis. He had, of course, immediately gone to confirm it, and since then his mood had taken a sour turn that he couldn't shake. Rae was the only one he had told, and Ven planned to keep it that way, at least until after the holidays. He didn't want to rain on anybody's parade, either by dropping the sad news or having them fuss over him, so he was determined to act natural.

...But considering he hadn't touched any food, spared more than a glance at the dance floor, or initiated any conversations in the last half hour, that was probably wishful thinking. Still, the longer the night went on, the better he inevitably felt after speaking with friends; the later you find him, the more cheerful he'll be.

Terra saw him looking sad and depressed away from the group and she thought that it was rather odd. She hadn't met Aqua and she didn't know that the woman was someone close to Ven so as she walked up she was completely oblivious to the reason behind his frown. She only knew that her friend was upset.

She placed down her drink and stepped away from Sephiroth to move next to Ven. She held out her hand with a warm smile in place across her cheeks.

"Can I have this dance?"

There wasn't very much that Terra could do to cheer up the young hero but at the very least she can dance. He had taught her and since then she'd learned even more.

He'd noticed Terra a few times before now. Since she wasn't alone, there didn't seem to be much of a reason for him to approach her, at least not while his mood was so dim. When she approached, Ven expected a greeting -- not a request, which clearly caught him off guard.

For a moment he looked confused, as if her question was an outlandish one. Then he glanced down at her offered hand, back up at her face, and despite himself he couldn't help but return the smile, and this one wasn't strained. He remembered the first time they danced, how uncertain she was; this was bold in comparison, but that kind of change can only be a good one as far as he was concerned.

So he finally took her hand with a nod, and his hold on her fingers was steady enough to say he had no uncertainties, either.

"Yeah. I'd like that."

Terra's smile widened as he took her hand and she lead them towards the outskirts of the dance floor. She had learned a lot since the first time they danced. She has learned about herself beside rising her skills on the polished floor. She didn't want to be timid and she knew that she could be however she wanted if she tried hard enough.

She stepped up next to Ven taking his hands as he had showed her months before.

"Ready?"

She was still smiling and seemingly clueless to any uncertainty that Ven might have been feeling. He had smiled at her and it gave her all the confidence she needed to take the first step forward.

"Uh-huh," Ven assured her. His smile was already looking more relaxed, his heart plenty glad for the distraction.

Once the music picked up, he started to step in time with it, moving back a step as Terra moved forward. It didn't take long for his heart to feel lighter, and his mood quickly lifted with it. He soon laughed, already caught up in the moment.

"You been practicing without me?"

Terra smiled brightly realizing that she had been found out. It was probably really easy to tell compared to the tentative movements she had before. That and she hadn't looked down once since the song began. Her feet just moved as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do.

"You can tell?"

She was a little proud of herself.

"Tempest helped some as well as a few others."

She was lucky to have the friends she did and while it took a far amount of time to see them as friends she's happy. Even if that happiness were to be fleeting. Seeing Ven smile lifted her spirits as well.

"It's a big difference," he told her cheerfully, clearly with approval. "I don't think you need me to lead anymore."

Which wasn't bad, judging by Ven's attitude.

He stepped with and around her easily, still smiling all the while. "So how've you been? Flowers get here okay and everything?"

Terra liked having Ven there to lead but then it was just because she was used to following. She didn’t want to dance on her own though she had done just that a few times in her shop. Her thoughts consume her for a moment moving easily with the song.

It was Ven’s question that brought her back, her eyes flicking to him curiously.

“Yeah, it wasn’t too much trouble. Thank you for the help and I think everyone liked them.” They had been surprised when Terra arrived with so many flowers.

“How have the cats been?”

"Cheer up Ven."

Her voice was soft and sweet, her mismatched gaze peeking over at the young hero. There was a plate of cookies in her hand and a glass of something that shimmered in the light. Yuna is wearing the same red dress she had before but with it was a string of silver around her neck with a heart pendant. She held out the glass to Ven and assuming he'd take it without complaint she then held up a cookie for him to bite into.

"She'll be back."

Yuna already knew why Ven was feeling down. She knew how important Aqua was to him.

"I know she'd rather you smile."

Ven jumped slightly at the greeting, startled out of his deep thoughts. He was a beat or two slower than usual in giving Yuna a smile, but it was pretty convincing.

"Thanks." That was about the drink, which he took, but his response to her words was a little more delayed. He wasn't too surprised that Yuna knew already, but hearing someone else say it made it a little harder to accept, somehow, as if keeping it to himself made it less real. "I know... I just... I'm not sure which is better -- when she wasn't here, or... now that she is, even if she's..." In crystal stasis. It was easy to imagine Aqua fighting and taking care of herself off in the unknown; having her here was a comfort, being able to check on her and all, but seeing her paralyzed and helpless... That might be worse.

Ven shook his head after a moment, accepting the cookie as well as his smile struggled to grow again. "But... yeah. She'll be all right, sooner or later."

He bit into the cookie, and then shook his head again. "Sorry. I'm not really bringing a party mood, huh?"

Yuna shook her head and took a spot at his side. Her smile stayed in place though her eyes looked out wistfully over the party. She was used to smiling even if she didn't feel like she wanted too and she could understand why Ven was trying so hard.

"I don't know if I ever told you." She paused, her fingers lacing together in front of her. "...but one of my close friends is in stasis. His name is Baralai and he's from Spira as well. We were friends when we were kids and we meet again after my friends and I defeated Sin. We only really got close away from Spira, in the world I was trapped in before this one." They were many becoming more than friends at the time but like all of Yuna's loves it wasn't to last.

"He disappeared and then I did. When I woke up here I looked for him but he wasn't here. The next cycle he appeared but he didn't remember me but it didn't really matter. He still knew me from Spira and we were slowly able to become friends again. After a few months he went into Crystallis stasis and hasn't woke up." She turned to Ven now, her smile still as strong as before. "I won't say she'll wake up. I won't give you false hope but I know that wherever they are they aren't just trapped in those statues. They are somewhere safe and one day we'll meet again."

Yuna turned back towards the party and then rested back against the wall behind her. "Friends always find each other."

"Oh..." Ven was sympathetic enough that he looked genuinely disheartened at that. Losing someone, and then discovering that they'd forgotten a lot of what happened between you, and then losing them again... That would be awful. He knew a little of what that was like, he thought, as certain as he was that Sora had forgotten about him a long time ago, but that wasn't nearly as painful as it would be if it were Terra, Aqua, or Eraqus.

Still, Yuna's last remark was a glimmer of hope. Swirling his glass a bit, Ven nodded after a moment with a hum. "Yeah... and... I guess in the long run, the odds of me and Aqua landing in the same world were pretty low, but we did." Her, Sora, Ira, Kairi... "We found each other this far, and after this much time... We'll do it again. Your friend, too." Maybe not today, tomorrow, or this month, but someday.

It was a lot like what he told Ira, he supposed. Even if Sora had forgotten about them, they still remembered, so it was their responsibility to look after him in the meantime; Aqua was in a similar position now. As a matter of fact...

Ven raised his eyes to look out across the room, a little more serious. "You know... Aqua looked after me while I was sleeping. And even though she must've been sad, I know she wouldn't let that slow her down. I think... this means it's time for me to return the favor." He sat up a little straighter; then, with another nod, he smiled up at Yuna. "I've still got some growin' up to do -- I know that now -- but that doesn't mean I can't look after my friends with everything I've got. That's what they would do."

That's what they did.

Yuna nodded mirror his smile with her own. She knew that Ven was strong but sometimes he didn't see it in himself. She took a short sip of her glass before letting her eyes move towards the center of the party.

"Yeah, we can both do it."

Her head tilted to the side before looking back over at Ven.

"Would you like to try and do something?"

If he kept finding places to stand he was going to end up underneath some mistletoe.

Ven had noticed the mistletoe decorations upon first arriving, but since then his thoughts were distracting enough to make him all but forget about dodging the plants. That was likely an incident waiting to happen.

"Mm!" It was an eager sound of agreement as he returned the nod. He was suddenly feeling much more energetic. "Have you danced yet?"

Yuna smiled and then shook her head.

"No, I only arrived a few minutes ago."

Ven had just looked down so she had come to see him first. She would never say no to a dance from him considering how fun it was the last time they danced. Even if it had been a little awkward when they fell.

Ven quickly drained the last of his glass, set it aside, and all but leaped up and forward, pivoting on his heel to offer her a hand.

"How about it, then? To start things off." His smile was sincere, even if it wasn't quite the same happy-go-lucky, all-is-right-in-the-worlds look that he was better known for. He wasn't good at smothering or disguising emotions, and he hadn't forgotten the weight on his heart; but this wasn't an excuse to pretend or an attempt to forget. It was just a reminder that he still had others around whom he cared very much for, and there was no rule in the universe that said he couldn't appreciate what he had while still missing what he'd (temporarily) lost.

"Just one for now," he added, "so I don't keep you all night." Not that he would mind spending most (if not all) of the party with her, but he didn't want to get in the way of her meeting with her other friends, or neglect his own.

“Yes, though I wouldn’t mind more than one.”

Yuna laughed softly and then took Ven’s hand. She was always happy to dance with him and it was good to see him in such high spirits. Even if it wasn’t the same Yuna could tell that it was genuine. Her steps were light as she moved across the floor, her red dress flaring as they move into position.

One song ends and another begins.

The song was fast but Yuna waited for Ven to lead. She kept one hand in his while the other lightly rested on his shoulder. There was an inch or so of space between them and yet Yuna was close enough for the warmth of his breath to be felt across her neck.

“Should we keep this dance simple?” Least they fall and turn into a tangled heap on the floor; again.

He gave a sheepish laugh. "Simple sounds great." And by that, Ven meant he wouldn't risk outdoing himself again. (It was one time, okay.)

He placed his free hand on her side and started to lead at a simple pace, as promised, quickly catching onto the rhythm. But "simple" could still be quick, and he could go quite a ways before outdoing himself, so it wasn't long before they had matched pace with the other dancers around them. If his mind was still heavy with his recent thoughts, his movements didn't reflect it at all.

"How's this?"

Yuna follows him easily and the smile never leaves her lips. She lets the polished floor glide and shift away from them as they dance across it. Her skirt fans out at each change of direction causing Yuna's grin to widen.

"Perfect."

She didn't think she could completely erase Ven's depressing thoughts but maybe after this dance he could look back on the night and smile.

"I really enjoy dancing with you." Before coming to Crystallis she had only ever danced alone.

Saori and Ventus had been both busy with last few weeks so she couldn't catch those changes in his behavior earlier. She wasn't much of a dancer and just mingled around until she saw Ventus from the corner of her eye. She quietly approached him with a gentle smile.

"Hey. I was thinking about stepping outside for some fresh air and I think you could use some too. Care to join me?" If Ventus thought he'd pull the wool over his mother of a housemate, think again.

Had Ven wanted to avoid others, he wouldn't have bothered with coming, so Saori's appearance wasn't an intrusion, nor was her invitation a bother. He gave her a default sort of smile, although it hitched slightly as he detected a meaning under her casual words. 'Fresh air'... there was a talk coming, wasn't there?

Still, he nodded with a hum of agreement.

Out on the patio in front of the hall, it was considerably quieter, the buzz of the party at their backs and the distant sound of bells and squawking Chocobo down the street. Ironically, Ven felt a little better, his heart a little lighter, away from the crowd.

"How d'you like the party?" he asked, deciding to stay casual unless otherwise prompted. "Zelda really outdid herself again."

Certainly someone had taken notice, though K'pandolu has been occupied enough with her own matters not to know the details. A poor showing on her part, but she hoped to be able to do something about that now- at least in part.

She headed over to Ven and reached out for his shoulder, tail flicked up lightly, her other hand occupied with a plate of biscuits. "I wondered if you might like some of these," she offered.

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Christmas Party & Cheer

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