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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When Minako had given her the little plant she had said that it brought good luck in love. Terra believed her and while her heart might be occupied with thoughts of a particular person her mind tried to push those feelings away. That didn’t mean that she didn’t want Sephiroth to be happy and Terra’s idea of love extended to friends, family and everyone she cared about it. It didn’t have to mean anything as intimate as Minako most likely implied. The tradition behind mistletoe was common knowledge for those who’ve now spent time in Christmas town. Terra moved her hand around for Sephiroth to see and judging from the expression it might not be obvious if Terra knows it’s meaning or not.

“I was told to give this to you.” She paused holding up the pointed leaves and scarlet red berries which collected artfully in her palm. “I think you’re supposed to put it on the ceiling.” She was too short to do it on her own.

Terra looked up at Sephiroth, holding the plant perfectly between them as if she was offering it to him. She didn’t notice if anyone was attempting to see what they were talking about and her expression didn’t hint at any discomfort from the piece of mistletoe.

It was almost hesitant the way that Sephiroth, whose eyes had drifted back to Terra's face in the meantime, pulled his eyes downwards towards what she were holding in her palm as she presented the mistletoe to him open-handed. A quick flick of a glance back to her face didn't grant him any further answer either; it was almost as if they'd hit an impasse where neither knew what the other was intending. Sephiroth wasn't even sure if Terra knew what mistletoe at this time of year was supposed to be for.

"Well, yes." She was way too short to affix it to the ceiling, but unless he suddenly could sprout wings and fly he wouldn't be able to put it up there either. Discreetly, private to only Terra given her proximity, Sephiroth bit a corner of his bottom lip as if deciding what should be the appropriate action for a moment as he reached out to take the small prickly plant from her hand. However another thought sparked in the interim which drew his posture back up straight where he hadn't even noticed that he'd leaned a little more down towards her. A brief clearing of his throat followed a quick glance around behind Terra; it looked more anxious than he'd ever admit.

Sephiroth slipped his opposite hand into his jacket and produced a small glass structure. It was a flower charm, crafted out of red and green glass which nearly sparkled as the light caught it in a certain way as he drew it out opposite to the hand that held the mistletoe out towards him. He'd abandoned his sentry-like glimpsing around the room and his attention was dropped again to Terra, more than all of his being wanted to see her reaction as he smiled with the offering. A little on the knowing side, but something more besides.

"Care to swap?"

Terra's eyes brighten as the glittery crystal charm was placed in her palm. Her voice felt like it stuck in her throat as she inspected each curve and facet of the beautiful flower. Her cheeks dusted a light shade of pink while a thin finger glides over the smooth glimmering surface. When she finds her voice again it's soft and filled with wonder.

"It's beautiful. I've never seen a flower like it."

It took a great deal of effort to look away from the glass and up at Sephiroth. A new emotion was reflected in her gaze, one she tried so hard to desperately burry away. Terra was never a very talented liar.

"I love it. Thank you."

She reminded herself silently to breath and the first breath was a sharp inhale as if she had forgotten how. The smile on her lips grew until it brighten her already happy expression. She hadn't forgotten about the mistletoe but she found it hard to bring it up. To say anything as she looked up into the watchful eyes that she had come to admire. Even now she remembered how they glowed in the dim lighting of his memory. They were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen and as their gaze locked she realized there was a thundering in her chest as every defense she had melted away leaving her exposed and vulnerable.

Somehow, she didn't mind.

There wasn't a room watching or the sounds of laughter and music mixing like a chorus in the air. Everything faded to the background and it took great effort to remind herself where they were standing.

She loved it. Sephiroth continued to carefully flick his gaze all over her face as if he might commit all the subtle ways her expression just kept brightening to memory so that he might never forget it. All at the same time as managing to keep his breathing steady while behind those less-intense green hues of his a new warm rush threatened to explode out from his chest.

He couldn't speak; his voice suddenly didn't feel strong enough to be able to make the motions that would allow him words and so in lingering silence Sephiroth just continued to watch her, the smile being stretched outwards from the corners of his own mouth was uncontrollable. His mouth felt dry, as if the skin of his lips might crack from being over stretched.

But he had to do something-

That something executed itself so fast that Sephiroth would likely spend days, perhaps weeks afterwards trying to fathom exactly what had triggered it. In a series of quick, but smooth movements he closed the remaining distance between himself and Terra, crossed his hand that had held the glass ornament between them and took both her hand and the mistletoe in his own. He pulled a little, using their joined hands to draw her ever closer and leaned in.

Perhaps due to the angle, Sephiroth's lips met the corner of Terra's mouth but then readjusted as if it had never happened. He pressed his lips firmly against hers, before finally being able to exhale the breath he'd been holding down through his nose as it rested next to Terra's. The room spun, his own scalding pulse hammering on the inside of his head as just as soon as it happened he withdrew, lowering their hands which had been between them a moment ago and letting her and the mistletoe go.

But he still felt rooted to the spot, unable to look away from Terra's eyes once his own re-opened.

Terra couldn’t measure the silence. Seconds ticked by and music played over head while the insistent chatter around them rose and quieted. Nothing seemed to matter outside of the cool glass in her palm or the warmth of Sephiroth’s gaze. If she had been measuring the time she might have realized that she was caught staring up into those emerald green orbs just as he was staring down at her.

Before a single word could be spoken Sephiroth moved.

Her eyes widened as he pulled her close though the smile never dropped from her lips. Her feet slowly stepped forward as if she was stepping into a dream. Her heart beat drummed franticly as the heat that radiated off his skin met her exposed shoulders and legs. The ambiance of the party drifted into the back ground and she suddenly couldn’t hear the music that drifted around them. She thought to say something, her lips parted slightly to speak and then she felt his kiss. It was a soft pressure and one she returned as he center on her lips.

She thought she might tumble as the world spun but Sephiroth was there to catch her. She tasted his breath as he exhaled and her heart leaped in her chest while her mind frantically tried to keep up. Her eyes drifted close with his and she felt herself fall into the soft embrace of their lips. It felt like it was over in an instant and yet heat lingered across her lips as he pulled away. She slowly opened her eyes, her cheeks tinting a light pink. She didn’t move as if the moment might shatter like the glass in her palm.

Terra did, however, speak. It’s a single word and with it carried every little bit of emotion that Sephiroth instigated: confusion, warmth, happiness, surprise, hope… there were too many to count.

“Sephiroth?”

He knew it had only been for a moment, the quickest of mistletoe kisses but it seemed to him as well that the party around them had become distanced in an odd way. As if an invisible bubble had formed around the pair of them and shuddered in and of itself the instant he let go of her hand. Everything from his chest downwards felt paralyzed by the adrenaline rush, pounding in and throughout the top half of him; Sephiroth felt tense in the aftermath and he wasn't sure it was comfortable kind of tense. Somewhere between being apprehensive and at the same time being afraid to blink too solidly in case he might wake up.

He took a breath, through both nose and mouth as she spoke his name, and it almost sounded like a hiss as if she'd injured him. The emotions she spoke with seemed to crash against the very surface of his face, their intensity and variety not lost on him at all but in that fact connected on a lot more levels than he'd ever be able to count. Let alone understand.

The invisible bubble burst and all of a sudden Sephiroth became aware of their surroundings again as all reality seemed to come back. The music was louder, the various lights and numerous bodies dancing not so far away from where they'd-

That adrenaline rush returned but it was prickly in it's return. Shivering on the underside of his skin as embarrassment, insecurity and even a prickle of fear wanted to overwhelm whatever it was -that accumulation of emotions- that he'd just let himself feel alongside Terra. He blinked back a sickening knot which all of the paralysis he'd been locked with had retreated into and flashed a not-so wide smile back down at Terra.

"Happy Starlight, Terra."

It seemed to be the only appropriate thing he could conjure to reply with and he couldn't stand there in her presence any longer. Not after that. Too much, much too much. Sephiroth then stepped defiantly away from her and made for the entrance to the hallway which would lead outside.

The air seemed to be closing in, hot as the various pairs of eyes burning into his back which might not all be in his mind. A few moments in the cold wintery air outside was needed to clear his head.

There was nothing she could say as he turned and walked away. Her fingers rose to her lips feeling the heat fade as seconds tick by. She's stunned and she's left with the piece of glass and lone sprig of mistletoe resting in her palm. Her eyes don't leave the door where Sephiroth exited and she felt her heart skin in her chest.

She didn't know how long she stood there before turning and attempting to return to the party. Her smile wasn't nearly as bright as before but she tried.

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Christmas Party & Cheer

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