its_rose_damnit | Nineteen Rose Petals Fall - [Action

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Nineteen Rose Petals Fall - [Action | Voice]

[Backdated to Christmas Eve]

[Action for House One]

[Dist had never put much stock into that gift-giving holiday, really. It was nice, yes, but he honestly never celebrated much of any holiday, even back home on Auldrant. Perhaps that's mainly due to never having anyone to celebrate them with, or that his research always kept him busy, but this time around, he does have people to celebrate it with, or at least people he'd like to give gifts to. ...If only it were so easy, though. Being socially inept, Dist is at a loss for what to get even his closest friend. He opts to get her last, hoping the method "save the best for last" will help him get her a fitting gift.

So, It's Ion' gift he delivers first, on the night of Christmas Eve, a few good books he'd thought Ion would enjoy reading, with a small list of good novels that Dist recommended, many of the books being from the "Sherlock Holmes" series. He recalled how fascinated Ion was that one time he read to the boy. That should do, right? A simple gift, but it'd be one Ion would hopefully appreciate and enjoy.

For Tear...a recording is left in his journal under a private filer to her alone. It's the piano version of the Grand Fonic Hymn. He's heard her sing it enough in Auldrant and even in Luceti to... somewhat memorize it, and added in his own piece. A written note accompanies the recording:

"This is the best I could do, without contacting you directly for assistance. I hope it will suffice."

Anise...Anise is perhaps the most difficult one. In only that he had to sneak into her room, somehow manage to pry her doll away from her (it was not easy), and fix up the mechanics, upgrade some of the hardware to the best of his abilities, and he even washed the raggedy thing for her. As much a monster as Anise is, she was the first person to contact him at the Order, and from the time she was here before...hmph. This is more than what she deserves.

Tokunaga will be placed back on her nightstand, looking ~~so handsome~~ dapper and soft and clean and fluffy, and with a rose in his plush arms. BE GRATEFUL.

Jade. ...A bottle of scotch. That's it. BE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL.

For Gelda, he...actually has a gift more for the school grounds. It's something he's been fooling around with building on and off ever since the snow started coming down in boat loads. They were two little, relatively light weight, snow catapults that the children in Keterburg used to play with. He makes a filtered audio to her, just to get permission to place them sometime.]

[Private to Gelda | Voice]

Professor Nebilim? I'd like to have a word with you, if possible.

[And once he's finished with that conversation, and whatever follows, Dist head into town to get Nephry's gift. She'll be getting a large bouquet of roses as well at a new coat. He also debates on some jewelry, but decides against it, or to wait til after their new years party.

Anyone's free to catch him around the town, but getting a conversation with him is going to be difficult. He'll opt for snubbing off any and everyone who isn't getting a present, or giving them the cold shoulder until they get the message and bugger off. He's on a mission today, after all.]

[OOC: Heading off to work soon. If I don't get back to you, I will tonight! /o/]

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[Nephry notes his absence from the house today, but resolves not to mention it. If he wants to go out wandering, that is his business. If he catches a cold, that will have to be his business too.

Upon his return, though, he'll find one (1) governor asleep under a blanket on the sofa, facing the fire.]

[The next morning, Ion discovered the gifts and actually had to double check that he was reading the "From:" part right. Not that he doesn't think Dist was capable of doing something like this but... well, it was still unexpected.]

[It's a good thing Ion's an early riser too, because he'll be making sure to catch Dist and thank him before he has a chance to leave in the morning. So, when Dist wakes up, he'll find Ion already reading one of the books he gave him while sitting at the kitchen table... and there's a somewhat poorly wrapped box sitting beside him.]

[For some reason, Gelda finds this message awfully foreboding. It's likely because it's locked under a filter that she's expecting something completely unrelated to Christmas.]

Of course, Saphir. When would you like to meet?

[Thankfully, Dist's tone is light and friendly, though he has no idea of his Professor's anxiety at all. He wave his hand dismissively to the journal, and leans a little bit closer.]

I don't believe a meeting will be necessary, professor, I only wanted to ask your permission for something regarding the school grounds.

...You're familiar with the gift-giving holiday, correct?

[Spotting Nephry early on once he enters the house, Dist shuts the door as quietly as he can, and moves toward where she lay. Even he can't help the small smile that creeps over his face as he watches Nephry sleep for a moment or two. Hopefully, she didn't worry about him again... He did leave rather suddenly. M-Maybe this would appease her some, or she'd understand a little bit, his reasoning.

He set the bag with her coat down on the coffee table nearest her, then wanders off to get a vase for the roses. Dist really is trying to be as discreet and quiet as possible, so his friend could wake up to a surprise. He's just praying one of the others ~~Anise~~ isn't going to come bursting through the door or something similar.]

[There's nothing wrong with him leaving! Nephry doesn't need to be appeased. The book she was reading to pass the time is there on the table beside her, and everything - it's not like she's upset.

If nothing strange happens? He'll get his planned surprise.]

[Ohh... It's about Christmas. Now she's very curious how this relates to the school grounds.]

Of course! It's rather hard to ignore, after all these years in Luceti. What exactly would you like permission for?

[Seeing Ion enjoying the gifts he gave to him was nice, actually, and that was more uplifting that seeing a gift beside the boy. In fact, Dist doesn't pay much mind to the gift at all, thinking it for someone like Anise or another of Ion's friends. Dist honestly wasn't expecting anyone to return the favor. He didn't necessarily need much, if anything at all. This was just tradition, right?

He nods his head silently to Ion in greeting and goes to prepare some coffee for himself, debating in in mind whether to skip breakfast or not this morning.]

[Anise will be glaring slightly at you the next morning over breakfast, arms folded in a gesture of defiance.]

You didn't do anything weird to Tokunaga, did you?

[As Dist brings the roses back, setting them down somewhere safe and out of the way, he picks up the book Nephry was reading and inspects it out of curiosity. Casting a quick glance to see if she was still asleep, he sets the book back down and wanders off again, quietly, to let her rest and awaken later to find her gifts.

When she does, whether it be later in the evening or tomorrow morning, Dist will be in his room.]

[It's later in the evening; between the fire, the blanket, and the heater she's uncomfortably warm and wakes up to shove the blanket away.

And stops, because...are those roses? Saphir brought home flowers? It must be him - no one else likes roses quite as much as he does.

There's a bag nearby. When Nephry looks inside, then pulls out the contents...well. She's still and quiet for quite a longer time than a gift might seem to warrant.

Then Dist will hear a gentle knock on his door. In case he's asleep.]

[Dist will be leering at her over the rim of his coffee mug, raising an eyebrow at her question. Oh, for the love of--]

Do you honestly believe I would tamper with my own glorious creation? That I would give up hours of restless work so as just to ruin it? My time is worth more than that, child. But if you think anything is wrong, you're welcome to test it...outside. [He takes a sip of his coffee.] I repaired and modified him, that is all.

[And cleaned him, but he won't say that.]

I'm glad you asked, Professor! [He leaned a little closer before picking the journal up and moving it to show off the little catapults he made, then back up again.]

During the heavy snowfall, I occupied myself with the creation of these. They're relatively light weight, so they can be transported and stored easily, and only need moderate maintenance! The speed of which the snow flies is adjustable and can be locked so no barbaric action by more deviant...children can occur. [He knows there are brats out there.]

I thought it'd be a good gift for you, Professor, and your students, during the winter months.

[It's been quite a few years since she last saw one, but those catapults still look incredibly familiar. One couldn't cross the street in Keterburg without being targeted by one of those contraptions every so often.]

Oh, those are... [She trails off, a smile appearing on her face. This is the last thing she expected when she received Dist's message, but it's a very pleasant surprise.]

They're wonderful, Saphir! Thank you! And I would be very happy to have them in the school's playground.

[What is with that expression. Anise huffs and pouts.]

Weird doesn't mean ruining it! You could have...[she blurts out the first thing that came to mind.] You could have made him shoot roses and stuff!

[Okay, that? That right there nearly makes Dist choke on his coffee. He coughs, but turns it into hysterical laughter. The very image! Oh, Anise, your imagination is brilliant and beautiful. You should feel very proud of it.]

Ahahaha! Well, at your suggestion, I may have to do just that some time. [He smirks, still snickering quietly.] But I can assure you, child, your doll is as it should be. I wouldn't tamper with my own creation in any way, only to make it better.

[Dist would probably be pleased to know that Tear listened to the piece several times, smiling all throughout the performance. She had no idea he had been working so hard on learning to play piano, and if he knew the significance of the hymns for her...

It's why she seeks him out in person to thank him, rather than leaving a haphazard note in the journals. Even though it would probably give her less time to think of a proper way to respond.]

[Dist is in his room, sitting at his desk with a few books and notebooks around him. It seems he's working on something. Yet, like always, his door is open a small bit, allowing a sliver of light from the hallway to trickle into his room. The light of his own desk lamp was enough to illuminate what he needed.

In all honesty, Dist didn't expect thanks from anyone other than Nephry and Ion. They were the ones he knew for the longest, and were the two more...sensible of the household. Really, he only gave the other two gifts because it was the tradition. ...R-Really.]

[Even if that is true, it would not stop Tear from expressing her gratitude. Yet when she reaches his room and raises her hand to knock she finds herself pausing mid-gesture, unsure of how to address him. They have not spoken on personal terms often, and ever since those experiences where she believed him to be her father she could not simply refer to him as 'Dist.' It felt awkward to.

Taking in a deep breath she knocks softly, pressing that matter back for the time being. She could ask him later, perhaps.] ... May I come in?

[Dist pauses in his work, and sits up straight, his chair creaking at he shifts his weight. ...Well. This is certainly peculiar. He hadn't expected to speak with the melodist at all unless truly necessary. Yes, she shared a home and tolerated each other, but Dist had been taking care not to get too close ever since...hn.

He looks back toward his door and nods, pushing up his glasses. Best make this quick, like most of their conversations.]

You may enter, yes.

[Now that she knows she has permission Tear enters the room, feeling vaguely awkward and out of place in his company even if it doesn't show past the usual soldier façade she defaults to so often, even after all this time. However it was not as strong as it once was, not that she yet realizes it.]

You are the one who left the recording for me, correct? [She didn't mean to come off sounding so professional, casual communication with those in a position higher than herself was something she had yet to grasp.]

[The professional, almost business-like tone suits Dist very well. It's impersonal and practical, and he prefers any and everything between himself and Van's sister to remain as such. Crossing his legs, Dist nods slowly in her direction. This...just got a whole lot more awkward. He could handle Anise's thanks (kind of) because he gave her a gift, her doll, so long ago, but this was completely different. This confrontation Dist wasn't entirely prepared for.]

That is correct. I've recently learned that particular instrument, and I tried my hand at composing. That song is the first that came to mind... [Seeing as how you've used it against his glorious machines so many times, hngh--] The song was yours, or closely associated to you, my dear, so I thought i should inform you of its completion. ...Nothing more.

[He shifts, and pushes up his glasses. A clear lie if he ever uttered one, but...]

Is that all...? [She doesn't know Dist as well as Jade and Nephry did, even after having lived with him this long, so Tear can't really tell that he's blatantly lying even though a small part of her tells her that he is. Nevertheless she finds herself smiling softly, glad for it all the same.]

I wanted to thank you for it. It's beautiful... [It isn't often that she gets to share the hymns with others. While she may sing for her friends if asked correctly, none of them had ever been able to accompany her in carrying out the composition or delivering it back to her. The only other person who had... she preferred to not think about right now.]

[vhcjcvhd--! Dist balks under her accusation, and her smile, and her compliment, turning red around his face. He fidgets more nervously than ever before, practically flailing before he turns around to hide his face from her terrible, horrible, hideous, searching eyes.]

O-Of course it was! Why in the w-w-world would it be anything more?! It's certainly not as if I was gracing you, or anything of the sort! Y-You're not worth the time, nor the effort! There is nothing more to this than the tradition of the holiday!

A-And of course it was beautiful! [Huffpuff!] I created it, you know! My genius mind does not develop anything if it is not of the utmost grace and beauty! It would b-be unfitting of my illustrious title of Rose!

[Tear almost wants to laugh at how flustered Dist becomes, and his attempts to deny such reactions with his words. But she knows better than to do such a thing, at least in front of his person. And if she had heard him correctly moments ago... he had referred to her as 'my dear.' She knows better than to believe they would ever be as close as he was with Ion or Nephry, even when they were under the impression that they were family she was the distant daughter who had a family of her own to care for.

It didn't change that along the way she came to start caring for him as a person. A far cry from being so wary of living under the same roof as he when she first arrived.] Yet you mentioned placing a lot of effort into composing it...

W-Well, of course! [Immediately, his eyes go back to Tear, before they begin to wander. Wander anywhere but at her. He stands, and heads toward his bookshelf, where he picks out a music book and skims the pages, finding what he was looking for. Tucked away within the pages, and folded like a bookmark, was his original composition.] I stated it already, correct? When I create something - anything, regardless of what it may be, I create it to be perfect. Perfection takes time, effort, skill, and a great deal of work. I pride myself and my genius on that kind of flawless work, young lady, and I do not settle for anything less.

[He unfolds the papers, and hands it out for Tear. There's actually a small pile there, the final, finished score is on the top, followed by the in-progress works. If Tear can read the sheet music, she can see how much work he actually did put into it, and how they progressed. There's scribbles and writing and small notes, circled pieces and crossed out ones... The very first page is the messiest, indicating it to be the first composition of the piece he wrote, and progressively, the mess becomes less and less on the papers - finishing into the final.]

You may keep the final piece, if you like, I have several other copies. But d-d-don't think any of this is f-for you! I-It was merely for s-sport and tradition! I wanted t-to challenge myself!

[Now that she is holding all these papers in her hands, Tear finds herself gaining a whole other level of respect for Dist. While their goals back in Auldrant often... conflicted, and the way he always coated descriptions of his works with flowery words that annoyed far more often than impressed, there was still something lingering behind it all that implied just how much he did work on them. The proof was right here, and in the music she had heard.

Needless to say, her gratitude toward the gift only grows more.] Then I hope you continue to challenge yourself, and that I still have the honor of hearing more of your pieces should you continue.

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Nineteen Rose Petals Fall - [Action | Voice]

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[action] RUDE tear

[action] it's a matter of telling the truth!