[Video/Action]

[tohko_amano]

[It had taken awhile, but Tohko had finally managed to get everything made and had fond out just how to get the video settings to work. She'll be standing there, smiling, with a table behind her and a pile of presents on it..as well as a basket of fruit. A small mailbox sat on the corner of the table, separate from everything else.]

Good morning! Would the following people please come to the third floor: Rei, Romeo, Saber, Wilhelm, Tetra, France, Prussia, Lancer, 'Azazello'-aka The Brown Testament, and 'Behemoth'-aka The other Testament.

It may be a little late, but I still want to hand you guys Christmas presents, so please do show up!

[Filtered to Rei Ayanami and Rise Kujikawa]

Oh..and would Rei and Rise please meet me here as well, together? There's something I want to ask the both of you.

Comments

[puppy_lancer]

Hey.

[He gives her a greeting as he pulls a crumpled paper parcel out of his pocket and offers it to her. If she opens it, she'll find a roughly made metal bird-shaped charm. It's the best he could do on short-term notice.]

[tohko_amano]

Oh, hello! Merry late Christmas!

[Tohko quickly handed him the box with a smile on her face before taking the parcel he held out to her.]

Oh, thank you very much! You didn't have to.

[Tohko opened it up and found a bird-shaped charm made out of metal. Smiling, she quickly undid one of her braids, and slipped the charm through the ribbon before tying the braid back up.]

Thank you very much! It's a wonderful charm. I'll be sure to take good care of it!

[puppy_lancer]

You too, little lady Amao.

[He opens his package and takes a deep whiff of the deer burgers.]

Awesome, you remembered!

[Too bad he probably couldn't make them last for any extended period of time. After all, they looked too delicious.]

[tohko_amano]

Thanks..and you don't have to call me 'little lady Amano' if you don't want to. You can just call me Tohko.

[Tohko chuckled and nodded.]

Of course! I'm sorry it's not cookies though..Jason stole all the ingredients I needed..but they should taste fine!

[Not that Tohko expected them to last long. Food like this was probably better if it was quickly eaten.]

[puppy_lancer]

I think Jason made it so we all had a pretty rotten December.

[Freezing cold, then the diseases spreading everywhere.]

And anything made by a cute girl should be delicious.

[That, and he had a geis on him not to refuse food from a woman. It could be poison, but he would need to at least put it in his mouth.]

[tohko_amano]

The illnesses were pretty terrible..but, thankfully, everyone seems to have recovered now! And, hopefully, I'll have the ingredients for sweets next month.

[Tohko gave a small smile at that and lightly chuckled. It felt weird, being complemented on her looks just after being rejected.]

Erm..thank you. And it should be alright! I think.

[Expect Tohko to make a matching bird charm to match Lancer's later.]

[puppy_lancer]

You don't need to. These burgers are more than enough.

[He'll heat them up and give them a taste later.]

So, how's the New Year been treating you so far?

[tohko_amano]

Probably not..but after New Years, it's Valentines Day, and who knows if I'll have enough ingredients for sweets then?

[Tohko was starting to plan ahead..and she wouldn't blame Lancer for heating them up and eating them later. At the question, she smiled and scratched her head.]

It hasn't been too bad so far! How about yours?

[puppy_lancer]

Valentine's Day...it's a romantic holiday, right?

[He never thought he would live this long. Even if he did defeat the other Servants, the Grail War usually didn't last over a month and all Servants would fade away once the Grail's energy was spent. He would have been content with such a fate, but somehow, he had stayed alive for this long. Without his original Master, and perhaps even without his world.]

I've actually been pretty lucky this year, I think.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed and nodded.]

It is, where I come from..but candies and sweet can also be given to friends and family members, so I'll just be giving chocolates and sweets to those people.

[Tohko smiled upon hearing that.]

Well, that's good! Hopefully this new year will be even luckier for you.

[puppy_lancer]

I hope so too. But I think I'd rather see my friends be lucky this year.

[He knows better than to wish good luck for himself. While he doesn't regard his luck as terrible, it's never been particularly good either.]

[tohko_amano]

That would be nice too..maybe you call can be lucky this year?

[puppy_lancer]

[He laughs, half bitter and half amused.]

That's a really tall order in a place like this.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed and scratched her head.]

Maybe..but one can always hope that that's the way it'll turn out, even here. After all, heroes in stories faced worse things, and things usually turned out all right. So, we'll probably be alright too.

[puppy_lancer]

[He gets a distant look in his eyes.]

Yeah...heroes.

[Only they didn't always succeed. And sometimes, they had to watch loved ones die.]

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko knew that perfectly well. Hence the word 'usually'. She smiled and nodded.]

Yes..heroes.

[puppy_lancer]

I'll take your word for it then. You're the one who's read all those stories!

[He gives her the biggest smile he can muster.]

[tohko_amano]

Alright then! I can assure you that we'll be okay..but haven't you actually been part of a story yourself?

[...Whoops.]

[puppy_lancer]

...Yeah, I was. It was a good "story." Even if it really wasn't a story back when I was living through it. Wasn't like I could flip to the end and find out what was gonna happen.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed and nodded.]

Right..I know how that feels. However..I'm sure that the ending of it wasn't too terrible..at least, that's what I think.

[puppy_lancer]

[He shrugs.]

I had a good death in my first life. And I got most of my stuff wrapped up before coming over here. Some of the stuff could've been better, but that's in the past.

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko sighed as she heard that.]

I'm sorry to hear that. Even if it is in the past, death is still pretty painful.

[puppy_lancer]

Nah, it wasn't anything embarrassing.

[It was a bit awkward to remember, and he did feel a little guilty about leaving Emer behind, but it was a death worthy of a hero.]

[tohko_amano]

[Tohko lightly chuckled at that.]

..I don't think it was..but there's more than one type of pain other than just 'embarrassing'. But I'm sure you already know that..

[puppy_lancer]

[He joins in her laughter.]

It hurt like a bitch, but it would've hurt even more if I didn't die.