estoria | [open] i am sixteen going on seventeen

Entry tags:

[open] i am sixteen going on seventeen

Who: Leia & OPEN.
When: 3/7 IC
Where: The gardens
What: A birthday nearly forgotten.
Rating/Warning: Nah.

a.) i want to play a game (text)

[After the heavy damage and loss, Leia's practically made it a routine to help out where she can: the school and the apartments especially. She knows how important the Residential District is, though she'd be lying if she didn't spend her fair share of time at the Game Center, too.

On the seventh, it's no different, though she finds a slightly different way to help than the usual.]

hey!! （‐＾▽＾‐） wow, everyone's been working so hard lately... look how far we've come! don't forget to rest. if u need a break, stop by the gardens this afternoon for a surprise!

it's also my birthday, if youre into that sort of thing.. but you'll have to find me first (○ゝω・○)ﾉﾟ+.☆ see you there!

- leia ☆

b.) it's a trap! (action)

[For those intrigued enough to come, or even just passing by, they'll find that the gardens aren't quite as pretty as they were before. Nevertheless, the amount of collaborative work so far is obvious. New flowers are budding, pathways repaired, and it's all good enough for Leia. She doesn't need anything elaborate like Natalia's party was; this will do.

A long picnic table is set up, and on top of it is food. Three large pizzas with various toppings, all kinds of flavored chips and dips to go with them, and at the center of it all, a mysterious cake that doesn't actually say anything about her birthday. Predictably it's chocolate, with your standard frosting, decorative flowers, and only two words on its face: "Almost There." Next to the cake is a large knife for cutting it, as well as paper plates, plastic utensils, and a small note propped up like a name tag.]

Need a break? ♥
[. . . but where is she? Feel free to set off to find her, or simply mingle among yourselves and enjoy the free eats.]

c.) where's waldo? (action)

[Deeper into the garden (but not too deep), it won't actually take too long to find Leia; it might just take a little effort. If your character is the type to look high, they might spot her in a tree (don't be surprised if she falls out of it); or for others who want to stick to the ground, they might notice a fast-moving shadow move behind a tree, or a rustling of leaves behind one, if it's particularly big.

If she knows you, she might just might pop up in front of you to yell "BOO," just for kicks. So much for the chase.

Be creative! Or let me make shit up as I go. Your choice. Either way, any characters taking this option will receive a little something for their troubles.]

d.) walking on the wild side (any)

[Anything goes! I'm very flexible and open. You can catch Leia as she's setting up the table(s), or assume she returns to the table(s) after most of the food is gone, etc. if either of those options appeal more to you.]

(( ooc: just a note that leia probably won't be able to reply to option b! it's mostly for mingling purposes if you want it. ♥ ))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[mmm oh my god, stop lyin'.

Perhaps it's better that Ryouga remain oblivious about the existence of the disco shark ball. Certainly, Ryouga fancies the shiny things, but that was just too much.

IV watches Leia open the box, a corner of his lips twitching in faint amusement with how cautiously she approaches the process. All she has to do is swing the lid up and look.]

[It's fuzzy . . .

It feels nice, but at this point, even she knows she's procrastinating. It doesn't take much, either: just a tiny shift of her thumb and the lid pops upwards like a jack-in-the-box.]

[Despite knowing how these jewelry boxes work, she still manages to be surprised by this. With wide, green eyes, small jolt runs down her spine and there's a subtle jerk of her hand--

But it's nothing compared to what's next.]

[. . . She gasps.]

[It's funny. She's probably had countless fantasies about this very moment as a child; day dreams, sick dreams as she napped away at the clinic waiting for Jude to come back. Yet here she stands before someone else, years later, and . . . she can't even describe it.

She never thought he'd . . .]

You... [She slowly takes the ring out of its slot. She doesn't know much about birthstones, but she does notice the way the bands form a heart around one at the center. Her eyes are bright, and it's clear she's taken with it.] I mean, I--

[WHY IS THIS HARD. Isn't she thinking a bit too much?]

It's beautiful.

[Words seem to fail Leia. It's a good thing that she's so expressive, enough that IV can pick up on her sincere feelings with ease. His expression hovers between a smile and a smirk.]

So you like it.

[He'd anticipated as much, but hearing it more or less from Leia herself puts IV at ease.]

You're lucky I bought that in advance. Shopping for gifts in the colony's recent condition would have been useless. [He overexaggerates, but with so many stores and shops flooded earlier, the deed would have been challenging at least.] Somehow, it survived the flood and damage.

[She may be tearing up a little, alas; and if she'd been pink before, it's probably closer to a shade of red now. Expressive is an understatement, but she promised that she wouldn't be a crybaby anymore, and even though IV never knew that, she's still going to keep the promise here.

She giggles instead, wiping at her eyes before it gets any more obvious.]

Then I'd better put it on.

[Her wiping at her eyes is incredibly suspect; however, IV doesn't comment. That's just her being happy, isn't it? No sense in teasing there. Instead, he lifts his hand with his palm upturned.]

Here. I'll put it on for you.

[That is how a gentleman does it.]

[Her grip tightens around the ring as she stares at his palm. She doesn't trust herself not to drop it, so objectively, it's a good idea to take him up on his offer . . . romantic fantasies or not.

In the next moment, however, instead of relinquishing it, she lunges forward, clumsily falling into him and pulling him into an embrace.

It's sudden, like she's been holding back. She wants to try on the ring so badly, but it could wait just a little longer . . .]

Thanks. Really. I... I really love it.

[It doesn't seem enough just to say that, but at least it's better than the barely-anything he got a moment ago.]

[His entire frame jerks from the pull of the sudden embrace. His proffered hand hangs awkwardly and he almost makes a sound; what comes out resembles a muffled grunt. IV has dealt with touchy fans and he has been hugged by Leia before, but the intensity of this one is far, far up there compared to the first and last time.

He raises his other hand to rest on her back just below one of her shoulders. It's embarrassing to return the hug in full, so he settles with this. It's still apparently beyond his capacity to say, "you're welcome," too, so he settles on a quip.]

Then it's all the more reason to put it on before you lose it. The fountain's not that far from us.

[IV . . . Honestly.

At that, she slowly pulls back to look at his face, with her hands resting on his shoulders. She can't resist: with the hand that's already balled into a fist from holding the ring, she shoves at him with a light punch.]

You're so stiff. Are you sure it won't be you who drops it this time?

[With that, she takes the hand he offered before and turns it over so it's palm-up again; and she carefully entrusts the ring to him.]

[He scoffs, taking mock offense to the unreliable statement. Once Leia relinquishes the ring, he turns it over with his other hand to pinch between his thumb and index finger, then reaches out to hold her hand.]

Don't worry. I'm good with my hands.

[She doesn't know how well he can throw cards. Wait till she sees it one day, he muses.

With that said and done, he slides the ring onto Leia's left ring finger. There's the most sensible choice, or so he thinks.]

[IV's left himself wide open. She grins faintly, considering this as she watches the ring clasp around her finger to perfection. It never did occur to her how he got her ring size. With a bit of technology, she supposes, he didn't need it.

Good. Once the ring is on, she tilts her hand to watch it glimmer on her finger. Her eyes flicker to his hand, taking in his words. Because there's still a lot of work to be done.

But she doesn't say it, and the words die before they reach her lips. Because he's right--maybe she deserves a break too, and maybe she deserves this.

This . . . Whatever it is.]

Hey. Does this mean . . .

[IV raises a hand to his hip and lets his body loosen up a little as he watches Leia examine the ring. Whatever he was expecting next, it wasn't this trailing. She's looking for confirmation, but he doesn't understand what he's supposed to be filling in for her, so he gives her the slightest curious tilt of his head.]

. . . What?

[A large part of her hoped that he might make it easy. She hoped that he would know exactly what she was getting at without her having to ask outright. The small, remaining part of her reminds her that this is IV; and feelings are never that clear-cut.]

No, it's just that...

Giving a girl a ring might give her... ideas, you know?

[She idly tucks some hair behind her ear that at some point fell onto her face, voice soft. She finds it difficult to look at him directly, and suspects this might be what it feel like to spontaneously combust... yet her smile is faint and hopeful.

She shouldn't have said that.]

Ideas?

[He got her the ring, because its design reminded him of her. Ryouga and Rio wear matching rings, so it's a harmless present; however, Leia seems to be approaching the intent from an almost different angle. IV blinks when the thought starts to come to him, and he raises his chin to study Leia's hopeful face.]

You don't mean . . .

[ . . . something more removed from the field of friendship and toward elsewhere? Is that it?]

[Too late. Too late, too late. Leia can see the realization dawn on his face and any color she had in her own drains from it, leaving only red. The blank, innocent look on his face tells her all she needs to know. She waves her hands.]

N... No! [Yet she still feels guilty, denying it so vehemently. She immediately softens.] I mean, y--

[It is what she meant, isn't it? Why did she say that.]

N- Never mind. It's okay.

[It sounds like she's telling herself more so than IV, but either way, she seems desperate to leave the subject behind.]

I should probably... probably check on the food.

[She takes a step back, yet hesitates.]

[Realization has begun to dawn, though IV never reaches the solid conclusion with Leia's hasty interjection. The frantic wave of her hands distracts him, and he stares briefly at the shade of her face before his attention turns to her retreating foot.]

Leia?

[She's fleeing and he's confused. He takes a small step forward to close that gap, questioning.]

[The sound of her name brings her back down to earth somewhat. This has happened before, hasn't it? With Jude. She ran then and ended up regretting it... so what if the same thing happens again? What if he doesn't come after her like Jude did . . .

Besides, it isn't like IV ran when he kissed her.

Leia straightens, allowing him to close the distance.]

Y... Yeah?

[Deep breaths. Don't run, a voice in her head echoes again. He's your friend; let's try to keep it that way, alright? ]

[It neither surprises nor calms IV that Leia actually stops. That tells him she's willing to talk, and so he doesn't feel the need to take a second step. She is, however, giving him mixed signals (and the redness of her face gives away that she's holding back), and he feels he should clarify them.]

Those ideas you got . . . what are they?

[Leia remains oblivious to the mixed signals she's giving, but she can tell that he's serious. She already gave up the one chance she had, just now, to leave, so here she is, feet grounded like cement.

She could still run . . . but as far as mistakes go, it'd probably be pretty high up there. Instead, she averts her eyes, still hesitating.]

They're just ideas. Really just one.

Like... maybe you like me.

[With the hard part over, Leia actually finds it easier. She laughs quietly, like she's said the most ridiculous thing (but she'll let IV be the judge).]

I mean, like me like me.

[A childish phrase she hasn't used in years.]

[Oh. It takes a moment for the implications to start sinking in, and then the tension in his brow lifts. His expression is calm as he processes the admission, tone neutral.]

You thought I love you.

[He eyes Leia, who's being so very shy. IV doesn't even need to think: He has friends, and he loves them to death. Leia attempting to laugh it off only strengthens that feeling. Nobody else matters, for this is the girl he's chosen to cherish.]

. . . What if I do?

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