Open!

[eatsyourscience]

Who: Souji and you
Where: The diner
When: 12/15-12/25
Rating: PG-13 at most
Summary: Souji's catch-all for the second half of December
The Story: When not having crazy Mansion dreams, Souji can be found...

The Diner
The diner has been decorated just like everything else in the Mansion. Of course, like every year, Souji's made his own additions, like the Colonel (plus twinkling fairy lights). This is the fourth annual KFC Christmas in Wonderland and he's pretty sure he's gotten even closer to the 11 herbs and spices recipe (it took a lot of practice and many days eating nothing but fried chicken).

Inside the diner, visitors will find plenty of fried chicken, a few appropriate sides, and plenty of Christmas cake complete the menu. Cocoa, coffee, tea, and various other drinks are available.

Souji's there, of course, to greet anyone who comes in and to hang out with folks, especially the others who work there when they choose. Regardless of which category people fall into, he will try to feed them. (He'll even make any non-fried-chicken-or-cake foods people might want, but seriously, what more could you want?)

Outside
Now that there's finally snow, Souji can be found outside playing with his very fat, small pet dragon and a gray and white bunny, which remains mostly bundled up inside his jacket, its head peeking out under his chin. He plays with the dragon, coaxing it to run, as well as making rather distinctive snowmen, each of which Tefra (the very fat, small dragon) immediately pounces on. He never seems particularly bothered by that.

He also takes his little troupe down to the beach, though that's less to play and more to just stare out at the horizon. He did that at home in the past, though it wasn't usually during the winter. It makes him feel nostalgic.

Around the Mansion + Gifts!
Souji spends time at various tables around the mansion working on his Christmas gifts. He can be found in his own room, the library, diner, tea rooms, even the dining room working on them as well as their very nice packaging.

He makes enough of these gifts to give to everyone he knows, even those he's only spoken to a handful of times. He delivers them on December 24, giving them in person if he can, and leaving them at peoples' doors along with a "Happy Christmas" note if he can't.

Of course, there are a few people he has special gifts for.

Dreaming
Here is Souji's dream thread!

Wildcard
Choose your own adventure. c:

[ooc: Feel free to use prose or brackets. I'll match style. If you want something to be on a specific date, just put it in the subject line along with the prompt name. :3]

Comments

[jivitadana]

[All of these stockings were actually labeled. Minato hadn't noticed before, but here they were now. That meant the number of stockings had to change every year depending on who was here. Somehow the Mansion knew that it had to get something for everyone.

With Souji's urging, Minato peeked into his stocking. He didn't see anything at first, except then something did catch his eye. When he pulled out the small object he found, he recognized it immediately, his eyes widening.

It was a key. The bow of it was so familiar, the face he saw on the back of all of those cards. The rest of the blade was the same too.

Except when he saw the bit at the end. He tilted his head slightly as he held the bow.]

... This isn't my key.

[The bit of his key was more rounded like a lyre. This key's bit was more square with sharp corners instead.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji peered at the key, leaning in close beside Minato.]

....Ah-

[Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out another such key on a thin chain. Heds worn it every day for years now. Holding it out, he compared the two, finding that the bit was the same.]

It's mine.

[jivitadana]

[Minato blinked, holding the key up again and compared it to Souji's key. They were exactly the same.]

But why do I have your key?

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji shook his head. There was usually a pattern to these kind of gifts, but he didn't know what it was this time.]

Let's find mine and see what's in it.

[That might help them figure it out.]

[jivitadana]

[Minato thought maybe it was a mistake? The Mansion couldn't be that perfect, could it? But the Mansion was right on for so many other things.

He nodded and then helped Souji look through all of the stockings for the right one. In the meantime, he hid his key in his inner blazer pocket where he kept his handkerchief and it was the pocket closest to his heart.

When they did find Souji's stocking, Minato had Souji take a look for himself as to what was in it. He couldn't even imagine what was inside.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji peered inside, but couldn't tell what was in there except that it was thin, probably made of paper. He reached in to feel for what was in there and pulled it out, holding it out so they could both look at it.

His eyes widened and his fingers tightened on the photo in his hands, though he had to be careful not to crumple it.]

That's my cousin, Nanako. [He pointed to a girl with her hair long down her back, her bangs mostly grown out. She was bigger than the last time he'd seen her, taller and thinner, and...she was older. At least a year older than he remembered her.] And my Uncle Dojima.

[He fell silent, uncertain suddenly.]

[jivitadana]

[Minato had heard of them from Souji before, but this was his first time seeing them. Nanako was cute and looked so bright and cheerful, and Dojima looked the part of a veteran policeman, but he still looked kind too.

He looked up at Souji who had stopped talking. It wasn't his normal quiet, but it was just silence.]

... Souji?

[eatsyourscience]

She's not this old. [He pointed at Nanako in the picture again.] She was only in first grade when I lived there.

[It might have been difficult for anyone else to notice, but there was something that was almost fear in the way he held the photo, like he thought he ought to throw it away from himself.

He'd never considered that time might have passed at home while he was here. He'd heard so much testimony to the contrary that he'd never been worried about it. But seeing this photo that shouldn't be possible shook him.]

[jivitadana]

[In first grade? But Souji was right. Clearly Nanako looked older than a little girl in first grade. But then what did that mean? Then everyone's stockings, including Minato's, had to have some meaning too.

He touched his hand to one of Souji's hands as a way of support.]

If she's older in the picture, then that's the future, isn't it?

[Like the dream they all had? That showed them a future if they had all stayed in Wonderland.]

Is that why I have your key?

[eatsyourscience]

[Slowly, Souji relaxed. Minato had to be right. This wasn't what was happening now at home. It was what would be happening later - in a few years it looked like.

He nodded and lowered the picture, looking at Minato again.]

If these are from the future, then it would make sense for it to be my key.

[A beat, and then a small smile.]

I'm your future, then.

[jivitadana]

[Minato didn't have any definitive proof that time didn't march forward since Minato had arrived from the same time point or close to it, from what he was told. But he didn't think time did move forward without them. It couldn't.

He smiled too up at Souji.]

One of the best gifts you've given me is that you're living in that future.

[Knowing that Souji was alive and had protected that future was what made Minato so grateful to him.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and he shook his head. He understood, though. Even if Minato wasn't there in that future, it was the future he'd built with his very soul.]

Thanks to you.

[Souji carefully tucked the photo into his jacket. He didn't want to fold it or wrinkle it too badly. Then he smiled. He had to smile, because it really was something that made him happy, even if it made his chest hurt, too.]

Thank you.

[jivitadana]

I should be thanking you.

[But Minato did take it. He could accept Souji's gratitude since it was being given to him. He put his hand on his chest, knowing that the key was in his inner pocket. He'd have to get a chain for it too and wear it like Souji wore his.]

Should we go back?

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji nodded and moved toward the stairs. Now that he was calming down, he was happy about the photo he had tucked into his jacket. It felt warm through his shirt somehow, and he felt warm getting to see their faces, even if it was only in a photo.]

Let's stop by my room first. I want to put this away.

[jivitadana]

[Minato nodded, taking a chance now and reaching to hold onto Souji's hand as they went back upstairs, if he could take it. He felt a little closer to Souji now, happy that he got the chance too to see Souji's family, two people who were so close to him and made Souji feel that warm.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji held onto Minato's hand, reassured. When they reached his room, he let go to go inside. It was simple to get a frame from the closet and slip the picture in. Then he set it on his desk and smiled at it for a moment in silence. He missed them.]

[jivitadana]

[The frame was perfect. Minato gave Souji a little space though, standing behind him a bit to let Souji have his moment with the gift that he had. Souji had been away from them for so long, though they were always with him in his thoughts.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji turned back to Minato.]

Let's go back to your room.

[They could have stayed here, but he was happy to go back to Minato's room instead.]

[jivitadana]

Okay.

[Minato smiled, taking Souji's hand again and taking him back to his room across the hall.]

Will you stay here with me?

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji nodded. He was happy to.]

I will.

[jivitadana]

[At that, Minato gave Souji a hug. He buried his face into Souji and nuzzled into him too for a moment before looking up at him.]

Thank you. Let's rest together?

[eatsyourscience]

Rest?

[Souji looks at the bed, then goes and sits down on it.]

[jivitadana]

Mn, like this.

[Minato joined Souji on the bed, and then pulled him down with him.]

Because it's cold.

[Since Minato was just in a t-shirt and jeans. He used that as an excuse to cuddle with Souji.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Lying on his back, Souji looked at the ceiling for a moment, then over at Minato.]

You're not that cold.

[But Souji had no desire to push him away.]

[jivitadana]

Thank Orpheus for that. I'm hot.

[Minato nuzzled into Souji, smiling again.]

But hm, is that why when I'm with you, I feel sparks?