savetheearth | 031 ♦ closed + open

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031 ♦ closed + open

[12/28, afternoon | closed: Winter, Lily]

Winter had made some arrangements over the course of the past few weeks, thankfully before the business in Lapland had started. Tonight, though... tonight, she had one final conversation before she could truly say things were ready to go forward. To that end, light blazes in an open space off the lobby of the hotel Winter's parents are staying in, and Winter emerges from a portal handily opened by the Heartcatch Mirage, Lily just behind her. Taking a deep breath, she dismisses the vanity into nothing before looking across to her partner. "It's now or never... are you ready, Lily?"

...It probably doesn't help that one hand is fiddling with her engagement ring as she says it. She shouldn't be nervous, but at the same time, she's announcing to her parents a major change in her life. One she didn't consult them beforehand about. And one that... has the potential to explode in her face very, very badly.

[12/29, afternoon | open]

Contrary to popular belief (well, not really), casinos actually do have real hotel functions. Like ballrooms. As a result, a modestly-sized room is reserved for the day, set with a buffet serving line and several sets of tables and chairs. The sign on the door assigns the room to "Winter Adamas" with the caption of "private function" below. And promptly at 3:45 PM, the door is propped open. Soft music is drifting out, mostly less-offensive tunes, although the occasional anime track or rock song comes on and Winter hastily pulls her phone out of her pocket to advance past it.

Said young woman is dressed fairly normally for her, if just a little dressier than usual, in a silky blue top with a long, dark skirt. Mercifully, she's in high spirits, and is flitting about everywhere keeping up with people. Raquel is floating along behind her, struggling to keep up with her pace but seeming to enjoy himself, not really joining in conversations but just content to see his partner happy. And she is, visibly. Nothing's really going wrong, things haven't exploded lately, she might be able to go back to her house soon...

...and then there's the matter of the ring glistening on her left hand that was most definitely not there a month ago. She's aware it's capturing attention, but at this point, she doesn't care. Not after yesterday. So as new people drift in, she'll make her way over to greet them, but in general, Winter is enjoying her birthday together with her friends, and soaking up the feeling. She'd sent out invites, and she was hoping beyond hope that as many people as she could manage would show up. But even if they didn't, they were with her in spirit. That would be enough for her. Not that it would keep her from wanting everyone to come.

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As Lily follows after Winter, the shorter girl may notice that her breath is quickening at a rather considerable pace. She barely notices it herself, mostly due to the sheer, unyielding horror that's starting to grip her. Over the months, she'd started to feel at least moderately more comfortable around Winter's mother. Rick wasn't so much a problem, he'd definitely given his blessing in the past.

April wasn't so much a problem, as she was... Lily wasn't sure what she needed to do. She wanted to impress her, and to know her. She was someone Winter loved too, and a force that had shaped her since she was born. She was important, and... if she was to be honest, Lily didn't know what a mother and daughter's relationship was like after a certain point in one's life.

But, she'd be a bit more comfortable. Then she'd ran off to Europe with Winter, and now... now...

Absently she flails her hand about, seeking out Winter's.

"If I die, remember I love you very much."

...funny, seems like she's done this before.

Lily's discomfort with this whole situation is something Winter can very nearly taste in the air; she reaches for Lily's hand to try and keep her calm. Or at least, calmer than she is. Like this, she's going to break something.

"It'll be okay, I promise. If Mama wants to kill you, she's going to have to go through me. Although..." Her face sets in a mildly sheepish look. "That's not exactly off the table, either. Still, we won't know until we try." They need to take a bit of a trip on the elevator to reach the floor they need, and so Winter gently tugs Lily forward as she steps in that direction and punches the call button with a little more force than is necessary. "She doesn't really show it, but... I think she likes you, Lily. I'd be getting a lot more worried phone calls and e-mails than I do, if she didn't."

The elevator can't come fast enough.

In spite of the reassurance, Lily's mind sticks to the 'that's not exactly off the table' comment, and there is an undeniable moment of her looking like a deer caught in the headlights. There's a tension as Winter tugs her a long that can be felt, and as the doors to the elevator open, she gulps very audibly.

"L- likes me... sure, right. If she wanted to murder me, she more than had the opportunity when we drove from Locke to here in September, when I had no powers. Right. That makes sense."

She's rambling out loud, and it probably sounds pretty silly, she realizes. She sighs and slips into the elevator, leaning against the railing. She looks down at her hand, the diamonds of her own new ring from Christmas glistening in the ever-present lights of Vegas.

"I guess it's a good thing we're doing this now. If she realized it tomorrow, then she'd kill me."

She resists the urge to roll her eyes; that wouldn't have happened. Even then, Lily meant too much to Winter, and even April could have seen that. Winter knew that, on an intellectual level, and April was far too observant to things like that not to have noticed. "She did. And she chose not to. Come on, cheer up. You're not going to make a compelling case if you're afraid like this. We're going to face far worse in the future, after all."

She slides into the elevator and presses the button to take them up to the floor she needed. The floor she was kind of dreading reaching. As the doors slide shut, Winter sighs lightly. "If she finds out tomorrow, she'll kill both of us, for sure. Papa might help her. But that's why we're doing this today, right?" Slowly but surely, they're on their way up. It won't be much longer now.

Lily draws in the deepest breath she can manage, holds it for a moment, and then exhales. She's quiet a moment, but nods after it passes. "Right. Cheer up."

She slaps her own cheek lightly with her free hand, and tries to make herself smile. She needs to be confident, as confident as she is whenever she tells Winter how she feels or what she wants. She's the person April will have to trust her little girl to for the rest of her life. She needs to let her know she can be the person to take care of her, and she needs to do it today.

The smile feels a bit more genuine the longer she holds it. "After everything we've done this should be... easy? Right?"

Of course, that doesn't stop that questioning tone from slipping in there, and the smile turns sheepish.

The change in expression is enough to convince Winter that things will probably be okay. "Mm, it'll be a piece of cake. We've fought giant snakes and lobsters, we've survived various threats to our lives, we've explored a space station and come back safe and sound... my mother can't possibly be any worse than that. Just tell yourself she's an alien and needs to have things clearly explained to her." Not that the two she's met inspire a whole lot of confidence in the aliens in general, but that's neither here nor there.

She opens her mouth to continue, but the elevator lets out a soft ding as the doors slide open - they're here. The door they're looking for isn't far from the elevator, and so once they step out, showtime is mere seconds away, as Winter comes to a stop in front of the room. "You can do this. We can do this. Breathe, and trust yourself." She's trying her best to project a confident atmosphere; they're only going to have one shot at this, but she's certain it'll be okay.

Lily stares at the door as they reach it. "See, now, logically I can't imagine that, or else you'd be one and... well, we don't want to consider that, do we?" She flashes her another smile, making it clear she's joking. "I think that would be a little complicated, at some point or another."

She turns back to the door and then... well, actually takes the initiative to knock herself. Best to put a good foot forward, right?

"Here goes ... uh, everything."

Well duh, of course Marina's there. The goldenrod dress she's wearing isn't fancy and formal, if just a bit more so than her usual casual clothes, but it feels nice. Winter's happy, Lily's happy, Jasmine's happy and doing better each day - she just got to see her family for the first time in a while in person, and while there's still a lot to work on and fix, she's in good spirits.

First, though, she cannot hope to restrain herself from sweeping up to Winter to wrap her up in a big, tight hug. "Congratulatiooons agaaaain!" she darn near squeals right in her ear.

"Just a little bit," she agrees, laughing lightly. "We'll be normal humans, then. I'm rooting for you!" Winter shifts to be even with Lily in front of the door, putting on her best smile.

There's movement on the far side of the door for a moment, before it swings open to reveal Rick Adamas, looking a little tired but otherwise okay. Noise further inside the room suggests April is here somewhere, too. "Hello- Winter? This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you clear out here across the world, the day before your birthday? If it's an alien attack, or another pink aurora, tell me now so I can fire up the recorder." Looking sideways, he adds, "Lily. Nice to see you, too. I trust you and Winter are getting along well, considering you're holding... hands... oh, hell." His eyes are drawn to the shiny objects on his daughter's and her girlfriend's hands, and he sighs deeply. "Damn, I'm two whole weeks late. Ron's going to be in a good mood, I guess." Shaking his head, his grin returns, a little weaker, as he continues in a slightly quieter tone. "I have a feeling I know why you're here. And I appreciate that you're not dumping this on us tomorrow. But I hope you girls are ready for what's going to happen once I invite you in. For what it's worth until then, congratulations."

Raising his voice as he steps aside and out of the way, he calls, "April? The girls dropped in to say hi." The woman in question glances in confusion at the door from her position on the bed, watching television, before sitting up. "The girls? You mean Winter and Lily? It's a little sudden, but... I suppose it can't be a bad thing." Shifting to stand up, she stands and starts over to the door herself, stopping some distance short to make enough space for everyone to come inside, and Rick returns to her side. "It's good to see you. It feels like it's been some time, Winter. Lily."

"Hi, Marina, how- eep!" Her greeting is lost in a squeal as she's picked right up off the floor and into a huge hug. But she laughs as she gets her composure back, letting her arms fall around her friend. "Thank you! Ha... it sounds like you've been waiting a while to say that. You look good - how have you been?"

Lily starts to laugh a bit nervously in greeting at Rick, but loses composure and double-takes at the mention of being 'two whole weeks late.' It doesn't take long for her to piece it together, and she quietly blurts you, slightly high pitched. "Y- you bet on us?!"

She quickly controls her voices as he finishes, coughing into her free hand to try and cover herself. "I- I mean... thank you, sir. I appreciate it." Finally, she casts a genuinely happy look towards him. "...really, honestly. Thank you."

Of course, then he ushers them in further, and Lily feels a chill run up her spine. There was no escape now, was there? After all, it'd suck to jump out a window up here, powers or not.

"Mrs. Adamas," Lily says, nodding her head towards the older woman. She tries to keep her smile, all the same. "I guess... it has, a bit. We just, ah... had something we wanted to talk to you about..."

Rick laughs lightly at Lily's shock, but as he escorts them in, he just smiles, giving them a thumbs-up where he's pretty sure April can't see. It'll be fine, he mouths, clearly trying to help in his own way.

April, on the other hand, starts with a mild expression that quickly grows a little suspicious as Lily stammers her way through a greeting. "Did you, now. Considering the kinds of things you've been getting up to, I'm not entirely surprised you have something to tell us, although exactly what it is could be almost anything. Especially with both of your casual disregard for distance, time, and possession of a valid passport and travel documents."

Winter is visibly getting nervous, squeezing Lily's hand harder; April wasn't supposed to see through everything this quickly, and she's on a roll already. She's about to open her mouth and object when April visibly stops, collects herself, and lets her expression settle into a slight smile. "But I suppose I should try not to be so hard on you. You're both old enough to make your own decisions, and every indicator I've seen since I met you, Lily, has made me confident you're not going to do something rash you aren't prepared for." That makes Winter pause, and despite herself, she smiles. Mother and daughter share a look across the room, the distance between them seeming to shrink in an instant, before April returns her attention to Lily. "What news did you have to share with us? I trust it's good; both of you are in one piece and seem in relatively good moods." Fear of your girlfriend's mother aside, she adds mentally but is not quite amused enough to put to words.

Winter turns to look at Lily, hope shining in her eyes, smile wide. "Go ahead, Lily. It'll be okay." Under her breath, she chips in, "I'm here. You can do it."

At first, Lily's eyes go as wide as saucers and she's starting to wince visibly as April starts in on them. It makes her feel an actual, palpable pang of guilt in one way, at least. Though she actually bites her tongue on the lack of passport or travel documents, since the German and Austrian authorities were working with them and--

No, Lily. Now's not the time.

Still, she quickly calms herself. Focuses. Of course, she realizes what she's about to say might sound incredibly rash. But it's important. Maybe on of the most important things in her personal life she needs to do right now. So she sucks in another breath, and nods lightly to Winter.

"Right..." She turns her eyes back to April, smiling as gently as she can manage. "It's... not really that complicated, I guess. Or maybe not that surprising, at this point, but... Before Christmas, I- well..." She lets out the breath, feeling an odd sense of relaxation take over. "I asked Winter to marry me, ma'am."

Nope sorry Marina is hyped to the max over Winter and Lily getting married, doubly so now that it's not being kept on the down low. After a nice solid hug she finally lets Winter stand up on her own two legs again, hands on her shoulders. "Oh man have I been waiting to say that! Honestly, I'm really good and I bet I'm not feeling half as good as you are."

Time seems to grind to a halt in the room. Winter holds her breath, shifting minutely closer to Lily, butterflies coming back more urgently than ever. Rick's grin is back in full force; whether this is a result of the betting pool's results changing or hearing Lily get it out successfully (or both) is anyone's guess. April... the woman's breath catches, and she blinks a few times. "I... am not certain I heard you correctly," she finally gets out, slowly but not with that edge of danger to her tone that suggests she's actually mad. Just... unsure. "I thought you said you asked my daughter for her hand in marriage."

Lily holds her expression like a statue as Winter holds her breath. She just... stands there, as if fearing that moving an inch may well ignite a powder keg at their feet. Then the question comes, and the way it's said somehow allows her to move again, slowly nodding.

"I- ah, yes ma'am. That's... exactly what I just said," she murmurs, looking down at the hand Winter's ring is on. "I asked her to marry me. She... said yes. We don't know exactly when it's going to be yet, but..."

She looks back at her, a sincerely determined look in her eyes, even as she smiles again. "I love Winter. I love her with all of my heart. This isn't some silly crush, this isn't testing the waters of things anymore. I know, no matter how we have to do it, I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and I plan to do that no matter what we have to face."

"Better than you can imagine," she confirms, catching her breath after the surprise. "I have been on cloud nine. Going to Lapland didn't even faze me, and we even managed to convince Mama it would work out. I feel like I can take on anything."

"Hell yeah, you endured the frigid tundra and got your mom on board? I mean I bet Lapland fazed Lily a little bit but..." she waves that thought off. "Anyways, god am I happy for the two of you. Figured you'd wait longer but I couldn't see it going any other way."

She can't bear to look. The question came from so far out of left field that she's certain this is the end, that April will refuse, that they can't be together anymore. She squeezes her eyes shut-

"I was wondering when you'd find that steel," April says softly, breaking the silence. Rick looks at her, open question on his face, and Winter's eyes snap open, darting to her mother. "I know a year doesn't seem like such a short time. But it's short enough that I remember the first time I met you vividly. I thought you were going to snap if a stiff breeze went through the room, you were so scared of me. So scared of what could happen if you made a mistake. I was... nervous, about trusting Winter to someone like that. Trusting my only, precious daughter to someone so unreliable."

Shaking her head, she smiles truly. "But I see now that you've got the strength I'm looking for. I happen to know that you've been through a lot, Lily Tsukuyomi, with and without Winter's help. As much as it pains me to say it... you fit well together. And my daughter has never looked happier than she has by your side. With that in mind... you have my blessing."

Tears come to Winter's eyes as she realizes her dream will live on, and despite herself, she pulls free of Lily and hugs her mother tightly; April sets her hand atop winter's head, still smiling down at her. Rick stands beside them, shaking his head and looking like he wants nothing more than to laugh at the whole scene. April's gaze is warm as she looks at Lily, approval finally showing there.

A faint giggle escapes her, thinking of the icy city. "Both of us felt like snowmen, although Lily took it a lot worse. Still, we managed. All of it, honestly. I thought it would be longer, too... at least at first. But they say that things that make your heart race drive people closer together. And as much trouble as we've gotten in, I guess it makes sense."

That... steel? Really, Lily can't argue with the stance. A year ago, when Lily had been just a well meaning friend helping decorate for a surprise party - one whose first act was to get her flowers, which in retrospect probably said more about her subconscious than she realized - she probably wasn't in the best state of mind. She had just come on the Network, was being exposed to all of this danger, worried so much about Jasmine...

She'd changed a lot in the last year. They both had. Everyone had. The entire world around them was different.

So what could have been taken as an insult quickly turns into a realization of how right she is about the past her, and as she goes on... Lily finds her eyes watering. To know she realizes all of that, that she seems to at least trust her that far.

She's still a bit dumbstruck as Winter goes to hug her, standing there, but as April finally looks at her, those welling tears spill over, running down her face freely, even as she smiles kind of stupidly.

It's something she hadn't seen in a very, very long time, yet something she can immediately recognize. Even if it's not hers, a mother's approval being directed at her can't cause her to do anything but cry, albeit happily.

Finally she actually totally releases Winter, physically. "With all the shit going down I don't blame you for wanting... you know. To know." Not that she's asking Jasmine any time soon, but it reminds her of a young couple getting married before one of them goes off to war or... or something.

"Oh! Happy birthday too."

Jasmine arrived at the party in a manner unconventional for her; in a wheelchair. Lily had managed to teleport her to Vegas using the Mirage, but the individual helping her into the room did not have that luxury; Rentarou Tsukuyomi had to fly from Germany to Las Vegas for this.

But he'd been happy to... especially for Winter Adamas's sake. Someone who was soon to become like family to him.

Jasmine looked back at Rentarou, smiling fondly. Their relationship had somehow improved over the last year. She could attribute that to the support he'd shown for both himself and Lily once everything had become known. This fantastic, at-times-horrible, at-times-wonderful experience had brought the three of them closer together.

And in some ways, they had Winter Adamas to thank for that.

"Thanks dad," Jasmine said. "I think I can take it from here, though."

Rentarou laughed softly. "I'm sure you can, dear. I'm sure you can."

It wasn't so much a question as to if Emi will come to this party, but when and how. Miss a party like this that she was invited to? Of course not. And in all likelihood, she's probably brought along people she knows personally... provided they've been invited too.
The problem is, though, when it comes to dressing for a soiree like this, she makes a point of being flashy, eye-catching, stylish and completely unashamed in flaunting her own wealth.

Sooner or later there's going to be a brightly smiling Emilia at the door. "Miss Adamas, I believe congratulations are in order. Or is it soon going to be Mrs. Tsukuyomi?"

There are a lot of things Winter wants to say right now, wants to do. She wants to wrap Lily in a big hug and not let go. She wants to tell her mother how much this means to her, how absolutely certain she is that things will be okay. She wants to smack her father for having the gall to bet on how long it would take them to make the promise, although she's mindful she'd put him through a wall if she doesn't check her strength, and she also wants to ask how long he actually put his money on.

Controlling his good humor for a moment, Rick asks, "So? When did she pop the question? I want details!" April sighs as Winter's attention turns, and the girl disengages from her mother, eyes lighting up. "On the anniversary of the day we first met, about two weeks ago. She and I went out for dinner, and she had the ring, and... I didn't realize what it was at first, and I thought it was beautiful, and then... and then she said it, and I thought I was in heaven." She sounds like she's in a fairly good mood now, remembering it. She's also fiddling with the ring in question, though now that she doesn't have to hide it...

"I'd been wondering about that myself," April adds distantly. "There wasn't quite enough tarnish for it to have been there a while, but it was certainly there a few days. I guess that answers the question." Shaking her head, she sighs, extending a hand toward Lily across the room. "Come on. I don't want you to stand there crying alone. Whatever Winter's told you, I'm not as mean as everyone thinks. Please... you're going to be my daughter, too. Let me treat you like it, Lily."

...Beside her, Winter and Rick are going at it over his little pool, although Winter is significantly more pleased that the two-week difference means her father will actually win the pot instead.

"It's... freeing," she admits. "To know that there's someone that will have me, no matter what happens, that's willing to take the biggest leap of her life for me. I will walk with her until time unravels around us." Grinning, Winter waves a hand dismissively. "Or maybe after that. Time doesn't exactly mean that much to us these days, considering what we are. Maybe, when we're gone... this will all happen again. Lily and I will be reincarnated into new vessels, too, and perhaps they'll find each other... and it'll all start over again."

A faint cough, and she shakes her head. "Or maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, and I should save the rambling for my memoirs. Thank you, Marina, for your well wishes. And for listening to me without complaining, which I appreciate more than you probably think."

"Oh my god you're a hopeless romantic but..." she smiles brightly, hands at her side. "Ugh, I can hardly even handle how cute and romantic it is that you can actually say all that with a straight face!" This is a compliment, in fact.

"Hardly anything to complain about with you anyways. I mean, I could if I wanted to, but that goes for everyone and everything, and I'm trying not to be that cynical y'know." Succeeding too!

There's a slight pang of sadness on Winter's face as Jasmine is pushed in by her father; she'd hoped Jasmine would be feeling up to walking by now, or at least able to move under her own power. Clearly, that wasn't the case, and she made a mental note to check on Jasmine a few times tonight and make sure she was holding up okay. Still, gently shaking her head to get her thoughts back in order, she banishes her discomfort for later, and the smile melts back onto her expression as she winds her way back to the door. "Jasmine! Mr. Tsukuyomi! I'm so glad you could make it... that must have been quite a trip, though. Did you have a safe flight?" She didn't need to check on the recovering girl's status for the moment; Jasmine had been monitored between when they picked her up and when Rentarou had arrived, mostly to soothe Winter's concerns.

On any other day, Winter would notice Emi's opulent dress and feel a little out of place. Today? Today, she's in such a good mood that she doesn't even care. As far as she's concerned, she's rocking her comparatively simple outfit, and it makes a world of difference. Whether anyone else takes offense is their own problem. So when Emi makes her way inside, Winter brightens and hurries over, almost floating in her excitement. "Emi! I'm so glad you made it! And thank you... haa, not that we've decided anything on that yet. I'm still trying to contain myself from her proposing at all!" Something glistens in the light, and Winter finally notices her friend's style. "You look great! I mean, you didn't have to dress up for this, but you knocked it right out of the park! I feel just a little underdressed, now." There's not even a trace of embarrassment or accusation, she's just genuinely impressed.

Now her face is turning a little red, even if she's still smiling. "I've got a love story of my own to write. It's going to be the best thing anyone's ever seen, and they're going to make a Hollywood movie in four parts and it'll bring in billions."

Sticking her tongue out at Marina, she steps further into the room, picking up a water glass and sipping while she collects her thoughts. "Everyone else seemed to find reasons to, once upon a time. Lately, I try to just do whatever seems best, and damn the haters."

A love story for the ages. Or... dimensions? Something like that? Whatever, it's still a beautiful love story with just the sappiest pair of lovers she's ever met. "I'd go see each part like five times in the theater. At least." No.

"And I totally would've been one of the haters a while ago so, y'know... screw all that stuff that's in the past that doesn't matter. We've got enough stuff in the past that does to worry about." Although she really hasn't gotten any memories in a damned long time.

"I don't think I'd watch it that many times. Rent it when it comes out, so you can kick back on the couch with a bag of popcorn and laugh at how corny it'll be." It's all well and good to be the supporter, but even Winter knows her limits.

At her other comment... she sobers just a bit. "Mm. It doesn't matter. Whatever we did before is in the past, and we're adults. We can move past slights from before. I'm willing to forgive and forget. I think... I always have been. I was just too scared to let myself do it, before."

"I'd need a lot of popcorn to deal with how corny you two get, but I'd totally be willing." Frankly, she and Jasmine were pretty corny too, they just kept it a little more private than Winter and Lily. "Maybe some drinks too."

Marina shrugs. "But hey, I'm at least a little bit of an adult now. Feels like you and Lily are more grown up than I am and yeah, you're a year older... but still, even I feel way more mature. Like, I'm totally impressed that we're all as over the petty bullshit as we are, compared to how pressing it felt like it was a year ago."

It was hard not to smile at how excited and so obviously in love Winter is, it made her wonder about her own future with her boyfriend.

"I wouldn't say that," Emilia said, somehow Winter made her dress work despite it being less impressive. It must be that 'glow' Winter has about her. "You look quite good yourself."

At some point, Lily's started fiddling with her ring as well. Everything seems like something of a blur to her all of a sudden, even Winter's description of that night flying over her head. She can barely see much through her tears, and she's not even remotely sure what to do with herself, even if this is the best way things could have possible gone.

However, when April speaks to her and extends the hand, it somehow manages to cut through her funk, and she sort of... freezes up. She blinks the tears out of her eyes to make certain she's not imagining things. Her mouth hangs open, staring at the older woman for a significant moment.

Then... she makes a choked sound, and runs over to hug April without any more hesitation. She throws her arms around Winter's mother, and hugs her... not as tight as she can manage, because like Winter worrying about putting her father through the wall, Lily'd break something if she did that. She's conscious enough of that, but...

This all feels like a dream. Not just Winter accepting that, or her parents approving.

It had been a very, very long time since a mother had called her their daughter in any capacity, even if it was a future prospect. Nearly a decade, in fact.

She's speechless, and can't express herself in any other way for the next moment or two. Give her that, and maybe she'll be able to refocus herself enough to admonish Rick.

Well of course Toushirou is going to wind up here. Winter is one of his best friends, after all. And since it's her birthday party and everything, he's going to try and not be a petty grouch about his most recent Pulse.

These aren't brand-new clothes he's in. At least then, it would be easy to pass them off as gifts that had been too big for him. (Or easy for a couple minutes, because in all honesty that would fall apart pretty quick.) No, these are clothes he's had for a while -- nice enough, but not really dressy -- and yet he's had to roll up the cuffs of his pants and sleeves so that they don't spill over his feet and hands. Yeah, thanks a million there, Christmas Pulse; he really needed to shrink four inches.

But the best way to not grouch about it is to not acknowledge it, and it's Winter's day, so that should be easy, right? Especially since he's got an idea of what's got her so happy right now. "I guess wishing you a happy birthday is a little redundant."

"Ehe... thank you. I didn't really dress up, since I had a feeling I'd be doing a lot of running around, but I put a little bit of effort in, to be sure. When a girl's presenting herself to the public, she has to look her best, right?" She is not at all thinking about the irony of telling this to the specific person she's telling it to.

Switching just a little bit back into host mode, she adds, "I haven't heard from you in a little bit - has everything been okay? Or, well, as okay as it gets for us these days?"

Hearing the voice, Winter spins toward the door, setting down a streamer she's stretching to clip into place, standing precariously on a chair. "Toushirou! Hi, I- ack!" Unfortunately, her low heels are not exactly a good thing to make sudden turns in, and she starts to lose her balance, arms flailing before she hops lightly from the chair, still getting a couple feet of air before touching with a soft sound of displaced carpet. "Whoops, shouldn't have done that... anyway! It's good to see you. And it's not redundant - I'm really glad you came all this way to tell me."

Something seems off, but she's not entirely sure what it is... the rolled pant legs are unusual, but it's been long enough since she's seen him that it's possible they're just too big.

"Okay, maybe one of those big buckets of popcorn, and a glass of wine or two. I'll grant that." She knows, acutely, how sappy she gets. If she were on the outside looking in, either she'd be enthralled, or she'd be repulsed by how sweet they were sometimes.

When Marina starts talking about growing up, though, Winter grins again. "You've grown a lot since I met you. You're a lot more accepting now, for sure. And we've pushed past a lot of the things that held us down. I think that a lot of us have realized that we have to work together, or we're doing to die alone." Laughing lightly, she adds, "But we're always going to be just a little bit wiser, Marina. It's the law of the jungle."

He makes a move to catch her -- damn clumsy girl -- but she manages to land semi-gracefully on her own. Well good. He shouldn't have to help her do something so simple as stand up.

"It's not really that far when we've got a teleporter." What, it's the truth. He would have wanted to come anyway, but that's neither here nor there. Totally. "So you and Lily are getting married?"

He can notice different things, too. Her new ring is a lot less embarrassing than his old pants that are suddenly too big for him.

She notices the shift as she falls, and she's grateful - even before she'd found someone that would catch her when she went headfirst into a bad mood, she'd had someone that would at least catch her when she physically fell for some time now. She appreciates that Toushirou was still willing to help with that, if worse came to worse.

"It's not, but it still feels like it, sometimes. I'm still happy you came." When he mentions Lily, she can't stop a slight blush, even as her face ends up set in a stupid grin. "We are. We don't know when yet, but... we are. I won't go into details, since I have a feeling you don't care that much, but I felt so happy that night... it's weird to say, but it's like the ultimate proof that someone thinks you're worth spending their entire life with. That's... something I didn't realize I needed until I felt it. Our whole relationship has been, really."

She didn't even call out the 'popcorn' and 'corny' thing. How sad after that set up. "It's almost cheating to drink through it, but only almost. Dunno if wine would cut it though." Not like... she knows... what will cut it anyway. Wine and beer are open to her in Germany, but hard liquor is a different story.

"Shit yeah I'm more accepting, you big nerd," she says, barely holding back a laugh. "But hell I'm some kinda nerdy now too. Working together to survive was the only reason I started talking to all of you, y'know? Then I realized that a lot of you are really cool and fun and a little less PA and petty, and then I started dating Jasmine and... yeah."

Of course, ever present throughout the entire day is none other than Lily Tsukuyomi. Any and all apprehensions she'd had about meeting with Winter's parents the day before have melted away, almost as if they'd never existed. She flits about from here to there, helping anyone with anything they need, but always keeping her primary attention and an eye towards Winter.

A year ago at Winter's birthday, when Jasmine had come up with the idea of the surprise party and she'd helped it along, Lily was a very different person. She was still so quiet and unsure. She didn't know what this new life was handing her.

Now, in spite of all of the pain and the chaos, that Lily is a shadow of the young woman before everyone now. Dressed in a simple-but-efficient dress of deep violet, she appears much softer now, just at a glance. Not in a bad way, but by comparison, she seemed nearly impenetrable a year before. She's nothing short of ecstatic and happy as a clam today, and has plenty of reason for it. Plus, there's that ring, which she's very happy to be showing off now.

The biggest reason for that will at some point or another find Lily's arms around her, even in the middle of the party, as she comes up from behind to give her a hug. "So, I take it the birthday girl is having a good time?" Well, a hug and a peck on the cheek.

"I've been fine, I've simply been spending time with family." Which these days includes Arthur York, as far as she's concerned. Winter's engagement had got Emilia thinking of her own future with the one she loved.

"I've simply been a bit occupied."

There's an almost electric energy in the room, between both of them, and Winter is very much glad to see it. She meets Lily's gaze across the room at least once, with a big smile and a wave if her hands aren't full, but it's enough for Winter to see her enjoying herself. To see her taking everything so well. The change is a breath of fresh air, and it makes her feel like she's doing the right thing.

When Lily sweeps up behind her, Winter giggles happily, obligingly standing still. "I'm having a wonderful afternoon. My friends have come to visit, everyone's wishing us well, neither of us had to cook, I don't have to clean up after all this..." Resting a hand on Lily's arms around her, she cranes her head up to kiss her fiancée properly. "And you look lovely, if I might say so."

She notices the different feeling from the Lily of one year ago. Then, she'd been nice enough, and definitely trying as best she could, but she felt... distant. Like she didn't know what to do with herself. A girl that had frozen her heart so she wouldn't have to feel the pain of the world. She'd worked hard to defrost it over the last twelve months, with friendship and love, whether she'd realized it at the time or not. And the result was nothing short of stunning. She'd always said that if she could help even one person, this would all be worth it... and this was the most visible change she could have affected, as far as she was concerned.

Although she might be just a little biased on this particular matter.

A little biased perhaps, but it's not that the feeling isn't mutual in Lily's own way. When she'd first met Winter, she had found the girl oddly inspiring. While Winter was frustrated and upset with what had happened during the school's drug raid, Lily had found her actions nothing short of heroic. That Winter was someone she could aspire to, in a way. As she continued to get to know her, as Winter continued to help her, to reach out to her, those feelings only grew, blossoming into the unyielding love she has to this day.

She'd said on that fateful Valentine's Day she wanted to make Winter happy, more than anything. She realizes day in and day out lately she's accomplished that goal, but today especially. As Winter pulls back from the kiss, Lily laughs a little bit. Not out of embarrassment, as she's not even concerned with the fact she's hugging and kissing on her in front of basically anyone and everyone. It's just happiness, plain and simple.

"Not as much as you do, but I'll happily take that compliment," she murmurs, hugging her just a bit tighter. "But I'm glad. After everything, I'm happy we can just have a little bit of time to... enjoy ourselves, and have some fun with everyone else, for once."

Rentarou beamed at Winter once he saw her. Nodding to Jasmine, he pulled away and moved to greet her, while Jasmine wheeled herself up to Winter's side herself.

"Hello, Winter," she said. "It's good to see you. And yes, the flight over was perfectly fine."

Jasmine just grinned. "Come on girl," she said. "Let me see that ring!"

If it's for a friend, Toushirou would descend into hell itself to keep them safe. When he'd first become Numbered, it had been about trying to understand what had been happening to him. The only person he'd had such a driving need to protect had been his grandmother, real friends being few and far between for him. That's changed over the past year and a half, somehow. Despite all his grumbling and grousing, he has no honest complaint in that much.

She's right, really, that the details don't interest him. His brain just isn't wired to find a lot of interest in that kind of thing. Age won't change it. Hell, with what he knows now, age isn't even going to change him physically for quite a while.

"You're good for each other." It's all he'll say on the matter. He's never had any issue with their relationship. They seem to work, and they're happy. What else does he need in order to approve? "And of course I came. Why wouldn't I?"

No harshness, of course. Just that casual bluntness he's always had.

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