This was, perhaps, the first time in a while, that Zero had left Yuki's side. He knew she wanted her space, and that he couldn't keep smothering her like that, though they both really had no complaints. Still, it was nice at least to give her some alone time, or time to spend with her family and not just him. As much as he wanted it to be that way, he couldn't be selfish. He glanced out the window, watching as the snow fell in small flurries, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. It was getting close to Christmas time, and that usually meant his mother would be setting up traps all over the estate. Not that he minded, he'd probably drag Yuki to one of them, or force some of his cousins under them.
It was a tempting thought really. Instead, he shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind for a later use, focusing on the snow as it fell. He pushed himself from the chair he was seated in and made his way outside, allowing the snowflakes to fall upon his face as he stared up at the sky. He almost admired the snowflakes really. Each one was unique, different in every way possible. In a strange way, they reminded him of his family. They were all connected in one way or another, but like the snowflakes, each of them was vastly different than the next. Such an odd comparison, but he thought it fit.
"What do you think mom has planned this year?" he stated, turning his head slightly to meet the gaze of his youngest sibling, his only sister. "Do you think we'll stand a chance?" he continued, turning his attention back to the sky, catching a snowflake on his tongue and smiling when it dissolved.
Leo mimicked her brother’s posture, lacing her hands behind her back and sticking her tongue out to catch a snowflake or two. Her nose crinkled with amusement at his face, though she knew she looked just as silly. That was all right though—she’d never had to worry about being anything in particular in front of her brother. So if she felt like doing silly things, she would, because it was the same for him. She treasured this bond, more than she could ever put into words, and it made her joyful to see him so happy, enough that she felt her mood lifting regardless of anything else going on.
“You know she never tells anyone,” she replied with a smile and a shake of her head. Their mother was the Queen of All Things Christmas, a title happily ceded to her by everyone who got to reap the benefits. The benefits being her delicious food, a fully decorated (and always very musical) home to stay in, the warmth of family, and the gifts. It had apparently been decided about fifty years ago that nobody really needed presents from everyone else, so they basically just donated the money to Ava, who selected one gift for everyone, and it was always basically the most amazing thing ever. Of course, couples still gave their own personal things, but other than that, it kept everyone happy to have things that really suited them, and not have to worry about trying to find space to put it all. Besides, they all found the experience of being together more important.
“But I’m betting it’ll involve food, a ton of mistletoe, and probably some really awesome music,” she said, as though it ever didn’t. Then, in a slightly more somber tone, she added. “It might be the last one we all get together, for a while. Alden says things are about to pick up again, and our parents are going to need us all, now.” There was no telling where they’d end up, and it hurt to think of being separated from the majority of her family for that long. But… perhaps it was better not to dwell on it for now.
“I’m really tempted to shove Al and Rica under some, but honestly I doubt it would help anything,” she said, shaking her head. Leo wasn’t sure if Balthasar had any feelings for Rica, and it might crush her if he refused to participate. Leora could see the potential there, but it wasn’t far enough along on his end for that kind of push. Poor Rica was so in love it hurt to look at, honestly. She was just glad that Balthasar would never be like Alexander and take advantage of that.
"True, mom's always been so secretive about those kind of things. I was actually hoping she would have told you something this year," he stated, a light shrug of his shoulders in the process. At Leora's statement, Zero almost scoffed before a smirk appeared on his lips. He shook his head lightly. "It probably wouldn't help anything. Rica's too stubborn to tell him, and Bal has no clue. And if he doesn't reciprocate those feelings she has, it'll only make things awkward between them," he sighed softly through his nose before taking a deep breath. Besides, it wasn't in their place to push things. They had to let nature take its course gradually.
If they tried to push something that wasn't meant to be, they would only succeed in making things awkward. In time, it would probably mend, but it was hard to mend a broken heart forever. He didn't want to dwell on that thought, because he knew his would never mend when she died. He promised Balthasar he would live every moment with Yuki, but the fact that she was still going to disappear from his side, would never be with him again, it had already broken his heart just a bit. He sighed softly, allowing a smile to grace his lips in the process, blinking owlishly before he turned back to his sister.
"Well, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with it though," he spoke, the smile morphing into a wide grin. "Though, I think the whole family would be a little fun to mess with. What do you say, Leo? Care to start a little early with helping mom hang the mistletoe?" he questioned, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
She was no empath, but all the same, she could sense her brother’s feelings, and honestly, a part of her heart had broken, too, for what would happen to her cousin and to him. But she knew that right now, talking about it wasn’t the thing that would help. Distraction was. And the form of distraction that he suggested was pretty much exactly the kind of thing she felt like doing right now. “You know Zero, for an idiot, you sure can be a genius sometimes. Let’s do it—I know which closet she keeps the stuff in.”
Maybe this time, they could actually get Alden underneath some. He always seemed to know exactly where they were, and she swore he would stand underneath some of them alone on purpose right until someone else walked over, at which point he’d move out of the way just in time. He’d usually shoot her a serpentine grin when he did, as though he knew she was trying to get him and was just teasing her with it. Knowing Alden, all of that was true. It was also weirdly difficult to get Balthasar of all people—he seemed to avoid it by dent of dumb luck. Not this year, though—Leo was determined to prank as many people as possible in this way. No matter how many times she had to move the stuff.
“Make a list, Zero. This is going to be fun.”
It was a tempting thought really. Instead, he shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind for a later use, focusing on the snow as it fell. He pushed himself from the chair he was seated in and made his way outside, allowing the snowflakes to fall upon his face as he stared up at the sky. He almost admired the snowflakes really. Each one was unique, different in every way possible. In a strange way, they reminded him of his family. They were all connected in one way or another, but like the snowflakes, each of them was vastly different than the next. Such an odd comparison, but he thought it fit.
"What do you think mom has planned this year?" he stated, turning his head slightly to meet the gaze of his youngest sibling, his only sister. "Do you think we'll stand a chance?" he continued, turning his attention back to the sky, catching a snowflake on his tongue and smiling when it dissolved.
Leo mimicked her brother’s posture, lacing her hands behind her back and sticking her tongue out to catch a snowflake or two. Her nose crinkled with amusement at his face, though she knew she looked just as silly. That was all right though—she’d never had to worry about being anything in particular in front of her brother. So if she felt like doing silly things, she would, because it was the same for him. She treasured this bond, more than she could ever put into words, and it made her joyful to see him so happy, enough that she felt her mood lifting regardless of anything else going on.
“You know she never tells anyone,” she replied with a smile and a shake of her head. Their mother was the Queen of All Things Christmas, a title happily ceded to her by everyone who got to reap the benefits. The benefits being her delicious food, a fully decorated (and always very musical) home to stay in, the warmth of family, and the gifts. It had apparently been decided about fifty years ago that nobody really needed presents from everyone else, so they basically just donated the money to Ava, who selected one gift for everyone, and it was always basically the most amazing thing ever. Of course, couples still gave their own personal things, but other than that, it kept everyone happy to have things that really suited them, and not have to worry about trying to find space to put it all. Besides, they all found the experience of being together more important.
“But I’m betting it’ll involve food, a ton of mistletoe, and probably some really awesome music,” she said, as though it ever didn’t. Then, in a slightly more somber tone, she added. “It might be the last one we all get together, for a while. Alden says things are about to pick up again, and our parents are going to need us all, now.” There was no telling where they’d end up, and it hurt to think of being separated from the majority of her family for that long. But… perhaps it was better not to dwell on it for now.
“I’m really tempted to shove Al and Rica under some, but honestly I doubt it would help anything,” she said, shaking her head. Leo wasn’t sure if Balthasar had any feelings for Rica, and it might crush her if he refused to participate. Leora could see the potential there, but it wasn’t far enough along on his end for that kind of push. Poor Rica was so in love it hurt to look at, honestly. She was just glad that Balthasar would never be like Alexander and take advantage of that.
"True, mom's always been so secretive about those kind of things. I was actually hoping she would have told you something this year," he stated, a light shrug of his shoulders in the process. At Leora's statement, Zero almost scoffed before a smirk appeared on his lips. He shook his head lightly. "It probably wouldn't help anything. Rica's too stubborn to tell him, and Bal has no clue. And if he doesn't reciprocate those feelings she has, it'll only make things awkward between them," he sighed softly through his nose before taking a deep breath. Besides, it wasn't in their place to push things. They had to let nature take its course gradually.
If they tried to push something that wasn't meant to be, they would only succeed in making things awkward. In time, it would probably mend, but it was hard to mend a broken heart forever. He didn't want to dwell on that thought, because he knew his would never mend when she died. He promised Balthasar he would live every moment with Yuki, but the fact that she was still going to disappear from his side, would never be with him again, it had already broken his heart just a bit. He sighed softly, allowing a smile to grace his lips in the process, blinking owlishly before he turned back to his sister.
"Well, that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with it though," he spoke, the smile morphing into a wide grin. "Though, I think the whole family would be a little fun to mess with. What do you say, Leo? Care to start a little early with helping mom hang the mistletoe?" he questioned, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
She was no empath, but all the same, she could sense her brother’s feelings, and honestly, a part of her heart had broken, too, for what would happen to her cousin and to him. But she knew that right now, talking about it wasn’t the thing that would help. Distraction was. And the form of distraction that he suggested was pretty much exactly the kind of thing she felt like doing right now. “You know Zero, for an idiot, you sure can be a genius sometimes. Let’s do it—I know which closet she keeps the stuff in.”
Maybe this time, they could actually get Alden underneath some. He always seemed to know exactly where they were, and she swore he would stand underneath some of them alone on purpose right until someone else walked over, at which point he’d move out of the way just in time. He’d usually shoot her a serpentine grin when he did, as though he knew she was trying to get him and was just teasing her with it. Knowing Alden, all of that was true. It was also weirdly difficult to get Balthasar of all people—he seemed to avoid it by dent of dumb luck. Not this year, though—Leo was determined to prank as many people as possible in this way. No matter how many times she had to move the stuff.
“Make a list, Zero. This is going to be fun.”