ABOVE CORUSCANT | PROSPERITY | EN ROUTE TO MAIN GATHERING
Bernard
It was surprising to hear an edge of disappointment in his voice, and her defensive grip softened. The slight shift meant their mini-game of chase was likely ending, and that inclination was confirmed when she felt his wrist tense.
She thumbed the jittering image behind her off and the little blue Bernard disappeared into the disc. At the same time, Ishida’s countenance betray her curiosity, a flicker of a moment questioning if she truly had gone too far, before something unseen plopped on her head. Its arrival came with a chime, thanks be to the bell at the end of the stripes. Her eyes widened when she realized what to attribute the sensation to when the apparent partner landed in Bernard’s free hand.
“Good thing I didn’t press about the boots.” Grinning brazenly from the Force-aided gesture, she pressed the disc into his palm she still had a grip over. If he wanted to do away with it, then so be it, she’d seen enough to liven the spirit of the afternoon. Although, having it at the ready for…whatever…in the future wouldn’t be such a bad idea. She’d have to consult Master Varobalder for copies.
The reference to Aeris’ wrath made her chuckle.
“That you’d have to read your way out of? But you might like that.” Ishida teased. Gratefully she’d repaired earlier offences with the librarian to a degree, at least enough that she didn’t feel a pang of guilt when her name was mentioned.
“Maybe these hats stay ours forever on purpose.”
With a happy jingle, she moved to liberate the hat in Bernard’s hand. On her tippy toes, she stretched to make the reach so the length of her could at least try to rest the hat on top of his head. The red accessory settled askew, perhaps further mussing his haircut, but she used the excuse of tugging it down to fit better to bring him closer to her and she gave him a quick, triumphant kiss. Her lip stain proved its worth, limiting the transfer of red between her lips and his.
Settled back on the flat of her feet, she straightened her own festive bonnet – pausing midway through the gesture when a warm feeling brushed through her. It was distant but familiar. Like an old song playing in the distance that she once knew the lyrics to, but could no longer place it. Something she was supposed to know, but it was playing too softly, faint enough to be an echo or just a projection of her memory and the lack of realism made it impossible to truly recognize.
The confusion that ghosted her expression was brief and as short-lived as the sensation itself. She flicked the pom pom at the end of Bernard’s hat to distract herself.
“Shall we?”
Just around the corner, beyond Tano’s bronze boots, the main gathering area was glowing with warmth and conversation. Small tidbits of discourse were floating through the soundwaves, random words exchanged that made no sense when they were overheard at random. But as a whole, it all sounded happy. A sound that, on mass, Ishida hadn’t heard in a long time. That faraway melody, lost to the conversation of reunions and friends, felt like a farce.
Meanwhile, the younglings they’d passed earlier had unwrapped all there was to unwrap, and with their newfound treasures tucked beneath their arms, they raced jovially down the halls, past the atrisian and the arkanian, jabbering excitedly amongst themselves about Saint Varobalder. They rounded the corner to where the other happy noises were coming from and disappeared into the crowd collected.
SOON™
Inosuke Ashina
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Henna Ashina
