Voice & Text - Nineteen
[Private // Not hard to hack]
First Ichijou-kun left, then Doumeki-kun. I’ve… been worried sick about both of them, but this morning it seems one has returned. The relief to seeing Doumeki’s return can not be explained. I don’t think I’ve felt that sick in some time. I’m sure to sleep a bit better tonight at last. I wonder if this means Ichijou won’t be returning now…
Doumeki-kun looks… different now though. Well, he is four year’s older, but still. He just… looks different. His eyes are different. I can’t place it yet, but I hope that when I meet up with him later I might spot it. I hope everything is alright back home. Or I should say I hope everything turned out alright.
I suppose with him returning I can stop wandering around out in the snow. I’m sure a few people will be glad of that. I know it worries people for me to be wandering around out in the snow and cold alone, but… I just couldn’t help but wander and look…
The snow is nice anyhow…
[End private]
Christmas on the island has been interesting, hasn’t it? The snow has been lovely. For some reason I find it much more interesting here then I did back home. Speaking of home… I received a small gift that… that I’m very glad to have gotten. Thank you… Island? Santa? Oh, who ever. Thank you… I’ve been so homesick that this oddly helps.
[Her voice drifts off for a bit. It can’t be seen but she’s looking at a picture in a small frame that had been by her bedside in her room. A picture of her mother and father and herself as an elementary student. Something she had had for years, obviously.]
A-also… Thank you all who got me such lovely gifts. I should have said so much earlier then this. Some of you spent far too much on me. I… don’t know how else to express my thanks to every one of you.
[With a click she ended the voice feed and continued to write: This list is written out in Text]
Gifts I received from some very precious people:
Hatori-san, I should have said it earlier, but the herbal book has been very interesting, thank you once again. Oh! And the ribbons are perfect!
Ichiru-san, it was highly unexpected and much more then I deserve, but thank you so much. The boots are a perfect fit, as is the skirt. I really find them lovely.
Doumeki-kun? Thank you, seriously. It’s an amazing gift and I look forward to using them. Lets train again soon? You… do remember you were teaching me, right? I bet you’ve gotten tons better.
Watanuki-kun! The gloves are amazing, and so soft. I was in need of a pair anyhow so the timing couldn’t be better. I’ll cherish them, thank you.
Ichigo-kun! I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. I’m still dumbfounded! This is… much more then I deserve. This… this sword is beautiful… I just can’t believe you would give me something like this. Obviously, even now I’m still at a loss of what to say, other then thank you a few too many times. deleted: I’m sure I’m going to kill someone with this and I won’t mean to. This is really danger--- I… just, thank you, thank you once again.
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[Because I was slow, I never got my lists up, so please consider that you all got what is listed here. If I missed a gift that was given? Please point me out so I can update her thank you list, seeing as she would thank you as well! Thanks!]
Doumeki - An old looking book on world wide folklore, a large batch of cookies, and a bottle of sake. The note reads: “You really are my closest friend around, Shizuka-kun Doumeki-kun, and I am really glad to have been able to get closer to you since arriving here. I hope we continue to be friends, I don’t know what I would do without you (and you know I mean that more then for ‘obvious’ reasons). Happy Christmas and Enjoy. With Love ~Himawari
PS: The cookies are home made. I’m getting better I think! I gave some to Watanuki-kun as well, so perhaps you both could enjoy them together?”
Watanuki - A long blue scarf with tassels, a new apron with a cat on it (a bit different looking then before), a carefully wrapped tin of cookies, and a small silver and yellow keychain that could almost pass for Tanpopo (engraved in tiny font: “Thank you for continuing to be my friend. ~H”). A card with a note inside. “Watanuki-kun, I can’t express enough how nice it is to see you again. I’m truly grateful that we are still friends and look forward to knowing you for a long time. I know I got you an apron before, but… well you might like a new one here. When I saw it I couldn’t resist! With Love ~ Himawari
PS: The cookies were made by me. I hope they taste alright. I’m getting better at baking! Please though… enjoy them with Doumeki-kun?”
Ichigo - Careful not to make him anything she sent a light leather bracer (brown leather with a red start, lace up), a small silver keychain/charm (engraved in tiny font: “I believe in you”) and a small bag of strawberry hard candy (…sorry, she couldn’t help it - though she isn’t mocking his hair!)
A long note in a card: “Ichigo-kun, I know the last few months I have been… distant. I’ve not been acting like the friend I should be, seeing as I do consider you to be a good friend. Truth told, I worry that some of your current … bad luck in… your health?... might be my fault. There is no way to prove it, as you too said you are a magnet for trouble, but I still wonder. By distancing myself though I realized I was wronging you in the fact that I do Believe in you and what you say. If… that makes sense? I’ve been a terrible friend and I hope this new year I can fix this. My gifts, they aren’t much, but I hope you enjoy them and I do wish you the best of new years to come. Merry Christmas, with love all my best wishes, ~Himawari
PS: The Star Charm? Just another thank you for a selfless wish you made…”
Hatori - Careful not to make him anything she sent a small flat box that held several of HumaniTea’s best tea blends, each lose leaf but marked. There was also a lovely, tall tea cup that had its own tea strainer inside and a lid. Put the tea in the strainer, pour hot water in and let steep. Simple but nice. A note that reads: “Hatori-san, Thank you once again for all the help you have given me and all the very lovely conversations. It’s been a pleasure. I’ve enjoyed our chats over coffee more then you might know. Thank you and Merry Christmas. I hope you like the tea and that it helps you relax a bit when times get stressful for you again. ~Himawari”
Ichiru - Careful not to make him anything she sent just a simple card that read “Ichiru-san, I’m sorry to say I have distanced myself from you since. . . what happened before. I just don’t know how to go about things again, but I want to fix that. I have to fix that. If you’d still have me as a friend, then this new year I intend to do better. We all need friends, right? It’s not much, but please enjoy a book or two, on me. ~Himawari” Inside was a gift card to Book Bin and a tiny note on the back that says “Pick something fun!”
Aidou - Just a bunch of cookies and a note card “I hope I figured out some of your favorites by now. It’s not much, but Happy Christmas! ~ Himawari”
(Also, see Ichijou’s gift. ;.;)
Rukia - A gift card to Sweet Treats and a note “Rukia, It’s been a very strange end of the year, and I’ve not spoken with you as much as I’d really like to. When our shifts cross at HumaniTea though, I find I really enjoy working with you and look forward to seeing you there. I hope the New Year is better for you then this year and I wish you the best in everything you do. ~ Himawari”
Ichijou - Never received because he has left, she keeps a small box wrapped in her room, unopened but ready if he ever comes back. The cookies made for him as well were saved to give to Aidou later, so not to go to waste
Secret Santa: Akito - Left Under The Tree
First Ichijou-kun left, then Doumeki-kun. I’ve… been worried sick about both of them, but this morning it seems one has returned. The relief to seeing Doumeki’s return can not be explained. I don’t think I’ve felt that sick in some time. I’m sure to sleep a bit better tonight at last. I wonder if this means Ichijou won’t be returning now…
Doumeki-kun looks… different now though. Well, he is four year’s older, but still. He just… looks different. His eyes are different. I can’t place it yet, but I hope that when I meet up with him later I might spot it. I hope everything is alright back home. Or I should say I hope everything turned out alright.
I suppose with him returning I can stop wandering around out in the snow. I’m sure a few people will be glad of that. I know it worries people for me to be wandering around out in the snow and cold alone, but… I just couldn’t help but wander and look…
The snow is nice anyhow…
[End private]
Christmas on the island has been interesting, hasn’t it? The snow has been lovely. For some reason I find it much more interesting here then I did back home. Speaking of home… I received a small gift that… that I’m very glad to have gotten. Thank you… Island? Santa? Oh, who ever. Thank you… I’ve been so homesick that this oddly helps.
[Her voice drifts off for a bit. It can’t be seen but she’s looking at a picture in a small frame that had been by her bedside in her room. A picture of her mother and father and herself as an elementary student. Something she had had for years, obviously.]
A-also… Thank you all who got me such lovely gifts. I should have said so much earlier then this. Some of you spent far too much on me. I… don’t know how else to express my thanks to every one of you.
[With a click she ended the voice feed and continued to write: This list is written out in Text]
Gifts I received from some very precious people:
Hatori-san, I should have said it earlier, but the herbal book has been very interesting, thank you once again. Oh! And the ribbons are perfect!
Ichiru-san, it was highly unexpected and much more then I deserve, but thank you so much. The boots are a perfect fit, as is the skirt. I really find them lovely.
Doumeki-kun? Thank you, seriously. It’s an amazing gift and I look forward to using them. Lets train again soon? You… do remember you were teaching me, right? I bet you’ve gotten tons better.
Watanuki-kun! The gloves are amazing, and so soft. I was in need of a pair anyhow so the timing couldn’t be better. I’ll cherish them, thank you.
Ichigo-kun! I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. I’m still dumbfounded! This is… much more then I deserve. This… this sword is beautiful… I just can’t believe you would give me something like this. Obviously, even now I’m still at a loss of what to say, other then thank you a few too many times. deleted: I’m sure I’m going to kill someone with this and I won’t mean to. This is really danger--- I… just, thank you, thank you once again.
---------------
[Because I was slow, I never got my lists up, so please consider that you all got what is listed here. If I missed a gift that was given? Please point me out so I can update her thank you list, seeing as she would thank you as well! Thanks!]
Doumeki - An old looking book on world wide folklore, a large batch of cookies, and a bottle of sake. The note reads: “You really are my closest friend around, Shizuka-kun Doumeki-kun, and I am really glad to have been able to get closer to you since arriving here. I hope we continue to be friends, I don’t know what I would do without you (and you know I mean that more then for ‘obvious’ reasons). Happy Christmas and Enjoy. With Love ~Himawari
PS: The cookies are home made. I’m getting better I think! I gave some to Watanuki-kun as well, so perhaps you both could enjoy them together?”
Watanuki - A long blue scarf with tassels, a new apron with a cat on it (a bit different looking then before), a carefully wrapped tin of cookies, and a small silver and yellow keychain that could almost pass for Tanpopo (engraved in tiny font: “Thank you for continuing to be my friend. ~H”). A card with a note inside. “Watanuki-kun, I can’t express enough how nice it is to see you again. I’m truly grateful that we are still friends and look forward to knowing you for a long time. I know I got you an apron before, but… well you might like a new one here. When I saw it I couldn’t resist! With Love ~ Himawari
PS: The cookies were made by me. I hope they taste alright. I’m getting better at baking! Please though… enjoy them with Doumeki-kun?”
Ichigo - Careful not to make him anything she sent a light leather bracer (brown leather with a red start, lace up), a small silver keychain/charm (engraved in tiny font: “I believe in you”) and a small bag of strawberry hard candy (…sorry, she couldn’t help it - though she isn’t mocking his hair!)
A long note in a card: “Ichigo-kun, I know the last few months I have been… distant. I’ve not been acting like the friend I should be, seeing as I do consider you to be a good friend. Truth told, I worry that some of your current … bad luck in… your health?... might be my fault. There is no way to prove it, as you too said you are a magnet for trouble, but I still wonder. By distancing myself though I realized I was wronging you in the fact that I do Believe in you and what you say. If… that makes sense? I’ve been a terrible friend and I hope this new year I can fix this. My gifts, they aren’t much, but I hope you enjoy them and I do wish you the best of new years to come. Merry Christmas, with love all my best wishes, ~Himawari
PS: The Star Charm? Just another thank you for a selfless wish you made…”
Hatori - Careful not to make him anything she sent a small flat box that held several of HumaniTea’s best tea blends, each lose leaf but marked. There was also a lovely, tall tea cup that had its own tea strainer inside and a lid. Put the tea in the strainer, pour hot water in and let steep. Simple but nice. A note that reads: “Hatori-san, Thank you once again for all the help you have given me and all the very lovely conversations. It’s been a pleasure. I’ve enjoyed our chats over coffee more then you might know. Thank you and Merry Christmas. I hope you like the tea and that it helps you relax a bit when times get stressful for you again. ~Himawari”
Ichiru - Careful not to make him anything she sent just a simple card that read “Ichiru-san, I’m sorry to say I have distanced myself from you since. . . what happened before. I just don’t know how to go about things again, but I want to fix that. I have to fix that. If you’d still have me as a friend, then this new year I intend to do better. We all need friends, right? It’s not much, but please enjoy a book or two, on me. ~Himawari” Inside was a gift card to Book Bin and a tiny note on the back that says “Pick something fun!”
Aidou - Just a bunch of cookies and a note card “I hope I figured out some of your favorites by now. It’s not much, but Happy Christmas! ~ Himawari”
(Also, see Ichijou’s gift. ;.;)
Rukia - A gift card to Sweet Treats and a note “Rukia, It’s been a very strange end of the year, and I’ve not spoken with you as much as I’d really like to. When our shifts cross at HumaniTea though, I find I really enjoy working with you and look forward to seeing you there. I hope the New Year is better for you then this year and I wish you the best in everything you do. ~ Himawari”
Ichijou - Never received because he has left, she keeps a small box wrapped in her room, unopened but ready if he ever comes back. The cookies made for him as well were saved to give to Aidou later, so not to go to waste
Secret Santa: Akito - Left Under The Tree