021 [Action] Backdated to Christmas Afternoon :|

[cakeblocked]

[Luke's in quite a good mood lately. Probably because of all the Christmas cheer going around. He's found that he rather likes the holiday, as it's a chance to give stuff to people without an explanation

Comments

[action]

[bullet_dance]

[Just as Luke is about to leave Noel's present... wherever around the front of her house, the door suddenly FLINGS OPEN and there.

Is.

Noel.

Staring.]

... Luke?

[action]

[cakeblocked]

[AS;LDKFHLDSIUFH

And Luke JUMPS BACK and, while he isn't able to hide the panda doll that's by his leg, he does yank the second part of his gift behind his back. No, he has not wrapped any of these, because there's a lot of them and he doesn't want to spend time doing that.

But he was NOT counting on the giftee to catch him in the act, GDIT.]

Noel! C-Could you go back inside for a minute? I need to...

[action] 1/2

[bullet_dance]

[LUKE WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE--OHMYGOD

IS THAT A PANDA

IS THAT A PANDA

IS THAT A PANDA

LUUUUUUUKE]

[action]

[bullet_dance]

[--GO BACK INSIDE?]

Wha? But-- Why?

action;

[cakeblocked]

[Why you gotta be like that, Toothless. LUKE LIKES YOU WHY CAN'T YOU LIKE HIM. 8(

But whatever, Luke is happy to see Hiccup AND Toothless, so he grins and waves up at them.]

Hey Hiccup, hey Toothless! [He turns and slowly lets the bag slide off his shoulder.] What're you guys doing up there?

action;

[cakeblocked]

[By the time Luke pulls out his gift and keeps it hidden in his hand, Hiccup's already about halfway down. Luke watches with a slight gape, and he smiles once Hiccup makes it and apologizes.]

No, don't be sorry! Did you make that thing yourself?

[soreplaceable]

[Oh hey there Luke, were you trying to be sneaky? Too bad, Ion totally saw you walking up the path to House One from the living room window. And... what's that he's got with him? HMMMM.]

[Of course, given how many people who'll be getting gifts live in House One, chances are Ion would have opened the door before Luke could escape in the first place... buut Ion will just open the door before Luke even gets there.]

Luke, what a pleasant surprise!

[cakeblocked]

[-DAMMIT.

Luke freezes in his tracks, his grip tightening a little on the bag. After that, he lets out a sigh and hangs his head, then lifts it up to give an exasperated smile.]

I didn't want you to see me yet... Too late for that, I guess.

1/3

[soreplaceable]

Oh, so it actually was supposed to be a surprise?

[He was just using an expression!]

Ah, in that case!

[soreplaceable]

[...]

[...yeah, he just closed the door.]

[action]

[offallingsnow]

My, don't you look busy.

[She's smiling though.]

[action]

[cakeblocked]

[He's already in House 1, and he's just setting out the gifts when Nephry catches him. DAMMIT.

He lets out a sigh, then turns to smile with exasperation.]

Yeah... I was trying to get all this done before anyone caught me.

[action]

[offallingsnow]

I could leave the room and return in a few minutes. Or I could invite you to stay for a while. Anise made cookies.

[action]

[cakeblocked]

... I wouldn't mind staying for a while. [Cookies. Food really does lead the way to a man's heart.]

[action]

[once_knighted]

[Oh hey Luke. Dropping off Yuri's present now, are you?

See, Yuri just so happened to be coming home from an early morning battle dome run, and since Luke's right there, he might as well find out why. You won't mind him coming up behind you to see what you're doing, right Luke?]

... What are you doing?

[action]

[cakeblocked]

[Luke heard the footsteps coming up thanks to the snow, but he was hoping it'd be... you know, some other resident. Not Yuri himself.

DAMMIT.

The voice makes him jump a little and turn to face Yuri, still kneeling down in the snow, with his present hidden behind his back.]

N... Nothing, I... wasn't doing anything! G-Go on inside!

[action]

[once_knighted]

Nothing, huh ...

[EYEBROW RAISE ... Well, whatever he's trying to do, it's obvious he's trying to be secretive about it. Well, whatever. It's Luke. It's not like he's going to rig the door with explosives or something.

So, he'll shrug--] Whatever you say. [--and ... walk away, heading for the side of the house. If Luke watches where he's going, he might notice that Yuri seems to be ... entering his house through a window.

Yeah.

After that last snowstorm? He's got about zero trust in that door.]

[action]

[cakeblocked]

[...

Did he just -

...

After a moment, if Yuri's still there, he'll find Luke peeking his head over to look through the window. Why did he...?]