Obligatory 'run up to Christmas' event~ (public)

[darkslayer709]

Where: Set in the streets of New Sanctum, but can also take place anywhere.
When: 11th December, 12:35pm
Notes: Well as the title suggests, this is the obligatory run up to Christmas event though it can also be known as 'the result of Darkslayer709's overtired brain and aversion to sleep. One thing to be noted is that although this is set in the streets, this

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[blindedbandit]

Toph stared flatly into a shop window. Of course, she couldn't actually see what was inside, but she had little better to do, having slipped away from her parents when they decided to do a little Christmas shopping and soak up the atmosphere. They'd likely go crazy and have heart attacks when they realised their daughter was gone, but they'd live.

...Not that she cared, anyway.

Blowing stray strands of hair out of her face that had been irritating her, Toph turned away from the window and towards the street and crowds, folding her arms. "Christmas sucks," she huffed, to no one in particular. When you were blind, you rather lost the desire for material possessions, which was all Christmas seemed to be about. That, and having to attend all the annoyingly stuck-up Christmas parties with her parents, where people sipped expensive wine and tittered at completely unfunny jokes. Maybe she'd just head home without her parents; all this festive cheer was nauseating.

[prettiestwitch]

Shivering, Hermione rubbed her arms in an attempt to stay warm. Why she'd even come out was most likely to get away from the childish attitude her parents had adopted (it was all good natured - however, everyday was just a little... too much), and was now wandering aimlessly through the streets. Being as organized as she was, she'd already purchased presents she needed for her friends, but even then, she still gazed into shop windows.

And that was when she heard Toph. Hermione blinked a couple of times, before she said slowly, ".. sometimes, it seems overated."

[blindedbandit]

Toph turned her blank eyes in Hermione's general direction. "Sometimes? You mean all the time. Just look around," she said, gesturing up to the elaborate decorations adorning the streets, to the people staggering about with bags and bags of gifts. "It's all a total waste of money and time, if you ask me."

[prettiestwitch]

Near immediately, Hermione noted that Toph was blind. She showed no change in attitude towards it other than briefly checking that no one was going to walk straight into her. She lived with ghosts and all every day of her life, so nothing shocked her much anymore. "It does sometimes seem to be an excuse for families to meet up again, which can be... nice. I think New Sanctum likes to hide it's fear behind a mask - and Christmas would be an appropriate one." Yet, she knew, that if they didn't do this, the city would more than likely fall apart.

[blindedbandit]

No one would have walked into Toph anyway - if they as much as banged against her they'd find themselves 'mysteriously' flat on their bottoms. Of course, it was her earthbending that did it, but they'd assume they tripped over their own feet or the pavement. Thankfully, people were staying out of her way anyway, so crowds weren't a problem.

"Well, I'm not scared," she grinned, almost boastingly. "It's stupid to think some presents and some stupid family get-together would make things all better, anyway."

[prettiestwitch]

"It does work," Hermione said thoughtfully. She'd seen it many, many times over the years - just not for her own family, but for everyone else in the wizarding world, who had the prospect of Voldemort on their dinner plates. "For a while. Afterwards, things tend to be worse than they were before."

[blindedbandit]

"Exactly," said Toph, scuffing her bare feet on the ground idly. "It's pointless. I mean, what does everyone do with so many presents, anyway? It's all junk." She shrugged and raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "Let me guess: you're here Christmas shopping too?"

[prettiestwitch]

She blinked - before smiling lightly and shaking her head, saying, "No. I'm only here since the atmosphere at home is overwhelming, and - this place is good as any to go." Most everywhere was overrun at Christmas time.

[blindedbandit]

"If I had a choice, I'd be anywhere but here," Toph wrinkled her nose in disgust. But then she paused and added as an afterthought, "Well, except maybe at home. At least I can talk to random people like you here."

[prettiestwitch]

Hermione smiled again, her tone pleasant. "It's a change to be able to talk to people who I don't really know," she glanced at the crowd again - she couldn't recognize a single one of them that was her age, and that was no surprise. "It's..." her vocabulary failed her for lack of better word than saying, "... well, nice."

[blindedbandit]

Toph rolled her eyes and threw up her hands in exasperation. Overly friendly people tended to make her uneasy - or just plain irritated. Maybe they thought they had to make some kind of extra special effort out of pity because she was blind. "Hey, don't get any ideas. I'm just bored."

[prettiestwitch]

"Yeah, I know. That's just how I feel inside," Hermione mused. She wasn't being overly friendly - she hardly ever was - she just found it somewhat easy to talk to this girl, which was a rareity, for her. "Change of pace, change of atmosphere, different people to talk to," she said, ticking each one off on her finger. "That's all."

[blindedbandit]

"I'd love to discuss how you feel inside, except I really don't want to," said Toph rudely, folding her arms and turning away from Hermione, as usual focusing on some point on the ground. "I just said I was bored, geez."

[prettiestwitch]

Hermioned raised an eyebrow in response, taking the moment to rub her hands together in an attempt to warm them up. She was no stranger to outbursts like this from others, so failed to raise a comment to it - she'd only speak to Harry on the matter since he was one of her best friends. And Ron - well, he the same. "You don't have to act like that," she said eventually. All the same, she added, "Sorry, I guess."

[blindedbandit]

"I'll act how I want to," Toph said defiantly. Hermione's apology did nothing but irritate Toph further. "Look, if you want some kind of deep conversation, I'm pretty sure other random people would be willing to talk to you." Which was one of Toph's more polite versions of projecting 'go away and leave me alone'.

[prettiestwitch]

"I doubt that," Hermione half scoffed. She didn't bother to argue her point, instead near sighing and rubbing her hands again. "And I don't really want a 'deep conversation', no. Just someone to talk to. I'll just go, then," she offered.