G is for Gifts. [OPEN]

[alastinglight]

Characters: Takasugi, all the people he's giving gifts to, and whoever wants in!
Location: All over the place. Feel free to choose where Takasugi meets you - I'll have him drop in on you. :3
Rating: G for now!
Time: December 24, during the day down to early evening or so
Description: He doesn't celebrate Christmas, but he knows it's important for

Comments

Outside Danse Macabre | Evening

[frissonic]

Before work, the musician had slipping into Takasugi's apartment, a simple task, to leave the only gift he'd gotten anyone in Death City before heading to work. He had been fortunate that the teen had not been home; had that been the case, he simply would have done the task at a later time.

Now, Bansai was standing outside the club establishment, taking a smoke break after finishing his first set of the night. The air was cold, though the tobacco helped to warm him as he leans against the wall of the building. It was still hard to believe that there was snow on the ground, when it had not been all that chilly during his arrival in this world.

[alastinglight]

Takasugi, on the other hand, had found the shamisen in between one of his runs. It had creeped him out, of course, and he had been on the brink of firing off a very angry message to Bansai for it when he remembered how their last conversation had gone. Among other things.

Damn it all.

As things were, the boy was now walking towards the Danse Macabre with a wrapped package in his arms. Bansai was outside: good. Sort of.

It saved him time, at least.

"Hey you."

[frissonic]

Bansai glanced up at the sound of his voice; he recognized the vocal quality, though he wasn't sure how pleased he was about his tone.

"You are perturbed with me."

He didn't phrase it as a question. The musician had been expecting that sort of response, but at least there had been no immediate, biting words. He could only assume that his gift had been received, though.

"You will have to forgive me. It is something we enjoyed doing together, and it seemed right for you to have one. I feared that if I were to give it to you personally, you would refuse it."

Time to take a drag off that cigarette while he waited for Shinsuke's reply.

[alastinglight]

"...It's not a problem, I guess. I just don't know how to play."

Was he shuffling his feet? Fidgeting? It's just cold, that's all.

[frissonic]

"As I mentioned in the note, I will be happy to teach you. I did so once, it would be my pleasure to do so again."

He made it sound so simple, right?

Bansai took another drag off of his cigarette even as he pulled his pack from his pocket, offering it to the teen.

"Would you care for one?"

[alastinglight]

That made Takasugi shake his head.

"...I'm just here to give you something. I've got other things to do."

Keep it cool, kid. This is just you paying things forward and smoothing things out, that's all. It doesn't mean a thing.

[frissonic]

"Are you, now?"

That was...not what he had been expecting. Perhaps a few harsh words, maybe a few demands. But not...a delivery.

Bansai finished off his cigarette, dropping it into the snow and smothering it with the toe of his shoe before his eyes rose back up to meet Takasugi's. He was ready to accept whatever his master offered him.

[alastinglight]

And Takasugi, to his credit, didn't flinch from that gaze. A small part of him wanted to just drop what he needed to give and flee, but there was no way he'd do that. No chance is hell.

He stood his ground. This was nothing.

The boy sniffed, and held out a neatly wrapped box in Bansai's direction.

[frissonic]

Not just a delivery, then. A gift, given that it was wrapped. Hm....even more interesting.

His expression changed to one of mild surprise; there was no sense in hiding it. Their exchanges in the past have not always been pleasant, and this is completely unexpected.

He took the box, though. He even waited for him to give him the option of waiting to open it before he meticulously peeled the bright paper away, and opened it up.

[alastinglight]

What he was going to find was a nice pair of black leather gloves, a nice black scarf and a key.

He wasn't going to buy anything for Bansai. He really wasn't.

What changed? He had no idea.

"...It's cold, so I figure you'd need things like that."

That was it, really. Common human courtesy and all. But he wasn't explaining the key. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to yet.

[frissonic]

Bansai just sort of blinked into the box for a moment, though it was hard to tell behind his shades. Receiving gifts was not a common practice for him in the slightest, and he had to admit that what he'd gotten was incredibly...thoughtful.

He glanced upward briefly, his eyes meeting Takasugi's over the edges of his sunglasses before the shifted downward again. He pulled the gloves from the box, and put them on. They were nice, and fit well. And it was much better in the weather. The scarf he folded over the shoulder of his coat, to put on later. Something else in the box had caught his attention.

"What is this for, Shinsuke?" he asked as he pulled it from the box, holding it between his thumb and forefinger.

[alastinglight]

"They key to my place." A beat. "So that you don't break in through the window." Another beat. "And so that you'll actually use the damned door."

That's it. Really. Totally it.

[frissonic]

"Doors are commonly overrated," he said, though the quiet half-smirk on his face was an indication of both the face that the was mildly joking and rather pleased.

"Thank you, Shinsuke. It is a nice gift."

[alastinglight]

"Don't get any ideas."

Too late for that, but he had to try, right?

[frissonic]

"I daresay I have no idea what you are talking about."

He didn't need to get ideas. He already had them. Just smiling pleasantly now, not a trace of smirk.

[alastinglight]

"You're laughing at me."

Okay he wasn't ACTUALLY doing it but it was all over Bansai's face.

And no he wasn't pouting. He was just displeased. That's all.