>>I am wide awake [Open]

[zerosuitjill]

Who; zerosuitjill and open to anyone passing by
What; Christmas decorating. Some post-Wesker angst moodiness.
Where; Residential area, outside her place.
When; Friday, December 23rd
Rating; Starting with G, may go up.
Status; Open; ongoing

Comments

I'VE BEEN MEANING TO TAG THIS >>;

[lightning_fists]

At first, the snow had been a little unnerving. Being a new place - realizing and being told that it was what most considered the gateway to all eternity - Tifa couldn't help but be wary of everything that occurred within it's realm. If there was one thing she learned from her life in Gaia, it was that anything was possible. And there was no telling what secret intention or hidden side effect anything had. But if there was any truth to the guild she had received from Jill, there was very little to worry about.

So there was no reason to be concerned over a little walk in the snow.

Sure, the modest little home she'd managed to find held all the necessities that Tifa could ever need. But there was something to be said about variety. And a change of pace. She would certainly need to learn the lay of the land if she were to survive. There would be no better time to do so than the present, odd ewather or not.

However, she was not expecting to see quite a sight as that...

"...Lights?"

IT'S COOL <3

[zerosuitjill]

Jill glanced up, breaking from her train -- trains, rather -- of thought and reflexively offering a polite smile.

"Ah, yeah." Her grin turned a little crooked, a little sheepish as she glanced back at her apartment. "I've been here a while. At this point, I figure I might as well have a little holiday spirit. Couldn't hurt, at least."

...And for some reason I thought this was the thread with Miho. Orz...

[lightning_fists]

Holiday spirit. Yes, it had been pretty close towards the end of the month when she'd been taken. That she'd lost track of time so easily since arriving...

But that was besides the point.

It was admirable, she thought, to want such a thing. To be so willing to hold on to something so simple. And yet so important. Though Tifa wasn't aware how long it had been since she was taken to the Underworld, she would've done the same in her position.

"No. No, it's actually a good idea." Smiling, the young woman wonders if she should do the same. But then, where to begin...

"...Do you need help?"

ahahaha it happens

[zerosuitjill]

Jill glanced back at the front of her apartment; she was only stringing up some lights around the window beside the door at this point, which wouldn't take too long.

She turned ahead again and nodded with another smile. "Sure, if you've got the time." She stepped aside on the walkway to make room, picking up her hammer and the next nail to help hold the wire against the window frame. "So, are you familiar with Christmas?" she asked conversationally. "I only ask because there are so many different backgrounds here. It's not always easy to judge at first glance."

I shall march on!

[lightning_fists]

It was likely an odd to have someone show up and offer help. In her experience, there were a great few willing to set aside their own time to help a stranger. But that was not Tifa. She was not quite as oblivious to the needs of the world. Maybe to herself, yes, but that was an entirely different matter...

And while this may not be home - where people had suffered much the same as she did - the principles were generally still the same. There would always be people who needed a hand. And while it wasn't much, sometimes even the little things could mean a lot, in her mind. She'd take that.

Stepping up, she held the string of lights against the wall, looking to the other for approval or disapproval of the positions.

"I am. In a manner of speaking. We have something similar to this back home."

o/

[zerosuitjill]

Jill nodded at the placement of the lights, holding a couple spare nails between her teeth and leaning forward and up to begin nailing them into place. "That's a little relieving," she replied with a smile and a sidelong glance, her speech muffled only slightly. "I'm not sure how well I do in explaining the traditions."

One nail done, she moved on to the next. "Are you settling in all right? Even if you're used to the unexpected, I know how... awkward it can be, trying to get adjusted here."

\o/

[lightning_fists]

Shuffling over, she made sure there was room for the other to work. Tifa had a general idea of where she should be holding and what it was gonna look like. But this wasn't her cave. She indulged on the conversation though, tilting her head the slightest bit in thought. "Traditions are what you make of them, really. So maybe not so badly."

And with a glance, there's a soft smile. Smiling is Tifa's default.

"It's a lot, you're right. But I'm settling. This is the strangest thing I've seen so far." And on principle and assumption, the young woman was going on the assumption that she wouldn't really need to gesture for the other to understand just what she was referring.

[zerosuitjill]

Jill gave a quiet laugh at that. "What can I say, I've gotten a little comfortable here. It beats other places I've been."

She paused in her speech to embed the next nail. "A home's what you make of it," she went on momentarily. "If I'm expected to live here, I might as well make a statement that I'm living here." Not to others, really, as much as herself.

[lightning_fists]

She only meant it in the sense that... it was perfectly normal. Everything had been relatively normal since her arrival. Snow in a cave, however... was not something you saw every day. Regardless, she took a look around at the place, finding that while a strange location... it looked quaint and comfortable.

"...It's a nice place all the same."

[zerosuitjill]

Jill grinned a bit, moving on to the next and final nail. "Thank you. I know it probably looks strange, getting comfortable here, but..." Her gentle smile returned. "People make it possible. It's usually bearable."

[lightning_fists]

And for a brief moment, it felt like she was back in Edge. Back in her bar. They were sharing small little bits of their lives with each other. And for the moment, it was as if they had always been acquaintances. As if this weren't the first time the two women were meeting face to face. And for now, it was enough.

So it was with a light shake of her head that she waved off the other's comment.

"A few years ago, me and my friends went on a long journey across the world. I understand what it means to make the most of what you have."

[zerosuitjill]

Jill nodded as she worked. "I can share the sentiment. I admit, I've pretty much gotten to the position where I don't think as much of material things as I used to. So..."

She drew back, studying the finished lights, and then glanced at Tifa for a sign that she approved of it.

"...little things like these -- I guess that makes them all the more special, in a way."

[lightning_fists]

"It's the little things that matter," she murmured, reaching up to cradle a red bulb in her palm, "But I know what you mean."

Tilting her head, the young woman smiled. It wasn't exactly approval. Tifa couldn't give that when it wasn't her home. But a nod was given nonetheless. Because she could appreciate a job well done when she'd had a hand in it, right?

"I grew up in a small village. I never really needed much to be happy."

[zerosuitjill]

That received a brief but good-natured laugh. "Opposite for me -- I've always been a city girl. But I can imagine the kind of charm a small town would have."

And that laugh, Jill realized after a moment, felt good. Really good. She'd needed one, just like she'd needed some smalltalk like this. She was comfortable with it, used to it, and good at it.

"But hey, thanks again for the hand," she went on, gesturing at the display with a wave. "I appreciate it."

[lightning_fists]

"I was happy to help. It's what we do in small towns, after all. Be friendly and help neighbors."

She was joking of course, and the playful smile spread across her lips told such a story. But there were certain truths to it all the same. And maybe Tifa was more amused at the comment than she showed. Still, it was a good time spent between the confusion and fear of what could and would happen next. So she would take the breaks and catch her breath at any chance she got.

"Have a good holiday. I hope they're as bright and easy as these lights."

[zerosuitjill]

Jill caught the playful smile easily enough, and something more akin to humor found its way into her own expression. She nodded.

"I will, thanks." Or if she didn't, she'd make a hell of an effort to, at least. She was stubborn that way. "You, too."