[Video]

[soothing_flame]

[The PCD falls out of Ai's pocket and hits the ground, flipping the video on. Like a lot of people, Ai is also enjoying the snowfall in her own way. Still dressed only in her white skirt and pink shirt, she sits on the ground and stares up at the snowflakes drifting down. She reaches up a hand, flakes instantly melting as soon as they get near it.]

Nee-san...

[She continues staring for a while longer before glancing down and noticing the PCD sitting next to her. Ai picks it up, only to jump when she realizes that it's on.]

Oh, I'm sorry about that! I didn't realize this got turned on. Um...

[Ai thinks for a bit, then smiles brightly.]

It's getting a lot colder out, so if anyone needs some blankets or a warm place to stay then please feel free to ask. I don't have a whole lot, but I'm willing to give them out if anyone needs them.

Comments

[Video to Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

I'll be there soon!

[Usagi gives a quick smile, flashes a victory-sign, and clicks off the feed.

It takes awhile to get across town, and she's snuggled as deep as she can into her coat (newly mended) by the time she gets there, but the cold seems to suit her and puts color in her cheeks. She steps forward and puts out a hand to catch some snow, just as Ai had.]

It's beautiful like this, isn't it?

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

[Ai stands up as she sees Usagi coming, brushing the snow off of her skirt.]

It really is. Has it been a while since you've seen snow?

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

A little while. [It's a moderate answer, and she lowers her hand again.]

I bet if we tried, we could gather up enough for a small snowman. Do you want to try while we talk?

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

Sure. Then afterwards we can make snow angels.

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

Sure. [She spreads her arms towards the sky, whimsically.] We'll make a whole choir of snow angels!

Is that a snow choir?

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

[She giggles at that.[

I guess it would be. Oh! Before we start, I should probably introduce myself.

[Ai gives a polite bow.]

My name is Ai Tokaji. Thank you for coming here to visit me.

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[The bow recalls Usagi to her manners, and she gives a small one in return.]

Nice to meet you. I'm Usagi. You can go ahead and call me that.

[If she finds it odd not to be introducing themselves until now... well, it's not the first time for her. Once included begging for food first, back home.]

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

It's nice to meet you too, Usagi-chan. So, should we start making a snowman?

[Without waiting for a response, Ai crouches down and starts rolling a ball of snow.]

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[Usagi plunges right into the activity, rolling her ball of snow with far more enthusiasm than success; but she doesn't seem to mind too much that it's a bit lop-sided and ragged. (Chibi-Usa could probably do better, but Chibi-Usa isn't here to tell her so.)]

I used to this back home, too, in the winters. But we only had a bit of snow, so I had to make really tiny ones. But, it was still fun.

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

Our winters are like that, too. Usually there's only a bit, but sometimes there's enough to snow us in. At least there's usually enough to at least make snow angels.

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[She pats the snow into shape, and scrutinizes it closely.]

I think we need stones or something. Maybe sticks, too. We should make him as perfect as we can.

[She answers Ai as she looks around for possibilities.]

A white Christmas was always something special people talked about, and sometimes, I got to see one.

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

Maybe we can try finding a spar scarf or hat to put on them, too.

[Ai brushe some snow off of the edges of her ball, making it a smoother sphere.]

What do you mean by special people?

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

Ah, I didn't mean it like that! I meant it was something special.

[It might be harder to find clothes, when everyone needs them. But...] The mall! We could try the mall. They have things that are too bad to wear; maybe it'd be alright to use them for this.

Re: [Offline]

[soothing_flame]

Oh, I see!

[She laughs at her misunderstanding.]

Ok! I've been in there a few times, but it's kind of scary from how dark it is. It should be fine now that there are two of us, though. Should we leave now?

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

Mm. The dark is never as bad if someone's there with you. [Even as a little girl afraid of the literal dark, she'd been fine once her mom came to soothe and reassure her.]

How about we go after we finish the snowmen?

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

Alright, we'll go after.

[With a nod, Ai starts rolling up her second ball, looking excited about the idea of exploring with a new friend.]

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[If Ai's getting the second one, Usagi will do the head! Be careful, that might just end up in this head having either odango or rabbit ears.]

The snow melts too quick when we touch it. But I've almost got this one!

Hey, did you used to do this with your sister, too?

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

[If it does, Ai is totally attaching whiskers and a tail to that thing.]

Not really. Sometimes I could get Akemi-neesan and my brother to help me, but Kai-neesan would never do something like this.

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[Rabbit ears, it is! Usagi has a bit of a struggle to make them defined enough to get the point, but once the snowman is properly eared, she grins at Ai from behind it.]

It's too bad. But you must have had a lot of fun with them doing other things, then.

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

[When she realizes that it's a rabbit, Ai claps delightedly and starts making it a little bunny tail.]

Sort of. Um...I guess we all used to have breakfast together back when we were still at our house. Dinner too if we all had the night off. That's something, right?

[It's kind of depressing, now that she's realizing just how little quality time she actually got to spend with her siblings.]

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

Did you help each other with homework? [Not that Usagi had really helped Shingo; she was never too good with school herself. But once or twice, especially when they were younger, she'd tried.]

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

Yes, sometimes. Kai-neesan makes us all do our homework as soon as we get home from school as long as we don't have work. If the others don't decide to work on it in their rooms, then we'll work on it together.

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

[She smiles a bit wistfully.]

I was always bad about getting my homework done on time. [Or... done at all. Or doing the correct page.] I know I should, but there are so many other things that seem more important.

But then I realized: If I didn't do it, I'd be left behind, when all my friends went on to high school. [Her smile widens.] But I passed. I'm a high school student now, back home.

[Offline]

[soothing_flame]

Oh, congratulations! I'm in high school as well.

[Well, was. Before the school was destroyed. And before she got shot.]

[Offline]

[buntails.livejournal.com]

That's great, that's great! We'd be classmates back home! [Not... really, considering they still wouldn't go to the same school. But close enough, so far away from all of that.]