Disclaimers: All characters belong to rightful owners.
Story concieved by Lee.


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"She's a bit... young for your tastes, isn't she? Ah well, love is love is love, eh Lukes?" Kisoku grinned, waving hello to the young girl. "Hey there, I'm Kisoku. And what, praytell, may I call you, Miss Wisdom?"

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"Oh? You only met Lukie this morning?" Sam tilted his head as he slid back into his seat. Cupping a cheek in hand, he tipped his head toward the girl and grinned broadly. "Waaaiii! The coarse of true love runs fast and deep! It's so inspiring! I'm touched!"

"Hm? A bit young?" Turning his face toward Kisoku, the cocked his head like a curious puppy. The girl certainly didn't _sound_ young and she sure as hell talked a lot more intelligently than half the kids in his high school class--himself included. "How young _is_ she? Guess we were wrong about the college student thing..."

"Anyway!" Breaking to a grin, he shook his head as he stretched a bit. "What d'you two want to eat? I'm afraid sempai and I pretty much finished this pizza, but we can always get another... and they _do_ have absolutely stellar shakes here... just as for Willy, ne?"

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Sasurai laughed all through the fight, careuflly trying to duck and throw gentle, but fast snowballs. Mousy struggled to hang on as the two companions continued on with the 'war'. He climbed on to Sasurai's head and his tiny claws accidently slamped a little hard on her head.

"Nani-ow!" Sasurai, for once miscalculating a throw, missed and topped into Lemy, mowing both down into the quickly snow covered ground. "Mousy What's-...!!!!"

Well... this was an interesting situation. Sasurai found herself turning bright red and standing up from the ground, "Go-go-gomen!" She stammered, looking down. Oh... oh no... she knocked him down... She blew it... Sasurai handed out a hand to Lemy, "Looking away in shame and self-dissappointment, "I-I-I-I..." She hardly notice Mousy running over to the other, sitll berating herself, "I'm so- so... sorry... that was klutzy I mean... I-I..."

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With a suprised cry, Lem toppled to the snow and, though blinking slightly, he soon started to giggle. Naturally, he wasn't mad about it--what was there to get mad about?--so he couldn't really understand the sudden change in Sasurai as she stood over him.

"Mm! There's no reason to be sorry, Sasurai!" Quickly, he shook his head and, reaching for her hand, he tried to gently pull her back to the ground. Releasing her hand, he started to scissor his arms and legs in the tpyical fashion needed to form snow angels. "C'mon! Let's make some snow angels, okay?"

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Sasurai, shocked at his accepting words and reaction, went down to the snow quite easily. She watched -for the first time dumbstruck- as the other began to create snow angels. This... well this was a new developement... surely he must be secretly angry and loathful- no... he wasn't... she knew that by now he was sincere, kind, and innocent. Slowly she looked over at Mousy, who was his tomach, sniffing the air but trying his best to follow Lemy's motions, trying to make an snow angel-mouse.

A soft smile crept to her face and laying on her, she began to scissor her arms and legs in the same fashion as her two companions. "It's been so long since I made snow angels," she said quietly, giggling softly as contentment and joy rushed back into her.

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"Mhmm!" Lem agreed joyfully as he turned his head toward the girl. Really, frolicking in the snow, having a snowball fight, making snowangels... he was acting like a child, but, maybe just for that afternoon, it didn't matter. It only mattered that this girl was being kind to him and, for the moment, anyway, he really was having a good time. "I can't even remember the last time I had an afternoon like this!"

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"Neither can I!" Honestly it was true. When was the last time she had anything like this? Surely not in the past few years. Sitting up and moving aside to gaze her her work, she, very childishly, clapped her hands in joy, "It really is an angel!" Using her index finger, she made a line right above the head of the anow angel, creating the halo, "Perfect!" She knew that this afternoon would not last and that the moment of joy would end either badly or... just end, but for now, she had a friend. And he was not a mouse.

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"Ah! That's perfect!" Lem giggled in pure delight as he glanced to Sasurai's angel and, after adding a halo to his own, he nodded his satisfaction. Idly trying to decide what must be done next on this exceptional afternoon, he shook his head in an attempt to dislodge some of the snow from his curls, then, after a moment, he grinned.

"Sasurai? Would... would you...?" Frowning in frustration at his own halting speech, he shook his head, then, a moment later, he started over again. "I hear that there's going to be a puppet show over on the other side of the Park. D'you want to go watch it?"

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Sasurai smiled, and after using her fingers to brush some snow from her now messy hair, she nodded, "Hai-Hai... that would be nice. I-I- I would like that. It's been awhile since I've seen a puppet show... or any show for that matter." That was true... she didn't own a TV and she often locked herself inside of her home, so this was a welcomed change.

She looked down at Mousy, who, mimicking the larger friends motions, also added a halo to his angel, "Mousy? Do you want to see the puppet show?" Hearing a seemingly accepting squeak, Sasurai picked up her small friend and nodded to Lemy, "Mou-Mousy would-would-would be glad to see-see the show too!"

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"Wonderful!" Lem all but squealed as he beamed to the mouse and to owner. In a simple, childish gesture, he held his hand out for her taking so that they could start off toward said play without any further hesitation. "I hear that it's a really great story, but I've never been able to actually come see it. I... I think it should be really fun!"

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Sasurai looked down at his hand. Another trust issue... before when he took it she was stunned and shocked by his kind nature, but this time... was a bit of different story. Or was it? Looking thim, slightly guarded, she slowly took his hand, knowing it was an inncoent childish gesture but unable to not be wary.

She let go a soft sigh of relief though as he heard his words, "Maybe, I would like to finally see it, I usually don't go outside at holidays... I hope it is as fun as you say, Lemy-san" Like the other wanted, there was no further hesistation as the two started off towards the play.

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"Sophia," she began, nodding to Kisoku, then blinked and flushed slightly as he and Sam made their assumption. Of course she wasn't dating Lukas; good grief. First of all, that would be a terrible case of statutory rape, to say nothing of the fact that she'd never liked anyone and was not about to start. So she hurriedly clarified, "No no, he invited me along... for no reason, really. I'm ten years old." With any luck, that would put an end to it.

She glanced up at Lukas, already reaching for the wallet in her small backpack, and asked, "Yes, do you want something? I'll get a chocolate milkshake, so I can just go up and order for the both of us."

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"Oh, you don't get out on holidays?" Frowning a bit at this information, he tipped his head on side and, glancing quizzically to the girl, he found himself sympathtizing with her, again. Still, that was really only inspiration to make _this_ Holiday--or, if not, this _afternoon_, anyway--the best she'd ever had. "Well, that's certainly a shame."

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"Mrawr," Darran growled playfully to Para's question, then paused as well as it began to snow, more distracted by her twirling than the weather itself. Hurriedly, he shifted Cordy to somewhat block out the bemused smile working its way across his face-- no doubt he looked stupid as hell. But with the music behind her and snowflakes drifting down, it looked like she was dancing...

As her spin ended, Darran quickly busied himself in making sure Cordero's hat was on securely. Wouldn't want the little kiddo to get cold, after all. Then he followed Wolfgang as they began walking again, drawing nearer to the crowd gathering by the stage.

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Naturally, Cordy giggled happily at Wolfgang's offered tickly-motion and, squirming a bit in Darran's arms, he grabbed idly at the man's fingers with his own chubby digits. Still, his attention well taken by the crowd, as well as the ever-closer puppet play, the boy didn't seem to mind as Darran's shifted him nor as he adjusted Cordy's clothing.

Much like her brother, Para giggled softly at Darran's playful growl, but, having the attention span of an Irish Setter, she soon found herself distracted by the puppet stage.

"Ah, lucky we have someone tall with us..." The uber-short girl pouted slightly as she rose up on the balls of her feet. "I don't think Cordy'd be able to see, even if he tried to stand on the top of my head..."

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And then again, of course, despite the small amount of grey matter he sometimes gave evidence of possessing, Kiso could almost always be relied upon to say something idiotic... usually, on purpose...

Rolling his eyes at Sam, more for his own relief than for any effect it would have on his friend, he snorted, "Yeah... You're touched, alright, Sammy... or as we used to say back home, 'tetched'..."

Offering Sophia a sympathetic smile, Lukas said, "Don't let 'em razz you, petite. They know perfectly well you're not my 'date' - they're just makin' their usual feeble attempt at humor. Just ignore 'em like you would any other bratty kid, eh?"

"Ah...no need for that, cherie..." Lukas replied, when Sophia withdrew her wallet, "I'll treat - seein' as how you saved my life an' all..." Even if Sophia wasn't his date, per se, Lukas sure as hell wasn't going Dutch with a ten-year-old. Ah, the male ego in its natural habitat... "You guys want another pizza or anything?" he asked, glancing back at Sam and Kisoku.

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Sigh. Now, as ever, Darran wished he could've put on just an inch or two more in puberty... would one less cup of coffee have helped? He could barely see anything himself, but reassured the girl, "Don't worry, Para hon, nothing's happened yet, but when it does, Wolfgang will tell us, eh?" He grinned and transfered Cordero as delicately as possible to his shoulders-- after all, the show would be starting soon. And besides... heh... it took the weight off his arms.

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"You're ten? Really?" Sam tilted his head at this as astonishment made itself clear in his tone. Damn. She didn't sound like a ten year old, not in the slightest! Shaking these thoughts aside, he offered the girl a bright smile. "Waaii! I wouldn't have ever guessed that! You sound so much older and wiser than that! It's impressive!"

"Sempaaaaiii!" Still, upon hearing Lukas say that he's touched, or 'tetched', he moved to glomp on Kisoku as he 'sobbed' on the blond's shoulder. "Did you hear what he said to me? So cruel!"

"Ah!" Of course, this was dropped as soon as Lukas asked if anyone wanted anything else and, grinning, Sam reached for his own wallet. "Oooh! Y'know, they have those _killer_ cheesy breadsticks, here. I think I'll get an order... and another soda..."

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"Heh..." Sasurai eyes shifted at his quizzical glance, "I never had... a reason to go out on holidays." That was true. To her the holidays were exclusively with those who had a famiily, friends, a _social life_ all the same. She lacked those... and was still lacking them until this afternoon. "It is a shame..." She chuckled a little, "However it seems like fate is changing that for me."

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"Ah, it's good that that is changing for you..." Lem smiled happily to the girl as he tilted his head. After all, everyone should have the chance to enjoy the Holidays, no matter what the rest of their year is like, and it'd be just too sad if this kind, gentle girl were just... all alone for it. "Hopefully many things will change for you with the New Year...."

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