Have a Doggy Valentine

[puppy_lancer]

Characters: Lancer and everybody. Strings characters welcome!

Setting: February 12-14, various floors

Format: Up to you

Summary: Lancer is unaffected by the event, but he's still celebrating! Time for him to make Valentines for everyone he knows.

Warnings: Nothing so far

Floor 99

[Lancer is hacking off chunks of crystals with his spear. They give him a headache if he looks at them for too long, but they make great materials for presents. He weighs them in his hand, wondering if they'll be able to stand his methods of working them into charms or other things.]

Floor 76

[He stares at the arrangement of flowers and herbs and wonders which ones are purely medicinal. The large amount of pollen in the air makes his nose itch, and he disturbs the relative peace of the floor with several loud sneezes.]

Floor 62

[He's strolling along the beach, scooping up shells, sea stars, and pebbles washed smooth by the waves. The pockets of his suit have been stuffed full and are weighing down on his legs. His hands are being quickly filled as well. Perhaps he should have brought a bag.]

Floor 51

[He's finally sewing a bag to carry all his supplies in. Every so often, he has to stop and curse as he stings his finger with the needle. Sewing is supposed to be women's work, so he never learned it.]

Floor 15

[With his supplies gathered, Lancer is sitting in the workshop, trying to work the shells, crystals, and other things into gifts to give to the people he knows. He's rather caught up in his work, so it would be easy for someone to sneak up on him.]

Floor 60 (14th only)

[Given the recent influx of people and the fact that so many food gifts were being given, the kitchens were rather busy. This is why Lancer only comes into the kitchen relatively late into the day. Right now, he's scratching his head at some of the recipes, trying to pick out the ingredients he needs from the huge stockpile of food that Kasumi had brought up to this floor.]

Floor 58

[Lancer has quite a big sack thrown over his shoulder. He's currently stuffing presents into the mail boxes of everyone whose names he knows.]

Room 01-01

[Catarina was one of those who didn't have a mailbox, so Lancer just knocks on her door and places his (awkward shaped) chocolates by her door along with a note.]

Happy Valentine's Day. Got you chocolate. We need to talk, though.

Room 01-09

[Saber's chocolate too is left by her door alongside a note.]

Happy Valentine's Day. I hope these taste good.

Room 02-17

[Ayaka's gift is a bag of cookies (again misshapen because Lancer couldn't use a mold properly) and a crystal charm carved with runes that spelled out a blessing of good fortune. Again, he's written a note.]

Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry Saber couldn't get his ass over here. Ah well. Guess I'm giving you presents on his behalf too.

Comments

[puppy_lancer]

This one floor. Thirty, I think? It's always dark and there's a lot of monsters. And then there's clowns all over floor 80. Try to stay away from them when you watch the show.

[proteusmoon]

[ She'll keep that in mind, about floor thirty. ]

...What is a clown?

[puppy_lancer]

A...sort of actor. They dress in bright costumes and paint their faces and do funny tricks. At least, they're supposed to.

[proteusmoon]

A jester of sorts then? I take it these are not amusing though...

[puppy_lancer]

They are if you just watch. If you get too close, they try to tear you to pieces.

[proteusmoon]

[ Cecil looks a little unnerved by that. Violent jesters? It doesn't seem like something she could ever find funny. ]

I see. I've been attacked by cursed dolls and puppets before, but never... clowns.

[puppy_lancer]

Cursed...dolls?

[He doesn't think the Tower has those, but he has yet to see all the floors.]

Like, actual moving ones?

[proteusmoon]

[ She nods. ]

Yes. My friends and I once fought six of them whose parts reformed to create one gigantic doll.

[puppy_lancer]

...That sounds like quite the enemy.

[proteusmoon]

It was not one of my fonder memories of recent events.

[ As if she had any, honestly. ]

[puppy_lancer]

Maybe we can make fonder memories here. Get the stuff about creepy dolls out of your mind.

[proteusmoon]

[ She gives him a much smaller smile than her usual cheery expressions. ]

I will hope so. I will remember to stay away from the clowns, at any rate.

[puppy_lancer]

...Hey, you know what? Today's Valentine's Day. Can you hold on for a minute?

[He dashes back to the floor with the crystals.]

[proteusmoon]

Valen—?

[ Cecil blinks and watches as Lancer runs off, curious as much as she is confused. ]

[puppy_lancer]

[He comes back some minutes later, holding a small crystal.]

Best I can get you on a short notice.

[ He tosses it to her. If she catches it and takes a look, she'll see runes carved in a line down the crystal.]

[proteusmoon]

[ Cecil catches the crystal easily. She holds it in her palm and examines the runes, not recognizing them herself, of course. The paladin appreciates the gift, but she's not clear on the reasons for it. New friendship token of sorts? ]

It's lovely, but... What do you mean?

[puppy_lancer]

You know what today is for, right? Men giving presents to the women they like. How's that for a good memory?

[proteusmoon]

We do not have such a... a holiday, is it? There was not a public holiday celebrated in my country exclusively dedicated to such a thing.

[ Still... After how she explained to him what crystals meant in her world, she can't help wondering if he meant this gift to be as significant in its symbolism as it is to her. She closes her hand around it and nods. ]

Thank you. I will keep it on me at all times.

[puppy_lancer]

[Actually he's just a womanizer.]

Mine neither, but times have changed. Stay here and I'll show some of the holidays the modern era of my world has. And I'll also make you more presents.

[proteusmoon]

[ So far so good. ]

It does not seem like I have much of a choice by way of choosing whether or not I stay... but I am happy to have you as a friend while I am here at least.

[puppy_lancer]

I as well.

[He looks over at the stairs.]

Sorry, but right now, I still got some stuff to take care of. Wanna spend some time together when that's all over with?

[proteusmoon]

Of course. I look forward to it.