User blog:Baluar/Holidays Fanfic

Christmas
-Turns out we're getting late, Nia! - I scream to my sister, hoping she hears me from her room.

-Bal, don't hurry me. You're the one who took twenty minutes in the shower. - Well, she clearly did listen.

-Hey, it's not my fault! That Gboro shot at the ground and left me full of dirt.

-Yeah, sure. In any way, if you want to get early, it's better that YOU hurry up. We're not gonna see another Christmas in 2079, you know?

-Pffft. Just give me a minute. I have no good shirts for the occasion... - I say, checking every single place for a T-shirt that matches my current pants.

-If you want to go dressed formally, you could try your Sniper outfit. It does look pretty formal... especially if we consider what you wear every day.

-And you? What are you wearing? - I ask while getting in the Sniper apparel's shirt.

-You don't get to see my clothes until I get to see yours. - She says playfully.

-OH COME ON! That's unfair. - I say, while putting in the coat.

-It all depends on your point of view.

I can't help but roll my eyes.

-Alright, alright, I'm done. Will you come out? - I say, coming out in my Sniper outfit. I added a necktie for the occasion.

She came out about a second after I did, and I'm left speechless. It's not as much her outfit that's making her beautiful (although her Sniper outfit is at the very least much nicer than mine), but it's her general looks. This is one of the rare occasions that she's ditched her ponytail and left her hair fall freely, which does nothing to hide that she's very pretty (and also doesn't hide the fact that it's been a while since she got a haircut - her hair falls below her back. How come she can tie it so short?). And it is also one of the rare occasions that she's decided to wear make-up, although it's only a bit here and there.

-So, what do you think? - She said, while walking towards the house's entrance.

-Meh, I've seen better. - I say, with my voice clearly stating the contrary.

-Coming from you, that's almost like saying "You look awesome". - She said while opening the door.

-Hey, it's not my fault! Besides, you know what I think in regards to that... You always look awesome. - I make a small pause. - Also, you know that I'd never say something that would hurt my little sister.

-Stop calling me that! I'm the older one.

-For a few minutes. And besides, I'm larger.

-Not that much. - She said, standing right next to me. It's true: I used to be quite a lot taller than she is, but she grew up more and now I'm only 2 or 3 centimeters taller than her.

We keep trash-talking while we walk to the Den.

When we arrived to the Den, Nia was about to phone someone so they'd open the gate, but I have a better idea.

-Nia, that's not necessary. Just... let me do my magic. - I bash my fist on the gate with enough strength to dent the solid, Oracle-cell reinforced steel. - HEY, OPEN!!!!! - The door opens and Shun is there, looking at me angrily.

-Baluar. You know you have to treat things in the workplace more carefully, right?

Pffft.

-I'll pay for it later, alright? Just tell us where the party is.

He then leads us to Training Area 2, all the while complaining that "[I'm] an irresponsible asshole" or that "[My] behavior is ridiculously childish".

When we arrive, it turns out it has actually been decorated for the occasion: a large Christmas tree is in the middle (where the God Arc rests during the compatibility test), surrounded by tables with Christmas candies and with people eagerly eating those. I then take a look at my clock and find out we arrived in time - 11:07, to be accurate.

I hope the gifts I brought here today are appreciated.

-Hey Boss! - I hear someone screaming behind my back. I turn around and I find Robb and Lili side by side, the latter with a rather ridiculous Santa Claus hat above her head.

-Stop calling me that. It's been years since you were last under my command.

-Old habits die hard. - He answers. - So how've you been?

-Fine, fortunately. And you two? It's been a while since I last saw you.

-We were on a trip to another Branch. Germany, I think. - Lili responds.

-It was horrible. - Robb comments. - I didn't understood shit of what they said, and had to rely on a translator. By the time I got the hang of it, we had to come back here.

-Robb! - Lili screams in a high-pitched voice. - Don't say profanity.

I suddenly feel like I have to repress the urge to smirk.

-Alright, I hope you like the gifts I brought you.

I then split ways with them and head with Nia to seat in the first two free places that I can see, but before I can get comfortable Hibari interrupts me.

-Baluar, uhm... - She then says something I can't hear, prompting me to respond with a "Hmm?", since I'm munching some decidedly delicious nougat.

-She said that seats aren't random. - Nia comments. - Where do we have to seat? - She asked to Hibari, who again responds in a voice too low for me to hear it. - Alright, thanks. Bal, we've gotta take seat over there.

Sis then points to a couple of seats near Lyrr, who's reading a magazine with... No, that can't be... or can it?

Ugh. I never thought I'd see her in the top of a magazine. Then again, it's Lyrr we're talking about, so anything is possible. In any case, I take seat at Nanako's left, and Nia promptly seats at my left.

-Hey Nanako!

-Hey Bal. It's been a while. - She says. She gestures as though she wants to start a conversation, but she is interrupted.

-Good news, everyone. - A voice comes out of some hidden speakers. It takes me a second to recognize it is Sakaki. - This has been a long year, and...

-WE WANT TO EAT! - I hear someone screaming. I can't recognize the voice, though.

-... and I just wanted to offer you all a great day. Now, as you might have guessed, it's dinner time.

Quickly, the candies are taken away and are replaced by horrible Christmas food, which I have no option but eating. However, I notice that Nanako is eating some tasty-looking fried chicken. I also notice there's a lot, but no one is asking her, and I know by experience she isn't a big eater.

-Err, Nanako...

-Yes?

-What are you eating?

-Fried chicken.

-Can I have some?

-I won't say no, but I have to warn you, it's rather spicy.

-Oh, it can't be that bad. Especially considering the rest of the food.

I grab a chicken leg and cut a bit off it before taking it to my mouth.

Some people claim that at the beginning of the universe there was only heat, a heat so unimaginable that it didn't allow anything beyond the simplest forms of matter to exist.

I am wondering if the chicken leg isn't a time machine that brought a piece of that ancestral universe into my mouth.

-''' HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!! '''

-Bal, are you alright? - Nia asks me.

-''' BRING ME SOME ICE, QUICKLY!!! '''

My rational mind says that she couldn't possibly have taken more than a few seconds. For my feelings, however, it looks as though a few hours pass before the ice comes.

Once I calm down, I turn at Nanako.

-"Rather" spicy?

-Hey, I like it this way. - She says, before taking a big piece of a wing into her mouth. Right now I'm wondering how is she not melting from inside out, but I leave her be.

After a while of eating, I recline in my chair. After a minute or two of resting that way, I speak.

-Nia, what time is it?

-11:53, Bal.

-In that case, I'm gonna go to search the gifts. I'll be right back.

It takes me a short while to figure out where the gifts are, and by the time I arrive back to Training Area 2, Christmas is only a few seconds away. A countdown is already on its way...

6...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

-Merry Christmas, everyone! - Sakaki says through the speakers, while everyone (including me) is busy congratulating someone else.

I begin distributing gifts. There's surely a lot of 'em.

-Lindow comes first! - I say, and I walk up to the man, who is busy speaking with younger God Eaters. - Lindow! Guess what I've got for you!

-Beer?

Damn, am I that predictable?

-Not any old beer, but classic beer! Made in Europe the old way!

I handle him over a few beer packages.

It takes me a minute or two to find Lyrr. He's in the shadows... like always.

-Lyrr! - I shout, before throwing him a magazine. No more words need to be said.

After giving gifts to Art (another magazine. He's becoming too Lyrr-like in my opinion.), Ken (an old handheld; I'd much rather have a normal console.), Beo (I didn't know what to give him, honestly, and I forgot what I gave him, too. It was some decoration, I think?), and a whole bunch of other people, I walk over to Nanako.

-Nanako.

-Hm?

-I have no gift for you, but there's something I want to tell you.

-Yes?

-I admire you. You're a terribly good God Eater, and I doubt I could be anywhere as good as you are, weren't it for my Aragami half.

-You don't say it because of the chicken, right?

I can't help but laugh.

-Among other reasons, yes.

After returning home, I speak to Nia.

-Nia... you know, I haven't got anything for you.

-Oh, no problem Bal. Besides, it's not as though I don't know you have a tendency not to remember things.

My face at this moment is clearly indicating I didn't understand what she meant, and she realizes it.

-I know you forget stuff. There's no problem. Besides, I'm already living in your house... against Alisa's wishes.

True enough, Alisa's been angry at me for a long while and didn't even show up for the party. She didn't listen to reasons, even when I said to her face that Nia would be homeless if we didn't let her in...

She's kind of obnoxious at times.

-She'll get over it eventually. I'm not entirely happy at it, but I'd rather have her angry than have you homeless.

I yawn.

-What if we just go to bed? I'm tired.

New Year
The day had been unusually calm. After the big Christmas party, I thought that spending New Year in home, with the only person I've always cared about, would make for a nice change. So here we are, both Nia and I sitting at the table, looking at the window while having some nice, hot food (fried potatoes with some beef), while hardly talking at all. In presence of people you are really close with, no words are necessary, and so the dinner transcurs rather calmly, as we eat our meals and wait for the new year and decade to arrive.

-So, this is it. - I say, shortly before drinking some water from my glass.

-Yeah. The end of a decade. - Nia says, before drinking some wine from a similar glass.

-I'd never have thought that we'd get to live so long after becoming God Eaters. You know, living 9 years is all an accomplishment.

-Yes, I know, Bal.

I recline in my chair and put my feet over the table. I love to do this, even if it's not quite educated. Or not at all.

-You know what I mean. In our line of work, every day is a fight. Think about it. Before, people used to worry about things so minor that we can laugh at them. Records we have found indicate that children even complained about homework. Imagine it! They complained because they had to spend a few hours a day sitting in front of a piece of paper, while people today would pay to have that as their only preoccupation.

-Your point being? - She comments, looking out through the window.

-Our lives... even being some of the most powerful living beings on Earth, we are all at constant risk of death. Of injury. Of growing too old. Of becoming expendable. And people who lived before hardly cared about anything of importance.

-Yes, you're right about that. - We remained silent for a while, until the celebration outside practically exploded. It was clearly the end of not only a year, but an entire decade. An eventful decade, to say the very least.

-Happy New Year, Nia.

-Happy New Year, Bal.

-We really do have a reason to be happy, huh? We have probably been through events so rare that most God Eaters would consider them impossible, and would consider it extraordinary if only one of them were to affect them during their entire lives.

-True, true. - She then raised her glass. - For a decade without familiars returning from the dead.

-And without clones of us trying to murder us and take our place. - I raise my glass as well.

-And without travels between dimensions.

-Yeah... those are particularly headache-inducing. - I drink all the glass' content in one go, and so does Nia. - There are only a few people who always seem involved with those, though... Maybe we should avoid them for the next 10 years?

-Maybe. Although I don't think that's possible.

-Come to think of it... No, it's not. Besides, no matter how much trouble they get us in, they're still our friends.

-True. Friends are among the few good things left in this world. What would we do without them?

The conversation ends and we stay there, watching people celebrating another year of life, letting time pass in absolute peace as the night ends and the day arrives.

A new day has dawned.