Author's Notes: Luc and Nanami would have made a good pairing IMHO, too bad Millie and Jowy exist. ^-^ Hail all anti-Riou/Nanami and anti-Luc/Sera—even if you support such pairings as Luc/Viki and Camus/Nanami. Anything but the most disgusting pairings in Suikoden history. I hate Jowy/Jillia as well—it's not one of those practically-incest-not-incest-but-as-bad-as-incest pairings, but it's as bad as those practically-incest-not-incest-but-as-bad-as-incest pairings. Confusing? ^-^ Not at all.
Disclaimer: If I told you I owned Suikoden, would you believe me? If you're smart and cool, you won't. Cos the probability is even less than that of Luc loving Sera, IOW, less than less than zero. In symbols, that is 0. ^-^
Carol of the Bells
Chapter Three: A Flimsy Paper Bag
"To the shopping lane we go, to the shopping lane we go…" Millie sang the little made-up tune in her clear soprano voice. She and Nanami are making up the lyrics as they go along. She stepped daintily down the stairs to the main corridor of the Castle.
"To the shopping lane we go to shop til our shoes have worn off…" Nanami chimed in. "To the shopping lane we go, Christmas shopping we will go!! To the shopping lane we go, to the—OW!!" Nanami cried when she felt something trip her on the stairs, sending her falling on her rear. Millie let out a pained little yelp at the same time. Nanami had pulled her down as well, and she fell right on her face.
"Ouch…" Millie moaned. Nanami immediately helped her on her feet.
"Who did that??!" Nanami asked to the room in general, a murderous look in her eyes. She saw THAT mage-boy, Luc—pulling that sorry excuse he has for a weapon off the steps, walking back to the Stone Tablet of Promise to resume his vigil.
"Hey you!!!" Nanami yelled. "Why did you trip me, huh??!"
"Yeah!!" Millie piped up, rubbing at her chin—which banged on the floor rather hard when she fell. "Why did you do that??!"
Luc's eyes shifted lazily from one angry girl to the other, regarding them with that silent haughtiness that so infuriated most people. His mouth was almost smiling.
"What???!!" Millie cried, her voice rising several octaves. She set her feet shoulder-width apart and clenched her little fists tightly, trying (and failing, Luc noted) to look intimidating.
"WELL??!" Nanami demanded. "Are you just going to stare at us arrogantly the whole day??!"
"Hn," Luc smirked, amused. "Weren't you the one that always told me not to be so self-centered and think for the good of the community?"
"And how," Nanami hissed dangerously. "How can tripping me—and Millie as well—be of service to the community??!"
"Yes!!" Millie shrieked at him, stamping her foot. "What did you do that for??!!"
"I heard this really terrible tune issuing from above the steps," Luc said carefully, calculating the annoyance factor of his words. "That is just sad, I thought, I must think of a way to spare the community of this disastrous occasion…"
"How dare you!!!" Nanami shouted. "How dare you, insulting two ladies—"
"Where?" Luc asks, his voice full of mock surprise. His green eyes were twinkling mischievously.
"Shut up!!" Nanami pulled out her three-piece rod and shook it before his face.
"Ooh, you are just evil!!" Millie wailed.
"Tsk," Luc smirked. "And I was just acting on the community's behalf…"
"You are such a meany!!" Millie cried.
Luc turned to her. "Was I talking to you? I don't believe I was talking to you. I was talking to her—" Luc pointed at Nanami. "The little tomboy—"
"I'M NOT A TOMBOY!!!" Nanami screeched.
Millie took an involuntary step away from Luc, her cheeks red. "You are so mean!!"
"And you are repeating yourself." Luc said.
"Hmp!!" Millie crossed her arms over her chest. "We were not doing anything to you!! How can you just hurt two little girls like that??"
"Because he's not physically structured to be kind!!" Nanami said. "He's just made to cast silly spells, crumple like a flimsy paper bag whenever someone hits him, to thwack with that marshmallow stick and hold some dusty old True Rune he can't even use properly!!!"
"Hey!!" Luc's jaw dropped for a moment before he composed himself. His eyebrows drew together in a frown. That stung…
All of them fell silent, Luc looking away from them, the usual glare replacing the almost-happy look in his eyes just a few moments ago.
"H-hey…" Nanami reached out one hand as if to pat his shoulder. "I… sorry…"
Luc glanced at her and quickly looked away. You little fool… He looked up again and saw Millie, that silly little girl, gazing at him with sad, pitying eyes… pity for him? How dare she…
"Y-you know what?" Nanami said, trying to make her voice perky, remembering something that might cheer up Luc. "Tir-sempai might be coming here!! He's coming to visit in two days!!"
"Tir-niich—I mean, Tir??" Luc said, trying not to appear too excited. "Really now…"
"Yes!!" Nanami nodded, glad that Luc seemed remotely happy.
"He's coming in time for Christmas…" Millie says.
"Christmas??!" Luc raised one eyebrow. "Hn, how sentimental of him…"
"Hey, c'mon now!!" Nanami gives him a playful punch on the arm. "It happens only once a year after all!!"
Luc shook his head, his lips finally curling in a little smile.
"We… if you actually listened to us back then," Millie made a gesture towards the steps. "You'll know we're actually going Christmas shopping…"
"Eh??" Luc raised one eyebrow again. "That's so—"
"Well anyway," Nanami cut in before Luc could say another infuriating insult. "We need to go—to the shopping lane!! Bye—"
"Seriously, you expect to find something there??" Luc said.
"What?" Nanami says puzzledly.
"You're hopeless," Luc muttered shook his head. "The merchants there won't be selling you Christmas gifts. They would be selling you tools for war and high-priced wares."
"Eh…" Nanami felt a bead of sweat slide down her forehead.
"… That's right…" Millie murmured.
"Well," Luc shrugs. "If you really must spend your money on frivolous thing like that, then you should go to this woman who resides on the third floor, west wing. She sells things that may be of interest to you. Just ask around there and they can lead her to you. Her name is Patricia, I think."
"Thanks!!" Nanami said. "Thank you, we'll go now!!" She runs back up the steps to the west wing. "Hurry up Millie!!" She called over her shoulder.
"Okay!" Millie replied. "Thanks Luc."
"Yeah, well."
"Now we can shop for presents for those people special to us." Millie smiled at him. "You see, these kinds of things are really important to us."
"………"
"Thanks," she said again. She placed one hand on his shoulder and stood on her tiptoes.
Eh… Luc's eyes widened nervously. She's not going to do anything… disgusting to me, is she??
Millie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I'm also glad he's coming, Tir-niichan I mean." Then she let go of him and followed Nanami.
Luc watched her until she came out of view. Then he heaved a sigh of relief. Whew… semi-disgusting… but not totally disgusting. It's best one can hope for, I guess, when it involves… girls.
"I think we can expect Luc to be happy—at least by his standards—in the next two days." Nanami tells Millie when the younger girl caught up with her.
"Because of Tir?" Millie asks. "Why is that??"
"He loves Tir. Tir-sempai is the closest thing Luc has ever had for an older brother." Nanami explained. "I think Tir-sempai is a little worried about Luc. He met Tir back in the Gate Rune Wars… and Tir remembers him as a normal little boy—a little mischievous though. Now he's mischievous, but not normal... by any stretch of imagination." Nanami laughs, remembering something. "Would you believe, he used to call Tir-sempai 'onii-chan'?"
"Really??" More color than usual appeared on Millie's cheeks. "That's so… cute…"
"He does have that kind of sentimentality, even though," Nanami snorts, "It sometimes seems that he doesn't have any feelings." Nanami grins at Millie. "He does have feelings, and he can feel for people, don't worry."
"D-don't worry??!" Millie sputtered. "What do you mean by that??!"
"Oh, nothing." Nanami giggles.
"Tell me!!" Millie cried.
"Race you to the third floor!!" Nanami says before taking off.
"Nanami-neechan!!"