Author's Notes: I will finish this today even if it kills me!! I did NOT just not go home for nothing!!! RAWR!!
Disclaimer: Suikoden=NOT mine. Millie/Luc=Wish were mine. Nanami/Jowy, Meg/Futch, Tomo/Riou, Tengaar/Hix, Leona/Viktor, Anita/Miklotov, Valeria/Camus, Apple/Shu, Wakaba/Sasuke, Viki/Tir, Nina/Flik = Millie/Luc. Plots and other off-the-wall, but nonetheless nice IMHO stuff that Konami didn't think of=Mine.
Carol of the Bells
Chapter Five: Charm Bracelets and a Whole Lot More
"EEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Er…" Nanami looked from Millie to Meg. "What's the matter??"
"You are NOT going to that lady named Patricia!!" Millie cried.
"Oh no!! You are NOT!!" Meg cried.
"But I got here first!!" Millie wailed.
"Fine then!! I will go after you have left!!" Meg declared. She turned on her heels and walked away.
"What… was that about??" Nanami asked.
"We are not supposed to shop together." Millie says. "So we won't see each other's gifts."
"Oh no…" Nanami says. "What about us then?? We will see each other's gifts!!!"
"I… didn't think of that…" Millie felt a bead of sweat slide down her forehead.
I will just have to find another gift shop in the meantime. Meg pouted. Yes… She walked down the flights of stairs again, trying to find another place.
"You look worried, dearie." Grandma Taki said.
"Yes, Granny…" Meg stood before Grandma Taki; her shoulders slumped dejectedly. "I never knew it could be so hard to shop for Christmas presents!!!"
"Well, my child," the old lady chuckled. "Sometimes, all it takes is a closer look at places you thought you've already searched at."
"And??" Meg bounced excitedly. "Where might that be?"
"Why don't you take a look over there," Grandma Taki points to the hall just before the dojo. "You may find something of interest."
"Thank you Grandma Taki!!" Meg exclaimed, knowing that the wise old woman always knew more than she let on. "I just might find the perfect Christmas presents!!!"
"Yes, young lass." Grandma Taki chuckled. "You will find the perfect Christmas presents… and much more."
"And what—or who, could be of interest to me??" Meg wondered aloud. She looked over her shoulder. "I sure hope Granny knows what she was talking about or I may—WHOA!!" Meg felt herself collide with another moving body. She dropped to the floor, a little disoriented. "Eh??"
"Ouch—oh no!!" Came another voice. A guy's voice. A certain dragon knight guy's voice…
Meg picked herself off the floor. Some dragon knight you are… She leaned over Futch who was on his knees, searching the floor. "Hey Futch, you lost something?"
"MEG??!!" Futch looked up at her, the shock in his voice shocking her as well.
"Uh, yes…" Meg rolled her eyes. She resisted the urge to add: "Duh."
"Ah, I'm sorry…" Futch stood up and bowed. "About that I mean, bumping into you…"
"Oh, no problem, I wasn't looking where I was going…" Meg waves towards the floor. "Did you drop something?"
"Oh… yes…" Futch nodded.
"I'll help you then," Meg says and starts looking.
"B-but—it's no problem really…" Futch stammers. "I can manage… really…" He looked as if he didn't think Meg would believe him capable.
"It will be faster though, if I help." Meg says. "… Right?"
"Well… yes—I mean, of course!!" Futch got down on his knees again.
"What are we looking for by the way?"
"… A bracelet."
"What does it look like?"
"It's made of silver… and it has lots of charms…"
"That's…" Meg stares at him. "That's pretty…"
"You think so?" Futch says. He stole a quick glance at her then glued his gaze back on the floor. A blush slowly mounted his cheeks. "Thank you…"
"Yes." Meg babbled, forgetting to search for the bracelet. "I feel awful, making you lose your bracelet."
"It's not mine…"
"What?? It's not yours??!"
"It is… a present…"
"OH NO!!!" Meg cried. "Now I really feel awful!!! I made you lose a pretty Christmas gift!!!"
"Don't feel bad…" Futch says. "Here!! I found it!!" He stood up and carefully closed his fist around it.
"Oh good!!!" Meg squealed. "Let me see it!!!"
"Oh-no!" Futch hid it behind his back.
"Don't be silly." Meg says imperiously. "I helped look for it even if I didn't find it, now I want to see it."
"But… it's just… a little bauble…" Futch looked away. "You'll call it silly…"
"Oh, c'mon now…" Meg said in a wheedling voice. "Please let me see it, pretty please, Futch-kun…"
What didn't work on an old Scrooge like Gordon seemed to work for a cute young dragon knight like Futch. "Oh, alright…" He placed the bracelet on Meg's palm.
"It's beautiful!!!" Meg cried. She held it up at the sunlight streaming from the windows. "There's a little red rose… a tiny white unicorn… oh how cute!! A little blue dolphin!!"
"You're just being polite." Futch says.
"That's not true." Meg says as she dropped the bracelet on his palm.
"You probably think I'm silly now…" Futch says quietly as he took the charm bracelet. "Giving cute toy as a Christmas gift…"
"Stop saying that!!" Meg scolded.
Suddenly it seemed a dam inside him broke as a whole lot of words rushed out. "Well, it's true. What would an older girl want with that charm bracelet anyway?? A girl stuck in some war… she will just find a Christmas present of a charm bracelet from some foolish young boy silly. A boy trying to be a man… a boy with a strange creature trying to be a dragon knight…" Futch clutched tightly the tiny bag he placed the bracelet in. "Why would she want some silly bauble anyway?? Why would she like some stupid boy??…" He said it as if angry at the very idea of any girl wanting the bracelet, the very idea of any girl liking him.
"Oh my…" Meg laughed. "Now that is being silly…"
"………" Futch's eyes widened when Meg removed his hands from the bag and squeezed them.
Meg smiled at him. "You know… the problem isn't whether she likes you or your gift… What makes you angry is you don't think you're good enough, that your gift is good enough…That's what is frustrating you…"
"But…" Futch looked up at her timidly. "I am not—"
"Enough!!" Meg said sternly. Futch held his tongue and looked down. Meg laughed again. "I won't have you insulting your pretty gift anymore, and I definitely won't take one more put-down about you either!!!"
"Okay…" Futch says in his quiet voice.
"It's all wonderful, your gift is wonderful, you are—" Meg caught herself. "I mean, you are a good person… but you also have to think that way. Think you are a good person… okay?"
"Yes… I am a good person…" Futch says, not quite sounding convinced.
"Well, that's a start." Meg winked at him.
"WARNING, WARNING… IDLING… MUST RESUME TO FULFILL DAY'S AGENDA, BUY CHRISTMAS PRESENTS." Gadget bumped itself behind Meg's knees.
"Yeowch!! Okay, okay—alright already!! I'm going!!" Meg kicked at Gadget, which immediately went into protective barrel mode.
"Hahaha!!" Futch laughed. "That robot of yours is really, great you know that?"
"You think so?" Meg says. "Uncle Juppo made it. I had to reprogram the whole thing since he made it as stubborn and annoying as he is!! There are still a few kinks I haven't ironed out though." Meg gives Gadget the evil eye.
"That's great… you're really talented…" Futch scratches his head. "I wish we had stuff like that too…"
"AAAH!!"
"Why??!" Futch asked. "W-what's wrong??!"
"Nothing, everything is great!!!" Meg exclaimed. "Thank you!! I just found the perfect Christmas present!!" She dashes away. I can make some of the presents!! I can use my knowledge of clockwork!! They will actually be better than the store-brought ones!!!
"Thanks Futch!!!" Meg called over her shoulder. "And if 'she' doesn't appreciate that wonderful present of yours, give it to me, okay?" Meg laughed. "Seeya!!"