Here we are at Chapter 6. Happy holidays. Because it's that time of the year, I wanted to do another Christmas themed chapter for one of my stories, and I chose this one for this year. So, we'll have a Christmas day set some time after the final battle in the game in the true ending path. Anyway, I do not own Code Vein. They belong to Bandai Namco. I only own my OC. Here's chapter 6. Enjoy. Merry Christmas!
Chapter 6: Code Christmas
Fuyumi POV
I'm so excited, because it's almost Christmas. I'm sure I've had plenty in the past back when I was a human, but because I can't remember any of them, this kind of feels like my first Christmas, especially since it'll be my first Christmas with my friends and Mia, my girlfriend. Luckily, the others are excited about it too. Since we've saved Vein, stopped Mido and the revival of the Queen, and since Io became the Weeping Tree, things have calmed down around here, other than the Lost still roaming around, but they're really our only problem now. Still, it's nice to see everyone getting into the festivities as well. Ever the skilled merchant, Coco actually managed to get her hands on some Christmas decorations for the base. How she managed to find them in this war-torn place, I'll never know. Louis had some stashed away as well in the lower level of the base.
Mia, Nicola, Murasame, and I had fun setting up the lights and decorations around the bar, the living area, and along the walls. We thought about putting them outside, but decided not to in case the Lost got attracted to the extra light, or some revenants with less than noble intentions decided to pay us a visit. Karen and Aurora helped with the food. Even though we don't actually need to eat, making a Christmas dinner of only blood-related food items wouldn't be very jolly for this time of the year. Honestly, that would probably be better for Halloween. Anyway, Yakumo helps with the drinks, while Eva and Jack surprisingly help with picking out the Christmas music for the juke box. Eva actually had found a few in the past and kept them with her because she always likes to sing. She always does have a great singing voice. Davis tries to help out where he can, but work at the government center keeps him busy, that and search parties going down into the depths.
After several hours, we finally managed to have everything set for Christmas, which is only a few days away. However, there's still one thing left to do. Because of the state in the world, and the fact that the process of buying gifts is pretty much extinct by this point, Yakumo had the idea of doing a secret Santa for the group. We all wrote down our names on a piece of paper, put them in Nicola's hat, and then drew one out and whoever we drew, we would make our own gift for that person. This was we can actually put our own efforts and our hearts into our gifts. Whether it was fate, luck, or some terrible cliché, I managed to draw out Mia's name. Of course, I was ecstatic, but also close to having a heart attack because I had no idea what I was going to make for her. I was so focused on trying to figure out what to make for her, and getting everything else ready, and making sure Mia doesn't find out, that I haven't been able to really do anything yet.
Of course, in times of desperation, the best bet is to ask for a little help, except for Mia since she can't know. I'm in the living room, where I find Eva organizing all the Christmas records for later.
"Hey, Eva, can I talk to you for a second?' I ask her as I approach her.
"Oh, Fuyumi, what do you need?" Eva politely asks.
"I need some help..." I say and quickly look around to make sure Mia isn't around to hear me.
"Help with what?" Eva asks.
"Okay, look, I know that the secret Santa thing is supposed to be a 'secret', at least to the person we got, but I'm desperate. That name I picked out was Mia's, and no, I did not cheat to get her name, if that's what you're thinking. I want to make something special for her, but I don't know what. I wondering if you could help me," I ask, halfway to begging for it.
"Oh, seems the spirit of Christmas has put you in quite a pickle. Well, have you had any ideas for a possible gift for her?" Eva asks.
"Well, I thought maybe something she could wear. I wasn't sure if it should be something for combat, for here, or for both. The problem is, I have no idea how to make clothes," I state.
"Well, in that case, I might be able to help you out. I actually made this dress myself, you see," Eva says, gesturing to her red dress.
"Really, but doesn't it look, well..." I shut up at this point so as not to say something stupid.
"I didn't have enough fabric for a full dress, and past battles with the Lost and successors that frenzied left a few tears here and there. If you want, we can see what we can get from down below and from Coco, and I can show you a few tricks that might help out," Eva offers.
I grab her hands like they were a gift from God, "Really?! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I thank her, failing to keep my composure.
Like I said, I'm really desperate to make this gift great for Mia.
Eva frees herself from my grasp before I accidently break her hands, "Okay, okay, calm down. First, I would like your help with my gift if you wouldn't mind," Eva asks.
Well she did agree to help me out. It was the least I could do to pay her back.
"Sure, what's your situation?" I ask.
"Well, I got Davis as my secret Santa, but I don't know him very well, so I'm not quite sure what to make for him," Eva says.
I couldn't help but smirk at her, "You were hoping to get Jack, weren't you?" I tease her.
Eva gets a subtle blush on her cheeks, "Well... I won't deny it. But, back on point, what should I do for Davis?" Eva asks.
"A scrapbook, if possible. I got Davis a working camera during one expedition, and he really liked it, since he doesn't have many memories of his past. However, he doesn't have anything to store those pictures that he takes. A scrapbook would be perfect for him," I tell her.
"A scrapbook, huh? I think I can figure something out for that. Alright then, let's get to work on your gift," Eva says.
Mia POV
I had just finished with making a makeshift Christmas tree for the holiday with help from Davis and Murasame. Since there really aren't any real trees around, or any artificial ones for that matter, we made due with making a tree out of some metal and, lights, and a few other things we had on hand. Hey, you make do with what you got.
"Whew, that took a while. At least it's done now," Murasame notes as she wipes her forehead.
"Yeah, and luckily, we actually had a star for the top," I note. The star was a little damaged, but hey, it's the thought that counts. "So, have you finished your gift yet, Murasame?" I ask.
"Oh yeah, I got it taken care of... It's a gift for Louis, so he's not that hard to figure out," Murasame says, smiling behind her mask.
"What about you, Davis?" I ask.
"Yes, I managed to get mine done. Mine was Emily, and since she wants to work for the government, I managed to make something for her," Davis explains.
"It's not something dangerous, is it?" I ask, staring at him with a subtle look of accusation.
Davis holds up his hands in surrender, "No, no, nothing like that. You'll see. Besides, I can assure you it's safe," he says.
I stare at him for a few more moments, making him feel uneasy, before I decide to let him off the hook.
"So, what about you, Mia? Have you finished yours?" Murasame asks.
Now, I'm the one that's uneasy, "Um, w-well, about that, you see... I haven't finished mine yet," I confess.
"What? Well, who's your secret Santa?" Murasame asks. I start blushing at that point, and it doesn't take long for her to figure it out. "Oh, it's Fuyumi, isn't it?" she asks, and I can just feel her smirk behind her mask. I look around to make sure Fuyumi isn't nearby, and then nod slowly. "Well, that explains it. You want to make her something extra special, but you have no idea what," she says, more as a fact rather than a question.
"But, shouldn't you know more about her and what she wants than us? You two are together, aren't you?" Davis asks.
"Of course, we are, but it's not that simple. I want to make something truly special for her, but I don't know what, and even if I did, I don't know if I have the materials needed to make it," I admit and groan in slight frustration.
"Well, what are some things you know about Fuyumi, other than the obvious?" Davis asks.
"Well, she likes my tea, she's good at fighting, she wears blue eyeliner, wears white and blue clothing-," I begin.
"She loves you," Murasame interrupts me teasingly.
"Yes, back but on topic, she likes fighting a little bit, and she has that amber bead she got from Io-," I continue.
"Wait, that's it. Io's amber blood bead. What if you make something for that for her," Murasame suggests.
"Huh? Like what?" She was getting my attention.
"She carries that around in her pockets or in pack sometimes, but what if you made a sort of safety bag of sorts for that so she can keep it safe and secure, even if she goes out on missions with it. I bet that would help out a bit, and she would love that, I think," Murasame explains.
"Huh..." I mutter, hand on my chin. Io gave her life to protect us all, Fuyumi most of all, and Fuyumi has always been protective of that bead she got from her. I think Murasame might be on to something. "That... could work," I say.
"Yeah, and we have some stuff downstairs in storage that we could use to make it. Come on, I already got done with mine, so I'll help you out," Murasame says and takes me by the shoulders to take me downstairs.
"Wait, would you like me to help?" Davis asks.
"This is a girl thing, Davis. Sorry, you wouldn't understand," Murasame quickly shoots him down and we head off, leaving Davis alone.
Third-Person POV
So, both lovebirds begin their important mission of preparing their gifts, while also keeping the other unawares. Fuyumi works in her room, with help from Eva, while Mia does the same with Murasame in her room. Fuyumi had a little trouble at first with sewing, but Eva is patient with her and teaches her the ropes one step at a time. Meanwhile, Murasame helps with the materials and showing Mia how to put them all together. It wouldn't be special if someone else made it for them. At one point, Fuyumi had gone down to storage to get more fabric, and almost ran into Mia who had the same idea. She hid in a box full of blankets and covers and waited ten minutes before she was sure that Mia left before she came out and made her way back to her objective. Several hours go by, and both women have yet to finish their gifts. Their working partners urged them to take a break every now and then, but if there's one thing that both women have in common, it's that when it comes to their significant other, they are stubborn.
Fuyumi POV
"Are you sure you shouldn't take a break?" Eva asks Fuyumi.
"I will when Mia's gift is done," I say as she continues sewing.
"Fuyumi, you have bandages on eight of your fingers now," Eva notes, crossing her arms.
"I still have two left. Besides, it's not that bad. Just a little bit more," I refuse to give up.
"Fuyumi..." Eva forces her hand now and gently takes mine away from my work. "I understand your situation. If I was in your position, and it was for Jack, I might do the same thing right now. But, there's no need to work yourself into exhaustion, especially before Christmas," Eva says.
"But I-," I begin, only for Eva to stop me again.
"Besides, if you run yourself ragged, then you'll never get your little project done. It's time for a break. Take a chance to catch your breath, and then continue on it later," Eva says.
Truth be told, I am a little tired. Fighting Lost is much easier than trying to put something together like this.
"Okay, I'll cool off for a little while, but only for a while. I still want to get this done as soon as possible," I hold my ground, though I offer a little wiggle room.
Eva shakes her head with a smile, "Yes, I figured that's the best I would get out of you. But, I'll be sticking around to make sure you take a little break," she says.
With that, Eva moves to work on her own gift for Davis, though that is probably easier to do than mine. Meanwhile, I lie down on my bed and take a little nap.
…
Soon enough, Christmas comes and everyone is up and sitting at the living room, gifts all around as we prepare for the secret Santa gift giving. Everyone has their gifts wrapped up in some makeshift paper. Unfortunately, no one could find any Christmas gift paper, so again, we had to make do with what we got. The first one to go up is Louis, who has a small wrapped box.
"Here, Yakumo, this is for you. Merry Christmas," Louis says as he hands over his gift.
"Oh, thank you, Louis," Yakumo gratefully accepts the gift and opens it up, finding a makeshift picture frame inside. "This is..." he trails off.
"I know you have that picture of your old friends, so I thought that would be something to help keep it safe or from tearing up. The metal was easy to find, and it's light, so it won't hold you down," Louis explains.
Yakumo smiles at the thought, "Thanks man... Alright, my turn. This is for you, Murasame. Merry Christmas," he says and hands his gift to her.
"Oooh," Murasame mutters and opens up the gift, finding a pair of gun holsters inside. The holsters are made from the same materials that the blood veils are made out of. "Wow, these are cool-looking!" she says.
"I know you don't really fight much these days, but it can't hurt to have some form of protection. Besides, I know you got plenty of older weapons in the back there. These, you can use," Yakumo explains.
"Thanks, Yakumo. I appreciate it. Alright, my turn. Here you go, Louis. Merry Christmas," Murasame says.
"Thank you. Let's see..." Louis mutters as he opens up his gift, revealing to be a hand-written notebook about weapons and maintenance techniques.
"I'm not much of a bookworm, but I know you like to read all kinds of stuff. This, you can actually take with you out in the field and use in case you get into trouble. It's got all of my weapon knowledge smacked in there," Murasame explains.
"Impressive... Thank you, Murasame," Louis thanks her, to which Murasame smiles with a nod.
"Alright, I guess I'll go now. Here you go Karen. Merry Christmas," Nicola goes up and hands Karen a rose made out of ice. "I had some help with making it from the ice crypt in the mountains from Jack, and after putting some ichor into it, you shouldn't worry about it melting or anything, as long as you keep it away from fires or hot things, that is," Nicola says.
"My, aren't you sweet. It's lovely, Nicola. Thank you," Karen says, making Nicola show a big smile. "Alright, my turn. Aurora, this is for you. Merry Christmas," Karen says and hands her gift to her old friend.
"Oh, why thank you, Karen," Aurora thanks her and opens up her gift, finding a small cloth with a wolf symbol embroidered into the cloth.
"Something to help keep your favorite pair of glasses clean. I stitched the wolf symbol in there because of how you were always there, guarding me and keeping me safe in the cathedral," Karen happily explains.
"Karen... This is too much. Thank you," Aurora holds the gift like it was a gift from the heavens. "Alright, I guess it's my turn. This is for you, Jack. Merry Christmas," Aurora says. Jack accepts the gift and unwraps it, finding a large coin inside, with an engraving of his face on one side and an engraving of Eva's on the other. "I use some tools from the government center with Silva's permission and was able to make this. You two have been partners for some time now, so I thought this would be nice for you. I can make a second one for Eva as well," Aurora says.
"I like it. Thank you, Aurora," Jack thanks her as does Eva with a nod. "Alright, my turn. Eva, this is for you... Merry Christmas," he says.
"Jack..." Eva mutters in joy and opens her gift, finding a metal flute inside with roses painted on the pipe. "It's beautiful," she notes.
"Since you're such a talented singer, I thought maybe you'd like something like this. I had a little help with the roses though; I'm not much of an artist," Jack says, rubbing his head.
Eva smiles lovingly between the gift and him, "It's the best gift ever. Thank you, Jack," she says, and they both smile in their own little world.
"Ahem," Yakumo coughs to get their attention.
"Oh, my apologies, I suppose it's my turn, now. Here you go, Davis, this is for you. Merry Christmas," Eva says as she hands Davis' gift.
Davis finds his gift to be a scrapbook, with the body made of leather, and the pages inside made out of see-through plastic.
"This way, you have something to store all of those pictures you like to take," Eva says.
"This is a find gift. Thank you, Eva. Well, I guess it's my turn now. Here you go, Emily. Merry Christmas," Davis says. Emily's gift is a Cerberus badge with her name and the title 'Special Revenant Officer' engraved onto it. "For your contributions after Operation Queenslayer, and for all of your hard work, you are now being made into a new unit, with yourself as the commanding officer. I'm sure you'll do us proud. That badge comes with a few perks as well. I'll talk to you about those later," Davis explains.
"Wow, this is awesome. Thank you, Davis. Alright, my turn. Here you go, Nicola. Merry Christmas," Emily gives Nicola her gift; a shield with the image of a sword in the stone on the front, and a small blade held in the back with only it's handle sticking out. "I heard that you wanted to become a knight. Well, you can't be a proper knight without a shield and sword, now can you? This will help with your training, too," Emily says.
"Awesome. This is so cool!" Nicola cheers.
"Be sure to take good care of that now, Nicola. And don't get yourself hurt, either," Mia tells him.
"Don't worry, sis, I will," Nicola says.
However, now all eyes are on Mia and I, and I just realized that we're the only ones left that haven't given any gifts yet, which can only mean one thing. Mia and I stare at each other. We each got the other for our secret Santas.
"Well, I suppose that just leaves the two of us," I say, my mouth getting a little dry now.
"I-I guess so," Mia stutters. I see Mia take a deep breath before she extends her gift to me. "Here you go, Fuyumi. Merry Christmas," she says.
I gently grasp her gift and open it up, finding a small leather case inside with a few buttons on the side. I unbutton it and open it up to find a space inside that looks like the shape of a blood bead.
"Mia, this is..." I trail off.
"I know how important that amber bead Io gave you is to you, so I wanted to help you keep it safe. This case should help out with that," Mia says, playing with a strand of her hair with a blush on her face.
"Mia..." I mutter as I feel my own cheeks redden a bit. I pull out my own gift and hand it to her. "Here, Mia. Merry Christmas," I say.
Mia takes her gift from me and unwraps it, finding a purple shawl wrap inside. With Eva's help, I was able to sew and embroider some snowflake designs into the wrap.
"I had Eva help me out with that. It wasn't easy. I thought it would go well with your clothes, at least when we're not out on missions, so..." I trail off, now sure that my face is crimson now.
"Fuyumi... it's beautiful," Mia mutters in awe.
"You mean you like it?" I ask, hopeful.
Mia smiles lovingly at me, "I love it. Thank you, Fuyumi," Mia says.
I help her put it on and it wraps perfectly around her bare shoulders.
"Merry Christmas, Mia," I say, staring into her eyes.
"Merry Christmas, Fuyumi," she replies with that same expression.
"Eww, I'm gonna be sick," Nicola suddenly gags, bringing us back to reality and helping us remember that we have an audience.
"Well, I think that's enough for now. Come on, let's go celebrate," Louis says and stands up to find the food.
"Yeah, time for some spiked eggnog," Yakumo cheers.
"Yakumo, no drinking on Christmas," Emily foolows him.
The rest of the group follow them, leaving just Mia and I.
"This certainly has been a wonderful Christmas," Mia says.
"Yeah, it really has," I say.
Mia suddenly kisses me on the cheek, making me blush again, but I smile anyway. We decide to go and join the others in the festivities. This truly is a merry Christmas.
And that's the chapter. Again, I wanted to do another Christmas themed chapter and I chose this story for it. A beautiful holiday for a beautiful couple and a great game in my opinion. But more is to come for our couple in the future. What will happen next? Until then, please Read and Review. Merry Christmas!