Griffin
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OH MY GOODNESS GUYS I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN’T POSTED DX. I was uber stressed with school and finals and a bunch of other crap, but I AM FREE NOW. DOBBY IS A FREE ELF. *shot*
AMPERSAND!!!!! ...... My titles are fantastic, right? No. xD
BOWTIES ARE COOL.
This will most likely suck potatoes, but please forgive me; it’s been, like, forever since I’ve written from Griffy’s POV (or really... anyone.... ack)... I’ll try and get back into the swing of things and whatnot. Dx PLEASE DON’T HATE ME... um, that is, if you don’t mind.... o.o
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I had never been too fond of Christmas; in my household, the season was not filled with such joy and good spirits as it seemed to be for everyone else. From what I could remember, it was quite the opposite.
Even so, I soon found myself ensnared in the web of holiday cheer. The radio blared popular Christmas songs, and though I did not know the words, I was rather entertained by the caroling of Violett, Kateri, and, to my surprise, Karin. It was peaceful, a refreshing dose of simplicity.
Three days previously, Akira and Sebastian had ventured out into the forest to select a prime example of a Douglas Fir, and that evening, we had spent a good four hours stringing up tiny, luminescent bulbs on strings and hanging various glass bulbs in every hue. I did not quite understand the tradition, but who was I to question it? After all, I had received the honor of placing the obnoxious star atop the tree. That had to count for something, yes?
At the moment, we all lounged in the living room, a fire blazing in the hearth. Kuroshiro had procured a substantial amount of eggnog, so we indulged greedily in the bounty. Having never tasted the substance before, I was a bit wary, but after enduring Akira’s mocking glare for a second or two, I gave in.
It was almost better than that Pina Colada. Almost.
The music was turned off for a short amount of time so the television could display a film about a furry outcast who intended on dissecting the lives of innocent townsfolk and making their lives miserable. At least, that is what I got from the few scenes I actually paid attention to. I had no idea what a “Grinch” was, nor did I wish to find out. I was having a good enough time without the aid of a monster in a mountain and his very small dog.
Instead of directing my attention to the screen where everyone’s eyes were glued, my gaze drifted to the Christmas tree, illuminated and shining brightly. I imagined each ornament told a story, but perhaps that was just the effects of the nog.
“Do you believe in Santa?” a voice whispered, tickling my ear and nearly making me jump out of my skin. I turned to face a beaming Violett.
“No,” was my simple reply.
With a dramatic gasp, she clutched her throat. “Blasphemy!”
“What if my religion forbids me from believing in such a ridiculous entity?” I countered.
“You’re an independent man who don’t need no religious guidelines, Griffy. Don’t let the man get you down. Power to the people, woop!”
I stared at her. “Who gave you the eggnog?”
Giggling, she bounced away, preparing to prey upon another soul. Maybe she fed off of joy. Or confusion. I doubted I would ever know.
Akira rose from her spot beside me and clicked the power button on the remote. Disappointed groans met her action, but she silenced them immediately with a level stare. “We can keep watching the movie—” Cheers sliced her sentence in half, and once they silenced, she continued. “—but I thought you might want to open presents instead. It is Christmas.”
Glancing up at the clock above the mantle, I realized she was right; the hour hand barely touched the 12 on its right side, and the minute hand prodded the two.
“Me first!’ cried Kateri, snatching a blue box from beneath the tree. After checking the tag, she bounded over to Keefer. Batting her eyelashes, she placed it in his lap. “Here ya go!” Blushing, he proceeded to carefully tear the paper from the package, and his simple motions sent everyone into a flurry of grabbing, unwrapping, and thanking.
From my coat I pulled a modest gift, longer than it was wide and swaddled in a resplendent red and gold paper. The tag read “To: The Big Bad Wolf, From: Godzilla.” Violett was very clever; I almost rued asking for her aid, but on the other hand, I could not have come up with anything better.
Before I could offer it to her, a rather large parcel arrived on my lap. In my peripheral vision, I saw Akira grin. “Well? You gonna open it or just look at it?”
I held my tongue, opting for rolling my eyes instead of saying something I might have regretted. I replaced the present I had purchased in the folds of my coat before she could see it, hoping to preserve an element of surprise. Conforming to her wishes, I tugged at the wrapping, trying to avoid tearing it as best I could, and after a few moments of struggling, I managed to remove the covering.
It was a box. That was what I expected. I sliced the tape atop the cardboard and pulled the sides of the lid away from each other.
Packing peanuts. Oh, Gods above they irked me. Why, I was not sure.
Swallowing my annoyance, I plunged a hand into the ocean, wrapping my fingers around a small, soft object and retrieving it. I grinned. A bowtie. How classy.
Before continuing, I attempted to fasten it around my neck. “How does it look?”
“Crooked.”
Disregarding her comment, I once more dove into the depths of the mysterious box. “I do not suppose I can simply dump out the contents, can I?”
She looked at me in disbelief. “Absolutely not.”
Defeated, I resumed my search in the swarm of packing peanuts, finally locating another, slightly larger object. This one was smothered in a sheet of striped tissue paper, and I hurried to rip it away.
My jaw literally dropped, hanging open in what I expected was a very attractive expression.
The gift was not an elaborate scrapbook, nor was it an expensive item of jewelry. No, it was something much more valuable, more precious in my eyes.
In my hands was an ancient copy of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, complete with its signature gray fabric and an original drawing by the author himself as the cover. I could not meet Akira’s eyes just yet. I flipped open the cover, and when I spotted the line of scrawled ink, I was pretty certain I made a noise similar to the preteens at a Justin Bieber concert, although I did not see the appeal in the male singer.
It was a signed copy. A signed copy of the original version of my favorite novel was resting in my hands. No words surfaced that would have been appropriate to express my gratitude.
In an act that probably surprised her, I hugged Akira, our parallel positions on the couch making it rather uncomfortable.
“I’m guessing you like it?” she breathed once I released her. I nodded, still unable to speak. “I kind of figured you might. You said fantasy was your favorite genre, and I remember you saying something about the Lord of the Rings once.”
“This is extremely kind of you, Akira,” I finally managed to whisper. Her memory was impeccable.
She pointed at the book. “There’s something in the back, too. Just saying.”
Puzzled, I flipped through the pages, the scent of well-worn pages wafting into my nose. I came to the last page.
Griffin,
I don’t know why you like this kind of sh*t. I mean, really? Dragons? Shapeshifters? What kind of nonsense is that?
That was a joke.
I wasn’t really sure how to show you just how much I care about you. I know a crusty old book isn’t exactly the normal way of going about it, but then again, we aren’t normal.
Look, you’ve been through a lot with me, and I can’t thank you enough for putting up with my crap. So I hope this suffices in kind of expressing that.
Merry Christmas.
Love, Akira.
I peered at her, noticing the faint blush that colored her cheeks. “It certainly does, Akira. I cannot tell you how much this means to me.”
“Good. I was kind of worried,” she muttered, smiling.
“You should not have been. However, I am unsure if my gift will come close to yours,” I admitted sheepishly.
In what I assumed was a joking manner, she pushed at my arm. “Oh, shut up. Whatever you got me is great. I promise I’ll love it.”
Though I was a bit self-conscious about my gift, especially now that I had received the greatest gift I could recall getting, I reluctantly pulled the slim package from my coat. Her eyes lit up, and I gained a sudden sense of confidence.
But I did not get to give it to her, not at that point.
The front door slammed open, much too forcefully to have been done by the wind, and everyone in the room immediately silenced, turning their attention to the hallway.
In rushed a man with shaggy red hair, very vibrant red hair. He appeared flustered as he scanned the room.
Aside from him, no one moved.
His eyes locked on Ela, whose face had morphed into something entirely unreadable, and in a single moment, he had crossed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her in a rib-cracking hug.
Ela was not pleased.
The stranger’s lips moved as he pulled away, but I could not distinguish the words. Then, he turned to face us all. “You all need to get out of here, and the sooner, the better.”
Akira rose. “Excuse me, but who the h*ll do you think you are?” Fingers curled, she strode toward the man, and despite his height, she showed no fear. “You break into my house, assault one of my friends, then order us to leave? I don’t think so.”
“You don’t underst—” He tried to explain, but Akira would have none of it.
“Oh, I understand plenty.” With a hiss, she latched onto her ear with a firm grip, and he cried out, spine hunching in an attempt to lessen the pain.
“Leggo of my ear!” he whined, but Akira kept her scowl in place as she dragged him into the foyer. “I’m trying to help you!” Off the table along the far wall, she grabbed one of the discarded winter accessories: a tan scarf that I was not sure to whom it belonged.
When they disappeared into the hallway, my instinct launching me over the back of the sofa before I realized what I was doing. As I rounded the corner, Akira’s eyes turned to me.
“Open the door, Griffin.” She had tied the scarf around his hands. How he managed to stay in her control whilst she did so, I could not be certain.
I stared. “Akira, that is a closet.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know. That’s why I need you to open it. Now.”
Though I met the frightened eyes of the stranger for a brief second, I did as she ordered. I feared her wrath more than I pitied the man. His muffled concerns and fruitless thrashing did little to deter Akira’s iron grip.
“Don’t you dare!” he warned. “I swear to God, I’ll call the police!” His threat was an empty one.
“Into the hole ya go,” she said heatedly, releasing her hold on his ear and shoving him inside. His shoulder slammed into the wall, and due to a lack of balance and space, he fell. “Welcome to solitary confinement, stranger. Maybe you’ll be a bit more well-behaved tomorrow.”
With that, she shut the door and locked it from the outside. His frantic shouts and useless punches resounded off the walls.
“Akira?” I whispered, hoping for some explanation.
She shrugged. “We can’t let him go. And we can’t turn him in to the police. He’ll rat us out. I’m hoping a night in there will cool him off. Then we’ll get some answers.”
While I disagreed with her methods, I had to nod; what she said was true. So, ignoring the already-weakening cries of our visitor, Akira and I walked back into the silent room, meeting the eyes of 27 creatures. Before either of us could speak, a cough came from behind us.
“Hey,” called a rather dirty, still disguised Ash. She stood off to the side near the doorway, a cautious smile on her lips.
“You’re alive?” demanded Akira at the same time that I said, “It is good to see you back.”
“Ah, yeah. I came with that guy,” she pointed to the closet, “because he said he knew Ela.”
Akira spun around to face the Avian. “Is that true?” Ela appeared conflicted.
“He’s my brother,” she admitted, gritting her teeth. “But I haven’t seen him in a long time. So I don’t know why he decided to show up and f*ck everything over.”
Hoping to ease the tension that hung in the air, I cleared my throat. “As of now, he is neutralized. He should not be a problem until tomorrow morning. Then we can uncover the truth in his arrival. For now, we should continue to enjoy the spirit of Christmas, and in doing so, we should welcome back Ash.”
Everyone seemed to agree, and after a few moments of awkward transition, we were merrily going about our gift-giving and nog-drinking like we had been prior to the interruption.
Yes, it was accompanied by the occasional shouts of our prisoner, but we were not accustomed to normality, after all. It did not phase us.
The celebration came back in full swing, and once we were settled back in our previous seats, Akira looked at me expectantly.
“What?”
She rolled her eyes. “Griffin.” Raising an eyebrow, she seemed to question my sanity.
Oh. The gift. Of course. It was Christmas. How foolish. “Right.” My nervousness returned, but as if they had acquired a mind of their own, my fingers plucked the slim package from the inner pocket of my coat. “I... I hope it suffices.” Biting my lip, I handed it to her.
“Oh, Griffin,” she muttered with a laugh, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.” With that comment, she began dissecting the meticulously-wrapped item.
Within the paper was a simple white box, no labels decorating the surface. After disposing the trash onto the floor, she lifted the lid off the box and removed the layer of styrofoam protecting the true gift.
I could have sworn my heart stopped. Fear had snuck in while I focused on the unveiling, and now it was controlling my thoughts.
Akira plucked the bracelet with two fingers, laying it in her left palm to stare. “Oh... wow.” She does not like it. Griffin, you moron, look what you have— “Griffin, this is amazing.”
“Really?” For some reason, my voice cracked. It was not becoming.
She grinned. “Yes. I love it.”
“Each charm is unique. The... The, uh, note explains it,” I offered, reaching into the box and laying the folded paper atop the article of jewelry.
Despite knowing what it said, I read the words along with her.
Season’s Greetings, Akira.
I know you are not typically fond of jewelry, but it seemed like these particular charms were made for you. Yes, that is terribly “lame”, but it is the truth.
The first charm, depicting three women, are a symbol of Russia. The Russian people call them the “Triple Entente”, and they are a spirit of collectivity. If you recall from so long ago, the plane ride from Russia was our first encounter with XL. It was our first adventure.
Do not take this one too literally, if you will. I do not desire to be punched. The creature with a wolf’s body and dragon’s limbs (yes, dragon, for wyvern’s are rather difficult to come by) is called an alphyn. I am unsure if you have noticed, but the pub you frequent has a sign near the front door. Upon the door is this creature. Fitting, no?
The books in your library contain vast amounts of knowledge. I believe I have read most of the indexes you have. As I was reading a certain historical text, I came across an old legend about the city of Rome. That is where the Colosseum comes in. Legend says that a kind she-wolf nursed and raised the founders of the great city, Romulus and Remus. Not all wolves are bad, Akira. Not all.
Some of the other charms are relevant to myths, as well. I shall not bore you with a history lesson. The sun represents the heavens. The Mongols believed they descended from a wolf that descended from the sky. The Ute tribe of Native Americans believed that the creation was caused by a wolf who carried all humans in a pack. He moved slowly until, one day, he collapsed, and all the people were spilled from the bag. Hence, the wooden charm in the shape of a canvas sack.
The last charm is, quite simply, a wolf. But, if you look closely, she is not a normal wolf. Her eyes, hand-painted by a colonist in the sixteenth century, are human. The old woman who owned the antique store where I found this told me the story of it. A man awoke in the middle of the night to a howl too close for comfort. No one else heard the sound, so he went to investigate. He lived on a farm, so, fearing for his livestocks’ safety, he went out with a lantern and his gun, prepared to fight.
He found a wolf, but it was not attacking his goats or chickens. It was digging at his wife’s garden. The wolf was starving. When it looked to the man for pity, its eyes were human, and they were filled with sorrow. The man returned to his home and spoke not a word until his dying day.
You are human, too, Akira. Human and wolf. A perfect combination. I know you are sometimes ashamed of who you are, but you should not be. Your genetic composition, no matter how mythical, is who you are.
If I can love that, you should, too.
This has probably been far too long, and for that I apologize. Just know that I care deeply for you, Akira. A gift of monetary value could never express that.
Yours, Griffin.
The room was silent for a moment, leading me to realize that half the occupants were staring at us while the other half had crept around behind us to read. My cheeks burned.
“That was really long, Griff,” she finally spoke, slipping the bracelet over her hand. “But I love it. You put so much thought into it.” Like I had, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders, going one step further and pressing her lips to my cheek. “Thank you.”
“AWWW YEAH! MY OTP!” squealed Riley, hands pressed to her cheeks. Beside her, Karin beamed.
Before anyone could speak, a sprig of green leaves and red berries appeared between Akira and me, and while she flushed, I flinched away. Rano was behind this, wooden fingers dangling the plant like a marionette. She giggled at my confusion.
I pointed at it. “Why is she holding fruit above our heads?”
“Are you serious?” asked Akira, lips slightly parted.
“I am serious. What is the purpose of this? I am certainly not going to eat it.”
She shut her eyes. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe you.”
A voice tickled my ear. “It’s mistletoe, Griffy-poo. Don’t you understand what that implies, darling?” Ever-so discreet, Amor’s whisper was barely softer than a shout.
Both embarrassed and annoyed, I shook my head. “I am afraid not. It seems as if you have all forgotten that I was born in Greece, I lived in Greece, and until very recently, I never intended on going anywhere else. Your religious affairs were of no consequence to me.”
“Well you better learn fast, honey,” laughed Vevila as she rested a gloved hand on my shoulder. I fought the urge to throw it off. “Maybe Akira can teach you.”
“I’d really rather not have it be so public,” Akira tried to argue.
“You’re nervous. That’s understandable,” said the fairy, slyly.
Peeved, Akira responded with, “I am not. Unlike you, I actually have some dignity.”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
“Oh? And are you all-knowing now?”
“Just about. Dearie, you haven’t had much experience, have you?”
Akira gritted her teeth. “Shut up, Vevila.”
“Oh, don’t be embarrassed. It’s nothing to be shameful about.” Her tone implied the opposite was true.
“Vevila, you have about five seconds...”
She turned to Rano. “Take it away, dear. She isn’t ready.”
By this point, Akira had reached her boiling point. “Godd*mmit, Vevila!” Her hands shot toward my face, thumbs on my cheeks, and before I could register what was happening, she wrenched me toward her. It was brief, but the very fact that our lips met was enough to leave me stunned.
That was what the mistletoe was for.
“Merry Christmas, Griffin.”
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OH GOODNESS SORRY. Not my best, I know. :/ I tried to squeeze something out, and this is what I got. xD SO MUCH RESEARCH THAT JUST ENDED UP AS A RANT. I hope it’s alright... eh... sigh. But comments are appreciated, as usual. :3
GAH OKAY SO YEAH. This is literally a month late, and I am EXTREMELY SORRY HOLY FUDGE MUFFINS. But... um... now that I don’t have math to suck the life out of me and two writing-related classes, I think I’ll be able to post more. Yay? Yay... :D
YES SO THERE. POST IS DONE. NOW MASH-CHAN SHALL POST, AND THEN ONTO ANIME-CHAN.
BRACE YOURSELVES. NEW PLOTS ARE COMING. WOOOOO
I think I need sleep. Okay, bai, loves! <3
