kido doesn't do festive holiday music

[blindfoldcode]

Who: Kido and OPEN to her friends/people she thinks she owes.
What: The bestowing of gifts
When: IDK whenever the bestowing of gifts should occur.
Where: System Crash's Penthouse, Pride HQ, and quiet places she can meet up with her Virgo friends.
Warnings: Kido and Celty are gonna get pelted with crackers but otherwise...

[Kido's on a fucking mission to act like she's okay. She's like. Still all sorts of messed up, but she's trying to act like she's gonna make it.

A
And during the holidays that means a s h i t t o n of baking. She has been pretty busy in the System Crash penthouse the last day or two making like a trillion cake rolls. Oh god why is she doing this cookies would be easier, but cookies are also something everyone's going to be making.

Every even slightly imperfect cake is going to get shoved onto her bandmates. She can't give something imperfect. Someone might think she actually made it. And like she doesn't want herself associated with baking it fucks with the rebel image. But there she is in the kitchen, long sleeved tee shirt with rolled up sleeves, slippers and an apron, super concentrated like this is her life.

Don't judge her.

B
And like now she has to give them out. It's easier to do in HQ. She's not being tailed here. She's knocking on the doors of any friends (and anyone who she feels she owes a favor to), super casually like she's. Totally not been baking for the last too many hours straight.]

Hey. ... You like sweets right?

[THAT'S EXACTLY HOW YOU GIVE A GIFT.

B.2
Except for Junkyard Carnival. At some point, they're gonna find themselves dealing with cracker pentagrams all over their goddamn wall.

And a cheese platter, mostly because she's terrified of Luci, with a nice little card, written in red, promising it's not poisoned and also "PS: Fuck you, Xanxus."

How she got in there? A fucking mystery.

C

And of course there's Virgo to worry about. Most of her friends are Virgo. So there's going to be texts, to friends and, again, people she feels she owes a favor to.

Are you free? Think you could meet me at the music store on [street]?

Yup. That's not threatening and absolutely cannot get her in trouble if Lesedi reads it.

She's feeling pretty good about this all in all.

It's a great distraction from the glowing yellow eyes in her dreams that keep startling her awake.]

Comments

[losingherhead]

[Inside the box is a red scarf. possibly hand-knit. She removed all the tags, to make sure it can't be returned to whatever store she got it from.]

Something red to remind you to not get all bloodied up again.

[That's probably super tactless but this is how Celty copes with trauma and friendship, maybe it'll work for her?]

[blindfoldcode]

[She rolls her eyes at first, before she really sees it.

Then the sarcastic response and smile on her face fade.

"I'm just a monster!" It's not her this time. It's a little boy with black hair sitting next to her on the floor. A blonde boy sits between him and her.

And in front of them, a girl just a little older in a jumper dress. "That's not true!"

Kido can hear herself arguing. Of course they are. That's what everyone says. Their eyes are red and they can do things other people can't. That's what monsters are like.

The older girl contemplates that. Red eyes, huh? She rushes off, and Kido looks back at the two boys. There's three beds in this room. They share it. She knows it somehow. There's a scrape on her cheek and the gauze is itchy.

When the older girl returns, it's with a red scarf in hand. She tosses it around her neck and strikes a pose.

"You aren't monsters! Because, you see, red is the color of heroes! And we'll be heroes together! We'll call ourselves the Mekakushi-dan!"

Kido staggers back a step. There's tears in her eyes. She feels like she's suffocating.]

... Onee-chan...

[losingherhead]

[She's smiling beneath the helmet, a little eager to see Kido's response.

Then Kido's stumbling, crying, and a whole bunch of not happy emotions on her face. Oh god she fucked up. She quickly moves to grab Kido's arm, just to make sure she doesn't fall over, and she's already trying to put support on her back too.]

[blindfoldcode]

[These aren't sad tears. Celty's grasp grounds Kido and her eyes--they feel like they're burning. They're red when she looks up at her.]

Number 1: Tsubomi Kido. [Her voice wavers just a little.] Mekakushi-danchou.

[No title has ever felt as important in her entire life as this one has. She had been so afraid of it when she first thought of it. So nervous that "danchou" would change who she was.

But things are piecing together now. She's just a monster. But she's not. Because red--red like her eyes, red like the scarf--madder red. The color of heroes.]

Celty, I get it.

[losingherhead]

[This is weird. This is very very weird. She doesn't. Know what those words mean. And she's very concerned about you in general now Kido.]

Get. What?

[blindfoldcode]

The things I've been remembering make sense. [Sort of, at least.

That girl in the jumper--she's important. She's Kido's sister.

That's Ayano. That's why "Red is the color of heroes" makes her feel so safe.]

[losingherhead]

[She can't help but tense uncomfortably at the mention of memories, although she isn't entirely sure why.]

You're dizzy. Should sit.

[blindfoldcode]

I'm not. I was just surprised. [She shakes her head.]

Thank you. It's great, Celty. [From the way she says it, it really is.]

[losingherhead]

[Another day of "thank god for helmets because I'm super uncomfortable but I don't want to show it."

She stares at her doubtfully for a sec before slowly letting go of Kido's arm.]

Very well. As long as you like it. [And aren't seeing strange delusions everywhere.]

[blindfoldcode]

[She has red freaking eyes and disappears sometimes, and you're worried about delusions?]

Sorry about that. Sometimes they hit really hard. I should be more used to it than this.

[losingherhead]

[Maybe if she ignores the other stuff it will go away. Like the stabbings and murder. Delusions sound real and are harder to ignore.]

Maybe you should see a doctor about that.

[blindfoldcode]

[Kido's expression changes into one that's... slightly afraid.]

You haven't had any... weird memories or anything?

[losingherhead]

[She... hesitates.]

No.

[blindfoldcode]

Shit. Really?

[Fuck. Celty's a friend, right? She won't tell anybody?]

Don't tell anybody. Please, Celty.

[losingherhead]

[As uncomfortable as this talk about things that clearly didn't happen makes her, she can't help but give Kido a comforting gesture.]

I won't tell a soul, alright?

[blindfoldcode]

It's important you don't. Lesedi doesn't want us remembering this stuff. Last time she found out...

I'm not going back there.

[losingherhead]

[A month ago, hell a few weeks ago, she would've dismissed Kido's talk as drugged ramblings. Probably feel a little bad that someone who seemed nice wasn't as sober as she hoped.

After the party, she's not so sure.]

Trust me, my interest in Lesedi knowing anything about any of us is less than zero.

[Really not sure how to parse that other statement. "There" doesn't sound good.]

[blindfoldcode]

[Kido's actually super sober right now. She's made a few promises...]

If you remember anything weird, too, don't tell anybody you don't trust. It's not just things like my eyes. Things are starting to get weird for everybody.

[losingherhead]

You think memories are responsible for stuff like your eyes?

[And the amazing vanishing act, but that goes unspoken.]

[blindfoldcode]

You ever meet a guy in a gold or silver helmet? Wanted you to play a duet with them?

[losingherhead]

I see a lot of helmets, but I can't say I've seen that.

[blindfoldcode]

They show up sometimes. Told me that something was taken from me. [She glances around for the bodyguard. He's not nearby enough to hear if she whispers.]

I played with him once and my hair turned green. The second time was right before the party. And I'm not the only one.

[losingherhead]

[This sounds

Super made up and delusional. Being stabbed probably was not good for Kido.

Is another thing she wants to think if Kido wasn't basically completely healed and also turned invisible that one time.]

Played with him?

[blindfoldcode]

He had an instrument with him. It sounds batshit, I know. But... it happens. I mean come on. [She lowers her voice further.]

Your friend tried to kill me because a singer told him to. Nothing makes sense anymore.

[losingherhead]

[She shifts uncomfortably.]

Its hard to accept.

I don't like it.