DECEMBER OPEN POST

[reticence]

1. COFFEE SHOP
It starts in the cafe that morning. It's a Saturday and he's got the day off from Hillingdon and Guardian work alike, and with two weeks until the holidays, he realizes that he's running out of time to do his shopping. He's got no idea what his plans are -- last year Lancelot had invited him over for the whole stretch of the holiday, will he be doing that again? Now that they're... Whatever they are. Whatever this is between them. He feels as if he's walking around with a bubble inside of himself, something that fills him up with joy at the thought of it, but fragile too. It's too fresh to be safe and solid yet, and he knows he's thinking about it too much, too hard, dwelling, but that's the nature of his mind and his emotions.

Maybe three days to spend together is too many, at this point, he contemplates to himself, as he shuffles forward in line at the shop. Should he bring a bag, just in case? Should he ask? He doesn't want to sound too disappointed if the answer is no. It's Lancelot's flat, it's his right to make these decisions. He should know before though, so he can bring what he needs if he should. He doesn't want to have to go back out. What if the other man would change his mind then?

It's while these thoughts are spinning around his head, while his guard is lowered and vulnerable, that it sneaks in. The music, quietly piped in around them, as it is in all coffee shops world-wide at this time of year. Christmas songs. He'd been avoiding them so far this year, but he'd been so caught up in his thoughts he'd forgotten. He can tune the music out so long as it's popular and new, but as he approaches the counter, as he places his order and then waits for his drink to be prepared, one of the older, more wholesome, traditional tunes comes in. A song that works its way in through your ears and settles down in your gut for the long haul.

Worst of all, it's too cold to sit outside and escape it. Faolan finds a seat with his coffee and his pastry and the seasonal music and proceeds to eat and drink, growing progressively moodier with each changing of the tracks.


2. SHOPPING
At least there are so many people milling about at the shops that the holiday music starts to blend in with the background noise of the place. Small blessings, Faolan thinks to himself, as he walks through yet another shop and just stares at the items on display there. He has no idea what he's getting for Lancelot. Something for his dog, of course. Maybe something silly, highlighting the man's oddly high affection for the dog. But this time he wants to get him something nice too. Something... Thoughtful.

He's not really sure what this is between them, but he wants to let him know that he appreciates it. He appreciates him. That he... Well, there's another holiday coming up that will have higher expectations as far as emotion is concerned, but he wants him to know that he does care. In his own way.

Lancelot is so easy-going he'd like anything. But what would he like, that's the real question for Faolan to answer. What do you get to impress a man who's already said he doesn't need to be impressed?

Standing staring at the window display and lost in his own thought, Faolan starts to hum the earlier Christmas song underneath his breath. He keeps a tight leash on his past, on his music, on the talent there and the life he might have led. But it has its ways of creeping in through the cracks despite himself. Suddenly realizing what he's doing, he stops, and quickly casts a glance about to check if anyone had caught him at it.


3. HILLINGDON [closed to those with a reason to be at Hillingdon House]
He hadn't really needed to come back to Hillingdon House, but Faolan finds himself making his way back there anyway. After all, there were things here he didn't have back at his flat. Like sellotape. And a fully stocked kitchen. A man can't live on takeaway alone, nor can he continuously mooch off of Lancelot's hospitality, for that matter. Anyway, he's got things to preoccupy himself with upstairs in his office once he's done, instead of sitting alone in his flat with his thoughts rattling around in his head.

He's making himself a cheese sandwich and soup. It's not very complicated, but it's probably somewhere on the far edge of Faolan's capabilities as they stand right now. Wondering if he's made the right decisions as far as his gifts are concerned -- he certainly hopes so, at least. Still wondering whether he should text Lancelot to ask him about his holiday plans.

It's while his mind is so preoccupied, while he's heating soup on the stove and letting his mind wander around in circles again that the song comes back. It's been a long day, and Faolan's guard is so lowered, the words just slip out, his voice low and slightly rough without any warm-up, but the melody is obviously there, and so is his talent. All of those years in training, he can't just forget them simply because he wants to.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight..."

Comments

2

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Most of Caroline's time this month when she hasn't been working has been spent planning the big Christmas party for the Nest. But she didn't forget about buying presents to send back home. Unfortunately, it was getting down to the wire and while she had found the perfect gifts for Elena and Bonnie right away, the others were causing some trouble.

Okay, one of the others was causing some trouble. And that one person was, naturally, Stefan Salvatore. What are you supposed to get your sort of friend, sort of ex-boyfriend? Especially one who'd been alive for over 150 years. She hadn't figured it out yet and that was very frustrating.

She's wondering through the mall when she hears someone humming. And, oddly enough, the humming is quite good. She spots the man just as he stops humming and when her eyes meet his, she can tell he's embarrassed that she heard.

[reticence]

He is rather embarrassed that she's caught him out like this, although it's no one that he recognizes so he supposes that's just as well. He swallows slightly, a muscle in his jaw tightening slightly as he contemplates whether a person is supposed to acknowledge that they've been caught in such a situation, or just keep on pretending that there's nothing to see here. Of course, she's looking right at him. It's hard to pretend he doesn't notice that.

"I..." Faolan starts. "They were playing in a shop I was in earlier. Got it stuck in my head..." That doesn't explain why he looks so embarrassed to be caught humming, but she doesn't really need an explanation for that. Does she?

[vampire_barbie_girl]

Caroline somehow manages not to burst out laughing. "Don't worry about it. Ever shop is playing Christmas music, it's hard not to get it stuck in your head."

She looks at the window for a moment, then shakes her head. Nothing in there says Stefan. "Besides," she adds, glancing over at the man, "it wasn't that bad to listen to."

[reticence]

Faolan ducks his head slightly at the compliment. He wonders again whether or not he can get away with the bare minimum of information shared about himself in this conversation, but he knows there's a certain line where being that standoffish is rude rather than mysterious.

He wonders if she knows who he is. He can feel... Something from her. Vampire, he thinks, she must be. It's the same vibe he gets from Natasha. Maybe it's better that she hasn't given any inkling that she does. It makes it easier to reply, "I. Used to make a living of it. A long time ago."

[vampire_barbie_girl]

"Really? That's cool. I work as a singer too, though in the present tense." She has no idea who this man is, which is probably for the best since she would normally have avoided him at all costs.

"Why'd you stop?"

2

[stauncherhearted]

The humming gets Nancy's attention. She's out browsing for gifts for the boys', as well as for those she cares about most- Caroline, Cooper, Eames, to name a few- though very little actually makes it's way to the register. Magic and light fingers make petty theft easier than ever before. But when she looks up and notices who it is next to her, she stops.

Shit.

Faolan sees anything, he'll go to the Night Council, or worse, straight to Lance and he'll not only be disappointed in her due to her mild case of kleptomania, but Sylvia will find out. And she'll be banned without question.

Nancy decides that that's enough shopping at this particular spot today. She turns to go, but underestimates the proximity of herself and Faolan, bumping into him.

"Maybe stop singing and pay attention to your surroundings, yeah?" She asks him. Despite their rather decent conversation before, she's still got her guard up around him.

[reticence]

Faolan startles slightly, not only at the fact that someone's just bumped into him, but at their pointing out his singing. Humming, technically, but still. Too close for comfort. This season really gets to him, more than any other, makes it harder to ignore the fact that singing, music, they used to be some of his favorite things. Back in another life, when he'd been another person. Back home in Ireland, before his world had been turned inside out.

He turns to make comment in response to the snide remarks and finds himself startled again. Nancy. Of all the...

"I wasn't--" he starts despite himself, though he cuts the train of thought off pretty quickly. Frowning at her as he does.

[stauncherhearted]

"Humming, then, whatever." She rolls her eyes at him. She remembers their last meeting. She'd tried to pick him up before realizing who he was. They'd had a drink, maybe a bit more understanding, but the fact still remained: he'd left Kenzi.

She wants to ask him what he's doing here, but they're in public, and she doesn't even care.

"Just watch it next time, yeah?" She'd probably never sounded quite so Cockney in her life.

[reticence]

He raises his eyebrows slightly at her. His expression says, without needing to say it aloud, that he hadn't been the one moving, excuse you. She isn't the only one that can be sassy when she wants to be. And he's feeling embarrassed at being caught out like that, it means he can be extra sassy if he so chooses.

"You're right," he counters. "I'll make sure to keep a lookout for the next person who tries to body-check me on their way of fleeing a store before anyone catches them in their game." He gives her a steady look. He knows exactly why you were running. He's been in your shoes himself before, after all.

[stauncherhearted]

Nancy gives him such a look because how dare he accuse her of something like that when she was trying to put it back because he was there. How rude could you possibly be, Faolan?

She crosses her arms in front of her chest and lets out a huff of air. "What is it they said about assuming? something something me and you?"

3

[specifiercity]

Just a moment after Faolan starts singing, Arthur happens to be slipping into the kitchen to reheat some of the takeout he'd been picking away at while he gets some work done elsewhere in the house. He pauses at the doorway, feeling a little like he's intruding, but he cares more about his rumbling stomach than he does embarrassing Faolan.

In fact, he lets out a soft laugh as he walks in and heads straight for the microwave. "Someone's feeling the holiday spirit," he says wryly.

[reticence]

Faolan jumps at the sound of Arthur's voice, and it's by the grace of god alone that he doesn't knock the pot of near-boiling soup off of the stove and all over himself as he whips around to see who it was that had caught him so off-guard. He isn't certain whether it's better or worse to have it be Arthur, truth be told. Someone he hardly knows (not that he knows Arthur all that well, but still), it would be easier to pretend it had never happened. He knows that the other man will remember this. Certainly he will, at least.

"Jesus, man," Faolan hisses, as he waits for his heart to settle back down where it belongs in his chest again.

[specifiercity]

Arthur laughs softly, throwing food in the microwave and hitting some buttons to get it going for a minute or so to warm it up. If he were an awful man he'd probably file this away for later but he's not in high school so that's not how he's going to play this. It's actually nice to see a side of Faolan that isn't worrying about vampires and frowning most of the time, and it's not like Arthur isn't guilty of humming the occasional tune when he thinks he's alone.

"Don't mind me," he says, "keep going if you like. You actually don't sound bad."

[reticence]

Faolan lets out a breath as he tries to calm down, turning back to the pot in front of him to check on its progress, but alas it isn't simmering just yet. He reaches for the spoon he's got out to stir it anyway, giving himself something else to do with his hands, a way to distract himself from the fact that he's just been caught out, and the fact that he will have to see Arthur again after this and acknowledge that this moment happened. How much should he say, how much does he need to explain himself? He prides himself in having removed himself as far as he could from the man he'd been. The sort of man who might be comfortable singing in front of other people. And yet here he is.

He lets out a gruff sort of noise, taking in another breath and shaking his head. "I didn't mean to," he says. "I just. I was out in the city today. It got stuck in my head..." He flicks his eyes to Arthur and then back to the stove in front of himself. Wondering whether or not he can get away with leaving it there or not...

[specifiercity]

"Don't worry about it," Arthur says, trying to sound somewhat reassuring that he's not going to do anything to make the situation worse. He genuinely doesn't care that he found Faolan singing, although he does find it a bit charming in a weird way.

"All this Christmas stuff is pretty inescapable," he says with a sigh as he leans against the counter. "The songs gets stuck in my head too."

2

[knowntohisfriends]

When others are out shopping, the Dodger is out among the crowds, doing a hard day's graft. His fingers are light, and he's managing to get from people and move on without anyone noticing. He'll have enough, soon, to be able to wander back to the den knowing that no one can say a damn word to him about skipping out of 'work' early.

He doesn't really pay attention to what people are doing, but he spots Faolan, picking him out as another possible mark, and goes towards him.

"You alright, mister? Lookin' lost, there."

[reticence]

Faolan jumps slightly at the sound of the voice from behind him, and turns to glance at him, a slight flush spreading across his cheeks at being caught out, humming to himself as he was. He isn't sure whether it's better or worse that it's a stranger. To someone who doesn't know him, it's out of character, but to this person? What must he look like, a man standing about, humming a Christmas song to himself...

"I'm fine," he answers, gruffly. Perhaps more gruffly than he should, considering the innocence of the question, but he's never liked being caught out in a position like this.

[knowntohisfriends]

"Right nice tune you were hummin'," the Dodger adds in a pleasant tone. "Not much fer the music at this time of year, but without the lyrics it sounds nicer." He didn't really like most of the lyrics of Christmas songs - a lot of them talked about things he could never experience, after all.

[reticence]

Faolan isn't so certain he's a fan of Christmas songs either, not really being a big fan of Christmas for that matter. He's never really had a reason to celebrate it, not in the last handful of years. Last year though, things had changed. He still isn't certain about the holiday, but he's grateful for the experiences it brings.

The songs are so damn catchy though. He gestures around them, to where the store is piping the music through over the hum of the crowd. "It's easy to get these things stuck in your head," he offers, by way of explanation.

[knowntohisfriends]

The Dodger is only a fan of Christmas because - for at least a couple of hours - it meant his family wasn't fighting. And considering how rare that was, it was little wonder that it made him like it a lot.

He would agree to the songs being really damn catchy though.

"I know. C'n be right annoyin'."

3

[roddy_reinigen]

Roddy wasn't going to keep him, of course, but when Roddy saw the poor, wet miserable rat outside, he couldn't just let the poor thing stay out there and be miserable. He figured he'd take it in, get it some food and wait for the rain to stop (and the rat to dry off of course), before releasing it back outside. And, of course, with Roddy's influence as a rat shifter, the wild rat was far more okay with this idea than he'd have been with a human trying to pick him up.

When he wandered into the kitchen and saw Faolan, however, he quickly put the rat into the pocket of his hoodie, hoping that Faolan wouldn't notice what it was he just put in there. Or the tail sticking out.

[reticence]

Faolan startles slightly at the sudden appearance of another in the kitchen with him, abruptly cutting off the singing he'd been doing, luckily not knocking the pot of warming soup off the stove and all over himself in the process. He flushes slightly, aware that he's been caught, caught singing to himself, and singing a Christmas song, no less.

"Sorry," he says, though he honestly doesn't know why he's apologizing to the younger man. This is twice now he's acted bizarre in front of Roddy, he must think he's off his lid. "I... I didn't think anyone was around."

[roddy_reinigen]

"It's fine," he said, not really sure why Faolan was apologizing. "Your singing's pretty good, actually."

In case Faolan thought it was the voice that was the problem. Roddy opened the door and started rummaging around in the fridge.

[reticence]

Faolan ducks his head slightly at the compliment. He could pretend that he hadn't heard it, but that was obviously less than true. He could simply acknowledge it, and leave it be. Or he supposes he could do the honest thing and tell the truth. He's already been awkward enough with Roddy as it is, he supposes he should be honest with him for a change.

"Thanks," he replies. "I... A long time ago, it was. What I had wanted to do with my life. Music." It's pretty obvious that he's strayed far, far from that course these days now, however.

[roddy_reinigen]

"Oh. What happened? Or did things just never take off?" Roddy was curious, because he wanted to make a career in music, as well. In his own opinion, there was no reason that being able to do Hillingdon stuff and a music career were mutually exclusive, so he wondered why Faolan didn't do both.

Grabbing some cheese and soda out of the fridge, Roddy went over and put it on the table before going over to the pantry to get some crackers, all the while trying to cover up the movement in his pocket. Still, he was curious to hear what Faolan had to say.