#it fun to brainstorm what sorts of gifts they'd be made into

[taldigi]

slides onto table

i'm just saying that a piece of jewlery made from a droplet from your persona is an untapped gift potential between persona users

I wonder if different personas make different colored droplets...

[cryptid-killjoy]

Valentine's Day

Kuzco and Clopin have celebrated many o' many holidays together. At this point in their lives between birthdays, anniversaries, Christmases, and all the others inbetween it could leave gifting to run a little dry. This was especially true when they had the attitudes of people who could live off of nothing if they had to as Kuzco's once so coveted "off the grid" life, but now also were back to having the wealth of royalty. They wanted for nothing and needed nothing. They'd given each other everything usual and so much of the unusual. They'd given each other detrimental and completely mental. This year Kuzco was going back to nostalgic and sentimental. Their roots.

Being back in Peru was familiar and strange all the same. It was a place he was welcome and yet also a place he was never quite welcome to begin with. Of course after his disappearance the place was welcoming him back with open arms like some long lost commodity. It didn't mean he'd forgotten what it was like before, what he had been running from, why he ran into Clopin's arms to begin with. Having his long lost relative's namesake ended up being a heavy burden no matter how many generations had passed. A big part of him wanted to run back to the other half of his heritage in Italy. Being back here started to become a stark reminder of it all despite his daughter starting to change the government, the world there at large.

Memories stung. Clung. But, there were good ones too.

Machu Pichu.

He recalled the first time he took Clopin there. He opened up to him and told him of how he played there as a child. He played hide and seek and used all the ruins and structures like hide outs and secret forts. He had one in particular he'd hide from the secret councel in. He'd go there and they'd search and search. The whole village would be looking and he'd be right there hidden on the mountain happy as can be all alone. Then he'd get scared when it'd start to rain too hard or he'd get hungry and finally have to go home. He felt sneaky and he felt like he had a fun story to tell this too cool off the grid guy that he had it in him to be like him too. He wanted to convince him. That was the area of Machu Pichu he was taking Clopin for Valentine's Day.

He had a picnic ready. The New Chef helped him with a lot it, but he had a lot of the brainstorming going on. He had samples of all the different sorts of Peruvian candies a person might sample if first coming like they were tourists again just for kicks. Then he had Peruvian lilies mixed with roses in a vase with some pear cider wine.

It would be all set up when they'd arrive at the familiar spot. Kuzco's groove would be softly going in the background. It wasn't Smashing Pumpkins today. It was Electricity by Theme Song Guy. This particular song had been Kuzco's song for a long time and it might have been titled the same power that their dear friend Flo had, but that was actually coincidental and had nothing to do with why it was Kuzco's song. It was a metaphor chosen for his groove magic. His groove magic was like the feeling of electricity, like coming alive.

This was very important for today inside Kuzco's feelings. He'd been stuffed up a long time between hiding on their private island, raising their daughter, staying on Laveau land, just all of it. Now here they were. Piper changed it all. They'd been through so much and he wouldn't change a thing. They always made the best of every single day and he knew they always would. But, what do you get someone who has everything and needs nothing who means so much to you? Sure, he could go for another funny gift. He could. He usually did. He liked to laugh. But, this year felt different to him. Everything felt different. Valentine's Day never felt like a big deal to Kuzco but today it did.

He sat down with Clopin and even though he'd heard the song before because he recalled telling him TSG gave him this song he still made sure he listened to every lyric as he poured their drinks.

I can't really explain it I haven't got the words It's a feeling that you can't control I suppose it's like forgetting Losing who you are And at the same time Something makes you whole It's like that there's a music Playing in your ear And I'm listening, and I'm listening And then I disappear

And then I feel a change Like a fire deep inside Something bursting me wide open Impossible to hide

And suddenly I'm flying Flying like a bird Like electricity Electricity Sparks inside of me And i'm free, I'm free

It's a bit like being angry It's a bit like being scared Confused and all mixed up And mad as hell It's like when you've been crying And you're empty, and you're full I don't know what it is It's hard to tell

It's like that there's some music Playing in your ear But the music Is impossible Impossible to hear

But then I feel it move me Like a burning deep inside Something bursting me wide open Impossible to hide

Then suddenly I'm flying Flying like a bird Like electricity Electricity Sparks inside of me And I'm free, I'm free

Electricity Sparks inside of me And I'm free, I'm free Ohhhh-oh-whoa... I'm free.

He let the music continue to play without words softly behind them as he spoke after.

"Remember? He wrote that about my groove. So I wouldn't feel bad about getting in trouble when I couldn't control my music when I was younger. It was part of me. It made me free. It was the only time I felt like me. Everyone always wanted to supress me and he found a way to make sure I could still be me with the Theme Song Guy Band so I could still go outside. So I could live the best he could figure out anyway."

He nodded his head. His chest hurt a little recalling memories of TSG. But, there was a point to all this he was trying to get to.

"I don't know Papa Cougs. I think something changed along the way. I love you and all that. We know that. That's always been a given or we wouldn't be married. Okay look. What I'm trying to say is I brought you out here to say, you're my groove. Like you are my groove. If I've never said it before I need to say it right now. I can't groove without you. I used to need groove to feel free, to be me. But, now I need you to feel groove in like everything else I do because I can't do anything without groove. I don't function without groove. You spark my groove. Yeah. You're the spark to my groove. That's it. You ignite it. You bring me to life inside. I just felt the need to say that today."

The music got louder as he spoke behind him as his hype in figuring out his words formed with his aged, chubbed, but ever boyish, charming face.