#jellyon tg.

[astraebled]

❝ You have such a pretty face, you should be on a Christmas card. ❞ // lyon @ jellal

★ |  * ⋆      -   -  - –  INBOX !  *  ﹡                  ﹡     ✧ * ☇  ( @sepelebra ! ) *

The third Christmas - X793

     Nothing is surprising about Jellal being romantically inept. It hadn't always been this way ― back in his days as a Council member, he was very skilled with words, with a silver tongue that knew how to flatter, seduce and string people along. After all, you don't make your way to the top at the age of nineteen without a few good tricks up your sleeve.

                                            ( Having Ultear helped, too )

     But it's been many years since then. He'd gone from a famous, sought-out political figure and cult leader to a fleeing fugitive with a price on his head ― and that was less than ideal for one's social life, never mind romance. With flirting he had lost his touch ― and, in all honesty, digging into his memories to try to get the hang of it wasn't a very appealing option. Unless he's feeling particularly masochist, Jellal doesn't poke that part of his memories with a ten-foot pole.

     And while the loss of his charisma was something that didn't bother him much ― ( not when he had only ever used it for nefarious purposes ) ― having a sudden spike of romance in his life did make him regret the EASE with which he could have once upon a time replied to his... well, his boyfriend.

              ( the word was still relatively new, and just as unreal as the first day )

     "...I don't know about a card, but there's probably still a few of my BOUNTY POSTERS laying around if that's something up your alley ?"

✔ ACCEPTING

[sinshckled]

“ Is there something I can get you — or help you with sir? “ // ww au ;)

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     Small, metallic bells CHANT when he pushes the shop’s door open; && when the young man enters, the light winter wind follows him.

     Jellal Fernandes sweeps off the little pile of snow that has accumulated on his shoulders, shakes his head ( gently ) and brushes the humid cobalt strands away from his eyes of hazel — which then proceed to fall upon the room he just entered, analyzing his surroundings.

     If he has to guess, he’ll say this is an antique shop — and he’s PRETTY SURE he’s RIGHT. Before him stand shelves and shelves of objects and trinkets most likely OLDER THAN HIM — so many things, all coming together in one, beautiful picture that doesn’t leave him indifferent; he  ( g a p e s )  slightly, in WONDER . *, at the sight of it all.

     The floor creaks beneath his feet as he takes a few steps, his curiosity awoken — and he must have been wandering through the shop for about fives minutes when a voice rings from behind him, quite suddenly;

     —— He whips around, STARTLED — grip thankfully tightening on the small star he’d been examinating, which thank the Heavens he did not drop — && his gaze meets another, light blue like cornflowers.

The stranger is hauntingly ( beautiful ); tall, with sharp traits and ivory locks as bright && immaculate as the snow falling outside. He’s left speechless for a few seconds.

     ( perhaps longer than he thought, he realizes when the man raises an eyebrow — && suddenly coming back to his senses, he coughs and blushes…embarrassed. )

     “Hello ! — yes, uh… well, I’m just looking around. I’m new in town, I arrived a few days ago.” He adverts his gaze briefly, AWKWARDLY putting the trinket down, back in its place, and he passes his hand through his hair before looking at the stranger who visibly works here again. 

     “I’m not looking for anything in particular — but !, if you have any books, I would like to see them.” Cue a small, friendly SMILE.

[astraebled]

❛ here, you can have my scarf. ❜ // lyon @ jellal

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The second Christmas - X792

     Jellal jolts at the sound of the other's voice, turns around swiftly to meet the pale blue gaze of the Lamia Scale wizard.

     Just that is enough to bring back in full-blown force the memories of his lips pressed against his cheek, ( so close to his own ), still extremely fresh in the Heavenly Body mage's mind ― dating back only of a few days at most. The event left the man shaken, unsure of how to act around the other afterwards ― especially since he had hurriedly left the place shortly after.

     He has been trying to subtly to sell the idea of packing up and departing the region early to an hesitant ( and confused ) Meredy during the last few days ― as to diminish the risks of him running into the Ice Wizard again. A bit selfish of him, certainly, but he really wanted to avoid another encounter, at least until his heart stopped sprinting every time he remembered.

     But the universe, it seemed, wasn't on his side.

                      ( when had it ever been, really ? )

     So here he was, with some groceries && red coating his cheeks ― from the chilly air, he's telling himself because, with so much on his mind, he didn't dress as warmly as he should have.

     Which Lyon NOTICES, apparently, because he offers his scarf ― wraps it around his neck, and Jellal stops breathing for a second because he's so CLOSE ―

                                                ― [ exhale ]

             "I-- uhm." He clears his throat. "Thank you."

✔ ACCEPTING

[astraebled]

❝ No one should be alone on Christmas. ❞ // lyon @ jellal

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The first Christmas - X984

     He's out for a walk in Margaret Town, near their camp for the night. It's snowing, and the streets are illuminated with strings of lights ― but they're empty, most of the population busy celebrating in the comfort of their home, alongside loved ones.

     It isn't very wise for a wanted criminal to wander a town, frankly, so he's lucky that Lyon Vastia was the one who caught him. Luckier, even, that his hood hangs low enough for his anonymity to be preserved.

( He did apply some makeup on his left cheek, to hide the tattoo that marks the right side of his face. If not for his sake, then for his travel companions'. )

     "I'm no stranger to loneliness", he answers the man with a sad smile.

     Christmas never meant much to him anyway ― they never had that in the Tower, only knew of winter because of the snow that would fall && make their job harder, their bodies sick with fever and shaking with the FREEZING COLD upon their skin. And when he reintegrated society for the purpose of his... "divine mission" ― the holiday was nothing but another event he had to attend with politicians to entertain and too many smiles to fake.

             "Although..."

     He doesn't know Meredy well yet. They've been travelling together these past few months, but he's kept away from both his old partner in crime and the little girl on her heels. Ultear leaves him alone, most of the time ― she knows he would rather be rotting in a cell, paying for his crimes like he should be, so she doesn't insist on roping him in additional activities. ( Not that there's much to know, when you're on the run )

     He doesn't know Meredy well, and she's not that young, but ― she did seem to have a glint of sadness in her eyes tonight, when they sat down for the evening meal ― abstently looking into the campfire, watching the flames devour the bark of the tree logs.

     He wonders if she used to celebrated ― if, maybe, she'd like to.

     It's a stupid idea. A naive one, perhaps. But when the other man's about to turn around, he calls for him ― refuses to meet his eyes, but asks ;

                    "Actually... do you think you could do something for me ?"

     An hour later, Jellal is back at their camp with a leather bag of ornaments. Nothing too fancy, some wooden little decorations that they could burn before leaving ― ( although he'll end up keeping storing them away in his pocket dimension for the next winters to come ).

     Meredy and Ultear have already retreated in their tent for the night ― so he takes his time, goes hunting for a small pine tree ( nothing too big ), which he sets up in the spot where the campfire had burned. Working in pitch darkness is a bit complicated, and he isn't very skilled at decorating ― the tree looks a bit pitiful, frankly ―

                   but in the end, her smile makes it all worth it.

( If he sees Vastia again one day, Jellal promises himself he'll take the time to thank him again. )

✔ ACCEPTING