RP (non-canon) Lewis Pasco Day Celebration For All!

The Chiaki Compound in Funky City was all aglow a certain Saturday night of Nepleslia's cold season. Lights in the shape of grenades lined the edges of the massive building, and a decent size crowd was making it's way inside. There were different types, big and small, from Elsyians to Abwehrans, Iromakuanhe to Azoreans, even a few Nekos could make the momentous occasion, just to get the hell out of the -18F temperatures. It was that time of year again, only this time, with a certain twist. It was Lewis Pasco Day.

Inside, was a warm, humongous show room, made specifically for the hosting occasions such as this. There were banners cascading from the ceiling in a variety of languages, all saying three different things.

Happy Lewis Pasco Day!

Only weapons, and guns of all kinds are allowed, stay in the spirit of things.

No fighting, violators will be shot. By everyone.

At the front of the room stood Kokuten Gaiasis Chiaki the Fifth in the standard issue Nepleslian Marine uniform. Around his neck, hung a seasonal Pasco Day grenade. In fact, he was so in the spirit, that his usual bright green eyes were dimmed to an AIR2 FMD Green. He grinned to the crowd as he held a microphone at his chin. A spotlight cut on to him, and the crowd came to a hush.

"Welcome, everyone! To the AwesomeCorp sponsored Lewis Pasco Day For Everyone, Even Yamatai." the doctor nodded his head to the mostly Yamataian/Neko crowd. "First, I'd like to thank my parents for allowing us the use of their home for this occasion."

The spotlight veered off the table where the sponsors sat. It showed Triana Chiaki and Kokuten Chiaki the 4th, sitting next to eachother; smiling nervously, they waved to the crowd. The spotlight then shot back over to Kokuten the 5th.

"Aren't they great? But hey, how could we afford the booze and food for this many people? Why, the very generous sponsorship of AwesomeCorp, of course!" announced Kokuten through the mic, throwing his hand toward the direction of the sponsor table again. The spotlight quickly followed over, past the Chiaki's and onto Eulalie and Phil Nates, owners of AwesomeCorp. Unfortunately, they were unable to wave, as they were already passed out drunk over the table and on top of eachother. Several empty bottles of liquor sat around their smiling, alcohol-induced sleeping heads. The spotlight went back to Kokuten the 5th, who was still staring at the passed out pair.

"Uhm..." went the rather speechless Kokuten, before, "Well... looks like the Nates got their share! Anyway, let's cut down to the chase. You all know the rules and traditions of Pasco Day, they're all around and hanging from the ceiling. So I'll start out the first gift today, and then we can find our friends and trade amongst ourselves."

He went of stage for about half a minute, before returning with a rivet gun in hand. "My first gift, goes to a good friend I made within the past year. Tweak, if you're in the crowd, this one's for you!" Then, he waved his hand, "Alright guys! Let's trade some guns!"

The back door closed quietly as the neko slipped out of the house just before Kokuten made his announcements. Tweak, her multi-colored LEDs blinking merrily (and in-season, for once) around the crown of her knit hat, leaned against the door and breathed in the incredibly cold Nepleslia air as a knapsack with something heavy in it hung from the fingers of one hand.

"Party". She knew she wasn't going to stay inside long after those words were uttered, but she had gone anyway. It wasn't that she was coerced, per say, she wanted to go. But there were more people than she had ever thought able to cram into a room and she needed some air.

Hefting the bag up with one hand and feeling the contents with the other, she nodded to herself. The item was, or items were, still there. Watching the thick steam rise from her breath, Tweak turned to glance through a window at the busy kitchen inside.

Kokuten held up the psuedo weapon for a full minute, before noticing that no single being was approaching him. His FMD-green LED eyes searched around, spying not a single sign of the receiving person he had called for. For a fact, the Staff Sergeant knew that he had invited the Freespacer, he had made the invitation himself and had heard her accept.

Wait... thought Kokuten, She wouldn't have... The idea was very possible in his mind, and he stepped off the stage and on to the door to see.

Meanwhile, Tweak's peeking went noticed by one of the 'chefs' hastily gathering up finger-foods to take outside to the hungry guests. The young lady stared at the pale Freespacer Neko, quite unable of discerning what she was. So, the kitchen worker waved at Tweak, before startling from what could be seen as the 'Kitchen Boss' yelling at her to get back to work.

At that moment would come a large sigh from Kokuten as he stuck his head out of the door, spotting Tweak out in the cold. The Sergeant leaned out and walked over, resting the Rivet Gun over his right shoulder.

"You know, you're the only person I know who would go outside into somewhere this cold just to get away from a crowd." Kokuten chuckled, letting his free arm hang, since he'd get no warmth from that.

The neko smiled and a few fingers poked up to wave at the worker, probably looking like pale inchworms bowing over the windowsill. Her hand dropped back to her side when the worker left, her coat sleeve sliding down to conceal it as she looked over to see Kokuten.

Kokuten said:

At that moment would come a large sigh from Kokuten as he stuck his head out of the door, spotting Tweak out in the cold. The Sergeant leaned out and walked over, resting the Rivet Gun over his right shoulder.

"You know, you're the only person I know who would go outside into somewhere this cold just to get away from a crowd." Kokuten chuckled, letting his free arm hang, since he'd get no warmth from that.

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"Oh." The neko's eyes went to the snow-dusted ground, unsure how to react to that. Was it a good thing or a bad thing? Her knapsack was held loosely by the shoulder straps in her other hand which was also hidden in the large coat. It appeared to be suspended from an empty sleeve and brushed the snow before she pulled it up and hugged it to her chest, the bag's material creating a vague outline of something square-ish and not very thick inside.

"It's not that cold," Tweak said in a quiet voice, and attempted to smile. The smile ended up as twitching at the corners of her mouth. Stupid nerves.

A small smirk curled up on Kokuten's face. Small billows of warm air curled steamed from his nose with every breath, and the color of his eyes started to gently settle into an icy blue. Even just being outside for a few seconds caused the man to shake up for warmth, as his body was quickly responding to the -18F air. While they were in Funky City, they were in one of the higher quarters, which tended to be a lot colder than anywhere in Funky City.

"Tweak, it's almost twenty below out here. I know you're a... special case, when it comes to Freespacers, but even th-these temperatures can't be g-good for you." sqaubbled Kokuten, getting colder and colder, the whole of his body shaking more now, he let the Rivet Gun hang to his side, "B-besides, what if there p-p-people ins-s-side who w-want t-to give you a g-g-gift?"

He looked so cold there. Tweak shrugged in reply to his comment and managed an actual smile. A small one, but still a smile. "I don't think so," she murmured. What would anyone want to give her a present for?

Thinking of the crowd inside, a shudder of pent-up tension ran through her and she relaxed a little. Outwardly, it looked like a shiver, but Tweak's internal temperature always ran higher than human norm and although it meant that it probably felt colder outside to her than Kokuten, it also made it toasty underneath the large coat she wore. She kicked, first the toe-tips of her left foot and then her right, against the ground, getting very little sensation from them as she did; her toes had gotten a little numb.

Tweak looked down at them, craning her neck to see over her bag, then looked over at her host. Being out here was also rude to the one who invited her. She could at least pretend to have a good time, and maybe she would have one. She was an engineer, she could figure out a way to do at least that!

"Alright, I'll come inside," said Tweak after what was only a few seconds of thought, this time closer to a normal speaking volume this time so Kokuten could hear. Only because you're going to stay out here if I don't, aren't you? she added, but didn't say it out loud. Keeping her bag hugged to herself, the neko walked over to the doctor, glancing at the rivet gun on her way inside.

"What's that for?"

Kokuten sighed in relief as Tweak decided to go inside where it was warm. Already Kokuten had begun sniffling. Honest, why had he not gotten a jacket at the very least? For him, that pullover offered little warmth, and looking at the content Tweak only made him colder. He took a deep breath, and gave her a stare, his eyes a cold, icy blue now. Argh! I'm gunna freeze to death if I don't get inside! was the exaggerated thought of the host.

"L-listen, tw-tw-Tweak. I kn-know you d-don't like big crowds, so--" started Kokuten, before Tweak asked...

"What's that for?"

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"Th-this?" sniffled Kokuten after a short pause. He looked at the Rivet Gun he had over his shoulder, before putting it in both of his hands and presenting it to the toasty Freespacer. "Th-this is y-y-y-y..." He shook his head quickly before getting the word out, "Your gift. I g-gotchu one of these ol-old-fashioned Rivet Guns."

She stopped. Tweak's eyes flicked between the gift and the giver several times before she held out her hands. Her bag dropped, jerking one of her hands downward as it reached the end of its cords which she still held, although barely so.

But why? The question hung in her mind for a moment before she answered it herself. The same reasons as before. Her face had slowly been getting pinker around the cheeks and nose from the cold and were quite rosy by this point, but she still looked down again and half-pretended to inspect the gun. Half, because it really was a very nice gift. Compared with a lot of her tools, it was in terrific condition. Someone was giving her something like this. And half because...

Her brain hurt. She didn't know Kokuten, nothing beyond what she knew from today, but she did know things about him. He was a stranger, a stranger she knew a lot about. But he knew her too, more than anyone else on the station that she knew. And then... and... then... something ached. But only when she thought of two people or came across their records in her stored memories. And maybe for different reasons. An emotion that translated into physical discomfort, though? Despite her doubt on the matter, it remained.

"Why-whywhy...?" she stammered, looking at the rivet gun then back at Kokuten with a mix of amazement and confusion. Because it's the point of the holiday, right? Was that why he was giving it to her? What had she just been thinking? He looked cold. Tweak turned before he could answer and went inside, waiting for him to follow and close the door while self-consciously looking around to see if anyone was watching.

Despite the chattering of his teeth, Kokuten managed to smile, with a boyish chuckle trailing, in response to the silence his gift caused. He could see it in her critical, red eyes, the appreciation of a finely-crafted tool(which could easily double for a mid-ranged gun). In the biting cold out there, a small warmth burst from within, allowing him to relax the whole of his body in the goodness of the moment. Still, he looked pretty cold.

"Why-whywhy...?" she stammered, looking at the rivet gun then back at Kokuten with a mix of amazement and confusion.

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"W-why n--!" Kokuten started before seeing her dart into the building after giving him that same look she had given the gun. Thank you he said inwardly as he followed her into an empty parlor. On the wall across from the door to enter, was the door leading to the grandiose party. On the other walls, were benches for people to sit and wait for whatever reason there could be. Earlier, it had been a bustling little area, full of hurried people cutting through the chilly parlor, to the warm show room, from the ice cold outside temperatures.

At any rate, it felt much warmer to the tall Chiaki man. He bounced on his toes up and down, and his arms made a small beep as small vents opened in the sides, flushing out the cold air, and cycling in the warm air to warm the metal. He looked over at the cautious Freespacer and gave her a better smile than he had to endure out in the cold.

"Well, why not, Tweak?" he said, holding out his arms in explanation, "It may seem strange since you can't remember, but we've shared a lot of moments. Some were bad, some were good, and some were out-right dangerous! Heh! But, I've enjoyed most of them, and it's made me glad to call you my friend." His eyes began to slowly settle back into a FMD green, with a strange red tint to them, "So much so, that'd I'd been thinking--..." He sighed, shaking his head with a smile. He gave a little chuckle, a certain jolly gleam in his artificial eyes which looked towards the floor for the moment, before returning back up to her. "No, now's not the time for that. I'm just glad you like it."

Yeah...

"Me too. I mean...I'm happy we are friends." Tweak said, smiling now. The smile froze in place as a little doubt appeared...what if he had fixed all her records, implanted himself there? A diagnostic began by reflex, but she stopped it because checking her own memory wouldn't serve any purpose. She instead checked the signatures and patterns in the encryption of the memory unit, particularly any files related to Kokuten while turning to one of the benches to set her bag and the rivet gun down on. In the seconds it took to do that, her analysis results came back. All timestamps, encryption keys, and author notes were valid and listed as only hers. Unless he had gotten fancy, everything she knew about him was true.

Her trust validated, the neko turned back to Kokuten, her smile genuine again, and hugged him. "Hijō ni ōku no--" She stopped. No, that wasn't right. She started again, a different way. "Hijō ni Chiaki-sama, arigatōgozaimasu."

Thank you very much, Chiaki-sama.

The Staff Sergeant gained a small look of surprise as the Freespacer embraced him so. He knew as well as anyone knew Tweak, that she didn't hand out hugs lightly. The girl was a recluse and very sensitive about her personal space. So, the man decided not to waste the moment, and returned the hug with his own.

"You're welcome, Tweak-chan." replied Kokuten, trying to slide in his own bit of Yamataian influence to compensate for the Yamataian she spoke so fluently. After a moment, he leaned back, lightly cupping her shoulders before dropping his hands back into his pockets. He gave a short chuckle. "Now, I know you don't like large crowds, but I think we should head back inside, just in case I'm not the only who has a gift for you."