Weathering the Storm (Moriko/Fue)

Christmas in Japan was a very different sort of animal than it was back home in France. It wasn’t as big of a deal, but that was probably due to religious differences in the developmental history of the country. France had its own sort of special history with Christianity. Russia, too, had its own peculiarities. Though Fue was a little more separated from those, even if her mama would bring her own traditional dishes and actual traditions from the home country. Though, perhaps all three of those countries’ traditional celebrations paled in comparison to the Christmases celebrated in America.

Fue had heard of the sorts of crazy, over the top sorts of things that Americans would do to celebrate, though she had some doubts that Moriko’s family were that sort, but you never could tell. After all, it wasn’t like the kids got to choose how the holidays got celebrated, even if they could sway things sometimes. Moriko's father didn’t sound like the sort who would go crazy like in the movies. Moriko’s life before the school seemed a lot more simple and rustic. Fue had a lot of trouble imagining what that life was like, it was so different to her own upbringing. Actually, that wasn’t the only thing that Fue had found difficult.

This was going to be their first Christmas together as a couple, except it was going to be their first Christmas apart. Moriko was going home, so was Fue. They were going to be almost on opposite sides of the world. Fue really didn’t want to split up like this. They’d still be able to send emails and stuff, but they might not be able to talk every day, and they wouldn’t see each other for weeks. Fue had wanted to invite Moriko to France for Christmas, but no, they were still a new couple, more than that, it would be wrong to get in the way of Moriko’s family seeing her. And it would probably be wrong to impose somewhere if she wasn’t invited by going to America herself. It might be fun to go to America though, they could visit the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell and other stuff that was probably in the same area.

So separation was hard, but they had talked it over and agreed that they would have their own little Christmas together. After all, the day didn’t matter, just the celebration. So they’d get together before the holiday break, share some food, and exchange gifts. Fue wasn’t entirely sure how that would go at first, but eventually they’d come to an agreement. The gifts weren’t going to be some expensive things, but Fue really wanted her gift to Moriko to be something amazing. And amazing was really hard to do. Moriko was simple, not in a bad way, but she didn’t have a lot of frivolous wants. Food was the most obvious and easy answer, but food disappeared so quickly, it was a fleeting pleasure.

Fue wanted to do more than just some fancy dessert or special snack. Most other things that had come to her mind had been way too expensive, like hiking boots. Those would have been good for her, but a good pair was really expensive and Fue didn’t really know what made a boot any good to start with. She could have asked her moms but that advice probably would have been more in line with fashion over function even if she was able to spend that much.

Some cute gloves might have been a good idea, especially if they matched, but then that would probably be a better thing to buy if they were out together shopping. Not that that was too likely, Moriko didn’t like crowds and a shopping mall or clothing store was going to be a nightmare, especially during the holidays. If only there was a way she could just sort of give the gift of not having to deal with that but still keeping the going out together part.

It was pure luck that she’d stumbled across it while browsing outdoorsy stores trying to decide. And it had taken awhile to get it perfect, after all, Fue wanted Moriko’s very first Christmas present from her to be special, to have some kind of personalization to it. And she was pretty sure that she’d managed to do that. Hopefully Moriko would appreciate it, Fue still held some anxiety over whether she’d made the right choice. But there was no stalling now. The day had come.

Fue had gathered all she could, a few snacks, some thermoses of hot cocoa, and, of course, the wrapped bundle that was her gift all into her large bag to meet Moriko at their tree. She couldn’t really think of it any other way, it was where she had finally worked up the courage to confess, where they had, well, been driven off by rain and things had gone sort of wrong, but the most important thing had gone right. Moriko had accepted her feelings.

So obviously, that was where they were going to have their early Christmas together. She stepped out into the cold air, it was oddly dark out, the skies were overcast and grey, the sky seemed to loom low with dark clouds as a nasty, biting wind swept the grounds. Nobody else seemed to be braving the weather, but Fue didn’t want to just give up. This was important. So she started the trek through previously fallen snow towards their tree.

Christmas is only a little ways away and most students at Fukui Academy are returning home for the holidays. This goes the same for Fue and Moriko. So, despite them recently becoming girlfriends, it seems that this Christmas they will be celebrating the holidays with their respective families instead of with each other. A melancholy had fallen over Moriko when she realized that she'd be away from her for a few weeks. Not to mention, the situation with her family at the moment isn't the greatest...

But right now, those thoughts are not in the forefront of her mind. Instead, she's feeling both nervous and excited. For she and Fue decided to have their own little celebration together before they part ways for the holidays. And today's the day!

Today had been a half day, so that students could prepare for their return home. So she and Fue had agreed to meet up a little after classes had ended. This had given Moriko time to run back to the dorms to change clothes and grab Fue's gift. She'd thrown on a pair of her newer jeans and a simple blue T-shirt, not having anything more fancy to wear. Over that she's wearing a dark gray jacket and on her feet are her old broken-in hiking boots. Wrapping a chocolate brown crocheted scarf around her neck, she peers outside the glass doors of the dorm entrance. It had snowed the previous day and everything is covered in the white powder. Leaning forward slightly, Moriko blows on the cold glass, fogging it up and then places her right hand against it. It smudges a bit, due to the several band-aids covering her hand and fingers, but it's still recognizable as a hand print.

Smiling to herself, she opens the door, a blast of icy wind pushing against her. Stepping outside, she shoves her bare hands into her jacket pockets. A soft crinkling emits from her left pocket as her hand presses against the wrapped package that is Fue's gift. Making sure it's well and secure, Moriko begins to jog towards her destination.

Pale breath puffing in the frigid air, Moriko's boots crunch in the snow as she dashes through the darkened day. It's a little past noon, but the sky is filled with heavy gray clouds that block out the sun completely. The wind blows continuously, scouring her cheeks red with it's chill touch.

Running always awakens Moriko's joy, so she does so with abandon. Legs pumping, heart pounding and lungs working, she darts around a corner of the school building and spots her destination in the distance. It's the tree at the edge of the sports fields. The tree where Fue had confessed to her, and she had accepted. Their tree.

And standing beneath that tree, already there, is Fue.

Ah dang, she beat me!

Despite Moriko trying to hurry up when changing her clothes, she'd had a few things delay her.
But that's all right, 'cause she's almost there!

With that thought, she puts on a spurt of speed, wanting to get there as soon as possible.

Her feet throws up snow as she closes the final distance and comes to a skidding halt. She slips a little, and almost barrels into Fue, but manages to break right before doing so. Snow piles up at her feet and flies all around her at her abrupt stop. Luckily, the wind is blowing at Fue's back, so most of the icy dust is pulled away from the other girl, but some of it probably did get sprayed on her. But Moriko doesn't seem to notice as she stands before Fue.

Looking directly into Fue's eyes, Moriko can't help the bright smile that stretches across her ruddy cheeks. Dark teals sparkling, the stiff breeze tugs her hair every which way, the ends of her scarf flapping energetically.

"Heya Fue! You weren't waiting long, were you?", she asks, her words a tad breathless, but filled to the brim with vigor.

Fue arrived at the tree to find that she was the first one there. She wasn't upset or disappointed at all, Moriko would show up just as soon as she could, Fue had no doubts about that. But it was seriously cold today. She set down her bag at her side and brought her mittened hands up to her mouth. Cupping them together, she blew warm breath into them and rubbed her hands together. It didn't do much to help so she stuck her hands into her armpits and huddled up as much as she could. It felt like if she were to spill the hot cocoa, it would freeze solid before it hit the ground.

Well at least it hadn't started snowing, Fue thought to herself as she fought to retain what heat she could. It would be coming, if the sky was any sign of the future. She glanced around and saw the figure of Moriko coming towards her. Fue couldn't help but smile at the sight. But it was surprising to see that Moriko was not dressed nearly as heavily as Fue was. Fue had worn a long skirt with thick tights beneath. Over top were several shirts though these was hidden by the thick pullover and a long knitted scarf.

Fue raised her arm and waved to the approaching girl, though she glanced down quickly to make sure that her bag hadn't suddenly and mysteriously disappeared from where she set it down. She looked up to meet Moriko's gaze as the sporty girl skidded to a stop just short of barreling into her. "Hi Moriko." Fue said, her words misting in the air before being torn away by the strong freezing wind. "No, I was only here for like a couple minutes. Class go ok?" It wasn't exacly a classic greeting, but Fue always found the first hellos to be kind of awkward.

Back home, people greeted eachother with kisses on the chek, but that felt a bit odd now that they were dating, kisses felt like they would mean a whole lot more, even if it was just on the cheek. And hugging seemed to be really sudden, though Moriko looked like she could use something warm wrapped around her. Though that might have been Fue feeling cold just looking at how lightly Moriko was dressed. Were her hands really bare? How was she not shaking uncontrollably. Fue was tempted to take off her scarf and wrap it around her girlfriend. "Are you not cold?"

A look of relief flashes across Moriko's face when Fue says she's only been waiting for a few minutes. It's pretty cold out and she would have felt bad if she'd made her girlfriend stand out in it too long. Straightening up from her slight stoop, Moriko shrugs her shoulders at Fue's question.

"Class was all right," she replies, her tone bland.

To Moriko, school is mostly a boring slog. There are a couple of classes that are somewhat interesting, but those are few and far between. In fact, the only classes that she actually feels excited for are the ones that actually pertains to her wood carving. But that's neither here nor there and Moriko doesn't worry too much about it. As long as she's getting passing grades in those other classes, that's all that matters.

Grinning at Fue's next question, Moriko shakes her head.

"It's a bit chilly out, but running here warmed me up. As long as I keep moving, I'll be fine."

Even as she says this, the wind picks up, tossing a dusting of snow onto both of the girls. Shoving both her hands deep into her jacket pockets, Moriko can't help the slight shiver that worms it's way through her. She rocks back and forth on her feet, the snow in her hair and on her shoulders sparkling in the dim daylight at her movement.

"Of course, with the wind blowing so hard, it's a different story," she tacks on, her grin turning sheepish.

Her eyes dropping down to the bag at Fue's feet, she leans in and nods in it's direction.

"What's that?" she asks, bright teals sparkling.

The fingers of her left hand curls around the package in her pocket, anticipation rising within her.

"Yeah, it's pretty cold." Fue said rather unnecessarily as she glanced around and fought off the desire to keep shivering. She wasn't successful as the wind coated the pair in white frost. She stuck her hands into her armpits, hugging herself tightly. Still, Fue smiled, it was better now that Moriko was here. At least she could be distracted from the cold.

"Loads." She said. "Umm, it's like a picnic again. Snacks, cocoa, and stuff we could have under the tree where we, you know, became girlfriends." The wind picked up even harder, whipping her short hair around wildly. Fue winced. "I didn't know it was going to be this bad." She'd planned the whole thing and here was the weather failing to cooperate. The picnic part of the plan would have to be adjusted especially with Moriko as underdressed as she was. It had been nice to take care of her while she was sick, but Moriko must have been miserable for it and it would be better if they were together and healthy.

"Also I have your gift in there." She crouched down. At the very least, the gift exchange ought to happen under the tree. That was super important, this tree was the start of their time together and she wanted their first sort of Christmas to be that special too. Even if they weren't able to spend the actual holiday together and would be split by almost half the world, at the least, they would have this.

Fue sniffed as she started rummaging through the bag. The picnic was supposed to be laid out first so the gift was at the bottom. And it had been layered extra thick to protect it in case something happened, like a spill or if the Cocoa thermoses leaked. But she also didn't want to take everything out, so mostly she was just shoving stuff around.

Eyes brightening at the mention of another picnic, Moriko can't help the widening of her smile at each mention of what's inside the bag. On top of that is the fact that Fue seems to feel as if this tree is their special place. Just like she does! They hadn't discussed it directly, or anything of the sort. At this realization, warmth spreads from Moriko's chest to her cheeks as her eyes and smile softens.

Then the wind picks up, tossing specks of sparkling snow from the branches of the tree above down onto the two girls. Moriko doesn't miss how Fue flinches and shivers at the icy chill that whips frenetically around them. Even she feels the rake of those insidiously frosty fingers as the wind tears it's way through her light jacket. She can't suppress the slight shudder that worms it's way down her spine.

Kind of wishing she'd worn a heavier coat, she's about to suggest to Fue that they go inside when the other girl suddenly crouches down and begins to shuffle through the bag that she'd brought.

"Gift?", Moriko repeats questioningly, her hand automatically going to the left pocket of her jacket. Do I give it to her now?, she wonders.

Hearing Fue sniff distracts her from her thoughts. Her girlfriend had taken care of her when she was sick, which she'd been grateful for. And she would do the same in a heartbeat! But she'd rather Fue NOT get sick. She'd been absolutely miserable and does not wish for the other girl to go through what she did.

With this in mind, Moriko pauses to figure out exactly which direction the wind is blowing from. Peering up at the shaking tree branches to the swirling clouds above, she nods to herself as she turns her face into the wind directly. Making note, she turns her back to it and quickly unzips her jacket. Shoving her bare hands into the pockets, she holds the jacket as wide open as she can, creating a barrier to the wind and snow.

Shuffling closer to Fue, Moriko positions herself at the other girl's back and slightly to her left. This places her directly between the wind and Fue. Bending her knees in a slight crouch, she makes sure to be as near to the other girl as she can get without being in the way. All of this is done in order to cover as much of her girlfriend as possible.

Moriko doesn't say anything, her warm breaths puffing out in a white mist, only to be torn to shreds by the stiff breeze.

Instead, she opts to lean slightly over Fue's shoulder as she curiously watches her search through the picnic bag.

The digging around wasn't actually working out. Shoving things to one side was not making the room she needed since it all had been packed so tightly and Moriko's gift was kind of big and awkwardly shaped for taking out of a bag. She should have stuck it in a different pocket or something, made it easy. But Fue had also wanted it to be super safe and had been storing it for a while just to make sure it would not be forgotten. Fue frowned down at the bag and made a decision.

She stuck one hand under her armpit and squeezed as she pulled the hand out of the mitten. That let her move her fingers more freely to push and shove everything around. Unfortunately, it also exposed her hand to the elements. Snowflakes stuck to the skin and began melting. She jammed her hand back into the bag as more of a defense mechanism against this freezing cold now. Her fingers caught the edge of the gif, it was a relief more than anything, but she still had to get it out.

Moriko had moved in the meantime. Fue hadn’t been paying that much attention to anything going around beside her in the time she was digging, her girlfriend had tried to help defend her from the freezing snow. Fue looked up into the face of Moriko smiling down while towering above her. Well, not towering, neither girl was all that tall but she was still standing over her with her jacket spread wide. Fue froze momentarily, as opposed to the constant freezing she had been doing since coming outside. Her pale cheeks gained bright pink dots as the blush stood out against skin paled by the cold.

The mitten in her armpit fell into the snow without Fue noticing. As soon as she realized that she was staring, Fue redoubled her efforts to get the package out of the bag and keep her eyes down and forward. “Th-th-thank you, M-Moriko.” She said, though whether she stuttered from the cold shivers or from the sudden shyness that was striking her, who could say. She hoped that Moriko would think it was just the cold. “It, uh, it doesn’t want to come out.” she said to fill in the silence and maybe overwrite the last two seconds of interaction. “I shouldn’t have put it on the bottom.” She had gotten her fingers around it but pulling it up was trying to dislodge everything else inside as well. It would make the whole effort pointless if all the carefully packed picnic supplies came out with the gift.

Fue looked up at Moriko and then back down at the bag. She tugged a bit harder and felt, rather than saw, the start of paper tearing. She winced a bit, hopefully that was just the wrapping and not anything important. She pulled her hand out. “I’ll have to unpack.” She looked up at Moriko, the wind was still blowing hard, Moriko was so underdressed for the cold too. At this rate, she’d get sick again. That would be bad, no matter how much Moriko claimed to be immune to illnesses, this was pushing it.

Fue picked up her glove and threw it in her bag, zipped the whole thing up, and stood. “Let’s go inside. We can have the picnic there.” She forced a smile on for Moriko despite how uncomfortable the cold made her. “Thank you for trying to block the wind. I wish I could share my jacket with you, you really don’t have enough layers on.”

Fue keeps rummaging through the bag, soft mutters of frustration sometimes falling from her lips, just barely audible over the wind. Then the other girl pauses and turns to look up at Moriko. And freezes in place. Fue's cheeks blaze a bright pink, the rest of her face wind chilled and pale.

Moriko blinks in surprise. It's pretty cold out, but she hadn't thought it'd been cold enough to scour a person's cheeks that red so fast. Fue must be super cold! Even with all those layers she's got on. And she'd even taken off one of her mittens! Which she notices fall to the ground as Fue quickly returns back to frantically digging through the bag. Moriko had opened her mouth to mention the fallen mitten, but her girlfriend, eyes firmly focused on her self given task, cuts in and stutters out a thank you.

Smiling to herself, Moriko can't help but think Cute...

Even with all the shuffling about of the items packed so tightly in the bag, nothing much seems to come of it. Fue continues to ramble on, her gaze darting between Moriko and the bag on occasion. It seems like she's finally found the gift, but she's unable to get it out without unpacking the whole thing.

Moriko keeps her arms spread wide, trying her best to keep Fue protected from the chilly breeze. She shuffles a bit closer, crouching down a little lower and angling her body whenever the direction of the wind shifts. Despite her best efforts, stray motes of wind tossed snow still manages to find their way onto Fue and into the bag. The wayward flecks twinkle in the dim daylight, their brightness lighting up the red of Fue's hair. Another small shiver takes hold of her, but Moriko stands resolutely, refusing to back down under the cold.

Once again, Fue looks up at her, a contemplative expression on her face. Not sure what the other girl is thinking, Moriko just smiles back. Her girlfriend's eyes drift up and down her form. Moriko tilts her head, her own expression turning questioning. With an abruptness that Moriko hadn't been expecting, Fue snatches up her glove, shoves it into her bag and stands up. Since she'd been so close to her, Moriko has to take a hasty step backwards so as not to get knocked over.

Rising up to her own full height, Moriko grins at the second thank you. She rocks back and forth on her heels, her expression pleased.

"No problem! I'd block the wind for you any day, Fue!"

She zips up her jacket as the wind suddenly picks up. Raising an arm over her eyes, Moriko blinks up at the dark sky above. From the lowered clouds fat heavy flakes have started to drift down.

"Looks like it's starting to snow. And it feels like it's getting colder. An inside picnic is sounding better and better."

Stepping forward, Moriko reaches down and snags the bag. It's heavier than she expected, but it's not too heavy. Carefully resting it over her left shoulder, she reaches forward with her bare right hand and takes Fue's mitten free hand in her own. Sidling closer to her girlfriend, Moriko twines her own fingers with Fue's and slides both of their hands into her own jacket pocket. Lightly bumping her hip against Fue's, Moriko smiles softly up at her girlfriend. Cheeks ruddy with the cold, hair fluttering and teals twinkling, she nods back towards the dorms.

"'C'mon, let's go."

It was no good at all. Moriko needed to be warmer and Fue was going to appreciate getting inside where there was plenty of heat. But then this was where she had confessed. Under the trees, in the weather, she’d planned the whole thing out and, even if it hadn't gone exactly the way she had wanted, it had been basically perfect. For their first Christmas as a couple, Fue wanted to have that same sort of perfect memory. It wasn’t fair that they would be chased inside by the weather. The only negative part of the confession had been being chased away into a shed by the rain. And here the weather came messing their time together up again. Her cheeks were red and it wasn’t just embarrassment or cold. She was frustrated.

“Oh, you don’t have to. I could-”. Fue tried to protest about Moriko taking her bag. It was her bag after all and it was heavy, well, heavier for Fue than Moriko obviously. But still, she was the one who should be carrying it. But any protests were immediately silenced. Fue’s cheeks couldn’t have gotten any more red but they would have when Moriko took her hand. And then to share a pocket. Her heart hadn’t been prepared for this. Fue was sure the flakes of snow caught in her hair and on her face must be exploding directly to steam with how hot she felt. But nothing compared to the heat of their intertwined fingers. No jacket could insulate that well.

With her brain overheating, Fue was led away from hypothermia and toward the warmth of the dorms. She didn’t let go and stuck close to Moriko like they were glued together. Fortunately for both of them, getting to the main hall didn’t take long and the communal hall was prepared for any and everyone who had been out in the weather that day. Among the comfortable chairs, couches, and low tables, a gas fire place was already on and spreading heat merrily through the room adding a friendly warmth to the heaters already on to fend off the waves of cold from the doors opening and closing on the outside. The room was empty, what students were left on campus were obviously occupied elsewhere or taking advantage of the other warm nooks.

Even with the fireplace only running off gas, somebody had stuck a pine scented air freshener somewhere, though it must have been some time ago because it was only a faint background smell. But it wasn’t unpleasant. Not by a long shot, and neither was Fue’s situation. Even as they entered the warmth, she wasn’t quite ready to let go of Moriko’s hand or withdraw from the shared pocket. “Let’s, umm, sit by the fireplace. That will get us warm and dry a lot faster.” And if she had to fight the mind melting closeness for as long as it took to get to whoever’s room they were going to, she was going to lose it. But still, she held Moriko’s hand.

Moriko is in a good mood. Despite the chill in the air and the snow drifting down from the sky, she can't help the smile that tugs at the corners of her lips. For her hand is currently entwined with a person who has become important to her. The warmth from that action, along with how close Fue is walking to her, fills Moriko with a restless energy.

In a smooth motion, Moriko hitches the bag onto her shoulder and places her freed hand into the other jacket pocket. It rests protectively around the wrapped gift inside, her hand occasionally flexing in anticipation. Hot breaths puffing out, she listens to the crunch of the snow beneath their boots. She notices how they aren't quite in sync and works to make her steps and pace match Fue's. Though she still has a bit of a bounce in her own step. Every now and then, she teasingly bumps her hip into Fue's side.

Eventually they make it back to the warmth and protection of the dorms. Releasing the gift, Moriko reaches forward to open the door for the both of them. Scuffing her boots against the doormat, she stomps slightly to knock off the snow. She gives her whole body a few shakes to do the same for the rest of her, though some quickly melting flakes still glimmer in her damp hair.

Grinning over at Fue, she says, "You've still got a lot of snow on you."

Reaching up, she pats at the other girl's shoulders and back, making sure she got most of it. The whole time, she keeps a firm clasp of their hands. At their more energetic movement, she can feel the band-aids on her fingers and hand rubbing against Fue's. She wonders if the other girl finds it uncomfortable, but she doesn't release her hold. This level of closeness with another person is something she's not felt in a good while. She's reluctant to give it up. Especially since it's Fue.

Nodding her head at Fue's suggestion to sit at the fireplace, Moriko tugs them in that direction. She doesn't take off her boots just yet, since she wants to dry them with the fire. Luckily, there's a nice large throw rug right in front of the hearth. Making their way to the rug, Moriko shrugs the bag off of her shoulder and gently sets it down at their feet.

The building is nice and warm, but Moriko can still feel the chill on her clothes and on her face. Her nose, ears and cheeks have further reddened from the sudden change in temperature. But her complexion grows less pale as more time passes. Glancing over at her companion, she notices that Fue's hair still sparkles in the brightly lit room. 

Turning to face Fue, she smiles cheerfully up at her girlfriend. Firelight gleams in her bright eyes as she stands up on her tippy toes. Leaning forward a bit, she reaches up and lightly ruffles Fue's hair. She's close enough that she can smell the soft scent of vanilla as it wafts down from her action. It's a gentle, calming fragrance.

"There was just a little bit of snow left," she murmurs.

The last of the melting snow cleared from Fue's rusty locks, Moriko drops back down to her normal height. Vanilla and softness lingers in forefront of her mind. She continues to peer up into Fue's eyes, her expression still merry. She gives Fue's hand, which she still holds inside of their shared pocket, a light squeeze of comfort.

"I think I'd like that. Staying by the fire for a bit sounds good."

Fue paused just at the entrance to kick her shoes against the ground to get a bit of the snow and damp off of them. It wasn’t like this was her dorm room or somewhere that they might be expected to swap out their shoes. Still, there was always that odd feeling of entering a carpeted place like this while wearing outdoor shoes. The fire would help, especially if she did take her shoes off. But would that be inappropriate? What would Moriko think about that in such a public space? She was American so it probably would be ok.

Before she knew it, Moriko was there standing in front of her, reaching up and running her fingers through Fue’s hair. She didn’t blush, the cold had chased away most of the blood and she had a few pink spots on her pale face. But Fue did look away awkwardly. She didn’t hate this feeling but there was something embarrassing about this, like she was being fussed over by one of her parents. “Th-thank you.” She stammered out and then shook herself, mostly her shoulders to get the last few bits of snowflakes off her coat, though they were quickly turning to drops of water.

“Oh, um, sorry. Here.” With some reluctance she released Moriko’s hand. “Now you can take that off.” She started. “I mean, because it’s wet. And you don’t need it inside. But we can still hold hands in here and sit together if you want. Just, not in the coat.” It was an awkward recovery. Fue sighed and started unbuttoning her own coat. “Thank you for carrying my bag. I’m sorry, I kind of get carried away sometimes.” Moriko wasn’t like that, though she could be incredibly impulsive. Like when they were at the lake, Fue liked that side of her, it was so different from her own attempts to organize the world. Moriko could surprise her in ways that were nice and not stressful.

Fue slid her jacket off and half folded it. With a quick glance around, she set it down next to her bag so it would drip on the floor rather than any chairs. That would be too rude. She suppressed a shiver. It was warmer in here than outside but it was just some remnant of cold that went away nearly instantly. She reached down and picked up her bag and slid it across the floor to the side of the couch. They were about to sit together, they’d be practically leaning on each other. She’d be able to feel Moriko against her again. They could share the warmth of the fire and each other. It was like a dream but better because it was real.

“You sit down, I’ll dig everything out.” Then she could make sure they were close together. Her parents would occasionally share a lap but Fue thought that was a bit too much for now, maybe someday. Though she’d probably have to be on the bottom which was a bummer but doing it at all would be good. Fue knelt down and started taking things out, carefully stacking it all on her coat until she found the square of wrapping that held Moriko’s gift. It had torn a little, revealing that what was inside was a book of some sort, but not enough to ruin the surprise.

Fue looks away from Moriko when she clears the last of the snow from her hair. She's not sure, but she gets the feeling that Fue's embarrassed by her action. Though she can't think of why. Knocking snow off of each other was something her family did in the winter when they returned home after being outside. It was easier doing it that way, instead of trying to clear it off by themselves. Missed less spots, too.

Lost in the memory, Moriko starts in surprise when Fue releases her hand and withdraws it from her pocket. Blinking, she glances down to her damp jacket, and then to the boots that are dripping onto the throw rug.

"Oh yeah. Right."

Nodding in confirmation, she drops down onto the floor and unties her hiking boots. Yanking them off, she reveals the thick gray woolen socks covering her feet. Rising up, she carries the boots to the fireplace and sets them neatly down right outside the wrought iron safety screen. The heat of the fire causes the blood to rush to her finger tips, nose and cheeks, causing them to flush red. Unwinding her chocolate brown scarf and unzipping her jacket, she places them untidily next to her boots. They'll get mostly dry by the fire and then she'll hang them up to dry properly when she returns to her room.

Turning around with a quick half twirl, Moriko grins at Fue.

"Don't worry about the bag. I don't mind carrying things for you."

She rocks back and forth on her feet, the heat of the fire comfortably warming her. She can still feel the ghost of Fue's hand clutching hers, an oddly giddy feeling bubbling up through her stomach. Clasping her hands behind her back, she lightly rubs a thumb against the center of the hand that had held Fue's. Quietly she watches as Fue drags her bag over to an old, well broken-in loveseat.

Nodding her head at the other girl's suggestion, Moriko pads silently over to the loveseat and plops down onto it. The cushions are so soft that she immediately sinks into it. It's super comfortable. With a bit of a struggle, she straightens up enough for her to perch herself on the edge of the seat cushion. Curiously she watches Fue start pulling things out of her bag.

Absently kicking her feet, she rests her hands on the cushion edge and leans forward. Peering over Fue's shoulder, she now has a much better view.

Wonder what she she brought this time, she ponders, anticipation fluttering in her chest.

Was this the time to do it? Fue wasn’t entirely sure about the order of gift giving during a get together. Back home in France, her parents had been to a lot of Christmas parties and that meant she’d been dragged along. There hadn’t been many kids around for those but the adults just took their gifts and left them on the tables with the little tree. Or if the gift was something like a bottle of wine, that got taken straight away or handed off to a server to be delivered to the wine cellar. Those had been pretty rich parties, admittedly.

The rare visits from her family in Russia weren’t entirely different either. They would use an actual tree sometimes or the fireplace, but the gifts would be piled up to be opened after dinner. The sound of Moriko peering over the couch caught Fue out as she became hyper aware of her girlfriend’s presence. She couldn’t stall, she should have planned things out better. “Here, this is for you.” She said and placed the wrapped book up on the arm rest by Moriko and internally died. That hadn’t been cute or romantic or good at all. The heat was bringing color back into her cheeks for sure.

“Unless you do gifts later.” She added quickly. It wasn’t like she thought they should wait until it was actually Christmas to open the gifts, they’d be back at home and Fue wanted to share in the discovery and explain all the little touches she’d added. Or maybe just to justify that her gift wasn’t just some book out of a gift shop. It was the first Christmas they were having as a couple and already it wasn’t going right and Fue was completely lost at how to get things back on track. Life would be so much easier if it just did what it was supposed to.

She began shoving things back in the bag, except for a few plastic containers. “I’ve also got some snacks from the cooking department, I didn’t make anything but lots of people were doing different Christmas things and they share leftovers with me sometimes. Mostly it’s cookies or fudge.” She stood up with the Tupperware and smiled almost apologetically. “You’ll probably have a lot of that stuff back in America, sorry. Maybe when I get back, I can bring a bit of our Yule log back with me and you can try a bit of the French Christmas with me.”

She stepped over and squeezed next to Moriko on the couch. “I’d like to try your American style Christmas someday too.” It was bound to be good, but then, anything was better than the weird caviars that seemed to open up every Christmas party appetizer plate.

Head tilting from side to side as she idly kicks her legs out, Moriko quietly watches Fue withdraws various containers out of the bag. She pauses in surprise, though, when Fue pulls out a wrapped gift and casually places it on the arm of the loveseat. Just as casually, she says that the gift is for her.

Blinking at the abruptness of it, Moriko's eyes dart between the gift and Fue. Her girlfriend has her back turned to her as she hurriedly repacks the bag with some of the items she's previously removed. Despite this, though, Moriko can still see how red the side of her face and ears turn.

She can't help but think, So cute!

At the comment of the timing of their gift giving, Moriko gives a small gasp and pops up off of the loveseat. She'd been so distracted that she'd almost forgotten! Rushing over to her jacket, she digs the wrapped gift out of the pocket it's in. Hurrying back to the couch, she plops down onto it with a little bounce, before once again sinking into the soft cushion.

As she once more struggles to pull herself up into a more upright sitting position, Fue stands up and turns to face her. In her hands are some tupperware containers. And according to Fue, they're filled with sweets! Peering up at Fue from the sinkhole of the cushion, Moriko's dark teals gleam in anticipation.

"I don't mind if you didn't make them," she says, her enthusiasm easy to hear. "Thank you for bringing them!"

As she's just managed to situate herself into a more comfortable position, Fue sits down next to her. The loveseat is just big enough for two people to sit comfortably. But Fue sits a little closer to the middle of the cushions, which throws Moriko off for a moment as she feels herself tilting towards the other girl. Off balance, her smaller frame bumps into Fue and she finds herself leaning into her girlfriend's side.

Immediately the other girl's body heat radiates into her. Flustered, Moriko feels her face flushing at the unexpected closeness. She stiffens slightly, before allowing herself to relax into that delightful warmth. Her hands clutch Fue's gift in her lap. The crinkling sound the wrapping paper makes snaps her out of her temporary stupor. Reluctantly, she straightens up a bit, though their thighs are still pressed firmly together.

Staring down at the gift in her lap, she manages to squeeze out a "Uh, um...". Her voice comes out higher and squeakier than she means it to.

Face flaming, she peers bashfully up at Fue, her eyes shining bright through the red. Clearing her throat, she tries again.

"H-here. For you!" she exclaims, holding the gift up towards Fue. The wrapping of the gift is terribly wrinkled, and oddly lumpy in places, but it's still intact. She lets it rest in her palms, her band-aid clad fingers twitching slightly as she tries to calm her nerves. Her heart is beating rather fast, and her voice trembles slightly, but her gaze is unwavering and filled with anticipation.

In her excitement, she'd forgotten to pick up the gift Fue had given her. It still sits, balanced precariously, on the arm of the loveseat closest to Fue.

Moriko’s sudden movement caught Fue off guard but it was quickly explained. Apparently the gift for her had not been overly packed under far too many other troublesome things. But Fue’s pocket would have had to be a good bit larger to carry Moriko’s gift. But in hardly any time, they were together on the couch, the close confines forcing them to rub shoulders which was not unpleasant at all. The snack containers were on the small table in front of the couch. If it wouldn’t have been terribly awkward to do anything else, Fue would have liked to link arms with her girlfriend. That would have to wait, though. At least until everything had been opened up and was within one handed reach.

But before that was the gifts. She took Moriko’s package and held it in her hands. She couldn’t tell what it was by touch, but it felt familiar. What was it? But wait… “Um, let’s open them together.” She twisted a little awkwardly and grabbed the gift off the arm of the loveseat. She passed it over carefully so as not to rip it more than she had already done getting it out of her bag. It was quite clear that it was a book but the contents were still a mystery. “On three?” She asked.

“One…”

“Two…”

It hadn’t been a lucky find because Fue was not one to leave things up to luck when it was possible to do extensive planning and research. She could have ordered it online, she could have found any number of variants, but she’d done some research, she’d even joined two niche websites to get their opinions and recommendations. After making the decision, she called a bookstore, reserved the copy and went to pick it up. When she got back to the dorm, she checked that it was the most recent edition and then set it next to her computer.

Quite a lot of her free time for the following week was spent doing more research and taking notes. The end result was the book which had now become one of a kind. What had once been a mass produced, paperback travel guide to their region of Japan had increased in thickness by a fair bit with tons of notes, scribbles, and bookmarks. Even the index had been filled up with her slightly slanted handwriting done as neatly as she could.

Trails were marked by difficulty in the guide but Fue had gone further and gotten recommendations from people for certain seasons, which trails had good picnic areas, which were photogenic, which and when they were most crowded with other people. And Fue had taken great care to also include how long of a train ride it would take to get to them. Moriko didn’t seem to like that sort of travel so it had been important to check train schedules and plan ahead.

There were a few areas that had special markings next to them. Festivals on mountain sides, shrines, and, most importantly, relatively easier hikes so that maybe she wouldn’t feel like she was holding Moriko back. It was hard to keep up with her girlfriend in the athletic department. It was a lot of work, but it was also like an investment in their future together. A chance for them to go out together and do things that they might both enjoy. Fue knew it wasn’t an exciting gift, just some book that could be found in any tourist trap. But she really wanted Moriko to like it.

“Three.” She said and opened her gift.

Moriko reaches over and accepts the gift from Fue when the other girl hands it to her. The wrapping paper crinkles in her hands. She knows it's a book even without having to peek through the small tear in the wrapping. The shape and heft of the gift makes it obvious. Intensely curious on what it could be about, she rips the paper off of the book at Fue's "Three!"

It is a travel guide. Reading the title of it, she realizes it isn't just any travel guide. No, it's one that focuses on the hiking trails and outdoor activities of their specific location in Japan, and of the surrounding areas too! Already the gift is amazing! Moriko hadn't quite been sure how to go about searching for more hiking spots. She'd just happened to overhear some classmates talking about the lake they'd gone to and had searched it up later in the school library. To have the relevant information all in one place will make things much easier for her in the future when it comes to finding more hiking trails and other outdoor events.

Then she notices that there are quite a few pieces of colored paper sticking out of the book. In fact, the book seems to be a bit thicker than what the spine initially suggests. Interest further peaked, Moriko flips open the book to the first few pages. And her eyes widen in surprise. For inside of the book is filled with notes and suggestions, all written in the slightly slanted, yet still tidy, handwriting of her girlfriend.

Leafing through the pages, Moriko can't help the smile that tugs at her lips. Many of the once open spaces of the book are filled with snippets and small blurbs of information. At one section with a bunch of notes, she softly runs her band-aid wrapped fingers over the page, her touch tender and careful out of fear of smudging the ink. She's already done all the research! she thinks is awe. She's even looked up the best routes to take, times to go and when there's the least amount of people! Something so detailed must have taken Fue a long time to do.

Delight bubbles up inside her, a burbling warmth that rises from her center and pops, bright and sweet inside her chest. It's a pleasant sensation, a feeling of fullness that has nothing to do with her stomach. She wants to turn to Fue and give her a big hug! She wants to cuddle up next to her and flip through the pages, slowly comparing different trails and events they could go to together. But now is not the time to let it all out, not just yet! For Fue has unwrapped her gift.

Clutching the book close to her chest, Moriko turns her attention towards her girlfriend. Anticipation swirls in her mind, tempered by the slightest touch of trepidation. For Fue's gift is so wonderful, how could hers even compare? But still she watches, her breath held, that warmth still floating inside of her, keeping the chill of her worry at bay.

The simple wrapping of belled deer and colorful Christmas trees is torn away, and there it rests. Cupped in Fue's hands is a carved wooden camera. It's just the right size to be held comfortably.

Moriko had based the overall design on a few older film cameras. The most striking visual feature of the camera is the different shades of layered wood she'd used. The use of several types of wood gives it a pleasant and varied look. She'd sanded it down smooth and used a thin enough varnish that the wood grain can still be felt through it. On the right side of the camera is a soft leather loop strap, just perfect for placing it over a wrist. As a final touch, chiseled to the left of the strap in curled script, is Fue's name.

The methods Moriko had used were a mixture of traditional Japanese carving methods and more modern ones. It'd taken her a little over 2 weeks to make, from concept to completion. Though the idea of it had been floating around in her head for a bit longer than that. Because she had tried a few new methods in the wooden camera's creation, it had taken her longer than she had anticipated. She's glad she was able to get it done in time!

I hope she likes it...

Now is the time to celebrate!

Grinning wide, Moriko holds up the book Fue gifted to her. She leans in, her excitement unable to be contained any longer,

"This is the best gift ever!" she exclaims, her teals gleaming in the light of the room. "How did you manage to get so much information? And you wrote it all down yourself? That must have taken you ages to do! This is amazing!"

Throwing her arms around Fue, she gives her girlfriend a bone crushing hug.

"Thank you!"

Fue slid her thumb through the corner of the wrapping and broke through the tape with a bit too much care and precision. She was loathe to actually tear the paper even if it was just disposable wrapping and some of it came away under the tape. It just wasn't very neat. So it took her an extra few seconds to break the seal enough that she could slide the gift out from the paper. It had felt familiar in shape but of course Moriko wouldn't have bought her a camera of any sort. That would be too much. But it was a camera, made of wood and almost certainly hand carved.

Fue held it in one hand and smoothed the wrapping paper against her thigh with the other before setting it to one side. She ran her thumb along the side, feeling the smoothness and the grain beneath the varnish. She turned it over in her hands. The leather strap brushed against her wrist as she took hold of it in both hands like she would hold a real camera. The different colors of wood didn't seem to have any seam that she could feel and it felt comfortable in her hands. But what would she do with it? She couldn't keep it in her bag, it was too precious for that but it was also too big to be part of a key chain or hang off her backpack. She pulled it to her chest. "I love it." She would find a way.

"Oh, umm, a lot of ways. Oh!" Fue started to answer when Moriko threw herself against her in a tight hug. Fue brought her arms in and kept the camera tight to her stomach, just in case all while a blush of surprise started to color her face. "Ehehe." She laughed awkwardly, pleased but definitely caught off guard by such a sudden showing. "I did a lot of stuff online. Like a lot of searching and I asked a bunch of people online for advice. I don't, you know, I don't do much hiking so I don't really know anything. But I marked down some that I think I can do and that I'd like to do with you." She smiled through the twinge of embarrassment and brought one arm around to return the hug as she admitted "I don't think I'm capable of some of the hikes in there, but maybe someday I can go with you to the high level hikes."

She stared into the teal eyes of her girlfriend. Both pairs of their eyes twinkled with pleasure at the gifts and at being here together. It was going well, even if it wasn't going to plan. Fue felt something else, there was something she wanted to do, something she wasn't sure she was prepared for and maybe Moriko wouldn't be ready for either. They were still newly dating, right? But maybe changing plans was ok, maybe there was room for a little bit of unprepared spontaneity. "Umm, Moriko." She started and paused. The hand still holding the camera tightened and she rubbed her fingers across the corner where she felt the name embossed into the wood of the camera.

She swallowed her courage, and her face darted forward as she kissed her girlfriend on the cheek quickly before pulling away even faster. Her face was redder than ever and her eyes darted to one side. "I...You're the best. I li- I uh." Spit it out, her brain told her tongue. "I love you a lot. Thank you for being with me." She wanted to thank her for so much more, she wanted to say so much more. This was the happiest Christmas she could remember but possibly the only thing she could remember with her head so crammed full of emotion. It was a Christmas she wanted to remember.

Moriko can feel the vibration of Fue's awkward laughter against her arms as she embraces the other girl. Her girlfriend's warm breath puffs at the back of her neck, sending a slight tingle down her spine. She can't help the smile tugging at her cheeks.

The sudden hug had even surprised Moriko! Her emotions had been so overwhelming that she had just done the first thing that came to her. Feeling a bit awkward herself, Moriko pulls away slightly, her expression sheepish, but happy. She smiles quietly at Fue, listening to her explanation on how she managed to get so much information and pack it into the small book. She leans back just a tad more, so that she can get a clearer view of her girlfriend's face. Trying to commit the more subtle expressions and emotions to memory. This is their first Christmas together, after all! And she wants to understand Fue better than she currently does. There's still so much more to learn!

So much she doesn't yet know.

Then Fue wraps an arm around her and returns her hug. Cheeks burning slightly, Moriko basks in the simple joy of being embraced by someone she cares for. Hugs used to be a common occurrence at her house when she was younger. But that's changed recently. It feels like it's been a good while since she's gotten a hug as warm as the one that Fue now gives her. Taking in a soft breath, she returns Fue's smile with a quiet smile of her own.

"It's all right," she says in reassurance, "I don't mind doing the easier hikes with you. I just really like being outside and moving." Giving a light squeeze of her arms, she adds, "And if you never get to the a higher levels, that's fine too. As long as it's with you, I don't mind at all." She gazes into Fue's warm eyes, her own teals gleaming as an unknown emotion wells up inside her. There's something passing between them, she can feel it. Even if she doesn't fully understand it. She feels an urge to take action. To DO something. But she's not quite sure what it is.

Before she's able to parse what her mind's trying to tell her, Fue suddenly leans in and gives her a peck on the cheek. It's a quick movement, as unexpected as a stumble. The retreat is even faster. Fue's face radiates red, her dark eyes breaking their contact with Moriko's, darting away as if she's not sure where to look anymore. Her girlfriend stutters, tripping over her words, her voice wavering at first. Then firming up, she speaks out with conviction.

Hand rising up to lightly touch the spot that Fue had kissed, Moriko can feel her face burning. She's sure her freckles are practically jumping off her cheeks. She opens her mouth, to try and give a response, but only a soft "Ah..." squeaks out. Blinking her eyes rapidly a few times, Moriko also glaces away. Clearing her throat, she tries again.

"I also love you a lot..." she says, her voice low enough to almost be a whisper. Peeking up at Fue through her peripheral vision, she adds "And thank you as well. For sticking with me. For accepting me." After a few more furtive glances at Fue, Moriko comes to a decision.

Just at suddenly as Fue had, she leans forward and gently presses her lips against Fue's left cheek. Withdrawing fast, she finds herself unsure of what to do next. As her eyes bounce around, they land on the wooden camera she had carved. Realizing she'd forgotten to tell Fue the secret about the gift, she goes "Oh yeah! I almost forgot."

"May I?" she asks, as she reaches forward and places her hands around Fue's. Taking hold of the carved camera, she leans back and holds it up for Fue to see.

"I added a secret to it," she explains.

"First you need to press down onto the "lens" looking part, and then twist it clockwise until you feel it slot into place." She demonstrates as she speaks. "Then you press the "fire" button down." When she does as she says, a small click can be heard from the wooden camera. "And now you can take off the bottom of the camera."

Moriko does just that, and the bottom slides out, revealing the fact that the inside of the camera is hollow. She grins, for this had be the hardest part to get right. She'd needed help from her instructor for this part of the project. But now it's working perfectly!

Looking up, she peers directly at Fue. A shy smile tugs at her lips.

"It's a puzzle box. I thought it would be a nice place for you to store or hide something in it." 

Shifting self consciously in place, red still staining her cheeks and ears, Moriko returns Fue's gift to back to her. Her bandaged and calloused fingers brush against Fue's own, lingering longer than normal. She stares down at their hands, too bashful to look up again.

Of course Moriko wouldn't mind. She was so considerate and nice. But it wasn’t just about being together. Fue wanted to be there on the hikes with her. Fue didn’t want to be the one falling behind or dragging the whole trip down. She wanted to be somebody who could keep up with her partner. That seemed very important. If you were the sort to get in the way, that was definitely the worst sort of partner to be. But thinking about how much hiking some of those trails had made her blanch. Well, at least it would offset the snacks she was always eating.

But that didn’t matter, none of that mattered right now because Moriko was there now. And she was here and they were together. She could feel Moriko there against her, fidgeting after such an unexpected attack of affection. It hadn’t been wrong to do, it had felt right. Even if she hadn’t really planned on it, even if it was far too soon, they had kissed. Well, she had kissed. But any fear that might have cropped up had she thought about it for too long disappeared as Moriko, her sweet and kind and fantastic Moriko thanked her. Thanked her for being accepting. As if Moriko wasn’t the kind and generous one.

Fue opened her mouth to protest when Moriko leaned in and returned the kiss on the cheek. That put a stop to any kind of disagreement. Fue flushed and just felt incredibly hot, but also very, very happy. It seemed the surprise kiss had affected both of them in the same ways. Nobody but Moriko could have taken the wooden camera from her at that point but, while her hands were free, that meant that Fue could try and push herself up against Moriko just a little bit more. It wasn’t quite a hug, but it was as close as anyone could get without actually embracing with an arm or two.

“Whoah, that’s cool.” Fue said. How did anyone even manage that kind of thing without computers? “I thought that was just like in movies and stuff.” She took back the camera box and turned it around in her hands, trying to see inside and figure out if there were wires or something. The touch of Moriko’s fingers against the back of her hand brought Fue out of her distraction. Fue’s hand grasped at Moriko’s intertwining fingers and squeezed tightly. “Thank you, I’ll find something really special to put in it. I don’t know what yet, but something.” She pulled Moriko’s hand up to her cheek and didn’t quite kiss the back of Moriko’s hand.

Fue lowered their hands and leaned her head to rest against Moriko. She had a few ideas of what to store in the camera already, though some might have to be reconsidered. The camera represented her and that was like her heart. That meant something to represent Moriko should go inside. But food would definitely go bad and that was, like, the most obvious thing. Though maybe a piece of candy with some other knick knacks. “I’m gonna miss you so much over the break. I’ll message you every day at least.” It was going to be weird, dealing with such drastic time differences. And it might be a bit embarrassing if her parents tried to get involved. They had been supportive and had been giving advice, but she’d asked for that. It would be entirely different if they ended up looking over her shoulder or tried to butt in. Parents could be so annoying.

Even though she can't bring herself to look up, Moriko feels the press of Fue against her as the other girl leans into her. Her lips quirk up in a small smile, the warmth of her girlfriend against her calming down the jitters that had plagued her up to this moment. She hadn't been sure if her gift was something that Fue would like, or if it was even an appropriate gift to give at all. Fue is a photographer, after all. Would it be all right to give her a carving of a camera? Was that something Fue would even want, seeing that she has actual real cameras of her own? Or would she have maybe liked something else? Something more practical for everyday use? All these worries and more had swirled in her mind, even as she'd painstakingly worked on the wooden camera.

But it seems her anxieties were unfounded, for Fue likes it! Relief washes through Moriko as Fue exclaims about how cool the secret compartment was. She blinks in surprise when Fue says she thought puzzle boxes were only in movies. Memories of her mother's more intricate carvings pop into her mind. Ones with hidden areas and puzzles to figure out. It's where she'd gotten her inspiration from. Granted, hers is much simpler than the ones her mother had made.

She thinks about mentioning this, and even opens her mouth to say so, before closing it again. She doesn't want her comment to lead to more questions about her mom. That would put a damper on the current mood, and that just wouldn't do. Besides, she's not quite ready to talk about her mother anyway. 

So instead, she quietly watches as Fue inspects her gift. She must be looking for how I got it to work, she thinks in amusement. She'd actually hidden most of the mechanism in a separate, small hollow area that she'd carved out specifically for it. It's in a hard to reach place, which she's only just now realizing would make repairing it difficult of the mechanism ever broke.

Suddenly worried, she's distracted by Fue intertwining her fingers in hers. Flushing as the touch and the thanks, Moriko smiles shyly at her girlfriend.

"Glad you like it", she manages to murmur, before her voice leaves her when Fue raises Moriko's hand to her cheek and almost kisses it. Blush deepening as Fue leans her head against her, Moriko holds very still. She doesn't want Fue to pull away quite yet. She can feel her heartbeat pick up, though the reason behind it eludes her. Is she... scared? But why would she be scared? No, that wasn't it. Maybe... excited then?

Before her thoughts can run away from her, Fue speaks. Relaxing slightly, Moriko squeezes Fue's hand reassuringly.

"I will miss you too," she says, her voice soft.

Then she realizes something and a small groan escapes her.

"Ah, about the place I live. It's in the mountains and doesn't get cell phone reception. So all we have there for communication are a few satellite phones." She peers down at Fue and gives her a reassuring smile. "But don't worry, I will give you the number for the one I use. It's just, it doesn't do texting, only calls." 

Pausing in thought, her eyes light up and she smiles slightly. "We do have internet, though. I've heard of people using computers for seeing each other over long distances. I think my dad has a set-up like that for his work. Can't remember what it's called, but maybe we can do that sometime too?"

Rubbing the back of her head sheepishly with her free hand, she adds, "Though I might need help with it at first. I'm not very good with technology..."

Her voice trails off as she glances away from Fue in embarrassment. She really does need to learn more about these things.