The Distortion of Normalcy[Icicle//Adelaid Belial]

[Icicle]

Niko eagerly followed Noelle out of the store, happy to be freed from the loud noises. It was much more quiet outside, even though there was still plenty of sound from the city's ambiance, and the sound from the store was making it through the glass doorway, to some extent. Niko turned to face Noelle as she asked him a question, then he looked over at her with a solemn expression and commented, "If that's Christmas, I hate it." He quickly lifted up his headset and commented, "my ears are really sensitive to loud noises. I used to wear ear plugs all the time before I found this..."

He settled the headset around his neck once more, then grabbed Noelle's hand and asked, "is there a Christmas store which is quieter? I can't go back in that building."

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle kept her grim look off of her face so that she could hear all of Niko's words. He hated that store....so, that's just one store. There were a few dozen others in this city alone. A quieter one? She could totally find it. She would totally find it. She looked to the other stores around the part of the strew they were currently located in. Dozens of them, filled with dozens of people, none of which would be quiet. "I'm sorry.....I didn't know about your hearing......" She looked around again, "I cant ind a quieter store. Just give me a second." She began to drag him off in the direction of the other stores. One filled with tons of toys, but also tons of children. Another, filled with decorations, and lots of stressed and agitated adults. Every store she seemed to find now seemed too loud.

"Well, maybe not these fancy, brand-name stores.....But, a mom and pop store would definitely have way less people to be noisy!" She tried to reassure him, accidentally dragging him down the streets of Bryerwood to yet another store. But it was quieter at the one she found, looking like a small gingerbread house. And from what she could see, there were only like three people in there. "This should work." The store was decorated with all the things the other houses had, but if you looked closely enough everything there was homemade. She led him into the store, practically praying that the christmas music wouldn't scare Niko off. "What do you think?"

 

[Icicle]

Niko obediently followed Noelle, now hoping for his own self preservation as opposed to her's. As Noelle dragged him into each different store, he progressively grew more and more agitated by the music. He scowled at the building as Noelle pulled him off towards another one, talking about s different kind of store. "I'm going to die if we keep this up..." he thought, holding his head as they continued running. His ears were ringing. He felt a strong urge to just put his headphones on, gently touching the headset every now and then as they ran.....but he could not.

Once the two arrived at a rather odd-looking building, seemingly made out of bread, Niko looked over at Noelle, as if for an explanation. As he was led into the store, he sighed in relief. The music in this store was very soft, a huge contrast to the other stores. "This is fine....why were those other stores so loud?" he did not actually mean for Noelle to answer that question, despite saying it, so immediately after asking the question, he began wandering through the store, asking Noelle about various items which he saw.

Before long, Niko asked Noelle, "Just,...just how many traditions does this city have!" He was almost annoyed again, but not angry, "It's hard enough..." he started, but he cut his sentence off short as he noticed an object on the far side of the shelf he was standing in front of. Niko rushed over to the object and picked it up. It was a crystal star, the type which one puts up on the top of a Christmas tree - and was made with various cuts and special features to make it more shiny, despite being glass.

Niko held the object up for a few seconds, then quickly rushed over to the cashier and asked to buy the item. "64.99, no American Express," the man bluntly commented, opening the register and holding out his hand. Niko handed the guy 70$ after fishing it out from his pocket, then got his change and carried the crystal star in its bag gleefully back to Noelle. He didn't dare explain why he was happy to get it, so he said, "I like this place! Maybe Christmas isn't so bad everywhere..."

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle was severely confused with Niko, as of late. When they got into the store, Niko immediately split off and began to look around, Noelle going to follow him. Sometimes he would ask her about the items that they saw like the wreath, or ornaments, or the little cloth that goes around the bottom of a Christmas tree. When Niko sort outburst about how many traditions Bryerwood had, Noelle almost interjected. "Actually, Christmas is a-" but before she got to finish her sentence, Niko ran off to somewhere else. She figured he went to go check something out, and stayed with all the different ornaments.

'I guess not everyone is supposed to like the same holidays, it's alright if he's not so fond of Christmas......' She was absent-mindedly picking up and placing down ornaments. She could hear Niko talking to the cashier up ahead. When she saw him running towards her with a star in his hands, she was thoroughly surprised. And he even said that he liked Christmas a little bit. She was actually very surprised that he'd changed his mind about it so quickly in the difference of stores. "That's great Niko! I'm glad. Why did you buy a star, though?"

 

[Icicle]

Niko adopted a smug frown as he heard Noelle's question, staring at the star as if expecting that it would give him an answer. After a few seconds of silence, he started to speak, looking over at Noelle. "I thought it'd look nice in my room..." he commented, offering it to her for a closer look, "I bet it refracts light too...that's be cool to see..." After giving her enough time to look over the object he bought, Niko put it back in the bag which the cashier gave to him and, with a curious expression, asked, "Is there something else you want to do in these stores, Noelle?"

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle nodded to Niko's explanation. It did make sense, if she had enough money and drive, she would decorate her room too. "In stores like this. I usually just buy presents that I think my friends and family would like. There's not much else to do. Buy some cookies, some eggnog, some stuff you've always wanted.....Just normal things." Noelle continued to look at ornament,s picking up one that looked like a blank little doll. "I don't know. It's usually that you go into stores to buy things, right?"

 

[Icicle]

Niko listened to Noelle speak closely, trying to analyze what she was saying, as if it had a hidden meaning. "She brought me here to get her a present, didn't she?..." he thought, smiling slyly as she looked at one of the other ornaments, ".....sly girl..." he then walked over to her with a polite smile and asked, "Is there...a present that you would like to get?" He barely understood what she was referring to, but felt that his assumption was at least somewhat correct. Unfortunately, as his polite smile so clearly indicated, he had no idea how to be subtle about it.

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle turned immediately, "Oh gods, no! Don't worry about getting me anything, Niko!" She immediately seemed completely erratic, waving her hands as if to dispel the notion altogether. She turned from Niko to immediately face the ornaments again. "I m-mean if anything...Uh~, is there something you w-want Niko?" She didn't know what else to say. Had she been so obviously longing for the little ornaments in front of her? She had only wanted to look, not worry Niko with getting her something. She looked up to the ceiling for a moment to catch her breath. Even if their were so little people in the store, they were all staring in their direction. 'I was actually thinking about presents to get you, but you beat me to the punch already.'

"How about we do a Secret Santa?...Well, I guess it wouldn't technically be a secret since we'll know who got the gifts but-" She covered her mouth to stop her incessant rambling. Taking in a large breath, she looked to Niko. "We would buy presents for one another, and not say what we were getting. And then, I guess tomorrow we could give the presents out?"

 

[Icicle]

Niko leaned back as Noelle responded, confused at her sudden reaction. "What? But,...what about..." After a few seconds of awkwardly staring at her, he looked at the ornament which she turned to, analyzing it as she spoke. "What?..." He started, his confusion increasing as he stared at her. At her next proposition, he felt even more confused, at least, until she explained what she was saying. Niko remained silent, watching her intently after she spoke, then, with a shrug, he responded, "Uhh, okay, sure. I'll get you a present later this evening."

After a few more seconds of pausing, his eyes shifting over Noelle's face, he spoke up, still confused, "s-so, do you want to keep looking around? Or, should I leave and go get you something?..."

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle looked around the store, "Uuh~.....Maybe if we split up for now, than meet up later for...." she looked down at the ground for a second, trying to wrap her head around what time it was at that moment. "...say, lunchtime? We don't even have to talk about what we bought each other." She offered, giving Niko a slightly humored grin. "....It better be a good present, then." She cast her gaze back into the direction of the ornaments once more, looking around for more present ideas.

 

[Icicle]

Niko nodded after her initial suggestion, and nodded again once she mentioned the time, his confusion melting to a calm smile. "All right, Noelle. I'll see you at Lunch then." He waved at her as he walked out of the store, then quickly started walking away to look for a present, wondering what she would like. "Let's see...she seemed to like Christmas stuff..." he started to think, frowning, "Maybe.....Oh?" At that moment, as he was walking, he saw a large advertisement banner hanging in front of a shop, then grinned and eagerly went into the shop, knowing exactly what he wanted to get her.

---

Later that day, Niko arrived in the later-half of lunch, eagerly filling his tray with tons and tons of food. Once he found Noelle, he sat down next to her and smiled sheepishly at her. "I found something you might like." He then immediately started to eat his food, unwilling to offer even the slightest hint through his expression.

 

[Adelaide Belial]

When Niko left, Noelle waited for a bit walking around the store a bit more, before making sure he had left. "I don't know that much about Niko....But, luckily, I have quite a few ideas." She exited the small mom and pop store, making her way for the much larger, much noisier mall down the road. She spent a good minute maneuvering her way around the stores before finding exactly what she needed. With her purchase in hand, she headed back to the school to hide her treasure in her dorm.

---

Noelle, with her gift happily tucked away, went to lunch to wait for Niko. Getting some fries, and an actual milkshake due to lack of students, she took a seat at her favorite table and waited. When Niko finally came, she smiled cheekily upon hearing him, "Oh you think so? I can wait to see it." She turned her entire body to face him, "And I think you'll be happy to know that I may have found something for you as well."

 

[Icicle]

Niko continued eating as the girl spoke, but looked over at her as she turned towards him, suspecting that she was going to do something. He continued eating after determining that all she was going to do was talk, and, once she was done, he wiped off his mouth with a napkin, swallowed his food with a smile and looked over at her, grinning happily. "I know you found me something...that was what you proposed..." After making this smart comment, he continued eating, still smiling a little, as if congratulating himself for being smart.

After a few moments of eating, he stopped eating and looked around, feeling as if he was being watched. He noticed a group of boys looking his way with sly grins, and one of them made a seemingly random gesture at him. He looked away, supposing that they were taunting him, and continuned eating, trying to push aside the feeling of being watched. After a few seconds, he commented, "Is there something else about this holiday that everyone does? Maybe something which doesn't involve a lot of walking?..." then continued eating, relentlessly devouring another bowl of food.

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle smirked at his wry comment, rolling her eyes in an alms childlike manner. She continued to eat for a while until he began to talk to her again. "What?....People watch movies, or drink hot cocoa and relax in front of a fire most of the time." She decided that those two explanations, though more perfect for a television christmas, it worked here as well. "I mean, there aren't many fireplaces except the one in the library, and really, I don't think anyone has a t.v. either so..." she ended her sentence with a careless shrug, returning to her meal.

 

[Icicle]

Niko perked up and stopped eating as Noelle started suggesting what people do for Christmas. He quickly looked over at her after making a comment on t.v.s, then asked, "are you sure we can't do any of that? I think I heard of movies...and I like fire..." he looked back at his food with a grin, thinking, "And I love food and cocoa as well..."

He then continued eating for a few moments before looking back at Noelle. He was silent for a moment, but he soon pointed out, "If you really want, we could also go back to that fair...but, I don't want to encounter Julia again...she might target you next time..."

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle shivered at the mention of the overly perky and possibly manic girl-child. "No. I can ask the headmaster for a t.v. We'll hook it up in the library by the fire. And get some movies from the movie store downtown to watch, okay?" Noelle loved the fair, to be honest, she really wanted to go back and lose herself in the excitement of rides, and beauty of art from the Showcase. But if that meant some little brat would have to chance to harm her and Niko......She would rather hang out at school for now. It wouldn't be that bad. Besides, Niko would probably kill her if she dragged him back to the fair anyway.

 

[Icicle]

Niko finished his second last bowl as Noelle made a proposition, then wiped off his mouth and asked, "Would that be a problem? I wouldn't mind doing that..." After speaking, he then devoured the remaining food on his tray and organized the rest of the extra materials on his foodless tray. He wiped off his mouth one more time, then looked over at Noelle and commented, "let's go...before it gets dark out." He then carried his tray over to the carousel, placed it on one of the sections, and turned back to Noelle. "I can ask the headmaster for the television and you could get the movies...I think I know where the library is..." he proposed, grinning at her with a false confidence.

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle nodded, and took off immediately after she finished eating to do her job. She made it down to the movie store in record time. Rushing in a brisk pace for record time. She even kept a lookout for any suspicious characters. She walked into the movie store, saying hello to the person manning the register and quickly made her way to the discount movies for Christmas time. There were bundles of Christmas tales, with lessons on the true meaning of Christmas, etc. Noelle picked a few good movies: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Year without s Santa Claus, The Nightmare before Christmas.....good movies.

She ran back to the school after paying for the movies and went to check up on Niko, who would've had to have been in the school's library by now. She walked into the library towards, the fireplace, which was on constantly this winter, and located in the very back of the Library. "Yo, Niko! You in here? I have the movies!" She called out in the empty library, the only time it was even remotely acceptable to do so. She smiled as she walked back to the warming glow of the fire, where everything should be set up.

 

[Icicle]

After Noelle left, Niko hastily made his way back into the main school building and wandered over to the office which he remembered to be the headmaster's office. After knocking the door and hearing the "Come in!" On the other side, Niko opened the door and asked the lady about "A television? My friend said that I could ask you if I could set up a television in the library by the fireplace." The headmasted nodded and pointed to her left, then commented, "Oh, of course! It's in the storage room right there, the door's unlocked. Don't forget the DVD and VCR player, they're on top of it."

Niko nodded and quickly walked over to the closet, then opened the door and walked inside. The room was dark, but it had a light switch, so Niko turned it on and looked around, still finding the lighting slightly lackluster. Once he identified a large monitor and a box which said, "DVD/VCR" on it, he picked them both up and carefully exited the room. The T.V. was rather wide, but somewhat thin, so Niko had a moderately hard time moving it out of the closet. The headmaster told him to be careful with it, and Niko promised to do so, then made his way out of the room and over to the directory.

After a good half hour, Niko finally managed to find the right spot, and set the T.V. down on what appeared to be a sturdy cabinet table. He knew that the table could support the T.V., so he left the T.V. stationary and plugged the cable into a nearby outlet. After a few seconds, he placed the other box on the table and, after a few minutes of fiddling around with the different jacks, he managed to get it plugged in and set up.


Niko waited in one of the arm chairs for Noelle to arrive. Once she did, he called out, "Hello, Noelle! I got it!" and waved over to her, momentarily distracted from the fire. As she approached, he watched her with a curious, but excited expression, as if he expected her to start glowing any second and use magic to start the movie.

 

[Adelaide Belial]

Noelle could hardly suppress the giggle of excitement that rose in her throat. She took her seat next to Niko in another armchair, and put in Rudolph first, "Let the movie marathon begin!" Just as the movie began, Noelle gasped. "Oh! I was able to stop by my favorite vendor man on the way back." Leaning over to her bag, she pulled out two carefully placed cardboard boxes, "Hot cocoa, right?" Handing one box to Niko and keeping the other to herself she opened the box, pulling it open to reveal a steaming styrofoam cup of hot cocoa with tons of marshmallows.

---

Noelle was unsure how long they had actually been inside the Library, as it was always sort of dark in their anyways. But when she looked out the nearest window the stars were well blanketing the sky. "We should probably get going now huh?" They were in the last few semi-romantic, boring parts of the Nightmare before Christmas. Noelle got up, stretching her legs, and looked for a place to throw away her cup of hot cocoa. "This was fun, Niko. Can't wait for tomorrow." She smiled walking over to the dvd player as the movie cut to credits. "Thanks for this." She took the three DVDs and headed out of the library, making her way back to her dorm room.

When Noelle got back to her room, she put her new DVDs on her dresser, and settled into her bed for the night. Though it did take much longer to go to sleep than ever before. It would be Christmas tomorrow after all.