Meanwhile, within the car, Yoon was softly bobbing her head side to side while singing the lyrics to the playing song she was able to retrieve from the new phone. The link wasn't anything popular or trending on spotify, but it was one of her favorite intros. The instrumental could be heard from outside car since it was pretty loud, along with her singing to it despite not really understanding the lyrics. She had also taken a few selfies to play with the filters and admire how good quality the images were, besides her face of course.

Yasha couldn't help but to keep turning her attention back towards where she had seen the flicker that she just couldn't shake from her mind now. Not even as she reached the car and tapped on the passenger door's window, her eyes still glued to the area.

Yoon yelped when she eventually heard the knocking on the window besides her. She quickly fidgeted with her new phone, struggling to turn down the volume before also struggling to unlock the doors. She adjusted her seat, fixing her hair and opening the door while clearing her throat. “That was quick!”

"Was it?" Yasha stood there at the door, not yet getting into the car. She watched some of the cars pass here and there, but her gaze just kept going back to the same spot. She leaned down to look into the car after a moment. "I appreciate the drive here, but I'm afraid this is where we will part ways until the morrow. Until then, its time for you to go back home."

Yoon blinked in confusion. "Huh?" Her small head tilted slightly. "What do you mean, where are you going to go? Where are you sleeping? And eating?"

Yasha was silent at first and thought about her answer before she spoke. "I'm going to investigate a hunch," She said. "I'll head back to the residence that is now mine to do as I please with for the time being, so I suppose I'll go back there to rest. I believe I saw some peanut butter there as well, so I'll help myself to it. It said 'crunchy' on the labeling, and I'm curious to give it a try."

Yoon's brows furrowed. "What, did my mom scare you off? I mean, I know my house and bed is small but its much more comfy than that feathery california king size bed you own....." She stopped herself when she realized what she was saying. "You can't investigate, it's dangerous! And you can't leave such a weapon in this car!"

"And why is that so?" Yasha asked with a raised brow. "The weapon is only as dangerous as the person who wields it. And in your case, its not a weapon, but a tool for protection. As for the bit about your mother, no, it's quite the opposite. She seems to be a very inviting woman." But then she grinned a little. "I'm a bit surprised. After all of that talk of wanting me to see myself out, it's almost as if you wanted me to stay."

"W-w-wh-what?" Yoon's plump cheeks burned red when she saw her grin. "N-No! I don't WaNt you to stay, I-I'm just suggesting that if I'm on the chase and y-you're on the chase th-then we should stick together so you can kick their butts and I can fuel you with endless dumplings a-and--," She shivered, "peanut butter." Yoon said in disgust. "A-And it is a weapon! I don't know how to use it! I always lost in Nerf fights with my brother!"

"Well there's always a useful skill known as learning," Yasha replied. "I'm sure it'll turn out to be something as simple as precision, pointing and firing." She laughed some air from her nostrils, pulling out the phone she had. "While the gesture is appreciated, I'd wish not to intrude upon your household any further than I must. We'll be remaining in contact with one another as I've stated before."

"Y-You're not intruding my household-- y-you've been really nice to me and my mom with the gifts you've provided us despite insulting out culture with that... peanut jar..." She shivered again. "We can't remain in contact through a phone! W-What if someone breaks in or I can't reach something on the top shelf or my nana or whatever spirals out or if I need to order pizza but im too socially awkward to do so!"

"I did no such thing! Why do you insist on removing the delicacy from my creations!" Yasha said in response to the comment about her peanut butter. "It's mana," she corrected, "And do you really believe that my purpose here is going to be to assist you in requesting pizza?" She scoffed. "It's not as if I won't return, Yoon. Think of it as a friendship where we'll..'hang out' on the morrow. "You'll be fine. And I'll surely be somewhere nearby."

Yoon pouted at Yaha's response. "But..." She frowned before sighing in disagreement. "Fiiiiiiiineee..." She groaned, lowering her head some. "Well, Lauren, if you need anything then... well, you already know my number... thanks..." She said again, referring to everything she had received today. "For you know, everything..." She mumbled at the end.

Yasha froze, a little caught off guard until she was able to recover quickly, a soft smile returning to her face. "I'm simply following my orders to complete my task, Yoonie. And someone has to look after you other than your mother. So in those aspects, you're welcome." She stood there for a moment, almost considering changing her mind and accompanying her home. But with her mind already made up and things that she needed to look over, she took a step back. "Hurry on your way home, and be safe. Goodnight, Keeper." She closed the door, sliding her phone back into her pocket and adjusting the bags that she had before giving Yoon one last wave.

"D-Don't call me that!" She exclaimed with a flustered face. "A-And aren't you the type not t-to follow orders?" Her eyes squinted. ".....Good night..." She mumbled, watching her close the door of the car. However, before even thinking of leaving, Yoon waited in her seat, turning and standing on her knees to watch Yasha on her way and ensure she was safe until she was no longer in her sight. Yoon turned back, sighing into the leather chair and turning on the luxurious car. She looked at her phone momentarily, debating to play music before refraining from it and instead backing up in silence.

Yasha was already starting to transition into a hasty pace of walking and had to remind herself to slow down so that she wouldn't catch too much attention. She ended up having to stop anyway, the traffic light making it its business to become her enemy for the next two minutes. When the walking signal decided to finally play its role, she was already stepping off of the sidewalk and excusing herself while moving passed people. Once she got to the other side and more specifically to where she had seen the flicker, she walked a little slower to rejoin the normalcy of the walking people around her.

The first thing she noticed was that there was a narrow pathway between what looked like some sort of thrift store that was closed for the night and a insurance firm of some kind. Both in which looked shady in a way that one couldn't quite point out, only know that it did. The second thing that she noticed just fading into nonexistence– yet as fresh in the air as the faint aroma of Yoon's mother's dumplings that were in her clothes, were the specs of fiery sparks that sprinkled towards the ground.

Yoon arrived home after taking a stop in the McDonald's drive-in, picking up her order of a McFlurry, 10-piece chicken nuggets, and a cheeseburger. She saved it all to eat in her room, having to stop momentarily to talk to her mom regarding Yasha's relationship with her. Yoon had to make up a few things, but eventually, got through her mother's questioning and locked herself in her room like she usually did. She sighed, leaning against the door while holding onto the take-out food. She eyed her phone she tossed on the bed, debating on calling Yasha or even the girl that she met in the gas station from earlier. The thought lingered in her head while changing into a fluffy kimono, getting comfortable in her bed and snacking on a late-night meal while reading her updated mangas and eventually watching anime.

What was one to do when the significance of a loss was never specified as great nor belittled as minor? What else was there for her to do but to inevitably continue as she had planned? To stick to the orders that were given to her?

Many times these questions had crossed her mind from the moment that she had arrived. After what had been meant to be a set path was spun into a chaotic detour. The incident at the mall hadn't been the first time that she had encountered the Droven, and she was more than sure that it wouldn't be the last. Especially when he would finally come to find that his puppet was no longer bound if that wasn't the case as is.

As she made her way in the direction of what she had to remind herself was technically her home now, she thought back to the traces of magic from minutes ago. And then her worry shifted towards Yoon as well. And as innocent stricken as the beginner-to-magic was, she had to remind herself that not to become too attached. Her mission is what came first.
Upon arriving at her temporary residence, she was already coming to terms with what needed to be done. She felt that she had to do so quickly, for there was no telling how scarce time was or how far away what threatened them was.

From late evening to three in the morning, Yoon was cursing in her native language at the screen in front of her thanks to the many mistakes she noticed in the animations compared to the manga. She continued snacking on a few shrimp chips, sipping on a diet root beer while doing so. She was highly addicted to junk food and despite efforts to stop her, it never worked.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kore finished sweeping the floors of the small convenience store. She gave a small wave to the next in shift, giving a some sort of playful wink on her way out. Adjusting her jacket, she plopped in her earphones and started on her walk back home.

Yasha pushed the door to the home open, easing it closed behind her. The day had been many times more frustrating than she had ever expected it to be. She wouldn't have minded dropping her bags then and there and deal with it when the sun rose. Fortunately though there was more than enough progress made to make up for it and with that in mind, she let out a sigh. Not of relief, but of exhaustion. The need to rest felt much more urgent than it had ever been to her normally.

Deciding to at least keep some class about herself even while tired, she went to the kitchen and placed the bags onto the counter and continued on her way out and down the hall with a yawn already rising from her chest.

Eventually, Yoon found herself snoring with an open laptop on her chest, a singular chip balancing itself within the corner of her lip. At least unlike other times, she turned off the lights and ensured her windows and doors were locked.

***
It took almost half an hour for Kore to arrive at the doorstep of the house she shared with other students. Because she decided to work a late shift, she wasn’t able to catch the bus. She found herself stretching while walking inside, her pink hair now back to a messy curly after she straightened it this morning. Still, Kore managed brush her teeth and wipe off her makeup before plopping onto the inflatable bed covered in recently washed sheets.

Meanwhile the rest of the night for Yasha on the other hand wouldn't end without her taking priorities over her own need to rest. She would go on to make a change into clothing that was more fitting of obtaining smears and stains from clay, since what she wore beforehand was something she very much liked. After making a change into a simple white t-shirt and a pair of comfy shorts that her body felt and urge to wear, it was back to the kitchen where she would finally start on crafting the objects that she needed.

-

"–Yes...Yes sir, I did.... We were heading in that direction earlier today...No sir, there was no direct contact made but I do recall seeing something strange that may very well be aligned...yes, I'll be there tomorrow for–" Jacky gasped in confusion when she felt her phone slide from her grasp, already hearing the of Alexis just as she was turning around to find her friend there holding the phone to her ear, the large and slightly transparent blue bowl of popcorn being held by the edge in her hand. "Lexi! She hissed.

"Hello, this phone service has just been disconnected. You may call again later, or leave a voice message at the–" Alexis spoke in one of those automated customer service tones until she tapped the 'hang up' symbol on the phone. "Ah aah, we already agreed that it wasn't gon' be all work up in here."

"Alexis what the hell! That could've been my boss!" Jackline exclaimed.

"Chile boo, then ya betta be glad it wasn't!" The short copper skinned woman said, handing Jacky's phone back to her in an almost annoyed way. "I know you came down her on a business trip or whateva but you came to see me too ain't it!? Like damn."

"Yeah...yeah, you're right. I'm sorry Lexi." Jacky rubbed her arm in guilt, almost wishing that it had been her boss that Alexis had hung up on so abruptly. "It was just a call confirming that I'd still be in Orlando tomorrow, that's all." She cringed a little on the inside while saying this. "No more phone calls okay? I promise."

"Mmmhm, yeah okay."

"I will! I swear!" Jacky assured, which seemed to work after a few seconds under Alexis's eyes.

"Hm. Girl bring yo ass own so we can watch this movie. Its that new Fifty Shades that came out. And after that is somethin' I know gon' keep that phone outcha hands." Alexis said while climbing over the back of beige colored couch–which didn't exactly match the overall theme of the living room. In all honesty, it was something that had belonged to her grandmother that she refused to let go of.

" I mean, that's if you don't try to like, snatch my hands off beforehand." Jacky commented, plopping down onto the couch.

"Won't even have to," was Alexis's reply while she leaned over the arm of the couch and rummaged briefly through the box of movies that was on the floor until she emerged with a single DVD box in hand to show off.

Jackeline gasped, her eyes widening a little with excitement when she recognized it. She snatched the case without thinking, looking over it as she turned it in her hands. "No waay! Kung Fu Hustle?! Wait a minute, I thought you hated these movies?"

"I do," Alexis replied. "I saw it at the stoe some months ago and it reminded me of you. So shiii, now that you here we can go 'head and watch it for some nostalgia. But we ain't watchin' it first though."

"But..but...it's Kungfu Hustle!" Jacky groaned jokingly, pointing at the box.

"Ugh, exactly." The two laughed while Alexis got up to slide the first movie into the DVD.

But not so deep down, not even her favorite movie would soothe the uneasiness she felt at the single thought of the mall visit that they never got around to due the incident in Orlando that was all over the news by now.

Yoon awoke abruptly with a gasp, feeling the fuzzy bullets repeatedly hit her butt and face. As soon as the blurriness cleared, the young woman first saw her little brother holding the nerf gun their mom gifted him for Christmas. "SANGEON! 중지! YA!" Yoon flailed her arms until she found a pillow she could grab and toss it at him rather harshly. She searched blindly for her glasses, finding herself argue with her little sibling until their mother came in to stop the churlish fight. Of course, like always, she blamed Yoon for being immature and making a big deal about it. And when she saw the fake sniffles of the boy known as Sangeon, she picked up the same pillow her daughter through and smacked it on Yoon's face.

"No hit brother!" She spoke brokenly, adjusting her own glasses before she saw all the junk food Yoon had eaten. "What I tell you about that food! You get fat no calories! Why you no want my healthy food!?"

Yoon sighed, this argument being a sign of a new day.

Raven was rather surprised with herself when she woke up the next morning earlier than she had in a long while. In years actually, not accounting for the times where she had to use her phone alarms to get her out of the bed for the occasional morning appointments like the one she had today. She didn't feel too tired at all either, almost as if she hadn't spent almost eleven hours playing a mixed and mastered playlist of a blend of dubstep and house. In fact, she could still feel some of the sensation from last night's job in small jolts and jitters while she sat there in bed.

The sensation within itself was something she could only explain to herself was a rush. A rush of adrenaline and an electrifying joy, of passion and fun–of everything. Not even in the fastest car did she feel that this feeling could be recreated. It was something she only felt during nights at the clubs that she DJ'd at, behind the booth. And what pulled everything about this strange yet joyous feeling was that everyone else within the club on those nights seemed to feel it to. To feel her, just like she felt them. Strangely enough though, she couldn't help but the feel as if she got more than the usual fill last night.

She sat there for a minute, staring blankly out in front of herself until she shook her mind from its trance and puffed her cheeks for a moment as she moved her comforter aside and swung her legs to the side of the bed. Her arms lifted and she stretched, a quiet sigh of bliss coming forth. She grabbed her phone and checked the time. 7:32 am. It gave her enough time to grab her some coffee from the store, which she usually got for the dreaded morning days because she would still be tired from the previous night, and then head to the monthly appointment with her therapist.

After a thorough brushing of teeth, Yoon stared at herself in the singular bathroom mirror of her house. She combed her short black hair with little to no effort since it was already very straight. And when she went to reach for a Q-tip in the cabinets below, her eyes widened when she saw the magical and familiar engravings on the bases. "Huh..." Her eyes squinted, grazing her fingers across the carvings. And then she rolled her eyes when she realized who it had been. "This is secretive vandalism which is still illegal." She mumbled to herself, even if it was to protect them. After all, she wasn't owner of the house and she didn't know how to explain to the landlord about the weird drawings in the cabinets.

((I feel like we should time skip to Christmas for some reason. And no, it's not because its Christmas. XD What say you?))

((So I got the idea that instead of timeskipping, we can just add a filler section and then go back to the current point in time :P And then we can use stuff from this "filler" to connect with the point that we're at now.))

_____________

[Christmas Special: The Worst Generation of Holiday Jingles]

Yasha was sat up with a groan, some of her short hair still managing to fall in front of her face until she was awake enough to actually decide on whether or not she wanted to open her eyes, or just lay back down for another hour or so at the very least. This was something that she had gotten quite comfortable doing during the last few months, a bad habit that she was surely guilty of. She rubbed her stiffened back and went to throw off her bed sheets only to realize that she was at the counter still.

Oh...yes..that's right. She thought to herself when her eyes went to the adequately wrapped boxes. But as she stared at them, she sat up straighter as she realized what day it was. "–The Feast of Winter Solstice!" She gasped, nearly falling out of the counter stool while moving quickly to get to her feet. The Feast of Winter Solstice was almost the equivalent of Christmas, but there were many differences between how the two holidays were celebrated despite their close similarities. There were festivals, parades, music and performances. Grand feasts and nations being brought together in a time of peace.

But for almost the last two years, she hadn't been able to do too much celebrating of anything at all due to the circumstances.But today an exception would be made. For the passed month, she hadn't been visiting Yoon as frequently more or less because of the fact that she was focused on finding the other Keepers. But she did promise that she would at least join her family for the holiday.
So with that filling most of her schedule for today, she rushed off to the bathroom to tidy herself up which.

"Mom I'm not wearing this!"

"Yoonie, you look cute!" The elderly woman clapped, wearing red clothing with her salon name imprinted on it and a Santa hat. She stared at her daughter, who she along with the other helpers in the beauty salon were dressed as elves. Yoon wore red and white striped stockings that stopped just above her thighs. She also wore a green dress with a black belt that synched around her waist with a golden inseam and a red collar. But what she hated most of all was the elf hat that was a little too big for her and the pointed shoes with furry bon-bons in the center, where every time she walked, they jingled annoyingly.

Surprisingly, despite it being Christmas, her store was quite popular during the holidays amongst others in the mall. This was mostly because a lot of gifts given were discounts or free tickets for a certain service in their stores. In addition, Christmas dinners usually required high demand of things like acrylics, hair styling, and oddly waxing.

Of course, there was no school for Yoon's brother, Sangeon, so he hung out with his mother behind the counter. Yoon's mother actually enjoyed working during the holidays because unlike their home, their store was decorated and cheery for advertising's sake. Currently, there wasn't as many people as there would be later on, so Yoon still had time to hide behind the counter.

It took around thirty minutes for Yasha to get herself ready for the day, with over fifteen of those minutes being spent within the cozy hot water of the tub. The size of the tub in general was one of the things she found very convenient to her taste due to the fact that it was like a private hot spring. And unlike the average person, she always had the shower running while she bathed.

She made quick work of getting dressed, deciding on the simplicity of a black and short-sleeved shirt with a white collar that stretched down into a stripe on the front of her shirt. Along with it went a pair of dark blue denim jeans, all in which was rather different than the usual business attire that she was so fond of. And after slipping on a pair of slip-on flats, she returned to the kitchen to retrieve the neatly wrapped gifts and then was out the door with her phone in hand for her to track her driver's location thanks to learning how to use the Uber app. And though she had more than enough financially to cover luxury rides everywhere she went, she was surprisingly more fond of sharing rides for the sole purpose of interacting with people. And in turn it allowed her to learn more about things that would make her less likely to stick out, which was quite a task within itself since many knew the face of the vessel. That alone was enough to have influenced her to dye her hair a shade of black since the last time she had gone to see Yoon a little over two weeks ago. It had grown back from its cutting fairly quickly and was also a few inches longer than before.

When the yellow Range Rover pulled into the driveway, she gave the driver a friendly wave and a smile, gathering the presents while the trunk was opened for her.

"Yoonie, no hide, go advertise with chocolate!" Yoon's mother handed her a tray of various pieces of chocolate so she could stand in the entrance and offer it to wandering customers.

Yoon found herself with no other choice but to accept what she considered punishment. She trembled while holding the giant tray, slowly walking to the door with a dreading expression. "G-Good morn--" She was unable to finish her greeting, blushing when the walking people would just take a chocolate and leave. She felt stares all around her, but decided to suck it up for her mother's sake.

While on the road, Yasha stared out the backseat window as while the Rover passed things by. But there was one place in particular that she searched for: the Soirée Epicée. Over the span of the last month, she had been gathering any information that she could on not only the place, but the girl too. And though the probability of her being a Keeper was still at a fifty-fifty standstill, she knew that the only way for her to confirm it was to get to the girl personally. Which meant that asking around, despite not wanting to resort to it out of caution, was a must if she wanted to find anything further.

Something else that she wasn't fond of was the idea of Yoon returning to the place where she had been attacked, albeit she understood that she both couldn't and wouldn't just not go at all. Not of her own will. Not yet, at least. But the catastrophe that happened there was still fresh in her thoughts. Not only so, but she couldn't yet shake the feeling that the Droven was already plotting his next move. Things were far too calm, and she knew better than to dismiss an enemy so quickly. Especially a Droven.

"Goo--"

"Good mo---"

"Wel--"

"Merry---"

Yoon couldn't seem to finish any statement that came out of her mouth by the time people swooped by to grab a mint chocolate and leave. And those who did enter already had appointments and weren't attracted at all by Yoon. She gulped, her eyes wandering where she saw most families head to which was the corner where they could take pictures with Santa. She stared for a little bit before her attention was caught by the sudden tug she felt on her pointed and curved shoe. Looking down, she saw a toddler playing with the ball of fluff that jingled in her slippers. She awkwardly smiled at the parents and dismissed their apology, offering them a chocolate instead. It was enough to attract the mother in and look at the services they offered. At this, Yoon sighed softly to herself.

"Thank you, your service is greatly appreciated," Yasha said upon arrival while she was exiting the car, joining her driver in going to the trunk of the car to retrieve what she had placed there. And though she exchanged a words in briefly in small talk about the weather and the holidays, she was already searching the area with her 6th sense for any signs of magic. And though her mana was nowhere near even half recovered, she had more than she had a bit more at her disposal than when she had met Yoon, and that was more than enough for scanning the vicinity. She thanked the man again when the last gift box–a long flat one that had snowmen all over the bright red wrapping–was placed under all of the other boxes to make them easier to carry.

Her attention turned to the mall, and now she searched with her eyes. She could just barely feel Yoon's essence, which was a good thing. It gave her relief, but not much of it. She glanced behind her when she heard her driver pulling off, taking it as a sign that she needed to get on with going inside. And so she did, greeting those who did the same to her.

"Good good, good job!" Yoon's mother said while refilling the tray of chocolate her daughter held.

Yoon groaned, glancing momentarily at her brother who was playing video games on their mother's phone. She faked a smile for her mother as she returned to attend guests. Yoon's attention went back to the couples that walked past her, and at the sight of teenage groups, she avoided any eye contact.

"Nice shoes." A man with deeper skin tone sneered as he walked past her, in which he chuckled with the rest of his group of friends. Yoon felt her face glow with a bright red, her hat sinking further in. She pretended to ignore the comment and instead target small children, in which believed she truly was an elf thanks to her height.

Yasha found herself taking the escalators up rather than the elevator, subconsciously avoiding the small space all together. The people around her even when she didn't look at them directly, she paid attention to. Whether it was the way they spoke, or even the way they looked to an extent, she remained alert. When she got to the next floor, one that she had become familiar with over time. She made a brief stop at a place where people were gathered around a Christmas tree that was bigger than the average home bound ones and decorating from top to bottom with glittery ornaments and candy canes in which some were fake while others were real. She watched them sing carols, some of their heads topped with cotton filled antlers. A few even had their noses painted red. But if it was something that stuck out the most to her were the god awful Christmas based sweaters that some of them wore. She snickered to herself in memory of when Yoon had wore one herself.

She continued to watch until the first song, "Jingle Bells", was over and then headed on to the salon. She had to stop halfway there when someone flew passed her on a skateboard, almost knocking the gifts out of her hand. "Excuse me!" She said, turning on her heels and taking a few steps after them. "That's illegal!" She paused as soon as she realized what she had said and shook he head. Picking up bad habits.. She thought to herself ironically while approaching the salon, moving some of her hair behind her casually as she walked passed a group of teenagers.

((Hair Dyed Yasha))

When Yasha approached the salon, Yoon was able to recognize her before she did. She gulped and quickly turned the other way, facing the glass wall as she sunk the elf hat as far as she could down her face. While doing so, her shoes jingled a bit and she cursed to herself in her native language.

From the moment Yasha got close enough to the salon to glance through one of the windows, she sensed Yoon's essence becoming closer. But it wasn't until she went to grab one of the chocolates from the plate did she realize that the person that held the plate was in fact Yoon. And she stopped to stare at her for a long time without saying anything at first. "....." She blinked a few times, and then spoke finally. "And here I thought that a sour looking sweater would be the most ridiculous thing I would ever see you wear, and quite xenophobic as well if I'd say so myself." She poked, though a smile came afterwards. "But adorable as well nonetheless." She balanced everything enough in one hand to take one of the chocolates and plop it into her mouth as she went ahead and entered the salon first to speak with Yoon's mother. "Mrs. Paaark! Mrs. Park, 그곳에아르선물용그만큼가족!"

"X-Xenophobic--adora--" Yoon blushed heavily at Yasha's other commentary. "H-How a-am I bein-- wha---what is--" She didn't have time to reply, for more customers took hold of the free chocolates.

"LULU!!!~" Yoon's mother called after with a special nickname since her original name was a little hard to pronounce correctly. She clapped in sync as she rushed to meet her, exiting the counter she wrote bills behind. And when she reached her, her warm, motherly hands came in contact with her cheeks and she gently squeezed. "Ooh, pretty tall girl!" She said, her working fingers combing through her new luxurious hair, needing to look up at her due to her height. "Ahh, legs long and white skin! Hair healthy, skin healthy, very skinny!" Mrs. Park pointed out. "Eat lots vegetables, yes?" She glanced at Yoon and squinted, who in turn, stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes. "Long time no see!" She squished her cheeks. "Want nails? I give you set for free!"

Yasha was unable to help wanting to lean into the woman's hands a little when they cupped her cheeks and she chuckled softly at the compliment given to her. "Oh come now Mrs. Park, even at your age you're still quite beautiful yourself," Yasha replied with a smile. She didn't mind the fingers that combed through her hair at all either. After all, not only were they in a salon, but those were the hands of the owner who specialized in dealing with hair. "Yes Mrs. Park, I suppose I do favor my vegetables and fruits a great deal. What you eat is just as important as eating itself I would say." She could see Yoon in her peripherals sticking her tongue out, which caused her to snicker quietly.
At Mrs. Park's question, she smiled some. "Now Mrs. Park, you know very well that I wouldn't ask a hard working woman such as yourself for anything free of charge. It would almost be equivalent to taking your hard earned money!" She stated, holding up the gifts a little. "Instead, I would love to give these to you for not arriving sooner than today to visit." Two of the gifts she placed into Mrs. Park's arms. One of them was based off of watching the woman cook, for she had also visited to celebrate Thanksgiving–or rather Chuseok. And with that in mind, the first gift that she had gotten her was a link. The other was a traditional Korean tea set known as link. This gift was derived more from her own feeling of wanting to bring a bit of home to the family since they were so far away.

"Ah, Sangeon. There you are." Yasha spotted the child behind the counter on his mother's phone. She thought about the words for a moment before speaking to the child in the language he understood best. "나는있다아주자형 의 것 선물에대한당신게다가!" She said to him, giving the bulkiest of the boxes a light pat to show him which one was his. "I think you'll love it."

Mrs. Park gasped, her dark brown eyes widening in shock and disbelief as she was forced to hold the gifts now. She blinked in perplexity, mumbling incomprehensible words in Korean at first. Her brows wiggled some until her whole expression softened, refusing to accept such gifts. They were nothing but beautiful, however, she didn't have anything as worthy to repay her with. "당신은 너무 친절합니다. 하지만 난 줄 게 없어." She spoke sadly. "Accept free s-services a-anytime you want!" She said with a respectful bow. "A-And Yoonie take you for dinner!"

"I'm doing what?!" Yoon exclaimed from where she stood, her shoes jingling which made her groan.

Yoon's mother dismissed her fit and followed Yasha. "Lulu too nice--these are very pretty, 당신은 너무 관대합니다. 우리 집은 당신과 당신의 가족에게 열려 있습니다!"

Sangeon peeped his head up from the screen, blinking in surprise when she saw a non-korean speaking their language. His eyes sparkled as he saw the box and its size. It was the biggest box he had ever received. That, and the gift his father gave him when he was even younger. He wasn't even sure how to react, a faint blush hitting his cheeks. "-T-Thank you...." He mumbled from his chubby cheeks. And after being scolded by his mother to say thank you louder, he yelped and did so, slowly unwrapping his present.

Mrs. Park sighed softly, a thin strand of hair falling loose from her ponytail. She managed to give a weary, but thankful smile to Yasha. "대단히 감사합니다! Happy Christmas to pretty lady!" She said before removing her santa hat and placing it on her. After all, she was the one with all the gifts.

"Mrs. Park..." Yasha's brows furrowed a little as the hat was placed onto her head. "Mrs. Park, there is nothing that you need to worry yourself with. I believe the point of this holiday is to give, yes? And if that is so, then.." She paused, her hand moving to the hat and her fingers stroking across them softly. "Then this alone is more than enough." She assured.

Meanwhile as Sangeon pulled more of the calm green and snowflake covered wrapping away, the blue edges of the box peeking from underneath it. The gleam of plastic revealed itself as even more of the gift wrap was pulled away until finally, the gift was revealed. It was...a nerf gun. However, not just any nerf gun. Across the bottom of the box in capital white letters was "Titan CS-50". In short, what was within the box was no mere nerf gun, but a nerf minigun. With it came a drum that held 50 darts, and since it was a on sale as a Christmas special, there were an extra 50 more that came with it.

"And perhaps one more thing that I would like to ask of you, Mrs. Park." Yasha continued speaking with Yoon's mother. " ...I would like to borrow Yoon from her occupation–just for a bit."

A glow twinkled in Sangeon’s eyes the further he unwrapped the present. And when he finally realized what it was, he gasped in amazement. The boy hugged it tightly before he rushed to open it. This was going to be the best weapon to use against his sister and friends at school during recess.

“Thank you thank you!” Mrs. Park couldn’t prevent herself from repeating. At one point, she grabbed Yasha’s hand with both of hers while bowing, her forehead touching her hand as a sign of gratitude and respect. The gifts she received truly made her think back to her true home she missed so much. Memories of her parents and her siblings emerged the more she stared at the gifts. She couldn’t wait to enjoy herself a cup of tea with the new set. They were absolutely beautiful. She wasn’t sure what she could possibly gift her back that could live up to such great standards, but she knew she had to.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Yasha’s request of Yoon. “O-Oh, yayaya.” She nodded while waving her hand at Yoon to come. With jingling bells, she walked over at the two and put down the tray of chocolates. “No let Lulu buy, you buy and treat her like guest. All in card!” She told her daughter, taking her credit card out and placing it in Yoon’s pocket. “Buy ice cream or yogurt—you only eat cone, no cup—too chubby!” Yoon’s mother pointed out, gripping a little on her daughters excess of flesh below her ribs. Yoon yelped and slapped her hand away. “Look Lulu, eat veggies and fruit and she nice and skinny. Soft skin like silk.” She pointed a finger at her daughter afterwards. “Why you no like that?” She chuckled jokingly. “Heels still too short for you.” She patted Yoon’s flustered cheeks.

“Mom!” Yoon exclaimed, glancing at her brother who was staring at her with mischievous eyes. “Uuughhh!” She cupped her own cheeks and waited outside the salon, cursing to herself in sync with her jingling shoes.

She didn't know whether it was the joy that she could feel from Sangeon, or the sheer overwhelming gratitude from Yoon's mother that caused it. But she felt it. A warmth, one that ignited within her. But it was not one of harshness nor of destruction. It wasn't scolding hot within her chest, but soothing. Warm enough to contend with that of a fire, yet cool enough not to bring pain or to burn or to cause discomfort within her. It felt bright, bright enough to be seen from under her skin, yet dim enough to be a guiding light that not even the darkest of the dark could smother.

The words being spoken faded until she could no longer hear them. But she felt them. For a breath as brief as a dying sigh, she felt...connected. A part of a whole that embraced sincerely and led her further into it at the same time. And then she was abruptly pulled back from what felt like a completely different world from by the sound of Yoon's yelp.

Yasha ended up blinking again, looking from person to person. She gave Yoon's mother a deep bow of appreciation and spoke to her. "감사합니다. Merry Christmas Mrs. Park."

Mrs. Park returned the bow, and when she was close enough, placed a small kiss on Yasha’s head. She smiled with eyes closed before opening them. “Happy Christmas!” She exclaimed before her attention when to her daughter. “Yoonie, take pretty Lulu out and treat like guest!” She inched her daughter near Yasha. “She take good care of you.”

Yasha smiled, glancing to Yoon for a moment as she started to reply to Mrs. Park. "I'll be sure to do the same Mrs. Park. And as a smaller gift, I'll try my best to convince Yoon to eat at least one vegetable today," She added jokingly with a little laugh. She looked down at the remaining gifts that she held in her arms, the flat long box wrapped in red, a thin looking something that seemed to have been wrapped more carefully than even the neatly wrapped gifts given to Mrs. Yoon and Sangeon. And there were a third box that was thick looking and in the shape of something that was perhaps a book of some sort.

She looked over at Yoon again, smiling some more. "Shall we take our leave dwelf? Or will you be making a change of clothing beforehand?"

“Hey! Just because you give my mom presents doesn’t mean you can bully me like she does!” Her arms flailed, her pupil shrinking to the size of a pin momentarily. “I’m not a freakin’ elf you GIRAFFE!” She was about to stomp off to change her clothes, that is, until her mom stopped her.

“What you doing? You go walk and promote shop!” Mrs. Park said, retrieving one of her posters on a rope and placing it around Yoon’s neck. “Sorry to pretty lady and you pay for food.

Yoon’s top lip twitched, staring down at the poster she wore. “SoRrY.” She apologized, before jingling her way out of the salon and waiting with crossed arms.

Yasha rolled her eyes with a playful scoff when Yoon called her a giraffe and giving one last bow to Mrs. Park before following after Yoon. "For the record, I said dwelf not elf, there's a difference between the two." She smiled again. "Come now, you cannot really believe that I came to celebrate this holiday of generosity without bringing something for you as well. Or would you be prefer a bag of coal and grass roots?" Her smile then moved into a small smirk as she spoke these words.

“Elf, dwelf, dame freagin’ THING!” Yoon exclaimed with furrowed brows and pouted lips. She adjusted her green skirt some, pulling down on it and itching and her socks. After a long sigh, her attention went back to Yasha, her expression softening only slightly. “You’ve already gotten me enough. And like I said, you shouldn’t be using money that isn’t yours! I don’t think Lauren’s parents would be happy to hear their money is being wasted on a... family like mine. As much as I appreciate it—Seriously, the materialism is getting out of hand! you can’t just be buying phones and cars and stuff like that! I can’t afford to gift you something close to that either!”

"I think we're well enough passed that now Yoon," Yasha said with a sigh. "Lauren's parents won't be a problem for better or worse, but what's even better is that this money isn't theirs to decide. It was Lauren's, who I now am supposed to be. Therefore it is in fact, my own for the time being." She furrowed her brows. "But a family like yours? I could care less what someone would think about an act of generosity towards other individuals. Besides, I gifted your mother and brother to blend into the culture of the holiday." And though she said this, she didn't really add that it was also because she had taken a liking to Yoon's mother as well as her younger sibling and his charming innocence.
"And though your gifts are also for the same reason, unlike the others, yours are a necessity. Not for the sake of materialism." She eyed the people around them momentarily. "Come, let us enjoy some time elsewhere. Perhaps it will lighten your soured holiday spirit."

“For the last time, you’re not Lauren. I mean you are, but you’re not. You should become your own person instead of you know... living in corpses... And no offense, but you really just prayed on my downfall for gifting my idiotic brother that stupid gun. And you knew exactly what would happen. So thanks, I’ll look forward to getting a bunch of shots on my face. This time more durable ones that hurt more.” Yoon rolled her eyes and sighed sourly. “Fine. Where to?” She asked, ignoring the stares she received from people eyeing her costume and the store she promoted. Wherever she decided, she followed lazily with jingling pointed shoes.