Scene #8200:

Owner	Pose
Kukuru	Once Kukuru knows where someone is, it's really not all that hard for her to get there. Some coordinates here, a picture there, and a little G**gle Earth searching later, and she's made it from her home (well, apartment) in Grand Dorado to the rooftop of a certain housing complex in Geneva. She's a little overdressed for the weather in a Christmas-y sweater with lots of red and green all over the place, but she looks comfortable enough when she announces her arrival at James' door by knocking on the door with her forehead. She'd do it with her hands, but she's got a bag full of thermoses in one hand and an oversized bag holding neatly-wrapped gift boxes in the other. Now all that's left is remembering which box is which. She forgot to put labels on any of them.
James Bond	The one place that James Bond might call 'home' is presently under close watch, at best, and at worst, actively unsafe. Even in better times, that place would have nothing but bad memories associated with it--the gradual steep of a young man's turbulent emotions, simmered off into bitter affectations of apathy and avoidance. Skyfall Estate is not the kind of place that James would invite someone. Perhaps, in the nebulous future, when things have calmed down in his own life, and the shock of his recent discoveries have faded, he might try to replace some of those memories with better ones. This is not that future--and he has decided that the woman who wants to see him deserves a better present than what he could give her at that place. So instead, a flat, in Geneva. Not 'home,' but a place where two people can share warmth and enjoy each other's company, without distraction from old history or new problems. The complex is a three-storey, burgundy affair; converted from some Neoclassical vision a la the Haus zum Kirschgarten in Basel. Old, and regal, and yet somehow also quaint, the outside of the building gives way to Bond's ground-floor flat rather unceremoniously. The man himself is as happy to help as he is to see her, cracking a smile at her unusual means of announcing her arrival. "Thanks for dropping in," he says, unable to resist the temptation. He's got a sky blue knit sweater himself, over a yellow button-up, with pressed white slacks and lounge slippers for around the house. It's small but comfortable, and he's clearly had some things brought in recently from another place. Half-filled bookshelves line a sitting room, while an ornate Empire desk on damage-free sliders has been placed overlooking a modestly sized window to the street outside. Objects d'art have been set out on cherrywood tables in some places, while others wait for proper placement in boxes neatly slid against the wall. With her offerings in hand, he leads her in, ushering her to an exactingly cared-for green loveseat that, despite its good condition, must surely by its elegant, fanciful style be older than the both of them. Her gifts are brought over and set upon a coffee table that has remained free of move-in clutter by his tidy organizational skills. The moment is hands are free, he wraps his arms around her and presses his lips to hers for a brief, but tender kiss. "Merry Christmas."
Kukuru	Kukuru takes a few moments to just soak in the atmosphere of Bond's place: The cozy atmosphere, the contrast between what's been set up and what still needs to be unpacked, the well-taken care of furniture, and all the books with content she'll undoubtedly never understand even if she ever attempts to read one of them. Only then does she finally let out a relaxed sigh and head further in, setting her stuff down with Bond's direction (so as to not break any of his artsy stuff) before getting caught completely off guard by the quick kiss. "J-James? Ah.. Merry Christmas!" Perking up quite a bit at that, she reaches up to give him a light pat on the cheek before clearing her throat and trying to distract herself with those gift boxes again. "S-so! I brought a couple of things because I thought maybe you'd like something tasty for..." She pauses. "... Well, it's after Christmas now, but it's still tasty! And then I've got some presents for you and a few of your friends in the Paladins." A beat, and then she just up and latches onto Bond's arm, rubbing her cheek on the side of his arm for a moment before remembering her thought. "Do you think they'll be okay with me bringing this stuff to them? Or... Would it be better if they know you looked at it first? This stuff I've been hearing has been kind of exhausting, so..." Kukuru sighs dramatically, then gestures at the thermoses. "Hot cocoa, 'normal water'." She winks when she identifies that second thermos for emphasis. It is definitely not normal water, but some kind of alcohol that's made to pair with something sweet that she just can't pronounce.
James Bond	"I trust you," he says, with a nod of his head towards the gifts for the other Paladins. "It's certainly been more of the same from the past four bloody years, watching the new blood spin themselves out because of some offhand remark Lilian made. It's been that way since before I signed on, and it'll keep being that way until she quits or dies," he adds with a dry chuckle. Taking her hand into his, he squeezes gently, and continues with a slightly more serious tone. "I don't think they'd mind a visit from you. That boy, he's a different story." There's a pause. "Except for Hearthward. If you got one for him, he'll bristle unless I've 'checked it out' first," he grins. Bond rises. "I'll get us some plates for the food, bring you your present, and we can get into that 'normal water.'" He ventures briefly into the flat's small kitchen, with the same rich, cozy dark green wallpaper as the sitting room. Plates, forks and knives are set out, before he disappears into his room and returns with a small box about the size of his palm. It's tied up with a little gold bow, offered to her as he takes the seat beside her. Inside is a necklace, the main feature of which is a silver heart. Two gold-trimmed, diamond-studded horns, stubby and grooved like hers, rest on either side of the heart.
Kukuru	"She's just got a... Different way of showing she cares that some people aren't used ot." Kukuru chuckles lightly in return and cricks her neck lightly before letting out a lazy yawn. "But whatever happens... I can make sure those kids don't go too far and stay dead if they kill each other over this. She doesn't seem like the type they'd be able to kill, anyway, or that her friends would let stay dead." Another chuckle later, and Kukuru's smile brightens as Bond reassures her about the potential reaction to her arrival with gifts. "Really? Oh, that's great~ Then I can just bring this to them directly after..." A pause. "... Maybe tomorrow. Giggling mischievously after that, she goes right back to her lazy yawning and humming softly again. "Oh, Kale? He'll be fine. We helped Santa twice this month!" She explains without really explaining anything, apparently assuming that she's always explained more than enough just from that alone. With Bond getting the table ready, Kukuru takes care of getting the food out. As expected, it just comes out of her pockets, stored neatly in those microwave and dishwasher safe containers she's so fond of using. She's really gone all out this time, too, with the fanciest grilled, fried, and even some stir-fried meats and mushrooms that she's specifically memorized as safe-to-eat for humans. Also, a little jar of fried shallots. "Oh? What do you have there?" Kukuru asks as she takes the offered box. She peeks inside first, then beams as she gives up on trying to identify it from a peek to just taking out the necklace delicately. "This is... Oh, this is lovely! And there's even thel ittle...!" She nudges the little horns with her finger, then giggles in a more girlish way that few have ever heard from her before. "That's so sweet... Aw, James! Oh, before I forget..." She brings over his present box next, somehow managing to identify it at a glance despite looking similar (but not identical) to the others. It's packing a handmade sweater that, on the outside, looks like a fairly normal ugly Christmas sweater. What sets it apart, though, is the fact that the inside of it is almost completely black, and that black inside layer reveals that it's actually reversible with all sorts of semi-hidden compartments for storing stuff! The weird-looking reindeer and deformed Santas on the colorful side have more of those compartments, too, so it's clearly designed with storage in mind.
James Bond	"It's much appreciated, really," he says. "This business with Soroka and that boy has gone on for long enough, and the people who actually understand Lilian are precious few enough. As for the airspace incident," concludes Bond, on the topic of Kale. "I read the report." If it weren't for his small smile, his tone would give the complete impression that it was something deathly serious. He's quite good at sarcasm. The smile widens, when he sees her reaction to his present. Warmth is a good look on James Bond, and it's one he seldom tries on. Without a word, he sheds his very normal sweater and changes it out for her Very Normal one, proudly wearing it ugly-sweater-side-out. "I love it," he affirms, teary-eyed. "I've... never had something that's..." He wipes at his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. "I don't think I've told you, but..." His eyes search hers, uncertainty lurking in blue pools before he shakily steels himself. "I suppose now is as good a time as any. Kukuru... most of my life has been a lie. The same people who made me this way," he says, gesturing broadly over himself, "Had a lot more control over who I was than I thought." "James Bond is someone who died a long time ago. Everything about me--my name, the way I think, the way I act, what I like, what I don't--it's copied over from that person. I met the James Bond they replaced me with, and..." He shakes his head, looking briefly away, down at his untouched food. "It was uncanny, Kukuru. Like looking at a younger reflection. I did my best to warn him. And because of that, and you, and the friends I've made in spite of it all, I think I can live with being a copy, up until now. I can live with that, if it means I still have time to make my own choices and memories, have my own feelings, etch out my own life." He takes one of her hands in both of his. "I think this sweater might be the first thing someone's given me, that I can look at and really feel like it's mine." Leaning in, closing his eyes, he kisses her on the cheek as his hands gingerly squeeze hers. "Thank you for that. I love it."
Kukuru	"Kids do dumb things, and having powers like theirs... They'll work it out, probably." Kukuru chuckles again and shrugs. "And if not, I'll still be there to make sure they don't die. Someone has to make sure they'll still be ready for when they do more silly kid things at Lili." Despite chuckling one more time after that, Kukuru somehow sounds tired even for her. The airspace thing, though, gets a curious look from Kukuru. "Is that why he was doing that? I thought he was helping just because." Pursing her lips for a moment, She lets out an amused laugh before shrugging. "Well, the important thing is he helped, and we were able to fix a lot of Christmas stuff at the same time." Somehow, she believes that's what happened. Bond's reaction to her sweater gift has her raising an eyebrow curiously, mostly from how strongly it seems to hit him. The reasons become clear once he starts speaking and explaining how controlled his past was. She clasps her hands around his gently, maintaining that soft look in her eyes the entire time while absorbing all of what he's telling her. "They really went that far...? Then it's a good thing we were able to the get your replacement out. More importantly... You're not stuck in it, either." Nudging her seat closer to his, Kukuru lets go of Bond's hand to instead place her hand behind his head, tugging him in lightly to return a kiss to his cheek (and keeping that drill horn thing out of the way). "Stuff really was rougher before, wasn't it...? But you're safe now. You're with friends, you're with me, and they can't hurt you anymore." Forgetting about her own food as well, Kukuru runs her hand through Bond's hair lightly while continuing to cradle his head in that utterly gentle way she tends to do. "Everything now... What you do, what you're given... It's yours, not theirs. And if they try to mess that up?" She finally releases his head to gesture at her side. She digs out the tip of one of her claws, then whispers quietly into his ear. "We can break them. Do you wanna go break their stuff after this? It could be fun~"
James Bond	Kukuru's embrace is met with a long, shuddering sigh. His hair is soft, and he seems to take a kind of quiet refuge in being held, scooting closer and letting his weight rest upon her. When she does release him, he sits up, attentively listening: >Do you wanna go break their stuff after this? "For the time being," Bond says with a chuckle, finally reaching over to start in on his food (including a little smattering of fried shallots), "I think I'd rather not give them any more attention. Which is to say, if you're going to break anything, it ought to be me," he grins, spearing a mushroom with his fork. "I asked them to put the horns on it for a reason," he says with less mischievous intonation, nodding towards her present. "You're one of the most caring, thoughtful, generous people I know. Being able to show that kind of care to you has been a rare privilege--but when I'm not around..." His fork traces a little circle in his food before sticking a larger portion to cut neatly with his knife. "I'd like it if you turned that care inwards, every now and then. It's my way of saying 'be as generous with yourself as you are with others,' I suppose."
Kukuru	"That makes sense, yeah... Ah, there's no rush. They'll get what's coming to them sooner or later, and that means we'll have more time for..." Bond comments about breaking him, and it takes Kukuru a solid ten seconds before she finally understands and turns a bright red in embarassment. "... A-after eating, maybe." She tries to play coy rather terribly, and finally starts digging in herself. Slipping that necklace on, Kukuru holds it up to her face to get a better look at a the craftsmanship and the little details being pointed out. Her chest puffs up a bit at Bond's ego-boosting at first, but that soon turns into teary-eyed giggling and a quick wipe of her face a few moments later. "Thanks, James.... I learned a lot of it from my parents, so I can't take all the credit there. They even said the same stuff you're saying now." She giggles again, then crams a whole chunk of meat into her mouth, for knives are meant for humans and people with non-serrated teeth. "But don't worry. I take care of myself plenty." She gestures at the food for emphasis, then slouches back in her seat slightly. "I just don't wanna let them down, you know? They've never treated me differently even though... I mean..." This time, it's her turn to get a little choked up trying to get the words out, but in that happy and grateful sort of way. "I showed you mom and dad's picture, right? They never treated me like a freak. Or anyone else in the village, even though I don't look anything like them. I heard how bad some humans treat their own kids when they look different, so..." She lets out a pleasant sigh after that, then crams a mushroom into her face. "I wanna make sure they don't have anything to worry about ever again. My parents, the village, everyone... And making sure that happens is how I'll be able to relax, too."
James Bond	James cleans his plate after a few minutes--just as on their date in Vienna, he seems to want to savor the food. "It's a parent thing, unfortunately, not specifically a human one." He's sounds like he's speaking from experience, almost. "Some people think they're entitled to their children being or looking a certain way. But of course, the child doesn't know that. Can't know. And the same type of people who feel that sense of entitlement also feel as though they shouldn't have to explain it. And so..." He trails off, letting her make the connection without spelling it out fully. "Your parents are good people. I'd like to meet them, someday."
Kukuru	Despite being the person that made it, Kukuru can still savor that food just as well. She did make sure to pick out the good stuff for this meal in particular, after all! It gives her some time, too, to mull over James' lessons about human parents. "They... Can be, yeah. Not all of them, though, and not as many as I used to see even a few years ago. Humans are getting better these days, I think, even if there's still some of the... Well." She gestures vaguely towards the window, then slouches back in her seat again with a content chuckle. "They really are... Oh, sure, you can definitely meet them! Just let me know ahead of time, because they'll wanna prepare some stuff for when you come by, too." It seems feeding people really runs in the family. "And I bet the rest of the village will be excited, too. Most of the human visitors we get can be a little..." She trails off, just kind of wiggling her hand in the air vaguely for a moment. ".. You know? But it'll be fine~" And then Kukuru claps her hands together. "Now! How about some of that hot cocoa and the... 'Water'?"
James Bond	James smiles warmly, wrapping an arm around Kukuru, scooting in close and opening up the ' water.' He's no stranger to drinks like this one--he takes a sniff, trying to determine just what she's brought by smell alone. He stands up and enters into the kitchen once more, back with a pair of on the rocks and a little pail with ice for that 'water'. Almost assuredly, his liquor cabinet has sufficient supply to render it into a cocktail if necessary. For the moment, however, he opts for the cocoa, taking a sip from the thermos before passing it to her. "How is it that someone as strong as you can be as gentle as you are?" He asks idly. "I don't mean in the literal sense," James continues, frowning thoughtfully. "More in the sense that you're so patient and kind when... I suppose there really isn't any need for it, if that makes sense," he says, posing a question that could only come from someone so totally normal and well adjusted as him.
Kukuru	It's vodka. Overpriced vodka with really good marketing, even, but someone like Kukuru probably wouldn't really know any better. She just likes her drinks, and she's patient enough to watch James as he gets the ice and the extra nice stuff ready, kicking her feet lightly while taking in the sights of Geneva from the flat again. It's still a relaxing sight, and part of her wants to just put her head down for a moment, but she'll have plenty of time for that again later. For now, it's enough to just enjoy the moment with James, sipping that cocoa (it might be a little too sweet) and resisting the urge to pick out some ice to crunch on. "I guess it's because... There's enough of that already?" She scratches her cheek idly, thinking a little while longer before continuing. "With the kind of stuff we do, there's already plenty of people that are just so... Hard. Strong in their own ways, too, but hard. They're really smart, and they track of everything at the same time, but... It's like what you said about taking care of myself. They need someone to take care of them, too. Someone, somewhere that they can relax and just take a load off instead of being 'on' all the time. Convincing people feels way better than forcing them to do what I think is right, you know? And besides..." She gets up momentarily to lean in close to whisper, just narrowly avoiding making contact with James' ear. "If everyone expected me to be hard, too, then I'd have to work way harder." She giggles lightly at that last bit, holding a finger up to her lips as though her wanting to slack off sometimes despite talking about finding napping spots might be a secret.
James Bond	James chuckles, at Kukuru's 'secret.' "I'm glad that's the conclusion you've come to," he says. "Certainly, it's nice to take a break every now and then." Outside, people seem like they're in a hurry. Not surprising, given the cold. "And I appreciate that you can be there for people who are always-on." He's one of them, of course. He doesn't seem to have much of a sweet tooth, but neither does he seem put out by how sweet Kukuru made the cocoa. It just takes him a little longer to finish, which works out just fine, as it means he ends up spending more time leaning against her. When it's finished, he sets the lid of the thermos down and closes the blinds on the window near his desk. Were he out working, James would go for his usual cocktail. However, one whiff of the vodka Kukuru brought tells him she's probably not a heavy drinker like he's known to be--rather, she picked up something that seemed nice and brought it along to share. With that in mind, he takes to his liquor cabinet, a chest-high thing that, like much of what he owns, looks as though it was passed through at least two generations before it got to him. "I don't quite enjoy drinking it the way the Russians do--so I'll spruce it up a bit." From the cabinet, he procures and names each ingredient, borrowing the vodka thermos to pour a portion into a cocktail shaker. "This is something I came across working in America a few years ago, and it's taken off since then. Simple syrup, a bit of lime juice, cranberry juice," (these sourced from the kitchen, the latter apparently with water and sugar added in), "Some Curaçao, your vodka, of course--and lemon wedges for garnish." With each poured into an on the rocks glass, he lifts his in a toast. "To kindness and warmth," he smiles.
Kukuru	"Someone has to, and... I just like it more. It feels better to make other people feel good than to hurt them, you know?" Kukuru once again reveals how deep the puddle of her mind goes, and she's ready to relax again with that hot cocoa shared between them both. What she's more curious in, though, is seeing what James does with the vodka. She bobs her head from side to side idly as she gets a better look at the cabinet, oohing at all the names she recognizes and aahing at all the ones she doesn't (resulting in a surprisingly high ratio of oohs to aahs). "Mixed drinks are nice. I mean, sometimes you just wanna get knocked out, but... Today's a good day. I don't wanna pass out that fast, and I want to remember it~" Smiling sweetly as he returns with the completed stuff, Kukuru takes her own drink and lifts it towards James. "To kindness and warmth!"