paradisa | ❀ Episode 14.5 ❀ ~Special Valentine's Edition!~ [Action-ish? Open to journal replies of all kinds!]

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rise kujikawa

❀ Episode 14.5 ❀ ~Special Valentine's Edition!~ [Action-ish? Open to journal replies of all kinds!]

[Technically, Valentine's Day had come and gone, but Rise wasn't about to risk her plans this month on whatever the castle was going to do to mess with them! So today, every last one of Rise's friends can expect a delivery to their room (or, in Sugar's case, on the vanity in Rise's room next to her 'bed'), whether she's known them for a long time or only just met them recently.

And it's not just her friends. Anyone who arrived in the castle in the past two months will get the same small gift box, too! Just in case, they're all clearly labeled "From: Rise Kujikawa", so no one mistakes them for yet another castle prank.

The contents of the boxes, and the handwritten notes that accompany them, differ from person to person as follows:]

[New arrivals to the castle]

Happy late Valentine's Day, and welcome to Paradisa! Hope things haven't been too weird for you! Maybe we could be friends while you're here?

- Rise Kujikawa ♥

[These packages contain an assortment of wished-up store-bought-type chocolates of no particular kind. They might be something the recipient loves, something they hate, or something they're allergic to. ... Worst case, it's the thought that counts?]

[Alex Russo]

[This one doesn't come with a note, just a little doodle of a playfully winking face. Rise had already spent Valentine's Day with Alex, but it wouldn't feel right leaving her out of the chocolate giving, so what was she to do?

... A happy accident of Rise's haphazard chocolate wishing summoned up these cute chocolate heels. Hopefully Alex doesn't mind getting something that isn't homemade this year? It was just too priceless to resist!]

[Conan Edogawa]

Happy late Valentine's Day, Conan-kun! I knew you'd be suspicious if I sent these last week. I promise they're totally normal chocolates, and you'd better enjoy them! It's not nice to make girls cry!

[The good news is, she didn't make these chocolates herself. The bad news is, they're sickeningly adorable. On the plus side, if he eats them, he won't have to look at them for long!]

[Sugar]

[Inside the package next to Sugar's bed are the same adorable chocolates Rise gave to Conan. Assuming the little fairy can open the package by herself... otherwise she might have to wait for Rise to help her.]

---

[All of Rise's grownup (or teenage) friends will, unfortunately, receive the same thing. Homemade nama chocolate.

It looks perfectly normal, and might even be somewhat edible. Except Rise believes in very... bold flavors. Some of the chocolates might be flavored with durian, habanero, bitter melon, or all three at once. She tried some different techniques, too, so the added flavors can be anywhere from mild to completely ruining the fact that they're supposed to be chocolate.

Please don't accuse her of trying to assassinate half of the castle. She really does mean well!]

[Note to Effy]

Hope your Valentine's Day didn't totally suck, Effy-chan! You probably would have liked last year better. But since the castle didn't give us any chocolates this year, I made some for everyone. Enjoy~! ♥

[Note to Wade]

Happy late Valentine's Day, "Mom"! ^_~

I kinda miss being a pretend family, but I'm glad we're still friends. Thanks for being there for me so much, and I hope we'll get to spend lots of time together while we're both here!

[Note to Jennifer Keller]

We've both lost a lot of people important to us, but I hope we can make the best of the time we all still have here. Happy Valentine's Day, Jen-chan. ♥

[Note to Sion Astal]

You're not the worst fake dad ever. Happy Valentine's Day, Astal-san. I hope we can be friends from now on, too!

[Note to Sheena]

It seems you're always looking out for me when things get bad. Thank you so much for that. Let's not wait for something else to happen to either of us before we spend time together again!

Oh, and happy Valentine's Day~!

[Note to Church]

Hey, I hope the castle didn't do anything really bad to you. I checked to make sure you were still around and everything!

If you're just coming back from something weird, maybe these will cheer you up a bit? I promise they're totally normal chocolates!

Happy Valentine's Day.

[Generic note to anyone and everyone else Rise has ever talked to]

It wouldn't be Valentine's Day without chocolate! Sorry these are late, but you never know what the castle might do on the real Valentine's Day.

I'm glad we got a chance to know each other, even in a crazy place like this. Hope you enjoy these~!

- Rise Kujikawa ♥

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Thanks for the chocolate. The juxtoposition of spiciness against the sweetness was... quite something.

Thanks for the chocolates! They look so good... [Clearly, she hasn't tried them yet]

Happy Valentine's Day, Rise. You didn't have to get me anything, but thank you.

And I'd love to get together sometime.

[Oh no, why are you encouraging her?]

You're welcome! I knew you'd like them!

[Jennifer is obviously much more cultured and mature than her friends back home.]

I'll totally make some more for you sometime!

[OH DEAR, she didn't mean to do that. But Jennifer is way too polite to say so.]

Or how about experimenting some more...?

They're a traditional recipe from back home! Let me know what you think soon, okay~?

[Wade is never going to want to eat chocolate from Japan again after this.......]

You're welcome! I just thought... I don't really do enough for all my friends here. Valentine's Day chocolate seemed like a perfect idea.

[That and when she's not actively doing things with people, sometimes it can feel a little lonely in the castle. So it's nice to hear that Sheena is up for hanging out sometime, too.]

Oh... yeah, of course! Trying out new ingredients is part of what makes each batch so special.

Besides... I kinda forgot to keep track of all the different batches...

[But she assumes habanero was involved, since Jennifer mentioned the spiciness? She could totally work with more spicy ingredients!]

Maybe I could try some different peppers next time...?

Maybe something with a little less kick. Also, remember that there's no rush- patience is essential to a good experiment, after all.

[Oh no...]

... Did I give it a little too much?

[Normally, she'd be in total denial that anything could possibly be wrong with her cooking, but Jennifer never said it was terrible in the first place. She can take suggestions for minor adjustments...]

Maybe. But to be fair, I've also never been much of a spice person.

Did you make them yourself?

[Hmmm... so maybe she did overdo it? Or maybe Jennifer just would have preferred something less spicy?]

Really? ... What kind of flavors do you like?

[She can take notes for next time! ... No guarantees the results will be any better, but hey. It's a process.]

[Wade can probably hear Rise beaming proudly at the journal as she answers.]

Yep! They're totally one-of-a-kind~!

[They are, too... she didn't keep track very well, so each batch came out a little different. Maybe Wade will get lucky and have some of the less... interesting ones?]

Strawberry is one of my favorites. Any fruit, really.

[Oh, Rise.]

You're a lot like someone I know, Rise. You do more than you think you do just by being yourself and being a friend. [She chuckles.] But I do like the gift. Would you want to stop by and share it with me sometime?

[Nope. She has no problems with wanting to hang out.]

Edited (Nothing like filtering to one's self...LOL) 2014-02-28 05:16 (UTC)

[Oh! She remembers there was that one time she and Jennifer had chocolate-covered strawberries at a party...]

Alright! Next time, I'll try making something you'll really like!

[Yeah, she can totally figure something out! There's lots of different fruits besides strawberries, too... she'll have to experiment a lot...]

[Aww, Sheena! It won't show over the journal, but Rise's totally blushing right now. It's a good kind of blush, at least?]

Ah... thanks. I think you're a lot like that, too...

And sure! I'd love to!

[She even made a little extra she could bring over! And... suddenly she gasps, like she just had the most brilliant idea.]

Maybe we could even have a sleepover?

[She hasn't had one in so long! Not since Nora and Chie and Yukiko were in the castle. She's not sure if she could get a big group together again, but just her and a friend would be more than enough...]

Wow...I wish I could cook things like this...[There might be the sound of crinkling wrapping as she pokes about for a likely one to sample first]

I trust that you will. Thank you.

[Okay, yeah, she's blushing hard right now because no one's ever said that to her as far as she can remember.]

Th-Thanks, Rise.

[She's about to ask if everything's all right after that gasp, when Rise reveals her idea.]

A sleepover? I've never been to one. How does it work?

[She's heard of them, she's just not familiar with the mechanics.]

It's a really easy recipe to follow! You can even add your own special ingredients.

[First sign of danger right there! Too bad Wade has no way of knowing exactly how 'special' Rise's ingredients are.]

Special ingredients, huh? [There is a note of hesitation at that, but she's committed to this already.] I'm not sure what I'd put in chocolate other than the usual stuff. You know...nuts, coconut...[There's the sound of chewing for a moment] Mmm...[slightly muffled] cherries....

That's the best part... chocolate works with so many different things! So you can give it your own personal touch, especially for someone special~.

[She's playing it cool, but she's super excited to hear what Wade thinks. ... And a little worried. She hopes she didn't go overboard with any of the flavors this time. But it should be fine!]

Really?! Then we have to have one!

[She never got to do normal girl stuff like this back home! Not until she met her current friends, and she hasn't had as much time with them as she'd like yet. So she still gets absurdly excited when she gets the chance to do it here.]

It's just like coming over to spend the night, but kinda like a party, too! So there can be snacks or movies or games...

[She's not overly familiar with the mechanics, either, but that's how the last one she had worked.]

We could even do makeovers!

[She can make you even cuter, Sheena...!]

[She's not the only one who didn't do girl stuff while growing up, and in spite of her age, Sheena's actually looking forward to this.]

Is it okay for just two people, though? "Party" usually means more.

[She's not nit-picking; she's honestly curious. Especially about that last bit.]

What's a makeover?

[You have to teach her a bit first, Rise!]

[Wade's been lucky so far, but that might run out the more she samples...]

Is that so~? Do you have a someone special here or back home?

[Oh no, Rise might be getting a little flushed on her end now...]

... Yeah...

Well, back home, it's just someone really important to me! Like a friend! [Actually, she was in love with him, but sadly, that's her loss.] But here...

[She hesitates, but this conversation is filtered. She may not have known Wade overly long, but she'd definitely count her among people she'd trust.]

... There's someone I like, yeah.

[Ohgodshesaidit... still not used to admitting it like that!]

Sure, it's okay! But I guess it's not really much like a party with only two people...

[That doesn't mean it wouldn't be fun, though!]

You've never had a makeover, either?!

[Rise's never really done them before, to be perfectly honest. Her friends back home aren't exactly the most likely targets. Though she does like shopping with Naoto...]

It's super easy! You just let someone fix your hair and makeup and maybe pick out some clothes. Just for fun!

[At least, that's the kind of makeover Rise's already planning. Doesn't it sound like fun, Sheena? (Don't make her regret actually telling you! She'd have kept it a secret if she wanted to be a little more devious...)]

Yeah? Do they know about that? I mean, assume you gave them some chocolates too...

Okay. You know more about this than I do!

[She coughs in embarrassment.]

I've never heard that word before.

[But when she hears the explanation, she makes an "ah" sound.]

Does being given a gown by a king count as a makeover?

[There were other items, too, but she put on the jewelry and did her hair--just like she does here.]

And I don't wear makeup...

[Unless in disguise. But maybe it's time to change that. Besides, Rise's making it sound like it'll be fun to do.]

But, I'd like to try it!

Uh-huh.

[She sounds almost embarrassed, the way she says it, but after the actual Valentine's Day, Alex certainly does know.]

We even spent Valentine's Day together...

Sure, that totally counts!

[This is one of those times where it really shows how young Rise still is. This may be a bonus to being eternally sixteen in the castle... she'll never lose the energy and exuberance.]

And don't worry! It doesn't have to be a lot of makeup... just a little can really bring out your features.

[She's already thinking up ideas! It helps that she already thinks Sheena's really pretty, too. Maybe if she does a really good job, she could even boost her confidence a little? And maybe Sheena would even surprise her and come up with some good tips for Rise, too?

Suddenly, she gives an excited little squeal.]

This is gonna be so much fun!

Welllllll...good for you. What's his name?

[She laughs.]

Okay! Then I guess I have had a makeover before. Although, I have the feeling yours will be more fun.

[Some of that excitement is rubbing off on Sheena, by the way.]

It doesn't have to be a lot? Thank the gods...

[All she can see is Pronyma and hers..."Little" wasn't an option.]

So when should we do this?

[Oh, Rise...Sheena doesn't know anything about giving tips...other than you look fine just as you are.]

Of course! I'm a professional, after all!

[Never mind that her job consists mostly of being the canvas upon which the makeup artists work, not the other way around. That's a technicality in the face of her totally professional interest in looking her best.]

Hm... I don't know. It's not like we really have schedules here...

[In spite of that, plans still rarely work out exactly as intended. Probably because the castle keeps dropping crazy things on everyone.]

How about sometime next month? I could call you to set up a date... as long as, y'know, we're both still human and have our rooms and everything.

[Not knowing that Sheena will be turning into a pony, Alex will disappear, and then the spirals thing is coming, of course. But it will eventually happen! She's determined!]

[Well... this is unexpectedly awkward. Rise would have made the same assumption, though. She'd never fallen in love before, but she always imagined it would be with a guy. Alex had too, apparently. It just... kind of happened this way instead.

Still, no amount of rationalization makes the question any less awkward to answer.]

... Alex. And, uh... it's 'her'.

[She doesn't want to make a big deal out of it! Wade might think she offended her or Alex or something...!]

Oh....Oh! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed...

[How completely embarrassing for the both of them probably.]

It doesn't really matter. I'm just happy you're happy.

N-no, it's okay! I'm not... I mean, it... took us both by surprise, too...

[What's more embarrassing than this is the memory of how castle magic paved the way. With her friend Yukiko, no less. It's hard not to recall that in pretty vivid detail, but she manages to shake it off more easily the more time passes.]

She's... kinda my first. I've never had a girlfriend... or a boyfriend before.

You give makeovers to others for a living? That sounds like a fun job, Rise.

[She obviously has no clue what Rise's real profession is, but it really doesn't matter to Sheena. Rise is Rise--no matter what.]

Yeah, that's true... [Then suddenly, mock horror--or is it mock?--enters her voice.] Rise! be careful what you say! You never know what this place may do! Although, trying to do a makeover with us as frogs or something may be interesting...

[She chuckles softly.]

But yeah, just let me know when you're free, and we can come up with a date! [Does she sound like she's looking forward to it? Because she is.]

Firsts are always good.

[Well... that's not exactly accurate, but Rise lets it slide for now. Maybe she'll show Sheena what she really does for a living when they get together? It's been a while since she's performed...

But really, Sheena, why would you do this? The horror in her voice might not be genuine, but Rise's sure is. ... A little. She can still tell Sheena's joking.]

H-hey, you be careful! Don't give the castle any ideas!

[Being turned into a frog is one thing she's managed to avoid so far! But she's not being completely serious either, and even chuckles along with Sheena a little.]

Anyway! I'll start getting everything ready, and I'll let you know soon!

[She doesn't have to show Sheena if she doesn't want to, but the ninja won't mind if she does.

And because Sheena can have that much of a warped sense of humor, that's why. But hearing Rise's voice makes her backpedal.]

Sorry, Rise! I didn't mean to scare you like that!

[But hearing the other girl chuckle puts her mind at ease and she's smiling again.]

Okay, Rise! Just let me know when you're ready!

[And she closes the journal.]

Edited 2014-05-19 17:16 (UTC)

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

❀ Episode 14.5 ❀ ~Special Valentine's Edition!~ [Action-ish? Open to journal replies of all kinds!]

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