tacerevatumarchive-deactivated2 ;   How the box would find Namine, the youth wasn't sure. However, as usual, he was being discreet. Regardless, a whim had sent him on a mission. A blank box, containing a small set of paints, tied with a small red ribbon, laid atop a desk on its own. It was out of sight, out of mind, but otherwise, in plain view. Something told him, however, just leaving the gift behind would be enough. "I thought you might want a change from the crayons and pencils. Try not to stain your dress. - Ace"

         _{The door opened with a creak as she stepped into her white room, the bag on her shoulder sliding down to the crook of her arm as she moved further into the room. It seemed it was the same as she had left it, untouched and as plain as ever outside of the drawings she had hung up around the room over the span of a year. None of it was necessarily her best work, but it had been a way for her to hold onto all of the memories that rushed through her.}

                                    _{It had been what was necessary.}

         _{Setting her bag down next to the chair that she oftentimes sat in and made a move towards the window, before something caught her eye. A flash of red, bright and sudden in the white of the room, and she hesitated for a moment, just looking at it, before approaching. There was not often colorful things in her room that were not colored pencils or crayons, and she was sure that all of her supplies where in her bag, unless she had left something behind…}

         _{Upon seeing the box sitting innocently on her table she blinked a few times and strode towards it. It was unlikely something threatening, it really wasn’t very big, and there was a note on top of it. She approached it and leaned over to pick it up, eyes skimming the page.}

         _{Slowly a smile pulled its way onto her face, though something in her eyes remained relaxed and sad, face still primarily smooth and passive in spite of the muscle movement. Ace… Ace had left her a gift. A Christmas gift, she supposed, because it was that special day, and her mind was cast back to the box tied with a white ribbon in her own bag that she meant to give him.}

                                             _{Something in her chest warmed.}

         _{”Ace…” she mouthed more than spoke as she pulled at the ribbon, still holding onto the note soundly between her fingers as the ribbon became undone and she opened the box. Paints… she had always wanted to try out paints, but had never found the time or munny to purchase any.}

                  _{Her fingers skimmed lightly over the set of paint that he had gotten her, the brushes, but they were trembling slightly. It was too much, and she couldn’t bear to pick them up because of hesitation, a feeling that if she picked them up somehow something would happen to them. Happen to her gift from a precious friend.}

                                                                        _{Her f r i e n d.}

                           _{Slowly, carefully, she picked up a brush, rolling the slim wooden handle between her finger tips and held onto it. It slid into her grip as if it were only natural that it were in her hand and immediately she felt the need to sit, to flip open her sketchbook and paint. Paint anything, everything, perhaps even paint something for Ace, do something more for him than she already had.}

         _{Finally her hand closed more firmly around the brush, enough so that she absolutely would not drop it, but she did not squeeze it either. Instead she held it close to her person and her eyes closed for a moment, a smile gracing her face, more honest and warm than her last one.}

                                             _{It was too much.}

                                                               _{But she loved it.}

                  _{”Thank you…}

                                                      _Ace.”