Putting Up Decorations {Open}

[Maku]

What day is it?..

This is a question Maku asked himself every day when he woke up. He had lost track of time and he stopped counting the days and the weeks. But this morning, he knew what day it was. He overheard multiple people note that today was the day. December first. Maku was overjoyed to know the date, let alone to know that Christmas was just around the corner. But that happiness quickly turned to a homesick feeling. Christmas made Maku think of all the years he spent with his parents and the tremendous amount of love that they shared. He missed his parents and he missed not having friends to share his time with. In his cell block, he just felt... lonely.

Slipping out from under his old blanket, Maku took cold steps across the flat concrete floor. His bare feet were quickly chilled by the icy floor. Maku stepped next to the sink and turned on the faucets. He slipped his hands under the iced water, then splashed it on his face. Turning the faucet off, he removed his dry contacts. Maku couldn't see anymore with them, so he didn't bother wearing them anymore. His hands aimlessly reached out to find his glasses he was fortunate enough to bring. His fingers wrapped around a wire frame and brought them to his face. Maku blinked a few times, getting used to the lenses. Maku then moved to the door of his cell, contemplating leaving.

His hands gripped around the metal handle, freezing to the touch. The simulated weather was very seasonal. The coldness definitely convinced Maku that it was December. Turning the handle, the door swung ajar. The morning sun at first blinded him, but then was a pleasant view. His cell door faced East, so he always got a pleasant wake up from the sun. The morning shadows of people and trees casted over the field outside of the cell blocks. Maku smiled, then a yawn permeated through him, stretching audibly at his door way. The air was warming slowly and the sun gradually heated the concrete.

Taking a step back, Maku left his door open, to tend to putting up Christmas decorations in his cell. He didn't have anything, yet, but decided to start out small. He took a seat on his cot and took a few blank pieces of paper from his journal, located conveniently under his sleeping arrangement. Maku folded the paper into halves, then halves again, then once again folding in half, touching the corners together to form triangular pieces of paper. Maku grabbed a pair of scissors that conveniently were stuffed in the journal. He held the paper as he cut small triangles, rectangles, and semi-circles around the edges. After filling the perimeter with small shapes and trimming off the corners, he unfolded the piece of paper to make a paper snowflake. Maku held it out in front of him proudly, smiling happily to reminisce about his past. He begins to remember all the paper flakes he made at home as a kid and how his parents would smile as he put them on the tree or around the house. Maku could hear their voices saying how adorable it was or how beautiful it made the house look, despite their poorly crafted shape. He even remembered all the warm smells that would fill the house as his mother made holiday foods.

A splash fell on the snowflake. Perhaps he was thinking to hard about the past. Maybe he just hated being alone. The paper was slightly wet and curled at the edges. Maku blinked, wiping his eyes with his arm and sighed out softly. He needed to get a grip. Maku set aside the paper snowflake and began working on another one to change his focus. He needed to just get the decorations up, so he could feel homesick later. Preferably when his door wasn't open to the rest of Freakopolis.

[James]

James was once again walking, he didn't really know why he walked so much, he just did. He felt a chill hold on him but it hadn't bothered him that much, he was from a place where snow was simply a fact as was the cold. James thought that with it being December Christmas must be coming soon, old memories of the friends and family that he had known wafted through his mind but he knew they were looking for him and that would have to do for now. As James walked past an open door he felt feelings that he knew all too well, sadness and loneliness. James poked his head in and saw a man who couldn't have been to much older than himself making paper snowflakes. "Good morning" James said with a smile as he stuck his head in the door. "Sprucing up the place?"

[Maku]

The scissors crisply cut into the paper another time. Maku unfolded the paper for another time, wiping his eyes against his arm. Admiring his work slightly, a presence made itself.. rather, himself known. A voice from the doorway greeted, "Good morning." Maku jumped slightly, dropping the scissors to the ground. The open sharp blades barely missing his toes, as Maku quickly brushed his arm against his face again before smiling to the greeter. The smile was a quick facade, not wanting to show his weakness. The man quickly added on, "Sprucing up the place?" Maku blinked, looking over to his paper snowflakes before responding.

"Not yet. Just started getting ready actually..." Maku turned his head to look at the person, taking in his appearance. To him, the man had a large build and was intimidatingly tall. But the man's menacing bearing was easily dissuaded in Maku's mind, noticing that the he was just around his own age. Turning to his papers, Maku picked up another sheet, folding it slowly. He concentrated more on the paper than the guy in his doorway, picking up the scissors off the ground. Offhandedly, Maku asked the man, "Considering that I just began to make my decorations, would you mind helping? My name's Maku, if you were wondering."

Focused on the paper, Maku made a few incisions with the scissors, the scrap pieces fleeting onto the ground. Making a fifth one, Maku set the complete snowflake with the others. His hand reached for another sheet as he eyed the man carefully, waiting for a response.

[James]

"Considering that I just began to make my decorations, would you mind helping? My name's Maku, if you were wondering." "I was more wondering why you are felling so bad but yeah names are good too. My name is James and as for helping I would be glad to." The term blunt would have been a understatement to what James had just said but he thought it was the right move in this case, making stuff was cool and all but he wished to resolve this emotions straight away.

[Liliana Ripley]

Liliana had forcibly dragged Silvia out of bed to get beanies and scarves from Madam Weaver. They were just coming back when Liliana heard the sound of scissors and grinned widely.
"Come on! Someone's making snowflakes I just know it!" Lily laughed happily and dragged Silvia down the long concrete hallway. They were dressed in woollen outdoors gear, you know...long scarves and beanies with the comical little pom-poms on top.

"Oh yeah? I wonder who?" Silvia smiled gently in return and Lily saw the alien sparkle of curiousity within her friend's hazel eyes. Lily had linked arms with the brunette and then they halted when they came to an open cell door.
"Sprucing up the place?" Asked a young man and Lily smiled calmly at James.
"Not yet. Just started getting ready actually..." Said the other young man and Silvia looked at the floor in an uncomfortable manner. "Considering that I just began to make my decorations, would you mind helping? My name's Maku, if you were wondering."

"Ah, can we help? I really want to spend my first Christmas here...well, in good company." Lily asked in a breathless manner and Silvia looked at Lily with widened eyes. At 5 foot 2 inches she had to look up at Lily's Green eyed black haired form.
"Christ...mas. Oh, I remember now, the time when Santa and Rudolph come with presents! Good times..." Silvia smiled before remembering that they were amongst strangers.

"My name is Silvia and my friend here is Liliana. Lily for short right?" Silvia said and found Lily looking at her and trying not to smile.
"What?" Silva asked warily and was soon embraced by a flurry of silver and black wool.
"My little girl is growing up! Aww!" Lily teased and Silvia frowned playfully before walking into the room and plonking herself down next to the owner of said room.

"So, how do we make these snow flakes?" Silvia asked before looking at Maku through hazel-green eyes.

[Maku]

"I was more wondering why you are feeling so bad but yeah names are good too. My name is James and as for helping I would be glad to."

Maku felt like a cold wind slapped him across the face, getting caught off guard from James. He must have been too obvious. He intended to hide his feelings and what he saw as weakness, but he didn't do as good as a job he thought he did. Maku intended to riposte, opening his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by two girls, squeezeing themselves into the room and creating a conversation on their own. He noticed the shorter girl began to introduce themselves. "My name is Silvia and my friend here is Liliana. Lily for short right?"

Maku commited their names and faces to memory, not paying attention to their personal conversation. He noticed their clothing, and was a bit jealous. They looked rather warm and comfortable, compared to him. He was in gray sweats, not have bothered to change that morning. A shiver ran down his spine as Silvia sat beside him, buckling the cot slightly more. She addressed him with great interest, "So, how do we make these snow flakes?".

A smile crossed his face as he handed her the scissors and grabbed a blank page of paper. He slowly folded the pages in halves multiple times before folding corner to corner. Maku passed the bundled piece of paper to Silvia. Still smiling, he traced the perimeter of the folds. "Cut around the edges, making shapes like triangles and squares. And trim the corners, it gives it a better shape.." He turned his head to face James, still a bit curious about him. He couldn't shake off a feeling of distrust about him, but he didn't let it bother him.

Maku stood, taking the paper snow flakes he already made, and walked over to the sink, grabbing the tape off of the counter beside it. He went to a blank, concrete wall and began to tape them up, spacing them out evenly. He turned his back to them only for a moment to tape them up. The tape zipped and snapped when he pulled a piece off. His toes curled to the sound, folding under to the cold concrete floor. A memory flashed in his eyes as he put the first few up. He leaned his forehead to the wall, closing his eyes for a moment to hold back the tears welling in his eyes. Maku sighed out to relieve the slight stress of his mind. He soon forgot of the company in the room, trying to regain composure.

[Laela Robbin]

A small calico cat with blues eyes sat across the hall. Observing the happenings. The cat was feeling sad and happy at the same time. She was happy because the boy was finally warming up to others and sad because she was locked up in here for the first time during the holidays. The cat had always been with her old family during Hanuka, and this would have been her first with her new one, but now she was locked up in this place. She decided that she was a little hungry and started down the hall, silent as the mice she hunts, to see what she could scrounge up in the food tents.