Lakely sits alone at a table in the far corner of the trade center. He stares blankly at the door and waits for someone to enter. Beside him there are 2 packages and a single card, all of which are sitting upon the table.

Impatiently, he taps his heel and waits for the lucky recipient of his kindness. For one last time, he again checks the packages to make sure his gifts are alright. Within the boxes, there is one piece of armor each. In one, a Face Guard. In the other, Ring Mail. The card lying next to the packages contains only one short sentence...

Glancing down at the card, he smiles.

I hope she gets here soon...

Aiko hesitantly opens the door of the trade center. She stands in the doorway as her eyes scan the room. A smile appears on her face when she finally sees Lakely. The door closes behind her as she walks over to him.

"Hi," Aiko greets him, still smiling, "You called me here for a reason, I'm assuming." Her gaze moves to the packages on the table and her smile fades slightly. "You know I never expect anything. You don't have to do this."

She looks at him again...

"Hi."

The silence in the trade center was abruptly filled. Lakely followed the voice and found Aiko standing beside him. She had been sneaky and gotten past his line of sight as he checked out his gifts that last time. He smiled up at her and lowered his head in a bowing fashion. "Aha, you've arrived!"

She speaks through a smile as wide as the horizon of Dun Loireag. "You called me here for a reason, I'm assuming." She averted her gaze to the boxes on the table and her eyes lit up. "You know I never expect anything. You don't have to do this."

Lakely reached for the packages and pushed them slightly toward her. "I know you don't expect anything, that's why they call it a surprise!" He smiled at her and chuckled lightly, "but you know you SHOULD have at least expected this. I asked you come to the Trade Center. Heh, what else did you thing was going to happen? What do you think about these? I thought you could use some new armor. That bandanna is starting to look a bit ragged..."

He handed his gifts out toward Aiko and awaited her response.

"Yeah... well, I could always use the excuse that I've never really been to the trade shop before..." Aiko could feel herself blushing slightly. She knew he was right.

Her hands moved from the Face Guard, to the Ring Mail. Her smile returned as she read the card. Without hesitation, she embraced him. "Thanks Lakely," she finally replied, "It's a very nice surprise."

Aiko released him and took a step back, "Now all I have to do is get you out on a field again so you can see me use the gifts, right?"

The hug was an unexpected surprise, it had caught him completely off-guard. Before he even realized it was a hug, he was smiling and returning the embrace. It was a definite relief, there weren't many people around these days who could really break him down like that. Lakely choked on his words, and finally managed to squeeze something out. "Uh--hrm... Um... You're welcome."

She loosened her grasp and they split apart. "Now all I have to do is get you out on a field again so you can see me use the gifts, right?"

He couldn't help but laugh, because she was definitely right. It had been a while since he'd been out on a field. "Well yeah, we should try to get out there sometime soon," he led her to the door and out of the trade center, "let's take a walk and talk about it. I might be up for an adventure soon if you are."

(A few days later)

Lakely walks into the Trade Center and leaves a wrapped gift on a table with a card that reads:

The heavyblader smiles and turns away and toward the door. As he steps outside he looks back at the Shidan he left on the table and sends out a flashmail.

Aiko smiled when she saw she had a Flashmail from Lakely. The smile faded as she read it. "I hope things are okay..."

She hurried to the trade center, eager to see what her friend had left her. The moment her gaze fell on it, she had a pretty good idea as to what the package contained.

Sure enough, Aiko was happy to find he'd given her a Shidan. Motivation to level. "Thanks again Lakely," she said quietly to herself. She packed her new blade away, and left the trade center.