Leafeon's Love Adventure.

Cindi's Christmas predicament.

Cindi felt fine.

Christmas was coming up, and she felt... fine.

But... that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Busiest time of year, everyone out shopping and looking for the 'best gift ever' to give to their children, or spouse, or special someone. The time of year when couples would kiss romantically under the mistletoe, or sit together with each other's family, and have some laughs while drinking mom's famous hot chocolate recipe. Or even, just plain old mingling with those you care about.

And she felt... just fine.

She didn't feel super rushed or anything. Not sad or upset that she didn't get everyone the perfect gift, or that she didn't get the perfect gift.

No, she felt fine.

She also didn't feel overly happy with being able to spend this time of year away from school, and with her friends and special someone, nor did she feel super excited about hanging out with Aurora and her dad for Christmas Day caroling and fun.

Just... fine.

And that was her problem.

She didn't want to feel fine.

She wanted to feel some amount of emotion. Something good... or, she would even take something bad at this point.

It's just Christmas for her, never stimulated any sort of 'thing' in her. She was kinda happy to open her gifts on Christmas Day, and a little sad when she didn't get what she wanted.

But, not so happy that she would forever be in debt to her parents. Nor so sad that she would go on strike until she got what she wanted.

No, she was always just, there... experiencing it without any negative or overly positive emotion.

And you know what?

The kiss with Constan actually made her feel a good amount of joy.

When their lips connected, she felt... good. After they spent a few more hours together that day, they eventually went their separate ways. She had to stop halfway to her house, and breathe.

She was smiling uncontrollably, and just couldn't stop reliving that one moment of bliss between them.

And for that, she felt, that she might actually be alive.

She was for a long time after that, silently thanking Constan for what he did. She never told anyone, but she was grateful to him for months after.

And this... will be about her, and her mission to try and feel something more than just fine.

-December 9 midday-

She was at her house.

She lived in a simple house, that wasn't nearly as good as Aurora's, but was almost as good as Constan's.

It was painted simple gray on the outside, and housed her, her baby brother, and her parents.

But it was more complicated than that.

See, she possesses some of her dad's character traits: flirting with potential dates in high school, having an irrational fear of anything spider-like, and even having a habit of taking competing to a whole new level.

But that wasn't all she inherited from him.

That's where the lack of emotion originated.

Her dad would always come home from his day of working at a big old messy factory, and just sorta saying, "I'm home," when he walks in, and "Goodnight." when he goes to bed. Not much else.