Quote:
At long last, your Holiday shopping is complete! Every last person is checked off the list, and you have time to spare. Maybe you deserve something a little extra special, too? Or is there someone you suddenly remembered? Are you just imagining that you’re done? What if you actually haven’t gotten everything finished? This time of year is always so stressful—how are you handling shopping at all?
Word count: 505 words
The nega squared a punch to the eternal's throat, causing him to choke back a scream when he backpedaled over air. Cadmus tumbled from the roof in an almost comical fashion before his fall was broken by an immaculately placed pile of garbage. The senshi shifted with a groan and looked above to see the bleary image of his opponent dash away into the night, never to be see again. The boy huffed, and then powered down. There was no use giving chase since it was reaching time for him to end his patrol.
Pushing himself up to standing, Caelum dusted snow and bits of crumpled newspaper from his person as he emerged from the alleyway. Red eyes scanned the area; he seemed to be near the mall. Had he really gone so far off his typical route today? Yet, his location was met with a shrug; might as well kill two birds with one stone today, considering he had to stop by the mall eventually.
Despite nearing the holiday, Caelum still hadn't gotten his father a gift yet. Normally the boy wasn't to procrastinate such a delicate matter; he detested shopping, and normally opted to ordering items online to avoid the stress and groups. Gifts for his brother, uncle, and—begrudgingly—his mother were already bought, wrapped, and stowed away in his closet. However, his father? It was a headache shopping for the man, since he would be content with anything, but Caelum wanted to get him something special.
Stepping into the mall caused the teen to frown. Seriously, it was packed. The cacophony of shoppers' voices drowned out the sound of cheesy, repetitive holiday music, which while seeming like a blessing, was akin to a low drone in his ears. Just wishing to get this over with, Caelum pushed passed a pair of shoppers milling before the sliding doors and took to strolling about the area. Five minutes of window shopping and he was already through with the activity. The only thought rolling around in his head was, Can I go home yet? Can I go home yet?
Just when Caelum was about to give in to his thoughts, he trudged passed something that caught his eye. It wasn't located in any store; instead, it was on one of those carts that were dotted about the mall like islands. Chock full of useless trinkets, phone cases, plastic jewelry, and other things, the boy came across the gaudiest tie he never knew existed. It was made from a shimmery purple satin, sewn meticulously with sequin, and then bejeweled with plastic gems. If he bought that for his father, Rigel would cry with laughter for days.
The boy's lips cracked into a widened smile and he trotted over toward the cashier. "That one, please!" he cried, probably a little too eager for a boy his age as he pointed at the tie. Ah, well, he'd internally rebuke himself later for this totally immature folly. For now, he would celebrate actually getting his dad a gift.
