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 Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:11 pm
Dylan was lounging on the sofa, looking plenty relaxed in his pajamas. He decided he wanted to get ready for bed early and just relax for the remainder of the evening. He never went to bed before Monika made it home, so he was just killing time at this point. Having gone through the books he’d borrowed from the library earlier that day, he resorted to watching TV. Currently he was tuned in to some sort of holiday movie.
He wasn’t too sure about the story, but the sight of snow was fascinating enough to hold his attention.
”I wonder if it snows here, too,” he said as he glanced over at the clock. There was the slightest bit of worry that suddenly gripped him considering the time, even though he knew she could take care of herself. It was less about that than it was the fact that she could be in some kind of trouble at all…
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:14 pm
Things were much slower at the store now that Winter was coming. There wasn’t as much desire for ice cream when it was cold outside, and Monika had been using the lull in activity to work on cleaning some of the built up ice from the freezers. Her wrists were both hurting from the intense scraping, but she was pleased with the result of the day. A lot had been done, and she decided to reward herself–and Dylan too by bringing home two pints of their new holiday flavors. One was a gingerbread flavor with small gumdrops inside, and the other was a white chocolate with pieces of fudge and ribbons of red and green icing.
They were both delicious, but Monika favored the white chocolate, just because it looked more fun.
She gave a sigh as she entered and paused, looking over at Dylan, a small smile on her face. “It does. Should be starting at some point. Winter doesn’t get too snowy here, but it does snow. It’s rather pretty.”
Pulling her coat off and hanging it on the rack by the door, she raised her eyebrows. “I’m home, by the way. And I brought treats!”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:16 pm
The man perked up at the sound of the door unlocking, and when Monika stepped through he shot up from his seat and closed the gap between them, sweeping her up into a great big hug. Between the sudden worry and suddenly seeing his friend home and safe, Dylan was again caught up in the relief and happiness that washed over him.
”That’s exciting to hear,” he said as he set his friend down, grinning broadly down at her. It was still bizzare to have friends again, when he really sat down and thought about it. It’d been more of a whirlwind experience, meeting Jishui and Julienne and settling into her apartment, assimilating into a civilian life on Earth, than his initial arrival and subsequent chaotic experience at the museum in space.
He wasn’t sure which one he preferred, if he were being honest.
But he was certain of one thing: he was always, always happy to see Monika whenever she came back home from work or wherever.
”About the snow, I mean. And that treats! What’d you bring?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:16 pm
Monika gave a laugh and returned the hug, feeling warm, as she always did. Dylan was always so affectionate, and it was nice. Sweet.
“I brought us some ice cream, some of the new holiday flavors.” Gently, she pulled away from the hug, and instead linked her arm through Dylans, guiding him into the kitchen. “It's been slow, with it being so chilly outside…I’ve been able to get a lot of cleaning done, and it’s been nice to just have downtime…”
Withdrawing two bowls from the cabinet, and two spoons, she put them on the small kitchen table, along with both containers of ice cream.
“Help yourself, they’re both delightful, please try them both, I think you’ll enjoy them!”
She took a seat and stretched. “...How was your day?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:17 pm
“Downtime is good,” he thought aloud with a little nod of his head, one hand resting on the arm that she’d linked through his. “I’m glad to hear you’ve been able to take it easy. Is your job not at risk given the downturn of customers due to the weather?”
Economics was an important point of study while he’d been in training all those years ago. Despite himself, despite not needing it for the past…however many years…it was still somehow fresh in his mind. Not that he’d particularly enjoyed it when he originally studied it, but those lessons were from a time when he’d been surrounded by loved ones still. Before…
Shoving the thoughts aside, Dylan moved scooped a bit from each flavor into the individual bowls before offering her one of the spoons.
”My day was…uneventful? As they’ve been since the end of the recent holiday. Is it common, on Earth., by the way, for the holidays to be rife with such strange happenings? My experience with those statues was exceptionally strange…”
He took a spoonful of the gingerbread flavor first, and his expression lit up before he took another, this time with the colorful…whatever it was. It was cold, but they had the heat on at a decent temperature so he was able to enjoy the frozen treat.
”Mm, this one’s good. Better without the colorful droplet, but altogether still tasty.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:17 pm
Her eyes lit up and Monika gave a soft laugh. “I’m glad that you like that one…I much prefer the colorful one, and it’s due to the colors. We make a good match for flavors.” Now she could enjoy hers, and he his.
“The recent…holiday was…a very interesting event…and there’s another coming soon. The winter ones. Do…would you like to celebrate? We could get a tree and some of the soft, glowing lights? It might be nice.”
She wasn’t sure the point of it…but the idea? She enjoyed it. The ice cream shop had a small tree that glowed softly, and it just made her feel warm inside.
“Maybe you and I could go shopping and figure out what we should get? If you’re interested, that is.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:17 pm
He smiled at that, something about being a good complement to her sounding very flattering to him. “Can I still give your flavor a try?” he asked, eyeing the other bowl but waiting for permission still. He hated to take what was hers without consent.
And again, his expression brightened at the idea of taking part in the celebrations. “I do like the decorations I saw in that movie. “Does having decorations mean you’re celebrating?” The idea of partaking in a local tradition was appealing to him, and the decorations and all did make him feel warm and welcome and…happy.
Happier still if they were celebrating together.
”I’m interested either way!” he said before taking another big spoonful of his ice cream. “When can we go?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:18 pm
“Oh, of course!” Monika gave a soft laugh and slid her bowl over. “Help yourself. I got these for us to share, I wasn’t trying to keep it from you.”
She fell quiet as she thought about his questions and slowly, carefully nodded. “I believe so? I can’t see people putting up the decorations without celebrating, but at the same time…I can’t…imagine that anyone would be cross with us if we did so?”
Perhaps she could ask Julienne, and perhaps the Mauvian would have an answer, for she absolutely did not.
“We can go tomorrow if you’d like? I’m off!” Her eyes, with their soft glow as she was in the comfort of her own home, and removed her glamour device, were warm.
“I think it would be a lot of fun. Maybe we can make a whole day of it? Get food and hot drinks?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:18 pm
The joy was plain on his face when she scooted her bowl over to him. He took a good spoonful before scooting it back, and upon taking the bite of ice cream his eyes widened with absolute approval.
”That is also good,” he said with a thumbs up—he learned the gesture recently from watching a TV show. “I do think I like the other one better, but you’re right. They’re both delicious.” He took another spoonful for good measure, then scooted her bowl back over to her before going back to his own.
“That sounds like a lot of fun! I haven’t spent too much time in the shopping centers,” and honestly, the idea of spending a whole day with Monika was particularly nice, though he kept the thought to himself. “So exploring sounds like fun. Let’s do it!”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:21 pm
Chuckling, Monika returned the thumbs up and pulled her bowl back over, beginning to eat slowly. “I think so. It’s so…funny, how much effort the humans put into these things…how much they change about everything just to be…holiday…ing?”
That might not be a word, but she hoped he at least understood what it was she was trying to say.
“Perfect then. Tomorrow we will get up and then set out and…partake…and decorate our home.”
Because…really. That was what the apartment had turned into. It was nice while she was alone, but now that she had someone waiting for when she came back…the whole place felt warmer. And it felt like a home.
With a smile, she look a moment to gaze fondly at Dylan before returning her attention to her ice cream. Absolutely content and satisfied.
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