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 Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:40 pm
Chel didn't know what Kingdom Hearts was, but Jack had given her an idea at least. "Mmm, guitar stuff huh?" She'd make that work somehow. She always did.
As they left Chel held out her hand. Take it or leave it. "You gonna be a piece of s**t the whole time or you wanna get a little holiday cheer?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:44 pm
A part of him wanted to remain being difficult, but the last time he had done so, it had ended in both of them giving the other cold shoulders for several days--and as tempting as it was to do it again just to make his point, he took Chel's hand. Begrudgingly, of course.
he replied as they began to leave the store, bags in tow. "Grinch assholery all the way."
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:50 pm
"Why you hate Christmas so much again?" she asked him, squeezing his hand in reassurance. She didn't mind fighting, but it did make the whole "shopping date" less potent.
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 7:56 pm
Her thumb was stroked in response. "A few reasons. It's over commercialised," Jack explained. "It's deals and sales and get this s**t or that for people. It's figuring out who in the end matters enough to get it for. It's this...I don't know, system of balancing s**t out, I guess. Manually adjusting your karma. It's the time of year you have to pretend to give a s**t about other people you wouldn't look at twice any time else, or pretending you care about what crap you're given. It's all material and saccharine and fake to me, it always has been." And it said a lot about the household he grew up in as well.
"I guess I take the present thing too seriously too," he added with a small shrug. "What you give says something about you. To the people that actually matter to me...It has to be perfect? I don't know how to put it in words, but Christmas is like this ******** obligation to get it right."
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 8:29 pm
Chel laughed, because she always laughed. Not the sort of wow that's stupid laugh but the oh now it makes sense kind of laugh. His whole speech could have easily applied to Halloween, but she chose not to say that because god forbid someone desecrate Halloween.
"You wanna lighten up a bit grinch?" She would have said kringle, but that name felt specifically reserved for Chris, as in, Chris Kringle. "F'it helps you don't have to get me nothin'." The ring already cost a fortune, probably. "Ain't no one gotta be perfect on Christmas- people are happy just to get free s**t. And this year you got me on yer side."
She held up her free fist as though she was going to enter a boxing match. "Like Jack and Sally, yeah?" She thought maybe bringing Halloween into it in a different way would help.
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 8:40 pm
He "mmph'd" noncomitally in response but bumped her fist with his. Always solidarity in the end, even if he had a foul mood going.
"Who's next on the list?" he asked to keep things going. Jack didn't want to dwell on the holiday any longer than he had to.
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:10 pm
By now Chel had shed several of her layers and had tied one around her waist and shoved the other in one of her many shopping bags. Chel was not a believer in "more than one trip" and thought any who pursued such an idea were weak.
For now they were seated at one of the crappy tables by the food court and Chel nursed an ice cream cone because oh Jack look they make one with a face and it got m&m's for eyes s**t I want it hold my bags-
"D'you think they sell trees here?" she asked, looking around as though startled by something for a moment. She was still pretty bent on the whole tree thing.
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:15 pm
Jack was picking through his paper cone of chocolate covered roasted coffee beans--one of the only acceptable sweets her really enjoyed--and idly taking glances around, much like he had during Athens. Even when off the job, some habits were hard to break.
"Not at a mall, I'd think," he replied. "We'd have to go somewhere outside for that." Back home, small areas would suddenly appear selling seasonal things like that: Christmas trees, fireworks, firewood...He popped in a chocolate and chewed thoughtfully. "You sure you won't make do with a fake one? I think I saw a place here."
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 9:59 pm
"Why didn't you say something?" Chel said, leaning forward across the table.
She fell back when she realized, "s**t but we prolly can't carry it with all our other s**t." She sighed. "Oh well. Next year, yeah?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:21 am
"Because God forbid I get between you and your ice cream," he answered with wry amusement. "The tree that my house had came in a box. You take some of these bags, I'll get the box, easy." He might not like Christmas, but he knew Chel cared and wasn't going to give up, for her sake.
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 5:21 pm
"Yeah but won't the box be huge?" Chel had also had the fabled plastic box tree growing up. That and looking at their pile of bags, it didn't reallly seem possible.
But then again, this was the first time Jack had shown any interest in something slightly festive. Maybe it was forced in a "if it makes you happy" kind of way, but why not? Why not make herself happy and Jack spirited in the process?
"Alright yeah let's do it," she said, pleased with the seldom-found agreement. "It'll look real pretty in the background of your zillion wedding photos, yeah?."
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 6:12 pm
"It'll be nothing next to Owain," he said with a shrug before popping in more coffee beans, eyes shutting briefly in pleasure. He hadn't known how much he had missed these until he had smelled them at the kiosk.
One eye opened to look at her. "You still sure about this New Years thing?" Jack asked. "It's not too cheesy for you or something?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 6:16 pm
Chel leaned back in her chair, feet pressing against the table to lean her back on two legs. "What? Nah. Don't give a s**t about that kind of thing." It could've been Valentine's for all she cared in the ways of timing cheesiness.
"Why- it bother you?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 6:22 pm
"Maybe a little." And that was saying something, as Jack was the most likely of the two to indulge in sappiness. "But I guess that's the non-hunter part of me talking," he went on to say. "The little bit that still acts like time is a luxury we can afford. So hell, if you want fireworks and champagne on the wedding menu, I'm all for it."
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 6:34 pm
"We can move it back a day or two," Chel said, raising an eyebrow. "Just picked it 'cause New Year's a good excuse t'get everyone t'gether anyways."
She shrugged. It had never made a difference to her whether it was on the day of the new year or just a few after. Hell they could've waited a few years and she would've been fine with it. Maybe a bit confused as to the reasons for the delay, but Chel was never one to be pushy about something like marriage.
She did, however, take the chance to mock him by saying, "Always later."
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