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 Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:24 pm
Monika had done some research before bed, and had a small list of stores that they should visit if they wanted to truly get things for the upcoming holidays. She learned a few interesting things…like that people enjoyed using live trees to decorate their homes…though the trees were cut down and killed in order to become decoration…it…
Honestly it had sounded rather cruel and messy, so she had found that there were artificial trees that looked just like the real ones…only there was no killing involved or no watching the poor thing wither and die before your eyes…
They were also safer, according to reviews…the live dead trees could and did catch fire…and that was something that Monika didn’t really want to deal with so…an artificial one would be what they got, and they would be happy with it.
She was humming, scrambling some eggs and waiting for the toast to come up as she did so. Breakfast first. They needed energy before going shopping. Energy to buy everything that they desired or wanted.
Finally, when both plates were full, she knocked softly on Dylan’s door. “Breakfast is ready, sleepy.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:27 pm
Dylan rolled over in his bed at the first hint of breakfast getting cooked on the stove, but he opted to stay in bed to get a few more minutes of sleep. Sleep was a constant struggle for various reasons, nightmares being one. Comfort being another. All his life he’d slept in a space involving water in some way, shape, or form, so a bed was…an adjustment. All of it was getting better, slowly but surely, but there was a part of him that wanted it to pick up the pace just a little bit.
The man smiled into his pillow when she eventually knocked. “Coming,” came a still somewhat groggy reply, followed by quiet groaning as he finally rolled out of bed this time.
He stopped by the bathroom and got himself cleaned up and before making his way into the kitchen. “Good morning,” he greeted, “need any help?”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:28 pm
Looking over, Monika shook her head. “I’m all set here. Did you sleep well?”
She nodded towards the table where the two plates sat. Making her way over, she took a seat and smiled at Dylan, looking pleased. “You’re still up for shopping today right? Still want to?”
Monika enjoyed mornings. She was always the best when she first woke up. Sharp. Eager. Ready.
“I have a list made, for after breakfast, if you’re still willing.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:28 pm
"Okay," he said as he took a seat at the table. Dylan steadied his gaze on Monika as she made her way over, and a small smile crept onto his face despite his exhaustion. At her question, he gave a nod and reached for the cup of coffee on his side of the table, taking a sip to hopefully try and make up for the sleep he didn't get by caffeinating.
There had been something similar back home, though it didn't taste nearly as good.
"Yes!" he said, sounding far more energetic than he actually felt. He was plenty happy, cheerful even, but that didn't mean he couldn't be tired at the same time, right? "Willing and able, probably ever more so after breakfast. Which thank you, by the way, for breakfast." He offered her a bright smile before picking up his fork and starting to dig in.
"So," he said between bites, just after washing it down with some coffee, "is it a long list? And what's on it?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:32 pm
His enthusiasm was always infectious, and Monika chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s not too long. I was really debating between a living tree and an artificial one, and honestly, artificial seems best to me. Less dangerous, and much less clean up. There are some good places with decorations, and one place that has things which smell holiday?”
The bath shop, that was what she was kind of excited to go to. There were candles…and there was a sale on them today! It was perfect luck.
“Then, there is a nice little cafe which has some really good hot drinks…and there are special flavors, which I would like to try! It just sounds wonderful.”
There was a hot chocolate with red and green sugar sprinkles on top…and that was what she wanted to try most of all.
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:34 pm
The idea that humans killed a perfectly innocent living being for the sake of their holiday was…distasteful, so Dylan was relieved to hear that Monika had decided on an artificial option. “Artificial is good,” he agreed with a nod, but remained quiet as she went down her list. It was all novel to him, and his excitement grew the more she told him.
“I think I saw an advertisement about making your own…ornament, I think they called it?” he offered when she touched on decorations. “For the tree, I think. If we can find something like that, it might be fun?”
He finished a few more bites of food, and the idea of more options for hot drinks interested him. “That does sound interesting. Do you think they’ll be holiday themed drinks?” he asked, perking up a bit. Humans certainly loved their holidays.
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:35 pm
“That would be fun!” Monika nodded. Making ornaments themselves…it would be…a great way to bond and to make the holiday their own.
“I really like that idea. We can go to craft stores and get supplies…it might look…not great but it’ll be ours so it’ll be perfect, I bet.”
The more she thought about it, the more she wanted it. It was their holiday…they weren’t from the Earth, but wanted to celebrate…and…
“We can…bring some of our own worlds into it, If we can figure out how to be creative…that might be nice…I…I really think so. But yes…they will have holiday themed drinks and I wish to partake of all of them.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:36 pm
“Well, that’s the charm in homemade things, right?” he said, as optimistic as ever about it. “Not to mention we can always make more than one if we craft our own. The more practice, the better, right?”
Dylan polished off the rest of his plate, washing it all down with the rest of his coffee as she spoke. There was a glimmer of darkness in his eyes at the mention of his homeworld–a glimpse of hopelessness, of loss, of grief, of great sorrow–but it was just a flicker and then it was gone, and his eyes were as bright as they always were.
“Homemade things are limited only by one’s imagination, yes?” he said as he set his cup down. “So I’m sure we could find a way to bring a bit of our worlds into them. We’ll have to see what the store has on offer for decorating these ornaments! I vote we go after the drinks, though.”
He leaned forward, over the table and just a bit closer to her, grin bright and wide. “How about we split each holiday themed drink? That way we can try them all without drinking too much and possibly getting sick.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:37 pm
Hesitating, Monika frowned at the sudden glimpse of….sadness? She reached out, out of reflex? Out of something and took hold of Dylan’s hand. “We can make them better. We can make our holiday with memories of what our worlds were. And we can work towards fixing what’s been lost.”
She sounded confident. Like she really believed it. Maybe it was true, she didn’t know but…
At least now she kind of wanted it to be true.
Squeezing his hand she nodded and gave a smile that rivaled his. “That…that is the best idea I’ve heard all day. And that’s saying something for mine have been outstanding.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:38 pm
He didn’t shy away from the offered comfort, and in fact held on to her hand a little bit tighter as she spoke. It was a hope he would never admit he’d long since lost, but seeing and hearing it from Monika certainly helped remind him that he once held fast to such a hope. That he could try and hope again, maybe, if what she said was true.
He was a little surprised to realize how badly he did want it to be true…
“Sounds like a plan!” he said, both about her comment on the ornaments as well as the drinks. “Let’s finish breakfast and clean up before we go, then?”
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