[Flame]

“I want to see, I want to see!” Allorah was almost surprised by the earnestness she heard in the voice floating up from her feet. It was the most excited she’d ever heard Pip be, and that was saying something, considering how reserved the Velix usually was. If she didn’t know any better, she might have mistaken his voice for that of one of the young children that was currently running around the base of the tree, frolicking amongst the branches. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.” Making sure that the Phyrette still had a firm grasp upon her shoulder, Allorah bent down once more (this time considerably more awkwardly, considering the fact that she had to do her best not to bump into any other onlookers or jostle her shoulder-rider) to pick her other companion up. Pip she bundled in her arms, holding him up slightly so that he could still make out the tree from over the rest of the people around them.

“Whoa, I wonder how tall that tree is. It must be at least a hundred feet, if not more. Now, if only I could get a look at a cross-section, what I wouldn’t give to know how long it took a tree to grow that large…” Ah yes, there was the Pip she knew and loved. He took after her uncannily in the sense that his scientific curiosity often overrode any other thoughts – being in their line of work, every single thing they ever saw or experienced generally produced a veritable fount of new questions, but something told her that these questions were likely not going to be answered, unfortunately. After all, she had the feeling that the rest of the town wouldn’t particularly appreciate the ragtag pair of them cutting the tree down off of its base to count the number of growth rings in its trunk. “You took the words right out of my mouth,” she replied to him, doing her best to contain her own questions. “I don’t think they put these tree here to be studied though, I’m afraid. Just…try to think of the mystery as part of the mystique of the holidays, perhaps?” The suggestion was as much for herself as it was for Pip, but although his mechanical face appeared somehow crestfallen, the overarching sentiments which spelled their way across his features still spoke volumes about his overall awe over seeing this spectacle.

[The Christmas Tree – 17]

[ToxicShadow]

As Adair suddenly closed the space between them, Blayze's face lit up even more. It was right then that the woman snapped a photo, and then a few more, just to make sure that they would end up with one that turned out well.

"There you go!" the older woman said, happy that the young man stood close to his girlfriend and smiled. "I'm sure that turned out great." As she spoke, she walked back toward Blayze, and he moved to meet her, too.

She returned the phone to him, and he smiled. "Thank you very much!" He bowed his head just a bit in a polite gesture.

"Oh, you're welcome, Dear," the woman answered. "It's so sweet that you're out on a date together, and dressed so nicely, too."

Christmas Tree - 19

[Flame]

“Since when did you become such an avid believer in these religious holidays?” Pip’s words were punctuated by a rather short snort – clearly the moment of being starstruck by the spectacle before him was over. Well, that was the Pip Allorah knew and loved, just as short and brusque as ever, although she figured that part of snap back to ‘reality’ was the fact that she hadn’t piggybacked off of his line of questioning. After all, usually they acted as a rather dynamic duo when it came to asking those kinds of questions – one always led to another, with each person’s words tumbling over the others’ in an attempt to get all the ideas flooding through their heads out before they dissipated. That was how life in the field of science usually went; there were always more question than there were answers, but that was a big part of why they did what they did as well. After all, how boring would life be if everyone had the answers to everything, and there was nothing new to learn or discover?

“Oh, hush, Pip. You know I’m not in it for the religious aspect, but that doesn’t mean that the tradition itself is any less interesting to study. After all, haven’t you heard all the stories behind these rites and rituals? I mean, can you imagine where the idea to cut down some poor tree and bedeck the thing in sparkles and food and other odd ornaments must have originated from? Human culture really is quite a bizarre phenomenon.” That seemed to appease the Velix, at least to some degree. Perhaps he just needed some reassurance that his mistress wasn’t straying from the path of science – if she did, where would that leave him? As such, he went back to admiring the tree which towered before them, although he silently continued to wonder what the point of stringing up perfectly edible popcorn and peppermint candy on the boughs could possibly achieve. The human mind really was quite a mystery to him; after all, his hardwiring was all oriented around logic with no room for imagination, so the concept of creativity and having beliefs outside of what could be quantitatively measured was rather beyond him.

[The Christmas Tree – 18]

[Flame]

As the trio admired the Christmas tree, they slowly followed the meandering movement of the crowd around them, letting the current of people carry them where it did. Before they knew it, they were suddenly directly in front of the tree itself, now craning their necks upwards almost vertically to look up at it. From this angle, the massive tree looked even more impressive, although Allorah couldn’t help but wonder just how sound the base of the entire structure was. It was entirely shrouded by the expansive lower boughs, so she could only hope that the engineers who had set this entire spectacle up had known what they were doing, because a small tipping accident would cause damage of rather considerable proportions. She could only imagine how much the tree – bedecked in all of its décor – must weigh, and how flattened she would be if the thing were to topple over on her. Luckily though, this close to the actual tree itself, there was a new set of distractions to take her mind off of her pointless worrying.

Arranged in an impressive display all around the base of the tree were presents of all shapes and sizes, wrapped in wrapping paper and ribbon in more colors than Allorah had ever seen anywhere else in her life. They were all lit by the soft glow of the golden lights which were hung upon the boughs above them, glittering and shining in their myriad hues. Allorah couldn’t help but wonder who all those presents were for – after all, they must have been sitting out here for at least days now, if not weeks, and she wondered if they would all vanish after the holidays. Perhaps Santa had his presents delivered in bulk ahead of time so that he wouldn’t have to haul the unfathomable amount of gifts that went out to the world on that fictitious sleigh of his. She chuckled at the mental image of a sleigh large enough to actually carry all of the presents which were given out across the world during the holidays. Human traditions and beliefs really were a strange thing, but she had to give them props for having that expansive an ability to suspend their disbelief. Plus, she for one wouldn’t have any complaints if one or two of those gifts under that tree were for her (although for what reason, she couldn’t even begin to fathom).

[The Christmas Tree – 19]

[Flame]

Excited chattering brought Allorah’s thoughts back to the present, where she glanced over at the little creature perched on her shoulder which was now energetically bouncing from paw to paw. Clearly, it didn’t want to be stranded up there any more, not where there was so much around it to see and play with. After all, one could only imagine that the spectacle of gifts around the tree was more than enough to get any child excited – the small gaggle of children running in circles around the tree was enough evidence of that. “Alright, alright, I’m letting you down,” the young scientist said appeasingly to her excited shoulder ornament, hurriedly trying to calm it down before it tore through her coat and shirt unintentionally. “You can go play for a while, but we won’t be here for too much longer, so stay close! After all, there are lots of other people who want to come see the tree, and there are still plenty of other exciting places for us to go and explore before we go home.”

That being said, she reached up, grasping the Phyrette firmly before bending down to set it down at the base of the tree. Squeaking in barely-contained excitement, the little creature took off like a furry green and burgundy rocket, chasing after the small group of children who were playing a little ways off. Luckily, its approach was met with giggles as the children scattered in different directions, instigating an impromptu game of tag with their new playmate. The adult onlookers merely smiled at the spectacle, happy to step aside to make way for a laughing, shrieking child as they zipped by, the Phyrette in hot pursuit. The creature could probably have outstripped any of the human children easily, but it appeared to be tempering its pace for the sake of continuing the game. Allorah couldn’t help but wonder if that was something the Phyrette had learned in the past, or if that same lenience towards youngsters was instinctively ingrained in it the way it was in so many other species. Either way, she was glad to see it getting along well with the townspeople – it alleviated any concerns she had regarding other people should the Phyrette somehow get lost or separate from her and Pip.

[The Christmas Tree – 20]

[ToxicShadow]

Hearing her words made Blayze feel a little embarrassed. "Um, actually w-" He began to try to correct her, but Adair stepped up beside him and put his arm on the other man's shoulder. He effectively cut him off by saying, "We're very happy that you think so." He was smiling at the woman when the red head glanced over at him, confused by what was going on. "Thank you for the picture."

"Oh my~ You're a gentleman after all, aren't you?" The woman seemed immediately star struck with Adair's charming side. "Take good care of your girlfriend! And have a good holiday, you two!"

It was with these words that she, and her husband, parted with them. She waved, and Blayze waved back. As they wandered off, they could vaguely hear the woman gossiping to her husband about how cute Blayze was, and how handsome Adair was.

Christmas Tree - 20

[ToxicShadow]

Silence loomed over the two men for a long moment. After the older couple was a ways off, Blayze turned to face the other man. The confusion was entirely written on his face. "Why did you do all of that?" Did Adair have some sort of ulterior motive? It was so entirely unlike him that Blayze couldn't even wrap his head around it.

Adair looked at the other man, adjusting his glasses, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a grin. "Because I felt like it," he answered.

The red head made a face that clear said that he was not at all satisfied with that weak answer. "That's not a real answer."

"Fine, fine. It's better for you if we just go along with what the lady thought, isn't it? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a woman, too. Isn't it too much work and hassle to try correcting her? It'd just be a waste of time."

Christmas Tree - 21

[Flame]

Allorah let the Phyrette have its fun for another five or ten minutes or so, knowing that while there were several other stops on their trip tonight, there was no harm in spending a little more time here. It was when the children began to tire that she finally called the Phyrette back, although she was certain that it could have continued this little game indefinitely with whatever children wanted to play with it. After all, there were still a lot of children in this town which were due to come visit the tree tonight, and given the choice, she was sure the Phyrette could have spent all night playing here. Nevertheless, they were hogging the prime viewing spot, and she felt it was time they relinquished it to other onlookers, and with the Phyrette safely perched on her shoulder once more (Pip remained nestled in her arms this time – the fact that he hadn’t demanded to be put down was Allorah’s hint that perhaps he was okay with a break from trying to waddle through the crowds in his snowshoes for a while), they were on their way once more, moving slightly faster now, as the crowd moving away from the tree seemed to be clipping along considerably quicker than those approaching it.

The décor which lined the street slowly morphed as the little trio moved towards the inner part of town, away from the outskirts and closer to where all the shops were located. Here, each of the little storefront windows was decorated, and every single one was unique from the next. Every store showed a bit of flair which reflected its owner’s tastes, and one never knew what to expect around the next corner. The little group stopped several times while they walked to admire particularly unique or extravagant displays – a favorite was a Lego store with its entire window display filled with intricate structures, all with moving parts, and themed to match the current holiday season (with some fun, nerdy twists). The smells around them also changed as they moved towards the heart of town, and now they caught whiffs of various cooking smells, both sweet, spicy, rich, and savory. Allorah hadn’t thought much about food (or the fact that there were specific holiday foods) in her explorations, but now her nose guided her in one particular direction from which an exquisitely tantalizing scent wafted from.

[The Christmas Tree, moving to The Bakery – 21]

[ToxicShadow]

Adair was certain that just letting the old couple believe that Blayze was a woman and that they were a couple allowed his partner to save face. It wasn't that Blayze was embarrassed by the fact that he was gay or that he preferred to dress in more feminine attire, but there were still times when strangers made horrible, unwarranted comments. The blond knew this all too well, since he'd been similar, at first. He may have not been interested in the other man in any intimate way, and he still found him absolutely annoying a lot of the time, but he cared about him. As a friend and coworker, at least. They couldn't do their jobs if they didn't get along.

"But... doesn't it bother you if they think we're a couple?" Blayze could still hardly believe what he was hearing, so he couldn't help but to ask.

Adair sighed. "They think you're a woman, and a cute one, at that. How is that bad for me? They're just strangers, anyway, so they can think whatever they want. It's not as though it matters or changes anything between us. We know where we stand, and that's fine. Let people think whatever they want."

Christmas Tree - 22

[ToxicShadow]

There was no use in worrying about it. The opinions of strangers was not of their concern. At least, that's what Adair was thinking now. Blayze still didn't look entirely convinced. He still couldn't believe what he was hearing, since they other man had always adamantly denied any similar accusations.

"Look, we have work to do," Adair switched gears. He wasn't getting through to the other  man and there was no use saying the same thing over and over. "You got your picture, so put the phone away and let's go."

Being reminded that they had work to do, Blayze nodded his head. "All right." Adair was right. They shouldn't waste too much time on this sort of thing. "Just... let me check the pictures first, okay?"

Christmas Tree - 23

[ToxicShadow]

Before hearing any sort of response, Blayze had already unlocked his phone and began navigating toward his photos. He was surprised that she'd quickly taken a few and that made him smile. They definitely turned out well, which was thankful for. Although Adair probably did have any idea just how happy it made Blayze feel to be in a friendly picture with him, it really meant so much to the red head. Maybe they'd never be together but, at least for a moment, he could enjoy seeing them together in a picture. At a time when a stranger thought that they were a couple and even Adair decided against correcting her. It was all very sweet.

"Hey, Blayze," Adair called out to the other man, when he'd been sitting and staring at one of the photos for awhile.

This snapped Blayze out of his thoughts and he apologized, "Sorry." He quickly returned his phone to the bag neatly carried on his arm. "Let's go."

Christmas Tree - 24

[ToxicShadow]

Adair eyed the other man somewhat suspiciously. Was he really that happy taking a picture together? He couldn't entirely understand it, since he didn't feel the same way that Blayze did, but it was kind of weirdly sweet. Being loved by someone... That was a compliment, in and of itself, wasn't it?

"Aren't you the one leading the way?" the blond reminded his partner.

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Blayze agreed, after it was pointed out to him. He began to look around them, taking in all the sights, to decide where they would go next. Oh, that would do. "Let's go over there," he said, pointing at the nearby fountain. It was one the closest things to them.

Christmas Tree - 25

[zapdragon555]

Six hummed in soft agreement, sloughing off just a tiny bit of the guilt he felt for leaving Shikyu behind. “Yeah, smart idea,” Six mused. “Wanna bite of mine?” he offered, holding out the fork to Yin. The other boy eyed the demon, a mischievous smirk tugging at his mouth, and he opened his mouth. While Six was bringing the fork to Yin’s mouth the human darted his hand and fork over to Six’s cake and took a huge chunk of it, immediately ducking away to stuff it into his mouth. His laughs were muffled by chewing as Six shoved him playfully, affectionate curses muttering out of him. “Wiseass…”

“Guilty,” Yin giggled once he’d swallowed, licking his lips. “Chocolate’s alright. Lemon’s way better though,” he chuckled, forking a small wedge of it and holding it up for Six to eat. Six’s wry smile melted into a true happiness, and he leaned in to take the bite, sighing at the taste.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Six murmured, holding the other boy’s gaze for a moment, before Yin leaned in to brush his forehead against the other’s, barely tickling the base of Six’s horns with his hair. He hummed, longing to be closer, but public spaces were public spaces. Normally the two didn’t care all that much, but there seemed to be an unspoken rule that they kept things relatively calm while they were there. The hotel, however…

“We should eat dinner in our room tonight. I don’t wanna go out,” Yin murmured, pressing closer to Six, but there was an odd edge of melancholy in his eyes. Six’s brows quirked, wondering what the sudden change in demeanor was all about, but said nothing. He was silent for a few seconds, before he lightly shoved at Six. “Go get the frog some cake. I’ll clean up here,” he muttered, offering a small, wry smile despite his renewed grumpy tone.

Six decided to let it simmer rather than pry. He smiled back at Yin and slipped out of the booth, walking back over to the counter to speak to the woman there. Yin moved over to the trashbin and shook off the crumbs from their plates, then set the little ceramic plates on top of the bin where a small stack of others were. He shoved his hands into his pockets and went outside, the tinkling bell giving him away. Six paused in mid-sentence and looked back over his shoulder at the door, brows barely knitting before he picked up his words and ordered a piece of cake to put in a little go-baggie.

[The Bakery - 8]

[ToxicShadow]

His eyes following the direction pointed out to him, Adair looked at the fountain. Well, it didn't look particularly interesting, but whatever. It wasn't as if he was interested in any of this to begin with. He was here for work, and work only. "All right, let's go."

The two headed for the fountain, Adair matching Blayze's pace and walking beside him. If he didn't, then he would have gone ahead of the other man. "Have you noticed anyone suspicious?" He asked, making conversation about their work. They'd come to make sure it was safe for Emilia, but they hadn't looked around all that much yet.

Blayze shook his head. "I haven't noticed anything. I mean, I... haven't been looking too closely, but everything seems fine so far." He paused for a moment, then added, "But let's look around a little more first. If we aren't perfectly sure, then we shouldn't call her over."

Moving to Fountain - 26

[Flame]

Now, normally Allorah didn’t exactly consider herself a ‘foodie’ by any means – to her, food had always been a practical affair, to be eaten purely for the sake of nutritional value. By some measures, she could probably be considered something of a fitness geek; this was not to say that she worked out or exercised on a regular basis – no, to her, that was the definition of an exercise in futility – but rather, it pertained to her day-to-day diet. Of all people, Allorah was one of the most disciplined dieters in the sense that every single meal of the day was planned out ahead of time, and more often than not, her entire weeks’ worth of meals was usually scheduled well before it even started. This stemmed from a strong belief that you were indeed what you ate in the sense that if one were to eat a healthy and balanced diet, their ability to function at full capacity would scale proportionately as well. As a result, her meals generally consisted of rather bland, but unarguably extremely healthy foods. To be honest, she really didn’t mind it at all – after all, eating was honestly more of a chore than it was a pleasure, and she kept her diet as meticulously as she did her scientific notes.

However, this was also partially a result of the fact that she’d never really sought out or been exposed to any food that might even vaguely be considered more than simply palatable. It was a thought that had just never occurred to her, nor did it have any reason to, considering the way she lived her life. Today though, on this cold but merry day of days, was about to change all of that. Or, at least broaden her perspective a little bit. It was actually the Phyrette on her shoulder which guided to their next destination; it would appear that the creature had already digested its earlier marshmallow snack with its voracious metabolism, and was now seeking out more fuel to power its borderline hyperactive lifestyle. Allorah glanced over at it, only to see it staring pointedly in one particular direction down the street, its focus more intent than she had ever seen before. Even when the marshmallow had been in play, she’d never seen the creature this still. It was the rapid twitching of its little nose which alerted her to what it was that had captured its attention, and it took no explanation for her to turn their course to angle towards the scent which so captivated the Phyrette. After all, Allorah wasn’t exactly sure how fast the creature’s metabolism functioned in actuality, and the last thing she needed was for it to pass out from hunger while they were out trying to have a good time.

[The Bakery – 22]