tomato 🍅

Late Christmas Asks

Gemüse idly flipped the card in hand, unsure of what to do with it.

Truth be told, he had mostly forgotten about the holiday.  Or, rather, less forgotten–since it was hard to forget about it given how much the world really emphasized it–and more actively tried to ignore it.

Was it rude that he didn’t send anything back?

Ah, well, he could give Joey something next time he was out.  

He sat the postcard on the windowsill.  It’d sit there for a week or two, then, maybe, he’d put it in with the baseball cards, or he’d throw it out.  

Late Christmas Asks

Gemüse takes the box into his hands, very careful, afraid of accidentally damaging the fragile contents within.

A gentle grin stretched across his face–as much as he did appreciate and adore the gesture, he knew he’d probably never wear them.  They’d remain in his closet, a reminder of her–never actually used out of fear of damaging them.

He was sure she’d understand.  His job was hazardous to clothing, after all.  

“No… no I don’t think you are.. how.. did you get here?” 

“Our second in command can teleport people...”

“Hoenn is pretty cool. I spent a few weeks there a few years ago. I really liked Fortree city. Never quite seen a place like it before.”

“As for me I’m spending a few days to give myself and my Pokemon rest before next week. I uh….I made it through the elite four, so next week I’m set to challenge Cynthia at the league. We were gonna have a day at the lake but…..yeah.”

The dirt path soon gave way to neatly maintained cobblestone, and the smell of salt water was much more prominent. The gray buildings with blue, domed roofs were spread out strategically over the land. Anna spotted her own as she passed it, but decided not to draw attention to it.

“Oh.”

There was... a lot there.  Challenging the champion?  Wanting to relax at the lake?  He guessed he could see why that might be a problem.

Justin rolled his eyes before putting his two younger siblings into a soft headlock. 

“Anna, quit punching your brother. Andrew, don’t be an ass to our guest.”

“I wasn’t being an ass!”

“Aww come on Justin, let us go! I need to go make sure the room is in order.”

Justin let his younger siblings go. 

“It’s ready,” he said. “And there are extra blankets in the closet.”

Anna nodded before turning back to Gemüse.

“I’ll show you to our room. It’s upstairs.”

Turning back around, Anna moved past her brothers and through the kitchen and dining area. The main table had been all dolled up with a white tablecloth, plates and fancy candles, as well as a bit of fake foliage, and what seemed to be the kid’s table was off to the side, complete with four chairs and a nice orange tablecloth.

Beyond it was the living room where a number of other relatives were gathered around talking, playing cards, and watching football. Anna waved hello to those who noticed her, but was quick to disappear up the stairs on the right side of the room. There would be time to greet her family and introduce Gemüse after they settled. 

Once upstairs, Anna made her way to the end of the hallway and opened the door. Her old room was still somewhat in tact, as her bookshelf was still in the far side of the room, and her deck underneath the window across from the door. The closet was empty (aside from the blankets Justin had told her about) and her old twin bed had been replaced with a more modern queen sized bed. It was against the wall nearest to the door, with a night stand on each side.

“Well, welcome to my old room,” she said, throwing her hands above her head. “Been changed into more of a guest room but, it’s still mine when I come home. Bet you can still get onto the roof through the window. Awesome place to star gaze at night.”

Gemüse quietly observed the exchange. It, admittedly, reminded him of the relationship he had with his brothers many, many years ago, but...

It was best not to dwell on such things.

A hand rubbed the back of his neck as he trailed after Anna.  His gaze drifted over everything, looking over all the little details of the house, committing as much of it to memory as he conceivably could in a short period of time.  Still, he was quick to stay close to Anna, not feeling comfortable with any of the others.  

He couldn’t help but release a breath as they entered the private room.  He was perfectly fine with crowds--he didn’t consider himself claustrophobic by any sense of the word, but...  there was something strange about having this many people in a domestic setting.  He was used to small gatherings, not... this.  

He continued massaging the back of his neck, before his hand drifted up to his head.  After she finished speaking, he nodded his head slowly, blinking a few times as he steadied his breathing.  He dropped his hands to his sides, a frown briefly crossing his face as his hands brushed his guns.

“How does your family feel about firearms, anyways?” He probably should’ve left them in the car.  Too late for that.  

He did hear what she said, but took a moment to examine the room before he replied to it.  The room did seem rather empty--it was almost sad in a way.  What memories in this room had been erased?

“Of course I did, I got to spend time with my favorite human,” Abigail replied. 

Or not. She piffed at his second question and drummed her fingers in mock offense. “I take that back, you’re my second favorite human. It’s November 17th, Gemüse—my birthday is November 17th. I’ll be 115.”

She wasn’t going to let him forget an “old” woman’s birthday.

Her lip quirked and she raised a finger. “Does this mean you won’t get creeped out if I look up your birthday and appear with your favorite flavor of cupcake? Or whatever it is you like?”

“Wait, who's your favorite human?”  Not that  Gemüse wanted to be her favorite human--he kinda found the designation a tad bit creepy, actually, but wasn’t going to hold it against her.  

“Don’t tell me that it’s the space hobo.  Come on.  Have better standards.”

He shrugged.