"So, uh, what happened to that iPod you had?"
"What? You mean that tiny thing? I lost it. Honestly, how can you people expect me not to when it's that small?"
"..."
G I F T
first arc
It's Christmastime again. The magical end of the year where everyone in the Social Welfare Agency is elated and joyous, whether on a visible front or not.
It is a tiny, insignificant thing, Triela reflects, as she stares at the star-strewn sky above, amassed with swirling deep blue clouds. Christmas at the Agency was always, and always will be, the same. The gift giving functions like clockwork: receive a teddybear from Hilshire (still nowhere near sixty-two; she would have to ask some of the cyborgs to pitch in for her next time) a few new suits, and whatever strange presents that the girls would give to her she would, ultimately, lose.
Yet the strangest thing was how quickly it was all said and done. The festivities would last a night, complete with a nice Christmas feast in the cafeteria, but... The next day always contained more strenuous training. The same regime they stuck to every day of the year. Triela felt like Christmas spoiled her; she had a taste of true contentment and she only wanted more, but she knew in her heart that the Agency would never let her have it.
And so, with these thoughts tucked into her mind, this was the bona fide truth why Triela was so irascible over the holidays.
With a sigh, the blonde rose from her seat on the windowsill and strolled over to the dresser, where several teddybears sat together with different bows around their necks. She lifted the middlemost one and hugged it to her chest tightly.
"I need to be happier during Christmas," she mumbled, closing her eyes and sighing once more. "Henrietta always makes that face when she finds out I'm not full of 'holiday spirit'..." Triela smiled at the thought and slowly drew the teddybear down from her face. She purveyed it with teary eyes and placed it on the top of the dresser, then made to wipe her tears on her sleeve, when a resounding knock issued from her door. She wrenched it open.
Standing in the doorway and gazing timidly at her was none other than Henrietta. Triela stared at her.
And stared.
And stared.
...And stared.
"...What are you wearing?" Triela asked, eyeing the ridiculous red and white Santa outfit with horror.
Henrietta simpered. "That's the exact same thing Claes said when she saw me," she replied. "I've been given a mission."
"A...a what?"
"A mission."
"...No way," the blonde muttered, clutching her head as though it ached.
"You look like you've been crying. Is something wrong?" Henrietta inquired, peering concernedly at her friend. Triela froze and slowly lowered her arms to her sides, staring at the girl decked out in frivolous red velvet in front of her.
"No, nothing's wrong, nothing at all!" she said, shaking her head vehemently. "I...fell asleep against the window." Henrietta pursed her lips in a frown, unconvinced.
Triela winced. Ack, better figure out a way to distract her.
"Say, uh, you mentioned a mission before. What was that all about?"
"Oh!" Henrietta grinned, and hoisted up a small velvet pouch reminiscent of Santa's own capacious toy sack. "This!"
"...Is the gun in there?"
"No, no," the brunette said, chuckling. "It's a special event that the Agency is doing to thank the cyborgs. They let me have the mission of giving them out to everyone."
"Please don't tell me they're giving us Derringers," Triela mumbled, grimacing.
"Nope. It's this!" Henrietta opened the pouch with a flourish and extracted a miniscule white object, and held it to Triela's face.
Silence.
"...It's so small," Triela said, poking it cautiously as if it were an explosive.
"They're called 'iPod Nanos'. Aren't they cute, Triela?"
"Well, yeah, I guess so. But what do they do?"
"Umm, Giuseppe said they're like stereos."
Triela's face blanched. "You've got to be kidding me. How in the—"
"...Triela..."
"...How can this possibly be anything like a stereo? It's too tiny! I can't fit a single tape in here, let alone a CD!"
Henrietta heaved a deep, troubled sigh, and closed the pouch back up. "You're supposed to connect them to a computer, go online, and download music."
"D...download...online..."
"I don't know either, actually," the brunette said with an air of revelation, and looked up at the ceiling. "Giuseppe told me that the handlers felt bad about how 'closed-off' we are from modern day society and these iPods are the cutting edge of new technology."
"Hold up," Triela said, "cutting edge of technology? Aren't we supposed to be that?"
There was silence for some minutes.
Henrietta rolled up the red sleeve of her jacket, checking a gold watch around her wrist. "Oh no, it's already seven o'clock!" she groaned. "I was supposed to give Angelica hers, by now! Oh no, oh no, oh no..." And with that, she scurried away, leaving behind a pair of earphones, an instruction booklet, and a very, very different Christmas indeed.