Video Games and Christmas
Video games are fun. Almost everyone knows that. Well, real gamers, anyways. Aeris would say you have to own X systems and Y games and played Z hours to be a real gamer, and none of those could be Madden. I still don't know what X and Y and Z are, but it doesn't matter to me. I don't need to be a gamer by her standards. (I am, of course, but I don't need to be.)
Playing video games with your best friend, though, is infinitely more fun. Yeah, infinitely. It's my new word. Dr. Hobo told me it. But that's not really important. The success that comes with beating a game with your best friend at your side makes the joy so much greater.
Unfortunately, Dungeon Guy 2, Son of Dungeon Guy, is a single player game. Which explains why I am quietly watching Aeris play. Very quietly. I don't think she knows I'm awake. I woke up when she came home, but didn't really do anything besides drool.
Say what you want, but I drool. I just do. I don't think it is part of being a cat. Aeris doesn't drool. Or at least she wouldn't say if she did or not. She hit me pretty hard when I asked.
You might say Aeris is kind of abusive. You'd be right. She hits me, a lot. It hurts. I wish she would stop. I don't do the whole violence thing. Well, in video games I do. Anyone who thinks I can't be a violent and sadistic little bitch has never played against me in Left 4 Dead 2. Or most other games with violence for that matter. Grand Theft Auto. Halo. Team Fortress Two. Call of Duty. If you win by killing/beating the ever-loving-crap out of the enemy, I'm good at it. But in real life, I'm not very violent.
I think Pantsman told me once that he thought Aeris is something called tsundere. It's a thing from anime. It's those girls who are really mean to someone, and don't like to show them their soft side, but to the people watching, it's really obvious that they like that person. Like Rukia from Bleach, or Winry from Fullmetal Alchemist.
When he told me that, I'll tell you what I did.
I laughed in his face. Aeris doesn't have a soft side. She did, once upon a time. Back when we first met, she was nice. Pleasant to be around. Even caring, if you can imagine that. She grew out of it.
At least I thought she did. I was absolutely, one hundred percent positive she had to have changed. I would have sworn that she couldn't have hidden that kindness, that caring, underneath this much violence. It's impossible. She had to have changed.
I was wrong. Absolutely wrong. I found that out fifteen minutes ago. Pantsman was right. She does have a soft side. Caring. Even, dare I say it, sweet.
I already told you that she woke me up when she came home. I didn't do anything. I heard her open the door, and shortly afterward, the game. And then she came back over. I was still kind of asleep at that moment, but I remember it clearly enough, her standing over me.
Aeris doesn't care to do things perfectly, except in video games. Sure, she'll do a good enough job at stuff, better than what I can do most of the time, but she doesn't care to put in her best work.
But I watched with lidded eyes for five minutes as she drew the little cat caricature over and over on a post-it until it was perfect before she stuck it to my shoulder. And then she kissed me.
Yeah. I nearly leaped up from the couch in surprise. I thought she was going to whisper in my ear. Maybe, I dunno, 'Thank You', or 'Merry Christmas'. But she kissed me. Softly, gently, on the forehead. She lingered there for a while, which explains the smudge of lipstick I have on my forehead.
The look in her eyes, though, said everything. Now that I know that she's got her something inside, her guarded expression seems so obvious. So many memories, in a whole new light.
Her expression wasn't guarded this time, though. A little mist rose in her eyes, and she seemed to be looking so far away. She was happy. And surprised. Definitely surprised. I don't know why. Maybe that I got her something so expensive. I don't have a lot of money. Maybe that it mattered as much as it did that I got her something she really wanted. I dunno. I'm not even sure what I just thought. But she was happy. Not, 'I won at this game' happy, or even 'I got the last one before they ran out' happy, but a totally different kind of happy. I don't think I've seen this kind before.
So here I am, sitting behind her as she trawls through the dungeons of Dungeon Guy 2, Son of Dungeon Guy on our TV. She still hasn't noticed me. She doesn't like to be disturbed during games, so I'm pretty good at being quiet when I need to be.
So now I'm wondering what to do. I've never been a great and deep thinker. It's just not me. But I want her to know I care, as much as she showed she cares. I want to see more of that kind little girl I grew up with.
So now I'm standing right over her, and she still hasn't noticed me. And I lean down, just like she leaned down. And I'm sure if she could see me (and wouldn't hit me for sneaking up on her like this), she would think I was going to whisper something into her ear. I checked the game really quick. No enemies on the screen.
And before I could second-guess myself, I pressed my lips against the top of her head, very briefly, right between her ears. And then, very quietly, I whispered in her ear.
"Merry Christmas to you too."