a/n: It's the holiday season, and let's have something free of angst. Have I mentioned how much I love the xenos of Xenoblade X?

Set after Ch. 5 but long before Ch. 12.

All good things belong to Monolith Soft, and when they port XCX to the Switch, can we please have this as new fashion gear? Lila and Twyleth are mine, btw.

Lila examined the rounded package, wrapped in a golden film, that her Ma-non technician was clutching to her small chest. "Well, sure, Twyleth. You can keep that in the station office. A present for Ricky Bobby?"

"No!" squealed Twyleth. "No, no, it's just a thing I promised to to to deliver, okay? To someone. Today." The short grey alien freed a hand long enough to pull her snout worriedly. "Do I have to get a present for Ricky Bobby?"

"Humans do that at Christmas, sometimes. Or Hanukkah. I don't get into it much. Not sure about Ricky Bobby." As she unlocked the door to a repurposed shipping container, Lila asked with mild curiosity, "Who asked you to deliver it?"

"Uh. Someone. With the Nopon Commerce Guild. I trust them."

"Ah. The competition. Don't worry. I won't tell Sakuraba Industries."

"It's only this one time, you understand?" Twyleth reassured her. She set the bundle quickly onto the sofa and skipped back out of the door. "I can't stay, so so so you can hand it over."

"Hey, you never told me ..." Lila exited, only to see the retreating back of the Ma-non femlae. Once again, Twyleth had demonstrated a speediness rare to her species. "I guess I'll figure it out as I go along then. If I get it wrong, it's not my fault. I hope." Lila shrugged and went back to the backlog of skells needing refueling. Something about the holidays was making it hard to keep the station staffed. If her employees grew any more irregular, she might as well fire them all and start from scratch. She was certainly going to have to handle most of the customers on her own until (and if) Gino came in for an afternoon shift.

This extreme multi-tasking had her jumping up and down ladders, flinging cables around, and calculating endless fuel balances, and thus kept her normal radar from noting a looming presence. It was not a small presence, being the largest mim ever made, and with not a gram of subtlety from blond cowlick to oversized work boots. Still, he hadn't taken a full breath to say "boo" or some other surprising shout when she turned, blinked up at him from the base of a skell and greeted him. "Hello, Commander. What brings you to our humble station? Taking a trip?" She popped to her feet and examined him calmly.

"I was looking for a friend of yours," he said, scanning the area uncomfortably.

"I think I understand. Are you expecting a package, maybe?"

"Shhhh." He leaned down. "I've gone to a lot of trouble and I don't want to blow it."

She lowered her voice. "Gotcha. In the office." He followed her inside. "Here you go."

"Mind if I borrow your office?"

"Uh, sure. I've got plenty to keep me busy. Take your time." She left him to his business, whatever that might be. But intuition kept her from leaving the immediate area. A moment later, the door opened and a hand waved at her, gesturing her to enter.

It took her a moment to register what had happened. There stood the Commander, and he was wearing a new tank-top. A knit one. A Christmas sweater tank top. In brilliant poisonous green, encrusted with glinting pure white snowflakes and gingerbread cookies in the shape of ... "Are those Nopon?"

"I don't know, and I'm beyond caring. Will this do?"

"For what? Signaling skell landings in bad weather?"

"Wait a minute, I forgot." He twisted his bulky arms behind his neck, straining the fabric's ability to stretch, fiddling blindly for something. Lila took a deep breath and felt a rush of holiday spirit. Suddenly, the tank-top lit up as a dizzying golden mist swept across it.

Lila goggled. "That looks like the sparkle of the Ma-non engines."

"Lord help me if I somehow start to levitate."

"Like Rudolf!" Lila tried very hard not to giggle.

"So will it do?"

"I repeat. For. What?"

"Ugly Christmas sweater contest. I'm representing the ECP administration."

"The rest of the divisions will be owing you drinks into Easter, sir."

a/n: I am hiding out from a holiday party, one that has really good punch and chocolate cheesecake, because I am good for nothing until I purge this from my brain. Happy holidays, kids.