It was the Festival of the Dawning, and the City was ablaze with decorations. Zavala walked down the snowy street, his ghost at his shoulder, anonymous in the dusk. Strings of colored lights glowed along the eaves and windows of every shop. Street lights sported bows and wreaths. Crowds of people clustered around the shops, talking, laughing.
Zavala had traded his Titan armor for civilian clothes in order to blend in. He was off-duty and didn't want to intimidate passersby.
"This might be harder than you thought," his ghost remarked.
"Selecting a gift for a friend is never easy," Zavala agreed. "Still, Ikora deserves it. She's all that's left of ..." He couldn't finish the thought. Even now, the thought of his fractured fireteam, of Cayde-6 dead and buried, hurt too much. He was determined to appreciate his remaining teammate while there was still time.
Zavala arrived at the City's largest bookstore and went inside. His ghost had covertly quizzed Ikora's ghost about her reading preferences. Thus Zavala bypassed the Warlock section with its tomes on Light, Darkness, history, and esoterica, and made for the romance shelves.
Apparently, Ikora's idea of light reading were romantic encounters with a side of guns and mystery. Zavala tried to identify these, but got lost among the covers of gorgeous, half-dressed men and women in outlandish clothing. He cleared his throat, his face growing warm. "Ah, yes ... help me out, please."
Chuckling, his ghost flew among the shelves, scanning titles. He stopped halfway down the aisle. "Here's an author Ikora likes. I believe she's lacking volumes nine through eighteen."
The covers of these books were darker, although the people were still gorgeous and half-dressed, they sported large rifles. Zavala covertly glanced at the back covers and pondered picking up one for himself. He selected four of the books and took them to the checkout.
Ikora was in line ahead of him, also dressed in civilian clothes. Zavala hid the books behind his back.
Ikora didn't notice him until she had paid for her purchases - a large book on Golden Age military history and two thrillers. Then she looked up and laughed. "Zavala! I didn't know you ever left the Tower." She hid the bag behind her.
"Yes, well." Zavala slid the books to the clerk, face-down. "The Dawning does require the selection of gifts."
Ikora glanced at the books and recognized them, even from the back. She grinned mischievously. "Well then, I'll leave you to it, Commander. Merry Dawning."
She walked out, leaving Zavala slightly flustered, and cheerful for the first time in months.