It's kind of chilly out. Well, maybe not "kind of." It definitely is. And maybe not "chilly." The
thermometer reads right around 2 degrees. Blayde wraps her black scarf tighter around
her and runs her fingers through her short, dark blue hair. She shuffles out of the lobby
of her dorm, nodding to Shalom on her way by. He looks up from his seat and waves as
she pushes the door open.
She heads down to the campus bus stop, wondering just what she's going to buy for any one. Her family was a lost cause -none of them ever knew what they wanted- she would probably get Rei a book and what of the Slayers? Should she get them all something? Or just the ones she was closest to?
The bus roars to a stop in front of her and she climbs on. "Where ya headed today, Kid? Walmart again?" The same bus driver has the route everyday. He's well aware that Blayde goes virtually nowhere but the Walmart in town.
She nods and sits down. Some kid from the other college in town sits across the aisle from her and he looks positively wasted. "Hey Babe," He leers at her, "Where ya headed? Wanna have a good time with a real man?"
She wrinkles up her nose and ignores him. How typical. She'd learned to expect things like that; she knew from the start her school was located in the middle of a party town. There's a bar on almost every corner.
The Walmart is insane. People are practically fighting one another for the best items. She weaves her way through the crowd, trying to think of what to get every one. Her family won't get whatever crap she's buying them until later on anyway, so what does it matter? She couldn't go home that Christmas. She had no way to get there.
She finds a book for Rei. It's one of those weird, new-age things and she knows her roommate will like it. She thinks about what to get her mother and father. Nothing ever seems right.
Absently, she picks over the CD selection. Jayce likes hard rock. But there isn't much of a selection. Nothing Jayce would ever consider listening to, only the shitty pop stuff no one liked. And Bart. What the hell was she supposed to buy Bart? He never liked anything she bought for him. Christmas is looking more and more crappy.
She sighs. Nothing can be worse than trying to act happy when there was nothing to look forward to. Christmas was supposed to be that season where every one was nice and giving and caring. It sure as hell didn't look that way in the Walmart. What had happened to the warm feeling she used to get at the holiday time? She feels absolutely carnal. Christmas? It's all a humbug.
"You look quite upset, Blayde."
She nearly jumps a mile in the air when she hears his voice. What the hell is he doing in the Walmart? For that matter, what the hell is he doing in their plain? She turns to face him. "Xellos. What the fuck are you doing here?!" She demands.
The purple-haired priest is grinning at her. He's shifted his appearance to look like any of the shoppers, his usual outfit is replaced by khakis and a black parka. A purple scarf is wrapped around his neck and a Santa hat's perched atop his glossy hair. "Temper, temper, My Friend. I was expecting my Christmas card. I didn't get one. That's not like you, Blayde."
Frowning, she continues to glare at him. "What the hell do you care about Christmas, Xellos? It's a holiday of hope and joy. Those are not things I associate with you." She says loftily.
His smile -if at all possible- grows wider. "Ah, we have a Scrooge on our hands, do we? I can enjoy Christmas. Do you know how many people absolutely abhor this time of year? Do you know how many negative feelings are flooding through this store right now? It tastes like fruitcake and candy canes."
Blayde smiles in spite of herself. Only Xellos would find the misery of the holiday appealing. "I'm sorry, Xellos. I'm kind of bummed out because I can't go home. And I'm having the hardest time inviting you all to mine and Rei's Christmas shindig."
"Ooo...A party? And I'm invited? Tis the season to be merry!" He laughs happily.
"Want to help me finish my shopping? I need suggestions of what to get all your friends."
"Now, of course you use the term 'friends' loosely."
"Of course."
The two fight their way through the crowd together and Xellos tells Blayde what to buy for each of the Slayers.
As they are leaving the store, she thinks over all her purchases. There was tea for Filia, coffee for Zel. For Lina and Gourry she purchased those giant tins of popcorn. She got Amelia a bottle of her favorite shampoo (AN: If I recall correctly, Amelia is quite proud of her hair...). A bag of marbles seemed quite appropriate for the Hellmaster and an ice pick for Dynast. She bought Dolphin a bath sponge shaped like a whale. Sylphiel and Milgasia were harder to shop for. Xellos suggested an apron for Sylphiel and "any old piece of crap for that damn Dragon" to which idea Blayde promptly smacked the Demon priest soundly. She'd wound up putting the most thought into the Dragon's gift. She smiles as she thinks about it. Milgasia, she knows, is alone most of the time, very much like she is. When she's alone, Blayde likes to write about everything in her journal. She'd picked out a blue, leather-bound journal for Milgasia and she hoped he'd like it.
Xellos rides the bus with her back to the campus then disappears. It's only when she's climbing the stairs to her room that she realizes she's forgotten about getting a gift for Zangulus. Shit! She thinks as fumbles for her key, now I'll have to go back out...
She heads down to the campus bus stop, wondering just what she's going to buy for any one. Her family was a lost cause -none of them ever knew what they wanted- she would probably get Rei a book and what of the Slayers? Should she get them all something? Or just the ones she was closest to?
The bus roars to a stop in front of her and she climbs on. "Where ya headed today, Kid? Walmart again?" The same bus driver has the route everyday. He's well aware that Blayde goes virtually nowhere but the Walmart in town.
She nods and sits down. Some kid from the other college in town sits across the aisle from her and he looks positively wasted. "Hey Babe," He leers at her, "Where ya headed? Wanna have a good time with a real man?"
She wrinkles up her nose and ignores him. How typical. She'd learned to expect things like that; she knew from the start her school was located in the middle of a party town. There's a bar on almost every corner.
The Walmart is insane. People are practically fighting one another for the best items. She weaves her way through the crowd, trying to think of what to get every one. Her family won't get whatever crap she's buying them until later on anyway, so what does it matter? She couldn't go home that Christmas. She had no way to get there.
She finds a book for Rei. It's one of those weird, new-age things and she knows her roommate will like it. She thinks about what to get her mother and father. Nothing ever seems right.
Absently, she picks over the CD selection. Jayce likes hard rock. But there isn't much of a selection. Nothing Jayce would ever consider listening to, only the shitty pop stuff no one liked. And Bart. What the hell was she supposed to buy Bart? He never liked anything she bought for him. Christmas is looking more and more crappy.
She sighs. Nothing can be worse than trying to act happy when there was nothing to look forward to. Christmas was supposed to be that season where every one was nice and giving and caring. It sure as hell didn't look that way in the Walmart. What had happened to the warm feeling she used to get at the holiday time? She feels absolutely carnal. Christmas? It's all a humbug.
"You look quite upset, Blayde."
She nearly jumps a mile in the air when she hears his voice. What the hell is he doing in the Walmart? For that matter, what the hell is he doing in their plain? She turns to face him. "Xellos. What the fuck are you doing here?!" She demands.
The purple-haired priest is grinning at her. He's shifted his appearance to look like any of the shoppers, his usual outfit is replaced by khakis and a black parka. A purple scarf is wrapped around his neck and a Santa hat's perched atop his glossy hair. "Temper, temper, My Friend. I was expecting my Christmas card. I didn't get one. That's not like you, Blayde."
Frowning, she continues to glare at him. "What the hell do you care about Christmas, Xellos? It's a holiday of hope and joy. Those are not things I associate with you." She says loftily.
His smile -if at all possible- grows wider. "Ah, we have a Scrooge on our hands, do we? I can enjoy Christmas. Do you know how many people absolutely abhor this time of year? Do you know how many negative feelings are flooding through this store right now? It tastes like fruitcake and candy canes."
Blayde smiles in spite of herself. Only Xellos would find the misery of the holiday appealing. "I'm sorry, Xellos. I'm kind of bummed out because I can't go home. And I'm having the hardest time inviting you all to mine and Rei's Christmas shindig."
"Ooo...A party? And I'm invited? Tis the season to be merry!" He laughs happily.
"Want to help me finish my shopping? I need suggestions of what to get all your friends."
"Now, of course you use the term 'friends' loosely."
"Of course."
The two fight their way through the crowd together and Xellos tells Blayde what to buy for each of the Slayers.
As they are leaving the store, she thinks over all her purchases. There was tea for Filia, coffee for Zel. For Lina and Gourry she purchased those giant tins of popcorn. She got Amelia a bottle of her favorite shampoo (AN: If I recall correctly, Amelia is quite proud of her hair...). A bag of marbles seemed quite appropriate for the Hellmaster and an ice pick for Dynast. She bought Dolphin a bath sponge shaped like a whale. Sylphiel and Milgasia were harder to shop for. Xellos suggested an apron for Sylphiel and "any old piece of crap for that damn Dragon" to which idea Blayde promptly smacked the Demon priest soundly. She'd wound up putting the most thought into the Dragon's gift. She smiles as she thinks about it. Milgasia, she knows, is alone most of the time, very much like she is. When she's alone, Blayde likes to write about everything in her journal. She'd picked out a blue, leather-bound journal for Milgasia and she hoped he'd like it.
Xellos rides the bus with her back to the campus then disappears. It's only when she's climbing the stairs to her room that she realizes she's forgotten about getting a gift for Zangulus. Shit! She thinks as fumbles for her key, now I'll have to go back out...