While Shepherds Watched their Flocks
Ichigo stepped outside the pavilion-turned-Christmas-stable, feeling the bite of the cold night air all the more now after the cozy fire. He turned and gave the building a look-over again.
The sign Urahara had been referring to was indeed impossible to miss.
It looked like something that had been used for promotion of one of the Don's live performances here in the park, and Ichigo wasn't altogether sure if it hadn't belonged to the original scenery, only switched off – because he couldn't image having missed it the first time he'd come here with Ishida.
The thing was an animated LED panel about 10 foot wide and strapped to the top of the dome covering the gazebo. Shades of neon displayed the trademark dark-shaded and mustached face of Karakura Town's number one self-proclaimed exorcist, smiling triumphantly above his slogan, which had been seasonally adapted for the occasion:
"SMELLS LIKE CHRISTMAS SPIRITS!"
The simple looping animation showed the Don giving the onlooker an encouraging thumbs-up while a flashy pentagram pulsated in the background.
The panel gave off enough light to be visible for whoever happened to enter the park from the right direction.
Ichigo sighed. Star of Bethlehem indeed…
He walked back to the pavilion (although in his head, he considered it a stable by now).
The scene had gotten a lot livelier than before. Urahara had related that he had been going from door to door to sell home-made drinks, in honor of a similar Christmas custom that was in fashion in Soul Society. Only he hadn't been doing it alone, but had taken his store personnel along, save for Tessai, who had gone to visit some relatives in Rukongai. So when the store-owner had come strolling into the park, Ururu, Jinta, Ririn, Noba, Kuroudo and Kon (who had gone over to the store to celebrate) were in tow.
As a result, now four multicolored midget-sized sheep were frolicking bleatingly in the snow-covered grass around the pavilion, chased around by two rather cute sheepdog pups, one with scruffy red hair, the other black with two actual actual ponytails hanging from the sides of her head. Ishida had joined the fray, his newfound little siblings circling around him.
Urahara himself had retained his human shape – Ichigo figured there were enough farm animals to go around now. Instead, he'd gotten the part that nobody ever wanted – his white shihakushō traded in for what they assumed was a pre-Christian shepherd's outfit and the colorful bucket-hat replaced with a more humble, grayish fabric cap. Rukia and Ichigo had calmed him down and Rukia was now attempting to explain the situation to him, as had been their original intention.
When Ichigo entered the toasty warm pavilion, both of them were in conversation, sitting on the floor, on opposite sides of the fire. Next to the former Gotei 13 captain, was a cylindrical bulky contraption that had been strapped to the man's back when he'd come in. It reminded Ichigo of a coffee dispenser, the kind you could put a lot of hot coffee in to keep warm for hours. There was a little tap at the front, some small levers, and a slot in the side that held a sizable stack of plastic cups. There was also a weird funnel-shaped opening at the top, the purpose of which Ichigo could only guess. The gnarled wooden staff that had replaced Urahara's Zanpakuto leaned against it.
"So what about this thing?" Ichigo wanted to know, pointing at the metal cylinder. Urahara looked up, his voice sounding less slurred than it had before. Even with the shepherd's cap, his eyes were still half-hidden by its shadow as always. He smiled "Ah, as I was just about to explain to Rukia here," he jumped up with a sudden burst of energy. He patted the device "This here, if I say so myself, is one of my more brilliant inventions." he took on the air of a TV commercial voiceover. "It's no secret I've developed a liking for this world's traditional Christmas beverage, that is eggnog! I plan to popularize it in Soul Society as well…"
"Great money making scheme," Ichigo commented drily.
The store owner went on, unperturbed. "But since it's such a fuss to make, I've developed a way to automate the production process. Expect nothing less from the founder of Seireitei's Shinigami R&D Institute." Placing his hands on his hips, he laughed out triumphantly, facing the ceiling.
Rukia and Ichigo stared at eachother, both sweatdropping.
"So this is the result," tapping the device. "The Eggnogginator X, prototype edition! Actually, tonight was its first trial run."
"Eggnogg..inator? So it makes this 'eggnog' drink?" Rukia asked incredulously.
"That's right," Urahara beamed, "Just pour in water on the top, and presto. The levers control the temperature and alcohol content. Wanna try some?"
His spirit body not strictly needing food or drink, Ichigo did feel like a drink – perhaps the Christmas environment was getting to him. "Is it set for soft eggnog?"
Uruhare nodded. "Soft and warm, as you like it."
Ichigo looked at Rukia. "You've never had any, did you?" Rukia shook no. "I'm not sure I should-"
"Hey, it's part of the Christmas experience Rukia, you should really try it! It's safe!"
Urahara had already started working the Eggnoginator, producing 2 steaming cups of creamy liquid.
Hesitatingly, Rukia took a cup in both hands, as did Ichigo, and they both took a careful sip.
At the same time, they both splurted out their mouthful of eggnog.
"I thought you said it was set to 'soft'!" Ichigo said angrily, his face warming. "This is spiked with rum!"
Urahara put a hand behind his head, grinning apologetically. "Yeah, that's what the tests tonight showed as well. Alcohol dosage control still needs some work. Sorry. Actually, I'm afraid I took a few too many samplings myself tonight…"
"Thanks for telling us in advance," Ichigo mumbled. Nevertheless, he took a second sip. Now that he anticipated the alcohol, the drink was actually quite wonderful and creamy. Rukia seemed to agree, gulping her eggnog down greedily.
"Easy with that, Rukia," Ichigo warned. "We still need to keep our heads together, remember?"
"Hm," Rukia agreed, and stood up, a bit shaky. Ichigo also stood up, and noted he hadn't been unaffected by the drink either. A warm fuzzy feeling spread from his stomach and rose to his head. He shook his head a few times.
"Ok, now that's all very well," the orange-haired Shinigami substitute said. "But we need to get things back to normal, before we get cherubs flying all over the place…"
Urahara raised his hand. "Can I say something?"
Ichigo nodded.
"I think it's weird how everything you bring here so far has changed shape, except my invention." He tapped the Eggnoginator. "So it's not that everything is brought back to some historical old-fashioned form, or it would have turned into a drinking flask or something."
Ichigo and Rukia hummed in agreement. "Good point," Ichigo said.
"It's my guess, that the reason for that is that an eggnog-making device is in the spirit of the Christmas season already. So everything is forced into some shape that's related to your world's tradition of Christmas…" he went on.
"Well, we kind of came to that conclusion ourselves already," Ichigo said, a bit disappointed, absent-mindedly eyeing the Christmas tree, with decoration and all, that had materialized in a corner of the stable. Renjidonkey had carefully started nibbling on one of the branches.
"I do agree with you that that baby seems to play an important part in it, especially since it's a Hollow…", Urahara bemused, looking at the kid who'd only just woken up again, looking around with interest at it's increasingly decorated and crowded shelter.
"So either it's causing hallucinations for all of us, so we see everything through Christmas-colored-glasses so to speak, or it can actually cause changes to the reality around it. In either case, it has some very strange powers that I've never seen before in a Hollow… And I don't get the connection with Christmas at all…" the store owner trailed off.
"Perhaps the founder of your religion, this Messiah, was originally a Hollow?" Rukia offered.
Ichigo almost choked on the remainder of his eggnog. "Are you saying that Jesus Christ was a Hollow, and this is his second coming? That's beyond ridiculous!" he coughed.
As if to mock Ichigo's words, a little luminescent ring suddenly appeared above the baby's head.
"Is that its Resurrección?" Rukia wondered, alarmed. Ichigo sniggered. "'Fraid not. Just another piece of Christmas mythology…it's called a 'halo'."
"I've seen them in your churches," Urahara said, "You have some very weird symbology in your world…"
"Yeah," Ichigo said, thinking he found a clue, "but doesn't the fact that that thing appeared just when we were discussing its 'messianic' origins prove that it changes reality in response to what we say or think?"
"So what you are implying," Urahara said, following his trail of thoughts, "Is that this baby itself is not linked to Christmas, but just alters everything around it because it is Christmas here and now?"
Ichigo shrugged. "It's as good a theory as any."
"Well, anyway, if we want to be sure, we'll have to take this baby to Seireitei for examination," Urahara said, standing up.
Rukia moved in front of the baby protectively. "I hope you're not saying you want to turn this child here over to that freak Kurotsuchi?!"
Urahara held up his hands, "Hey, I-"
At that moment, the baby let out an enthousiastic gurgle in response to a growing chatter outside. More visitors were on the way.
Next time: The Christmas party gets bouncy. And gifts are exchanged.