Make and Break
Not Important

"Mindy. Breakfast is ready."

A small hand reached up, their fingers tangling in the brown locks of hair as a young elf lifted her head up from her pillow. Her hair went in a variety of directions as her mouth pushed up slightly, and one hand reached up to brush a stray lock away from her forehead. Her eyes blinked, only for the corners of her mouth to twist into a smile. The young elf realized the start of the school holiday started today. An overzealous squeal escaped her mouth. Mindy bounced on the bed, first arriving at the middle of the bed before arriving at the end, nearly tumbling over the end onto her head.

"Aftermas, Aftermas, every elf celebrates Aftermas." She stood up, clapping her hands together as she sang. Her nightclothes flew off landing on top of her school clothes and a stuffed reindeer bear before pulling her new Christmas colored dress over her chemise and knee length knickers. Her hands smoothed out the dress, before she hurried out of her bedroom door, arriving down the stairs to the kitchen area.

"Mindy Elfbright!" Her aunt's lip pushed out, put the spoon she stirred the pancakes with started to point at the young elf. "You're almost eight-hundred-years. Go back upstairs and come down like a proper young elf rather than a tot. Also, don't leave your clothes on the floor. Put them in your hamper so I can wash them." Mindy let out a groan, turning around to head back upstairs. She heard her aunt remind her to also stop in the bathroom and brush her hair. She stomped over to the bathroom, She forget about the clothes on the floor of her room, nor did she notice the stuffed toy had managed to escape from under the clothes.

She quickly straightened her hair out. Smiling at the mirror, she spun around and headed down the stairs. She walked slower so her aunt wouldn't send her back up, and sat down at the table, smiling at the plates her aunt set out. Her younger male cousins stormed down the stairs, making the corner of her mouth twist down slightly at the loud noise. Her aunt took a deep breath, rolling her eyes.

"Peter and Pierce Redholm! Both of you turn around right now and go back upstairs and come down like good little elves!"

Mindy attempted not to smirk as her two cousins grumbled as they stomped back upstairs. They came backdown calmer than before, yet their mouths twisted into the most frightening of scowls. She turned to her aunt. "Where are uncle and Patrick?"

"Your uncle went to the station to pick Patrick up. Peter, Pierce… when your older brother gets here, don't you vex him. He's been up all night helping to manage and maintain the teleportation relay stations. Aftermas Feast is one of the biggest times of the year for him, as this is when everyone including the Christmas Elves come home."

"Um, yeah." Mindy reached for the plate of pancakes her aunt made, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly up. "Everyone including the Christmas Elves." The young elf took a deep breath. "Except not everyone nor all of the Christmas Elves."

Her aunt's eyes blinked, her mouth forming a thin line as she tried to understand what Mindy meant. When she finally realized, Mrs. Redholm took a deep breath. "Mindy…"

"I don't care." The young elf began to pick at her pancakes, the frown on her face deepening. "I really don't care."

A knock came at the kitchen door, and her cousin Patrick peeked in, a package under his arm. "Merry Aftermas everyone. Mindy, I've a package from Bernie for you."

"Oh." The young elf sat up straight, watching as her cousin walked over and placed the package next to her. Bags were under Patrick's eyes before he plopped down across from her, a plate of pancakes placed in front of him quickly. Mindy's finger poked the package, not wanting to see what was in the box. The twins, however, clamored from their chair, standing on their tiptoes to see what was in the package for her. Her uncle chuckled.

"Lucky!"

"Lucky, lucky!"

"I don't see why." Mindy found herself unable to finish saying she didn't feel lucky, knowing full well how receiving an Aftermas package containing items from the north pole was indeed seen as lucky, particularly among their classmates. Unless of course…

Her train of thought was interrupted by her uncle speaking. "Come on. Open and see what your older brother sent this year."

Mindy took a deep breath, her hands reaching for the cord which tied the paper package together. With a quick tug, the bow came undone, and soon the paper unfolded. Opening the box, she found the typical assortment of Christmas candies and cookies, plus a thermos of hot chocolate made by the elf in charge of making the hot chocolate for everyone at the north pole.

Always included in the packages was a toy. This year Bernie sent a doll with a china face, with eyelashes which batted open and closed depending on whether the doll was upright or lying down. Her dress was elaborate, but an icy blue with snowflake accoutrements rather than the Christmas colors Mindy liked and adorned her room with. Somewhere on the doll was the toymaker label which came with the toys Bernie sent, yet she never paid this any attention.

"What a beautiful doll." Her aunt walked over, tilting her head to look at the doll.

"I guess." Mindy frowned, unsure what to say about the toy.

"Why don't you go and put that one upstairs on your dresser. She'll look pretty sitting there, won't she?"

"I guess." Mindy caught the look her oldest cousin, aunt and uncle gave each other, but headed upstairs as they discussed the other relatives who would be coming over. She opened the door to her room, noticing the small reindeer bear now staring up at her. She set the doll on the dresser, so it sat looking at her bed. She glared at the doll but paid the clothes which cluttered the floor no mind. "I guess I can't get rid of this one as easily as some of the others Allister."

A squeak came from the stuffed toy, making her scoop him up off the ground. Letting out a sigh, she sat on the edge of her bed, glaring at the toy, her mouth twisted into a frown. She set Allister down next to her. She flopped onto her back, letting out a groan of disappointment. The stuffed reindeer bear walked over and climbed up onto the bed. The toy lay down next to her, letting out a deep sigh. Her hand reached up to pet the toy, her frustration not abating.

"Mindy. Sammy and Cam are coming upstairs to see you."

"Okay!" Mindy took a deep breath. She sat up and pulled Allister in closer and onto her lap.

The door opened and Cam's voice came through. "Your cousins are upset because your aunt won't let them have any of the Christmas candy. They really want that candy you were sent, but you're super lucky. Who sent the candy?"

"Nobody important." Mindy's mouth pressed together as she spoke into her reindeer teddy.

Sammy flopped onto the foot of the bed. "Nobody important? A few of the other elflings have a relative whose a Christmas Elf, but none of them receive a package with…" Sammy's mouth dropped as her eyes lighted upon the doll sitting on Mindy's dresser. "Oh, wow." She swallowed. "As I was saying, none of them receive such amazing packages as you do. That toy is amazing."

"I guess." Mindy shrugged her shoulders.

Cam tilted his head. "Your parents are toy maker elves, so did it come from them?" A silence fell over the room. Sammy's eyes widened as Mindy's lips pushed together. Cam at first stared at the two, but then realized he'd said something wrong. "What?"

"Were toy maker elves," Sammy said. "Mindy's parents are dead, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Cam remained silent for a few seconds and then said, "Maybe its someone who knew her parents?"

"Something like that." Mindy set Allister on the bed and swung her legs over the side so she could get off her bed. "As I said, the person isn't important."

"She is beautiful though." Sammy let out a deep sigh, but her eyes rolled into the back of her head. "I would absolutely love to have a doll like that. Elves with relatives who are Christmas Elves are so lucky, but you are super, super lucky Mindy."

"They don't really know me though. If they did then they would know I love traditional Christmas colors." Her mouth twisted into a frown and she bounced off the bed. "I can't get rid of this one like I can the others."

"Why?" Sammy let out a sigh. "I'd love to have a doll like this. You are so lucky Mindy."

"You've said that multiple times." Mindy rolled her eyes. "My aunt is likely to make me show it off when the rest of the family that's coming for Aftermas get here."

"Speaking of your aunt and your family that's coming…" Sammy turned towards Mindy.

Cam, however, spoke up first. "Your aunt wants you to clean up the clutter in your room because she knows you likely didn't do what she told you to do this morning."

"Yeah, that." Sammy sighed again.

Mindy flopped onto her back letting out a groan. "It's just my clothes. It's not that much of a clutter to be honest, so I don't' see why it's a big deal."

"Possibly because with your speed ability you'd be able to clean up the clutter in your room in a matter of seconds" Sammy shook her head.

"Still not a big deal."