This request was for the Oyama family along with uncle Harlock for the prompt ornaments.
Emeraldas showed emotion when she saw fit. She had such a strong grasp on what she revealed on her face that almost everyone found her intimidating. Though he would never admit it, Harlock was one of those people.
Because of that, he sat in a circle with us on the floor of my workshop, gluing together our makeshift pile of craft supplies into objects vaguely resembling ornaments. Sitting beside the pile, Mayu played with a strand of red ribbon, while we all watched to make sure she didn't try to eat it. She teetered on occasion, threatening to fall over like all toddlers without a complete grasp on how to balance.
"She is going to have a good, normal Christmas," Emeraldas told Harlock through gritted teeth when he tried to say otherwise. "I don't care how hard it is to get a tree or ornaments. I don't care if we have to make them all ourselves." She pressed a finger into his chest as his eyes expression squirmed in discomfort. "She will have exactly what I never had, and she's getting a perfect Christmas. You're helping."
Harlock's pile of attempted ornaments were the worst of the bunch. He struggled to find ways to morph bolts and bottles into anything other than what they were. It was clear he ran out of ideas when he tied a hook to the base of a wine glass and set it upside-down in his pile. "Harlock, at least paint it somehow," Emeraldas said.
Harlock's brows pinched together. "But I can't use if I paint it," he said. "I want it back after we're done with the tree."
"You'll just smash it anyway," I snorted. "Give this one up for Mayu and paint it."
Harlock always caved at those two words – "for Mayu." Then again, so did I, but that was another thing Harlock would never admit. Emeraldas let a smile warm her lips as she watched him huff and grab the paint. "What should I put on it?"
"Holly would be nice," Emeraldas said.
"And if you're gonna hang it upside-down like that, you can make it into a bell," I added.
Despite the irritation on his face, he nodded. Mayu took an interest in his paintbrush and stood to waddle over to him. Without needing to look up, he unfolded his legs and stuck out his foot to block her path. Emeraldas didn't usually approve of his way with kids, but I thought he did fine.
As I stacked gears of varying sizes into a mini replica of a tree, Emeraldas scooped Mayu up and pulled the squirming girl into her lap. "Here you go," Emeraldas hummed, handing Mayu a snowman ornament she'd made.
"Careful she doesn't try to throw it," I said. But she appeared content with shaking it in her pudgy hands, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"You know, if I'm going through all this trouble to make these silly little things, can we at least have a skull and crossbones to put on the tree?" Harlock asked. His steady hands made for some nice holly painted along the outside of the glass. He could have made for a decent artist if he wasn't always shooting things.
"I suppose we could have one," Emeraldas said. "You'll have to find a way to make that."
"I have a flag we can just drape on the tree. It'll take up lots of space, and we won't have to make as many ornaments."
Emeraldas eyed him with all the sharpness of her saber. "You will make a normal sized ornament, or we won't have one." Harlock threw a glare right back.
"Boy," I cut in before he could say something stupid. "I sure am glad we're such good friends, so we can spend the holidays together and have a great time." I did my best to sound genuine despite the joke.
"Such good friends," Harlock huffed.
"Yes, a great time," Emeraldas muttered.
Mayu squealed in unbridled joy. At least someone honestly agreed with me.