..-~-..
Milton's Historical Logs #265
Sunday, December 24, 2015
By my calculations its Christmas time at the convent.
Not that that means anything. It's been a fairly cold snap this past week, so everyone is holing up inside their buildings and homes, fires blazing in whatever fireplace they managed to cobble together.
Me? I've been holed up watching over Toby in the wolves den. The boy has been sick with a bad cold for a week now and I'm beginning to get worried. Any longer and I'll have St. James look him over for signs of something serious. I worry that the boy may not be telling me how sick he is, he tends to keep things to himself a lot and I can't figure out why he's been so quiet and withdrawn lately.
The election Andrea has been asking for has finally been called.
How it came about was like this, I bear witness as I was there.
Andrea had been going around the convent discontent with her lot in life so she's been talking (loudly) about elections for months.
She was doing so with as much emphasis as she could in the kitchens, when Grace – eight months pregnant and a wee bit terrifying with hormonal urges to murder and maim – says 'Andrea, if you want to do this so officially then let's have a vote and shut you up for good!'
I've never seen Grace so angry and I'm sure I wasn't the only one shocked to see her.
For what felt like hours no one moved, no one said anything, then Carol stepped forward and spoke – her beautiful little girl in her arms, giving Carol the appearance of some Nordic All-Mother goddess. Half warrior, half matron.
"I'd kind of like one too," she said.
That was it. The decision. History in the making wasn't made in some hall of male dominated power, but a homey convent kitchen.
We held a group meeting in the church where nominations were made.
Rick, Carol, Andrea, Grace and shockingly Merle were all tossed into the mix.
We were given coloured marbles from an old Chinese checkers board. White for Rick, black for Carol, green for Andrea, yellow for Grace and red for Merle.
I took my time, mulling over the options.
Rick declined the nomination during this time, having done some mulling of his own.
I chose yellow, since this place was originally under Grace's leadership (and despite her horrifying turn, she is normally a fair and just woman.)
The votes rolled in (no pun intended.)
It was Carol by just two, beating Grace out only marginally. No one dared argue, it was all done fairly and Andrea couldn't complain.
Carol's first task was to elect Grace as co-leader, which was a clever move, it solidified both majority votes.
I think, in my own personal opinion, that I would follow both women to hell and back. I trust them that much.
Current population: 35
Current forecast: 7º
Current mood: Loyal
..-~-..
..-~-..
**Merle**
"No."
Carol held up the red suit and jiggled it temptingly, a cheeky grin splitting her face. "Please? You'd make the kids so happy."
"Shit no!" He declared.
"Think how happy those children will be," Grace chimed in, a pair of black boots and a doofy Santa Claus hat in her hands. "Think of the suffering they've seen. Of the hardship they've been through."
He scowled deeply and looked over at his woman who was trying on the beard and wig with an adorable smile.
"Come on," he pleaded to her.
"It's all for the children!" Norma Jean said with a soft twinkle to her pretty brandywine eyes.
He eyed the stupid assed costume one final time before snatching it from Carol's hands. "Jesus fuck," he muttered, pushing past them for a room to change.
..-~-..
..-~-..
He emerged from the bathroom eighty pounds heavier and forty years older, but somehow none the wiser.
"You look perfect," Carol gushed as the three women rushed him, hands moving to adjusted and pull at his costume.
"If I looked perfect then why are you touching me?" He snarled, slapping their hands away.
Storming outside, he stomped into the church and slumped into a pew angrily, waiting for the dumb ass Christmas thing to be over.
Eventually he was joined in the pew by Jesus and an angel, one on either side of him.
Merle beamed at his baby brother, who looked mad as a wet hen under his crown of thorns. "Nice dress."
"Shut up, fat ass!" Daryl-Jesus growled. "Carol pulled in a goddamned favour."
"What kind?"
"Sexual," the angel replied smugly.
"You look like Liberace," Merle pointed out, turning to face the angel and taking in the haze of silver glitter that shrouded the Lieutenant and his white robes.
"I feel like Liberace," the Lieutenant said.
"Couldn't find a woman to play the angel, huh?"
"Mais, this was the more dignified option left," the Cajun said. "At least this costume has a flaming sword."
"What? Why? Are there others?" Merle demanded, basking in the karmic joy that peeked over the horizon of his shame and misery.
"Have you seen the elf and Rudolph?" Daryl asked.
"Shit no!" Merle exclaimed with a deep belly laugh. "Who?"
Behind them the door to the church opened and Cash and Glenn entered, both men looking sullen.
Cash was dressed in a green stocking cap with bells, fake elf ears, a candy cane theme to both his long sleeved shirt and socks, green short pants and vest and little curled shoes with bells.
Glenn had antlers and a red reindeer nose with whiskers on.
Both men looked miserable.
"You look like a dick," Merle exclaimed, sliding out of the pew to join the other men in mocking Cash.
Cash hauled off and punched Merle in the pillow gut.
Laughing it off (this time) Merle turned and grabbed the hem of his brother's robe. "What's under the dress, Darlina?"
"Fuck off, Merle!" Daryl snapped, skirting his brother's reach.
"Go ahead, beede," Fay said as Merle's eyes turned on him with wicked intent, "I dare you."
..-~-..
..-~-..
"Now, Layla and Nadir said they don't mind attending, but we thought we'd respect their religion and at least keep the mass to a decent twenty minutes and since it's close enough to Mawlid an-Nabi they don't mind not celebrating since I understand that's what Muhammad asked for his birthday," Mary Claire explained as she wiped down the pews.
Merle was still hiding out in the church, dressed like an asshole, watching as the others grew impatient and uncomfortable in their costumes, when his girl came and flopped down on his lap beaming at him.
She was adorable, but he wasn't pleased with her at the moment.
"Come on, you grumpy bear," she cooed. "It's all for the kids. Those babies have been through hell and they deserve a party like we had."
He shrugged. "Whatever. I better get some loving tonight for this."
"Depends on how good you act the part, because here come your audience," she purred.
He looked over his shoulder as Norma Jean got off his lap.
The children of the convent poured in.
The happy, shining looks in their eyes broke his heart and he sighed, moving towards the chair they had for him to sit in.
Olivia made a beeline for him, leaping into his lap.
"Hi, Santa!" She chirped.
He glanced over at the adults who were pouring in and sighed. "Hi, little girl."
"Aw, he ain't real!" Annie stated loudly, pushing Olivia off his lap to climb into it herself, peering at his face hard, before touching his stump conveniently hidden by a mitten. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but said nothing.
"Don't be a little…brat," he cleaned up his language, eyeing Norma Jean who was giggling beside him. "Or you'll go on my…brat…list." He glanced at Norma Jean to confirm he had that right.
"Your naughty list, Santa," she corrected.
"So?" Annie demanded. "Then what happens?"
"Then I, uh, break into your little shi…uh, home and…break something of yours that you like."
Annie blinked up at him.
"Like her leg?" Olivia asked with wide eyes.
"I love my leg," Annie confirmed. "Hey look!" She shouted suddenly, pointing at Cash, "a stupid elf!"
The girls scampered off laughing, terrorizing Cash instantly, leaving Toby behind to blink up at him from behind his glasses.
"Hey, kid," Merle greeted, patting his lap.
The boy shyly climbed up into his lap and eyed him.
"So, uh…get to the point," Merle snarled.
"I know you're not really Santa Claus," Toby whispered. "But I won't tell anyone, Mister Merle."
Merle scoffed. "Alright."
"Can I still tell you what I want for Christmas, though?" Toby asked. "Just in case you have some pull with the real Santa."
Merle chuckled at the boy. "Sure."
"I know you can't bring the dead back, well, not in a way that doesn't make them fetid and animalistic," Toby began. "But can you give me a good daddy and mommy? Maybe Mister Milton?"
Toby shrugged. "Because he's smart and tells me things when I ask and he doesn't make me feel dumb."
"I'll see what I can do, squirt," Merle said. "Anything else?"
"No, well, maybe let Annie stop having her night terrors," Toby said. "She doesn't deserve to be that scared at night. And give Olivia a princess tiara and make everyone happy and let us grow good crops next summer."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks." Toby slid off his lap and turned to look at Merle with an earnest expression. "Bye now."
"Bye."
Spying the Lieutenant and Daryl pulling Annie off of roughly play fighting with Cash while Glenn shouldered Nadir and spun the boy, Merle got up to join the fun just as Olivia stabbed Daryl with the cardboard flaming sword.
"Olivia!" Grace shouted across the church. "Don't stab Our Lord and Saviour!"
"Dog pile!" Annie shouted over Grace's scolding, attacking Merle suddenly and knocking him off the chair.
He found three kids launching themselves on top of him hard.
"Nadir!" Layla scolded her son who was joining the dog pile.
Merle laughed under the kids as they giggled and sat on him.
"Get off me you little shits!" He hollered, having enough when Clyde and Boo the dogs joined in, licking his face.
"Real dog pile!" Annie shouted dramatically as all three kids ran away in mock fear, the dogs on their heels.
Sitting up, dazed from the experience, Merle found his girl standing over him doubled over in laughter.
"Keep laughing, woman," he growled playfully, getting to his feet with some difficulty.
He stopped all laughter as Judith toddled over to him on wobbly legs, Carl close behind.
The little girl took hold of his pant leg and peered up at him with fearless blue eyes.
"Santa," Carl explained to his sister slowly, hoping she'd catch on.
The girl just stared up at him quietly.
Merle reached down and scooped the brat up with one arm and cradled her against him, still staring at her.
She blinked and then beamed, burbling to him and holding out the teething toy she held in a gummy, chubby hand.
"Gross," he said to her.
..-~-..
..-~-..
By the time the kids had all opened the gifts scrounged for them from local stores, by the time they had played themselves out so much so that they could barely move from where they lay draped over the adults shoulders, the night had fallen and the stars had come out.
Standing out on the church house stile with his brother and the others, the children in their arms blanketed protectively against the Georgian winter chill, watching the stars blaze overhead.
"I don't think I've seen them this beautiful in a long time," Rick murmured, his baby girl in his arms.
"It's nice," Carol added. "Haven't stargazed in so long."
"'s pretty," Annie murmured from Lafayette's right shoulder where she draped, her little hand linked at the pinkie over his back with Olivia who slept on his left shoulder sweetly.
Merle spied Dean nearby, lingering in the shadows and moved towards the boy.
The kid eyed the sky quietly.
"Hey," he said to the boy.
Dean nodded in greeting to him.
"Here," Merle reached into the deep pocket of his Santa pants and pulled out a gift wrapped in newspaper. "For Christmas."
The boy eyed the gift, before taking it. "Thanks."
"Well, it's better than that necklace Norma Jean got you, more practical."
Dean quietly opened the present.
Inside a plain box was a handful of condoms.
"Thanks," Dean said. "I guess."
"Hey, the clap is serious. That shit burns like hell," Merle said. "Be responsible."
"I like the necklace Norma Jean gave me," Dean argued lightly, touching the silver winter tree that hung around his neck.
"Whatever, you'll be thanking me for those rubbers when you get older and better at picking up women."
"Maybe I'll pick up guys," Dean said deadpanned.
Merle frowned up at the sky.
"Or maybe I won't pick up anyone at all and sell these off like prison smokes," Dean went on with a wry grin.
"'atta boy," Merle said, clapping his good hand on the back of Dean's neck and squeezing warmly.
..-~-..
..-~-..
..-~-..
Claire Randall Fraser - I agree. The idea of the world going to hell as badly as it has in TWD and society rebuilding itself intrigues me as well.
vickih - Hormones, man. They can turn a pussycat into the ghost and the darkness type lions.
Yazzy x - *whispers* I ship them too...
Brazen Hussy - There you are my spoiled friend. An entire Merle chapter. I hope it fuels the fire for you. ^_^
Ciao Bella - Didn't manage a Merle/Grace confrontation, but how about an Andrea/Grace one? And I'm not sure about Rick, maybe...the story is young and there's many miles to go. ^_^
Merle's Right Hand - Honestly, dude, I'm just glad you're okay. I was seriously getting really worried. You need to check in, man. I worry like a mother hen. (ps: love you, girl.)
Surplus Imagination - I hope to find someone so there's more children soon, otherwise the group will die out and there'll be no one to carry on their clan.