"So 'Mega Christmas' is actually a thing, huh?"
Xyra nodded at the confused Sumireko. "Yeah. A lot of Olympia's businesses push it as the ultimate version of Christmas. It gets a lot of backlash for being super commercialized, even more than regular Christmas since it's purely a company-invented holiday. Like Black Friday. But kids think it's cool and a lot of corporations will frame their charity donations and toy drives as being part of it, so it sticks around."
Sumireko shook her head with a small smile. "Heh... Olympia feels like a slice of the future sometimes."
"...So, here we are, huh? Another year over, another fleet of enemies defeated... off to prepare for next year's adventures. It's different this time, though."
Sumireko and Xyra turned at the voice, seeing Dolby approaching the group and looking wistful. Sumi waved at her friend. "Different? What's different about it now, Dolby?"
"There's less than two weeks left in 2019. That means there's less than two weeks left of the decade. The New Tens, Sumi... it's ending. A whole decade of stuff happening, including the entirety of the Kobbers' history so far. The 2010s will become part of history forever... and one day, I'm gonna reminisce about it." Dolby looked around the mall with a vaguely sad smile. "I'm a nostalgia elemental... but this is the first time I've ever actually been around for the turn of the decade. It's a little scary."
"Don't be afraid!" Xyra put a reassuring hand on Dolby's shoulder. "I don't remember my life before I became Xyra. Seanet had nothing to tell me about it... but it's okay. I've got you guys now. And so this is basically MY first new decade, too. We'll face it together, alright?"
"..."
Dolby smiled at the reassuring face of her friend and nodded. "Right. Let's head into 2020 with our heads high."
"Yeah! And look out for new adventures!" Sumireko cheered, pumping a fist.
"As energetic as ever." Dolby laughed a bit as Sumi hopped around eagerly, ready to continue their last-minute Christmas shopping. The three of them walked on together, deeper into the mall. They were the only members of Nerd Club here today. Tokiko and Rachel had both long finished their shopping. Tokiko's dislike of large crowds and Rachel's careful planning of the holidays meant both had taken care of business weeks ago, but Xyra and Sumireko were rather more flakey and had to get a few more things before they were finished buying gifts. As for Dolby, she'd finished her shopping, but her love of the mall kept her coming back anyway.
A disturbance in the middle of the mall caught their attention, especially when they spotted a certain bartender they knew very well. Jill Stingray, clad in a red-and-green elf costume, stood next to the big comfy chair of a rather unconventional-looking Mall Santa, a redhead that the nerds didn't recognize.
Dolby blinked. "...Jill? Is that YOU?"
"Oh my god, what are you wearing." Xyra covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.
Seeing familiar faces, Jill blushed hard and tried to act like she hadn't heard them, but "Santa" was having none of it. "Oh, Jill, are these your friends you were telling me about?"
"...N-no, but I do know them. This is, uh, Nerd Club. Or part of it, anyway."
"Nerd Club? How charming." The redhead smiled at the nerds, and they took in her appearance. This "Santa" wasn't bothering with a fake beard, but she had the rest of the classic outfit down pat. Hat, jacket, pants, boots, the works. She also seemed to have some extra padding inside the costume to help fill it out, as she didn't appear to be quite portly enough to be jolly old Saint Nick. Her most striking feature, however, was her mechanical right eye, something Xyra was immediately drawn to.
The redhead sank back in her chair, looking a bit smug, and swirled a fancy glass that would normally hold wine but today held milk. "I'm Stella Hoshii. Perhaps you've heard of me?"
"...Um..."
Stella quirked an eyebrow. "Inner City socialite? Born of a wealthy family? I own a large stake in several of Olympia's finest businesses? Hmmm?"
"S-sorry, I, uh... don't pay much attention to that stuff." Sumireko looked awkward.
"I like your eye!" Xyra blurted out. She flinched when Stella noticeably bristled, and she saw the jolly Santa hat rustle around on her head as something twitched underneath, but Stella calmed her temper when she took another look at Xyra and noted her own cyborg situation.
"......Ah. Well... thank you. I... don't usually care for attention to be drawn to it, but... I suppose you have a unique eye of your own, huh." Stella shook her head. "Sorry. It's fine. Anyway, what brings you all here?"
"Just doing some last minute Christmas shopping. Or, uh, Mega Christmas shopping." Sumireko looked at Jill again, who was trying to sneak off. "So why's Jill your elf? I thought she had to work at Valhalla today."
"Ah, she did, but I called in a favor she owed me." Stella returned to her smug smile, casting a glance at Jill. "My usual elf called in sick, the poor dear, so I asked Jill if she'd be my stand-in. Santa can't be elfless, after all! Dana was happy to give her the day off so she could work here instead. Don't worry, I'll be compensating her generously for her time."
"It's hard to put a price on my self-respect, though." Jill grumbled, tugging on her silly green shirt. "Darn it, Stella, you know Sei and I aren't the same size."
"Oh, it looks fine!" Stella dismissively waved a hand and sipped her milk. "I couldn't get a specialized uniform for you on such short notice, you know that!"
Dolby raised a hand. "If I could interrupt... here's my question. What's an Inner City business mogul doing in the Outer City's mall?"
"Just completing my circuit!" Stella snatched a Christmas cookie - or perhaps it was a Mega Christmas cookie - off of a nearby stand and chomped down on it. "Mmph... Every year I give back to the people the Santa Claus way. Why shouldn't I? My family has gotten, quite frankly, filthy rich off this economy. The least I can do is try to return the favor."
"Stella used to come to Valhalla pretty often." Jill added. "She stopped coming shortly before the Kobbers came."
"Ah, that reminds me... I found out why I was stymied in my efforts to purchase Valhalla when you were struggling, Jill. Seems it was some Curse hooligan trying to arrange a sale of his own and he sent his legal goons to tie up my company in frivolous lawsuits until ZF Corp swooped in. Hmph... That was why I stopped visiting. I... felt a bit ashamed about how that had gone. Then you got so busy, and..." Stella looked away, blushing a bit. "I liked Valhalla because it was cozy, a real home away from home. And now it's this big thing with these Kobbers and their adventures... I hate to admit I'm jealous the secret is out about my old watering hole, Jill."
"Well, um, if it's any consolation, it's gotten a lot quieter ever since Halloween."
"I suppose I could chance a visit later, then. I just hope it can be like old times." Stella sighed and shoved the rest of the Mega Christmas cookie into her mouth, then looked back at Nerd Club. "Anyway. Come to visit Santa, have you? Come and sit on my lap and tell me what you want for Mega Christmas, then!"
The nerds exchanged glances.
"Go on, don't be shy! Get on." Stella gestured at her lap.
It took a minute, but eventually an embarrassed Xyra sat with Stella. "Um... I'm hoping to get a new gaming PC. My current one is old and I think it's going to die on me soon."
"I see. Have you been a good girl this year?"
"I-I'd like to think I have!"
"Santa will see what she can do, then." Stella smiled at Xyra and watched her get up and move away, then looked over at the other two. "Who's next?"
Sumireko was next up, and her Christmas wish was for a new book on cryptozoology that had recently been published. Always fascinated in the esoteric, Sumi was very interested in obtaining this new book presenting a compilation of evidence for the possible survival of thought-extinct animals.
Dolby was the last to go, and her Christmas wish was for an old video game system - specifically, a Game Boy Light. Dolby had an impressive video game collection for sure, but she had yet to get her hands on this obscure Japan-only version of the Game Boy Pocket.
"If you've all been good, I'm sure you have a great chance of getting what you want this year." Stella smiled warmly at the nerds. "Have a merry Mega Christmas, all of you! And when I swing by the bar, I hope you three are there so I can hear if your Mega Christmas wishes were fulfilled!"
"Thanks, Stella." Xyra waved goodbye as Dolby led the way to the mall's Ames Express store over Sumireko's objections that it was time to hit the food court. "Merry Mega Christmas to you, too!"
Stella watched them go, settling back in her seat again with a smile and pulling up her phone. A few minutes later, she'd successfully ordered all three gifts, and would later drop them off for Jill to distribute for her. "Ahhhh... I love doing that. Doing good feels good. Jill, I need more cookies over here."
"On it." Jill sighed and walked off to fetch another batch of Mega Christmas cookies. As weird as Mega Christmas was, she had to admit people like Stella were doing their best to give it a good reputation. So as silly as it was to walk around in this stupid elf costume, she supposed it could be worse.
Still, though, she was really looking forward to Christmas and Mega Christmas both being over so she could relax again. She'd had more than enough excitement for one year.
No comments:
Post a Comment