Deck The Halls

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Len still wasn't sure what kind of holidays were going on here, but he was rather enjoying it. There was good food and pretty lights and decorations everywhere. And also weird damned gifts showing up every morning, but hey. It wasn't creepy, there were no humanoid or animal sacrifices going on (that he knew about), and everyone just seemed cheerful. Maybe a bit exasperated to have shinies and candy and weird crap show up in their homes, but generally cheerful.

He had already decorated his clinic up with blinking colorful lights, tinsel, weird moving ornaments, and everything else he could find, but he definitely wasn't done. And, well, he didn't have a home yet to decorate, so he was just going to have to find someplace else to decorate. Good thing he knew just the place, too. Didn't matter if she decorated already. He knew Mixie had, you know, a home like a proper resident and he was positive the rat couldn't have decorated everything yet.

"Hey, rat lady!" Was his shouted greeting as he just let himself into her workplace. Did he care if she had customers? Nope. He had candy with him, and if they were that upset they could have some. Chocolate fixed everything. "I've got stuff for you."

In one arm, he was cradling a Wher egg wrapped in a blanket, because it was damned cold outside. It had just showed up one morning, and he was pretty sure the egg was close to hatching. He just couldn't leave it at home. But in his other hand, he had a giant bag filled with lights and ornaments and all things glittered. And a teeny tiny tree, in a colorful pot, too. Because hell yeah, finding little trees that would be perfect for little rats.

Plus kettle corn. What, like he wasn't going to show up with that?

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As a matter of fact, Mixie hadn't decorated ANYTHING yet. While she was familiar with the general concept of Christmas, she hadn't really grown up with holidays of any sort. There was no Ratty Claus. She had never sat on Santa's lap or hung a stocking. This was all rather new to her- and, as such, she hadn't so much as stuck a spring of weird alien holly on her door.

Okay, there was a cheerfully garland-bedecked fireplace tucked against the back wall (sandwiched between a work bench and a storage locker) that had a glittery embroidered stocking dangling off of it, and a big plastic bucket of peppermints by the door, but those had magicked themselves into her workshop and really didn't count.

At least it was keeping the often drafty shop a lot warmer, though.

Meow Mix was up to her mechanical elbows in what she was pretty sure was an archaic washing machine when Leonard cam bursting through her door with a shout and a jingle. "Hey, sausage man!" she greeted him in return, wincing a little as her external speaker squealed a bit. She still hadn't gotten it entirely repaired from where it had been busted by a watch-wher. Circuit boards weren't too easy to find around here, unfortunately. "What brings you in, big guy? Gimme a moment to finish this thing up, alright?"

From under one of the work benches, a big silvery wolf watched Leonard with idle curiosity, comfortable and warm in his spot by the fire... and perhaps feeling a little smug that he alone could keep the spot, too. It seemed like all watch-whers had been banished to an empty room (which was now a well-furnished
play room) down the hall for chewing on customers.

It would only take Mixie a few minutes to finish up what she was doing with the weird old washer, and then a few minutes longer to get it closed back up and the bolts tightened appropriately. The inner tumbler was spinning freely, the door closing with a tight seal and a firm latch, the yellowed old buttons had been cleaned off and were shining... it looked like a job well done to her.

And if not, eh. It could wait a little bit.

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Sausage man, really? He was never going to live that down. "Just visitin', nothing important. Take your time." He assured her, shooting a glance to the lounging 'daka. He had a suspicion the thing spoke french, because god knows the pup that had randomly showed up at his place did. But he wasn't too worried about being watched, and cheerfully just set the Wher egg down in a warm spot. It was rocking gently, and Len had a feeling it was going to hatch, soon.

Unlike the other egg he had, which was buried in one of the bags he'd brought, under garland and other soft things.

"I've got things for you. I don't know how much you celebrate any sort of holiday, but I like any excuse for bright things and glitter." Clearly making himself at home, Len put the bag down and went to work putting up the little tree on whatever clear spot he could find. "Also, I brought popcorn." And it was all for her, so she could go swimming in it, at any time.

"Did you get a weird egg, too?" He asked, curious. The doctor doubted he was the only one to get one, but who the hell knew with this place. He certainly didn't know what was in it, that's for sure. Surprises were fun, but when it came to possible baby things, maybe not so much.


(Egg 8/20)

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Of the folks she'd met around the Weyrd, Leonard had so far proven to be Mixie's favorite. He was funny and put up with her and laughed when she made dick jokes. She'd have to invite him over for a poker night at some point, if she could find a deck of cards small enough. She didn't mind him poking around- she hardly had lacy underthings hanging around to embarass her or anything. "If Nausfi is in the way, just step over him," she instructed the doctor as she finished up with the washing machine.

The little mechanic couldn't help but beam at the egg she saw Leonard carrying. "That looks like a watch-wher egg," she pointed out. "Is it one? Feel free to grab a blanket from the locker over there to sit it on, if you want." There was a storage locker right next to the fireplace that had blankets tucked in, neatly folded and nestled aside assorted boxes of junk.

Popcorn! "Have I ever mentioned that you're my favorite human-sized thing?" she asked him gleefully, darting over to poke into the bags he'd brought. "Because you're totally my favorite human-sized thing. What IS all this stuff?" she added, pulling out a string of garland and wrapping it around one of the mecha's arms. "It's like fur made of foil. Foil fur. Why don't they make jackets out of foil-fur? Why isn't EVERYTHING made of foil fur? LOOK at this stuff!" It was so shiny! Everything in the bag was shiny! And was that a tiny potted tree?

"Oh yeah, I've got an egg over there," she answered dismissively, bending down to poke at the itty-bitty tree that was now sitting in the "yard" of her dollhouse home. It had tiny ornaments on it. "Nausfi is using it as a pillow."

Um... mademoiselle? Quelle est cette chose?

The confused tone had Mixie looking back over her shoulder... and abruptly stopping in confusion herself.

Pourquoi un oeuf géant est ici?

There was another egg. Not just the midnight-blue-and-stars Mystery Egg that had been left here for Whazzitmas, but a... big one. A really big one. The biggest egg Mixie had ever seen was sitting calmly by the fireplace, looking like it belonged there, and being sniffed by a really perplexed Nausfi.

"Um... did you bring that?" Mixie asked Leonard in befuddlement. "It's, uh. It's not as glittery. As the rest of this stuff. Um." What was WITH this place and eggs?

((Egg 25/20))