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“ I have no pronouns. Please do not refer to me. “
“ Well, I’m just going to start calling you ‘my friend’ then. And there’s nothing you can do about that. “
“ .... I don’t like that. “
“ Too bad, because I do. “ He goes right on ahead and pats DS on the shoulder. “ My friend’s a brilliant gardener. And my friend is a wonderful father and neighbor. “
“ Stop. “
“ And my friend has a great sense of humor to boot. “
“ Open it up. Go ahead. Do you remember how to do it? “
He’s got his little Aurabelle in his lap, and a mostly torn open advent calendar settled before them. Just a few more spots left.
“ Gentle. “ Aura looks up at him, as if for permission - or perhaps guidance - before she moves to tear into the little paper door. Or-- well, she hadn’t intended to tear into it. She tried her best.
“ Ah! “ He gives a light laugh, delicately wiggling the little piece of chocolate out of its spot. “ Who’d’ve thought it? Another chocolate. Here. “ DS bites it in half himself before offering it out to his baby. Of course, she greedily accepts with an excited cheer. That’s her favorite part.
“ Alright. Let’s head upstairs for bath time, then we’ll see what the telly has on for us tonight. I’m hoping for a little Frosty. What about you? “
“ Rudolph! “
“ We just watched Rudolph. “
“ Rudolph! “
“ God’s dead. “
“ You say that with such confidence. “
“ Yes, I speak confidently because God’s dead, and I’m the one who killed him. “
“ Are you serious? “
“ -- That’s his serious face, yes. “
can you fight god?
“ I know it. “
“ I’ll just let Silas do it for me at that rate. I’m not too busted up about that. “
Tsk.
“ What on Earth is your problem today? “ Despite the words that accompany it, his tone is soft - concerned - as he smooths his shoe over a bent out of shape floorboard or two. Split wood, nails sticking up, loose and crooked boards. That’s unsightly.
“ What’s the matter? “ The wallpaper is even peeling off of some of the walls. “ Hmm. “
It takes a moment of listening around, a languid little turn in a certain direction, before he’s disappearing from one room and appearing in another.
Ah.
“ Aurabelle. “ He scoops his baby off the floor, markers simultaneously clattering to the ground, and presses a kiss into her cheek. “ I always thought this place could use a few more squigglies on the walls. I appreciate you artistic input. “
A compliment that seems to please Aurabelle to no end. Yes! She worked hard on it.
“ She’s just a baby, “ he says to nobody in particular, waving his free hand dismissively at the wall. Off comes the marker, reappearing smoothly on a new baby-level dry-erase board instead. The house almost seems to breathe a soft sigh of relief and settles. “ There’s no reason to get so worked up over a gentle expression of creativity. “
“ Just because you clean the tobacco out of your teeth, don't mean it's your wedding day, sweetheart. If you’ll pardon the expression. “
“ I don’t think that is an expression. “
“ You know what my problem is? I can’t say no to people, because I want everyone to like me. “
“ -- You want everyone to like you? “
“ Yes. Why? Do people not like me? “
“ Uh........... “
