Room 322, Tuesday Afternoon

[not_every_mage]

Anders had hoped for a clear day so he and Nathan could have one last picnic before the end of the year, but it was too cold and wet to be outside. (For him, anyhow. Probably not for Nathan.) He tried to make up for it by opening the windows as far as he could without letting rain in and unplugging everything electric on his side of the room.

The nice thing was the blasted carols had stopped, so his room was quiet.

He laid out an array of Mexican food -- probably more than they could eat, but he'd gotten overwhelmed by the menu and decided one of everything was the wisest course. And then he waited and tried to keep Lachlan out of the guacamole.

[OOC: For the boy, please.]

Comments

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Nothing tried to tie me up," he said, shaking his head. "I saw some...bulbs hanging from trees in the preserve but didn't look too close. I was trying to get here and they gave me a strange feeling."

[not_every_mage]

"I didn't notice those were strange," Anders said. "But there are so many of the bloody things I stopped paying attention. Is it normal where you come from to decorate this much for the holidays?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Not in places I've ever been," Nathan said, shaking his head. "Sometimes, in the city, we'd see lights and things but we never did it at my grandmother's. It wasn't really a thing we celebrated. Do you have anything like this where you're from?"

He finally picked up a plate and went about taking small samples of everything.

[not_every_mage]

"Not on this scale," Anders said. "Not where I was, anyhow. Rich people might have done more. There's a big town party for First Day and presents for Wintersend but not as many sparkly things everywhere."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, we never really had the money or motivation to do something so...outrageous," he said, scratching his cheek. "Or maybe we did and I've just forgotten. Arran never really told me anything about holidays like this."

[not_every_mage]

"Maybe it's an American thing," Anders suggested. "Or it might just be Fandom. I wouldn't put it past the island."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Maybe." He popped some of the food into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Maybe that means I should find you a gift."

That could be an experience considering he'd never really shopped for anyone before.

[not_every_mage]

Anders looked simultaneously shy, pleased, and surprised by the thought -- a complicated expression to hold while swallowing a forkful of rice.

"If you want," he said, a happy ripple in his voice. "But then maybe I should get you something too."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"If you want," Nathan echoed, snickering quietly. "Not that I really know how to shop for someone but -- but I think I might try."

[not_every_mage]

"I'm going to be happy with anything you get, you know," Anders said, smiling at that snicker. "I don't even know what a good Christmas gift is. At Wintersend I always got books or things somebody knitted."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

Nathan made a mental note to fall back on a book or something knitted if he ran into trouble.

"I'm trying to think of something I was given." It was a little difficult all things considered. "Sometimes, I got Arran's old clothes."

[not_every_mage]

Anders wrinkled his nose. "That's not a gift, that's making sure you weren't naked," he said. "You've never had anything just for you?"

That made his task both easier and more daunting.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

He thought about it for a little longer. "Not...really. Gabriel got me things when I was with him but it was more things to just be comfortable. Celia never got me anything. The closest I came to gifts was with my father but what he gave me doesn't really qualify, I don't think."

[not_every_mage]

"Not if it's ceremonial, no," Anders agreed, and grumbled under his breath before he went to poke at his desk. "I'd give you something now but I'm using about everything I have, unless you want a scarf that itches or ... three, no, five blank sheets at the end of a notebook."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"It's all right, I don't need anything right now," Nathan said, waving that off. "It's good enough to be here with you."

[not_every_mage]

"You're unbelievably sweet," Anders told him, and reached to brush a hand along Nathan's hair. "But I'm still going to get you something."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I think you'd be the only one to say that about me," Nathan said, smiling a bit. "Most people wouldn't label me as sweet."

[not_every_mage]

"Most people don't know you this way," Anders said, giving him a slanted look. "At least I hope not."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"No one here does," he told Anders with a shake of his head. "Not even close. The only people back home that come close are Arran and...maybe Gabriel."

[not_every_mage]

"I'd almost be jealous of Gabriel," Anders said lazily, as he scooped some guacamole onto a chip. "Except I'm here with you and he isn't."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"He isn't," Nathan said and looked momentarily sad but not because Gabriel wasn't here. It was because he had no idea where Gabriel was and if he was even alive. He shook it away. "I don't know where he is."

[not_every_mage]

"Sorry," Anders apologized, chip forgotten. "I didn't know I was poking at something. What happened?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure," Nathan said but smiled at the apology. "It's all right, you didn't know because I didn't really tell you too much. He just helped me a lot and disappeared. I'd been looking for him when I ended up here."

[not_every_mage]

"Maybe sometime he'll turn up here," Anders suggested. "Or ... you'll find him somehow ,anyhow."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Maybe." Though Nathan doubted it. "And if he doesn't, I'll find him. Eventually. He has to be somewhere."