Ch 2. Home for the Holidays

Two weeks later, the massive snow and arctic chill has abated somewhat,making the roads safe for travel once more.Chaser, Harold, and Ben travel south from Boston to the nearby city of Providence Rhode Island. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence,_Rhode_Island

After checking into the Westin Hotel the group finds that the hotel is connected to a massive three story mall.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence_Place

The mall is a crowded, imposing place with shoppers moving about, frantically doing their Christmas shopping as the deadline for the Holiday draws closer.

Christmas "seasonal decorations" are all over the place. Christmas music, Christmas trees, and of course the big man himself, Santa Clause.

In the middle of a large open area on the first floor,a long line of kids wait for their turn to see the "mall Santa" to ask him what they want for Christmas.

But he wasn't the only Santa Clause in this busy environ.

Out of nowhere, a rather large man in a Santa Clause outfit bumps into Ben in the mall. This man looks much more authentic than the Mall Santa Clause. His snow white beard is real. He appears immensely fat, his cheeks are in fact rosey, and his smile is full of mirth. His sack is massive. The experience might even feel a little surreal for the created.

"Well hellooooo there. I'm sorry I didn't see you there."

"As a matter of fact, I don't think you are even on My list at all!" He sounds cheerful but puzzled as he pulls out a piece of parchment paper from his bag that has names written in a cursive with black ink.

"Let's see now, No I don't see any Bens, Harold's or Chaser's here at all. I wonder why that is?"

"Well maybe we can rectify that. What would you three like for Christmas this year?"

When the man bumps into Ben and apologizes, Ben casually says, "No worries, sir."

But as he continues, it starts to strike Ben as a bit odd... and knowing all their names is downright off putting.

"Ummm, I uh... I suppose I hadn't really thought about it, Sir..."

Harold wore a heavy black and gray snow suit, his sleeves showed a striped red and green Christmas pattern, while his hat was a floppy green snow cap that dangled with a fuzzy ball on the end. Their was no mistaking that he was in the Christmas spirit. He held a bag of Christmas gifts, some for Promethans he knew, while others were for sick children at the hospital. He planned to hit a few more toy stores before it was all over.

He stopped and smiled at Santa when he bumped into Ben. Though he wasn't completely surprised when he seemed to know everyone, because weird shit like that happened to him on a semi regular basis. "I don't know Santa I probably want a new mountain bike, but I wouldn't think you'd have that in your bag?", he said with a smile. He instinctively inspected Santa for medical ailments because he couldn't help doing as such.

Spoiler:

Despite his youthful appearance, Chaser wasn’t exactly fond of the whole ‘Christmas thing’, too much noise and too many lights, it made climbing easier sometimes, but at the same time it made it far harder to run through roofs, and all the more obvious.

Still there was a bit of awe in his big red eyes as they walked through the mall, he didn’t really got any money, but knew enough about the holyday to figure he should get something nice for his new found ‘friends’, at least, he’d like to think of them as such.

Yet, without any money, his options where a bit limited.

The short Riven had started to wonder if he could just ‘take’ something without anyone noticing, still he was slightly afraid that it might get them into trouble if he was found out.

And lo and behold, they run into Santa Clause, or at the very least, a very close verisimilitude of him, with a real beard, read fat and more importantly, some form of magic that allowed him to know not only their names, but apparently, their ‘status’ as ‘non-humans’.

Still unsure what to make of it, he just shrugged and gave a sad little smile, childish even…

‘I’d want to get my friends somethin’, somethin’ they’ll like’

Was his thought as he only dared to add out loud “It’s a secret.”

The Santa Clause offers a warm mirthful smile as each of the created answers his question.

"Those are all good answers. But no one asked for a soul? No one wants mortality? That's surprising. You know I think I have a few of those things lying around up in my shop somewhere."

"But its going to take quite a bit of work before your name ends up on THAT list. Fortunately, Santa and all of his elves have been working hard on a plan to get you there."

"We have a challenge for you. Spend some time in this mall. Get to know the people that work here. Get beyond all this hoo hah and see what this time of year is like for real people!"

"That way everyone can have a Merry Christmas!"

Harold notices something about the twinkle in Santa's blue eyes. It strikes him as odd as it seems to be a characteristic that is biologically impossible for a living human being.

Ben scratches his head before responding, "Well... I wouldn't ask for something I don't deserve."

He mulls over Santa's challenge... Isn't the idea of us spending time here, with all these people... a bad thing? For them even more than us? I read people get kinda crazy this time of year... I'm not certain adding to that is a good idea... or very responsible... still...

"Planned on doing that anyways Santa", Harold said with a smile and mock salute. He didn't comment on getting a soul because after 50 years of life give or take, soul, was optional, if there even was a such thing. You didn't ask for something that was supposed to be earned. If he was supposed to have a quote on quote soul then he'd eventually have one.

"See you 'round Santa", said Harold, already having an opinion on what 'Santa' was but didn't yet want to say until he was gone.

Ralphie's presence could be felt once he came within the city block. He wanders into the area looking for Christmasy things. Trying to understand this strange holiday he never got to experience with his creator. Wondering what all the panic and fuss was about this particular time of year. Nevertheless, he started to enjoy much of the sights and sounds. It began to suit him. He slowly walks into the mall. A big rictus grin, filled with yellow-brown teeth spreads across the large Italian man's leathery face as he takes in the atmosphere around him. Though he began to feel uneasy, as he felt like he stood out, wearing only a pair of tattered jeans and a white tank top in this cold time of year.

Spoiler:

"Well I'm glad to hear that Harold."

He frowns slightly at Ben before saying still cheerfully

"And I hope you re-consider Ben. I'm confident that you will bring about much joy and Holiday cheer to this place. Just have a little faith in yourself." He smiles mirthfully.

"Well I better get back to the North Pole now. Things are getting pretty busy this time of year and I wouldn't want to disappoint any of those children!"

"Merry Christmas you three!" He pats Ben on the shoulder with one hand and slides past the group of three. Moments later he becomes immersed in the crowd. Seconds later he becomes a glimpse, and than you don't see him at all.

As you are left to ponder the mysterious Santa Clause, you notice a nearby sign that reads:

Now Hiring: Temporary Employees For Holiday Season. Openings in Retail, Loss Protection, and Other Areas. Contact Mall Manager E.S. in Room 31. (Next To Macy's)

"Curious," Ben mutters out loud to himself.

Looking to the sign and reading it twice before turning to Harold, he asks the more knowledgeable Promethean a question. "Don't people need papers to get jobs? I mean real jobs. I don't think I have one of those numbers that proves to people I'm me and that they can hire me."

Harold waves to Santa vigorously when he leaves not quite ready to figure him into his life as of yet, but putting him in the back of his thoughts for later pondering. He turned his attentions to Ben, but looked up and shivered as if he felt a chill. Their was another promethan that entered the area and his skin pulsed like a magnet to the energy, though he didn't speak on that yet either.

"Their are tons of jobs that you don't need identification for", Harold said with a pause, thinking of another interesting gift idea for Ben, "Their are day labor jobs that work like it sounds a days work for a days pay, even jobs where you can just volunteer... like a hospital, sometimes they'll pay you under the table. With the internet you can find yourself a nice job, I have 2 online", said Harold knowing that they knew of his websight where he diagnosed bizarre ailments, and his medical transcription gig. He never slept unless he had to so he got a lot done.

Harold stopped and looked at the jobs sign and remembered all the odd work he did 20 years ago before he figured things out a bit better. "I wouldn't mind being a gift wrapper or something, they go day by day, maybe they need people to help move things or the like, that's a one and done sort of deal, or if they have a bar around here they almost always pay under the table day to day", said the medical dummy cocking his head towards the job listing. "You ever had a job? it might be worth doing if you care about the pilgrimage?", said Harold casually looking around for other promethans but not yet scouring the place.

Spoiler:

The young Ulgan just shrugged at Santa’s mention of the soul, he knew there was no bright light waiting for him after this, however long or short this might be, nothingness, disappearance into the insurmountable black river he had come to call Styx, blood on his mouth and nostrils, filling his lungs with pitch as he became unmade, back into whatever emptiness had spawned him…

A bit of him, although he was unwilling to admit it out loud, was afraid of that emptiness and at the same time, eager of it.

“I don’t know Santa, I think Ben might have the right idea on this one.” Was his soft, almost whispered reply, like if he was afraid the Soul that was waiting for him somewhere on this world might hear him and spur him from now on “I’m not sure I’m ready to have one just yet”

At the challenge however, he drew a wide smile, almost like a child being told about a new game, something in him slightly nervous about the possibilities of remaining too long amongst a large number of humans, yet something in him made him feel giddy about the possibility of earning a price from this strange quest waving good bye to their strange visitor “Well make good of yer challenge…
And Merry Christmas for ya too!”

As the ‘grown ups’ started talking about jobs, Chaser suddenly felt the desire to pitch in, though he had never worked an honest day on his life, or whatever they might call their existence…

“Harold, do ya think I can get one of those too?“ It was through the middle of that one sentence when he felt it, the sudden call, once again that kinship, like the feeling that had guided him to his new friends, but he had sputtered most of his words before he turned too trying to find out the newcomer.

Ralphie walks to the one of the clothing stores and looks for a jacket. It then hits them that he'd need money. He rummages through his pockets. He manages to pull out about 72 cents. The cadaver shrugs and heads towards the coats and jackets and tries one on anyway. Once he finds one, he proceeds to spending time in front of the mirror, admiring how great he thought he looked.

"I can't believe you guys would actually consider working here. You that desperate to get pimped?" A man asks Chaser.

He was a short young man with a brown complexion, dark hair a Patriots Jersey, low baggy pants emerges from behind the sign. He also sports a couple of long dragon tattoos that run up and down his arms.

"Let me tell you something about this place. The guy that runs the mall, is a total ass wipe man. He treats the workers like crap and takes all the dough for himself. He's a friggin Scrooge man."

"You guys wanna make better use of your time, come out to the North side entrance for the protest. We're gonna occupy the mall!"

OOC Suggested Choices. (Can all go together or split up. Ralphie, you get to pick as well!)

-Go with the protestor
-Go to the manager to sign up for a job

"Ooohh a protest, sounds interesting, any of you guys ever gotten beaten up in a police holding cell, I recommend it at least once in your life", said Harold long enough for the Rabbel rouser to hear but wasn't speaking sarcastically even though it could certainly be taken to mean that way. "I wanna look around for a bit see if I can't find the new guy, what are you guys leaning towards... Empire or Rebellion?", said Harold boiling down the job or protesting it to a starwars reference.

Ben starts to explain his job history. "I tried to get a job once, I figured food would be a good way to observe people's behaviors since everyone eats... So I tried for a McDonalds. They were going to hire me, but that's when I found out you need documents to be able to be hired."

It was then the individual came up to them talking about taking up space. "Why do we need to occupy the mall when we're already in it?" Ben asks, confusion in his voice. Turning to Harold in response to his question, he asks, "What stores are those?"

Harold laughed a bit but not particularly at Ben. The medical dummy looked for 2 things now, the other promethan and a store that sold movies so he could look for starwars immediately, their was really no point in living in America if you hadn't seen that movie. Their was no real answering Ben's question if he hadn't seen the movie. Harold didn't bother talking over the protestor he let him explain himself.

Spoiler:

The face Chaser make at the other young man’s question was almost comical, like if he was trying to decide if he should listen to him or just punch him in the gut, and knowing the Riven as they did by now, probably the others would guess it better than most, however there was a second when he was distracted by the show of ink, in the rabble rouser’s arms, his sharp red eyes focusing on it, one would guess he had never seeing one before, his silence extending a few minutes, one might think he seemed about to ask something but thought better of it.

To this point it would be obvious to anyone he wasn’t getting most of what was being exchanged right then and there…

Not only by the new comer, but by Harold himself the young Ulgan’s face becoming obviously curious at the mere mention of their two ‘paths’ even if he didn’t really get what the reference was really about.

“I don’t know what that means” Was the only thing he could muster to say.

He saw Harold start moving so he endeavored to keep up, still slightly curious about the whole thing with the ‘occupy’ busyness, but more importantly, preferring the safety of a group, at least for now in such a crowded area, Chase wasn’t comfortable around crowds yet, turning his head one last time over his shoulder to see the ‘Rebel’ before asking to Harold, his tone pretty much that of a weirder out child “How come he has drawin’s on his skin?”

Harold smirked at both Chasers comments, and decided he had to speak up and drop some Jedi-like knowledge, seeing they both were curious to know. "Their is this movie called starwars, fantasy movie", Harold quickly had to clarify so they didn't get the wrong idea. "People love it, the empire are the bad guys that take the idea of order and control to an extreme and the rebellion are the good guys and they fight the evil empire. In this case, I mean in the real world, it's just people with different opinions their aren't 'as' many purely evil anythings so you'd have to decide which side of the story you're on... Oh and body ink, or Tatoos, they used to be to show group affiliation, like a branded throng, but nowadays they don't mean anything, they're as arbitrary as a hair cut".

Ben nods as Harold speaks, then adds, "People have them to be individuals, just like everyone else."

Thinking for a moment, he steps closer to the medical dummy and quietly asks a serious question: "If there is a rebellion being staged at the mall... wouldn't our presences here whether as employees or rebels make the tensions worse?"

Ben had raised an interesting point, along with the possibility of a third path. But would that mean going against the wishes of Santa Clause? It seemed that the Prometheans still had some deciding to do.

After spotting a nearby video store, he notices the new promethean trying on new clothing at the adjacent clothing store. (Ralphie)

Harold says to Ben while gazing at the promethan he came to think of as an Osrian, "we always make things worst in the long run, which is why I don't like to get too involved", Harold stopped a moment because questions such as these made him feel like an outsider, it made him recall the hurt that he spent years locking away, "we have to live, we can only appologize for what we are but so much before we have to decide if our own life has any value. We always have a choice I think at least, inconvience humans so that one day we will be 'normal' or die a polite death to not inconvience others... At least that's an option for most", Harold said whispering the last bit to himself. He had went through a phase when he tried to kill himself often and never found that it took. "which one are you leaning towards", Harold says while moving both hands like a scale... "death or life?", he finished, turning Bens harmless queery into a look into the promethan condition. The medical dummy smiled as if he didn't particularly take either stance very serious but was more curious then not to see what Ben or Chaser might say.

He walked and talked while slowly making his way towards the Osiran.

When Harold got closer, Ralphie felt something. He wondered what it was, but then realized it was like that feeling he had back when he was with his creator. Before he fled. Perhaps some small subtle differences. Maybe not as intense but it was definitely there. He turned from the mirror and started slowly looking around.

"I think I need to learn more before I make a real decision," Ben muses to the medical dummy. "But that's no reason to make things worse on normal people if I can help it. They don't ask to be affected by us any more than we ask to be what we are,,,"

Harold nodded neither showing interest or disinterest accepting Ben's answer. It was the sort of response he would have given 20 years ago, the I want to make an omelet but not break eggs response. If you wanted to live their was a certain amount of pain you had to inflict, hopefully a promethan with any sort of moral compass would learn to skirt that line. He was sure Ben would eventually find that line, and find a new dawn that had eluded him for so long. He was no one's life coach, so he didn't give anymore options that no one asked for. Though he was curious where Chaser landed on the issue he didn't ask him directly.

He walked into the store acknowledging the new promethan with a crisp head nod, but didn't stop talking to the rest of the group, even looked through their selection of ties. He didn't get all up in the Osiran's face like a door to door salesmen, he saw him and let it be known, if he showed any interest in contact the slightest gesture was enough of a reason to start a dialogue.