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Even taking the fastest route home I knew about, I still felt like I was at high risk of turning into a human popsicle – fingers practically frozen stiff gripping the bike handles.

After Irene left, I decided there wasn’t much reason for me to stick around either... and that was when I was ambushed by the cold, the air suddenly like invisible needles piercing my lungs.

As for the dinner coupons, I stuck them in my wallet for the time being. Who knows? It might come in handy tomorrow... pretty sure Amanda likes Italian.

Racing through the lonesome road home made it easy for random thoughts to fester, the bitter chill acting like some kinda constant reminder, and no doubt, as the temperature continues to plummet through the days, I’ll just be reminded more and more...

Ria’s birthday.

It felt a little uncanny in the weirdest sense I could think of.

.....

Someone like her, an existence like hers, a birthday felt so... arbitrary. Maybe in the first few centuries, it’d have some significance. But after a dozen? after a hundred? after now?

How old was she even now?

New Year’s Eve wasn’t even her actual birthday.

Ria just chose it, arbitrarily at that... according to Irene’s explanation.

One day blending in a sea of billions, just blurted randomly out of the blue – New Year’s. Why? Because it fits, because it’s funny... and in a way, I guess it kinda was.

Let’s not also forget the venue of the celebration itself – Irene’s home.

I’ve never been in it, I’ve never seen it, and I’ve never once been invited... ’till now.

I’d like to say it doesn’t mean anything, that there was no ulterior motive to the choice of location. Ria’s holed up there, it only made sense, right?

Then there’s that other part of me that couldn’t help but think there might be something more to it.

Was there? Should there be? Was I being conceited for even thinking so in the first place?

In any case, that’s a whole can of worms for some other time.

Right now, I’m better off focusing on not freezing my grip on the acceleration. I hear the afterlife is a pretty lifeless place for any sort of celebration.

I reached home just as the last of the sunlight was just a meager ray just barely peeking over at the darkening horizon. I didn’t waste any time seeking sanctuary, and within seconds, I was scurrying my freezing ass forward, fumbling stiff fingers around the front door handle.

When I did finally manage to get inside, it was completely silent – a quiet bordering on disquiet, like something was missing, something I was expecting.

Funny – take me back to a far not-so-distant past, and this would have been normal to me. This quiet, this emptiness, those days all alone on my own... I certainly don’t miss it.

I took a step forward, shoes off, proclaiming to the silence, “Hey, I’m back!” At once I caught something stirring... a thick mound of violet rose up to look at me, sitting smack dab in the middle of the living room floor.

Like four perfectly good, comfy couches ripe for sitting – and the hard maple floor was her choice for comfort. I’ll never understand her train of thought.

“I see you’ve been keeping yourself busy,” I greeted with a brief wave, stepping further inwards. “Out of curiosity, what are you doing?”

The violet bundle gave me a single blink of acknowledgment before slinking back down, promptly carrying on with her venture, and whatever the hell that may be... it seems it was located somewhere underneath one of the sofas.

I tried bending down, peering over at the narrow gap she was staring at, and at once, something snarled at me... or more specifically, snarled at her.

Mr. Black’s beady eyes fiercely stared back from the confines of his hiding place, a readied paw preempting a swipe, ears swept back, and tail swishing like a flag in surrender.

It was the most intense staring contest I’ve ever seen, and between Sera and Black, I’m not sure who was winning, or if there was even anything to win at all.

“Sera,” I spoke, stepping in as an impromptu referee. “I’d appreciate it if you leave my cat alone, that okay?”

Apparently, not really... hearing her grumble begrudgingly, but regardless, she willingly complied, rising slowly from a blanket of violet sprawled across the floor to something that resembled an actual person.

Seriously, what’s with her and creatures? Had a lizard in the game, dissected small creatures in her spare time, resurrected Mrs. White as her own, and now she’s bugging my Black.

That’s one aspect of her I never understood... but whatever, I didn’t return from the freezing cold just so I could stand here and judge her.

Been out for almost the whole day, so naturally, I was completely in the dark about the goings-on of the household the whole time. Ordinarily, that’s not usually much of a concern for me, but with Ash still out of commission...

“Adalia’s upstairs, I presume?” I asked, looking around for anything out of place. “Asleep? My bed? I’m thinking so.”

Sera answered with a long, blank stare... one I only noticed once I was satisfied with my findings. It was a familiar expression, one I immediately recognized right away.

A question.

“Yes?”

Her cloak fluttered as she spurred into movement, circling me, searching me, golden, glowing eyes growing only more furrowed with every passing second... and that’s when I finally understood.

“No, I did not get the Christmas tree or the flashing lights yet,” I answered straight to her scrunched gaze. “Only next time, soon... once I find some helping hands.”

Something, somewhere in what I said had caught her ear, and she gave me another long look... one that took me quite a while to decipher.

“Umm, what?” I raised my brows, amused at my own assumption. “Are you saying you want to be that helping hand?”

A single nod given – and quickly, my amusement turned to surprise. I didn’t realize she was that eager. Still, Christmas shopping with a mute necromancer wasn’t exactly in any of my plans for this week... but it’s not like it’ll do any harm, so...

“Alright, you can tag along,” I said, not wanting to risk another nasty round of resenting growls. “Did well at the convention, surely you’ll prime for a trip to the mall.”

Man, I’m just making plans after plans after plans, aren’t I? First Adalia, then Amanda, Irene, Ria, etcetera, etcetera. This is seriously shaping out to be the busiest end of the year yet.

Only one missing from the list was Ash, speaking of which...

“How is she, by the way?” I asked, drifting my gaze to the empty stairwell. “Doing any better?”

Doing medical differentials with a nurse that can’t talk wasn’t exactly the wisest idea, but hey, sometimes you just gotta make do, and Sera was doing her best to be as articulate as possible... grunting once.

I think that’s a yes.

Maybe.

“Shouldn’t you be upstairs too?” I said, looking back at her. “Keeping her company and all that.”

She shook her head.

“No?” I asked, surprised.

She shook it again.

Great, another riddle.

“Can I have a hint?”

Turns out, I received more than just a hint. Slowly, a jutting finger just barely poking through her sleeve, she pointed at the answer... pointing at me.

It didn’t take too long for me to interpret that one.

“You should keep her company,” her stare said to me, and just for clarification, she jutted her finger again, speaking once more. “She wants to see you.”