Glad You Came

A Very Scary Christmas

Christmas was an odd topic in the household. While it was (usually) begrudgingly celebrated due to Sally and Lazarus still being more than interested in it, the others often had mixed feelings over it. Christmas was meant to be celebrated with friends and family, to exchange gifts and bask in each other's company while giving thanks to all the things material or not that you've gotten over the year. And of all the things, family wasn't the thing most residents were thankful for. But again, due to Sally and Lazarus's insistance, it was still celebrated.

They rarely, if ever overdid it on decorations (at least on the outside of the house) but there was always a tree that was fully decorated, garlin hung around the house, some (namely the girls and the Proxys) hunt Christmas reefs hanging on their bedroom doors if they had one and even a mistletoe hung up somewhere around the house. There were also Christmas present to be opened on Christmas day, though Lazarus and Sally's names were primarily plastered on them.

That didn't mean everyone didn't get at least one present per year. Which was how Tim found himself in the toy isle of a rather famous store with a big blue sign, eyeing all of the dolls they had in stock.

Brian had figured that, since he put up with most of the other residents (that weren't Sally and Laz) at best, looking for presents for the girls would be a lot easier for him than looking for a present for anyone else. That's what Tim had thought too -- until he saw all of the choices! There were some dolls and doll related items that the girls already had, but there were still plenty they didn't have. But what would they like? He didn't wanna get something and then not like it and, knowing the girls, they'd still act excited about any present given to them even if they didn't like it so they wouldn't upset the giver. So he had to choose carefully -- but this was starting to get more than just difficult! So difficult, in fact, Brian and Toby had finished their almost hour's worth of shopping and had decided to find Tim since he didn't find them as planned once he was done.

Tim was only distracted by his searching by the sound of a cart rounding the corner, turning back to his selection once he realized it was Brian with Toby babbling about something incoherent to Tim close behind him.

"-- bet they'll love the -- Tim, weren't you st-standing in th-this exact same spot like, an hour ago?" Toby cut himself off to ask, snapping Tim out of his trance.

"Hour?" Tim snorted, though didn't take his eyes off the varying dolls. "It's barely been twenty minutes!"
"It's been an hour, Tim," Brian assured with a chuckle. The cart, which was filled with a varying array of clothes (most notably two princess esque dresses that Toby had likely been picked out by Toby for the girls) was parked behind the black haired man as Brian and Toby joined him. "What, can't pick anything out?" Brian then mused, picking up a Barbie from the shelf and looking it over.

"I just can't figure out what they'd really like," Tim huffed as Toby plucked a box of clothes for Barbie off the shelf.

"Pretty sure th-this whole isle," Toby joked -- and then gasped in excitement.

"No, we can't buy this whole --," Brian started to joke, but was quickly cut off by Toby as he plucked another box off the shelf.

"Gay Ken!" Toby all but squealed as he shoved the box at Tim and Brian to show.

Sure enough, there was Ken in a box with his boyfriend (said word printed on the box label and not conjured up by Toby, surprisingly), Kevin. Brian nearly dropped the box he held as he sputtered out laughter as Tim, though smiling widely, took the box from Toby with a raised brow. Then his eyes instantly began scanning the area Toby had pulled the box from.

"Think they had another dude that isn't Kevin or Ken?" Tim asked.

"Wha-- why?" Brian chuckled as he returned his box to the shelf.