vatheon | how do human holidays work

Entry tags:

how do human holidays work

Who: Karkat and Eridan.
Where: Their shared hive.
When: Afternoon.
Style: Action.
Status: Closed.

[December! Afternoon! A day of no particular importance! This is when Karkat comes in from a trip out in the city, acquired goods not yet apparent, but--]

Eridan! Move the furniture, we're putting up a tree.

[--he has decided this is going to happen. The call is loud and clear, him not sure exactly where Eridan is in the hive, but it is not the voice of someone who's going to budge. He has this idea. He is not wavering on it.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Eridan pokes his head out from the kitchen, having just made himself some tea while Karkat was out, and he offers him an odd look before disappearing again, however he answers him, still.]

A... tree?

[After that, he makes his way into the room with Karkat, tea in one hand, his free arm bent at the elbow and laying across front of his torso, hand tucked behind the elbow of his other arm as he's just staring and motioning at him with his cup, hip slightly to the side.]

Why a tree a all things?

[After closing and locking the door behind him, Karkat steps in further to survey the living room. Move this, keep that there, maybe set things here...]

Yes, a tree.

[He turns back Eridan's way when he comes in.]

It's a human tradition for Christmas. I figured that if we can't have Twelfth Perigee's with the behemoth leaving and whatnot, we'll at least decorate this.

[He takes a long sip of his tea.]

Alright... and where exactly are we puttin' this damn thing?

[Eridan is not going to move all this furniture before they know for sure where this thing is going.]

A corner, so it's not in the way and we don't have to walk around it all the time.

[Good that he's agreeing, though! Karkat turns back to the furniture again, and after a little thought, he points to one.]

There. If we move the chair and the couch a bit further apart, and put the end table somewhere else, that spot should work.

[Eridan remains quiet as he looks at the spot Karkat is pointing at, thinking it over a bit.]

I suppose that'll work.

[He places his cup down on the coffee table as he walks on over to the couch, looking at it, the chair and then his eyes resting on the end table.]

So, where are we puttin' the end table?

[Cue him looking around the room for a spot, as he folds his arms over his chest.]

And where exactly is this tree, anyways?

[That... is a good question. He sweeps the block again for ideas, then shrugs emptily.]

Fuck if I know. Find a place for it or jam it in the attic until the holiday's over, I don't care. The tree, for that matter, is in my sylladex in its box, as of yet unassembled.

So--wait.

[That gets a curious stare from Eridan.]

We're putting up a fake tree?

[Karkat stares back, not budging.]

It's what they had. And do you really want to fuss with taking care of a real one? We'd probably get stuck with a palm tree if we tried to go that route.

... Hmm.

[He brings a hand up to his chin as he thinks about this. Eridan might be good at some things, but putting shit together was never one of them. ~~Considering that shitty ass pen for his seahorse...~~]

Are you sure this is a good idea?

[Because Eridan's fairly certain neither of them are any good at making things...]

Edited 2012-12-11 01:50 (UTC)

[Karkat isn't so good, either, but--]

It's a tree. It has instructions. How hard can it be?

[Now, finally, he heads over to the couch and grabs the end of it.]

For now, just help me move stuff, and we'll worry about that when we get to it. I didn't get the stuff just for you to veto it now.

Fiiine.

[Well, if it comes with instructions, it obviously can't be THAT bad. And so he goes to the other end to help move it.]

I suppose we won't know if this will be a disaster or not until we try.

[Maybe they'll pull through and make a decent tree. One can hope.]

[Don't call it hope! Not with Eridan's track record!]

[Karkat checks that his grip is secure, then looks to him.]

Lift on three, alright? Then we move my way.

[He'll wait a sec for him to get hold first.]

One, two, three.

[Then Karkat lifts, and with any luck, the moving will pass without incident.]

[Hey, hey. That's not fair ok. It can be hope, he's getting better...ish.]

[Eridan nods and then--yep, they have lif doof, and moving the couch really isn't much of a thing. For all Eridan might be thin, he's definitely strong, especially thanks to a certain dual-scarred resident. Once it's placed, he stands straight again, and looks to Karkat.]

So. What exactly do we do with this tree anyways? Just put it up and that's it, or?

[As if Eridan pays attention to the silly things humans do!]

[But will that help them with putting things together? Really?]

[Anyhow, Karkat's not the strongest himself, but he's not weak. He can definitely handle moving a couch. He straightens too once it's in its new place.]

I already told you, we're going to decorate it. And yes, I got the stuff to do that--lights, and this sparkly rope thing, and ornaments. That's what the human at the store said when I asked.

So how come you're willin' to put flashy colors on a tree, but won't wear any yourself?

[He's teasing of course, but you know. The point, it still stands.]

I'm not a tree, dumbass.

[And like that, Karkat heads on over to the chair to pull it aside. It doesn't take long; with it being smaller, he can do it himself easily enough.]

Duh, you're far too short to be a tree, but still. I'm surprised you don't wanna dress it up in your usual palette: grey, grey, and a slightly darker grey.

[Yep. He's just standing there watching Karkat move this stuff. So totally not checking out his boyfran while he's working, nope.]

[Pause. He sets the chair in place, strides back over to Eridan, and whaps him (lightly) on the head with the back of his hand.]

Don't tease me about my height, smartass.

[...]

The sparkly thing is silver, and the lights are plain, but the ornaments have color.

But I find it so endearin' Kar, why wouldn't I tease you about it?

[That whap ain't even a thing! However, he snorts.]

You are so painfully predictable. At least you got SOME color for it.

Edited 2013-01-01 06:55 (UTC)

[Karkat's look is flat and unamused, but not really offended.]

There's a piece of dark cookwear that would want a word with you for that.

[He goes to the end table, and fuck it, but he captchalogues it wholesale, lamp and all. They can fuss where to put it later. And in turn, he finally extracts the box for the tree.]

Now help me open this and find the instructions.

Well the dark cookwear can wait. We'we got a tree to put up.

[After Karkat captchalogues the end table and places the box down, Eridan makes his way over, eying it.]

What, can't handle openin' a box?

[He's obviously teasing, but he kneels down next to it before he gets to work on opening it up. Once it is, he rummages through the contents to find the instructions...]

Where the bloody hell--Ah. [He holds up the folded piece of paper and looks up at Karkat with a smug expression.]

Here ya are, my liege.

[Definitely glaring a bit for that tease. He can open a box! He just wants Eridan to help, gosh. But once the instructions are extracted from inside, Karkat snatches them out of his hand.]

Jackass. Now how does this work--

[He unfolds the paper, peering through diagrams and directions, peeking back at the box here and there. Sure are a bunch of parts.]

Okay, get the stem-y looking part, and there should be parts for the base to make it stand up.

So descriptiwe.

[Okay, stem-y looking part, where are you, where--oh there it is. He pulls it out, holding it up for Karkat to see, before putting it down and looking for the parts for the base.]

Humans are so weird you know? Wouldn't it be easier to just cut down a fuckin' tree?

[He's really not bothered, just kinda confused at the senseless complexity of this whole thing. But before too long, there are the pieces for the base, those too he places besides the stem part.]

I already told you, we'd probably end up with a palm tree if we tried that route. If we have this one, then we don't have to worry about it next year, either.

[If Eridan's got those parts, then... He looks at the instructions, then at the box, then points at the latter.]

Okay, start organizing the frond parts, and after I put the base together I'll help with that. Then we stick those into the little slot things on the stem, and we'll have our tree.

[Nevermind they'll have fan out the parts of the branch a bit to make them fill space properly. And that Karkat didn't actually tell him how to organize them. Not important, right? At least the base is easy. After he's crouched down, it takes a minimum of fuss to slot the little legs into the base so he can stand it upright.]

What's wrong with a palm tree?

[But anyways, time to put this shit together!]

...Okay.

[Yeah he's just kinda looking at all these parts... First he starts taking out all the branches and kinda just dumping them into a pile, not even worrying about paying attention to what's small and what's not. Not like it's important, Karkat didn't mention anything about that, so it can't be!]

Alright, so maybe this ain't so bad if this is all there is to it.

There are enough palm trees around here every other time of the year that the last thing I need is one in our hive, too.

[There is a means of differentiating, but if Eridan can't be assed, then so much for that. (It's little painted colors on the ends of the central wire.)]

I said organize, doofus.

[And he goes over to the pile to try and sort them into like sizes. Of course, he didn't bother paying attention to the thing about colors either.]

I wasn't done!

[And now he's trying to snatch them from Karkat.]

You put the base together, I'll handle this!

I already put it together!

[He gestures with a branch.]

I said I was going to help you with this part, so stop fussing like you're a mother cluckbeast I've stolen her eggs from.

Oh.

[He's just going to try and snatch that branch from Karkat.]

I said I got this, I don't need help! I'll just giwe you the branches as I sort them and you put them on, alright?

[Karkat frowns as the branch is nabbed back, but with a sullen pout and cross of his arms, he goes to sit on the couch arm. It's close by enough.]

Fine. Stubborn ass.

Oh, stop your poutin'!

[He just wants to show he can handle this job. Even if pretty poorly. Because, now he's sorting it, kinda. Of course, paying no mind to the colors, just what he assumes to be the right length and what not, which is entirely off. And after a bit, he's done.]

There, now here.

[And now he's handing Karkat the first branch.]

I'm not pouting!

[And maybe he snaps his teeth a bit with that. Gosh, Eridan, he has some pride. Even as a cover because he totally was.]

[But once the first branch is handed over, well. Hm. He looks it over, then at the other branches where Eridan has "sorted" them, then at the body of the tree. He sticks it in a mid-lower rung.]

Keep going.

[Eridan stares at where Karkat placed the branch... before handing him the next one.]

Are you puttin' those in the right places?

Yes, I'm putting them in the right places!

[He frowns, and peering at the comparative length, finds a spot for the second.]

It's not that hard, and if I didn't get to help you organize, you don't get to backseat dictate how I put them on.

Alright, alright! Fuck, I was just askin'.

[He hands him the next one, just... Silently watching him and where he puts them.]

[Karkat will put the next one in without a word, maybe not paying as much attention as he should with the irritation Eridan's caused. He does glower at him now and then in return for the watching, a wordless see, I'm doing my job.]

[And maybe Eridan's just silently raising his eyebrows at Karkat as he hands him the branches. He is not so convinced!]

[Are those--]

[Yeah, those are his teeth.]

[He is baring teeth over how to put together a fake Christmas tree.]

[He's doing fine, okay! Look! They're going in the slots!]

[Karkat seems pretty frustrated over there. Gosh Karkat, it's not THAT hard of a task! No need to get so frustrated.]

[... Are those even put in right, Karkat? Eridan's really not sure, but he's staying quiet. Karkat wants to do this with no commentary from him? Very well! He will just stay silent and keep handing him the branches. No help means no help, so whatever disaster Karkat brings is entirely of his own creation!]

[He's not frustrated at the tree, stupid! But so long as Eridan's keeping quiet, that irritation lowers back to a simmer as he works. Now and then he does second guess himself, though, swapping branches between slots, but they do all get in there eventually.]

[It's not all that even on each level. Part of that (he thinks) is probably--]

The branches are still all folded forward, so it'll look right once we fan them out a bit.

[They're going to need to do that part anyway.]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

how do human holidays work

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

I'm more or less going off the one we have, though we haven't bothered the last two Christmases

Well, technically this is only (my)Eridan's 2nd christmas!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject