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[spirithacker]

Shinji Matou

this is shinji, if you send me anything inappropriate i'm telling my parents and then the police

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO | ACTION

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[spirithacker]

It takes a second for Shinji to remember that even if this is really stupid, he should probably do something other than stare. He closes his window curtains.

A minute later, he opens the front door, still dead-eyeing Togusa. "What."

[standalonehuman]

Togusa has the most sheepish caught look on his face. He holds out the bag of presents like a half-shield, half-offering. His voice stays low. "Merry Christmas?" He sighs. "I got Sora's house again, so I thought it'd be fun to get yours, too."

Neither the bird or the Tachikoma can make it onto the porch, so it leaves the Tachikoma waving more from behind Togusa.

[spirithacker]

Shinji isn't nearly judging enough to refuse presents. He grabs a hold of the bag, holding tight like Togusa might change his mind and not give him anything after all.

"You could just give me stuff. You don't have to dress up like Santa and sneak over."

He'll accept gifts twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year.

[standalonehuman]

Togusa gladly lets go of the bag. No take-backsies, especially not on Christmas. He can't help but laugh at himself when Shinji points it out. "I thought it was fun. I would have owned up to it immediately tomorrow so you didn't get worried."

He shrugs and points a thumb behind him towards his partners in crime. "The Tachikoma wanted to know about Christmas traditions, and apparently Santa has chocobos now?"

[spirithacker]

So it's for the robot. Shinji can understand that, and it makes his expression soften a little. "Well... I guess it's fine if it's for the Tachikoma."

He might have a weak spot for robot tanks. Shhh.

Shinji starts pulling out the contents of the bag. The most important question, of course, is what Togusa got him.

[standalonehuman]

There are a few Dad Presents in there, some science fiction books, and something that is very obviously a baseball glove. But also the requested New Pogglemon, and the new Smush game, Togusa being unknowing of the chaos that waves through friend groups in the wake of that game.

Lastly, there is one small awkwardly wrapped present with far too much tape on it. "That one's mine!" the Tachikoma proudly points.

Apparently the presence of the Tachikoma in Santa's Workshop inspired the elves, and they created a wind-up toy version of the Tachikoma, cheap and small like you'd find in a Happy Meal Toy.

[spirithacker]

There is a shocking amount of stuff in here. Shinji pulls out item after item with increasingly wide eyes.

"...You remembered what I wanted?"

Shinji hadn't expected Togusa to actually get him anything, much less remember his specific holiday wishes. Togusa's not his family or anybody with an obligation to get him a present.

[standalonehuman]

To be fair, there was only one other person Togusa had been planning to spoil for Christmas, and that guy abruptly changed age categories on him.

Togusa practically beams at Shinji's reaction. "Well. Yeah. It was important to you so it was important to me. There's enough other things going wrong, you know? Christmas."

"Christmas should go right."

[spirithacker]

If there's one thing that should go right, it's Christmas. Shinji can't argue with that even if he wanted to.

"...Thanks." It's a little awkward, but no less genuine for that.

"Not right now 'cause it's late, but if you want to come over and play Smush sometime, that'd be okay."

[standalonehuman]

Togusa keeps the smile on his face. He won't shake off Shuji's attempt to make it back up to him, even though the kid owes him nothing. "I'd like that."

Give him two weeks and he'll turn into an Ice Clambers main

"I'll get out of your way before I wake anybody else up. But. Merry Christmas." There's a little extra meaning on the words this year.

[spirithacker]

You could call Shuji a kid and he would probably just accept that.

"Merry Christmas." Shinji smiles a bright smile. "You too, Tachikoma."

Even if the robot only has a limited idea of what Christmas is, it still gets holiday goodwill.