C is for Cookie (and Chrom)

[shepherd_prince]

WHO: Chrom, OPEN!
WHAT: Despite not knowing much about the holiday traditions, Chrom takes up the job of Santa Clause. It affects him in strange new ways.
WHEN: December 1st - 7th
WHERE: House B-12, and around Aqures Ixen


Housemates Prompt:December 1st
Given how observant his housemates were, Chrom's awakening was obvious: his footsteps were the heaviest when he went down the stairs, always at the same time. He showered, he groomed himself, he dressed, and then he went down to breakfast.

This time, however, there was the light tinkling of a bell that resounded with each heavy step...heavier than usual, actually.

And that was when Chrom emerged, decked out in a red suit trimmed with white fur, glossy black boots...and a beard and spectacles? That beard actually seemed pretty real. But unlike most beards, it was thick and soft where it curled down to the middle of his chest, and just a little bit on the blue side.

Honestly, he had no idea why this place made a habit of sticking him in the most garish and eye-catching regalia he'd ever seen, but he supposed he couldn't complain. Instead he went to the icebox to retrieve the carton of milk. Somehow, nothing else would do. The fruit, bread, and hard cheese he normally ate just didn't seem appetizing. A little strange, but he didn't think much of it. And yet, there was still something decidedly lacking. It wasn't often that he was hungry, but didn't know what he was hungry for, but this was definitely one of those times.


--------------------


Aqures Ixen: December 1st - 7th
Behold! Santa Chrom had come to town! The thick red velvet and white fur trim was surprisingly warm. He tromped through the snow without fear of losing his footing, and he didn't feel the slightest hint of a chill despite being without a cloak of any sort. A few kids stopped dead in their tracks and stared, mouths wide open, and he offered an awkward wave as their little heads slowly pivoted to follow his every movement.

He was certainly growing popular with the little ones, he supposed.

Chrom made his way toward the weapons store, as he usually did when new shipments were due to arrive, just to see if there was anything that might prove useful. Particularly in the 'sword' department. But before he could greet the merchant, a sweet, spiced aroma tickled at his senses. What was that? Cinnamon? Ginger? He wasn't sure, but his stomach growled intensely. Milk wasn't the most satisfying breakfast, he had to admit, so maybe a sweetbread was what he'd been craving.

Instinctively, he seemed to know where to go. He moved down the sidewalk, eyes bright and alert, and he was steadily drawn to the bakery. Walking through the door, his gaze immediately fell to the tray of cookies, just seconds out of the oven, being transferred to a wire rack to cool.

"Welcome," the plump woman said with a kindly smile. "What can I get you?"

"How much are those?" he nodded at the cookies, unable to take his eyes off of the crisp brown disks. "How much for all of them?"

She stared at him. There was a sort of cheerful desperation in his voice that he couldn't deny. He should have been ashamed, but he was already reaching for his moneypurse.

* * * * *

From that day onward, Chrom stopped by the bakery every morning, and was scarcely seen without a stash of cookies hooked to his belt. Gods, he was as bad as Gaius, but at least he thought he could understand his thieving comrade a little better now.

What was this one now, he wondered, turning the cookie in his hand. Chocolate chip and walnut? He bit into it and sighed with contentment. It was the most splendid thing he'd ever had.

Comments

Aqures Ixen December 2nd

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda had been getting used to the new job after finally deciding to give it a try. The clothes hadn't really fit her so she tailored them in and got rid of any weird parts of the outfit. Her dress was the red velvet while the thick black belt wrapped around her waist. The hat was probably her favorite part reminding her of the hats that they wore in Skyloft.

When she spotted Chrom she smiled but before she could call to him he disappeared into the bakery. She knew the place but she hadn't bought anything there herself. She followed after, almost sliding on the snow in her haste. When she finally stepped inside her cheeks were flushed a rosy hue which stretched across the bridge of her nose. It looked like she might have a few spots of freckles but it could just be a trick of the light.

Zelda stepped next to Chrom smiling at the wonderful smell that filled the bakery. She couldn't described the feeling that filled her but it was unlike anything she had felt before. It was cheery, warm and familiar as if standing in front of a warm hearth with friends and family around.

"What are you getting?"

She looked down at the cookies, then at the many other baked goods and then back up at Chrom.

[shepherd_prince]

Chrom looked up, one cheek already bulging. He had to swallow before he could reply, as he had no wish to be impolite. "They're called cookies, and they're amazing."

Then he paused for a moment, before recalling the incident with the Feather Circle. "...Right, you already know. You carried some the day we fed that odd creature, if memory serves me correctly."

As much as he loved the treats, he didn't hesitate to offer one to Zelda in his gloved fingers. It was simply the right thing to do.

"I see you've taken up the new job as well. Do you know much about it?"

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda smiled and took the offered cookie. It was good and not the first time she had run into the sugary treats. She took the cookie, bit into it and chewed before answering Chrom.

"I don't know much about it. I thought I would figure it out as I went." She liked the colors and it was marry and fun. She had almost all her jobs filled by now so she had to switch something out of her crystal to make room. So far she liked it, even if she didn't understand what it did.

"What about you?"

[shepherd_prince]

"Nothing beyond what Kulevi told me," he shook his head. "Apparently it was the same clothing worn by a legendary hero." The information he'd been given made this Santa fellow sound a little like his late sister, but he kept that to himself. He wasn't sure Emmeryn would enjoy being compared to a large bearded man in any case. "I know something about the skills as well, but I'm not sure why we would need many of them."

He hoped he never had to be in a situation where he was required to shrink himself down. The very idea sounded extremely unsettling.

Once his cookies were boxed up, he paid for them with a smile, then moved toward the door. "Where are you off to today? Running errands?"

The House!

[tacticallyminded]

Thwump, thwump, thwump.

Robin was both a light sleeper and an early riser. As a tactician, she needed to be; most mornings, Robin needed to get up to check the supplies, plan strategies, and inspect the troops. It wasn't easy work and an early started helped. That habit continued after she arrived on Crystallis.

She was already awake, but the footsteps took her by surprised. She walked out of her study, looking up as she heard the footsteps on the stairs. Then she saw Chrom, wearing red, and in that... outfit...

"...Chrom?"

[shepherd_prince]

"It's me," he reassured her, tipping his hat far enough back that she could see his familiar blue hair. "Apparently, this job grants a fair amount of facial hair. I'm not sure if it suits me." He looked down while putting a hand on his beard. He was too young to have something like this. He felt ridiculous. But then again, it didn't necessarily look terrible.

He poured himself a second glass of milk. He was terribly thirsty for the stuff, to the point where he didn't even consider it unusual to enjoy more than one helping.

"I was planning to visit the blacksmith's shop this morning to see if they had any new shipments. Were you planning on heading out?" If so, he would accompany her gladly.

[tacticallyminded]

Robin stared for a moment. Then, she stared for a moment longer.

He was drinking a lot more milk than usual. She tilted her head, before she shook it. He had asked a question. "Oh, no, I was going to do some reading later, and compile a couple of reports for Esdham," she said. "Ah, then..."

She paused, her nose wrinkling. "When did you get this Job? I'm surprised about the, er, the facial hair."

[shepherd_prince]

"This morning," he answered, his hand rising almost instinctively to stroke the beard when she mentioned it. He could scarcely believe it was real himself, but he definitely felt the faint pressure in his chin when he smoothed the beard down. "Kulevi came in through the window. She seemed so excited about it, it was hard to say no."

She would have guilt tripped him into donning the job if she'd had to. Kulevi was very excited about the holiday season and stirring up interest in the Santa Village.

"Speaking of Esdham, I hear people dress up like this and fight as a holiday tradition. Is that true?" It was hard to believe if it was. But he was recently enrolled with the military and needed to be down there anyway. Maybe he'd participate, to see if he was still worth his salt as a warrior while wearing this ridiculous outfit.

Delivering to Weapon Shop (Dec 3?)

[2hell_weride]

MarKus usually wore a blue bandanna, but, for the holidays, he went with green... sometimes a red scarf too... shame that scarves just aren't any-weather options... at least not the ones here.

Though far from the 'only' supplier, he was one, if not the best supplier to the shop. Wheeling in a crate with his Chocobo, he has to get past Crom to get inside. "Yo! Can ya move!?", he shouts, unawares that the man and his new 'job' had him utterly distracted by some, to him indiscernible, scents coming from up the road.

[shepherd_prince]

By now, Chrom already knew what the scent belonged to, and where it came from. He made it his business to stop there first thing every morning now before making his rounds. Today, he'd been told, was the day the new shipments came in. He knew he wouldn't find Falchion here, but he was always on the lookout for a decent blade.

And lo and behold, here came the new weapons! Just in time for Chrom to accidentally be in the way. Embarrassed, he stepped aside. "My apologies."

[2hell_weride]

Of course he'd not find his blade here, but passing him by was surely the one person that could most accurately re-create it.

"S'all good man. Probably shouldn't stand in the doorway though." he says as he shoves the wheeled box in and opens the hinge on the crate. The smell of fresh steel and buffering hay wafts into the room, but to Chrom, it surely doesn't overpower the smell he's picking up down the street.

"You lookin to buy or just hanging out?" Hey, why pay markup of the shops when you can buy straight from the manufacturer!

Housemates prompt, 1/2

[pole_position]

[Being the naturally perceptive sort due in large part to her training, Pyrrha has gotten used to the sounds around the house by this point. It's easy enough for her to recognize familiar footfalls and identify who's about to enter a room based on the sound. The sound is unmistakably Chrom, but there's something... off about it. Even still, as he enters the kitchen, she turns around to greet him.]

Oh, Chrom! How are-

actually 2/3

[pole_position]

[Pyrrha stops short as she sees him, snorting a bit despite herself and holding back a laugh.]

done

[pole_position]

...H-how are you?

[shepherd_prince]

[He kind of figured this was coming the moment he saw the beard sprout on his chin.]

...Go ahead and laugh, Pyrrha, get it out of your system early.

[He says with a wry smile. Better to be part of the joke then laughed at behind his back. It isn't as if he'll get angry about it, he knows he looks ridiculous.]

December 2nd

[tinypinkmenace]

Yachiru was still trying to figure out what to get from the bakery. They had so many yummy things to choose from. If she had the money, Yachiru would have probably gotten one of everything. Still, she wanted to try a different sweet today when she heard someone ask for all of the newly baked cookies. She turned to look a the person who had placed he order.

Blinking, she was trying to figure out why the person's voice sound familiar. After giving the person a long look, she realized that it was someone she knew....Wait, he was taking all of the cookies?!?!?

"ChromChrom?"

[shepherd_prince]

YES ALL OF THEM!

The baker would make more, since they were apparently in hot demand this season, and business was booming.

Today's batch was cherry chip. It tasted nothing like cherries, from what Chrom could tell, but it was nonetheless delicious with chunks of chocolate and bits of red fruit that turned the dough pink. He bit into it with a sigh of satisfaction, then paused when he heard a familiar voice. Turning, he smiled.

"Hello, Yachiru." She didn't have to ask, nor did he need to ask if she wanted one. He gladly gave her two cookies. "How have you been faring?"

[tinypinkmenace]

Yachiru hadn't pegged as Chrom as a fellow lover of sweets. I didn't stop her from taking the two cookies that were offered to her. She would ever turn down free cookies especially if they were pink. She bit in her treat with satisfaction. One thing she likes about this world was the variety of cookies.

"I'm fine. It's been really nice here. Plus, this Christmas thing sound really fun. We don't have it back home."

[shepherd_prince]

"No, we don't have it either," he shook his head. "There are winter holidays that are somewhat similar, where we exchange gifts and spend time with family, but it's more subdued."

He noted that she looked healthy and happy, so he supposed he could relax as far as her welfare was concerned. Her roommates were treating her properly, and he was glad for that.

December 7th

[iscursednomore]

[Fai was going back and forth to the chocobo farm always to check on his chocobo and her little partner. Today he had been walking back home, a slight yawn passing by his lips as he looked around. When he saw someone in what appeared to be a red suit and eating a cookie he chuckled slightly.]

Getting into the season, I see?

[shepherd_prince]

[Chrom turns his head, then looks down at the headless gingerbread man he's been enjoying. Then he realizes this man is talking about his suit.]

I guess I am. I heard people dress like this and fight one another for sport in Esdham. A strange tradition, but who am I to judge?

[He held out his box toward Fai. Cookie?]

[iscursednomore]

Do they? While I have been here for a year, I don't recall hearing something like that, but how interesting.

[He'll happily take the cooking and make a note to make him some cookies later as a thank you for the offer. So expect a giant box of cookies at Christmas.]

The customs of this world are different than others. Like... what was your world like this time of year?

[shepherd_prince]

[Until Chrom unequips the Santa job, any and all cookie offers were to be received with relish. Come January, though, guess what he won't be eating? It starts with a 'c' and ends with 'ookies.']

Some of the traditions are similar. We spend time with friends and family and exchange gifts. But the holiday is more subdued.

[He's not sure if that's traditional, or if it was due to the long years of war that made it difficult to splurge.]

What of your own world? Do you have any holidays you typically celebrate in the winter season?

December 1st!

[nosferatanking]

Morgan had gotten up early that morning to make breakfast, and so he was in the kitchen when he first heard the steps. Even with Chrom's footsteps usually being the most distinct, something sounded off about them today. It was probably nothing, Morgan thought, as he turned to greet his father when he walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning! I'm making some eggs, do you-"

His voice, however, stopped abruptly once he actually processed what he was looking at. He was pretty sure that yesterday Chrom's armor hadn't been so...fuzzy, and he definitely hadn't had a beard.

"Did you get a new job?"

Morgan's smile fell pretty fast, and was quickly replaced by an awkward grimace; that getup would've looked ridiculous on anyone, and the dark blue didn't do Chrom any favors. It looked like it was clothing suited to a job, but what kind of job required that kind of clothing? Was it an outfit he'd picked out for himself? Was this where Lucina go it from?

[shepherd_prince]

It was entirely possible that Chrom was responsible for Lucina's poor fashion sense, yes. But he had nothing to do with the artistic stylings of his current outfit. He nodded in greeting to his roommate, impressed that the youth was up even before Chrom. Like mother like son, he supposed.

"I did," he sighed, understanding perfectly why Morgan was giving him that kind of stare. The uniform was beyond impractical on the battlefield. Was a bullseye to be painted on his back as well? Still, Kulevi's plea had been effective enough for him to don the gear, and now here he was.

Santa Chrom.

"You may have it as well, once your Moogle arrives to inform you of the changes. Be forewarned; you might get a beard too." He smiled a little, before going to the fridge. He needed milk.