Homies for the Holidays

Denise wasn't sure if the guys would have been doing a lot of other partying for the holidays, but the club had been super busy and she figured that it was probably a good bet to show up later in the afternoon anyway and hope they were home. It was cold, but she was too excited to care. The holidays were one of her favourite times of year, and there seemed to be a lot more going on this year too. She knocked loudly, cradling her packages under one arm.

"Hey guys! Anyone home?"

Dorien answered the door within a few moments. For once he was actually dressed nicely, in slacks and a white shirt.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite hoodlum!" he said, cheerfully as he opened the door for Denise. It seemed that the holiday spirit was affecting even his attitude.

"What's up, Den? You looking for Argent? Want some coffe?"

"Hey Dorien! Happy holidays!" She thrust a wrapped package at him as she breezed inside. "Coffee would be swell thanks! And yeah, is Argent here? I got stuff for 'im too"

Dorien's eyes widened as Denise thrust the package at him.

"Oh! For me? You didn't have to do that, kid. But thanks!"

He shook it lightly and started opening the neatly wrapped bundle.

"Argent was sleeping last I checked. He had a long night. He might be up soon, though, if you want to hang around."

"It ain't much, just some holiday treats. And yeah, I can hang a bit! How's your holidays goin'?" Denise stepped inside, glancing around for a good place to sit.

Inside the package was a small assortment of tarts and cookies, and a couple of little stuffed pastries that were shaped to look like rats, with currents for eyes.

Argent wandered in from his bedroom, hair still a mess, but a least dressed, except for missing socks. He stretched and let out a yawn.

"What's all the noise out here? These floors are really cold."

Denise looked up from considering the neat pile of blankets sitting on the couch beside an unfamiliar bag, and grinned. "Hey Argent!"  She thrust the second package at him.  "Happy holidays!  Are you excited for tomorrow?"

Argent accepted the offered package and begins a prolonged examination of the exterior of the object as if attempting to divine its contents just through shape and feel alone.

"Holidays can be fun, I guess," he says, an attempt at being excited, even if his heart didn't seem to be in it. "Tips are definitely more generous."

Denise made a face that wavered between suspicious and incredulous. "You *guess*?"

"Habit... not big on surprises... and why the look?" Argent accused his friend. "Its not like I have a big history of getting gifts. Really, I'm beginning to reconsider having gotten you anything with all the surprised looks you've been giving me lately."

Argent looks to Dorien, "Does this happen to you?"

"Aww - just, you should get to have somethin' nice to look forward to, is all. Especially for Rat Day! Anyway, it's just like... snacks and stuff, you didn't have to get me nothing. I ran outta time for all the knitting I wanted to do."

Indeed, inside the packages was an assortment similar to Dorien's, though a little more generous with the goodies.

"Hey!" Dorien said with mock indignation as he peered over Argent's shoulder, "He got more than me! Well fine, I see where your real loyalties lie."

He winked at Denise to ensure she knew he was only joking and then took bit off the head of one of the rat-shaped cookies.

"Mmmmm, excellent as always, Lil' Bit."

Gen had been out for hours, first to see if the heating at her boarding house had been fixed yet, then to try to find somewhere she could afford to stay temporarily when she determined it wasn't. She'd already been at Dorien and Argent's apartment for three nights and was deeply anxious about overstaying her welcome. If she had to, she could take up her Tante Sylvise's offer, at least for a little while, but she was terrified of Tante Sylvise and Oncle Jerard discovering what a waste she really was.

Money was tight, but it had been three nights and there had been few ways of earning her keep (by cleaning, washing dishes, whatever) at her cousin's apartment without possibly insulting both him and Argent. So, when the delicious aromas wafting out of a bakery reminded her, with a nostalgic pang, of her father's baking, she picked up a hot meat pie and some pastries to share with the lads. Then of course she needed to get a bottle of wine or two to go with it.

She felt distinctly uncomfortable with just walking into an apartment that didn't belong to her, but yesterday, Dorien had told her in no uncertain terms (and with a rather annoyed tone of voice, she thought) that she needn't knock; she should just walk in for as long as she was staying there. She wasn't really prepared for anyone else being at the apartment, though, so the sight of Denise, the Rat gang enforcer, was a bit of a surprise.

"Um... hi.  I brought food? I hope you all like venison pie."

"Hey, Gennie," Dorien said with a smile, "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to. Have some rat cookies. You know Denise, right?"

Gen nodded and flashed a quick smile at the younger woman. "Well, I know of you, anyway, since you're always at the cabaret." She set down her parcels and shed her winter clothes, hanging them carefully to dry.

Well, that explained the blankets - sorta anyway.  Denise has seen the woman around the club, bussing tables and the like, but she'd never spoken to her much.  She always seemed like she didn't want to be bothered.  Denise had no idea what she was doing here, but scooted over closer to Argent so there would be more room in the living room and gave her a friendly, if curious, smile.  "Oh hi!  Happy holidays!"

After the briefest pause, Gen nodded (perhaps a little too solemnly, though she couldn't know that herself). "Happy holidays to you, too. And I hope especially that you have a happy Rat Day tomorrow," she responded politely.

"The pie is still hot, if any of you are hungry right now. Or I can heat it up again later." She stooped to pick up her parcels in preparation for taking them to the kitchen, whatever the response of the other three people in the room might turn out to be.

"I'd love some pie, please," Dorien said with a smile. In fact, his spirits in General seemed particularly high today. Perhaps it was just the joy of the holiday season.

He noticed the curious look on Denise's face and laughed.

"Gen's my cousin," he said, by way of an explanation, "She's staying here until her place's heating gets fixed."

"Right then, one slice of pie coming right up. Anyone else?" Gen hoped she remembered where Argent and Dorien kept their plates, cutlery, and glasses. Did they even have wine glasses?  She didn't know.

"Aww, that's always rough." Denise gave Gen a sympathetic look, remembering plenty of winter days of getting bundled up and packed off to stay with her uncles or grandparents while her da tried to get the heat back on. She also looked after the pie a tad wistfully, but she did't know gen and even though she'd never had venison she didn't know if it would be polite to take some. And she had eaten not too long ago. But it smelled really good and she was hungry, again. "What's in venison?" she asked, instead.

"Oh, ummm - amino acids, lipids, vitamins. I'm joking," Gen smiled. "Well only sort of - that all is actually in venison. But it's just meat. Deer meat. But venison pie usually also has some vegetables, and it's all in gravy. At least, that is how my Papa used to make it. Would you like to try some?"

Denise looked deeply confused and a little concerned at Gen's initial description. Dorien didn't seem bothered though. She glanced at Argent. "Um... Thank you," she said, politely. "Maybe just a little bit? I don't think I ever had pie with acids in it before..."

Gen almost laughed, but suppressed it, not wanting to insult Denise. "Sure, I'll cut you a little slice. And if you like it, you know you can always ask for seconds."

"Thank you!" In the face of uncertain social situations, it was best to be polite. Especially if it got you pie, acids or no.

Dorien chuckled.

"Amino acids," he explained, "It's like... well, I guess you could say they're what meat is made of. Basically..."