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Tick, tock, tick, tock…
The subtle ticking of the clock rang throughout the living room in the deafening silence as Matchbox sat in the silent living room of his penthouse on the soft, gray sofa. The outside shows the skies and its orange hue turning pink and purple, casting a warm and calming glow through the large windows. His eyes were laser-focused on the calendar he had placed on the wall by the flatscreen in front of him, the 25th of December being circled with a red marker. Yet, with the day of Christmas upon him, he couldn't bring himself to decorate his apartment nor drag himself over to the elevator. Hell, he even had his winter outfit on, and despite all that, he chose to stay on the couch rather than join in with the others and their festivities.
It was his first Christmas after the apocalypse after all. Sure, he could just hang out with Bive or Reddy for the day, but at this very moment the man's mind was just scrambled with thoughts. Bive likely had plans with Split (or to investigate if there's asbestos in the snow, as she'd put it), and Reddy was probably at a company Christmas party. It felt like the calendar was taunting him with how incredibly lonely he felt. His entire family was gone, and the friends he had made before the apocalypse were all likely dead too. And... his best friend. That was a topic for another time. He knew he needed to confront his emotions eventually, but for now, he allowed himself this moment of solitude. As he watched the clouds float by outside the window, he couldn't help but wonder if he would ever find a sense of belonging again in this new world. The elevator still felt entirely new to him despite already having spent months entering and exiting it, meeting new people, exploring new floors and other worlds, and making new friends as well.
Again, thoughts for another time.
As the last rays of sunlight faded, so did the last bit of peacefulness in his expression. Matchbox's eyes glanced down to the carpeting below and let out a light sigh. He would have the cook-up dinner soon for himself, as he could feel the hunger begin to gnaw at him, but he didn't have the energy to do so just yet. The day felt bland yet exhausting, having to buy a large amount of groceries this morning as Christmas shopping since he didn't do so yesterday… only for him to realize that he really didn't need to purchase that much, so now everything is just sitting in his refrigerator waiting to be used one day.
He remembered he had spoken with STAT before being dropped off at Glorp N' Go for his shopping, and she was also dressed in her winter attire as well, which included blue boots with yellow threads and fluffy frills. She also wore cherry clips with her arms hidden by a fluffy belt and frills and also had blue gloves on, from what he remembers. As usual, STAT was withdrawn and not particularly eager to speak with the musician due to their negative history. He had wondered at the time about how STAT was going to celebrate Christmas or if she even celebrated Christmas. Matchbox was aware that STAT had officially entered and been a member of the elevator people a few months prior to him, and that he had heard that those who did enter her floor for the first time destroyed her Machine. Of course, Matchbox felt bad for her before he even met her, but their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start as a result of her brutal honesty and rude behavior.
Despite his opinion on her, curiosity got the better of him, and he asked her about how she was going to celebrate the holidays. He fully expected for STAT to snap back at him with her usual obnoxious smile, so he was caught off guard when he saw her expression drop just for a moment as her entire presence was filled with vulnerability. It was in that moment that Matchbox realized there was more to STAT than met the eye, and he felt a pang of sympathy towards her. Though STAT didn't dare to answer the musician and instead just kept to herself, not wanting her emotions to get the better of her. In only those few seconds, he fully understood what it all meant—to him and to STAT.
It was both their first Christmas after having their worlds destroyed.
All that could be heard in that elevator was the humming as it was being carried on over to another floor, with STAT just staring straight ahead at the elevator buttons and Matchbox thinking about his next course of action.
"I understand what you're going through," Matchbox finally said, breaking the silence. This made STAT glance up at him, a flicker of surprise in her eyes before she quickly returned to her blank look, again not wanting to show vulnerability to a man she had argued with in the past. The blue man pauses, composing his next words carefully, wanting to reassure STAT that he was there to support her despite their differences.
"We may not have the same perspective on things, but I want you to know that I respect your strength and resilience after everything you went through," Matchbox continued, hoping to ease the tension between them. It was hard to get a read on STAT since she masked her emotions well after having to be forced to go through this elevator since she has no other place to go to—the one thing she and the musician don't have in common. A home.
"I know you may not trust me, but believe me when I say that I am here to help you in any way I can," Matchbox added sincerely, trying to bridge the gap between them. "My floor's open if you ever need a safe space to talk or just take a breather." Matchbox's offer seemed genuine, but STAT remained guarded, unsure if she could truly let her walls down around someone she barely knew. STAT averts her eyes, feeling a mix of gratitude and skepticism towards Matchbox's offer. She felt incredibly conflicted—on one hand, she didn't trust anyone in the elevator at ALL and even dislikes them for being so trusting (excluding that green feline, of course), but on the other hand, she remembers all the times she had spent the winter holidays with her friends and families back in her homeworld, and the loneliness she felt being stranded in this unfamiliar place began to get to her. STAT decided to take a chance and nodded slightly, acknowledging the gesture before retreating back into her thoughts, not wanting to make herself any more vulnerable than she already felt.
Matchbox decided to keep it at that, not wanting to push STAT further out of her comfort zone. As the elevator came to a stop on the familiar Lunarian gas station, Matchbox gave STAT a reassuring nod before stepping out and leaving her to process her emotions in peace.
The musician blinks, still sitting on the couch in the living room, realizing that he had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed the passage of time. With a sigh, he decided to get up and stretch his legs, feeling the need to clear his mind and refocus on his music. That was when he heard the familiar dinging of the elevator, prompting him to quickly look in its direction. The elevator doors opened, and there he saw STAT with a small gift box in hand.
She was only slightly smiling, but it was a genuine smile, not the one she used to mask her emotions. She was, of course, still on guard due to their complicated history, but the sight of her actually visiting softened his heart. As she steps into the penthouse with wary eyes, he couldn't help but feel a bit of hope that maybe they could finally work through their past and move forward. Matchbox took a deep breath, and he wished her a Merry Christmas.
At least they won't have to spend their Christmas feeling so incredibly alone.