(no subject)

[gone_byebye]

There's music pouring from well-concealed speakers in the Firehouse as Tyler arrives, and we do mean well-concealed. When a building's decorator corps includes a twenty-three-foot-tall transforming robot and a five-armed, five-eyed, five-brained alien from an arboreal species, the decorations get everywhere. The outside of the Firehouse is practically wrapped in strings of lights, and the inside- well. Someone introduced Jhalak to the concept of pine garland this year and she kind of went berserk with it. The tree in one corner is as sparkly as a north Jersey homeowner's attempt to get on the local news. Even the dinosaur skull hanging from the ceiling of the ground floor is decorated. Ecto's probably to blame for the dinosaur-sized Santa hat, though.

Which isn't to say that's the only holiday being marked here. Miss Eartha the golem has very firmly staked out part of the Firehouse's ground floor for Hanukkah, on the grounds that it was a Jewish ritual that got her into the golem body she now occupies and she feels a certain measure of gratitude for that. Janine's been helping her with that, and somewhat reluctantly Egon's been doing so as well. No sign of Kwanzaa on the premises, probably because Winston is as big of a Christmas man as you'll ever find, but someone tacked up several solar symbols and "Joyous Solstice!" messages. As a matter of fact, about the only sign that anyone here isn't celebrating something is the periodic snark of "Bah humbug!" from the fish tank on Janine's desk.

"Here we are, Tyler. How's that look to you?"

Comments

[gone_byebye]

"All righty," says the golem agreeably, heading across the street to the subway stop with a big red 1 on its sign. "Now, are you looking for the kind of gift you keep, or the kind of gift you eat?"

[basic_powers]

"For Janine? ...the kind you EAT."

[gone_byebye]

"Okay then," says Miss Eartha. "That sounds like the voice of chocolate talking, am I right?"

[basic_powers]

"Yes," What? he's not going to lie, the thought of getting Janine something to eat for a Christmas gift hadn't really occurred to him.

[gone_byebye]

"Should be easy, then," says Miss Eartha, ignoring the looks she gets from New Yorkers streaming by on both sides as she fishes a MetroCard out of her purse and works the turnstile. "There's a Godiva store up in Times Square. Puts us nice and near a whole lot of other stores, too."

[basic_powers]

"...Miss Eartha? oof! hey!" He's just going to be giving one fella a dirty look. "Is it alright if I climb up on your shoulders? I don't wanna have to tazer someone in the kneecaps tonight."

[gone_byebye]

"Soon as we're past the turnstiles, kiddo," says Miss Eartha. "Ceiling's a little low around here."

And it is- and it's nasty-looking, too. Fortunately, down on the platform the ceiling is higher, and there's room for Tyler to sit while they wait for the next uptown train.

[basic_powers]

He isn't even going to look at the ceiling now, that is just gross, when was the last time they cleaned it?

And he's gotta climb down as soon as those doors open.

Ofcourse, the scruffy Puerto-rican soul-patched guy who knocks him over deserves the tazering in the calf.

"Ha! That's what you get for playing bowling for kids on the subway, Eduardo, come on."

"Shut up Kylie."

[gone_byebye]

... cleaned? ahahaha.

*cough*

At any rate, the 1 train is a straight run up from their stop. Canal Street, Houston Street, Christopher, 14th, 18th...

"By the way, Herald Square isn't too bad a place to go shopping," Miss Eartha notes. "That's 34th Street. Biggest Macy's there ever was, not to mention a good couple of other stores."

[basic_powers]

"Still not familiar with the streets here, but I'll take your word for it, Miss Eartha."

[gone_byebye]

The golem nods. "We'll just keep on movin', then," she says amiably. "Not like we can't stop there coming back."

The train pulls to a halt at Forty-Second, and the sound of steel drums fills the air: there's a man on the subway platform playing "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem", and selling CDs of his performances. He's got precious little space to maneuver in. This is one popular station at this time of year.

[basic_powers]

We're just going to say it now, there's going to be a lot of sore legs and kneecaps before Tyler and Miss Eartha Kitt make it up to street level again. Then it's going to be climbing onto the 8-foot golem's shoulders and ooooh.

[gone_byebye]

Oooh is right. Times Square is a massive river of neon. The second floor of virtually every building, right on up to the roofline, is taken up with electrical displays or plasma screens or both- some billboards for the stores they're on, some showing news, some simply advertising this or that Broadway play. The center of the square itself is taken up by a huge mass of people all apparently in line to get to some kind of shop or booth or something with "TKTS" repeated over and over on its signage. In a few places the street itself's been blocked off to cars, only allowing foot traffic through; most of those feature brightly painted asphalt.

And everywhere, everywhere they turn, there are people taking pictures of it. Mostly with their cell phones.

[basic_powers]

He's just going to hug Eartha's head and stare at the shinies for a bit okay?

This beats the pants off of the holidays back home.

[gone_byebye]

"You just let me know if you get hungry or anything, kiddo," says Miss Eartha. "Real restaurants, fast food places, street food stands, you name it, we got it."

The golem starts striding off along Broadway, in a more or less northwesterly direction. The crowds, quite reasonably, part at her approach. Even the random guys in Elmo and Cookie Monster and Spongebob suits who're letting people get pictures taken with them get out of the way as she strolls through.

[basic_powers]

...Okay the guys in the kids cartoon suits are just going to be getting looks as they're passed by.

Really, Tyler understands supersuits, but this is something else, obviously.

"If it's someplace that doesn't have one of those weird costumed mascots nearby, I'll eat there."

[gone_byebye]

"Those mascots're just out for the tourists with cameras," says Miss Eartha calmly. "Them and the Naked Cowboy. We'll find somewhere to eat soon as you've done your first shopping, since have a look up there."

It's a small bright shop of white and gold tucked in between a jeweler's and an investment firm, and everything in the front window is wrapped in some shade of gold or brown.

"That's our destination."

[basic_powers]

...This is probably getting old for Miss Eartha, what with Tyler going all quite with awe at some of the store decorations.

"You sure I'm gonna have an appetite for dinner after this?"

[gone_byebye]

"They don't give out more than one sample per visit, kiddo," says the golem. "You'll be fine. C'mon, now, I have to put you down for this."

[basic_powers]

"They give a sample?"

Oh well, it's going to take the kid some time to decide. After all Janine's gift comes first.

"...Dark Chocolate Christmas Giftbox or the Christmas Ballotin?"

[gone_byebye]

"Mmmm.... knowin' what I do of Janine, I'm gonna say the Ballotin," says Miss Eartha. "She's not that big on the dark stuff."

[basic_powers]

"Kay." There's a pause looking over the display case of truffles and the freshly dipped fruit selection.

"Miss Eartha? uhm..not to sound weird, but would you like something?"

[gone_byebye]

The golem chuckles, a sound that causes several nearby patrons to scatter. "Nice of you to ask, Tyler, but nah. Golems don't eat. Not that I don't have fond memories of stuff like this, but it's just not my thing any more."

[basic_powers]

"Oh, well, alright." Good news is that there's less people waiting at the register now.

"May I please have a couple of those milk-chocolate raspberry cups too?" He asks off-handed, digging out his wallet and a $100 bill.

[gone_byebye]

"Certainly," says the young woman at the counter, who's doing her best not to look at the looming red-brown hulk in the middle of her store. "Would you like that gift-wrapped, young man?"