Jessie & Arthur | Santa Baby
Dec. 22nd, 2023 05:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsJessie and Arthur make small talk at the Santa Sleep Over, but it seems like Arthur's memory sharing isn't tied just to the mansion.
There was a time in every actor's life when they were tasked with the most important of emergency tasks. The most coveted role. One only available to a handful of men over a certain age. Ed Asner. Fred Astaire. Mickey Rooney. One of the Attenboroughs, the one with the dinosaurs.
Santa Claus.
This year, it happened to noted actor Arthur Centino.
The District X Community center was abuzz with the excitement of over-sugared children in the late hours of the night. The earlier day had been full of delivering good will to those in need with familiar faces, and it was time to settle down with the business of running the Center's first ever Santa Sleepover — a fundraising and cheer filled activity allowing the kids of the community to experience a true wonderland. The volunteers had really overdone themselves too — from the lights to the fake snow to the paper lacework streamers, it was a place that Santa would be proud of.
Santa, who had canceled at the last minute. Luckily, there was a noted actor on hand.
Adjusting his luxurious fake beard for the upteenth time, Arthur let the holiday spirit soak into him behind the closed doors of what the "elven" volunteers were calling the greenroom. He had already made a couple laps delivering promises of toys and winking with jovial know-how, but it turned out that the suit got hot and breaks were sometimes needed.
Still, the mood had Santa Arthur humming under his breath as he idly checked his phone. The mansion was pretty silent, all in all, but it was late. They were fine. He set it aside.
The jingle of a volunt-elf on the move caught his attention, though, and those thoughts were forgotten.
"Howdy Santa!" Jessie said cheerfully as she delivered a fresh round of water bottles to the room. She'd been waylaid quite a bit on the floor by kids who were deeply curious about if her pointy ears were real, and how was her hair red and green? And the most important question of all - did she really know Santa Claus? "Thirsty? That suit looks like an oven."
"Oh, like you wouldn't believe." He happily took the offered water with a smile, but didn't break eye contact with the elf. He practically radiated good cheer. "Jessie? Is that right? I've seen you around the past few weeks, and it is always wonderful to have fresh blood helping out at the DXC."
There was a tiny flourish as Arthur used one gloved hand to produce a small present seemingly out of thin air. The wrapped box was just larger than palm sized, shining with glittery paper and the sparkle of paper snowflakes worked into the ribbon's knot.
"I want you to know that you are appreciated. Happy holidays."
Jessie's eyes lit up as she took the gift, trading for a water bottle. "Aw, thanks Santa! I'm always happy to help..."
Her voice drifted off as the world seemed to shift around her. She was still in the center, but also on a beach, surrounded by people she knew were family, sand flying as people chased each other around. It was peaceful. Nice. Familiar. Safe.
The scene faded, and Jessie blinked a few times, bewildered. "Whoa."
"You alright there?" The question was accompanied with an honest smile from Santa, but most notably he had moved in closer out of concern. "I think I lost you for a second. I get it, though. The holidays sure are magical."
"Ah... yeah. I just saw... something." She frowned, looking around. "Maybe there's a telepath messing around."
The other man's smile fell into a frown. "What do you mean? I know a handful of telepaths, but none of them are here. We take people misusing their powers very seriously here."
"I mean, might've just been some kid playing a prank," Jessie said quickly. She didn't want to cause any trouble. "I saw like... I don't know, a thing. It was like I was on a beach, and there was a cookout, and people running around..."
"Huh. Sounds like how we used to celebrate in Port Elizabeth." He let his smoothed over accent slip, just a little, and added back a serving of Christmas Boerewors, "Back in the ole days. I miss summer Christmases."
"Really?" Jessie tilted her head. "Hmn. That's..." They were interrupted by someone yelling for Santa out in the main area. "Oops, duty calls, I guess."
"Duty calls."
Arthur stood, grinning, and gave Jessie the tiniest of bows. "Time to shine, Ms. Jessie. I hope you enjoy your gift."
With a flourish and a wink, Santa departed through the green room door into a small gymnastics routine of a backflip and a cartwheel. That likely wasn't traditional in Port Elizabeth, but who really knew?
There was a time in every actor's life when they were tasked with the most important of emergency tasks. The most coveted role. One only available to a handful of men over a certain age. Ed Asner. Fred Astaire. Mickey Rooney. One of the Attenboroughs, the one with the dinosaurs.
Santa Claus.
This year, it happened to noted actor Arthur Centino.
The District X Community center was abuzz with the excitement of over-sugared children in the late hours of the night. The earlier day had been full of delivering good will to those in need with familiar faces, and it was time to settle down with the business of running the Center's first ever Santa Sleepover — a fundraising and cheer filled activity allowing the kids of the community to experience a true wonderland. The volunteers had really overdone themselves too — from the lights to the fake snow to the paper lacework streamers, it was a place that Santa would be proud of.
Santa, who had canceled at the last minute. Luckily, there was a noted actor on hand.
Adjusting his luxurious fake beard for the upteenth time, Arthur let the holiday spirit soak into him behind the closed doors of what the "elven" volunteers were calling the greenroom. He had already made a couple laps delivering promises of toys and winking with jovial know-how, but it turned out that the suit got hot and breaks were sometimes needed.
Still, the mood had Santa Arthur humming under his breath as he idly checked his phone. The mansion was pretty silent, all in all, but it was late. They were fine. He set it aside.
The jingle of a volunt-elf on the move caught his attention, though, and those thoughts were forgotten.
"Howdy Santa!" Jessie said cheerfully as she delivered a fresh round of water bottles to the room. She'd been waylaid quite a bit on the floor by kids who were deeply curious about if her pointy ears were real, and how was her hair red and green? And the most important question of all - did she really know Santa Claus? "Thirsty? That suit looks like an oven."
"Oh, like you wouldn't believe." He happily took the offered water with a smile, but didn't break eye contact with the elf. He practically radiated good cheer. "Jessie? Is that right? I've seen you around the past few weeks, and it is always wonderful to have fresh blood helping out at the DXC."
There was a tiny flourish as Arthur used one gloved hand to produce a small present seemingly out of thin air. The wrapped box was just larger than palm sized, shining with glittery paper and the sparkle of paper snowflakes worked into the ribbon's knot.
"I want you to know that you are appreciated. Happy holidays."
Jessie's eyes lit up as she took the gift, trading for a water bottle. "Aw, thanks Santa! I'm always happy to help..."
Her voice drifted off as the world seemed to shift around her. She was still in the center, but also on a beach, surrounded by people she knew were family, sand flying as people chased each other around. It was peaceful. Nice. Familiar. Safe.
The scene faded, and Jessie blinked a few times, bewildered. "Whoa."
"You alright there?" The question was accompanied with an honest smile from Santa, but most notably he had moved in closer out of concern. "I think I lost you for a second. I get it, though. The holidays sure are magical."
"Ah... yeah. I just saw... something." She frowned, looking around. "Maybe there's a telepath messing around."
The other man's smile fell into a frown. "What do you mean? I know a handful of telepaths, but none of them are here. We take people misusing their powers very seriously here."
"I mean, might've just been some kid playing a prank," Jessie said quickly. She didn't want to cause any trouble. "I saw like... I don't know, a thing. It was like I was on a beach, and there was a cookout, and people running around..."
"Huh. Sounds like how we used to celebrate in Port Elizabeth." He let his smoothed over accent slip, just a little, and added back a serving of Christmas Boerewors, "Back in the ole days. I miss summer Christmases."
"Really?" Jessie tilted her head. "Hmn. That's..." They were interrupted by someone yelling for Santa out in the main area. "Oops, duty calls, I guess."
"Duty calls."
Arthur stood, grinning, and gave Jessie the tiniest of bows. "Time to shine, Ms. Jessie. I hope you enjoy your gift."
With a flourish and a wink, Santa departed through the green room door into a small gymnastics routine of a backflip and a cartwheel. That likely wasn't traditional in Port Elizabeth, but who really knew?
