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[levelshift]

[It's the default request to leave a message that comes with every voicemail. Accelerator hasn't bothered to change it.]

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[purplexing]

[Donnie flinches at that.]

I don't know! I- I wasn't thinking, it was more out of reflex at that point.

[levelshift]

[With a sigh, Accelerator slumps back on the couch and drags a hand down his face. He's made his point, Donnie is obviously upset, pushing is only going to make things worse.]

Well, there's nothing to be done about it now. You don't feel any different, do you? It was just that new fucking ability you got?

[purplexing]

[He still looks like he'd like to disappear behind that plush. Accelerator has made some good points, but things had been so overwhelming then. It's hardly an excuse, but what happened, happened. Nothing to be done about it now, as the esper says.

Donnie shakes his head to the first, shifting into an awkward nod for the second.]

No, not really. I'm still me. [He wishes he sounded as confident about that but it's always weird when Accelerator gets on his case like this. It's like being scolded by a parent and not much fun being on the receiving end.]

[levelshift]

[He's getting some good concerned and disappointed dad practice in right now, it's great. He doesn't even realize it.]

You sure about that?

[He's still a little skeptical, mostly out of that concern, and that's why he puts his coffee down and gets to his feet, hitting the switch on his choker.]

Don't fucking move.

[He glares hard, though really, all he's going to do is poke Donnie's forehead to get a reading on his vitals.]

[purplexing]

[Ugh now what

Donnie freezes as Accelerator gets up, although mostly because the esper's switched his choker on. Or maybe it's that glare.]

Does anything you say ever not sound like a threat?

[He manages to inject some exasperation there but once Accy steps closer he holds his breath.]

[levelshift]

Nope.

[Sorry Donnie, he's allergic to being nice. It's only a moment, and he draws his hand back to switch his choker back to normal.]

Not that I have a good baseline for you -- [Given the last time he did this was during the museum incident] -- but everything seems normal.

[purplexing]

Okay, good- not that I had any doubts or anything.

[He promptly shoves the coffee can plush into Accelerator's hands before waving him back to his blood-stained couch.]

[levelshift]

[He makes a little noise as the plush is shoved into his arms, and he frowns before moving to sit back down on the couch. The plush is deposited next to himself. Guess he's stuck with it now.]

You should consider yourself lucky. That could've fucking ended the same way my fight with Aiwass ended.

[Y'know, the skewering and everything.]

[purplexing]

Yeah, I know. Honestly I think I was more worried about something like that happening during the fight itself.

Anyway, it didn't so you still have to deal with me.

[He forces a smirk at that, turning to duck back into the bathroom to collect more plushies.]

[levelshift]

Hmm.

[He's glaring in return, the kind of glare that says "unfortunately for me, you're right."

The plush coffee can also gets a glare, for good measure.]

What kind of shit do you want for Christmas?

[purplexing]

I thought you said you didn't celebrate!

[Yelling from the bathroom while he compacts the plushie horde into something more manageable. It's a shame he has a limit as to how big he can affect things, otherwise he'd just make something stupidly huge.]

[levelshift]

I don't, it's just a fucking question!

[He's yelling that back, annoyed with himself. Maybe he should just drop it and not think about gifts, it's not like he's any good at that kind of thing.]

[purplexing]

It's a good thing I opted not to install that phrase response or we'd need an epileptic trigger warning.

[]Donnie comes back with several larger plushes in his arms.]

...still not done yet. But...I haven't really thought about what I'd want for Christmas.

[levelshift]

[Accelerator snorts.

... Ugh, more plushes. What the hell is he supposed to do with all of them?]

You're the one who celebrates the damn holiday. You must've thought about it sometime over the year.

[purplexing]

[Making a face at the gross couch, Donnie dumps the plushies on the floor instead. He blinks as he considers then.]

...I think I was too busy with other stuff.

[levelshift]

[He sighs a little.]

How important is Christmas and whatever else holidays that are going on for Americans? I've seen a lot of stores selling crap for it, but that's just capitalism.

[purplexing]

It's pretty big for businesses and I guess for family stuff.

[He folds his arms.]

...it's...weird not having everyone around for it though. At least Leo's here. I've been planning his present for months.

[levelshift]

... So it's really important.

[Bluh, it's pretty easy to avoid in Japan, but if Donnie has been planning a gift for months. How irritating.]

What are you getting him?

[purplexing]

[It's just the way Donnie works. Buying things is simpler, but he prefers to make his gifts, specifically tailored to people. That effectively eats into his time and it's why he's usually never without projects to work on.]

Oh, I built him a motorcycle. We were kind of talking about it offhandedly at some point. I never did get around to making an extra pair for the Turtle Tank but this one's different and made just for him.

[levelshift]

Fuck.

[A motorcycle. Donnie is building a motorcycle. Leo is undoubtedly going to love that. Why is Donnie so weirdly good at gift-giving??? It's like he's got a third superpower or something.]

I'm sure he'll like that.

[purplexing]

[Man those lights would've gotten a stress-testing.

Still, Donnie grins.]

He better!

[levelshift]

[They really would have.]

Any advice for this kind of shit? I can't say I've ever been in a position to deal with gift-giving before.

[purplexing]

Hmmm.

[Donnie walks off again as he mulls this over, returning again with several more plushies. He drops them onto the growing pile on the floor before flopping down to sit with them, pulling a couple into his lap so he can cushion his elbows.]

Well, there's no real rule to it. You can either be practical and find something you think someone might need. Or you can go off of what you think or know someone likes. Or you can just give them something random and call it a day.

[levelshift]

[From the expression on his face (it's the kind that's a combination of thoughtful and annoyed that only Accelerator can pull off), it's clear he's strongly considering the "something random" option.]

Great, so it's anything goes.

[purplexing]

Pretty much. There's a heavy lean into "It's the thought that counts" unless someone's deliberately being terrible with a gift and it's very obvious.

You sure you don't want more of these? They are really comfortable.