The Eriksson family did not leave the base without some trepidation. Tokay was vocally worried about he and Dante being seen in public, Sabre was concerned that the boy was not dressed warmly enough, and Dante was afraid that he'd miss Santa! Of course, he'd never met Santa before, only seen him on television. But he was sure that he was real and wanted a chance to see him up close. Sabre had gently put an arm around him and reminded him that sometimes people acted strangely around the Erikssons; she was worried that they'd go to the mall only to be chased out by hard stares and cruel comments. But she also knew that Dante couldn't be cooped up in private forever, no matter how much she and Tokay wanted to protect him.
Just like any child of 7, Dante ran ahead of his parents as they walked to the mall. Tokay was mostly silent, because he didn't really approve of the trip. He more than anyone knew how people tended to react to lizard men, and didn't relish he or his son being subjected to it yet again.
“It's necessary...” Sabre had pleaded, anxious to get out of the house for a rare leisure trip. “There's things that need to be bought and I think he'll really enjoy the Christmas displays.”
“How do you think he'll feel when he gets pointed at in the department store?” Tokay grumbled.
“Then they'll answer to me,” was her brusque reply, and she'd bundled up Dante to leave.
Now, as they walked, she smiled to see her son run around and jump in snowbanks, pouncing on imaginary prey, and laughing. Even Tokay looked pleased, though his grin quickly faded once he saw the mall up ahead.
“I want to go see Santa!” Dante declared as they walked in the front doors, and his mother calmly grabbed hold of his coat to keep him from darting through the crowds.
“Soon. Dad and I have some shopping to do first.” To distract him before he could start pouting, she quickly added, “look at all the Christmas lights!”
“They're pretty,” he shrugged, not particularly interested. He was staring longingly at the Santa Claus display at the other end of the mall. He could smell the candy canes.
“Let's get moving,” Tokay growled, glaring at a happy family that was staring and pointing at the Erikssons. He felt distinctly uncomfortable and vulnerable out in the open. Sabre smiled politely at the gawking strangers, then gleefully told them telepathically “fuck you!”
Startled, the people hurried away.
The rest of the trip wasn't much different. Everywhere the family went, they encountered people rude enough to stare and whisper. Dante was mostly oblivious to it until a mother with a red-nosed, sniffling child looked down at him and remarked “my word, you're an ugly little boy!”
“No I'm not...” Dante said, hurt. He looked down at the floor, already believing her, when his mother strode over and shoved the other woman out of the way.
“Get away from my son!” Sabre snapped, her face gathering into a familiar infuriated expression. She was tempted to draw her knife, which was hidden under her coat---having agreed to leave the sword at home for once---but decided against it. Dante shouldn't have to see any of that. Instead she simply looked intimidating enough that the woman rushed away.
“Am I ugly, Mummy?” Dante asked, dejected.
“No, you are not. You're a beautiful little boy who is just fine the way he is. I see that many humans can't bring themselves to extend 'the Christmas spirit' to everyone at this time of year...”
“I wish I looked like everyone else.”
“The world would be a very dull place if not for the green, blue, black, and orange people in it, Dante.”
There was no denying that the holiday mood had been spoiled for the Erikssons, and the three of them decided it was time to go home. Sabre and Tokay had finished most of their Christmas shopping, as well as deciding that any small amount of faith they had in humanity was long gone.
“Remind me again why we save the world,” Sabre sighed wearily, shaking her head.
“I don't know about you, but I save it for Dante!” Tokay replied, and she had to smile.
“Good point, love.”
Dante followed closely behind them, rolling his eyes when they held hands. He looked wistfully at all the other kids in the mall, having fun and seemingly oblivious to the hassles of being a humanoid lizard. He wanted to play and be just like them. It was just then that he remembered why he'd wanted to come to the mall in the first place.
“Mum, can I go visit Santa?”
His mother looked doubtful. “I thought you wanted to go home.”
“Santa first, please Mum!”
A loving maternal smile was marred with concern. “All right, you can go. We're right behind you.”
Dante was off like a shot towards the Santa Claus display. He already knew what he wanted for Christmas, and he was definitely going to ask Santa for it. Sabre and Tokay followed behind, both deeply unhappy.
“He'll be miserable if 'Santa' says something nasty to him,” Tokay muttered, worried for his son.
“I know, but what can we do? He has his heart set on it.”
“Sometimes we need to protect him for his own good,” Tokay objected, but his wife ignored him, still trying to convince herself.
Dante was so excited to see Santa that he hopped up and down in the line.
“Santa! Santa! Hi Santa!” he called, waving. Santa, who was busy with another child, didn't look up, and one of the 'elves' quieted the boy with a candy cane bribe.
When it was Dante's turn, Sabre and Tokay collectively held their breath, but their son didn't even notice they were there as he hopped up to the dais with Santa. The actor playing St. Nick blinked when he saw the little green person running toward him, but handled it as best he could when the child climbed onto his lap and there was no turning back.
“Ho, ho, ho, little boy!” (the actor's best guess as to the lizard child's gender) Santa boomed. “Have you been a good boy this year?”
“Yes!” Dante declared, too nervous to say anything more.
“I'm glad to hear that. Santa only gives presents to little boys and girls who have been nice! What do you want for Christmas this year?”
“I want to look like normal people!” Dante said eagerly, looking earnestly into Santa's eyes. “Like you!”
The actor was taken aback. “Why?”
“So people won't say mean things to me anymore!”
Santa harumphed. “Little boy, people who are mean aren't worth listening to. And you know that Santa doesn't give things to people who are naughty.”
Dante frowned. “But it makes me feel bad, Santa.”
“Well, they are wrong, little boy. It's not right to say unkind things to others, and there's nothing wrong with looking the way you do.”
“You think so?” Dante asked, in awe of the words of wisdom coming straight from Santa's mouth.
“Santa knows so, little boy. I'm Santa Claus, remember? Now, what would you like for Christmas?”
Later that night, Sabre smiled fondly as she tucked Dante into bed and he asked to see his photo with Santa again.
“I think we should get a poster-sized copy of it to put on your bedroom wall,” she laughed, kissing him on the forehead. “That way you can look at it all the time.”
“I like Santa,” he said sleepily, yawning. “He's nice.”
“What did you ask for, dear?”
“A train and a puppy.”
“Is that all you asked for, sweetheart?”
“Yes, that's all I want.”