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[creeksidealtarboy]

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[abrightboy]

"Oh! Well, I just found out and I didn't want to miss our session," Malcolm tells him. "It's the last one before Christmas! Did you do anything special for Christmas back home?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Go to church," he replies blandly. "Then open the Salvation Army presents. You know, I never knew why my parents were so surprised about the stuff we got. It's because they didn't get 'em for us."

[abrightboy]

"You didn't think it was because Santa brought them? I mean, as a child, your parents shouldn't 'know' what you got, right?" Malcolm asks. "It's normal. ...Well, it's normal to at least pretend. Did you get good stuff?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

"I stopped believing in Santa when I was five or six," he explains. "And - depends on the year. But uh...one time, I told my dad I wanted this toy train at the gas station. They had that - you know, that little aisle with all the dusty old toys that don't really get sold? Anyway, guess my dad told the guy that he'd give him a couple of dollars here and there where he could to pay it off. And there it was under the tree. Still dusty but I played with that fucking thing 'til the wheels fell off."

[abrightboy]

"It sounds like they did their best," Malcolm notes. "Was that your favourite Christmas present you ever got?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron smiles at him again, but Malcolm might see the edges to it. Aaron is a very good liar, but there are always tells for those who pay attention.

It's an innocent act, back to the lies.

"Yeah," he laughs. "Favorite one."

[abrightboy]

"I see."

He sees the act, he means. He wasn't under the illusion that they were completely past that or anything, but this seemed a harmless enough subject. He takes the hint and leaves it alone.

"What books have you been reading?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

For Aaron, no subject is harmless or beyond a quick lie or two or three. He trusts Malcolm more than he ever did in the beginning, but there are automatic responses and he's in too deep to pull back.

But then Malcolm asks a better question and Aaron visibly brightens. Back to facts and truth.

"Um - oh! I found one the other day about weird medical shit that happens to people. Didn't put it down until I was done. Read the whole damn thing."

[abrightboy]

"It sounds good. Do you remember what it was called?" Malcolm asks.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Uh, something about exploding teeth," he says with a laugh. "Something real weird."

[abrightboy]

"Do you exchange book recommendations with anyone currently?" Malcolm asks.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Uh, sometimes Nie Huaisang. Or if Dr. Hilbert wants me to read anything." He shrugs. "Why?"

[abrightboy]

“Tim Gutterson runs a book club. Do you think that’s something you’d enjoy? Reading a particular title and then talking about it with everyone?” Malcolm asks.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Eh, not really. Not with just anyone," he says with a shrug. "Book club is for old ladies and bored housewives anyway."

[abrightboy]

“We don’t have any of either but sometimes it’s more fun with just your friends. How is Nie Huisang? Are you allowed to see him again?” Malcolm asks.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Oh yeah. We're good. We had fun in the flood. Taught him video games."

He holds the tea close.

[abrightboy]

"How old were you in the flood?" Malcolm asks.

[creeksidealtarboy]

That sobers him a little. "Uh, nine. It was my birthday when I woke up."

The birthday that had him going down to the mines.

[abrightboy]

Aaron's ninth birthday. He remembers.

"Was it a relief not to be there?"

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Eh, I don't know, doc. Hard to say cuz I was little. I didn't know what was waiting for me. I thought I'd just get a new truck or something."

He sits back, chewing on his fingernail. "Best birthday I ever had was when I woke up here. And I - I kinda knew something bad was gonna happen, but little kids don't think like that all the time."

[abrightboy]

“They don’t. You’re right about that. I was ten. From after I found one of my father’s victims in our basement, but before I recovered enough from the stupor he drugged me into to call the police,” Malcolm explains. “And I was mostly just… excited about Eiffel’s playland.”

[creeksidealtarboy]

Aaron looks up to him. "Did you remember it? What was gonna happen?"

[abrightboy]

“Yeah. I felt like we were remembering our lives backwards. Like Merlin,” Malcolm says.

[creeksidealtarboy]

"Yeah, kinda like that. What did you do when you were a kid?" he asks. "I mean - here."

[abrightboy]

“Gave Will a run for his money, for the most part. He looked after me, but I’d wander off and get in trouble. Stabbed Eiffel at one point. But he forgives me and Will hasn’t broken up with me so no harm no foul,” Malcolm says with a lopsided grin. “Did you go to the Enclosure at all?”