Re: secret santa
[Eddie nodded. It didn't sound like a lie, even if it wasn't the whole truth, and he wasn't too interested in pulling all of that out of her now. There wasn't any urgency. He thought trying to make a friendship out of this santa business was a good idea.] Do you feel fulfilled ordering coffee and supplies for super geniuses? Do you hope to do something as wonderful as build machines for corporations and the military? [Eddie spoke like he had a little experience in these things. He was, after all, the right hand man to Tethys for a short while and shared an interest in returning the dead.] Memories are the source of hauntings. Memories can stick a soul to an item and a place and they'll never be pulled off of it.
[Eddie liked the way she talked. It circled around and came to a point that was beautiful. He imagined her wandering through a forest, finding something strange and saying I knew you'd be here!] Change is honestly what I've needed for the past three years. I know some will be happy to see me happy. Others- I don't know. I'm not the same Eddie. Isn't that a strange thing to say? I've evolved and my mind and heart hasn't caught up yet. [Which lead to the girl:] I love her, but I can't stand talking to her. She doesn't listen to me. Won't understand where I'm coming from. I like the distance I put between us, maybe it'll heal things. Maybe it won't.
[He watched her puff away and laughed with her just for the sake of laughing. She said she was going to trust Santa, so here was the great reveal. He sat up, took off his sunglasses and looked at her:] Well, Hannah S. Merry Christmas. Ho, ho, ho. [His eyes were dark, but they shined with tiny galaxies inside.] You can owe me the cookies.