The Worst Holiday

Usually, Roth was an entirely self-sufficient person: for water, they drew from whatever natural source they could find and had robust filtering technology. For food, they hunted what they needed and gathered the rest – they had extensive knowledge on plants and fungi, and though they mostly knew of species from outside the Reflection, it didn't take them long to get to know the flora of Gaianu. Despite the dangers of the middle lands, Roth had managed to eke out little camps for themselves that they constantly rotated among – and even a somewhat more permanent base hidden away in some remote mountains. Save the presence of others, Roth had just about everything under the sun.

Even as they had long lost their old magic, Roth was more than capable of defending themselves when needed. Taking on a vigorous interest in mechanical engineering, they practically conjured an airtight arsenal of a defense overnight. Their camps and base were surrounded by traps and the base itself was not easily entered by unwelcome visitors (assuming it could even be found).

Roth themselves made it so that they could not be followed, even by the keenest of scrying magics. When it came to physical confrontations, Roth would surprise their opponents by disrupting their magic and catching them off-guard, though leaving before much damage would be done.

(There was no need to brutalize anyone, even if they had murderous intent.)

However, Roth inevitably found themselves in need of specialized supplies – materials they wouldn't find easily in the wastelands. As well-prepared as they were, no systems were completely perfect. One night, Roth awakened to the alarm system in their base going off – strange creatures had managed to worm their way into one of the generators, damaging the wiring and making off with some vital electrical parts. It wasn't the worst in the grand scheme of problems, but it wasn't something one could ignore given circumstances.

There was no avoiding it – Roth would have to make a trip to the big cities if they wanted to fix things properly. Armed to the teeth with their usual gear, Roth made the journey to the nearest city, riding a makeshift hoverbike.

(Maybe they could trade for a nicer bike in the city, as a treat.)

Unexpectedly, the mood in the city was cheery – though Roth didn't hang around civilization enough to know if this was normal or not. Bright banners and flags decorated the main streets and some establishments seemed to be holding special events for something. Reds and pinks covered the buildings, along with a profuse amount of flowers.

Valentines. Apparently everyone was celebrating this 'Valentines'. Roth had no idea what that was supposed to be, and poked around some of the crowds of people they found, loitering the streets.

“What do you mean you don't know...?”

“Only the sweetest holiday of the year...”

“It's for the truest of love...!”

“Come on! Loosen up! Confess to your love!” Someone draped a string of flowers around Roth's head. They let it be for now, but frowned at the mention of love. True love? Confessions? Now that people were more or less explaining things, they supposed there was something like that on their home planet. Memories flickered through their head: someone smiling warmly at them. Laughter. The gentle touch of someone's hands.

Roth made an irritated sound with their mouth and threw the string of flowers off, scattering petals all around. The concept of love was such a bother – people only thought of themselves. Friendships? Alliances? Love? Lies. People only thought of what they needed, and took what they wanted.

Ignoring the celebrations around them, Roth continued on through the streets, expression somewhat sour. They would get their supplies, and leave. That was that.

Something caught their eye – they turned to glance at a nearby shop window, adorned with all manner of celebratory messages and advertisements. One of them jumped out at them: “Dumped recently? Betrayed? Not a worry – swing on by for some delightful treats!”

Yeah, like that'll fix anything. Roth thought. Most people's bad breakups don't usually result in the entire fucking planet blowing up.

Bad breakups...

More memories flashed by. They didn't want to think of them, but it was unavoidable at this point. The one who started it all, the one who ended it all – their old friend. But not everything was their responsibility – Roth was equally guilty, if not more, all things considered.

Their old friend. Their only friend. And now, just another of many casualties. Yet another person Roth had let down. Betrayed, really. Maybe they deserved it. Maybe they all deserved it.

Focus, now. We're here for a reason. We kick ourselves about this bullshit all we want after we fix the generator. Roth shook their head vigorously, as if attempting to shake the thoughts out. It just had to be Valence's on the day they went into town, or whatever it was called – stupidass holiday.

(They were self-sufficient. They didn't need anyone. Well, except for the convenience of certain material goods. But that didn't count.)

Taking a breath, Roth finally found the store they needed and stepped in, glancing around quickly to look for the parts they needed. There wasn't anyone else around (thank goodness) save for the shopkeeper – an elderly human with little glasses. They were polishing some kind of clockwork device.

“Ah, hello there young one. Is there aught I may assist you with?” The shopkeeper said.

“Oh. Uh, I'm looking for these parts.” Roth said, going over and producing a sketch. “Do you happen to have them in stock?”

“Sure do. Aisle 5, section C, bottom shelf.” The shopkeeper pointed. Roth nodded in response and went over, quickly finding what they needed and returning to check the items out.

“Not fond of the festivities?” The shopkeeper said, calculating the total on the items. Roth didn't say anything immediately, pursing their lips. It was definitely not what they had been looking forward to when going on a supply run. Not to mention, there were just too many people around. So crowded. So loud.

“This holiday is dumb.” Roth managed to say, feeling a bit sheepish. They glanced off to a side, pouting.

“A fair judgment. Many people have all sorts of reasons to feel the way they do.” The shopkeeper said, laughing gently. “And your total comes to...”

Despite their sparse interaction with capitalism, Roth still kept a rather hearty quantity of currency handy (who cared if they pilfered some of it from unsuspecting travelers? Some of them looked like arses). They paid for their supplies and nodded curtly.

“Thank you for your assistance today.” Roth said, turning to leave.

“Thank you as well, for your patronage. Perhaps I shall see you again...”

Roth paused a moment before leaving. Perhaps they would. Perhaps not. There was no sense in getting attached or forming connections. No sense in putting work into something that shattered so easily, from forces Roth had no control over.

They glanced at the nearby decorations in the street. What an annoying holiday, this was.