TIS01
DINER RECEIPT
RECEIPT NUMBER: TIS01
RECEIPT DATE: 12 3 1988
MANAGER TITLE: MON AMOUR
RECEIPT NOTES:
Well, despite the Zulus skulking about and the ever-looming Damocles of Fate, it is the holiday season—whether mon amour likes it or not. I’ve done what I can to dress the place up. A few strings of lights, some mismatched ornaments, and one very well-loved, spindly Christmas tree leaning rather precariously in the corner. Admittedly, I could have found a more… “robust” tree, but I’ve always taken to choosing the ones that won’t survive the season anyway. An old habit, courtesy of my oldest brother.
Everyone’s been pitching in—even our Trusted Associate and Secret employee, who, given their current circumstances, can only be here in spirit. Everyone, that is, except for mon amour. Baltimore.
He’s been lurking at the edges, as he so often does these days. To be fair, it’s not as if I’ve known him all that long—despite feeling like I have. And even then, I’ve never quite seen him the way I remember him. I suppose, given his unique circumstances, that’s to be expected. At least he’ll offer the occasional comment—half-hearted approval of the decor or a loose suggestion about optimizing the string lights’ layout. But he hasn’t personally lifted so much as a single sprig of holly. I’ll give him credit—he didn’t pass up a chance to linger under a piece of mistletoe, at the very least.
Surely, though, our ever-perturbed “mastermind” could spare a moment or two for some seasonal cheer? Then again, I suspect he’s conserving his energy for something larger, something only he and Fate seem to know is coming. Well, let them have at it, I say. It’s Christmas! Or, well, at least it’s December. And the Cafe? It’s starting to look like it has a bit of life and light to it again. It’s not perfect, but it is very much ours. That’s enough for me. And who knows—maybe some holiday cheer will find its way into mon amour eventually. It is still early, after all.