Dancing Pickle

The streets of Burrowgatory were lined with more shops than it seemed there were actual buns here. Even still, each was filled with busy bodies, arguing over prices, bargaining, and stealing. There was a cool hint in the air, one that was welcome after the warm summer months had added an unreasonable amount of heat and humidity to the upper levels. 

He wasn’t usually in this area, though. There were several skylights several hundred feet up, massive buildings stretching up towards them. He squinted slightly at the light above, shaking his head a bit. No, no. This wasn’t what he was here for. With quickened pace and directions repeating in his mind, the shop in question was fast approaching. 

Gilded letters and neon lights read ‘Gauis’ Shop of Wonders!’ with little firework decals around it. Amour couldn’t say it was unexpected given what he’d seen during their sessions together, but it was still rather… flashy, for his tastes. The glass doors slid open before him, making a victorious trumpeting sound as he entered. 

Most of the shop was in boxes. A label maker was still sitting out on the counter, and while there were a few shelves still stocked at the front of the store, it was nothing like he’d heard before. The walls were missing the hundreds of posters that had been layered on top of each other, the floor was polished and looking new again. Any shelves not attached to the walls had been disassembled, back into totes to be taken away. Amour walked slowly in, gazing over the counter to look back at the cashier’s area. What once was a comfy, personalized space was once again bland and lacking any of the touches that his client had put into it. A small frown pulled at his lips, but this was for the best; everyone needed to move on at some point. 

“Amour!” a voice called from behind him, filled with excitement. “I thought you were just another customer wandering in for the closing sale- why didn’t you tell me you were here already?”

The aforementioned Doll turned, a small smile on his face at the sight of Gauis. He was wearing a bit more casual clothes than what Amour had gotten used to; no more over-the-top showy outfits and light-up crowns. He looked much more… himself.

“Ah, I just needed a look around,” the doctor said in a soft tone, one that was a perfect reflection of his smile. “You’ve gotten a lot done in the past few weeks. I know this isn’t a ‘formal’ visit, rather a more social one, yet I can’t help but ask: how are you feeling about all of this? It’s a rather large move.”

Gauis looked over the shop, a fond yet bittersweet expression dawning on his features. “I can’t help but be a bit sad, seeing it all go. I’ve spent years in this shop, and they’re years I’ll never forget. I don’t think I’ll ever regret them, either. I’m sad to see it go, yeah… but I know what I have to look forward to,” he shrugged with a soft laugh. “I told you all about that though, didn’t I? The other nuns and saints…”

“Yes- I do recall,” Amour replied softly. The two looked out at the shop, neither breaking the silence for a while. It was comfortable, bittersweet, but a step towards progress. 

“Oh, I- I have something for you,” Gauis said suddenly, pecking up. He started to walk away, looking over several boxes. Some didn’t have labels despite being taped shut, leading Amour to hear several soft curses as the other looked. A smile brightened up the pensive features as he apparently found what he was looking for, picking it out of a box quickly. It was another, smaller box. Nondescript. 

“I know you’re not technically supposed to accept gifts from your clients, but… you can make an exception for something small, right?” With a hopeful look on the Greed bun’s face, his eyes met Amour’s. “Please?”

Refusal was on the tip of his tongue, but the doctor stopped himself. This… seemed to mean a lot to his client. Perhaps it was a personal step forward for the other? A way to signify to both himself and his doctor that one era was over? His eyes flicked away, before a sigh lowered his shoulders. 

“I- I suppose, I can make an exception. Yes,” he decided, looking away from Gauis. He’d have to gather some research papers on this after his next appointment. 

The joy nearly radiated off of Gauis, yet he kept himself mostly contained. He handed over the box while biting his lip, trying not to show just how happy he was with himself for getting his doctor to accept a gift. 

As the box passed from one set of hands to another, Amour was a bit surprised by how light it was. Yes, there was certainly something in there, but it didn’t seem that big. He glanced at the other before looking back down at the box, slowly opening it. 

Inside the box, laying innocently, was a… pickle? With legs?

“It’s- it’s a dancing pickle,” Gauis quickly explained, nearly tripping over himself to try. “I know you like to keep your desk clean, but I thought it would… make you happy? Maybe? Remind you of how much you helped me, and helped others. When it gets light on it, it’ll just gently dance. I, uh… had it left over from the early days. I held onto it for the longest time even though they didn’t really sell. So you don’t have to feel like I spent money on the gift, and,” his words got caught in his throat a bit. The happiness had died down a bit, replaced with more bittersweet sadness. “It can remind you that I’m finally doing this, after so long.”

Amour gently picked up the little thing, looking between the shiny plastic and man struggling with emotions. “I’m proud of you,” he finally said with a soft fondness. “This is… rather nice. I agree that it is a wonderful way to signify your change, even if it isn’t ‘worth’ too much monetarily. You’ve come so far.”

Gauis couldn’t help the tears that slipped out, giving a soft laugh as he wiped his face. “Fuck, thank you,” he said, smiling out at the shop. “I needed that. This is all… I mean, it’s wonderful. But letting go is hard,” he said, giving another laugh. 

Amour nodded slowly, looking back down at the new toy. He’d never been one for toys, before. There was something special about this, though. He’d likely not have picked it up on the shelf if he’d seen it passing by, but now it has so much more meaning. He supposed, yes, that made it a suitable gift to accept from a client.