~ Yet Another Christmas! 24th Dec. ~

"Dooffle?" Darius asked his mouthful of ice cream. He swallowed. "Could you get me somefink to drink?"

Doodle bowed. "Yes young master!" He beamed, vanishing again.

Upon reappearing, arms laden with a variety of beverages, he was forced to employ his juggling skills to set them up along one wall.

"Orange juice, pineapple juice, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, water, apple juice, tropical fruit juices, herbal teas, normal milk, banana and pineapple drink, hot chocolate, coffee and cream!" Why he had cream, he was not entirely sure.

It looked...drinkable. Ish.

Darius' eyes twinkled a little as he hovered over the coffee. He always wanted to try it. "I want some coffee."

Doodle leapt in to pour it for the young master.

"Master must not burn his hands!" He squeaked cheerily, handing him the cup.

Darius waited a bit and blew. Then he took a small sip.

"Bleh." He made a face. "It taste worrible."

Doodle's face fell. "Doodle is sorry young master! Doodle make another drink! Master want...hot chocolate? Doodle make hot chocolate!!!"

"Alright!" Darius said. Why did grown-ups drink that stuff? Chocolate was much better.

Doodle was visibly relieved, and poured a healthy portion of chocolate into a mug.

"Here young master!"

"Thank you." Darius replied and blew on the chocolate before drinking. Much better.

Doodle smiled.

Yep, still got it.

"Master want anything else?" He asked, with a grin. Work was fun.

"Can you play with me?" Darius asked. "I have no one to play with."

Doodle paused. Play?

Work wasn't play...But could they be so different?

Well, he had been asked to play.

Play he would! Doodle resolved, grin back in place. "Doodle will play!" He halted for a moment. "...Although, Doodle is sorry, but master shall have to explain how to Doodle. Doodle has never played before."

"You've never played before?" Darius asked. "It's easy!" He grinned. "You... um..." How exactly does one explain playing? Darius pondered.

Doodle shook his head. "No sir, I have not."

He paused, waiting for his master to finish his sentence. "Um...play, sir?"

"Well... we can play with my train set upstairs!" Darius said not entirely sure how to explain playing. He'd have to demonstrate it. "Come on, follow me."

Darius headed up the stairs.

Doodle followed obediently. Now trains, trains he understood.

The old master had several to carry him to his inventing room as he lost control of his limbs.

"Yes master." Doodle cheeped as he noticed the trains in Darius' room.

"Alright, so we have to first connect the tracks then after, we can put the train on them." Darius explained as best he could. "Okay?"

Doodle nodded. "Yes Master."

He obediently reached for some tracks, and began to connect them, using his height to duck under the bed and other pieces of furniture.

Darius smiled happy that he was able to explain and starting connecting the tracks as well. "Do you think Santa would give me a new train set too?"

Doodle paused for a moment, jotting it down on the list. Twain Set.

Returning to his track-laying duties, he grinned. "I'm sure master!" He re-emerged from his winding path between and under the furniture, summoning more track with a click of his fingers.

Darius was far less efficient with his track, though he didn't really notice. He was almost done. "Are you almost done Doodle?"

Doodle nodded, hobbling towards his master. "Yes Master." He laid a final piece of track down and stepped back to admire the layout.

Not bad, he thought to himself. He wasn't so bad at this playing thing.

"Alright!" Darius said excitedly. "Now we get a train and put it on the track." He took the red one which was his favourite and put it on the track.

Doodle selected a smaller green engine and put it on the track, a fair distance from the red one.

"Yes Master." He beamed. They did look rather nice, waiting for the signal and all shiny and polished...

"Okay... go!" And Darius let go. And he stood back watching the train goooo.