[party post] And to all a good night

[beyondriftmods]

[OOC: Annual winter post. :3 Both Decembers, the comments have been up in the thousands. The post is open all of December until January for all/any winter/holiday shenanigans. Quick reminder, you are encouraged to tag around, tag to other threads as well as making your own. Feel free to spam! :D]This December in Chicago is as filled with

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[tornadoinheels]

There is something irreversibly alluring about a city with snow. It seems to smooth over all the rough edges, and just blanket the world in clean, pure white.

Up until they plow it, people start to trample through it, and exhaust turns it that lovely shade of brown, but for the most part, it's beautiful. It's almost the great equalizer that can make anything better than it used to be. Sara Ellis has a cup of hot chocolate, a warm coat, and a new pair of boots, and until someone told her she had to be elsewhere, she is going to walk in the show.

As she's doing so, she finds some of the reindeer wandering through Grant Park. She's never seen an actual reindeer, up close and in person before, but there's something about it (or the hot chocolate) that makes her face light up in a smile, and she slowly starts to approach it, one hand coming out gently to rest against his muzzle.

"Hi there," she says softly. "Who are you?"

[ican_takeyou]

"Oh." Caroline lets out a soft sigh of relief, "I just thought suddenly of little kids having to deal with this sort of thing alone, without their family. It wasn't something I would wish on anyone, let alone a kid."

[tornadoinheels]

"Me either," Sara nods. "I barely can wrap my head around it most days. I can't imagine how a kid would deal with it."

[ican_takeyou]

Caroline nods, "It's sort of crazy. Sorry, I'm Caroline."

[tornadoinheels]

Sara gives her a small smile before extending a hand. "Sara Ellis. Nice to meet you."

[ican_takeyou]

Caroline shakes the woman's hand and smiles, "Have you been here long?"

[tornadoinheels]

"A few months?" she says with a bit of a shrug. "It feels like longer, but it really hasn't been."

[ican_takeyou]

"It does feel like longer, but I think that has a lot to do with the whole... strange place thing."

[tornadoinheels]

"True," she sighs. "Everything seems to drag itself out that way."

[ican_takeyou]

"I guess I'll get used to it, but I'm not sure I like that option."

[tornadoinheels]

"I don't think anyone does, really. But sometimes you have to roll with the punches."

[ican_takeyou]

"Well, I'm definitely learning to roll in this place."

[tornadoinheels]

She nods. "Me too."

[despitethemoon]

Connor hasn't been this up close and personal with a reindeer before, and you would think that he would've been, having lived in Chicago for as long as he has. But it's a first time for him as well, and he can't help but step forward. Maybe it's that he's a werewolf, and that part of him, even when dormant, seems to influence him a bit.

But he's always drawn to animals, and he reaches out to touch the side of it before giving Sara a small smile.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's not Rudolph. Has it been here long?" he asks, glancing around.

[tornadoinheels]

She shrugs as she glances over at him. "I don't know. I just got here -- but he doesn't seem to be spooked by all the people, so he might have been here longer than we think."

[despitethemoon]

"Gotta tell you, I've lived here a long time, but I can safely say I'd never seen one of these up close and personal. Heard about them popping up every Christmas, though," he says, flashing her a small smile before taking a step closer, hand petting the reindeer cautiously.