Advent Drabblender, Day 1
For the shitennou_ai 2010 Advent Drabblender.
Part 1 of 24
Author: elvisvf101
Pairing: Serenity/Endymion
Prompt: Learning about the holiday
There is something different in the air. Serenity has only ever known the controlled perfection of the Moon. So she knows that something is different this time when she comes to the Earth. It was here that she first learned of heat, rain, wind and a thousand other strange quirks of Gaia that made the Earth so wild and alive. This one is stranger still.
Her whole skin feels as though she is holding a drink with ice. After a moment or two, her body begins to shake; her teeth in particular are chattering. Every time her bare feet touch the strange white powder on the ground, she jumps.
It is terrifying. She wants nothing more than to curl up into a ball on the ground. Perhaps this is what the old tales meant when they said the Earth was dangerous. She was trapped now, and she would be stranded and slowly starve!
She hears the sound of footsteps racing behind her. She is grateful to see Endymion rushing towards her. When he reaches her, he wraps her in something blessedly thick and warm as he takes her in his arms. She leans into him and closes her eyes…
***
She awakens later, wrapped in blankets before a roaring fire.
It’s not quite how she would have envisioned her first time in Endymion’s bed.
“How are you feeling little bunny?”
She smiles at his endearment. She knows it’s a bit backhanded and mocks her traditional hairstyle, but he does mean it with affection. And he hand that strokes her hair has tenderness enough.
“I like it in here! It’s so much nicer than outside. Why is it so cold outside Endymion?”
“Winter is finally here.”
Endymion had explained seasons once. She knew that spring was warm, summer was hot and humid, and fall made the leaves change colors. She had only heard that winter was when snow came. She had been looking forward to seeing snow for the first time. Endymion had seemed wistful when talking about it.
“I don’t like it! It’s cold!”
Endymion chuckles. “Yes, it is cold dearest, but that’s part of what makes this season so special.”
Serentiy pulls the blanket closer to her, wanting to bury herself in them. “I don’t see how it can be special. It’s awful!”
Endymion smiles as he crawls under the covers and holds her. She is always a bit on the cold side being from the Moon, but the poor thing really is still a bit frozen. Serenity happily snuggles into him.
“Winter is special because of the Yuletide.”
“What’s that?”
Endymion kisses her on the forehead before he continues.
“The Yuletide is our Winter Festival. It’s where we give thanks to Gaia. She watches over us in this time when the sun abandons us.”
“The sun abandons you?”
He holds her closer as he goes on. “Gaia was able to make the Earth because she tamed the sun. He is a proud and vain youth. He has great power, and doesn’t always use it responsibly. Gaia was able to convince him to not always shine upon the Earth so brightly, so that all things might be able to grow. And, when the sun comes, we are able to raise crops and reap great harvests, and we have long and blessed, beautiful days. So in the spring, we give thanks to him. But in the winter, when he leaves us, we are reminded that Gaia watches over us all year, and nurtures all things in her embrace. She sustains us even when the life-giving light of the sun is dim. So we give thanks to her, and we share her blessings with each other.”
There is a note of reverence in his voice. It’s so foreign to Serenity. There are no holidays on the Moon. It is a utopia, and every day is meant to be happy and joyful. Dances and parties are a regular occurrence. It is in coming to the Earth and learning of scarcity and things wild and untamed that Serenity has come to know of things like holidays.
“How do you celebrate?”
Endymion sighs with the fondness of memory.
“There are many traditions from all over Earth. But there are some common traditions. Before my father united the kingdoms, there was always a Yuletide Armistice. No on fought in the winter season. Many say that it was because it was too cold for the armies to fight, but I think people took Gaia’s blessings to heart. It is said the first true Yuletide happened when two kingdoms in the South were at war, and one had a poor harvest and had not the reserves to survive the winter. Their enemies showed them mercy and shared their own harvest with them. It was the start of a peace and friendship that lasted to this very day.”
The contentment in his voice begins to win Serenity over as she drifts back into sleep.
“Endymion?”
“Yes dearest?”
“Can we see the snow later?”
He chuckles as he kisses her forehead again, and his own breathing slows and deepens as sleep begins to overtake him.
“Yes dearest.”
***
When they awake, the snow has begun to fall again. Endymion dresses Serenity in a heavy cloak made of animal skins. Serenity wonders if she should be offended at being dressed in the pelt of an animal who was killed for it’s skin, but she has learned that things are not always what they seem on Earth.
Now, when she steps outside, it is still cold, but she finds that she doesn’t mind. And there is something magical about the falling flakes. It is as though the stars in the sky are descending to Earth, and the light of the Moon reflects from each one. They tickle as they fall on her eyelashes, her cheeks and her nose, and Endymion happily kisses each one away.
He teaches her to catch them on her tongue, and how to make snow angels.
And then he takes her back inside and teaches her what hot chocolate tastes like, and how pleasant it can be to watch the falling snow in front of a roaring fire in his arms.
He teaches her the joy of the season, and she decides that perhaps winter is not so bad after all.
Part 1 of 24
Author: elvisvf101
Pairing: Serenity/Endymion
Prompt: Learning about the holiday
There is something different in the air. Serenity has only ever known the controlled perfection of the Moon. So she knows that something is different this time when she comes to the Earth. It was here that she first learned of heat, rain, wind and a thousand other strange quirks of Gaia that made the Earth so wild and alive. This one is stranger still.
Her whole skin feels as though she is holding a drink with ice. After a moment or two, her body begins to shake; her teeth in particular are chattering. Every time her bare feet touch the strange white powder on the ground, she jumps.
It is terrifying. She wants nothing more than to curl up into a ball on the ground. Perhaps this is what the old tales meant when they said the Earth was dangerous. She was trapped now, and she would be stranded and slowly starve!
She hears the sound of footsteps racing behind her. She is grateful to see Endymion rushing towards her. When he reaches her, he wraps her in something blessedly thick and warm as he takes her in his arms. She leans into him and closes her eyes…
***
She awakens later, wrapped in blankets before a roaring fire.
It’s not quite how she would have envisioned her first time in Endymion’s bed.
“How are you feeling little bunny?”
She smiles at his endearment. She knows it’s a bit backhanded and mocks her traditional hairstyle, but he does mean it with affection. And he hand that strokes her hair has tenderness enough.
“I like it in here! It’s so much nicer than outside. Why is it so cold outside Endymion?”
“Winter is finally here.”
Endymion had explained seasons once. She knew that spring was warm, summer was hot and humid, and fall made the leaves change colors. She had only heard that winter was when snow came. She had been looking forward to seeing snow for the first time. Endymion had seemed wistful when talking about it.
“I don’t like it! It’s cold!”
Endymion chuckles. “Yes, it is cold dearest, but that’s part of what makes this season so special.”
Serentiy pulls the blanket closer to her, wanting to bury herself in them. “I don’t see how it can be special. It’s awful!”
Endymion smiles as he crawls under the covers and holds her. She is always a bit on the cold side being from the Moon, but the poor thing really is still a bit frozen. Serenity happily snuggles into him.
“Winter is special because of the Yuletide.”
“What’s that?”
Endymion kisses her on the forehead before he continues.
“The Yuletide is our Winter Festival. It’s where we give thanks to Gaia. She watches over us in this time when the sun abandons us.”
“The sun abandons you?”
He holds her closer as he goes on. “Gaia was able to make the Earth because she tamed the sun. He is a proud and vain youth. He has great power, and doesn’t always use it responsibly. Gaia was able to convince him to not always shine upon the Earth so brightly, so that all things might be able to grow. And, when the sun comes, we are able to raise crops and reap great harvests, and we have long and blessed, beautiful days. So in the spring, we give thanks to him. But in the winter, when he leaves us, we are reminded that Gaia watches over us all year, and nurtures all things in her embrace. She sustains us even when the life-giving light of the sun is dim. So we give thanks to her, and we share her blessings with each other.”
There is a note of reverence in his voice. It’s so foreign to Serenity. There are no holidays on the Moon. It is a utopia, and every day is meant to be happy and joyful. Dances and parties are a regular occurrence. It is in coming to the Earth and learning of scarcity and things wild and untamed that Serenity has come to know of things like holidays.
“How do you celebrate?”
Endymion sighs with the fondness of memory.
“There are many traditions from all over Earth. But there are some common traditions. Before my father united the kingdoms, there was always a Yuletide Armistice. No on fought in the winter season. Many say that it was because it was too cold for the armies to fight, but I think people took Gaia’s blessings to heart. It is said the first true Yuletide happened when two kingdoms in the South were at war, and one had a poor harvest and had not the reserves to survive the winter. Their enemies showed them mercy and shared their own harvest with them. It was the start of a peace and friendship that lasted to this very day.”
The contentment in his voice begins to win Serenity over as she drifts back into sleep.
“Endymion?”
“Yes dearest?”
“Can we see the snow later?”
He chuckles as he kisses her forehead again, and his own breathing slows and deepens as sleep begins to overtake him.
“Yes dearest.”
***
When they awake, the snow has begun to fall again. Endymion dresses Serenity in a heavy cloak made of animal skins. Serenity wonders if she should be offended at being dressed in the pelt of an animal who was killed for it’s skin, but she has learned that things are not always what they seem on Earth.
Now, when she steps outside, it is still cold, but she finds that she doesn’t mind. And there is something magical about the falling flakes. It is as though the stars in the sky are descending to Earth, and the light of the Moon reflects from each one. They tickle as they fall on her eyelashes, her cheeks and her nose, and Endymion happily kisses each one away.
He teaches her to catch them on her tongue, and how to make snow angels.
And then he takes her back inside and teaches her what hot chocolate tastes like, and how pleasant it can be to watch the falling snow in front of a roaring fire in his arms.
He teaches her the joy of the season, and she decides that perhaps winter is not so bad after all.