December 24th, 2022

A Winterveil Stocking Stuffer

    The holiday’s are not easy for everybody. How does one fight off the holiday blues? Some do it by finding solace in the written word, others find it in music…yet others throw themselves into the world of drink and merriment in an effort to try and battle back for just a little while. It just so happens that one Kalec Sunwhisper found himself in this very predicament and wound up with a night on the town in Dalaran. It started off with a fine dinner, roasted pork and a seasonal dessert which led to checking in on some old friends. This in turn lead to trips from bar to tavern and then into the company of a small group of adventurers who were passing through town and on the way out for various places afterwards. They were in the midst of a Winterveil party and not only offered him a place to sit and join them but also planted a large fuzzy red cap with white fur trim upon his head so that he could celebrate along with them.

    For a little bit, the cold pang of being alone on the holiday lessened in Kalec’s chest. Stories were told. Drinks were poured and shared and laughs were had. That was one of the perks of having been involved in that sort of life Kalec had found: You had something in common with a surprising amount of people and that would let you put a foot in the door for conversation and perhaps even a favor for further down the road should your luck turn bad.  In this case though it led to a young human woman in the group catching his eyes with her own and the pair of them trading looks at one another as well as casual flirtations all through the evening.

    When finally the call rang out for the last orders of drinks just past the second chime of the bells, the young woman who had introduce herself to him as Az, slipped a small folded piece of paper across the table to him with a soft smile and then went towards the bar to fetch the last round of drinks.

    Kalec looked at the others for a moment, but they were involved in their own conversations or efforts to get that last drop of precious booze and had not noticed the small exchange. The little slip was brief, but it still made a smirk touch his lips. “I want to chat more, if you would. Meet me outside after the last round.” With a turn back to the group at large, he raised the last of his drink into the air and wished those whom he had been seated with a pleasant evening and a Merry Winterveil before he bowed to the table and turned to head out into the cool night-soaked streets of Dalaran.

    He pushed up against the side of the building to the tavern and reached into the pouch at his side to remove a small bit of paper and enchanted tobacco that he quickly rolled into a cigarette and lit up. The first drag went into his lungs as smooth as silk and left when he exhaled to float away into the night sky as a silver-blue cloud. There was something to be said about a quiet moment to help one’s thoughts tumble into the proper places in the mind. He had found that Dalaran was good for such things, especially in the early morning hours when the streets cleared out and only the sound of footfalls and the occasional call of a stray cat rang out from an alleyway in the light of the moons. There was a simple bliss to getting lost in the sights, sounds, and scents of the city he had come to call his home in the early morning hours. He was barely into his third drag when Az stepped outside and made an adjustment to the cloak she wore around her shoulders and then to the fuzzy green cap upon her head she still wore from the party inside. He gave her a small wave and with that same smile he had seen earlier she nodded to him and walked closer.

    “That’s quite a look for you, Kalec. Pensive…with a hint of the festive.” Az said as she came closer, a delicate finger pointing at his chest and then up towards his head.

    Kalec looked at her for a moment and then realization struck, he was still wearing the silly Winterveil hat he had been given. “I thought I would keep hold of it through new years. It really brings out the color of my eye, don't you think?” He smiled a little and made a gesture towards his single golden orb.

    Az gave a soft laugh and stepped in beside him before she crossed her arms and looked him over for a moment, “The color, perhaps. Certainly the casual glanced towards my bust-line at the table.” Her hand reached over and plucked the cigarette from between his fingers and then raised it to her own lips for drag. She turned and pushed up beside him, her back against the tavern wall before she gave a slow exhale and nodded in approval then passed the cigarette back to him.

    “Apparently,” Kalec said as he took one final pull from the smoke and then crushed it out under his boot, “I should learn a bit more restraint when I’m drinking. My apologies about that if I of-”

    Az interrupted him with a smile, “Offended me? More like flattered me. It’s not everyday I get to flirt with someone so…”

    “Old and pointy eared?” Kalec interjected with a note of amusement in his voice.

    “Handsome. Though those other parts are certainly part of the charm I have to say,” Az pushed off the wall where she had leaned in beside him. “So tell me, Kalec. Would a handsome, old and pointy eared man such as yourself be opposed to having a walk with me through the dangerous and seedy streets of Dalaran to find a place to sleep for the night?”

    Kalec looked past Az for a moment at the street they were on and gave a shake of his head, “Seedy. Right, well I suppose it would only be polite being that it’s the Holiday and all. Though if you want, as a favor to a fellow adventurer, I have a perfectly comfortable spare bedroom you can sleep the hangover off in should you like. Consider it a Winterveil present.”

    Az laughed and made a gesture towards the streets, “Far be it from me to pass up such a generous gift of hospitality. Do you think we could indulge in a bit more to drink and maybe a bite to eat too?”

    “I didn’t know that my offer would have to involve room service for my guest,” Kalec said as he tried to sound serious and slightly offended but it failed to land as he cracked a smile and offered her his arm to take as he started to walk away. “My dear Az, you shall find that your proverbial holiday stocking has been stuffed full of delights before morning arrives.”

    “Well I certainly hope it’s not just a stocking that receives such attention from you,” Az said before she hooked an arm into his own and followed along beside him. “That would be like a lump of coal for sure.”

***

An image set that came about after some discussion of fun and interesting ways to get past those lonely holiday blues in moments of conversation, good cheer, or simply the sweet and sweaty presence of another person who is just as desperately trying to fend off the same feelings as you might be.

Featuring the following OC:

Aztharoth - @Aztharoth11

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