[moonchill] A Quiet Day

"You could have at at least given me a little bit of warning before popping their head off,  I'd prefer to keep snow out of my face" Rhythm spat out with  a mouthfull of the snowman's flesh. 

"Oh, but wheres the fun in that? And your face just now was PRICELESS, by the way. " Whimsy leaned on what remained of the snowman's body to take advantage of their borrowed height. "Plus, a smashing demise is far more glorious than whatever sad melting they would experience after we leave." 

Far from the larger events, three friends had come  to a favorite spot of theirs to celebrate Moonchill together. In this clearing the small stream still ran despite the cold, and  the wild critters gave them space.  An old  trunk made a great table for a warm meal shared, and a fallen tree a prime spot to watch the colors of the sunset past the mountains.  They exchanged small gifts beneath the large tree where their tent was pitched; small handmade tokens of their affection and gratitude.

"We'll need that carrot back for the stew, dont lose it! We only have so many veggies left this time of year." 
Starburst had chosen not to see the "surprise" Whimsy wanted to show off, prefering instead to relax in the running river after gathering enough snow to build the snowman.  The brisk water relieved the tension of the journey here, a release from the pressure of the larger celebrations. Here there were no expecations other than each other's company, and it was a welcome feeling.  

Rhythm's reaction belied a deeper affection for Whimsy's antics, and his joy to be able to join his new friends for the first time.  He wished for nothing more than to have more shared experiences like this, and for their bond to deepen.  The stew they made together was better than he could have imagined. The stew warmed Rhythm to his core, matching the joy he felt at being included in this small gathering. 

As the sun set, Whimsy pulled out two small gifts: clay figurines of Rhythm and Starburst, each striking a dynamic pose.  In spite of the quirks of their posture , each figure was lovingly crafted with immaculate detail and a small piece of fabric. Starburst's figure featured a shawl while the small Rhythm was given a matching scarf.  

"I'll be honest, making these was hard, but I really wanted to try and break out of what I normally do. You dont want to see all of my failed attempts...I really wasted a lot of clay..."  Whimsy was sheepish  in a way that was quite unlike earlier in the day. 

The sun vanished, and each of them looked forward to what would come in the next year.