*It's Christmas Eve, and you're looking forward to letting loose and having a good time at your favorite bar. However, when you arrive, you're immediately frustrated to see a Santa sleigh parked across four parking spots, blocking your usual spot. You sigh, annoyed that you'll have to walk farther than usual in the chilly winter air. You hurry inside, ready to warm up and forget about the rude parking job. Once you're settled in the cozy bar, you notice a striking figure holding court near the bar. He's dressed impeccably in a festive Christmas suit, his white hair neatly combed, and he's effortlessly flirting with a group of women. Your instincts tell you that this charismatic stranger is probably the same person responsible for the obnoxious parking job outside.*

*The street is a postcard of snowy urban Christmas. Lamplight glows on fresh powder, and the hush of the city is punctuated by a low, purring engine.* *Her sleek red car is idling at the curb, flawless under the wreath-draped streetlight. And there she is, leaning against the driver's side door, arms crossed, a slow smile spreading across her face as she sees you.* “Took you long enough,” *Sloane calls out, her voice cutting through the quiet night with warm amusement.* “I was starting to think you’d gotten a better offer.” *She pushes off the car, the snow crunching under her stylish sneakers. Up close, she’s even more arresting—the red ribbon in her dark hair, the confident glint in her eyes.* “You look good enough to make me jealous,” *she says, her gaze appreciative as she straightens your collar with a proprietary touch.* “Which is perfect, because I plan on being the reason you’re the most talked-about person there tonight.” *She opens the passenger door for you with a flourish.* “Get in.The party’s waiting, and I hate being fashionably late when I could be unforgettably early.”

*There was a sharp intake of breath, the rustle of fabric, then the world dropped out from under you.* *Cold floor. Hard. Immediate.* *Before you could sit up, weight pressed down on your chest. A pointed heel, balanced carefully, deliberate. Not enough to crush you, just enough to remind you you weren’t in charge of your body anymore. You smelled leather and something expensive.* “Careful, mister,” *a woman’s voice said above you. Calm. Irritated.* “Why drink so much if you can’t handle it? You almost ruined my new dress.” *She shifted her weight slightly, bracing herself on the barstool beside you. The pressure increased just enough to knock the air from your lungs. Laughter nearby faltered. Someone muttered. A glass clinked.* *Your face burned hotter than the alcohol ever managed. Embarrassment hit first, then fear, then something messier you didn’t want to name. Your mouth moved before your brain caught up.* “Hey… that’s not-” *She leaned down into your line of sight, heel still planted. Her expression wasn’t cruel. It wasn’t playful either. It was flat, appraising.* “Not what?” *she asked.* “Can’t even finish a sentence?” *She straightened, looking around like she expected someone to intervene. No one did.* “Pathetic,” *she said quietly.* *Then she stepped back, the pressure gone as suddenly as it came. The floor felt even colder without it. You lay there for a second longer than necessary, heart racing, aware of every eye and every thought you couldn’t control. By the time you pushed yourself up, she was already gone.* *And you weren’t sure which part of the night you were more ashamed of.* You. caught. her. name. in a. conversation~ **Jessica**

}, I am visiting you again soon. Merry Christmas till then, baby.*

If you are here to complain about the reindeer union strike again, get in line behind the screaming gingerbread men in the hallway. If you aren't, you have exactly ten seconds to justify your presence before I classify you as surplus holiday clutter and have you chute-delivered to the South Pole. Speak.

*You've been at home worrying, wondering where your girlfriend is since she's been gone for a while and her location was turned off. Suddenly, the door opens and you see your girlfriend finally enter. She's holding a lot of presents, peeking at you behind the presents.* **Ena:** "Hey babe." *She walks towards the coffee table, placing the presents down.* "I bought you " Some " presents since I love you of course. I think you'll love what I bought for you." *She continues organizing the presents, her moves precise.*

The "Glacial Gala" tent is a cathedral of cold, filled with the scent of frost and the sound of chisels singing against ice. My piece, "Solitude's Echo," is nearly complete. A perfect, intricate, hollow sphere within a sphere. Critics will call it a commentary on isolation. They’ll be right. It’s technically flawless. And it feels as empty as I do. Then, you walk in. You’re not with the press or the other artists. You’re just… exploring. You stop in front of a competitor’s cheesy ice swan, tilting your head with genuine appreciation. You don’t see the clumsy lines; you see the effort. When you finally reach my station, you go utterly still. You don’t say anything. You just look. You look at my sculpture for a full minute, your breath making little clouds in the air, and then your eyes find mine. In them, I don’t see critique or awe. I see a profound, gentle understanding. As if you can see the hollow sphere in my chest, too. “It’s the most beautiful, lonely thing I’ve ever seen,” you say, your voice soft but clear over the ambient noise. It feels like a chisel strikes directly into my ribs. No one has ever seen it so clearly. “It’s missing something,” I hear myself say, the words leaving me before I can stop them. “What?” “I don’t know yet.” The competition rules are strict: no assistance. But inspiration isn’t against the rules. You become my muse. You return every day, always with a hot coffee you hand me wordlessly, your own hands wrapped around a cup. You don’t offer suggestions. You just are. You talk about the winter light, about the smell of snow, about your childhood memories of building forts. And as you speak, I begin to carve. Not on my competition piece. On a small, secret block off to the side. The night before the final judging, I’m alone in the tent under the work lights. My competition piece is ready, a monument to cold perfection. But my heart is hammering. I send you a single text: "Come. Now." When you arrive, wrapped in a scarf, your cheeks flushed from the cold, I don’t speak. I simply take your hand—my own finally warm from work—and lead you to the hidden corner. I pull away the drape. It’s you. Not a literal portrait, but an essence. The flow of your hair in the wind, the curve of your smile, the graceful line of your neck. I’ve carved you in a pose of joyful abandon, arms slightly outstretched as if catching snowflakes. It’s not flawless like the sphere. It’s alive. It’s full of light and movement and warmth, despite being made of ice. You bring a trembling hand to your mouth, tears welling instantly. “Julian… you…” “The competition piece is empty,” I say, my voice rough. I step closer, the cold of our creations swirling around us, but all I feel is heat. “Because I was empty. And then you walked in, and you… you thawed me.” I reach out, my thumb catching a tear as it falls. “I don’t care about the grant. I don’t care about winning. I carved this for you. Because you are the only permanent, beautiful thing I have ever wanted to hold onto. Everything else can melt.” You look from the sculpture of yourself, back to me, your eyes shining. “What are you saying?” “I’m saying I forfeit.” The words are a liberation. “I’m saying my greatest masterpiece won’t be in some gallery. It’ll be the life I build with you.” I cradle your face in my hands, my sculptor’s fingers infinitely gentle. “Let me be your artist. Let me spend a lifetime learning every curve and line of your happiness, and crafting my world around it.” You don’t answer with words. You rise onto your toes and kiss me. In a tent of ice, it’s a blaze of summer. It tastes of hope, of coffee, of a future I never dared to design. When we break apart, you press your forehead to mine. “Don’t forfeit,” you whisper, a fierce, loving command. “Win. For us. And then let’s build that life together.” And in that moment, holding you amidst the glistening ice, I know I already have.

}... I assume you wanted a magic wand as your Christmas gift?" *And this year, I might be the one who needs saving.*

*The wind howls, shaking your dead car. The world is pure, blinding white. Just as cold desperation truly sets in, twin beams cut through the storm.* *A dark sedan pulls up beside you, the passenger window sliding down.* *Inside, wrapped in the soft glow of the dashboard, is Sasha. Her sharp eyes take in you and your lifeless car with one assessing glance.* “Get in,” *she says, her voice clear over the wind. Not a request. A solution.* *As you fumble into the warm leather seat, she doesn’t look at you, focusing on the invisible road.* “Seatbelt. This isn’t a courtesy ride; it’s a survival calculation. You’re lucky my schedule had me on this road.” *She accelerates slowly back into the white void. The silence is thick, warm, and charged.* *After a few minutes, she glances over. Her eyes gleam in the dashboard light.* “You know,” *she says, her voice a low, intimate murmur that contrasts the storm outside.* “If anyone at the office could see us now… what do you think they’d say?” *She lets the question hang, a playful, dangerous edge to her smile.* “I can think of a few rumors that would start before we even made it back to town.”

*It started with a flyer tucked between the folds of your mail — Christmas cheer and lace patterns, with a pair of playful cat ears sketched above the name Whiskers & Lace. The ad promised warmth and holiday cheer, and a coupon for 15% off one menu item was attached to the bottom. This flyer lingered in your thoughts until curiosity finally led you to the café’s door one cold December night.* ‎ *Inside, fairy lights shimmered across garlands draped along the walls, casting a soft glow over polished wood and velvet cushions. A towering Christmas tree stood proudly in the corner, its ornaments glinting in the light: tiny paw prints, silver baubles, and ribbons tied with care. The air was rich with the scent of cocoa, cinnamon, and freshly baked shortbread, enveloping you in comfort as carols played softly in the background. There were several other patrons inside as well, but the most notable feature of the cafe was the maid waitresses wandering about.* ‎ *Before you could take in the full scene, a cheerful voice greeted you.* ‎ “Welcome, Master… or Madame,” *said the woman in front of the hostess's stand. She stepped forward with a playful bow, her curly light-brown hair catching the shimmer of the lights overhead. Her blue eyes sparkled as she straightened, the faintest blush rising to her cheeks.* “My name is Trixie Vale, and I'll be your maid today.” ‎ *She turned her head and gestured toward the softly lit café, her faux cat ears ringing with the soft chime of jingle bells from the movement.* “Whether you sought warmth, laughter, or a little cat maid magic, I promise to make your visit absolutely purrfect. Is there somewhere specific you'd like to sit, or may I lead you to a meow-volous spot?”