[ORP] Holiday Party!

[DemonBoyWonderr]

Virens fluttered excitedly around their home, clutching sprigs of mistletoe between her teeth and gently grasping poinsettias between her front paws. She strategically placed her plants all around the giant hollow in the tree trunk, adorning the entrance with the large red flowers and wedging the sprigs of holly and mistletoe into the interior bark of the tree and even intervals. This is where the pixies lived, generally alone, but today it was the location for their Solstice party.

It had been Lux's idea to invite foxes from all over to their home to celebrate, and Virens loved the idea. She was in charge of decorations, of course, and she started to clear out and decorate the space around their living tree now. Virens Vite, Lux Aeterna, Pareo Opulens, Inber Inesco, and Invino Veritas all lived together in a dense forest, at the center of which stood their clearing, a large, almost even circle where the forest fell back in deference to the largest tree for miles around: their living tree. In front of the entrance to the hollow, bordering their clearing, was a river that flowed North to South, and in the clearing just behind the Living Tree was a space sectioned off for Virens and Invino's garden, though there was nothing to tend to at this time of the year.

Virens wrapped beautiful vines of ivy around some of the tree trunks surrounding the clearing and made a mental note to ask Lux to invite the fireflies into the bushes surrounding them. It would make a nice lighting affect for the party, and Lux had such a way with the little lightning bugs. She stopped to examine her work around the clearing. They were surrounded by evergreens, all of which were covered in a light dusting of snow. The snowfall hadn't been too heavy, but it was enough to cover the floor of the clearing, except at the base of the Living Tree where the branches and pine needles were thickest. She glanced back toward the river: Inber and Invino were fishing as they had been in charge of food. There were quite a bit of salmon in the snow already. Pareo and Lux had left earlier that morning, their job being to help guide the other party-goers to their location for a bit. It was nearing the afternoon, and foxes would be arriving soon.

[426 words]  

[DemonBoyWonderr]

"It's so great to meet you, Lux," Noel said, as he followed the pixie through the dense forest to the location of the pixie's holiday party. He hadn't been invited to the party, hadn't known about it at all, but stumbled upon Lux and Pareo by chance at the edge of the forest as they waited for their guests to arrive. The two pixies were more than eager to invite him to join them, and Noel couldn't possibly turn down an invitation to a gathering in celebration of the solstice. Noel loved to be merry with other foxes and, as they say, 'tis the season.

He looked around the forest as they walked, frankly already turned around as the narrow path twisted, turned, and disappeared so often. "How do you all live here," he asked his guide with genuine curiosity. "It seems very difficult to navigate."

Lux's wings fluttered slightly as she led Noel between two close together trees. "It truly is something we had to adjust to," she agreed. "We're actually quite lucky there's no fog today. Most days the forest is thick with it. I found our home initially, led there by a few friendly fireflies." Her tail gave a little flick as she mentioned them. "Over time, I was able to help the others adjust as well. We all feel fully at home here now, despite the weather. Though we do realize it's not ideal for guests." Lux chuckled apologetically as this time they had to hop over a large tree trunk that had fallen into the path.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the hollow; the path may be difficult, but it really wasn't that long, and as long as you could hear the river you knew you weren't too far off course. "Virens," Lux called as she entered the clearing with Noel. "Inber, Invino." The other pixies stopped what they were doing to gather and meet their first party guest. "I'd like you to meet Noel. He happened to meet Pareo and I at the edge of the forest and was eager to join the party."


Noel smiled brightly at each of them in turn. "It's nice to meet you all!" He exclaimed, happy to be meeting a ton of new faces. He said each of their names in turn, committing them to memory. Lux didn't remain too long, not wanting to leave Pareo on his own. Before she left, however, she lit the bushes around the clearing by inviting her many firefly friends to land in them for the night. Her relationship with them was fascinating. Virens and Inber had to return to their preparations, so Invino agreed to give Noel a quick tour of the clearing.

"This place is a dream to live in," Invino said. "Everything we need to survive right here," he indicated to the river as Inber pulled another fish out for dinner, "and space enough for all of us and anything we might want to do." He showed Noel the space for gardens behind the living tree, as well as the huge hollow in the trunk. "You're welcome to go anywhere you want for the party,
of course, and you'd be welcome here anytime after, as well."

Noel wandered through the clearing alongside Invino, taking it all in with a smile on his face. "Thank you all for choosing to share your space with so many other foxes for tonight's celebration. The Solstice is such an important time of year, and I think it's important to honor it. It's a symbol of hope and coming together to make it through the tougher times."

"You've got it quite right, Noel," Invino nodded his approval.

[622]