[Kitsumi]

"Of course," Tyre stood hastily. He was slightly afraid that if he lingered too long now that Astrid was ready to move, that she would become upset with him. They had both agreed that until the new year, the three of them would spend the holidays together as a family. Tyre had even rented a cottage for the three of them to live in. So far, there had been little more than minor squabbles between the pair and Tyre was hoping to keep it that way.

Pointing to the spot on the map where the Petting Zoo was marked, Rosie began planning their path. "It looks like we're going to go past this Christmas tree first, then past a bakery. Are you guys going to want to stop at every spot along the way?"

The two adults looked at each other and shrugged. "Probably not every spot," Tyre finally said. "But wouldn't it be nice to look at the Christmas tree? You know how you like the lights. And our last meal was a while ago, so it might be nice to get something from the bakery as well."

Astrid nodded. "While we're here, we might as well see everything. You wouldn't want to miss anything would you, Rosie?" When the girl shook her head, Astrid smiled. "Then it makes sense to stop along the way, instead of making multiple trips along the same path, doesn't it? We don't have to stop very long. But now that you two have dragged me out here, I plan on getting as much out of this as possible."

[Post 4 -- Bonfire]

[Kitsumi]

After thinking about it for a moment, Rosie realized that her mother's point was valid. "Okay. I want to see everything too. I guess it's good to work on my patience every now and then. Waiting for the petting zoo will be good for me."

Tyre squeezed her shoulder and smiled proudly. "That's my girl. Let's go see the Christmas tree now." He took Rosie's left hand while Astrid took her right, and the three walked together towards the tree.

As they neared it, Tyre let out a low whistle. "That is one huge tree." His voice held admiration as he gazed from the top of the tree - having to tilt his head backwards to get it all in his line of vision - to the bottom. Rosie was tugging at his hand so he let her drag him closer. The scent of the tree filled his nostrils and he inhaled deeply. The smells and sounds surrounding the tree paired with the twinkling of lights and ornaments made the entire moment seem...magical.

[Post 5 -- Christmas Tree]

[Kitsumi]

Not all of the trio were impressed by the tree, however. While Rosie scanned through the presents as if she would somehow miraculously find her name on one and Tyre gently touched one of the branches of the tree, Astrid hung back. "I don't get what's so important about a tree," she said to herself. "It's just a plain, ordinary tree with lights put on it. We could do that to practically anything, at anytime."

She hadn't noticed Tyre coming towards her until his hand touched hers. On instinct she recoiled, looking up at him with a startled expression. But his face showed only gentleness and caring and she tentatively let his hand wrap around hers. "You're right, it's just an ordinary tree." Tyre pointed over to where their daughter was posing like a ballerina ornament that she had found. "The feeling of Christmas isn't about the tree, or the pretty lights. I think of it as being the opposite, actually. The lights and tree are decorations celebrating the feeling."

Astrid seemed frozen in place, unable to move. His sappy emotions should have made her want to laugh, or vomit. But there seemed to be a warmth creeping over her instead, starting in the hand that he held and spreading throughout the rest of her body.

[Post 6 -- Christmas Tree]

[Kitsumi]

"Mom, dad!" Rosie's voice tore through Astrid's thoughts, causing her to immediately drop Tyre's hand. She gave him one last, piercing look before turning her attention to her daughter. "Let me guess - you're ready to move on now?"

The girl grinned and nodded in response. "I'm starting to get kinda hungry, so I was hoping we could move on to the bakery. And since neither of you are really looking at the tree I figured that would be okay with you guys. So can we go to the bakery now, please? I really want a cookie, or a cupcake or something. Do you think they have brownies?"

Tyre seemed slightly disappointed that his moment with Astrid had been ruined, but he couldn't help but smile at Rosie's excitement. "I'm sure they do. You don't want to get too many sweets though. Let's go and see what they're selling before we plan on eating everything."

[Post 7 - Christmas Tree]

[Kitsumi]

It didn't take very long to get to the bakery. Tyre offered to purchase their sweets while Astrid and Rosie found a place to sit down. He took his place in line while the mother and daughter settled into a couple of chairs and removed their coats and gloves. Inside the bakery, it was cozy and warm. The smell was absolutely heavenly, and both females were practically drooling by the time Tyre returned.

"Here we are," he said, taking a seat next to Rosie and across from Astrid. "I have a turtle brownie for my Rosie, peanut butter fudge for myself and the largest piece of chocolate cake they had for Astrid." He pushed a plate with dessert on it in front of each of the girls.

While Rosie and Tyre took small bites of their treat, savoring it, Astrid dug in with a fervor. The sounds she made as she devoured the cake weren't the sort of sounds that one would expect to come from a simple action such as eating. At a nearby table, a mother covered her son's ears and glared at Astrid, but that didn't seem to bother the demigoddess in the slightest.

[Post 8 -- Bakery]

[Kitsumi]

Astrid's antics only served to amuse Rosie, who giggled into her napkin. Tyre however, was appalled. He leaned closer to the woman, hoping to find a way to get her to eat in a more ladylike fashion. "Astrid, you're drawing a lot of attention you know," he whispered. "Maybe you should be a bit more quiet?"

The woman looked up at him and glared. "Excuse me? Don't tell me how I can and can't eat." She shoved one more piece of cake into her mouth and made her loudest noise yet, just to spite him. He rubbed his temples while she grinned, showing a mouth smeared with chocolate frosting. "What's wrong?" she said with her mouth still half full. "Can't you bear to be seen in public with me?"

"Astrid..." Tyre began in a warning voice, but the woman didn't give him the chance to speak. "I'm going to get a few more treats," she said. "I'm afraid that one piece of cake just isn't enough for me." She walked over to the counter, leaving Tyre to watch her in disbelief.

[Post 9 -- Bakery]

[Kitsumi]

Ignoring the shocked looks of other patrons, Astrid stood in line to get another helping of goodies. As she leaned around the lady in front of her to count how many people were in line before her, Astrid thought she saw something dash behind the counter. It moved so fast that she couldn't be sure what it was, but she had seen something moving. For a long while she stared at the spot where the thing had vanished, wondering if it would pop back into her line of sight.

But as the line grew shorter, there was no sign that there was anything living behind the counter other than the two women serving the customers. Astrid sighed. She was probably starting to go crazy. All the paranoia from attempting to keep Rosie out of her father's evil schemes was getting to her. At least, that's what she hoped was causing this.

When she plopped back into her seat, Rosie and Tyre stared at the tray she had set down in amazement. "What?" she asked. "Haven't you ever seen baked goods before?"

[Post 10 -- Bakery]

[Kitsumi]

"I've seen baked goods," Tyre countered. "Just not so many on one tray. You don't plan on eating those all yourself, do you? I think you have enough there to feed a small army."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I just wanted to try everything. You guys are welcome to share if you want." She pointed out the different items on her tray and began listing what they were. There were at least three different types of cookies, a rice crispy treat, two cupcakes, an assortment of small truffles and some sort of pastry with nuts in it. "Okay, maybe I did go a little overboard." Astrid finally admitted after she was done explaining what each and every item was. "But it's Christmastime - I can go overboard if I want."

Smiling from ear to ear, Rosie grabbed one of the cupcakes and took a big bite. "I think it's awesome!" she said gleefully. "Now we can try all of these!" She offered the cupcake to her father, hoping to keep her parents from starting a fight in the middle of the crowded bakery. "Here daddy, try this. The icing tastes like candy canes."

[Post 11 -- Bakery]

[Baconwizard]

There was nothing there. Ava straightened up, a confused look on her face. She had definitely seen something. Frowning, Ava looked back towards the bonfire, and then she shivered. Maybe it was time to move on. There was a lot more for her to see. Her boots crunching against the light dusting of snow on the hard ground, Ava looked up at the sky. Hopefully, it would snow. Then it would be a white Christmas. Smiling at the thought, Ava picked up her pace.

She walked past the large Christmas tree, her eyes lighting up at the grand scale of the tree and the decorations. "Oh, how wonderful!" She exclaimed, clasping her mittened hands together. Bouncing on her feet, Ava felt that same wave of elation wash through her. Glancing around, Ava wondered if anyone thought she was weird. Or maybe someone understood how she felt. She took a few steps closer to the tree, peering at all the presents collected underneath it.

"I wonder who they're for?" She wondered aloud. Certainly, they weren't empty. Picking one up, Ava felt the weight and misshapen shape. There definitely was a toy in that. Oh, there was even a name tag! "For... Jesse, from Santa Claus." Ava giggled, then put Jesse's present on the ground. This definitely was a magical time of year.

Ava: Christmas Tree --- 3

[Baconwizard]

What was next? Ava didn't really see any point in hanging around the Christmas tree anymore. She might come back later, though, the decorations were so pretty, and Ava couldn't help but give the tree one more glance before she left. Breathing out steam into the cold air, Ava walked along, listening to the happy chatter of the people around her.

Smelling something in the air, Ava paused before a little shop. "A bakery!" She gasped, her eyes lighting up. Almost immediately her hand went to her wallet, and she tried to calculated how many cookies she could by and still have money for the bus home. Oh, it smelled so good... As if she was in a trance, Ava followed her nose inside, shuddering a little as the pastry-smelling warmth washed over her. It was crowded, though, and Ava shuffled over to the side, out of the way. She didn't want to enter the line just yet; she was content to just stand in the warm for a little while.

Her attention was caught by a little family that was close to her, the same family she had seen before, that was clustered around a tray of cookies. Ava's eyes lit up at the sight of reindeer shaped cookies, and cupcakes with Santa Icing. "How cute!" She exclaimed, a little louder than she intended, and she quickly covered her mouth, hoping that the family didn't think that she was weird.

Ava: Bakery --- 4

[zapdragon555]

Once he'd gotten past the awkward moment of accepting bread from the woman, he moved into the crowd of people with it towards the fountain. His eyes grew furtive, and he slipped off to the side to sit on the bench nearby. With a soft huff he sat down, looking at the piece of bread with a hunger in his eyes, and he quickly scarfed it down, rolling it into a small cone and eating it in a few bites. He swallowed with some difficulty and sat back on the bench, pressing his shoulderblades to the edge of the backpiece of the bench, inwardly hoping no one saw him eat the bread.

Cody sighed through his nose, looking up at the sky. It was such a clear night, and he wondered inwardly what would happen if he made it snow. Just to see a few people smile... Cody quickly scrapped the thought, and instead settled on the bench for a moment, letting himself relax. His stomach strained against the new offering of food, and he curled up slightly, his small body curving over as he put one knee to his chin, leaning on it as he watched the people walk by.

[4 - The Fountain]

[zapdragon555]

"Mind if I sit here, friend?"

Cody's entire body jumped to attention at the sound of a voice very close to him, and his head shot up, his glasses dipping down the bridge of his nose as he let out a soft 'eh?' sound. Cody blinked wide-eyed up at the man standing beside the bench, the mop of orange hair on his head just as startling as the light scottish lilt to his voice was strangely calming. Cody blinked a few times, then nodded quietly and stood up, motioning for the man to sit down.

"Eh? Oh, no no no," the man stammered, waving his hands in front of him to stop Cody. "I meant... no, you can sit there, please! Please sit," he said, and Cody blinked, quickly nodding again and sitting down, a bit afraid of this man. Why was he talking to Cody? Who was he? Cody swallowed, some memory crawling up the back of his neck at that red hair, those kind eyes... it was almost like...

"What I meant was... may I sit beside you? If it's alright?" the man asked, his turquoise eyes--yes, that's what was different. Turquoise, not brown--bright with hopefulness. Cody stared at him, then nodded his head slowly, unsure how to feel about sharing the bench with someone he didn't know, nor knew the intentions of. But... he sure was a strange looking person. His robes looked like some kind of costume... maybe he was playing a wise man, or something?

[5 - The Fountain]

[zapdragon555]

And he had a lute, too. Cody noticed that when the man sat down beside him with a heavy sigh, as if the weight of the instrument and thick clothes on him was weighing heavily on his shoulders. Cody peered at his profile curiously, tilting his head slightly at the grey streaks in the man's red hair, and he drew in a breath of surprise as the man suddenly turned his bright gaze on Cody.

"I'm the Minstrel!" he exclaimed, sticking a hand out that made Cody flinch, and the Minstrel seemed to notice, for he quickly retracted his hand with a much softer motion than the previous. "It's nice to meet you," he added in a gentler tone, smiling and nodding his head.

Cody stared at his knees, still a little startled by the Minstrel's friendliness, and he blinked up at him, meeting his eyes for a moment before quickly looking away. "C...C-cody," he mumbled, nodding once. "L-likewise..." That was partially a lie. Cody was very much used to going off on his own; this sudden company was as unexpected as it was confusing.

[6 - The Fountain]

[zapdragon555]

And then of course there was that name. Cody wasn't one to pry, ever, at least not as of late. But old habits died hard. He always was a nosy little chump when he was a kid. "Um... M-Minstrel? That's... th-that's your name, then?" Cody asked, shifting a little on the bench to face the Minstrel a little better, pulling both legs up onto the bench and tucking them neatly under himself.

"Yep! That's right," the Minstrel said with a beaming grin, nodding his head. "It's a good name, don't you think? Cody's a good name, too." Cody blinked owlishly at that, then fell silent, somewhat satisfied with this answer. Cody had never really considered his name to be a good name, but then, he guessed it was alright, even if he never was able to say it right as a kid with that speech impediment that never quite fully left.

"Ahh, but this is such a nice place, isn't it?" the Minstrel continued, sitting up straighter to look up at the fountain. "There's so many people enjoying themselves. I was doing that, too, but I got a bit winded, walking around in this cold!"

[7 - The Fountain]

[zapdragon555]

"Mm," Cody murmured, more to just react to the man's words than to really respond. Just to show he was listening. The Minstrel side-eyed him for a moment, then smiled, tilting his head.

"So what are you doing sitting here? Did you get tired running around?" he asked brightly, scooting a bit to face Cody, one knee on the bench and ankle crossed over his other leg. "It's a lot of commotion."

"No," Cody began, pawing at his own hair slightly to smooth it out on his shoulder. "I-I just... crowds, um... they..." he trailed off, shrugging, and a new understanding flickered in the Minstrel's eyes.

"Ahhh, yes, yes... that's very understandable. Crowds can be hectic. It's okay for you to stand on the sidelines for a bit," he said softly, nodding with a knowing smile. "I love crowds, but only happy ones. Angry crowds are different," he mused, looking at the geese for a moment, and he chuckled, bringing his lute around to the front of him. "Song requests?"

[8 - The Fountain]