[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

That night, Crax made delicate souffles followed by beef wellington cooked to perfection, with fresh roast vegetables and a deep ruby-red wine. He had selected a fruity berry wine for dessert, to accentuate the rich chocolate tart with almonds and nougat chunks, and hoped Candy would like it all.

Candy, for her part, watched him make dinner with delight. Not only were the scents of the food driving her wild, that particular tart recipe was one that she had designed and adored, and she couldn't wait to taste it made by such a wonderful cook. She had little doubt that he would do it justice, and was confident in her assertion that he would make it even better than she did.

[16]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

That night after dinner (which had, of course, been a tremendous success), Candy sat down to plan the centrepiece for the table for Thursday's Thanks For Life Day meal. Crax had intended to buy one but she had insisted, saying that it was much more special to have a hand-made one this year. She made a list of the things she would need, as they were going into the town centre the next day and would be exploring the shops before stopping for lunch in the Inn.

Crax watched her with amusement; they had often worked in the same room as each other, claiming the other's presence calmed them and enhanced their designing process. He admired the sketches she had produced of the intended product - a full cornucopia, stuffed with fruit raised by an autumn wreath, with the table bedecked with smaller table decorations made of candles surrounded by flowers, and joined together by vines.

[17]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

It wouldn't be a problem getting what was needed, thought Crax; most of the town was selling materials for this purpose, and Candy was a good improviser. If they couldn't get something specific she would be able to think of something to replace it, and they would be able to pick up plenty of autumn leaves for free simply by walking around.

"Will you be needing my help for any of it?" he asked pleasantly, enjoying the smile on her face as she worked. He liked to offer even if he knew she would decline, just in case she did want him to help - she may not need it, but she did seem to enjoy his company, and sometimes asked just to have him there with her. "No thank you," she replied cheerfully; "I want the final product to be a surprise - besides, you'll have your hands full in the kitchen. I believe with the amount you're planning to make, you'll be cooking from early morning!"

[18]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Crax chuckled at her comment and returned to the book he had been reading whilst she sketched. She was right, of course; he would be busy in the kitchen, and would miss her company since she would be decorating the table in the dining room whilst he worked. She had already forbidden him from passing through, which meant he was restricted to the downstairs bathroom, kitchen, pantry and conservatory for the day, and he assumed she also intended to dress up the room - she did have a flair for the dramatic, after all, and once she got started she wouldn't stop until she deemed the project finished.

Eventually it was time for bed, and Crax happily made them both a cup of fresh hot chocolate to take with them. They were looking forward to the next day and all it would bring, and both went to sleep quickly.

[19]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Candy was so excited; everywhere were shops selling all sorts of vibrant goods, from premade autumn wreaths and do-it-yourself cornucopia kits, to fresh-baked seasonal pastries and candies. The storefronts were decorated lavishly in seasonal decor, and she was practically bouncing in her yellow ankle-length dress with matching shoes. Crax had called her an 'autumn daffodil' when he saw her that morning, and the thought had brought a smile to her face.

They went from shop to shop, sampling and scrutinizing, and by lunchtime she had everything she needed - except a grand selection of autumn leaves, which they were planning to pick up after lunch. Crax had agreed to help her gather them - though he would have loved to just watch, he didn't want them to be out for too long that afternoon, as it would get chilly quite quickly once the sun began to set.

[20]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Lunch was spent in the Inn as planned; they had personally been served by the Innkeeper who was more than happy to accept their thanks for the floral gift, and called his wife out to meet them. Candy was overjoyed; she loved warm people, and the kindly Innkeepers were as warm and as welcoming as could be.

A rich game pie and roasted seasonal vegetables, thick mashed potatoes and a gravy that she could never hope to match were served, and Candy and Crax cleared their plates with enthusiasm. For dessert, tall glasses of champagne and a thick slice of pecan pie, with homemade chocolates, cream and coffee to finish. By the time they left, they felt full and somewhat sleepy - the effects of eating so well in such a cozy space - and lazily walked around town gathering leaves as they fell.

[21]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Crax had planned a light dinner for that evening, for he had fully expected them to be stuffed to bursting upon leaving the Inn. A light starter of goat's cheese in delicate pastry parcels on a bed of dressed lettuce, followed by grilled salmon, cauliflower and asparagus, and a light rose wine made with autumn berries made up the main meal, and they sat down to eat at the dining table with candles instead of the chandelier to add to the coziness.

Candy and Crax ate, and conversed lightly about their plans for the next day. "Please help me hang up the garlands of repelling herbs tonight; I'd like to get it done quickly, and an extra pair of hands would be a big help" Candy asked lightly when they had finished, and Crax was clearing the table for dessert. "Of course" he answered; every year, they hung garlands of sweet-smelling herbs around wherever they were staying to repel the horde of Turkezilla on Thanks For Life day, and they weren't about to break with tradition just because they were full and sleepy.

[22]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

When Crax brought out a delicately sugared raspberry pavlova, complete with strawberry sauce, clotted cream and a scoop of strawberry ice-cream, Candy beamed. Evidently she was living up to her name - whilst her full name was Candice, everyone had agreed that Candy suited her sweet-tooth much better, and so she now chose to go by it all of the time.

"Mmm, delicous!" she declared, as she took the first bite of meringue and fruit. A light, fruity, creamy dessert was just what they needed after their filling day, and it was refreshing when paired with the sweet orange champagne he had served in tall glasses. They finally retired to the living room, where they sat in comfortable silence as they read their books, content to be in each other's company.

[23]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Perhaps it would be a good idea to put up the garlands now" yawned Crax, as the clock chimed ten. Candy agreed with him wholeheartedly; she too was sleepy from all the good food and the day's activities, and she was looking forward to going to sleep.

They went around the house together; doors were locked, bolted and a garland was hung over and around the doorframe to ward off the rampaging horde that would pass by the next day. Windows were shut, locked and barred, and would not be opened until Thanks For Life Day had passed; a garland was woven through the bars for good measure, and Crax and Candy felt sure in their safety and content in their handiwork. Finally, they wished each other goodnight and went off to bed, falling asleep with anticipation for the next day.

[24]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The next morning, Crax and Candy were awoken by the sounds of stampeding past the house. Both listened from their rooms before venturing out into the house - after all, you couldn't be too careful on this day. Once they were sure they were out of reach of the horde, they relaxed and Crax made a light breakfast - scrambled eggs on toast with flaked salmon. He apologised for it not looking too elegant, but Candy simply laughed and reminded him that it was what it was, and what it was was delicious. They ate with good humour, before making their way to get ready for the day.

[25]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Candy came downstairs after her shower dressed in a warm brown turtleneck sweater, delicate baby pink bootleg jeans, brown furry boots, and a bright pink belt. Crax was amazed once again at her fashion sense, though he felt he shouldn't have been - she was an interior designer, after all. He grinned when she blushed and smiled at him, before shooing him into the kitchen to begin the day's preparations.

Thanks For Life Day was going to be the turning point, she could feel it; Candy trusted her instincts above all else, and it told her something big was going to happen. She wanted the day to be extra-special, so she had purposely gathered extra decorating materials whilst they were shopping and now it was time to get to work.

[26]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The first step would be the centrepiece; Candy had brought her sketches with her, as well as all of the decorating materials, and she set to it with a will. The DIY cornucopia set was fairly easy to assemble - the woven horn was already there, she merely needed to fit it to the stand and decorate it with fruit, leaves and flowers. Next came the table decorations, but Candy set out where the dishes would go first so as to leave space.

Delicate strands of fabric in various autumn colours and long twisting dried vines were twisted together to make a garland and woven in-between where the plates would go. In-between the folds of this, she placed candles in red and yellow marbled glass candle holders, which were then surrounded with autumn leaves and flowers.

[27]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Delicate brandy glasses (also marbled in autumn colours)were filled with dried seeds and acorns and were then placed in the spaces left between the candles, and more garlands were added to the table legs.

Candy then turned to look at the chairs; she had bought a lot of fabric, and it would be very useful here (together with a portable sewing machine which she had borrowed from Crax that morning) as the chairs did not match the look she was going for. She began to take measurements from the chairs and draw up a pattern, and before long the chair seats bore matching coverlets to the table garlands.

More fabric strips were plaited together to form another set of long garlands, and this was woven into the cut-out chair backs. She stood back to admire her work; the table was done, as were the chairs, but the room didn't quite look festive enough yet.

[28]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

A few hours later, Candy sat down to rest and considered her job done.

Bright autumn colours woven into long garlands festooned the room, with leaves, acorns and various dried flowers hanging from them for decoration. Any available surfaces had been cleared and autumn-coloured fishbowls now took their place, with tiny candles floating in them on autumn leaves.

The carpet had been covered over with a deep red one that you could almost sink into, and which they always took with them - it was the one reminder of home they made a point to hold onto, to remind them of what was dear. And wafting all through the room was the warm scent of cinnamon - a feature which she attributed to Crax's cooking, but one that merely amplified the look she was going for.

[29]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

In the meantime, Crax was busy in the kitchen - he had a grand menu planned for today, and all of it needed to be made from scratch. He began with the turkey, as it would take the longest to cook - it would need to roast for several hours, which was why he had picked this place for them to rent. The kitchen boasted four individual ovens, which went mostly unused during the year but were especially useful on days like today.

As he removed the giblets and seasoned the turkey ready for stuffing, he wondered how Candy was getting on. He knew the room would look magnificent once she had finished with it, and was curious to see how far she would go with her 'renovations'!

[30]