callmeemily | Here comes santa claus!

The holiday this year is so incredibly different than the last.

Last year? Raleigh was holed up in the boarding house, no one in 300 miles but her shitty boss knew her name, and she was so poor that she was eating rice, beans, and leftovers from the Seaside bakery.

This year, everything's changed. Orchard House is chugging along astoundingly well; Raleigh puts in long hours, but it's paying off. She's been able to hire somebody else to work the register, she's getting custom orders - the whole thing. She has friends. Honest to god friends, and she's got enough money that she's actually got presents for people. For a lot of people - it's a mix of cookies and things, but there's a little something for everybody piled on the table in the back corner, and one mass-text later she's humming through the bakery, music playing from the speakers, warm cider in a carafe, and everything's warm and cozy.

She looks at it, at this business that she's made with the help of this whole town, and she can't help but smile. Tonight? Spending tonight with friends and found-family? That's what this whole thing's about.

Gathering post! Raleigh will tag everyone who tags in, but feel free to tag one another, too. :) It's up to you if they have gotten a text, or just heard the music and seen the crowd. Everyone'll get something!

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Lena follows her nose to a new place. Or maybe not so very new, whenever she remembers that she has been gone for years and that means that a lot of things have changed or disappeared or appeared, her hairs stand on end. How much has she missed?

Well, clearly this place. And it smells really good and Jacob is close so she can't disappear and no-one can do anything to her. Ever since turning back, she really only felt like things made out of dough and grains. No meat or fish for a long time coming, please.

But maybe this is a private party, so Lena just leans in, to the bright window, to the amazing smells.

Raleigh notices someone peering into the window, and she moves to the door, pushing it open. "Come on in! There's definitely enough for everyone." She wouldn't leave anyone standing out in the literal cold - not today, not on Christmas Eve!

She's not the steadiest on her feet, but she's used to the way she's walking, and once Lena comes in - because she doesn't want to leave the door open - she nods to the chairs and food. "Help yourself! Everything's on the house, tonight."

"Hello."

Lena tentatively follows her inside, because curiosity killed - no, don't finish that thought. Don't think of cats.

Inside it was nice and toasty and it smelled even better and she felt the ghost of a little engine in her chest kick in. Humans didn't purr. "This is all new. Right?"

"Right! We opened at the end of October. Feel free to grab some cookies, and some cider, okay? I'm Raleigh, by the way." She smiles, trying to be friendly to the new person - there's no reason not to be, and she's always up for making more friends.

"The end of October ..that's really new and not all that long ago."
But cats aren't that fond of anything baked, so why would Lena have known?

"That's very sweet of you, but I'm too young for alc-" Did cider have alcohol in it? And she was of a legal age right now, this was all so embarrassing. "Lena", she frowns. "Hi, Raleigh. Thank you for the invitation."

"I know," Raleigh said with a smile. "It's just two months." The fact that it was going so well was honestly a boon when she thought about it. She keeps walking towards the cider, but Raleigh shook her head when Lena mentioned alcohol.

"It's non-alcoholic - like the cider you get in gallon jugs from the grocery, not the kind you get at a liquor store. Do you like apple juice?" They also had cocoa and coffee, if she's not a fan of apples.

"Oh. Yes. Sorry. I'm not - usually I'm not this - you're just a stranger inviting me into your ginger bread house and I -"

Lena swallowed, hiccuped a giggle. "I'm not drunk, I promise. Cider would be lovely, thank you."

Raleigh laughed. "Not a problem, don't worry." Lena seemed delightful, if she was honest. Just... even if she was a little on edge, she just seemed nice.

Snagging a mug of cider, Raleigh passed it to her handle first so she wouldn't burn her hands. "Here you go! I need to make some more, but you can have as much as you want, alright?" It was there to be drunk, to be perfectly honest - and tonight, everything was free.

She looked at the cider. She was interacting with other people. People her age, presumably. And Lena wasn't doing that bad, right, she had made Raleigh laugh?

"Completely for free? Because I have some money with me, I don't want to be a freeloader, honestly. It smells really good, you made it yours- you just said you did. Never mind."

"Totally for free. It's Christmas Eve, it's a party. Help yourself, cookies, cider, cocoa - and just meet some people and have fun, okay? That's the toll." She smiles wider, and looks around the room. "And if you want, stop in another day, and there'll be different things."

"Right, yes, yes, I can do that. Pretty sure. That's - that's awesome, Raleigh. Thank you for invi-"

Lena laughs at herself. "Letting me in. Really, I'll make the rounds, you can go on."

Here comes santa claus!

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