Here comes santa claus!

[callmeemily]

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!

Comments

[coopdetat]

"I'm too hot to be cold," Coop retorts, running a hand through his hair and grinning. It's not that dramatic of a difference, just a trim, but he'd needed it and there's really no better time to look his best than during the holidays. "Anyway, the person I had in my bed last night didn't mind it. Then again, I'm not sure she was paying much attention to it in the first place."

[asharpertongue]

Lara grinned. "Not if you were doing your job right, no." She leaned in to hug Coop and kissed his cheek. "How are you, Coop? Staying out of trouble?"

[coopdetat]

He slings an arm around her to hold her tight to his chest before letting go, giving her a playful wink as he pulls away. "You know me, I'm always out of trouble. Wait, strike that, reverse it."

That's not even true, he'd argue that he's very well-behaved most of the time, it's everyone else who perceives him to be a troublemaker. Which is fine by him, if he's honest.

"I'm good, though, for the most part. Things going good with Levi or is it time for we to swoop back in and sweep you off your feet yet?"

[asharpertongue]

"Things are good. Really good." Lara said, grinning as she sat down and invited him to sit with her. "What about you? Life treating you as the sublime specimen that you are?"

[coopdetat]

Coop's glad to hear that, genuinely glad because in spite of what fond memories he has of when he and Lara would go buck wild with each other, he's glad she's found her person. He's never had much of an issue staying friendly with people he's gone to bed with but with Lara, it always kind of just feel like picking up right where they'd left off, no muss or fuss or awkwardness, and Coop prefers it that way.

"Oh, you know, things are just same old," he answers, sliding into the chair next to her and leaning against the back. It's not exactly the truth but at the same time, he isn't exactly crying into his pillow every night either. He's just got some shit to figure out, that's all. "Christmas is going to be quiet this year since mom and dad came up for Thanksgiving and refuse to make a second trip, jerks. Just me and Genevieve, assuming she'll even be there. She could have some kind of crazy holiday orgy lined up and it's just not fair because I can't be invited to that."

[asharpertongue]

"Throw your own orgy?" Lara suggested with a chuckle, offering Coop a piece of her pastry. "With hookers. And beer. I can provide hookers if need be. And the beer too, actually." She grinned cheekily at him. The day Coop needed help getting a date from Lara was the day she gave up being a madam for good because if Coop had to pay for it then the human race was lost as a whole.