#roryparisrps

[robbaerywrites]

“I’d rather spend Christmas with you.”

Cassie couldn’t even begin to understand what Zoe was going through, but on instinct, she opened her arms and folded the other girl into a hug. She had felt the sadness rolling off of her for days as they shared her room and her castle and her life, a life full of things that didn’t remind Zoe of her former best friend, but she’d always expected Zoe to go home for Christmas day. Her declaration was a shock, but not altogether an unpleasant one; Cassie hd never really had a best friend before, but all of the sudden it felt like she had one and it was nice, no matter how awful the circumstances that had led to it had been. “Then it’s done. I’ll get you an extra stocking, I’ll set an extra place at the Christmas table, and it’ll be just like you’ve always been here in Auroria, one of the family.” 

☃ CHRISTMAS INSPIRED STARTERS ☃

[robbaerywrites]

“Is this eggnog spiked?”

“What? Why would you ask that?” Cassie giggled, wrapping her arm around Amelia’s for support. She didn’t know when she’d gotten so lightheaded, but she supposed the thrill of a party where she finally felt like people really and truly wanted her there, thanks to her newfound friendship with Zoe, just had her high on life. Her words felt slurred, too, but that was -- well, she didn’t know why that was, but people knew better than to spike drinks at Christmas of all times, didn’t they? Unwanted drunkenness wasn’t a gift, and it was the season of giving! She giggled again at the thought, her head spinning as she steered Amelia away from the main room of the party, which had gotten much too hot, and down the hall. She’d been the first person Cassie had bumped into on the way back from the bathroom, but that was okay -- they weren’t friends yet, but they could be! “Come ooooon, I can take you to see our swords, I hear you like them! The party’ll still be there with its normal eggnog when we get back,” Cassie insisted, surprised by how outgoing she suddenly felt as she dragged her party guest further and further into the corridors of Auroria.

☃ CHRISTMAS INSPIRED STARTERS ☃

[robbaerywrites]

“I wasn’t sure what to get you.”

“So... you thought it was okay to just take the present Zoe left for me and pretend it was from you?” Gwen asked, rubbing her temples to try and clear away the headache this was all giving her. She’d known immediately when she’d opened Amelia’s gift to her that something was off about it, that it didn’t seem like the kind of quirky gift she’d have assumed her girlfriend would give her, but the explanation that had tumbled from Amelia’s lips was just too much for Gwen to handle right now. She’d never gone so long without talking to Zoe before, and it was eating her up inside... and now Amelia was giving her things that Zoe had left for her, that she hadn’t even wanted to put her name to. “You don’t -- did you not want me to know Zoe was giving me things? Did you think you had to be more like her for me to appreciate you? I just... I don’t understand,” Gwen admitted, squeezing her eyes shut and pinching the bridge of her nose instead. It didn’t work, though; the headache was still there, and all she wanted to do was lie down and ignore that this was her first Christmas spent apart from her best friend for as long as she could remember. “Just... Can we talk about it later, maybe? I think I need to go take a nap.” 

☃ CHRISTMAS INSPIRED STARTERS ☃

[robbaerywrites]

“Wake up! It’s Christmas!”

“Christmas? Never heard of it,” Blake teased as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, sitting straight up in bed as Janelle bounced on it, eager to get her day started. He watched the horror in her eyes as an initial reaction, and then instantly she started bouncing again with renewed vigor, laughing. “Dad, tell daddy he’s a liar and that it’s time for both of you to come celebrate! You always tell us we’re not allowed to open presents until you’re there with your magic trash bag, so hurry up!” Even Blake had to laugh at that, as a sleepier Will joined him in sitting up, looking at their daughter in disbelief. “Yeah, Will, you and your magic trashbag are ruining Christmas, what are you waiting for, jeez,” Blake prodded, winking at Janelle. She was every bit his daughter, and as soon as she saw their signal, she crawled closer to her dad, reaching out to tickle Will with Blake’s help, sending the king into fits of laughter to start their day.

☃ CHRISTMAS INSPIRED STARTERS ☃

[robbaerywrites]

“You can’t put alcohol in the hot chocolate.”

“Oh yeah?” Blake asked coyly, pulling the flash out of his back pocket and flicking the cap open, teasing Will with it. Cassie’s Christmas party was... cute, like her parties always would, but Beast, was it boring, and Blake wanted to die every time Cassie cast a glance his boyfriend’s way. He knew he’d told Zoe that the princess didn’t have a chance, but Merlin, that didn’t seem to do anything to deter her, whether she meant to or not. Alcohol would definitely make this party more bearable, but not just for Blake -- it would make Will a little looser, and a little less of the stiff, awkward Will he became when he was trying to be more of a king than a friend. These were their peers tonight, not their subjects, and Will needed Blake to remind him that there was a time and place to be so serious. “Just try and stop me -- and spoiler alert, you can’t, since you can’t make out with me in public anytime soon thanks to the whole secret boyfriend thing,” Blake taunted as he spilled the clear liquid first into his cup, and then into Will’s. “There, all better!”

☃ CHRISTMAS INSPIRED STARTERS ☃

[robbaerywrites]

“That tree isn’t even going to fit in the house! Why did you buy it without measuring it first?”

“What are you doing here, Zoe?” Gwen asked, leaning her weight onto her left leg and placing a free hand on her hip. The other rested on the gigantic Christmas tree, the one Amelia had been helping her carry until they’d gotten back to Camelot and for some reason found Zoe sitting there, on Amelia’s front door. It had taken all of five seconds for Amelia to take the hint and realize she wasn’t the one Zoe was calling on, and Gwen kind of wished that her girlfriend hadn’t bailed the second Zoe arrived, but oh well, there was nothing she could do about it now without seeming like she was bothered by their friend breakup, something she would never, ever admit. Still, her heart was pounding against her chest, wondering if maybe, just maybe, a Christmas miracle had come to tell her that David was out of the picture and Gwen was going to get her best friend back. “Besides insulting our Christmas tree, I mean, which we’re totally capable of cutting the base off of if we need to.” Her tone softened, and she swallowed hard, praying for an answer that meant things were going to get better instead of worse. 

☃ CHRISTMAS INSPIRED STARTERS ☃

[robbaerywrites]

“I slipped and fell on the ice.”

“WHO’S BROKEN NOW, SEPH?” Blake asked loudly, feeling a little too gleeful about his friend’s injury. She was limping into her house, but it couldn’t be anything too serious; he’d never really known princesses to hide their pain, and she seemed to be walking fine. “See? I told you people just get injured sometimes, it’s not your fault that I got messed up the night of Will’s bachelor party,” Blake reminded her, even as he was walking over to stoop under her arm and offer her support. “Come on, let’s get you some spiked hot chocolate, you’ll be better in time for Game Night tonight. Unless you wanna miss it... Becca said it’s Christmas themed, whatever that means, I can totally cover for you if you wanna bail on it.”

☃ CHRISTMAS INSPIRED STARTERS ☃

[robbaerywrites]

“I wish it would snow.”

“Are you crazy?” Blake asked, staring out the window at the huge mound of snow that was already out there. He loved snow just as much as the next person, but they were already bound to be stuck in Arendelle for the rest of the day while they cleared the roads. Even Emma, who’d grown up in Arendelle, was shaking her head at her cousin. “There’s not enough out there for you, dummy? Are you trying to make the world’s biggest snowman or something?” she teased him, although from the way she couldn’t sit still, it was clear she was itching to get out there and play in the snow too.

Only Becca seemed to understand, though. She slid her earmuffs on, zipped up her puffy pink coat, and put her gloves in her pocket as they prepared to go outside, shooting Oliver a smile. “It’s more magical when it’s actually falling, isn’t it? There’s nothing quite like it,” she agreed, pausing in front of where he was sitting and offering her hand to her boyfriend as the two shared a secret smile, one that seemed to be reserved for just them. “Get a room!” Blake teased, throwing his gloves at them even as everyone else got up and prepared to go out and play, too. 

☃ CHRISTMAS INSPIRED STARTERS ☃