[[December]] Cold Nights in the Burrow

Snow crunched beneath her hooves, crackling starkly through the still, silent air. Little moved save for the singular bun making her way through the dark towards the more lively parts of the burrow. Night had fallen quickly, blanketing the world peacefully. Multicolored pearls of light led the way through the expanse of white, but did little to illuminate the path itself. Tiffie took a few warm breaths into her hands, warming both them and her nose as steam floated merrily into the air before dissipating without leaving any trace.

It really was peaceful outside at this time. Somehow the snow seemed to absorb all sound, leaving the burrow almost hauntingly quiet. She could see the twinkling of lights littering the distance; draped along the edges of eaves, drawn up in creative shapes around flora and wire frames alike, carefully arranged to attract the eye in the dark. Being brighter than the surrounding structures made them starkly visible, while nothing else was. They nearly seemed to float, suspended in the air.

She squinted at lines of lights up above her. Those...actually were suspended in the air. Huh.

As she neared the town, she began to pick up on the quiet sounds of people. Distant chattering, punctuated by the occasional raucous laughter, danced around her ears and brought her spirits higher.

As she neared them she could see the gentle light of the decorations bouncing off of snowdrifts, trees, and anything else close enough. It almost made the desperate rubbing of her hands seem insignificant – something about the bouncing of the light was mystical, magical even. The effect was unlike anything she had ever seen during warmer months.

Burrowgatory Proper was far more lit up than the offshoot tunnels she traveled through to reach it from her home. The decorations were positively everywhere – wireframe imps traced by strings of light, glowing blow-up figures playing homage to their patron demons, carefully constructed scenes of peoples' favorite vices – and the small amount of light cast by each mixed together into a gentle glow which bathed the town. The sound of people, once distant, was now close and warm to hear. She could make little out by way of words, the sound being more of a muffled din than open conversations. Few people opted to sit out in the weather when it was this cold. Even so, the sounds of voices and emotion was enough to warm her heart.

Enough to feel connected to others.

Enough to stave off the loneliness, if only for a time.

She had no particular plans on where to go, who to see, who wouldn't mind someone showing up uninvited. Would she be able to participate in anything? Were there any events going on, or was this all just people spending time with their friends? Sharing the warmth of another person sounded like a dream; one she was certain she didn't have the guts to initiate...

Idle feet led her to the front of a familiar dango shop. The decorations in and directly in front of it were less obnoxious than several in the surrounding lots. Warmth escaped through the front of the shop, washing over her cold extremities in a most welcome manner – she was sure that it was toasty inside, a byproduct of the cooking process. Pleasantly lit but not overly bright, it beckoned to her and brought a smile to her face.

Dango...that sounded absolutely wonderful.