stateofdecay | 🧟 Prescott's Winter Holiday Party

🎄 Prescott is all dressed up for the holidays, with fairy lights and garlands up around the fire station and the field hospital. In the parking lot in the northwest corner, the Christmas tree has been set up for anyone to decorate however they see fit. In the center of the main intersection, they’ve built a bonfire which burns all night.

🎄 Mulled wine, hot cocoa, spiced cider, and various small hors d'oeuvres are being served out of the fire station kitchen.

🎄 The fire trucks have been moved out of the apparatus bay and replaced with spare chairs and sofas which usually live in storage. They’re arranged into a handful of small circles, creating a space for conversation. 

🎄 Secret Santa gift exchange happens in the apparatus bay at about 6pm. 

🎄 On the outside wall of the radio station, adjacent to the community garden, there’s a new mural of Celia Wallace painted by Whitney Resident Amy McBride (who attended high school with her). The corresponding inside wall has been covered in cork board. There are index cards in various colors and pens available for anyone to write out a note in remembrance of someone they’ve lost, and there are pushpins available to put up these notes or photographs of loved ones. 

🎄 It’ll be a pretty early evening, with festivities ending around 10pm.

♡

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"But you already did," Blythe sighs. "'Cause you're right here." He tries to brush his fingers along Niko's cheek but it's pretty wrist brace heavy, and it leaves the burden of the mug on just one hand, which is kind of iffy in and of itself.

Niko automatically reaches to steady the mug, although he has to look away shyly and chuckle at Blythe's line, twitterpated as he is. "I, uh... I'm going to have to figure out what to say to all these kind things you keep saying to me. 'Cause I'm not used to this," he laughs fondly. "You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."

Looking at the braces seems to jog his memory suddenly. "Oh! Which reminds me! How are your fingers? Are they swollen at all?"

"You got plenty o' time to get used to it." Blythe kisses Niko on the forehead, and just barely resists the urge to drown him in all the affectionate words he can dream up.

"They're... fine? I think? I—" Blythe sets down the mug to get a better look at his hands. "Do they look puffy?"

Niko takes his hands and appears to examine them closely, running his fingers over Blythe's fingers and squinting his eyes as though deep in thought.

"No, they look perfectly fine, which is good, because—"

Niko stands only to make a show of getting down on one knee and popping a velvet ring box out of his pocket. He opens to reveal a much, much fancier ring than the one he'd made out of paperclips.

"I think this is your size, but I dunno. I eyeballed it. Also if you hate it, I'll try again," he babbles apologetically before adding a much firmer and more practiced, "Blythe Elisha Ferry, I love you and I want to do right by you. Would you do me the honour of letting me annoy you every day for the next 30-40 years?" He raises his eyebrows hopefully, as though to say Did I do this right this time?

Blythe didn't expect this to knock the breath out of him this hard. They'd already talked about it, they'd already agreed, Blythe was already wearing a ring he'd declared (and would still stubbornly insist was) the most romantic and beautiful thing he'd ever worn. But this moment feels like a dream and his throat is tight and his stomach is twisting and there's tears pricking at the back of his eyes.

"Of course," he chokes out and goes to pull Niko in for a kiss. "Good glory, this ring is gorgeous."

At first, Niko appears to panic a little bit—he had not, in fact, done this right! He should have picked a more special place, or wore a suit, or or or...

But then Blythe is happy, and they're kissing, and all is well! Niko breathes a sigh of relief, but his eager-to-please impulses aren't satiated just yet.

"Do you like it? Is it too much? Not enough? I just want you to be happy! And of course, we can take as long as we need to give you the wedding of your dreams. No pressure or anything!" he says, while mentally already booking the U-Haul rental.

"It's perfect," Blythe says like it's obvious, because to him it is obvious. "You're perfect. And anything we do will be perfect because of you."

The ring slides onto his finger, a little loose—just loose enough to need a paperclip ring to keep it in place. "Told ya you ain't gettin' this one off me."

Niko smiles brightly, basking in the glow of an apparent job well-done. "You deserve nothing less than perfection, because you're perfect in every way. I didn't think such a thing was even humanly possible, but then I met you, just casually being the epitome of flawlessness every dang day."

He looks more than a little touched when Blythe keeps the first ring anyway, humble as it is. "I wouldn't dream of it! Maybe I oughta get into metalworking, so that my next attempt at bedazzling you with arts and crafts is a little snazzier."

"You sound like someone who's never seen me try to balance a checkbook." Blythe boops the end of Niko's nose, then pulls him in closer to rest his chin on his shoulder.

"I'd wear whatever you forged for me, though. Whether it's a suit of armor or just a chainmail shirt."

"I'll never let a checkbook bother you again," Niko promises. He wraps his arms around Blythe to hold him close. For the first time in a very long time, he feels... hopeful? Like there's a future he's actually excited to see? It's an unfamiliar feeling, and maybe just a little bit terrifying (perhaps he'll have to start taking better care of himself now that there's something to look forward to other than dying on the job)—but in a good way!

"You know what? Armor and chainmail isn't a bad idea. Gotta protect you from... you know, everything out there. I'll add it to the To Do list."

🧟 Prescott's Winter Holiday Party

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe

INDOORS: Niko and Blythe