Can you hear the bells? Throughout the city of Cadelle, the sweet chimes of bells can be heard, cheerful and bright as they sway in the cool breeze. It seems winter has finally come to the city, replacing the dreary drizzling fall rain with crisp, cool weather and — of course — the first of what is sure to be many snowfalls. In keeping with local traditions, citizens have begun hanging up their seasonal decorations, and no traditional home would be complete without a few (or a few dozen) small brass bells, hung just above doorways to merrily chime out with each coming and going.
Early in the winter season, the soft blanket of snow spread out across the ground and newly found chill in the air provides a perfect opportunity for festive frolicking. Whether you're an Olympic hopeful or content to just linger on the sidelines, there's something for everyone in the city to enjoy.
▸ By mid-week, the pond in Golden Park begins to freeze. It doesn't take long to solidify into something sturdy enough to hold weight, and as soon as it does, the city is all too happy to request the assistance of the Zamboni in making it smooth as glass. Those that have been practicing their skills over at the Ice Castle might want to show off, but those a little less familiar should have no fear — the public skating sessions are open to everyone, and skating teachers will be on hand an hour before each session to give lessons for anyone who might be interested! Skating is free, and should you get too cold after a spin or two on the ice, there's always the concession stands nearby... maybe pick up a hot chocolate or two and warm up?
▸ If you prefer to keep your feet firmly on solid ground, the gentle flurries that accompany the first few weeks of December prove the perfect atmosphere for a few wintertime classics. Snow forts, snowball fights, and even snow angels can be spotted all along the grassy shores next to Blue Springs Pool and within the tree-lined meadows of the city's many public parks. Feel free to join in to the fun! Who knows, you might even spot the Mayor building a tiny snow replica of City Hall. (Just please don't knock it over, whatever you do. We hear she's quite particular about her replicas.)
▸ While it's certainly beautiful to look at, cold weather isn't for everyone. Some prefer it hot, and for those that do, the city is all too glad to accommodate. Within the friendly and vaguely Nordic halls of the Elsket House, visitors will find a plethora of piping hot offerings to keep the winter chill far, far away. Those looking to rest and recharge may enjoy the saunas and steam rooms — the rock salt sauna claims to reduce stress, while the sun room's heated loungers provide a more relaxing opportunity to enjoy all that heat has to offer... and there's always the traditional wood saunas or steam rooms to consider too. Why not try them all?
▸ Last but certainly not least, those that linger out in the city center may notice the surprising absence of locals in their more common haunts on those days when temperatures dip below freezing. Ask around, and you may discover one of Cadelle's better kept secrets: the cave pools, open each winter season, are a collection of natural hot springs just beyond the city border. Tucked away inside caves within the lower slopes of the western mountains, the pools are local favorites for beating the chill, and are often quite popular throughout the season. While many are family-friendly, there are a few on the far end that are rumored to be adults-only both in attendance and... well, in everything else, too. (It's a bit of a don't ask, don't tell sort of arrangement. We're neither asking nor telling, so be discreet!)
Beyond the cuddle-worthy temperatures and picturesque backdrops, there's always something to do in the new month. Whatever you do, we hope you have a happy, merry, holly, jolly time during this time of year!
Can you believe it's already December, cuddlers? We can't either — even if it doesn't really feel like winter for some of us, we're delighted to share in the seasons greetings with you and some light-hearted winter fun! (Don't count on it all staying fun... but our lips are sealed!)
With all the wintertime activities available, we know there's one on the list that might spark a little extra curiosity. Yeah, that's right, we're talking about those magical hot springs, tucked in the hollows of caves, just waiting for the brave to find them and enjoy all that they have to offer. Should you choose to explore them, you'll have the choice between the standard and more adult-oriented of options. Both pools are imbued with the Energem's magic, and will leave bathers feeling warmed up and in good health. Small injuries, like a pulled muscle or shallow scrape, will heal with just a few minutes' time in the baths.
However, the pools at the far ends — the adult-only pools, of course — have a higher concentration of magic, the potent mixture having not yet met with the freshwater near the middle. These pools will not only warm a man and wash away his pain, they'll also leave bathers feeling particularly friendly after a while. Maybe you'd like to get to know someone better? Or more intimately? (We see you. We know what you're about.)
If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you. In addition, if you've got an idea for a future event, feel free to drop us a line at our EVENTS SUGGESTION POST.
We hope you have tons of fun out there this month, cuddlers, and we'll see ya around! |
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cuddlecity2017-12-01 12:00 pm
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He sets the little snowman on a nearby wall and spreads his arms. "Of course we can do it without magic! Let's get started right now. We need to start with one big ball"—snicker—"of snow, then we can go from there." He scoops up snow and presses it into a rough ball-shape, then sets it into the snow and starts rolling it to demonstrate. "We might still need magic to make it a jaunty hat, but we'll get to that when we get there. All the seasons have something to recommend them, I've always thought. Spring has the most beautiful feeling of newness no matter how many springs you've lived through. Summer is just glorious, and there's something about autumn I've always loved."
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It's a relief to know that they can try it without the magic, because she has to admit, the idea of building a little man out of this stuff is entirely too enticing to ignore. How cool is that, after all?
A giggle escapes her to join his snicker and she watches him get started creating the snowball. "Oh, that doesn't look hard," she says thoughtfully, partially to herself but also loud enough for him to hear as she follows his lead, starting by packing a snowball in her hands and starting to roll it through the snow like he is. It's kind of amazing to her, in spite of the fact that clearly it's the whole idea here, the way that the ball gets bigger and bigger the more she rolls it around.
"What do they all look like? The other seasons?" she asks, doe eyes looking over at him as she continues to roll the ball in a trail beside his own.
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"And then summer..." Now that his ball is properly round, Magnus secures it in place with a little more snow around the base. "Now set yours on top, it's the next one, then we'll need a tiny one for the head."
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Already, spring sounds lovely, especially when he emphasizes his point with an appreciative sound for the flowers that aren't here yet. She hasn't seen flowers grow naturally pretty much ever. They only ever grow in pots and greenhouses, back home, and they're more often seen as decoration than actual plants; more valued dead and still feigning life than actually living.
"Oh, right," she says, lifting her snowball with a bit of effort. It's heavier than it looks. As she's placing it and a few of her extensions are smoothing some of the edges and brushing off pieces of dead grass from where she rolled it in the same spot a little too long and dug it too deep into its own trail, her eyes are back on Magnus. "What's summer like? I can do the head," she asks and then offers. A second later, satisfied with the placement of the snowball, she starts over with a new one and rolls it smaller than the first.
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"Summer is beautiful. It's warm, it's sunny. The nights are the shortest, did I mention that? Every day in a normal world is a different length of time, just a little bit. It seems like this world has the same sort of days, when it begins to get warmer, the days will get longer." As Jo makes the last snowball, Magnus starts flourishing his fingers to create a few proper lumps of coal for buttons.
"Midsummer, near the end of June, that's the shortest night of the year," he says as he starts fitting the coal to the front of the snowman. "It's a good night for bonfires. Sometimes summer is almost too hot and humid to think, that happens in New York in July, but sometimes it's just the right amount of heat, it reminds you you're alive."
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Summer sounds about like Moon and Jo nods her understanding. "That sounds like home," she says wistfully. To be honest, while the snow is very pretty and all, she's not really loving the cold. She is going to absolutely require a nice long and hot shower, a caramel macchiato with whipped cream, and a fuzzy robe to wear while drinking it, after this, she's already decided. "Humid? Ah, it's a dry heat on Moon, usually. You get sort of used to it, I think," she says thoughtfully.
But admittedly... "The seasons sound nice, though. I'm looking forward to seeing them. I'm going to have to take a freaking buttload of pictures of this snow for Dave, though, this is so wild!"
It occurs to her just then that he's said something about New York but she never actually asked if he's from there or, if not, where he is from; she's so busy talking about herself and asking questions she wants answers to, that she's unwittingly been really rude about hogging the conversation. "Is that where your'e from? New York? That's Earth, I assume?"
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It occurs to him as he places the last bit of coal that he could have made actual buttons, but no, this is more traditional, it's better this way for Jo's first snowman. "It is Earth, and it's not where I'm from but it's where I live now, where I've lived for a few decades, and autumn in New York is unmissable. All that green from summer starts turning red and gold, the leaves fall from the trees and have the most wonderful crunch when you kick them around." He steps back to admire his handiwork.
"There's just a little bit of chill in the air that makes you feel relieved after the heat of summer, but autumn always makes me feel nostalgic too. The world is closing itself up for the winter, it inspires thoughts of autumns before. ...sorry, apparently even talking about autumn makes me nostalgic. Are we ready for the head? We're almost done already!"
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She pauses, realizing that that's probably a little more boring to someone who won't ever be able to watch it. "Anyway, I'm his personal assistant. Running errands, getting coffee, scheduling appointments, handling finances, running lines, accompanying him to fan events; you name it, I do it. He and I make a great pair." Platonically. They've tried dating; it didn't work out.
"Where are you from originally, then, if you don't mind my asking?" she wonders aloud when Magnus clarifies that he's not from New York, so much as he currently lives there. Well. Currently as in before here.
It's fascinating to hear him talk about autumn in a way that almost brings it alive enough for her to picture it. "No, that's totally fine! It sounded really lovely, I'm hoping they have it here!" she chirps in response to his apology. "I'm ready when you are. I'll let you take the lead on the snowman. I trust your judgement," she adds with a smirk.
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He accepts the top snowball from her and positions it, smoothing a little snow around the base to keep it in place again, then steps back to survey what they've got so far. It already looks like a real snowman. "He's lucky to have you. You love what you do, that's rare in life." Sticks, they need sticks for arms... "Try to find a stick that's about this long, we need them for the arms," he directs, demonstrating with his hands before he steps away from the snowman and closer to a tree. They've uncovered some of the grass thanks to rolling the snowballs around and there are a few sticks visible.
"It's Indonesia now," he adds in answer to her question. "I don't know what it was called when I was born, Indonesia has thousands of islands."
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When Magnus steps back, Jo does too, wanting to see their handiwork from a little further away. She shrugs her shoulders a little, blushing slightly at the compliment. He is and he knows it; he tells her all the time. As Jo moves to start looking for sticks in what little grass they've uncovered — a little easier said than done when there's more snow than grass — she gives a facial shrug, thoughtfully. "I guess I never really thought of it that way because everyone I work with also loves what they do, so it's really all I ever see, you know?"
Jo picks up a stick and looks over at him, questioning. "Would this one work or is it too twiggy?" she asks.
What he tacks onto his response to her question actually makes her take pause for a moment. Jo's not sure she heard it right, so she figures it's better to ask for clarification. There's an implication in the statement that she's not sure he realizes she's perceiving. "Wait, when you were born, was it that long ago?" she asks.
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He nods in approval at the stick she's found. "Just crack off those little branches near the bottom and that's perfect! Shove it in the side there, I'll add this one." Now with two arms, the body is finished. It just needs a face, and a hat. "It was that long ago when I was born. I don't know exactly how old I am, changing calendars make that a little tricky, but I'll be 418 this year. Once you pass the first two centuries, individual years…" He shrugs. Much less important. "What sort of a hat does this need? Traditionally it's a top hat," he conjures a sleek black top hat into his hands as an example, "but it doesn't need to be. What sort of hats do you wear on the moon?"
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She hands him the stick and looks even more surprised as he goes on to talk about his age. "Well, you look fucking fantastic for your age," she says casually, feigning nonchalance. Amusement and interest in her eyes betray her, though, as a grin starts to crack her neutral expression.
The way he materializes a hat out of thin air makes her expression drop excitably with surprise. "That's just always going to be so awesome," she breathes. "I like that one. I don't know, lots of different kinds of hats back home. I tend to favor crocheted berets, myself, but..." she says with a smirk and a shrug. "I'll let you decide and then maybe we can go inside and get warm, because this has been so cool but it's like...literally so cool," she laughs, teeth starting to chatter a little bit.