Christmas in the Lost Cities

Never eat raw cake batter

Marella's POV:

Teaching the Councillors how to celebrate Christmas was not easy.

They were intrigued by the idea and asked us to teach them how it worked. So, we arrived at their great hall and then, guess what?

They asked us to teach them how to decorate it.

Like, hello?

No thank you.

But Fitz decided it would be rude to say no to the council, and of course Sophie said yes.

Ugh.

So here we are, at the grand hall. And boy, is this gonna take some work.

It was covered in jewels and gold and brown maghony furniture with fancy cushons. There was a bunch of other exquisite things too.

Sophie started off with Christmas Cake.

"Okay, guys, let's get started."

She showed Terik, Velia, and Zarina how to mix the ingredients.

Meanwhile, me and Biana helped Emery, Darek and Noland set up the Christmas tree and Oralie, Liora, and Alina how to decorate it.

"Ugh, what is that?" Alina held up a stuffed snowman ornament.

"You hang it on the tree. Like this." I pried it from her and hooked it on one of the sprigs of the tree.

"Why would we do that?"

"It makes it look nice and festive." Biana answered.

"What is this tangled mess?" Liora pointed to the lights.

"You wrap it around slowly. Let me show you." Biana said, grabbing the lights and carefully curling it on the tree.

"Oh. Not bad." Liora added.

"Ew, what is that? Is it a scarf?" Alina kicked a pile of tinsel.

"No, it decorates the tree." I rolled my eyes.

This is gonna be hard. Ugh."

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Linh's POV:

While Biana and Marella decorated the tree with Oralie, Alina, and Liora, me and Fitz showed Bronte, Clarette, and Ramira how to decorate stockings.

"You line it neatly with glitter glue, you see." I carefully poured out the green glitter glue in a neat line.

"Oh, okay..." Clarette dumped it out in a mess on the practice stocking.

"No, in a line."

"It looks more shiny that way though."

"Yeah, but that's not how it works."

Meanwhile, Fitz showed Ramira and Bronte how to clip glitter bows on the stockings.

"You either use gold, red, or green." He explained.

"But purple and blue and lemon yellow look so much better!" Ramira argued.

"Maybe, but those aren't Christmas stockings colored bows. They won't work."

"Ugh, fine."

Only Bronte had some luck.

He did a pretty good stocking with his name on it. He also did one for Ramira, who asked him to help her.

We hung those on the fireplace, which Keefe and Tam covered in red ribbon, and holly sprigs.

Meanwhile, Sophie was having trouble...

Sophie's POV:

"No! Never eat raw batter!" I swiped away the bowl from Terik who stuck his finger in it.

"Its actually good!"

"Yeah, gingerbread cake is amazing, but don't eat the batter!"

"Okay, okay!"

I carefully poured the batter into the pan. "Okay, y'all, get the frosting and sprinkles!"

"Alright!" Velia said.

We baked the cake and then, it was decoration time!

"Zarina, you grab the icing spreader and put the first layer, Velia, you do the piping for the words, and Terik, you add the candies and sprinkles, kay?" 

"Okay." Zarina scooped out a hunk of icing and neatly spread the sugary frosting.

Then, Velia piped on the little house and gingerbread men. 

Terik placed the sugary candies and mini men on the cake

The cake:

"Oh yum!" Velia grinned.

"Can't wait to eat it!" Terik agreed.

"Yeah!" Zarina licked her lips.

Finally, Oralie, Alina, and Liora finished the tree, Bronte, Ramira, and Clarette finished the stockings, and Darek, Emery, and Noland finished the decorated fireplace, which they helped Tam and Keefe on, we all sat around the polished table.

To make it a bit nice, Keefe and Marella added little, light-up trees on the red and gold tablecloth. They placed mini glowing snowmen and snowflakes, too.

The cake was on a white stand with gold lining, and the plates were gold too, on grass green place mats.

It was sweet and sticky, nice and soft, and chewy and crunchy, all at the same time. The icing was sugary and cool, the candies tangy and stretchy.

It was amazing.

Maybe the Councillors weren't total idiots I guess.

Maybe...

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Hope ya liked it! No ships in this one, but ill try to make more later!

I'd love it if y'all commented on what christmasy things to do next!

-biana_chase