Summary:
Prompt from the Player Week Server end of year event: Home (or not) for Christmas
Carmen: Fighting for her life and losing so much blood, no seriously, there's blood everywhe-
Team Red, back at the warehouse:🎄🎁💝🎉🍾
Trigger Warnings:
Blood, fights & gore, drowning, bleeding out, graphic violence, temp character death, gun violence
Beginning Notes:
What are some of your Christmas traditions? Maybe I'll add them next year 🩵
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Gold, red, and white ornaments of Mr and Mrs Claus are strung like beacons of joy. Somewhere in San Diego, a woman (she wasn't a thief today) smiles at them, draped in her soothing winter coat. Her hair has been let down to warm her neck. Leaves and berries trickle above her head, tinsel lines every aisle.
She walks out of the antique store, grinning to the cashier as she's offered a gracious Merry Christmas. A sense of giddiness overwhelms her as cheesy Christmas music blasts through the speakers.
Maybe she's grown too used to the affirmingly polished and bland decor of their mall— coupled with the crisp white walls and that's why it was so beautiful now.
The staff had even managed to decorate the porch as it merges into the harbour, overseeing a gorgeous stream of waves as they lash in and retreat just as coldly. Set on the same boat line as the warehouse, despite home being quite the walk away.
Salt rains through her senses, the air is freezing on her cheeks in California's winter. She shudders, stepping back indoors where the heaters make her almost want to take said winter coat off.
She recalled Zack and Ivy's bet about who would "chicken out" first in the ocean earlier this week, which ultimately didn't make it past the first icy splash.
White and red streams wrap around the dock's support like candy canes. She can see it through the quaint but desolate archway. Free roam for the public, though everyone leaves the luxury desolate and instead bustle around toy stores.
Rudolph shines from his perch on a chandelier, the centre of the shopping mall, and she can't stop smiling.
Carmen was told this was normal for a shopping mall... back when the holidays first started and she'd first caught sight of decorative reindeer and her confusion had the team appalled.
They had seriously hyped up the holiday from then. Keeping quiet for the most part until December 1st when the team had set up a Christmas tree and adorned the archways with jingle bells (those noisy things didn't last long).
Carmen herself was undeniably hesitant to put up even a shred of tinsel with it still being Halloween.
...the faculty would have flipped.
After hot chocolate, blankets, and cheery Christmas music Carmen's re-culturing was in full swing. A nature-toned green with thousands of colourful blobs.
It wasn't what one would call aesthetically pleasing, but Carmen couldn't care. It looked jolly at the least. Cleo would find disgust but Carmen could only find herself warm to the touch.
Though, her lacking slumber that night told her Shadowsan had rearranged the decorations while they slept.
...he was right inevitably, it did look better the way he put it.
As she'd explained to the team, VILE went all out for Halloween— even planning events for the operatives, though she's sure it was just to get more to love the holiday as they did.
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Behind closed doors
FanfictionA series of angsty or comedic one shots, so many you'll find exactly what you need! "...Recovery is not a straight line, the both of us have been dealt enough loss to recognise this. I am not ready to give up hope, but I see your tired hands shake;...
