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[hearthwarming]

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sometime in December...

[hearthwarming]

[ Winter has arrived in earnest, and with it a whimsical, light dusting of snow across the dreamy plains of Reverein.

Oriphi can still scarcely believe that it's already been over a year since she began a life anew in this realm; so much of it yet remains a mystery, and yet at the same time... it's become home. Or rather, she's found home, in the form of a tall, fiery, redheaded man next to whom she walks. Clad in coats and their respective scarves from their since-departed sunlight, they make their way hand-in-hand through the vineyards and towards the bar in preparation for its opening in a few hours.

The work has effectively stopped for Oriphi with the grapevines having gone dormant for the season, but in the interest of spending more time with her moonlight, she's accompanied him today.

She squeezes his hand and sighs, watching her breath visibly dissipate in the cold air as they come up to the building housing the winery's bar. ]

I still can't believe it... It's our second winter here.

[disdelusioned]

[The vines are dormant, but it's still prudent to walk among them and take a look to ensure that nothing nefarious is settling in alongside the winter chill. In this town of dreams, with all of its magics that change the laws of nature on seeming whims, one can never be too careful.

Of course, doing this hand-in-hand with Ori makes this chore less paranoid and severe than it otherwise might be. He's still observant as they pass the vines, but not so critical that he'll drive himself up a wall chasing phantom issues that aren't there. In this, like in many things, she grounds him.

The gentle squeeze to his hand prompts him to turn his attention from the grounds to her, and he does so with a soft smile.]

I can hardly wrap my head around it myself. It's been a year since I arrived here and met you, starlight.

[In some ways, it feels like not even half that amount of time. In others, it feels like it's been much longer.]

[hearthwarming]

[ When he looks back and smiles at her, it's hard not to think of all the ways that things have changed since last winter. A year ago, they were simply friends meeting over tea, or Diluc would call upon Ori for healing, or they would run into each other by chance. And then, of course, is the most obvious difference of Thoma's absence. As her gaze falls to the scarf around Diluc's neck, she offers him a bittersweet smile. ]

Things were quite different back then...

[ As they pass through the last row of vines and closer towards the building, Ori spots something moving a few rows away. ]

—!? D-Did you see something just now?