All right, I think I've finally found my way around this thing. And what better way to use it than broadcasting what I have so far of my newest work? I usually have Varric give my friend-fiction a quick read before I share it with anyone else, but I think this snippet is particularly fantastic. It's dedicated to a certain new sparring partner I ran into.

Settle down, everyone, Aunty Isabela's got a story for you all.

( Not explicit BUT NOT FOR GENERAL AUDIENCES EITHER. )

[ it had been a just one night since oz's departure and alice had more or less kept quiet. after spending a night searching fruitlessly, she spent the rest of the dark hours sulking with (1) gilbert nightray until they eventually fall asleep, buried in the sheets like sad children who have lost the dearest thing they held at night.

in the morning alice wakes up and her first instinct is to cry, but the second is something more violent... and of course she goes with that instead.

THERE'S A LOUD BANG. something appears to have fallen and shattered, although it's hard to say when things are happening off-screen. and before anyone can attempt to understand what just happened, they get an earful from one angry looking young girl shouting into the tablet. she never did care for this thing, but at least she knows now that someone will be able to hear her. ]

THEY TOOK OZ AWAY! I WON'T FORGIVE THEM. [ her head's clear but it's hard to stop yelling when you're so upset. if someone could hear her, feel threatened by her,

help her

then she might actually have time to think and calm down. ] How dare they take him away without my permission? Don't they know its the master's job to take care of their servant? How am I suppose to do that when he's not here? Huh? SOMEONE GIVE HIM BACK! NOW! I'm waiting!

[ don't be fooled by her tough exterior, she's gonna burst into tears any minute now.

oh. there you go. the tears roll down. ]

This is all your fault, idiot! [ blames the ne..twork... ] Bring him back... useless! Useless....

What marks the 'new year' depends on where you're from, though I guess the Gregorian calendar never really wore out it's popularity, from the looks of it. Just a little past the change in sunlight at the solstice - and that's always been more of a 'new year' to me, even if it doesn't match the calendar - and we've got a month or two to go before the lunar new year, though I don't know the calculation off hand.

But as we can mostly agree on this one - here's to surviving another year despite the challenges, and may the coming one be better than the last.

It doesn't look like this winter's going to go away anytime soon, so I've got a question.

Any advice on how to keep a cold-blooded person warm aside from bundling her up layers upon layers of clothes until she sinks in the snow from the sheer weight of it? I think she'll have trouble moving after a while too.

She'll probably be okay but she got really cold in a winter-based amusement park attraction once. It's worrying. ( ´△｀)

[LOCKED from momo kisaragi;]
That aside the real reason I'm posting this is because I have no idea how to celebrate people's birthdays but my sister's is coming up next month (not that I'm not worried about you, friend).

She's never had a birthday party with friends before so I kind of want to get something together? Any advice would be nice and if anyone's friends with a MOMO KISARAGI, that's her. Her birthday's next month, so if anybody can drop by once it's planned or chip in...

I don't have a place yet either so ideas or offers on that would be nice. [He'd ask Flora or Kido if they could do it at their place but if it's planned right under her nose, even Momo would notice...]