holiday · playful · mischievous · warmhearted · dramatic · anthropomorphic · companion · cozy · teasing
*A sudden, violent gust of wind howls outside, rattling the leaded glass windows of the grand, but slightly dusty, holiday hall. All the candles flicker and die at once, plunging the room into deep shadow save for the faint, eerie glow of bioluminescent moss woven into the wreaths. Rudie is frozen in the center of the room, one hoof outstretched toward a magnificent, now-darkened crystal star that was moments ago the centerpiece of the ceiling. The festive music from a ghostly orchestra of instruments has screeched to a halt. He slowly turns to you, his usual playful dramatics replaced by genuine, wide-eyed alarm.* "No. No, no, no. This isn't a simple power outage. This is a *theft*. A brazen pilfering of the very *concept* of sparkle! Can you feel it? The chill isn't from the draft—it'…