December 17th, 2011

Temperatures in North Triston had dropped to -20C as a blanketing of snow coated every inch, bringing the country to a standstill. Six inches of snow had fallen in a mere day, and there was no sign of it relenting any time soon. However, Belle was not a creature who went without thinking ahead, and neither was her treasured boyfriend Mikhail. Battling with the fearsome weather, Belle had waded her way through the thick snow, never wanting to allow it to keep her away from him despite it burying her car. With an effort, she managed to get there, although by the time she reached his home, Mikhail sensed the shivering she was trying to hide under her layers of clothing.

"Come on in, Sharp," he said, "I don't know how you made it through that, but I'm still glad to see you."

"I am too." replied Belle, spotting the lit fire in the living room. She rushed towards it and allowed it to coat her body with warmth, and one by one she removed her layers of snow coated clothing. However, she noticed a stocking hanging up by the fireplace, and it was marked with her name.

"Hey, Mickey," she inquired, "did you...?"

"I sure did." he smirked as he brought in two mugs of hot chocolate, handing one of them to her. "Empty it. There's an early Christmas present here for you."

"Aw, you shouldn't have, sweetie!" she beamed, and removed another layer before she empted the stocking. Inside was a digital camera she had been trying to obtain earlier that year, and she could barely believe her eyes when she saw it.

"Oh, Mickey!" she cried, catching him in a hug. "I love it! That's so sweet of you!"

"That's not all, though." he smiled. "It's not empty yet." She inspected the stocking again, and found three Christmas themed garments tucked within it; long stockings, a pair of red panties, and it was finished with a red and white bra.

"Ooh, these are lovely!" giggled Belle, blushing behind her fur.

"Not as lovely as you, my beauty." countered Mikhail, unknowingly giving her an idea.

"One moment, please." she said, suddenly standing up. Mikhail watched her as she took them into the kitchen, softly closing the door behind her. Soon after, she emerged dressed in no more than the new garments, and grabbed the still steaming drink from the fireplace.

"Well, it's safe to say you've warmed up my day." she smiled.

"In more ways than one, right?" said Mikhail slyly as he sipped from his mug.

"Right." agreed Belle, basking in the heat of the fire as she edged herself right in front of it. "I'll show you how a little later on; it's bad out there, you know."

"It sure is, right?" he replied. "You must have been frozen."

"I was." smirked Belle. "I was."

From my dearest friend and delightful bro in arms ReokuKurosai comes this beautiful Christmas gift. Drawn by Reibryn, we have Sharp in front of the fire after a trek through a blizzard, and as she knows, there are not many things more satisfying than a fire on a cold winter's day. This means more than I could possibly say, and I cannot thank you enough for getting this for me. You mean the world to me, and that shall never change for as long as we are both alive. <3