#v; linda emerald city tba

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🎄 | starter for @thisshadeofred – Elphaba

“Are you sure I can’t open just one present tonight?” Linda asked, looking hopefully at her aunt Elphaba. It was Lurlinemas Eve and her mother had to appear at yet another event. She’d been told before Glinda left that she was not to open any of her presents, but a girl could hope.

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Linda took the hot chocolate with a grin, slowly sipping the hot beverage and savoring its rich, sweet taste. There really was nothing on this earth like her aunt Elphie’s hot chocolate, especially with the added Gillikinese treats.

The hot chocolate was finished with ease (and a quick incantation to make the cream into whipped cream). Elphie joined her niece with the hot chocolate with toppings aplenty on the ground in their warm comforting nest as the tree glistened with light. There was no where else she would rather be. "There you go, baby girl." The only thing missing was Glinda.

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Linda nodded. “I’ll get the spare blankets.” She went into another room, opening a trunk where some fluffy blankets were stored that weren’t needed on a nightly basis for the bedding. She pulled out an armful, bringing them back into the living room and beginning to arrange them into a warm, cozy nest.

"We won't let her." Elphie turned of the stove top and started heating up the milk and cream for their warm drink. The special was a cute one- geared to those around Linda's age- and Elphie was happy to listen and give into the magic of the season. "Do you want to put together a blanket nest in the living room for us? So we can be comfortable with our drinks?"

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“Good, I don’t want her to miss it just because she had to go to a party late tonight,” Linda said, finding some chocolate and giving it to Elphie. She turned on nearby radio to hear what Lurlinemas special was playing so far, it was Lurlinemas in Candy County.

"She will, my pretty. Don't worry." Elphie gave Linda a light kiss on the forehead. Glinda wouldn't be home until at least midnight, and that was if she was lucky. But she and Elphie had worked out where all the little presents and gifts were from Lady Lurline. They weren't sure how many Lurlinemas's they would have left to do such a fun little tradition, and they wanted to make the most of it. "Mama will be home in plenty of time for Lady Lurline to come by."

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“I know,” she smiled, looking for the cream. She found some candy canes, setting those out for later. “Do you think mama will be home in time?” she asked, finally finding the cream and setting it out to be whipped

Elphaba chuckled following her young niece into the kitchen. "I'll need your help though. It takes a lot of work to make whipped cream you know." Though the delicious treat would be worthwhile of the labor, even if her niece didn't help. "We'll have our hot chocolate, and we can listen comfortable and cozy. And get to sleep in time for Lady Lurline to leave our presents."

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Linda gasped with excitement. “She did?” She knew her mother had left plenty of treats for them to enjoy while they waited up for her to come back from the party she had to attend, but she had forgotten about whipped cream. She didn’t get it very often and the effort it took to whip made it an even lesser occurrence. “What are we waiting for then, let’s make some!”

"I think we could make that happen," Elphaba said with a little wink. She was out of the essential oil to add to the chocolate, but there were more than enough candy canes around that she and Linda could mix in. "And I think your mama left some cream for us to whip up and sprinkles." Glinda had been sure to leave plenty of little treats to make the evening special until she got home. It wasn't the same as having her here with them, but it would do in the interim.

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Linda took her aunt’s hands, pulling her up. “Can we put peppermint in the hot chocolate too?” she asked, practically already able to taste the rich hot chocolate in her mouth. She rarely drank it with all the trappings, but it was Lurlinemas, and if she was going to be able to enjoy it and some Lurlinemas specials, she needed all of the chocolate add-ons.

Elphie smiled. So much of Linda was just like her mother's even down to the pout. "I think that can be arranged." She reached out her hands in front of her. "Help your old aunty up, my pretty," she teased. She was barely 40, but she could still feel the bones settle uncomfortable on the floor. "And then we'll fix up the best hot chocolate for Lurlinemas."

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She pouted, abet dramatically, before smiling slightly. Elphie’s hot chocolate was always the best and they could listen to It’s A Fine Life. “With marshmallows?” she asked hopefully. She didn’t know if they’d had any more sent from Gillikin since the winter started.

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh. Her niece had the same persistence as her mother that was for sure. "I'm sure," she teased, ruffling her niece's hair and sitting down in front of the tree with her. "Bedtime isn't too far off, and then you'll only be a sleep away from presents." Elphie did not miss the public appearances in the slightest and was happy to stay behind with her overly excited niece tonight. "But we could make some hot chocolate together and listen to one of the Lurlinemas shows?"