Broken Together (MCYT au)

Chapter 47: A Hopeful New Year?

A/N: Christmas Special 2021 is a go!

~

Ages: Dream, 19. George, 22. Sapnap, 17. Badboyhalo, 23.

Solital (pronounced Soul-ee-tall) is the winter holiday celebrated throughout all Minilus. In the final seven days of the year, Solital week begins. The annual holiday is to celebrate the fallen souls and move on to the new year together, with those in life and those in death.

Snowfall during Solital week is seen as how the souls of the afterlife travel to visit Earth and enjoy festivities with their loved ones. One of the greatest traditions of the holiday is the Soul Lantern lighting. Lanterns will be lit up on the last day of Solital and placed in the river which flows down to the sea until the candles burn out, then the lanterns are recollected for use next year for those who cannot afford a new one. The lanterns represent moving on and acceptance, sending the souls back to the afterlife.

There are, of course, many fun festivities and other traditions throughout the country. Sweets are purchased and there are many trades, music, and other leisurely activities at the famous Solital Festival beginning at sundown of day one and ending at sundown on the final day of the year, otherwise called day seven.

Happy Solital!

~

Around 3 years ago from the present timeline, the final Solital before the Accident.

Blinking his eyes a few times before sitting up and practically rolling out of bed, awakening to the smell of fresh snowflake cookies. Getting white slippers as to protect his feet from the harsh cold, he left the room and saw Nadia with her hair tied back mixing the dough while Bad put a stray of cut cookies into the oven.

"Looks like you two have been up for a while," Dream commented, noticing the slight tiredness in his family member's eyes. Not that it was a bad thing. Nadia was always a great baker and despite the lack of blood relations, Bad seemed to follow her with the magic in the kitchen. They would always end their nights late and then rise before the sun to bake the oh so famous Snowflake cookies. Dream didn't mind the slight lack of sleep; he always woke up to the smell of cookies during Solital week, so it never hindered him.

Bad nodded eagerly, laying the gloves on the counter. It was a true luxury to have an oven in Minilus, a technology discovered by the Hermit Guild of Caiya only a few years ago. Nadia just so happened to have links with one of the members and managed to get herself one of the only ovens in the village. "Well, you want to try some? I need people to test out the dough, I'm trying to add different flavors instead of normal vanilla-" Nadia smiled and held out the bowl, Dream and Bad trying the dough and immediately melting in the taste.

"It's amazing, like everything else you make," Bad commented, Dream nodding in agreement. The taste of velvety chocolate with the slightest aftertaste of raspberry on the tip of his tongue.

"Glad you boys like it," Nadia smiled, laying the tray on the kitchen table. "Though do save some for Sapnap and George. I'm sure they will want to try a bit too and this is all I got-" she clicked her tongue and went back to the batter of the original cookies while Dream started to help.

The delicate aroma of the cookies only strengthened and soon enough, George and Sapnap were wide awake and ready to help. The morning slipping out of their fingertips like the faint dust of cookie dough, the air filled with smiles, laughter, and overflowing peace.

"Sapnap, you muffin!" Bad scolded gently, taking the bowl and mixing spoon from Sapnap's hands. "You aren't supposed to mix it that rough, you have to do it like this," he showed, doing it rather slowly, far too slow for someone as boisterous as Sapnap himself.