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Description
Despite the cold, they had been out for a walk on the night before Christmas Eve. Though the snow had been coming down much heavier earlier that day, it now fell slow and thin, like a powder. They kept their hands stuffed in the pockets of an excessively warm coat, the hood pulled over their eyes to keep the weather as far away as possible. The walk was a good idea at first, but they realized a little late that they were hating this.

Eventually they noticed another track in the snow. Undoubtedly human, although with shallower, rounder tracks surrounding them. They were recent, otherwise they would have been covered by now, right? Not thinking much more into it, they found they began to walk in the prints that were there already, staring at their feet as they walked.

Not soon after, they noticed a small, roundish creature, fluffed up slightly around its center. It seemed excited to see them, bouncing over and rolling around them. Curious, they knelt down and picked it up, which only seemed to excite it more.

The cold winter walk didn't seem like such a horrible thing anymore, not after making a cute little friend. They stood up straight, holding it up to their shoulder to see if it would sit there. It rolled into their hood, rubbing up against their neck. Even if it was cold, they laughed at the tickling sensation of the creature's fluff.

They continued walking, coming to the body that had made the tracks. It was covered in a few more of the round critters, who were rolling and bouncing on top of it. The face wasn't visible, as the person was on their side, facing away and covered in a fluffy coat. The joyful vibes vanished pretty quickly as Calizaire grew concerned for this large body in the snow. They would have liked to imagine that if this person were dead, the creatures wouldn't seem so excited. Surely, they weren't vicious or anything.

Calizaire wasn't versed in any sort of first aid at all, so the first thing they did was kneel down beside this person to get a look at their face. They seemed familiar somehow. Wearing those sunglasses even at night was unmistakeable, however they couldn't put a name to the face.

"H-Hey, uh..." they timidly shook the man's shoulder, trying to rouse him. He seemed conscious, as this made him grin and let out a slow chuckle. This was the only response, though, so they shook him again, speaking louder this time.

"Are you okay..?" Calizaire wanted to explain themself, as if it was them that was acting strangely by walking around outside and finding a man downed in the snow. Unable to find the words to do so, they continued to shake him, getting more rough as they worried he was unconscious or dying.

"Eugh, lay off..." a hand raised to clumsily push Caliz's arm away, which got them to sigh in relief. Unconscious, no. Dying, probably not, if he had the energy to do that. The movement from the man seemed to excite the critters on top of him, as they rolled off him and nuzzled up to his neck.

"Aren't you cold? ...How long have you been out here?" Holding back the instinct to try shaking him again, they folded their arms against their chest. When a few seconds passed without a response, they started to speak again.

"I can take you home, if you need..? Or... to a hotel? You shouldn't be out here... like this."

"You shouldn't be trying ta control me, kid..." the man rolled over, facing away again. He took a handful of the creatures, hugging them and curling up.

By now Calizaire could tell his speech was slightly slurred, which only raised more concern. They figured it would be rude to actually ask if he was drunk, but it wouldn't stop them from believing so.

While they thought of how to respond to this, they tried to piece together how they had recognized this man. Intimidatingly large body (at least compared to that of Calizaire,) wearing sunglasses all the time, possibly had a drinking problem...

"You're... Ruuben, right? Do you remember me..?"

In his state, Ruuben couldn't especially recognize the voice. However, he looked over his shoulder, raising his sunglasses enough to try to look at the stubborn person before him. Given the darkness and his drunken stupor, it was almost pointless to try and look at them.

"No," he said, pulling his sunglasses back down and turning away again. "Now get out of my house..."

He heard the person's nervous laugh, and felt their hand against his arm again. "Isn't it a little too cold to be your house..? You should get somewhere warmer... before you freeze to death."

Ruuben sat up and a few of the Munogens fell off of his shoulders. He took a deep breath, blinking slowly as if adjusting his eyes to the light (or lack thereof.) He lowered his sunglasses, scoping the area slowly. Sure enough, he wasn't in bed, but in the middle of a wooded area filled generously with snow. The cold started to set in, and he clenched his teeth, pushing his sunglasses back up.

"Must have had a bit too much..." he muttered, starting to stand. Calizaire stood quickly beside him, holding their hands out to offer help. Ruuben waved them off, stretching and dusting off as much snow as he could.

"Well, thanks for waking me, at least." he rubbed the back of his neck, pulling out a Munogen from his hood and holding it in the crook of his arm. "I can get home on my own."

Calizaire shook their head. "Sorry, I don't want to leave you alone. ...I'm a little worried. Uh... do you mind if I just walk with you... to make sure you get there safe?"

Ruuben groaned and rolled his neck and shoulders. "If it makes you happy, alright."

They gestured forwards, not taking their eyes off the man. "Can you walk? Doesn't matter if it's straight, but if you don't want me holding you up... well, I'll have to make sure I don't have to."

He sighed, taking a few slow steps, focusing hard on keeping his balance. He couldn't walk as fast as he normally would, but he blamed that partly on the snow. "I can walk."

Not wanting to seem intrusive, Calizaire nodded and walked up beside him. "Do you know where you even are? How did you get here?"

"I don't remember." he lowered his voice. "I don't really know where I am, either..."

"It's fine, I know how to get back..." they trailed off, lowering their eyes to the ground and shoving their hands back in their pockets. Feeling awkward to say the least, they focused on the fuzzy creature nuzzling their neck, making excited movements. Looking over their shoulder, they saw Ruuben was being followed by them.

"My name is Calizaire," they said, lifting their head slightly.

"No, I don't remember you." Ruuben squinted behind his sunglasses. "But thanks, Calizaire."

The pair walked slowly, silent except for the crunching snow beneath their boots. Calizaire kept their eyes straight, focusing hard on following the footprints they had made while coming here before they'd get covered in snow. Thankfully, they soon reached the road that went into the city.

"We're back," Calizaire announced, as if Ruuben wouldn't have known. "Are you staying somewhere..?"

"I was, uh..." the man ran his fingers through his hair, scratching his head. "I'll just stay at a hotel for the night. I need to sleep this off. I think I live on the other side of the city..."

"That's fine. Would you let me chip in?"

"No, it's enough that you took me here. I can get around on my own from here." he reached out and patted Calizaire on their shoulder. "Thanks again. I probably won't run into you again, but... it was nice meeting you."

He spoke as if it was painful to say things like that, but Calizaire thanked him and returned the sentiments anyway. They waved goodbye as he walked down the busy streets, watched to make sure he didn't fall or anything, then began heading home.

It was then they felt a tickling on their neck again, and pulled out the Munogen, cupping their hands to hold it as it wiggled excitedly. A grin played on their lips, and they pet it gently with their fingers. "Ruuben, huh? I hope he doesn't squish any of your friends in his sleep..." they placed the creature on top of their head, beneath their hood, and started walking again.

Description
Despite the cold, they had been out for a walk on the night before Christmas Eve. Though the snow had been coming down much heavier earlier that day, it now fell slow and thin, like a powder. They kept their hands stuffed in the pockets of an excessively warm coat, the hood pulled over their eyes to keep the weather as far away as possible. The walk was a good idea at first, but they realized a little late that they were hating this.

Eventually they noticed another track in the snow. Undoubtedly human, although with shallower, rounder tracks surrounding them. They were recent, otherwise they would have been covered by now, right? Not thinking much more into it, they found they began to walk in the prints that were there already, staring at their feet as they walked.

Not soon after, they noticed a small, roundish creature, fluffed up slightly around its center. It seemed excited to see them, bouncing over and rolling around them. Curious, they knelt down and picked it up, which only seemed to excite it more.

The cold winter walk didn't seem like such a horrible thing anymore, not after making a cute little friend. They stood up straight, holding it up to their shoulder to see if it would sit there. It rolled into their hood, rubbing up against their neck. Even if it was cold, they laughed at the tickling sensation of the creature's fluff.

They continued walking, coming to the body that had made the tracks. It was covered in a few more of the round critters, who were rolling and bouncing on top of it. The face wasn't visible, as the person was on their side, facing away and covered in a fluffy coat. The joyful vibes vanished pretty quickly as Calizaire grew concerned for this large body in the snow. They would have liked to imagine that if this person were dead, the creatures wouldn't seem so excited. Surely, they weren't vicious or anything.

Calizaire wasn't versed in any sort of first aid at all, so the first thing they did was kneel down beside this person to get a look at their face. They seemed familiar somehow. Wearing those sunglasses even at night was unmistakeable, however they couldn't put a name to the face.

"H-Hey, uh..." they timidly shook the man's shoulder, trying to rouse him. He seemed conscious, as this made him grin and let out a slow chuckle. This was the only response, though, so they shook him again, speaking louder this time.

"Are you okay..?" Calizaire wanted to explain themself, as if it was them that was acting strangely by walking around outside and finding a man downed in the snow. Unable to find the words to do so, they continued to shake him, getting more rough as they worried he was unconscious or dying.

"Eugh, lay off..." a hand raised to clumsily push Caliz's arm away, which got them to sigh in relief. Unconscious, no. Dying, probably not, if he had the energy to do that. The movement from the man seemed to excite the critters on top of him, as they rolled off him and nuzzled up to his neck.

"Aren't you cold? ...How long have you been out here?" Holding back the instinct to try shaking him again, they folded their arms against their chest. When a few seconds passed without a response, they started to speak again.

"I can take you home, if you need..? Or... to a hotel? You shouldn't be out here... like this."

"You shouldn't be trying ta control me, kid..." the man rolled over, facing away again. He took a handful of the creatures, hugging them and curling up.

By now Calizaire could tell his speech was slightly slurred, which only raised more concern. They figured it would be rude to actually ask if he was drunk, but it wouldn't stop them from believing so.

While they thought of how to respond to this, they tried to piece together how they had recognized this man. Intimidatingly large body (at least compared to that of Calizaire,) wearing sunglasses all the time, possibly had a drinking problem...

"You're... Ruuben, right? Do you remember me..?"

In his state, Ruuben couldn't especially recognize the voice. However, he looked over his shoulder, raising his sunglasses enough to try to look at the stubborn person before him. Given the darkness and his drunken stupor, it was almost pointless to try and look at them.

"No," he said, pulling his sunglasses back down and turning away again. "Now get out of my house..."

He heard the person's nervous laugh, and felt their hand against his arm again. "Isn't it a little too cold to be your house..? You should get somewhere warmer... before you freeze to death."

Ruuben sat up and a few of the Munogens fell off of his shoulders. He took a deep breath, blinking slowly as if adjusting his eyes to the light (or lack thereof.) He lowered his sunglasses, scoping the area slowly. Sure enough, he wasn't in bed, but in the middle of a wooded area filled generously with snow. The cold started to set in, and he clenched his teeth, pushing his sunglasses back up.

"Must have had a bit too much..." he muttered, starting to stand. Calizaire stood quickly beside him, holding their hands out to offer help. Ruuben waved them off, stretching and dusting off as much snow as he could.

"Well, thanks for waking me, at least." he rubbed the back of his neck, pulling out a Munogen from his hood and holding it in the crook of his arm. "I can get home on my own."

Calizaire shook their head. "Sorry, I don't want to leave you alone. ...I'm a little worried. Uh... do you mind if I just walk with you... to make sure you get there safe?"

Ruuben groaned and rolled his neck and shoulders. "If it makes you happy, alright."

They gestured forwards, not taking their eyes off the man. "Can you walk? Doesn't matter if it's straight, but if you don't want me holding you up... well, I'll have to make sure I don't have to."

He sighed, taking a few slow steps, focusing hard on keeping his balance. He couldn't walk as fast as he normally would, but he blamed that partly on the snow. "I can walk."

Not wanting to seem intrusive, Calizaire nodded and walked up beside him. "Do you know where you even are? How did you get here?"

"I don't remember." he lowered his voice. "I don't really know where I am, either..."

"It's fine, I know how to get back..." they trailed off, lowering their eyes to the ground and shoving their hands back in their pockets. Feeling awkward to say the least, they focused on the fuzzy creature nuzzling their neck, making excited movements. Looking over their shoulder, they saw Ruuben was being followed by them.

"My name is Calizaire," they said, lifting their head slightly.

"No, I don't remember you." Ruuben squinted behind his sunglasses. "But thanks, Calizaire."

The pair walked slowly, silent except for the crunching snow beneath their boots. Calizaire kept their eyes straight, focusing hard on following the footprints they had made while coming here before they'd get covered in snow. Thankfully, they soon reached the road that went into the city.

"We're back," Calizaire announced, as if Ruuben wouldn't have known. "Are you staying somewhere..?"

"I was, uh..." the man ran his fingers through his hair, scratching his head. "I'll just stay at a hotel for the night. I need to sleep this off. I think I live on the other side of the city..."

"That's fine. Would you let me chip in?"

"No, it's enough that you took me here. I can get around on my own from here." he reached out and patted Calizaire on their shoulder. "Thanks again. I probably won't run into you again, but... it was nice meeting you."

He spoke as if it was painful to say things like that, but Calizaire thanked him and returned the sentiments anyway. They waved goodbye as he walked down the busy streets, watched to make sure he didn't fall or anything, then began heading home.

It was then they felt a tickling on their neck again, and pulled out the Munogen, cupping their hands to hold it as it wiggled excitedly. A grin played on their lips, and they pet it gently with their fingers. "Ruuben, huh? I hope he doesn't squish any of your friends in his sleep..." they placed the creature on top of their head, beneath their hood, and started walking again.