OC-Palooza
Starling
By Scribe Feather
This year's winter seemed to come out of nowhere and with little warning. Just as the denizens of Ponyville were beginning to enjoy the crisp autumn weather, a thick blanket of snow fell down over night and covered the valley town in a fluffy white layer. With it came a chilly and dry wind that cut through even the warmest of winter clothes that ponies dressed themselves in.
Many ponies didn't even leave their homes, finding the heated buildings much more comfortable to wait the storm out in. But for those few who had no choice but to endure the snow, they would quickly rush home to the warmth the moment they had the chance.
Starling was among those few who found themselves caught up in the wintery weather. The purple unicorn trudged himself through the snowy streets of town, hiding his face as best as he could underneath the purple striped scarf that twisted around his neck. His dark purple striped hair twisted about in the icy, wispy wind, causing him to coil his neck like a turtle and tug his winter cap down against his skull. Anything to ward off the snowy cold.
The unicorn's hooves cut through the thick layer of snow as he slowly pulled himself through the wintery weather. Every step he made with his snow boots brought him closer to home and that was enough to keep him going. The wind seemed to blow in his face regardless of where he turned to face, causing him to squint and just barely be able to see where he was going.
As if answering his prayers, Starling's home came into view and the stallion hardly hesitated a second before rushing in through the front door. Free from exposure to the winter winds, he was already feeling warmer. The door was quickly shut behind him, sealing the cold outside.
He entered a dimly lit house with only the faint fading sunlight from outside filtering in through curtain drawn windows. The place was rather cold, but relatively warmer than the snow covered landscape that waited just a few feet away from the door.
The snow on his clothes and coat quickly melted in the warmer air, turning to large wet spots all around his body. The unicorn shivered, hastily pulling off the scarf, hat, and boots to rid himself of the wet feeling. He rubbed his forehooves together as he squirmed in place to fight off the cold. The quicker he could get away from the front door and the pile of wet clothes the better.
He swiftly scurried into the living room, hastily casting a little fire spell to throw into the nearby fireplace. The puff of magic mingled with the slightly charred logs, taking hold of the fuel as a fire slowly took shape. The flames started as a spark first, a small flicker that was slow to get started. A tiny bit of heat grew amongst the firewood and tinder as the fire ever so slowly grew in size.
Starling shivered some more as he hastily rubbed his hooves together and extended them towards the growing fire. The heat quickly warmed his cold body, drying off the little patches of wet fur that dotted his coat. He spent a moment or two warming up by the fire, rotating his body in front of the orange flame as his body temperature slowly returned to a more comfortable level.
Snow still fell outside, frosting the windows as the weather blew by. A thick sheet of snowflakes were quick to cover up Starling's trail of hoofprints, making it difficult to even see them anymore. The weather made the lavender unicorn shiver at the thought of walking out there again as he watched from the safety of the inside. There was something soothing about watching the little snowflakes float by though, something cozy about hiding in a nice warm house and watching the cold weather blow by.
Starling knew just the thing for such a cold winter day and he wasn't going to waste another second. Galloping over to the closet, he quickly nabbed a plain looking box from a stack of other typical looking boxes. All the items he needed for a perfect warm day in winter were all contained in one box. Dominating the space inside was a package of adult sized diapers, a plastic container that was already half full from previous days of relaxation. Nestled beside the big package was a neatly folded, star printed, purple onesie with Starling's favorite kangaroo plushie sitting propped up next to it.
He gleefully pulled out every item, taking pause with each one to enjoy the moment. The onesie was so soft to the touch and he was sure to give his kangaroo a quick hug before moving on. The single diaper he extracted from the package loudly crinkled in his hold, further exciting the unicorn for what was to come.
Through a mixture of magic and his own experienced hooves, Starling swiftly taped the fresh diaper around his waist, ensuring a nice snug fit for comfort and security. His onesie was next on his list and he used his magic to float the garment up over his head and used a bit more magic to help him snap the onesie up around his bulbous diaper. As if to punctuate his infantile outfit, Starling then snatched his kangaroo plushie up into his arms and gave it a big hug.
Now there was only one last thing he needed to prepare for a perfect winter evening. With a chorus of crinkles, Starling waddled into the kitchen, where his magic expertly plucked a kettle off and shelf and filled it with water. He then slipped it over to the stove top and kicked on one of the burners. Never once did his kangaroo plushie leave his side as the purple unicorn kept his fluffy companion hugged close to his chest.
With the kettle heating up the water, Starling waddled back into the living room where he planned to keep warm until the water boiled. A nest of fluffy pillows and soft blankets was assembled a safe distance away from the fire, giving Starling ample space to curl up and snuggle underneath the warmth. He was just about to make a beeline for the pile of fluff when he suddenly caught a glance at his reflection in a nearby full body mirror.
The diaper, purple onesie, and kangaroo plush all completed the look, making Starling wiggle in place. He modeled in front of the mirror as he happily watched his reflection mirror each pose. He was sure to take note of the thick diaper bulge that gave the onesie's crotch snaps a run for their money. Every couple of poses were punctuated with a quick hug of his kangaroo plushie that never left the crook of his arm the whole time.
Once he was done with his little fashion show, the unicorn flopped into the nest of pillows and blankets, burrowing deep into the warmth before popping his head out to watch the fire. He curled up snugly in his blanket burrow, always being sure to keep his kangaroo close to his chest in a snuggling hug. The soft warmth of the blankets and the quiet crackling of the firewood was a far cry from the chilly weather that blew outside.
He was just about fully relaxed amongst the warmth when the whistling of the tea kettle could be heard. He groaned as he was forced to pull himself out of his nest. Loud crinkling could be heard as he hastily waddled off to the kitchen, momentarily leaving his kangaroo behind. The hot water was poured in a mug, mixed in with some cocoa mix and before long he had hastily assembled the quickest cup of hot chocolate he ever made. He waddled back with the mug in tow and dove back into the warmth yet again, hardly leaving enough time for his kangaroo plushie to start missing him.
His magic floated the mug of hot chocolate in the air nearby, saving it from any spills the hasty unicorn might cause. When he wasn't sipping it's delicious necter, Starling kept the mug on a nearby coffee table, a safe distance from his haphazard nest of softness. The hot chocolate soothed and warmed Starling's body even more, giving him more content feelings of relaxation that just made him snuggle under the blankets even more.
So warm and cozy, he gave his kangaroo plushie another big hug, letting out a little squeaky sigh. He loved winter.