The holiday season is fast approaching, and that means it’s time to hit the shops! If you’re looking for inspiration for gifts for all the important people in your life, ComicsAlliance has put together a series of guides centered on different themes and personalities!

Caught up in the season's chills? Unnerved by the encroaching darkness? Do you find yourself shivering and numb at unexpected moments? Am I talking about the weather or the current political climate? Why not both?!

Warm up your body and soul this season with a steaming hot mug of feelings and coffee. Stories like the fabled "coffee shop AUs (alternate universes)," where licensed characters are imagined in low-key, romantic settings, have been derided by some as lacking drama or conflict, and to that I say: thank god. We don't need to fantasize about conflict or drama in all our fiction when we can just greet what's waiting on our front door. Sometimes, the soul just needs kindling.

(To be strictly accurate, coffee shop AUs often do present drama and conflict, just not the kind acknowledged by those who deride them.)

Share with your loved ones the gifts of feeling and warmth with this coffee shop AU gift guide. The suggestions in this list don't evoke every aspect of the coffee shop AU, but they should represent the genre's spirit, be it through romance, old stories made new, or comforting cuisine.

 

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