The Estate, Sidra, Glacia, Christmas Eve

[glacial_queen]

It was Winsol! The first night had come and gone, celebrated in Dhemlan where they danced for the glory of Witch and made all the better because Witch was there. After that first night, the coven and boyos had returned to their home Territories to spend the rest of Winsol with their families and Courts, balancing the celebration of the holiday between politics and the people they cared for. In this, Karla was little different, save that her condition made it easier to say no to the endless whirl of aristo parties. She couldn't avoid all of them (some, like the ball for the Province Queens and another for the first few Circles of Court, the estate even hosted) and some events she attended with more pleasure than duty, but by the eighth evening of the holidays, she was pretty exhausted. The very thought of attending another event with strangers, no matter how well-intentioned, made her want to scream and see if she couldn't wedge herself under the bed in her chambers and not come out until spring.

Fortunately, however, such drastic measures were not necessary. Tonight, at least according to Fandom's calendar, was December 24th. And on years when Winsol and Christmas coincided, she declared that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were for family. No politics, no stress, no visitors. Just two days alone with her nearest and dearest, both those who lived in Glacia with her and those who could be convinced to visit.

This year, at least, there were several, including Uncle Saetan. Jaenelle and Lucivar were spending the rest of Winsol traveling through the kindred Territories, so Karla had bullied invited Uncle Saetan to visit with them for the rest of the holidays so he wouldn't be lonely. Other invitations had gone out to the island, inviting old friends and new (including some of her students), to come and spend Christmas at the estate. The last thing Karla wanted was for anyone to have to spend Christmas alone.

Rather than anything grand and glorious, they'd decorated a large parlor (with a proper Christmas tree, instead of a Winsol tree, with nearby boxes filled the Christmas ornaments Karla had scavenged over the years, mismatched and gaudy and delightful, for people to hang if they wished), and had a cozy little celebration there. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace (along with chestnuts for roasting!), tureens of hot chocolate and mulled cider and eggnog, platters of food set up buffet style for people to nibble on when they were hungry and ignore when they were not, and a lot of relaxed, good-natured company.

Also, a pile of hideous holiday sweaters for people, if Karla could browbeat convince them to wear one.

[Open for anyone who thinks they might get an invite or wants one. Up now for the MOST EPIC of all SPs EVER; don't worry about tagging in late or vanishing for holiday stuff. S'all good.]

Comments

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"Well, if you do it now, you can probably out run her."

BEN.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"And if I can't outrun her, I can definitely outfly her," Warren chuckled. "But then I'd be banished forever. It would be... really kind of tragic, actually. All of my stuff is here."

Literally. Everything he owned in the world, anymore.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah, probably not worth it for one joke," Ben agreed, smiling. "We'll love a toaster or something."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"A toaster it is, then," Warren decreed, and then chuckled and shook his head. "I'd be pulling out a bottle to toast to this or something - Emma got me a really nice bourbon not long ago - but Karla has a nose like a bloodhound right now and she'd set on us like a rabid dog."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"I don't want to be sleeping in the cold," Ben replied, nodding, "but thank you for the thought."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"I'm nothing if not thoughtful," Warren replied. "It just means I'll have to take you out for drinks another time. For right now, we've got... nonalcoholic eggnog. And sweaters?"

Well, Warren still hadn't been bullied into his sweater. And he was perfectly okay with that.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"Astral sweaters."

Ben had appalling taste. Don't listen to him, Warren.

"And drinks sound good, too. Maybe once Ender and I settle into our next planet."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

If Warren had listened to Ben about Angry Birds once upon a time, why wouldn't he listen to him now?

... Because he had seen the sweater that Karla was trying to stuff him into, maybe.

"Excellent-- We'll have to touch base again once you've settled in. Maybe we'll be able to pull it off without picking up any livestock along the way, for once."

Nah.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "Dream big, Warren."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"I've never learned how to dream any other way," Warren chuckled, shaking his head. "Why start now?"

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"Well, you do live in a castle," Ben said. "Dreaming big is working for you."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"It is a bit of an upgrade from 'condo,'" Warren mused, looking around. "And it's not even a horrible assault on the senses, now that we've gotten rid of so much of the unnecessary gilding. That's not what gold standard means. And then there are the hideous ceramics. And then there are the gold-plated hideous ceramics..."

Not many people complained about having too much gold, Warren.

"What I'm saying here is, you're welcome to take all of the ceramics home that you could ever want or need."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"And also not to look in our closet or under then bed," Ben teased.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"It's for your own good, I swear," Warren laughed, shaking his head. "The things you'll see under there..."

They all smiled back at you. It was horrible.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "So that's a no to rewrapping them as gifts?"

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"Well, maybe. Just so long as they don't come back to us again."

A beat.

"Though I could see that becoming a tradition. The annual passing off of the terrible ceramic..."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"That's an astral idea," Ben said. "I want to see Morton's face. Or Dr. Lecter's."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"Just re-gifting the same hideous piece of ceramic, over and over... Whoever gets it is stuck with it until the next Christmas, or Winsol, or Birthday... whatever occasion people usually give gifts." Warren chuckled. "Morton might throw the thing. I think Doctor Lecter would just get that look on his face as though he's stuck wearing shoes that are far too tight."

People tended to perfect the pinchy-shoes-face while they were around this lot. Warren for the life of him couldn't figure out why. They were awesome people!

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"You mean this look?" Ben replied, then gave his impression of Ender at his most "I am clearly tolerating you."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

And Warren barked a laugh and gave his hands a clap.

"That one! That's the exact look!"

And it was actually kind of weird, seeing it on Ben's face.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

Ben burst out laughing immediately. "I've spent almost a decade getting that look every time Karla gets another beautiful vase."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"See," Warren laughed, "I don't mind the vases, just so long as Karla keeps them all in the same room that I never, ever have to go into. I mean, they're wonderful and all, but there's no accounting for my tastes, I guess."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"I pity you and Ender for your lack of whimsy," Ben said, nodding Very Solemnly.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[wwiii]

"Karla laments my broken imagination every hour of every day," Warren shared, shaking his head. "It's tragic, really. Hand me a business and I'll have budgets balanced and profits doubled, tripled, within a month or two. Put me anywhere near art, though, and I'll probably just stare stupidly at it, wondering what the point is."

Especially the really, really, really ugly ones.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[momslilassassin]

"There's no point," Ben said. "It's just to make you feel something, and we all need a little more of that."