AVLC | Christmas Preparations {Lightwoods Only}

No nonsense voice
Talking
Doing
Deep thought
Hearing
Singing

She stood over the small fish pond, kneeling down to wipe the snow away from the surface, to reveal the thin piece of ice resting on top. Although it was completely clear with cold, Avon couldn't see anything swimming about, so she assumed that the feeder fish she had put in over the summer were in hibernation inside the pickle jars she had also placed inside. The tree that was above the pond had left red, star shaped leaves all around and inside it, and they were still inside the frozen water. all different shades and hues of reds. She made a note to show Aris later, she knew that he liked colours like that, and maybe he would want to paint it. Making a mental note, she moved away to pick up the cutters from where she had left them.

She was worried about the roses, and if they would survive the winter. They were winter roses, but District one didn't normally have such heavy snow. So she was clipping them back so that they wouldn't possibly fail under the snow. She was proud of her roses and how big they had grown. She enjoyed the quiet work that doing so gave her. Snow always made her happy even when it made others so cold, wet, and miserable. it sat over things like a blanket and was a good excuse for a nice cup of hot chocolate. Carefully she finished her artwork and moved on to the next bush, just as patient as before. Inside she knew that there were Lightwoods also preparing for the winter season, putting up garland, and mistletoe in every door frame.

At the front of the house, she knew that riley was hanging lights, so she was keeping one ear open, ready to rush over if something went wrong. Technically she should have been over there holding the ladder, but she was really worried about the roses she tended so very carefully. Tying the last bag on, she surveyed her handiwork. It was good, she had gotten them all done in only a half hour. They also looked rather handsome all clipped back, instead of grabby and wild like they had before. Reaching over, she clipped off a white rose from four bushes, and then a red rose from five. Deciding that it looked to lonely, she took three more whites. She knew that her sisters would love them, they always did like pretty things.

Oh Shit.

She still had to find gifts for her siblings. She had been collecting odd little things here and there to put in their stockings in lue of santa, but she didn't have anything big yet. With the recent apprehension of yet another new father, and a baby on the way, it was safe to say that the Lightwoods were on edge. At least I am. She barely even knew her newest father, and didn't plan to make an effort to get to know him either. Not when she might have to murder him later on as well. That thought, and whole idea might have sent a normal person reeling, but not with her. Cold and calculating, that's how one who didn't know her might describe her. As she trudged over to the house, she decided to go around front first to check on Riley.

She looked up at him on the ladder, it looked like he was almost finished with the house. She had offered to do it, but he had insisted that it was his work. Even so, she would have been able to complete it very easily with her skills. At least I'm good for something other than fighting. When he glanced down, she waved a hand up in a wave, and headed inside, knocking her boots against the outside before pulling them off. Carefully laying down the roses, she shrugged off her coat and hung it up. Lifting up the bouquet again, she took entered the kitchen to get a vase. She placed the bouquet in the vase water-less as she poured milk into a pan on the stove and got out some hot chocolate mix. Not turning it on yet, she went back to the vase and filled it with water and trimmed down the flowers, a colourful, giggling boy flew by. She left the milk and hot chocolate for Riley to do. If she even tried she would burn it. All she could do was set-up.

Smiling slightly, she carried the roses out to the living room. The colourful figure ran around the corner again, leaving a trail of tinsel behind him. In a rare moment of emotion, she smiled ruefully, Chyba's antics never failed on her. She carefully placed the roses down on the coffee table, enjoying the way they looked on the wood stained table. She waited quietly for the boy to come running back, listening to the sound of his pattering footsteps as they went running away and then got closer again. Bending her knees a little bit, she stood herself in the doorway that he would come through after going through the first and waited carefully, her arms wide. Somewhere behind her she heard the door open, and she smoothed her face out again as she lay in wait for the boy to come running.

No nonsense voice
Talking
Doing
Deep thought
Hearing
Singing

She watched, and waited, senses alert as she waited for the pitter patter of feet to come to her. A few minutes later, Riley entered the room and she still hadn't moved. She chose not to look at him, accepting the hot chocolate, eyes still on the door. She couldn't help herself now that every time she saw him she saw pale canvased skin torn to shreds, and she didn't think she could take the pain of that, added all up on top of the other pains she had felt throughout the years. She hadn't even joined him in the library for months, unable to fucking just take down her careful mask and tell him how she felt, how every time she saw him she wanted to cry at his stupid half smile, and how together he always looked when he was a fucking bunch of threads held together with a tarnished silver needle.

Anger flooding through her, she rolled her shoulders back, trying to get a crick out of it from some 'money raising' done three nights ago for buying said stupid brother's gift. The only gift she had bought so far was for Riley, and she had put a lot of thought into it, and had done a lot of stalking for it too. If he didn't like it she might actually kill him, the way she had pretty much used her life savings on it, not to mention the monthly allowances she sometimes received from Willow if the daft lady remembered. Really, if she wanted to get him something he could really use, she should just buy him a new box of razors. She saw it in him sometimes. The way he'd move slower or be more careful with his movements. The only thing she hadn't known before was what it meant.

She nodded at the compliment to her flowers, not letting the glimmer of pride show through. Honestly, they were her pride and joy, but that didn't mean she had to show it. Avon carefully sipped the hot chocolate, not so much afraid of burning her tongue, but more afraid of Chyba running in with her unprepared. Placing it down on a ledge beside her, she bent her knees again, ready for the kid's entry. Only half listening to the question, she nodded absentmindly, "I don't care. What's another person," even as she caught the she. Straightening up, she stared at him, uncertain if he had made up with Bridgett or not, and afraid to ask in case it sent him back into hysterics. That had been nerve racking, and not something she really wanted to go through again. She hadn't seen her triplet like that for years.

Even as she was about to ask about it, the footsteps suddenly got a hell of a lot louder, and Avon bent down again just in time to catch a flying, giggling, Chyba in her arms. The force of his run threw her back onto the ground, especially since she had been so unprepared. They went through the door frame and slid back a few feet on the hardwood before coming to a stop. Swearing slightly under her breath, she felt the air get knocked out of her, even as a rare smile spread across her features at the roughhousing. "No running in the house Chyba," she said softly as she kissed his small head. "You know the rules." She didn't often have to pull out her stern voice with Chyba, because she was so partial to him, she liked to think that he was a little bit partial to her.

Struggling to her feet, she herded him back into the other room and gave him a cup of hot chocolate, her smile already beginning to fade back to normalcy. Keela was now in the room as well with Siobhan, showing off the baby's new outfit. Personally, Avon decided it was a poor fashion choice, but seeing the pride on her sister's face she decided to keep the comment to herself. Besides, it was true enough that the newborns looked pretty much adorable all the time. She was partial to Cillian more though, liking something in the way she seemed to look at the world. Maybe a little bit like Aunty Avon. She wondered a moment later if Keela would be inviting anyone over, which wasn't very likley, seeing as she had some difficulty making friends. But give the girl a piano and she was braver than bees.

It made her sad sometimes to see the damage that had been caused and still remained after so many years in her sisters. Shame filled her with the thoughts that she had been too ignorant and weak to protect them. She never wanted to feel that way again. Looking hard at Keela, Avon decided what she would be giving her that year. It was something very precious to Avon herself, but for her little sister, she would offer up her life just to protect her and make her happy. And that went for all the Lightwoods really. Moving over to Keela, she held her pinky out for Siobhan to grab, "Very nice Keela," she said, doing her best to have at least a tiny bit of Christmas cheer for her siblings.