Christmas (Family)

[merlin]

(I didn't realize that Christmas already past in game so this thread is a little late but if any is interested I think the family deserves a happy Christmas )

Seth wasn't sure if he was more nervous or excited at the moment. As soon as the sun had fallen Seth had been moving around the house in preparations. He had set up the lights so that the outside of the house glowed with the cheery Christmas lights. Marcus had made a few of the trees outside look like Christmas trees so that they wouldn't need to keep one in the house which added some more festivity outside and less of a mess inside, not that the inside of the house was any less festive than the outside. Garland lined the doorways with some mistletoe hanging around for unsuspecting guests. Small snowman shaped candle holders were sitting on window sills and tables, stockings hung over the fireplace that Seth had already light. The only thing missing was the people who Seth was hoping would be arriving soon.

After the horrible year that had passed Seth felt that the family needed a good relaxing evening together to end the year on a better note. That was why he had sent out invitations to everyone, even Jordan had been invited though Seth doubted the man would come...

Shaking his head, Seth turned his thoughts to happier ones as he smelt the pork roast he had been cooking and quickly went to the kitchen to pull it out of the oven since it had finished cooking. Marcus should be home soon and he'd help Seth finish off with the kitchen stuff and by then hopefully someone else would have come along as well. This would be the first time anyone from his family met Marcus and Seth wanted it to be perfect. Seth had dinner ready and now all he could do was wait and hope everything was as perfect and happy as he could manage to make it...

[wren]

Wren didn't feel much like celebrating, in fact she found it a challenge to get out of bed most days. If it weren't for the fact that she had Ruby and Daniel to care for she probably wouldn't get up at all. Lately she had felt that there was a gaping hole in her chest. She loved all her siblings very much, but Violet had been also her dearest friend. It was like a part of her was missing, or destroyed even. It might sound melodramatic, though even in her head it seemed the only accurate way to describe what she was feeling- her spirit had been broken.

Nevertheless she had hired a sitter and turned up for a belated Christmas party, and passed the word to Zach to come by once he got off work. His hours had always been unpredictable, but now it was worse than ever. Wren bit her lip and knocked on the door twice, knowing Seth would hear although she had not rung the bell. Wren wore chocolate brown robes, a much duller option compared to the cheerful colours she usually wore- though she found even pink or sunshiny yellow didn't make her feel happy. In her hand she held a small enchanted bag.

Wren had still found it in her to be somewhat festive, and had made several vegan-friendly dishes to pass around as well as gotten presents for anyone who might turn up. They weren't extravagant as the budget didn't allow it, but were thoughtful all the same. Wren ran a hand through her hair, she already felt tired, perhaps as she spent the evening with what remained of her family she might be energized. Wren, however, for once hoped her parents wouldn't be there. She might not be able to stomach the sight of them.

[merlin]

Seth was at the door as soon as he heard the first knock and opening it after the second. Seth smiled when he saw Wren, noticing how tired she looked. No longer was the easy going bright woman that Wren had been, not since Violets murder. Seth hugged Wren gently, reminding himself that tonight would be a good night and he would not think about anything other then what was happening at that moment.

"You look good in those robes," Seth said as he pulled away and looked at the dark colored robes. Okay so they weren't actually dark but definitely not the colors Wren used to wear. Seth himself was dressed in a slightly more muggle fashion with a silk black button down shirt with some dress pants. Seth had put on a festive tie that was green with Christmas lights running diagonally along it. The tie had been a gift from Marcus' uncle so Seth had figured tonight would be the best, and probably only, time that he would wear the tie.

"Your the first to arrive," Seth informed Wren as he ushered her in so that he could close the door. "If you hand me the food I can just take that quickly to the kitchen if you want to go into the living room. Marcus should be hear soon by the way," Seth said in one long rambling speech. No one in the family had met Marcus yet and Seth was rather nervous to be honest, not sure how anyone would respond.

[wren]

Wren managed a weak smile, but it was only that, the corners of her mouth briefly pointing upward for a moment before it faded away. The gesture had even failed to connect to her eyes like it always had done before. She just didn't have that spark in her anymore. She did, however, return her brother's embrace just like she would have done before Violet's death. She wasn't happy as she once was, though it didn't change that Wren was very much a physical sort of being, she needed to be able to touch the people she cared about.

"You think so?" said Wren, absently touching the fabric of her robes. She didn't really care for them herself, though she felt like she were being fake when she put on her usual attire- like she were trying too hard to pretend that things were all right when they obviously weren't. Wren wasn't going to be outwardly dishonest. Nor would she allow herself to completely collapse and dress in black all the time. She hated the colour black, the darkness of it, just the blatant depressive nature of it. She stepped inside as Seth informed her she was the first one there. She wasn't surprised, she tended to turn up to things early.

"It's all right, I can take it there," said Wren walking back to the kitchen and setting her bag on the counter. She opened it and began pulling out covered dishes, six total, and also pulled out two bottles of wine, she hoped it would be enough. "Oh, good," said Wren when her brother mentioned that Marcus should turn up soon, she had been wanting to meet him ever since Seth told her about him. "If he doesn't end up working too late Zach will come by," Wren added, slightly frowning. Her husband's hours had been more than strenuous lately.

[skymole]

At that moment there was a faint pop outside announcing Marcus's arrival. He was very tired from work and had just barely had the sense to change out of his work robes before going home. He took a breath to steady himself before walking up to the house and entering. The robe he was wearing was a dark, soft blue color with silver trim and a pale green undershirt. He had also tried to tame his hair but of course it had failed miserably. His mother would of course fuss all over it when she arrived, but honestly that was the least of his worries...as indicated by the strange witch who was in the house. This must be Wren.

"Hello," Marcus said with a slightly nervous smile, "I am Marcus, you must be Wren." He held out his hand to shake. He wasn't quite sure what else he could say though. He knew very well that she had just lost a sister, and taking it very badly from the way it sounded. Should he say something? Or would that just be more hurtfull? It would show that he knew and cared about the problem's Seth's family was having, but on the other hand this was supposed to be a fun celebration... He just wasn't sure, so he wouldn't mention it right now; not untill he had some sort of cue. Untill then, he would just focus on having fun and making the best of the Christmas party that Seth had worked so hard to put together.

[wren]

Wren quickly looked Marcus up and down, she had heard so much about him from Seth already, it was good to finally lay eye on him, put a face to the person she had only heard about before. Actually seeing him made the fact that her brother liked men more solid for Wren, not that she had a problem with it, it just hadn't been what she had expected. All the same she smiled at the young man, knowing that he was the person who made Seth happy made it easier for her to not focus on her depression quite so much.

Instead of taking the hand offered to her, however, Wren went in for a quick hug. She was certain her maternal nature would make it more a welcoming gesture than one that might be awkward. "It's good to finally meet you," said Wren, taking half a step back, hoping she hadn't startled Marcus, aside from what Seth had told her she really didn't know a thing about him. She just wished Violet had been able to meet the young man. Thoughts of her sister made Wren's heart sting, so she shoved them away for the moment. This evening was supposed to be fun.

[skymole]

Unfortunately she had startled him with the hug. He wasn't a very huggy person but he had prepared to be hugged and poked and prodded by everyone tonight. Such was the way of family get togethers. Especially when those get togethers were with the family of someone you'd been seeing for eight months and had just moved in with. Marcus just smiled and nodded though, not showing his discomfort. It was too important to Seth for this to go nicely.

"It's nice to meet you at last," he said still with the friendly smile, "Seth has talked about you a lot. So you're a vegan? Where do you get your protein sources then? Soy? Or perhaps beans? Probably a combination of the two, just one would get boring. You seemed to have balanced your diet pretty well, you look great. Not too thin, which is common for people who don't eat meat."

He hadn't really realized that he'd been babbling. He was just trying to make small talk, but what else was there to talk about? He knew a lot about Wren from what Seth had told him but the first thing that had come to mind was the thing he had use his brain to talk about. Things like children and spouses just didn't register with him because he honestly had nothing to say about them.

[wren]

Wren was thankful when she didn't see any noticeable signs of discomfort from Marcus with her slight breach of social etiquette in going straight for a hug rather than a handshake. She did often have to remind herself that not everyone was a physical being as she was. Wren just didn't think that people would be made uncomfortable by a hug. To her it was such a warm gesture, one that expressed vulnerability just as much as affection. That and she tended to feel alienated when she couldn't touch the people that she was around. Touch was such a strong thing, no matter how gentle it was.

"Has he?" said Wren, flattered when Marcus told her that Seth talked about her a lot. Though she supposed that she shouldn't be surprised, she herself was more prone to talking about her family than herself. She remembered when she and her husband had first started dating, how he had needed to remind her to tell him more about herself than her siblings. Now of course it was almost nonstop talk about her kids, two-year-old Ruby and little Daniel who would be one at the end of the month. Wren gave forth a small smile, not minding Marcus' blabbering.

It was endearing in a way, perhaps the young man just got anxious when he met people for the first time. "Well, it'll be the babies that have done the 'not too thin' thing to me," said Wren, in the most light-hearted tone she had used in a while, "but there's more to protein than soy and beans. There's things like spinach, broccoli, nuts, and quinoa, all sorts of things."

[zachariahfoldger]

Zach walked the street in a daze of sorts, feeling disconnected from his surroundings, like he was in some sort of nightmare, unable to wake up and doomed to sleep through it all. It was the only logical explanation as to why life had suddenly become so cruel, so cold. The harsh reality of the state their world was crumbling into was becoming more and more apparent with every passing day. Violets death...the death of her unborn baby had been a shattering blow to the family, they were still struggling to accept it all...

Now Jordan was dead...

Only a couple hours previous Zach, along with a couple fellow Auror's and Hit Wizards, had found his good friend, the love of Violets life dead. Suicide. Jordan, unable to cope with the crushing loss of his beautiful wife, his soul-mate and their baby, had thrown himself off a cliff side. In his lifeless hand he'd still clutched tightly to a picture of his and Violet's wedding day. Such a happy, beautiful, un-breakable couple...Jordan just hadn't been able to cope with her loss, Violet and their baby had been his world, his only reason for carrying on and without them, he'd saw no point in anything any more.

Zach had gone straight home, dressing in a daze, holding his kids tightly, promising them he'd always be there for them no matter what. The urge to stay home with them had been strong, but he had to be with Wren, hold her, tell her he loved her because there were no clear guarantee's in life any more. They were learning that the hard way. Zach was determined to let her know everyday how much he loved her, just in case...

Stopping outside Seth's and Marcus's house, Zach took a deep shuddering breath, closing his eyes to try and gather some courage. Tonight was supposed to be a Christmas celebration, and as much as they needed to know about Jordan's death, Zach estimated it may be best to hold off giving them the news till tomorrow. They needed this one night, Wren needed tonight. Running a hand over his face, he opened his eyes, blew out a breath and raised his fist, knocking twice on the door, forcing a small smile onto his face...

[merlin]

Seth wasn't sure whether to be glad that Marcus was getting along well enough with his sister or embarrassed as Marcus started to ramble. His poor Marcus was still learning how to talk to people. He sometimes just started rambling or wouldn't talk at all because he couldn't see the point. Some day though Seth was sure that he could teach Marcus what small talk was. There were things one could talk about just for the fun of it after all.

"Alright you two off to the living room with you," Seth said before the conversation could go on much further. Marcus would surely be drilling Wren on her eating habits in moments if she let him. Best to have them sit down now before Marcus got lost in the conversation and forgot to offer Wren a seat. Seth smiled before he heard something in the driveway and tilted his head slight to catch the sound. Looked like another guest had arrived. Seth wondered who else was left, Zach hadn't arrived yet nor had Jordan so it could be ether of them. Seth doubted Marcus' parents would be able to arrive to the party because of how far out they lived and because of the late hour they had been forced to make the party.

"I'll get the door," Seth said as a knocking sound came from the front door. Leaving Wren and Marcus alone, Seth went and opened the door to find Zach standing there. "Hello Zach come on in," Seth said brightly as he stepped aside to let the other in. Seth was finding it much easier to feel happy and relaxed every time someone new arrived. One more person meant just one more distraction to keep Seth busy.

[zachariahfoldger]

"Evening Seth," Zach greeted his brother in law with a smile as he was invited into the house. It was still hard to believe Seth was indeed a vampire, but Zach was getting used to it, if Wren could still love and accept her brother than nobody else should have a problem. Stepping into the house, he ruffled his hair slightly, amazed he was able to act so normal when inside he was feeling torn, distraught, conflicted, still though, through some miracle he managed to keep that smile on his face, masking what was really going on inside.

Now was not the time to tell them he could understand that, this was supposed to be a happy night. Sure it felt wrong not telling them, but Zach knew the news would sadden everyone, well maybe not Seth so much but he knew the other man would at least feel a little sad over Jordan's passing, if only for the connection Jordan had to his sister Violet and her child. Zach could understand why Seth and Jordan had been at such odds, but the latter of the two had always been a good friend of Zach's, and knowing he was gone as well as his beautiful sister in law was crippling to say the least.

"Where's that beautiful wife of mine?" he asked with a small smile, that only by looking closely you would see, didn't reach his eyes. Stepping through the hallway and looking at Seth before stepping further into the house, all the while his eyes searching for Wren, he just needed to hold her in his arms for a bit.

[wren]

Wren allowed herself to be ushered into the living room with Marcus by Seth, though at parties (even ones she wasn't hosting) she always felt more comfortable in the kitchen, helping with food preparation or helping to clean up afterward. She supposed it had to be her inner housewife, she liked to be able to care for people, particularly when it came to feeding them. If it were just her and Seth Wren might have plopped down onto the couch in a slightly unladylike way- though she figured that she ought to keep to more proper manners and wait to be invited to sit.

At any rate, she was fine with standing. She looked curiously down what she could see of the hallway when Seth went to answer the door, though couldn't see the door from where she was. Though in only a second and she knew who else had arrived by sound. "Thank God they didn't keep him too late," said Wren, more so to herself than to Marcus, she wouldn't have been surprised if he just turned up when it was time to leave. Times were getting hard, but they would manage. Somehow. Life went on an they had to keep up.

"Back here, dear," Wren called back, smiling slightly when he referred to her as his beautiful wife. Even in her depressive state he always managed to make her feel like a newlywed. In spite of the fact that they were the parents of two children, she did suppose they hadn't been married all that long.

[zachariahfoldger]

Zach shot a smile at Seth before he followed his wife's voice, finally finding her in the living room he felt some of the tension in his body lesson, though it was still there, the ache still clawing at his chest. "There you are..." he said softly. She didn't have to say anything for him to know how much she still hurt over Violet's death, his wife had lost her usual bounce back, happy go lucky spirit that made so many people love her...it was still there, though fractured he imagined, he just hoped she'd mend.

Stepping into the living room he looked at the gentleman in there also and smiled at him, "You must be Marcus, pleasure to finally meet you." he said, nodding in his direction as he closed the distance between him and Wren. Not missing a beat, and not caring they were in someone else's house, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, burying his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her soft floral scent and immediately feeling at home.

He knew Wren wouldn't mind the embrace, even here, she'd always been a physical person. "Sorry I'm late..." he said simply as he pulled back, keeping his arm around her waist but turning his focus partially onto the rest of the room so as not to appear rude. He wouldn't elaborate on why he was late like he usually did, no...this time he was staying quiet...at least until the right time presented itself, which would be tomorrow he hoped.

[wren]

Inexplicably, Wren immediately felt safer once Zach came into the room. Not that she had felt particularly unsafe before, but her husband had always had that effect on her, it seemed it had been that way the moment their relationship turned serious. Which, arguably, hadn't taken that long. Only in her head did it seem improbable, they had started going out the summer after her graduation, and that December had gotten married. Though she wouldn't have it any other way, she love him more than anything- except perhaps her children and her siblings. Thinking on it made her heart ache over Violet all over again.

She could only give forth a small smile to her husband, over the wide beam she used to give, but eagerly returned his embrace. She felt that contact with her husband gave her the strength she needed. Although there was something about this hug that alerted Wren to the fact that something was off, it was as if he were seeking support from her. She knew that Violet's death wasn't easy on him either, though she could just feel something was not right. Wren wasn't going to bring it up just then however, she just gave him a knowing squeeze and a peck on the cheek.

"It's all right, hon," said Wren, allowing herself to lean on Zach's muscular frame, glad that he was never opposed to her need for touch, "you work hard." She gave him a kiss on the cheek again, glad to have his arm around her waist, it was the support that she had needed. Perhaps now she would be able to get through the evening after all, even if she couldn't help but get the feeling that something was wrong.