Christmas Party! Millitimed Vaguely to "Sometime Around Christmas"

[kitchen_maid]

Anne and Amy have been very very busy over the last week or so, transforming their usually simple white room into the perfect place for a Christmas party.

There are garlands of holly and balsam strung around the room, leading away from the wreath between the windows (and there's a grumpy looking crow, perched in the middle of the wreath, trying to figure out how to get the red ribbon from around his neck). A Christmas tree, candles ablaze, stands in one corner, with presents tucked under its branches.

Welcome, dear friend, to Anne and Amy's Christmas party.

Comments

[smallestopener]

Ingress lets go of Tom's hand and run to Amy.

"Hi Amy! I brought you a wreath! I decorated it all by myself!"

She hands Amy a medium-sized wreath festooned with ribbon, holly sprigs, and sparkly jewels in green and red.

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, it's beautiful, Ingress. Thank you! We shall have to find some place to hang it."

A very bright smile. "Merry Christmas! I have something for you, too."

A small package in red paper, with a gold bow. Amy didn't make the gloves that are in it, but she did embroider the pattern around the wrists.

[smallestopener]

"I can open it?"

With a nod, or at least, Ingress is going to swear it was a nod, Ingress opens the package.

"Oh, they're pretty! Thank you, Amy. I love them!"

She takes out the gloves and tries them on.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy will back her up on the nod, even if they get questioned separately.

"For tea parties and the like," Amy says. "And I'm so glad they fit!"

[smallestopener]

"Is Ann your best friend? I should like to meet her."

[kitchen_maid]

"Yes, Anne is my best friend, and my roommate. And you simply must meet her, Ingress. I think you'd like her very much. I'll introduce you, when I get a moment, if you like, or you can introduce yourself. She's the girl over there in the green, with the red hair."

[smallestopener]

"Gavroche is my best friend. I'll go meet her next. I like meeting people."

[kitchen_maid]

"I'll have to talk to Gavroche. I think I said hello, briefly. He works for Caspian, doesn't he?"

[smallestopener]

"He's not just my best friend - he's my brother, too!"

She nods, in response to her question.

"Yeah, we used to help in the stables lots. I don't too much, but he still does."

[kitchen_maid]

"That is the best kind of best friend to have," says Amy, decidedly. "The ones that are brothers, too."

She smiles.

"Are you ready for Christmas in the House of Arch?"

[smallestopener]

"Yes! We're going to the Floating Market to get presents soon, and then we're going caroling, and then it'll be Christmas!"

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, I've always loved carols. Do you have a favorite?"

She looks curious. "The Floating Market?" asks Amy. "Does it actually float? On a boat or something?"

[smallestopener]

"I like the Fa la la la la one best. And the 12 days one on the part where you say 'Five golden rings!'"

She sings that part for Amy, extra boisterously.

"Sometimes it's on a boat, but mostly it's in places. It's in different places every time."

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, I see. So the location 'floats' around. That makes sense."

She smiles at Ingress's extra boisterous singing.

"I don't think I know the one about the twelve days," says Amy, which is a slightly dangerous thing to say to a child, really, but Amy doesn't know that. "I like the part you sang, though."

[smallestopener]

"You don't????"

Amy is then blessed wih a rendition of the 12 Days of Christmas. Or at least the 9 Days of Christmas, with the ladies dancing and lords a' leaping verses repeated a couple of extra times.

"...And a partridge in a pear treeeeeeeeee."

Ingress grins.

"That's it!"

[kitchen_maid]

Amy likes it, even if Ingress' version does seem to contain twenty dancing ladies.

"It's wonderful!"

She smiles.

"You sing very well, Ingress. I think you should reward yourself with a cookie -- or some of my friend Phil's chocolate cake. She made it especially for the party."

[smallestopener]

"Oh yes, please! Let's go get some!"

[kitchen_maid]

Amy grins. "All right," she says. "I think things are under control here for the moment, and I'd like to try the cake. May I put you in charge of Simon Perryvall?"

The little grey squirrel chatters and hops over to Ingress.

[smallestopener]

Ingress reaches down enough for Simon to climb up to her shoulder.

"Okay, I'll watch him."

[kitchen_maid]

Simon Perryvall chatters happily, perched on Ingress' shoulder. Amy settles Mr. Pemberty on her own shoulder, and grins.

"Right, let's go make sure the refreshements are quite perfect for a Christmas party."



[ooc: This can be a fade point, if you like. Don't you just love slowtime?]