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The Ambrose Family Holiday Special [P]

Postby Kestrel » 12/14/2017 7:30 PM

Image


The invitation arrived in the mail, golden curlicues sinking into crisp, clean cardstock. Koyren's eyes lit up when he spotted it, two fingers neatly plucking it out of the pile of envelopes on the table in front of him.

"You are cordially invited to Mr. and Mrs. Bledsoe's annual holiday dinner..." he read, parsing the over-curled calligraphy with ease. "7:30 pm, December 22th."

He clicked his tongue and turned to the counter behind him, which was currently covered in invitations. He slipped the Bledsoes' card into place, between Oliver Magart's party at 7 and the Foundation for Child Cancer's benefit at 8.

Koyren loved the holiday season--and especially the holiday parties. But this year, like many of the years previous, he found himself faced with an astounding number of invitations, more than he could possibly hope to attend. Dinners and parties and celebrations and galas and potlucks.... He'd held off on RSVPing to them for as long as he politely could, to wait for the flow to trickle to a stop, but the time had inevitably come: he had to make his holiday social calendar.

Koyren shuddered, eyeing the invitations before him, their gleaming faces suddenly somehow malicious.

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Re: The Ambrose Family Holiday Special [P]

Postby Kestrel » 12/14/2017 7:49 PM

He was deep into the pile a few hours later, mulling over two silver-scripted cards. Two very similar invitations--cream-white backgrounds, gilded swirling borders, silver calligraphy pronouncing that he, Koyren Ambrose, was invited to a holiday party at the home of this esteemed Aldrect family--and yet, two very different families.

On the one hand, the Gladwells. Proud (extremely proud) owners of a four-generation stone fortress of a home, deep in the heart of the Holy City. High-class as high-class got, in Aldrect. He had been to their party two years ago, and it had been crystal and champagne and conversation with the most well-dressed, high-class people you could find.

On the other hand, the Morels. Rich (extremely rich), honest benefactors to some of the most reputable charities you could find. Koyren had attended last year, and met the founders of some of the most well-known charities in Evelon. More than one of his invitations to charity benefits this year had come directly out of that party. Yet for all their renown, the Morels were extremely unconventional. Everyone had been instructed--in no uncertain terms--to dress casually. There had been dances of all sorts, and those few that had not heeded the dress code found themselves with ripped clothes before the night was out--or else had elected to leave early.

In perfect honesty, he found himself much more drawn to the Morels'. And yet, the two had scheduled their parties at the exact same time for the past five years, and he had always, without fail, alternated families. To skip the Gladwells' again would not be taken lightly.

Koyren sighed, leaning his head back to stare up at the ceiling. He'd been here for hours already. He pushed himself away from the table and grabbed a coat out of the closet. It was on his way out that he noticed he had missed an invitation in his pile of mail.

Koyren frowned, hand pausing on the doorknob. He pulled out the thin sheet of paper--no cardstock, this one.

"The Quest Master presents..."

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Re: The Ambrose Family Holiday Special [P]

Postby Kestrel » 12/14/2017 7:56 PM

He stood there, fingering the plain sheet of copy paper, a grin slowly spreading on his face. The Quest Master? He had never been to a party hosted by the Quest Master. And the simplicity of the invitation, the lack of any individual address, the way it had been slipped into his mailbox without an envelope or anything.... If he wasn't mistaken, this was going to be an enormous party, open to everyone. A bit far, he supposed. He'd have to make a trip out to Basantha to attend. But if anyone could attend, if the atmosphere was casual, he was sure to be able to convince some of his siblings to go with him.

Koyren's eyes lit up. 10 siblings, 12 (well, 11, really) days. He could definitely make this work.

He shot a glance back at the pile of invitations on his table. He'd have to pare back the number of other events he could attend, sure, but an opportunity like this, to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with each of his siblings? How could he resist?

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Re: The Ambrose Family Holiday Special [P]

Postby Kestrel » 12/14/2017 8:18 PM

Well, he had finally done it. Several days, dozens of phone calls, and countless stamps later, he had done it. All his invitations, decided upon, RSVPed to, done. All his siblings, wrestled down to Basantha for just a day--then, of course, all of them back to Aldrect and his house for their annual family gathering on Christmas Day. He hadn't asked any of his brothers or sisters especially to go with him on Day 11, but as some of them always arrived a day or two earlier, Koyren imagined he'd have no trouble convincing one or many of them to go with him. Or perhaps they'd stay home and watch a movie and play a board game or two. Christmas Eve evening was in flux, still. He liked that. A nice injection of unplanned unpredictability, squeezed in a schedule packed so tight, he'd almost considered penciling in his bathroom breaks.

Koyren puttered about his home, smiling as he gathered up the spare bedsheets from his closet. Risi was coming down from the Fe'gan Mountains tonight to meet him at the party for Day 1, and had promised to stay until Christmas. He hadn't seen his younger brother in ages. This holiday season was, all in all, shaping up  to look pretty perfect.

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Re: The Ambrose Family Holiday Special [P]

Postby Kestrel » 12/15/2017 9:45 PM

Previously, Advent Calendar Day 12

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It had taken them a few hours to drive back from the party, hours that Erisine spent in sleepy solitude as Koyren napped in the passenger seat. Koyren had insisted he drive...right up until the moment they got in the car and he fell right asleep, head resting on the wheel. Erisine had shaken him awake, gently led him to the other side of the car, and slipped the keys out of his hand.

And it had been quite nice, gazing out at the dark road, the only sounds coming from the car as it sped along back to Aldrect. A time to reflect, to relax. The party had been great. They had danced and chatted and eaten far too much fried chicken, and Erisine had surprised himself multiple times throughout the evening by realizing he was enjoying it all. Despite the loud music and bright, whirling lights and the hoards of people that had come pushing through the doors every hour, it had been a thoroughly fun experience. It was not without relief, however, that he would hand off tomorrow's party to Tainver.

They arrived home, safe and sound, and Erisine quickly bundled his brother into his bedroom. Koyren blinked as he looked about his room.

"Goodnight," Erisine called from the doorway, waving.

A pause, and then a big smile split across Koyren's face, and he waved back. "Night, Risi. Thanks for coming with me," he said, before tumbling onto his bed and back into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

Erisine's answering grin could only be called endearing as he turned off the lights and headed for the guest room he knew Koyren had already prepared for him.

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Re: The Ambrose Family Holiday Special [P]

Postby Kestrel » 12/19/2017 9:25 PM

Erisine rose early the next day, as always. He was there by his window to greet the dawn, one slim hand pressed on the glass to block out the direct light. His room at home faced north. The colors of the sunrise were always clearly visible in between the craggy peaks of the Fe’gan Mountains, and if he really wished, he had only had to lean out a little ways to spot the actual sun.

Here, the view outside his window consisted of the row of houses that lined the street behind Koyren’s. The sun was currently forcing its way through the cracks between the buildings. He wondered if he could ask for a room with a different view. That faced north or south.

But no, the room assignments were the same every year. Koyren had, of course, long ago worked out a plan that maximally suited their many siblings. Adayra and Elentai in the room with the most “latent magic resistance”, according to the former, whatever that meant. Ockindare and Zyra off in a corner of the house were they could stay up late watching movies and playing games and shouting without disturbing anyone else too much. Soriel next to the bathroom with the biggest tub, for her hour-long soaks. He and Brynith (since they were both early risers) upstairs, as far from the much-abused front door and the chatter of the living room as possible. Tainver in the biggest single-person room (that wasn’t Koyren’s own room), near the kitchen and the dining room. Mia and Netali—the dears—in the last room left. And Koyren himself, in the middle of them all, of course. No, there really wasn’t any room he could change to.

He sighed, and sat back down on the bed. At least it was winter here in Aldrect. Quieter. And the rinks would be open. And his other brothers and sisters would be arriving in the next few days. Annual Ambrose holiday get together.

Erisine smiled, and started pulling on his clothes. Maybe he’d take a walk, enjoy the crisp winter silence. Before it was chased away.

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