Gift Giving - Anemone to Avalynn

[Anemone Sellar]

Anemone knocked on Avalynn's door earlier than any sane person should have been awake on Yule, but they were Eleesa's ladies, which meant they had to get ready and get her ready, which meant they needed extra time, which meant early. So she was dressed and ready to go, wide awake, and absolutely dying to give Avalynn O'Shea her gift. 

"Open up, open up!" she muttered to herself, bouncing on her toes as she waited for her friend to answer. The moment the door was open, Anemone thrust a pretty pink paper-flower crown towards her friend, along with a white paper box containing three chocolate macarons. "Happy Yule, Ava! I know it doesn't match your dress, but I wanted it to be your favorite color."

[Avalynn O'Shea]

Avalynn had woken early, far too early. But she was excited about Yule and didn't want to waste any time on getting ready. However, she was a bit sluggish on getting herself dressed and ready because she was fussing over the wrapping and decorating of her gifts she had planned to give out.

When she heard the knock on the door, she shrieked slightly and heard Anemone's voice on the other side, excitedly telling her to open the door. She laughed and quickly went to let her friend in. But as soon as she opened the door, she had the flower crown thrust at her. Avalynn giggled and accepted the crown and box, shrieking in excitement. "Oh my goodness! This is gorgeous, Ane! I love it!!!" She rushed back into her room, leaving the door open so Anemone could follow her, and she immediately went to her mirror and placed the crown on her head. "Ahhhh! It's perfect!" She grinned and turned back to Anemone to show it off and ask her what she thought. "This will match just fine with my red dress!"

Speaking of which, she still needed to get dressed, she had spent too much time fussing with her hair, and now she needed to add the crown. She sat down at her vanity and fixed her hair to include the crown before she turned to the little white box and opening it to see the chocolate macaroons. "Ohhh, yum!! Thank you, Anemone!" It might be early, but she wasn't going to pass up the chocolate sweet and she bit into one and hummed a sound of pleasure.  "This is so good!"

Once she fixed her hair, she stood back up and rushed over to her dresser where she pulled out a small box wrapped in brown paper with ribbons decorating it. She moved back to Anemone. "I have something for you, too!" She handed it over to her and bounced slightly in excitement as she waited for her friend to open the box. Inside was a silver bracelet with little flowers etched into it. She hadn't had the money to buy a lot of gifts, so she went rummaging through her own stash of jewelry and her mother's and found perfect pieces to give away to her friends. "I hope you like it!"

[Anemone Sellar]

Anemone smiled so hard it almost hurt her cheeks as she watched Avalynn put the flower crown in her hair. Sometimes she was just in awe of how beautiful her friends were--the Queen and each of her ladies had a different kind of beauty, but all of them were lovely. All of them had their secrets and sorrows, but it was such a joy to make her friends smile.

She wasn't' going to stop Ava from trying the cookies, either--she'd snacked on the extra ones last night while she was finishing up a last-minute gift. It might be a little early, but it was a holiday, after all! She giggled softly at the way Ava reacted to the chocolate; she'd done the same thing and had to take a moment to recover. The castle had certainly hired the right cooks!

Seeing the pretty box, Anemone briefly wondered if there was a way she could have managed to wrap her flower crowns, but she decided it was too late anyway, and she had more interesting things to worry about. She carefully undid the ribbon and paper, always unwilling to just shred gift wrap. She felt like since people put so much work into it, shouldn't it be treated nicely? Still, she made quick work of it and opened the box to find a pretty silver bracelet. "Ooh, it's lovely, Ava!" she gasped, tilting it back and forth to catch the early morning sun. "Thank you so much! I'll treasure it."

She loved it, but even more so because it was from someone so dear to her. She really appreciated that she had Ava with her, to help her tend the queen, but also to keep her from dwelling too much on the past. As much as she tried to make Avalynn smile, her friend did the same for her. She didn't hesitate to hug Ava; her best friend had to know her well enough to know it was coming. She practically threw herself at Ava and wrapped her arms around the taller girl's waist. "You're the best, Ava. I'm so glad we're friends."

[Avalynn O'Shea]

She wouldn't have cared much if Anemone thought less of her for eating one of the cookies so early in the morning. Avalynn had always been the type of woman who seemed to be carefree and not care much about what others thought of her. Though deep down, she really did worry about what others thought of her and she stressed about a lot of things--she just did not want to burden others with her problems, so she kept them hidden away and pretended her problems did not exist--at least while she was out of home, because being out and away from her family was her time to truly get away from it all, and act how she wanted to act.

Avalynn watched as Anemone opened her gift and reacted to the bracelet. She nearly jumped up and down in excitement, happy to see that she liked the bracelet. "I'm glad you like it! I have another one similar... I thought that if we both wore them, it would be like friendship bracelets!" She giggled softly and immediately hugged her back when she moved to embrace her.

"I'm so glad we are friends, too." She leaned down slightly and kissed the top of Anemone's head. "I love you, darlin'." She grinned and squeezed her tightly before letting her go.

"Ahhh! I still need to get ready! How much time do I have left?" She rushed over to her wardrobe, pulling out her red dress where she held it up against her and twirled around to show it off. "I am so excited to wear this!" She set it down on her bed before disrobing right in front of Anemone. The ladies had seen everything, so modesty had gone out of the window when it came to Eleesa, Anemone, and Alice, she loved them as if they were her sisters that she never had. "I'm hoping to catch the eye of the man I met at the chase." She grinned and let out a small shriek of a giggle. "Did you catch anyone!? I want to hear all about it!" Avalynn worked on getting her corset on and turned her back to Anemone as if asking if she could help her lace it up. Once that was done, she slipped into her bright red dress that was perhaps a little revealing.  It was sure to grab the attention of anyone, really.  She turned to face Anemone, once the dress was on and she grinned, "what do you think!?"  

[Anemone Sellar]

"Love you too, Ava." Anemone answered without hesitation, humming happily as she was squished in the hug. She didn't even blink when Avalynn started changing in front of her; it was just as routine to her as it was to Ava. There were no secrets between the queen and her ladies...well, not anymore.

"Ooh, really? Do tell," she prompted, wiggling her eyebrows at Avalynn. "He must be something special to have caught your attention."

While she laced up Ava's corset, Anemone took the opportunity to talk about Lucian without eyes on her. The motions of lacing were second nature after a life of older sisters and waiting on the queen, so she was able to focus on her words. "I did catch someone, sort of, although he could definitely have gotten away if he wanted to. It was the same man from the other night when we were all dancing. Lucian DeGrey. You remember, don't you? He and I danced almost the whole time..." She blushed, realizing how obvious she'd been, now. She'd hogged all his time then, and chased after him in the game... She'd been awfully bold! But she felt like she couldn't have done anything else. It was all so natural...

"A-anyway, um, I did find him, and I didn't exactly steal any kisses, but..." None stolen, but several given! She wondered if anyone else had been quite so greedy during their chase. She wouldn't give it up, though, not for the world.

Anemone was as red as Ava's dress as she helped her into it, and was glad when Avalynn gave a little twirl and turned to show her. Any distraction would do, as long as it got her mind off those kisses before she melted into a puddle! "You're going to break more than one heart tonight, Ava! You look fantastic."

[Avalynn O'Shea]

Avalynn giggled softly as Anemone told her to tell her more about the man she met at the chase. "Oh! Well, I'm not even sure if he will be going actually. But I hope so! O'Sullivan is his last name. Shane?" She remembered his last name easier because it was so similar to her own. She laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "I found him hiding up in a tree. He told me I needed to climb up to catch him... So..." She smirked and covered her face with her hands. "I did..." She looked back at Anemone and shook her head. "And you know me... clumsy as ever... I fell and he caught me and pulled me up into the tree with him." Avalynn grinned a bit wider. "We talked for a little while and heard a strange scream... He told me it was a banshee, but I didn't believe him...When we climbed back down, I fell and twisted my ankle...He caught me. Again." She laughed and pressed fingers against her forehead. This was a rather embarrassing story now that she was telling it out loud. "Anyway... He checked my ankle for me...and then wouldn't let me walk back to the castle... He carried me the whole way."

She turned around to allow Anemone to lace up her corset, and she fell silent to listen to her story. Eyes widened when she mentioned a deGrey brother. She turned her head to look over her shoulder, a wide grin formed on her lips. Lucian was the youngest brother if she could recall. She giggled softly and nodded, "yes I remember you told me. You told me you wanted to catch him! I'm so glad you did!" She turned back around and watched Anemone in the mirror as she spoke more about her interaction with Lucian. It only made her grin further. "You didn't steal kisses? I think that was the point of the game. Oh dear, did you get too nervous?" She gave her a sympathetic glance in the mirror until she turned around to show off her dress. Avalynn excitedly jumped for joy at her reaction to her dress.
As she faced Anemone again, she caught sight of the lady's red face and she moved over towards her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "It's alright love... You are allowed to be happy and have feelings..."  Despite the woman's condition with the king's baby, it shouldn't mean that her life was coming to an end. "...D--does Lucian know?" Her eyes glanced down at the woman's stomach. She was curious and concerned for her, then, hoping that things would work out for her despite everything.

[Anemone Sellar]

Anemone took a deep breath, trying to hold herself together as she shook her head rapidly at Ava's question. "N-no..." Tears welled in her eyes and she swallowed hard. "Oh Ava, what am I going to do? I like him so much, and we kissed and he has no idea that I--that I'm--" She clapped both hands over her mouth and shook her head even harder than before. "I can't cry, I won't. It's Yule!"

She tipped her head back as if she could make the tears go back into her head, and wiped carefully under each eye with one finger. "I'm sure you're right, that I'm allowed to be happy, but...I just feel like a liar." She sighed. "Alright, no more of that. Shane O'Sullivan is a much happier topic, and if he didn't come to this ball just to see you, I...I'll eat my paper flowers." She grinned at Ava, shoving her unhappiness back down into her stomach where it belonged. Ava was one of the few people allowed to see her that way, but she still wasn't prepared to ruin the holiday for herself or anyone else.

"He must have been strong to carry you all the way back here without getting tired. You're not heavy, but you are Tall." She gave her friend a meaningful look and wiggled her eyebrows. "Was he handsome, too? Did he sweep you off your feet in more ways than one?"

[Avalynn O'Shea]

As soon as Anemone showed sign of being upset, she rushed to her side and pulled her into her arms, squeezing her tightly. "Shh... It'll be alright, love." Avalynn couldn't imagine what her friend was going through, and she felt horrible for her. If she could take her place, she would in a heartbeat. Anemone was a kind and gentle soul that Avalynn had thought to be innocent and painfully adorable. The king had stolen her innocence, and despite that, she still felt the young lady was innocent. She did not deserve this- no one did. The king had taken advantage of her friend's kindness and innocence and it angered Avalynn to no end. If she only knew, she would have done something to try and help stop it. It made her feel like a horrible friend because she hadn't known it was happening.

"It will all work out, somehow, my sweet friend. You are too good for it not to." She gently combed her fingers through Anemone's hair and smiled, kissing her cheek. Before she could say anything else, Anemone was already changing the subject and asking her about Shane again. Avalynn smiled softly and let go of her, laughing then at her ultimatum if he did not show up to see her. She shrugged her shoulders and walked back over towards her vanity to finish fixing her hair. "I don't know... Why would someone want to see me? I made a complete fool out of myself, Anemone! I am such a stupid, foolish, clumsy girl!"

She sank down into her chair and cringed slightly. Her ankle was already throbbing a bit from standing on it, and she wondered how she would be able to handle even attending the ball. Maybe if she sat for most of the day, it would feel better. "He was strong... And very handsome, yes. I think older, though..." Avalynn couldn't stop the grin that slowly formed on her lips and she sighed. "I fell... tripped all over myself. He caught me from falling... three times?" She laughed, seemingly embarrassed. "I think I would have been better off being born a gazelle instead of a girl... My legs might work better for that sort of thing." Avalynn giggled at herself and shook her head.

"The worst part of it all...Was I was so embarrassed that I tried pushing him away by putting myself down and telling him to forget he ever met me... Accused him of going back to his friends to laugh about me... He yelled at me." Avalynn cringed and barely paused before she was speaking again. "I told him to leave me in the hallway and I'd just hobble back on my own...But he wouldn't let me and just picked me back up and walked me to my room. I apologized for accusing him of that and thanked him for taking care of me and bringing me back home. Anemone- I have no idea what I would have done if he didn't... I might have had to crawl home!" She giggled and covered her face in her hands before lifting it to look at her. "But then I told him he should claim the prize of a kiss if he wanted it since he caught me...instead of me catch him... But he said it was still my prize to claim and if I didn't want it, to claim another prize." She took a deep breath as if she almost suffocated herself with her words, and then she was right back to ramble on. "I almost did kiss him. Almost! I was so close... I wanted to... But felt so silly and foolish for everything... I couldn't. BUT..." She paused for a dramatic effect and grinned as if she were the sneakiest, craftiest little genius for what she did instead. "I claimed a different prize... More time with him! I asked him if he would attend the ball. He seemed hesitant about it.. but agreed... Whether he meant it or not, or just said he would shut me up... I don't know...But he kissed my hand and said he would see me tomorrow... Well, now today..." She took another deep breath and slouched in her chair.

"So you did kiss Lucian, then?" Avalynn grinned and looked at Anemone, hoping she had less of an embarrassing time than she did. "Tell me!" With her good foot, she pushed the ottoman towards Anemone and motioned for her to sit.

[Anemone Sellar]

Anemone listened to her friend eagerly, wiggling her eyebrows when Ava admitted that Shane was handsome and older. She grinned when she added that he'd yelled at her for being hard on herself--good man! She'd have to thank him when--if--they met. Ava was lovely inside and out, and Anemone would have tried to beat some sense into the girl herself if Shane hadn't beaten her to the punch.

"Ava!" she half-shrieked in delight, "He definitely wanted you to kiss him!" She grabbed her friends arm and shook it, practically jumping up and down in her excitement. "Oh, he just has to be here at the ball today! I want to meet him. And if he doesn't kiss you today, I'll be positively shocked."

Her imagination was already running away with her--a tall, handsome, strong sailor who told Ava not to be so harsh on herself? This was like someone had baked up just the right man for her, and then thrown him into the chase! She couldn't help imagining a romantic meeting at the ball, him seeing her in that gorgeous gown and being absolutely smitten, and of course, he'd court her, and they'd kiss, maybe at new year's, and someday they'd get married, and Anemone would be at the wedding and cry like a baby. And then they'd have beautiful stork legged babies and live happily ever after.

When Ava changed the topic back to her, she squeaked and turned red. "W-well..." she bit her lip, but couldn't help grinning and devolving into giggles. "I did. More than once... And he said none of them counted as stolen! They were given, he said, so it doesn't count as 'stealing a kiss.' So I said I'd just have to keep trying to catch him by surprise..." She pressed her hands to her face and wiggled her whole body to vent her excitement and embarrassment all at once. "I didn't even manage to catch him properly! I fell on my butt in the mud and he had to come help me up."