December 22nd 2024
Emily's Speech: #cfa120
Nora/"Auntie's" Speech: #fe0613
Thoughts: Italics
Mentioning: @Scout Fu-Hai - @Colin McCoire - @Brookline Quinn - @Simon Kincaid - @AngelFyre McCubbin - @Emmanuel Bourne
And a few other minor mentions!

After managing to secure the next load of holiday groceries from the supermarket, Emily and "Auntie" stumbled into their cosy home off the Malone Road and dumped their prized possessions onto the kitchen table and counter. Marks and Spencer was still the battleground that it was this time of year, but with better luck with more local territory - albeit just barely - they returned with the all the goods checked off the list. A miracle in its own feat! After picking up the roast the day before, which "Auntie" already to began to prep for the big day ahead, the task remained of getting the last of the vegetables and ingredients for sweet treats. Homemade coffee and hazelnut ice cream was annual in the household for the holiday season, but making a comeback after last year's success was the cheesecake. The only upgrade would be that it wouldn't be as gloopy as last time.

Emily poked her head into the fridge as she started shovelling sprouts, carrots, peppers and onions into the already tightly compacted shelves. With Tavra shuffling the baking ingredients to her, it then became an elaborate puzzle, with butter placed weirdly on the door shelf and double cream balancing precariously with the potatoes.

"I think we need a bigger fridge..." The turkey and ham hogged the fridge while scatters of greens and salad were packed lop-sided to accommodate what was still left to go in.

"You're probably not packing it all the way I showed you last time."

Emily cocked a brow. "Have you seen what's in here?"

Now drawn from her post in the overhead cupboards, "Auntie" walked over in her usual grace and blinked at the state of the fridge. One look said what she was thinking. "I thought so..."

She knelt down and with a few swift, elegant motions of her hands, the fridge looked more organised and less like a bomb site. The maid guardian gave her ward a "See?" expression and Emily immediately retaliated with a huff.

"See, if I was able to use magic--"

"Oh, but I used magic just there too." She slunk her hand around and tickled Emily's side. "It's called the Magic of Organisation!"

The two gasped and squealed as they pinched each other's sides before pulling away and burying themselves back into the overflowing cupboards. As Emily and Tavra began to play "Solitaire-In-The-Cupboard" by moving things around to make way for the tinned fruit and custard they also bought, "Auntie" rummaged through the last of the refrigerated stock, only to frown and mutter to herself.

Emily turned around. "What's up?"

"We forgot sugar."

"Did we?" Emily scouted the shopping. Tavra decided to take it one step further and search the remainder of the groceries with not just her eyes, but her full noggin knocking over and through the packages and boxes. Emily had to pull her away before the floor became overrun with spilt vegetables, but indeed concurred that there was no sugar in sight. "Oh... So we did. Heh! Always something, isn't there?"

When she didn't hear a reply, Emily looked round to see "Auntie" heading for the front door, prompting the Huffie to follow her. "Where are you going?"

"Auntie" finally responded coolly. "I'm going out to get some before the stores close."

Emily glanced at the clock above the kitchen door. "It's just after half five. You might not make it. Everywhere closes early on Sundays, remember?"

"I better skedaddle now then. Leave it to me," "Auntie" winked. "In the meantime, you can tidy up the last of the groceries... The way I showed you." With one last smile, "Auntie" vanished out of the kitchen and back out into the cold outside.

Emily looked back at the mess Tavra made whilst she was "searching" for the non-existent sugar. Tavra was already getting pecky at the tins laden by the cupboards. Emily had a stern hand on her hip.

"Right you. Let's get this cleared away."

Tavra, while fully capable and has indeed shown moments of her cleverness, chose to ignore Emily like a petulant child and continued to wreak havoc with the tins, forcing Emily to carefully grab her and steal her away. She felt the ticklish wriggle of Tavra's feathers and body beneath her as she eyed her chosen treats for the evening.

"No, sweetpea...! You can't have spaghetti hoops for dinner..." Emily let out a combination of a laugh and a sigh. She loved her owl dearly but jeezums... Her appetite was bonkers. As was her antics. "I swear, you're just as daft as Colin when you want to be...!"

Thinking about that lovable lunatic in Slytherin suddenly had Emily's head in the clouds. While the holidays would surely fly by in retrospect, it was hard to not miss her buddies whilst Christmas was a few days on the horizon. It all felt so quiet without them all.

Her thoughts danced to a few faces as she began to stock up the last of the groceries in whatever room was left in the fridge.

She would be lying if she said she didn't miss running into Colin... Or Colin spectacularly running into her! Scout was probably back home with her dad. They had to meet up at some point before the new term would start. Maybe even meet her family, and Scout could finally meet "Auntie"! Scout's relationship with her dad always sounded so sweet whenever she talked about him, and after the rocky start to the year for Scout, Emily was secretly hoping her father could cheer her up since he sounded so brilliant. It made Emily melt every time he was mentioned in conversations. On the other side of that, she hoped Brookline was alright after her family drama came to light. She'd be there if her birdie buddy ever needed her. Emily still missed Emmanuel... It had been so long since they last saw each other. If Emily didn't know any better, she guessed she finally had the awareness to realise she was catching a little something for him. Though that would be absolutely nothing compared to the lovely connection Simon and Angelfyre had, both of whom Emily missed dearly as well. The same could be said for a lot of her Hufflepuff mates. Gemini. Sage. Mamori. Pretty much all of them!

With the kitchen at long last back into some state of normalcy, Emily went next door and watched the world outside through the living room window, Tavra flitting close by and joining her on an adjacent cushion on the sofa.

They watched the bare trees creak in the evening wind, the sun getting ready for snooze-land over the horizon behind the grand houses opposite along the street. Tavra snuggled into her Huffie's chest as they basked in each other's silent company...

Until Tavra began gently chewing Emily's sleeve. The feathered foodist still required the much wanted food!

Emily tickled the little owl's tummy. "Hehe... Snackie?"

*****

Nearly three hours passed. In that time, the sky gave way to the dark winter evening and Tavra's manic munchies were satiated with fruit and owl treats... For now.

The pair still sat by the window. Tavra groomed herself, her beak casting long strokes along her plucked feathers while Emily entertained herself with a third re-watching of Die Hard.

Yes. She firmly believed it was a Christmas movie!

She tapped her fingers gently along the sofa's armrest.

"She should be back by now..."

It was quite unbecoming of Nora Russell to disappear without explanation. Perhaps she got held up unexpectedly? It was the only thing to check out. Otherwise, how else do you explain someone's extended absence when the original plan was just to buy sugar...?

Suddenly the front door flew open and the familiar sound of heels and the sight of angelic grace entered the home. "Auntie" came into the living room, looking like she just ran the whole way back.

"So sorry I'm late...! I got... Held up."

She kicked her shoes off and worked through her laboured breaths until she got her wind back. Emily turned the TV down as Tavra continued minding her business.

"Did you find sugar?"

"U-um... O-oh!" As if she suddenly remembered, "Auntie" fished a white bag out of her purse. Emily went over and took it.

"I'll put it away for yo--" Emily suddenly stopped almost as quickly as she began to walk away. Her nose twitched. She got a whiff of something foreign. Coming from "Auntie".

"That doesn't smell like your usual perfume..."

She sniffed one more time, realisation dawning on her. "There's another one underneath..."

"Ah... That'll be the new one I got..." "Auntie" lifted a black and purple bottle out of her purse, almost looking embarrassed to display it. Emily read the tag on the front.

"Miracle Mist Pour Elle... Hehe! You trying to impress someone?" she joked lightheartedly.

"Auntie" said nothing but chuckled shyly. It wasn't until she did that the light caught her lips, Emily catching something else that stood out differently than usual.

"Did you also treat yourself to some new makeup too while you were out?" she asked, this time angling a suspicious eyebrow. "You didn't have lipstick on you earlier. Especially not something so... Glamorous like that one on you there."

"Yes I have," "Auntie" quickly countered.

"No you haven't..."

"Have...!"

"Haven't!"

Emily was starting to lose her patience, a huff to express so. She didn't understand why all of a sudden "Auntie" was being--

Then something outlandish popped into Emily's head.

"... We didn't actually need sugar, did we...? Were you seeing someone while you were out...??"

That, along with "Auntie's" faltering gaze told Emily everything. The Huffie was stunned.

"You're seeing someone..." she repeated quietly.

"Only for a couple months... Since you went back to school..."

"You've been going on dates...??"

"Only a small handful. Six or seven at most."

"I didn't know..."

"I wanted to tell you," "Auntie" said, a pleading tone seeping into her otherwise soft voice. "I really did...! But I was afraid you'd be upset or jealous or--"

Emily flung herself on top of her beloved guardian, arms clamped tight around her as she snugged her with all her might. There was no upset or jealousy. Not even anger.

"That's really cool, Auntie... I'm happy for you...!" she grinned into her guardian's chest. "Though I wouldn't be surprised you've started dating is because you've been bored being here by yourself a lot of the time..."

"Auntie" looked at her girl incredulously. "No, pet...! I've never been lonely. Only happy for you to be out there making real friends and being in a secure home. This bloke and I happened upon each other by chance and we... I don't know... Something just happened and this is where we are now."

Emily cosied up to "Auntie" and rested her head against her arm. Her beautiful, extravagant mother figure was dating the luckiest man alive right now.

Emily had to admit she would always be skeptical of any man who set their sights on "Auntie". Because of how much she's done for her, she was always secretly afraid of losing her to some regular Joe on the street... The same unfortunate way both her folks lost each other to their own work.

Yet the smitten look in her guardian's face said it all. Emily had nothing to worry about, especially when she was so great at life stuff anyway!

"Auntie" was in good hands.

So now only the golden question remained...

"Have you two ki--"

"No...!"

_{Word Count: 1978}

Stats: Stamina: 7|Evasion: 6|Strength: 6|Wisdom: 8|Arcane Power: 7|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Non-Human Enthusiast |Cat's Grace