RP:Babysitting, Baking, And A Burnt Bush

Summary: Lanara is babysitting Fleur, and decides to take the toddler to Frostmaw, to help Talyara prepare for the upcoming Yule party. The sister's spend time baking cookies, decorating ornaments and making handprint wreaths with Fleur, discussing their love lifes, and exchanging heartfelt gifts. Forgetting that the daughter of Callum and Meri can use lightning magic, the Yule tree is set on fire, and the evening comes to an abrupt end.

Lanara arrives in Frostmaw bright and early in the morning, as Fleur didn’t seem to want to sleep past dawn, and they had to get a head start on climbing up the mountain pass. The witch promised to take extra special care of Callum and Meri’s little girl, as the couple went on a romantic retreat they had won in a best dressed contest at Enchantment’s Snowflake Soiree. “Did you have fun yesterday, Fleur? We went to the playground and we had a picnic, and we stopped at the petting zoo! Then we slept in a pillow and blanket fort last night and I read your fairytales!” Fleur babbles in her baby lingo and twirls some of Lana’s hair around her finger, “LaLa!” she finally mumbles, which is what she’s decided to refer to the witch as for all time. Lanara is literally gaga over the baby, and it’s obvious that she’s making up for lost time since Natianara was stolen from her at the time of birth, and she never had the chance to be a mother. “Ooh! We’re at Aunt Talyara’s house! Cover your eyes so you can surprise her with this visit!” Of course Lana hadn’t told her sister that she was coming for a visit, with a baby, and a huge overnight duffel bag that had all sorts of supplies for Fleur, and a few changes of clothes. Taly’s annual Yule celebration was in a few days and Lana wanted to drop in and help her plan, decorate the cottage, and mention that a ‘date’ may be joining in for the festivities. Shifting Fleur to her right hip and lowering the duffel bag, Lana knocks on the door and waits for Taly to answer, grateful that she remembered to overdress Fleur and herself as Frostmaw’s temperature was in the single digits and it was snowing heavily. The pair is dressed in matching knit hats, earmuffs, gloves, and winter coats; it’s anyone’s guess as to where the witch shopped on such late notice that she found identical leopard print snow gear! As the door creaks open Fleur covers her eyes and squeals, “Peek-ah-boo! See you!” Lanara giggles and kisses the baby on her cheek, “Hi Sister! We came to visit, spend the night, and plan the Yule party! Help us into the house so we can warm up!”

Talyara was busy doing a deep clean on her cottage. She was a woman who always kept her space rather tidy, but with several guests coming over for a Yule celebration, the little witch thought it was about time to do a deep clean on her house. She's in the kitchen now, her dishes, pots, pans, and utensils all spread out on her tables as she kneels on a countertop and scrubs the inside of a cupboard. She's dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants, a black tank top, and a pair of thick socks while her crazy curls are tamed in twin pigtail braids. The knock draws Taly's attention away from her scrubbing and she squints in the direction of the front door. Hopping off the counter, the witch wipes her hands on a towel and peeks out of the window beside the threshold to see who is at her door. Her green eyes widen in surprise and she pulls open the door in time for Fleur to uncover her eyes and shout 'peek-a-boo'. "Ahh! You startled me!" Taly feigns shock at the toddler's sudden appearance, reaching out her hands to take Fleur into her arms and usher her into the warmth of the cottage. She wasn't expecting Lana let alone a toddler and she looks over at her mess of a kitchen and wrinkles her nose. "I didn't realize that you were coming or that you were babysitting," Taly chides her sister, setting Fleur down in the oversized armchair near the hearth so that she can begin to tug off her layers. "I wouldn't have nearly demolished my kitchen if I knew I was expecting visitors!" Still, the emerald eyed witch gives Fleur a big hug before turning to her sister and pulling her into an embrace as well. "Go, get warm by the fire. I'll set a sauce pan on to warm some milk for hot cocoa."

Lanara grins as she sees that Talyara had literally taken everything out of her cupboards and was feverishly cleaning the cottage, completely unaware that she was going to have visitors. This pleases the elder sibling, as she enjoyed being the element of surprise everywhere she ventured. Pulling Taly into a tight embrace she removes her coat, gloves, earmuffs, and hat, and then helps to remove the outer layers off of Fleur. The little girl spies Taylor, as well as the tikifhlee kitten and she excitedly claps her hands and looks to Lana. “Go on Fleur! You can play with them, pet them nicely!” The child doesn’t wait, as she bounds over as fast as her little legs can go and wraps her arms around Ella, a big green on her adorable face. “Let me know when you need to use the potty, okay?” Turning to Talyara, she gushes, “She’s so cute! Cal and Meri are off on their romantic getaway in Enchantment and I’m watching Fleur for a few days… Yesterday we sort of hung around Sage and Kelay, and I took her to this little petting zoo and for a picnic. I figured today we would come visit you and help prepare for Yule, and we’ll spend the night so we will be on time for the party tomorrow! Fleur doesn’t get to see snow that often, maybe we can teach her to make ice cream, bake some cookies, she’s such a good baby.” Lanara is wearing jeans, snow boots, and a loose sweater, looking almost as relaxed as her sister. “Is Krice around? What did you get him for Yule?” As the hot chocolate is warmed up, the sisters play catch up, both keeping a watchful eye on Fleur as she plays with the cats. “I already invited Cal and Meri, and I figured that it could just be the three main couples?” Her cheeks flush at her slip of the tongue, “I am sort of seeing someone, but I don’t want to jinx anything, just yet. I’m not even sure if he’ll show up for the party, and I don’t want to force him into anything that makes him uncomfortable.” Why was Lana suddenly unable to meet her sister’s gaze?

Talyara looks over her shoulder as Fleur toddles towards the pair of cats--Taylor twining herself between the young girl's legs as Ella paws sweetly at her hand in an attempt to receive some pets. As Talyara prepares the sauce pan of milk she smiles towards Fleur when Lana gushes. "She's sweet," the little witch agrees before handing the pot over to her sister. "You set that on the fire while I try and make some sense of this kitchen since -someone- decided to surprise me with an unexpected visit," she playfully chides her sister, poking out her tongue. As Lana gets the milk simmering, Taly begins to pack her cupboards with the dishes once more. Thankfully, she makes quick work of putting her kitchen back into place in time to join Lana and Fleur in some hot chocolate--the little girl seemingly more interested in the mini marshmallows than the chocolatey beverage. "Well a warning about you coming up would have been nice but I'm happy to help you with Fleur and to have assistance with getting ready for the Yule party tomorrow. As you can see, I haven't done -any- decorating because I've been focused on cleaning. I have a ham to make for tomorrow and I bought the ingredients to make mother's homemade wassil recipe. And yes, let's make cookies!" When Lanara inquires about Krice's presence, Taly shakes her head. "He's not here right now. I'm not sure where he is," the witch says with a shrug before sighing heavily. "I have -no- idea what to get him." Talyara frowns. "He doesn't wear jewelry or fancy clothes, his house is fully furnished. I--am at a complete loss. Do you have any ideas?" she asks her sister hopefully. Talyara's concerns about a proper Yule gift for the warrior is pushed aside when Lanara mentions seeing someone. The younger sister straightens and fixes her sister with a curious stare. Who was this mystery man she was dating? Could she have finally given in to Nick and given the lovestruck Backstreet Bard a chance? This also poses a complication--assuming her sister was single and knowing the Yule get together would mostly be couples, Taly had met a gentleman at the clinic the week prior and invited him to the party as a blind date for Lana. She decides not to say anything at the moment, especially if the elder witch isn't sure her secret beau will be making an appearance anyway. "Well, I can't wait to meet him, whether it's tomorrow or another day," she assures Lana, reaching over to pat her sister's hand. "Hey Fleur! Do you want to make some decorations for tomorrow? I collected some pinecones and I thought we could decorate them with honey and seeds and then we can put them outside for the animals after the party."

Fleur walks over and holds her arms up so that she can be picked up and Lanara obliges and sets her on her lap as she makes sure the cocoa isn’t too warm so that the toddler doesn’t burn her tongue. Of course, it’s at this precise moment that the witch decides to try and confide in her sister, that she manages to burn her own tongue, while swatting at Taylor as she snatches up a marshmallow! All that comes out is “Tyler!” as she’s trying to say ‘Tiber’ but the burn to her tongue is something wicked so she doesn’t bother to repeat the statement. Talyara is busy clanking dishes together, and likely thought that Lana was scolding Taylor, as Fleur dissolves into a fit of giggles and throws another marshmallow the feline’s way. As the burn fades away and her sister is discussing the subject of Yule, the conversation about her love life and put to the side, and they eagerly begin to plot. “Ooh we can hang BUSHELS of mistletoe! And I love your idea with the pinecones! Are we going to create our ornaments and decorate the tree with the party? Or did you want the three of us to do so, beforehand? Ham will be delicious! Actually! I brought along some pulled pork from the finest butcher in Vailkrin! I planned on making little Sloppy Joseph sliders as an appetizer.” A box of frozen meat is pulled from the oversized duffel bag and its then that Lanara reads the label, frowning, “Oh no! Parts of pork! Pig feet and cankles?! Looks like Pig Hoof Pudding, instead!” Shaking her head, she rises to put the box in the ice box, and she bounces Fleur in her arms as the little girl sleepily rests her head against Lana’s shoulder. “I think someone wants a nap!” Kissing Fleur on the cheek, the witch rocks the baby in her arms for several minutes, humming a little tune from her homeland. Who would think that Lanara Banks was a natural with animals –and- children?! Once the toddler falls to sleep, she places her in the middle of Taly’s bed, with pillows pressed to the side and on the floor, so there aren’t any accidents. Returning to the kitchen, Lanara washes the pan and mugs from the cocoa and chats with her sister, “Hm. Krice? He’s definitely hard to get a gift for, and I doubt he will appreciate anything market bought. Perhaps, you could make him a gift? Maybe knit a neck warmer? A new trench coat? You used to draw… What if you draw him a portrait of the two of you? Or… Use some gold to book a trip for the two of you? I know that Nick paid about three thousand gold for that weekend cruise you and I took last summer… Maybe you can plan something romantic, as a memory is better than an item!”

Talyara clicks her tongue in a tutting manner when Lanara chides her familiar for pilfering a marshmallow, rolling her eyes when the elder sister refers to her as 'Tyler'. Had Lana been cooped up in Enchantment so long that she forgot the name of her -former- feline?! Taly doesn't bother to correct her sister, taking it as an unfortunate oversight and misspoken name as Lanara was prone to do. As Taly begins to straighten up, putting her house back into some semblance order, she barks out a laugh when Lana mentions hanging bushels of mistletoe. "Don't worry...I got a lot since I know you love that stuff. But unlike the Snowflake Soiree I made sure it's actually -all- mistletoe," she teases her sister. "I figured we could make decorations today and then everyone can help put them on the tree tomorrow? I also thought tomorrow we can string together some popcorn and cranberries to make garland like mother used to have us do!" Talyara pokes her head out of the kitchen and her eyes soften when they settle on Fleur. "Let's do something cute and crafty with Fleur tonight, have her make something to give to Cal and Meri as a Yule gift." It seems like the sisters were of the same mindset, getting pork for the refreshments tomorrow; however, when Lana pulls out the box of frozen meat and actually reads what it says, the younger witch begins to gag in disgust. No amount of barbecue sauce would make 'parts of pig' taste good! She wrinkles her nose when Lana sticks it in her ice box and makes a mental note to warn Krice about it in case he inadvertently goes to make it one day. As Fleur begins to doze and Lana rocks her to sleep and settles her on the bed, Taly does her best to stay as quiet as possible to allow the little girl to sleep. Surely climbing up a mountain, experiencing snow, and playing with cats was exhausting for a three year old! When Lana returns to the kitchen, Taly is pouring over a list of supplies and to-do's for the Yule party tomorrow, ensuring that anything she needed to purchase she had already done. As Lana cleans and suggests gifts for Krice, Talyara smirks. "The man is like a human fireplace, he doesn't need a neck warmer. I don't know what he'd do with a portrait of us, but I was thinking along the same lines of a vacation. Nothing too long because I don't think the warrior in him will relax idly for a long stretch of time, but maybe just a long weekend somewhere." Talyara chuckles at the memory of the all expenses paid cruise that the sisters had gone on and she shakes her head. "I bet he gets you something really extravagant this year! Is he still following you around?" she asks, arching a brow at her sister. Once Lana is done with the dishes, Taly sets her list aside and adopts a no-nonsense expression. "Alright, so I think while Fleur is asleep we should do some of the main decorating around the cottage as well as make the cookie dough so it has a chance to chill--it will making cutting them into shapes much easier. I got a bunch of candy decorations as well and we can make the icing, too! I figured gingerbread dough is a must and maybe sugar as well? I also want to make an apple crisp--apple desserts are Krice's favorite," she adds with a slight blush and a coy glance at her sister. "Do you want to divide and conquer or work on each thing together?"

The animal empath cackles mischievously when Talyara makes the comment about the mistletoe, as the poor Backstreet Bard had suffered from nonstop itching and swelling all over his face, as Lanara had used poison ivy to decorate after they had run out of the festive plant for the annual Snowflake Soiree in Enchantment. “Serves him right! He’s always trying to get something out of me! A date, a kiss, a hug, anything physical! And its strange how he –always- manages to show up wherever I happen to be, as if he’s been stalking me for the past three years!” Nick actually –is- stalking the brunette, but Lana sums it up to a harmless crush and tries not to dwell on the matter, as they continue talking about presents. “Honestly, I’m hoping that Nick doesn’t go so overboard this year, as he already served a sentence so I wouldn’t have to do jail time. Plus, all the gold he spilled to prove my innocent with legal fees and such?” She sighs and shakes her head, “I’m the worst at picking out the right gifts for everyone… I’m only getting you, Krice, Khitti, Meri, and of course Dominic and Fleur, something this year.” The rest of her friends and guild mates would receive homemade baked goods, and she’d get Tiber –something- but that would take a lot of thought. “I found the –perfect- gift for Krice!” She doesn’t state exactly –what- the gift is, but her chocolate hues are lighting up with that familiar glint of mayhem, so it’s likely something stolen, used, or a gag gift. “Where were you thinking of going? Enchantment is beautiful but I know that he’s not fond of the magical force… I feel like Cenril and Rynvale are the obvious choices, but they are so overpopulated. What about Chartsend?! They have the loveliest beaches, you could take a nice cruise and go whale watching or fishing, and you can even rent one of those adorable beach huts and just relax and sip margaritas all day!” As Fleur naps in the room, the sisters decide to work on decorating the house and preparing the two dough types, together. Naturally, Lanara is more eager to decorate, and about halfway through she tackles that while Taly is forced into dish duty and placing the dough in the ice box. “I’ll have to remember to make the pork pudding early enough in the day so it’s ready by the time everyone arrives…” She’s muttering beneath her breath as she heads over to her duffel bag and removes an elegantly wrapped box, in crimson paper with gold ribbons. It’s rectangular in size and seems to have some weight to it, as it’s laid atop the recently wiped counter, and Lana clears her throat. “Sister… I want to give you this gift in private, because I don’t think anyone else will truly grasp the sentiment.” Standing to the side so Talyara can unwrap her present, she watches eagerly, but she gnaws on her lower lip a little as her anxiety rises. Would Talyara like it? As the wrapping paper is torn away it would reveal a fine cherry wood box, and ‘Kelvaropoly’ is engraved in the wood. Upon opening the fine casing, a wooden playing board is revealed, and it’s obvious that a great deal of thought and coin had gone into the design. Lanara had found an expert in pyrography who had burned a sketch of the eternally autumnal forest of Kelvar onto the center of the board, along with the cottage that they remembered from their youth. The intricate design also included small tree stumps around the board to serve as spaced, and instead of house figurines, tiny leaves were used for representation. The ‘chance’ and ‘community chest’ cards have been renamed ‘karma’ and ‘witches trunk’ and ‘go to the Academy’ replaces the option where one would be forced to ‘go to jail’ without collecting ‘herbs’ instead of ‘gold’. The dice are made of polished citrine and gold painted dots denote how many spaces a player is to move, and the tokens that are to be used are representations of each player are various colored wooden pentacles. The ‘money’ is pieces of fine parchment with the image of the moon on the center, and each denotes the amount of copper, silver, and gold. All of the spaces around the board were places the girls had visited in their youth, popular locations in Kelvar, a few inside jokes, and ‘coven’ is marked as the free parking space. There is also a scroll written in elegant calligraphy which informs players of the instructions, should they wish to play the game. All in all, it’s the most perfect present for the most perfect little sister, and Lana clears her throat again and points to the gift, “I hope its okay? I wasn’t sure what to get you this year, and I had to pay little by little since returning to the lands since I didn’t have access to my funds… I’m so glad I paid it off in time for Yule!” She also had to lap dance with seven poisoned dwarves to pay off the loan for making this gift, but her heart was in the right place. “I know that Kelvar isn’t the same as it was, but at least now you have a little memory of our homeland, in your forever home.”

"Krice doesn't really care of Cenril, he's not a fan of the heat," Taly says with a sigh. "Maybe there's a secluded place in Rynvale we can go? I've never been to Chartsend though, is it nice?" Trying to plan a gift for her lover was proving to be more difficult than one would think. "I only got a few gifts as well. I brought Callum a sapling of a Kelvarian oak tree since I know he likes botany and Meri I got a protective amulet since I know she's tough and ready to fight when the need arises. I got Fleur a new outfit and a stuffed toy. I still need to get something for Khitti and Brand and Dominic." The sisters set to work tackling the dough making and the major decorating and before long, the cottage is looking like something out of an advertisement in a magazine. "I take it back, I'm glad you surprised me. I would have been up all night getting the place ready for tomorrow!" When Lana approaches her with a gift, Talyara takes the wrapped box from her sister and eyes it wearily. Who could blame her for being a little cautious? After all the pranks that her sister had pulled on her over the years, she wouldn't be surprised if the box contained some kind of explosive! Carefully she unties the ribbon and slides off the paper and she arches her brow curiously when she sees the title 'Kelvaropoly'. She studies the game board more closely, her fingertips tracing along the letters and then the spaces along the perimeter. She doesn't say anything for several minutes as she turns the board to read all of the spaces that have been burned in--memorable spots in Kelvar that held high importance to the sisters or were some type of inside joke. Talyara is quiet for so long that Lanara might be concerned that she doesn't like the gift and is attempting to find the words to let her down gently; however, when Taly turns to look up at her sister, there are tears shining in her emerald eyes before she pulls her into a tight embrace. "Lanara...this is the most -perfect- gift anyone has ever gotten me," she says, her voice thick with emotion. "I love it so, so much! You didn't need to spend all your coin on me, but I'm touched that you did! This is amazing! Did you design it all yourself?" Eventually, Taly finally releases her sister to gaze down at the gift once more as a few rogue tears escape through her lashes and drip down her cheeks. She quickly swats them away and gives her sister a smile. "Well, if we are sharing gifts now, let me go grab yours." Taly pads down the hall to her bedroom and returns with a larger box, wrapped in silver paper with a green bow. She places it in front of Lanara and waits on bated breath for her to open it. Inside Lanara would find a handmaid quilt. However, if she -really- looked at each square she would find that it was made from old blankets and clothes from when they were young and growing up in Kelvar, and even a few of their mother's outfits and sweaters! "When I went to Kelvar to talk to Natianara and Sharna, I stayed with Ada--" Lana would remember her as the elder crone of the coven. "And she gave me a box of stuff they were able to recover from our house after it was destroyed. It wasn't anything monetarily valuable, just scraps of old stuff. She didn't give it to me when I was first there when I left the lands because she didn't want to trigger another...episode, but this time she felt I could handle it. I wanted to do something with the items but I wasn't sure what at first. You've had...a terrible year and I wanted to make you something so you remember where you came from, remember that you are wrapped up in more love than you can imagine." Talyara sighs and nips at her bottom lip. "Do...you like it?" She waits for Lana's reaction, hoping that her sister would like it. The sisters are given several more moments of relishing in their gifts and each other when they hear the sounds of a rousing toddler in the bedroom. Taly excuses herself to go and collect Fleur before she could get into too much mischief by herself. Returning into the kitchen with Lanara she bounces the baby on her hip. "What if we paint Fleur's hands green and red and make a wreath for Meri and Cal?" she suggests. "Or we can have her make some type of ornament?" Once the sisters decide on the best gift for Fleur to make for her parents they would get the supplies ready but start with the cookies--they could work on the crafts while the cookies were baking! With Fleur's help before long, there are several sheets of cookies decorated and ready for baking. "Why don't you start making the gift with Fleur and I'll get these on the fire?" Talyara suggests to her sister.

As Talyara is taking her time poring over the board and tenderly touching each memory that served as a space, the elder witch is focusing on the features of Taly’s face, looking for any inkling that the gift was well received. Had it been a bad idea to give her a reminder of their homeland? It –had- ended horribly… And although Kelvar was being rebuilt by Natianara, their old Coven, and the Elder’s that remained in the community, it would never be the lands they loved and remembered. Too much destruction from the drow, too many lives were lost, and the places that they cherished and frequented were nothing more than a sprinkling of ashes in the wind. Lanara is worriedly thinking up an apology, the words about to spill from her lips, as Taly turns and with tears in her eyes offers a tight embrace. “I’m so relieved you like it…” Hugging her little sister tight, she sighs and sags her shoulders, as the pent up anxiety dissipates. “Yes, I designed the board and met with the pyrographer every few days to check up on his progress and make sure it was just perfect!” They unwind from each other and Lana shakes her head, “You didn’t have to get me anything, Taly!” As the box is unwrapped and reveals a quilt that had been made with swatches of clothing and pieces from their childhood home, tears trickle down the woman’s cheeks and through her sniffles she lifts her head to lock eyes with Taly, “It’s…Perfect! Thank you so much, I will cherish this, always!” Another hug is given, and she whispers, “Likewise… I love you, Sister. Thank you for this thoughtful present…” Fleur protests in the bedroom and as Taly goes to retrieve the toddler, Lanara continues to press her fingers against every square, remembering their mother, and the sisters as little girls. Each square evokes a feeling of positivity and her cheeks grow warm as the tears continue to flow, but she quickly folds the blanket and puts it back into the box, before she opens her arms and wraps the baby up in a hug. “LaLa!” Fleur pouts as she sees that ‘auntie’ had been crying and she bunches her hands into fists and rubs them on Lana’s cheeks, “Don’t be sad…” It’s hard to be sad when an adorable little girl commands you to be happy, so she shakes her head and grins, “Happy tears, only! Come on, let’s make a present for your mom and dad, and have some cookies!” The next few hours are spent joyously as the sisters and toddler relish in the spirit of the season, and make several dozen shortbread, gingerbread, and sugar cookies. Taly helps Fleur to design a wreath to decorate a mantle or front door, and then Lana helps Fleur to paint an ornament of a wolf wearing a red and green scarf. Fleur gets upset when the ornament is carefully set aside so that it can dry and she angrily flings her hand and knocks over some of the pain, much to the sister’s dismay. Lanara bends to clean the floor, and it’s then that she smells smoke, “Taly! Are the cookies burning?” She’s fairly sure the last batch was on the cooling rack, but perhaps she’s mistaken?! After a moment Lana notices that the left side of the Yule tree is ablaze, and she gasps, “Fleur must have used her magic! Meri and Cal warned me about this!” As they were cleaning up the kitchen the toddler hurled a lightning bolt at the tree, and already some of the pine needles were beginning to fall onto the carpet. “It’s okay… Taly, you put that out, alright? I’m going to get Fleur ready for her bath and into her pajamas, keep her busy so she doesn’t burn your cottage down.” The baby is whisked into her arms as she heads to the washroom, trying to maintain a stern face when she felt like giggling. Poor Talyara’s cottage had already burned down twice because of Lanara’s antics!

Talyara is likewise relieved when Lanara exclaims that her gift was perfect. How fitting that the sisters had given each other a token from the past, a bittersweet reminder that they had been through a lot together but would continue to grow and thrive despite their hardships. And while the sisters were different in many ways, this was further proof that they were connected closely through heart. The rest of the evening passes in a blur of festive cheer, with cookie making and further decorating. Taly and Fleur decorate a wreath to hang on the front door and Taly admires the adorable ornament Lanara and the toddler had painted as a gift for Meri and Cal. Thankfully, the younger witch doesn't panic when the paint is spilled and Lana is quick to come into the kitchen and mop it up as Taly is cleaning up from all their cookie making. She is sniffing at the air when Lana asks about the cookies, and despite knowing the last batch is on the cooling rack, she peeks into the oven to see if one had fallen off the tray. When she hears Lana exclaim about Fleur using magic she dashes into the living room to see part of the Yule tree on fire! The flames reflect in her widened emerald eyes and she's already dashing into the kitchen to fetch a large pot of water to douse the fire when Lana decides that now is the appropriate time for Fleur's bath. The little girl giggles at the scene as Lanara carries her towards the back of the house and Taly is left to extinguish the Yule tree--it had been such a beautiful one, too! Once the branches stopped smoldering, Taly would tuck the tree into the corner to hide the burnt parts. "Why does everyone want to keep destroying my home," the little witch grumbles under her breath before eventually padding to the back of the cottage to assist Lana in getting Fleur ready for bed. For two women without children, they manage to get her tucked in and off to sleep before long and Taly offers her sister a glass of wine before they finish their preparations for the party the next day and eventually drift off themselves.