A New Year With Old Friends (Annalyse)

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As it was holiday season (or, at least, nearing the end of it), there were traditions that must be followed, such as their family photos. Hawthorn swore they took one every holiday, even the smaller ones that he forgot even existed, but it was a tradition and mom's were scary when you didn't do what they told you to do.


He was planning on going out tonight, of course, after all, he was still rather young and it was New Year's Eve. And Annalyse, a friendship he had successfully maintained for several years, and one he was very happy to keep as well. As usual, she agreed to do their pictures and he'd made a deal with his mom that they would be free to go as soon as the pictures were taken though he wouldn't put it past her to try and stall them.

Hawthorn sat with his mother, sipping on the eggnog she had given him. It was a very small glass with only trace amounts of brandy in it, after all, they were very aware he had the alcohol tolerance of an ant. When a knock sounded at the door he stood up to open it and wrapped his friend in a warm embrace. "Hey there, little bird, come and shake the snow off your wings," he teased as stepped back and held the door open for her.

[Annalyse Castova]

With the holidays abound, there were many opportunities to take family photos and make a little extra money. Today however, she had a job that she had had for a very long time. Today she was going to do the family photo for one of her oldest friends, Hawthorne Talbot, not that she ever called him Hawthorne. It was way too southern sounding. When they had met in Hammel they had made instant friends, well once they had realized the other wasn't going to take any bull. Plus they both had that same sort of sarcasm that kept them firing witty replies one after another.

Once Shay's mom had realized that Ana could take pretty good pictures and was...around a lot, they had made a deal. Ana could take all the pictures she wanted at their house, and in return she had to take the family pictures. To the young teen this had been a pretty good gig. After all the Talbot house was beautiful, and she loved every inch of it. It really was one of the prettiest houses and gardens to take pictures in, in Pilot Ridge. Ana was always happy to take pictures for the Talbots' truth be told.

So Annalyse had donned her most festive red coat, and had made her way to the house that she loved to take pictures of. Knocking at the door she smiled as Shay was standing there, same Shay as usual. Grinning she hugged him back when he opened the door. “I told you only my Nonno calls me that.” Rolling her eyes she stepped through the familiar door and shook off the snow that had fallen on her walk over. “Ready for pictures?” She was always ready.

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The door closed behind them, the wreath shaking annoyingly at the movement, "And I believe I've told you that I don't care and I will call you Little Bird all I like." He grinned back at her before yelling loudly through the house to call the rest of his family out. "Alright, guys, time to pretend we love each other!"

His mother shot him a withering look, "Don't you start that Hawthorn." Her son only snickered in response as the rest of his siblings trickled in and his father exited the kitchen to join them. Greetings were exchanged, his mother stepped forward to hug Ana and then his sister's as well. Reed who was forever awkward waved and Alder greeted her brightly.

They were all very used to her presence here in the house, as she was here almost as much he was himself. Even with the den being rather open it did get a bit crowded with all nine, ten including Ana, moving around in the room.

"Alright Miss Professional," Shay elbowed her lightly, playfully, "How do you want to organize the herd?" As he often described his family, because damn there were a lot of them.

[Annalyse Castova]

Ana smiled and shook the snow off of her as she entered into the house, waving her arms about a bit before shivering from the cold. She smiled ass the wreath on the door shook when closed. She always loved the picturesque view of a door with a wreath on it for the holidays. At Shay's comment she shook her head and gave him a light punch in the arm. "Then I guess I should just call you Hawthorne...Forever." Ana smirked over at her friend as she listened to him call his family out.

Ana grinned as Shay's mother began to nag him, and his siblings started to file into the room. Annalyse was well aware of Shay's snickering and his sarcasm, but hey she got it. It was something that they had bonded over at Hammel. In person however Ana was and would always be the perfectly polite friend. "Yeah Hawthorne." Ana could hardly contain her smirk as it turned into a smile when Shay's mom came over to hug her. "It's so nice to see you Mrs. Talbot" She smiled at the hug and turned to acknowledge the siblings. "Ivy, Willow, Holly, and Hazel. It's so wonderful to be able to see you again." Smiling as she hugged each of the siblings. She waved at Reed, who waved back, and grinned as she saw Alder. "Reed! Alder! Good to see you!"

Ana had practically grown up in this house, and as such she was sure that the siblings were all used to her by now. As big as the den was, with ten people in it, it could get crowded very easily. She felt like family here, even if her name didn't have something to do with plants. She wasn't sure how much Shay actually realized this, but she knew she was lucky to have him as a friend. If she told him this however, she was sure that it would just go to his head.

Annalyse was pulled out of her thoughts when Shay elbowed her. Rolling her eyes at his comment she smirked. "Well, I was thinking the normal, lining up by age, but I was also kinda hoping for the siblings to head outside...Maybe snowball fight?" She grinned at the thought. "It's been a while since we've done a 'fun' shoot." Elbowing Shay she smirked over at him. "Of course the parents will have a few cozy pictures inside." She smiled at the thought of the album in her head, organizing it, but she realized not everyone would be up for it. "I mean if you all want to..." She didn't want to push.

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The Talbot house could always be counted on to be a scene straight out of a dream when it came to winter holiday decorations. The trees outside were decorated with soft yellow lights, and the curtains were switched out for a thicker version of themselves that glowed orange with the almost constant burning fire in the fireplace. Shay may not have been a man that knew much about decoration but he could recognize a beautiful view when he saw one, and he couldn't deny the warmth the house exuded and not only because it was the one he had grown up in.

"Ah, you could, but I might have to start calling you mom if you do," because not even his siblings called him by his first name unless they were looking for a fight -which was usually the case. Greetings were something that took a good while in their family, which was why they got used to not trying to engage anyone in conversation until they had made their rounds to each member, otherwise everything got confused and mixed up with the constant start and end of pleasant conversation.

"Oooh, so we're thinking out of the box this year?" Shay teased though the siblings were already working on lining up as she wanted, used to the process from the past years. "Yes," he hissed out his agreement making eye contact with Ivy, while his older sister did they exact same and shook a fist at him. "It will definitely be fun," he had wrapped his arm around her shoulder, leaning his weight down at her, "and I promise to behave," he said though his grin betrayed him.

Shay ruffled her hair, "Of course we don't mind," he reassured her easily, so used to their friendship he knew when she began to second guess herself, "You're our art director," he teased, tongue poking from between his teeth before he stepped away to stand in his place in the line, towering over his siblings as was usual.