A Christmas Walk

Time and date: 22:40, December 24th
Place: The Nelsons estate
Weather: Snowy-rain. Approaching freezing temperatures.
Outfit: Light blue shirt, red Christmas sweater, black pants and brown shoes. Leather jacket.
Dedicated to: @Seraphina

Zadkiel had been sitting in the livingroom with a history book, being able to see everything that happened between the parents and the middle child. He might want to talk to her too at some point – just to check up on her, that everything was alright. It clearly didn’t seem like she was doing alright, the way she arrived. As soon as the middle child and their mother went upstairs, it didn’t take long before Seraphina, the youngest of his sisters, went down the stairs. Zadkiel sighed quietly, before he closed his book and got up from the sofa. As predicted, Seraphina went outside, into the snowy-rain. Zadkiel gave his dad a short pat on the shoulder, to make him aware that he was passing him. “I’ll look after her,” he said calmly, before he took his leather jacket in the entrance, put on a red hat and scarf, and put on his shoes. He picked up a hat and a scarf for his sister too, in case she had forgotten and wanted it. As quickly as possible he excited the house and scouted after his little sister. “Sera!” he called as he started walking looking for his sister. If she didn’t respond somewhat quickly or was within sight, he would set off into the air to check If she was flying around. Whenever Tien got home and caused some kind of bad situation, she seemed to try and find solitude. Zadkiel knew that she might actually want to talk with someone.

She hated the figting, the negativity that had out of nowhere dominated the room. Seraphina loved all of her family members, it wasn't that, she just didn't really feel comfortable when people argued - so she would seek to her room or outside. Tonight outside was better and she loved the cold weather even if it was so freezing cold that her nose almost couldn't breathe the cold air in. She was on her phone, writing with a few of her friends while uploading another picture on instagram. Like always Seraphina took care of herself, and she always found her way around being the center of attention in the family - not that she didn't want any, she just got it elsewhere. Seraphina put her phone back in her pocket as she walked down the streets looking at all the pretty Christmas lights in the area. She could see families in the windows, playing board-games around the table - when was the last time they all had sitting around the table and done something together? The snowy rain got caught in her darkbrown hair, not that she minded it was refreshing in some way. She heard her brothers voice and stopped to turn around. "I'm over here," she replied with a slightly higher voice. Seraphina didn't run off to start trouble, or anything like that, so she wasn't going to let her brother freak out or anything by not responding.

"Yeah, I just needed some fresh air," she took a deeper breath in and closed her eyes shortly to point out it was just what she needed. He handed her the hat and she took it, "thanks," she said with a low voice, still having that little smile on her lips. Seraphina put the hat on and looked over at her brother again. "It's alright, long sleeves," she lifted up hand where the black fabric from her bluse was covering her hands - giving it at least a little bit of shelter from the cold. Seraphina moved her eyes away from him again and looked over the snow covered landscape of the town. The little neighborhood they lived in. It was nice and quite, and sometimes that was needed if one didn't want to completely burn out. "I miss it. Us just sitting around the table, playing cards, monopoly.. us being able to find time to spend together as a family," she took a deeper breath in slightly. It wasn't that their family was that troubled, Tien had her issues, everyone had their fair share of things no one talked about. But being together had always seemed to be a safe place, and now she felt like it was in danger of going away. Zadkiel had his military stuff, Laila with her ballet dreams, Kemuel almost never left his room and Tien was dealing with some things that Seraphina didn't want to push to. Naturally Seraphina had found herself online where people wanted to hear from her - but none of them really wanted to know the real her it was all just a perfect picture of how her life could have been - not all the stuff she was hiding in the darkness. Her life online wasn't all butterlies and rainbows either, people online could be nasty and it sometimes took her some thick skin not to let her day fall apart because of it. "Do you think we ever will get back to that?" She turned her green eyes back to her brother with a slight hope that he would say yes, but she also knew he couldn't promise anything.

Zadkiel nodded as she explained she just needed some fresh air. Clear her mind, find some kind of solitude and focus om something else than Tien and their father arguing. It was easy to understand. He gave her a gentle smile, as she took the hat and thanked him. No biggie was almost written in his eyes. The smile got slightly wider as she put it on. “Good,” he commented, when she showed her sleeves. He put his hands in his pockets to protect himself from the cold.
Zadkiels brown eyes followed Seraphina’s onto the almost white town. Covered in snow. His hair had even gotten some small snowflakes in it. She was good at opening, one on one – or maybe just to Zadkiel. As she mentioned the things she missed, memory after memory appeared in his mind. Winning, loosing, laughing, arguing, accusing each other of cheating… All of it because people were completely caught up in the game. He pulled a slight, smile thinking about it. The family had gotten older and each of them had found their different interests which pulled them away from any quality time. He though about how all of them was very different and tried to think about how he could collect the family. What could he plan for family, and when would it be suitable?
Her question made him smile brightly and chuckle. “Yeah. Maybe not as often as we used to,” he said, before looking down at his leather shoes, contrasting to the white snow. He looked up at her again, “What about we ask all of them for a game tomorrow morning? After presents and such?” it was a suggestion, which she had every right to dislike. He just hoped that their father, mother or himself wouldn’t be called into an emergency shift. Laila, Kemuel and Seraphina could pack their stuff away for a while, right? Tien might just need a gallon of juice and some hungover food to cope with whatever she had been taking. Maybe Kemuel could sacrifice one of his energy drinks for Tien, so she could participate in the game they should play?

She wanted to be optimistic about it, and hope that they could actually find time and energy for each other again. Without Tien and their father ending up fighting, or Laila and Tien would bite each other's head off. Of course she would herself try not to annoy Kemuel too much, even through she enjoyed it. Seraphina was aware of being busy, she was that herself - especially after having her online fan base, she needed to create content and it was hard pleasing every single one of her followers - so she tried to just do what she enjoyed. His suggestion wasn't stupid, and she would love nothing more than to just sit down with everyone and forget time for a little while. "We could ask them," she said while taking a slight deeper breath in. She was wanted it to be that easy, but she just didn't really have the Christmas spirit to really believe in it. Christmas had been one of her favorite times of year when she was a child, and now the only thing she really enjoyed with Christmas was the snow and pretty lights.  "I hoped everyone would be home for New Years, but Lai already has plans, I asked her this morning," she sighed a bit and looked back at Zadkiel. "It's pretty isn't it?" She asked before looking around them again. It was weird being the short kid when both your parents and all of your siblings were tall - but she was fine by it. "I know we should head back, we don't want them to worry, but just a few more minutes."

Zadkiel felt the same way as Seraphina. It would be very nice, if the family could be with each other without any personal arguing. Just pure playing and having fun. He smiled gently when she seemed to agree that she would be okay with asking the family about playing a game tomorrow. It was worth a shot anyways, right? And if someone really couldn’t attend, they would just be one less. It was better than none, anyway. Zadkiel was pretty sure he at least could make all of the siblings come together. He was already planning on how he should make all of them get up in the morning and get together. He had learned a few ways to get people up in the military anyway – so why not use it?
Zadkiel shrugged slightly as it seemed Laila wasn’t going to be home. He was pretty sure that Kemuel wouldn’t leave his room, and by the way Seraphina explained things, it seemed like she was going to stay home herself too. “Well I’ll be at home,” he said and laid a hand around her to hug her with one arm, gently. “I think Tien might be grounded, so I think she’ll be home too,” he added before he gently let go of his smallest sister.
Zadkiel looked up and around them, as she asked him if he thought it was pretty. With a gentle smile he looked back at her. “It’s prettier with you in it,” he said, as a compliment. Not that she didn’t get compliments at any hour by her fans – he just felt like she needed it from a real person who actually cared for her. He also wanted her to know how she should be treated, whenever she found a guy she fell in love with. When she said she knew they should head back he chuckled slightly. “They’ll be alright. We don’t have to hurry,” he said calmly. He wanted her to take her time, collecting her thoughts, and observe the surroundings as much as she needed. She was no solider who needed to be pressured – she hadn’t signed up for that.

Her smile grew a little bit bigger when he said he would be home, she was thrilled to know that. He was possibly right, Tien could be grounded - question was whether or not it would stop her from sneaking out and be with friends. "Or I could just ask her if she will stay home, might make it sound less like a punishment," Seraphina chuckled a bit and breathed out. She didn't want any of them to stay home because they had to, it would just make the negative energies worse than if it was a matter of choice. "I'm surprised you are home for New years, I thought you would be out with your friends?" She asked a bit curious.
The cheeky comment made her roll her eyes with a soft little laugh shortly. "Right," she chuckled a bit to the compliment. Seraphina nodded when he said they didn't have to hurry back, she was happy about that. It was nice, being away from everything for a short matter of moments, even through it wasn't a long time since she had been on her phone, talking to Zadkiel and looking around them - forced to disconnect to her busy reality, and it was nice. Seraphina could be mistaken for an extravert if one didn't know her, always being online and connecting with people, but in reality it took so much of her and she needed to charge her batteries again. Seraphina took a slightly deeper breath in, they should most likely start walking back slowly - it was getting late and she wanted to get up early. "So are we still waking people up tomorrow morning?" She turned her green eyes to her brother and a little sneaky smirk. Oh she loved teasing Kemuel, and if she could get to wake him up early  - even better.

Zadkiel smiled at his little sister when she shared her plan. “Sounds like a plan” he agreed. Hopefully it would make Tien stay home by her own will. That would be what Zadkiel would hope for. He shrugged slightly, when she questioned his New Years plans. “I feel like I would enjoy being at home for once,” he said with a slight smile. Something in his guts told him, that he would regret if he didn’t attend the new years with his family.

He tilted his head slightly, “I’m telling the truth,” he said with a smile on his lips. She shouldn’t just let compliments roll of her, like rain against an umbrella.
He then allowed himself to look into the horizon and admired the view, with a peaceful sigh. He understood why Seraphina tried to be alone sometimes; it was nice out here.
As she mentioned waking everyone up in the morning, he looked at her again with a wide, sneaky, grinning smile. “Yes, we are,” he replied. He was definitely looking forward to seeing each family members reaction to an early morning; especially Kemuel and Tien who had a habit of going to bed, when Seraphina and Zadkiel woke up.

She looked forward to the few times a month where they could actually wake up the entire house, without feeling guilty about it. She was up anyways, her and Laila often had a cup off coffee together with Zadkiel. It was these kind of mornings she missed, and she knew things would change. They all got older, but it didn't mean she was happy that things were about to change. "Good," she nodded to him as she headed towards the house again. Sometimes she wondered what it was like for her siblings to have a sister who was so consumed in the world of social media - where everyone held a telescope over her, from what kind of make up she used to what she was eating.

Zadkiel let an arm wrap around his little sister as they walked back towards the house in The King Quarter. His brown eyes enjoyed the view of the snow falling on the already snow-covered trail. “So… Do you have any plans to how we get Kemuel out of his bed without dragging him or making a mess?” he asked and looked down at her with a grinning smile. She was simply the purest of them all, when you got to know her. She had so many ideas; most of them ending up on her social media. Everything from dance moves, long texts and speeches to new beauty trends. Zadkiel even remembered once where she tried to split her brows with eyegel. It almost looked like she had feathers as eyebrows – it was so weird to look at.