Owner	Pose
Vindicator	It had snowed overnight, and after a morning of household chores, paperwork, and various and sundry other tasks, Heather had announced to Mac that work was done for the day, and while daylight hours were still with them, they were going to enjoy themselves. In particular, she had them bundle themselves up for the outdoors, and laughing, she'd declared to Mac that she was going to teach him about snow angels, and snow men, and you know, snow ball fights. Not that he probably didn't know about at least some of those already, but it was meant to be a light and playful afternoon. The holidays were upon them all, and it seemed most of the world's crisis had decided to take the afternoon off, so why shouldn't they? Anyone at the mansion was invited to join them. "And afterwards, we can use that fireplace?"
Witchfire	It's only been a few days and Ana has been more or less keeping to herself. The demoness eternally just a little uncomfortable making close ties with her team. As there seems to be a temporary lack of demons in the area, she trudges outside in her boots and long coat to glower at the snow. Snow just tends to mean less demons. She pauses, seeing the couple outside as well, her white eyes dropping away as she edges to skirt them with a wide berth.
Guardian	Mac shakes his head when Heather promises to teach /him/ about snow. "Right," he'd said. "Because snow is something I know nothing about, being an Ontario boy," Mac hadn't said no though and so gladly went out in the snow to enjoy the little bit of a break with the team. Spotting Ana, Mac calls out to her, "Come join Heather and I, we're building a snow man!" he says. Yes it was silly, but then this was the season to let yourself be a kid again.
Vindicator	Heather only laughs at Mac, giving him a hip check once they're outside. "I knew that would get you. Good old Ontario boy defending his childhood memories of snow so deep you had to climb on the roof to shovel a path to the road." Yeah, she'd heard his stories get higher and deeper over the years. When he pauses to call to Ana, Heather turns, a handful of snow mid-way into being turned into a snowball. "Hey! Come join us, Ana. We need someone to make the middle of the snowman." She'd found, over the years, that the easiest way to avoid a 'no thanks' or an 'I'm busy' or an 'I don't know' was to just up and assign a role and expect it to be fulfilled. There was a reason Heather was group mom. And why she made as decent a leader as Mac. Different approaches, but they both got the job done.
Witchfire	Blowing out a breath, Ana rolls her eyes-it's not the most obvious gesture being that they're all white but her posture says reluctance clear enough. "Fine. I guess I can put off meditating." She allows and drags her feet over through the snow in a trudge. She looks between them both and props a hand on her hip. "I regret ever making light of the phase "When hell freezes over."" She jokes quietly with a rare quirk of a smile.
Guardian	"Sometimes it was over the roof," Mac insists quietly, smiling. Yep, it grew another foot this year, as always. Mac notes Ana's reluctances. "Come on, now, your meditation will still be there when we're done." Just like his lab, he knew what it was like to be pulled at by work, but he was learning to take time for the other things in life. "So, how did your hunt in New York go?" he says, before ducking down to help get the base shored up. He's oblivious to Heather's snowball in the making.
Vindicator	Heather chuckles at Ana. "It never lasts long here. At least not like it does in the mountains. Which, you should visit if you haven't." She hands Ana the snowball she's just made and gestures that she should start rolling it around on the ground to make the belly of their snowman. "And you can meditate later." Laughing as her words stumble over Mac's saying the same thing. She bends to start herself a snowball to make the head.
Witchfire	Taking the snow ball, Ana sets to packing more snow around it and eyes the couple. "Considering how much fuss was put into me learning to meditate, you'd think it was more reassuring that I try keeping to my scheduled routine." She comments, since it's largely how they keep the demon in her suppressed. "And demon hunting was well. I managed to bag some fantastic parts, I may work on a new wand." She tells the pair and pats more snow down lightly.
Guardian	Mac laughs as well when he and Heather stumble over each other, though when Ana reminds them of why she needs to meditate, he does frown, "Will there be a problem if you delay awhile?" he asks, suddenly more Guardian than Mac, the 'team dad'. Demons? That stuff never sat right with him, but back in the house was an honest-to-god Shaman and a artic god he'd seen grow to womanhood in the span of a few weeks, he'd long since learned there were more things in heaven and earth than could be dreamt of in his philosophy. "Good then. So, planning any more outings or will you be with the team for the holidays? We'd be glad to have you around and it'll give you time to work on those wands."
Vindicator	Heather smiles quielty to herself, letting Mac be 'dad'. They made a good team, the two of them, knowing when to step in, and when to step away. Now was a step-away time. Her own snowball packed tightly enough, she crouches down and begins to roll it in the damp packing snow, letting it gather more layers to make it big enough to be the snowman's head. "I was actually thinking," Heather cuts into the conversation, "That we might want to gather some greens to decorate the mansion? The ballistrades and mantles could all use some cheer in time for the party. And you're more than welcome to stay here, Ana. I know how busy things can get other places."
Witchfire	"Holly." Ana suggests shortly as she looks at her middle. She pats more snow along the bottom of her ball like she's trying to give the poor snow man a pot belly. "I couldn't say. Shaman is the one who got me on a schedule. I'm not second guessing him." She looks up at Mac pointedly for a second before deciding she likes Heather better at the moment and favoring her with a smile. "Holly is good, juniper too. Better than just lousy old pine boughs."
Guardian	Mac nods solemnly, "Well, Michael knows what he's about when it comes to his art, so we won't keep you all that long," he says as he packs on snow to the base until it's nice and firmly secured to the ground. "Good idea," he says of the boughs. "Not really sure what we have around here besides spruce, pine and fir though, but we definitely need holly," he says before adding. "And I'd say mistletoe but I am not sure that's a good idea with Aurora," he says, the elfin mutant didn't really need that much encouragement when she was in one of her moods.
Vindicator	Aurora might not need mistletoe, but a certain Vindicator already had plans to hang a sprig of that very stuff somewhere in the house... "Well, I'm sure between the three of us that we can find enough suitable greens to make the house festive. I know there are some candles and ribbons and other decorations we can set out." She nods to Mac's comment about Michael. "Yes. If he's given you advice, Ana, I'm sure it's the best you can get. He's really our authority on matters spiritual that way. But we're not going to keep you from your practice for the entire afternoon." She smiles back at the young woman.
Witchfire	"Mistletoe? Are you poisoning someone?" Ana arches a brow and shakes her head as she looks at the base and Mac. "Are you done with the bottom?" She asks and gives her middle a once over. "I even kept to his schedule in the states." She adds since they both impress on following Michael's advice.
Guardian	"Good, we'll do that next," Mac says about finding greens. It would be good to decorate the mansion for the team's first Christmas, besides, things looked good for the PM coming to the Christmas gathering, so, there was also that to consider. He gives a little laugh at Ana's question, "Sorry, that's not the first thing that springs to mind when I think Mistletoe, but I suppose it is a poison," he muses at the implications of that before saying, "But as a decoration, it's used as an excuse to kiss. If it's overhead." "And all done, here, set your's down on top," he says getting out of Ana's way.
Vindicator	Heather has to admit it wasn't the first thing on her mind, either, the poisoning. "I suppose you weren't familiar with that tradition, were you, Ana? I'm not actually sure when it started." She waits for the two to settle the middle. Her head already as big as it needs to be. She's got buttons and a carrot all ready. "We're going to need some sticks for his arms." Or her arms. "And I'll donate my scarf."
Witchfire	Ana settles the middle on and makes sure the fat belly she packed on is pronounced. "Given everything before oooh, February is a total blank, I probably knew, once. You'd have to tell me." She remarks. Granted, that's a part of the meditation and Michael's work with her. Keeping the reality warping demon in the box. No memories. She wiggles the middle to make sure it's secure and steps back to inspect it as Heather takes over the last bits. She blows on her fingers to warm them. Upside, all Mac's stories are totally new for once.
Guardian	"Right," Mac says, about the memory loss. Was it ironic that he'd forgotten? "I do forget some times. How is all of that going, with Michael?" he asks. "Hm, I'll get the branches," he says, and heads to poke around the nearby trees until he's found a pair that look vaguely arm like. "Good?" he asks the ladies holding them up.
Vindicator	Heather busies with putting the head on, gesturing to Ana to help pack snow around to stabilize the thing, and then steps back to consider what they have wrought. "Looks a bit lopsided, but it'll do. So, who wants to do the honours and put the eyes and nose on?" Of course they still need the sticks for arms. But she's already undone her scarf, readying it to put on the snowperson once the rest is completed. "I'm sure things will even out, Ana. Memory is funny like that. And we'll help you build news one to add to those." She smiles at the young woman. "You are coming to the Holiday Dinner? And you're welcome to bring a friend." She'd offer that Michael was coming, but she wasn't sure about that. She can say, though, "I'm sure others would be happy to see you. Just the team and some of their closest friends."
Witchfire	"No friend, thanks." Ana says shortly and looks at the branches. "They're fine." She offers to Mac. Though her answer works well for both his questions. She looks to Heather as she packs in a bit more snow. "I'll come to the dinner. It's for the team after all."
Guardian	With the arms approved, Mac comes and puts them on, he takes his time, ever the engineer and takes a moment or two to tidy up the placement on some of the other parts. He can't let it go. "Ana, do you want to give our friend a face?" he asks. He does frown slightly when she says she won't be bringing someone, but he nods all the same. "Very well, we're just glad you're joining us."
Vindicator	Heather makes a point of gently hugging her hands to Ana's shoulders, reminding, "You're part of the team, Ana. We want you here. And this is your home as much as anyone else's. Okay?" Her words and tones meant to be reassuring, even as she lets go and hands Ana the buttons and the carrot. "Go on. Oh! I forgot anything for the mouth." Which only makes her laugh as she looks about for something that might suffice.
Witchfire	Breaking the carrot in half, Ana sticks the pointy bit in for a nose and pushes the other half in for a crooked straight line of a mouth. She works on the eyes and steps back. "There, it has a face. It's sad it isn't a svelt snowman." She observes and blows on her hands again to skate over Heather's reassuring words.
Guardian	"Heather's right, Ana, this is your home, so, you're always welcome here," Mac says adding to the assurances before he smiles at the nose and mouth. "Well, it is the holidays, I'm sure none of us will be as svelt as we'd wish by the end of them," he says. Though he did hope they'd take it with better cheer than old Frosty here. "So, what do we think? A job well done? We could head in for something warm to drink and of course, your meditations Ana."
Vindicator	As one last measure, Heather wraps their snowman with her scarf, setting the bright cheer of red about its neck. "I think we're done here. I can make some hot chocolate. We can light the fire.." And with a nod to Ana she echoes Mac's words, "And you can run off and meditate if you wish. Or join us. We'd be glad of the company." But she also knows that sometimes baby steps are how these things are done. It was good to have Ana make this small gesture with them, and Heather hoped it would cement the basis for future gestures between them all. The delicate balance of it all the thing Heather was best at. "However, I think we've all had enough outdoors for now. I know my hands are frozen through, and my feet are feeling decidedly wet." Packing snow. It was like that.
Witchfire	"I should meditate, too much fire under my skin." Ana murmurs, shifting uncomfortably. It's probably the longest conversation she's had with anyone beside Michael since she got back. She looks between the couple and hitches her shoulders higher before turning abruptly to stomp off. "Back to work then!" She calls over her shoulder in lieu of a good bye.