RP: Christmas at House Milburn

[rori_milburn]

Date: December 25, 2011
Characters: Rori Milburn, Cody Milburn, Shosh Wise, Sloane Wise (NPC), William and Sarah Milburn (NPCs), Mark and Cheyenne (Madison, Brian, Jennifer and Patrick) (NPCs), Adam and Dakota (Stephanie, Kevin, and Chad) (NPCs), Helena (Wade and Cole) (NPCs)
Location: Cransfill Cap, TX
Status: Private
Summary: It’s a very merry

Comments

[shoshana_wise]

Shosh had been relieved when Rori had told her in no uncertain terms that she was kidnapping her and Sloane to spend the holidays with the Milburns. Sloane had of course been thrilled, spending another holiday with her Cody was always a good thing in her daughter's book. Though she rarely grew up having large family get together, Shosh had to admit she didn't hate the idea of being surrounded by so many people that she would be forced to focus on something other than who was missing this year. She had survived last year's Christmas without her father, granted she couldn't remember doing much beyond wallowing, but she had survived.

This year she wasn't going to wallow, and being here with Rori was helping. How could someone wallow in self-pity with all this noise around them? She laughed softly as she watched her friend play with her nieces and nephews, and she wondered idly where Sloane might be, though figured if she thought long and hard on it she'd find Sloane attached to Cody. "Rori, I do believe they're beating you." Shosh pointed out from her place in the doorway, a smirk gracing her features.

[rori_milburn]

Rori pounced unsuccessfully at little Patrick, making him and his cousin squeal and flee from where they were 'hiding' from her. "I know, I know," she said, huffing at a lock of hair that had fallen into her face. "Disgraceful, isn't it? Yeah, you better run, you imps! I'll be coming for you!" she hollered at the little forms, lips twitching.

"Later, when I have more energy," she added in a quieter voice, flopping in her normal heedless fashion into the vacant recliner. "I'm starting to feel old, chasing all these kids around. At least Sloane has plenty of kids to play with if she wants," she said, gesturing for Shosh to go ahead and sit as well. "I'm very well outnumbered, at this point. As my mother keeps pointing out." Not that her own thoughts hadn't strayed that way, finally, a few times this year, but she knew she still wasn't at a point in her life where she could seriously contemplated having a kid yet. Not to mention the mechanics of it.

[shoshana_wise]

Shosh chuckled. "Very disgraceful. Not sure I can be friends with you anymore after that amazing defeat." She smirked and couldn't hide the teasing twinkle in her eye as she dropped down onto the couch. "I've felt old since the moment Sloane was big enough to walk around." Shosh admitted with a laugh. Which felt like a century ago, even if it had only been roughly four years ago. It struck her then that her little girl was going to be five in the coming year, and heading off to kindergarten which meant a whole slew of new things for Shosh to deal with.

A faint smiled appeared on Shosh's features as Rori mentioned being outnumbered at this point. "You're free to borrow Sloane whenever you want, hell, you can handle parent-teacher shit when she enters school in the fall." She paused. "Yeah, if I were being honest I'd have to admit I hate that she's an only child.....it's lonely. But until I find someone who isn't a complete ass or trying to rush things, I guess she's just going to stay an only child. At least she can come down here and feel like she has cousins and shit." Rori's nieces and nephews were always good about letting Sloane join in. "She's thrilled to be here today I think, though she's always thrilled when she gets to spend most of her time with Her Cody." Shosh had yet to see her little girl in a couple of hours, which she could only imagine was because Sloane was off somewhere with Cody and/or a couple of the kids.

[rori_milburn]

"Hardy har har," Rori said sarcastically, grinning. "Well, if you're old, I'm ancient, dontcha know." Sometimes she wondered if that part of life wasn't something she was going to get, though she knew that relatively speaking, she was young, but paired with her mother's and sisters' harping on it all, it was at the top of her mind that 'Oh, Cheyenne had two kids by the time she was your age,' etc etc.

"Thanks. I'm sure Sloane will appreciate the exercise, but it's still two against the many," she said with the shake of her head. "You need to breed me out a few more." She stretched her leg as far as she could, trying to prod Shosh's leg with her toes. "And they are definitely like her cousins, trust me." It wasn't like she hadn't pal-ed around with Shosh long enough for her nieces and nephews to know Sloane. "Haha, true. Cody the Awesome strikes again."

[shoshana_wise]

"Nah, you're not ancient, you're pre-historic." Shosh teased, a rather evil little smirk appearing on her features. Neither one of them were old by any means, and she wouldn't say it, but Shosh rather thought she hadn't exactly gone about becoming a mother in the greatest of ways. It was easier for her though, as she didn't have family constantly bothering her to have more children.

"I don't know, Sloane can be mighty intimidating. Think she takes after her Mama in that respect." She said with a laugh. "Oh, I need to breed you more?" Shosh leveled a mock-serious look at Rori. "Last I checked that required having a guy." Her tone wasn't bitter, just honest. "Well that's good, 'cause she isn't likely going to have any cousins of her own anytime soon." With Shosh being an only child, and no relationship in sight for her, it was probably going to be a long while before Sloane had the prospect of cousins or siblings of her own. "Pretty much none of us have a chance if Cody's around. I think he brainwashed Sloane when she was baby."

[rori_milburn]

"Oh, well now, if that's how you really feel," Rori said with mock-affront, pretending to huff indignantly. "A couple of years on you and I'm a dinosaur. Really. Come on now," she bitched, not caring if it was more than likely annoying. She hadn't done it in awhile, though, so really she was due.

"She does, but sweets, we're Milburns. If you haven't noticed, we can take you," she drawled with a faint, taunting grin. "Yes, you need to breed more. It'll be easier for you, you know." She didn't elaborate further, nor here, not now, but Shosh knew what she was talking about. "You've already had a kid anyway, should be easier the second time. And you could find some nice stud, I'm sure," she half-teased.

She snickered. "I agree, I think. He will hold her heart forever, I think."

[shoshana_wise]

"How I've always felt." Shosh replied in a teasing tone. Entirely unfazed by Rori's act. "It's true, you hit twenty eight and went pre-historic on me." She knew how far she could push her friend, and the bitching tone didn't stop her. If Rori was truly bothered, Shosh would stop, though.

"Oh really now, you think so?" She quirked an eyebrow, and smirked at her friend. "Love to see you try." Shosh wasn't about to actually start a fight with Rori, and she half expected that her friend was right. "Right, so much easier." She replied dryly, though she knew what Rori was referring to. "They do say it gets easier second time around. And oh, you think so? 'Cause the last one I picked was a real winner." Shosh could face facts now that Jase hadn't been right for her, had wanted to rush her, and in the end just didn't understand what went into ranch life.

She chuckled. "Forever, and ever, and ever. Cody's gone and worked is way into Sloane's heart and I don't think anyone will ever be changing that."

[rori_milburn]

Rori stuck her tongue out at Shosh. "I'm not thirty yet," she grumped, mostly good-naturedly (which was mostly due to the fact it was Shosh teasing her). "I'll start really worrying about pre-historic when I hit that number." Or rather, she'd start really worrying about having kids of her own by thirty, not that she would admit that just yet.

"You know I could still kick your ass," she told her, believing it true. It wouldn't be easy, no, but a few years of age would definitely do that. "I didn't say you had to marry the fellow or anything," she pointed out. "Lasso 'em, have your wicked way with 'em, and give me more minions to fight my nieces and nephews with." She wasn't really serious, though not entirely unserious, either. She would never actually push Shosh to do anything like that, but she could tease her about it. "'sides, not many of 'em are winners, but that's just me." Her dad, and Cody, and Dale... those were good men. But they were special ones.

"Someday she's going to want to marry a cowboy just like him, you know," Rori pointed out, though she didn't think that was a bad thing, necessarily. After all, she adored her brother.

[shoshana_wise]

Shosh grinned. "No you're not." she agreed, biting her tongue to keep from saying that even after thirty, it wasn't a death sentence or anything. "Oh yeah? Well by the time you hit that age, I'll be quickly approaching ancient." Shosh pointed out, and part of her figured she'd be living about the same life than as she was now.

"That's only because you had a brother growing up to practice on." She chirped good-naturedly. Though she had no doubt that Rori would kick her ass, though she rather thought it was only age and the sheer fact that she'd had a sparring mate growing up, though she wasn't sure how much fighting Rori and Cody actually ever did. "Right because having more than one child who has no idea who the Daddy is isn't bad enough." Shosh was determined the next guy she ended up having a kid with, she'd not only know his name, but she'd also be close to him, dating, if not married. "How 'bout I lend you dogs instead? They'll help you chase around the nieces and nephews." She knew her friend was entirely kidding, that she wasn't expecting her to birth an army for her or anything. "No they aren't, not even sure guys like that exist." And if they did Shosh hadn't met one yet, even as much as she adored Graham, he was by no means a perfect example of boyfriend or husband material.

"I know, though I think she might have her little heart set on him." Shosh remarked with a laugh. "Although a cowboy has to be better than a city boy, right?"

[rori_milburn]

"Yes, you will, and I'll be sure to remind you of the fact." It was something as a matter of course the two of them would do. It was half the way their friendship worked. Rori knew she wasn't really that terribly old, she just had a lot of random thoughts these days.

"Cody and I only nearly tried to kill each other on occasion, so I don't know how much help it really was," she said with a shrug. They fought some, but probably less than other siblings in some ways. "Sloane might not have a Daddy, but she has Graham and Cody and Noah," she said more softly. "I don't think it's an awful thing, really." She knew she was lucky to have a father like her father.

"I think they do. I've seen Cody, and my daddy. They're not perfect but they're better than most." Good guys. Treated people right, mostly. Not perfect, but better than most.

"She probably does, alas. We'll see how well that works out as she ages." She smiled indulgently. "Probably, though your city boy Noah isn't too too bad."

[shoshana_wise]

"Damn straight I will." She knew Rori knew her well enough by now that not to expect anything else from he. This was how their friendship worked, and Shosh wouldn't have it any other way. Anyway, she rather thought her friend knew she wasn't old, even if she liked to fuss about it and Shosh liked to give her a hard time about it.

"Only on occasion, I'm shocked. So you're saying I've likely tried to kill Cody more than you have?" Okay, so it was mostly just bickering, still it amused her that she fought more with Rori's brother than even Rori did. "True, and she had my Dad." Shosh said softly, quickly pushing the sadness aside. "Graham, Noah and even Cody probably all make up for being without a Dad." After all she'd grown up without a Mom and turned out mostly okay. "Maybe it's not all that awful, I just worry for when she gets older and starts asking questions."

"Might just be a Milburn trait, then." Shosh remarked honestly, not about to argue that Cody was a good guy, after all hadn't she argued that same fact with Adrienne once. "Too bad the only available Milburn is Cody." She half teased, a wicked smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"I think Cody'll be too old for her once she's able to date." Shosh pointed out with a laugh. "She might just have to settle for one of those nephews of yours." She joked. "Noah I think is exempt from being considered entirely a city boy, after all he's got Graham's DNA and I think ranching is in the Jahnke's blood." Shosh was fond of Noah, even if he did have his city boy moments. "So you finally had a conversation with him then, I'm assuming?" It was saying a lot that Rori didn't think Noah was that bad, after all she could be a tough critic when it came to City boys.

[rori_milburn]

"I think that at this point you probably have tried to kill him more often than I have," Rori agreed with a chuckle. They still bickered horribly, definitely more now than Rori ever did with Cody these days, mostly because she and her brother got on rather well. "Exactly. So she's not really doing that much without," she said. "When she starts asking questions, I guess just be honest. I mean, she's got all of us. She won't lack for support, and I don't see her acting too badly over it." But then, what did she know.

Rori snorted. "I still say you two would make a good couple if you would stop trying to kill each other," she said. "You'd make me pretty nieces and nephews, anyway." Okay, so she was teasing. Mostly. Even if she did think if they could stop their habitual bickering, they would get along rather well.

"Yes, well, somehow I don't see that stopping Sloane," Rori teased. "But yes, one of my nephews might do very well." She grinned. "True, but he does have a bit of city in him, but not in the worst way." He wasn't an arrogant prick, in other words. She didn't always mean it that way, but that was how she'd started out calling people like that so many years ago. "Yeah, I went by awhile back and he was the only one around to harass. He's not that bad." Something about him struck a chord in her, though she couldn't put her finger on what, exactly.

[shoshana_wise]

"And yet all those attempts and I've still yet to succeed." Shosh remarked with a faint smirk. She really couldn't help the way she and Cody bickered, and would hold to the opinion that he often started it, even if she knew she was as much at fault as he was. "No, she's definitely not lacking." A fact which Shosh appreciated quite a bit. "You know I don't have any other way than being direct and honest. Just hoping she gives me a few more years before I have to explain her lack of a father to her." And she would have people like Rori, Graham, and even Cody around to support her little girl if she took the information poorly.

Shosh quirked an eyebrow. "Have you already started drinking today?" She asked, always amused when Rori brought up the subject of Cody and her as a couple. "I can't argue against that, they would be pretty." Shosh knew Rori was kidding, or at least she hoped she was. Somehow she had a feeling that she and Cody would never be able to stop bickering long enough to get along, but that was just her thoughts.

"Well she is a Wise, so I wouldn't put it past her." Shosh replied with a half smirk. "Or she might end up treating an age appropriate Milburn the same way her Mama does." She pointed out with a laugh. "Oh god, yes he does. Should have seen him the first time he got up on a horse, it was hilarious as all hell." And it really had been, and Shosh still regretted not having a camera on her at the time. "He's really not, and sometimes if you're around him long enough he'll do or say something that's so extremely like Graham, it's kind of freaky." Shosh liked the kid a lot though, and realized she probably shouldn't call him a kid as she was only a handful of years older than him, which was just that much weirder that Graham had a kid that was nearly her age.

[rori_milburn]

"You two keep trying, I'm sure one of you will do the other in someday, and I'll be the one cleaning up the blood and lying to the police, just you wait and see," Rori said, shaking her head in amusement. "I doubt she'll really think of it on her own any time soon," she said honestly. "But if it does come up we'll be here."

Rori snorted. "Not yet and you know it," she retorted. She didn't bring up the thought often, knowing how much Shosh disagreed with her occasional assessment that her brother and her best friend would make a good couple. "Very pretty," she said with a slight sigh, tipping her head back a bit. She sometimes wondered if nieces and nephews were all she would ever get. Gah. Being around all her family was fuckign with her head.

"Let's hope she chooses the nicer way of dealing with it and merely takes one to husband one day," Rori said dryly, obviously amused. "Oh, that must have been priceless," she said. "Oh yeah, he's got the same 'can't ruffle my feathers' quality about him that Graham does. I couldn't annoy him to save my life."

[shoshana_wise]

"You know you'll be cleaning up after Cody's death, 'cause the boy wouldn't know how to fight back if it up and smacked him upside the head." She remarked, though even Shosh could admit Cody was a good guy, who wouldn't hit a girl, no matter how annoying said girl was; and she was annoying. "Probably won't, not unless they have some twisted 'Bring your Dad to school day' or something for kindergarten, in which case you know she'll bug Cody until he agrees to go with her." She nodded. "I know I'll have people to back me up, of which I am immensely thankful for."

Shosh laughed. "Just checking 'cause you've started in on the crazy speak." she remarked with a quirked eyebrow. She knew how Rori felt about this subject, how she was convinced that if she and Cody could just manage to not fight, they'd actually make some kind of odd sense. "Yeah, too bad that brother of yours opens his mouth and ruins the pretty illusion, any kid of his would likely do the same." Shosh could act like she wasn't aware that Cody was attractive, but she just didn't see the point. "But y'know you'll end up with kids who'll be ten times prettier." She knew a bit of how her friend felt about having kids of her own, and she definitely didn't share the same opinion that it might never happen for her.

"Marrying off my little one already, huh?" She teased, pausing a moment before adding. "Though if she had to have an arranged marriage, one landing her in the chaos that is your family wouldn't be half bad." Which was the honest truth, the Milburn family had always been good to her and Sloane. "It was so priceless, think Graham laughed for a half hour at the sight." Granted she thought half of Noah's issue was he as tall and entirely all leg. "You noticed that too, huh? I've been trying for months, and yet he gives me the same damn look Graham always had. Think it's impossible to get under his skin." Which only amused her more, 'cause he was so much like his Dad, which made Shosh wondered what traits Sloane might have from her own father that she wasn't even aware of.

[rori_milburn]

“He doesn’t hit girls, you know that,” Rori said with a faint shrug. “So until he decides you’re not a girl, I guess I would have to clean him up.” At least she knew the two of them would never do that. Not really. They might joke about it a lot, but in the end they were more family than anything else, and she kenw that they both knew Rori would bash their heads in if they actually hurt each other. “I think there’s, like a parent career day, maybe not in Kindergarden though. But you can always go for that. Though I’m sure Cody would entertain all the children.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think it’s that crazy, but what-ev,” she said. She snorted again. “Ha. He’s not that bad. Some days I wish I knew what y’all did to each other in a past life to put yourselves so at odds with each other. And somehow I think you’d love any kid of his like he loves your kid, so there.” She stuck out her tongue stubbornly. “Ha, yeah, sure. You’ve always been the prettier one and you know it.” She’d always been the ice bitch of the circuit.

“Let’s call it planning ahead,” she said with a grin. “Either way, she always has a place in my family.” Just like Shosh. They were like sisters, but not as well. Rori never had penned a term for what exactly it was they had other than best friends,t hough they weren’t much like most best friends. “Mm, boy is all fucking leg. I got a couple of thoroughbreds at Iron Hollow he might fit on right though. If he wanted to try.” It just depended on the build of the person sometimes. “Might have to put him on English saddles, so his legs don’t dangle so far.” She rolled her eyes again. “Yeah, I know. I tried a bit. I was in a weird mood when I went over there, but there was no ruffling his damn feathers,” she grumped.