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[invisibilitea]

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ANNIE CLARE SAWYER

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[humanistic]

Annie--

[Don't go and find Josh, he knows too much--but Mitchell can't even be paranoid about that right now. He shoves away from the wall to grab for her arm, as if that's going to ground her.]

Annie, she doesn't make tea. I'm nearly sure of it.

[invisibilitea]

[She goes still for a moment, but doesn't pull away]

Well she had best not.

[humanistic]

Even if she did, she's American. She probably can't do proper tea, not like you. And even if she could, she's not you, so you still end up superior t' her.

All right?

[He rubs at her arm, consolingly.]

[invisibilitea]

You're probably right-

[SHE'S STILL ASKING JOSH]

Here take this pillow.

[humanistic]

[BUT JOSH KNOWS TOO MUCH]

Ah, are these the better pillows that you were searching for? 'Cause they look about the same, to me-- [But he takes said pillow anyways.]

[invisibilitea]

At some point, Mitchell, I have to just take whatever's there.

[humanistic]

All right, all right, fair enough--

[He'll just take all of the pillows from the bed, then, thanks. The more the better!]

C'mon, let's get the next room as well.

[invisibilitea]

That's it, that's right right idea-

[She takes the sheets and lays them out-]

Here, set the pillows down, we'll make a bundle, you can be like he Irish Father Christmas-

[humanistic]

What, so-- Father Christmas? Because he is the Irish Father Christmas, it's not as if we've got our own--

[But he does as he's told anyways, stripping one of the beds of its blanket and piling the pillows into the middle, with something of a casually expert air, like he's done a lot of bundling in his time.]

[invisibilitea]

Well, no, I'm sure Americans think that he's American, what with Tim Allen playing him in those films-

[She is watching. Helping by watching]

[humanistic]

He wasn't Father Xmas, though, was he.

[Maybe Annie could help a little, though, because it's difficult work, tying up four corners of a blanket when two of the four are quite far away from you.]

[invisibilitea]

Did you just say Father Xmas? I thought you were one of those lads born in the 1890s.

[Okay fine she goes to help bundle]

[humanistic]

And I've adapted and grown with the times, so what's your point, really.

[Gratefully, though, he smiles at her help and gathers all the corners together so he can work on knotting them.]

Plus Christmas itself sort of makes my skin crawly, all the non-secular bits of it, it's sort of a habit--

[invisibilitea]

But Mitchell, I love Christmas. All the trees and the lights and the snow - well, not in Bristol - but all the warm drinks and the cakes and goose-

[She looks a little blissed out]

Ugh, it's my favorite holiday.

[humanistic]

[Now Mitchell sort of wishes he'd had a bet with George on Annie liking Christmas. They assumed she would, and of course, here she is, going on about how much she loves Christmas. He could have won-- well, not money, of course, but bragging rights at least.

For Annie, though, she just gets a fond little grin.]

That's a little disgusting, Annie. And all those things are all right, actually, it's--the rest of it.

[invisibilitea]

Disgusting? Why is it disgusting? It's not like I professed a deep love of Bonfire Night, unlike someone else in this room-

[humanistic]

Hey, there's nothing wrong with Bonfire Night, let's not bring Bonfire Night into this--anyway, I've said, it's a good holiday. Who doesn't like setting things on fire-- ah, I meant disgusting like... like you're a Christmas special on television.

Disgusting, and a little cute.

[invisibilitea]

Yes, let's celebrate trying to blow up Parliament, what a terrific holiday-

[She pushes him a little, but it's not hard]

It's not disgusting!

[humanistic]

Oh, come on-- did you hear yourself? And I believe I said cute, did you miss the cute?

[He lets her push him--or, well, as much as a ghost can push; it leaves his shoulder feeling tingly--but he's laughing as well, clearly teasing.]

[invisibilitea]

We'll have a lovely space Christmas - and I suppose a space Hannukah, as well, for George - and you'll be sorry you said anything.

[humanistic]

I'm sure I will. Now, d'you actually know how to do Hannukah, or are you going t' ask him, 'cause I think that takes some of the joy out of it--

[invisibilitea]

I had a Jewish friend at Uni she told me all about it, I suppose I'll have to find a menorah, somewhere-

[She's already plotting this out in her head, this is bad news for George]

[humanistic]

[Yep it's going to be exactly as George feared.]

You could make one--just don't make it a glittery menorah.

[invisibilitea]

Out of what? Aluminum?

[humanistic]

I don't-- yeah? You ought t' know about these sorts of things, you're crafty and artistic and all. Just no glitter.