(log) It's Thanksgiving Time!

[forethinking]

Who: Ren and You
When: Thanksgiving Day
Where: ADI's cafeteria
Summary: A little thanksgiving party for everyone.
Warnings: Alcohol, but other than that, none!



(It's finally the day! Ren's spent the day in the canteen, from the early hours of the morning with the help of Kate, until just close enough to the arranged time.

Several tables in the cafeteria are taken by the food, but there's still plenty of room to sit and spend time with your fellow ADI employees. After the previous month everyone has had, it feels much needed. Available is the following menu:

Deep-fried Turkey + Stuffing;
Ranch-Seasoned Roast Turkey + Stuffing;
Mashed Potatoes + Gravy;
Green Bean Casserole;
Cranberry Sauce;
Pasta alla Norma;
Sicilian Rice Balls;
S'mores Cupcakes
Pumpkin Pie;
Apple Pie;
Sweet Baked Potato;
Pecan Pie;
Roasted Vegetables;
Stuffed Mushrooms;
Squash Soup;
Garlicky Green Beans with Crispy Onions;
A selection of alcohol;

Ren's tried his best to recreate what the Internet and other folks have told him, and without him tasting the original flavors, some of the dishes might have an unexpected twist of spice. Kate has also helped with putting things together, and at the previously arranged time, Ren opens the doors with a smile from ear-to-ear.

Once everyone's settled, he'll ask for a moment to, gasp, speak:)

I'd like to thank everyone for coming today. I know it's been tough, but I'm still thankful we can spend good moments like these together. I hope you enjoy the food.

(And just like so, he'll bow, and hand plates to those ready to eat. Time to dig in!)

Comments

Bucky/Winter | OTA

[worthallthis]

I. A Gathering of People

There are two reasons Winter is here. The first is that the last time there was a big group of people together in the ADI cafeteria for a celebration of any kind, it was actually a dream and they all had to kill each other in the dream. So he's here to make sure that doesn't happen again.

To that end, he does a lot of prowling around the edges of the cafeteria. A lot of watching people. A lot of covering the corners and guarding the exits. He isn't wearing his mask, because that would be rude, and he isn't carrying his rifle, but he does have a handgun concealed under his three layers of hoodie and several knives.

If he happens to do some of that watching and guarding close enough to listen in on conversations and potentially be roped into said conversations, well. It's only to be expected, he supposes.


II. An Eating Holiday

The second reason Winter is here is that he was told there was going to be a lot of food. He's... better... about making meal choices, after a couple months since the last big get-together out on the beach. In that he actually gets a little of almost everything, over the course of two hours.

And he sits in a couple places over the course of the afternoon, between his patrols of the area. And each time he takes a new seat, he moves something from his own plate to the person he sits next to. Eat, new seatmate. It's good.


III. Too Much

Being social is hard. Being surrounded by a ton of people, only some of whom he knows well, is hard. The way the noise of all the chatter and silverware clinking and people shifting about echoes around in the cafeteria is hard.

So Winter takes multiple breaks. Catch him just outside the building, leaning back against the wall and breathing like he just ran a little too hard.

II

[abrightboy]

Malcolm raises his eyebrows faintly as a stuffed mushroom is deposited on his plate next to his soup bowl. His soup is, notably, the only thing that was on his plate before that.

"I... can't," he admits, looking at the man who deposited it there. Wait. This is the guy he fought kelpies with. He perks up a bit. "Oh, hey! I, um. Have some food issues. But I appreciate the thought," he says, scooping it up to put it back on Winter's plate. "We never got around to formal introductions. My name is Malcolm Bright," he says, offering his hand.

[worthallthis]

Winter looks from plate to plate, looking vaguely confused. But then he remembers Yelena's question about food allergies and it clears up. "Winter," he answers. No last name, unless you count "Soldier", but that makes people uncomfortable, so he doesn't share it. "What can you not eat?"

Maybe he can find something else to offer. Doesn't seem right that a guy only eats soup on a holiday specifically for eating.

[abrightboy]

“Um, most things,” Malcolm admits awkwardly. “Extreme anxiety from complex PTSD,” he explains almost apologetically. “But the soup is delicious,” he quickly assures. It’s plenty for him. Really. “And it’s nice to just… get out and see people without…” Watching them get slaughtered. “Trouble.”

[worthallthis]

Anxiety is a thing he knows. PTSD, complex or not, is a thing he does not. (Even though he pretty clearly has it.) So he frowns a bit at the explanation, looking like he doesn't understand, but he also doesn't ask.

Only eating one thing, though, he also knows. It's easier than having to pick something new every day. The only reason he personally is eating multiple things today is he's determined to get through the entire menu. It's not choosing: it's eating it all. "I am here to make sure there is no trouble for anyone," he assures Malcolm. "Can you eat desserts?"

[abrightboy]

“Some of them,” Malcolm concedes. “The simpler the better. This particular feast has… a lot of complicated food and a lot of… fried,” he points out.

[worthallthis]

"Apple pie?" he asks with a kind of hopeful lilt to his voice. It's the most tone he's managed since he sat down. Mostly his voice is very flat with very little inflection.

Apple pie is familiar. Comforting. Simple. Surely Malcolm can have that, right?

[abrightboy]

Well, that’s just… sweet. Malcolm smiles softly. “I expect I can manage a very small piece,” he concedes. Apple pie isn’t too bad.

[worthallthis]

Winter looks satisfied, and immediately gets up to go collect one. Small, he said. A small piece. Hrm. All the already cut ones are pretty good-sized, but... he can just cut it in half and eat the other half, himself.

He likes apple pie, after all.

So he brings the little plate back to the table.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm does notice that he made one of the existing pieces much smaller and he smiles as he accepts the plate.

“Thank you,” he says, looking over as he cuts off a small forkful. “How have you settled in? Do you get along with your roommates?”

[worthallthis]

That's an easy question. Winter nods, starting in on his own meal, which is much bigger and more varied than Malcolm's. He might have plenty of PTSD to go around, but it hasn't affected his appetite most days. "Yes. I know one of them from my world. And the other makes dinner every night. They're my team."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smiles broadly. "I also have a roommate that makes sure we all eat," he admits. "I wonder if they split it up like that on purpose. Though... there's someone here I know from my world and we didn't end up roommates."

[worthallthis]

"There are two others from my world, and they aren't in my room," Winter assures him. "I think it was random luck."

He's not complaining, though. He's grateful to have Yelena where they can watch each other's backs. "Maybe because I found her when she arrived," he adds, thoughtfully, after a bite of his own half a slice of pie.

[abrightboy]

“Oh, before the kelpie attack?” he confirms. “That’s good that you found her.”

[worthallthis]

"No, after. In the second wave of us. So at least I could tell her a little." If it had been before the kelpies, then he'd have been as lost as she was. And even more panicked, and probably no help at all.

I

[sakaya]

Shuten has yet to bother with mingling amongst the humans. Since her appearance within the ADI building is not masked, it makes her stand out among the hornless individuals, causing her to seem more unnerving. For her though, even if she isn't a welcome presence, there is some worth in basking in whatever atmosphere there is to be had with the holiday they're celebrating.

She's sitting on a stack of chairs that hadn't been moved so she could have a slightly high vantage point while she helps herself to some of the hard cider (well, three empty bottles already, and she's working on her fourth). Right now, the man prowling around the edges catches her interest; his body language tells the oni that he's guarded and cautious which seems a bit much for a warm gathering like this.

And so, a smooth and sultry voice calls out to him.

"Young man? What's got you worked up? Aren't you going to go and make friends and enjoy yourself?"

[worthallthis]

He glances her direction. Takes in her appearance and clearly lets it go without much internal comment. Doesn't meet her eyes, or even come close to it. "I don't have friends. And I am not here to enjoy myself."

Reminds him of Strange and his insistence on having fun. There's no point to fun.

[sakaya]

And yet another surly, brooding type of man— Shuten is finding her luck in finding more lively individuals in the town hasn't been the best so far. But it is interesting how he doesn't meet her eyes, shows all the signs of not wanting to engage. It has nothing much to do with her being an oni, she assumes.

"That's a little odd if you ask me; I'd assume you'd try to solve the former by engaging in the latter. Ah, but perhaps you prefer to be a lone wolf and deny yourself the pleasure?"

Shuten hums under her breath as she takes another sip of her cider (very lightly sweet, mostly bitter, easy to drink; it's alright to change up from sake every once and a while).

"Looking for trouble before it happens then?"

[worthallthis]

He has no idea what an oni is; if she's been watching him, she might have noted he doesn't meet anyone's eyes. "It is not a problem to solve," he says, with a slight furrow of confusion to his brows. He's not supposed to have friends. He has his team, and his students, and that's more than enough.

"There was trouble the last time there was a gathering like this," he explains. "People transformed and tried to kill each other."

[sakaya]

"My!"

She looks somewhat surprised and even leans forward from her seat expectantly as if wanting to hear more. Perturbed? Not at all.

"Something exciting like that happened and I had to miss it? What a shame!"

Low-key festivities aren't bad, but Shuten was starting to doubt if anything out of the ordinary besides the presence of other worldly individuals were of note.

[worthallthis]

"There has been violence every month except this one, so far," Winter tells her. "First, kelpies who turned people into seals. Then a circus with people set on fire. Then pigs with extra arms. Then the dreams of death and monsters." He pauses, eying her sidelong, still no eye contact. "Why would you want violence."

Winter knows why he might... begrudgingly want something to fight. It's the only thing he really knows. But the dreams where they had to kill each other were truly awful.

[sakaya]

Every month he says?

Shuten's smile grows wider, heartened by the information and looking even more amused when he asked her why.

"Why?"

She points to herself, cheekily grinning.

"I'm an oni, that's why. Not that it would mean much to you, but my species loved to cause a ruckus back in the day. And quite frankly, I've been a little bored since I've arrived here. You speak of death and monsters and well..."

The oni shrugs and finishes off her bottle of hard cider, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"I've got more than enough experience than that. If what you say is true, it sounds like I won't have to wait too long to see what flavor of terror this mysterious world is able to create."

[worthallthis]

He has absolutely no idea what an oni is. What little folklore and myth he knew before HYDRA is pretty much gone. So he looks vaguely baffled, but he warns, "You can't use your powers, if you have them. It feeds the fear-entities that will end the world."

[sakaya]

"So I've been told," replies Shuten with a detached drawl.

"Ah, but what's life without a little risk?"

Indeed. Shuten's probably lived her life before on the edge too much, to the point it was her downfall. There's hardly much about it that bothered her (that she'll openly talk about) because if nothing else, it was enjoyable to the very end.

"I've rambled long enough though. Thanks for chatting with me, but I shouldn't keep you from your patrolling."

[worthallthis]

"Safe," is Winter's answer, along with a little frown. He's had more risk in his life than he'd like, thank you very much. He would very much like to have a life with no risk at this point.

Not that he'll step away from it if he has to protect people, but he can wish, in the privacy of his own head.

He frowns a bit more at her. "You were surprised I wasn't socializing." And now she's suggesting he move on. Mixed signals, lady.