(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

[forethinking]

(Ah, look. A person he's still learning how to deal in a moment he's not all himself to deal with. A hand moves to his bangs, curling the hair around his index finger before he can speak.)

Uhum. Are you?

[aelwyn_aberration]

Well, I'm not the one discovering alcohol for the first time.

[So yes? Yes.]

It's an alright party. [She's just not in the mood.]

[forethinking]

(He's aware that he's drunk. He's been informed of that. Please don't mess up his vibe!!!)

Did you try the food?

[aelwyn_aberration]

I did. You didn't cook all of it yourself, did you?

[She looks at him with an amused smile.] Did you eat? It's a bad idea to get drunk on an empty stomach.

[forethinking]

I had help. Did it taste okay?

(Although, if she knows him enough, she knows that means he still did most of it. Boy, he's exhausted.)

Yeah. I got soda, too.

[aelwyn_aberration]

I imagine it must've killed you to accept the help.

[A shake of her head.]

But yes, it was all lovely. Who taught you to cook, Ren?

[forethinking]

I'd just rather everyone enjoy it instead of working.

(But also, yeah, he isn't really fond of help in that way.)

My legal guardian.

[aelwyn_aberration]

Ren, you understand that you are included in that 'everyone,' yes?

[She rolls her eyes. Some might see this as good and kind, but Aelwyn just sees ego.]

You're adopted, then?

[forethinking]

I enjoy working.

(Truthfully so. He genuinely doesn't mind one bit to work on something that would make someone else happy and that happiness is what drives him. It's not even the fact that he made it happen. It's just the fact.

With his hand, he does the universal 'more or less' sign.)

I had to move away for school. He took me in for a year.

[aelwyn_aberration]

And it never crossed your mind that somebody else might enjoy working too?

[She shakes her head, chuckling a little. In terms of arguments they've had, this is a rather petty one.]

Were you glad to get away?

[forethinking]

It did. Which is why I didn't do it alone.

(He won? Maybe? Ah, but he's smiling so brightly until her question makes it fade.)

Not at the beginning.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She hums. Well, seeing as drunk Ren is the only Ren she'll get any answers from...]

Elaborate.

[forethinking]

Oh, Kate helped! She made tons of dishes with me.

( :) )

[aelwyn_aberration]

Yeah, I know, it was on the network.

[Her smile isn't tense and annoyed what are you talking about.]

Why didn't you like getting away at first?

[forethinking]

Oh. I don't like talking about it.

(She got something from Ren, at least.)

[aelwyn_aberration]

But you expect me to talk to you about my issues.

[forethinking]

(Low blow to try and get this sorted when Ren's not in his right mind. Cowardice, he'd say. He wouldn't do it in her shoes.

But drunk or not, he's still Ren. His hands fall on her shoulders and his intense gaze meets hers.)

Listen. I don't want you to talk to me about your issues if you don't want to. I just want you to see things differently. Whether you do or don't, that's on you, but I have faith you can become different, better. We're not going to accomplish anything right now, so I'd like to drop this conversation before we fight again.

(And both Aewlyn and Malcolm have now heard Ren speak more in one go than he would ever while sober. Hooray!)

[aelwyn_aberration]

[Sorry, Ren, but she does not assume that he wouldn't do that to her. In her mind, Adaine will always be a better person than Ren, than anyone really, and Adaine couldn't talk to her when she was strong enough to have a guard up.

And given Ren's inability to understand her when she's not at her lowest, she assumes he's more or less the same. And at least like this, Ren can be coaxed into speaking in full sentences rather than silently judging.

She chuckles, her smile pleasant. She's internally screaming about the fact that he has his hands on her at all.]

Well, that was the most patronizing thing I've heard you say, and that's saying something. But at least you're actually saying something for once. It's more effective than silently staring and judging from your moral high horse.

But sure, let's be done. Please let go of me now. [She's angry, but she'll put a smile over it.]

[forethinking]

(He does so, hands dropping to his sides as he takes a step back. It doesn't matter what Ren says. Aewlyn might want to say that Ren's inflexible, or judgemental, or whatever shitty thing she thinks about him, but at the same time, she doesn't see the faith he has in her.

She's been hurt. She can be better. He knows it.

But she's not going to listen to him, even when she asks him to talk. What does she want it for? So she can ignore it and use whatever words he gives as fuel to go straight over her head? Ren's never going to let it go, but for now, he knows this is not the right mind to have any sort of conversation.)

I don't say things I don't mean. I think you can be a better person.

(And he's going to leave.)

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She scoffs.

If by a better person, you mean someone like you, then no, I can't. But she won't say that out-loud. She feels embarrassed that she's dragged this out into the open like this in the first place, but she won't concede.

Everything she's done here has been her trying. Trying to find a way to get them all home, to find someway to fight the entities without being under their thumb, to find whatever answers have been stolen from them. Yes, she's hurt people, yes, she doesn't care about the lives of thugs and snot-nosed strangers. But it will be worth it in the end.

It has to be. All she has to do is prove it. Or at least that's what she's telling herself.]