(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

[aelwyn_aberration]

Hm. Things go badly for people all the time.

[But sometimes even though circumstances are worse for someone, it means they get a happy ending because the struggle made them learn to be kinder. And other times circumstances are "perfect" and doom you to hell for all the kindness you never learnt.]

What happened to them?

[the_archivist]

That I'm well aware of.

[The entire planet unfortunately.]

They died. Unpleasantly and cruelly, in fights they should never have been involved in.

Didn't even know they were involved in in one case.

[aelwyn_aberration]

[She smiles a humourless and bitter smile.]

Casualties never get the choice of whether or not they should get involved. One moment they're unaligned and the next...

[They're drowning at the bottom of the ocean, because Aelwyn needed to be sure that she would survive and the oracle would not.]

[the_archivist]

I can still be angry at the people who put them in that position.

[aelwyn_aberration]

As you should be. It's good to have principles. And I think not involving the innocent is a pretty good principle to have.

[the_archivist]

Unfortunately the things that got them involved don't care and are quite happy to prey on innocents.

[aelwyn_aberration]

The bigger you are, the less you regard what's on the ground, I suppose. [It's a somewhat sardonic smile.]

[the_archivist]

I suppose. It doesn't mean it's any easier to accept.

[aelwyn_aberration]

It does for the ones higher on the food chain, I guess.

[Kalvaxus, Kalina, the Nightmare King... her parents. Everyone else must look like ants to them. Aelwyn knows the feeling.]

It's better, I suppose, to focus on the ones who did make it, yes? Guilt doesn't help the dead. You and your partner are alive, yes? That's something.

[the_archivist]

Guilt can keep you pushing to do better though. To make changes.

[If he hadn't had guilt then... well, it would have been much easier to keep walking the path of monstrosity.]

[aelwyn_aberration]

Or it can make you spiral into a pit of self hatred and self pity, thinking you can't get out. I've met people obsessed with guilt who only used it to become worse.

[.....Herself.]

[the_archivist]

It's a very personal thing. People are complicated.