( open ) happy moonsgiving, everyone! (forward dated to 11/15)

[crocodilesmiles]

Date & Time: All Day, November 15th, 3313
Location: Focused centrally on the Moon Base Cafeteria.
Characters: Any and all!
Summary: It's a feast on the moon under the guise of being a new sort of Thanksgiving! Food, drink, merriment, food comas... lend a helping hand, fill a few plates of goodies, and meet friends new and old!
Warnings: None right now. Please PM this account should anything go beyond a "my grandmother is also reading this and that is okay" level of appropriate.
Notes: Tag in action or prose, and please specify a time of day, location, or activity your character is participating in! (Set-up, the feast, clean up, etc.) Feel free to offer multiple prompts, as your heart desires! Also, Collette is asking for people to write something they're thankful for on butchers paper on the wall before getting their first plate of food. This is 100% optional!

In the morning, the setting up begins. It's hard to say what's a morning versus what isn't on the moon, but using the lighting system as a sort of guide, those who offered to help set up the feast or continue on with the cooking will all be there bright and early.

After things are cleaned, the cooking continues on while further set up of plateware and silverware and hard to break glasses are left to those helping hands with a mind for arrangement details. The whole of one section has been converted into a sort of buffet-style lineup, waiting for the dishes to be complete and set at ready. All varieties of the usual dietary fare have been offered, some in greater quantities than others.

Then comes the time where people stopping by or trickling in aren't just turned around or co-opted into assisting; it's feast time, though not before an announcement that each person getting a plate of food must write at least one thing they're thankful for on a large sheet of butcher paper taped up to the wall. There's a variety of colored markers and pens provided, from someone's personal (and eclectic) collection. It's a soft price to pay for free food and plenty of it!

When the feasting has wound down, so begins the clean up. Tired, drunk, well fed, over fed, or simply content, people will be shuffled out or dragged into helping turn the cafeteria back into working, normal form. What decorations were added will need collecting (or stealing), plates and dishes and cooking implements and pots and pans will need washing, and floors a good sweeping and waterless mopping before things are all back in order. Leftovers, if there are any, will need to be placed in sealable containers and put into refrigeration.

And then, blissfully unaware of anything impending on the horizon, to bed, or different haunts, for the night.

Comments

WRITINGS ON THE WALL

[crocodilesmiles]

You've been handed a pen, and pointed at the wall. What do you do? What do you say? Do you write a note? A word? Draw a picture? Hand the pen back, or stick the pen behind your ear?

For characters following along with the request to make a note of one thing they're thankful for on the butcher's paper taped to the wall by the buffet tables... this is the place to do it!

[commentboxtroll]

'I am incredibly thankful for mashed potatoes with gravy.'
- C.S.

[ Yep. That'll do. ]

[notpeterparker]

"I'm thankful I've met so many nice people here. - Carol"

[And under her message is a bunny drawing.]

[pactfulfilled]

[Way to put him on the spot. Asbel takes the pen, glancing from it to the wall. He's not much for expressing his own feelings, and it's kind of embarrassing, but... okay. Okay he'll do it! After a beat, he steps towards the wall and begins writing in neat, curled print.]

to all of my friends,
thank you for everything, but most importantly for allowing me to share in your lives.
- asbel lhant

[oldsoldiersneverdie]

[In neat, small-caps writing that is... probably far higher up the wall than many of the contributions:]

For family, no matter the relation.
-Nate

[vaccination]

[Ellie stares at the wall for a good long while. She knows what she's thankful for, but she doesn't feel comfortable writing it out for all to see. People can't take away what they don't know about.]

I'm thankful for food that isn't shitty.

[It's true.]

[governorkang]

[This one isn't signed, but the older-looking scrawling handwriting and the height at which it's written is a clue to whose it might be.]

For family.

Re: WRITINGS ON THE WALL

[copia]

[ it doesn't take this girl long to come up with what she wants to write, and she writes it in clean, neat print: ]

Thank you to everyone who has gone above and beyond for me during my time here. ♥ — Kaede K.

[5055034455]

For making friends and finding family,
for bravery in all its forms,
for apologies and the people willing to accept them,
for the willingness to commit this sap to paper,
for this place, in spite of everything.

[And he leaves it unsigned. He figures this must apply to someone other than him, at least in part.]

[werewolfing]

[peter considers this for awhile, but ultimately he picks a corner of the paper and draws something like this, small and quick. definitely not the project assigned, but it feels like the right thing to do at the time.]

[hostage]

For a second chance.
And a third.
And a fourth.
And a fifth.
As many as it takes til it sticks I guess.

[Unsigned.]

before/during/after, open

[crocodilesmiles]

If it's before dinner's served, Collette can be seen helping arrange settings at the tables, moving things that fit well on her lap around, directing people for the things she can't do easily with a grin and a nudge. She avoided the kitchens, unless someone plops something down in front of her that needed chopping. There's no room for her in there, and she's fine with that.

Of course, it doesn't do much to explain how she ended up with fingerpaint on her hands, a smear of orange across her cheek and an amused quirk to her lips. "Okay," she said, "Not as planned. Hey, can you get my a napkin or a towel or something?" She didn't want to repaint her chair and wheels in the process of moving beforehand.

Then, during the feast, she stationed herself close to the top of the table, handing out pens and otherwise chatting and taking in the sight of anyone who came by. It didn't need to be all that many people. Collette was grateful for the familiar faces, and the new, all at once. With how chaotic the month had been, she hadn't even been able to keep up with the standard comings and goings of the Transport ranks.

And she was in a much better mood than she had been, though with her, it was difficult to tell how this version of cheery and upbeat was different than the previous. More spontaneity, perhaps. The stint back in her home city, no matter how different it really was from home, did a number for lifting her spirits in the best of ways.

"Did you know the turkey was going to be the States' national bird at one point?" If her history recall was flawed, then it was definitely flawed toward more interesting conversation pieces.

Later than that, she took her own space at a table, eating sparingly and sipping at water and pretending it being colder meant it tasted less stale.

By the time things wound down, Collette was barely managing to stay awake and still stubbornly trying to help with clean-up. Each time she started to fade, staring dazedly at a glass in hand, or a plate on a table, she'd shake her head and bring herself back to the present, like some wind-up toy kicking back into motion when it's almost wound completely down. "I swear to whoever there were totally not this many dishes this morning," she said by reflex, tossing a smile at anyone stopping by. "Okay, got another one coming to the kitchens! Are we clear yet out here?"

late in the evening!

[controlledvariable]

[As much as she could just steer Collette away from the cleaning up, that's not something Steph would ever be comfortable doing, but she is willing to take a plate out of Collette's hands as she passes.]

We're nearly done, but you're heading to bed.

[Before she falls asleep in her chair.]

OTA; pick a prompt segment or make up your own!

[pactfulfilled]

[A - Meet & Greet + Food]
[The atmosphere is great, and for Asbel, a source of comfort and cheer. He loves group gatherings like this where you can laugh and joke together, enjoy both the food and the company, and not have to worry about whether you're using the correct fork. And he's definitely enjoying both!]

Wow, everyone really outdid themselves! It all looks so good, I'm having trouble deciding.

[It's true. If it isn't a protein bar, it's definitely fair game! Asbel won't be pigging out (come on, he still has manners!), but he'll certainly eat enough. And if anyone meets his eye, he'll offer them a friendly smile, maybe even strike up a conversation or invite them to sit with him and his friends.]

[Later, plate cleaned, Asbel will lower his fork and sit back contentedly in his chair.] That was terrific. I don't think I could eat another bite.


[B - T is for Togetherness]
[Hope you didn't think you'd get out of a conversation. That's good, because Asbel's one of those people who finds silent dinners uncomfortable. And if you're anywhere close to him, he's going to make sure you're doing okay and enjoying yourself as much as he is. He doesn't need much prompting, really. He'll just go ahead and ask:]

So, how've you been?

[On a few brief occasions throughout the day, however, Asbel can be found gazing off at nothing in particular. He doesn't seem upset or tired, just...reflective? Maybe he's thinking about someone.]

[Yes, Asbel is thinking.]


[C - After Party: Clean-up Crew Edition]
[It's clean-up time! Asbel volunteered for this, and as such, he's taking his job very seriously. He'll help clear tables and scrape food off dishes, even put things back in their proper order. But most of Asbel's time is spent cleaning the floors. This sure takes him back! And oddly enough Asbel seems to be having fun scrubbing off the grime. To each his own, right?]

That should do it over here! All that's left now is the area by the door.

B

[inhumanity]

[Ah, yes. A man in contemplation. This is a quiet moment, a moment that deserves respect, a moment which any good friend would never interrupt.

Christopher prods Asbel in the side.] Personally, I prefer to use venus flytraps to catch bugs.

OTA | throughout the evening

[hostage]

[Jesse's there early and he leaves late. He promised Collette he'd help, after all. He delivers what he'd promised - a gigantic pumpkin pie with gingerbread crust, baked to perfection and served with vanilla ice cream - and he helps prepare some of the main course, as well. It's nice, being in the kitchen. It keeps him busy, keeps his mind from wandering too much, and there's really nothing more therapeutic than working with his hands. Anyone watching him prepare food for the first time will probably be surprised by just how meticulous he is when it comes to the work. It doesn't exactly match his image.

When dinner itself rolls around, Jesse gets up and down constantly to serve dishes and clear away empty ones. He eats very little himself, which could probably be dismissed by how busy he is, but maybe there's something bothering him. Although he's smiling and enjoying himself most of the night, he seems distracted. Even when he's sitting down, he's mostly pushing his food around on the plate and staring off.

He's at his most distant and pensive when cleanup time rolls around, falling completely silent while he takes the dishes away and wipes down tables. It's not that he's having a bad night. Things are just... weird.]

[vaccination]

[Ellie's eaten enough for several Jesse's. She's going back for her nth serving (with the slightest stubborn limp), but takes a moment to stop by and say hi. Or poke at. Same thing.]

Are you actually sitting down? I swear, you're going to give me motion sickness.

[She's watched him go back and forth for a while. Guess he likes to keep busy.]

OTA, all through the night

[moralperil]

[Mahdi flits around the social gathering quite happily, happy to people-watch or just eat a ton of food. The sort-of-angel is perhaps a little too dressed up for a gathering involving a ton of food, wearing a purple dress stolen during a mission to 1890. It seems to suit Mahdi well, even lacking the things in the upper parts that tend to fill out a dress. Of course, Mahdi's focus is more on others than hir appearance, and between mouthfuls of turkey and cranberry sauce, or while getting a cup of punch, or accidentally bumping into someone, is liable to bubble enthusiastically:]

I just love this type of celebration! I'm so glad humans invented this kind of thing! Imagine, a whole holiday just about food!

[copia]

[ Kaede recovers quite smoothly from the accidental bump, and laughs as she uses her free hand to dismiss it casually. ]

I'm fine, I'm fine, and yes, this holiday is pretty filling as far as food is concerned!

OTA, dinner time

[blondtactician]

[Armin is overwhelmed by the sight of all this food. Even after months in this new world, this abundance, even being trapped in this little, isolated stronghold, is a little shocking.

He actually bumps into the person ahead of him in line.]

Oh! Sorry!

[coiffeur]

[Koujaku turns around at the voice, not looking bothered by it. In fact, he smiles. Yet there's a little red bird on his shoulder who says something not as nice.] Watch where yer going, kid!

[He raises his hand to the bird.] Don't mind him, it's not a big deal. Excited for all the festivities, huh? I don't blame you.

OTA

[khajidont]

[It always feels as if there's so much to do, but Jaime's not against taking the time to slow down for one night. He's already scrawled a few answers on the wall, but one thing he's definitely thankful for is the opportunity to spend an evening out of the bugsuit for one evening. One of these days, he's going to wake up and find that he can't change back, he swears it.

He sticks around throughout the entire evening. Before the festivities, he doesn't bother even trying to ruin any of the precious resources they have through his lack of cooking skills, but he's certainly willing to help cart around dishes, set the tables, and even mix a salad or two. He had brought plenty of supplies back from one of his runs, so in the midst of that, you might see him whisking the piles of food from where he had tucked it away in his quarters over to the kitchens for the cooks to do with it what they will.

If you're looking particularly harried, he may just butt in by asking,] Hey, need a hand?

[During the meal, he's certainly distracted away from being helpful - mainly from the presence of food that doesn't come in bar-form or in foil packets. Too much time fighting zombies have put him off all but the most tempting of meat products, but for now, there's plenty of mashed potatoes and other vegetarian dishes to go around. When he's not busy cramming his mouth full of food - it's a feast, he's allowed - he nods his greetings at the others and occasionally makes conversation. One such topic may be,] So, you end up writing on the wall there?

[After the meal, he's halfway tempted to go back and conk out back in his bunk, but not having cooked any of the food, it's the least he can do to help clean up. He shoves the chairs back into place unceremoniously with one foot as he gathers up empty and half-empty plates, stopping here and there to ask people if they're done or if they're just really looking to lick up the last vestiges of gravy on their plates.]

During!

[oldsoldiersneverdie]

[Nate missed zombies - and has seen way too much shit anyway that he's not going to pass up any real food.]

Yeah - thought I might as well. You?

[governorkang]

[Before the dinner, Kang shows up fairly early to add his own dish to the mostly traditional fare. He's dragged out some of the venison he'd brought back before, cutting it into strips and adding herbs and spices to it before cooking it in a frying pan. He's hoping it'll turn out alright, used to it being done over an open fire rather than a stove, and substituting the type of pepper. He couldn't find the usual one in storage.

During the dinner, he's in a good mood, chatting with anyone near him and enjoying the food. Thankfully, the venison strips do turn out; they're very spicy, but zesty at the same time, and while not exactly like home, they're close enough to make him happy. The only foods he doesn't have a little bit of are the desserts, or anything else that tastes sweet.

After dinner, he considers staying to clean up, but he can see there's more than enough people and he'll just get in the way.]

[oncearanger]

[There's really somewhere he needs to be, right? Billy doesn't think much about it---he settles near his old friend and takes a bite of the venison. Savory and satisfying and real in a way rations could never match.

There's only one thing to say after that experience.]

Thank you. Uh...not that our rations are detrimental to our health, andnthere's a certain greed in eating for pleasure, but I enjoyed that.

OTA

[ready_to_bloom]

[Before dinner - Caspian comes early to help with all preparations, since he has nothing to bring, and he wants to do what he can. He's not much of a cook, but give him something to chop or any kind of setup, and he'll be kept busy helping out.

During dinner - it's an amazing meal, and he's enjoying every minute of it. He can't remember the last time he's enjoyed food so much. In between bites, he chats with his dining companions.] This is delicious - did you make it?

[After dinner - he's helping with the cleanup, too. It's the least he can do, he figures. Although he definitely avoiding the washing up, and has grabbed a broom to sweep the floors.]

[khajidont]

Me? [Jaime lets out a short laugh, amused at the sheer thought of it, and shakes his head.] Nah. Me and cooking don't mix together so well. How 'bout you, did you make any of this?

ota

[commentboxtroll]

[ setup ]

After enough pestering, Caesar actually had promised to lend a hand with set up. However, him still being him, he does the bare minimum and slacks off while no one is there to make him do anything more. Such is the way of Caesar. At the very least, he manages to get part of the food line set up, table, tablecloth, putting the plates in the right place.

Minor things. He does them, here and there.

He can also be seen contributing a bottle of wine to wherever the drinks are being kept. It's not something he ever really meant to keep around this long after the trip up to the moon, but honestly? He's never been a drinker, anyway.

[ dinner ]

Surprise number two is that he actually stays for dinner this time around! Not that there are all that many people from a year ago still around to even realize that. He's in an amiable enough mood that he'll chat with dinner partners, but that all comes to an end when he sneaks up to get seconds and...

"The potatoes are already gone? Come on. That's no fair."

So unfair.

[ after ]

And after, he even remains then, but that's due to him having nodded off face down on the table, only his arms folded between him and it to act as a pillow. What? You expected him to help tear down? That wasn't part of the deal!

[phaseshifts]

[Ah! He's been looking for an opportunity to talk to this guy alone. It's a bit of mistaken identity troubles: he only remembers this guy when Collette was wearing his shape, dragging Tyki over to give Lavi a rather literal hand.

Now it's a chance to find out what that was all about, finally.

Or so he thinks.

They meet... at the potato bowl.]

Hello there, speedy.

ota~

[kilimanjaro]

[Before dinner you can catch Kili helping with setup. He and Fili are tossing dishes to set up on the table. Literally tossing. Do watch your head. He's in relatively high spirits, and you might, if you're lucky, catch him singing.

During dinner Kili is in an even better mood than before. It's been a long time since he's enjoyed himself in such a public setting, but he's surrounded by friends and family. This time you'd have to be deaf not to hear him singing, though luckily there's no dancing on the table yet. He's merry and pink in the cheeks from alcohol and eating as much as he can get his hands on.

After dinner the young dwarf has mellowed out considerably. He's leaning against the closest person to him, whether that's someone he knows or a complete stranger, and still humming a bit to himself. He feels no obligation to help clean up, after all, he's already done his part in helping to set up.]

During!

[smallest]

[Someone was singing? Then Francœur had to investigate, regardless of how much food remained on his plate. The giant monster weaved through the crowd, seeking the source of the music. Upon finding Kili, he chirped in an inquisitive tone. His chirps turned into humming as he tried to follow the melody.]

ota

[fullmeasure]

[Mike isn't for milling about and being a social butterfly - which is why for most of the night, he's off to the side, arms crossed as he watches the crowd. It's a nice set-up, he has to admit, and the thought behind it a good one, too. Admittedly, he's here for more than the feast - party or not, he's here to keep his eye on things, especially with a certain someone wandering around - though Mike doesn't see him here, and he can be thankful for that.

Eventually he'll wander over for some food, but for the most part Mike can be found on the edges of the crowd, by himself. He doesn't seem to mind]

[controlledvariable]

[She's been a little more subdued the last couple of weeks, ever since the first, but she'd been determined to enjoy herself tonight, even if that meant having more glasses of wine than she might otherwise. Since Walter showed up, it's hard to let herself have time to be off duty, but she'd spotted Mike, earlier, so she decides he can keep an eye on things for one night.

Even if he doesn't know about that particular decision, she decides she should make it up to him by fighting for an extra piece of the pie that Jesse made, bringing it over in a bowl with ice cream and a spoon.]

Saved you a piece.

[Isn't she the best?

She's totally the best.]

[firstgoldson]

[ Before Dinner

Aurican is not a cook. In fact, he is honestly at a lost on what to do with himself. He never prepared a meal that required more than just snapping the spine of a deer and roasting the carcass. In fact, he recalls as a wyrmling during his stay at Exsilium he more or less stayed in a raw diet, rarely eating anything cooked beyond his own fiery breath.

Aurican supposed he could just conjure up one of the salads common among Silvenesti elves, and he tried his best - but it is a pitiful effort. Half of what he needed were already in low supply due to the feast preparations already underway, and the other half is in his home world. But he made do, creating a salad that consisted of various lettuces, mushrooms, and onions, and small pieces of bacon and small smatterings of honey. (But not too much honey; Aurican tends to avoid a great deal of sweets, even Elven sweets.)

It's not home, it will never be home, and he has done a rather poor job of it, but by the wings of the Platinum Dragon, he's still going to be irrationally proud of it. So there.

During Dinner

As a dragon, Aurican has to eat a lot. More often than not he would rather hunt and devour an entire stag in a distant forest than continuously impose on the elves' wonderful dishes because his appetite can be relentless.

But still, despite his conservatism, Aurican enjoys his many dishes as he learns new cultures in each taste.

Drinking in a large glass of water, he gives a few more dishes another glance, wondering if he should cut himself off for the evening.


After Dinner

Normally after dinner with the elves he is off partying with them, singing their songs and dancing to their music and playing their instruments.

But since he is not with the elves, he notice that a lot of people are dozing. Apparently eating a large meal will do that to them. How boring.

Still, Aurican offers to help clean up, lacking anything else to do. ]

open

[pixieboots]

[ During dinner Dick is everywhere at once; he's perching at the table only to dart away into the kitchen only to reach out right on cue for passing plate to lift something - anything he can put in his mouth. He's offering to pick up the slack for anyone who looks like they need it, asking again and again if he can carry and push and wash, but even while he's stalling there's a restless, almost manic energy to the way he's moving. Like every task, though he's breezing through each one with a smile, is just a stopgap to something else.

Something better. ]

[moralperil]

[Mahdi offers a smile to the young man ze's noticed buzzing about energetically all night.]

You look like you're having fun! Have you tried one of my desserts yet?

Open

[mach_n_roll]

[Before dinner.]

Sonic shuffles between people half-again his height on the way to the kitchen. He looks like he's trying to be clandestine, which is laughable because he's got all the clandestine guile of a mack truck at speed, and he's holding onto a small stack of boxes which doesn't help his sneaking ability at all. He glances around and darts into the kitchen, tossing the boxes onto the counter.



"Hereyago! Man, it took me a while to find these too."

[During dinner]

Sonic is boisterous and happy at the table, quick with a short story or a laugh, and eating more than a little guy like him could reasonably hold. Runner's metabolism, you see. Care to talk? Comment on his status as a bottomless pit?

...Tell him he's just eaten some of the tofurkey?

[After dinner]

Food coma? Not for this hedgehog! Sonic's helping with clean-up, although if someone doesn't take that tower of dishes out of his hands, they're probably going to wind up broken...