Yup, there's Liane, walking in with a few plastic bags of groceries in her hands. Danny, behind her, is serving as the REAL pack mule. Inside the store is Adriana and Gareth in comfy chairs chatting, interrupted by the King siblings who look to have just walked in from the other parts of hte store. Liane gives a little wave and heads off towards the kitchens herself.
Gareth grins to Adriana. "It can be. Depends on the classes! I took back to back chemistry courses my freshman year. Damn near killed me. So much memorization!" When Katie speaks to him he turns to her, and gets a cheerful look, but...doesn't seem to be able to answer her question. He shrugs, a mildly baffled look on his face. "Maybe? What's it abou--" as Katie asks the same question.
The last of Adriana's coffee is drank. She looks over at the counter for a moment and the sighs and puts her cup down. "I better not. Won't sleep." She looks to Gareth. "Good meeting you." She stands from her chair. Liane gets a nod and a raise of a hand in a wave. She doesn't seem to have anything to add on the movie discussion, if she's even seen it. Anyone who looks her way will get a farewell tip of her head, and then the woman is walking for the door.
It's thanksgiving time! Turkey day! So what is turkey day without a turkey right? Thus Zoie enters wearing a brown t-shirt that has 'turkey day 2008' spraypainted upon it. She has turkey feathers tucked into her hair and is all sorts of hyper when she bounces in. There are pieces of paper in her hands as she literally skips in, probably just a few behind Liane and looks around.
Zack starts unloading his box behind the counter. Seems he's stocking up the supplies. Milk. Flower. Eggs. All the kinds of things Liane might need for cooking up goodness. As the door chimes when Zoie enters a few paces behind Liane, he sends a smile her way as well. "Howdy, Zoie. That's... quite a shirt y'all go there." Then he looks to Katie. "It's about this family, mom an' two kids, who move to California, to this beach town. But there's somethin' sinister goin' on, an' they get swept into it. It's funny but action and kinda scary too. Good mix."
"I don't know if I wanna watch a scary movie, but if ya'll say it's good.. I'll give it a go." Katie checks out Zoie and she grins. "Look at you, girl! All in the spirit and such."
Gareth waves to Adriana as she leaves. Belatedly and stuff. He flashes curious looks at Zack and Katie and the movie thing, but mulls over it with a sip of coffee, staying quiet. He blinks at Zoie. "Huh, I didn't know it was a dress-up kinda holiday."
Zoie beams at everyone in the shop. She's really one of those sick people that greet strangers like best friends. Zack gets a blush across the tops of her cheeks and a smile that is a bit more shy than the rest get. Then she's beaming at Katie and skipping over to her boss first. "I got you a card!" By got, she means made. It looks almost like a child's art and craft with a turkey that has feathers (and lots of glitter). The handwriting is beautiful though:
Wattles are red...
November skies are blue...
It's Turkey Day 2008
Gobble Gobble you know what to do.
Zoie might not be an artist, but /everyone/ gets one. She brought extras. Then her eyes slide over the others. "Oh! I like scary movies, which one? Although I tend to cover my eyes and try to bury my head." Then she beams a megawatt grin to Gareth. "Every holiday is a dress up holiday."
Zack sets his chores down as Zoie comes by with is holiday card. He looks down at it, smiling as he reads it. "I sure DO know what to do," he says with a light laugh. "I'm gonna get stuffed," he assures those present. "Then... I'm gonna pass out." Someone is a man of simple pleasures.
"Shoot, thanks for the card." Katie says as she takes it and looks it over, then props it up on the counter. "I'm gonna make myself a coffee. Anyone else want something?" Katie offers politely.
Gareth takes his card curiously, inspects it, and seems largely mystified by it. "Thanks for the card," Gareth says to Zoie. "Sorry I don't have anything in return." He lifts his coffee cup, having a sip. To Zack he says, "Who's in that Last Boys movie anyways?"
Zoie smiles vibrantly at Zack. "You like it?" Then she looks around the others for reactions. Her cheeks do flare with color for a moment. "Oh Zack, you know the Thanksgiving day rule, right?" She tries to look serious but her eyes are sparkling. "The first one to fall asleep totally gets drawn on." Her eyes move towards Katie for her to agree. "I'll take a tea, you can pick it!" Then to Gareth. "That's okay. You don't give gifts or cards just to get someone to give you something. You do it to be nice and to cheer them up." There is a pause. "So we are going to see last boys?"
"I'm just tryin' convince Katie it's worth seein'," Zack replies as he sets his card carefully aside. "Not tonight, I mean, just in general. An' nothin' fer me." He turns back to his goods and continues stocking. "Have y'all seen it before?" he asks, poking his head up from behind the counter as he asks.
Katie gets herself a coffee, and Zoie a tea, setting the one down by the other girl. Then she goes to sit with Gareth, sipping her coffee when she does. "I'll see it. I don't need convincing. Gareth and I watch movies all the time, I'm not particular. Right?" Katie looks to Gareth to back her up here!
Gareth nods to Katie. "Right!" he chirps. He slouches back in his chair, sipping his coffee and admiring his new card. "Never saw much of the spooky movies, though. Never really knew where to start," he admits. He also listens to Zoie's talk on gifts, and blinks slightly, thinking about it, but doesn't respond. "Hmm."
Zoie loooks between them and then looking towards the kitchen where Liane is. "I have never seen it." She bounces up and down happily. There is something a bit... off to her happy. It's like it's almost feigned a bit. He eyes move towards Katie and Gareth. "I'm sure you'll totally love it though. I mean how could you not?" She pulls on a piece of hair before she takes a sip of the tea. Her eyes move back towards Zack and then back towards the others. "So um... should I bring something or um.. do something?"
Liane reemerges! "Y-y-you can always h-help me in the k-kitchen. I h-have a t-turkey, and a s-small chicken, and I h-hope you don't m-mind I brought p-pork as well in case s-someone wants to eat th-that instead." Liane says, brushing bits of stuff off her gloved hands. "And I n-need help with all the s-side dishes. Wh-who will be h-helping me in the k-kitchen?" She asks, all a-curious.
"We'll give y'all a call when we're gonna watch it if y'want," Zack offers to Zoie as he finishes up putting his stock away. Then he stands up, dusts his knees off and leans on the counter. "As fer bringin' somethin', if you can that'd be great. If not, don't sweat it. We got the basics covered, I reckon. Everything else is just gravy." Sweet, delicious gravy.
Some people are very good at lying and others suck at it. Zoie sucks at it. When she looks over to Zack her eyes soften a bit. The vibrant green resting on him before she tries to tease lightly. "You'll call and do the darling drawl right?" The girl suddenly flares red. "I.. um.. I didn't mean to sound um.. flir..." And just change directions quickly. "Liane, I totally can help you cook. Is Terry coming too?" Her eyes flit over towards Gareth and then back to the other two. She's sort of staying near to Zack for now.
"I brought Zoie's extra entusiasm!" says Gareth after a moment of thought. He then asks, "Right, Zoie?" and gives her a look like he's trying to telepathically tell her: 'say right!' "Other than that," he says, "I don't got much to add. My dorm room doesn't really support much in the way of food unless I can bring some cup ramen over. Might not fit."
"You c-can help me in the k-kitchen as well, G-gareth." Liane says with a bright smile of her own. "I'm s-sure we can h-have you chop on-n-nions and p-perhaps you can m-mash the pot-t-tatos for me. We c-can always use some m-manual labor to help things out. K-katie, could I p-please have some r-raspberry l-leaf tea?"
Zack sends an amused smile towards Zoie and offers her a, "Y'all can count on it." Darling drawl indeed! "And there's always drinks to buy an' dishes to clean!" he offers other chores towards the Lazy Gareth. "Somethin' fer everyone."
Zoie looks over at Gareth with confusion in her eyes. In fact, her lashes flutter and she offers, "Riiiight?" There is clear question on if that was the correct answer to give. She smiles a bit more towards Zack. He is favored person of the next five minutes. Then back to Liane as Katie is afk doing stuff. "Um.. is that a no?" She offers for Terrell coming.
Gareth rubs his face. He has a look - possibly relieved? But it's very quickly gone for a kind of bored diffidence. "Sure, whatever," he says. "I'll help ya, but you gotta tell me what you need done, I don't know much about cooking stuff unless it's boiling water. I looove chopping stuff up, too. Hey?" He gets a hopeful look. "You got one of those little chainsaw things to cut up meat from turkeys? I wanna use that!" To Zack-of-the-drawl, he grins. "An' I can help clean up, too."
"W-wonderful! Liane says, looking pleased at the fact that someone else is cleaning. She actually looks a little relieved herself. "Y-yes, Terrell is c-c-coming a bit l-later, for the d-dinner itself."
Zack lets himself get momentarily distracted by an actual paying customer who wants some kind of latte. He sets to work making the drink, quickly and efficiently! "Does everyone know where we're goin'?" he asks his friends as he works the whatchamacallit machine. Steam steam. Pour pour.
Zoie nods her head to that. "So Zack and Gareth will clean up after everything." Yep, Zack just got volunteered as she hops on the balls of her feet. "You guys will like totally clean it right, Cowboy?" Her eyes meet his with that hopeful expression. It's almost like it will break her heart to say no. She sees the customer and plucks out one of those spare cards to hand it over to them. "Welcome to Kiva. I hope you come back." Then she's looking at the others. "We are going somewhere? I .. um... I walked over here. Is it a long trip?"
Katie returns from whatever nominally useful and important thing she wandered off to do, and reclaims her coffee. "Ya'll got stuck on cleanup detail?" Katie asks of poor Gareth.
"Looks like it," Gareth replies. "Shouldn't be too bad, right?" He finishes off his coffee and pauses a moment, considering more in an idle fashion. He furrows his brow at Zack, "Going where?" he asks. "This is just dinner, right? And cooking, and dinner and...turkey and...chicken," he says, clearly stretching the limits of his knowledge on the subject.
"Th-the boys want to be u-useful." Liane says with a small smile. Little do those boys know what Liane's kitchen looks like when she's done cooking...or during... "Katie, w-would you p-prefer to d-decorate, c-clean, or help in the k-kitchen with all the s-small things? It's always u-useful to have p-people chopping, s-stirring, and such."
"I didn't say nothin' 'bout cleanin'. I already got my chores," Zack breaks the news to those present. "But I'm sure Gareth could use yer help," he adds cheerfully after he takes the money from the customer and sends them on their way with a smile. "Anyway, yeah, we're havin' dinner at Joel's new place. Got a lot more room than our house. We can carpool over there if anyone needs a lift."
"Yeah, Joel graciously said we could use his place so we didn't all have to sit on one another's laps." Katie says, of the migrating King festivities. "He's mighty kind like that, I reckon."
Katie says, "I'll help in the kitchen with the small stuff, Annie."
Zoie lowers her brows to that. "Joel?" She tries to place him in her mind and suddenly looks nervous. "Um.. is it um.. okay if I go? I mean I'm not like um.. you know." Family. She looks over towards Liane and then back to the others and then just smiles softly to them. Her tea is taken in her hands to sip on it.
Gareth brightens a bit. "Oh! That big house he got! Yeah, I've wanted to see that since he mentioned he got it." He grins. "I kept telling him he should throw a keg party or something, but noooo..." He sighs, dramatically, then slides back in the chair, getting a bit more comfortable. "Where is it? I'll probably need a ride."
"Oh, it's up on Montgomery I think," Zack says with a look towards Katie for confirmation. "It'd be a long walk so we can all drive over together. He's got a full kitchen there too, right?" he asks again looking to Katie. "I mean, we could bring stuff over there to cook if we want. An' of course yer welcome, Zoie. He knows we're all comin'."
Zoie twists her hair around her finger as she looks around at the others. Then she smiles brightly. "Well then.. I am going to need a ride." She smiles at the others. There is that moment of sadness to her eyes before she chuckles. "So we will cook it all here and take it over. Who all is coming over?" There is a pause and she moves to offer a question to Zack. It is almost like she's overly excited at the idea.
You whisper "Did you call Barbie? You could invite her to dinner if you wanted. It would be low um.. you know pressure for a date." to Zack.
Excited? But she looks so bored with this whole holiday thing..
"Cheeseburgers?" Gareth offers as far as favorite foods go. He listens to the rest of the conversation. "Old town, oh yeah, I know that neighborhood. The second restaurant I worked at this summer was over there." He stretches, then rubs his left shoulder with a wince, then looks up.
Zack listens to Zoie's quiet question, eyebrows raised curiously. Then he shakes his head. "Naw, I haven't thought of that. I donno. You think that would be a good idear or kinda weird? I mean, she might have plans an' such already. An' she don't really know any of us. Might be awkward."
"Did ya'll hurt your shoulder?" Katie asks Gareth, noticing the wince and giving him a concerned look. Then she glances over to Liane. "I'm good for chopping and mixing, and well, whatever you need doing I can probably handle some."
"Oh! I h-hope you haven't hurt it, G-gareth." Liane says, looking at Gareth with some concern. I mean, if he has, who is she going to make mash those eight pounds of potatos? "And I th-think there's q-quite enough p-p-people planning on c-c-coming as is. T-ten or so?" She says, quoting Katie!
Zoie thinks it over for a few moments. "Well.. I.. you are probably right. I just.. I thought.." She takes a deep breath and starts to say too much. "I just thought you might want to spend it with her and it's a good time. Holidays are hard you know. I mean my parents are in New York and Oh I should have asked them to come down here. I always forget about that. So I was thinking maybe you know she might and then we could all you know do that pass jugement thing to say if she's good enough for you or not and all that." All in one breath. Booyah bitches.
Gareth glances up at Katie. He shifts slightly in his chair. "Ah, yeah, that shoulder just acts up a little. Was working out, pushes a bit too hard is all." He smiles at Liane as well. "I'll be all right," he advises her. He flashes a curious look briefly at Team Z behind the counter.
"I got a nice ointment I could put on it, take some of the sting out?" Katie offers, though without any pressure behind it. Then there's an arch of her eyebrows as she catches the Team Z conversation. "What now?" she drawls in distraction. "There's 'bout 10 folks coming, it's true."
"Well, I s'pose it wouldn't hurt to ask," Zack says with a little smile as he glances towards Team Everyone Else who isn't a Z. "Probably already has plans, but if not, it'd be real nice I reckon." He adds in a louder voice over towards Katie, "Zoie was suggestin' I see if Barbie wants to join us."
Don't hate because you aren't cool enough to have a Z name. Knuckles my brotah! Zoie leans in a bit to try and hip check Zack before she smiles at Katie. "Zack wants to date her, so like I thought we could totally pass judgment on her." She doesn't really seem like the type to pass too much judgment on anyone. Then she gives a brighter smile. "But I don't mean to like.. invite people. I'm just really really glad that you guys let me come with you. I would have been lonely."
"S-s-someone has to cook." Is Liane's practical answer. "I'm h-half afraid if left to th-their own d-devices all of you w-would have c-cup noodles and half-f-frozen tv d-dinners."
Gareth blinks at the explanation of the Barbie situation, and opens his mouth to say something, then thinks better and shuts it. He switches topics of conversation! He grins at Liane. "What's wrong with that? I had that last year, it did me okay. Man, it was great. The dorms were *dead* quiet. There was this chick last year, all she did was play Avril Lavigne. All hours of the night, randomly." He shakes his head, with a 'what can you do?' look on his face.
Katie doesn't seem surprised that her offer of soothing ointment to be applied by sexy massage is ignored, but she doesn't change the subject. She arches her eyebrows and gets a look of mischief that only a sister ribbing her brother can have. "What? Did ya'll get put out of the running?" she asks of Zoie.
Liane gives Gareth a LOOK. A part-maternal, part sisterly look that's full of exasperation. "H-honestly, you tempt me to sh-show up to your d-dorm room with weekly m-meals. Or at least every m-major holidays. The p-point of the h-holidays is f-family, friends, and food."
Zack gives Zoie a LOOK too. "That's how rumors git started," he scolds her. Then towards Katie and the Gang he explains. "I asked her for her number, she gave it to me. Thought maybe I'd ask her out, git to know her a little better sometime. Zoie suggested I see if she wanna go to dinner with us." That should take care of that.
Zoie looks up all innocent like to Zack. She has the 'what?' look. Then she squees and hops up and down. "See? It's not a rumor if you like totally reinforce it. You just said ask her out." She teases, but there's a different sort of affection than Katie doing it. Zoie isn't exactly a sister. Her smile softens though to the guy. However, Katie asks her a question. "Running? Did I sign up for a mara.. Oh! Running. Oh. Like.. dating. Um.." She looks at Zack and then back to Katie and then back to Zack. "I um.. I don't think it's my place to umm.. discuss that." Yeah, if it involves her she's mum. Everyone else, she's talking about it. Her tea is brought to her lips as she tries to lean against Zack's side. This one is more an apologetic lean with a 'Are-we-okay' look.
Sabatha wanders into the coffee shop and heads to the back. She waits in line quietly for her turn before ordering a large cup of drip coffee. She looks around at the people, seeing quite a few she smiles as the queue slowly moves.
Gareth murmurs quietly to Katie at the chairs, then looks back up. He gives a lazy grin to Liane. "Aw, it's nothing. Fake food is great sometimes, anyways. I know, I know, if I had my druthers, I'd go out on the savannah and track and hunt and kill my TV dinner, but you can't escape the convenience of just going to a store to get a TV dinner." He flashes another curious look at Team Z again. Maybe faintly grinning. Maybe. Spying Sabatha, he nods with a look of vague, 'hey, I think I know you' recognition on his face.
Katie hmmms to herself, a thoughtful hmm, full of speculation as she looks over at Zoie and Zack. Then leans over like a conspirator to listen to whatever Gareth has to say. "TV dinners can be very fine, but ain't no competing with Liane's cooking.. and it's nearly as convenient, if not more so. She usually delivers!"
'
Zack and Zoie are actually behind the counter on the staff-side of things. And there actually isn't a large line, so Sabatha is up shortly! He gives the leaning Zoie another quick look before he moves over to help the new arrival. After a momentary exchange, "One large drip coffee comin' up. Cream an' sugar an' such are over there," he nods with his head towards the 'condiments' section. "There anythin' else I can git started for y'all?" Customers seem to take priority over his conversation for the moment.
Sabatha gratefully gathers her coffee and slepps over to the cream and sugar bar. She loads the cup with cream and honey, sprinkles cinnimon and nutmeg into the syrupy mess. With a small wooden stir stick she finds a free table and carefully mixes the drink, takeing a time to sniff it and smile.
There's a large crowd by the cushy chairs and counter. That's as much as I remember about this scene! Liane, meanwhile, is blushing. "H-home cooking is g-generally better than ins-s-stant food." She mumbles, "W-well. Anyway. I'm sure Z-zack and Zoie," How naturally the z's fall off the tongue! What alliteration! "are c-capable of f-fixing up their own r-r-romantic affairs." While we all gossip rampantly about it behind their backs is unspoken, but hey. Does it really need to be said?
Zoie bounces on her feet. "Sabatha!" One remembers who you run into at midnight in a graveyard. "Hey, I'm glad you came to check us out." She waves her hand to where Katie and Gareth are. "That's Katie and Gareth. Katie owns the place and is the brains. She's awesome." She's apparently walking at Sab's side. "Gareth is.. um.. he's.." She studies Gareth. "He likes beer. Oh and that's Liane. She cooks almost everything here. So like you should totally try a muffin." Blink, oh right. "That's Zack, He's..... um... hot." She nods her head in a teasing manner. "How have you been Sabbie?"
Katie's the brains and Zack is the body? Aw yeah.
Sabatha blinks as Zoie talks to her, she mumbles, "Um... fine." She blushes, "I'm in need of this here coffee it be conscious enough to follow you." She sips her drink and blinks as sugar and caffine introduce themselves to her system. "What's happening here?" she asks.
Gareth slides in his chair a bit closer, to chat idly with Katie. But he adds to the conversation. "It's true. Liane almost ruined me on Taco Bell. Those taco-lupa things were just amazing," he says with a hungry look. But it's momentary. "I like beer?" he asks, confused. "Guess I do!"
Zack looks down at himself as he's described as Hot. "I am?" he asks himself before looking back up. If she said so, it must be true! Zack lets a smile split across his lips. "Howdy," he offers to Sabatha as Zoie goes about doing the introductions. "And Annie, y'all shoulda seen us last Thanksgivin'. You were no where to be seen an' we had the best turkey ever." So there.
"If I'm n-not mistaken you've also exp-p-pressed an app-p-preciation for well-b-bosomed w-women, though I'm n-not quite sure if you were j-joking or not." Liane says, all thoughtful. And she continues to darken at the compliments, cheeks quite red. "And I s-suppose you l-like science as well. Oh, and y-you're a bit of a s-skeptic." Gareth's defining traits: love of beer, big boobs, science, and skepticism!
Katie arches her eyebrows at this description, looking up from her conversation with Gareth. "Howdy," she says, lifting her hand in a wave. Sabatha is given a lingering look, like she might recognize her from somewhere.
Sabatha nods to all the people who look at her and continues to quietly drink her precious, sweet coffee. She doesn't seem to try to intrude, content to just listen to the conversation. With a blink she turns to Zoie and asks, "How about that muffin? Sounds like a treat! May I have one, please?"
Zoie nods and skips to walk back behind the bar and then to Zack. There she flashes him a bright smile. "You are. If not, I wouldn't have agreed to go on a date." There is a pause. "Well okay, I would have, but I probably wouldn't give you that goofy smile I do every time I see you." She winks and then turns back to Sabatha. "What kind do you want? There's pumpkin and blueberry and..." She points to the case. "All of them are made of awesome and of love. Yep, Awesome Love baked goods right here."
"Big bosoms?" Gareth asks, vaguely confused. Possibly slightly embarrassed as well. "When did I go off on that? Was I drunk? And I'm a skeptic? The truth is out there, yo!" He fights the power, then settles back into his comfy chair, watching the muffin madness from his throne.
Sabatha looks thoughtful and then smiles, "Pumkin please!" She sips her brain juice and watches as Gareth defends his "boob honor". She chuckles, "Maybe it was the beer talking?" she offers as a safty line.
"He likes comic books too," Katie says, as everyone is adding ticky boxes under the Gareth persona in their heads.
"Y-you mentioned it s-s-some time ago." Liane says. A pause. "Y-you were sober. P-perhaps short on sleep." And then she checks her phone, frowns, and steps outside to chat.
"What's not to like about big boobs?" Zack has to wonder, coming to Gareth's defense. "I mean, so long as they're real. Can't say I'm a fan of the fake ones. Big 'r small 'r anything in between, right?" he asks Gareth with a widening smile.
Zoie looks down at her lack of those rather large sweater kittens. She sort of tries to put her shoulders back a bit more to make them appear more... fulfilling. Zoie plucks up the best looking muffin to hand it over to Sabatha. "Here you go."
Sabatha smiles at Zoie, "Thanks!" she takes the muffin and hands over some cash to cover the muffin and a tip. She settles in with her muffin and dunks a chunk of it in her coffee, she nibbles as she listens to the conversation.
Gareth grins at Katie. "And comic books!" He then tilts his head at Liane, looking like he's recalling something. "Ohhh... yeah, I'm trying to picture that girl's face." Insert rimshot. "Shame she took off. She had that 'mysterious vibe' thing going on for her." He grins back at Zack, though he blushes faintly as well. "Yeah, the fake stuff don't do much for me either."
Zack and Zoie are behind the counter. Liane is, I think, over near Katie and Gareth who are over at the comfy couch. Sabatha is eating a muffin and drinking coffee. Am I forgetting anyone?
"How do you tell real from fake?" Katie wonders, leaning back in her chair to enjoy her coffee. "Is it like gaydar? You just get a blip on your screen? Or is there some sort of test?"
Sabatha says, "By feel, I would expect." She blushes, "I mean, they would feel wrong... not the right squishyness, right?" She takes anouther bite of her muffin, "Not that I've experimented or anything..." She hides behind her coffee cup after trailing off."
"Fake ones don't bounce as much. I mean when you lie back they are just like.. out there." Zoie holds her hands out where her own assets don't even come close. "Oh and if they are the cheap kind, they feel different and such." She answers easily. Then sips her tea again.
Morgan walks in on Sabatha's line, and just stares at her for a moment. Then Zoie's line, and she looks from one woman to the other.
"Ah," Katie gives a nod, as though she's just been educated, and perhaps she has. "Kinda like torpedos, I reckon." Then she nods to something Gareth says. "A'ight, well, if you wait a spell I'll go whip something up for ya'll." She finishes off her coffee and starts to get to her feet.
Gareth nods to Katie. "Thanks!" he says, while listening in on the fake boob conversation. Perhaps taking mental notes. Some things are important to know.
Sabatha sips her coffee after it has served as a proper sheild and goes back to silently listening to the conversation. She looks wistful, and her stomache chooses the next quiet lull in the conversation to growl. She grimaces and takes anouther bite from the muffin.
"Well, I mean, I guess from what I've seen..." Zack says without going into too much detail. "That seems 'bout right. What Zoie said." Probably using the store's computers to look at porn. AGAIN. "They just look wrong."
Zoie smiles at Morgan. "Welcome to Kiva!" She turns to look at Zack and then around the room. "I'm a dance major, you don't think half my class has a fake set? I mean..." She indicates her form, "We tend towards slight."
I leave for one minute and I come back with everyone educating Katie about fake boobage. Nice, guys. Liane, strangely, seems to be agreeing with Zoie as if this is no biggie. "Q-quite. Though it's g-generally more useful for a d-d-dancer to be slight, isn't it? Easier to c-carry, d-dance around, and so f-f-forth. Plus I im-m-magine getting a f-fake pair would th-throw off your c-center of balance until you b-became used to them."
Liane usually likes to keep Katie's sex-education all for herself. It's true. "I'm gonna go whip something up for Gareth over in the Apothecary. I'll be back to help with the chopping or whatever else ya'll might need, Annie." It could sound dirty, but it doesn't.
Morgan smiles at Zoie, and moves up to the counter. "Thank you." She looks at Liane, then nods and says "While I admit to being lucky enough to have a set that counts as 'average', well... wouldn't it be an advantage to a dancer to be lean? If something is needed, a bit of padding in the costume..?"
"Howdy, Morgan," Zack offers the new-comer belatedly, but with a friendly smile. Then he lets a confused frown mar his features as Katie makes for the Apothecary. "Really? I mean... Good," he sends her a smile.
Zoie smiles a bit to that. "Yeah.. I mean, I think I look okay." There is a glance given to the men in the room to confirm or correct this. Then she looks over to the women too. "Well it helps in my lifts to be lighter I suppose. Sometimes though I do wonder if like, I would draw more attention. Then I think about what kind of attention. I would rather a guy just like me. The right one will deal with my insanity. What can we get you today, Morgan?" Then she giggles and watches Katie too.
"Mm. Y-yes. The r-r-right ones do t-tend to l-love you d-despite your ins-s-sanities. P-perhaps because of them." Says the certifiably insane one with a small smile. "And y-you look fine, Zoie. R-really. Do you n-need any help, K-k-katie?"
Gareth waves to Morgan cheerfully as he begins to stand. "Yo, teach. Hope you're feelin' better." He gets out of his comfy chair, grabbing a few textbooks from around his chair and putting them in his book bag. "I'll be right back. I gotta drop a few things off at the dorm. See you guys in a sec!" He lifts it up, sliding the bag on to his right shoulder, and heads out the door, leaving the comforting world of breast conversation, with its peaks and valleys, for the cold and empty world outside.
"Naw, I got this. I'll be on in back if ya'll need me. It'll just take a little while." Katie reiterates, and then heads through the doorway between the shops.
Morgan waves to Gareth, and smiles at Zack. "Howdy." She looks at Zoie. "Latte with a dash of caramel syrup, and an oatmeal muffin please." She then eyes Zoie thoughtfully, then says "Nope. You're about right for your build. Wouldn't change a thing." She smiles slightly. "And having heard the complaints of some of the women who naturally have boobage out to here..." She holds her hands out to Pamela-Anderson level of Boobage ".... you wouldn't want it."
Sabatha shakes her head to what Morgan has said, "No... no you don't. Unless you LIKE the taste of asprin or aleve." She rubs her back with a free hand and then returns to her coffee.
"Yeah you look fine," Zack assures Zoie without looking too hard at her boobs. "An' I saw this thing once on TV. Some plastic surgeon who said his happiest clients were always the breast reduction ones. Back pain an' such."
"Q-quite. G-greener grass and all th-that. H-h-hello M-morgan." As Zack is busy not staring too hard at Zoie's cleavage, Liane makes with the muffin-getting, though she lets Zoie do the latte making. "H-how are you?"
Zoie chuckles. "I'm fine with it really. Just you know, I'm a girl, so sometimes I compare." She shrugs and then watches Gareth and Katie slide out the door. Her eyes move to Zack. "So like can you give me a ride to Joel's later?" She then moves to start making the latte like a boss.
Morgan grins at Sabatha, and nods. "Absolutely!" She nods to Zack as well. "I can well imagine. Not to mention the cost of bras a that size!" She shudders. Then a smile to Liane. "I'm fine. The shiner's finally healed up." Just a touch of purple/yellow under the skin around that eye.
Sabatha nods back to Morgan and finishes her coffee. She works on her muffin next, makeing it last as long as she can.
"You had a shiner?" Zack asks towards Morgan,We'll give y'all a call when we're gonna watch it if y'want, taking the opportunity to switch topics, as fun as boobs are. "Someone hit you?" he asks, eyebrows raised. "I shouldn't jump to conclusions. What happened?"
Sabatha nods to what Zack said, "Yeah, what is up with that?"
Zoie draws a turkey in the 'foam' on the top of the latte. She then hands it over to Morgan. However, her own eyes are a bit sorrowed to this. She doesn't interrupt, but listens.
Morgan nods to Zack, and then to Sabatha. "Trace. When .. well, you know. When everything was going to hell for them." She sighs. "Just before..." She trails off, then shrugs and takes the latte from Zoie. "Thanks."
Lucid of course couldnt pick a more 'opertune' time to shuffle in head hung low hidden in the hood of his hoodie draging his laptop along. he moves slowly as he heads toward the counter.
Sabatha looks blankly as apparently she doesn't know, but keeps her mouth shut as she nibbles on the little part of her muffin that's left.
"Trace attacked you?" Zack replies, putting together Morgan's story. "I heard there was somethin' that happened, but I didn't get any details. Yer all okay now, right?" He looks towards the door as the jingle announces Lucid's arrival. He gives the young man an easy smile and nod of his head. "Howdy," he offers.
Lucid winces like someone punched him in the ribs when Zack says 'Trace attacked you' he turns to peer at Zack with sad tired eyes and grids his teeth his jaw tight.. he nods his head a little att he greeting but dosnt open his mouth.. he slams his money down on the counter and points at what he wants on the menu.
Zoie is behind the counter with Zack. Morgan is at the counter. Liane is around the counter on muffin duty. Sabatha is drinking coffee and eating a muffin. Zoie's green eyes fill with sympathy before she waves over towards Lucid.
However, at the slamming down of money, Zoie jumps back and squeaks.
Morgan nods to Zack, then she startles when the money is slammed down. She sees Lucid, and her face is a perfect picture of embarassment. "Oh Lucid. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were there."
Zack holds up a hand towards Lucid as he slams his money down. "Alright, take it easy there, partner," he suggests easily enough. "Now, what'll you have?" he encourages.
"Ah, L-l-lucid. Th-there you are. S-slamming things won't ch-change facts." She says mildly. "At any r-rate..." Liane leans in to see what exactly Lucid's pointing at. "Is y-your phone n-not working? Or d-d-did you forget to ch-charge it?" Whatever edibleness Lucid pointed to, Liane goes to put on a plate.
Sabatha continues to watch...not saying anything because she has no information. But she recognizes the "Drunken man" from the bar the other night and she smiles slightly at him. At least he's not drinking alcohol this time.
Lucid's expression softens a little for Zoie and he even offers a little wave, he tilts his head over to one side as he looks at Morgan giving her the eyes for a momment but he cant stay mad at her obviously as she finaly gets a little smile.. and Liane gets a waves now that his line of sigh has circled around that way he looks back toward Zack and points at what he wants.. today apparently isnt a talking day. he sort of blushes at Lianes scolding and shrinks down a little he offers Zck adn Morgan a bit of a puppyish look and takes out his phone and after some fiddling it says "bygones.." he dosnt answer Lianes question since this obviously does and takes the sandwichwrap on the plate from her with a bob of his head.
Zoie tips her head at her sorta-maybe-not-really roomie. "Heya Lucid." She smiles vibrantly at him as she settles from the unexpected. "How's the place coming along? Is the shower working?" Zoie acts as if the world is full of sunshine and rainbows.
"That'll be five fifty," Zack reminds Lucid before he walks off without paying for his sandwich wrap. He gives the fellow another small smile before he glances at Zoie then back to him.
Morgan waits until Lucid is focussed on Liane and the edible goodness, then mouths to Zack and to Sabatha 'Later', as if promising explanation when Lucid's not in the room. She then smiles at Lucid and says "Bygones. It's fine."
Lucid points at the six dollars hes put on the counter he dosnt realy wander off he sort of lingers at the counter he turns his attention to Zoie and nods to her. then he takes out another two precious dollars and puts them on the counter as if the tip is ment as an apology for his incredable rudeness to zack at slamming the money down.
Liane smiles at Lucid. "And ev-v-verything is w-well enough, Lucid?" Liane says, chatting amiably instead of being hard at work. She even leans against the counter, lazy brat that she is.
Beep! There goes Liane's phone! "Ah. S-s-sorry, I should t-t-take this." She waves goodbye to all, and disappears like POOF!
Zoie smiles a bit more towards Lucid and chuckles. "You know when I normally ask a question, people answer." It's a teasing comment. Zoie tries to reach over the counter the best she can to knock the hoodie off Lucid's shoulders. "Don't hide in a cowl either, you have a smile, so let's see it. Come on.. I'll show you mine if you show me yours. I'll even go first." Her smile grows to a very beautiful one. Right now she's focused on the man, though her green eyes move over to Zack.
Morgan puts her money on the counter, and a bit more in the tip jar, and grins at Zoie. Then she moves to find a seat, looks at Sabatha and arches her eyebrow in a silent 'may I join you?'
Lucid dosnt move away as Zoie knocks the hood down he sorta shrugs and blushes when she smiles, he cant help but smile a little but his grey eyes are still sad never touched by the expression.
Riiight the money slammed on the counter. How quickly he forgot! "Alright, thanks," Zack says as he collects the monety, and puts the change into the tip jar. He doesn't otherwise interrupt on the conversation between Zoie and Lucid. Liane gets a wave but she's gone!
Sabatha jestures to her table and smiles, "It's a free table, Morgan. Let's catch up."
Zoie giggles. "That's better. You have to work on it. So now you have to smile at everyone in here." She reaches out to muss Lucid's hair if he allows. Then she offers. "Go be social. You can't have a refill until you get Sabatha's and Morgan's favorite color, what they are doing for the weekend and um... if they could be any animal what they would choose." She makes shooing motions. "Now don't let me down. Oh.. .and you have to use your big boy words, and be nice. Tell them yours too." Zoie, the ice breaker. Then she looks back over to Zack and drops her voice a bit.
You whisper "He's taking Trace's death a bit hard." to Zack.
Zack lets out a soundless "Aaaah," to whatever it was Zoie said to him and leaves it at that. What better time to get out the squirty bottle and start cleaning up the glass counter-tops! Squirt squirt. Rub. Usually he goes the other way.
Lucid makes a face at Zoie as he didnt even get his first cup yet let alone a refill and pouts but he shuffles over to Morgan and Sabatha..
Hey Zack was in charge of order taking. Zoie is just the sweet one that um.. does other stuff.. like looking pretty. Her eyes follow Lucid to the others before she starts to reorganize the back a bit. "Soooo... was that a yes or a no for giving me a ride later?" Zoie offers to Zack. "I mean the thing you drive is pretty big, but we should still fit in the front right?"
Morgan smiles and sits with Sabatha, and makes room for Lucid. She sets her muffin and coffee down, and looks to Sabatha. "Alright. You first. How's the environmental science going?"
Lucid fiddles with his iphone and the soft digital voice says "Just pretend I asked you stuff or she will be impossable alll day."
"Sure I can give y'all a ride," Zack replies to Zoie as he continues to clean the counter tops. "We'll prolly have to take more 'n one car too, dependin' on how many of us there are."
Sabatha sighs at Morgan, "Well, it seems there was an issue with my F.A. so I'm out of school at the moment. Just chilling out in the desert for now. I've made no progress in finding my kin, and now, I support myself with busking and donating plasma." She turns to Lucid, "Brown, Nothing, Bear." she smiles to make the short sentance less abrupt.
A balled up napkin flies across the store from Zoie towards Lucid. "I can /hear/ you. Do it the right way or I'm taking the iphone." That's right.. she threatened his toys. She rolls her eyes playfully. "Other peoples children." Then she beams at Zack, he gets that full gorgeous smile of hers. "How many can you take in your truck?" There is a shift of her weight nervously. It's as if she's working up to something.
"It's just a pick-up truck," Zack replies to Zoie. "Can't really fit more 'n two. Three I suppose if you really squeeze, but we'll need to carry some stuff too." Once the counter top is nice and clean he puts the bottle and towel away.
Morgan grins at Lucid, then sighs to Sabatha. "oh that's totally unfair. Are you doing okay?" She pauses a moment, then smiles wryly. "Not that I'm entirely sure why I ask, it's not like I've got this stash of cash squirrelled away that I could give you a scholarship with." She sighs again, then looks at Lucid. "Dark blues, long-chain polymer isotope research, and a polydactyl cat that was a spoiled pet. So I could think long thoughts, not have to worry about finding my food and drink, and learn all sorts of stuff. Not to mention get into things."
Lucid fiddles with his iphone and it says "illumniated water, self inducing a pyschotropic h-state while inducing high spike delta algorythms and one that was loved." for his own answers though who knows why he indulges Zoie.
Zoie turns to look at Zack and then toes the ground a bit. "I um..." Awkward just comes off her in waves. "I uh.. do you wanna um.. maybe go.." She can't do it. She just stops and then clears her throat and looks away. "Okay. We can totally pack up stuff and put it in the bed. It's big enough right. Is it an automatic or a stick shift, I um.. don't remember." Her eyes move back towards Lucid and his talking phone. She pulls out hers to text the poor boy. It will come up with the sound that comes from it. 'Use your real voice.'
Sabatha motions to the table, "Lucid, right?" She smiles, "Why don't you join us for real? Sit down and share the table with us. As far as I know, neither Morgan or myself will bite unless asked."
]
Speaking of texts, Zack gives a jump as his pocket buzzes. He pulls out his phone, scrutinizes the text, and puts it away. "Maybe go what?" He asks the girl with an encouraging smile. "An' we can go any time. That was Katie. She says we should start headin' that way."
Lucid glances down at his iphone, though it infact dosnt make any extra sound and he fiddles with it for a momment.
You receive a text from Lucid: this is my real voice. I made it so its mine. and its real.
Morgan looks over to Zoie, and says "Courage, girl." She doesn't give any reason why, then looks back to Lucid. "Sit down, dear."
Zoie's face actually falls a bit as Zack gets a text. Why the hell did she ask him to bring that other girl? Of course it plays upon her features like a bad movie. Zoie gives a happy noise when she finds out it's Katie, she doesn't even realize it's a happy noise or that she made it. "Oh.. we should probably go then." There are NPC cafe workers. There is a buzz and she looks down at her phone with a chuckle. Her eyes move back to Zack with a shake of her head. "We um... should uh.. go to dinner. Katie will yell if we are um.. too late."
Lucid sits down and fiddles with his iphone.
Morgan gets a text as well, and looks at it, then laughs.
"Alright, come on back an' help me load up some of this stuff," Zack replies to Zoie with a smile. Then he heads back into the kitchen area and comes back out, arms loaded with foil-covered platters of something delicious smelling. "Y'all can tell me on the way over." He adds a "Darlin'" and a wink.
The lights over head flicker like they might go out for a second or like someone stood at the breaker and fliped them off on off on rapidly a few times.
Lucid frowns and looks away from Zack and Zoie and starts eating his sandwich hunching down into the booth next to morgan he puts his hood up.
Morgan looks up, frowning.
Sabatha looks around, a slight frown forming on her face. "What's up with the lights? Someone feeling frisky in the back room?"
Zoie carries less things then the man as she is waifish girl. Waifish girls dance well and carry poorly. There is a pause as she chuckles at the darlin'. She looks at the ceiling and then oddly at Lucid.
Zack glance up at the flickering of lights as well and studies them for a moment. When they don't go all the way out, he shrugs and heads for the door. "Lemme know if that happens again," he asks one of the NPCs working in the shop. Then he offers "See y'all later," with a smile as he heads out.
Lucid glares at his snadwichwrap as he eats it silent and broody.
Morgan touches Lucid's shoulder gently, and says "hey. You have friends who care, you know."
Zoie diverts over to Lucid's table to pull on his hoodie and then lower her voice. Then she is off to prior engagements with prior people.
You whisper "We'll talk later, smile more." to Lucid.
Lucid bumps his shoulder affectionatly aginst Morgan and then looks over at Zoie dispite being all moody he just nods a little.. apparently in cute girl thrall..
With that, Zack heads out of the store, arms full yet still managing to hold the door open for Zoie as he goes.
Zack loads up the red truck and climbs on in. The truck is an automatic, since she was asking before. "Buckle up," he encourages.
Zoie buckles up and takes a breath as she gets in the truck. There is that awkward silence that comes from almost asking him out and stopping. "Can I ask you something... um.. kinda um.. maybe mean?"
"As long as you ask in a nice way," Zack replies with a smile as he turns the truck on and revs it a few times. "What's on yer mind?"
Zoie chews her lower lip. "I like to think I'm a good person. That means I hope everyone gets what they want and everything. Um... is it bad that sometimes I don't wish for the best for a person?" Her green eyes watch him as he prepares to drive.
"I think that depends on what yer wishin' on them and why," Zack decides after a thoughtful pause. He starts pulling out of the parking lot. "Not everyone deserves to get what they want, after all. An' most of us don't get what we want anyway."
Zoie siiighs in a loud manner. "I've been trying to be all upbeat and you know.. um.. supportive of you." She glances at him and then out the window. "I um... I don't really want you to um.. ask out Barbie. Is that like totally bad? I mean I won't be mean to you or her if you do."
"Frankly, I was surprised you suggested I call her," Zack replies with a litle laugh. "I figured the last thing you'd want me to do was ask her out. Anyway, don't worry 'bout it. Like I said, I don't think she's really my type." He starts driving down the street at a slow, easy pace, lest he disturb the food!
Zoie shrugs. "Well I'm not sure I'm your type and.. I don't know if.. I mean I .." She coughs. "Are we almost there?" She giggles a bit and then looks back over at him. "I just wanted you happy, you know?"
"Well that's real sweet of y'all," Zack replies as he cruises down the street. It could be several more poses before they actually arrive! "An' that's why I asked you out. I wanted to get to know you better. An' so far I think yer my type," he adds with a smile. He only takes his eyes off the road for a moment. Safety first!
Zoie perks totally at that. If they didn't have stuff to hold for ransom she might have... oh screw it. Zoie launches across the cab to attempt to hug him. "Really?" Then she moves back to her own seat with a blush. "Um.. we should you know... get there before Katie kills us though."
Zack lets out a laugh as he's hugged. Unfortunately he can't hug back as his hands are on the wheel. "Yeah really. You should be more confident in yerself, Zoie. What's not to like?" And with that he pulls up behind the Golf and parks.
Zoie grins to him. "Well that sleeping thing. I know that men like to .. you know.." She gives a pink blush. "So are you going to ask me out again?" There is a pause as they stop and she puts her hand on his arm. "Hey Zack, I'm really thankful we like talked about this a bit. Thank you for asking me out before." Then she's turning to open her door and start getting the stuff.
From outside the vehicle, Zack climbs out of the truck as well, taking a large armload of goods. "Women like to too," he points out with a playful wink. "But everyone's gotta come 'round to it at their own pace. An' yeah, I'm gonna ask you out again," he assures her with a coy smile. "Unless y'all ask me first."
Zoie grabs up some of the other items as she looks over at him. "Would you think less of me if I asked you out instead? I always thought the guy was supposed to ask."
"Don't much matter to me," Zack replies over his shoulder as he leads the way up to the house. "I never been asked out before, now that I think 'bout it. I think I'd be flattered, if anythin'."
Zoie walks with him as she doesn't so much as blink to the size of the house. Her lips curve upwards. "You want to go out to dinner or something with me? I mean, you can drive and then I'll come up with something."
"Sure," Zack replies with a smile. "When where y'all thinkin'? A boy like me's got a busy schedule to deal with." Playing not-so-hard to get!
"When are you next free?" Zoie jumps on this and forgets to play all coy. She leans in against him again, even though they are carrying stuff.
"Well, I reckon I'm free on Saturday," Zack replies, presuming tonight is Thanksgiving Thursday. If not, he gives a reply for two days from now. And when she leans into him he leans over and gives her a quick kiss, right on the cheek. Like a boss.
Oh hells yeah, it's on like donkey kong. Zoie actually squeals and hops up and down before she nods her head. "Well then you reckon to be spending time with me then." She smiles sweetly at him before moving forwards.
You paged Nicolas with 'It's okay. You?'
"I reckon so," Zack replies, thickening his drawl, just for Zoie. He can't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Y'all just be sure to let me know if I need to dress up 'r down 'r anything." And with that he leads the way in.
Zack enters the mansion with Zoie. His arms are laden with GOODS! All kinds of food, or whatever was left behind in the shop for him to carry.
Zoie has less stuff in her arms. However, she does have turkey feathers in her hair and a brown t-shirt with spray paint that says: Turkey Day 2008. She's also smiling incredibly bright. She could light up all of Texas with her smile right now.
"D-d-don't worry." Liane says with a confident, dismissively little wave of her hand. "M-miss manners will exc-c-cuse me. After all, I b-brought the wine." Everyone is bustling about the place, except Danny who's wandered off. "Ah! Z-z-zack, wonderful! C-come with me to the k-kitchen, let's get all that s-sorted and see wh-what belongs on the t-t-table first thing." Liane says, for she is apparently Serious about her food.
"Hey, I remembered the effigy on Columbus Day," Jai protests to Danny, grinning, "I even made the bonfire look like three tiny ships!" He gives her a wave, standing around with most of the others and holding Petra's hand. "So this place is yours, Joel? Started feeling cramped in the apartment? Is the couch blackmailing you for room to run free?"
Gareth has a furrowed brow. And dressed up! For Zack's sake, probably. Or Zoie's! And Gareth smells good. Like linament, or eucalyptus. He glances at Joel and Liane, and twitches his mouth. "Now I'm just extra curious. I wanna leave and go look up the history of this house in the library. I bet there's Spanish treasure underneath. And if it wasn't for those meddling kids, no one would have known about it!" He shakes his fist. He nods to Petra, looking thoughtful. "Eating too much? Man. I've been preparing for this holiday my *whole life*."
"Oh, good, you decided to come," Joel greets Zack and Zoie as they arrive, ushering them through the front doors and closing it after them. The doors close with an authoritative thud, sealing everyone inside before all the lights go off and then turn back on and one of us is dead and it becomes a murder mystery. Once the Z's are safely inside, Joel starts herding people to the dining room, which is not a place in the place code. Sorry, bitches! "Get the food on the table, and let's sit and eat! Ready your forks and your digestive tracts!"
The dining room description is as follows:
A splendor faded from time and neglect, the large dining room no doubt served its purpose well in the past. Large windows, curtains tied back, look out upon the expanse of wild garden. A table that has seen better years, and lost most of its matching chairs, nonetheless remains sturdy and sure of purpose. It's meant to seat twenty, but there's only chairs enough for fifteen, and only maybe 3 of them match. Still, there's something comforting and welcoming about this dining hall, inviting good food and conversation to grace it once more.
Joel also replies to Jai, because his player is stupid. "I inherited the caretaking of this place, so it's not mine in title, but I have the keys and I'm responsible for keeping it from falling apart. My understanding is that I can do as I like with it... I'm still at the apartment most of the time. My couch would never blackmail me, I'm the only one who doesn't want to set it on fire."
It ONLY seats twenty? What kind of mansion is this?
Ghetto fabulous. It's Joel's mansion, of course it's ghetto, come on.
I got me a table, it seats about twenty...
Zack is herded, listening to Liane the Cook rather than Joel the Host as to where the food is deposited. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," he agrees with Gareth. "How y'all doin' anyway? Everyone good? Everyone knows everyone, right? This is Zoie," he adds, picking out the newest of the gang.
"Hello, Z-alpha and Z-beta," Petra greets the two new arrivals, waggling her fingers over at them. She tugs Jai toward the dining room, doing that thing where you walk backwards and look back at the object of your affection all flirty-like. It totally works out better in movies, though, since she bumps up against the table on the way. Whoops! She doesn't even have the good grace to look embarrassed by it.
Zack is guided around like a good robot. Pose him doing whatever you want! Limited time only!
Zoie moves a bit with Zack as she sets her boxes on the table. Her lips curve up to smile at the others.
"For the record, I have never threatened your couch," Jai says, "...but I =am= making a mental note that it can be defeated by flame. Just in case. Glad you're still my neighbour, though." The Zs get a wave of greeting. "Hey. And nah, I don't think we've met. Hi, Zoie. I'm Jai." And he might or might not have had more to say, but Petra's tugging him all flirty-like and what can I say, that's distracting. And he doesn't warn her about the table, the cad! What's more, he takes an extra step forward and steals a quick and (relatively) polite kiss before letting her free again. And pulling out a chair for her. 'cause he's a gentleman like that, yo.
Joel sets about herding everyone to chairs. None of the plates match. One is simple white; one is a dainty affair with pink roses around the edge. One has an oriental pattern of subtle bamboo. A fourth plate has an ugly retro pattern around the edge in orange and avocado green; a fifth plate is made of blue glass. Yet another plate has scalloped edges and shiny gold trim, and the seventh plate is decorated with birds around the edge. The last plate is edged with fall leaves. Some of the plates are chipped, perhaps they all have a story to tell.
Gareth nods to Zack, waves cheerfully to Zoie, and then politely excuses himself to go have a smoke while Liane's player obsesses over food. He's not distracted by Jai and Petra flirting. Iron Will Gareth! He steps back and still smells all right. He casually sits down with the bamboo plate setting.
"Similarly, I would never set your couch on fire, either," Petra proclaims firmly, but she's probably lying, given this is PETRA. She grins over at Jai after KISSAGE and then turns around to properly pick a seat. Hopefully nobody intended them to sit at a particular place, because she sits herself down in front of the fall leaf plate.
Zoie walks over to one of the seats, the one with the birds. She sits down and then looks around. The girl then hops up and then sits down at the pink flowers. That means she's going to pose Zack robot into one of the seats by her.
"My couch may or may not be defeated by fire. For all I know, someone else has already tried and failed, and the couch emerged unscathed," Joel says to Jai, raising his brows. Joel's brows, not Jai's. That'd be weird. "We have wine, beer, water, milk and Jack Daniels, who wants what to drink?"
Liane and Katie, since she's conveniently the perfect, quiet hostess, start bringing in food to the table. The Crowning Glory is, of course, the large turkey, deliciously plump and poist, well-seasoned and surrounded by a bed of delicious roast vegetables and a bowl of stuffing on the side. There's hot, fluffy biscuits, thick, rich gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, corn on the cob, a large bowl of delicious mashed potatoes, a green bean casserole, another casserole made with meat, cheese, tomatoes and tortillas (there's always one thing!) sweet potatoes, steamed vegetables, lightly seasoned. A tossed green salad, with a small dish of viniagrette near it. All about the table are various salt shakers and salt cellars, as well as pepper mills. There's even a two dishes of butter brought out, for the biscuits and corn. A bottle of wine is brought out, along with a bucket containing a pitcher of juice, another of water, and several cans of soda.
"Th-there. I th-think this is everything f-f-for the first c-course. D-dessert I'll b-bring out when it's c-c-closer to time." Liane says with a small smile. There's a small hesitation from her, and she looks like she might add something, but she simply shakes her head. "Wh-who wants wh-what to drink?"
Jai pulls out THAT chair for Petra then. He is nothing if not flexible! Pushes it in for her, too. So there. For his part, he takes the seat beside her, so he gets the birds. Could be worse! "Good point, and thanks. I'd hate to be in a position where I had to slay it, and THEN find out my information was flawed. That'd give it a dangerous edge. Though I'm not certain it's not hiding a dangerous edge down in there anywayyyy Wow that turkey looks awesome. Man. Can I get water and wine, I guess? Only, not in the same glass..."
Gareth looks over all the food, his eyes widening. "Woah," he says. Beer and boob loving Gareth then turns to Joel. "I'll have, uh, Jack Daniels! And probably something else to wash it down." He furrows his brow, then looks back at everything. "This is one course? This is...this is a crazy course. It's like a marathon or a slalom or some big sports term for something that's really big and goes on forever."
Drinks are readied, distributed. Food is set on the table, and smelling like the excellence of good cooks. Joel has seated himself at the head of the table because it's his frigid decrepit mansion they're all in, and stands to raise his glass -- he's drinking jack and coke, traditional thanksgiving beverage, so he can get shitfaced and pick fights with the men and make the ladies cry. "I'd like to raise a toast to all you sons of bitches," he says, and there is fondness in the tone. "I will make it short. I spent many years alone, and this year, I'm not. This year, I've got a big ass table and there's people all around it... and I am thankful. So here's to you, welcome to my strange sort-of home, and enjoy." He lifts his glass, sips, and then sits again.
Zoie chews her lower lip. "I'll have um.. a .. jack?" She looks over towards Zack as if asking if that was what she had the other night. She just shrugs and then lifts it when she hears 'toast'. The swearing causes her cheeks to blush.
Joel of course chooses the plate with the ugly retro pattern. No one could be surprised.
You know Petra... makin' them boys be pullin' out all the chairs for her. She smiles warmly over at Jai, and then places her napkin on her lap. "I do believe I'll echo his sentiment and ask for water and wine. But not water INTO wine, cuz that'd prolly be pretty watery wine, if'n ya catch my meaning." She then turns to Gareth and says, "See? What'd I tell ya. People gain SO MUCH WEIGHT around the holidays, like you wouldn't believe." Leave it to her to warn everyone of their dread fate. Once she's got her water and her wine, she smiles warmly over at Joel and his toast, lifting her glass to him. "To thankfulness and shit," she echoes softly.
Zack raises his glass in return. His glass of BEER. "Here here," he agrees with the sentiment of the toast. "An' Joel, thanks for havin' us all in yer house. It's great to be here surrounded by y'all. Me an' Katie spent a lot of ... small Thanksgiving's. It's good to have it be so good now." He has a plate. HE doesn't give a shit what kind of plate it is so long as it's full of FOOD.
Zoie seems to be figuring out the calories in all the food as it is passed around. She takes a bit of everything before she sniffs the Jack without the coke and tries a sip of it. There is a loud gasping cough that comes from the girl before she blushes.
Liane takes a seat herself, and she does raise a glass of wine in agreement. "T-to good friends, d-delicious food, h-hard work," There's a small glance sideways at Gareth at this, and her lips twitch a bit -- "And f-fun with f-friends. And f-for surviving another year in c-c-company. Th-thank you for making it w-worth it." Liane says, before taking a sip of her wine. Then, she looks slightly....awkward for a moment, as if unsure of something. "Ah. P-perhaps I sh-should go into the n-next room for a m-moment." She says, frowning as she seems to try to figure something out.
Gareth raises his glass of hard liquor! "Yeah, thanks!" he murmurs. "Do we eat now?" he asks, delicately, having a sip of his booze after the toasting part is over. A light frown goes on Gareth's face. "What? I'm a hard worker." He turns to Jai. "Tell Liane I'm a hard worker." Pause. "You can lie if you need to." He flashes a vague look at Liane's awkward look. "Y'okay?"
"Eat, eat," Joel nods encouragement to Gareth and everyone else, and starts passing around the basket of biscuits, along with whatever else comes his way. He avoids the biscuits themselves, but seems to be taking representative portions of everything else. Heedless of Petra's warning that it's a long slow slide from here until new years until he wakes up 30 pounds heavier in February and wondering where his life took such a tragic turn. A brow is raised at Liane's discomfort, but Gareth has already asked, so Joel is silent on the matter for now.
Look at your life. Look at your choices, Joel. Do you eat that food?
"To all us sons of bitches," Jai echoes with amusement, lifting his glass, "And to friends in general, 'cause they're pretty kickass." A nod to Gareth, and he obligingly adds, "Liane, Gareth is definitely a hard worker. And I'm totally not lying, either. Cabbie's honour." He lifts his wine-free hand in the Scout sign. Then Liane's excusing herself, and since Gareth's already asked what he would've, he just looks concerned at her. And takes good healthy portions of the food when it comes by, 'cause it's not like Liane's collapsed yet or anything.
"I'm not used to ... Thanksgivings with, you know. Like, people. So. Thanks for that. And stuff," Petra offers her own little toast, and holds her glass out to clink it against Jai's, then holds it up to the rest of you sons of bitches. She takes a nice big serving of food, more than almost any of you will have seen her eat in one sitting. DEFINITELY more than she eats in public, so apparently she is on board with this holiday all the way. Mostly, she takes bits of turkey and some of the steamed vegetables and such, though she does also take little tiny niblets of the other foods. She leaves Annie Worrying to the rest of you, though curiousity she's got in spades.
Liane flushes. "Y-yes. I j-j-just..." Awkward Liane looks awkward for a We'll prolly have to take more 'n one car too, dependin' on how many of us there are.moment. "W-well, I am c-catholic." She says, blushing. "B-but as th-there are n-nonr-religious and ath-th-thiests present, as w-well as n-non-latin s-speakers, it s-seems rude to p-pray at the table. But it's Th-thanksgiving and t-traditional for me. So I sh-shall find somewhere private to pray and th-then return so I m-might eat." Liane explains, rising out of her seat. Sounding apologetic. Not looking at anyone in particular. Bad Liane, causing awkward religious talk when there's all this tasty, tasty food present! But hey, she lives to cause the awkward.
Thank God. The lack of prayers lets Zack dig in and he does whole-heartedly. He gets the most fattening stuff and NEVER GAINS A POUND. Thank you, MUSH. Turkey, potatoes, gravy, biscuits, stuffing... All the best! He glances briefly towards Liane but doesn't make a fuss about her crazy rituals. "Can y'pass the butter?" he asks towards Joel.
"I don't think anyone would mind," Joel mildly replies to Liane. He totally can pass the butter, and he does. Bam. Like a boss. "As the host and an atheist, I say you are welcome to pray wherever you like. Wherever you're most comfortable, here at the table or in another room for a moment of silence. Whatever you want. We're all here to be friends, not judge." Out loud.
Zoie looks around the area for a few moments. Then she starts to eat. Then there is a pause. She leans towards Zack, "Am I supposed to make a toast?" Her voice is low, but not too low. She's also by the sexy that is Petra. Rawr. Christmas comes early.
Gareth took lots of food. Biscuits and meat! Lots of meat. Also probably some vegtables, but they're drowned in gravy. He lifts his chin, and raises his glass to Jai, cheerfully. He whispers "(I owe you five bucks for that!)" to Jai, and then listens to Liane. His look is...conflicted. "Well," he says, to Liane, "Maybe another time or something. I'll go to church with you on Christmas eve, how's that?" says the atheist.
Liane grins at everyone, lookin' at them all fondly. "D-don't worry about it. I'm j-just odd. I w-won't ask anything of anyone else, and I d-don't want to make anyone else unc-c-comfortable. Besides, th-this gives you all a ch-chance to talk to me b-behind my back while I'm g-gone, and comp-p-pliment mine and P-petra's cooking safely, since I w-won't be around to get a s-swelled head." And with a mischievous smile, she heads into the next room, while her player goes prepare tea!
"Oh. Well, =that's= fine then," Jai says, seeming completely okay with Liane doing her prayers wherever she wants, as long as nothing's actually =wrong=. Which means he can focus on the food! Petra is of course not left hanging on the glass clink, and he has a sip, but then it's food all the way, and he seems inclined to fill his plate pretty damn full. "And a good point, too. I mean, Petra's still here, but it's too late to worry about giving =her= a swelled head." He glances sidelong at the woman in question, grinning again.
Zoie chews her lower lip a bit. "Soooooo... what is everyone thankful for this year?" Zoie looks around the table as she eats and drinks.
"Hookers and blow," Joel answers, primly.
"Aw, man, he took mine!" Jai complains.
Zack leans over towards Zoie and replies, "You don't need to make a toast. I just was feelin' thankful is all an' wanted everyone to know. You can just drink up an' eat up an' have fun," he assures her. Don't worry that pretty little head! Then he digs in and, before she's out of the room, swells Liane's head with a "Mmmmm, oh that's soooo goooood." Foodgasm! He looks back to Zoie and offers, "Well, mostly that I'm alive an' well an' those I love are too." A simple man with smple needs. "And hookers and blow," he adds, taking up the gauntlet.
"My head is optimally sized," Petra informs Jai seriously, and bumps her shoulder up against his. She eats a bit more slowly than most, but still-- faster than the incredibly frustrating-to-watch slow that she usually does. She starts to answer Zoie, and then grins at Joel's reply. "Personally, I'm thankful for hookers that blow," she adds.
Liane pokes her head in throgugh the door, "I am r-r-rather fond of p-prostitutes and c-c-cocaine, n-now that I th-think of it." She says, before disappearing once again.
"I wanna say bookers that ho," says Gareth, but looks a bit uncertain. "I'm just glad to be alive another year. Plus boobies, booze, science and skepticism, bitches!" He lifts his glass of Jack Daniels, and has a healthy swig!
Joel laughs, a happy and sincere sound of amusement. Something he should probably do more often, unguarded like that. "Ahhhh see, this is how I know you're people of quality," he says, and then raises his Jack-and-coke in response to Gareth. "Amen to that, huh?"
"I would have to grant that your head is pretty optimal," Jai replies to Petra equally seriously, and shoulder-bumps her back. He eats pretty quickly, when his mouth isn't busy talking, anyway. "And I'm also thankful for wenches and ale. And what Gareth said's not bad either." He raises his water to toast that one.he he he he he he he he he he he and
Zoie is silent for a long moment at the thankfulness going around the table. She just drinks more and eats more. Her green eyes sliding from one person to the other. Then she looks towards Zack and lowers her voice a bit.
"
You whisper "I'm really thankful for you inviting me. I don't have family here. ... and hookers and blow." to Zack.
"You may live," Petra decides Jai's fate, and reaches out to tousle his hair, thankfully not really messing it up this time, unlike usually. "Boobies and booze, science and skepticism, these are awesome things, too. Also warm beds, amazing sex, and low-fat egg nog." She smiles brightly, her gaze shifting over the other dinner companions.
Zack listens to what Zoie has to say, first smiling, then laughing. "Yer more 'n welcome, Zoie. I'm glad y'all came along." Then he looks to Petra and raises a curious brow. "Low-fat egg nog? Ain't that like... diet fried chicken?" Between words he eats. And eats. OM NOM NOM!
"Books," Joel offers something more serious to be thankful for. Not that he wasn't serious about hookers and blow, best believe he was. He's chasing a green bean around his plate, enjoying the delicious food. "Quiet nights when you're safe and you have the opportunity to get bored. Fresh air... sun. Kites. Paper hats. Waking up late in a panic and finding you actually have the night off work. Cheez-its. 80s movies."
Gareth just eats! Now that Liane's not in the room, he can show his glorious delight in the delicious food that's been laid out for the group. "Man," he says, munching and munching. "Things'll probably go completely terrible tomorrow, but tonight, well, it's all right," he says with a grin. He glances at Joel and brightens. "80s movies! I wanna see more of that shit. I wanna see Jason fight the dude with the chainsaw fight Freddie Mercury!"
<OOC> Liane says, "We're all gonna end up drunk in Joel's mansion, unable to move."
Zoie blushes at what Petra says and takes another gulp of the jack. It causes her to giggle at what Gareth says. The giggles just last a bit longer than they should. She leans a bit towards Zack, but not to interrupt eating least she be stabbed.
"Freddie Mercury would win," Joel informs Gareth, seriously. "No fuckin competition."
"Who's Freddy Mercury?" Zack wonders between mouthfuls. "Is that the bad guy from Nightmare on Elm Street? Freddie? Didn't know he had a last name." He knocks back his beer and goes searching for another. Best holiday evar.
Liane returns, sitting down and immediately piling food on her plate. She begins to chop everything up into nice little portions, before looking about and then focusing on Pai. "D-d-did I miss anyth-thing int-t-teresting?"
Zoie stares at Zack in akin to something to horror. "If we were totally be-eff and gee-eff, I'd be questioning dumping you for that question." She just stares and then giggles more as the very petite girl is hitting the jack.
"Nah, that was Freddy Krueger. Freddie Mercury was the lead singer of Queen," Jai says. "And he'd have to win, 'cause he is the champion, my friends, and he'll keep on fighting to the end. No time for losers, 'cause he is the champion... of the world," he opines seriously, with a few gestures of his food-filled fork for emphasis.
Gareth grins and taps his nose to Zack. "Yeah! That guy! Freddie Mercury! The guy with the face and the claws!" he says enthusiastically. Then he glances at Jai. "...oh. Right. I knew that." And then he's spooning up gravy. To just have. Just the gravy. It's delicious! He has a spoonful, and then looks up and says solemnly, "I'm also thankful for gravy. Thought you all should know."
"Who's Freddie Mercury?" Joel looks at Zack like he just admitted he doesn't know the LORD. It's even enough to make him pause in the preparation of his second drink! You can all get hammered because there's like three hundred bedrooms upstairs! Or you can pass out in the ballroom, whatever. "Are you fuckin kidding me? Queen?" He spreads his hands. "You're killin me, man!" Joel shakes his head. "I am going to hook you up with some cassette tapes." He then eyes Zoie, with mild interest. "Oh, are you two going steady?"
Petra gives Joel a warm, soft little smile at his choices for What To Be Thankful For, and tips her glass to him in a silent salute. "Zack. Gareth. Freddy Krueger is like unto a god. I'm pretty sure you could have your cool license revoked if you don't rectify this situation immediately. We totally need to have a movie night."
Zack holds up his hands. "Jeez, don't crucify me. I know who Queen is. Y'all were talkin' 'bout horror movies an' suddenly you toss Freddy Mercury in there. I figured he was that Nightmare guy. Fat Bottomed Girls an' all that. Sorry I ain't all as smart as y'all."
"....I th-think you're m-more knowledgeable on th-this than I am." Liane says, taking a delicious bite of glorious food. "I'm n-not quite sure what you're all t-talking about."
Zoie pauses to look at Zack and then she attempts to shift to toss her arms about his neck, which means she has to come up on her knees in the chair. Her lips will attempt to find his cheek. "I think you are totally smart and hot." There is a pause. "Especially hot." She giggles and ruffles his hair before looking towards Joel. Her eyes may be getting a bit more glassy. "I.. I don't think we are like steady. He hasn't asked me to wear his letterman's jacket or given me his class ring."
Gareth glances at Zack, and frowns a little, faintly embarrassed. He glances at Liane with some relief at her admission, and digs into what remains of his food. "...guess I'll be checking out some torrents tonight," he mutters, then looks up. "So, what's for dessert?"
Joel casts Gareth a slightly puzzled look. "Torrents?" It's his turn to not know what's what, but people who naturally gravitate towards cassettes probably aren't the same people who know anything about digital piracy. "Keep your forks, there's pie," he warns, and stands, setting about collecting dishes to clear space for the incoming sweets.
Jai gives Petra a somewhat smitten smile. "Yeah, clearly a movie night is in order," he agrees, "and possibly a music night, because why the hell not?" Zoie's behaviour gets a faint quirk of a brow, and a glance to her drink, before he goes back to his food. "We're discussing things to be thankful for, still. Which includes horror movies and rock music, now." And then he hurries to eat what remains on his plate before it's collected for the entrance of dessert!
"Are you a robot?" Petra asks Zoie, point-blank. Because apparently she thinks this needs asking. "From like, the 1950s? Come to, say, annihilate the masses, or get info for the later shock troops? Cuz only robots talk about rings and letterman's jackets, I'm pretty sure. I saw that in a movie, and Movies. Don't. Lie." That's said rather mildly, without her usual sneering, so apparently she's just engaging in a bit of light teasing.
Liane raises an eyebrow at Zoie's affectionate attentions. And keeps her plate. If Joel attempts to take it from her his hand'll totally get smacked with a KNIFE. A butter knife! HARDCORE, man. "Ah. I w-would like to add the int-t-ternet, the c-congressional organization s-system, friends, and a h-husband who's n-never so busy he d-doesn't show up at /s-some/ point in the night." Liane takes a thoughtful bite of her stuffing. "Oh. And c-cats, of course. Cats are r-rather adorable. And I s-suppose I'm thankful for b-boots with heels and having t-teachers who allow m-me to get away with everything sh-short of murder."
"I like the teachers who let me get away with murder better," Petra has to pipe up and say.
"Yer gonna have to wait a while fer that," Zack breaks the news to the girl who has suddenly thrown her arms around him. And kissed him. Woot! "I never went to high school so no jackets. No rings." A bright smile is sent Zoie's way regardless. He loves robots after all. Vibrating robots.
At least that's what a look in his bedside table implies.
You don't need to look. You can just ask. ROBOT PRIDE!
Zoie chuckles, "I was making a joke... you wouldn't make me a letterman's jacket in like all leather." She giggles and seems slightly more interested in Zack than food. Her eyes then drift around the table before slowly pulling her arms back. However, she tries to sneak-attack nose rubbings. Then she smiles vibrantly at Petra. "I don't think I'm a robot." She thinks about it and then starts humming Mr. Roboto.
Gareth aws to the departing Joel. "You don't know torrents? Man, it's the best way to get video and that Queen dude and whatever. I'll set you up, yo." He turns back and gives Liane a mild look. "Cats, huh? I guess you would be a cat lady." He shakes his head, all sad and stuff, and turns back to what remains of his food.
"M-malkin-- that's m-my cat-- was m-my only c-company for s-several years. I'm q-quite obligated to ad-d-dore cats after that." Liane says with a small smile. "D-dogs took t-too much work and s-socializing. M-malkin is a r-rather sweet darling." Zoie is giving a mild raise of one eyebrow. "Y-you know, she s-sort of reminds me of P-petra when drunk." Liane comments.
"Hey. You take that back," Jai says mildly to Liane, settling back in his chair now that he's managed to get through the food, and sipping what remains of his wine, instead. "If we're still adding things to be thankful for, though, I'm gonna add Clara, coffee, and the sky."
Petra lifts her brows at Liane, and blushes, rubbing at the back of her neck. "She does? Wait, why? Do I turn into a robot when I'm drunk? I totally don't *remember* turning into a robot. Jesus. You get drunk ONCE and you wake up a fucking cyborg." She then smiles over at Jai's additions, and adds a few of her own: "Fear. Excitement. Trust. Love. Friends. Progress."
Zack lets out a laugh as he's Nosed. "Speakin' of drunk, I ain't yet." And with that he fetches himself another beer. "Anyone else want somethin' while I'm up?" Without waiting for an answer he's getting Zoie more Jack Daniels because hey, she looks like she could use some loosening up.
"I m-meant she and P-petra both t-tend to be aff-f-fectionate drunks." Liane says with a small smile. Then she looks at Petra, and her smile fades. "You d-didn't wake up a c-cyborg, though f-finding your c-clothes s-scattered everywhere w-was rather t-troubling. Thank g-goodness T-terrell isn't shy ar-r-round women: w-we managed to get your c-clothes on and in b-bed with Jai before you w-woke the n-neighbors." Liane smiles a bit. "Also, I am quite th-thankful for dreams. For s-stubborn caretakers who d-don't listen to me. For old b-books and n-new worlds, and for P-petra's ability to sleep th-through just about anyth-thing after she's d-drunk."
Zoie starts to give her order, but Zack is already all over that. He's getting her drink like a fratboy to a virgin. Or you know your date at prom. Or if you are mormon, your sister before she's your sister-wife. Zoie looks towards Petra and then Liane. "I'm kinda affectionate sober and I'm sober.." Sorta. "Just.. lots of people make me nervous. I'm thankful for music and dance and new friends and um... trees and flowers and ..." She looks around to the others a bit. "...and I'm thankful I get to be here with all of you."
"All of us?" Joel tsks at Zoie, still helping clean up and put food away. Player isn't sure if dessert appeared while I was afk. "Girl, you need higher standards."
"Eh," says Gareth. "Not thankful for dreams. The rest...sure!" he says, finishing off his drink. He looks...almost..for a /moment/ about to say something sappy. But somehow, he manages to resist the demon lure. Willpower! He then leans back and grabs his water instead, glancing around at people. He nods to Joel, and grins. "Yeah. Much higher standards."
Liane also glances around at the table. "Oh, I d-d-don't know." She says. "Th-there is something to be s-s-said for s-s-slumming it."
"At least the Kings are Grade A Quality," Zack points out. Zack and Katie, bringing up the average wherever they go. "So, yer doin' alright by me," he says with a smile. A hand reaches over to give the girl's upper arm a squeeze. Aw yeah, arm-squeeze.
"Yeah, as long as the censors aren't listening," Jai agrees with Liane, and looks over to Petra. "I could go with your list. And I'm pretty sure you're not a cyborg. I checked very thoroughly once I heard there was any question. Y'know, just in case."
Petra runs a hand through her hair, and though she looks not in the least bit apologetic for having been all naked and bothersome drunk, the charge of being affectionate... that will not do! "Yeah well, I was pretty fuckin' wasted," she says with a shrug, and rubs at the back of her neck. "Anyway, you heard Jai: I ain't a cyborg. He checked rrrrrreeeeeal thoroughly." Cue leering.
Zoie stares a bit at Petra with a look of horror and mortification. Then she leans into Zack as if that will protect her. "You brought me more to drink?" Hopeful drunk is hopeful.
"That's true," Gareth says to Zack, with a grin. "You Kings are. You live up to your name. And I ain't much of a royalist type, to tell you the truth." He glances back to Jai and Petra and continues said grin, but cuts the smile with a statement. "Man, sometimes you guys are pretty gross." He shakes his head, but he keeps the smile for good luck. Or something.
Liane is apparently remaining mostly sober. Her wine is watered down...no more drunken singing for her! "I find it c-cute." Liane says, helpfully finishing off her gravy-and-cranberry slathered food with a contented sigh. "Mm. D-delicious. D-do people have room for d-dessert? There's a ch-chocolate f-fondue and p-pies. And ice c-cream, c-courtesy of Jai."
Indeed, Zack brought some Jack. For Zoie. Time to go from drunk to plastered. "Here you go," he encourages as he offers her the large tumbler of booze. He spares Jai and Petra brief glance but then he's looking back towards Zoie. "Cheers," he offers, holding up his own beer. Once the cheers are completed, he decides what the hell, and leans over to give the girl a quick kiss.
There are a dozen flutters of Zoie's lashes to the kiss. Drunk girl is intoxicated. She cheers and clinks and.. is kissed. There is a moment that she moves to lean into the kiss and at the same time she pulls back because of the quick kiss. Her fingers touch her lips as she just stares at Zack. Oh. Are there others in the room? Not anymore.
Aw yeah, she's forgetting who the witnesses are.
Jai just grins at Gareth, and finishes off his wine. "I definitely have room for dessert. I've kept, y'know, an entire dessert stomach, just waiting for pie and ice cream, and I think I can prolly shove some fondue in there. If necessary. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, for you. 'cause I like you," he tells Liane earnestly before the smile breaks through again.
"Man, you haven't BEGUN to see gross," Petra tells Gareth, but thankfully she does not demonstrate, despite there being a perfectly serviceable fondue pot RIGHT THERE. She finishes off her glass of wine and switches to water, so apparently she has no plans to get plastered and give everybody more cleanup jobs tonight.
Gareth grins at Jai, and taps his nose. "I like the way you think," he says. He blink-blinks at the Couple at the End of the Alphabet but demurely looks away, just as Petra challenges him! "I dunno. I've seen a lot of gross. Like Liane's kitchen after she does a big round of cooking." He shakes his head, sadly, then rises up, off to the kitchen or maybe to explore around the ancient old mansion and find that ghost!
"H-have we any rum?" Liane asks, all curious innocence. The fondue, when it arrives, has a bunch of dippables - pretzels, marshmallows, cookies, fruit, whatever else is fondue-y, as this player has never had a fondue, of any kind. Either way, though, Liane prefers a small slice of apple pie, and one of pumpkin. "It's n-not that bad." She says with a small frown. "I've g-g-gotten much t-tidier!"
Zack COULD start to feed Zoie from the fondue pot but that would too OVER THE TOP. Instead, he smiles at the young woman and gives her a good leaning into before reaches for something to dip in the chocolate. You know what I mean.
Zoie could think of things to cover in chocolate and suck off. Oh.. that would be awkward at the table though. So instead she reaches for fluffy white stuff to dip in the chocolate goodness.
"It's my house, of course there's rum," Joel replies to Liane, like that's a totally ridiculous question. He pulls a bottle out of a kitchen cupboard, and offers it to her, with a warning. "/Don't/ flambe anything. None of that bananas foster or cherries jubilee or whatever other shit that involves dessert and fire."
Zack agrees with Joel. "In a dry ol' house like this, that's just askin' fer trouble." Practical Zack is Practical. With a final nod, he turns back to dessert.
Gareth returns with something caffinated and drinkable! He sets down at his chair and looks dubiously at the fondue, it seemingly beneath his moral character, so he reaches for some delicious pie instead.
Zoie is beyond glassy eyed right now. The girl is intoxicated, but she's tiny and hitting the Jack like it's water. She leans into Zack and almost falls out of her chair.
Strike while the iron is hot, Zack always says. He puts an arm around the girl to steady hear. "Woah now," he encourages, like a good cowboy. The way he's been pounding down the beers, he's probably in a state himself. "Y'all okay?"
"Of c-c-course I'm not going to. Th-this is for /me/." Liane says, with a small roll of her eyes. And pours herself some rum, and takes a pointed sip, before reaching to dip a long cookie, like a biscotti but softer, and dips it into the chocolate before taking a bite. Licks some droplet of chocolate off her finger, and drinks a little more rum. "Oh m-my. Perhaps we sh-should take Jack away f-from Zoie." Liane says, shaking her head. "P-poor dear will wake up with one h-hell of a headache." Liane, however, is perhaps a little smiley but still clear of head!
"Somebody cut her off?" Joel suggests mildly, where Drunk Zoie is concerned -- he seems to be seconding Liane's opinion there. "I don't want her to fall into the fondue and then thanksgiving turns into something out of a ... uh, movie."
Zoie puts her fingers to her lips, but the giggles will not be refused. They bubble up and spill from around her fingers and out her lips. "I think so.. but I'm really warm. Are you warm?" She pulls on her shirt a bit, but so far it is still on her body. So far. The girl looks back at the fondue and then to the others. "Oh I won't fall in it. I had my one chocolatey thing."
Petra does not partake of dessert, but nobody is probably too surprised. However, she totally eats extra dinner to make up for it. As for her, she's not in the slightest bit tipsy; she only had one glass of wine, and now she's on to her water. She stares at Zoie for several long moments, but everyone else has already covered the 'that girl has had FAR too much Jack' angle, so she doesn't pipe up about it.
Jai has pumpkin pie! And apple pie! And ice cream! With whipped cream over all of it! And no, not tiny slices, either. Go big or go home! He fondues a strawberry to begin with, and then puts the rest of that off while he works on what's on his plate. Don't think he won't be back, though. Since Petra and Zack are much closer to Zoie's Jack than he is, he leaves that to them. Like Petra, he's pretty much entirely sober, though he does refill his wine. 'cause hey, why not.
Apparently everyone here is a square. But not Zack! "Pace yerself," he offers, instead of cutting her off. "Actually, lemme take y'all to bed," he suggests, like a true gentleman! "Joel, y'all got spare rooms, right?"
"I w-wonder if her p-parents forbade her alc-c-cohol as a ch-child. Hasn't anyone t-taught her how to drink?" Liane says, in mild surprise. One probably suspects that with three brothers and such...unique parents as Liane's, Liane had several Sundays in a row devoted to 'Proper ritualistic consumption of alcohol' or somesuch. Now that Gareth's gone, Liane sits closer, to more readily dip items in the fondue. At some point, she dips a clean spoon in and ladles some chocolate to drizzle over her apple pie, before grabbing some ice cream. Tasty! "Wh-what a good idea."
Since no one's covered the 'this pie is FAR too delicious' angle, Gareth's gonna man up and do the job. He digs in with gusto. He's a bit red-faced, his Japanese side of the family betraying his drunkenness, damn them! He looks up. "Someone's sleepy?"
Zoie stretches and tries to figure out if she is actually sleepy or not. Her head tips to that. "Okay.. I guess I'm tired." There is another giggle and she leans in a bit more against Zack.
Joel hmms, and eyes Zack... stepping over that direction, he makes a sort of 'gimme gimme' gesture with one hand. "Car keys?" This is a responsible fuckin house party, bitches. "You all can go crash in a room upstairs... or two rooms," he pretends like this is a responsible fuckin house party. "God knows there's enough of 'em."
Zack defends Zoie's honor. "As if y'all ain't never been drunk," he counters as he puts an arm around the young woman's shoulders. "That's half the fun of the holidays," he reminds the squares as he heads towards the stairs with Zoie and some booze to tide them over. He tosses his keys to Joel, because his wingman wants to help make sure he's 'stuck' here.
Zoie needs more jack apparently. Zack is just full of honor and concern as she wraps her arm around his waist. She will walk with him up the stairs. "Thanks for food."
Petra munches on her lettuce greens, seeming to be in a much better mood than she's been in lately. She leeeeeans over into Jai's space without doing or saying anything else, and then goes back to her food. "See ya's," she waves farewell to the Z(not)squared.
Liane blushes. Quite a bit. "I t-try not to get drunk very often." SHe murmurs. "S-s-sometimes, it's q-quite necessary." But she turns to Joel, "Are th-there quilts and b-blankets? I can f-find some. It's a b-bit...ch-chilly." Liane queries. "C-can someone pass me the wh-whipped cream?"
Why, is Terrell coming over?
No, but Joel is already here ---- awww yeeeeeeeah.
You all wish.
It's business time.
Hell yeah we do.
Joel is a blanket or the whipped cream?
Both
Joel is a wet blanket... of whipped cream.
Joel is a DELICIOUS blanket of whipped cream.
Joel is delicious blanketed in whipped cream?
"All the beds and whatever are all made up," Joel assures Liane. "It's a cold house, but whatever, it's free. I'm not lighting up all the fireplaces and cleaning out the flues and making sure they draw correctly just for one night of drunken gratitude." Joel doesn't love you that much.
Zack drags Zoie off like a caveman. Wait, Zack's the caveman, not Zoie. Zack, like a caveman, drags Zoie off!
"I guess people'll just have to make do with blankets. And possibly body heat, depending on personal preference," Jai says, well into his pies. "And for the record, not getting smashed before dessert isn't the definition of 'square' unless you're competing in a getting-shitfaced race. Which wasn't on the invitation I got, but I mighta just been unlucky." He shrugs, looking perfectly cheerful in his current sobriety. Hey, he has pie. And a Petra in his space! Which he compounds by leaning toward her a little, too.
ANYWAY! With that, Zack leads Zoie upstairs to bed or SOMETHING. High Fives all around.
<FTB>