interfaith dinner mingle!!

[stefanged]

Who: Interfaith Center regulars & the not-so-regulars (party crashers are welcome too!!)
Broadcast: Nope
Action: Interfaith Center on the Iskaulit
When: Forward-dated to November 4th

[The Interfaith Center sounds far more bustling and busy than usual - and anyone peering inside would quickly figure out that a communal dinner is underway! Take off your shoes and walk in: the lounge has extra tablecloths on the floor as well as buffet tables with non-alcoholic beverages and all sorts of food, including Jordanian cuisine (or the outer space equivalent of Jordanian food).

The board games are out of their hiding nooks; the furniture's arranged for the maximum seating possible; and even the teddy bears donated by Kitty & Winn are out for cuddling, should anyone want them.

The kitchen's bustling with helpers - Stefan's running around at vamp-speed to make sure everything's a) done on time and b) cooked to perfection - but he sure wouldn't mind an extra hand. And if you're still not up for some food? Well, the prayer rooms are open as usual. There's always a quiet moment to be found, even if the laughter's louder and the scent of freshly-baked mansaf's wafting through the long corridors.

Anyone and everyone who's ever been inside the Interfaith Center has been invited (via text message - and Stefan even used the fancy emoji). If you're not particularly faithful or devout? Well, drop by anyways. There's more than enough food to spare.]

Comments

[mistyday]

[Misty comes to pray too, kneeling a respectful distance away from Shirley. When she finishes her own prayers, she waits quietly for the girl to finish. She's seen her around the interfaith center before, but she doesn't know anything about her, and she figures it's important that they all know each other here.

Once it appears that Shirley is done, Misty speaks.]

I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but... I don't believe we've ever been introduced. [She sticks out a hand.] I'm Misty!

[hearsthesea]

[Shirley's a little surprised when Misty talks to her, mostly because it doesn't usually happen when she comes to pray. It's not at all unwelcome, though, especially when she realizes the face is vaguely familiar. Quickly her expression quickly changes to something friendlier, and she gives her own hand to shake.]

It's nice to meet you, Misty. I think I've seen you before, but I don't believe think we've been introduced either. Are you also here for the dinner tonight?

[mistyday]

[Smiling, she nods.]

I've been helping Stefan set up - I'm glad lots of people have come out!

[hearsthesea]

I'm glad, too. I like it here. It's...peaceful, and it's good to be able to share that with people.

[She gestures to the room around them.]

I was gone for a long time, but I used to be on the Fleet before the Iskaulit turned into all this. The difference was amazing, when Stefan first showed me.

[mistyday]

Really? What did it look like then?

[hearsthesea]

It felt...empty. And sad.

[Mostly because of what happened to the Nunnilus aboard.]

But now it feels warm instead. I like it a lot.

[mistyday]

Me too - I think I spend more time here than on my own ship.

[hearsthesea]

That much? That's a lot of time!

[Not a bad life though.]

[mistyday]

Well yeah, between the gardens and the center, there's a lot of work to be done.

[hearsthesea]

That sounds busy! What kind of work are you doing?

[mistyday]

Oh, takin' care of the plants and helpin' Stefan keep the center in order and being here for people if they need it... don't really feel like work, really.

[hearsthesea]

You must really enjoy it, then. It certainly sounds like you're up to a lot, even if it doesn't feel like work.

[No matter how much Shirley believes in what she does, it still registers as work of some kind when she has to go discuss migration logistics with a monarch. Then again, this isn't quite so complicated as politics - or so she hopes!]

[mistyday]

I like feeling part of something bigger than myself, you know?

[hearsthesea]

I think I understand. But I have to be careful about it, for myself. It's good if you don't have to be.

[mistyday]

[Misty's brow furrows.]

What do you mean?

[hearsthesea]

Ah...

[Shirley looks a little embarrassed. Or frustrated. Or both?]

I've done things like that for the Ferines, back home. I wasn't very good at handling the pressure at first. But you don't sound like you're having trouble at all.

[mistyday]

The Ferines? Who're they?

[hearsthesea]

It's a little complicated, but that's what some of the people in my world call themselves. Ferines, people of the water, for our relationship with the sea. The name tells us apart us from the Orerines, the people of the land.

[mistyday]

Oh, okay, kinda like nations. What's your religion like then, if you don't mind my asking?

[hearsthesea]

Um...

[Shirley has to consider Misty's words for a second before responding.]

I suppose you could say that we're both, actually. The Ferines are defined by their origins in the sea and their obedience to the sea's will. The Orerines have several nations but we've have been spread out for a long time, but we've recently begun bringing people together again on the Legacy, which is considered neutral territory.

[mistyday]

Sounds like you got a lot on your plate.

[hearsthesea]

It's something I think about often. Even here...I've learned a lot that I might be able to use at home one day, seeing all these new places when we travel.

[mistyday]

[Misty always gets a little uncomfortable talking about the notion of going back but... that's hardly Shirley's fault.]

Yeah? What would you want to bring back?

[hearsthesea]

Everything I've learned about how people live together out in space, or even on the same planet. It's something we've been working on back home.

[Hence why she's always thinking about the people at home. She'll make it work, though.]

[mistyday]

Yeah? Us too, though we're not so good at it.