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

[stefanged]

Maybe, but they've got good reason for hating people like me.

[He still remembers Sascha, and the blood that trailed across the floor on the Iskaulit hallways. As long as vampires thirst for blood, and as long as they can't control that bloodlust? There will always be someone ready to stop them.]

Can't say I blame them. I also can't say I trust the entire Fleet with the truth.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash shrugs.] You're the first vampire I've really met so I don't see why anyone would have any reason to hate people like you. Although if they only know the vampires I've seen in stories or the one that had that glitch awhile back? Maybe?

But I doubt they'd also want someone to judge them from just one other human that they met. Everyone is different after all.

I've heard of some pretty awful humans from Earth, but that doesn't mean I dislike all humans. Vampires, ghosts, and ah... creatures? [He's really not sure what he might find on the fleet after all.] I figure should be the same.

[Vash is careful not to include himself in the group when talking about humans.]

[stefanged]

I suppose so. [Headtilt.] Hey, I don't mean to be rude, but...

Every time you bring up humans, you don't include yourself. What do you call people from Gunsmoke, anyway?

[For all he knows, Gunsmoke has a different name! They could be entirely different species!! Stefan could be impolite for assuming that a human is a human everywhere.]

[goldenglasses]

It's not rude. [Vash grins like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar, but knowing they're too cute to get in too much trouble, as he scratches at his cheek with his finger.

Stefan was one of the first to call him out on his careful wording.] And no, they're called humans on my Planet. It's more because I'm not exactly human. Like, at all in fact.

[stefanged]

Oh.

[In hindsight, that explains a lot of unexplained weirdness. Stefan feels like he should be more surprised. He really should be, but they've both been playing human this whole time.

So he just reaches for another radish.] Well, your secret's safe with me too.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash gives a lazy one shoulder shrug.] Well, I'm not really sure not being human is secret these days for me. More of a how do you bring it up in conversation kind of thing. It's not like I have people who would try a kill first, questions later approach. At least I don't think so...

[Shoot him for his bounty? Yes. For being a Plant he was more likely to be feared and run from or worshiped.

He would leave it at that, but as Stefan was trusting him, Vash decides to try to explain what he is. As hard as that is sometimes.] I haven't found anyone among the fleet who have even heard of what I am. You're from a version of Earth, right?

[stefanged]

Right. My Earth's a little weirder than most people's, but human's still the default.

[He's seen his share of creatures: sentient animals, bugmen, angels, demons, half-ghosts, and of course, vampires and werewolves. That said, he has a sneaking suspicion that he hasn't heard of whatever Vash is.]

Is... is your species unique to Gunsmoke?

[goldenglasses]

And how are the natural resources on your Earth? Have they run out or coming close to it?

And ah, no. Actually myself and humans aren't native to Gunsmoke. We ah, kind of crash landed there.

[Vash sighs and gives Stefan a moment to see if he can put two and two together. Not being native to his home due to some kind of crash on the planet and asking about the health of the Earth.]

[stefanged]

[Oh. Shit.]

After your native planet ran out of resources...? [He's guessing, and he's not sure he's putting the right numbers together, but he's gonna try.] But you're not invaders. I mean, it doesn't sound like you're much for conquering one.

[goldenglasses]

[His math isn't too bad for not having the full equation.]

After the Earth ran out of resources. [It's a gentle correction because Stefan had been really close.] The humans created Plants to try to fix the situation.

Think of them a bit like terraformers. Able to create just about anything humans need to survive, but there was too few of them too late to save the planet.

So, they sent a small fleet out to search for a new home. We weren't intending to invade and in the end we ended up on Gunsmoke because-- [A beat.] Due to an accident. Besides the native wildlife we were at least lucky that there was no native people to think of us as invaders.

If your Earth is healthy then it's unlikely that you might have heard of Plants. I'm not the same type the humans created, but was born from one.

[stefanged]

So you're a Plant, or a descendant of a Plant?

[Stefan mulls on that a little longer, folding his arms and forgetting all about the radish. It doesn't seem so important anymore.]

My Earth's rebuilding. It's not as healthy as it could be, but we were invaded by another species. Correct me if I'm wrong, since I haven't heard of Plants, but that... makes you like a guardian spirit, right?

[goldenglasses]

I guess descendant or evolution would work. [Vash really doesn't sound too sure of himself. Mostly because he's really not sure.

But he stops that train of thought with a snort of laughter. Trying to quickly compose himself. Vash the Stampede the one they call a natural disaster a guardian spirit.]

Sorry. [It was probably rude to laugh, but he couldn't help himself.] But no. Not a guardian spirit. More like a useless terraformer. Seeing as I don't really do anything but wander here and there. Now the real Plants. They're more like guardian spirits. Creating the water and food people need to survive.

[stefanged]

[He's gonna grip Vash's shoulder, right after he hears the word 'useless.']

You're anything but useless, okay? Sure, you're on more bounty posters than I've seen in my entire lifetime, but you've got more than enough potential to be one.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash smiles. Appreciating that someone else finds at least some worth in himself.] Useless as a terraformer. I have no idea on how to do what the other Plants do on my own.

As a person? I'm anything but useless. [He grins cheekily.] Have you seen the way I've made up this salad? Where would you be without me? Much more delayed with getting this masterpiece ready.

[But then the goof-ball confidence is suddenly replaced with goof-ball scepticism and doubt.] And, the bounty posters really don't bother you, then?

[stefanged]

Good. We've got enough self-esteem issues around without adding more to the pile.

[He breathes a sigh of relief, letting go of his friend's shoulder.]

Not as much as they should. Let's just say that you're not my first friend to get in trouble with law enforcement.

[goldenglasses]

[Vash has enough self esteem in himself. He just thinks it's more important for others to live over himself. Also, that his world probably would have been better off if he was never born, but that's not a self esteem thing! Right?]

That's good! Er, that they don't bother you not that your friends had the same problem. And I swear most of the ones you saw were misunderstandings!

[stefanged]

Uh-huh. I'm sure they were.

[Stefan also has zero room to talk, given the whole vampire-thing. Yet the sarcasm is overflowing from his lips as he reaches for the now-finished salad bowl.]

Thanks again for helping me out. This looks too good to eat.

[goldenglasses]

They were! [Those ones he's thinking of at least.]

And I don't know if you need to go that far. It's just salad.

[stefanged]

My ex-girlfriend burned water, remember. Anything looks amazing in comparison.

[goldenglasses]

Good point. Compliment accepted then.

Anyway, this dinner thing really does seem to be pretty successful. You going to go out there and enjoy it or are you going to hide back here the whole time?

[stefanged]

I'll be out in a minute. [He's gotta make sure everything's going well in the kitchen!] Go ahead and enjoy yourself too - and if I'm not out in exactly 60 seconds?

You've got blanket permission to grab me.

[goldenglasses]

Alright. I'll time you. [Vash taps at his wrist where he's not wearing a watch with a wink.

Okay, so he won't be back in in sixty seconds on the dot, but he will be back in to drag if needed.] You have sixty seconds startingggggggggggg- [He heads towards the door.] NOW! [And off he vanishes with a wave.]