And Let Us Gather 'Round [ Video + Action ]

[universal_charm]

Who: Kirk and The Fine People of the Fleet
Broadcast: Yes
Action: On the Iskaulit, Specifically at the Melting Pot - Note: After the Broadcast
When: After they start heading away from the system

Video
<sub>[ Kirk appears on the screen, and probably like many people he looks tired and a bit beaten up. Scratches not yet healed on his face, one even covered with a bandage on his cheek, that sort of drawn look around his eyes after all the sleepless nights and the battles and general horridness. A little to pale, perhaps.

Even so, he gives as warm a smile as he can as he begins to speak. ]</sub>

For those of you who might not know, I come from a world called Earth - or at least, one of the versions represented here. On my world, in the country I hail from, we celebrate something known as Thanksgiving roughly around this time of year if I've done my calculations correct. Some people call it Friendsgiving, but it's all the same really.

Essentially, it's a time to a give thanks for the good things in your life, your friends, and your family. In the spirit of that, I've arranged for a gathering at the Melting Pot - a thank you to Jarvis for that. Everyone who wishes to come is welcome.

I just thought we all could use a day, a place, to be together and to just enjoy each other. So I hope to see you there.

Action: The Melting Pot
<sub>[ The restaurant is set up to allow as much mingling as possible when people arrive - places to sit, of course, but there's gentle music playing for those who might want to dance and just to give some atmosphere (but not loud enough to stop conversation at all). Food and drink is laid out - things to nibble on rather than the usual feasts associated with a Thanksgiving. Not particularly ideal, but it's what could be managed. Unless, of course, anyone decided to bring something else to add to the spread.

Not a fancy party, to be sure, but it's warm and inviting, which is what Kirk had hoped for. A place for them all to come together and enjoy each other and just be glad they were all there and if not quite completely whole, then, well, able to be there. ]

[ooc: Open mingle! Feel free to create your own starters and do as you like - tis a warm Friendsgiving party for the Fleet! ]</sub>

Comments

Felix Gaeta

[scanninggaydis]

[Honestly, Felix sometimes has a curmudgeon's instinct to avoid parties altogether. Socializing in large groups really isn't his thing.

But this has been a month and the lure of food and alcohol is strong.

He hangs out around the drink and food for a while, where's he's certainly not averse to making conversation. Especially after he's had a bit to drink. Felix doesn't indulge enough to get sloppy but he's definitely.....drinking. Things have been rough. The more he drinks, the more he loosens up. He might even smile more.

Or he's a little further from the food, though probably with a drink still in his hand. Kind of a wallflower, watching people and maybe (just maybe) tapping his foot along with whatever rhythm the music's got going.]

[passingthrough]

[Kitty is hitting up the wall flowers. You've been targeted, sir!] So, did they have space Thanksgiving where you come from?

[scanninggaydis]

[Hi Kitty. He's at least a wallflower who doesn't look like he wants to actually meld with the wall. Actually, Felix looks pretty okay with things. Might be the alcohol.

He actually smiles a little more when he sees her coming.]

They really didn't. And I don't think anyone ever put together a celebration at the last place I was at. Christmas and Halloween, yes. And something to do with Canada. But not this one. Is it important?

[passingthrough]

[A smile? It must be her birthday too!]

It involves food so I'd like to say yes. I wouldn't dig too deeply into any of the background story though. It gets dicey fast.

...Canada? Really?

[scanninggaydis]

[It must be!

He's about to ask about that background, but then she distracts him with the question. He nods.]

I had a couple of friends that were Canadian. They put together a party one year...I think it was about independence.

Oh, and also for some reason we had a Canadian consulate building. No other countries, though. Just that one. [A short pause.] I never actually found out why.

[passingthrough]

Wow. You know, the prison had a section of the dome called "Little Earth" with food stations of varying nationalities and one of them was Canada. All the poutine you could eat. Maybe abductors are just big fans of Canada. Or they're pulling the strings.

[scanninggaydis]

[Felix actually laughs, just a little. Which...is possibly a little surprising. Especially since they're talking about their ambiguously-intentioned overlords.]

That's one theory, anyway.

What exactly is poutine?

[His Canadian friends didn't go too deep into regional foods.]

[passingthrough]

[She approves of laughter. Even of the dark comedy variety.]

It's fries with cheese curds covered in gravy. I promise I didn't make it up.

[scanninggaydis]

[Felix takes a moment to let that description sink in. It's definitely...a combination.]

Sounds...interesting. To each their own, I guess.

[Man now he really wants Eugene to be here so he can pull him aside and ask about this whole poutine thing.]

[bi_otic]

[Kaidan's glad to see Felix smiling a little. The last system had been bad enough and he knows exactly why, and this could not have been much better. The fact that he's here is relieving enough in it's own right, but the smile makes it even better.]

Hey Felix. Good to see you.

[scanninggaydis]

Kaidan. Hi.

[He's sort of at that fuzzy border of tipsy where the edges of everything are a little bit more obscured. Not enough to really make a fool of himself, but enough that Kaidan's presence just makes that smile a little more welcoming. And bigger.

He hadn't been completely aware of which ships stayed up and which went down, although from what he could tell once he got back into orbit, the First Breath didn't look like it had crashed. Still. He's glad to see Kaidan too. In one piece. And looking better than the last time he saw him.]

It's good to see you too.

[bi_otic]

It's been a hell of a month, hasn't it? [He'd known, though they'd maybe never put in exact words, that the last system was a struggle for Felix, and this newest incident couldn't have been much better for the other man. He'd had to focus his worries on making sure his own crew was safe, but now that it's over he only has to look around and see what it'd done to everyone else.]

How are you?

[scanninggaydis]

[For all that the last month was rough, Felix doesn't necessarily look it. Not the way he did after Lyuku (well...not that Kaidan was around to see that anyway.), tired and grumpy for at least a week afterward.

In some ways, Lato'li had been easier, at least in terms of the long-run impact it will have on him. Horrible in the moment, but less of an ongoing trigger. He shrugs, but it's with a continuing smile.]

Fine, really. Happy to be back in the air, of course, but...well, everything could have been worse, you know?

[bi_otic]

Yeah, definitely. I don't think they were counting on us having so many teeth. And the back-up from our friends made all the difference. That was a big risk they took, to help us out.

[And, though he's hesitant to admit it, it felt familiar to be back in a combat situation again.]

[scanninggaydis]

They really did.

[Felix doesn't expect that kind of altruism from people, most of the time, but it's hard to deny that the Interceptor fleet had stuck their necks out for them when they didn't really need to. At all.

He hums, tapping his free hand against his arm.]

You know, for such a disparate group of people, this fleet pulls together remarkably well in a crisis.

[bi_otic]

[Kaidan grins at that]

A crisis is usually when that kind of thing happens. Trust me, I've seen that kind of spirit in action. I've seen what it can accomplish. And despite being from different worlds, I think most of us are human.

[scanninggaydis]

[That gets another small hum from Felix, filled with what seems like consideration.]

I guess you could say the same for our fleet back home. There were way more civilians than there were military, but people still made do.

[...Of course, things also fell apart easily, but he's trying not to be a downer. Not at this party, not right now. Felix does enough of that in the regular course of his life.]

[mongoosecrow]

[Gil has his own drink in hand when he comes over to Felix and offers him a friendly smile. He had promised Felix he would drop the flirting, so he's careful to only appear platonicly pleased to see him.]

Hey man, glad to see you.

[scanninggaydis]

Hey.

[Felix smiles back at Gil. His posture is loose, relaxed. Far more laid-back than either of the previous two times they've talked. He tilts his head to the side a little, taking Gil in.]

Nice to see you too. How are you?

[Considering all of the past month. Gil looks okay. But looks can be deceiving.]

[mongoosecrow]

Happy to be back in the void, and still in one piece.

[scanninggaydis]

Shit, you went down too?

[For a moment, Felix's expression slips to concern. Maybe a little more than he would normally show. Gil's been kind to him, after all.]

I'm glad you're still in one piece too.

[mongoosecrow]

Same to you. Were you on that planet?

[scanninggaydis]

[Felix nods.]

Bad luck, really. My ship didn't go down, but I was visiting a friend when the attack came.

[mongoosecrow]

Oh fuck. Yeah, the same happened to me. I was on a shuttle when it happened.

[scanninggaydis]

[Whoops, still concerned.

...This isn't really cheerful party talk at all but. Oh well.]

By yourself? Did you manage to land near a settlement, at least?