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

[passingthrough]

[She smiles at his name.] Jarvis is a good guy and the best chef.

But I'm sorry to hear that. It can be a weird transition without anyone you know around. Okay, it's weird even if you do have people you know.

[rebuildyourruins]

It is indeed. Though I would not have expected to find them in a place like this. Unlike me, they do not travel beyond their world.

[The fact that Thor was already in the far-flung reaches of the galaxy made his abduction more likely, at least to his mind, than those who stayed on Earth.]

[passingthrough]

[She smiles at that.] Was that a humble brag?

[rebuildyourruins]

It's the truth.

[Maybe a little.]

But I have since learned that it does not matter where someone was before being taken here. It's likely that this Fleet is beyond even the parts of the universe I know.

[passingthrough]

Mmhmm. [Amused.]

It's the equal opportunity body snatcher. Dealing with the multiverse and full time continuum here. I've met plenty of other X-Men from different realities. People who look like people I know, but aren't exactly.

[rebuildyourruins]

So I've heard. I already know that Jarvis is from earlier in time than I am. And there are strange things said about the length of time that can be spent here.

The X-Men?

[passingthrough]

My team. We're a group of mutants who fight to protect people. In Billy's world the Avengers and the X-Men co-exist.

[rebuildyourruins]

I haven't heard of mutants before. You speak of different versions of our worlds, then?

[It sounds far-fetched, even for someone like him. Yet even a couple of weeks in this place is forcing him to reconsider what he knows of the laws of the universe.]

[passingthrough]

That's right. I'm from Earth. Just not the one you're used to.

And mutants are... [She casually runs her arm through the back of a chair as if it weren't there.] people born with a genetic mutation that gives us powers.

[rebuildyourruins]

[His eyebrows go up at the display, reminded of both Loki and Vision.]

So I see! Is it some form of illusion, or are you really moving your hand through the chair?

[passingthrough]

[She was so annoyed at Vision for having her power. It was more unique at home, but no, she comes to these places and suddenly it's like everyone's fourth power down a long list of powers.]

Actually moving through the chair.

We don't all have this power. There are lots of different ones.

[rebuildyourruins]

[It makes sense to Thor at least - of all the people he's known, both Asgardian and otherwise, few tended to have the same abilities.]

The nearest I have seen on Earth have been Enhanced persons. And I understand that they were not born with their abilities, so it sounds as though mutants are quite different. I wonder if they do exist in our world, and we merely don't know it.

[passingthrough]

I've wondered that too, but the weirder part is that Wanda and Pietro are from my world too and they're mutants there, so... figure that one out and win a prize. [She did wonder if the experiment only activated their X-genes, but it's hard to know.]

[rebuildyourruins]

Those two? [That doesn't make sense based on what he knows, but she did say things didn't match up.] That's definitely not what they are where I'm from. It's odd that some things remain the same, but others change.

[passingthrough]

No kidding. Trying to apply logic to just makes my head hurt. [She gives a little shrug.]

So, what's it like to be Thor, son of Odin? I haven't heard much about you.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Hoo boy, what's it like.]

Well, these past couple of years I have been living on Earth, working with the Avengers. It was a full time job, so to speak.

[passingthrough]

Yeah, the team stuff really can be. Overly full. [Her world was full-on, non-stop war, but she's gotten some idea of what it's like for other teams in less dark places.]

Where was home before that?

[rebuildyourruins]

Asgard, where I was born and raised. It's another realm, far from Earth.

[passingthrough]

How is Asgard different from Earth?

[rebuildyourruins]

Earth is a lot bigger than Asgard. And the whole globe-- [He mimes a spherical shape with his hand.] --aspect, Asgard isn't like that. It exists on a flat plane.

[passingthrough]

Huh. Like you can fall off the edge? What's on the bottom?

[rebuildyourruins]

If you were to fall off the edge of Asgard, you would simply fall into space.

[He's seen it happen before. He doesn't much want to remember it.]

It isn't entirely flat - it extends below in a sort of inverted mountain. It would be a rare person who would try to cross the edges of the world, though.

[passingthrough]

The part of me that is a physics nerd wants to ask so many more questions about that. The part of me that knows this is a party will let you off the hook for now. [She gives him a smirk.]

Have you done a Thanksgiving before or is this your first?

[rebuildyourruins]

My first time attending, yes. Though I've heard about it from Jane and the others. I didn't think my first Thanksgiving would be somewhere like this.

[passingthrough]

I didn't think any of my Thanksgivings would be somewhere like this, but it's becoming a thing.

Who's Jane?