75 Godiva Street, Thanksgiving Day, Thursday Afternoon

[geniuswithasmartphone]

It was Thanksgiving! The house smelled amazing too, like roasting turkey and sage and simmering apple cider and baking pies. Eliot had outdone himself in the kitchen this year, whipping up the creamiest mashed potatoes, the fluffiest stuffing, and even the crispiest egg rolls Hardison had ever seen. His own contribution was a platter of the croissant-variety Hot Pockets in various flavors.

Look, his TA had requested them and he was gonna provide, dammit.

Now they were finishing up the last few dishes, setting the table, and preparing for a delicious Thanksgiving meal. Not every member of their assorted families could be here today, but every person who was here was family in their own way. For Hardison, found family was infinitely more precious than people just related by blood. Each person had chosen to be here, to be part of this, and--

Shut up, he wasn't getting all misty-eyed. It was the dust. It got all up in his allergies.

[Up super-early I know, but holiday-related SP expected in a big way and also timezones! Sorry to anyone confused, but this post is definitely set for Thursday, Thanksgiving.]

Comments

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

Yeah, Dante still felt kinda weird? About being here?

But he wasn't showing it, showing up in jeans and a ragged t-shirt with an easy smile on his face. "So what's for dinner?"

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[geniuswithasmartphone]

If Hardison felt it was weird for Dante to be here, his smile didn't suggest it. "Sup, Dante," Hardison greeted, holding his knuckles out for a tap. "An', yo, it'd probably be easier listin' off what we ain't eatin'. I think Eliot emptied out three grocery stores worth of food for this."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

You had to answer an offered fistbump. It was only polite. So Dante, super-polite boy that he was, did just that.

"I wanna say he needs to chill out, but if it means more food, I'm good with that."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Tryna tell Eliot to chill out about food is like tryna tell Parker not to lift diamonds," Hardison said, shaking his head fondly. "Sure, you could, but it ain't worth the effort. Plus in the end, food."

Beat.

"An' diamonds, technically."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"...Which you can sell for more food, I guess."

Dante hadn't the faintest clue what the hell to do with a diamond.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Aww, hell no," Hardison said with a quick shake of his head. "Nobody touches Parker's diamonds. I like not gettin' stabbed with forks. Or tased."

Was he being serious? Was he just messing with Dante? Who knew?

(Serious, he was being totally serious).

"Parker just likes collectin' diamonds. She uses 'em to decorate the tree for Christmas?" There was an audible shrug in his voice. Hardison had loved Parker for years, but that didn't mean he always understood her.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"She steals diamonds to put them in Christmas trees," Dante said dubiously. "Okay. Guess that's a hobby."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"She steals diamonds cause she's a thief and they're shiny," Hardison said. "She puts 'em up in Christmas trees just because she really, really loves Christmas."

...Hardison was starting to get the feeling that Kathy hadn't exactly briefed Dante on the crew's past lives before bringing him to dinner. Hoo boy.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"Don't really get the point of stealing shit just because it's shiny, but all right," Dante said.

He didn't actually care enough.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[vdistinctive]

"All the classics," Eliot said. "Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, creamed onions, green beans, got some ham, cranberry sauce, hell of a lot of pies -- and a whole bunch of crap that ain't traditional but should be tasty either way."

If you can't find something to eat in all this, Dante, Eliot might have to hit you.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"... Did you reach inside a Thanksgiving special and steal all that shit?"

Don't mind Dante. He'd never had a real Thanksgiving meal before.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[vdistinctive]

"Well sure, that's how all cooking happens."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"What?" Dante said, shrugging. "Kathy said you were nuts about cooking, but there's nuts and fucking nuts."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[vdistinctive]

"Mostly it's for Kathy and Hardison," Eliot said. "They're both leanin' pretty hard on 'big family dinner' this year."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"It's important to Kathy," Dante allowed. "Really important."

He probably would've passed on this if there hadn't been crying.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[vdistinctive]

"Well, it's her first big holiday since she got back from LA," Eliot said. "She lost her bio family, so she's hangin' on hard to this one. Can't really blame her for that."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"I know."

He'd heard the whole thing rolling out of her mouth.

"That's why I'm here."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[spin_kick_snap]

"More sushi," Kathy said in an undertone, just loud enough for him to hear. "And bugs. The whole reason I wanted to bring you was to make you get stuck eating things you'd never try at home."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"If there's bugs, I'm out," Dante said, eyeing her.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[spin_kick_snap]

"Bugs and vegetarian entrees," Kathy said solemnly. "That's all there is tonight."

Kathy, Dante could literally smell the turkey roasting.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"You're a fucking troll," Dante told her.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[spin_kick_snap]

"You like me that way," Kathy retorted, all big smiles and sass. "If I were a wallflower, you'd've been bored in minutes."

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"Think there's a big space between 'troll' and 'wallflower', Kat," Dante said, smirking.

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[spin_kick_snap]

"Ennnnnnhhhh," Kathy said, unconvinced. "Besides, who do you think helped me hone my troll game years ago?"

Re: Arrive and Mingle

[rebelseekspizza]

"Anders?" Dante tried.