so pile your boots up in the corner -- hang your jacket from the door

[herotypical]

Who: anyone invited to house seven's thanksgivingstravaganza -- as well as anyone walking by who might be curious about all the brouhaha.
What: giving thanks!
When: forward dated to november 24th due to predicted holiday hiatuses!
Where: house seven!
Summary: friends, food, fondness. family. festivities.
Rating: g for goin' up.

House Seven was decked out in soft oranges and browns. Gentle reds and yellows. The table was shoved up against a wall and dish upon dish of delicious Thanksgiving dinner-bits adorned it. Plates to one side, a pile of cutlery. Feel free to line up and pile your arms high with roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, carrots and green beans, cranberry sauce, sinful gravy. Stuffing. Steamed broccoli. The amount of food would almost be laughable had the guest list not been so long. Chatter abounded.

It was, by all accounts, a fairly casual gathering. No ceremony (Buffy, by this point, was all ceremony'd out after some fiercely dedicated meal-prepping) to stand on and no customs to keep. Just food and friendship. The only thing customary about Buffy Summers would be her delighted, enchanted grin throughout the evening. Very little pleased her more than a social event that was going well.

Mix! Mingle! Make merry!

(ooc; threadjack into oblivion and don't forget to add your character to the entry tags! have fun! note that this is forward-dated. i'll be tagging around myself later this evening. )

Comments

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"By God."

The admiral is shocked into standing, plate in hand. It is then that he notices the difference in Archie's height and other incidental changes to his appearence. Awkwardly he sits back down again. From this proximity it is clear what his happened, or part of what has happened.

"These past few weeks have been kind to you... Leuitenant?."

[unneeded]

That surprises him just enough that he meets Norrington's eyes briefly. "Midshipman.

...At the moment. S-sir."

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"Well you've plenty of room yet to excel, then, haven't you Midshipman Kennedy?"

It may be a paradox of sorts, but giving encouragement to the lower ranking young officers was actually something that he excelled at back at Port Royal. He saw it as the duty of an office to spur cadets on to greatness. At times he may have done a little too well at it. Those poor and terrified young men who thought him a friend as a result of this behavior were quickly corrected when, outside of the private spheres, beneath the eyes of other sailors, he regarded them as coldly as he did anybody else. For now, Kennedy had the appearance and the manner to fit his station and Norrington felt himself easily slipping in to old habits.

[unneeded]

Expectations. This is exactly why he was avoiding the admiral: talk about the navy, duty, ambitions, and how he's already achieved what Archie should want to achieve. He remains polite, uncomfortable, and nervous.

"Yes, sir."

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

The admiral, of course, remains oblivious. He has determined by now that the boy is acting strangely enough that something fundamental has changed in him. Not his appearance only, but something more.

"You look a strapping lad at any rate.

Although..

Perhaps a plate or two of the hostess' turkey would not go a miss."

[unneeded]

Oh, well. He gets that kind of thing a lot. The admiral having no idea how far he's already come, it doesn't bother him. "A plate or two it shall be, then, sir. Will there be anything else?"

He's not serious. He's getting that the admiral has good intentions, but it's still safer to get out before something goes awry.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

"Yes actually Midshipman, there is. I would advise that you be sure to...

... add a healthy amount of gravy."

The gravy is delicious.

[unneeded]

Finally, Norrington, you get a little smile out of him.

"Aye-aye, sir." He touches a knuckle to his forehead, lacking a hat.

[abidinglaw.livejournal.com]

Norrington imitates the gesture, if a little awkwardly. A moment of whimsy. It feels gratifying to see the boy smile - to have that small tradition of his own satisfied - if only for a moment.