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

[all7seas]

"A week," he said softly, trying to find a way through that abrasiveness. "Annie. Just a week."

And by the end, the Malnosso would give him his prize: a delicate, beautiful ring set with a jade stone, because her fingers were still bare, and it had been far too long. It would match her eyes.

[herotypical]

"A week," she turned her head. "And if it's a day over? I'm stringing you upside down in the woods from one of your own snares and leaving you there."

[all7seas]

"A week," he stuttered in return. "I promise."

[herotypical]

"What if you hadn't stayed over tonight, huh? Then when would you've told me?"

...Buffy clearly had a lot of feelings about this issue. She would work through them in a truly bipolar fashion. Incredulity in one moment -- concern in the next.

[all7seas]

"I didn't want you to worry. You had the dinner to get up, and the party, and...new housemate."


Buffy always finds out, and she hates finding out at the last minute.

"You think I would've gone off without telling you?"

[herotypical]

"I'm beginning to think you would've told me as you were going off. Which is -- Jack? I can handle news. I'm a news-handler. Things don't get half as bad here as they do back home. I'm a big girl. I can take being told things in a timely manner. And all those things I said in the kitchen about next week..."

Well -- there was the problem. She had built the coming days up in her mind. Gave them a golden tinge of time spent together and enjoying each other's company.

"...I wouldn't have worked the room so much, tonight. Would've stuck closer. Would've made better use of the time."

[all7seas]

"No. No, I intended...I intended on tonight. I wouldn't have done that to you." He tried to coax her back down into the bed. Jack wanted comfort, not words. "There's time right now that we could be making better use of, don't you think? Archie's ball, Buffy? I've told you. I'll be there."

Possibly it would involve doubling the work he could do in the week he would be gone: try to get an early release.

[herotypical]

She was gradually -- eventually -- coaxed. Staying close.

"Right. Time. The right-now kind of time. You. Me. Time." Always an important subject. Always something to capitalize on.

[all7seas]

"Tell me about this dress of yours," he whispered, playing with a lock of her hair; reaching out to touch the ring that hung around her neck.

[herotypical]

"...That'd ruin the surprise. Spoilers. You'll have to wait."

These small touches helped calm her down. "The only hint you get is that it's from Archie's time. So...still futuristic, to you."

[all7seas]

"I'll just try to imagine it then, hmm? And if they allow it, I'll write to you, love."

[herotypical]

"I'd like that.

The writing. Not the...imagining. I'm kind of scared to imagine the imagining."

[all7seas]

"Why?" He reached down to tuck the blanket more firmly around them: a warm cocoon. "You don't want me dreaming of you, nights?"

He'd done so much of that long before she'd ever given him the time of day.

[herotypical]

"Oh. Dream away. I'm just not sure I want to hear about them."

She found her most comfortable position, tucked near and draping her arms around him. Facing him. Keeping up that dialogic spirit in spite of all else.

[all7seas]

"I'll take that as you granting your permission, shall I?"

[herotypical]

"You so don't need my permission to dream. Just -- try not to dream too grandly. The real deal might end up paling in comparison."

[all7seas]

The pirate kissed her forehead. "Never." Perhaps, now, all was forgiven. "You'll hardly notice I'm gone, I expect. Would you mind terribly watching Hector for me?"

[herotypical]

"...A week? Oh, I'll notice." She had noticed all the other weeks, hadn't she? Buffy wasn't exactly appeased but she wanted to take his advice and make better use of this time.

"I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind one bit. Should I bring him out here? Or..." Do you need a house sitter, too?

[all7seas]

"That could be your choice. Cullen House would...probably be fine." The octopi had made no move since that fateful battle, after all. "He likes it here. Likes seeing Cupcake."

[herotypical]

"I'll swing by every day or two to make sure your water stores don't go the way of the ice-cube. At least...at least I hope it'll be warmer, wherever they send you."

[all7seas]

"Bugger that water tank," he grumbled. "You're magic, Annielove. Thank you."

He had had no second thoughts about the decision to go off and earn her gift; it was painful to realize how the mission might affect his house, though.

"Don't know about warmth; I expect the very ropes will be frozen."

[herotypical]

"...Leave it to me. God. What is this -- I'm not a stay-at-home Slayer. This feels eerie. Sending you off into high adventures while I'm--" She shook her head and twined her fingers up in his dreads.

"I don't like it. I need to register my supreme dislike of this. Noted?"

[all7seas]

"It wouldn't be proper for you to go." With a hrmm of contentment at that touch, Jack closed his eyes. Buffy, going along on the very mission that was to earn her lover the ring he meant to give her? "It's for me to do."

[herotypical]

"...Not proper?" That piqued.

"Excuse me if I'm not gonna take my propriety lessons from you."

[all7seas]

"I've more of an inkling of propriety than you likely ever suspect of me, love. Besides--I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, aren't I? High adventures are my ideal circumstance.

I'll need something to wear to this ball, I expect. You an' Lizzie an' Kennedy and the rest all sparkling and fancified and all..."

There would be no time to procure anything, of course. Not now.