lucetilogs | Happy Happy Turkey Day

Who: Marvel people plus friends. ~~I'm not even attempting to make this list out.~~
What: Marvelsgiving!
When: November 22, 2012
Where: House 49
Summary: It's Thanksgiving. There's a meal and socializing. Also fun.
Rating: PG, PG-13 max? A kid got invited to this.
Considering how last minute all of this had been, Pepper was actually pretty satisfied with how things were turning out. Rogue had shown up early with helpers in tow, immediately setting to work in the kitchen. The house had been filled with delicious aromas shortly thereafter, and Pepper busied herself with the other details until guests started to arrive--at which point part of her job became keeping people out of the kitchen, per Rogue's orders.

The set up was straightforward: the dining room table was used to hold the assorted dishes, where people could fix themselves plates. A similar set up with drinks (although please, don't give alcohol to the children). Chairs set out for people to sit, since there were too many to even attempt a traditional sit down dinner. But that was fine by Pepper, who made her way through the group, making sure everyone was happy, or at least not destroying part of her house.

Better safe than sorry, with this crowd.

(ooc: post! mingle! include whatever dish your character brought for the potluck and wait for them to be judged. and as always, have fun.)

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That makes him grin, albeit briefly, raising his glass to return the gesture. He's still worried - about Teddy, and now about her as well, considering how quiet she seems now - so... hm. Maybe he'll have to keep an eye on certain people during the holiday season. He doesn't care that much about Christmas, but he does care plenty about the people around him.

"You okay?" He lowers his glass, brows furrowing as he focuses on her again. He's one of the lucky ones here, after all- he's got Teddy, and Tommy- family. Not everyone has that.

Sigh. He caught on. She folds her arms, huffing out a fond sort of sigh, but she doesn't answer right away. She's deciding how much of the story to actually tell him. The last thing she wants is to ruin his Thanksgiving with a sob story that happened years ago.

"I'm fine, Billy. I don't celebrate the holidays because I haven't had anyone to celebrate with in years. I don't have any family." She doesn't seem or sound upset when she says it, though there is a sad sort of smile catching at the corners of her mouth and crinkling around her eyes. "But I've had a long time to get used to it."

He tries to keep a straight face at that - it's more or less what he'd expected, all things considered, but even so. He wishes that kind of backstory wasn't becoming so common with people he knows.

"I guess saying 'I'm sorry' would seem kind of empty, huh." He ducks his head a bit, feeling both worried and a little annoyed with himself for prodding at an unhappy subject during a holiday. She'd been there for him when he needed it, though, and it's true that she doesn't seem as upset as he knows he'd be. He's just surrounded by strong people, apparently... "What you said goes double for you, though- about not being alone here, I mean."

As fine as she seems - and she is fine, really she is - she's glad he hasn't followed up by asking why, or what happened. The detail is still something she'd rather not go into in-depth, if she had a choice in the matter. She's ... she's okay. She's dealt. But that doesn't mean it's easy, or will ever be.

His reaction wins him a moment of silence, and then a truly sympathetic smile. Unable to help herself any longer, she reaches out and ruffles his hair.

"Yeah, I know. Even if I wanted to be, I'm not sure you'd let me." Her smile quirks. "Guess I should be thanking you for that, huh?"

He does want to ask, admittedly - mostly because he looks for the opportunity to return the favour for all the support she's given him - but he knows this isn't the time or the place for it. In general he gives himself a case of foot-in-mouth syndrome at every opportunity, but occasionally he does have some sense.

He'll file it away for later, though. Just in case. The hair ruffling earns her a smile that is laced with the sort of irritation you'd only see on a pestered little brother's face.

"You don't have to thank me for that. You are pretty much stuck with us, though. If we do end up having some kind of party, you're definitely invited."

The look is not one she's familiar with. Only child, after all. But it stirs up a sort of affection in her that's a little foreign. It's almost a familial sort of affection - something she hasn't felt in a long time, not having anyone to direct it towards. But Billy Kaplan wins her over more by the day.

"In a way, it's just as good as having a family," she jokes in a quiet way. "Still get dragged to all the holiday functions. That's what family is for, right?"

"Congratulations, you've been quasi-adopted into the Kaplan family along with everyone else." His gaze drifts briefly around the room for any sight of Teddy (or, less likely, his brother, but that doesn't stop him from looking anyway). "Mutants, aliens, demi-gods and alternate realities welcome."

That....

.... makes the smile drop off her face as she looks at him in some surprise. She was kidding for a reason - you know, not actually being serious. But the way he phrases it strikes her. As if she's actually welcome in his family. She hasn't had a family in eight years.

By the time she recovers, she knows it's too late to cover for the slip. So she allows for honesty instead, her eyebrows drawing together over a faint half-smile.

"That's sweet. You really are like the little brother I never got to have."

...Okay, note to self- family is both a soft and a sore spot for her. His brows lift a little, forcing down the urge to ask again, and lifts his free hand to try (futilely) to fix the hair she'd ruffled earlier.

"I'll probably make you regret it later. Little brothers are more obnoxious than you know."

He's touched, though, that she didn't just brush it off. Not that he expected her to do so rudely (he's had enough of that from Tommy) but she didn't have to take it seriously in the least.

It's... nice. Good to know.

"I -- guess I'll find out." Her grin is crooked and her laugh is quiet, but it's all completely sincere. You might as well stamp her heart with the words "property of Billy Kaplan."

She takes it seriously largely because she just wants to. Because she's spent a long time without family and with zero expectations of ever finding anything resembling family ever again -- and being offered the chance by a kid as sweet as Billy is... it's too tempting to pass up.

Really, she's glad he's not laughing at her in turn. Since he could assume she's being kind of crazy and tell her it's not such a big deal and not to take it so seriously. But he's rolling with it, which means he's okay with it... right?

Either way. It makes her feel just a little like she has a place to belong again. A feeling she thought she'd never get back.

"I'm sure Tommy could tell you all kinds of stories about me as a little brother, but none of them would be very good."

He doesn't understand how much it means to her - he lacks that kind of experience, truth be told, and he really does take his family for granted sometimes, but that's part of why he's so free with these invitations. Family is important, so everyone should have it- even if it means sharing his.

To him, it really is that simple.

Happy Happy Turkey Day

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