Generic Winter Gift Giving Holiday

[asthehawkflies]

Who: Marvel cast+invited guests and dates
What: CH5 Floor 5 hosts Generic Winter Gift Giving Holiday, in the spirit of cooperation, inclusiveness and good food.
When: December 25th
Where: Community House 5, Floor 5
Summary: Pepper and Tony held Thanksgiving, now it is Floor 5's collective turn to host the party for Christmas/Hanukkah/Yule/whatever those crazy Midgarians celebrate anyway. Hopefully everyone will survive.
Rating: PG-13 because alcohol




[It seemed only fair that since Pepper and Tony had hosted the last holiday, that someone else host this time. And since they kind of had an entire floor, the inhabitants of Floor 5 had bravely and nobly taken the task upon themselves to create a party that they could all share.

The doors are propped open to try to give them enough space for mingling, with a Christmas tree set up in Clint's living room, presents laid out beneath it. And maybe he's been a bit enthusiastic with the decorating, because it's kind of weighted down with tinsel and baubles, but it's been more than twenty years since he last had a Christmas tree and people to spend it with. Everyone else has added their own personal touches too, with a menorah in the windowsill for Ben and Billy.

The place of honour on the couch is taken by Coulson, wrapped up in blankets and Clint has helpfully hung a sprig of mistletoe over his head with string because he is thoughtful like that.

The kitchen is laid out with food; there's the traditional turkey which they'd managed to prepare (Clint is rather proud of that), and a ham. Oddly for some perhaps, there's also a large fish in the middle of the table, the carp that Clint and Natasha have spent the last week keeping in a bathtub. There are, of course, assorted cakes and pies, vegetables in bowls. There's drinks too, mulled wine and hot cider and chocolate. There's also a plate of sugar cookies labelled 'Coercion Cookies'. Not to mention the food that Ben and Billy made which he doesn't know the names of but smells amazing anyway.

It's a somewhat chaotic affair; people arriving and leaving as they please, gifts given out whenever it seems appropriate and games played whenever there's a group big enough.]


[OOC: Feel free to have people drop by whenever they like, even early if they want to help prepare or discover large fish in the bathtub.]

Comments

Henry

[theboywiththebook]

[Christmas day, oh boy, his day really would have sucked if Natasha hadn't invited him to a Christmas party. After all, he's alone with no family. The best he could do would be sit at home and not cry his eyes out at not being able to see his family. Plus lets not forget the dead rabbit corpse he got as a present from some horrible person.

But considering the overall mood of the party and the awesome gift he got from Santa he's forgotten his depression for today. Right now he's kind of wandering about the party, weaving in out between the taller guests (because everyone's taller than him.

At times he can be found getting a plate load of food and eating it all.

Others, he's sitting off by himself.]

Re: Henry

[widows_kiss]

[Natasha almost bumps into him one of the times he's weaving through the guests, lifting her mug above his head to keep from spilling anything. She gives him a warm grin, glad to see him here.]

Henry, you made it! I'm glad you came and joined us.

Re: Henry

[theboywiththebook]

[Well, what was he going to do? Sit at home?

But he smiles up at her.]

Thanks for inviting me, Natasha!

[No, really. He's extremely thankful to be somewhere other than alone.]

Re: Henry

[widows_kiss]

[She reaches out and ruffles his hair, giving him a warm smile.]

You're welcome, kiddo. I have something for you, by the way.

[She crooks a finger at him, beckoning him towards the tree where she pulls out a slim package and hands it over. It's not fancily wrapped - just in simple brown paper with a red ribbon, but inside is a translated volume of Russian Fairy Tales. She looks a little uncertain to be handing this over, because some of the tales within aren't exactly Disney-rated, but...]

These might be a little different from ones you've read before. And I can't tell you if any of these are real or not, either. But these are some of the stories I remember from when I was a child.

Re: Henry

[theboywiththebook]

[Is everyone ruffling his hair today?]

I got something for you too.

[Following her to the tree, he takes the present that she hands to him, but he pulls out his own for her. She's getting a fabulous red scarf inside this poorly wrapped present.

But please, Natasha his book has an evil queen ripping people's hearts out. This is fine.

Looking down at the now opened present, he smiles.]

Thanks, Natasha! I'll read them right away.

[Well after the party. It'd be rude doing it in front of people.]

Re: Henry

[widows_kiss]

This is for me? [She smiles as she opens the present he'd handed her, letting her fingers rub lightly against the fabric of the scarf.] It's wonderful, Henry, thank you. It feels very warm.

[She grins when he opens the book, chuckling quietly.] There's no rush. You'll have to let me know if you like any of them.

Re: Henry

[theboywiththebook]

Yeah, I thought red would be your color.

[Because come on, red seems to be one a big theme with Black Widow.]

Absolutely.

Re: Henry

[widows_kiss]

[She grins and twines it about her neck to see.] What do you think? Is it?

[theboywiththebook]

Of course.
[He's not going to say why of course. But his reasons have been well founded.]

[revoltndevelopment]

[Ben's stepping half back from the counter with a fist full of mugs of cider to pass around when he notices the kid. No one he knows, but he figures someone invited him. He grunts a soft 'scuze me' and turns a bit before kneeling down to offer him a mug.]

Cider, kiddo?

Want me to avoid fourth walling, Ben?

[theboywiththebook]

[Staaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare. Long stare. Oh gosh is this who he thinks it is? Just more staring before, oh wait mug of cider being offered to him. Uhhhhh...]

It's not apple is it?

[He doesn't mean to sound rude...but he's had a bad experience with apples.]

4th wall away!

[revoltndevelopment]

[At this point Ben's used to the staring. And gawking. At least the kid isn't scream'n, he'll give him that much.]

This batch is, yeah. Think we got some pear cider warm'n on the stove if you'd like that more.

I shall do so than ;3

[theboywiththebook]

I would actually, please.
[Why would he scream? This is amazing. But he looks for a moment, wondering if he should say something before...yup he will.]

You're Ben Grimm, the Thing in the Fantastic Four, right?

[revoltndevelopment]

Should be done in a li'l bit. I'll bring ya a mug when it's done.

[He shifts the mug back into his larger hand and grinds to a stop at that question. He is kinda distinctive.]

Lemme guess. Comics, right?

[theboywiththebook]

Thanks.

[But he's not sure if he's hit or nerve with Ben or not. Still, the kid keeps smiling.]

Yeah, I've read a lot about you and your team.

[revoltndevelopment]

So...not the comics and news from my world then. Huh.

[He blinked a few times- one thing to hear it from Chun-Li, another to hear it from a kid. He processes this for a moment before shrugging and offering him a smile.]

Y'got good taste, then.

[theboywiththebook]

No sorry.

[Because he's pretty sure Ben's world doesn't have fairy tale people that really exist.]

Thanks, I try.

[His mom was the one who used to buy those comics for him anyways.]

[revoltndevelopment]

It's a li'l weird to think about- but I guess it makes sense. Don't think I'd want too many of me walk'n around every version of reality.

[He frees up a massive hand and offers it to Henry.]

Nice to meet ya kid.

[theboywiththebook]

Yeah, that could get confusing if there were a lot of you.

[With the hand offered to him, Henry extends his own out and shakes Ben's.]

Nice to meet you too. My name's Henry.

[revoltndevelopment]

[Ben's careful to be gentle with Henry's small hand when he shakes it; nothing new there, even if he's a bit more careful with kids than he is with adults.]

You been in this village long, Henry?

[theboywiththebook]

It's been about two months since I got here.

[revoltndevelopment]

All settled in, then. No one's been giv'n you trouble?

[theboywiththebook]

No not really. Everyone's been nice. Though there's someone that seems a little bit strange.

[And by strange he's extremely wary of.]

[revoltndevelopment]

...strange funny, or strange 'better avoid them before they make trouble'?

[Ben tried to keep an eye on the journals for anything rough. Anything odd. But in so large a village and with such a limited scope of monitoring what happened it's possible he's missed something.]

[theboywiththebook]

The second.

[He's still making his judgements on Loki.]

Something just seems off.