Wednesday Group Lunch

[latinumsbetter]

[Sometime mid-morning on Wednesday, the Eatery and Kitchen will suddenly be bustling with activity. First, the sounds of cookery start to trickle out into the hall, quickly followed by some delicious smells. If one peeks in, they might see Lebkuchen kneading dough while Cerejiera gives her some instructions on modern oven use. There are others chopping vegetables, and some point Ranma’s cooking something on the stove. Soon enough, food starts to come out and fill the table. Fresh bread and soup, various other dishes, as well as apfelstreudel and lebkuchen for dessert. To drink, there’s coffee (Vanity) and tea (Sayo) and some kind of fruity, delicious punch that combines peaches, grenadine and something almond-y, reminiscent of something familiar to at least one of you. At the same time, the table starts to be set up, plates and cups levatating through the air with alicorn magic while Aoi has been trusted with…the napkins. Once the table is mostly set, runners are sent out to invite (or strongly encourage, if needed) those missing to a lunch in the Eatery. Which is now for sure 100% safe from Rube Goldberg-esque accidents, courtesy of Alex.

So come in! Grab a seat, a drink, and some food. Time to get to know each other a little better.]


((BIG OOC NAVIGATION))

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Comments

[latinumsbetter]

You bet I am. [Quark's grins, widely, despite their situation] It's a force field!

[his head turns to the side, focusing on--]

Leb--hey, get over here!

[brokenhabit]

Huh?!

[ WELL. OKAY THEN. GETTING RIGHT IN THERE THEN DON'T GOTTA TELL HER TWICE. ]

[rockymountaindie]

[ HI LEB WELCOME TO THE BUBBLE ]

A force field? Sh- shit, seriously?!

[latinumsbetter]

Seriously! [the force field flickers a bit, and Quark makes a startled noise]

Ah, wait--quick, keep telling me things!

[brokenhabit]

[ She's still feeling panicky and confused but-- ]

Tell you things--?

[rockymountaindie]

I-I told him about my- [ Alex glances at his trembling, twitching hands, grimaces. ] A thing about me, an- and he told me ta breathe and this thing popped up, li- like—

I'm fucking terrified this whole place is gonna collapse on all of us.

[latinumsbetter]

Problems, or feelings, or thoughts, anything!

[he latches onto Alex's statement]

All things considered, I can't blame you, what with the robot busting through the wall. That thing's freaky! But hey, we're under the table, so if it does collapse, we're a lot safer than being elsewhere. Besides, as long as we keep this thing up--[he reaches out to tap the force field with a knuckle, and it shimmers, rippling in response, solidfying just a bit more as he continues talking]--it'll keep any debris out.

1/2

[brokenhabit]

[ Problems, feelings or thoughts... and sharing these is the way to keep them safe...

But what... what is she even okay with sharing? Usually she only ever shared those things freely with Elise and that...

...

It doesn't have to be huge it just... ]

I...

2/2

[brokenhabit]

...I miss my granny.

cw nerve damage

[rockymountaindie]

[ ...Oh.

Alex looks down at his trembling hands. Admitted in a tone that implies he's only saying this because Lebkuchen did first: ]

I...miss my parents.

[ He...doesn't really think he's ever going to see them again. ]

1/2

[latinumsbetter]

[...]

[latinumsbetter]

[okay there might have been a slight bit of panic in his face there for a moment, but Quark is nothing if not good at recovery]

Uh, okay, tell me about ‘em.

pulls out so much headcanon bc what's astralshift gonna do. personally tell me no???

[brokenhabit]

[ Right, okay. Just talk about granny. That's easy. And it'll calm her down while everyone else calms Omega ]

She's... not my granny by blood. I was left on the church shortly after being born, and she immediately took me in that same day. She never had any children of her own, and her husband had already passed that same year. She said she knew it was like... God had sent her an angel on the eve of his son's birth to cure her loneliness.

She even named me after the treats we eat during Christmas time.

mood and same it's our cities now lynsey

[rockymountaindie]

[ Alex looks at Lebkuchen. She's being vulnerable in ways he fears to. So, after a very, very shaky moment... ]

...They've always been, uh...supportive. Whatever I wanted to do, even if it was a...a stupid idea, they encouraged me. Got me books for my birthday to learn- whatever bullshit I got interested in. A- and...we never really traveled, but- but they told...relatives, friends, whatever, bring me back a souvinier. Nothin' big. Just a bunch of little knickknacks, but... I loved 'em. It was like seein' the world just in my bedroom. I...I don't think I ever really appreciated it. Not like I shoulda. Not until recently.

[latinumsbetter]

[And Quark...listens. They both talk about their family with affection, with love. And longing. There's something that lurches a bit in his stomach, feeling a tug in his chest, but he shoves that down and dismisses it.

Instead, he turns his attention to Lebkuchen, first.]

Are those some of those cookie things you made today? The ones soft ones? The treats, I mean.

[then, to Alex]

There's nothing like a souvinier. Which one's your favorite?

2/2

[latinumsbetter]

[Except, then, Quark’s eyes widen, and, telling them to hold that thought, Quark pulls Cerejeira down and into the force field with them, just as the debris comes down.

Fortunately, now that he's back in it, though the force field had flickered and wavered when his hand was out of it, it now holds steady, protecting the four of them inside it at the moment]

[murchada]

Ah--

[oh. hey gang. fancy meeting you guys here?]

Oh. Um.

...Thanks.

[brokenhabit]

[ OH. HI CEREJEIRA.

But um. Okay. Keep talking. Right. ]

Y-Yes, those are the ones. They're a tradition around Christmas but we make them all year long what with my name and all... I still remember learning to make them as a child and Elise trying to steal all the fillings.

[rockymountaindie]

[ Oh. Hello, Cerejeira. Yeah, join us.

Taking a moment to look at her all bug-eyed, Alex thinks, and- ]

Framed portrait of a bunch of dogs in different hats.

[latinumsbetter]

[first, to Cerejeira] Thank me later, we gotta keep this thing up right now.

[he turns his attention back to Lebkuchen.]

Elise? I don't think I've heard you mention her before. Who's that? [listen, maybe he did, he can't really remember right now. The point is to keep them talking, though he is paying attention as best he can.

At Alex's answer, though, he does look bemused]

A bunch of what in hats?

[murchada]

[keep what thing up. how is this going to help with the shield? whatever. she'll contribute to table talk.]

Dogs. They're domesticated quadruped mammals kept as pets.

[that's it that's all she's got right now]

1/2

[brokenhabit]

[ ...

Oh. Did she say Elise?

...

...

... ]

2/2

[brokenhabit]

Anyhow.

I'd like to hear more about the dogs in hats.

[rockymountaindie]

[ Looking from Quark to Cerejeira to Lebkuchen. Up above them the fight's definitely still going, and his mind's still racing a little, wondering how fast they could move if the robot gets knocked onto the table and breaks it or something like that.

However. As his gaze settles on Quark. ]

Space future must suck if you don't know what dogs are. They rock. My dad's co-worker got it for me. There's a corgi in a beret. An akita in a hardhat. I think it might be the best object I own.

[ Alex really likes dogs. ]

[latinumsbetter]

[*Quark will remember that. Anyway, turning his attention to Alex as the debris slides off the outside of the force field and onto the floor]

If it's a hyu-mon pet, I've got a bunch of other things I could think of that would make good pets in space than that.

What does the hat do for them, exactly?