[PRP] Thanks-A-Plenty [END]

[Snoofington]

Who: Anita Bishop, Cruz, and Tango (ex o ex Snoof) & Duncan Clarke, Mordekai Kantor, The Petites, and extended family (Rookeries)

What: Thanksgiving Dinner

Where: Duncan's residence, on the border of Durem and Barton

When: Starting around 3PM and heading into late evening.

Weather: Autumn chill with a low breeze, shifting sporadically between lightly overcast and clear skies.

------

The set up in the car was much different from the last time Anita had driven out here. Once again she needed Cruz to help her with directions, due to how long it'd been, but this time he was seated in the back of the car. One of the croc's arms was draped across the shoulders of the driver and passenger seat, acting as a block to the space between so that another occupant wouldn't get excited and try to take get up front. After being given the invitation, which Anita deemed gracious given the three of them would have otherwise spent the holiday alone in the apartment while her mother and the rest of her family visited one another deeper in Durem, she checked with Duncan to make sure it was alright to bring yet another guest on this venture.

In the back, seated with Cruz though lacking a buckle, sat Tango. He'd long since tired his excitement from highway hypnosis and resigned himself to sitting still and leaning against the door to stick his nose out of the small space of open window Anita afforded him. When they turned onto the country roads, he pulled away to look around panting and Cruz gave him idle pets and scratches while helping Anita navigate. The front passenger seat was occupied by a twenty-four pack of Heineken, a large ziplock of assorted left over Halloween candy, and another full of cookies shaped and decorated like Autumn leaves.

The turn off to the long driveway took less time to find than their initial visit, though Anita's weight upon the gas lessened nearly to a stop at the sight of how many vehicles were gathered out front. Her own holiday gatherings included extended family and friends but even the one she was currently missing would likely only include grandparents, aunts, her uncle, and a few of their significant others. Cruz and Tango both took time to glance around as they pulled up and Anita found a clear spot to park. His ponytail was tied low and slung over one shoulder while Anita's twin braids draped across her front. She hadn't felt motivated to dress for the occasion, simply donning a loose black zip hoodie, a dull red tank top, faded jeans, and sneakers. The frei was a little more decorated, though not much; his hair was tied with an eye catching orange ribbon and he nixed the standard bandages on his arms as well as the gold top to his usual outfit. Over top was a thin brown v-neck with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, that matched the Autumn theme with an overlay of leaves across the chest. Tango was also decorated in a brown bandanna over his collar that had an assortment of cartoon turkeys and slices of pumpkin pie.

"You got him?" she smiled back at the two and Tango was quick to take the opportunity and lick her face, which she quickly rebuked with a loud raspberry.

Cruz nodded, smiling as he folded up the directions and tucked them into the sleeve on the back of the passenger seat for later. His hands quickly rolled up the end of Tango's leash around his left arm while his other rested on the door handle. Once Anita opened her door Cruz followed and lead the dog into the grass. He eagerly shook off and stretched his legs, though kept still and watched as Anita moved to the passenger side and collected the case of beer and piled the bags of sweets on top.

Closing the door with her rear after making sure it was all locked up, she lead her two charges to the front door and gave a few enthusiastic knocks. Despite certain past events and the apprehension that came with them, she was eager for the change in atmosphere. It would be good, too, for Cruz to spend more time with ones as little as Jerri and Jillette, even if he wasn't technically a child himself (Raevan age abstractions aside). Moreover, she was decidedly eager to acquaint Duncan with Tango, as well as anyone else present who might appreciate the dog's presence. She'd talked with Cruz about it as well, before hand, and while he had his own worries he was far more eager to meet them in pleasant company than stew on things out of either of their control.  

[Rookeries]

The preparations for the evening were hectic, but in the end, things tied together rather smoothly. Duncan was still struggling with backaches, and though Mordekai had to pull a lot of his weight in the effort as a result, they ended up with a clean, deceivingly spacious looking house and more food than they had planned for. If so many of their guests hadn't taken into account the household's love for meat, the night was going to be a fairly boring ensemble of ham, turkey, potatoes, pie, and green beans.

By the time Anita had arrived to the scene, most of the other guests had already shown up, and Duncan was already preoccupied with entertaining and acclimating what guests there were to the drinks and sitting stations. A crowd of the more fancily dressed were gathered around the couch: Rebecca and her children sat on one small oat couch, while Johan, his girlfriend, and her parents and grandparents crowded around another, with their possessions completely covering the coffee table in front of them. In the backyard were a group of men huddled around a grill to fend off against the looming cold; their voices and eager laughter echoed through the surrounding premise.

Duncan began to ascend the stairs-- much to the annoyance of two women, who grimaced anyhow and said their apologies-- he heard knocking at the door. He paused mid-step and glanced over at the women, eyes wide.

"Ah-- Jocelyn, did somebody knock?"

"I think so," replied Jocelyn; she was a mousy woman and the smaller of the two, her hair a distinct, bright purple. Rebecca rose from her couch and walked past the stairs, causing the amethyst-haired girl to glance apathetically toward her direction. Rebecca looked back at Duncan, her hand on the doorknob.

"I got it."

Duncan nodded and resumed rushing upstairs. Rebecca swung the door wide open and grinned pleasantly at the triad, though she offered some skepticism afterward when she noticed Tango was with them. She moved out of the way of Anita and Cruz, however, and allowed the warm lighting of the room to flood past the threshold. Even from here, it was evident that cups and bottles of varying labels, from innocuous cider to stouts, lay strewn about every nook and table of the house. Several smells loomed in from the kitchen, which was obstructed by a wall: garlic, faint cinnamon and nutmeg, and the pleasantries of roasting meat.

"It's nice to see you again, Anita and Cruz. And your friend there, too," she offered a strained smile to Tango, then a stiff handshake to them both. "Come on in."

Both Jerri and Jillette poked their heads out from behind the stair framing. Jillette and Jerri immediately started to bubble with smiles, and ran over to where Rebecca was: Jillette was wearing a cream chiffon dress with a brown shrug, while Jerri was in a suit of similar hues.

"Hi, hi, hi!" Jillette beamed, "You came, you came, you came!!"

Just then, the sound of a roaring motorcycle ventured in from the horizon, and Mordekai stuck his had out of the kitchen. He looked surprised at seeing Anita and Cruz there, then confused, but he offered a haphazard smile and wave nonetheless. "Good day, ma'am," he sounded, then laughed, "Brace yourselves, that bike's gonna be loud."

And loud it was-- as it neared the house, the volume increased, until it came to a sudden halt with a rev. A figure in a leather jacket and helmet laughed while Dr. Mancinelli, the doctor from the hospital, clinged to dear life. The doctor immediately took off her helmet and released a strained, stressed sigh.

"Never again." she took notice of the three, her brows upturned, "Are we at the right place?"

As the doctor hopped off of the motorcycle, the jacketed figure took off her helmet and offered the three guests a tired smile. "I'm sure of it. Hey, folks, what's cooking?"  

[Snoofington]

Rebecca greeting them at the door, though only the second time to occur, seemed standard. Anita and Cruz both smiled, though the crock kept his reigned back and calm. Her own was bright until she noticed the stiffness of Rebecca's handshake but she couldn't recall if it had been that way the last time too or not.

"Thanks," she laughed, stepping inside first to make room for Cruz and the dog, "It's nice to see everyone again, too."

Jillette's enthusiastic greeting pulled a laugh from Anita and she held her free hand out to the girl as well, "Hey, sweet thing!"

The low rumble of the approaching bike was noticed though paid little mind by the new guests, save for Cruz, until Mordekai called attention to it. Anita was quick to lock eyes with him when he greeted and laughed, her own smile and laugh a bit delayed as she gave him a short once over. It'd been a long time, so she wasn't completely sure, but her gut told her it was him and if that was the case he was looking much improved from the gazebo incident. Not staring for long, Anita grinned and turned to look out toward the driveway as the bike approached. Cruz did the same, though he drifted further back into the house at the unfamiliar mechanical sound that almost seemed to roar.

Anita closed her eyes, nostalgic as she hadn't heard a sound like that for several years. "Dang, that's got a nice rev," she mumbled to herself. It was a bit disappointed the motor cut so quickly and she was unable to hear it idle but the arrival and greeting of the two women was met with an eager smile. Neither she nor Cruz knowing what was on the menu, though, she gave a short shrug before turning back to Jillette and leaning down to give her arm a quick wiggle while holding her hand.

"I'll be right back, I'm just gonna drop some stuff in the kitchen."

Cruz smiled as well, to all of the arrivals and surrounding people, while clinging to Tango's leash. He rolled it tighter around his arm, carefully pulling the lead so it had less slack and the dog was kept closer to him. Whether Anita had picked up on it or not, he was sensitive to body language and could tell immediately Rebecca wasn't so keen on the animal's presence, even if it was subtle.

"Can Tango run in the garden?" he turned to Rebecca for permission, hoping the gesture might calm her, and Cruz held the lead aloft to indicate who he was speaking of.

In that time, Anita had shuffled past the frei further into the kitchen and looked for an empty enough spot to deposit the bags of cookies and candy. If eyes were locked with anyone she gave them a quick smile and nod, regardless of recognition. Her attention wasn't on anywhere in particular as she adjusted the large beer case in her arms and approached the fridge, asking anyone who was close and free enough to answer. "Y'all got room for these Heinies?"  

[Rookeries]

Jillette practically overflowed with delight when Anita offered her a hand. She took it eagerly and rocked her feet-- Jerri offered Anita a smile and waved, his 'hello' difficult to hear over the din of the house.

Dr. Mancinelli and the woman walked up to the porch as Rebecca pressed her hand to her chin. She backed up to allow Anita, Cruz, and Tango to enter-- her two children stared in awe at the wolfdog, with Jerri quickly walking towards him with hovering hands.

Rebecca nodded and waved Anita off and faced Cruz, "Jerri, be sure to ask first-- but um, you should be able to, I don't see why not." She turned back and strained her neck to look around the bend of up the stairway, which Duncan was promptly-- and slowly-- climbing down, with a pack of lightbulbs in tow.

Duncan was immediately able to discern Cruz, and laughed happily, his expression brightening as he walked toward the Frei and his companion. "Cruz! I'm so glad you could make it. Anita already told me, but I didn't know he would be so big!" His remark was a complimentory one, and he was obviously pleased by his presence. Rebecca pat his two childrens' backs to excuse them, and while Jillette ran off, Jerri remained with Cruz and the adults for the time being.

Duncan exchanged brief word-long exchanges with Dr. Mancinelli and the jacketed woman before turning his attention back to Cruz and Rebecca, who waved as well. "Cruz was wondering if Tango could run in the garden," she noted, "And Anita's over in the kitchen if you're curious, by the way."

"Oh! Great. And of course, of course-- Tango's free to go anywhere in the house. A few of the boys are in the back, but I need to replace some of the lightbulbs on the lanterns, so," he gestured toward the lightbulb pack and turned around, "Follow me, Cruz."

As Duncan made his way toward the backyard, making sure to step over bags and other items, the doctor and her company eased their way into the kitchen. Her company took off her jacket and wrapped it around her waist to reveal a white wifebeater that was tucked into her frayed jeans. She let her hair loose and waited patiently for Anita to finish her business, as the kitchen entrance and area were narrow due to the island in between.

"Y'all got room for these Heinies?"

Mordekai's back was initially turned away from Anita and was tending to several pots heating over the stove. He turned back and offered Anita a nod and smile, which widened upon seeing a familiar face just behind her. Once he turned around fully and stood straight, it was evident that he was much, much thinner than before, though his stocky arms were covered by his long sleeves. He was suddenly self-aware of the fact that he was wearing an apron titled 'Kiss the Cook' quite loudly on the front. Though he couldn't quite recognize who Anita was, he grinned stupidly at th sight of brand new Heinekens, and swung the fridge open. Save for a few cartons of milk, juice, and water, it was surprisingly empty.

"Plenty of room in the fridge, thank-you-miss. Hey, Felicia, she's my new favorite," he added, poking fun at the biker, though the woman offered a mere shrug and swung her arms wide. The doctor watched as Duncan held the backyard door aloft for Cruz and Tango, with Jerri and Jill-- who strayed away from the kitchen upon seeing so many more people-- just behind them.

"You bring anything?"

"I brought Jin. The doctor, not the liquor-- don't get your hopes up," she offered; she laughed, then nodded sincerely. "Other than that, I might have s'more stouts on the bike. I'll bring it in from the backyard, yeah?"

"Now, this ain't a competition," Mordekai offered, "But yeah, that sounds good." The lightbulb fixtures in the backyard started to blink with light, and Mordekai glanced at them, only to find Duncan fiddling with the lanterns.

"Actually, help Duncan with the lamps first. He's strainin' his back again-- but back door's open whenever you have time for it. Come back here so I can greet you proper, alright?" Felicia nodded and went on her way, and MOrdekai faced Anita then, noticing now the other treats she had in her hands.

"Sorry about that, but-- wow, thanks for the treats." Mordekai offered her a hand, "Have we met before? My memory's kinda s**t, I'm sorry."  

[Snoofington]

Jerri's presence was noted upon Jillette's retreat and he offered the boy a gentle wave before his attention was snatched back by their mother. The frei eased at Rebecca's response, nodding as he followed her gaze up the stairs. Cruz's eyes brightened as Duncan called his name, the happy sound causing his rune to flare and his smile to gain more tooth. He was patient, smiling and waiting quietly as he and Rebecca exchanged, watching when he spoke to the newcomers whom he offered simple smiles and nods to if they looked his way.

"Thank you," the croc rumbled pleasantly before looking in the general direction he assumed was the back as Duncan referred, and then down at the lightbulbs in his hands. With the gesture, Cruz nodded and gave a soft click of his tongue to gain Tango's attention before they started moving.

Tango was roughly the height of a German Shepherd but he lacked their natural bulk, built more for speed and athletics than heavy protective training or work. Being in a new place with so many people caused the dog to pant nervously but his tail wagged at the gentle approach of Jerri's hands despite them not yet touching fur. He licked his chops and followed along with Cruz's direction as the three of them formed a short line to the back door. While Cruz could float right over any given obstacle, Tango waved a little along with the old man.

When Mordekai turned and smiled, Anita offered the same and gave a slight adjustment to the box of cans again as if to illustrate she wasn't referring to a more comical collection of heinies. The difference in weight went unnoticed. It'd been too long for her to have anything to offer proper comparison towards, his face being the only thing she held meager recognition for. To be sure, the sight of the fridge being empty enough to take a whole twenty-four pack on a gathering like this was a huge surprise but she grinned gratefully and offered a quick thanks as she moved to hold the door open with her rear while pushing the box inside.

"Nah," she shrugged at his thanks, closing the door and turning to face the new addition -- Felicia. Anita gave an exaggerated pfft at the start of their exchange as she tucked one hand into her hoodie pocket while the other arm held the bags of sweets crooked at her side.

Her attention was grabbed when Mordekai mentioned Duncan, following his gaze to the older man instinctively, and though she smiled upon first seeing Cruz and Tango with him (as well as the presence of both children) it was quick to falter at the mention of his back trouble. That alone caused a bit of a delay when Mordekai's attention was brought back to her and she looked nearly dazed for a split second before he offered his hand.

"No problem," she chuckled, giving a surprisingly firm but short shake. Her brows lifted curiously at the question but, rather than take offense, she laughed. "Very briefly. It's all good. I'm Anita, I ran into you and Duncan back at that garden party." Just in case his memory was fuzzy of that event too, since she did recall him having a few drinks at the time. "s**t, I think that was last July. I am not surprised," she chuckled while adjusting the bags and splitting them between her hands. "Anywhere for these?"  

[Rookeries]

He reciprocated his half of the handshake with firmness as well, curiosity stamped on his face. "Garden party last year, huh?" he laughed nervously and shrugged, "Yeah, I believe you, I guess I just had a busy year. Too many things to keep track of. S'nice to see you again, though, for sure-- bad memory aside."

He raised his brows at the bags of candies and cookies. "Uhh... Good question..." He glanced around the kitchen area-- all of the counter space was chaotically covered with paper plates and plastic utensils, and several ingredients were strewn about. Cloth covered the areas where the food would be plased, and the sink was halfway to the wall with dirty dishes and other supplies. Mordekai nevertheless pat an empty corner of the kitchen island, where four kilns of sweet potatoes laid bare. A bag of opened marshmallows sat in front of them.

"This is probably the best spot for now. I'll put them on plates when we get around to dessert," he closed his hands and stared at the sweet potatoes, then to the oven, where a meticulously browning trio of turkeys and glazed ham were. "Hope you're hungry, 'cause I think everything's almost ready, but I need to get these sweet potatoes ready before puttin' them back in," he glanced back at Anita, "Hey, sorry, I know you just got here, but would you mind toppin' these sweet potatoes off with some mallows while I take the birds out?"

Mordekai propped the kitchen window open. By now, Felicia had successfully replaced all of the bulbs, and the boys, who were already rambunctious, were taking active notice of Cruz and Tango's arrival. Duncan thanked Felicia before the woman went out the back door to retrieve the remainder of her things. Though Mordekai struggled to lean over the kitchen counter to look out the window, he managed to catch his friends' attentions nevertheless.

"You need something, Kantor?"

"Yeah. Tell the kids to come inside and take care of the marshmallows, I gotta get the sweet potatoes in. Ribbon-legs is welcome, too."

One man, who was roasting hot dogs over the grill, waved his hand toward Mordekai. He ushered a quick 'got it' before facing Cruz and the chidren, who by this point had asked the Frei if they could play with Tango. Though the man wasn't quite aware of of Cruz's name, nor neither of the childrens', he called out to them with a clear voice.

"Hey, you three, Mr. 'Kiss the Cook' needs you over in the kitchen. I'm hearing something good about sweet potatoes and marshmallows."

Jerri looked up (and away from Tango) toward the man, curious. "Are we going to eat marshmallows for dinner?"

Jillette giggled, but the man looked between Mordekai and the children, then shrugged. "Yeah, he gives you full permission to eat marshmallows for dinner. But you gotta play with them first."

Jillette tugged on Cruz's sleeve-- "Let's go! Cruz, do you wanna go?"

Rebecca, meanwhile, took the time to relax back onto the couch. Duncan talked to her briefly before moving toward the kitchen to give Anita a gentle tap on the shoulder, grinning.

"Anita? It's so nice to see you!"  

[Snoofington]

Another shrug was given in response to his own, keeping her grin in place despite the man's nervous laughter. She knew what he meant, what kept him busy, but on the surface he seemed to have a good disposition -- Anita was relieved.

"Yeah, same for you," she offered him a quick pat on his arm before they started looking for a place to set the sweets and, before long, they settled for a spot. "God, I'm starving," she scoffed, slouching low as if the hunger was too much. All of the smells in the kitchen were mixing and only adding to the bubbling feeling in her gut as her stomach threatened to grumble. As he explained, she craned her neck and surveyed the sweet potatoes while nibbling her lip.

"Gotcha covered," her hands quickly removed the hoodie from her shoulders and tied it around her waist. The thin spaghetti straps of her red tank top barely covered equally thin black bra straps across her pale shoulders that carried only the barest amount of freckles. On her right arm, just under the ball of her shoulder, was a long, jagged scar that wrapped around halfway and ended abruptly. The mark was difficult to discern on her pale skin but its complexion was a bit darker and the skin shiny; it was new. At the mention of 'ribbon legs', she sputtered, covering her mouth with a hand to stifle the awkward squeak.

Cruz had lead Tango out into the grass before unclipping his leash and immediately the dog took to sniffing about the yard and its nearby plants. For now he didn't venture to near the gaggle of men surrounding the grill but he did glance to them and sniff the air. Of course the kids were given permission to touch and play with Tango and he soaked up their attention eagerly, tail a wag while he panted with squinted eyes. Once he got used to their scents, sniffing their fingers and shirts, he was more than eager to dole out sloppy kisses to their cheeks and hands.

He raised his head along with Jerri and Jill to the man who called them. With them distracted, Tango took the opportunity to sniff about the garden and find a place to relieve his bladder for the first time since they got in the car.

"Marshmallows," Cruz purred, smiling to the children. He'd never eaten them but on the rare occasions Anita had some they smelled very delicious. "Yes, please," he beamed, folding up Tango's leash in his hands before holding one out for Jill to hold. The three made their way back toward the door, though Cruz took a short detour toward the men to deposit the leash on the ground near their chairs and ask if they would keep an eye on the dog while he was occupied.

Duncan's light tap while Anita'd started getting ready to work caught her by surprise and she gave him a pleasant exclaim as she turned. "Hey, man!" she offered one arm carefully around his shoulders for a hug, mindful of his back, "Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. How are things?"  

[Rookeries]

Jillette practically skipped alongside Cruz once he began venturing back into the home. The men were eager to look over Tango, and when a few of them took notice to him taking care of business, they chuckled among themselves and moved onto other discussions. They applauded when the sound of the creaking back yard signaled back in Felicia, who held two amply-portioned cartons between both of her arms.

Mordekai took notice and quietly hummed with delight. He looked back at Anita and sighed with relief, "Hey, thanks. Looks like those three are comin' in, so you only have to take care of one. Do whatever you want, we're in mixed company, some might like the mallows, some might not."

Mordekai returned his attention to the other feast necessities once Duncan stepped in. Duncan took notice of Anita's scar and grimaced at it, though he maintained a cheery disposition nonetheless. "It's no problem at all. Any gathering we have here, consider yourself invited-- most everyone here aren't blood relations. Just friends.

"But things are fine all things considering," Duncan laughed, "It's been busy, so busy, there wasn't any real time to breathe after Kahadlok. How are things for you?"

The doorbell rang again, and Rebecca immediately took to it. Jerri and Jillette managed to squeeze their way toward the kitchen premise. Though the two children were both now enrolled in middle school, their height and stature were deceivingly small, as only their heads were visible from the kitchen island surface. Mordekai quickly took up a pair of kitchen mitts and opened up the oven compartment, which billowed with second-hot air that wafted through the kitchen.

"You four give me a minute. Birds an' a pig coming through," he addressed toward Anita and company-- he quickly pulled out the two platters of impressively sized turkeys and paced to the counter, where he placed it at the center of the cloth-draped table. Aromatic steam plumed off off of the poultry and ham; Mordekai muttered a quick 'excuse me' to get to the fridge, where he pulled out a Heineken for himself and a bowl of honey glaze for the ham.

He took out a glazing brush from one of the cupboards and quickly began marinading the ham-- he looked over at the pots and quickly popped the lid off one, then glanced at Johan, who remained sitting and talking from where he was when Anita had entered the house. "Hey, Jo, rice is ready. You want green onion in it or what?"

"You can't eat green onion, can you, sha," Johan tugged at a jacket sleeve of the woman next to him, who was as casually dressed as Anita; she shook her head. His manner of speaking was vastly different from how he spoke to Anita a year ago, though his mannerisms seemed no more lighthearted. "Skip 'em. I still don't get why you made a whole pot."

"'Cause it ain't just for you, alright? No green onions, though, shame, but I got you." Mordekai turned off the heat to the pot and transferred it to the counter as well-- it was the second biggest pot of the lot, standing at just below two feet. He whipped around to readdress Jillette, Jerri, and Cruz, however; the man, who stood at just above six feet, found some bemusement in the children grabbing at the kilns of sweet potatoes.

"Careful, they're hot. I'll grab some stools."

"I'll--"

"Stay where you are."

Mordekai circled around the counter to grab a few stools, two sets hugged awkwardly between his arms. He set them down around the kitchen island-- it was now getting difficult to walk around the area-- and he lifted Jillette and Jerri up to them, respectively, though it came at the giggling complaints of Jillette.

Duncan remained standing, though he blinked dumbly at the fourth stool around the island. "Cruz, pardon, but are you... going to use that stool at all?"

Just as he asked, though, Rebecca and a quartet of other people crowded into the living area. He as beckoned over, and he hurriedly turned back to greet the five, though it left Mordekai staring incredulously at the new guests while waiting for the two children to settle into their seats.

"How am I even going to feed-- you know what," he shook his head. After placing the kilns in front of the four designated designers, Mordekai folded his arms, then rested them on top of the kitchen table.

"Okay, so you four are just gonna decorate these as best you can, alright? Make 'em pretty. Just don't tower the marshmallows on top of each other, please and thank you."

He turned to Anita. "I'm gonna leave you in charge while I go check on the backyard, alright?"  

[Snoofington]

Duncan's encouragement of her continued presence felt wholly unprecedented and for a second all she could do was give a short laugh, mouth hanging open with a wide smile. "Thank you," Anita offered his shoulder a gentle pat as she pulled away, "You know that offer goes both ways." The old man's kind laugh was infectious and she was easily distracted from the work Mordekai was doing behind them, but she was mindful at least to keep out of his way.

Her smile kept up until he mentioned the forest from a few months ago, the source of her scar, but she refused to allow it to drop completely. "Yeah, same. Just gettin' back into the swing of things. Holiday snuck up on me. It's been fine, though. I had a wicked sunburn on top of it all so that was fun." Anita gave a rather animated shrug just about the time Cruz and the children arrived, both of whom she greeted once more with a bright smile.

They were all careful to move or otherwise adjusted in order to accommodate Mordekai's movements with the new dishes. Anita crossed a bit of the distance, taking Jerri's side while Jillette hung onto Cruz, and settled with the three of them in front of the kilns just as Mordekai called over to someone in the room she hadn't gotten an introduction for. At least, that was what she thought, until she glanced up and put two and two together; he looked familiar but she'd barely gotten a good look at him in the hospital, not to mention his demeanor was different, but the voice struck a cord even if it didn't carry the anger and distress it had before. Her gaze lingered on Johan for a second or two after they stopped engaging one another, though she made sure to look away before their eyes met -- even if just barely.

She and Mordekai were on the same page with Jerri and Jillette. Anita made a quiet oop sound, reaching gently for both of their wrists while he gave his warning. She smiled and giggled as Mordekai deposited the children in their seats and offered her thanks before settling into her own.

Cruz remained close, hands resting upon the stool idly, but he made no motion to sit as it were. He turned at Duncan's question, staring blankly at him and then down at the seat. A wry grin coiled his features as he looked the man in the eye and he gave a monosyllabic chuckle. "No," he adjusted his hands to carefully push the stool closer to Duncan.

Anita looked up when the new guests arrived as well, offering them pleasant but short smiles. Her attention was quickly snapped back to the children, sweet potatoes, and Mordekai as he leaned over and gave instructions. One of her hands flattened and she gave a lazy salute, With that, she looked back down to the assortment of marshmallows they had. Truth be told, she'd never been tasked with this before so she wasn't sure where to start but she was also grateful for the opportunity as it provided a positive distraction if she was going to be left "alone", in the barest sense.

"How do you guys wanna do these?" she asked Jerri and Jillette, plucking a few small marshmallows in one hand, "Can you teach me?" It was then she noticed Cruz's attention had been pulled away toward the window, watching Tango who had taken to rolling in the grass. She gave a quick, sharp whistle to get his attention back, which succeeded, and she nodded toward the kilns, "C'mon, Christmas Carol, pay attention."

"Sorry, Nita," he smiled apologetically and floated closer, resting one hand daintily on Jill's shoulder to overlook what she was doing.  

[Rookeries]

It was obvious that Mordekai was pleasantly surprised when he went over to the backyard, Heineken in hand. Through the still-open kitchen window, the sound of eager salutations and laughter filled the air. Anita's sharp whistle sent Mordekai's glance gravitating towards the direction the kitchen area, then over to Tango. The group of men around him knowingly started laughing, and Mordekai-- after having set down his Heineken, announced joyously: "HEY, PUP," before kneeling down to pat his knee and call him over.

Jillette and Jerri, meanwhile, focused on the task put forth: they eagerly grabbed a handful of marshmallows and began decorating. While Jerri was focused on lining the edges, Jillete was haphazardly putting the marshmallows in random places.

"They're going to be flowers and butterflies," Jillette began-- she looked back at Cruz and Anita with a smile, "Like in the gardens! I wish we had different colors, though..."

Jerri stared emptily at his now-completed marshmallow border, then stared enviously at Jillette's kiln. "I don't know what I want to make," he replied, articulating every word carefully. He turned to Cruz-- he felt it was better to ask another boy, at least, for his advice. "What-- what are you going to make...? I'm not going to copy, I promise..."

Rebecca and her group managed to settle back down, and Duncan was free to go. Jocelyn and the other woman walked in from their place at the stairway, and leaned against the wall-- they were obviously waiting for the food to be ready. Jocelyn moved closer to the counters and leaned against a free spot on it, her eyes scanning the sweet potatoes to make out any recognizable designs. Nothing so far.

"Hey, Jill, Jerri," she called out, "What are you guys doing? Are you finishing up the sweet potatoes?"

"Yeah," Jillette replied, then spun around to face her, "With Miss 'Nita and Cruz!"

The other girl walked over. She was hard to miss-- she wore a bright yellow cardigan with black pants, and she flashed a wide smile at the kitchen group. "Hey."

"Kashi, they're decorating the sweet potatoes," Jocelyn fit snugly around Kashi's arm, "I think it's going to take a little longer. I'm so hungry..."

"Really? Nah, it's not going to take that long. Marshmallows take, what, five minutes to bake in the oven?"

After Mordekai finished doting on Tango-- offering him head scratches and all-- the main attendant to the grilling station turned to the side and nudged MOrdekai slightly on the back with his foot. "Hey, Kantor, brisket and hot dogs are ready to go. Should we take it into the house?"

Mordekai looked over and nodded toward the backyard door. "Yeah, should be a place next to the birds. Food's gonna be ready in another ten minutes or something, just a word's up." He stood up and grabbed his beer-- he still hadn't taken a single sip.

Though Mordekai hadn't told him to, the boys took it was a reason to flood back inside of the house. There were five men in total, as well as Felicia and Dr. Mancinelli-- the men were dressed in varying degrees of jeans, worker's shoes, shirts, hats, and flannel. As they walked in, each of them carried a platter of meat a cargo-load of beer and liquor. Hot dogs, brisket, ribs, stout, ale, and beer made their way into the already 'cozy' and tightly populated house, as did a parade of eager greetings and merriment.

"Foooooooooood," the tallest whispered, "Wow, that isn't nearly enough sweet potatoes. Who's in charge here?"

Mordekai shouted from the backyard, "You stay away from them, Farrer."  

[Snoofington]

Before Mordekai made his entrance out back, Tango had properly integrated himself into the first several yards of the garden. He had some pollen and tiny leaves clinging to the fur on his back and he'd approached the table more than once to sniff at everyone, engaging in sloppy puppy kisses and enjoying whatever attention he was given. Mordekai was the first one to call him over specifically, though, and after a second or two of staring while the man pat his knee he bounded on over to inspect. He smelled like all kinds of different food and Tango took big, deep whiffs of his shirt and hair when given the opportunity. Any chance he got he tried to lick Mordekai's fingers and get a taste of what he'd been cooking.

Anita giggled at Jill's response, watching attentively as she strewn them about in seemingly random order. Jerri's border was looking nice, as well, and Anita rolled a few marshmallows between her fingers as she pondered over her own kiln. She was sorely tempted to arrange them in the shape of a butt. No, no, not this time, though there certainly could be worse things. Anita snickered to herself and started trying to do a border like Jerri, though hers had a slight zig zag.

The raevan rumbled approvingly of Jillette's choice in designs, not yet having taken any marshmallows for himself. Jerri's quiet question gave way to another grumble as he pondered it over, fingers fidgeting idly. "Not sure. Mmm -- smiles," he decided, giving one of his own. Yes, just a large arrangement of various smiley faces seemed appropriate if this was meant to be a happy holiday and Jillette already had the nature portion covered. Experimentally, Cruz took a small handful and began carefully arranging them into a small half circle accented with two spaced out dots above. "Like that."

Jocelyn speaking with the children made Anita smile but she didn't look up from the kiln until Kashi gave her greeting, which she returned. She couldn't help but laugh at Jocelyn's comment as she reached for another handful of marshmallows. "I am too," she held her arm out towards the two women, ready to plop the marshmallows into their grasp, "A little snack won't hurt."

Once the boys started gathering in, Anita glanced their way and spotted all of the other food that would be available. Instantly her eyes zoned in on the plate of ribs and she followed it all the way to the table without stopping the movement of her hands and the marshmallow arrangement there of. Without missing a beat after Mordekai's call, she whipped back toward the window and stared at him as though he'd personally betrayed her. "You didn't tell me there were ribs!" She was really starting to get hungry now, a light headache threatening to set in, but it looked like things would get underway soon so she took it in stride. Still, it urged her to hurry up on her decorating and, before long, there was a nice little attempt a collection of five pointed stars of varying sizes.

When her hands were cleaned off, she stepped around the kids and Cruz, taking the frei's shoulder with a hand as she passed. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna grab Tango's food crap from the car." He nodded without looking up from his own canvas. Cruz's movements with decoration were slow, seemingly precise, but it was a much sloppier result compared to Anita's or even Jill's despite the simple design choice.  

[Rookeries]

Jocelyn smiled brightly at Anita and took the marshmallows, handing an equal amount to Kashi. "Haha, thank you! I haven't eaten anything all day. It seemed like we were driving everywhere today."

Kashi said quick thanks to Anita before scarfing down her marshmallows. Soon enough, Jillette and Jerri had finished their sweet potato kilns. Jillette's were flower with varying numbers of pebbles, and Jerri had made his a fairly organized checkerboard patterns. It was clear that both of them, for one reason or another, were proud of their creations. The children also marvelled at Cruz and Anita's designs.

"Pretty," Jillette exclaimed; she giggled and pointed at Cruz's kiln, "Cruz! This one looks like you."

Mordekai was able to hear Anita from the backyard. He yelled an intentionally ugly laugh. "Sorry to drop that on ya!" He entered the home again and quickly untied his apron, though he had a difficult time wiggling out of it with only one hand available, as he was adamantly holding onto his beer. He walked over to where Anita and company were, and inspected the sweet potatoes with marvel. He grabbed some cloth off of the table to pick them up and place them into the oven, two by two-- he managed to pick up Cruz's last, and he stared at it, brows furrowed in confusion.

"The one over there looks like Cruz!"

"What?" Mordekai searched around for the bed of sweet potatoes.

Jillette shook her head. "No, you're looking in the wrong place! That one," she knelt on the stool and pointed at what she deemed to be Cruz, and Mordekai laughed.

"Okay, I see it-- you guys go and get your seats." He put the last of the sweet potatoes into the kiln and stopped Jerri and Jillette from simply hopping off of the already slightly precarious stools-- he lifted them up and placed them down again, one by one, so they could skip over to where their mother was. He quickly scanned over the kitchen and living area to make sure that everyone was present, only to find Anita missing.

"You know where Anita is?" Mordekai glanced at Cruz-- he noted that he didn't really know that Ribbon-legs' name was, but that was a conversation for at the dinner table. Kashi stood up with Jocelyn, and they walked into the kitchen, observing the remaining three pots still on the stove.

Kashi clapped her hands together. "Alright. Anything we can do to help?"

"Get the mash, stuffing, an' green beans over to the counter. Corn bread's already there, so's corn, cranberry sauce already there, alright, we got this. Hey Farrer!"

One of the men looked back at Mordekai-- he was seated at the edge of the couch. "What?"

"Get everyone outta the way and get the table in here, would you?"

"Got it." Just as Mordekai ushered the order, a few of the other men began asking the others there to leave-- they complied readily, but didn't quite know where to go, and the living room was momentary chaos. Duncan perked up from talking to Johan and quickly rushed over toward the fridge to grab more refreshments, as the only things available now were the stouts and ales. As that was being prepared, Mordekai pulled out the last dish of all-- the sweet potatoes, in their orange-and-white glory-- and placed them at the very edge of the counter. There were only smatterings of cloth now visible past the dishes and entrees.

Mordekai took a sip of his beer and wondered, privately, why he wasn't hungry, and he stared out back towards Tango again.  

[Snoofington]

The compliment and observation was duly noted by the croc, who proceeded to scan over his creation curiously with a smirk. He didn't quite see it, not until she pointed it out specifically to Mordekai, but he was grateful all the same and offered her thanks. The frei also made sure to tell Jerri his came out good and that everyone who would eat from his would get a nice big mouthful of marshmallows more than any of the other helpings.

At Mordekai's question, Cruz lifted his brows. "Getting Tango's food. She won't take long," he assured the man before glancing out the window to keep an eye on the dog who was now in the backyard by his lonesome.

While everyone got their seats and food situated, Cruz hovered out of the way. He wouldn't need to eat at the table, which would free up a place and make it a bit less cramped, but he enjoyed the smells that were engulfing the kitchen and everyone's idle chatter, while a bit chaotic and overlapping, was a nice sound. He watched the boys head off into the living room, Duncan fetch more beverages, and he wanted to offer assistance but he didn't know what precisely they were all doing. Around that time, Anita managed to slip back in through the front door and barely avoid the new chaos in the living room. A big white bowl in hand with a high topped metal bowl inside of that and an unopened can of wet food were balanced against her chest as she navigated with several gentle "s'cuse me"s if she got in anyone's way.

Cruz set to work on filling the metal bowl with water from the sink, holding it carefully under the tap to avoid the assortment of dirty dishes still clogging it. Anita grabbed a few paper towels and folded them quickly into a makeshift placemat which she set on the floor against the wall in an area that appeared to get the least amount of traffic. Can dispensed and water bowl full, she arranged both on the paper towels before checking over her shoulder to see where everyone was. She moved to the back door and leaned out, giving another sharp whistle, "C'mere, Stink!" she beckoned Tango in with a few quick pats to her knee and held the door open for him.

Without even needing to be prompted he made a bee line for his food, first getting some water and then setting in on his meal. Anita closed up the door and checked with Cruz to see where he was going to be sitting. The frei decided to rest on the floor with Tango while all of the humans took their places at the table and she shrugged, giving him a quick peck on the forehead before approaching the table. She didn't interject or interrupt, though she craned her neck and idly popped her knuckles while looking over all of the food and surveying where the most convenient place to sit would be.  

[Rookeries]

The dining table from last summer was present, but was too small to hold so many people at once-- fortunately, the boys also brought in another fold-up table, which met at an awkward level with the other table. The sytem was a little hectic at first, but eventually everyone beelined toward the counterstand in a single-person formation that spilled around the wall of the now-dining area.

Unfortunately for Anita, a majority of the seats were taken or were claimed by bags or purses by the time she returned. The corners were already taken, but there was one left to the right of Johan, and one left in front of him. Duncan settled the apple cider, milk, and bottles of water onto a stool and pushed it to the end of the counter, so people could easily access them, then joined the table at his place next to Johan. The rest of Johan's company-- his girlfriend and her relatives-- sat to the right of him. The older couple was staring at the long line to the counter in anticipation, as was Duncan.

Mordekai was still on the kitchen end of the table when his way out was accidentally obstructed by the stool. He took it in stride and quietly moved it out of the way so he could squeeze through. He waved toward the people at the front of the line-- many of them his friends-- then headed towards the stairs.

"I have to go take care of something. One of you guys take care of my plate for me."

A few of the men looked around at each other. Farrer shrugged, smugly. "Yessir."

Though Jerri and Jillette were vying to sit nearby Cruz, Rebecca openly refused; when they asked to be seated near Anita, no one else heard or moved for them to be nearby Johan. Johan had been one of the first to take up a plate and finish gathering up his food, and by the time everyone was seated, as one of the last to get up to get a drink.

Strangely, it took Mordekai more than a few minutes to return downstairs. Before he could, though, Farrer walked to where Anita was and tapped her innocuously on the shoulder. He gestured toward the now single empty plate that was on the counter, waiting to be filled. "Miss? Do us the honors and help us fill this sad plate with meat up to the ceiling?"

A few of the boys already piled on several ladle-fulls of food onto Mordekai's plate. They looked between each other and tried to mimick Mordekai's already watered-down accent, highlighted by several phrases in mottled French. One of them said regularly enough: "What's he doing, jackin' off?" Before being hit on the arm by another.  

[Snoofington]

Unfortunately for Jerri and Jillette, Anita hadn't managed to hear either of their requests over everyone else and so was none the wiser to their plight. She watched as a number of people filed through to fill their plates before returning to their seats and, rather than trying to nab what was already claimed, she waited for an opportunity to get some food for herself.

By the time most had settled with their plates, Anita'd gotten a bit of corn bread, an ear of corn, a small collection of ribs, several slices of ham, and some mashed potatoes. She'd dug through the fridge on her own in her previous visit so she felt fine doing the same again, though only the Heineken seemed to be of particular abundance so she opted to just pour herself a glass of water from the tap and get some ice from the freezer. The seats were getting snatched up quickly, though, and when there were two left she balked. It only took a second of thought to weigh her options -- she would much rather sit across from Johan than directly next to him, so Anita set her plate down there as a claim just as her shoulder was tapped.

The request startled her and she stared at the plate in dull confusion before forcing herself to react with a short scoff and a slight grin. She didn't pay the crass comment any mind, all to used to it. "I got this," she stepped to the plate while interlocking her fingers and stretching her arms out, a few distinct cracks sounding from her knuckles. Four ribs were arranged to form a square, a mashed potatoe mote surrounding the structure, and samples of every other type of meat was stuffed into the center which she garnished atop with a small scoop of the dirty rice. "Check it," she announced, holding it out to Farrer for inspection and approval.

Meanwhile, Cruz had nestled himself beside Tango with his back against the wall. While the mutt slopped up his food fairly quickly, the frei ran his fingers slowly through the fur atop his spine. Tango's tail waved, slow and idle, from the comforting motion and it helped keep him calm despite puppy stress of being displaced with such a huge new group. By the time Anita finished her plate arrangement, Tango had finished his meal and, after some more water, lowered himself against the floor to pant and stare longingly at the food on everyone else's plates.