trans_9 | Yesterday's holiday [Semi-open]

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Yesterday's holiday [Semi-open]

An appetizing aroma drifted out of the kitchen of the Susono Inn this afternoon, making its way up to the second floor. Not one that was particularly familiar, for Zouichi, but one Howard might recognize from the time he'd spent before the FAYZ had cut Perdido Beach off from the rest of the world. Though it might not be Thanksgiving anywhere else in the multiverse, Howard had decided it might as well be Thanksgiving now... and he'd coached Zouichi on the basics of the holiday as he remembered them.

[First thread is for residents of the inn only, characters passing by that notice something's up can show up in the second thread]

Zouichi had spent most of the morning setting up for the surprise meal while most of the others were out and Howard, in a gesture of unusual magnanimity, had offered to share some of the food he'd been stockpiling. They'd even found a nice tablecloth to drape over the table in the main hall, upon which each of foods was set: turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin bread -- even some homemade Swedish meatballs for Allenby (they weren't really a Thanksgiving food, apparently, but she'd requested them some time ago).

Of course, many of these had been canned or created from mixes -- easier to store, and much easier to make. But food was food. Now it was just time to wait for everyone else to show up.

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Sweet, sweet validation. Alan kept up the cute act because ATTENTION. Yeah, take that, Emergency Rations.

"Nice to meet you, too," Zouichi said. "Would you like to come in and sit down? You can consider it payment for veterinary services rendered." Only a slight smile hinted at the fact that he was joking. People who liked animals had to be good, right?

"Yeah, she told me that when Emergency Rations does that freaky thing where she yowls all night and sticks her tail up, she's actually in heat. So keep her away from the imaginary boy cats that populate the ship." Then again, knowing Stacy, there may actually be tomcats somewhere around. Maybe even talking ones.

Howard shrugs. "You didn't interrupt anything. We're just finishing up the food here."

Cassie could only smile at Alan's antics. Parrots were truly incredible birds.

"I'd like that," Cassie responded cheerfully as she accepted Zouichi's invitation. To Howard, she added, "That sounds like a lot of fun. Who's the cook?"

Zouichi raised a hand (but not the one that had Alan in it). "That would be me. I've been practicing a little. And I've seen at least one tom around, actually."

"If I tried to cook anything it'd taste like cardboard." And really, it would.

"You have? Do I need to start putting ads out for kittens anytime soon?" He pints to Cassie. "You'd have to deliver them, Hallmark. My medic training doesn't cover pregnant cats."

Clasping her hands together, Cassie smiled. "Well, I look forward to tasting what you cooked. I'll bet it's delicious. It's been quite a while since I last had real food." Not that she was ungrateful for what Stacy provided because she wasn't, but there was a rather distinct difference between that and actual food.

"That I could actually probably do," she told Howard with a grin. "Not that I think it would be necessary. Emergency Rations seems to be able to handle herself well enough."

"Anyway, come on and sit down," said Zouichi, moving to the dinner table and pulling out a chair for Cassie.

"We already started a little while ago, but there's still quite a bit left."

"Yeah, but Emergency Rations doesn't have two braincells to rub together. She's a cat." He rolls his eyes. The 'duh, Hallmark' is implied.

"We mostly got, uh, turkey out of a can and some stuffing left. And a little bit of pumpkin bread."

God, Zou's such a gentleman with the chair-pulling thing. Howard's barely even paying attention to Cassie so much as shoveling down the last of the mashed potatoes (no, you can't have any, Cassie), despite feeling incredibly stuffed at the moment.

Cassie smiled and thanked Zouichi as she followed him inside and accepted the offered seat. "It all looks delicious. Thank you so much for allowing me to join you."

"I don't know about that, Howard," she told him with a knowing grin. "I've met some very smart cats. I wouldn't underestimate her."

Ah, Howard. You won't share with Cassie? Not even a little?

Turning her attention to the food, she proceeded to help herself to a little bit of everything left with the exception of Howard's cherished mashed potatoes. Taking an experimental bite of the stuffing, she was surprised by just how tasty it was. Either Zouichi was a very good cook or it really had been a very long time since she'd had actual food. "My compliments to the chef," she said turning to Zouichi. "This is excellent."

"Flattery will get you a second helping," Zouichi said, looking a little embarrassed. "And I think she is pretty smart, when she needs to be."

Especially when it came to figuring out who in the Inn she could beg food from and who she couldn't. Although she still hadn't gotten any goldfish.

And on that note, Emergency Rations, with an eye on bits of that canned turkey, has placed herself at Cassie's feet and is looking up at her with a baleful expression that tells Cassie imaginary tales of woe and malnutrition. She makes a pathetic little mewl.

Howard just rolls his eyes at the cat.

"You and the cat are both being shameless, Hallmark."

"Seconds will be welcome as soon as I finish my firsts. I'm just grateful that you both were kind enough to let me share some of this wonderful food." Cassie smiled as she sampled a bit of the turkey. "I've no doubt that Emergency Rations is indeed. From what I remember of her, she seemed very clever."

At the cat's plaintive meow, she looked down, a bit surprised by the sudden sound but that was quickly replaced by pleasure at seeing Emergency Rations again. She didn't buy the cat's complaints as being true, but she couldn't bring herself to begrudge Emergency Rations a taste of the turkey at least. "Okay, just a bit," she chuckled as she ripped off a bit of the turkey on her plate and laid it next to the cat. "You should enjoy the celebration too."

"Shameless?" Cassie appeared honestly surprised. "About what?"

"Don't worry about it," said Zouichi. In fact, if they had enough, he'd probably have just shared everything with the ship at large. Much to Howard's disapproval, no doubt.

"Anyway, she does seem to know how to get what she wants." Not that knowing that really helps resist the plaintive look in those big kitty eyes.

Howard shoots Cassie a little disapproving look over her asking for seconds. As far as he's concerned this is his food, that he's being generous enough to share, and people asking for more is just captial R-O-O-D rude. "About getting the food. You're flattering Zou so much it's embarrassing."

Not that the food isn't very good, but Howard really wouldn't be the right person to ask. He'd be the world's worst food critic.

Emergency Rations delightedly nibbles her turkey.

Cassie opted not to say anymore on that topic, although her face reflected her gratitude for the generosity being shown to her. Instead she took another bite of the stuffing in front of her, while slipping another small bit of turkey to Emergency Rations. She'd meant what she said when she'd told the cat that she should celebrate too and, while it wouldn't be good to give the cat too much of the turkey, she couldn't see the harm in just a taste.

"Emergency Rations seems very resourceful," she agreed with a smile aimed at the pretty feline.

Surprise quickly gave way to amusement as she looked at Howard fondly. "Should I lie then and tell your friend that the food isn't good? I'm not saying it to flatter. I'm saying it because it's true, but I'll try to keep my comments on the food to a minimum if it makes you so uncomfortable."

Emergency Rations was soon going to become Emergency Double Rations.

"So, what do you do on the ship when you're not volunteering as a vet?" Zouichi asked. "And how did you meet Howard?" Medical, maybe?

Cassie calling out Howard's weird attitudes about the food makes him even more uncomfortable. He wraps his arms around himself at stares down at the inside of his elbow; it's a much better alternative to eye contact.

"She gets it from me," he says about the cat. Then he tilts his head at Cassie. "Would you believe it was at that stupid hug day event, Zou?"

"I spend a fair amount of time in Hydroponics or just trying to make myself useful where I can," she answered with a shrug. "And, yes, we met the first time at that hugging event. We ended up talking for a bit while there, which actually led us to discussing some of Emergency Ration's odd behavior at the time." In a way, you might be able to say that the cat was responsible for the budding friendship or at least Cassie might suggest that explanation.

She was a bit alarmed by Howard's reaction. It hadn't been her intention to upset him. "I'm sure that she does," she answered with a smile, her voice gentle.

Wow, that was... kind of a vague answer. "Hydroponics? Do you garden?"

Zouichi was actually having a bit of a tough time imagining Howard hugging a random stranger. But maybe no actual contact had been involved. "Starfire's event, right? I remember that one; I ended up there after she sent that message out on the comms. No hugging tree for me, though."

"Yeah, no hugging tree for me either, obviously." Zouichi has the right idea. Howard mostly just showed up to eavesdrop. He ran into Cassie mostly by accident. "But I needed a vet and Hallmark here was there, so."

"Ah no," Cassie said, quick to clarify. "I actually don't know much about the plants, although I'd like to learn. I'm more interested in learning more about the animals who live there. They're fascinating to observe in their natural environment." She decided not to mention that the other part of the reason that she spent so much time in that area was because she still felt more comfortable there than anywhere else so far. It was true, but not the sort of thing that was appropriate for this lighthearted conversation.

"I didn't necessarily go to hug myself," she admitted. "It just seemed a good way to meet people. Besides, I see no reason not encourage events intended to bring us all closer. In the end, it was fortunate that I ran into Howard. I got meet him, Emergency Rations, and now you so I'm glad that I went."

"They're pretty cute, aren't they? I go there to feed the birds sometimes ~~and also have impromptu punchouts with space elves~~. Wait, you went to a hugging convention to find a veterinarian?" Zouichi assumed there was some kind of gap in events there that Howard wasn't filling in.

There's always a gap in Howard's summaries. Usually it's some critical piece of evidence that would tie the whole thing together, since he tends to assume everyone knows what he does and thinks like he does. This is a mistake.

"My stupid cat was in heat." He rolls his eyes at both the cat, now staring up at Zouichi again begging, and at Cassie's sweetness. Ew, gross, people saying they enjoy each other's company. "And no, I went to a hugging convention and I found a vet. Obviously."

"Yes, they are," Cassie smiled cheerfully, happy to find another who agreed. "There are so many incredible animals there. It's a lot of fun trying to learn more about them."

"It was a coincidence," she agreed. "We were talking and the conversation ended up heading in that direction."

"You've been observing them?" Zouichi asked. "Systematically? Have you seen anything of note so far?"

Oh, Emergency Rations. You were so cute. But you were still not getting any turkey (protip: beg from people who weren't around to watch you beg earlier). "Is Medical equipped to handle spaying?"

Yesterday's holiday [Semi-open]

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