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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Howard raises his eyebrows and strokes his chin. "I kind of think you guys should race. Zou, on your bike, and Ced, on your broom. Or you can be in your fighter, Zou, whatever. I can call time."

Even if someone loses by a mile and a half, it should at least be entertaining to watch (and Howard will never let the loser live their defeat down).

"Will we be allowed to discuss the maximum speeds of each beforehand?" Just a question! "The fastest broom I know of can hit 150 miles per hour. It'd hardly be fair if there was a large discrepancy."

"Approximately 620 miles per hour," Zouichi said. That bike went fast.

...the Variable Fighter went faster, though. "And sorry, but I already promised someone the first race."

"We can handicap the bike or something. Put a little speedometer on it and eliminate Zou when he gets that road rage." Howard winks. "Or maybe we can make it full of ground-based obstacles."

Cedric looked envious, but it was a fleeting feeling. He already knew that speed was not for him, thanks to Lash's mad driving.

"If it works, I suppose that would make it fair. But are you sure? I don't want to risk damaging anything."

Certainly not a precious vehicle. They were well loved by most, whether broom or car.

Why was Howard so into this race thing, anyway? And Cedric, were you implying the bike wasn't sturdy?

"...I guess that would work. But it'll have to wait until after the jetbike race I promised someone."

Just because no matter who wins, Howard gets to make fun of someone he enjoys ribbing. He has just created a win-win situation for himself!

"So it's settled! Pistols at dawn or whatever. Wait, who are you racing on a jet bike?"

Cedric shakes his head. "Wands at dawn, we'd say. But when in Rome..."

He falls silent as they go on to discussing the jet bikes, waiting to see what happens. These inventions were serious business.

Zouichi raised an eyebrow. "Why all the curiosity? Are you going to send around pictures if I lose?"

"We're not in Rome." Duh, Cedric. Howard's not familiar with that idiom. "And no way, Zou. If Cedric's going to trounce you in a race, I'm taking video."

"It's an expression," Cedric shakes his head. "The rest of the phrase is 'do as the Romans do', and it means that it's sometimes wise to blend in."

Howard's insistence amuses him, though. "You'll want it if he wins too, right?"

Zouichi sighed. "All right, fine." He totally wasn't going to lose, though. Not when it came to motorcycle racing. ~~NEVAR~~

"I trust I could find something embarrassing to tape you doing, anyway. So what are the stakes?"

Howard gives Cedric another blank look before shaking his head and returning his attention to the cat, who has gone from hungry nibbles on his fingers to painful bites that could be construed as malicious.

"Of course I will. Although I'd kind of feel bad, adding to your humiliation when..." Howard gestures at Cedric's bald head and hat.

"I don't know, Zou. What kind of prank spells do you know, Cedric? And I vote if Ced loses, he gets his eyebrows shaved off too."

Cedric visibly winces. Oh, he'd look absolutely awful...unless he found the spell to reverse it. There was always that.

"Oh, there are more than enough! I'm not the expert at pranks, that would be those Weasley twins, but I'm sure I can think of something. Turning him into a canary is one option, but that has risks. I could dye his hair purple, or make his sleeve sing every time it moves, or turn his bike into a goat?"

He smiles innocently.

"No touching the bike," Zouichi said, almost immediately. "And why are we suddenly discussing pranks? If you win, the next time we have a chance to stop off for supplies, I'll make you a meal of your choice. How's that?"

"Zooouuuu." Howard whines and palms his own forehead a bit. "You're ruining it. The point is to have someone to point and laugh at, not actually win something worth winning."

He slugs Zou in the arm a little. "Come on, Cedric gets it. Get into the spirit a little. Making him a meal only counts if you have to wear a funny costume or something."

Cedric shakes his head. "It doesn't have to be such a serious prank. What if I make one of your hairs grow long? I saw it cast on a first year once, it's Crinis---"

That's it! He suddenly looks absolutely delighted. Without further ado, he jumps from the table, tosses the hat aside, and shouts "Crinis!" His hair grows at a rapid rate, yes, but as he doesn't know how to stop it at his usual length it falls to shoulder length and looks rather like a mullet. Now he has a different problem.

"Ah...oops," he says sheepishly, pushing the hair over his shoulder.

"One of my--?" Zouichi stopped and stared as Cedric suddenly sprouted a lush mullet. Surely the envy of, uh. All the other mullets on the ship.

"I'm not so sure I'd like to be subject to one of your pranks, innocent or not," he said. It seemed as though Cedric didn't have perfect control over his magic.

And Howard just laughs hysterically at Cedric's new hair so hard he just about inhales a piece of turkey and has to stop to cough. When he's caught his breath again, he nods at Cedric. "I am never going to mistake you for stylish, Fabio."

He shakes his head at Zou. "When did you get to be such a wet blanket? I thought that was my job."

Cedric glowers at both of them. "I'm perfectly capable with spells I know well! This is just one I've only ever watched other people cast. I'll have you know that I've never failed to reverse someone's green hair."

He pushes the hair out of his eyes angrily. "It's an improvement, at least. All I need is a haircut."

Whatever, Howard. Zouichi wasn't risking mullet victimization.

"I do believe I have some scissors," Zouichi said, watching Cedric brush the hair from his eyes. "If you want, I could try and cut that back down to a more manageable size."

Hopefully Cedric's spell didn't affect everyone in close proximity. Perhaps he should give the scissors to Howard.

Hopefully, in a theoretical world where that thought hadn't already occurred to Howard and he wasn't already leaning far away from Cedric, the curliness of his hair would save his mullet from being an abject monstrosity.

"Don't deny Zou's barber skills. I've seen him work those shears in the garden."

"Don't worry so much," Cedric says to Howard, knowing what was happening. "I know this magic didn't work as I intended it to, but it was only cast on me."

He looks over at Zouichi, considers it, and then nods. "All right. I'd like to be able to see. But I'm not sure cutting my hair's quite the same as cutting a bush."

Zouichi considered this for a moment. "I'll just cut enough so that you can see and not have hair down to your shoulders. Then you can try and find someone who's a little more experienced to clean it up for you. How's that?"

He began rummaging through a nearby chest of drawers. He knew he'd put those scissors somewhere...

P.S. How hard could it be?

"Good. I like my hair how it is." He strokes his chin, looking at Cedric. "Maybe something mid-length? I thought it looked good last time."

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