[Open] Forward dated!

[eatsyourscience]

Who: Souji (eatsyourscience), Minako (xxiipins), Tohru (breakthecurse), and everyone else.
Where: The Diner
When: December 24th & 25th
Rating: KFC for Japanese Christmas!
Summary: The Japanese teenagers bring their version of Christmas to the Diner.
The Story:
Christmas is a secular, consumer oriented holiday for most Japanese, not national or religious. Souji, Minako, and Tohru know what it's like in other countries, so they know no one will probably want to man the diner during that time. But that doesn't mean the diner shouldn't be open! So in true Japanese fashion, they've pooled their skills and cooked up enough Christmas cake and fried chicken to feed everyone in the Mansion, should everyone happen to drop in. Souji even found a certain Colonel and dragged him up to stand inside the door, because why not.

So feel free to drop in! Have some chicken and cake (or if you have different tastes, they can probably be convinced to make you something else). They'll be there on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Comments

[seekingbrother]

Al nods with a bright smile, knowing exactly how Tohru feels. "Yeah, I think we could all do with a little something to lift our spirits. And I really like everything I've heard about the holiday. It's a lot like Solstice back home, just...bigger!"

He looks over at the buckets of fried chicken with curiosity. "I don't have to wait to try some of those, do I? They smell absolutely delicious!" He really wants to dig into some of the cakes first, but Edward already gets after him for eating too many sweets.

[breakthecurse]

"Oh, not at all!" she says. "Please, help yourself. There's more than enough for everyone."

She even saves him the trouble of walking over to one, and hands him his own bucket.

"I've never heard of Solstice before. How do you celebrate it, Al?" she asks, curiously. The word sounds vaguely familiar, like she should know what it is, but she can't really think of any holidays associated with it.

[seekingbrother]

Al accepts the bucket with a grin, quickly grabbing out a drumstick to try. "Hehe, thanks! How long did it take to make all this?"

He shrugs a bit. "Oh, it's mostly a celebration with your close family, exchanging gifts to help you in the new year and making a really big meal to stuff everybody to the gills. We usually celebrated with the Rockbells as well, since our families are so close. We didn't really put up decorations or anything, but there is a traditional cake we made every year. I don't really remember everything that went into it, though."

[breakthecurse]

"Oh, not too long!" she says, trying to wave it off. "I had lots of help, so it went by quickly."

She listens carefully though as Al describes his home's holiday to her. It's nice to hear about other people's homes, and it probably helps this time of year to listen while others reminisce, and to reminisce herself.

"I can see the resemblance," she says. "It really does sounds a little bit like Christmas..."

[seekingbrother]

Al smiles, used to Tohru's deflections by now. "You still obviously put in a lot of effort. I'm sure everyone will really enjoy it!"

"They probably started as nearly the same sort of festival, I bet," he says thoughtfully. "It seems like a common of thing to do, to get together with the people close to you and celebrate getting through another year together. The only difference is all the traditions and history that gets added to it."

[breakthecurse]

"Hm. Maybe!" She's thinking about it now, and they really do sound like similar holidays. "They're even around the same time of year. Maybe all of these different worlds are more similar than we give them credit for."

It's an interesting thought - what makes the different worlds so different? And why are the things that are similar so similar? Tohru doesn't have an answer, but it's definitely something she'll be pondering for a little while.

[seekingbrother]

Al grins and nods. "Or it's just that the people are the same, even though the universes themselves aren't. I mean, I don't think anyone here is completely alien in how they think and feel, you know?"

[breakthecurse]

"That's true! You have a point," she agrees. "There are a lot of people from a lot of different worlds here, but...thinking about it, I don't think we're really very different at all. It makes sense that we would have similar holidays, I think."

[seekingbrother]

Al nods eagerly. "Yeah! And that makes the differences all that much more interesting, 'cause it says a lot about the culture and people that create it, what they value and want to celebrate."

[breakthecurse]

"Mm! Like when everyone celebrated Thanksgiving!" she says. "That holiday exists in my world, but only in another country. I'd never celebrated it before, but it was wonderful! Everyone all together, thankful for everything we've been given...it was really nice. It can be hard to remember to be thankful sometimes, since we've all been taken so far away from home, and the events...but, we have fresh food, and a roof over our heads, and there are many kind people here."

[seekingbrother]

"Mm-hmm. Being reminded of all the smaller good things in a bad situation helps a lot. Like all the friends I've made since coming here! I never would have met you or anyone else here if not for Wonderland gathering us up."

[breakthecurse]

"That's right!" she says, smiling brightly at the realization. "If we hadn't both come to Wonderland, we never would have met, since we're from different worlds. I feel...really lucky then, that I've gotten to meet you!"

[seekingbrother]

Al's stomach does a little flip quite against his will, and he really hopes Tohru doesn't notice the blush creeping up his cheeks. "Ah, y-yeah, me too! I mean, that I got to meet you, that is. You're a really great person, Miss Tohru."

[breakthecurse]

She shakes her head that that, modestly.

"O-Oh, um, no, that's too kind of you, I'm not...not really."

Her face is all red though and she's more than a little embarrassed.

[seekingbrother]

Al shakes his head--no, no, he won't let her deny this one! "You are though! I mean, all the little things you do for everyone, and your kindness...you're always doing your best to help everyone. Even if it's only small things, it shows just how big your heart is."

[breakthecurse]

That just makes her face flush more, and she presses her face into her hands.

"I-I, um...I'm not...I...thank you?"

[seekingbrother]

Oh god, why is she so cute. He bites his lip to keep from chuckling too much. "You're very welcome, Miss Tohru."