entrancelogs | [OPEN] You can get anything you want at Alice's restaurant

Entry tags:

[OPEN] You can get anything you want at Alice's restaurant

Who: Jo Harvelle, Ray Palmer, John Winchester, and YOU!
Where: The Bar!
When: Backdated to Thanksgiving
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It's a Thanksgiving party! And everyone is invited!
The Story:
[This was supposed to be a family thing, okay? Just family.

John normally scoffs at the idea of family get-togethers, or apple pie, picket fence traditions, but he realizes that now, for the first time, he’s got almost his entire family for a Thanksgiving. And add in Jo with her husband, it’s practically a respectable crowd for a holiday. Mary loves the idea, but when he tells Jo about it, of course she’s got to insist on more people. They’re family too, she insists, hers and Simon’s just like she’s family to him. He’s not so crazy about it. But he sure as hell likes Michonne and Simon, so he finally relents. They’ll have to do it in the bar for the space, but it fits, for them. Feels almost like a hunter party, and he knows that Ellen would’ve approved.

Plans are made, food is cooked, and just when John thinks they might pull this off without some kinda bizarre event going down, Jo makes one herself- why not just have a party for everyone?

He’s really not crazy about that one. She insists, says another guy wants to make his own feast but there was an “incident”, and….yeah. Jo. Fine, fine. Just stop needling. So that’s how they’ve gotten here, a guy with a dislike of family holidays on principal, a bartender who loves too many people, and a superhero who can’t cook sweet potatoes hosting a dinner together.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, try not to die.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Talking shit over the pecan pie.]

[ Sarah comes a little later, because she has her brother and Jane and they're not the....mingle types. So she's had a Thanksgiving, but never let it be said that she isn't a woman down for seconds. Or thirds. So, she's glad when people haven't quite settled in to eat yet and are making their rounds. She has no idea if she'll know anyone other than Ray, but also never let it be said that she's shy.

She'll just be sneaking in some pie, raising a very appreciative brow at how good it is, then subtly scanning for familiar faces. ]

[ from across the room, ray catches sarah's eye and gives a little wave.

hey-- who doesn't like a little "long-distance" flirting? (oh crap hopefully sarah does!)

your move, pretty girl. ]

[ Her smile when she sees him is a mix of things - being glad to see him, being happy to see him (which is completely different, thank you), relieved he's here and then a touch of something else. That something else has her ducking her head a little, hair falling in front of her eyes as she bites her bottom lip.

Is this right? Is this long-distance flirting working? ]

[ oh no she's better at this than he is-- a fact you definitely should have anticipated, raymond. because part of what makes sarah special to him is the ease with which she makes living in the chaos look.

the way those wisps hang down when she dips her head, modest and yet fully aware of her faculties.

ray's smiles widens, eyebrows furrowing into mock suspicion.

are you seducing him from afar, sarah weller? (check yes or no.)

((please check yes.)) ]

[ Oh, absolutely yes, and she looks back up at him, eyes meeting his directly now and she mouths hi, with another little grin before turning to put her pie down. She's abandoning pie, heading over to him with wine glasses, one in each hand.

She is neglecting pie, Ray.

When she gets to him she hands him a glass as she leans in to kiss the corner of his mouth softly, speaking low like what she's about to say is some big secret between them in a room of people, even if it's not. ]

Happy Thanksgiving.

[ ray hunches down and returns the peck before straightening back up. wine in one hand, he slips the other around to rest against sarah's back, letting a thumb trace little circles absently. it's so hard to sit still normally, even more so when his beautiful girlfriend is nearby. ]

It is, now. How was your family's dinner?

Edited (oops wow that was kind of a messy tag, sorry!!!!) 2016-12-02 19:44 (UTC)

[ One of her arms loops around him as well and she smiles at the morning and afternoon she just had. ]

Well, it was Jane's first Thanksgiving that she'll remember, so Kurt really went all out. He's been cooking since yesterday, and she thought it was fantastic. The only thing missing was a big parade for her to watch, but that's okay, she'll get there.

[ She loves the little circles. He can definitely keep doing the little circles. ]

[ consider those circles circled forever!!! ]

Oh, that's great! You should've told me, I bet we could've put together a Wonderland parade...

[ though considering how ray's attempt at making people a holiday dinner went??? probably not the best idea. ]

I think right now, they aren't um...upset that I'm not in their apartment anymore?

[ Sarah doesn't want to think about what they're doing while she's not there but there was definitely very little argument over whether or not she should stay and keep contributing to 'family time.' ]

This was really more about Kurt and Jane than Thanksgiving itself, which is fine, I get it. She's had a really hard time. But I'm glad you invited me to this.

[Jo offers a wave across the room when she spots Sarah near the dessert table, recognizing her from both the network and passing visits to the bar. She smiles, heading over to close the distance with a beer in hand.]

Hey, glad you could make it! I was hoping rescuing Ray from his earlier efforts meant he might get a few friends over here.

[ Sarah recognizes Jo and smiles at her as she turns with a plate of pie in one hand. ]

Hey, yeah, I couldn't pass this up. And I was hoping to meet some of Ray's friends. We've spent a lot of time together but somehow I haven't met the people he's close to yet.

[ Events just seem to keep getting in the way. ]

He and I aren't that close, to be honest, but I helped to save him from the marshmallow avalanche downstairs. He's a good guy.

[She feels like that has to count for something.]

It's been tough to meet new people lately, feels like. Lots of the events have been rough-- I think people have needed recovery time.

[ Sarah's smile seems to lighten up everything on her face even if it stays small as they talk about Ray. She glances toward him, then nods. ]

Yeah, he is.

[ She clears her throat, not going to gush or anything, then nods in agreement with Jo. ]

Yeah. Jane had a hard time after that last one. I think somehow she...regresses in the ways she's come out of her shell after events that are particularly bad.

[ Which makes Sarah assume that even if Jane can't remember it, she's been through some pretty bad trauma in the past. But she's no therapist, so she doesn't say that unqualified opinion out loud. ]

[Jo feels like she knows that look, and it makes her smile in turn, glad to see someone else in such good spirits, although she reserves any further comment for now. She doesn't know either of them well enough, and it's not her place, but it's awfully cute to see Sarah brighten just talking about him.]

I think I understand.

[Her smile fades, a little bit, as she considers Jane's position.]

She wouldn't be the only one who's felt the need to withdraw after Wonderland puts them through the ringer. Sometimes that's the easiest way to deal with things, even if it might not be the best. Wonderland has a way of making us think about things we'd rather not, see parts of ourselves we've tried hard to forget.

That's why I've eaten enough food for probably four Thanksgiving meals?

[ Stay with her, Jo. ]

She can't remember any other Thanksgiving before this, and with the last couple of events being...well, what they were, my brother went all out and made everything he could think of, so we started eating somewhere around nine this morning. But it's good to know she's making memories for now that really outweigh the bad.

[ Sarah holds up her plate of pie. ]

And hey, now I'm here, and the food is just as amazing, so I think this day is pretty damn good for everyone.

[ Marshmallow assault aside. Ray did get kisses out of the deal, so. Hard to say it was a bad day. ]

You know, that's really sweet of you guys.

[Jo and Jane are relatively new friends, but Jo can absolutely respect the effort Jane's people have put forth for her.]

There's a lot of power in good memories. She's lucky to have you, both you and your brother.

[She wholeheartedly approves.]

Hard to complain about a day full of good food under most circumstances, right?

[ Sarah likes Jo, pretty immediately now that they're actually having a conversation. They've talked here and there, but this is over food and spirits are high, and there's good things happening all around them. ]

Exactly. The only person missing is my kid, but I know he's safe, and he doesn't have to put up with Wonderland, so honestly? That's a relief.

[ She feels like she'd lose her mind with worry over Sawyer being here. She already can't believe there are actual kids in this place. ]

I wouldn't mind repeating this day a few times before we move on, honestly. I think it's one of the most perfect days I've ever had here.

It must be a real load off, knowing he's safe, even if it's gotta be hard for you to be here without him.

[That he won't be missing her, that time, as far as her kid is concerned, is frozen-- but that doesn't change how Sarah must feel here.]

I don't think I'd mind repeating this one, either. It's been awhile since I've had one this good. The events lately-- we've had so many rough ones in a row, it's been getting to me a little bit.

With every event that passes, I'm really really glad he isn't here. And I'm worried about the kids who are, but as it turns out they're all pretty tough? Like, surprisingly.

[ Which makes her also worry but she can't go around asking about all of their home lives and adopting them. She does sympathize with Jo, though. ]

Does this place ever just...take a prolonged break?

They're tough, and a lot of people make it their job to look out for them.

[Jo is one of them; she and Simon practically adopted Ellie ages ago.]

But most of 'em? Yeah, not to be underestimated, you're right about that.

[She smiles again, and it comes out tired.]

Sometimes? We'll get strings of events that are a lot easier and pretty non-invasive, but this year... it's been a rough one.

[ Sarah wants to help more on that front. Maybe it's because she misses her own kid like hell, or because she'd hope to whoever is running this place if Sawyer ever showed up and she, Kurt, or Jane weren't in Wonderland, someone would look after him. ]

Let's hope for a better year, then, and in the meantime, better appreciate the breaks.

[ Not that she thinks anyone isn't, but she raises her glass in a little mini-toast anyway. ]

I'm all for that.

[She likes the way Sarah thinks. Honestly, they're not all that different.]

I should check in on things in the kitchen, make sure my husband doesn't "accidentally" burn the place down in protest of an American holiday-- but I'm really glad you're here. [She grins.] We should grab coffee or something sometime.

[ Sarah matches Jo's grin then nods in eager agreement. ]

I'm all for that, anytime. Go, go make sure your husband isn't anywhere near open flame. I'll be in touch after the craziness of the holidays.

[ At least, she's assuming they'll be crazy because aren't they always, anywhere? She's banking on it being a universal thing. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[OPEN] You can get anything you want at Alice's restaurant

MINGLING

Sarah Weller | OTA

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject