meet the (grand)parents...

[theresalwayshope]

Allison felt a little like she was going insane.

She started out just planning to invite Aramis and Porthos over to meet Jason. Dinner and drinks, nothing big. Then she realized she didn't just feel obligated to invite Athos, she wanted to. So, if she did that, she obviously had to invite D'artagnan, and she really wanted to meet Constance...and she'd promised Grey a chance to help her bake a cake, so if she did something more than dinner, she could let him come over at some point...

The small family dinner became a small dinner party, and with a few more additions morphed into an impromptu potluck for the whole building...or anyone that wanted to show up. She told the family about it privately, asking Porthos and Aramis to make sure the others at least stopped by (with a subtle warning that Jason would be there), told everyone else she knew in the city, and for the rest of the building she posted a couple of handmade fliers: one in the elevator, and another in the laundry room announcing that, with either a main course or appetizer offering, an invitation to the holiday celebration taking place in apartment #39...dressy casual to formalwear welcome, bring your favorite Christmas CD as a bonus.

And, of course, she told Jason...and told him her family would be there.

By the night of the party, Allison was ready...she just felt a little like she was going insane.

She kept her outfit cute, but simple, and took care of dessert by baking some cupcakes, gingerbread cookies, and a two layer chocolate cake which she invited Grey over to help her bake. With a little careful scheduling, she also managed to contribute to the food on hand with her second ever attempt at beef bourguignon: rich, hearty, and sort of impressive under the right circumstances. By party time, she had her front door standing open, some Trans Siberian Orchestra carols playing on her stereo, and while she didn't yet have a tree, she'd gotten some cute plastic holly garland to hang around the apartment, and for fun had ringed her whole living room ceiling in multicolor Christmas lights for good measure.

The party was good to go. The place smelled good, the food came out okay with more to come...the evening was good to go.

And when Jason showed up, her family would show up...and they'd all meet each other...

While she waited for her guests, loved ones, and boyfriend to start arriving, Allison puttered around in her kitchen, swore to herself she was not hiding, and tried to pretend that she wasn't having visions of someone either drawing a sword or a knife by the end of the evening.

Tonight had to be perfect.

(HOLIDAY GATHERING POST! Treat it thusly. :P Front door's open, come and go as you please, anyone in the Bramford Building is welcome, and if you know Allison even remotely she told you about the party. Gather at will, and leave a call for Allison in your subject line if you want to play with her directly! Open eternally, will probably be linked near the end of the month. :D)

Comments

[silenttrainbaby]

Good. Grey nods, carefully letting her hand go. Then he points to the cake. Look! He helped made that!

[priordivergence]

"You did that?" I ask, smiling. It's a lot nicer looking than my humble brown bread.

"I should have brought something prettier."

[silenttrainbaby]

No. That's fine. Tris needs to be not so hard on herself.

He swipes at the frosting and licks his finger, then he nudges Tris's shoulder. She should do that too.

[priordivergence]

I laugh and cut two pieces instead, handing him a big slice and taking a more modest one for myself.

"It looks great."

[silenttrainbaby]

Oh. Well, that is one way to do it, he supposes.

Grey takes his piece and takes two forks for them to eat with. There.

[priordivergence]

I take my fork and smile at him. "My faction used to make the best cake," I say. "This tastes just like it."

[silenttrainbaby]

That is high praise indeed. Grey might be beaming a little bit. He doesn't take a bite, though, because his stomach still hurts from all the batter and frosting he ate earlier.

[priordivergence]

"I bet you've been tasting it all day, huh?" I guess, noting how he doesn't eat his food.

[silenttrainbaby]

At least most of the afternoon, yes. Soon, though, he'll have another piece. He nudges her shoulder again with his. She's all right, though?

[priordivergence]

I nudge back, looking at him with raised eyebrows. "What?"

[silenttrainbaby]

Another nudge. How on Grey's arm, the sleeve of his sweater pulled up. How is she?

[priordivergence]

"How what? How am I?" I ask, my mind thumbing through every iteration of the question.

[silenttrainbaby]

Yes - Grey nods - how is she? The corners of his eyes crinkle a little at the confusion.

[priordivergence]

"All right," I say, gesturing to my healed hand. The scar across my right palm will be with me for the rest of my life, but I don't mind it, so long as my hands work the way they should.

"What about you?"

[silenttrainbaby]

She gets a nod, then. Grey's good. He's as content as he knows how to be. He's not skilled enough to know how to make Tris smile and doesn't feel that compulsion, but he does pump his fists in a pantomime of running. They can train soon? Together?

[priordivergence]

"Yeah, I'm cleared to do the job I actually like," I say, smiling a little. About time too. I'd felt like I was losing my min at the desk.

[silenttrainbaby]

Good then. Because Grey wants to hunt vampires. He will talk to Aramis about it and make that happen. That will be good.

He bumps Tris's shoulder again with a small smile.

[priordivergence]

I shake my head, laughing a little. "You should have heard the lecture that Sassy and Shevaun gave me when I came in all taped up." It had been long, fierce, and impressive, especially after I'd tried to fly under their radar and train on injured hands.

[silenttrainbaby]

Grey would have been lectured, too, by Gilliam, though the tone would be gentle, accompanied by touchs.

Now, Tris is better, so they will train.

He reaches for some of Tris's bread.

[priordivergence]

"It's not much..." I admit, wondering fleetingly if anyone not from Abnegation even likes such food. "But my mother taught me how to make it."

[silenttrainbaby]

Watching her face, he takes a bite.

He loves bread. He is pretty much Tris's idea taste-tester. And after a moment of chewing he nods, eyes bright. It's good.

[priordivergence]

I smile back, even as I try and tamp down the worry so that it doesn't show on my face. Hiding my emotions, at least, is a skill I've always had.

"Glad you like it."

[silenttrainbaby]

Why is she worried, though? It's good.

Grey reaches down, scooping up something he doesn't quite know, he smears it on his bread and takes another bite. That finishes that slice and he goes for another.

[priordivergence]

I do similar, smearing it onto a slice as well. "Butter...with herbs," I conclude.

[silenttrainbaby]

It's very good. Grey already knows he likes buttered bread.

So, it's a hit with him.