[ 009 | Video | Dated 11/25, Post-Event ]

[lightgunhustler]

[When the feed opens, Jo looks a little worn around the edges. She's pretty sure that look is going around at the moment -- the event had been a hard one for a lot of people, enough so that she'd almost considered not issuing this invitation at all, but she and Tohru had discussed it and decided together that sticking with the original plan was probably for the best. Events came and went all the time in Wonderland, and deciding not to deviate was probably the best medicine for any ills this one had caused. Still, there was a little more weighing her down than just that. She hadn't seen or heard anything from or about her mother in days, and considering they hadn't been on the best terms lately, it had her stomach in knots.

She clears her throat a little before putting on her best face, offering the feed a tired but genuine smile.]

I know this probably feels a little bit last-minute. Ned and Tohru and I have been talking about it for awhile, and I'd planned to say something earlier, but things came up.

[The event, mostly. She's pretty sure she doesn't have to elaborate on that.]

I've heard people talking a little about Thanksgiving, and awhile back, I talked to Ned about hosting it for everyone, like some of us helped Dean do last year. We'd talked then about wanting to make it a tradition, do it every year, even for people who don't normally celebrate it, and I wanna hold to that. The bar is huge and has room for everyone -- I'd like to do it there again. I know some people here have family or friends they'd like to do their own gatherings with, and we don't want to interfere with that, so--

[She pauses, the mention of family making her smile flicker just the tiniest bit before she reinforces it.]

What I'd like to do is host it tomorrow, the day before Thanksgiving. Some people have family here, either biological or otherwise, but not everyone does. I know not everyone gets along, but for one day, it would be nice to be able to put everything aside and check our problems at the door. Remember that we're all in the same boat, just for a little while.

So-- no matter who you are, whether you celebrate Thanksgiving back home or not, everyone is welcome. Food will be on at about three PM, and while we've got some stuff mapped out, we're glad to accept any help that anyone else wants to offer. Everyone is free to contribute and come to spend as much or as little time with everyone as they'd like.

[Weapons will be checked at the door, just in case, but otherwise the open-door policy stands.]

There's no telling how long any of us are stuck here. Some of us have been here a long while, others are new, but whether we like it or not, we're a community. It would be good to focus on the upsides of that and remember the good parts about being in Wonderland, instead of letting the bad weigh us down.

Comments

Video;

[madeadifferentcall]

...When you say help.

What kind of help are you looking for?

Video;

[lightgunhustler]

Cooking, help setting up tables and chairs, help with clean-up afterwards... whatever people are willing to do, really. More hands never hurt.

Re: Video;

[madeadifferentcall]

I'd like to help.

[he can't cook worth a damn but] Table, chairs and dishwasher man reporting for duty I guess.

Video;

[lightgunhustler]

Great. If you want to show up around noon tomorrow, I can get you pointed in the right direction. There's a lot of space, at least, so plenty of room to move the tables around.

video

[therapize]

You're hosting Thanksgiving.

[No kidding the event had been a hard one; Cami's barely had time to adjust to being in Wonderland when it hit, and she found herself playing anchor to a crazier-than-normal Klaus. In the span of the few seconds she's had to breathe, Cami picked up her phone even as she feared it would be a mistake. Nothing that's come over the transmissions, be they explanations of the world they're in or the way it had been warped, has been anything remotely close to normal.

Which is why she's standing there in shock at hearing this.

There's a dozen things going through her head, from laughing at the thought of the Mikaelsons sitting around a table without bloodshed soon following, to the family that she really doesn't have here or anywhere else now. But what comes out after that first stunned statement is matched with a small smile. This is the first thing that's come close to normal for her in Wonderland--not normal when she considers that the supernatural is real, but human normal. Good normal, and Cami wants to make it happen.]

Well, I'm not the greatest cook, but if you want someone to help run the bar, I'd definitely be willing.

video

[lightgunhustler]

[A new face. That would explain the shock, some. Jo smiles thinly, sympathetic.]

When you've been here awhile, you'll understand why. Not everything that happens here is bad, but when it is... it hits hard. You can do one of two things, really. Either pick yourself back up and push through it and keep it from holding you back, or let it weigh you down. The latter is okay. People do it all the time, but-- I'm tired of doing it, myself.

[She's had nine months of letting all of the bad rob her of the ability to put her time and energy to better use. She's done.]

People can come if they feel up to it, but if they don't, no hard feelings. People deal in different ways. [She pauses.] I wouldn't hate a little help behind the bar. Usually Simon and I have it pretty well-covered, but I'll be pretty busy, so...

[Yes. That's a yes. She forces her smile a little wider. It's still tired, but real enough.]

I'm Jo.

Re: video

[therapize]

Oh, no. Believe me, I already understand. [Although it makes sense why Jo would assume she doesn't. Cami is brand new, with only this past event and a few days before marking her stay in Wonderland thus far. But the way her life had been going back home, she's seasoned enough in general to understand just how good Jo's advice really is.]

I haven't been here long, but the world I come from is pretty insane all on its own. [She hesitates for a second then; normally, Cami wouldn't be bringing up the supernatural element of her life to a stranger. But they aren't in Louisiana, and from everything she's heard, the woman might not fight anything Cami has to say weird anyway.] I went from being a normal psych student to keeper of the humans' stockpile of weapons and information against supernatural creatures in the past year. Turns out New Orleans is a lot crazier than people say it is.

[So in the end, she isn't at all against the prospect of normal. Cami welcomes it, and the opportunity to help.]

Just tell me when to show up. My name's Cami; it's nice to meet you.

[voice]

[freewill]

[As one of those few people who had been here during the last Thanksgiving, Castiel had been expecting this announcement. It does take time for him to decide whether or not he wants to attend, although chances are he'd have no choice in the matter when it came down to it.

But the event had been hard on people, Castiel included. Given that he harmed a few people and even killed someone, all against his own will, it's tempting to avoid everyone for the next week at least. But he imagines that his absence would be noted and so it doesn't seem like the most well-thought-out idea.

Last Thanksgiving, Castiel hadn't been ready to accept the community that Jo's speaking about now. He and Dean had gotten into an argument after the fact, as the idea of anyone wanting to stay here in Wonderland had been foreign to him. Now, he's more accepting of the concept, though his ultimate plan is still to go home.

Not that he's made much progress there.

He decides to return the broadcast with a call, not in the mood for showing his face after the last event.]

I doubt I would be of much help, but if you do have need for me, you know how to find me. [Pause.] Regardless, I'll be there at three PM.

[voice]

[lightgunhustler]

[She makes a mental note of his choice not to provide a visual -- they hadn't crossed paths during the event, but she knew him well enough to know that it must have been particularly bad for him. She wouldn't have blamed if he did decide to withdraw and keep to himself, but the fact that he was responding to her at all meant something.]

Just your company.

[That's all she needs, Cas.]

But I'm glad you're coming. I know it's probably not easy, but-- you'd be missed.

[voice]

[freewill]

[There are a few people that Castiel would rather not see after certain things that happened during the event, but there are also apologies he needs to make. But there's still that urge to hide away from it all instead of facing it head-on.

Granted, Dean has been avoiding him, he can already tell, and Castiel can't say he even understands the reasoning. Except that they had a difficult encounter and he'd unintentionally hurt him.

He doesn't ask if he'll be there. Jo has her own issues with Dean that they shouldn't touch on right now.

He'd be missed, she says, and the strangest thing is that he knows she isn't lying.] ... I know. It puts it all into perspective when you realize that we've been here for two of these holidays now. [And Jo even longer than him.]

[voice]

[lightgunhustler]

Two so far, and who knows how many more.

[She knows they can't count on being here for any definite amount of time, but they have to face the facts: some people have been here a lot longer than either of them has, and that means it's a possibility that they'll be here at least as long.]

Everything will be okay. Really. I'd like to think that most people can set whatever else is going on aside, even if it's just for an afternoon.

[Optimistic, maybe, but that's her hope.]

[video]

[kickassqueen]

I am down like Charlie Brown.

[ Aka she's totally in for some Thanksgiving tastiness. ]

Also volunteering myself as tribute for any help you need. I have no idea what to bring or what to cook, so I would need guidance from a Thanksgiving guru.

[ Since her holidays are typically spent on her own, so she usually just goes out for her favorite kind of Chinese food. This is nice, though. She's not had a real Thanksgiving since her parents were alive. ]

[video]

[lightgunhustler]

I was hoping you'd say that.

[Well, maybe not exactly that, but Charlie gets the idea. Jo's glad she's in.]

I could use an all-purpose kitchen assistant. [Jo smiles wryly, looking hopeful.] Trust me, I'm sure I'll find plenty for you to do. Want to swing by the bar tomorrow morning and help me whip the kitchen into shape?

[video]

[kickassqueen]

Definitely. Are we going full stop, huge Thanksgiving dinner?

I'm imagining three turkeys here.

[ Okay, maybe not that many, but at least one and half.

Where the half came from, nobody knows. ]

video;

[unhand]

For those of us who don't celebrate Thanksgiving back home but may end up celebrating it here, would this be a good way to learn a bit more about it?

video;

[lightgunhustler]

I don't see why not.

[She recognizes him; he'd been a regular up at her bar during past visits, though if he'd been coming by this time around, she'd missed it -- entirely likely, given that Simon was helping her keep things running now.]

It's new to you, right? You're from the Enchanted Forest?

[She knows some stuff.]

video;

[unhand]

Aye, I am. [He doesn't question how she knows it. He is famous, after all, and he was here before, and honestly, he's pretty sure his garb gives it away. Yes, he's been assuming everyone who dresses like he does is from the Enchanted Forest or a similar land. No one's disproved it yet.]

But it's not new to everyone I know, and I believe Mary Margaret wishes to do... something.

[retrogirl]

Hey, I'm not above free food. [ She's flashing a grin. People around her age is always a good thing. Especially since she almost seems normal. ]

You said everyone, that includes new arrivals, right? I'm super awesome at dishes-duty. Especially if I can grab some gravy beforehand.

[lightgunhustler]

[Well hey there, new face. Jo smiles, brightening some.]

Yeah, of course it does. Everyone's welcome. As far as Wonderland welcomes go, I figure this is a pretty good one.

[She's seen people show up in the middle of some nasty events before. Thanksgiving dinner is decidedly better.]

Feel free to come by. I'm Jo, by the way.

[retrogirl]

Oh! Hey. Calista. Literally just got here--wish I could say I wanna be here but I don't really think anyone does.

video; so late I'm sorry ;o;

[eatsyourscience]

I'd like to help.

{Thanksgiving isn't a thing for him, so he's happy to spend time helping.]

Never ever too late! <3

[lightgunhustler]

Yeah? I was hoping you'd want to.

[She grins, considerably brighter than she'd been during the initial message. The amount of people willing to pitch in has done a lot to lift her spirits.]

I know you and Tohru don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but I'm glad you'll both be there. You both definitely know your way around the kitchen, that's for sure.

[eatsyourscience]

I'm glad to help. I think it's a good idea for a holiday and it's probably good for a lot of people here.

video;

[sidecars]

[ Food and American holidays. Bucky basically has to make an appearance for this; it's probably somewhere in his contract. He can't promise to drag Captain America to it, but whatever! He's got enough red and blue and arrogance to bring out the true spirit of America all on his own. ]

Jeez, I haven't had a real Thanksgiving meal in years...

[ You know one that's made with love and shit other than a few rat packs dumped together. Although there was the year Buck and Toro ran across a hen house. That turned out not so bad. ]

I can't help you with the cooking. All I know how's to warm up a can'a beans, but I'll sure be there! Ned's the one with the swell pies, right?

video;

[lightgunhustler]

[Good on you, Bucky, come be patriotic.]

Well then, sounds like you're overdue for one.

[Consider yourself added to the headcount.]

We'll be glad to have you. Yeah, that's him-- he's taken over dessert duty up in the diner since coming to Wonderland, more or less. He's on pie detail, so you know those'll be good, at least.