[Lots of people]

[starchilde_lost]

[Dated March 31st, 2012]

She wanted this to go smoothly. She wanted this to go smoothly so badly, it was almost making her nauseous as she finished setting the table and setting out the last of the food. Some of it she'd made, some of it she'd bribed members of the kitchen crew to make for her, but all of it was hopefully something someone would like. And hopefully none of it would end up on someone's face.

Because she really didn't know.

She'd never really done anything like this before. Sure, there were family-style dinners at the mansion and with her grandparents while she was with them, but nothing like that existed here. She had no idea how this group of people that meant so much to her would get along with each other. She knew they'd all try, for her sake, and bless them for it, but she had a habit of making friends and family out of very opinionated and stubborn people and once the wine and beers were opened, who knew what would happen.

So she just said a prayer and hoped for the best as she got up to fiddle with her hair again.

[Post is gathering-style, put up a top-level if you want one or pop into someone else's thread. you can specify the time of the thread, or just leave it open.]

Comments

[starchilde_lost]

During the meal, she kept herself busy, trying to keep conversation going with everyone, making sure plates and glasses stayed full, steering the conversation away from topics she thought would get awkward fast. Sometimes she was successful, other times less so. By the time the meal was actually done and she was starting to clear the plates she let herself relax a little and unwind. Or maybe it was the glasses of wine she'd had. She hadn't counted and she'd needed the relaxation.

Regardless she was feeling pretty accomplished as she let the others mingle as she piled a few more plates into her hut's small sink.

[leftwithmybones]

McCoy tries to keep an eye on how much Rachel's had to drink, but somewhere along the way, he remembers that she's an adult and he ought to give her the rope to hang herself, so to speak. He offers the bottle he's been nursing over to her when the glass is getting a little low. "Want me to top you up?"

[starchilde_lost]

"Sure." She didn't see any reason to stop now. So far, so good, right? It was mostly over but for the clean-up and she didn't need to be entirely sober for that, did she?

"Did everything taste okay?"

[leftwithmybones]

He tops up the glass, giving her a nod ."Yeah, it's all good," he promises, seeing as he doesn't need to give her unnecessary stress when the meal itself was a success. "I'm pretty sure when no one exchanges blows over the dinner table, you're allowed to count the dinner party as a success."

[likesthestooges]

"You did great," Aidan said, moving up behind Rachel to put a hand at the small of her back as he stacked a plate in the sink. Leaning over, he lightly kissed the top of her head.

"Everything was perfect and I think everyone enjoyed themselves."

It was odd, being around so many people close to her. Normally, he was automatically the closest person in the room to Rachel but with everyone here it was hard to say.

[starchilde_lost]

"Thank you." She couldn't help the sigh of relief she gave as she realized he wasn't just saying that to make her feel better. He was more important to her than he realized and having today go smoothly meant that maybe she wasn't making a complete hash of it.

"Are you staying tonight? I mean, I'm exhausted, so we'd just sleep, but you're welcome to... if you want to."

[likesthestooges]

"I was planning on staying," he said, leaning in to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. He knew that the dinner would be stressful for her no matter how well it went, Aidan figured she would be exhausted.

"Helping you clean up, give you a massage, then tuck you in."

[verynaughtymutant]

"No fighting at all," Cable told her dryly. "Not between the guests and not even against mobs of torch wielding bigots protesting your existence."

"If your meals continue being this boring, I may just stop coming."

[starchilde_lost]

"Not if you know what's good for you, brother dear." She poked his arm, but smiled. She was really glad he had come, she wanted him to get to know Aidan. As the only blood family she had on the island (well, Maddie, but that was... Maddie), she needed him and Aidan to get along.

"Next time, feel free to bring that gargantuan beast you call a dog, you can occupy your time keeping it from killing my quetzals."

[verynaughtymutant]

"Don't worry," he replied, returning her smile a little. "I'd soon have him chasing Aidan instead."

[leftwithmybones]

McCoy's been to a few awkward dinners in his life that would best this by far, which is why the tension he might've held is non-existent. Nothing that happens tonight could hold a candle on the dinners he used to have with his former in-laws, Jocelyn, Clay, and Joanna. This is child's play, compared to that. He's put on a nice blue sweater and pair of khakis and even brought a sweet-yam-mash with him, enjoying a glass of wine slowly as he settles in for the long haul of a gathering like this.

He's not an idiot, after all. He knows this is a marathon, not a sprint.

[likesthestooges]

"Dr. McCoy," he said, nodding to the other man.

Working as a nurse at the clinic, Aidan had encountered the man before and he knew that McCoy was important to Rachel. They'd never really spoken of it before, he knew the connection had something to do with Rachel's mother.

"The sweet-yam-mash was good. Was that a recipe from home? Because it would be nice to know things like that survive into the future."

[leftwithmybones]

McCoy studies Aidan with a slow appraisal, nodding his head when he's greeted. "Aidan McCollin," he greets in turn, deciding that first impressions need a little more to go on. "It's basically any kind of squash or potato with brown sugar laced in there. Hell, sugar in anything is bound to make it good."

[likesthestooges]

"You'd be surprised how many simple dishes get lost over the years," he said.

It was also interesting, with the 'discovery' of America, just how many had been invented too. Tomatoes replacing eggplants in Italian cuisine had been a big step forward as far as he was concerned.

"Do they at least get away from high fructose corn syrup in the future? I never liked that as much as regular sugar."

[verynaughtymutant]

"Yams," Cable said slowly and evenly, in a complete deadpan. "You're evidently a man of many talents, doctor."

[leftwithmybones]

"I can grill a mean steak, too," McCoy says, offering Cable a nod of his head. "I got some scotch I've been saving for after dinner in case you were thirsty," he says, gesturing to the seat beside him. "Take a load off for a while."

[verynaughtymutant]

That was... unexpectedly kind.

Cable sat down as directed and shot him a small but honest smile of gratitude.

"Thank you, doctor," he replied before switching the subject. "How did the interrogation go? He pass?"

[likesthestooges]

Aidan knew that part of the reason for the family dinner was so that he could meet all the people important to Rachel. Most of them he'd met here and there in other capacities but tonight it was about meeting them as a part of Rachel's life.

The dinner itself was great and after a bit of clean up he headed outside to give everyone space in Rachel's hut. Taking a sip of his beer he couldn't help but stare around at the island and wonder just how his life had come to this. It was a surprise, a good surprise, but still something he wouldn't have ever expected.

[verynaughtymutant]

"Hello, Aidan," Cable said with something that could be called a smile, if you didn't look at it too closely, as he took a standing position just next to him. "That could have gone a lot worse, couldn't it?"

It was all about image really, acting angry and aggressive wasn't half as intimidating as a certain deliberately controlled friendliness because at least with an anger you knew you could trust it. And while Cable wasn't sure he actually wanted to be intimidating, he got the feeling it was expected of him and it was something he could do without really thinking too hard.

[likesthestooges]

"Cable," Aidan said with a genuine smile. Whether or not Cable was meaning to be menacing, Aidan wasn't bothered by it. It was a brother's right and, more precisely, Aidan had a lot of experience with menacing, both giving and receiving.

"And it certainly went a lot better than a lot of the family dinners I've been to."

[verynaughtymutant]

"No dead bodies," Cable agreed, and left a little pause before delivering the punchline with trademark deadpan, "yet."

"I told her you'd faced far more intimidating things than this, before."

A little approval was always good, you let them know they passed a test and all you do is cement the idea that you're the one judging and they're the one trying to measure up.

[chasedthestars]

He isn't nervous. Not yet proven to be a man in possession of nerves, Jim swans into the little gathering, doing his best to ignore both Bones' dish of sweet yams lest he eat it all, and the fact that Bones is wearing khakis - khakis - lest he do something equally untoward.

He's happy enough to eat his fill - and maybe a little more of his share where the yams are concerned - to pretend to be a man who enjoys wine, and definitely chokes down his fair share there, rosy cheeked and grinning pleasantly by the time dessert rolls around.

Even now, he's not entirely sure what today's about, but it feels like something he'd have done at home with his crew, and that's enough to keep Jim content in his chair, passing the occasional appraising glance at those khakis.

[leftwithmybones]

"I swear to god, I'm going to look down and there will be a hole burned in 'em," McCoy says quietly, bringing over a glass of actual alcohol in the form of scotch for Jim and one for himself, taking a seat next to him and draping his arm easily over Jim's shoulder. This much is easy. This, he's done a dozen times before surrounded by Starfleet people, with Jim at his side and knowing he's got an ally there. "So? How'd you enjoy your first family dinner?"

[chasedthestars]

"Went great!" Jim declares, leaning into Bones' arm with a happy grin, scotch clasped between his hands. "And the staring's not my fault, you look like you're going to church. It's filthy."

[leftwithmybones]

He shakes his head, confused about how that's supposed to be a good thing, given the mixed message of it. "I don't understand how looking like I'm going to church translates to you wanting to jump my bones," he admits, letting his fingers rest comfortably on Jim's bicep. "Think this is as close as you get to meeting the in-laws, here."