Trimming

[in_extremis]

WHO: Everyone! It's a mingle, get into it, bring your own winter traditions
WHERE: The diner
WHAT: A little winter celebration
WHEN: The solstice/end of the year
WARNINGS: Mark it if you get weird. I assume we're all a little busy, so if you want to use this to handwave some cordial introductions or a quick lore dump from Tony, just let me know.


There wasn't any official invitation or forewarning. In fact, Tony hadn't exactly planned to spend his day like this. Arriving at the diner, though, it would be difficult to ignore the acrid smell of burning, or the waft of coffee trying vainly to cover it. The scorched scent could have come from the brazier crackling outside of the diner door, spreading a ring of warmth that left a patch of the walkway cleared of snow, though the effect of that fire was more cozy, inviting anyone in the square near the fountain closer, with a sweet, woody smoke and an extra sharp, green scent from the lurid red and weirdly purple, piney boughs hung around the doorway. The burnt smell was stronger inside, anyway, clearly from a mishap in the kitchen, with another stack of those prickly branches on the diner counter not doing a convincing job of covering a black mark scorched into the surface. The rest of the room might have been distracting enough, though; red, white and pink glitter was dusted throughout the space, spreading from where it had been intended to be contained in clusters of flowers on tables, and colourful glass was hung from the ceiling in icicles or gathered into balls that all winked in the flicker of warm light. Where there weren't lumpy, grey-ish candles, hurriedly disguised with more glitter or brass bowls, there were small, woody shells like chestnuts dotted around the room, filled to teetering brim with a viscous sap that gave off a yellowish glow and left the whole diner shimmering.

Nestled in doorframes and above the counter where a spread of food that might be alluring to the particularly brave, were more lovingly crafted decorations: clusters of small, gold leaves in bouquets tied with red ribbons that chimed softly like bells if someone stood underneath them. The food on display did not give a great hint of what the disaster might have been. Rather, it was difficult to discern which dish would be the main culprit. There was a large bowl of a creamy, yellow liquid, with suspicious lumps and blackened flecks floating in it, with a stack of mismatched cups next to it for serving. The coffee pot next to it was probably safer. The foods that weren't cooked, per se, but sliced and piled onto plates were likely innocent, too, though it was entirely possible that some of those fruits should have been cooked to be edible. A tray of what kind of looked like pancakes looked trustworthy enough, assuming the worst of them didn't make it to the serving stage. In general, the decorations were clearly handled more competently.

The days had been dark and cold, and the diner was warm, bright, and ready to leave everyone full of dubiously edible cheer. If you stayed long enough, maybe Tony would even offer you one of those strange bundles he was fastidiously working on at a table, where an occasional crack sent a puff of smoke swirling up among the gently tinkling glass ornaments.

Comments

OTA (including Tony)

[itsamysterio]

Beck's nose wrinkled as he stepped inside and that burning smell became stronger, though it was clear someone had put a lot of effort into whatever this was, and he looked around in surprise, remembering to put on a smile for anyone who might be watching. This was the sort of gesture that was worthy of a smile, right?

He found himself staring at the large bowl for quite a long time, but all his schooling couldn't help him figure out what foodstuff it was supposed to be, and he wasn't nearly brave enough to taste it yet. He gave it another curious stir.

"...Why the lumps?"

[beholding_archivist]

"Possibly a chemical reaction from being boiled too hot." Jon offers from the side while sipping a perfectly safe coffee himself. "Or a recipe I'm unfamiliar with."

He will leave it to Beck to pick which option he prefers.

[itsamysterio]

"..." Neither option really make Beck feel more confident about the drink (?), but someone's clearly put a lot of work into it, and he's supposed to be keeping up appearances.

He ladled out a cup and sniffed it, still no closer to figuring out what it might be. It smelt like sulfur.

"Well...happy holidays," he offered with a doubtful expression, raising his glass in a sort of half toast before taking a sip.

He immediately spat it out, coughing and making a face.

"...it's eggs. It's burnt eggs."

[beholding_archivist]

Jon watches curiously, taking a sip of his coffee as the other man braves the unidentified... Well. It's possibly meant to be food. He gives a sympathetic grimace at Beck's reaction, then offer his coffee to wash down the taste. "The coffee is safe at least."

But at least one of them tried.

[in_extremis]

The fire at the door didn't stop the chill from sweeping inside every time it opened, so Tony didn't miss Beck's entrance or his tight smile, and watched him cautiously out of the corner of his eye as he finished securing his latest package. Beck didn't seem to be doing anything too offputtingly weird. Gradually, Tony relaxed back into his seat, or as much as he could when he could see Beck lingering...a while...near the food that Tony did not have nearly enough confidence in for that kind of scrutiny, hoping he had somehow gone unseen now.

That was exactly the kind of question that he didn't want to answer.

He cleared his throat and gave a very casual shrug, remaining where he was with his focus on his work on the table and chair teetering precariously as he rocked back in it. "For texture," he provided.

[itsamysterio]

He looked to Tony with an arched brow, not able to think of too many drinks that had this kind of texture to them.

"...Did you try it?" he asked cautiously. Maybe it was like so many of the Agrii foods and tasted nothing like it looked. Which in this case would be a blessing.

[in_extremis]

As though this possibility had not yet occurred to him and the question entirely caught Tony off guard, he finally looked toward Beck and glanced between the spread of the food and the man like he might find some solution between them. "Should I have?" he asked in return. He didn't try every phone he produced before shipping them out, but there were plenty of other tiers of quality control that his cooking process might have lacked.

OTA

[deal_me_in]

If he noticed any signs of mishaps in the preparation then Cayde made no note of it. He rather likes the sparkly yet homey feel to everything. He wasn't quite sure what the spread was meant to be but he'd give A's for effort while he offloaded a stack of frozen pizza in the kitchen. He was sure getting the mileage out of that pizza party and no one seemed to ever complain about leftover pizza.

Sundance drifted after him as the Exo roamed the diner space to take in the decor. She rose up to scan one of the chiming bouquets that hung above.

[in_extremis]

It was a delicate sound, like a rustle of frozen dewdrops in the filligreed leaves. Something close enough for the mechanism to sense triggered a vibration through some of the stems with bells hidden in the curve of the fronds, each time shivering off a dusting of gold glitter. It also triggered Tony sidling up alongside Sundance, his eyes bright and clearly happy to see her before that glint took on its wicked edge, his head cocked with a subtle smirk and hands very innocently behind his back. "Bad luck now if you don't get a kiss," he said.

His gaze slid to Cayde then, smile widening as he teased the frill of the package hidden behind his back and announced, "I made one special for you."

[deal_me_in]

The Ghost swiveled about even as she took care to drift back just out of the immediate range of glitter, her blue 'eye' fixing upon Tony. "What..?"

Cayde was grinning as he glanced over, unsurprised to find the man pestering his Sundance. "Uh-oh, doesn't look like he'll let you get out of this one," he snickered. He quirked a brow at Tony then. "What, a kiss?"

OTA

[beholding_archivist]

It's difficult to miss the fire set up in from of the diner with the building being practically right across the center plaza from where the library is located. The further decorations come to notice upon getting closer and the smell... Well. Jon generously decides not to mention the smell.

For now.

Clearly enough someone tried to set up a warm and inviting and potentially even festive atmosphere in and around the place. Most of the food set up seems a little experimental, but Jon decides to trust the coffee and inspect the setup a little closer. The glass decorations hanging from the ceiling especially catch the Archivist's attention and he takes a moment to take in the dots and flickers of light they cast around the room.

He is about to move on when a set of paws land on his shoulder with a curious prrrt and Jon looks over to the young mothcat that has joined him only to find the animal mesmerized by the shimmering and flickering shiny bits and dots. "Please, don't-" Jon manages, but the animal is already moving again, eyes wide and wings fluttering as it leaps onto the nearest table to try and chase after too many taunting dots of light.

[tsundullahan]

A flying cat. That's certainly different. Celty had just poked her head in after being drawn by the smell, wondering if the diner had caught fire. What she'd caught of the decorations within had temporarily distracted her from the worrying scent, but not as much as the winged cat that glides from the spectacled man's shoulder to pursue the refracting light.

Still standing by the doorway, she continues to watch and can't help but be amused by the sight, a silent chuckle shaking her shoulders as she presses a knuckle to the chin of her helmet.

[beholding_archivist]

There are too many dots of light for one cat to chase at once, and yet the mothcat will do its best and scramble around hastily while Jon watches, grimacing at first, but eventually feeling unable to be too frustrated at the sight and settling with a fond sigh.

He catches sight of the unfamiliar person and offers a small shrug. "I, ah- She followed me, I suppose?" Taking in the appearance of the other person, Jon vaguely gestured towards her helmet. "But you seem to be fine with cats..." A guess.

[in_extremis]

"Oh, good, you're here." Emerging from the kitchen, looking harried and breathless from the disaster behind him, Tony largely missed the cat-conflict and instead gave Jon a giddy grin, rapidly forgetting what he had been doing at the sight of him. It wasn't until Tony had sauntered across the diner to sweep an arm around Jon, spreading a smudge of red glitter from his fingers across the front of Jon's shirt, and pulled him back against his chest, that Tony took note of the mothcat with a frown, watching it as he rocked Jon slowly with the momentum of his embrace. The animal was on a table, where people were supposed to eat, its limbs all spread out as it did an erratic dance to try to capture all of the shimmers winking around it at once. Still watching this performance, the table rattling ominously, Tony finished his greeting with a kiss under Jon's ear where he lingered to announce, "I got you something."

[beholding_archivist]

Jon's attention is glued to the mothcat, equally fascinated and entertained as he is dreading the potential destruction and yet not quite finding himself willing to intervene even as Tony greets him and draws Jon's attention to him. "You put this together." He concludes, leaning back to offer a smile while the mothcat extends its hunt from the table to the seats surrounding it as well as the wall. "I won't apologize for her, but- This is beautiful, Tony." And while the animal is now darting across the floor and after the next dot of light, Jon chuckles at the announcement of this mysterious something. "You mean aside from this incredible playground for cats?" Obviously they need to bring part of this over to the library later.

OTA

[ziedrich_bearer]

First rule of entering any new situation for the last ten years and change of Gladio’s life had been simple: find someone who knows information. Back home that tended to come at local restaurants. People on Eos had this propensity for telling restaurant owners about issues in the area, and that was often where hunt notices were posted too, and the owners knew the local terrain. Surely, Gladio had told himself, that would be true here as well.

Except when the large man, clad in a black uniform accented in silver and gray and hints of gold, entered the diner it was half like a horror scene. Burned scents, scorch marks, messed up greenery (that was still greenery so that was a bonus), it was all a bit much.

“Man, Iggy, this would drive you crazy,” he mused to himself as he headed deeper into the room. “Hey! Anyone here?”

This was not what he was expecting. For a new arrival, this looked a bit like a mess in the worst way.

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis hadn't really minded that Gladio was 'dragging him along' (even if the Shield totally wasn't doing such a thing. But he'd mentioned a party and party meant food, right? So Noctis of course was 'tagging along' rather than being dragged. Still, just to be the little shit that he was even in his older form he still ribbed the taller man about attending.

His dark blue eyes scanned around the place and this was nothing like the pizza party and open bar that Cayde had thrown. So he nodded along to the Ignis comment because that man would have an absolute snit fit. The door hadn't been wide enough to allow both of them to fit at the same time, so the king let the Shield head in first.

But as he blinked around he couldn't help but crack on his friend. "Did you normally attend parties like this?" Of course he offhandedly meant that question for after he'd passed, but he wasn't going to tell Gladio about that.

[ziedrich_bearer]

Good man, remembering that Gladio preferred to enter first and clear spaces when he could. But once they were inside he moves toward where the food is.

"You know I went to mostly the same sorts of parties you did. Well, okay, there were always the house parties that the kids at school would throw, but since most of the kids at the private school were nobility, you know it was really just boring."

[theirondragon]

The big guy made his way to the door of the diner, attracted by the promise of warmth the fire outside offered and smiled to spite himself once he was inside. The haphazard but well-meaning decorations, the smell of failed cooking hanging in the air, it was enough to make him homesick for his boys, who'd attempted more than one nameday celebration for him over the years. It was a mess here, sure, but it was a comfortable mess.

The shadow the Bull cast as he stepped through the doorway, looming tall and broad between Gladio and the fire outside, did a lot of announce his arrival before he responded to the other man's call.

"You got at least one guy."

[ziedrich_bearer]

At least one guy? Gladio turns around to look and wow. Gladio himself was a big guy, but this guy was on a whole other order. Couldn't help himself either, his eyes immediately started evaluating the dude's physique. Comparisons always had to exist between muscle dudes with shirt allergies.

He nodded in approval and held his hand out.

"Gladio. Never seen anyone like you before."

OTA (Beyond one closed to Tony)

[doubled_speed]

OTA
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Someone had told Tommy that bullshit before, and usually he responded that if life gave you lemons, you should cut them open and squeeze the lemon juice into life’s eyes. Fuck that shit. Tommy Shepherd absolutely looked gift horses in the mouth (which was easier to do if you were fast enough to get away before you got nipped), but all he could do in the light of this relatively good natured bullshit was breathe a deep sigh and start to move about there place.

There wasn’t much he could do to salvage everything around him, but for now he started by picking up a tray of sliced fruit that was actually stuff that could be really bad for the stomach if not cooked first.

“Don’t eat these until I bring them back,” he announced to anyone listening. “And, like, tell me if you want something to drink. I’ll figure something out. I’m not sure I trust Tony’s coffee.”


Closed To Tony
The diner was a mess. His diner was a mess. There were scorch marks. There was the smell of charred food. There was clearly wasted supplies.

His diner was a mess.

It was all taken in within seconds, and Tommy moved the nanosecond he was done processing it. He moved with a blur until he found Tony and he stood there, looking at the other man, arms crossed over his chest. Did he look testy? He was testy. He was annoyed. He was upset.

“What the fuck did you do to my diner?”

Lemons.

[kyley_b]

"I'm not sure I trust Tony with any basic plebian task," Kyle muttered. He was sitting at the diner counter, pushing a fork around listlessly. "Guy was like, mega rich, he probably had a robot servant that wiped his butt for him."

[doubled_speed]

Fuck but Kyle was absolutely right with that. Right enough that Tommy snorted in amusement.

“Actually, I don’t know that it was a robot all the time. The dude’s name is Jarvis. I’ve heard stories about him, actually. He helped out a few of the Avengers facilities. Even helped out my great-aunt Nadia a bit when she was adjusting to real life I think. Pretty sure Jarvis helped, like, raise Stark or something? Dated Spider-Man’s aunt for a bit too.”

As for robots that wipe butts, well, he didn’t know about that.

“Any particular food you want? You’re welcome to whatever might move you. Everyone else has to deal with whatever I can salvage.”

RUDE

[in_extremis]

The breeze that gusted over Tony's face and made his materials spread across the table flutter was a familiar enough one that he was prepared to hear Tommy's voice without looking up just yet from his work. He was less prepared for Tommy's tone, so after a beat he raised his head with a pinched frown, then glanced around to try to see what exactly it was that had Tommy up his ass this time. He thought that scorch on the counter was pretty well camouflaged, honestly. "I made food," he answered blithely, and turned back to the Christmas cracker in his hands. "There wasn't any out. I thought you were all busy."

Yeah tony why so rude?

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, Tommy’s often busy now. There wasn’t enough help at the diner, there wasn’t enough help at the greenhouses. And he had to look in on his brother and help out Kyle. He was definitely wearing himself thin again. But not mentioning it. He huffed in annoyance as he listened to Tony’s excuse.

“Smells like fire, Tony Like burnt things. If you hurt my diner I’m going to frown at you. Like this. But yeah, food. I can make more if you want.”