Light 'em up

[starcharter]

Characters: EVERYBODY
Date: sundown on November 29th to sunrise on November 30th
Location: A plaza in Earth
Situation: The population of Keeliai could use a little warmth. So Chekov set stuff on fire and invited everyone over.
Warnings/Rating: None, but please put something in your comment header if necessary.

On Wednesday, everyone received the following audio message (and text attachments in English and Russian) from (1) Pavel Chekov in their inboxes:

“Hello. I would like to invite you to a bonfire in Earth sector on Friday at sundown. Please feel free to bring friends.”


A plaza in Earth sector is buzzing with activity-- most of it from one young man. He spends the day lugging folding tables and pushing wheelbarrows of supplies into the plaza. As the day wears on, several entrepreneurial kedan set up stands. By sundown, the plaza is lit up with three large, roaring bonfires. Most of the ice and snow has melted away, leaving a few patches here and there in the furthest corners of the plaza. One patch a bit away from the fires is completely devoid of snow and ice-- it's a sort of dance floor or performance area. Some music is playing out of one of the upper windows of the buildings overlooking the plaza. It's varies from quick and frenzied to slow and soothing. Of course, anyone is welcome to claim the floor to perform a magic show or do a little singing of their own.

There's a hodgepodge of various folding tables set with the essentials: raw vegetables, the closest equivalent of marshmallows Chekov could find (next to the chocolate and graham cracker substitutes), and sausages. There are skewers and tongs lying around should anyone need them. He also brought a few jugs of water, which are refilled periodically. It's not much, but it's the best he could do with a limited budget and not a lot of time. The kedan have taken the opportunity to sell what Chekov couldn't bring-- hot beverages and food, blankets, scarves and gloves, and several other simple wares.

It's not a grand setup, but there are roaring bonfires, food, and good company.


(Posting this slightly early because of Thanksgiving chaos. Let me know if you have any questions)

Comments

[beunbroken]

They're crazy about each other. It's more unsettling up see them apart than anything else. And Rosalind looks absolutely sickly. Booker, we need to get them to stop being so stupid.

[washitaway]

Can't make 'em do anything they're not ready to do themselves, though. I said my piece to Robert. [He gives a vague shrug.] They'll come to their sense before long, I'd bet my last dollar on it.

[Booker, don't bet anything. You are a terrible gambler.]

[beunbroken]

How about we deal with making bets later. For now... we just... I don't know. I guess we just need to be there for them, then.

[washitaway]

Invite 'em both over, if you want. For the holidays, or something like that. [He shrugs slightly.] Seems to me they're too easily avoidin' each other.

[beunbroken]

Can we? I think that'd be wonderful! Oh, they can come for Christmas! Can you believe it'll be 136 years since Washington crossed the Delaware?

[washitaway]

Yeah, you can invite 'em - wait, what? What's Washington have to do with Christmas?

[Shit, is this some other weird-ass Columbia thing?]

[beunbroken]

[Yes.]

He crossed the Delaware, leading to the Colonies' victory at Trenton. Your Christmas is... still celebrating the birth of Jesus, right?

[washitaway]

Uh, yeah, it's about Jesus. [Booker shakes his head.] Not sure I see the sense in Comstock's love of the founders, especially after Columbia seceded.

[beunbroken]

Hey, don't look at me. I never got to sit him down over dinner and ask about the finer points of his draconian rule.

[washitaway]

I know, I was just - nevermind. [He scratches the back of his neck absently.] Dunno if they'll have trees here. Haven't seen many that'd work.

[beunbroken]

We could make a tree.

[washitaway]

I... suppose so. Out of what?

[beunbroken]

Well, I don't know. But I'm sure we could figure something out.

[washitaway]

Sure. We can figure something out. [Booker's not one to stomp on her dreams when her dreams are as simple as 'let's make a Christmas tree'. But he knows that she's cleverer than him by far, so she's more likely to figure it out than he ever will be.]

And you can invite whoever you want over for it. [It should be safe enough, as long as he's there.]

[beunbroken]

[She's inviting Chekov.] I can? Thank you, Booker! Thank you so much! Oh, it'll be so much fun! We'll have a Christmas Ham, and pies, and all sorts of cookies!

[washitaway]

Yeah, sure. Whatever you want. By now your leftovers are feeding half of Jack's staff.

[He smiles a little, though. He's come to take real pleasure in how excited she gets about things.] You want some more cider?

[beunbroken]

Well, I'm glad they're feeding someone.

[It's strange, but she doesn't make anything of it. Instead, she just nods.] Yes, please! It's delicious. What are you drinking, anyway?

[washitaway]

Whiskey. [He'll be honest - he's not drinking to excess, though. Not out in public like this with her here, too. As long as Elizabeth's around for him to keep an eye on, he's not getting drunk nearly as much as he normally would.]

I'll be right back.

[beunbroken]

Of course. [She sighs. Leave it to Booker to find some. But hey, he was doing a good job. Except for the other night. With the phone call. That was bad.]

I'll be right here!

[washitaway]

[Sorry, Elizabeth, it'd take something really dire to pull Booker away from the booze.

Actually, something really dire happening would just make him drink even more heavily.

Still, he returns quickly with more of that cider for her. Just because he's a lush, doesn't mean he'll let her become one. Not on his watch, anyway. She doesn't need to repeat his mistakes.]

You're not cold or anything, are you?

[beunbroken]

[While Booker is gone, Elizabeth does all sorts of illegal drugs, loses her virginity to Robert Lutece, and gets pregnant. Congrats, you're a grandpa.

I mean, what?

Actually, she just stood around and watched people dancing. A little less-boring, but it'll keep Booker sane for now.]

Nope, dancing kept me warm, and my clothes are plenty warm. And I have cider.

[washitaway]

Well... Good. [His whiskey is nice and good at warming him up, too.

Don't have sex Liz, you will get pregnant and die. Booker knows this from experience.]

Just... let me know if you're gettin' tired, or when you wanna leave. [He'll stay however long she wants.]

[beunbroken]

Is this your way of saying you want to go home?

[washitaway]

No, it's just my way of sayin' - we'll stay as long as you like. Don't feel like you need to do anything because of me.

[He'll just watch her having fun. And drink. And not look like a creeper at all.

Okay, he might look a little like a creeper.]

[beunbroken]

[Creepiest creeper.]

Okay. But if you do want to go home, we can. I won't make you stay out just because I'm having fun.