2019-11-24 - Feed The Hungry

At Drinks Station:
Erin has been here awhile and hopefully everything was prepped. The volunteers have been a huge help in setting up the tables of food to serve out cafeteria style. After thanking everyone for coming to help, the doors were opened to admit those that had lined up outside in the cold. As for Erin, she is checking one more time over all of the stations and answering any questions that she is able.

Tonight, Erin is wearing a functional dress in a soft, dark green color that is understated and paired with minimal accessories. Dressing down for the event than her usual flair for the fashionable. Instead of her glitzy heels, she's wearing a pair of serviceable flats that don't boost her 5'9" height any taller than an inch. There's a friendly smile worn and her dark eyes hold warmth as she greets each person as they get to her in the serving line she stands at, which is wherever she was needed, allowing the volunteers to choose their positions first.

At Dessert Station:
Dressed in a white button down shirt and a pair of dark gray jeans, those sleeves have been folded up on his forearms to let Yule pass out pie - whip cream included! - without fear of making too much of a mess. This is the station he had arrived early to help setup, slicing pieces in preparation to get them out of the pans, assisting whomeever else might be there to give a hand. It's a simply process and system, those desserts lined up and ready to go, each served with a warm note of greeting. "Looks like everything came together quite well, Ribbons." It's to Erin that his eyes cast a glance towards, flashing the woman who put it together a faint smile.

Hera had heard about the event either through people chatting in and around the strip mall she frequents or through other means. However she heard of it, she figures it would be a good thing to attend and contribute to for various reasons. Her attire isn't the most businesslike. Yet the dress she wears is somewhat striking in a bit of an elegant way. The colors are light blue and a series of intricate ruffles fall around her knees. The shoes she wears are heeled sandals of sorts that compliment the dress, even if they are not of the same shade. (image: https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jaime_ray_newman.jpg) However, what she has on isn't all that noticable as she carries a huge box of bottles filled with cider. It's a Thanksgiving feast so wine wouldn't be the best option so, cider it is. She tries not to bring too much attention to herself though but the bottles click and clack as she finds the drinks stateion where drinks would be served. No need not to contribute!

At Meat Station:
Despite driving around in Rolls Royces and Benzes, Byron's grown up in Gray Harbor his whole life and more than likely has done something similar to what he's participating in now many times before. Now, however, it just looks charitable, which he doesn't seem to mind. He left his suit and tie at home to dress more casually in a form fitting black turtleneck sweater, a pair of jeans and black boots. He looks to be in festive good cheer, wearing a smile as he converses with the others at his station, while shooting a glance in Lilith's direction across the way.

For now, he's helping to slice up portions of turkey to be served, something which he had done just a few evenings before, having celebrated Thanksgiving early himself. "This all looks and smells really good. Mouthwatering even. Everyone's going to be having a good meal this afternoon, that's for sure."

At Drinks Station:
Cole is manning the drinks station, pouring and passing out cups of iced team, punch, water, and making cups of coffee for those who want them. He's dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a long-sleeved dark red turtleneck that is just warm enough for the weather but not too warm while he's busy serving drinks to the people who come up to the table, making sure that the ice is refreshed, and swapping out the containers in the iced tea dispensers. He might be new to Gray Harbor, but this sort of thing was something he'd often done at home in Boston, so something about it feels familiar around the holiday season, rather than staying at home.

Issuing food, being talked to? Hard to do for him, but Thewlis Moore is in the center, tool belt on and making his rounds to assure everything is in full repair, lights go out? Fixed. Rickety chair? Table not level? He's there. At present Thew is off to one side, keeping serving areas between him and the main crowds, back to the wall, watching everything warily.

At Sides Station:
Beth is at the sides station peeling back the protective layers of aluminum foil and saran wrap so the sides are ready to go when the diners arrive. She has collected an array of slotted and non-slotted spoons, and after she has peeled the foil back she stirs all of the things that ought to be served. She is wearing a cranberry colored t-shirt dress with a pair of black tights. Suede knee high boots and a houndstooth patterned scarf cowled around the neck complete her comfy and functional but cute look.

At Meat Station:
James is wearing his usual jeans and hoodie, because James is nothing if not On Brand. Coming here was a bit of a last minute thing- he's not usually a big 'community' or 'charity' guy- don't get me wrong, he sends the ASPCA a check every month, drops a dollar in donation jars, all that. But this whole 'volunteering' thing? Not his usual style. And yet, here he is, arriving late of course (On Brand!) and scootching up to the Meat Station because meats. "... I find the lack of mac and cheese in the food selection very concerning.", he says to the nearest person (oh hey look it's Byron), as he grabs some tongs and starts making with the meats at people.

At Dessert Station:
"I see you back there Thewlis," Yeah, Yule? Absolutely has spied the man going around to take care of everything, and in between dishing out pieces of pie? He casts a look over his shoulder towards the man. "And I haven't forgotten that drink I owe you. This weekend, you are coming over." It's a promise that he'll be found if he doesn't, but it's all delivered with a respectful dip of his head to the man and a faint smile before his eyes shift forward, handing out a piece of pecan pie to the next in line as they ask for it.

At Drinks Station:
People go through the lines and several like to stop and talk with the servers, or a neighbor they haven't seen in awhile. The lines go well, mostly, except for when a few of the elderly start through. Erin smiles at Hera at the donation of the cider and directs her to Cole at the drink station. "Thank you, that's wonderful." Cole gets a grateful smile as well before she moves along to Yule with a smile in her eyes, "So far so good, after everyone is fed and signed up at the Angel Tree, we can have dinner too. I hope you're hungry there's enough food fora whole army," There's a soft nudge of her arm to his at the nickname. "Thanks for coming, Angel." A grin at that before she moves along, checking pans of food, seeing if any stations need more. "Thank you for coming," she adds to Beth and those at the other stations.

At Sides Station:
Lilith doesn't make her way straight to the sides table after coming in with Byron, she makes her way straight to Erin to gush after squeezing the man's hand and letting him go set up at the manly meat station with assisting company. Stepping forward to give the arranging Addington a hug and squeeze, she rocks back and forth into it a touch rambunctiously, apparently in top form despite... well. Erin knows the deal of how things have happened to interrupt Thanksgiving, at least, so. But has it kinked Lilith Winslow's style or stride for the holidays outwardly? Nope. "Wooooow, look at your party skills put to task for the greater good! This is great, babydoll."

Then because she's there, she gets a drink from the station that Erin is near before waving and wandering to go get up near where the sides are assorted and she claims with walking backpedal to the woman before a drink of iced tea from her commandeered cup, "I told Byron in the car I wanted to use a scoop like that old bitchy lunch lady that worked at the elementary for a hundred years used to do before she got dead or carpaltunnel or whatever. But I won't make that face, I promise." Look, everyone that grew up in Gray Harbor probably knows which old lunch lady she's talking about, it's fine to make jokes about it. Her dry good natured wit might sound a bit callous to outsiders or strangers, though, not that she's overly concerned.

Wearing an embroidered leather jacket she gets out of to stash under the table, she's wearing a shirt dress in amethyst that's chain-belted with some dangle at the hip, a pair of low-heeled, black calf boots at slink on her legs, and her hair has been smartly done up with twist out of the way, cosmetics accenting, casual chic. When she comes up on Beth at the station with her, she makes introduction, "Hey, we're pick and scoop pals today. I'm Lilith. I own the Pawn Shop on Elm." And she probably knows a lot of the low incomes and desperate that come a pawning that are eating here today because of it. Momentarily, after she's settled, she looks to where Byron is and blows a little air kiss his way before seeing James. James gets a little lopsided grin of mischief before she does the same to him too just to see him react.

At Dessert Station:
Love wanders out to the dessert station with a freshly charged whipped cream dispenser. She pulls on a fresh set of food safe gloves and moves behind the table, slipping past Yule to stand there adding extra whipped fat to the pie slices of those who give her the high sign.

At Meat Station:
Abby is by the meat station, helping with preparations and the slicing of the brisket with careful knifework, focused on finishing the task at hand as efficiently as possible. This doesn't keep her from having a smile on each time she glances up from the task between slices. She's got her apron and her gloves on because this is messy work, and she likely wouldn't want to stain the outfit worn below. She's in a fit and flare dress in a floral print of muted greens and rosy reds, worn under a gray cardigan that cover her arms, black tights and flat ankle-high brown boots. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail, away from her face to help with the meat situation.

"I suppose mac and cheese is technically a side," she muses with a glance in James's direction and an amiable smile. "Though, really, I end up eating it by itself, so maybe they weren't sure where to put it."

Hera smiles toward Erin as she is seen. Never hurts to make an appearance but as more and more people get into the festive mood, she feels her own mood brighten. "And a wonderful thing to do for the community." she adds. While she doesn't really fancy herself too much of a domestic type, she seems eager to help if help is needed. She only assumes that Cole is one of the leaders here, at least when it comes to drinks. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asks? Naturally, she assumes she can take the cider bottles out and find a secure place for them so they don't break as the crowds come through. Outside of the obvious though, she seems ready to assist.

At Drinks Station:
When Hera asks him if there's anything that she can do to help, he smiles and says, "Sure. Want to pour a few cups of coffee while I set out some more of the punch?" He nods in the direction of the people waiting in line for hot beverages while he continues to handle the cold ones. "I'm Cole, by the way. Nice to meet you."

At Meat Station:
It looks like both James and Byron are working in unison now with Byron carefully cutting even slices into the turkey and James grabbing them with his tongs to set on a plate. "Surprising." He'll comment about the lack of mac and cheese, but when I passed by there earlier, there was some good broccoli and cheese casserole instead. Of course, that's nothing like a nice baked Macaroni and cheese, but I'm sure no one (else) will complain."

Turning to Abby when she speaks, she looks familiar. But then again he's been in and out of the hospital for various reasons often enough. "You work at Addington Memorial, right? Byron Thorne." He introduces himself, though she might already know that. "I think I've seen you around."

At Sides Station:
Beth is in the process of chopping and fluffing the mashed potatoes up before they are to be served. Undoubtably delicious the big metal pans used for cafeteria food can do weird things to mashed potatoes.
"Pawn shop? Oh my mom loves looking at jewelry there. She's become obsessed with it since she started watching Pawn Stars on History. My dad had to talk her out of buying a bass last week." She turns a little towards Lillith to hold out a free hand. "Beth Lawson. I own the funeral home on Spruce." She pushes the spoon into the mashed potatoes, and picks up a scraper to begin cutting the dressing into servable squares of goodness.

At Dessert Station:
It's a flash of a smile that Yule gives to Love, a ghost of a thing as he murmurs, "Extra points of you can make the whip cream into heart shapes." It's a cast of those brown eyes to the faces outside, now and then looking back to see if it's the same ones or not. "Hey, take over for a minute for me, yeah? Just want to go check on something." He steps back, passing by Thewlis to give the fellow a light, reassuring squeeze on the arm of he'll allow it, and then Yule heads towards the front door, pushing it open to slip outside to the father and son outside. Out his hand comes as he offers up his name, asking for theirs in return.

At Meat Station:
James blinks over at Byron. "... broccoli?!", he asks, betrayal in his tone. "Byron. No." Abby's comment grabs his attention, and he leans over- almost getting a faceful of meat by accident -and he smiles. "Ah, but that's no excuse, that's an easy problem to solve, you put it in both spots!" James blinks then when he notices movement out of the corner of his eye. Is that.. Lilith? Wait, what's she doin- oh, shit! He quickly ducks down, deftly dodging the perilous peck. "... Jesus, woman, watch where you aim that thing. It's all fun and games until James loses an eye."

Spoken to, Thew ducks his head and nods to Yule, brows knitting. "Drink... yeah. Get a. Drink." The chaos and the activity keep him plastered to the wall for the moment, studying everyone, eyes flicking from point to point and then to the floor as if ashamed to be casting his gaze around. The poor man doesn't even notice Yule has moved elsewhere, focused on his toes as he is.

At Dessert Station:
Love glances over at Yule. She holds the dispenser in one hand, her other hand on her hip. She casts her pale-eyed gaze at the man. "Stars would have been challenging. My name is Love. Like hearts aren't the first thing I ever learned to draw." She nods and gestures with the whipped cream canister. "I've got the pie. You do your thing." She glances over to watch the exchange briefly, dispenser shrrrrping as she adds whip to mostly pumpkin pie slices, as well as a few pecan and lemon.

At Drink Station:
Hera offers a smile to Cole in return and says, "Hera, and glad to help. The community feeling in this town is quite well, welcoming. It really does seem to be a utopia of sorts." and drinks, drinks, she can definitely do. "Smells good." she mentions of the coffee. "Then again, I find myself hanging out at the coffee shop more than I should." But, she doesn't yack forever and she gets to business. If people are coming in for good food, they are definitely coming in for caffeine. Making sure no one gets burned, including herself, she gets to pouring.

Fashionably late, but better late than never, right? At least, Ashira is fashionable, because she's wearing a sparkly autumn-colored dress, with her hair done in a braid. Ciprian is looking less fashionable, and more like he just came from work recently. But at least he's required to dress nicely for work. "Let's go see where we're needed," Ciprian is saying to his daughter, and she nods a couple of times, looking around until she spots Erin. She waves enthusiastically, and then she sees Beth at the sids station. She starts over there, announcing, "Hi! We're here!"

At Meat Station:
Abby nods her head, barely looking up until she's finished with this one slice she's working on, the tender meat coming apart in juicy pieces if she's not very, very careful. "That's right! I'm a nurse there," she confirms Byron's remark with a friendly smile. "Abby Reed. No e." Pause. "At the end. No e at the end," she clarifies, long knife in hand, managing not no stab anyone, or herself, in the process.

"You can't put mac and cheese in the meat section, can you? Unless it has meat in it. Though I suppose all the vegetarians just go for the sides, so that makes the sides full meals, so you could put the Mac and Cheese there," she follows her train of thought through its winding, rambling course, flashing James a smile. Then, slicing nearly done for now, she looks up around the room, face turning thoughtful and hesitant at the sight of a few faces nearby.

At Dessert Station:
"Yule. Pleasure to meet you, Love. I'll look forward to seeing the stars when I'm back." It's a ghost of a smile flashed he way before he heads on outside. "Yeah? Nice to meet you both," It's warm tones Yule uses with the pair outside, his head dipping into a small nod towards the pair. "It's awfully packed in there... you'll have better luck if you come in and take a look. And I know you aren't hungry now," He casts his gaze towards through the window in the hopes theres will follow, to see just how much - and how delicious! - it all is. "But you'd be doing us a favor if you took a couple of plates to go with you. We'll have so much we'll have to throw it out, otherwise."

Erin grins at the bonding and laughter, really happy that even the volunteers were getting along with each other and having fun. "Thank you," she tells Hera, but when she notices Ashira, she lifts a hand and waves back. "You look so nice!" Smiling as the girl walks over to Beth. Eyes lift to Ciprian. "So glad you made it! It's nice to see you both again. Just fill in at whatever station you'd like to be at and feel free to introduce yourself to any of the other volunteers."

At Drinks Station:
Cole smiles a little curiously over at Hera when she says that the town seems like a Utopia. He doesn't contest it, but he certainly seems a little bit amused. "New in town?" he asks her, making idle conversation here and there between passing out drinks. He is pretty quick to make sure that there are enough cups of all of the cold drinks lined up so that as people pick them up, more are being set out. It's a kind of juggling act between one thing and the other, but he seems to be keeping up.

At Sides Station:
Lilith grins at James as he ducks the blown air kiss double she sent to the meat station from where she is, then makes a finger point gesture his way like she's coming for him later as a total threat. Then her attention is right on Beth, hand going out to grasp and return brisk shake as she breathes out a laugh at the Pawn Stars bit and makes the intro exchange, "I get some pretty neat jewelry, your mom must have good taste. Trash TV aside. But you know. That show... I actually watch it even though so much is fabricated because a lot of the stuff... well, whatever, long story short, sometimes I'm very into junk and have a lot of it around. Luckily, it hasn't spread too much keeping beyond the closets as yet, as far as my personal non-sale collection goes."

Then peeling back the foil and setting up to serve, she makes a lame aside to Beth to fill talking space, assuming that if the woman deals with dead bodies all day, surely she can take a helpless and necessary joke about the downsides of their trades, the dead and the default, "So we both deal with deadbeats, huh? Good times." Zing. Ok, well not so much, but still. "Have you picked from the Angel Tree yet? I have to make a point to grab some things off of it before I--" Lilith stops to smile at someone trying to decide between a couple of sides, then boss-modes to reach out and give them both quite amiable and forward and no-brokerage about it, "Oh, stop being shy, if you can't decide, you have both and eat til you hurt, it's Thanksgiving."

When Isabella arrives, she looks a little harried, the shadows of a lingering worry present on her features, but one that she attempts to banish in favor of a smile - and one that grows effortlessly as she looks at the set-up. Lilith by the sides station gets a quick wave, before quick bootsteps move towards where Erin stands, being the event's overseer. As always, she favors a casual look, but not without paying due deference to the weather and the shifting climate towards the cold - she's dressed in a reddish-brown leather jacket pulled over a long-sleeved shirt with a scooped neckline, the moonstone pendant she is never without glittering against the deep blue dye of her top. Jeans are tucked into her boots.

"Am I late?" she wonders to Erin, giving the woman a quick hug if she allows her, and a very quick once-over to see how she is recovering, at least physically, from the last time she had seen her. She looks hale, and in good spirits, and it softens her expression considerably. "Doing alright?" This brief flash of seriousness burns away quickly at a dimpled grin. "This was such a great idea, Erin. Look at all this."

At Dessert Station:
Love totally encases a tiny sliver of pie in whipped cream and hands it off to a little kid. "That's the proper way to do it." This is probably also the reason she keeps having to refill the whip. That's probably going to be a mess of four year old in five, four, three...

At Drink Station:
Hera returns with a pleasant enough comment, "Thank you for organizing all of this." After pouring a few cups of coffee she nods to Cole, "Yes. I recently opened up an art shop of sorts here, Vivid Dreams. A cute little place for anyone who wants to take some art classes and have a good glass of wine. Though" she grins, "I couldn't bring wine to an event like this so, cider it is. So far I'm really enjoying the city. I have to admit I'm not used to everyone being so nice. Maybe what they do say about small towns is true." She could go on but no need to get that distracted with chatting, there are people to serve!

At Meat Station:
When James look aghast at his mention of broccoli, Byron says as he continues to make neat little slices of turkey, "There's nothing wrong with eating your vegetables, Hecker. A balanced diet helps you grow. Did anyone tell you that before?" It's a low blow, picking on his pal for his height, but if James checks, the edge of Byron's lips lift even a tiny bit, even when he's keeping his attention diverted away from the other guy.

"Reed," He echoes the name and looks about to ask something or other regarding her last name, but she explains that it's Reed without the extra e. "Ahh, gotcha. Thought you might be related to a friend of mine. Guess not."

He then adds, "I've had hamburger mixed in with Mac and Cheese before. No complaints there." Since everyone's talking about sides, he casts another glance over at Lilith's table, looking to see who else is assisting in that corner of the world. It's then that his eyes flicker towards the drinks. His mother is helping man that station. He's trying to pay her no mind. Oh look, the Reede he was thinking of just wandered in.

Some of the people in line listen to the banter and one of the kids crinkles his nose, "I don't want no broccoli. I want Mac and Cheese!" He bounces on his feet. "Mac and Cheese!"

Lex... is here, and has been the entire time, damnit. She may be nowhere near the actual food serving area, the blue-haired woman is seated cross-legged on a table, which is, in turn, positioned by a large tree. Glittering presents are piled below, but the primary purpose of the 'station' seems to be more for the paper ornaments, and the large sign above it all that says 'ANGEL TREE'. And Lex.

The kid with all of the whipped cream takes the pie and with eyes wide he opens his mouth right there and takes a big lick of whipped cream off the top. He gets some on his nose and fishes it off with his tongue. He's having so much fun.

At Meat Station:
James peers back up just to catch Lilith's overt threat, and he shudders, then turns his head, still ducked down, up at Byron as he makes that quip about his height. ".... I want to be angry but frankly the sheer comedic timing of your comment when I'm down here has left me staggered." He shakes his head, then rises back to his feet and grins at Abby. "Ah, but see, I got you covered there too- you put bacon in the mac and cheese at the meat table, and no bacon in the one at the sides table! That's the kind of dedication I expect from a proper-"

Hi James. It's me, your lone remaining 'common sense' neuron. I know it's been a while since we talked, and that's entirely my fault. I just needed some time to myself, y'know? Figure a few things out. It's hard, man. When you're the last of your kind. You... Bah. You wouldn't understand. Anyway, I'm not back full time yet, I still need to... unpack a few things. Let's... Let's not rush this. Where was I.. ah, yes. THat thing you were about to say? Yeah, you'd come off as a huge asshole, so, maybe don't say it? Just a thought. Laters.

"-ahhhemm. I mean." He pauses, gathering his thoughts. "N-next year, I'll just have to bring the mac and cheese myself. Which is good because I make epic mac and cheese."

At Sides Station:
"My mom has old lady taste. But a lot of stuff that old ladies like is actually super cool." Beth says to Lillith. She lets out a snort of amusement at Lillith's joke. "You could say my clientele isn't the liveliest bunch." Ba dum tish! She shakes her head in response. "No I haven't had a chance yet, but I was planning on popping over there."

She is putting a spoon in the broccoli and cheese casserole when she sees Ashira. "Hey it's my dolphin buddy!" She calls out enthusiastically before she lifts her hand to show off the sterling silver bracelet with a little dolphin charm on it under her lunchlady gloves. "You look awesome! Why don't you come over here and I'll get you an apron, and then you can serve the mashed potatoes. Which, like, is really the foundation of the meal so it's a super important role. And we don't want mashed potatoes on you or glitter from your dress in the mashed potatoes." She turns to peel off her thin cafeteria lunchlady plastic gloves, and grabs an apron to help

At Dessert Station:
"Sure. Appreciate you giving us a hand. And if you don't find who you are looking for by the time it's over, just let me know." Yule offers up to keep that thread of pride alive, before he takes a step towards the door, tugging it up. "After you guys." It's that faint but warm smile the man, and only once they've decided to shuffle in does he offer that note of agreement, "Yeah. It smells delicious. Hard to choose between it all, so just get whatever appeals."

People are already finishing up and some of the mothers are lining up by the Angel Tree to put their children's names in.

"Sorry we're late," Ciprian replies to Erin, though he keeps an eye on Ashira. "Everything looks great. I'll have to be sure to grab someone off the tree later." He smiles, before adding, "I'll let you get back to the business of hosting." That said, he starts over to the sides station where his daughter is. Catching sight of Yule, he lifts his hand to wave to the other man as he goes.

Ashira herself is beaming as she twirls around when she hears Erin say she looks nice. "Thank you!" She says, before lifting up her wrist to jingle the dolphin bracelet in question in Beth's direction. "Okay," she says, getting a little more serious -- since mashed potatoes is Serious Business. "I've made mashed potatoes before so I know how to serve them." Clearly. Ciprian has to laugh as he says, "Hi, Beth. Hope you're ready for some expert assistance."

At Meat Station:
Abby sets out what's left of the meat, in case more people come by for brisket, and looks up with a smile in Byron's direction. "People ask me that, sometimes! I've had a Reede with an e over at the hospital, and we've come to the conclusion that we might be related, but we'd have to be pretty distant relatives. Well, I came to that conclusion anyway." It's amazing that she hasn't stabbed anyone yet, because she talks with her hands more than a little bit, and she's handling all kinds of sharp implements. It's a good thing she's not a surgeon.

"I'm not even Gray Harbor. Well, I'm from Elma, so that's pretty close," she says. And it is, Elma being a little town of 3000 or so, roughly 20 minutes inland from Gray Harbor proper. "But I'm still pretty sure we're not related."

Time to swap out her very, very filthy gloves, glancing in James's direction with a nod. "Oh, that's pretty clever. You might end up with too much mac and cheese, but I don't suppose it'll go to waste," she comments, looking around at the crowd and watching the people clean up the food on offer.

At Dessert Station:
"Welcome," Yule offers to them both as he heads in. Up a hand comes to return that wave, "Hey Ciprian. Good to see you again," as he steps back up to the desserts. Down to the pies, and the whipped cream that Yule looks, before a touch of innocence is cast towards Love. "Where were we? I think you were talking about making whipped cream animals on the pies, yeah? Kittens, please." Comes his request, all with a touch of mischief as he starts to get back in the rhythm of handing them out.

Erin watches the interaction between Ashira and Beth and smiles, "So sweet." It was adorable to watch the two of them together. At the thanks, she dips her head, "You're welcome honey." Leaving the three of them to man the station there, she walks over to Lex and helps her hand out ornaments and sharpies. "How are you doing?" Watching a mother reluctantly fill in her kids shoe sizes and the small list of needs while leaving the want area blank. "Not even a favorite toy?" With a blush the mother writes down anything Paw Patrol.

At Meat Station:
It's only when James rises to stand to full height that Byron finally glances his way, that cheeky grin still on his lips, but saying absolutely nothing in retort. While the turkey might be huge, there's a long line of hungry patrons just wanting a taste of that Thanksgiving deliciousness. The one that Byron is working on is a little over half-way served to completion. The conversation they are having about a certain Reede, has Thorne immediately stating, "I... have a feeling that we're talking about the same person." Someone else who is prone to ending up at the hospital. "Isabella Reede." That's when his gaze lifts to regard where Bella had actually wandered off to, his chin lifts to point in that direction, "As a matter of fact, she just stepped in." The wild gesturing with her cutting utensils does have Byron watching her warily, but that smile continues to linger even if he makes sure to stay out of knife's way...

Continuing on with his work, Byron pauses briefly to watch James with care when he stops mid-sentence in such an abrupt way. There's a tilt of his head and a lift of his brow, but he won't ask. "Your stove work?" This question is posed to James and he's even side-eyeing the guy now. "I mean, if you're going around boasting, then you can make us that mac and cheese when we drop by to clean your place up."

At Sides Station:
Beth's own lame joke make Lilith crack up with snort a little more than it should because she clearly appreciates such bad things. Her dark head nods with quick tip to the sentiment about old-lady jewelry, correcting with a hint of a lopsided smile while she doles out to another incoming hungry fellow, "... it's called vintage, Beth, vintage. Or antique if she likes the reeeeal good or ugly stuff." Eyes catch on Isabella's entry, then and she almost waves her scooper before swapping it between hands to wave naturally and not sling things everywhere, but then the guy waiting double scoops, apparently, gets her attention.

Then when she recognizes his grinning, semi-toothless and rumpled old ass, she breathes out a very long, drawn out sigh and slops another serving on his plate instead of arguing, "Jameson, this is charity, not the Sizzler all you can eat buffet to fill the hump at. Not sure if it counts as 'poor' if you're spending all your money on..." He interrupts and is clearly a bit tipsy, "Lookit you, Lilypad, all grown up and fancy playin' handout. Give Uncle Jameson a kiss." Lilith makes an 'ugh' of noise at him and does point the scooper she has in hand with deliberate mess fling this time, right on his shirt for emphasis, "Don't think I won't fight you in the parking lot just because I'm avoiding scenes in here. Beat it and be good, asshole."

Hank Winslow had a run of sketchy friends all his life before he died. This is one of them getting Lilith's holiday spirit, it seems, though only a few people present probably pick up on that. It really just kind of outwardly looks like she's being a dick to the homeless. But she's doing her job and moves him along without TOO much scene. Except that he almost falls on the way to go get some meat, yelling at Byron for a whole turkey leg, "Gimme a leg, Boy Wonder!"

Lex is still on that table. Still cross-legged. To be fair, she does have a Santa Claus Hat. She watches the rest of the group with the interest of one who has nothing else to do. Be generous, people. The colored paper ornaments need some love.

At Dessert Station:
Love hums softly, probably to herself, sway-dancing in place between pie-seekers. She glances over when Yule finally returns and low key challenges her to a whipped cream sculpt. Dark lashes lower as she regards the pie. She chooses the lemon pie tray, tips her head, and then steps forward. She begins layer by layer rendering a somewhat cartoonish, and also outlandishly larger than life size kitten in about six precarious layers of whipped cream. There's a lot of: Shhrrrrrrrrrrp. Shhhrrrrrrrrp. Shhrp. Shrrrp. (Those last two were the ears going on). She shrrrrrrrrrps a tail. Gotta be quick with whipped cream. She doesn't even say anything, just goes back to whipping people. Uh their pies.

At Drinks Station:
"I'm going to go and grab some more ice," Cole says to Hera quickly once the current flow of people picking up drinks ebbs just enough so that he won't be running off during a rush. "I'll be back shortly," he smiles and then he goes to head back to get more ice from whatever freezer they are storing it in for the time being.

At Meat Station:
James has 99 problems, but 'too much mac and cheese' is never going to be one of them. By the Vapors of Weedskull, he would rise to meet any such challenge. Therefore, he pays no attention to that part of Abby's reply, and instead puffs up proudly as his idea, and by extension, himself, are called 'clever'. "It is. It really is. I have a gift." Byron's comment at the end there, though, draws a grin from the little ginger dude, who, by the way, has spent all this time chatting and not serving, because that's too many things to focus on right now. "Then I guess we're starting with clearing out the kitchen."

"Hey, ladies, looking great," Isabella says - Lilith always does, but the remark is like a net, catching Beth in the vicinity of it, flashing them both a quick smile and finding a spot to station herself. But with the former present, chances are that Byron is, also, and she's not disappointed when she catches sight of a dark-haired head chatting with another familiar face, as well as an unfamiliar one. There's a wink cast to the Super Nurse, and a jaunty salute towards Byron, before her attention is eventually caught by Love and Yule having a cream-off in their stations, and looks visibly impressed at the whipped cream kitty that shrrrps to life in Love's capable hands.

At Dessert Station:
It's only when Love returns to whipping people's pies that Yule glances over, observing first hand just how useful that shhrrrping nozzle can be. "See? I had every bit of faith. You want someone to help you pick out the perfect Christmas tree? It's a guy with the name Yule. You want kittens on pies? It's a woman named Love." Because of course kittens and love go hand in hand together. That touch of amusement lingers on, and he does offer an admiring glance to that art work before it all melts, his head dipping into an agreeable nod to that look Isabella gives that handiwork. Impressive.

At Sides Station:
Beth puts on another pair of lunch lady gloves, and goes back to serving whatever sides aren't covered by Lillith or Ashira. "Oh, well that's good because we really needed someone with experience to handle this for us." She says very seriously to Ashira. "It's vintage if I got it from my grandma's closet and it smells like mothballs, but antique only if it was involved in a tragedy that befell Victorian lovers, right?" She says nothing at the exchange between Lillith and Jameson, instead turning her attention to Ashira and Ciprian. "...You know I'm not trying to make fun of your wardrobe choices, but do you own a shirt that doesn't button up?" She asks Ciprian teasingly. When Jameson leaves she says to Lillith, "Lillith this is Ashira Kosimar, and we share a bond over our mutual love of dolphins and other porpoises. And her dad Ciprian Kosimar." She smiles in a friendly manner to Isabella.

At Drink Station:
Hera smiles to Cole and says, "No problem, take your time." She does man the coffee pretty well though but there might be more of a need for punch and things. She does pause to get a quick glance of those who come and go, but she is fixated on the work as it comes and goes. Knowing that the cider hasn't been sampled too much, she does open up and bottle and offers that as well.

At Dessert Station:
Love glances over at her station partner. "I wasn't gonna ask about your name, but the trees thing sounds like a trap." Though she's certainly amused by the exchange, the tattooed woman's skepticism remains intact. She laughs at Yule's reply then, and catches Isabella looking at the whippy art, giving her a wave. She uses a knife to deftly flatten out the kitten into a whipped layer on the entire pie, so it doesn't go to waste. Everybody eating this lemony dessert is getting a little extra.

"I don't know, that sounded awfully like making fun of my wardrobe," Ciprian replies, but there's a little smile that touches his face at this. "And yes, I do own one, but it's in the wash." He looks to Lilith at the introduction, adding, "Hi, Lilith. Nice to meet you." Isabella, too, gets a friendly nod when she comes over.

"Hi, Lilith!" Ashira says, bouncing a little as she gets an apron tied around her so that she can serve. "Happy Thanksgiving!" This is said not only to Lilith, but also whoever is in the immediate -- or even less immediate -- vicinity. That said, she takes a spoon to serve some mac and cheese to a kid who's come up to them. "Here you go!"

At Dessert Station:
"It is," Yule agrees with Love, even as his eyes shift over to watch the proceedings at the Angel Tree. "I suck at picking out trees. Now, decorating them? You should see me with a string of lights." As the feeding line wraps up, and people are all seated and eating, he flashes her a faint smile. "Back after a moment to see if we have any straglers, yeah?" His gloves are removed, and slid off as he heads around the station, stepping up to the station that Lex is manning. "Give me two to adopt?" His head dips towards the sign set out there.

At Meat Station:
"That's right," Abby confirms Byron's guess with a smile, cutting implements put away so she can help plate some meat for a new arrival once she's got a whole new pair of gloves on. Her eyes follow his motion towards Isabella, where she squints for a moment before nodding. "Yep. No relation!" She gives the conversation between Byron and James an amused look, then goes back to focusing on the last of her work, helping put some meat on plates as the lines dwindle down.

At Meat Station:
When told that they'd need to start with cleaning out James' kitchen, Byron just has to wonder aloud, "What /did/ you start on, if I'm being so bold to ask?" It's more good-natured ribbing. He hasn't been to that house in over a decade, so he's not quite sure what kind of task he signed up to help tackle. It's at that moment when one of Hank Winslow's friends wanders over to their station, practically demanding one of the best parts of the turkey. "Sorry, we're out. I mean, unless you want to wait for the next turkey to roll out for carving." He means it! A turkey only has so many legs, but this one was almost finished. "If so, you might want to stand off to the side. Let the less picky patrons through." Look, he's known this guy for years as well and he's being as polite as he can possibly be.

"So you're from Elma? What brings you to Gray Harbor?" It's something he caught from earlier, but was too preoccupied to inquire about until now.

At Dessert Station:
Love pulls out her phone after it dings a few times, stepping back to take a break from slinging whip. She returns a couple of texts, shakes her head at one, and glances around briefly. When Yule makes a move to scamper off, she says, "Yep, do do something ridiculously generous for me too." She turns to give Simon & Tony extra whip they didn't ask for, sending them on their way with a little smile.

At Drink Station:
Hera just continues to offer a smile to those who come and go. While Cole has gone for more ice, serving up the drinks are still cool as needed, or warm too if that's better. Then there's a request for water, yup, you always have those plain water drinkers out there from somewhere. She finds a bottle or two and puts them out just because there's always a need to cater to crowds, even if this is a smaller city.

Lex straightens slightly as Erin comes to stand beside the table, but her interaction with the children and parents doesn't change. A bit brusk with the adults, but surprisingly good with the kids. She's favoring her left side, but positioned to make it more-or-less unecessary. "I'm... okay. I don't think we've met."

At Meat Station:
James shrugs at Byron. "The bedroom. I can eat at other places. But if I try to sleep at a diner they call the cops.", he explains. "Especially since I really need it to be dark when I sleep so I turn off all the lights and people get really annoyed." He then, finally, turns around and looks to see who wants meats. "Who wants the meats?", he asks the next person up, who was, of course, in line for the meats, and so it could be easily inferred that they would, indeed, want 'the meats', making the question a bit redundant.

At Dessert Station:
Yule plucks up two of those cards, filling them out. The name that goes on it as the donor? It's Love. Who is he to deny a request? The details for how to take care of the arrangements are pocketed so he can handle the logistics, and a flash is smiled to Lex before his phone vibrates. Out it comes, glancing over it briefly before it's tucked back in. "Thanks for telling me about it, Erin. I'll talk with you later, yeah?" The Addington is flashed one of those small smiles, "Work calls." And then, everything dealt with, the medical examiner turns, starting to head towards the door.

At Dessert Station:
Love finishes up adding whip to several slices, then leans over to have a word with another volunteer. She slips away to hustle over to a mom with several kids, one of whom is just about to throw — has thrown his sippie cup onto the floor, spilling the entire contents when the lid pops right off. Good arm on that one. She picks it up, caps it, and drags a towel out of her apron pocket, cleaning up the mess after. Luckily, the cup wasn't full. She exchanges a few quiet words with mom, and then heads off to the ladies.

At Sides Station:
Wearing heels that just aren't a smart idea for maneuvering crowds carrying trays and baskets full of food, Clarissa hurries her way from the back with a new basket of warm rolls and a bowl of individually wrapped butters, "Are we running low on anything else yet?" She asks, tucking a fashionably stray hair back behind one ear as she surveys the spread at their table, "They said more potatoes were ready when we needed them but I wasn't going to try carrying that tray myself."

At Drink Station:
Hera waves to Cole and thanks him for the ice before he has to head off. Then the coffee needs to be rebrewed. She finds the coffee pot and gets to doing that for a bit. People won't leave thirsty tonight if she has anything to do with it but filling our the cups keep her involved for a while. Less talking and mingling, more serving.

At Sides Station:
Lilith kind of glares after Jameson tottering off to yell at Byron, who promptly kills his Thanksgiving dream of having a drunk-ass turkey leg session, she especially does not like that fellow for one reason or another, it seems. Her 'ugh' when he asked for a kiss literally came with a momentary shudder. He goes to eat somewhere, though, and stops being rambunctious and greedy for a while in favor of stuffing face once Byron has set him straight and he's stuck the plate out for James to load him up with the meats.

Then she bats lashes a few times after blowing a kiss at Isabella's compliment and turning to the introduction that Beth is making to Ashira and Ciprian once she's made a humored, appreciative noise in her throat for the woman's quip about jewelry prior, "Hey there, nice to meet you two. Mount up on some sides, here's a spoon." She pauses a moment to get a drink of iced tea and... okay, she's eating part of a roll between people coming through when she has a break from her spoon, she's hungry from being around all the food and kind of shameless casual about it. But there's plenty to go around thanks to Erin's arranging and all the donor help and aid, so it's fine. Maybe a good thing she's not over there with the whipped cream and dessert like Love, though, given what she comments, "See. I shouldn't be allowed to work that table, I'd do up every single piece of pie with whipped cream designs and excess and giving kids aerosol cream bottle shots, besides."

Then curiously, she wonders of company working the table with her, "What do you do, Ciprian? We've established the likenesses between my job and Beth's already with awful jokes."

At Meat Station:
It's quieter now, and while Abby's apron is lightly stained, she seems to have survived thus far, slowly helping serving some meat to the stragglers while carrying on the conversation. She doesn't ask who wants the meats, alas! She does greet everyonw with a friendly smile in between turning aside to chat. "Oh. Well, there was an opening at the hospital and I was looking for work as a nurse. There were jobs back in Elma, but they weren't as interesting and - well, I could use the change, you know? I thought about Seattle too, but that's - well, I don't think I'd do very well in Seattle. It's too big for me. At least Gray Harbor's familiar. Bigger than Elma but not Seattle or somewhere like that."

At Angel Tree:
Handing out a few more ornaments with Lex, Erin smiles at her. "This is fun. I think I'm going to adopt a name or two at least." Watching Yule, she grins. "It was nice of you to come. I appreciate it a lot. And thanks for convincing them to come in. I don't know what you said, but I'm grateful to you." As he leaves for work, she smiles at Lex and offers her hand. "Erin. Erin Addington. Thank you for manning the station. How are you liking it?"

At Meat Station:
"You could have set up camp in the kitchen." Byron decides to state as he sets his utensils down to step aside so that the demolished turkey remains are taken away to be replaced by a whole new deliciously smelling bird. Oh look, Jameson's plate is already full of the meats just as Byron is starting to carve into the freshly delivered turkey. "You're in luck, Jameson." He calls out. He could be a dick and tell the guy that it's too late, there's others waiting in line, but he starts work to slice off that turkey leg so that his tonged assistant, James, can add it to the pile.

It's here that he listens to Abby explain the unfortunate circumstances that brought her to Gray Harbor... and he can only slowly nod. He gives her this quiet look, perhaps looking for something within her... a light maybe. Only once he's satisfied does he return back to work, greeting their guests with smiles and good cheer. "How have you been liking your stay here so far?" This is asked to Abby even if he's not looking her way. Instead, he's watching the kids and their tinsel, before he shoots another glance back towards the Sides station.

At Sides Station:
"Me? I'd never make fun of you so close to your birthday." Beth says innocently to Ciprian as she puts some candied yams on one of the last trays. She watches the exchange between Jameson and Byron then before she says, "Wow. That guy is...intense, huh?"

"Actually I think most of the people who are coming have gone through the line. Might as well hold them back for now." She says to Clarissa. "Thanks for the rolls."

At some point during the event, the small frame of a woman may be seen sneaking in. In baggy enough clothes, with a big fuzzy, tattered scarf pulled up around her shoulders and face, and her hair tucked into a big, loose knit cap, she seems like she's doing her best to remain mostly unrecognizable. Abitha does her best to casually make it to the Angel Tree, nick herself a little handwritten name, and head for the door. She'd read the description for the event, and though she wasn't sure she was really cut out for dealing with this many people, she still had a wish to help. As long as she goes unaccosted or recognized, she'd slip back out into the night, headed back to the Pad.

Having compromised away from 'all black', Lex is wearing a red sweater that's dark enough to maybe pass for black, with black jeans beneath. The outfit doesn't flaunt her tattoo work, but nor does it obscure it. Not exactly the type to know An Addington. But an inked hand is extended nonetheless, palm warm, if somewhat awkward. "Lex Falco. What year'd you graduate?" Assuming, of course, that The Family would've grown up here.

At Drink Station:
Hera makes sure that there's plenty of other drinks ready to go in cups and after that's all organized, she does step away from the table to see what other foods may be left. "Haven't seen a real thanksgiving feast in a long time. All of this turned out to be a great success too."

At Meat Station:
James has a thousand-yard stare as he passes meats along to plates at that kitchen comment from Byron. "... no. The kitchen at night belongs to the things that live there." He shudders. "Saw a roach so big it was running for Congress, and, frankly, I'm liking its chances." He plops the chunk o' leg on Jameson's plate just as he's commenting about the enormous roach. The rest of the conversation finally seems to filter through to him and he realizes Abby is talking about why she moved here. He too gives her a look while Byron runs the results of his scan through a few algorithms. He's not looking for any sign of shininess or weirdness, though, he's just looking skeptical. "So what you're saying is you moved here... willingly. This was your top choice."

At Sides Station:
Clarissa seems a little put out that she walked all the way across the room to get those rolls and then all the way back, but the expression is quickly wiped away with a smile, "Well, more for those of you that eat that sort of thing I guess," she says pleasantly, eyeing the rolls like they might just be poisonous.

At Angel Tree:
As the event nears closing time there are others that come in and walk over to the angel tree. One is Andi, a detective at the precinct that has been filling in with her partner as needed for patrols. She nabs two names, whether her partner knows it or not, he was getting a name too and they could go shopping together. She gives Lex a smile and a wave as she takes two of the filled out ornaments before heading back out. She catches sight of Clarissa and waves briefly before departing.

"I'm a lawyer," Ciprian replies to Lilith, "so a bit fewer dead bodies. Though I won't say no dead bodies." Haha. He starts to serve, scooping some green beans onto a plate that comes his way, and Ashira does so, as well, taking her role as server very seriously.

At Meat Station:
Abby runs her gloved hands down the front of her apron, then plucks them off as the line finally seems to dissipate. She looks at James. After a second's thought, she responds with a small shrug, hands out at her sides. "I guess? I wasn't really looking to move out of state or anything. And the job looked good. I'd taken some classes here, before, and I'd been to the hospital and everything, and - well, why not?" Another shrug, this one accompanied by a broader, cheery smile. She starts to remove her apron.

Is there a sign that says 'no dogs'? There should probably be a sign that says 'no dogs'. Or maybe there is a sign that says 'no dogs' and Andy is completely ignoring it? Because Andy comes in with a pair of dogs. Big dogs. A big blocky Goldie-looking dog with a brown muzzle and a not-quite-as-big-but-still-verging-on-pony-like German Shepherd with three legs. Having just made the rounds to various places where some marginalized people who might appreciate the temporary company of a dog, a couple of assisted living homes, a dinner for vets with nowhere else to go at the VFW, he's decided to come by the big community feed-the-everyone event, dogs in tow. Because one doesn't leave ones dogs in the car! He walks his way around the room, giving Clarissa the pleasant smile of someone who probably doesn't know just how much Clarissa is looking down at all this gravy. "Missus Robbins. I hope you're enjoying your Thanksgiving. I had a gluten free pie earlier, but the guys at the VFW wanted to it to keep squirrels out of their birdfeeders." He also offers Erin a wave. "Miss Addington. I hope the season is doing you well."

Hera heads over to the meat station and smiles toward Abby, "I think I might go get some meat and then head home to Hans and Queso. The morning comes earlier than I would like but wow, this really want a great turn out."

"Great choices - dolphins and porpoises are amazing to watch in the wild, and very smart," Isabella remarks with a grin, as always gravitating towards any mention of the sea. There's a wink towards Ashira, and a nod to Ciprian to return his own greeting, though she manages to catch his introduction. There's a blink. "Minerva's brother?" Indicative, at the very least, that Minerva has been talking about him to someone in town.

To Love and her whipped cream artistry, she can't help but laugh. "I can't even draw hearts correctly to save my life," she says, but with a wave to the girls at the sides table, she starts heading to where she's supposed to be stationed, and will assist the volunteers there for whatever it is they need.

At Sides Station:
"Which one, the hot one or the meth-head hobo? I could tell you a thing or two about both." Lilith wonders of Beth with a slant of eyes toward the meat table as Jameson is settled up with that damn leg he wanted to salute it with grab at Byron. Then she makes an 'ahh' of noise at Ciprian's answer to her acquainting inquiry, letting out a little laugh on the tail end of it as she hip leans on the table and finishes the roll. She apparently has no problem with carbs, unlike Clarissa nearby eyeing the things. The brunette shoots a glance at the woman's heels for a beat before smiling a touch and looking across the way where Byron is talking to James and Abby, and she calls it quits with food instead of getting a plate when they're free to do so.

While making sure things are tidy just in case there's stragglers, she takes note of where Erin and Isabella are too, then suddenly looks at the angel tree and a little girl staring up at it with big eyes. Then she looks for where Jameson went on principle because now she feels obligated to make sure he doesn't screw anything up for the event, she smelled what was on his breath and knows what else is probably in his system, besides.

At Sides Station:
If it's not one Andi, it's another, "Sergeant," Clarissa greets Andy and eyes the dogs, "You didn't see the signs, did you?" She takes the time to wave to a few people she knows who are gathering their things and starts unlacing the cheap apron, "Erin, do you need help boxing all of this up?" she calls out to the Addington.

At Meat Station:
The Thanksgiving lunch was going wonderfully... until James brings up giant roaches and who knows what else that might sour the stomachs of some of their patrons. "Thanks for sharing." He says in a flat tone, before he the smile returns and Byron has to explain to a pair of young women who were ready to get a plate full of turkey, "Don't worry, that's not /our/ kitchen. That's he's talking about. Nothing to concern yourselves with here." There are no roaches in the meat department! "As long as you stay out of James Hecker's kitchen, you'll be fine, I'm sure." He calls his friend out by full name!

"Jesus," He then murmurs over the shorter guy, "Remind me to pick up a whole box of Raid and rat traps while we're at it." This is all spoken in quieter tones in the hopes of not alarming any more guests. Another look given to Abby and he nods, "Nothing. I mean, if you like it here, good. I hope you enjoyed the Masquerade festival a few weeks back. I'm hoping that Gray Harbor experiences more of the same."

With things look to be winding down, he picks up a small slice of turkey and pops into his mouth, chewing quietly. "Maybe in the next few days then? I'll see what Kevin wants to do."

Hera nibbles a bit on some of the meats and then waves to the others. "Thanks for doing this. Best not to leave the animals alone in the gallery for too long." Yeah, seems like she's on her way out too but all in all the expression on her face shows that it's a special event.

At Meat Station:
Abby raises a hand to wave at Hera as she approaches the meat station. "Ooh. The brisket is very good." She points it out. "I'm sure the rest is too, I've only tasted the brisket so far..." She lowers her voice to a very loud, whispered confession. "I had a bit while I was slicing it. I'll going back to Chickpea soon too, after I've had at least some mashed potatoes and turkey." She starts walking around the station, rolling her shoulders in a little stretch. "It was pretty busy!"

At Sides Station:
"The gentleman we served." Beth says very diplomatically. "Turkey leg man." With the last of the diners through the line Beth begins cleaning up the Sides Station. "It was nice meeting you, Lillith." She says, and then she heads towards the Angel tree to collect a name before she heads out.

At Angel Tree:
"If you would like you're more than welcome to, but the cooks in the back have volunteered to deliver it. I guess it's something they do with their own restaurants and leftover food. But thank you." Erin tells Clarissa. Noticing Andy, she smiles and lets the dogs sniff her to reacquaint themselves to her. "Hi guys," she tells the dogs she hasn't seen in awhile.

At Meat Station:
James gives Abby a weak smile as she explains her reasons further. "Sorry- yeah, no, that makes sense. Well, I sincerely hope you have the time of your life here.", he assures her. He should apologize for being weird at her, but, let's face it, nothing else in this town is going to apologize for its weirdness, so, welcome to Gray Harbor. As Byron throws him under the proverbial bus, James does what generations of Hecker men have done in the face of that oncoming double-decker: roll with it. "Yup, that's my kitchen- it's a goddamn mutant wasteland in there. Warring tribes, lots of drama. Keep a lookout on the real estate market soon, could be yours for a song and you're gonna want to pick it up before HBO does." And then, with the line done, he starts piling up his own plate full of meats. "Leftover tiiiime!" With no further fanfare, he's off to pillage.

At Sides Station:
"You too, Beth. See you around, perhaps." Lilith says while angling off toward socializing with the girls, but she stops on the way. That girl staring at the angel tree is getting to her for some reason and she drops down with squat to whisper back and forth with the girl conspiring fashion with a bit of a smile on her face. Then she takes more than a few names from the angel tree after writing one out for the girl and keeping it too before it's time to leave with Byron.

What's your name, sunshine?
Mallory. Will you help me write it so I can go on the tree too?
Sure can. And I'll take your name with me too 'cause you're pretty. What do you want for Christmas?
A whole Christmas tree and a doggie to hug.
Me too. Let's see what this year does, mm, Mallory? Go eat. Be good.

When Lilith returns to Byron with the name collective, she flashes it out for him and gets her own hug out of him, reflective for a time in quiet before she goes back to socializing prior to leaving.

At Meat Station:
The smile that Byron flashes over at James is an appreciative enough one. They've known each other since they were young and here they were, serving lunch together. He also starts to remove his gloves and the apron protecting his casual, yet probably rather expensive, attire. "I was about to say that we should help pack up some of these left overs and send them off with the visiting families, but in your case... with your kitchen situation, I'm sure they won't mind." It's not like he, himself, didn't take a taste of turkey.

When Lilith comes up to join them, he drapes an arm around her, "How were things on your end? Those sides looked amazing, by the way."

At Meat Station:
James is in the middle of bringing up a piece of ham to his mouth when he hears Byron's words. "... huh. I guess that's probably a better idea, actually.", he admits. "I mean I can just drop by the dinner- just gotta be sure to be real high, since it helps protect against Sanity damage. This is for the folks that need it." And just then Lilith arrives, and he instinctively offers her the plate of meats- after all, top predators get to pick first. "Oh hey Lilith. I offer the meats as tribute."

At Sides Station:
"Just dandy. Hope you don't mind. I swiped us... a lot of tree names to play angel with. I didn't really look or count, I just figured I'd make a dent in what was left. Clearly, my master plan is to break your bank account with holiday spirit." Lilith leans into Byron's arm and look at those shoes and sweater--despite the casual, it's clear they're name designer, it's not like the guy can't afford it. Then after laying on the hug, she kisses her hand and reaches to play-smash it against the side of James' face, very much insisting he take her goddamn kiss, "And you. Before you guys go to beers and throwing everything away in black bags, I'm coming in to look for valuable or interesting loot. Tell the roaches to roll out the carpet." Mmmhmm, she overheard that after seeing the ladies' expression and catching onto Byron's clean up commentary.

Then she pats on Byron with a ready-when-you-are kind of signal and takes the meat from James with a grin to carry over with talk to Erin about how it all went and any other holiday planning ideas for the masses in the future.

At Meat Station:
Abby waves to her meat station buddies, Byron and James, before she heads over towards the angel tree, hesitating a while before plucking a name for herself. She briefly peruses it before tucking it carefully away into a pocket, tugging on her cardigan to cover up her dress. In passing, she offers Erin a friendly smile, squinting for a moment in the other woman's direction. "You know, I had the strangest dream," she comments in passing, but then she gets distracted by some of the desserts still left over, and heads that way. That's how she starts.

At Meat Station:
James sputters and paws at the side of his face as Lilith gets her cooties all over it. "Ack! Cooties!" He even says it, the dork. "No way I'm telling them. Surprise is your best chance for victory." And then he waves them off to go be social. "You know where I live. Double-check your inventory and weapons before embarking.", he tells them, and then wanders off to do whatever it is gingers do at this time of night. Drink? Probably.

Erin looks at Abby. "You did?" She studies her a moment. "Beth and I looked for you at the coffee shop the next day." Confirmation as to the dream. She smiles. "It was probably one of the more interesting dreams I've had. Cancun was interesting."

"What signs," asks Andy of Clarissa with a whole lot of smiles. "Have you enjoyed your Thanksgiving, Missus Robbins? If you would like, I'm going to give frying a turkey a try when I get home. I mean, Thanksgiving is kind of a weird holiday for me? But I also like pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes and corn on the cobb, so why let a little thing like colonialism and genocide get between me and a gravy boat with a straw in it?" The doggies are only too happy to run over and get reacquainted with their old roomie.

Abby has a couple of slices of pie on her plate when she looks at Erin. For a moment, her eyebrows rise higher, and she chews at the inside of her lip while studying the other woman. "Interesting. Right! Oh boy..." she swallows, then flashes a small smile. "And - okay, Beth too. Okay! Right! That's pretty - amazing! Pretty amazing. Oh look at the time!" And off she goes.