stateofdecay | Thanksgiving @ Lundegaard (Forward-Dated to 11/28)

Thanksgiving at Lundegaard

Order of Events

ARRIVALS/VIBES @ 3:30 PM

MINGLING, DRINKS, & APPS @ 4:15 PM

DINNER @ 5:00 PM

LEADERSHIP BINGO @ 7:00 PM

LINE DANCING @ 8:00 PM

Vibes & Playlist

Mismatched furniture, tableware, and cutlery in the B&B, dining hall, and town hall. Wooden carvings of animals hung up with burlap ribbons and hand turkeys made by schoolchildren. Bouquets of dogtooth daisies and boughs of marescent leaves in red, orange, and gold. The smell of freshly baked bread, hay, and woodsmoke. Warm lights from firepits, candles, and dim, flickering fluorescent bulbs.

John played some of these chill tunes.

ON THE MENU

Drinks & Appetizers
🍹 Maggie's Pear Kombucha
🥛 Malted Milk
🍹 Whatever other drinks folks brought
🧀 Charcuterie board

Mains & Sides
🦃 Turkey
🍗 Pan-fried goose in (mostly) huckleberry sauce
🥗 Green and red leaf lettuce salad in lemon vinaigrette
🥬 Mustard greens with salt pork
🥔 Mashed potatoes au gratin
🍞 Sausage hand pies
🍞 Dinner rolls
🍽️ Any other food folks brought

Desserts
🥧 Apple pie
🍮 Baked egg custard
🫐 Wild berries in cream
🍽️ Any other dessert folks brought

VOLUNTEER SLOTS

VOLUNTEER 1 arrives too early and is enlisted to help whip cream by Lundegaard's resident tree whisperer, Alice Samayao. On the bright side, your forearm strength is going to be off the chain once you're done...

After they're released from hwhippin' it, Volunteer 1 sneaks away with some whipped cream to playfully smash it into VOLUNTEER 2's face.

DUTCH and DUKE RATTRAY spy a ladder leaning against the roof of the barn and climb on up. They get a nice view of Lundegaard in the crisp autumnal night. But—whoops—Bill Rhoades takes the ladder away when they're not looking. Dutch and Duke have to jump down (safely) from the roof into a bale of hay. Oof.

VOLUNTEER 5 stuffs themselves on food. Feeling wretched and incredibly sleepy, they knock out in an empty barrel. VOLUNTEER 6 finds them 30 minutes later. You good?

COURT SLAUGHTER makes a daring request during line dancing and gets all the dancers grooving to Rihanna's "S&M" (feat. Britney Spears). Vrow.

GAMES & DANCING

Leadership Bingo
Quaid and John have prepared 3x3 bingo cards using old notebook paper (so... bingo leaves), each randomly populated with the names of community leadership (sans John). The winner gets the honor of being THE BIG TURKEY of the evening and a dozen apple donuts.

Line Dancing
To these classic tunes! Before the outbreak, John spent some time at his local senior citizens center carefully observing line dances and at times participating. So while he claims he can't dance, he is able and willing to help anyone pick up the steps.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ophelia pauses for a moment, considering whether or not she wants to display her fairly uninspired art that just looks like a poorly coordinated child's rendition of a turkey. If you squint enough. It seems like it's something that will make John happy though so she acquieses.

"You have to put it somewhere off to the side, though. It can't take the spotlight from any of the kids' turkeys."

“A hidden turkey.” John snorts, amused by the idea. “Alright. We’ll be the only ones to know about it.”

He falls quiet, thinking about the things only he and Ophelia know about and share. After a moment, softly: “Are you having a good time? It looks like you are, and I thought so, but sometimes you—”

Keep it in, present a false picture. They do it to each other, but over the course of his life John has come to realize Ophelia is much better at it.

“I just wanted to be sure.”

"It can be its own little secret hide and seek game," Ophelia smiles again. Secret things between John and herself feel of another time and correct in a way that many things do not anymore. It's a reminder that, despite everything else, John is still the same brother she's had her whole life.

"I'm am having a good time, John. I promise." She looks at him seriously, hoping that he will see that she is being honest about this at least. "It's nice, to spend holidays together."

He shrinks a little under her stare, though he smiles too, pleased at her confirmation.

“We have Christmas to look forward to, as well.” Growing up, Christmas had been John’s favorite holiday. With the hindsight of adulthood, he supposes he was a bit of a tyrant about Christmas— decorating the house, cooking the right kind of festive food, insisting everyone in their family share with him a list of what they wanted as gifts. He was especially tyrannical about their tree topper: a small rubber chicken onto which he affixed a small halo made of gold pipe cleaner. John grins at Ophelia, embarrassed by the memories.

“You have to tell me what you want. We didn’t get to celebrate properly last year.” Too much uncertainty.

Edited (Makin up some Hwang fam Xmas mems… lmk if I should change!) 2024-11-29 04:25 (UTC)

"I don't want anything," She starts, before realizing that this is something that John likely does not want to hear. "That's not-"

Ophelia pauses, giving herself a moment to think. "I don't mean to be difficult. I just hadn't considered Christmas or gifts yet. I don't know anything I want right now. I will think of something. Do you know what you want?"

John looks around carefully to ensure no one is eavesdropping on their conversation. With anyone else, he would deny even the smallest implication that he might want something—he, John? He's free of want. He knows of no such thing.

But Ophelia has known him long enough (practically his entire life) to see through that. There's no point in lying to her. Only admitting.

Satisfied that their conversation is private, John leans in toward Ophelia. There is a look in his eyes that looks mildly unwell. "I..." he begins carefully. "Dress like a Supernatural man. I want... something that will make me look handsome."

Edited (Feat. John's most evil icon.) 2024-11-29 06:08 (UTC)

For a moment, Ophelia is filled with slight dread about the prospect of being given what is possibly an impossible task for herself. It's not that she thinks John is beyond being handsome or fashionable, but she is a woman who lives in gym clothes practically at all times. Most of her friends are people who wear varying shades of flannel and jeans on a regular basis.

There's not a lot to work with, for her, as someone who knows next to nothing about what constitutes as good fashion.

But then she thinks of someone who might be able to help her and the dread alleviates slightly. Getting John his Christmas present is on the table again. "I will find you something," She says, ever-so-seriously and very determined. "And I will think of things that you could get me, so we can have a gift exchange like the old days."

Edited 2024-11-29 06:21 (UTC)

John is oblivious to Ophelia's fluctuating sense of dread. He's not thinking about their practical reality, the actually dire sartorial conditions Ophelia now finds herself in. He can't even imagine what Ophelia could give him to make him look handsome—in his head, he's not really seeing himself, but instead imagining people's reactions to him. Lots of smiling, standing in the middle of groups instead of at the edges of them, casual touching. Somehow he'll be able to talk louder and in a way that people understand him without him having to say much. He's not actually imagining living while handsome, but rather living as a very charismatic someone else.

He sticks his hand out, offering Ophelia his pinky. "We have a deal, then. Make sure you tell me what you want soon, so I have enough time to get it for you."

Ophelia links her pinky with his, even though it's been years since they have made any promises in this manner. It seems fitting now, somehow.

"You will have at least three weeks to get something. That should be enough time."

He keeps their pinkies linked while swinging their hands back and forth. It's nice to be playful with Ophelia, at least while he can—who knows what new disagreements and heartache tomorrow will bring?

"At least three weeks. That's part of the promise."

"If I break that promise, you can have Steve until next year." She hopes this shows that she is taking this seriously.

"Hah." He doubts Steve will adhere to that promise, but to play along John nods. "Deal."

Thanksgiving @ Lundegaard (Forward-Dated to 11/28)

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John

SCENES: Mingling: Ophelia & John