OTA

[fightforastar]

Who: Tifa & OTA!
What: Campus Potluck
When: November 22
Where: Front Lawn
Warnings: None

They didn't have Thanksgiving back in Nibelheim, certainly not in Midgar, and when Tifa learned how it was typically celebrated, her first instinct was to avoid the thing entirely. Even if the early potluck is for students and faculty, the subject of home and family is likely to come up, and that's never pleasant.

But... Maybe it could be like ripping off a bandaid. She can't avoid the subject forever, and at least if she knows to expect it, she won't be caught off guard. She can practice, so it comes out easier in the future.

Tifa likes cooking, anyway. Having availed herself of the dorm kitchen, she finds the table with the desserts on it to set down an apple cranberry pie. It's simple, but it felt right for the season.

Even if nothing else does.

She takes a breath, straightens her sweater, and heads off to make herself a plate. If she's going to do this, then let's do it. She'll even attempt to strike up conversations, ranging from a simple "hello" to the much bolder "any plans for Thanksgiving?" aimed at her acquaintances.

((Will match format!))

Comments

[femalepresenting]

"Hello," Porrim replied back politely. She had dawned a black trenchcoat to deal with the chilly weather, paired with a pair of black boots. A single jade green hankerchief was folded in the breast pocket adding a splash of color to the otherwise monochrome ensemble.

"My name is Porrim. I just moved in this month, what about you?"

[fightforastar]

"Tifa. I've been here since the beginning of the semester."

From Tifa's perspective, it's not quite cold enough yet to require outwear, but you know... "I like your coat."

[femalepresenting]

"Thank you," Porrim said. "It was a good find at a discount store, it was only thirty dollars."

She seemed to have met someone experienced in the ways of AU. Certainly moreso than her. "How have you found it so far? Met anyone... unusual?"

[fightforastar]

Tifa's eyebrows rose appreciatively at that; cool discount clothes? "Nice."

She smiled wryly at the question. "Well, my roommate is a skeleton, so there's that. Most people seem pretty nice though. Definitely beats the city."

[femalepresenting]

Porrim's eyes went wide. "A skeleton?"

Note to self: visit Tifa's room. This time for a reason other than trying to get frisky. Although, looking at Tifa, that reason was definately there too.

"Which city? I'm from San Francisco."

[fightforastar]

"Yeah. I guess you'll know him if you see him. And he's the most... enthusiastic person I've ever met." You know, on top of being a skeleton. He stood out in just about every way a person could.

"I came here from Midgar. I haven't actually seen any US cities, except from the airport."

[femalepresenting]

"Unless a second skeleton joins the university sometime soon, then presumably there will be rife opportunities for sitcom misunderstandings."

"Midgar, that's on Gaia, isn't it?" She couldn't tell you much besides that, her inter-dimensional education as pretty thin. Kind of like knowing that Prague was the capital of the Czech Republic.

[fightforastar]

"You know, I guess that's possible. I've never met another skeleton to know how easy they are to tell apart..." What if they all had booming voices? Could be tricky.

"Um, right. But I wouldn't recommend visiting."

[femalepresenting]

"Skeletons tend to stay in closets where I'm from. Metaphorically speaking. In most situations, anyway." There was that cool cat skeleton she collected when she was like twelve. Aw, she missed Knuckles.

"Not a great climate at the moment?" she asked.

[fightforastar]

"In most situations? Should I be worried?" Said jokingly, of course, although she hopes the exception Porrim has in mind isn't something unpleasant for her.

"Not unless you like pollution and the threat of martial law." Tifa let out a breath. "Sorry. Probably not the best topic for a holiday."

[cool_skeleton]

It's a good thing Tifa had gotten to the kitchen before he had, else she'd had gotten a nose full of the unholy fumes wafting from his own dish: a plate of thoroughly inedible pasta. Because he's such a good friend, he was sure to nab a slice of her pie, fork proudly jutting from the top, with one bite conspicuously taken.

"GREAT STUFF, TIFA!!! IT'S TOTALLY THE APPLE-CRANBERRY PIE OF THIS GUY'S EYE!!! IF YOU KEEP THAT UP, ONE DAY I'M SURE YOU'LL BE AS GREAT A CHEF AS ME!!!"

He'd appreciate it if she laughed with him, not at him.

"UH, I DUNNO! WHAT'S THAT???" Despite his people's sudden relocation, he's yet to familiarize himself with the holidays.

[fightforastar]

Tifa does laugh, because she initially assumes he's joking about his skill as a chef.

But... She's thought that about some of the things he's said before, and it's never turned out to be true. Does he earnestly believe he's a better cook? Can he even taste food? Oh boy.

"Yeah, maybe one day. Thanks," she says, tucking her hair back behind her ear.

"I'm pretty sure it's the holiday all of this is about. People go home and have a feast with their families, or something like that?"

[cool_skeleton]

Papyrus' belief is second to none. What Tifa says next shocks him to the core. His plate's trembling. He breaks out in sweat.

"R...REALLY??? ARE YOU SURE????"

He was supposed to be with his family right now!? No one sent him that memo!

[fightforastar]

Tifa does not understand his reaction. It seems pretty straightforward?

"Um, I think so. But I'd never heard of it before, I'm sure there's more to it."

[cool_skeleton]

"MORE!?!?" He can't even keep it up as it is! Deep breaths, Pap. You're smart; you can figure a way through this. Maybe a change of subject?

"S-SO, UH, WHERE'S YOUR FAM AT TEEFS?"

[fightforastar]

Ah. There it is.

Dead and gone? One of them murdered, probably never buried? Not good answers, she doesn't want to have to linger on it.

"Um, no family. It's just me. So, I'm not going anywhere."

[cool_skeleton]

No family? That doesn't seem possible. Everyone comes from someone, right? He's no biology major, but if that's the case, it could only mean one thing...

"...TIFA, ARE YOU A ROBOT???"

[fightforastar]

Tifa blinks.

Well, she couldn't have predicted that response.

"N-no, I mean... I used to have family, but they died."

[cool_skeleton]

"O-OH...I'M SORRY!!!" Both for the circumstance and bringing it up. Those aren't the kind of manners he strives for. It certainly put his circumstances in perspective; better to have family he'd, apparently, failed to meet than none at all. How can he make this right?

"...YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY EXPERIENCED AT FAMILY STUFF. MY SIBLING SKILLS ARE SECOND TO NONE. SO IF YOU WANTED..."

[fightforastar]

Tifa shakes her head. "It's all right." She was expecting it to come up, after all.

"But... I'm not sure I understand. I never had any siblings."

[technicolourdifficulties]

[It's perhaps an odd choice to attend a potluck when one can't eat, much less cook anything to bring along, but RGB is here anyway. In concession to the weather, he also happens to be in a rather cozy sweater and (curiously, given his lack of physical neck) scarf.

The telly-head tips his hat to Tifa upon being addressed.]

Hello. Lovely day for it, isn't it?

[fightforastar]

[You know, she really thought this person's whole... head situation would make more sense once she had a clearer view of the front.

It doesn't.

Maybe it's... a helmet? Is he a robot??

Don't stare, Tifa. You're rooming with a skeleton, you can handle this.]

O-oh, yeah. Great fall weather.

[technicolourdifficulties]

[RGB notices the familiar reaction, but doesn't comment on it. After all, he'd have to take an awful lot of time out of his day if he had to go explaining himself to everyone who looked at him oddly without asking whatever question was on their mind.]

One might call it picturesque even. Crisp, and with no sign that excessive moisture might rain on everyone's parade.

[fightforastar]

I don't mind rain lately, but it would be a bad time for it.

Um, I'm Tifa.

[She holds out her hand. Because it's totally normal to shake hands with a person with a TV for a head, yep.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

Exceptionally so. I'm not sure anyone brought an umbrella.

[There's a slight hesitation to it, but he does take her hand. It would be impolite not to, really.]

RGB. Charmed, I'm sure.