thanksgiving is, after all, a word of action [set on 11/26]

[triskehale]

Thanksgivings in the Hale house used to be quite the big deal. Feeding over a dozen werewolves, many of them teenagers was no easy feat. Derek loved all the chaos, and he helped out in the kitchen since he was old enough to stand on a step stool and reach the counter.

The first year after everyone died, he and Laura each got a rotisserie chicken and some biscuits, trying to hang on to some semblance of tradition, but the food tasted like ash. Laura went to bed early, and Derek pretended not to hear her cry. They stopped trying to do anything for the holiday after that.

It's been almost a decade since that disastrous attempt, and a few months ago Derek decided that he wanted to try again. While Laura and the rest of his family will always be the cause of this gnawing ache in his heart, Derek has a new family here in Darrow. He has so many people that matter to him, and care about him. It's more than Derek deserves, or ever thought that he would get, but he's grateful. He's thankful.

So he decides that he's going to do his best to put on a Thanksgiving of his own, and invite his new ragtag sort of pack. His new family.

The invitations go out and on the big day, Derek arrives at Semele's just after dawn. He puts two giant turkeys in the oven and quickly sets up the long table and chairs in the middle of the bar. With each chair he places, Derek marvels over just how many people he has in his life. It's astounding to him, and it's the perfect day to show his gratitude.

And then, all that's left to do is cook. And cook, and cook some more. If he's lucky, he'll have time to go shower and put on something nice before all his guests arrive.


[Hale pack Thanksgiving! Treat this as a gathering post. Tag in, tag around, give thanks! ♥]

Comments

[puckandpie]

"Oh, it can be!" I assure him, beaming as we pull away, his smile just as wide as mine. "In fact, in hockey, a huge group hug is an essential part of a celly so, in that case, it's as bro as you can get. But even so there are some guys who would never dream of hugging another guy off the ice. It's honestly really silly and all part of protecting masculinity and... and stuff like that. I wish my friend Shitty was here, he could explain it all so much better than I can, but take it from me, a fist bump is almost always preferable to hugs back where I'm from. Between guys, at least. Unless within a sports-related moment of celebration."

I finally pause for a breath then, but I still haven't stopped smiling and I let out a laugh a second later, shaking my head. "I can't believe I just got to teach someone from another dimension about fist bumps! Never in all my life could I have predicted this!"

[willnothide]

Kili supposes he understands a thing or two about maintaining some sense of masculinity. It'd been instilled in him from the time he was a dwarfling, after all, to act the part of a proper son of Durin. Of course, he'd been told more than once that he'd disgraced the name of their kin in times he'd gotten into trouble (which was fairly often), but Kili had never taken it very seriously. Still, even hugs had not been something to admonish, but something joyful to share in--even if they occasionally were accompanied with a butting of heads, particularly in the case of Balin and Dwalin.

"I think I prefer the hug," he decides, nodding firmly. "The fist bump seems rather meaningless, while a hug is universally understood to be an expression of care." It doesn't seem to a matter of extreme importance, however, even if he is pleased to see Bitty smiling as he does. "You can teach me about more of Man's stranger customs while we train together, if it pleases you. I'd quite like to understand as much of this world as I can."

It's been quite a few months since his arrival, but Kili continues to find that he learns something new practically every day. Who better to teach him than one who seems well-versed in sport and cooking?

[puckandpie]

I absolutely love the way Kili talks, how it's completely unlike anyone I've ever met before, unlike anything I've heard outside of movies, and I can't contain another laugh as I nod in agreement. "We'll just keep to hugging then," I tell him, still thrilled that he's agreed to teach me how to protect myself. "I'm not sure I'll have much wisdom to share about our customs, but I'll do my best! In the meantime, I'm afraid payment will largely come in the form of baked goods."

I tack a wink onto that statement as I'm pretty sure Kili has no complaints about that much, at least.