<@Rowyn> [Last time on Neo-Arcana!] <@Rowyn> [It was Christmas time at the Andrews House! Katie helped out with the kitchen while Kyon met the horrors that is Katie's dad. And has been on surprisingly good behavior! They even shared a drink or two together before dinner! But now the table is being set, places ready and *turkey and gravy and potatoes and green beans and oh my, this *is* an American holiday in Japan!] <@Rowyn> [The ice seems to be melting, but can Kyon and Katie keep it up? Places please. Don't want to keep the family waiting!] <@Rowyn> [Session Start!] * Katie helped put the food on that table! Once it's all done, she grabs her customary seat - the same one she's taken at the dinner table since she was very young: next to her dad and across from her mom. <@Rowyn> [Katie's mom is busy going about setting the table. Her dad is practically grinning! Almost to the point that he didn't notice that the turkey is being brought out. *Almost*.] * Kyon looks around the table, and tries to work out where exactly it is that he should be sitting. He looks down at Katie and raises an eyebrow slightly, questioning. * Katie looks back at Kyon and taps the chair to her left. * Kyon nods back slightly and sinks into the chair, looking at the spread. * Katie asks Kyon lowly, and in Japanese, "How's it going?" <@Rowyn> [Katie's mom, for her part, glances at the two of them as she goes about setting more things on the table. There's also some rice to go with the meal, at least something familiar. And rolls. Mister Andrews, for his part, takes his seat rather silently. Perhaps he's distracted by Turkey. Yes it's capital.] * Kyon lowers his voice, and replies, "Okay. Just tried to be on my best behavior. Had a drink." * Katie nods, then smiles sweetly at her father when he sits down. "" <@Rowyn> [Mariko looks at her husband. "" "" "" she scolds back. Her husband just grins and goes to get the knife and fork. Oh, it's for *turkey* carving. Right.] * Kyon watches this, and smirks, bemused. "" * Katie laughs at her father's antics. "This is maybe our second time having turkey since we got here," she tells Kyon. * Kyon nods quickly. "Hard to get. Don't know where I'd look for it." <@Rowyn> [Katie's mother adds, casually, without even looking at the two. "It *isn't* easy to get, no. You do have to know a special market for it. But for one day out of the year, well..."] * Katie looks over at her mother while she picks up her fork. Katie, you'll mess up the nice table setting. "How early did you order it?" <@Rowyn> [Mariko starts moving the spread to be more spread out on the table. "I can't quite recall. Some time in August, I believe..."] * Kyon smirks. "Sounds right. For Christmas dinner." * Katie can't help herself. She laughs. <@Rowyn> [Mariko looks up from the spread to look straight at Kyon. Well, that's probably where Katie gets that look. "Oh? You've ordered a lot of Christmas dinners?" <@Rowyn> ] * Kyon shakes his head curtly. "Just one." * Katie smiles at Kyon. Aww! <@Rowyn> [John Andrews doesn't seem to be left out of the conversation. Mostly because he's concentrating on hacking a bird right now. But his mother does respond with a similar smile. "Yes, well. As our guest, I think you should choose whether we open gifts before or after we eat. There's still the ornaments to place up as well, but that can wait until after."] * Katie glances at her mother. The hell, Mom? her gaze doesn't say. * Kyon glances at Katie, to see if there like a normal order to this? Then he essays, "If we're doing that after, then doing the rest after works for me, too." * Katie reaches over and squeezes Kyon's hand lightly. One for yes - good job! * Kyon twitches his hand in hers, then squeezes it back. <@Rowyn> [Mariko just smiles in response, just as John finishes up with his carving. He reaches out for *plates*. Time to get a-serving.] * Katie hears that things are about done, and she cheers, bringing her hands to the air in the universal hooray! sign. "" Okay, her dad isn't actually the only one excited about eating an oversized American bird. * Kyon looks over at her sharply, and then smirks. "Never knew you were so into this." It's fun to be into things! * Kyon crooks the smirk into a slivered smile, and watches for the turkeying. "Right." <@Rowyn> [Plates are passed, helpings are heaped, rolls are hot. Gravy will be the next to be offered. John sits down and has his seat, putting his hands together for grace.] * Katie looks at Kyon, catching his gaze before putting her own hands together and bowing her head. * Kyon cools a bit, looking more sober, and copies Katie. If she can do it... <@Rowyn> [Mariko doesn't seem particularly into it either, but her father turns somber. "" * Katie almost opens her eyes. This is not the standard prayer before meals. But okay... * Kyon does open his eyes and glance at him slightly. But he closes them again. This is their tradition, who even knows what Americans say at times like these. <@Rowyn> [Mariko doesn't budge from that, but John doesn't seem to notice. ""] * Katie says "amen" softly, because it's what her father wants, and then opens her eyes. She looks at her dad. <@Rowyn> [Her father is still praying after the Amen. Her mother follows suit but *also* gives a glance at him. Yes, even for her, she wasn't quite expecting that. But she lets it pass as she gestures to everyone. "" * Kyon looks pretty inscrutable at that, and makes what is the lowest amount of noise that could be charitably taken for an amen as he thinks could be construed as politeness. He glances over at Katie again, to see if it's actually safe to go for it here. * Katie looks at her mother, but what the hell, it's not like she knows either. She goes ahead and makes for the turkey platter. "" * Kyon looks at it. "" * Katie puts a turkey leg on Kyon's plate. The thing is sort of massive, so she leaves it at that, grabbing a wing and a couple of pieces of thigh meat for herself before passing it over to her mom and reaching for the mashed potatoes. She is back in apparent high spirits, humming along to whatever Christmas music the CD player has switched to. * Kyon looks at the turkey leg for a beat, and then goes to get some green beans and other things to go alongside it. It's definitely a big thing. * Katie grins at the look Kyon gives the turkey leg. Soon her plate is full of food and she grabs the gravyboat, pouring some on her turkey and potatoes. She avoids drowning her food, at least. * Katie also sneaks a turkey leg onto her father's plate while he keeps praying. Shhhh. <@Rowyn> [Katie's father finishes praying. God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman is now playing in broken English on the CD. It's actually not that *bad* really for tone and really it's predominantly about the bells in the background. He looks at his plate with turkey and all notion of stress and worry leave him. Because *turkey*.] * Kyon takes rather more of the other vegetable things than the potatoes, and passes on the gravy part. He takes up his fork and knife, but doesn't quite go for it yet. Doesn't quite seem safe if the others aren't launching in, or if her dad is still praying. <@Rowyn> [Her mom is waiting, but her dad certainly doesn't wait. Eating now. He waited long enough. There's a small smile on her mother's lips as she watches her husband.] * Katie looks at Kyon. Yup. It's go time. And she goes! Mashed potatoes getting mixed with green beans and put on top of turkey for the win! * Kyon shakes his head tersely, and goes about eating individual pieces of individual things. <@Rowyn> [Katie must get her eating habits from her father, because he eats pretty much the same way. Her mother just smiles and looks at Katie. "So I'm assuming at this point you're fully settled in? Your father and I would like to know if you still need anything..."] Mph? <@Rowyn> ["Chew, dear."] * Katie chews! * Katie swallows! * Katie also speaks in English: "" She frowns, trying to remember if there's something that's been missing somewhere (or something she can invent that was missing somewhere). * Kyon is totally staying out of that part of the conversation unless someone asks him about it. * Kyon will definitely fork up a green bean and eat it. Yep. <@Rowyn> [Her mom nods, keeping her cool. "Just checking. We know it's not easy moving out for the first time..." Her father looks up from the food at that, halfway to shovelling. "" Her mother just nods again and offers the roll basket out to Kyon.] * Katie nods. "" She cuts off a piece of turkey for herself, dips it in mashed potato, and puts it in her mouth. * Kyon takes a roll, then, and sets it besides the turkey. <@Rowyn> [Her mother looks up at her father curiously and asks across the table. "" Her father looks up at Mariko questioningly, still hunched down over his food.] * Kyon cuts a piece of turkey off and tries it. He looks pleased, but cautious, at Mariko. * Katie is also curious, but she glances at Kyon to see how he takes the turkey. At his pleased expression, she can't help but smile. <@Rowyn> [Her father swallows a little and gives her a little frown, wiping his mouth. "" Her mother frowns a little bit. "" Her father just frowns more now.] * Katie 's expression turns into concern. She glances at Kyon again, then turns her attention back to her mom. "" * Kyon downgrades from cautious to frowning himself. This doesn't sound good. <@Rowyn> [Her mother goes to take her husband's plate and give him another helping. ""] * Katie 's eyes widen in surprise. "" And then she settles a little. "" she asks her father. * Kyon looks rather surprised, too. But not surprised enough to pass on a bit more turkey. <@Rowyn> [Her father drops his fork and knife on his plate and just looks at her mother with a bit of shock, ignoring Katie's question for the moment. "" Her mother is unperturbed. "" "" Her father protests.] * Katie asks, generally, "" * Katie is still holding her fork, but she hasn't gone for more food, at least yet. <@Rowyn> [Then her father finally registers his daughter's question and sighs, settling back into his chair, rubbing his head carefully. "" He then looks at his daughter and waves his fork non-chalantly. "" * Kyon isn't eating much now, either. Mostly he's glancing at Katie, trying to gauge her reaction to this. * Katie brightens. "" She looks at her mother. "" <@Rowyn> [Mariko smiles at Katie and sighs, her face looking a little softer, a little more youthful as she thinks of that. "" Her father is trying to concentrate on *enjoying his meal, thank you very much.] * Katie turns to her father, apparently intent on ruining his meal. "" <@Rowyn> [Her father grumbles, trying to eat and concentrate on his meal some more. "" And yet, he doesn't seem *too* annoyed by it.] * Katie chirps, "" She cuts more turkey with her knife, switching her fork to her left hand to do so, and then points at her father with said knife. "" * Kyon looks at her with a quick, dubious glance, but is still definitely not getting involved here. * Katie willfully ignores the dubious glance. <@Rowyn> [Her mother echoes Katie's "" almost at the same time. Her father though shakes his head. "" And then he raises his head cautiously to peer down Katie. "<...y'sure? I mean...>" <@Rowyn> [Her mother chimes in, almost instantly, "" Her father frowns. ""] * Katie puts her silverware down. "" she says, her voice calm and steady, "" * Kyon shoots her another look, less dubious this time. * Katie doesn't looks back. She's pretty intent on her father and, yes, she did just discuss the possibility of breaking up with Kyon. But who wouldn't consider something like that! <@Rowyn> [Her father considers her words for a moment and seems *about* ready to challenge them, before closing his mouth, sighing and rubbing the back of his head. "" Her mother chimes in, calmly, with ""] * Katie grins. She goes back to eating, now more genuinely happy than she was before. * Kyon looks down at his food, and goes back to eating, as well. <@Rowyn> [Her dad solves the awkward by blurting out. ""] * Katie nods and tries to make up for lost food time. <@Rowyn> [Wrapped up for now! Get it? Haha.]