Thanksgiving Week - New assignments

[High Command]

For the CS soldiers of Fort Resilience, the last week of November is Thanskgiving Week. So is the last week of May. The CS, unlike its American ancestor celebrates no holidays in this time period. While Christmas was largely upheld, and there are dozens of local festivals in all kinds of towns throughout the CS in the months of October and November, there is no thanksgiving holidays like most people from before the Rifts might celebrate. But someone reincarnated the holiday for those who have survived six months in Old Chicago. For Bear-2, it has been an eventful time. Multiple missions have been run with a variety of platoons and squad types. You've run nearly every mission type from retrieval to escort and search and destroy. You've actually done a few missions you've been sworn to secrecy over.

But none of that matters now. It's the end of Thanksgiving week and you're cleaning out your lockers, packing your bags, turning in all your gear as you are ordered to do so. Of course gear is kept in the armories for emergencies, but all excess gear is handed over for transferring units. The secret to the success of Fort Resilience is that they only rotate out units in batches and maintain readiness at all times. Many units will see multiple tours in Old Chicago, but more and more some units are cycled through to give them the seasoning they need to survive harder assignments ahead of them.

All of Bear Platoon is dealing with this. Yesterday was when you all turned in your gear. Inventorying all the explosives, blasting caps, weapons, and armor the unit had was a pain, as was tracking all expenditures and making sure they were accounted for in a report. It's taken most of the week to do just that. Yesterday was literally when you turned in the last of the reports and gear. You've been told there will be one last platoon dinner with the LT and Sergeant cooking - dinosaur of all things. To everyone's delight, Colton also got tapped, and three dozen cupcakes from an old squadmate showed up the morning of the festivities. Dansk immediately confiscated them for later before anyone could get any.

So it is that today you are all gathered in a briefing room. One wall is filled with foods. And you are all sitting at the tables waiting on permission to eat. The LT comes up to the front with his apron on. Dansk slides out and into place about the same time Colton does. "Alright Bear, listen up. Most of you pukes are leaving me tomorrow. I needed more time with you, but I don't get it. You get your new orders in the morning, But be prepared to head immediately for a transport and remember - tomorrow is Rotation Day. It's going to be chaos. So I want you all to tell me something you're thankful for and then one person you're thankful for. Then we eat!"

[Solène Bouchard]

Heaping a plate full of food, more than most anyone else in the room, Bouchard sits at the table and readies to chow down. Her appetite quickly disappears when Dansk asks them to share in front of everyone. Whlie her accent was almost gone after spending so much time in the south, she still disliked public speaking and having all eyes on her. Rather than belabour things, she simply clears her throat and goes first.

"Can we be thankful to be alive and for the Emperor? Or do we have to share feelings?" Knowing the answer she sighs, Might as well get this over with. "I am thankful for this unit. I was worried about being an oddball, turns out I wasn't the only one. I am grateful to all of you for helping keep me alive, perhaps most surprisingly I am thankful for the mutants. Their ability to detect our enemies is invaluable." She pauses a minute, a look of realization crossing her face, "You asked what person I am thankful for and I said mutants. I guess that means they are people too. Huh."

With that, she shoves a big forkful of food into her mouth so as not to say anything else.

[Dina Perry]

Serves up her food on her plate and sits at the table with her squad. Bouchard went first but everyone else seems to be reluctant to go next. Trying to break the silence, Dina decides to go next.

"I am also thankful for this unit. They have given me a place to belong. I hope we can stay together in the next unit." She looks over to Steelcreek. "I am also thankful for Private Steelcreek. He has been a great asset to the team. Thank you."

She then waits for the others before chowing down.

[Cassandra Maverick]

Cassandra waited for everyone else to get their food, going last, as she was taught was her place. She inhaled the delicious scent. She’d never had dinosaur before, but a home cooked meal was better than the chow hall garbage and reminded her of home.

Cassandra glanced around at her teammates. “I am thankful for having a place where I can do some good,” she said. “For this team and how we watch each other’s backs. I am thankful for Master Sergeant Drake and all she has taught me and helped me to grow in my abilities to better keep you all alive.”

Cassandra gave a shy smile and ducked her head, glancing at Bouchard, grateful that she had softened a bit toward her.

[Steelcreek]

Steelcreek takes in the scene in front of him, and the unexpected thaw from Bouchard. Should he say anything back, or just let it go like nothing happened?

He nods at @Solène Bouchard and at @Dina Perry, acknowledging them both subtly and in a way he hopes will not embarrass either of them. He gives @Cassandra Maverick a friendly bump on the shoulder to (hopefully) reinforce that he’s not planning to eat her any time soon, and then he takes his turn.

"I'm glad for good hunting, and good hunters to fight alongside. I'm sure that seems typical, but it's no less true for being expected. You all fight well, and you carry yourselves like hunters ought to. You're not..." he struggles for the right word, "docile. You don't give in and you push back the dark, and that has meaning, especially this time of year. To the return short nights and warm days!" He raises his glass and takes a long drink.

Over the rest of the evening he stops by each of his teammate's chairs to exchange some pleasantry or another, doing his best to make all of them feel welcome, and to remind himself of his own tribe back home.

[Solène Bouchard]

Okay, how much is too much? Solène considers as the emotional hippy-dippy stuff goes on for a while. Must be the bond formed in combat, but do we really have to talk about it?

There was no question she has changed from being afraid of being judged by the group, to being willing to fight for each one of them - but talking about it still feels a bit icky. The best way to avoid talking is to always have your mouth full. As a result Bouchard spends most of her time eating mountains of food and trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Unfortunately, @Steelcreek decides to "work the room" and eventually lands next to her giving inane customary greetings like he was some kind of human.

"Skip the small talk, it's too human. I prefer the snarly mutant."

With that she goes back to stuffing her face.

[Steelcreek]

Unfortunately, @Steelcreek decides to "work the room" and eventually lands next to her giving inane customary greetings like he was some kind of human.

"Skip the small talk, it's too human. I prefer the snarly mutant."

With that she goes back to stuffing her face.

Steelcreek laughs, gives Bouchard a token snarl, and moves along the table.

[Solène Bouchard]

"I said better, but still not that much, she mustered between mouthfuls as the mutant turns his back. She briefly considers tossing something at him, but then figures he might see it as some freaky mutant mating call. Shuddering she momentarily loses her appetite...then gets it back again.

@Steelcreek

[Dina Perry]

Dina looks over at her plate as she has been waiting for the others to give thanks before starting. She looks at @Logan Wright then to @Raleigh Ray Colton. Finally she looks over at @Joe Marshal. Her stomach growls loudly, audible in the room, as everyone else in the place takes a glance towards her. She turns slightly red in embarrassment.

[Raleigh Ray Colton]

Raleigh Ray slavishly labored in the kitchen working on his pièce de résistance of meals for Bear 2; a massive 10-kilo stegosaurus tail roast, cooked till it's outter layer of fat has melted off, ripe for the makings of a summer gravy with ground sausage accents. The remaining portion of the roast, beautifully marbled through and through, was treated to a moderate seasoning rub and injected in strategic locations with broths of the Ozark boy's own special blended recipe.

When it was time to bring it out of the kitchen, Raliegh Ray held it aloft like a prized trophy, proud of the triumph of the culinary arts that it was. He placed it on the serving table with care and began to carve it ever so precisely with a large kitchen knife. He was determined everyone got the exactly right thickness of meat to ensure the optimal, most-fulfilling eatting experience.

Once finished, he took his place with the others and the LT gave his Thanksgiving instructions. Raliegh Ray listened intently to the others, but wasn't too eager to jump in. Not because he wasn't thankful for anything, but quite the contrary.

Dina looks over at her plate as she has been waiting for the others to give thanks before starting. She looks at @Logan Wright then to @Raleigh Ray Colton. Finally she looks over at @Joe Marshal. Her stomach growls loudly, audible in the room, as everyone else in the place takes a glance towards her. She turns slightly red in embarrassment.

The growl from @Dina Perry and he impatient stomach brought Raleigh Ray out from an introspective trance. Finally, he spoke:

"If I had to say the one thing I'm most grateful for, it would have be packin' foam. From the moment I got here I've had the worst problem with my spit-cups spillin' all over the place when things get bumpy. I tell ya, it would douche up the inside of a suit o' power armor in the worst way at the worst times. An' it ain't like I can say, 'Time out, Mr. Monster! I need to take cleanin' break over here.' But while it took while, I finally discovered the hack... packin' foam. Ya just shred up a little bit into right-size bits, apply a little glue here an' there, glue that to the bottom of a paper cup, and strategically place the cup with duct tape. Voila! Spit goes in, gets trapped by the foam, and nothin' comes out unless it gets too full."

Raleigh Ray eyeballed the room to see how many of them appreciated his genius. Failing to see the glimmer of any recognition -- instead only a lot of hungry faces -- he just shrugged his shoulders and continued on.

"If I had to name the one person I'm thankfully for... man... that's a tought one to peg down! Emperor Prosek maybe, for carvin' out a safe place in this shitty world that me an' my sister could go to? Definitely a worthy nomination there.

"Then again, I could just as easily say I'm thankful for my roommate, @Logan Wright ... despite all the weird noises he makes, day and especially at night... and his annoying habit of being right more often than I am... and the fact I'm pretty sure he's been fuckin' with my dip packs for his own sadistic humor... and, well, right down to the odd shape of his pointy lil' head... The man has been a genuine friend to me, an' that's no small thing from where I come from."