Trying to make a way home

[archangelet]

It's Thanksgiving, and people are celebrating in many different ways.

In the Gauche, Tay Barnam is not doing what she did last year. Amber had liked the whole potluck Thanksgiving thing they did last year, and Amber's gone now and things are... a lot different. She's a year older, and she'd like to think she's a little wiser than she was last

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[findaconstant]

Dan hesitates approaching Dusty, at first. He doesn't know what's going on with Ruvin or where she is, and he keeps telling himself that she'll find him or write to him when she's ready, but he's not so sure about that anymore. He knows she's alive, at least. That's something.

Dusty might be as in the dark as he is, though, and he doesn't want to upset her. Dilemma.

He decides to wait until she's finished playing, then approaches her with his hands stuffed in his pockets and a little smile. "Hey, Dusty."

[please_see_me]

Dusty looks up with a shaky smile. She'd been trying to think of something new to play, but Dan is a good distraction.

"Hiya," she says, trying her best to sound upbeat and, y'know, thankful.

She should be thankful. It's Thanksgiving and she has a place to stay and food to eat and her cello. That's all she needs. Really.

[findaconstant]

She's trying enough that it's almost working, but Dan can still see past it. He's not surprised, though; in the wake of the plagues, everyone seems to have that same air of suppressed trauma around them. But people are still picking up, still moving on. They're even celebrating Thanksgiving, which... means very little to Dan, considering he's never experienced one before.

He mirrors her smile, restlessly shifting his weight from one to the other as he stands there. "Happy Thanksgiving. How're you holding up?"

[please_see_me]

"Well, it's sorta my first Thanksgiving away from home," she admits. "So I'm sorta... lonely." Of course, being pretty much alone will add to that.

And then finally finding out her girlfriend is alive because said girlfriend is dumping her doesn't help. Oh, she doesn't blame Ruvin-- well, okay, that's a lie, even Dusty's not so good a person as to not blame her at all, but she can understand the why of it. It just hurts.

"How about you?" she asks. "Are you having a good Thanksgiving?"

[findaconstant]

"It's sorta my first Thanksgiving anywhere," he says, giving her a crooked little smile. "So this is all sort of... new."

He still doesn't quite understand what parades and dog shows and American football games have to do with what Thanksgiving is supposed to celebrate, but he's not going to ask.

"But - I'm sorry about the being away from home thing. Do you have anyone to spend the day with?"