faderift | (no subject)

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WHO: Anyone who wants to come!
WHAT: Cyril plans a surprise party for Sam and Kirk
WHEN: This Saturday
WHERE: Sam and Kirk's home
NOTES: This is the party Cyril started planning here. I'm going to include two header comments for prep before the party, and for Kirk and Sam to come home so everyone can enjoy the 'Surprise!' moment, otherwise, please treat this like a normal mingle post, put in your characters enjoying the party and tag around!

Cyril was pleased with how many had wanted to help with this party. Christine had offered to distract both Kirk and Sam. Adasse had put together some tasty potatoes. Korrin had arrived to help arrange furniture to use the space better for a crowd and had brought spiced wine and sweets. Anders had helped with decorations.

They had done well, even with the food shortage, and the house smelled inviting thanks the the work of everyone coming together.

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"For a medic, you sure are trying to find ways to make me put out my back," Kirk grumbled, leaning against the desk and giving Christine a rather unimpressed look.

He had never thought her quite this fussy and demanding before. This felt like the antics of a spoiled brat rather than the more pragmatic and empathetic Christine he knew, which had little bells in his head ringing. He couldn't say quite what he thought was going on, but something smelled fishy.

In her struggle to keep this distraction going as long as possible, Christine hasn't really thought this through enough to head off statements like Sam's. He's absolutely right, and Christine struggles to hang on to her composure, lest he see how he's flummoxed her.

It's in moments like these that she envies her mother's ability to breeze over anything having to do with logic or good sense. Christine will simple have to channel the woman as best she can.

"Yes, I realize that, Sam. But I am looking for the ideal location that will keep the best light for as long as it can, before it changes angles." Look, don't question her, all right? This back-breaking labor will be completely worth it in the end; you just don't know it yet.

"Lift with your knees, Jim, not your back." It's meant to sound encouraging and not bossy, because the goal is to keep them here and not let them run off in a huff. Or -- with the way things are going so far -- hobble off in a huff, muscles strained.

"Now, I am sure that this spot will do nicely." Again she gestures to the place she's already indicated, knowing full well that she can't keep this up for much longer. "And once you are done, you will of course sit while I make you some tea. I will not have you going back out into the cold without hot tea in your stomachs."

Sam likewise is taking a moment to lean against the desk, cheeks puffed out as he slowly lets out a long breath while wiping at his brow. His arms and upper back were starting to strain with all the back and forth; it was tiring work.

"Might have to get us some balm, too. How did they even get this table up here?"

"And something to eat. We're burning calories like no one's business and we need those to keep warm," he breathed out, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. He was a fit man, sure, but even the fittest man would get worn out moving a desk all over for a few hours.

"Magic. Dark magic," Kirk answered Sam, glowering at the desk.

"Of course. I will send someone to the kitchen to fetch you both a snack." She can't go herself and run the risk of them running off back home before the proper time. "I will put the water on the fire," she adds, moving towards the fireplace, but stumbling halfway there. Straightening up, Christine moves carefully to a chair in front of the fire to sit for a moment, glancing back at the men in the hopes they didn't see that and are still focusing on the desk.

"Dark magic indeed. Maybe we need some of it right now." Get that to move the desk around.

Unfortunately Christine, since they are somewhat taking a break, Sam does notice the slight stumble. He doesn't say anything about it, but he's definitely got a raised brow on you when you turn back.

Naturally Kirk saw it too. But like Sam he is wise enough not to say anything, though he does have a snarky remark on the tip of his tongue. Still, he kept it behind his teeth and instead slumped himself over the front of the desk, folding his arms beneath his chin like a pillow.

"Should we be honored she's going to make the tea herself?" he inquired of Sam, though it is definitely pitched so that Christine could hear it too.

Averting her eyes, Christine smooths her hands across her lap. Let them think she tripped over her own feet than what's really going on. Which is... something she can't explain. A sudden weakness in her legs. Maybe she's inherited her mother's ailment. It's hard to say when Faith can't see anything wrong inside her. But it passes soon enough and Christine flexes her calf muscles to make sure she feels strong enough. Everything seems back to normal, so she moves to the fireplace and places a kettle of water over the flames.

As much as she'd like to give Jim a smart remark back, this subterfuge is all for him and for Sam. So she bites back anything she might say that will cause him to either leave or get into a verbal back-and-forth and instead pulls a long, tasseled cord on the wall that will send a runner up to her office in a minute or so. Then she can ask them to bring up some light fare for her hardworking movers.

"It is possible the desk was brought up in parts and assembled in the room," she finally says, preparing a tray with mugs and sugar.

As annoyed as he is right now for pushing around a desk, Sam knows Christine is very much capable of making tea herself and has done so many times; she's not the type to think it beneath her to do so either. Because of that he reaches over and smacks Jim's arm softly with the back of his hand, letting him know to cool it with quips like that.

"Be nice," he says under his breath, though still offering a tired smile. "We're almost done." Least they better be almost done.

This time, occupied for the moment, Christine's struggle goes completely unnoticed.

At the mention of putting bringing up pieces and then bringing it up, Sam things his lips and thinks over that. "That... is possible."

Kirk 'tched' with his teeth at the smack, but accepted the reprimand. Perhaps it had not been particularly kind, but moving a large desk around on what felt like off handed whims was grating on his nerves. He pouted at him, but leaned over and snagged a kiss to make himself feel better.

"It's how they would do it in my world," he clarified. "We call it flat-packing. You can pay to have it assembled for you, but a lot of companies offer the pieces and you put it together yourself and it reduces costs."

"It is easy enough to assemble that the buyer can do it?" Christine asks, sounding surprised. In Thedas, assembling a desk is something best left to the carpenters. They're skilled laborers who spend years apprenticed to a master so that they can do what others can't. She wonders what carpenters in Jim's world do if the don't even put the furniture together.

At that moment, there's a knock on the door, and Christine is confident enough in the renewed strength of her legs that she walks to the door with no trouble, revealing a runner from downstairs.

"Ma'am?" the young woman asks.

"Could you bring up a tray with fruit and cheese on it, please? Crackers too."

The woman nods and disappears again. Christine turns back to the guys and gives them an encouraging smile. "There; a little something to tide you over until you get home. I am sure you will want to sit down to a nice, filling dinner there, so I shall not keep you much longer."

Sam huffs lightly at the steal, giving Jim a look as he shakes his head lightly, though his clear amusement overrides the fake disbelief at the man's actions. It honestly wasn't enough, but they were currently busy. Hopefully it would tie Jim over for a bit.

With the conversation changing - and hearing food being ordered - Sam silently signals that he's taking a break, mostly by half sitting on the edge of the desk he had been pushing. "So... you buy a bunch of pieces? And do you have to pick it up as well?"

Sustenance, thank god, and it couldn't get here fast enough. His attention returned to the questions at hand, wondering how it was he had come to be explaining flat-packing to Thedosians. Did that violate the Prime Directive? Most likely. But he was in to deep now to turn back.

"Well, technically yes, but it's easier for some than others, and you need to have a few tools. They come with instructions in their boxes," Kirk explained. "And no, the pieces come all together. You can go pick it up at a store, if you want, but stores will also ship the box right to you as well. It's just whatever works for you. It's a quite popular method - it allows people to afford nicely designed furniture for fractions of the cost."

Christine just shakes her head in disbelief. Imagine if the same held true for other things. Anyone could be a blacksmith like Sam; they just needed to have the metal and tools mailed to them, as well as the easy-to-build forge. Anyone could be a healer; they just needed a potions kit and instructions sent to them. That's how this all sounds to Christine. Rather than being a convenience, it sounds like a way to put skilled people out of work.

"Well, come sit down and have some tea while we wait for the food to arrive."

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