asgardmeridiem | Open Log: Staff Party!

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Open Log: Staff Party!

Who: Bruce Banner, the school staff, and tentatively open
What: Staff party staff party staff party!
When: 462
Where: At the school.
Rating: PG

When Fiona had been doing her hiring and administerial drive, Bruce had made the casual mistake of pointing out that they should probably have a staff party or meet and greet at some point, since he didn't really know many of his co-faculty.

Fiona, with her usual grace and wit, had immediately announced the idea was perfect, and that Bruce should set something up! Could he make cocktail weenies?

The answer is no, he can't make cocktail weenies. He's perfectly capable of roasting vegetables, so he does that instead, as well as enlisting Natasha's help in liberating something that he thinks Asgardians maybe use to strip paint off building siding but that really melts quite seamlessly into the punch. (It doesn't count as spiking it if you politely label the bowl 'contains alcohol', right?) Anyways, these are his two contributions to the potluck he's organized, as well as wrestling up a reasonable amount of plates and cutlery.

He doesn't expect this to be lush; there's a war on, after all, but they can at least get together, get to be able to put names to faces, and maybe get a sense of who teaches what so as to help streamline this for students. He's honestly interested in hearing about how people feel like they're going to be able to keep going here with how bad things are getting in the city.

But just because this is all very interesting doesn't mean it isn't simultaneously totally excruciating. When the table and seats in the room are set up, Bruce will plant himself against a wall to wait.

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Castle shows up with Kate on his arm and a bowl of pasta salad. He's not a half bad cook when he's not experimenting with things like s'morelettes (yes, it's as bad as you think). Both he and Kate had a taste of the pasta salad before they left the house and concurred that it was good.

He's been on cloud nine lately, despite the war. Kate is living with him finally so no more of one of them having to leave a god house bleary-eyed at 3 AM. They could spend the whole night together again, and they were doing much more than sleeping. Plus, Castle is excited about his job at the school. Teaching is something he's always wanted to try and he's especially looking forward to the journaling therapy class, even if he has no idea whether or not it's going to work out. Such uncertainty has never stopped him before.

After helping himself to a (surprisingly strong) drink, Castle mingles among the crowd.

Bruce sees the look on his face at the first sip of the punch, and grimaces just slightly.

"Sorry, I don't really... partake. I may have been overgenerous there, and there isn't any juice left."

Plus the bowl is pretty near to brimming.

Bruce and Roland may have similar views on this sort of thing. Navigating parties has never really come naturally. Well. It has, Roland can and has - though most often in that long ago first half of his life - moved through the crowd at some gathering or another, charming whoever needed to be charmed, convincing whoever needed to be convinced. But it takes effort that Roland wouldn't choose to spend that way, all things being equal. It may come naturally, but if Roland had any choice about it it'd also be very rare.

Thankfully, this is going to be about as far from that as it's possible to get. He'd know that even if the concept of a 'potluck' hadn't been explained to him. Roland doesn't need to convince the other school staff of anything at all, needs to use no more politeness or charm than he'd use with someone he'd just met on the street. Most people who may be here have probably come across him while he was working around the school anyway, so though his face may have a few new bruises to it, one or two scratches, it's probably a face anyone who spends any time at all there will recognize. It's a good opportunity, too, to get to know people here to try and see if any of them may have ill intentions. He doubts it, but still. Best to be sure.

He sets the bowl of salad - well, supposedly salad, mostly just vegetables - next to the other bowls and takes a look around. Doesn't take long before he sees a split in one of the tables, hunkers to get a look at it and judge if it's something he needs to come back and repair tomorrow. It's not as if he's trying not to speak to anyone, but he's not putting any extra effort out for it either. And besides, this sort of thing's habit when he's inside the school. Might as well take a look at it while he's here.

Edited 2014-06-17 13:26 (UTC)

Parties haven't been Hermione's thing for a rather long time. After the horrible mess up at the Yule Ball and the wedding crashers during Bill and Fleur's wedding... Well, she had always come to associate parties and the like with bad things happening. Given Asgard's history she isn't sure this one is going to be different, but... Well, she needs to make more friends, she's sure of it, and her colleges can't exactly be the worst of people to try and get to know.

She's not a particularly proficient chef either; she remembers Harry complaining a bit about her cooking, him and Ron both, and it really rubbed on her nerves. Still, she manages to make quite a few sandwiches and some cake that she had made with a bit of help from a few textbooks in the library... But that was it. Hopefully no one would mind that she didn't bring a feast - she was just one person and not exactly made for this sort of thing, no matter what expectations there were on her shoulders.

Finally, getting a drink of - well, that has alcohol, no thank you - she shifts and looks around the room, watching for people and feeling her cheeks go a little pink. She barely knows anyone here and, yet, here she stands, as awkward as ever. Merlin help me.

When Castle had originally mentioned a 'staff party', Kate was hit with the sudden realization that she can't remember the last time she went to one of those. With the war efforts and the general chaos of Asgard, she'd almost forgotten about things like that. But then Castle had mentioned making pasta salad, and after a little, totally harmless, kitchen chaos (their kitchen, she likes to remind herself) she is pretty confident in the bowl Rick is carrying into the party.

They split for a few minutes near the beginning, Castle heading to the bar and Kate wanting to have a word with someone else at the party, but it doesn't take long before she's walking up behind where he's standing, her arms sliding around his middle and her chin settling on his shoulder. "What're you drinking?

"Oh, that looks good."

Bruce chimes in, the best conversation starter he has, really... but honestly, it does, he likes how vegetarian friendly Asgard is for being such a weird and perpetually battered place. Must be all the plant-growers.

"Thank you for contributing. People have really been nothing but generous- I'm sure Fiona's going to be thrilled."

He is quietly but firmly blaming her for all of this.

"Is it weird, encouraging, or depressing that pretty much everyone at this thing seems to have an equal amount of... you know, social grace?"

Bruce asks quietly, as he approaches. See someone in battle once or twice, there's a certain bond, he feels, even if you don't talk often.

"I hope we don't have too many young and impressionable students, otherwise they are going to pick up some weird social skills."

This is of course a totally gauche observation to make to someone who is still fundamentally a stranger, but the idea is honestly worrying him, and it's important to have a sense of humour about life, after all. His mouth twitches into a good natured, sardonic smile.

"I'd like to think it's more that we're unfailingly polite and don't want to interrupt any conversations. That or we all find books far better company - and, really, sometimes they are." Hermione does perk up a little when she's spoken to, though, pleased to see Bruce again; it's been a while and seeing someone a few times, only during battle, makes it hard not to fret after them. Meeting him in a more pleasant social environment is far, far preferable.

She shakes her head, though, lips curling into a brighter smile as she nudges him with her arm, gently, trying her best to bite back her laughter. She has to admit that, really, he does have a point - they're all a little shy and shifty, still getting to know one another. What would their students think? A lot of them are far more confident and outgoing than their teachers, it seems.

"I don't think anyone we're teaching is that impressionable. Most of them seem pretty confident all by themselves - they don't need a silly old teacher passing on anything."

"Thank heavens."

He says, perfectly seriously, but it only lasts a second before he cracks a more earnest smile.

"I'm much more in my element here. Delivering incomprehensible physics lectures to scrambling students is how I paid for a of my grad school."

Actually, his work with the school is very different from his old TAships. Bruce's classes are a careful mix of theory and wonderful, illustrative experiments (many of them shamelessly borrowed from a specific Science Guy who shall go unnamed.) But he's clearly so much more in his element here than he is on the battlefield, even though parties are terrible.

"Did you get something to eat or drink?"

Hermione's grin comes a little easier and she does laugh, then, shaking her head almost fondly. It's a little awkward, meeting all these new people with the knowledge that they're, jointly, in charge of a school started by a man who hated her, but... It's comforting all the same. Even in the darkest times here in Asgard there are people who want to teach and educate and it thrills her to know that there is still that kind of dedication in the world - that she's not alone in it.

"It's a little new for me, but I was basically a teacher to my two best friends for my entire school career. You'd think for two boys that want to join a wizarding police force they might actually pay attention to things. If only it were that easy." Her silly, ridiculous boys, asking her for homework help and notes and always smiling so brightly when she gave in. What would they do without her?

Turning back to look at the food table she shakes her head. "I brought some sandwiches and cake but I'm not really all that hungry. So much is going on right now that it's hard to find the energy to remember to eat."

"Fiona's the one who made it." Roland, who'd never heard the word 'vegetarian' before coming to Asgard, did not have that in mind when he was talking over what food to bring. As far as he's concerned meat is a limited resource right now and vegetables are not, and so vegetables are what he is going to be eating. But, whatever. Let's keep that quiet and let people assume he's being generous and thoughtful.

With none of this in mind, Roland looks up at Bruce and stands, gesturing around the room. "Do you mean she organized all this too?" The thought's not a surprise. Somehow it sounds like her.

"That's right, you're one of the wizards."

He realizes, can't remember if he knew this or just forgot it.

"It must be really disorienting to lose access to all that. Particularly in an academic context, it would have shaped how you thought about the world- here, you should have something with me, even if you don't feel like it, especially if you find yourself forgetting."

Loyally, he goes to get himself one of her sandwiches, poking through them until he finds one that doesn't have any meat in it.

"What are you teaching, by the way? I know you were on the board, but did you have a class as well? I should remember this."

"No, but she convinced me to. I would have just proposed the idea and never done anything about it, but she got this- relentlessly cheerful glint in her eye, and I folded like a house of cards."

A long sigh.

"I'm Bruce Banner, I sent you the invitation earlier. I don't think we've met properly."

As the deliverer of the alcohol, she's here as well - though Natasha is mostly hanging back and watching than doing any mingling of her own. She hasn't quite decided what persona she'd like to take on for her her workmates - Natalie Rushman seemed too dated, Natasha Romanova was far too truthful for her taste. She settled for something in between, a calm smile on her face (rehearsed, but you could never tell), her arms crossed.

Banner organizing a potluck. That was something new; she couldn't imagine him being the party sort back home - but maybe it's easier for him when he doesn't have the other guy hanging over his shoulder. He fits in well enough, another surprise. Maybe this sort of academic atmosphere was exactly his sort of thing.

It wasn't exactly hers.

Still, though. She's doing her best. No one can fault her for that.

"Mm. Seen you around a couple times," he says, holding out the thumb-and-two-fingers that is his right hand. "Roland Deschain. Fiona can be... convincing, when she wants to be. Must be interesting, working with her. You'd rather not've put this together?"

Edited 2014-06-19 12:42 (UTC)

[ Hanging back and watching before mingling? Someone might not be letting you do that, or she's giving you company whilst doing the same (dealer's choice). Maria's there to see who she's working with, and what may happen. It's a regular school rather than something more specialised than she's used to. But it all seemed to be the same idea, or at least she knew that what she would be doing was - preparing people for anything.

But at least there's a familiar face. Someone to 'mingle' with whilst deciding how to mingle, or who to mingle with. A nice ease into the party ]

You teach?

[ That part might definitely have been missed the last time you were plying her with alcohol. Or the first time (here). And maybe she actually sounds a little surprised about it. Unless you're not teaching and are just crashing the party or do something else here. Secretary again? ]

I hadn't pictured you as a teacher.

[ Actually she hadn't pictured him as much of anything, and that wasn't meant in a negative way just that she hadn't really thought about it. Other than trying to get a bit of a view of him from their first conversation they hadn't talked about anything much outside of Asgard, or aliens. He certainly had his views about what she did which... may or may not change regardless of her working here. She wasn't a teacher, but she had a skill she knew how to teach. Maybe he was the same? ]

"It's.. strong," Castle replied. "But it's ok."

Honestly Castle didn't mind a bit of hard liquor with all that had been going on lately. At least his personal life was going well even if all of Asgard was going to hell in a handbasket.

Consider it a fundamental difference between Castle and Kate that he was more focused on a party and his upcoming classes than the looming war. He has little interest in that beyond what an inconvenience it will be and how to keep Kate safe during it.

He rested his head briefly against Kate's, then took another sip. "It might be paint thinner. But it's not that bad."

I could say the same.

[He gave her a lift of his glass in greeting. He was actually a bit surprised to see here there and wondered what she taught. Espionage? How to work for a top secret government agency?]

"That's me." It doesn't really offend her to be known as 'one of the wizards'; it's what she is, who she is. She's from a world of magic and strange happenings and she's proud of that, in an awkward little way. She knows it's a way of identifying people, themselves and their worlds. It's easier than fussing over minor technicalities.

Still, she can't help but to agree with Bruce. Losing her magic had felt like losing a part of herself.

"It was strange, at first," she admits quietly. "It has certainly influenced how I view Asgard and all of the magic here - it doesn't feel as unusual for me as it does other people, really, it doesn't. I just feel like I've lost a little bit of myself, that's all. I just have to remember that I'll get it back sooner or later, I just have to keep working to help save the city."

She goes with him, though, picking up a random sandwich and taking a small bite before she glances over again. It's nice, getting to know this man in a non-threatening environment and her smile softens, her entire posture relaxing a little.

"History of Magic - and I help tidy up the Library and take care of things there, as much as I can."

Well you didn't believe what I do.

[ Because she seriously does work in a security capacity. Privatising global security sure, but it's the private sector. And security

Though that still doesn't say much about what she may or may not be teaching ]

Any interesting classes?

[ To him? Definitely. You had to be interested in what you were teaching to want to do it, right? ]

I definitely don't believe what you actually do is teaching though.

[The bit about the aliens had been a step closer to the truth, he felt. But there was still a ways to go.]

I'm teaching creative writing as well as a type of journaling therapy course. What about you?

In lieu of cooking something for the party, Evy decides to do what she does best: make tea. It's cool enough on the day of the event that she thinks hot tea is justifiable, so she finds an empty coffee urn and ensures that it's filled with decidedly-not-coffee for the rest of the night. It, too, gets a polite label and ends up set up near the punch.

(The tea is black rather than hibiscus. The availability of the latter seems to be shrinking faster, and as much as she likes her colleagues, she's not going to risk it going to waste.)

Evy's interest in any given work-related party waxes and wanes fairly quickly, but as a member of the school's new board, she feels obliged to remain present for the duration of the get-together. She also considers it a personal obligation to say hello to everyone who attends and introduce herself to anyone she hasn't previously met. "How are you? Have classes been going well?"

I have before. [ There's an almost shrug to her tone. It's familiar, and even if she weren't here she'd be instructing over at the Citadel. It's one thing that she can do here and actually feel useful about, because simply just working somewhere... isn't quite as appealing ] Self defense. Journaling therapy could be pretty useful. [ There had to be a lot of issues about being here ]

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Open Log: Staff Party!

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