Santa Claus is coming to town

[afallenstar]

Who: Secret Santa participants, but also EVERYONE!
Where: Town Hall
When: Evening of day 24
What: Present giving! The Secret Santa reveal, and anyone who wants to have a christmas party is welcome to join too!
Notess: Party style thread guys, so go nuts. No order, everything is chaos, tag to your hearts content, feel free to break off into separate threads, and no spiking the punch! Also I think she's sort of mentioned it to a bunch of people but want to do me some lovely favours and handwave the actual name drawing? I will backtag if people want but it seems a little pointless to thread that out.


There's another message on the network that morning from Anna, just audio again. It's about as garbled as her first one regarding the Secret Santa idea, but for anyone who is listening closely enough they'll make out a few details. Namely this evening, town hall, and bring your presents before she shuts it off.

She's spent the rest of the day trying to do what she can to make the place look nicer. She's hardly got Christmas decorations on tap, but she's done what she can with what she has all the same. There's paper snow flakes up around the place, some of the food from her house placed in bowls to make it more party-appropriate, and it's no fir but she has relocated a small tree from the edge of the woods and placed it in the hall. Barely decorated, not even the right kind of tree, it's the best she can do with the resources she's been given.

Now all there is to do is wait for people to come.

Comments

Bruce Banner

[greenisnteasy]

[Bruce has a card, repurposed from what he found in a semi hoarder's drawer, and a small toy or ornament for everyone. In the card he says he got you free medical care. We can thread that out or handwave!]

Re: Bruce Banner

[pursuitofcappiness]

[ Steve hands Bruce a small parcel. It says: "To Doc Banner from Cap." ]

[greenisnteasy]

Bruce has one for Steve, a small box, and he hands it over to him. "Let's trade."

Inside Steve's, he'll find a set of army men toys, refitted as the Avengers. Thor has part of a doll's wig glued to his head, and the others are painted; the Hulk is a toy tank with curly hair.

[pursuitofcappiness]

Steve hands it to him, and inside there's a pair of stretchy knit shorts, because walking home naked is maybe more embarrassing than walking home in knit underpants. He found the least scratchy yarn he could, but there wasn't a whole lot of it...

He also drew a card on top and made a ribbon out of paper.

I forgot that Steve's supposed to be mute so he's just going to. Gesture towards whether or not he's supposed to open this now or not.

[greenisnteasy]

"Go ahead." He nods at him, not quite connecting that something's wrong yet. Tony's sudden blindness that day's been almost a distraction for him, so much that he's zeroing in on it. His eyes flick to find Tony over Steve's shoulder, just briefly, for a second, before he starts to open his own package.

"Oh, great. Thanks." He smirks and then tests their stretchiness. "Extra estrechi," he says with a grin and a Spanish accent.

[pursuitofcappiness]

He opens it and his whole face lights up. This is one of the coolest things he's ever received. He didn't have many toys as a kid, and definitely not of his friends. And his friends definitely weren't superheroes.














And he definitely didn't really have friends.

So.

He holds up a card that says "Thank You." And then he takes out a marker and writes on it and holds it back up. "Gracias."

[greenisnteasy]

It's cool, Steve; Bruce didn't have any friends either. And once his dad beat him up for being really good at playing with toys. He's right there with you.

He grins at the gracias and flashes Steve a thumbs up. "De nada. I'm glad you like them. It was between those or condoms. Guess I made the right choice."

Bruce Banner

[agentx13]

[ Sharon has left a box on his doorstep with his name on it. Inside? A pair of the largest purple pants she could find. Extra-stretchy. ]

[greenisnteasy]

[And they are hilarious, and he relegates them to pajama pants. Bruce will give her her present sometime -- a map rolled up like a scroll and tied with a thin ribbon. It's largely an accurate representation of Cape Kore, only there are monsters comically drawn in and other jokes sprinkled throughout, and off in the distance, an X-marks-the-spot exit, red and glittery, like a good pirate's map.]

[agentx13]

[Of course, she hasn't seen it by the time she sidles up to him at the party. She takes a sip of her wine, looking over the crowd instead of at him.]

Purple not your color, Dr. Banner?

[greenisnteasy]

"It's one of my favorites, actually, but I think they're better suited for when I'm feeling... bloated." He's instead wearing some pants that look to be slightly too big for him, but only a little, and also like they came from an elderly lawyer's wardrobe.

"I appreciate the thought, though. That was very kind of you."

[agentx13]

Her lips twitch into something alarmingly like a smile. Bloated. Heh.

"Don't mention it. I wouldn't have been able to do anything else with them. Except maybe make curtains. Or a tent."

She takes another sip of her drink, still looking over the group. Where was Phil?

"Make flag big enough to be seen from space."

[greenisnteasy]

Hey, look at that. She has a sense of humor. He grins, surprised and pleased, and he looks down into his drink and back up at the crowd.

"Maybe we should have gone with that one, used it as a flare. NASA could see us and come investigate."

[manofiron]

Tony can’t help thinking that this whole Christmas party idea would be a lot more entertaining if he could actually see what the hell was going on. He can’t. And he thinks that he probably shouldn’t even be here, since it’s incredibly difficult to pretend there’s nothing wrong with him when it’s so obvious that he is. But everyone else is here and he thinks that there’s something pathetically depressing about sitting home along in the dark while everyone else was out having fun.

It isn’t terribly difficult to locate Bruce. All he has to do is listen for the sound of his voice and follow it. Carefully, of course, so as not to run into anyone.

He just has to hope he’s actually facing him when he says, “Bruce? Please tell me that you’re here and I’m not talking to a potted plant right now.”

[greenisnteasy]

He's freaked about the blindness that seems to be spreading. Tony's the third person he's seen afflicted, and so far Bruce hasn't been able to find much, medically speaking, to explain it. He touches his arm lightly, just his fingertips against his arm, to help him orient himself.

"No, you're good, I'm here. How're you holding up? Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

[manofiron]

Some of the tension knotting his shoulders fades when he feels Bruce's hand on his arm. It takes every ounce of willpower he has not to grab onto his hand and refuse to let go. But it's weak and childish, not to mention selfish, and Bruce is the last person to whom he wants to appear that way.

"Do you want the honest answer or the bullshit answer?" He says it wryly, the corner of his mouth twisting into something that's trying, and failing, to be a smile. "I'd say I wanted whiskey, but I don't know if there's any left in this stupid town and I don't think I really want to stumbling around for more reasons than one." Even though it would take some of the edge off.

"How are you? Can you—You're still okay, right?"

[greenisnteasy]

He's glad he got the honest answer, even if it's grim; honesty, even grim honesty, is better than trying to soften the truth. He stays close to Tony because he's never been suddenly blind, but he figures it has to be frightening and unsettling. That Tony's here at all is a wonder, and Bruce is both glad that he's out and worried that he's pushing himself too hard. That's what he's here for, though; he'll keep an eye on Tony all night.

"Maybe when we get back to the house. We'll have a nightcap." He smiles, though Tony can't see it; he can probably hear it.

"I'm good. Nothing to report, other than social awkwardness. I, uh. I have your present here, but... Do you want it?"

[manofiron]

“Make it a strong one and you’re on.”

He does his best to sound normal, to keep the casual, irreverent tone firmly in place. Otherwise, it would be too obvious that he’s terrified, and he doesn’t want to admit it to himself, much less anyone else. But all he can think about is that like this, he can’t build anything. He can’t read or write or do any of the things he’s done for the last forty-odd years. And if he focuses on that, if he dwells too much on what he’s lost, he thinks he’ll go mad.

“Are you too popular? Is that why you’re feeling awkward? It’s okay. You’ll get used to it.” His fingers curl as he talks, briefly catching at Bruce’s wrist before letting go again. He’s like an anchor in the middle of a storm, and every so often, Tony can’t help needing to reassure himself that he’s really there. “If you went to the trouble of bringing it here, yes. I do. I could give you mine, but it’s kind of two things and one of those things you probably don’t want me giving to you here.”

[greenisnteasy]

He's going to work on this blindness thing. He's still looking for a cause. Environmental? He supposes they could have drugged them all with something, and he's planning to run as many tests as possible, but he's not extremely confident of what he can put together with the crap he can find in random attics compared to scientists with full labs and real equipment. But he will try, as hard as he can. That's what he wishes he could give Tony today; his real present seems pretty pale in comparison.

"Weirdly, I am popular tonight, but to be honest, I just want to make sure people like me so they're less likely to, you know." He leans in and lowers his voice. "Hate me, in case something... bad happens."

Bruce stops partway into leaning to pick up the bag containing Tony's present, and he looks up at Tony with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.

"So now I get to spend all night wondering what that's going to be. Will you give me any hints?" He straightens with the bag in his hand, which he rustles, casually, making sure it makes noise so Tony can know it's here, without making it into a production.

NOT FUTURE SCIENCE!SON-IN-LAW

[goodluckkobra]

[Kobra's got a cigarette. He's only found a few packs around town, but it's a fuckin' holiday. He takes a pull and leans on a table next to Bruce.]

What's up, Doc?

OH HELLO :|

[greenisnteasy]

[As a doctor, Bruce disapproves, but he's not going to say anything because that's not really how he rolls. He's off the clock technically anyway, and there are other things he's heard about Kobra that matter more to him than whether or not he smokes.]

Not a lot. Merry random present day. [He passes Kobra his card and a toy -- a racecar.] How're you doing?

[goodluckkobra]

[Kobra grins like an idiot.] Better now that I got a tiny car. How'd you know?

[And then his face sobers and his voice gets low.] So what're the chances that instead of all the cancer I'll also turn into a popular vegetable mascot?

[greenisnteasy]

"Oh, I hear you sleep with one every night. Figured you have a fetish." He smiles back, but also quickly sobers; really, Bruce's amusement is thin and easy to sweep away in most scenarios.

"I figured out about my alter ego pretty soon after the accident. My guess is you'd already know, but it's not like this is normal science. I'd say your chances are really slim."

Which completely answers Kobra's question, but he doesn't think it's really what Kobra was asking about. Still, he leaves it at that and takes a sip of his drink.

[goodluckkobra]

Kobra just grins when Bruce calls it a fetish. He's a little more into his motorcycle, if he's honest, but he does love cars, too. It's hard not to when you put your life in the hands of one so often.

"Normal science sucks." At least in part because it's probably killing him and while he figures that being a green monster might not be as awesome as it sounds, it's better than dying and Kobra kinda likes Bruce and he knows Lydia is friends with the guy or something, so he's pretty glad Bruce is here.

"I guess I'll just have to settle for being one of those regular-guy superheroes who is just too awesome for powers."

[greenisnteasy]

What Bruce knows about Kobra, a list:
- He's probably going to die of cancer because of some really rough life circumstances.
- His brother pretty firmly warned Bruce to stay away from him, because:
- He apparently has anger issues.
- He saved -- or he tried to save Lydia after the earthquake.
- Lydia definitely does not have Feelings for him, except she does.

It's safe to say Bruce is concerned. He cares for Lydia, more than he should and maybe more than he has any right to, but there it is, and he wants the best for her. The idea that he's not allowed to talk to Kobra while he and Lydia might be a thing is something he's really not happy about, at all, and he's not sure what he can do about that. He can talk to Kobra at the party, surely; Party can deal with that. Bruce isn't going out of his way to talk to him, but he wants to -- very much.

"I heard you could've used a super power or two when you tried to help Lydia in the earthquake." Bruce's tone and his eyes imply he knows more than just that, and he turns to give Kobra his full attention. Bruce isn't a tall guy, and he holds himself even smaller, pulled in on himself, but when the light in his eyes shines a certain way, there's a whiff of threat that rolls off him.

Not that he's threatening Kobra. He's just asking him a question, and maybe testing his metal.