xavier's school for gifted youngsters

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

Here's the open thread for Emo High's dinner. XD Feel free to add anything else from the table or with your character's response to Hank's question!

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There was something about Thanksgiving -- the aura of warmth, family, friendship, and gratefulness -- that made John want to drink.

A lot.

Apparently it also made Julian Keller want to drink, but John suspected it was more about loosening up than it was about hopefully blackening out before everyone went around the table sharing what they were thankful for. Julian was on his third glass of wine, his blue eyes twinkling, arm slung around the back of Rogue's chair.

He had to admit: at least the faculty let them partake in some "cultural" drinking during holiday dinners.

Kitty was sitting next to John, giggling into her hand about something Meg was twittering on about. Everyone was talking, laughing and exchanging smiles. Bobby and Amara were discussing something boring over sweet potatoes. Jono and Warren were animatedly talking about video games and a pulley system -- Josh joined in every now and then with his two cents. Lorna and Tabby were conspiring; he watched with a smirk when her and Warren exchanged grinning glances.

Nori was eating turkey like she'd never had any before in her life, arguing heatedly with Lance over "I didn't break the TV, rockhead!"

"So it electrocuted itself?!"

Remy was silently playing with his cards, planted in an awkward middle spot, seemingly unaware of Jubilee's frustrated glances. The Cuckoos were in a relatively similar position, sharing their food in silence -- or at least the vocal kind.

"Quit hogging the potatoes," Julian spoke up, telekinetically beckoning the bowl from in front of Bobby and Amara. Childishly, he stuck his tongue out at the blond, who rolled her eyes. "Kitty and I worked hard on them." He winked in the other girl's direction.

A clinking sound interrupted the feasting table, and slowly the conversation and laughter died down, eyes and ears attentively turning to the big furry blue ball at the head of the table. Hank cleared his throat, one hand on his filled belly. "Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'd just like to take this time to say a few kind words... thank you to the students and to the faculty for providing us the opportunity to have this delicious meal!" Everyone clapped and Hank held up a quieting hand. "Now, since this is the holiday of thanks, it's time to go around the table and share what we are all grateful for."

Julian downed his glass to hide his smirk. Many of the students groaned.

"I'll start," Hank continued. "I'm grateful for my friends and family here at the school, and the opportunity to work in a wonderful, well-funded lab, and the electron microscopes there, and the fine men who come up with PCR machines Western blotting and..." He paused, head bowing at the appreciative laughter. "Ah, yes. And gene mapping. I do so enjoy gene mapping."

Kitty nodded enthusiastically.

Swiftly the answers cropped up around the table: some were serious and some enticed knee-slapping laughter; those were the ones the teachers smiled thinly at. Even though when it was Emma's turn, she simply smirked, her wine glass perched delicately between her fingers and answered sarcastically, "aspirin."

Kurt also supplied a direct answer. "Friends," he said with a whimsical smile. Next to him, Ororo patted his hand.

Rogue pursed her lips when the line got around to her, fork playing with the excess gravy on her plate. "I'm grateful for... life," she muttered, and then dropped the utensil, teeth nibbling at the corner of her mouth.

Julian took a moment before answering, licking his lips and glancing at Rogue. "I'm grateful for you," he smiled.

Across the table, Nori made a fake gagging noise. "Anything to get laid..." She muttered. She cursed when her drink toppled over into her plate without any seen urging.

Warren jumped in to distract attention from the two feuding mutants. "I'm grateful for my parent's acceptance," he said quickly. Lorna smiled at him.

Jono shrugged. "I'm not really... nothing, I guess." Warren gave him a pointed look. "I don't know... my new room?"

"I'm just grateful I have a place to be accepted," Josh perked up with a small smile.

"Try the village," Julian suggested sarcastically.

"SHUT UP, JULIAN."

The question went around the table, the Cuckoos thankful for their other sisters (big surprise), before it finally came to John.

"Second chances," he said quietly. With a half-smirk he turned to Kitty, who beamed at him. "And third chances... fourth chances... yeah, you get the idea."