Mingle - Emergency Potluck

[pumpkinhollow]

Pumpkin Hollow Community Bulletin

Main Nav | Permanent Bulletin | Calendar |

WELCOME POTLUCK

Greetings, residents! Those more observant sorts among you may have noticed a large influx of very crowded ferries. In order to welcome our new residents en masse, Town Hall is holding a potluck in Town Square. Please bring a dish if you are able and make a new friend!

All of our newest arrivals need only bring themselves. We look forward to welcoming you all into our community, and may your lanterns always be lit.

This event is open to all! In light of our new influx of prospective players following the Great Sail Migration, we've decided to offer a small public event to tide everyone over until the TDM this weekend.

Comments

[restingslasherface]

"And he picked the poop number???"

[thelatechrisfreeman]

"What, not going to chop it right off someone?"

[lastofthefirst]

"Seems like something my father might do, so no. Not unless I find myself a real freak anyway."

Click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click...

"...I didn't mean to put you through it, y'know. Hell. Didn't even really mean to hit him. It was stupid."

[theydrewfirstblood]

John nods in agreement. "Food's always nice--been a real lean winter, but things are turnin' around."

He's got that good stew at home waiting for him as proof of that--but as crazy as the smell of the potluck's making him, the thought of putting anything in his stomach leaves him with a knot that promises pain later if he tries it.

Instead of dwelling, he shuffles forward a half step and offers the man his hand.

"John Rambo, good to meet you."

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Yeah, 's how I was trained. I picked up smithing along with the demon summoning, ain't no demon that'll answer someone who can't work a forge." Beat. "The demons at home, the ones here are assholes."

[hate_gettin_older]

This time his head whips toward the sound as if jerked by a string, his eyes widening, his mouth falling a little open.

"Nimona?"

[umm_shafaqat]

Her hand is cool against his, her expression solemn as they shake on it. And then.

"Such a pleasure to meet you, Gilda." The smile on her face is all high society politeness, but the mischief in her brown eyes is obvious.

[yournewsidekick]

That's all it takes for the apprehension to shatter.

Nimona catapults herself from under the table, tackles Edgar to the cobblestones, and starts licking his face like he faceplanted right into the cold cut tray, her tail whipping back and forth so fast that it blurs.

[spaghettification]

"Is there anything else important to know about the culture here? I would prefer to avoid faux pas as long as I'm able to."

Though he doubts he'll be able to completely if he suffers one of his episodes.

[iwasjustsayinghello]

"Laios, huh? Well, far be it from me to resist meeting someone who can cook. Seems I have a bit of a soft spot for the domestic sort." Jack admits--and for a second, just a second, he can't quite breathe right around the knot in his chest.

It's been nearly a year since he's been able to lower his arms, much less move around or have coffee, but he can just about taste the full bodied earthiness of a fresh cup on the back of his tongue.

Somewhere in all the violence and the chaos and the strangeness of their lives, the taste of a good cup of coffee had become the taste of home.

"I know a man who can make a cup of coffee that's so good, you need a cigarette afterwards." he explains. "If he were here, I'd have to hit him up for one to go with this casserole."

He pauses, taking another bite of food.

"I think you'd like Ianto."

[theydrewfirstblood]

John smiles at his first bite--and laughs a little as the kid dives in, but it's not unkind. He's genuinely pleased to see him tearing into the food like he's never had a meal before (though he's clearly taking care of himself), but he gets that.

Rations suck. Real food's always better.

"Lucky for you, we're coming out of a lean winter, so there's plenty." John assures him. "And if you're a carnivore, I hunt regularly. You got any experience with wilderness stuff?"

[umm_shafaqat]

"Since I used to be human, feeding on humans is ideal, though I can take blood from others. Faerie blood is bad for me. I've never tried ingesting haemolymph."

She doesn't yet mention that faerie blood is addictive for her kind of vampire. Advertising her weaknesses isn't smart.

The introduction gets a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Wayne."

[maskedstarbunny]

"We did not quite have the chance. And here and now, you have a look in your eyes." The concern in her voice is genuine, strong, and undemanding. "One I recognize. So I am here to invite you to talk about anything you want. Anything under the stars, or perhaps even the stars themselves?" Astrologians bring good news and bad news, and what kind of Healer would she be if she didn't help with the fallout?

[hate_gettin_older]

"Hey, hey --"

Edgar doesn't even try to push himself back up from the ground; he wraps his arms around the wriggling, whining pink dog that Nimona currently is, holding her close, and if she holds still long enough (and long enough is only a moment) he'll bury his face as well as his fingers in her fur.

"It's okay," he mutters hoarsely, "we're okay, bug, I got you, I'm here."

His arms, tight around her, are shaking just a little bit.

[hate_gettin_older]

"Edgar," he says, taking the offered handshake. "Same. Uh ... lean winter?"

cw: self mutilation mention

[thelatechrisfreeman]

(Oh the temptation to find a meat cleaver and turn it upon themself... only... that would upset First Aid. And Erik. And likely everyone else at the potluck. Going with only one hand for the time it would take everyone to calm the fuck down, and for Bart and Aidie to do the study that they require, would also be a hassle. And yet.)

The bitterness is suppressed and doesn't show in Chris's voice with the next question. They sound only calm, perhaps curious,

"Do you understand why that makes it worse in a way?" That all the harm was done without thought for who it would affect, that she couldn't control the impulse to lash out...

[lasthumanvoice]

Cecil lets out a soft startled sound. Oh, he's met Ianto. And horrified him with some coffee opinions of his own.

Well, there's one thing to be done. Cecil turns to Jack, thoughtful expression lingering on his face. "I'm sorry if this question is forward, but I think I need to know: does the word 'Torchwood' hold any meaning for you?"

[hate_gettin_older]

"That's, uh. That's what the infernal part means?"

Edgar's trying to still sound casual, but he's never been very good at disciplining his facial expressions; demons does not sound good to him.

[needmetodoanyattacking]

"Indeed." Ianto replies, feeling a pang of sympathy for the woman at that particular description. He can't imagine where she might be coming from, but he's felt similar...

...and he doesn't like to think about that, because the last breath like that he took was his first day back at the Hub after Lisa, at long last, died.

The struggle that came after, the pain and anguish and guilt...the relief only made it all worse in the end.

"The adjustment can be rough, but it's worth it." he assures her after a moment. "I come from a world similar enough to this one, albeit quite a ways into the future. Some things differ, but there's enough that's the same to find my way. One thing I can tell you, because I've worn that look...this is real. All of it. And if I can offer any means to help reassure you of that fact, I'm happy to help."

[yournewsidekick]

She keens, shoving her cold nose into Edgar's ear before it gets a few frantic licks, too. He's okay. He's here. Nimona flops all her weight onto him, her tail smacking against his lower legs with each wag.

"When'd you get here?" she manages to ask -- and oh, it's easier than she thought; it's not about using her voice like a human would, it's just talking to her buddy Ed. That's all it has to be for now. "You're really okay?"

She can't lick his face anymore when he's got it buried in her fur, so she opts to start licking his hair instead.

[iwasjustsayinghello]

Jack's expression morphs in an instant--gone is the smile, gone is the charm. There's no threat in his demeanor, but there is visible tension in his suddenly gravely serious expression.

"More than you can possibly realize." he replies honestly. "I'll skip the part where you shouldn't know that word, and cut right to the fact that, as I understand it, people who aren't native to this place have to die to get here."

God, no. Please, no, not him, anyone but him...

"Who told you about Torchwood, Mr. Palmer?"

[theydrewfirstblood]

John nods, and not for the first time, wonders if maybe their brush with famine didn't also leave him more raw than he should have been when he had that blowout with Sam. What's done is done, and now...

Well. Time will tell if they can get back to somewhere good.

"Not quite bad enough to call it famine outright, but food's been pretty scarce." he admits as he shakes Edgar's hand. "I hunt, so I made it easier for those I could, but we all felt it. Bright side? You guys don't have to--you got any wilderness experience?"

[hate_gettin_older]

"Only just got here, like a day or two maybe -- what about you, when did you get here?"

He's ... yeah, he's gonna let the lickings go on a little bit longer. His hand comes up and scritches the top of her head.

[hate_gettin_older]

Something about Edgar's face changes when he says food's been pretty scarce; a tight wariness, one with no trace of confusion or protest in it. This is someone who's known food scarcity, and has heard of worse than he's known.

"Not a lot," he answers the last question. "Been in places that had some forest, spent a little time in em, but mostly with other folks who knew what they were doing."

[yournewsidekick]

"Dunno," she says. It doesn't sound like Nimona's typical nonchalance; more like Edgar suggested she do something absurd and burdensome, like spend five hours a day standing on her head. "Not that long."

Her ears flick as she angles her head into Edgar's palm. Trust Ed to give good hugs and good scritches when she's messed up.