Mingle - Emergency Potluck

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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

[notinflictthem]

Hawkeye blinks, and then grins-

"I knew I'd died, but I didn't realise this was heaven," he jokes, taking the plate.

"Do you have a name or can I just call you gorgeous?"

[umm_shafaqat]

"I have a whole collection of names, but Keziah will work," she replies. (That's keh-zi-uh, not kez-ee-a... middle syllable rhymes with 'eye'.) Her full lips curve upward into a slight smile.

"And you? Or shall I just call cute?"

[notinflictthem]

"Ooh, if you have extra names, can you give me one? I've always wanted a surplus name of my own. I promise to take care of it and walk it and brush it every day."

He says stuffing his face with katsu.

[umm_shafaqat]

"I went by Gilda for a time, when I lived in Italy," Keziah says with a little laugh. "Would you like that one?"

(Like that film from 1946.)

[notinflictthem]

"Now that- that was good cinema. Rita Hayworth, what a fox. You have a deal," he holds his fork briefly in his mouth and extends a hand to shake on it.

[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.

[notinflictthem]

Sorry Keziah he's enjoying this fun flirty conversation, but he's a doctor first and foremost.

"Huh- you don't have any circulation issues, do you?" as he withdraws the fork back out of his mouth, "you just have cold hands- really cold, uh, sorry- I'm a surgeon, I never switch off. Just might indicate some heart trouble- do you get cramps regularly? Numbness? Tingling?"

[umm_shafaqat]

"You're kind to worry, doctor. But I am as well as I can be, bradycardia and all."

[notinflictthem]

Hawk snaps his fingers, "bradycardia- that was going to be my next guess. And the name of a swell B-Girl in San Francisco," he jokes. So long as it's taken care of, that's fine by him.

"Anyway- I think we were at the part where you find me rakishly charming? Does that sound right?"

[umm_shafaqat]

"Are you a rakehell, dear Gilda?" Keziah teases, "All about wine, women, gambling, and song?"

[notinflictthem]

"Oh you've got me to a T. Like I'm staring right into a mirror."

He grins, "they tried to get my picture next to it in the dictionary, but I don't photograph well. Film just murders my charms."

[umm_shafaqat]

"Lucky me, then, to get to experience you in the flesh," she replies in a low voice.

"You said you were a surgeon..." she hums thoughtfully. She traces a path on his hand with one index finger -- up his pinkie, across his wrist, and down along his thumb. It's left unsaid for now, but that focus on his hands is probably meaningful... "Where did you learn?"

[notinflictthem]

"Boston- Tufts, specifically. Careful with those, I didn't bring spares," he jokes, weirdly feeling like a piece of meat.

"Good school. Everyone makes a fuss about Harvard, but there's nothing wrong with Tufts."

Especially considering it didn't expel him for his shenanigans.

[umm_shafaqat]

"One of my family... he is a doctor. Always willing to learn." Keziah clues in to his discomfort, pulls back from his hand. "The only thing that will lure Zacharie away from home is the promise of something new to learn about medicine."

Her eyes meet his for just a moment -- her gaze has always flickered away from his, or focused on the table, his hands, the middle distance -- and it's an old gaze, heavy and knowing. Then she looks away again.

"Were you taken from Boston to come here?" she asks. Something about the tone makes it seem that she already knows the answer is 'no'.

[notinflictthem]

"I know how he feels."

..... is the change of tone his fault?

"Uh, no, I uh- the last I remember I was in Korea. There was this nutty war on, everyone was crazy about it, the draft board assumed I was too and shipped me over. Uh- are you okay? We got kind of... morose, out of nowhere."

[umm_shafaqat]

"I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this." Keziah shakes her head. "Sometimes months goes by where I don't see anyone in my family, but... but it's different now. I always had the option to see them when I wanted to, and now I don't.

"I think it's just dawning on me how much I will miss them. How much I already do." She takes a breath. "But you... you must know that feeling, too. Sent to a war on the other side of the world..."

[notinflictthem]

"I get it," Hawk agrees, a hand going to the piece of paper still folded up in his breast pocket.

"Yeah, I uh... haven't seen my dad since I was shipped off. Sorry- this is uh, a lot," he doesn't exactly try to flirt with beautiful women to remember his problems.

"What can you do?" he asks rhetorically, but... yeah. What can they do?

[umm_shafaqat]

"I am sorry. I should... probably go. I'd hate to bring the mood down any further, for you or the rest."

She pushes back from the table, makes to rise.