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Mingle - Emergency Potluck

Pumpkin Hollow Community Bulletin

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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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well. He can now confidently say he knows what it feels like to have his asshole pucker up around a butt plug. Of all days to make good on that pact with River... it had to be the day this bitch shows up.

"If you insist," he says utterly deadpan, but then quickly glances around to catch the eyes of Chris and give a small warning shake of his head because he can already hear their heart speeding up from here.

At least everything about Erin right now makes her seem like a stiff enough wind could knock her over. So. He can probably survive one punch. "I'm letting you have this one, but I will not let you have a second."

"Gracious of you," Erin growls; absolutely no time is wasted, the moment she's in range the Lost comes in with a fist right to the nose, all her weight and what she's got of her strength behind it. "That's for breaking the terms of our peace you walking dialysis machine!"

He's in the middle of rolling his eyes when the hit lands. And then, even through the pain and the very audible crack of his nose breaking, all he can really think to himself is--What did she just call me??

He staggers back, holding his nose and tipping his head down to allow for the few drops of blood that fall to hit the grass instead of his nice suit. His nose will heal in a moment but until then, he sounds like he has a head cold.

"With that out of the way, I'd like to know how you think I breached our agreement."

"I distinctly remember telling your ass to leave Max alone. That was the condition, and what do I catch less than a week later? My little brother had a talk with Store Brand Count Chocula. Fucker." Erin shakes her hand; that hurt her knuckles, as all good punches should. "And before you say some weasel shit about 'under duress', that's kinda the fuckin' context of making peace."

"Actually, the point I was going to make is that I did, in fact, leave him alone. He was the one who sought me." Erik grits his teeth and jerks his currently crooked nose back into alignment.

"He came with an entourage. A werecougar and his lover Valdis. It was far different than me seeking him out. From his own mouth he told me he wanted to be left alone until further notice. I agreed and that pact has been kept since. It will continue to be."

"Uh-huh. And you were so powerless to prevent that. Word around the place is that you're a supposedly changed man." Erin folds her arms in front of her chest, glaring in all senses but the literal since she's missing an important tool for that particular facial expression. "Sell me on it."

"You may be able kill me in complicated and insulting ways, but Valdis can rip at my very soul. So, yes, in a sense I was quite powerless." It's telling already that he is willing to admit this. The revelation that he still has a soul worth keeping at all shook him to his core in a way he was never prepared for.

"It has been roughly nine months since I arrived. In that time I have made a startling number of realizations about myself. One of them is how deeply I regret what I did to Max. I had good intentions but that does not excuse it. I owe him an apology and when he decides he is ready to hear it nothing in this world, not even you, are going to come between him receiving it."

"Mm. And what are you doing these days that has everyone so happy with you?"

Erin is not about to be ready to hear this answer.

Now he cannot help but smile, and that carries into the mischievous lilt in his voice. "I happen to be this town's premier whore."

In all senses but the literal there is an audible shattering sound.

Wait for it.

Waiiiiiiit for it.

Waiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit fooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrr iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttt.

"Motherfucker you're stacking paper by doing the god damn monster mash?"

He's enjoying watching her come to terms with this. It almost makes up for the poster. Almost.

"How else do you think I can afford such a finely tailored suit?"

"I kinda passively assumed you went for being a landlord, my good bitch! This is learning that Vin fucking Diesel is a nerd all over again!"

"I was a land broker at home." He did say he was turning over a new leaf, didn't he?

"This is far more fun and the hours are as flexible as I am."

"Well fuck me then. Gave up on being the wrong kind of leech." Erin's impressed, despite herself. "More power to you, El Cockacabra."

She ruffles her wings, glancing around. Hmm...

"You understand the circumstances under which we'll have a problem, yeah?"

"Only if you're paying." Hey, Erin, ever wonder where Max got his jokes?

"My instinct is to say yes, but for the sake of my nose I would like you state it for me explicitly."

"My good bitch, my blood is made of drugs. You pay me."

That admission won't bite her in the ass later.

Anyway...

"I catch you owning or trading in people? We've got a problem. First whiff of the kind of abuse Max went through? We've got a problem. Fucking rest in peace to a lifestyle sub that falls for you, I'd better get the thesis paper of all time about it."

That does get a raised eyebrow.

[Erik will remember this.]

"Then we are at peace. Max was and will be the only time. You are not the only one I have made that promise to, and I care more for what they will think of me than what you could ever do to me." Unconsciously, his gaze drifts over to Chris. When he realizes he's doing it, he shakes himself and straightens significantly.

"Speaking of, I need to go check on one of those people right now because they are very upset at having watched me get punched at a social gathering. I believe we are finished here?"

[ooc: I'm going to continue this thread on with Vonn/Chris so after Erin's reply I'll transition to that.]

"Believe we are. I'd wish you genuine good luck on the whoring but after nine months you seem to have this on lock so, I dunno man. Good luck getting people to help out? Vampire or no vampire there's only so much of you to go around."

"I appreciate the sentiment. Good luck to you in whatever endeavors you embark on here."

That said, he briskly turns and walks away, steps stiff and slow to keep himself from noticeably rushing. He doesn't want to show her exactly how rattled he is.

But, when he comes up beside Chris, it's much harder to hide. One touch and Chris will know how his limbs tremble. It's fear not just for himself, but that Erin will see who he cares for and use that against him in some terrible way.

"Chris..."

Chris spares one brief, poisonous glance for Erin -- Chris is going to remember this. But then all their focus shifts to Erik, with that touch and the tremble they can feel from him.

Chris lays one hand on Erik's cheek, and leans down to press a kiss to his forehead.

"I'm here, my love."

There is more that they would like to say, but aside from the reassuring touches, that is the most important part.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy seeing Chris look that way at Erin; it's far too satisfying. But the thought of Chris getting hurt on his account is enough to make his belly slosh like his guts have liquified.

"I'm sorry," he rasps as he leans into their kiss, losing the fight to keep himself from pressing against their comforting warmth from hip to head. "I did have that coming. I can explain. In a moment." Everything about his body language finishes the thought for him. He'll explain, but first he just wants to be held.

Chris wraps their arms around Erik and holds him close, both understanding what that body language means and wanting the closeness for their own sake as well.

"I heard 'Max' and 'little brother' during that... discussion," Chris says softly, "and I do believe I reacted in the same vein when someone hurt my little brother. And you've told me some things about Max. I can put facts together myself, and wait for your explanation, Erik."

"I do not know why she calls him that, but, yes. She was someone who knew Max well in the place he went to. And when I also arrived in that place, on that ship..." He presses his nose against their chest, breathing deeply to surround himself in their scent.

"I loved Max. In my own misguided way, I truly thought I was doing the best I could for him. But the fact remains that he was enslaved by me. She used every means you can imagine, and more that you never could, to make sure I never got close enough to him to resume that."

"The four of me that I can remember since the end of October have pretty vivid imaginations." And experiences, but let's not get into that right now. Chris sighs, "All the same, I take your point. She terrorized you in revenge for abusing Max."

Chris strokes a hand through Erik's hair. "You have probably already figured this out, but Max is here. We met. He helped me carry in the cake I made, and we, uh, talked about powdered sugar." Beat. "I told him I know you, what you're doing for a job, and that I'd keep you away from him if that's what he wanted."

Listen, Chris tries to keep up on this communication thing. They hear that's important.

He nods against their chest. Yes, she did terrorize him. Because he was stubborn. He didn't want to accept her terms. This time, comparatively, a single punch to the nose was a far easier price to pay.

His eyes close as he forces a shuddering breath out of his stiff lungs. Their hand in his hair is so sweet a sensation he could almost let himself shut down and simply get lost in the comfort. But he can't. Not yet.

"Yes. I know. I could hear you talking. I didn't intend to listen but I couldn't tune it out this time." Finally he lifts his eyes to look at them. "It warmed my heart in a way I don't have words to describe, what you said and did for him. I do intend to keep my promise. I won't probe you for information about him that he may choose to share, but I would very much like for you and he to continue to be close. He sounded happy."

Mingle - Emergency Potluck

CW: offhand NSFW commentary in here

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