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]

"He's British, Father. His entire unit in Afghanistan were probably all called John Watson. You can ask if you want, but he'll probably just laugh at you."

Guess who hasn't had certain things explained to him yet.

[lovethyneighb_or]

"Well, there's every chance that could be the case, but I wouldn't be so sure. I've seen some very peculiar things you know."

You know, like his seven-foot-tall three-eyed ram-headed shadow demon friend who could mysteriously store and retrieve items from an invisible "inventory."

He's gonna bury himself in this sushi a little bit more.

[notinflictthem]

"Oh yeah?" Hawkeye asks, unknowing, "like what?"

[lovethyneighb_or]

“My seven-foot-tall three-eyed ram-headed shadow demon friend who could mysteriously store and retrieve items from an invisible ‘inventory.’”

As you do.

“You can imagine I was quite frightened of him for months, but he turned out to be very polite. He didn’t bother anybody unless they were really being quite rude. He’s…”

…

“… He hasn’t appeared yet. But I’d still like to hope.”

[notinflictthem]

Hawkeye laughs and then stops laughing because Mulcahy doesn't continue jokes that far.

"If he ever shows up- I mean, I probably won't need an introduction to pick him out of a crowd, but I'll want you to introduce us anyway."

[lovethyneighb_or]

“You liked him the first time, so I’ll be happy to introduce you for the second. You taught him poker.”

[notinflictthem]

Hawkeye laughs-

"Yeah, of course I did. Was he any good? I want to know before I start placing bets."

[lovethyneighb_or]

“Oh, I shouldn’t ruin the mystery.” Mulcahy grins into his drink as he takes another sip. Hawkeye’s just gonna have to find out for himself.

[notinflictthem]

There he is. Hawkeye ducks his head, grinning to himself.

"I missed you."

[lovethyneighb_or]

“I missed you too. Quite terribly.” He pats his shoulder. “It’s so, so wonderful to see you again.”

For all of the grief he’s troubled with, this? This is a blessing. Nothing short of a miracle.

[notinflictthem]

"I give it a day before you take that back," he jokes, patting him in return, "maybe less. You uh- you didn't have any of the others with you, did you? Trap? Henry? Radar?"

[lovethyneighb_or]

He shakes his head. “No. Just me and you, I’m afraid, but that’s all for the best. It would have done us no good to watch our fellows go through what we did.”

[notinflictthem]

"I don't know about that. I mean, we were schlepping our way through Korea together, right? I can't imagine anything worse than that."

Which isn't true. Sometimes he still wakes up gripping at himself, checking if he remembered to stitch himself back up when he cut his own liver out. But that's a lot to place on the good Father, when he himself still can't decide whether it really happened.

"I hope they turn up, anyway. I go to say a joke and then I look and Trap isn't there to finish it. Not to mention all the paperwork I have to do myself now."

[lovethyneighb_or]

…

(It’s just as well that this Hawkeye still can’t imagine worse than their lot in Korea. His only hope is that if Mulcahy gets hurt, he won’t mind that he can’t stand being sedated anymore.

He will always be proud that the only one to outlast him was Vickie, but oh, Lord, what cost does a deathless martyrdom come with. This is a debt with fearsome interest that he will never lift from his shoulders.)

He’s quiet for too long.

Eventually: “… Well, I, uh, I’m not doing much these days, so perhaps I could help.”

[notinflictthem]

"...Really?"

He gestures, "I would've thought you'd want to go back to proper preaching. Not that I'm complaining, it would be nice to have you around, but don't... feel obligated either, y'know?"

[lovethyneighb_or]

He’s…

… he’s doubted his efficacy as a preacher for a long time. In Korea, but especially after. It’s hard to imagine what good it’s done in that damned ship or that Village, especially for things to end up the way they did, and he’s—the last many years of mass and sermons were held in Vickie’s mockery of a home and strangled by Two’s imagined morality enforced by injury and death. He’d done his best to toe the line as close as he could, but what… what good was it? Did anyone actually care? It wasn’t bad that hardly anyone ever showed up, if another passenger wasn’t of or fallen from a different faith they were a delightful miscreant, but—

…

He thinks of Darcy in the dark, asking for a hug.

“I’m not sure I have much of a flock here to preach to,” he laughs lightly. “I’m certainly not giving up on being a priest, but delivering sermons to a pew isn’t much of a job.”

[notinflictthem]

"Just so long as you aren't giving up on it entirely. Another couple of years and I'm sure they'll have you pegged to play Pius XII in his biopic," he jokes, flashing Mulcahy a grin.

"In the meantime, I'm happy to pay you to do my secretary work. I won't even set a miniskirt dress code, because I'm that nice."

[lovethyneighb_or]

“It’s almost a shame. I’d like to think I have the legs for it.”

A short, warm chuckle.

“Ah… but I do think I’ll have to commission a tailor for my vestments. And a silversmith for my crucifix, for that matter. Do you happen to know any, Hawkeye?”

[notinflictthem]

He laughs, in that same way he always does when Mulcahy actually makes a joke. Which is to say, entirely too encouragingly.

"Keep it in the back pocket if mass attendance gets too low, eh?"

A little shove on the shoulder.

"Tailor, we have Annabel Lee for, but I don't know about any silversmith. Maybe the forge? The Infernal ah- maybe not, actually."

[lovethyneighb_or]

“Oh?” he laughs. “Well, I’m sure it’s alright. We’ll only have something to worry about if they refuse my order.”

[notinflictthem]

"If they do, I'll give my best shot making a cup out of tin foil. And we can use popsicle sticks for the crosses."