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

<3

[astrogator]

She gives the stranger another quick, grateful glance before ladling a little of the turnip casserole onto her plate.

'I like cheese,' she tells him. 'Turnips, maybe not so much, but a meal's a meal, right?' Setting the plate down, she turns towards him and sticks out a hand. 'Lieutenant Tayrey of the Tradelines, peace and prosperity to you.'

Ari's meeting a lot of new people today, and she considers that a good thing. A chance to be herself again.

[lordoftheozarks]

"That's the right attitude to have about it," Erik agrees with a nod. "The recent influx of new residents has recently put a strain on the local food stores. But we are making adjustments to ensure we will be properly prepared with the next harvest." He says 'we' as if he has anything to do with that. He doesn't know the first thing about farming.

Erik accepts her hand in his extremely cold one, shaking firm but brief. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Lord Erik Osborne. I carry that title from my previous life, but here I am employed as this town's premier whore." And yes, he does say that with a perfectly straight face.

[astrogator]

She nods politely when he tells her about the food supply issues. It's the trouble any colony with a growing population might have. Or any starship carrying more people than it accounted for, for that matter. That might be a closer analogy, highlighting the acute nature of the problem. They seem to have it hand, she thinks as he introduces himself and she attempts her usual Tradeline gesture, left hand briefly clasping his right forearm as they shake hands.

It takes a moment for his last words to register. When they do, Tayrey has to hide her wide-eyed surprise and incredulous smile with a cough.

'Well. I'm sure you do good business.' Upper-level Company types might prefer to pretend such lines of work don't exist, but spacers are different. Of course she'd heard talk, back when she was an apprentice and still barred from going stationside herself. Pavarey teasing her, telling her not to worry about the future, that pretty young lieutenants looking for stationside overnights never had to pay for them.

He'd been right. Back home, where everyone knew what to expect and there were no complications. No Earther cultural traps for her to fall into.

Tayrey smiles at Erik again, leans in closer so she can speak more quietly. 'I'll have to plead the junior officer's trouble of not being able to afford premier overnights, presently. But maybe you're worth saving for.'

[lordoftheozarks]

"I certainly do," he answers with a sly smile. He knows that wasn't a real cough. But he is delighted to hear she's interested.

"I quite understand. And, yes, I am worth saving for if I may be so bold. But, I do take payment in a different form. Not all are willing, but some find it a fair trade. I will be perfectly truthful to you now. I am a vampire. I do not know if that word means anything to you, but it matters to know because I can only drink blood for sustenance. So, for some, they trade me a drink of their lifeblood for an hour of my best work. And we all come away quite satisfied with the arrangement."

[astrogator]

The smile vanishes. Tayrey pulls back, and her relaxed demeanour is gone; now she's tense and nervous once again.

'I know what a vampire is,' she says, the words slow and careful, feeling thick in her throat. 'I've no trouble with you, if what you do is done with full consent, in fair trade. I value your honesty. But I- I've no interest in being prey for any creature, whatever the bargain.'

She tries to sound firm. Confident. Not to show a scrap of fear. Yet the dramatic change in her manner speaks for itself.

[lordoftheozarks]

Her reaction is a sobering one for him. Gone is his own relaxed and flirty demeanor, replaced with open concern.

"You've been prey to one before. I'm very sorry. You have my word that every person who I feed from gives full consent, but I won't bring the offer up again."

[astrogator]

I've heard that line before, Tayrey almost snaps at him, but she maintains a modicum of self-control, hesitates before speaking. It's not his fault. Nothing that happened to her is his fault, and if she goes around treating new people as if they're just the same as the ones who hurt her, she'll never find any peace here.

'No, no- I apologise,' she says, somewhat stiffly. 'You did nothing wrong, and I value that you told me.' She looks back at him, draws breath sharply. 'It... it wasn't a vampire.'

'It...' There's part of her that wants to tell him everything, but maybe that's the old Tayrey, victim Tayrey who can't help but share her pain, grasping all too often for understanding from people who will never reach it.

She has to be stronger. Better than that. A proper Tradeliner.

'It doesn't matter now. I'm sure we can strike some other bargain.'

[lordoftheozarks]

"To the contrary," Erik answers softly, "I believe it matters a great deal. You've been hurt and I take no offense to your caution. I understand it better than you could know." The look in his eyes is a rare and naked pain, he's letting her see it so she'll know he speaks true.

"If ever you need someone to hear it, I offer my ears to you as well."

[astrogator]

Tayrey recognises that pain in his eyes, and her own expression softens. Perhaps he might understand, after all. Might not treat her as if she's overreacting, or as if humans are somehow beneath him because he's capable of things they aren't.

'Not here,' she says at last, quietly. Here is far too public, and she's not committing to telling him somewhere else, is she? Only suggesting that it isn't impossible. Her gaze lingers on him for a moment longer, silent appreciation for his offer and for his willingness to share something of his own pain.

And then she blinks, straightens up a little. 'So how does it work? When my finances are in order, that is. We meet to negotiate contract?'

[lordoftheozarks]

"Yes," Erik agrees. "Privacy is best for these things." It isn't a demand to be told, it remains only an offer. But one he personally thinks she would benefit from. She seems to badly need someone to talk to.

"You're exactly right. I do not charge for the time spent negotiating, that is a necessary step to the process and one I consider included in my services. It is important that all parties are happy and comfortable with the arrangements and that the proper boundaries of play are clearly established in advance. My business is pleasure, but it is still a business."

[astrogator]

She nods, understanding at once. 'We need to be sure we have the same expectations, that we agree on fair contract. It's the best way.'

After a moment's hesitation, she tells him more. 'I've never made such a business arrangement before, but in my line of work it's commonplace to have overnights - a night of mutual pleasure for both parties, no further expectations. I've seen that get exceptionally complicated when someone from even a slightly different culture comes to it with different preconceptions.' Her genemother, for one.

'In this place, where the cultural differences aren't minor, you might be the only person here I can trust with certainty not to-' catch feelings '-risk overstepping contract.'

[lordoftheozarks]

"Yes. I'm so glad you understand. In my experience, humans and even other mortal beings besides them can tend to get unintentionally attached if they aren't careful." Says the man with two significant others that may or may not have started as overnight flings. Shh, that's different. (No, it isn't.)

"But I assure you I am a consummate professional. You can rely on that."

[astrogator]

'I'll take you at your word,' she says easily, 'and I'll ask you not to judge me by Earthers you've met. In my experience many of them seem a lot less... careful about their attachments than my people.'

Not that the doomed Tradeline romance story has absolutely no basis in fact, but it's - less common that the holovids would suggest, and of no interest to an ideologue like Tayrey. If she ever had any such feelings, she'd be very good at repressing them.

[lordoftheozarks]

"I will do my best to keep all judgment to only what I see before me," he says with a slight nod to her.

"And I trust you to do the same for me, as Vampires do have their own cultures independently of 'Earthers.'"

wrap this one?

[astrogator]

'I'll do just that, word by contract,' she agrees readily. 'It's the least we can do for one another.'

yeah! good place!

[lordoftheozarks]

"Yes, it is." He smiles with warmth that reaches his eyes. He can keep his emotions separate from the work, but still admit to himself that he admires the young woman for her clear-headed approach to the world.

"I'll look forward to speaking with you more later. For now, enjoy this warm welcome. The people of this town may be different, but they are good and honest by and large."