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

[hate_gettin_older]

He listens, and watches her hands move, and grins.

"You know what, I dunno if any of that made any sense, but it feels like it makes sense? If you get me?"

[somebodychildofanyone]

"I come from a strong oral tradition. We're not fans of the academic mages, they have this habit of giving my line of work a bad name. Books bound in human skin an' shit, ugly as hell." River shrugs with a winsome smile. "But yeah, I had a similar feeling when I started learning."

[hate_gettin_older]

"So, uh, if somebody could like ... make fire by magic," he says, "but only cause somebody else gave it to them for a joke or some shite, what would that mean?"

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Good question," River says with a thoughtful frown. "...See, in the paradigm, the uh, the style I work in, right, making fire is an absurdity. You need fire to begin with and then you manipulate it. But the local magic's different, and that's before we get into everyone else who came off the boat..."

[hate_gettin_older]

"Well," he says, and tries to figure out how to explain, and then gives up with a sigh and says "it's like this," and turns his left hand palm up, cupped just slightly.

And a little burst of flame manifests in the air over his hand, and dances there.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Oh wow," River breathes, all wide-eyed wonder. She half rises from her chair, reaching out, and then stops herself. "May I take it?"

[hate_gettin_older]

"If you want? I dunno what'll happen, but ... yeah, go ahead."

Edgar's learned enough control to keep the fire small and self-contained; he's never tried handing it off to anyone else.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"We're surrounded by doctors and healers, this is the time to try dumb shit..." River's face takes on an expression of concentration, and she gestures with one hand, almost beckoning; she's trying to take the flame to hold in her own palm.

What happens?

[hate_gettin_older]

The fire seems to hesitate for a moment, then leaps from Edgar's hand into River's and curls there like a cat.

Edgar gives a tiny breath of something like laughter; the flame's mirrored in his eyes, as wide and wondering as River's were a moment ago. "Look at that."

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Pryokinesis, manipulation of fire through sympathy," River explains in a proud voice. "Been working on it since I got here, I can't consider hellfire a secondary option any more..." Her head tilts, curiously. "The flame's feeding on my will now, so far so normal, it's..." Air quotes with her free hand, "'Mine', but what was it feeding on for you?"

[hate_gettin_older]

"Fuck if I know," he says, and his half-laughter cools to something more like curiosity. "Your will, you said ... I dunno, maybe it was mine before? When I first got it, it came out when I was mad, or scared. Had to learn to keep it from jumping out on its own."

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Hrmm. If I hold this too long I'll pass out," River says by way of example. "Do you feel anything when you exert this power?"

"...Are you able to take the flame back?"

[hate_gettin_older]

"Oh, it's not, like ... hard work or anything to keep it going? The hard part's keeping it from getting away from me, and I've got pretty good at that."

A pause. "Let's find out?" And he reaches out to try to scoop the flame back into his own hand. It may be clear as he does that the fire isn't touching his hand, but hovering a half-inch or so away.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Oh that's fascinating. You gotta meet my friend Angel - dead fella, works at the Temple, lives out at Kaspbrak Farm with his partner Eddie, he's got his own kinda pyromancy going on. He can be a bit shy but the more we learn to work together the better off we all are."

[hate_gettin_older]

"Farm, yeah? Was gonna check out the farms soon anyway, still trying to figure out what kind of work I'm gonna do here."

He shakes his hand out, letting the fire wisp away.

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Well, my offer is still open but hand to God I'm pretty sure announcing an intention to farm might get people lined up to shake your hand too. Unsung heroes they ain't."

[hate_gettin_older]

He nods, unsurprised; of course farmers get respect, they're the ones making food happen.

"Just want to do something that does some good," he says, "dun't have to be the most important or anything. Something I could get good at."

Wrap?

[somebodychildofanyone]

"I think you'll find everything's important," River says with a half-grin. "My man Erik's out here working as the town whore and y'know what? Everyone's way happier than they were with the zero whores here previously. So I think my well-wishes are that you find somethin' that helps you feel challenged and fulfilled, my guy."

Wrap!

[hate_gettin_older]

"Thanks," he says with a smile, "hope so."

(The name Erik, given the context, doesn't register.)