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]

"Oh well that's no good, most days I can't even muster up the will to get out of bed."

Which is to say, he's sticking to what he knows works, thank you.

"What's a cell phone? We have cameras here, but they're the old fashioned kind you have to sit still for."

[maximumcake]

"Oh, come on. Don't be like my old master. It took me forever to teach him how to text...oh."

Oh. He doesn't even know what a cell phone is. Making more sense now.

"You know how we have phones attached to the wall here, right? Cell phones are better because they aren't attached to anything. You can take them with you anywhere. Just like these stones."

[notinflictthem]

"Next time I'll make sure to be born somewhere with magic and cell phones," and if his tone has taken on a more bitter tint, then it's because every new delight and thing to learn about seems to come with the assumption that he should already know about them. Like walking into a candy store where they don't let you try anything you haven't already tasted.

"How'd they get that to work without the wires?"

[maximumcake]

"Now you really sound like Erik," Max says undeterred by that tone.

"I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure they still use radio towers for it. Oh, and they invented batteries that last longer. That's pretty much where my knowledge ends. It may as well be magic to me too."

[notinflictthem]

Record scratch.

"You don't mean like the vampire, do you?"

[maximumcake]

"Uh, yeah. Actually. I do. Have you met him?"

[notinflictthem]

"Worse than that, I proposed."

He really doesn't want to come off badly in front of this charming young man who he intends to make house calls to, but his tone comes out bitter again-

"Sorry to say but I think your 'master' is an arrogant blowhard with a superiority complex that makes some generals look like monks and a blatant disregard for human life that only rivals some doctors I've met. We're nothing alike."

[maximumcake]

"Pro--what?" Max is too baffled by the first part to even think of responding.

But his expression does sober the more Hawkeye says. It's not like he can completely disagree. Erik's ego isn't really up for debate.

"I... I know you're not the only person who feels that way about him," Max answers timidly. "I get it. He's... not human. But you're wrong about that last part. He doesn't have a blatant disregard for human life. I'm proof of that because...he saved mine, and spent the last seven years of his life protecting me."

[notinflictthem]

This is the least sexy conversation Hawkeye has had all day. He sighs.

"I don't doubt it if you're saying it. But he told me to leave behind a house full of trapped people on the off chance it might be dangerous. I can't let that slide."

He's definitely not sneaking off with Max to a nice dark alleyway now.

[maximumcake]

"No, it's... I believe you, too. I do. And he probably did do that and he's done a lot of shit that I probably shouldn't forgive him for. So, I'm not going to ask you to like him or respect him. I just... I lived with him. For a long time. And now I'm free but I can't... I can't pretend like it didn't matter. I'm sorry, this is complicated. You didn't come here asking for my life story." Max stands, ready to leave Haweye to his food.

[notinflictthem]

Oh no, he is not fumbling two interested persons in one night, the honour of the Pierces rests on it.

"C'mon- siddown, for chrissakes. Getting tangled up about exes is a terrible end to a first date. I'll close my lid about Erik if you do, and then we can both be lovely and charming and enjoy each other's company."

And he can put syphilis in Erik's blood at some later occasion for the crime of nearly costing him a man with a backside you could bounce a cheque off of.

[maximumcake]

"Okay..." Max hesitantly sinks back down onto the chair.

He's still so stirred up about the fact that Erik was here before him and has, apparently, made both friends and enemies already. Where does that put Max? Does he have to... weigh in? Are there people he'll have to stay away from? He both wants to talk about it and doesn't. But it won't be to Hawkeye. Not now.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to... ruin the mood."

cw emeto

[notinflictthem]

"Don't worry about it. One time I got so nervous before a date that I downed half a bottle of whiskey and ended up hurling on her dress before I could finish saying 'hello'. You can't do much worse in killing the mood than that."

He pats Max's knee.

"It all sounds big and messy and complicated, and I'm sorry for jamming my foot in my mouth. Nothing against you. Now, where was I- oh right, you're so stacked that if you were a deck of cards I could draw five aces."

C'mon, get a laugh out of that one...

[maximumcake]

"You know, I can't argue with that." Poor girl. Hope it wasn't a dry clean only dress.

The joke does indeed get a good snort of laughter out of Max. He shakes his head, but in that amused disbelief kind of way, still smiling.

"Just don't ask me where I was keeping that last ace."

[notinflictthem]

Phew, safe, he laughs in increasing relief as Max jokes back.

"Presumably somewhere in your pants, though I can't tell- for some reason I keep getting distracted when I look in that direction."

[maximumcake]

"No, silly, I keep it up my sleeve. My pants don't have any room left in them, what with all the heat I'm packing." Max does actual fucking finger guns.

[notinflictthem]

He's perfect and Hawk wants him carnally.

"As a scientist I have to test incredible claims. My hypothesis is that there's enough room for me in your pants, and I'll tell you my proposed method of testing if you lean in real close."

[maximumcake]

All Hawk has to do is make an appointment for a house call ;3

Max giggles as he leans in. He's sure this is gonna be good.

[notinflictthem]

Hawk's teeth gently graze Max's ear.

[maximumcake]

Max shivers in delight, goosebumps raising along the side of his neck as he lets out a shaky breath.

"I... think there might be a little less room in my pants now..."

[notinflictthem]

He grins, leaning back.

"I'll have to remember you like that later," he teases, "always been a big fan of ears. Couldn't tell you why, aside from reactions like that."

[maximumcake]

"I promise, I won't let you forget." It's not like Max is very good at hiding his reactions even when he wants to.

"That's okay, I've always been a big fan of teeth. I don't question it."