Potluck Mingle: Welcome Party

[musketea]

When March 2nd Where Blossomcrown Central Park
What Potluck Mingle/Welcome Party

About.

What had started with Mami stress-baking far too much cake and offering to give some away, had lead to a number of other offers to bring food, and soon she had ended up in charge of a substantial potluck mingle. Well, she supposed it would make for a nice welcome party for everyone else who had been dragged into this strange new world with her!

And so, a number of small tables and picnic blankets had been set out with cakes, cookies, hot dogs, burgers and other sweet and savoury treats that her and others had been brought along. Mami had even taken the time to decorate the table with little flowers that she'd gathered as well, just to add to the atmosphere that the cherry blossom trees already provided.

Hopefully it would be a relaxing, pleasant afternoon.

Notes.

OOC: Feel free to make your own TLs, mingle, interact with each other and all of that stuff! I'll add a comment at the top for people to add what they're bringing along for reference (but contributions are of course not mandatory).

CODE BY MARWOOD

Comments

[sangreine]

Well -- they're still dead, and you're here eating frogs with your husband by your side. I'd say you got the last laugh.

[glidinglight]

[ But what if it's more of the same!! After feeling like they've been to heaven, being put back in hell... she wonders how many of them it would simply break.

She does not, however, share any of this. Because Aliza does look happy, and she doesn't want to spoil it. And there are genuinely lots of things to be happy about. Touching, for one--and powers and memories returning, for the other. ]

Mm. And it seems like there's no specifications about who we touch, so it's more or less up to our own discretion.

[sangreine]

[ A soft smile ]

I've said those words just like that too many times to be fooled.

You don't have to tell me what's wrong if you don't want to, but if I can help I'd like to. You did so much for everyone setting all this up.

[kerontribution]

That's true. They don't have any frogs.

[the true measure of happiness.]

[sangreine]

[ She's not naïve enough that she hasn't thought of all that. But there's being cautious and then there's being so cautious you ruin whatever good things you have. ]

Choices, who'd have thought?

I'm beyond excited about being able to stay with my husband every night, for example. [ Yep, they did the thing. She trusts Lumine not to make it a big deal. ]

[kingside]

i. the food critic

[Did anyone tell Lelouch that thing about looking gift horses in the mouth? Probably, yes, but did it stick? Apparently not! One might therefore encounter him walking up and down the food-laden tables with a hand at his chin, a squint to his eyes, and an inscrutable little twist to the corner of his mouth.

Make no mistake, he is absolutely judging the heck out of some of you fellow chefs right now, but whether that's for good or ill, favorably or unfavorably, better or worse, well, his face isn't giving anything away. Perhaps it might be easier to ask?]

ii. picnic vibes

[After that particular escapade(s), Lelouch is finding an unclaimed spot under the largest cherry blossom tree he can find and settling right into it, a not-too-full plate of food beside him. For the moment, he's content to nibble and people-watch, noting in particular any chefs he might have missed and which foods seem to strike which guests' fancy.

(He may or may not be accompanied by a certain chestnut-haired pack mule minion conscripted food-carrier? best friend regretting his life choices? individual if/when others approach, hard to say. Either way, feel free to stop by.)]

iii. actually saying hi for once

[Once he's finally had enough data-gathering, ffs, Lelouch may just make the unprecedented decision to actually speak with someone instead of taking a nap or hunkering down with a good book. Will wonders never cease? God I hope so.]

Ah, hello. It's a pleasure to meet everyone in person. I'm Lelouch, but you might know me on the network as "shinkirou."

[Wait, this is just more data-gathering, isn't it?]

iv. wildcard

[you know how this one works]

[glidinglight]

[ Lumine is not quite ready to progress from latter to former. She'll get there eventually, but not yet. But it also doesn't mean she has to drag anybody else down with her.

And, no, she's not going to make a big deal out of it by yelling or screaming, but. She is very happy for her. ]

Aliza! That's wonderful. You too must be so happy. Congratulations.

[sangreine]

[ I mean she'd have gone with the marriage, but ]

They sure don't. And nothing else good, either.

[ Her experience of the afterlife is that it super sucks ]

[sangreine]

Thanks. He's a keeper. Hopefully being here won't mess with my jealousy too much. [ Queen Stuff ]

...I'm going by Saya here, though. But everyone from Tokyo-F is still calling me by some variation of Alizarin, so no pressure. Just so you know who people are talking about.

[glidinglight]

That's fine. If you want me to call you "Saya," then I'm more than happy to call you Saya.

[ that bit there though. she feels like that's important. ]

Why do you think you're going to be jealous?

[sangreine]

It's my nature. Literally. The ones I had back home were bonded to me, and I had plenty of those but they wouldn't have dreamed of looking elsewhere. It's kind of complicated and obnoxious, but hard to fight. Like suppressing the urge to sleep. [ She had a full-on harem but they were never allowed to stray, and wouldn't have wanted to. Her species is hard-wired for exactly that set of conditions. ]

He and I agreed a while ago that we wouldn't restrict each other physically, as long as nothing got romantic. Despite that everything in me wants to have my cake and eat it too while he doesn't get to, that's unfair and I wouldn't ever ask that. He'd probably agree if I did, honestly, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

It's cope with monogamy or cope with jealousy. The latter's easier, but that doesn't mean easy.

[afoolshope]

[Minato knew how to cook, but probably not to the extent of all these people. But he was not about to deny himself free food. So, he went to the park and grabbed himself a plate.

A big plate.

And it wasn't enough. Minato filled his plate to the brim and then some, even pouting a little when he realized he couldn't add more. Well, he supposed he could go for more later! So, he got himself a drink and then found a good spot at one of the tables to start digging in. He also showed no signs of getting full as he started to people watch while eating.

If anyone wanted a spot near them, Minato easily nodded to letting them sit near as well. He was quiet but not unfriendly. But he was also focused on his food, don't mind him.

Or the fact that, eventually, he would polish off that plate and go for more, eagerly piling the food he didn't get to before until it was filled to the brim again. Did I mention he was also only about 5'3"? A big appetite in that little body.]

[sangreine]

[ Dossier her plz! ]

Nice to meet you, Lelouch. I think I saw you brought the quiches? I haven't had any that good since I lived in Bordeaux.

I'm Saya. [ One might have noticed her sitting with Kantera while they made gross schmoopy eyes at each other. ]

i

[mistsplitter]

[ This guy is looking right at the mochi she made... They don't look bad! They're very cute!! With the sakura mochi looking extra special, even. Uh-oh... why can't she help but feel like she's being judged?

This guy hasn't even eating anything yet! ]

Excuse me. Are you going to try the mochi?

[kingside]

[no god why would you encourage him] [Saya. Or gaine, considering that the flirting with Kantera both on the network and off had been rather difficult to miss. For the sake of his own sanity, he'd been taking that one particular post in small doses, but he'd caught those interactions at least. Interesting.]

I'm glad you enjoyed them. Did you live in Bordeaux long?

[sangreine]

A little more than fifty years. I think. My memory's a little spotty. [ To say the least. ]

[ Needless to say she does not look fifty years old. But considering her husband's big mouth it's not hard to guess why. ]

oh no ayaka i'm so sorry

[kingside]

Hm?

[Oh, right, there are people here. He blinks, then tears his eyes away from the mochi long enough to give the newcomer an equally piercing look.]

It would be a shame not to, wouldn't it? By all appearances, they're impeccably made.

[By all appearances, mind. He hasn't actually tasted them yet.]

[mistsplitter]

[ Despite how it feels like she's being scrutinised, Ayaka must not lose heart! She may make stoves explode, but she is a damn good mochi maker! There's a handful of green ones (matcha), chocolate mochi, and the one that looks different from the others is a batch of Snow on the Hearth. ]

That's good to hear. Please, feel free to try any of them, or even one of each, if you like.

[ They really are all amazing. Perfect, even. One bite will make one want more, reliving happy memories at the same time. There's nothing magical about them, but it definitely gives off that feeling with how it tastes. ]

[kingside]

[To his credit, Lelouch's startled blink looks genuine enough.]

Ah. Right.

[And then he says that, but anyway.]

Let me know if you're ever feeling nostalgic for a particular dish, then. I won't guarantee that I'll be able to recreate it, but it might be interesting to try.

[roundandaround]

Wait, really? Then I should've brought more!

[roundandaround]

[Rinku smiles brightly in response.] Yeah! This is such a nice party, too. I can't believe there are so many people! Right? Right?

[kingside]

[If it helps, his stare loses some of its intensity when he glances back toward the mochi, and. Well, he already knows which one he wants to try first, so.]

Thank you.

[The special sakura mochi it is, and as he lifts one to his plate, he can't help but admire it a bit more openly, a faint smile on his lips.]

Is there any significance to the seal? Your family's, perhaps?

[sangreine]

[ She interprets his "right" as "I'm shocked but sure if you say so" ]

I want to say canelés, but those require special molds. At least the traditional versions. They'd taste just as good out of a different pan as long as they were the right shape.

[mistsplitter]

Yes, that's right.

[ Just in case it wasn't obvious, then she will explain. ]

It is a camellia.

[ The flower, she means! And because she is a little bit excited, she brings out her phone, where a full bloomed red camellia hangs. ]

The Kamisato Clan holds no influence here, but I thought to decorate the mochi with our emblem, regardless. Flowers always make things prettier.

[kingside]

[The Kamisato Clan. He doesn't know if he should introduce you to Suzaku immediately or very carefully never introduce you to Suzaku at all, but more importantly, there's mochi that needs eating.]

They do at that.

[Quiet agreement. The memories are bittersweet ones, but when he finally lifts the treat to his mouth for his first bite, he's left only with the fonder, safer variety: playing with Nunnally and Euphy as a child, exploring with Suzaku, and various escapades with the student council, some of which could probably have done without that rosy glow, actually.

His eyes may or may not have fallen shut. He also, quite possibly, might have forgotten to offer anything in the way of insight or an opinion about the rest of what Ms. Kamisato just said, but also hold, please, he is busy.]