seasonsrpg | Potluck Mingle: Welcome Party

Potluck Mingle: Welcome Party

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sure thing. I'd hazard you want a generous pour?

[ Either way he will pour it with a perfect serving amount. ]

Yes, please.

[He accepts the cup from Thoma, takes a sip, and seems content (good choice, Ryouma).]

It's not so bad, having a place where the cherry blossoms are always in bloom. It was winter where I was taken from, so I didn't expect to see them so soon.

[Sure, his fellow Shinsengumi men aren't here, but the company still isn't bad at all! He knows a few people already (even if that's one-sided in some cases), and there don't seem to be any really nefarious subjects around (unless they're lying low).]

[ A generous pour he gets, Thoma ready with the bottle in hand to pour another should he want. ]

It does make for a nice scenery when one's in the mood. I know I've always enjoyed relaxing under a blooming sakura tree when I had the chance.

Though at the same time, I wonder if it'll feel odd, not seeing the trees change their appearance with the passing of time.

[ It wasn't really something he'd given much time to before, but now that it was on his mind, it did make it feel like... time wouldn't be passing by, in a way. Not obviously, at least. ]

I wonder what their life cycles are like. But luckily that's not our problem to figure out.

[He lets Thoma refill his cup already (he'll drink the second one more slowly).]

Unless you're a botanist?

[Of course not, he's clearly a server!]

[ He chuckles in return, setting the bottle down for now as he goes back to plating his personalized bowls of miso soup. ]

I know a little bit about plants, but certainly nowhere near enough to call myself an expert. I imagine I'd have an easier time getting a job around here if I were though.

Oh... so you were just roped into helping out here?

[Damn, this guy must either really love this kind of thing or be a total doormat! But from how serenely content he appears amid all the plates and bottles and everything else Hijikata is inclined to assume the former.]

Oh, I volunteered myself. It's a lot of work to put on just one person here, and I don't mind helping out with this kind of thing.

[ Is there a difference between loving this kind of thing and being used to it? Because it's definitely one over the other in that way. ]

That's good of you. The girl who organised this is just a kid, right?

[It's great when responsible people like Thoma are around! That way others, like Hijikata, can just do the bare minimum without feeling bad.]

Will you give me two of those onigiri over there?

She seemed pretty young, yeah. But very capable and confident, to be able to put together this whole thing herself.

[ Hijikata no, that's not how it's supposed to work- ]

Oh- sure thing. Do you want anything on the side with these? There's a few sauces that work well if you'd like to dip them.

I'm good, thanks!

[He finishes his sake, sets the cup down for Thoma to put away, and simply downs the better part of a mayonnaise jar over his food. By now he has figured out roughly how much strength and momentum to use with these for portioning, but squeezable bottles are still the superior packaging! (No, using a spoon with the jars hasn't occurred to him...)]

You should eat something too. If you wait until the end all the good stuff will be gone.

[ What... what did he just witness. ]

[ Should he question it? ]

[ Is this something worth questioning?? ]

[ Maybe this is a cultural thing and this is perfectly normal???? ]

O... Oh. Right. I should get on that.

[ Help he was not mentally prepared for that. ]

[No one in Edo finds this normal either, but Hijikata sure does. He offers Thoma the remaining mayonnaise. He's considering giving the poor man a break soon so he can serve others too, but given how they're both otherworders he at least wants to exchange names with him.]

I'm Hijikata, by the way.

[He's not even going to bother with his rank and title. It never matters halfway across the multiverse.]

[ What... what is he going to do with this jar; he recognizes that this is an offering of kindness but also what is he going to do with half a jar of mayonnaise. ]

Oh- my name's Thoma! It's my pleasure to meet you.

[ Definitely still not frantically trying to think of what to do with this jar still. ]

[Enjoy it, Thoma. Luckily Hijikata momentarily gets distracted as he sees a couple of seats under the blossoming trees get freed up, however that also makes him waver in his decision to leave the other man to his work.]

Do you want to sit over there? Or do you have to stay here?

[Thoma seems really agreeable; they could talk about the whole situation here on Ellipsa over their meal! But if he's too dedicated to his assigned task Hijikata will understand. It's not like there won't be more opportunities, what with almost everyone living in the same apartment building.]

[ Enjoy how?? ]

[ He gives a quick glance at the scene around them before nodding, smiling brightly. ]

I can take a break. It seems like everyone's settling in to eat and I've finished my plating, so it's about time I enjoyed a little food myself, right?

[Just put it on your meal, Thoma! Regardless of what it is. Hijikata grabs more sake and cups for them both (showing no regard for Thoma possibly ending up tipsy while on duty) and makes a beeline for the picnic area to secure the spots before someone else does.

Once they're both situated with their meals and drinks he sighs happily. Life really could be worse!]

Seems like most people who ended up here are pretty reasonable. I mean, so far no one has gone on a killing spree or anything.

[Isn't that kind of a low bar...]

[ Please, he'll die. ]

[ He's following after Hijikata's lead with a plate of food for himself, a mix of foods he's never seen before on his table with little regard to how well they all go together. A concerning mix, though Thoma himself doesn't seem all that concerned. ]

[ At the other's words he does give a bit of a laugh. ]

I'd hope that wouldn't be the first thing we have to deal with upon traveling to a new world.

Be glad you haven't met anyone like that! Imagine if we'd gotten, I don't know, some galaxy-conquering tyrant in the mix, or even just a few mass murderers.

["It takes all kinds to make a world" has its limits!!]

Then again we don't really know who or what we're up against here. Olwen was pretty vague on the tragedy that wrecked this world, wasn't he?

Are those common types to run into...?

[ He can't help but murmur the idle thought as he picks up a fork full of baked ziti, eyeing it curiously. ]

But you're right about that. It seems like they tried to avoid any information that might bring about protest.

[Hijikata shakes his head at that first part. Admittedly the current local batch of otherworlders is the most bloodthirsty and fighty he's encountered so far, but even so they at least keep it contained to voluntary battles! He eats some bites of his goopy meal too, miraculously managing to pick them up with chopsticks.]

Yeah... I've made good experiences so far; the worlds that call in foreigners for help are usually in legitimate trouble and repay their saviours. But that's not to say that this couldn't be a scheme or trap of some kind.

[He's heard some unsettling theories already, ranging from mind control drugs in their food and drinks - not what they're currently ingesting, but what they were offered on arrival in the briefing room - to a planned mass sacrifice. But nobody seems to have acted strangely ever since they all got here, and why would the locals bother treating future sacrifices so well when they could just throw them in some holding cells?]

...

It can't hurt to stay vigilant.

Worlds that... you sound really experienced with this kind of thing.

[ He's a bit surprised, but given this is his first time getting pulled into a situation like this, everything's new to him. ]

Have there been occurrences of concern so far?

Nothing that I know of. But yeah, this is the third world I'm visiting. The other two before Ellipsa let us all go back home in the end.

[That is reassuring, isn't it? And he didn't get bad vibes from Olwen either, but it's a little hard to judge when you only see someone as a hologram.]

I hope the leaders of this city show themselves to us soon.

[ It would be more reassuring if it sounded more like the man was a willing participate in these world adventures... ]

Well, hopefully they're just taking some time to get themselves organized. This is a lot of people to suddenly take into the city and accommodate for.

They should've anticipated it! But well, they did have the apartments and phones ready for us, so I won't complain too much.

[He drinks some more sake (having letting Thoma pour it for both of them again even though he took it along over here).]

How're you getting on with your elemental magic? Have you already managed to summon anything?

[ It's only polite to pour sake for a new friend! At least Thoma thinks so. ]

It's definitely a lot to arrange that much so far, so I'm pretty appreciative of it as well.

[ He's more than aware of just how much work goes into that kind of thing and... they must have really had their hands full with their arrival. ]

I've been experimenting a little bit with the water manipulation myself- it's the most similar to my own abilities, even if the element's opposite. It's different, but a fun challenge.

You already used to yours?

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