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

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You're very welcome, Tomoe-san.

[Mami may just be getting a far more genuine smile than most everyone else just sort of because. Of course, she has just as much potential to be a danger as the rest of them, but it would hardly do to let that wariness show, so.]

Do you have hobbies besides baking? I doubt many would say no to more events like this, that is, but we shouldn't spoil them too much.

Ah, well...I did host tea parties from time to time, although I confess I didn't have much free time to pursue hobbies at home.

[Not since she became a magical girl, anyway. Between school during the day, and evenings hunting Witches, all of it kept her very busy.]

Perhaps we shouldn't spoil them too much, but I think spoiling them a little isn't so bad.

[Tea parties are probably not much of an improvement, but anyway.]

Everything in moderation, I suppose. I hope you have more free time here, at any rate, to pursue something you're interested in.

[Like, as an alternative to stress-baking. As an example.]

I do hope so...although we do have to try and learn our new magic here, and do whatever is needed to help save this world.

[Stress baking, dealing with the looming existential crisis, perfectly fine hobbies right?]

[Right, that whole... mission. Quest. Thing. He sighs.]

You don't mind being conscripted, then?

Conscripted, hm...well, I suppose you could think of it that way.

[The word- and it's implication- sat a little uncomfortably in her stomach. He wasn't wrong, per se, and this wasn't the first time for her, not really...]

But if I can use my powers to protect others, I can't complain too much. After all, there will always be a price to pay for being given power like that, don't you think?

[Yeah, he's definitely looking elsewhere now for no reason in particular.]

Everything has a cost. Yes, I fully agree.

[Now, changing the subject.]

How long have you been baking?

[The reaction wasn't missed- as was the way he quickly changed the subject. There was something there, beneath the surface, but she didn't have enough context to put the pieces together.

...It would be impolite to pry, wouldn't it?

She found herself running her thumb along the ring she wore, yellow gem tainted with darkness, wondering if there was any comfort someone like her could offer. Someone who'd already dragged others down with her...]

Ah- I apologise if I said anything insensitive, Lelouch-san. If you have any difficulties, I would be happy to support you. It's only fair after you've helped me so much, after all, so please don't worry about that.

[...She put on her best smile, and let him guide the conversation away.]

I don't recall exactly when I learned, but I've been baking for a long time. More so in the past few years, though. I meant to ask- what sort of hobbies do you have?

[... All right, that's unexpected, and Miss Tomoe suddenly has his full attention. He'd put her at about Nunnally's age, and although emotional maturity and perceptiveness aren't entirely unheard of among people in that category, they're certainly unusual. Far more pressingly, the fact that she had seen through him—had he been so transparent? Possible. For most, unlikely, but he's fully aware that he hasn't been having the best time of it even if no one else seemed to have picked up on that quite yet... except Miss Tomoe, perhaps. Why?

He's silently examining her for just long enough that she might be forgiven for assuming that he isn't going to answer at all until he speaks, and when he does—]

Reading, playing chess, gambling, and cooking. I hadn't thought my support was quite so monumental as that, however. Do you often make such offers to people you barely know?

[It took a while for him to respond...goodness, she'd only gone and made things worse for herself, hadn't she? Should she have not said anything at all? She only hoped she hadn't gone and offended him even more than she had already- and it was all she could do to try and hide the nerves and guilt that thought brought her.

So, as she studied her, she only managed a small smile that she hoped looked reassuring. It was a complete stab in the dark, as she couldn't even begin to guess what nerve exactly her comments had hit.

Oh- it was a relief when he finally replied, and she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.]

...Well, I couldn't have possibly organised everything today by myself, so I really do appreciate that. It's gone better than I could have hoped.

[Perhaps a part of her was latching out to anyone she could talk to. Reliable people who could support her, help her, so she wouldn't be alone in this scary new world.

As for the question, she wasn't sure how to answer.]

I...suppose I do try and help people however I can. I don't want to imagine anyone feeling sad, lonely or afraid without anyone they can talk to, so I do everything I can to make sure no one has to feel like that.

Even if I don't know them very well.

[She didn't want to think of anyone suffering alone like she had.]

...But I...suppose I am being a little presumptuous going on like that, I should apologise for that, too.

[And then, to receive that answer in return...]

Presumptuous is something of an overstatement.

[Broadly, anyway. Well, no, it's neither so much as wholly accurate, but he's making a conscious effort now to scale back the intensity of his stare, remember what it's like to talk to... people that age. He's absolutely made her uncomfortable, and although that would be fine if everyone here were in fact the potential enemy he's still in the practice of assuming that they are, that... the numbers simply don't bear that out.

(Yet, that is. There's always a yet. He's not so foolish as to dismiss that possibility entirety, much as he might like to. So.)]

You spoke from a place of concern, not malice. There's nothing wrong with that, Tomoe-san. At the least, I don't intend to chastise you for it.

[And... right, he supposes he ought to also address...]

You caught me off guard. That said, I am your senior, Tomoe-san, so if anyone ought to be offering such assistance, it should be me regardless of what help I've given you in the past. Only should you find yourself in the position of needing it, of course.

[It was a relief, when the pressure was eased off a little, and Mami felt a little more of the nervousness leaving her body. He was right, absolutely, that he was the senior here- it was careless of her to forget that. After all, as a Magical Girl she was used to slipping into the role of 'Senpai', even to those who were older than her, if they'd contracted later.

Regardless, she was glad he didn't seem angry with her words.]

Thank you...I appreciate your consideration.

But yes, you're right, of course. I do not wish to be too much of a trouble for you, but I will gratefully accept the offer in that case, should I need it.

[...There was still some weight hanging in the air between them. She wanted to try and alivate that.]

Have you had a chance to try any of the cakes, yet?

[He inclines his head.]

It's no trouble at all.

[An event like this isn't even on the scale of Ashford's school festival, but he'll just maybe not point that out and easily cooperate with the new change in subject when it comes. This really, really isn't about his own ego ~~for once~~; the last thing he wants to do is invite Miss Tomoe to make any unnecessary comparisons. So.]

And no, I haven't had the opportunity. Could you tell me more about them?

[He'd seen them, obviously, but. ~~Th-there's no pictures or descriptions, help. Chocolate??? Cheesecake??? how cute are they i must know~~]

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Potluck Mingle: Welcome Party

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1/2 OH NO THAT ICON

2/2

These two are totally fine and have no trauma at all it's all fine

absolute goddamn epitomes of mental health and good coping strategies