in the middle of summer [ OPEN MINGLE ]

[postictal]

Who: Anyone!
What: Catch-all Denny mingle for the last week or so of July
When: Anytime between July 25th and July 31st
Where: Denny
Warnings: Label your stuff if it comes up



[Feel free to use this as a catch-all for whatever your character might conceivably be doing here. Are they loitering outside? Delivering supplies/food? Helping improve the place because god it certainly needs it? Cooking? Socializing? Eating? Just wanting to booze it up? GO WILD.]

[There are nominal rules but if you don't get caught you don't have to deal with them, so you do you.]

Comments

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Also, some people won't just let you get away with that, here. Muffet delicately puts down a cup in front of Hector, and asks:]

So, do you prefer tea or fruit juice?

[She doesn't seem likely to take no for an answer- she might not be able to make you buy a meal but you're at least getting something, dammit. You can't just sit at her bar and go hungry while she watches.]

[vagabone]

[It's not like he can pay, anyway!! He doesn't have anything worth trading!! He clamps a hand down over the cup before she can pour anything, cheerfully and stubbornly.]

Maybe you should save the drinks for somebody who needs them. I'd feel bad if any of the kids get scurvy!

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet smiles, dangerously sweetly.]

The children won't be getting scurvy, because they're all nice, sensible little dears who don't neglect their nutrition. Unlike some people.

[Perhaps the greatest proof that Muffet has been in the business world long enough to become a truly masterful liar: she just managed to (indirectly) refer to Chara Dreemurr as a 'nice, sensible little dear' with a straight face.]

Do you enjoy mint tea?

[vagabone]

[Wow, being shouted at might almost be easier. He has that effect on people.

But still!! Wasting tea on the likes of him...]

I'm not! That is... I don't need to eat, the dead don't get hungry.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[It isn't a waste, dammit.]

Ah, but you do enjoy food, when you have the opportunity- you told me as much yourself, at the Storytelling.

[Muffet does not forget, skeleman.]

[vagabone]

So long as nobody else has to go without.

[That's not really something one can argue against and it's the truth.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

Fortunately, we're in a time of plenty at the moment- living things do tend to grow with the seasons, after all, and we're in the height of summer. And despite my best work, not every single thing can be preserved.

[Monster food never goes bad, but with the way this place limits her powers, Muffet can only make so much at a time.]

You wouldn't want perfectly good food and drink to end up going to waste, now would you?

[vagabone]

[Look at all her logic, that's just not fair. He lets out a long frustrated groan. No manners, no dignity, no maturity.]

Right, right, real food goes bad. Fine, whatever, have at it.

[And he quits guarding the cup.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[She will be gracious in victory.]

There's a choice of mint tea or blackberry juice, whichever you'd prefer.

[vagabone]

I'll take the juice.

[Against his will. Oh well, he'll thank her later.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

An excellent choice, dearie.

[Muffet smiles cheerfully and pours him a cup of blackberry juice with the smooth, elegant motions of one with a great deal of practice, capping the jug and putting it back neatly when she's done. The juice smells fresh and tasty.]

[vagabone]

[No tongue, but he can taste things as well as he could when he was alive. And it's surprising how intense flavor can be when one doesn't bother to eat or drink very often. Mostly it's cheap booze when he does.

The juice is a lot sweeter than that. He's enjoying it, eyes a little wide.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet smiles, a little more softly than her previous smugness, this time. Thanks to Ardyn, she knows the expression of a man getting to taste something properly when he hasn't had the chance in a while- even if this version of it involves a bit less flesh.]

[It's good to be able to make people happy, even if just in small ways.]

[vagabone]

[He lives in the moment more often than not, knowing time is short and friends disappear all the time.

This moment's not so bad. See, she did know best.]

Thanks.

[prettypurpleparlor]

You're very welcome, dearie. I always like to see a satisfied customer.

[She winks cheerfully at him.]

How have you been, lately?

[vagabone]

I hope you're not keeping tabs, even though I'm a 'customer' now.

[What could he possibly pay with? Also, terrible question, she should have caught on by now that he's going to lie about it until the end of time.]

About the same. You?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Damn near everyone she knows here lies about that question because they're all a bunch of overly-stoic idiots, and she knows it. But she still has to keep asking, it's just decent manners.]

We're functioning largely on the barter system, at present. You pay whatever you think the meal was worth, within your own means. Which, depending on the person- and the meal- in question, can range anywhere from food and resources of their own to a reasonably sincere compliment on the taste.

[She isn't expecting Hector to have much to pay with.]

As well as can be expected, under the circumstances. There's always half-a-dozen things that need doing, at least, and I'm still trying to get them all done.

[vagabone]

[...Or he could pay by working for free, whether she asked him to or not. He can't sit around twiddling his thumbs, howling into rocks and pestering others forever. There's so much time to kill.]

What needs doing right now?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet gives him a wry look, but she's not going to discourage someone from helping out if he actually wants to, even if he doesn't need to. What's an easy task she could give him...]

You could help me peel some potatoes, if you like- I'm going to be putting them in a stew later.

[Ah, a nice classic chore.]

[vagabone]

[Maybe he's bored, maybe he's grasping for anything normal to do. Or both.]

Excellent, I can do that much for you.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet nods and turns around, disappearing into the back for a moment and coming out again carrying two bowls, one empty and one full of freshly-washed potatoes, and a small knife. She sets them on the counter in front of Hector, so that he can help peel them without having to stand up the whole time.]

Here we are. You're welcome to help with as much or as little of this as you like.

[She pulls out a knife of her own and begins peeling one of the potatoes herself, dropping the peelings into the empty bowl. They might make good compost, no sense letting them go to waste.]

[vagabone]

[He kicks his left leg out and gets to work. He'll quit when they're all peeled and not before, because really... what else is there to do? It's one of those things you never forget how to do, he'll be done soon enough.

(Not all the juice was finished.)]

So... someone tells me you guys built this place?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet has definitely noticed that, and he had better be planning to finish the rest of it.]

Oh, yes, a few of us all working together- there were some old broken-down buildings already here, so we tore down the unusable portions and put up something new on the foundation.

[vagabone]

[Someone else could have it! He doesn't have cooties.]

This the first thing you built? A bar?

[That's both funny and awesome.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[You drink your goddamn juice, Hector, it's tasty and good for you.]

We've built a fair few other things here, don't worry- most of the houses people have been staying in, for one thing. Shelter that we haven't had to rebuild ourselves is rather hard to come by, here.

But since we had the more practical work done, we thought perhaps the island could use a little fun, too.