August catch-all

[meadqueen]

Who: Randvi and/or Chloe and YOU
What: Various toplevels
When: Throughout August
Where: Milton and Lakeside

Content Warnings: Any TDM content warnings may apply.

Comments

Tea Time

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe would normally have told you that she's too smart to drink something that she doesn't know what it is, but right now she can't, because she can't not tell the truth.

After an extremely awkward experience with the old witch by her fire, Chloe tries her best to hurry home before anyone can see her, or worse, try and talk to her.

[questioningmermaids]

Unfortunately, every once in a while March will remember he's a pretty good detective.

The blonde spies her moving home and gives her a half-wave, noting almost immediately that she's going at quite a clip. He doesn't know her too well, but enough that she doesn't seem like the kind of girl to walk at such a hurried pace unless there's a good reason. It's not like she's being chased by a wolf or anything...

And yeah, sue him. He's curious. He's never going to stop being curious. Physically impossible for a guy like him, which is why he mozies on over and catches her just before she's about to slam the door.

"What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

[desperate_times_right]

Christ. Just the guy she doesn't want to see, and at her house, of all places! Why are all these men constantly coming to her house!

Chloe hops from foot to foot, clearly antsy.

“I live here.”

[questioningmermaids]

"Congratulations," March says in a tone that definitely says he does not care. Not when there's something interesting going on. And he doesn't have a smoke to--

--shit, that's right! He absolutely has a pack of cigarettes courtesy of some scrounging. On its' last legs, but March reaches into his breast pocket, crooking his eyebrows, and fishes one out of the very crumpled pack.

"And what's with the two-step shuffle you're doing to get here?"

[desperate_times_right]

“Something happened to me,” Chloe says, because she has to. “In the woods. I drank this weird tea and now I can't stop saying stuff. I don't want to tell some of these people the truth!”

She hadn't meant to say that either! Chloe sighs. “Shit.”

[questioningmermaids]

Oh.

Oooooh.

March's blue eyes spark, eyebrows climbing impossibly high, grin on his face child-like and unexpectantly bright. He leans right on the nearest surface, fully preparing to relish in this.

"The truth, huh? So if I were to say, like, I don't know, ask if you found me particularly groovy, you'd have to say yes or no?"

[desperate_times_right]

Despite the circumstances Chloe finds herself snickering. “Groovy. God, you're old. But yeah, I guess? I don't know if I actually have to answer questions but I have to say what I'm thinking if it's true.”

[questioningmermaids]

March's grin widens somewhat. It's probably poor form to tease or take advantage of this.

It's also extremely funny.

"I dig it," he says casually, ignoring the old comment as best as he can given his ego. He's still leaning, still pleased as punch. Sure, she doesn't have to answer, but that doesn't mean March isn't going to accost her with questions.

"You really think you can swivel your way out of telling the truth?"

[desperate_times_right]

“Been doing it all my life,” Chloe says with a little smile. “Guess this is just hard mode.”

lalo's joining in for this one!!

[notarat]

Under any other circumstances Billy would have known to leave Chloe alone when she's hurrying like that. She's definitely more social than he is, after all, and if she wanted to be involved in a conversation right now, she would just intitiate it.

Instead everything about her in this moment screams that she doesn't want to be part of a social situation. And yet-- Unfortunately she will have to be.

You see, Billy can tolerate talking to Lalo. To a certain extent. The moment the other man - standing there right next to him - starts talking about male bonding there are all sorts of alarm bells going on in Billy's head. And if there's anyone in this frozen town that can distract Lalo, it's the woman trying to hurry past them.

"Miss Frazer!" He calls out. To Billy's credit, he manages to not sound as panicked as he feels on the inside - and he's not approaching her to stop her just yet.

Mostly because he figures Lalo will.

[salamanca]

Lalo lights up at the sight of Chloe. He stands straight up, eyes wide and shining. "Miss Chloe!" he says, sprinting after her. Is she trying to run away? Oh, Lalo doesn't think so. He springs after her, catching up with her in no time whatsoever. He loops one hand behind her shoulders, guiding her gently towards him and Billy.

"Now, where we you getting off to? I was just telling Billy, he needs male bonding time! Don't you think so?"

[desperate_times_right]

Why. Why now? Why these two, some of the people she wants to be truthful around the least? Why male bonding?

“I don't see what you two hanging out has to do with me. I just want to go home before I say anything weird.”

[notarat]

.. Before she says anything weird, huh.

Billy can't imagine her wanting to avoid both of them under normal circumstances, unless she was worried about Billy potentially teasing him later - but this doesn't sound like that. It's more likely that something in this place has some influence over her. And while he would be willing to consider letting her go under any other circumstances.. sorry, Chloe. You are not leaving him alone with Lalo. Billy has made an executive decision here.

"Truly? And yet I thought Mr. Eduardo would have something to say to you."

Lalo definitely did not mention anything about saying something to Chloe. But Billy's look seems so genuine in this moment that it may be enough to make even Lalo question whether or not he did, or that maybe Billy is implying something? Trying to help their relationship, being good and supportive? Who knows!

It's definitely not just that he's trying to save his own skin here, nope.

[salamanca]

"Oh yeah! I definitely have something to say to her."

Lalo grins like crazy, ear-to-ear, but he doesn't sound especially convincing. He doesn't even sound like he's trying to be. He's picking up what Billy is putting down, sure, but more importantly: 'say something weird,' huh?

No way is she going anywhere after that. Lalo ropes a hand around Chloe's shoulders, grinning like the devil. "Billy and I were on our way to The Community Hall," Lalo says. "I know you haven't been there in a while, sore subject, I get it. But you can walk with us part of the way! What do you say?" He pats her on the back. He starts striding toward the Community Hall with a confidence that almost demands Billy and Chloe follow.

"Now, what were you saying? About 'saying something weird?'" Oh, he's gonna tease her so hard about whatever is going on. He already knows that.

But he's ready to reassure her, too. She knows too many of his secrets for him to be too much a dick to her about this.

[desperate_times_right]

Normally Chloe would love to hang out with these two! Calling Billy on the 'Mr Eduardo' situation sounds fun and she loves making Lalo blush. Right now, though, she's in trouble.

She follows along as they're swept back toward the hall.

“I drank some weird tea and now I can't lie. If I think something I have to say it.”

[notarat]

Honestly, he's a tad surprised that Chloe isn't trying harder to get away from Lalo. Sure, the guy sticks to you like a barnacle, but Chloe is practically an escape artist in Billy's mind. Or she at the very least has the attitude of one.

.. maybe this is just another weird sex thing to them? Some sort of weird foreplay. Who knows. Billy wouldn't put it past them. On the other hand, apparently he doesn't quite mind being present for it either, since he follows the two as Lalo starts to drag Chloe off.

But he doesn't say something right away. He does note what Chloe is saying, but doesn't act on it right away, doesn't try asking her something just yet. It's what Billy is like, after all. Cautious, never the first in line. He'll see what Lalo does first. Who knows, maybe he can hear some amusing things while never having to be the one instigating anything here, then he gets off scott free while getting all the gossip he wants.

[salamanca]

Lalo feels, and looks, like Christmas came early for him. His whole face lights up at Chloe's admission of her situation. She can probably see it, too. The glint in his eyes. The ear-to-ear grin, even bigger than one of Lalo's usual grins.

"Really?" Lalo gives Chloe a playful squeeze before turning to Billy and giving him a light nudge. His look to Billy is conspiratorial, playful. Sorry, Billy. You aren't getting out of this. It's very apparent Lalo intends to rope the younger man into his game, too. He can't decide what to ask first. It feels like being at a buffet with too much delicious options.

"In that case... it's a good thing you found us! We'd never take advantage of you. Would we, Billy?" He claps Billy on the back.

But he decides to go easy on her. He reaches out to gently play with Chloe's hair, giving her a devilish look.

"The thing is, though, I was wondering...see, Billy and I have this bet we wanted to settle." They do not have a bet. "We thought you could help us out." They don't need help. "You see, Billy and I, we've been arguing about who the cutest boy in Milton is, and we thought -- Chloe's the expert! She'll know. So maybe you could rank everyone for us. All the men you know. Most attractive to least. What do you say? Go!"

[solitarysoul]

Sadly for Chole, Levi sees her on her rush home. And he notices the rush, so he worries. "Chole?" He calls out, adjusting his path so that he's heading towards her. "Everything okay?"

[desperate_times_right]

“No!” Chloe says, because she has to. “Did you see that woman out in the forest, serving tea to people? She did something to me.”

[solitarysoul]

"Oh...her. Y-yeah, I saw her a few days ago. You look fine, though." All he knows it can do is turn you into a kid.

[desperate_times_right]

“I'm not!” She needs to calm down, she needs to stop yelling. “She made me say things. I have to tell the truth.”

[solitarysoul]

"You have to tell the truth?" That was weird, but he remembers eating mushrooms that made him flashback and others that messed with peoples memories. Or whatever had happened to Pirate!Ed. So a tea that makes you tell the truth sounds plausible.

"That's, um, I-I guess that's bad?" He is kind of tempted to take advantage of it, but doing so might open up questions into his past in retaliation. And there are things he really doesn't want out in the open. "I, uh, do you want me to take you home or somewhere? And stop people from asking things."

[desperate_times_right]

“It's terrible! It should be my choice.” What if someone asks her a question??

“It would be great if you could. It was stupid to drink that stuff.”

[solitarysoul]

"Yeah, no problem. Its not quite the same as you helping me get back a few months ago, but I can try to keep people from asking anything. You'll have to lead the way, though."

[desperate_times_right]

“Thanks, kid.” Chloe takes off at a brisk pace once again. “I've been trying not to let too many people know where I live but it seems like everyone found out anyway.”