Hot Potato (party log)

[desperate_times_right]

Who: Chloe Frazer & any and all party people!!
What: Harvest Celebrations/Halloween Party/Ruby’s Birthday/Rat Marriage/Big Communal Cooking Party so Chloe doesn't burn down her house
When: October 12
Where: At Chloe’s house on Greene Street

Content Warnings: Food descriptions, probably.
Other Notes: Feel free to make this a mingle and reply to other characters!

Chloe had wondered whether to go through with the harvest party once Lalo had disappeared, but as they say, the show must go on. There's still a lot worth celebrating, and people need something hopeful after the mess last month. Luckily her house had made it through everything all right.

The poster had said to wear a costume, so she's hoping to see a lot of those, and she’d recruited some people to help her put together the menu exactly to Lalo’s specifications, so unfortunately no one is safe from British Potatoes. There are even candles for the birthday cake.

Chloe herself is dressed as a sexy lumberjack, with one of Lalo’s old flannels tied in a knot under her breasts and denim cutoffs made from the jeans Kostya had gotten blood on (shh). She's got a fire roaring, because otherwise she’d freeze.

Comments

kieren walker | in the flesh

[burying]

[ Is he shit-scared of being here? Absolutely. Kieren isn't one for parties at the best of times, let alone now he's what he is. But he turns up, for Ruby's sake. For Cornelius and Billy's sake. Not to mention Chloe's the one throwing it — Chloe's safe. She won't stand for any shit against him, she's kind of scary like that.

Under the guise of 'Halloween', even if it's still only mid-October, he's come completely barefaced. No cover-up mousse, no contact lenses. Gaunt and pale-faced — his skin more of a shade of grey than anything else, lips and eyes darkened with a purple-brown. Yes. He's come as himself. He's painfully aware of 'zombie' being a common Halloween costume. Don't look too closely at this. It's the closest he's going to get with being okay with himself, even if he's not very okay with it at all.

He has, however, 'faked it up' a bit. His clothes are dishevelled and dirtied them with soil, ruffled up his hair, painted his fingernails black, that sort of thing. Maybe it's all too on the nose, considering everything.

He brings gifts: realistic portraits of Ruby and one of Cornelius and Hickey. He'll exchange pleasantries, but will be mostly shuffling off to the side of the room and just... hanging out over here. Perpetual wallflower. He's a little sullen, but trying his best not to show it. Eddie's gone missing, and Kieren can't find him anywhere. It's definitely something casting a cloud over his thoughts. He's all tight-lipped smiles when approached, almost like he's just waiting for a polite time to leave and go clean himself up. You can see it in his pin-prick eyes: he wants to leave.

He will, however, be frowning at one particular item on the food table — muttering under his breath: ]

What the fuck are 'British Potatoes' supposed to be, anyway? [ What does that even mean? What does it mean? ] That's just... 'mash'.

[afterdrop]

[The thing is, Charles is no stranger to dead people. He may not manifest as a frozen, beaten corpse, but that's because he's lucid enough to keep from doing so. Some spirits don't have that advantage, and drift around looking just as gruesome as the body they left behind, locked in a loss they can't escape.

So when he sees Kieren's drained, discolored skin - real in a way that Halloween makeup could never manage - he recognizes it for what it is. And with a bright, warm smile, he makes his way over.]

Looks about like what my gran would've made. [The one on his dad's side, of course. He doesn't remember his nani's cooking, from his one trip to India.] Maybe a little better.

[Charles himself is done up in something equally scary, if less thematic: a plaid flannel shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a baseball cap, all pilfered from the general store.

He's dressed as an American.]

[burying]

Wow. Bet Sunday dinners round your gran's would have been a real treat. [ His voice is deadpan, his eyebrows raising and mouth upturned. But he's joking, really. He's just got that sort of humour about him. ]

Mm. Not getting the costume, though. [ It's absolutely different to what he's seen Charles wear. But like. Kieren's dad wears flannel shirts. And jeans. God, that man and his new jeans. ]

I'm getting... a regular bloke?

[ The horror of normality? That'd be clever. ]

[afterdrop]

[Charles gives the hat a lift and a little waggle, before plopping it back down on his curles. He's not sure what team the symbol on the front belongs to - Los Angeles Dodgers, for the record - but he at least recognizes it as being from across the pond. Or, with their current location as a reference point, down South.]

I'm an American, [he says in a cheerful if terrible accent. Before he made some actual American friends back home, his largest frame of reference was all of the (entertaining, high quality, cinematically masterful, thank you very much Edwin) Marvel movies he's watched.

For the plot, of course. He saw all of the Captain America films multiple times for the plot.]

It was either that or, like, a grody fisherman. You've seen the shops around here.

[burying]

[ Kieren snorts. An American— christ alive. He huffs out a breath, his eyebrows raising in a kind of mock-impressed expression. ]

Well, that is actually terrifying. [ ... Well, if you really think about— they are. Terrifying. Americans, that is. All cheery smiles and extraverted— ]

Reckon you're a big on the skinny side to be a grody fisherman. Bit young, too. [ He's absolutely taking the piss, smirking a little. ] Might have gotten away with a poor miner urchin, though.

[afterdrop]

Oi, I'll have you know, I am deceptively strong. [He flexes an arm, and pokes at where muscle would be if he was less of a string bean.] I was on three sport teams back in school.

[Good enough to keep his spot, not good enough to not get murdered by his teammates. His smile though wide, is a bit jesting; he doesn't get the sense Kieren is the type to be impressed by all that.]

Bet I could take down a bunch of fish just as hard as a full-back. They're not that much slimier, are they?

feel free to drop this if it's been too long!

[burying]

Wow. Yeah, you're definitely hiding that. [ Those are some... very well-hidden muscles. Kieren's suppressing a laugh before squints slightly, head shaking. ] I don't really get sports kid vibes off of you. I'm getting... 'hiding round the back of the bike sheds to have a smoke' kind of vibe. Probably ended up in detention more times that you can count?

[ And doesn't even care about the fact he's in detention. Probably. That's the vibe, anyway. ]

So, does this mean I'm calling you Charlie now? Or... Chaz— no, wait. [ It's perfect. Kieren's smirking, clapping his hands together. ] Got it. Chuck. That's your American persona.

nah you first

[afterdrop]

Alright, first of all, it was the eighties. Everyone and their gran was having a smoke 'round back of the sheds. [It's curious phrasing, referencing his own time in retrospect, but he doesn't linger on it.] Had to try a bit harder than that to get a reputation.

[A bright, jesting wink. Charles chooses not to add that he honestly tried his best to keep his nose clean, otherwise. He was polite in class, and he worked really hard on his homework. He never started fights. He just... got swept up in things. Tried too hard to fit in.

If his smile tightens at "Charlie", he tamps it down quickly enough to pass as mild distaste. Fortunately, the punchline of Kieren's efforts is a choice distraction.] Chuck. Brills, mate.

[burying]

[ Kieren has to laugh. Wow.. ]

Ah, so then sports was your go-to. [ Kieren's still taking the mick, of course. ] Maybe that... actually makes you a weirdo by default.

[ The last part actually has a little bit of fondness to it. Hey, Kieren's all for weirdos. And there's Eddie. Who's from the eighties. Also a weirdo. One of his favourite weirdos. That's his best mate. Was his best mate. That one still stings. ]

I'd go with Chuckie, but that'd be too cruel. [ Particularly because it reminds him on one particular character. But— ] Uh, actually— that's the nineties, so bit before your time, actually.

You're practically an old man, now. You should be... what, in your thirties by my time. Nearly forty, probably. [ A beat. ] 'Old Man Chuck.'

[desperate_times_right]

Lalo thought some ethnic food might make the sailors more comfortable.

Good to see you, kid.

[burying]

... Ethnic food. [ He murmurs it back to himself, almost in disbelief. Chloe, they're a bunch of English white blokes... ]

Well, he's got the spirit— [ If nothing else. Kieren smiles, shrugging. But it does turn a bit more genuine. ]

Yeah, thanks. Figured why not. Halloween party. Hosted by the bad-ass scary lady who likes me. It's a safe bet.

[desperate_times_right]

[Listen, Chloe’s Indian and Lalo’s from Mexico, a bunch of English white blokes are foreign to them!]

It is, and I like that description.

[burying]

Don't let it go to your head. It's less cool, that way.

[ You've got to keep that street cred, Chloe. ]

Not sure who's going to think it's a costume and who thinks it's real, though. I reckon not putting contacts in kind of given it away.

[desperate_times_right]

[Chloe figures the jig is probably up for most people after he had publicly admitted to eating a woman but she doesn't want to bring that up tonight.]

It's genius, honestly. Looking like you put in so much effort in a roll out of bed costume.

feel free to drop this if it's been too long!

[burying]

Well, I had to... y'know... zhuzh it up a bit. [ The black nail polish, his dirtied clothes and ruffled hair. ] Didn't want the others feeling bad for them putting in actual effort.

I mean, you look great, by the way.

[ He... he doesn't exactly know what Chloe's supposed to be. ]

[desperate_times_right]

Yeah, that's fair. Love the nails.

[She hadn't been sure that part was a costume thing.]

And thanks, I try. Though this was all stuff I had already.

[notarat]

[ Honestly, Billy is more surprised by Kieren's choice to show up looking like than than he is to see Kieren like this in the first place. He wonders if that's part of why the other looks so uncomfortable at the party, or maybe it's just that he's not the world's biggest party person, just like Billy himself..

Still, it's not like he's going to let a friend stand around all by himself in the middle of this. Especially when Billy imagines he's not unwelcome company for Kieren. ]

Kieren. [ Billy says to announce his presence - mostly to not startle the other while Kieren's already uncomfortable. Not to mention that Billy seems to have gone with skeleton as his costume - wearing his usual clothes, but having drawn a rather intricate skull design on his face with charcoal. ] Would you want to sit together for a bit?

[ You know, at the edge of the party.. Away from most of the people.. ]

[burying]

... Yeah. [ Thank Christ for Chloe, really. And Halloween. If this had been at the Community Hall, Kieren would never have entertained the thought. It's... baby steps. It's as close to being okay with what he is as he's going to get right now.

Still, it's a tiny bit stressful. And he's definitely not a party-person. Sitting with someone away from the party is honestly kind of perfect. ]

Nice skull, by the way. Very spooky. [ There's a beat, and there's a genuine smile. ] And I guess congratulations are in order. Cornelius has been flaunting the ring.

[notarat]

[ Billy starts heading away from the main crowd, over to a more quiet corner of the party he's already been staking out himself - as an introvert at a social gathering, you really need to know where you can flee to in order to avoid an awkward conversation. Or, in this case, to help out a friend who might need a place that's a little bit more quiet.

There's the briefest slight touch against Kieren's elbow to guide him along in that direction, but then it's gone, Billy speaking up as they walk. ]

Has he? [ There's a sound that seems like it's right in the middle between being a sigh and a huff. ] I hope he has not been telling you anything too bothersome.

[burying]

Oh, no more than usual. [ Kieren offers the tiniest of smirks, turning his head slightly to look at Billy for a brief moment as he huffs. Yeah, he's taking the piss a little bit. ] Only fair to let him brag a bit, I suppose.

[ It's not like they often get much to be happy about in this place, to be honest. It's a nice break from the usual doom, misery and hardship. And sometimes it's nice to have something to tease about. ]

Very romantic of you. [ Listen, his impression of Victorians for the most part is just... repression. ] Nah, but in all seriousness— good for you, Billy.

[notarat]

[ He huffs a little bit.

Considering the way Billy looks, it seems that it's a sound mostly born from faint embarrassment. Especially since he's having a hard time directly looking at Kieren as he speaks. ]

We have already been sharing a house and a bed for most of a year. It makes this little more than a formality. [ Especially since just the first fact by itself is already plenty scandalous to some people here, Billy is sure. Mostly their own crew mates. ] I just thought--

[ He starts, but then stops. Almost as if he realized he was almost being a little too open there, and it makes him look even more embarrassed as he shuts up, quiet for a good moment or two without saying anything else before he dares attempt to speak again. ]

There were wedding rings everywhere after the attack. [ That does not sound like what he originally was going to say. Apparently Billy thinks admitting to robbing the dead is much less embarrassing than whatever he was about to say, huh. Or maybe he just trusts Kieren with this admission. ] We should not let them go to waste.

feel free to drop this if it's been too long!

[burying]

Well, formality, maybe. Or maybe a bit romantic. Symbolic, even. [ He offers it gently, evenly. ] The reason doesn't matter. It's just something you do if you want to, it's nice.

[ People don't have to be married to be living together these days. People can be in long term partnerships for five or fifty years and not be married. So it's really not all that scandalous to someone like Kieren.

Billy stops and starts and Kieren's raising an eyebrow, head tilting curiously at the man. But what Billy does come out with has Kieren looks a little slack-jawed in surprise. Ooo, okay. That's, uh—]

... Don't think I considered 'not wanting wedding rings from the dead going to waste', though. [ Well, Billy has a point. ] But I don't think you're the first person to steal from the dead. Pretty sure we're all doing that in this town.

no way, i always want more kieren!!!

[notarat]

We have to do what's necessary to survive. [ Billy agrees.

Not that.. the wedding rings were really a necessity, but.. you know. They deserve something nice too, right? Just a little treat.

He doesn't linger on it for too long though. There is something else to address here, after all. Something rather obvious, and Billy doesn't just want to shove it under the carpet when it seems like a relatively major change. ]

.. like you right now, in a sense. Right? I did not expect you to show up here looking like that. [ Not that Billy thinks it's a bad thing, but it's certainly a brave thing. Especially when he sometimes gets antsy himself about how much people here like to turn people into outcasts at times, and when he knows how worried Kieren is about what he really is. ]

[guidemyway]

[Woah. Kieren was definitely not beating any of the light comparisons Ruby had drawn between him and Salem looking like that. But all the same it really showed how much of a costume he wore to make everyone feel comfortable around him, and she could appreciate that. Even if it made her feel a little bad that he had to do that in the first place.

Still before she can give him a proper greeting she hears him mutter about the food.]

Wow. Maybe you're just mash.

...What's mash? And why can't the potatoes be british?

[burying]

I mean, probably. [ Yes. He is probably just mash. He certain feels like sad mashed potatoes on any given day, to be honest. Kieren's frowning down at them, his mouth pursing. ]

Mash. Mashed potatoes? [ He gestures to the table. Ruby... do you not... have mashed potatoes back home...? ] Pretty sure it's universal, not just British.