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

1

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe makes a face.

“You can definitely have cake as long as you don't bring that thing indoors. Ugh! I don't think traditionally the skull still has skin on it.”

It feels more like being visited by the mafia than by Mari Lwyd.

[wingbound]

That wouldn't be entirely incorrect either, considering Levi has spent the first twenty-five years of his life doing crime. How organized it was is a different matter, but they did try, or well, Farlan did in any case.

"This was rather short notice," Levi explains, because much as he would have liked to stick that thing in an anthill, none of the ones he'd come across were active in this weather. "I had to improvise."

Still, he's leaving it outside, just as requested. He's taking in Chloe's costume in return, his expression and tone remaining perfectly flat.

"Aren't you cold?"

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe smiles serenely. “That's what the fire is for. It's fine indoors.”

[wingbound]

Alright then. "Better don't keep the door open too long, then," he points out, stepping the rest of the way inside and pulling it closed. Some guy seems to have chosen to stand guard outside, but he'll check on him later. "So, about that cake."

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe grins. Straight to the point. “We had to improvise a bit on the recipe so it's a little dense, but it tastes fine.”

[wingbound]

"I'm aware of the first part," Levi points out, since he was most likely one of the people contributing to actually baking the damn thing. He obviously hadn't taken a bite out of a cake meant for someone else's celebration before it could take place, though, so he has no idea what it tastes like.

"Can't say I've seen people dying one with beet before, though." Wasn't it going to taste all vegetable-like?

[desperate_times_right]

“Red’s Ruby’s favourite colour.” He might have been able to guess from the name. “And this place didn't exactly stock regular food dyes so we’re working with what we've got. It'll smell a little earthy but it should taste fine. No one’s had cake in so long that I doubt they'll notice, especially with the acorn flour already giving it a bit of an unusual taste.”

[wingbound]

"Well, it looks nice, at least." He'll save any comments on taste until he actually gets to try it, not that he'd be able to determine anything beyond good and not good because he can probably count the times he's had cake in his life on one hand.

"The greenhouse is holding up well, I take it."

[desperate_times_right]

“Yeah. Good job on the icing.” Chloe could not have made it that fancy.

“It was pretty okay, all things considered. One of the glass panels got smashed, but they didn't wreck the crops or anything. I think maybe they were hoping for a treat once they'd wiped us out.” They probably didn't have much in the way of fresh veggies, either. “Also I was guarding it in my wolf form so I think they thought twice about whether to come back.”

[wingbound]

"Thanks." He's got Hange's sweet tooth and the Corps' lack of funds to thank for that. It's miraculous what you can get with some sugar and water.

"Well shit." It hadn't even occurred to him that the Forest Talkers would target the greenhouse, though it seems obvious enough in retrospect. They had been sabotaging their game and food access for a good while before the attack. "Good thinking. Do you need help with any repairs?"

It might even be a decent idea to guard it, honestly (baby Levi would probably sign up for it), but at least for now the main suspects of trying to wreck it are gone.

[desperate_times_right]

“I think I've mostly got it under control, but maybe keep an eye out for any good windows.” She's got it patched, but it would be great to replace the whole panel.

[wingbound]

"Sure." It's not exactly a difficult task; she can probably expect him there with a whole ass window within the next couple of days after the party. "Plenty of houses left to deconstruct."

[desperate_times_right]

“Yeah, a lot of the cabins on the outskirts are pretty fucked.” Chloe agrees. Unfortunately that does also mean a lot of them have broken windows.

[wingbound]

"I'll see what I can do." Windows are, unfortunately, the part of a house that tends to break first, but surely he can scrounge up something.

Or he might just steal one from someone's occupied house.

Just kidding, he wouldn't want people to die of exposure in this weather. There's no one here he currently hates that much, unless Darkwalker has a cabin somewhere.

[desperate_times_right]

Even if it did, the Darkwalker doesn't seem likely to be capable of dying of exposure, unfortunately.

“Thanks a lot. People have really stepped up on this.”

[wingbound]

Well, there goes that plan.

"People like eating," he shrugs, as if it's completely impossible that someone would expect to be fed without bothering to contribute.

[desperate_times_right]

“Okay, fair point.” It's something pretty much everyone here has to do in one way or another. “And no one wants scurvy.”

[wingbound]

He makes a slight face, because that probably was a known ailment where he's from, along with the thing that made kids' bones grow wrong due to lack of sunlight.

"Exactly. Thanks for getting it all together." Frankly he's surprised more people didn't start on a similar project, but he supposes someone had to and that someone stands before him.

[desperate_times_right]

“Of course,” Chloe says with a smile. “Enjoy the party. Let me know if you want to take anything home after.”

[wingbound]

Levi seems to perk up at the offer. "Yes, if you have leftovers," he says quickly. "Unless any of the kids want it." Luckily for him, British Potatoes don't seem to have many fans...

[desperate_times_right]

“I tried to make enough so everyone who wants to can take a little home.” Chloe still remembers the grifter days of her youth, sneaking into fancy parties to try and scam leftovers to eat later.

[wingbound]

"Good thinking." She'd mentioned knowing what it's like to go hungry before, back when they were raiding the Forest Talker caches; that probably contributed to such thoughtfulness. He keeps that to himself, though, simply adding another mental good point to Chloe's scoreboard.

At least this time, neither of them need to scam or steal anything. For now.

[desperate_times_right]

She smirks a little. “I think you'll have dibs on the British potatoes, and those make pretty decent leftovers, especially if you've got a little milk or butter and some dried meat.”

[wingbound]

"Thanks." His eyebrows rise slightly at the mention of milk, though. "Someone here keep a cow I haven't heard about?"

[desperate_times_right]

“Yeah, that kid Robin had one up at the farm.” Chloe shrugs. “Don't know what happened to her after the barn burned, though.”