amplified >> halloween potluck!

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. god of war - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. formerly blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family. courting halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, laeglin, sloan and colwyn. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette. (strike is deceased/unknown status)

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quiet had been the time, surreal the silence and even better the peace surrounding the group. peace rarely lasted long, and the kingpin had no desire to end it before it's time. humming to themself, the dragon curled up in the inn's main room, gaze tired but welcoming and warm. before them, close to the warm hearth, lay different kinds of foods and fruit juices that they had either traded for, or had made themself. tail curled up about their own body, they gave a low rumble of greeting to those who came to investigate the new scents. "welcome, welcome! i know this is a bit sudden, but i would like to propose a potluck, of sweet and savory foods to downright chilling snacks! please bring them when you've made or found such things! i've brought with me some of my favorite foods from my own childhood, including some baked goods! fret not about not having food to bring, any stories or anything else, would be enjoyable to share.", the kingpin murmured, ears perking at the sound of the wind howling outside. perhaps they should have invited the members of palmclan to this event ... but the cold kept the smartest in-doors. shaking their mane, they observed the dim sum, spring rolls, hot and sour soup, fried rice, and some lamb shanks. perhaps they had too expensive of a palette ... but the lamb had always been their favorite treat as a child.

[Aker]

[align=center][div style="width: 51%; text-align: justify; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: georgia;"]Aker had no food to bring, and certainly wasn't much of a story teller. Instead, he brought some charcoal he had found, carrying it in a bucket. It was pretty messy stuff, but he figured it could be used for face painting and such. Maybe if someone had berries, that could also be used for face painting. He put the bucket of charcoal down, nostrils filling with the scent of lamb. Eyes lit up, he walked over to the feast that was laid out. He focused on the lamb shanks, salivating as he stared at them patiently. He would wait for Wuyi and his mom before eating. Until then... he would watch the lamb.

[Hope Arcanium]

It wouldn’t take long for Playerone to arrive, bringing her own bit of homemade food- cookies. Well, it wasn’t necessarily ‘dinner’ food, she wanted to try out Valerian’s recipe that he taught her before his disappearance only days before.

The cookies turned out lovely, at least she hoped those gathered out here would like them. The godly hybrid carried the container of sweets with her paws, taking flight using her draconic wings.

Making a steady landing, she gently placed them with the other food that had been generously made and brought before all of them. She gave a warm smile to Bai Shi, giving him a dip of her head.

“I though you might enjoy these. Valerian taught me how to make them before his disappearance. I hope the taste brings you good memories.” She said as quietly as she could to the Kingpin before turning her attention to her son, who had been waiting to eat.

“Still waiting on Wuyi?” Play inquired, giving a chuckle at noticing how hungry Aker must be. “Wuyi should be arriving soon. The smell of this excellent food wouldn’t go unnoticed by your sibling.”

She would try to gently place a paw on his shoulder as they waited for the other to join them. Eating as a family was an incredible thing really, as she never had experienced it for herself until now. Her children were the beings that filled the void that Kade had left, but she would never forget her, and would always tell stories about her to their children.

The feline-fox hybrid would look around a bit, trying to catch sight of Wuyi.

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True to Playerone’s prophesy, Wuyi bolted into the scene after smelling the delicious food. Most of the smells didn’t interest him all that much, but the homemade cookies? Xyr mom’s homemade cookies? He would fly over a volcano to get to those.

“Mom, your cookies smell awesome. But that’s for dessert, right? I can’t have one now. Because I have to eat real food!” Wuyi popped up next to Aker, leaning forward to watch their mom place the cookies. Xe leaned most of xyr weight on his front paws, and nearly slipped. One back foot did, in fact, lift off the ground!

Xe almost kicked Aker’s bucket, but he noticed his wayward paw in the nick of time. “Ah! Sorry! What is this stuff? It doesn’t smell good.”

[SLOAN.]

Expectation was lacking where Sloan had been concerned on the matter of preparation or cooking of the various dishes Bai Shi had crafted, though watching the proceedings allowed a knot to grow within the heavy pit of hir stomach. Hesitation had hindered offering of assistance, however, present worry that clung to wayward thoughts, halted the notion as it was nothing but a mere inkling awaiting attention to expand. Silent observer had ze become, petulant even as hir own actions proved the direct origin of such downtrodden mood, departing well before things had concluded.

Difficult to gauge the frame of time that passed, away whittled much upon ponderance that ended at dead roads, tightening the circle ze paced across wooden boards. Realisation was a slow thing, forth creeping along behind a simmering heat, aching pressure built behind temples and eyes tightly closed. Finally it arose, about hir chosen quarters the fox scrambled, together gathered an assortment of items. Deposited into a wicker basket hir path to the inn was easy, if partially obscured by those enticed by the proceedings unfolding within the structure, about ankles tail flicking as ze crossed the threshold.

Others had arrived before, as was expected, regarded with a light smile partially obscured that sat odd against pale features, for the benefit of image more than anything another may deem it but allowed would they be to think what they wished. Upon the ground was deposited hir own load, inedible and thus not suitable for the food laden table. From was extracted various books, some simple and intricate but all colouring books to allow simple fun for those who wished it, in the basket left an assortment of coloured pencils.

About did Sloan glance, focus settling on the bucket with dust about the rim though contents were not as of yet identifiable. Closer did ze tread, as best as possibly trying to discreetly look at what was held within, brightened hir visage with a genuine grin as recognised the pieces of charcoal. The exact plans for it was unknown but other purpose may be found, one such the various empty pages in the back of many of the books ze had brought.

"Um, excuse me would you…" Into silence did hir voice trail, mind slowly piecing together words before they were disregarded, simple that ze finally spoke in a meek tone. "Like to draw." Briefly did rise a paw, gesture to the bucket with these finals words, indicated ze was requesting the use of some without words, worried the wrong ones may be used and thus the answer would be a definite negative.

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Roundest moon flutters on the river, night bird song coasting through heat hangs for a moment there cascades slowly down the thick air, landing somewhere by my feet waking up bugs try to repeat, a fine night to feel light

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code by Wisker

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THE KINGPIN

golden lung dragon & black jaguar w/ vitiligo & platinum silver fox. god of war - ancient. bai shi lynn lingré. proper chinese name is lin bai. prefers lynn if close. they/them. formerly blind. wind element & electric element. firstborn son of jerisidie lingré & current head of family. courting halo mercer. kingpin of alithís evgenis. demiromantic gray-asexual. parent of veris, arvin, leoku, erian, flos, kekhai, evarhi, laeglin, sloan and colwyn. elder brother of ramona and hope, uncle of quennel and cosette. (strike is deceased/unknown status)

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smiling at the sight of the younger members of the group coming to the bonfire, did the kingpin relax, feeling less alone in the space around them. nodding to aker, playerone, wuyi, and sloan as all came in their own time, they rumbled in warm greeting. watching each item brought to the event, they gave a tender and light smile, "it looks so good ... it's been forever since i've done any baking", they chuckled, eyes darkening at the mention of the disappearance of their lover. they didn't know what the situation was between them, but they couldn't help the pain cloistering in their chest. after all these losses ... they didn't want a relationship again. they didn't want anybody else to get that close to their heart once again. the mangled bodies of their lovers lay in the forefront of their mind, the memories of their murders and deaths ever fresh in their head.

shaking their head slightly, they offered a polite smile to playerone as she spoke to them, "memories are memories, its best to leave them in the past. lovers are lovers for reasons, they come and they go as they please.", they murmured quietly to her, dismissing thoughts of him from their mind. they had a group to lead, and loneliness had no place at their side or in their decisions. they had children of their own and of others to look after and nurture so closely. chucking, they observed wuyi nearly knocking over aker's bucket, then sloan's own approach to the smilodon cubs.