BARTENDER - THISTLE

[wooliefrand]

WHO: THISTLE + CUSTOMERS
WHERE: THISTLE BARN
WHEN: BARTENDER GAME

[ Your barn has a new???? (temporary???) addition! One of the outside walls now has a cabinet of various drinks, all of which sits behind what appears to be an L-shaped bar counter, complete with a sink, ice box, and glass cabinet on the inner side, and stools for customers(?) on the outer side.

Posted on the wall is a recipe book, and above it, a big chalkboard listing the various drinks from said recipe book.

Tied to the drinks cabinet are a number of ribbons in your barn's color. Wonder what those are for. ]

OOC RULES | RECIPE BOOK | MAIN GAME POST

Comments

[survivaltricks]

[blinks]

Like. . . literally?

[he was not thinking about hitting anyone!!]

[literal_trainwreck]

Not literally! Just... do the thing.

[he wishes it were a literal hit]

[survivaltricks]

[oh my god]

You have to tie it around your hand first.

[literal_trainwreck]

...Oh.

[ties it around his hand]

[survivaltricks]

[and as soon as he does, he feels a small wave of fond amusement from Lupin's end of the bond, which probably came from Loki being awkward about the ribbon]

[BET THAT'S A WEIRD FEELING, HUH]

[literal_trainwreck]

[yes. it is surely not a surprise that he doesn't know what to do with it]

...So, what did that get us?

[survivaltricks]

[at least it's a pretty mild feeling! there's a sense that there's something deeper underneath it all, but whatever it is, it's not being actively felt in this very moment]

Tea. But we need some milk too, so. . .

[a pause]

Think of something comforting or confidence-inspiring?

[literal_trainwreck]

Because I have so much of that...

[huffs but. ok. comfort, confidence...]

[Loki thinks of the Metaverse, sending feelings of freedom, familiarity, confidence, and power]

[survivaltricks]

[boy it sure is weird having someone else's emotions in your head. . . Lupin starts once, a bit surprised, before he forces himself to relax. focus]

Good, good. . . I think that'll work. Let me see. . .

[Loki goes for confidence and power, so Lupin focuses on. . . something else]

[which is Leblanc! which invokes feelings of comfort and familiarity. a sense of belonging. a place to which he can escape. familial love]

[he isn't really considering what kind of effect these emotions may have on Loki, so. . . they're pretty strong]

[literal_trainwreck]

[this is alien and overwhelming, and Loki holds his breath as he clutches his end of the ribbon]

[survivaltricks]

[it's Loki's white-knuckled grip that clues Lupin in, and the emotions quickly recede for flustered embarrassment]

Ah-- sorry, sorry, I wasn't--

[q-quickly untying the ribbon from his wrist]

[literal_trainwreck]

I... no, it's nothing, I don't care, I—

[drops the ribbon and lets out the breath he was holding]

I'm going to take a moment.

[time to abscond into the barn]

[survivaltricks]

[nnnngh, immediately moves to go after him--]

[. . .]

[then stops]

[. . .]

[then goes after him anyway. brb Thistle, also absconding to the barn]

[literal_trainwreck]

[Loki didn't even make it very far. he's on the floor, sitting against the wall]

[survivaltricks]

[. . . . . . .]

[quietly approaches, pressing his back against the wall and sliding to the floor next to him]

[. . .]

[he isn't sure what to say, so for now, he sits in companionable silence, to give Loki some time to process his thoughts]

[literal_trainwreck]

[what finally emerges is a low grumble]

This is humiliating.

[survivaltricks]

[quietly]

. . . it's just me.

No one else is here to see you like this.

[does that help. . .?]

[literal_trainwreck]

[... a little]

I envy you.

I suppose I must have all along.

[survivaltricks]

[for some reason, Lupin still has the ribbon tucked in his hands, wound around his fingers. he grips it tightly, knuckles white]

I've known that for a while now.

[. . . but he supposes it isn't so easy for someone to realize it themselves, though]

I shouldn't have. . . [mmm] I wasn't. . . trying to throw it into your face.

[literal_trainwreck]

I know that. You're nothing if not well-meaning.

[some light passive-aggression there, but no real bite]

[survivaltricks]

[hah. . . his lips twitch a bit, and he tugs the ribbon taught between his hands]

[. . .]

Can I show you something?

[literal_trainwreck]

Why not.

[holds out his hand in case he needs to take the other end of the ribbon]

[survivaltricks]

[a tiny little smile as Loki predicts what he wanted to do, and he places the ribbon into his hand, while tying the other end around his own wrist again]

[literal_trainwreck]

[takes his end and does the same]

[survivaltricks]

[the rush of emotion that bursts to life the moment the empathy bond is established is-- well. . . it's a lot]

[but it's different, from the gentle and comfortable familial love Lupin felt when he was thinking about Leblanc. whatever it is. . . it's energetic and wild, crackling like a firework. it's the thrill of competition, and the excitement of experiencing both victory and loss. it's the appreciation of having someone at his side, constantly pushing him past his limits, forcing him to be something greater than what he was before]

[it's a staunch refusal to lose, no matter what. a desire to prove himself-- but not to prove that he is better. . . just to prove that he is a worthy rival. someone who can stand up to any challenge given to him, no matter what]

[. . .]

[and while those emotions are the strongest, underneath their ferocity is something a little gentler. the acknowledgement that despite the excitement of the back-and-forth, that there is a desire for a genuine connection. the nature of that desire is a bit. . . muddled, but it's. . . fond. it's a little affectionate, even if that affection is laced with "but also, I'll kick your ass if I have to."]