Teagan’s A Most Curious Tea
Date: 2025-11-12 19:02
(Teagan’s A Most Curious Tea)
[Wed Nov 12 2025]
In the Witch‘s Hut book nook/span>The moment you step through the squat arched wooden door, flanked by two fogged-glass windows trimmed in moss, the air shifts, warmer, spiced, and thick with the soft perfume of honeyed mushrooms and old paper. The hardwood floor, stained a deep walnut bark brown and creaking just enough to feel alive, is scattered with handwoven rugs in moody black. A small collection of velvet armchairs and mushroom-stem stools gather in cozy clusters around low tables carved from twisted tree roots.
From a shelf near the window, a tinny gramophone hums quietly with a loop of lofi music- slow piano and the occasional rustling wind- its horn painted in soft pink, gleaming subtly in the light of a single flickering lantern. Vines trail from the beams overhead, dotted with minty green bioluminescent fungi that glow just bright enough to read by.
A stack of well-loved books rests on the windowsill, spines cracked, pages leafed. In the corner, nestled in a tangle of dried chamomile and moss, is the rooms sole attendant: a long-eared barn owl. Their feathers are speckled like fallen ash, and they blink slowly as customers pass, as if judging them silently before going back to staring into the fireless hearth.
It is night/span>46F(7C) degrees, and the sky is covered by dark grey stormclouds. The mist is heaviest At Carnation and Blackstone/span> There is a waning crescent moon.
Obadiah quickly gets redressed and gets his phone from his suit jacket pocket, “Well thank goodness Matias didn’t get mist nabbed anyway.” He looks around and squints, “So what is plan B?”
Jakem says “Tasting temptations looks like the best bet.“
Teagan tries not to rub at her face. She really does. Because it’s right on top of the place. Of course. “I can’t necessarily reschedule unless I reschedule to tomorrow.”
Jakem nods to Teagan “Whatever you feel is best. Tomorrow’s the other thing, but that shouldn’t last long.”
Jakem says “Tasting temptations should be on the far east side of the borough.“
“Right… There are multiple other things tomorrow. Fuck me.” Teagan taps her foot a few times. “Okay. Tasting Temptations. I guess we get the word out and make *our* trek there, then.”
Jakem says, looking again, “Oh I guess it’s in the middle, but it’s a good ways off from here. “
Jakem nods “Anyone need a ride?”
Obadiah nods
Obadiah says “I got the absentminded professer. Tasting temptations right?“
Jakem nods to Obadiah “That’s the plan.”
Jakem looks about “I mean this isn’t a half bad place to have it all things considered.”
“It’s not, no. It’s just that The Witch’s Hut is… well, better.” Teagan does start going about getting this place setup, making her way east to the main room.
Obadiah says “So… I think the scouts got bored and went home…“
Jakem glances to Obadiah “Bored of what? Watching for mist nappings?”
Obadiah meant logging but logging is working oy
“Well, I’m starting to worry I did all this work for the mist to destroy it,” Teagan says with a frown, hand curled against her cheek as she considers the room. “Maybe I should have just started working on something like the winter equinox ball. I’m sure that’ll be put on my plate again.” Even though she mutters to herself, the employees are working on getting things arranged.
Just in case people do show.
Jeremiah doffs his hat and offers the group a formal bow.
Jakem chuckles and looks to Teagan “Eh, I like the smaller events myself, but yeah it’s always frustrating when externals bomb yer showings.” he comments. “During the Den’s grand opening, there was some huge kerfuffle between the factions and people were in and out constantly going to deal with it.”
Jakem lets out a soft whistle as he looks to Jeremiah “Now that’s an outfit.”
Obadiah nods Jeremiah with a lift of his hat as he adjusts his cufflinks with a grin. “Lord Jeremiah. Very dapper today!”
Matias leans in the southwestern doorframe and blinks while seeing the group and decides, “Guess they are okay.”
Obadiah says “Of course I did. And you.“
Obadiah wags his brows suggestively at Matias when he pulls his hand away from his microphone
Jakem whistles as he looks back to Jeremiah “You doing the butler thing now?” He asks, head tilting.
Jeremiah nods. “You rang?”
Teagan takes a break from going around and getting things done with the new venue and putting the employees of Tasting Temptations to work. She makes her way to Obadiah’s side. “Before we were… interrupted earlier. The … planned guest judge-” she squints across at Jakem, “couldn’t make it. That means you’re in.”
Jakem nods solemnly to Jeremiah “It seems Lord Fomperdoodle is allergic to the commoner’s air. Could you go up to the perfumery, breath in heftily, and then come back down and breath in his face?”
He pauses a beat
“For the rest of tonight?”
Jakem blinks at Teagan, lifting a hand to his crown “Oh, huh, well I guess this baby will have to wait until Sunday to make a proper appearance.”
“No, no.” Teagan says to Jakem. “Obie will be judging, not you. Keeps people from claiming favoritism or somesuch if he were to win.” She waves a hand absently and checks her phone.
Matias pats himself down and looks at his bloodied outfit then tilts his head while slumped in the doorway. “Bloody and disheveled or shower…” he wonders to himself and then closes his eye for a moment while fishing around in his jean pocket and pulling out a seed and pressing it against a wound beneath his shirt for a moment.
Jakem looks to Matias “We’re surrounded by parks. I bet at least one has a pond or something.”
Obadiah nods to Teagan, “Right right well it is practically City Ordinance that MPM studios judge all competitions.” He winks at her and adds, “I cheat anyway.”
Jakem says “Oh, wait, follow me Matias!“
Jakem says, with a glance back, “We’ll return.“
Teagan looks up as Jakem calls to Matias. Eyebrows rise with some interest, mouth pulling into a little grin. “I look forward to your return.”
There is some wet sound from beneath his sweater and then he pulls out waht looks like a withering leafy plant and flicks it off to the corner where it continues to fall apart to dust. Matias pushes off the door frame, “Sure.”
Teagan glances at the chat and looks up to Jeremiah with a smile. “Thank you. How have you been?”
Jeremiah smiles at Teagan. “I’m good, thanks. Work’s been a bit busy, and I bought a house, but other than that, same old. And you?
Obadiah whistles innocently at whatever he whispered and then looks to Jeremiah. “You snore,” he teases, “Or Esme does. I know she does. One of you woke me up early this morning.”
Whatever Obadiah whispered to Teagan earns him a small smile as she reaches for his hand, tucking her own into it. “No more apartment in the Ivory Quarter?” There’s a small snort as the other couple in the loft is accused of snoring. “Where’s the house? Brownstone or…?”
Jakem says “Matias is coming back with a clean shirt, because apparently he thinks Obie’ll penalize him elsewise.“
Jakem nabs one of the cakes, devouring it entirely with a jaw that looks almost serpentine in how it unhinges.
“It’s Esme, not me. Sounds like a chainsaw. Probably from the smoking.” Jeremiah says. “And yes, I sold the apartment, and bought 14 Atlantic Avenue.”
“He is, in fact, a smart guy,” Obadiah says with a firm nod to Jakem. “Five… wait,” he looks to Teagan, “Are there rules or are the rules made up and the points don’t matter?”
“Penalize him?” Teagan asks as someone returns, watching him on his way to the cakes. “Well, now I’m even more curious. But considering he walks everywhere… this might take a while.” She tilts her head thinking of the location. “Okay, not a bad spot.” Gaze shifts to Obadiah and she grins. “It’s effectively Calvinball. You decide all the parameters for the hats.” And then she’s leaning up and whispering something to him.
“Penalize him?” Teagan asks as Jakem returns, watching him on his way to the cakes. “Well, now I’m even more curious. But considering he walks everywhere… this might take a while.” She tilts her head thinking of the location. “Okay, not a bad spot.” Gaze shifts to Obadiah and she grins. “It’s effectively Calvinball. You decide all the parameters for the hats.” And then she’s leaning up and whispering something to him.
Obadiah looks at Teagan did a moment and chuckles a little and nods, “Alright well if I am the judge and I can make up the rules then once everyone is here we will have a competition on three categories that I will announce when the boss says it is time to announce them.”
Mercy hath arrived, windblown and making an obvious, failing effort not to shiver. “Y-yo.” she mumbles to no one in particular while skulking towards the drinks and snack platters.
Jakem nods to Mercy, lifting a hand “Salutations.” he says hoityly.
Mercy at first throws a quick glance and accompanying upnod to Jakem, but then she double-takes and kind of stares at him for a second, unsure, a crinkle in her brow. “.. Whas’ good.”
Jeremiah offers Mercy a sweeping bow. “Mademoiselle Mercy, it does my heart good to see you here this evening.”
Mercy reels back slightly and squints at the two Jeremiahs. “.. Aw hell did I eat mushrooms an’ forget again.”
“Mercy, you need warmer clothes,” Teagan says as the woman appears. She does not seem bothered by the Jakem clones. This must happen all the time! There’s a squint at Obadiah and a glance to the gathered … individuals. “Well, at this rate, it might not be much of a contest. A shame. I think the prizes are fairly good.”
Jakem offers Mercy a sweeping bow. “Senorita Mercy, it fills me with pleasure to see you amongst us this evening.”
Kaelyn pads into the room later than she probably should have. With a little yawn she peers around to the collected group, offering a wave to each. “Could always make it a game,” She rubs her cheeks, not at all dressed up.
Mercy can’t seem to stop looking between the Jeremiahs and debating whether or not she accidentally partook of some party favors ahead of time, but she hears Teagan’s critique and sucks her teeth with an audible tss. “Ayeah it a work in progress, ain’ ever need fuckin’.. winter clothes before, gotta figure out what to buy. Stupid ass cold weather.”
Obadiah leans in to whisper something back to Teagan and then gives her a look before looking back to the gathering of people, “Right well in a bit, everyone with a hat can raise their hand, and I will judge it.”
Jakem scoffs at Obadiah’s suggestion “A gentlman does not raise his hand to a lady, my good sir.”
Kaelyn tucks her hands behind her back strolling up to Mercy, bumping into the other woman’s shoulder she huffs with a smile. “He’s not a ball and chain. He is my heart.” Though this is said with a teasing edge, the smile on her face probably gives her away, “He is working on a project.”
Obadiah looks up at Kaelyn and makes a small gagging noise but winks at her, clearly teasing her. “Kai’s projects give me pause some times.”
Jakem scoffs once again, or perhaps for the first time, depending on how well one keeps track of which one is doing the scoffing “Ruffians and their roughhousing rigahmaroh.”
Mercy allows the shoulder bump to jostle her some, a quick roll of the eyes preceding her response to Kaelyn’s correction. “Ain’ make me queasy in public.” she teases back, though somehow with even less vim and vigor than her typical monotone delivery, eyes drifting back to Jeremiah the one she assumes is the real one anyway, given the attire of the other. “Ain’ I run into you recently?”
Jeremiah bows. “Indeed so, good madam, but you had four legs and more hair at the time.”
Matias walks back into the makeshift space and makes his way over towards one of the tables with an arrangement of tea and settles down heavily in a chair while holding his ribs with a free hand. “I expected a much bigger turnout for this, did the venue change throw people off?” he looks around as if expecting some people to jump out of closet or something.
Jakem bows “Indeed so, mademoiselle, but your coat was more robust at the time.”
Mercy purses her lips at that, a few things coming back to her now. “Oh. Righ’, yeah. Ah.. Yeah so anyway sup.” Smooth save.
Mercy grunts and tells the OTHER Jeremiah, “Like to see you put on a convincin’ impression of ME.”
Jeremiah smiles at Mercy. “Not much. How are you doing, Mercy?”
Teagan gives Obadiah a long look at whatever he whispered to her. She purses her lips slightly, but gives a small nod before murmuring something back. To Kaelyn, she says: “I did tell Kai that if he dumps you again, I’m going to maim him. He’s not allowed. You can break up with him, but not the other way around.” Still leaving the Jeremiah duo to… whatever, she does lift the hand not holding Obadiah’s to wave to Matias’ return. “Possibly. Or maybe it’s the cold. Everyone’s having a hard time adapting it seems.”
Kaelyn sticks her tongue out at the gagging noise, nodding to Obadiah. “They probably should. Though, I’m not entirely sure what it is this time.” Mercy gets a chuckle, “But, I can still make you sigh in disappointment.” Raising a hand, she waves to Matias in greeting. Though it was starting to dawn on her that there were two someone, huh. A thought that was quickly banished as Teagan spoke, “Oh, I did hear about that.” Her gaze softened, “It made him happy, even if he won’t admit it.”
Kaelyn sticks her tongue out at the gagging noise, nodding to Obadiah. “They probably should. Though, I’m not entirely sure what it is this time.” Mercy gets a chuckle, “But, I can still make you sigh in disappointment.” Raising a hand, she waves to Matias in greeting. Though it was starting to dawn on her that there were two Jeremiah s, huh. A thought that was quickly banished as Teagan spoke, “Oh, I did hear about that.” Her gaze softened, “It made him happy, even if he won’t admit it.”
For what ever reason Mercy recoils again, this time from Jeremiah model A’s smile and pleasant demeanor- once again suspicious of this impossibly friendly man. “.. M’fine.” she mumbles in response, catching Matias’ comment which seems to prompt an annoyed huff and the fishing around of her phone in a pocket.
Jakem gives a little distasteful sniff of Mercy “I’m not doing an impression of you, fuck-nugget. You’re doing one of me.”
Mercy shoots off a few messages, sniffing loudly and using her free hand to give Jakem the finger without looking up from her phone screen.
Matias leans back heavily in the chair while watching the small gathering and then looks around as if seeking the teas.
Jakem ante’s up to Mercy, offering both of her middle fingers in return as she looks over at the cakes.
It would seem no one has brought tea yet, though there are a few trays of drinks that Teagan made sure were provided. She gives a nod to Kaelyn before turning to Obadiah and giving his hand another squeeze. “I think your judging might be surprisingly easy. Unless you make them jump through hoops for it.”
Mercy says “Swear to jesus if people stayin’ home cause they got BOO-BOOS.“
Obadiah looks around a little after the whispered conversation with Teagan and nods, “We’ll talk more later.” He pauses then and grins, “Oh no! Their hats must go the distance! the person who is able to throw their hat the farthest wins.”
Teagan nods to Obadiah before stepping away, tapping at her phone. She makes her way over to come of the cakes and the little ‘drink me’ bottles, gathering up a couple (after tucking away her phone… somewhere temporarily) of each to bring back over to the Hat Judge. “Since no one brought actual tea, maybe we should just go for the tea of the other kind.”
“Tea of another kind… ” Matias says while considering Teagan and then offering, “Well if someone can shock me with their gossip. I will tell you which Professor was so unabashedly horny that the Governoring board actually modified the anti-sex ritual on the school to apply to all our offices.”
Matias says “As a reward.“
Teagan says “I actually know the answer to this. Good thing I’m the hostess.“
Mercy rounds on Teagan when her ears pick up the mention of another kind of tea- best served ice cold. “M’listenin’.”
Kaelyn pad over to the food table, she seems to be debate on which item to take before answering, “Isn’t that a trick question. According to which rumors you hear, all of them.”
Kaelyn waves to Tessa and Eric as the enter.
Tessa says “Merc, don’t make me stab you.“
Teagan shakes her head to Kaelyn as she hands off a cake and a drink to Obadiah. “It was a specific one. Miss Kane told me about it.”
Jeremiah waves to Tessa and Eric.
Mercy gasps sharply at something Kaelyn said. “You implyin’ all our teachers are fiendin’?”
Eric says “I came, I conquered“
Eric says “damn “
Tessa blushes.
Eric says “someday, that will actually work“
Jakem hmm’s to Teagan “I suppose we could always do the hat competition then? We were gonna see who could pitch ’em the farthest or something?”
Kaelyn selects a snack with a chuckle to Mercy, “If you believe what you he-” She pauses as Eric does actually punch the woman. One. Two. She shakes her head waiting for the blow back as she comments to Matias and Teagan, “I’ll admit I am a little curious.”
Obadiah looks at he crowd and is about to start the competition when the fight breaks out and just makes a face. “Alex is going to have a field day reporting this. I can hear it now… And a fight broke out at Teagan Lawson’s mad hatter themed party on Wednesday night Jordan, Because of course it did Alex.”
“Obie is overseeing the hat competition,” Teagan says, holding up her little ‘drink me’ tagged bottle. “I got this all organized. I have prizes on me. But I’m no judge.” Nope, she just opens the bottle and takes a drink. There is a sidelong look at Obadiah and a smirk. “But alas, not a dance battle.”
Mercy takes the unexpected punch to her jaw without a sound, head jerking back slightly from the force, then glances back to Eric blankly.
Eric shrugs, offering Mercy splayed open palms. “Worth a try,” he beams at her, expression one of purest innocence.
Tessa murmurs, “…Good thing I’m already pregnant.”
Mercy returns the favor a bit lower, then starts to head back to the refreshments table.
Jakem nods firmly with Teagan’s words and gets ready to frisbee his crown “Okay, one two, watch the shoe, three four, there’s the door, five six, you’ll get your fix, seven eight, let’s end the wait.” he says before hucking the crown…
Jeremiah winces at the kick Eric took to the cho-chos.
Eric wasn’t expecting that, and he crumples like a puppet with its strings cut, ending up in a heap at Mercy’s feet, clutching at his groin. “Fuck,” he squeaks, voice gone high and pained.
Mercy watches Jakem ace it. “Dang, good arm.”
Matias watches the crowd begin to form and the games begin while holding his ribs and sitting in a chair, he finally reaches out and drinks one of the suspiciously provided drinks … what could go wrong.
Jakem does a finger gun towards Mercy “And that’s how you win a hat competition I assume.” he says.
Teagan gives an appropriate clap for Jakem, setting her drink on the table by her. “Does anyone think they can do better?!”
Tessa strokes a hand over Eric’s hair, shaking her head a little. “I swear, I’ll never be used to you people,” she mumbles, fondly.
Teagan is definitely not throwing her headband. It lacks anything even remotely resembling aerodynamics.
Kaelyn kneels down to look at the crumpled form of Eric, “You going to live?” She peers up to Mercy, “Your jaw going to be alright?”
“Wait is this part of the competition?” Obadiah asks getting his own hat ready to toss because fuck why not
“I mean, if you put them all to shame that just proves why you’re the judge,” Teagan tells Obadiah while she nibbles on a cake. Because cake.
Jakem calls to Obadiah “Huh, this was the original idea. Teagan was keeping it a suprise so people wouldn’t bring in hat-cheats.”
Mercy has not a shred of sympathy for Eric’s plight or future bloodline, a hand working at her sore jaw before she answers Kaelyn, “Ayeah, had worse.”
Jakem calls out “You know, like hats with drones in ’em? It’s a real issue on the competitive circuit.”
Tessa boos Jakem.
Eric drags himself very, very slowly to a sitting position.
Obadiah uses raw skill to stack his top hat on top of Jakem’s crown and grind at his success. “Hell yeah.”
Jeremiah snaps.
Kaelyn moves to stand again, peering to Jakem, “Telekinesis, though. Could cheat without anything so fancy or expensive as drones.”
Mercy plucks a cake from the stand and turns to lean back against the table, watching Eric’s careful movements with overt satisfaction on her face.
Jakem scoffs at Kaelyn “You ever telekinessed that finely? It’s like winning one of those claw games. It’d be easier just to throw it properly>”
Moving from one table to another, Teagan finds a seat next to Matias, leaning in to say something quietly to him. She does call out in answer to Kaelyn “Eric would just start complaining about magic and we’d know it was done.”
“Technically psionics is not magic that werewolves can sense, but maybe Eric is a psychic himself?” Matias comments in a mildly strained baritone of a voice and then sips his tea from the mysterious drinks left out by the hosts and hostess.
With a grin Kaelyn states, “Never done it in my life. I am useless with magic-y things.”
Tessa pats Eric on the back a few times, saying over to Teagan, “I don’t think Eric’s in a state to complain about anything besides his balls right about now.”
Jakem nods a bit to Kaelyn “Magic’s a tough bag if you’re not ready for it.” he pontificates as he squints at his crown which lays beneath Obadiah’s hat.
Eric squeaks out, “Mercy’s stupid fucking magical foot of arcane genital death..” He hobbles to his feet, walking bow-legged and shuffling. “I’d like to lodge a formal complaint about magical misuse…”
“It was a joke,” Teagan says to Matias with a brief sticking out of her tongue. “Well, if he can feel his balls,” she’s at least drinking from the mystery bottles so they can’t be too bad, right? “then he’ll be fine. It’d be a problem if he couldn’t feel them.”
Jakem raises his hand at Teagan’s proclamation “I can’t feel Eric’s balls.” he says, lodging the complaint.
Kaelyn says “If you ask nicely?“
“Have you tried?” Teagan asks Jakem.
Eric very deliberately turns sidelong to Jakem, hiding his front from view.
Matias reaches out very slowly to try and get a little cake but comes up short and his face goes a little red. Leaning back in the chair he asks, “Miss Lawson would you get me a cake?”
“Now you gotta throw somethin’ else on top of Obie’s, an’ keep goin’ till one of you misses.” Mercy informs Jakem with a mouth still full of cake, Eric’s complaints falling on deaf ears for the most part, though she does inform him, “M’kinda known fer havin’ a real mean jewel-kick.”
“Please don’t grope your employees, you’re not a teacher,” Tessa says to Jakem, leaning against a table, sipping an outside drink.
Watching the fountain-adjacent shenanigans, Teagan leans forward and picks up a cake for Matias, settling back to set it before him on a small plate with a tiny chip in it. “There you go.”
“Why’s everyone say the teachers’re horny?!” Mercy exclaims after catching that extra bit of conversation, the poor delinquent seeming to be genuinely perplexed.
Obadiah just leans back against the table near Jeremiah and lets the chaos unfold. “This seems appropriate for a Mad Hatter style tea party in New Haven.@
Jakem calls out to Tessa “I like to think I have a lot to teach people about all manner of things.” He waggles his brows at Eric “Come back to my office, I’ll show yah a thing or two about…” he frowns “Actualy nah, all I know is showmanship and that’s not for back offices.”
Eric blinks at Mercy, genuinely shocked. “Have you met Thomas?”
“…Really?” Tessa asks Mercy, blinking about six times at her, baffled by her bafflement.
“Some teachers had a bad habit of favoring students.” Matias says absently while accepting a cake plate from Teagan and then beginning to dig in.
“Helen makes Thomas look perfectly chaste to be honest,” Teagan mutters as she takes another sip of her drink.
Mercy looks between Eric and Tessa with her chin inclined slightly. “Course I met mister Hale, an’ what you mean -really-? Everyone been real polite.”
“Well, Helen’s a … I’d call her a cock goblin but she’s equal opportunity,” Tessa says, waving the subject away.
Jeremiah nods in agreement with Obadiah. “It really, really does.”
“No.” Matias informs Kaelyn and then adds, “If anyone has some tea to share, we can begin judging. I know quite a few secrets throughout the city.”
Eric glances down, distracted from boggling at Mercy by whatever it is he sees.
“Did you know there was a very prominent member of the Hand who had a ritual fetish for being turned into a woman.” Matias says suggestively.
“Miss Lawson is dating Obie and Alhambra is eighteen.” Matias points out to Tessa
“He’s standing right over there,” Teagan says with a slight smirk as she settles back absently in her chair. “She means Eloa,” she asides to Matias.
Mercy preemptively shushes everyone around her once Matias starts pouring.
“Is it also on brand to declare myself the winner because I topped Jakem,” Obadiah asks Jeremiah. “Then I give myself the prize.” He looks around then asks over the crowd to Teagan, “Teagan! How many prizes can I give out?”
Jakem calls to Matias “That ritual fetish was super public info. All over the New Haven chat for a while. You gotta give real secrets.”
“Ayeah but to be fair weren’t Eloa kinda hookin’ up with anyone who looked at her?” Mercy asks, more honest than with judgment.
“I was openly dating Eloa after she graduated. I am not sure what is so scandalous about that except my bad judgement.” Matias says with a strained baritone of a voice and sounding rather grouchy as he has some more cake.
“I don’t see why not.” Jeremiah says to Obadiah with a shrug. “It’s already madness.”
Eric peers around, then wonders, “So do all wizards just date their apprentices? Is that part of the wizard package?”
“Very bad judgement,” Teagan tells Matias before directing a shrug in Mercy’s direction. Blue eyes rise to Obadiah, considering the question. “I have two prizes. One for the hat, one for the tea. But so far, no one seems to have any tea for Matias so you might be able to give out two prizes.”
“Bad judgement is me fucking King, bad judgement isn’t dipping your pen in toxic sludge,” Tessa says with a dismissive tone. “Especially because she wanted to gut me over you looking in my direction while I was totally combat untrained, because SOME squid blew us off and then we almost died,” she huffs.
“It is very common to sexually abuse apprentices. They are young, talented, normally good looking. Not all Arcanists do it, but when you find a new member of your pack what are the odds another pack member ends up dating them?” Matias says to Eric as if prompting him.
“Not very high ‘less you jus’ mean King.” Mercy tells Matias flatly.
Eric pats Tessa fondly on the arm, telling her soothingly, “You can be my apprentice.”
Matias finishes off his cake and looks up at Tessa, “Are you suggesting I have ever been attracted to you?” he wonders in a kind of vague bit of awe.
Kaelyn tucks her hands behind her back, “That’s not really dating, though. King’s married and-” She shakes her head not touching that subject more.
“Every time I think I have a handle on the sheer bugnutsiness of this town… I’m flat-ass wrong.” Jeremiah says, just watching and shaking his head.
Teagan becomes very busy stuffing her face with a few cucumber sandwiches.
Tessa outright laughs, a hand going to her stomach, head tipping back with it. “Oh, hon, no, god, gross, no. I’m suggesting you literally had me in your eyeline and she was so, so fucking jealous of it. Hilariously jealous, given I’ve made it fairly clear my opinions.”
“Bless you.” Mercy shoots off to Jeremiah for what ever word that was he used that she mistook as a cough or sneeze, otherwise engrossed in this widespread sharing of the tea. She nods to Kaelyn, too, shrugging. “He’s married -now-, an’ yeah it ain’ really datin’ but you know what I mean.”
“I was going to say because if it was between worldly lovers. I would definitely pick Casey. She can sing.” Matias informs Tessa while pointing at her with a fork and saying worldly in the kind of way someone say something somewhat rude but very politely.
“Who hasn’t picked Casey a time or six?” Tessa waves that subject off as one might a particularly disgusting bug.
Jakem nods to Tessa “Mercy and I had Casey the other night.”
Obadiah looks at his phone and frowns at it before looking up and between Teagan and Tessa then looks back to Jeremiah before looking back to Teagan, “We’ll before this becomes a shit show First prize…. Jakem! Second prize… Jeremiah!”
Mercy leans in towards Matias like she’s just about to spill something herself, though she seems to second-guess it and stops- only for Tessa and Jakem to chime in on the very name she meant to throw shade on.
Eric turns his gaze idly to Matias, brows lowering.
“She’s a sister, and I love her owner, but that’s another…. sewage dump I wouldn’t touch with someone else’s cock,” Tessa says, in the sweetest tone she can manage.
“Man some people really do just exist fer the purpose of bein’ used an’ fuckin’ anyone who’s game, huh.” Mercy can only shake her head at that, bewildered.
Jakem shrugs to Mercy “Someone’s gotta do it.” he comments idly as he licks his fingers, looking up to his crown beneath Obadiah’s hat. “Oh I gotta retrieve that. So Who all’s going to Oberon’s Paean this Sunday?”
Matias points his fork at Eric and then puts it down on his plate and seems very lethargic and uncomfortable sitting down on the chair, knees wide and a had against his ribs still. “Lets see… Gossip to get you all sharing gossip… I can reveal the real fate of Hester Flanangan oooo how about that?”
“Jakem, Jeremiah, ah…” Teagan sets her phone down and rifles around on her person before she holds out both hands, fists closed. “Jakem, right or left?” And then, toward the others: “Does anyone have tea that’s… not about sex- ah, Hester. That’s a good one.”
Jakem looks to Teagan “Never right.” he declares with confidence.
“You mean the homeless psycho who breaks into the dorms?” Tessa asks Matias, “Or new tea?”
“New tea like where she lives, what she looks like, how she’s avoiding people, what she is planning, where I found that poor kitten.” Matias says to Tessa
Kaelyn tilts her head to the side, listening in.
Mercy shrugs back at Jakem and helps herself to more cake. “Not really, lotta more interestin’ an’ public things people could be doin’ but to each their own I guess.” Then her attentions is on the mysteries surrounding recent troubles at the dorms. “That’s who been leavin’ spooky blood messages all over?”
“Lukewarm tea,” Tessa decides. “Was she the one who broke into Rain’s?”
Eric plucks up Matias’s fork, considering it between two fingers. A slight smirk quirks at his lips, before in a single fluid motion he drives the fork down, intending to plunge it through Matias’s hand and into the table beneath.
Jakem snaps his fingers at Mercy “You know what, you’re damn right. People should be doing all this much more publicly. On stage even.”
Obadiah retrieves his hat so that Jakem can get husband then returns to the table next to Jeremiah, “Well Gabriel and Dovie are married. That isn’t sex, exactly, but surprised the fuck out of me.”
Jeremiah nods. “Esme seemed really shocked by that one, too.”
Mercy makes that eeeehhhhh squinty face at Jakem. “Maybe.. maybe not all’a that, but some of it sure. Fine. Anythin’ that brings the community together an’ ah.. I guess gives ’em stories to tell later.”
Jakem hmmms to Obadiah “Esme spilled the beans last week on that.”
Teagan opens her left hand and gives Jakem a gemstone. The right-hand is thusly opened to give a different gem to Jeremiah. The latter of which she nearly drops as she tries to reach out to stop Eric, but she is far too distracted and not remotely a quick person. “What the fuck!”
Tessa blinks a few times.
Jakem snickers “I love that this tea party devolved into this in Dovie’s fancy smancy restauraunt.”
“What the fuck y’all doin’?!” Mercy shouts from the snack table, bodily shielding the tiered stand to ensure no harm comes to the cakes.
Eric(wolf) snarls, jaws slavering, blood dripping from the wound in his side.
Jakem calls to Mercy “Didn’t you ask them to do stuff publicly and loud not two minutes ago?”
Obadiah looks to Teagan with a look that can only be described as… what do you want me to do?
“I don’t.” Teagan stands, moving away from the table toward Matias, glaring at the wolf. “Leave. There was no fucking call for that.” She catches Obadiah’s eye. “Help me get him to the theatre, please? I think we’re done here. Mercy, all the leftovers are yours.:”
Eric(wolf) lifts his leg, urinating on Matias’s shoes without an ounce of hesitation. Then he wags his tail and trots towards the door, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
Mercy calls back to Jakem with a wide shrug. “I mean shit I gu-” but then deflates when Teagan calls the night already. “What noooo.. I mean yeah I’ll keep the leftovers but-”
Obadiah nods, shoulders the absentminded professor again and just shakes his head.
Mercy says “What even prompted that? The fuck, we were talkin’ ’bout Hester an’ bam.“
Kaelyn freezes as all this occurred. Seemingly a little slow on the uptake.
Jakem calls to Mercy “I think Eric stole a prize or something? We can get it back later.”
Tessa sighs a little, saying, “Matias has been tempting that for a hot minute, I think him insulting me got the hellhound… displeased,” before scrubbing a hand down her face.
Teagan is nigh radiating rage as she heads out after, jaw tight.
Jeremiah just shakes his head. “See? Bugnuts.”