[Open] 🚬 November Flames

[burnitblack]

Who: Dabi & others
What: November Catch-All
When: November
Where: Various

Content Warnings: Potential mentions of domestic/child abuse, potential mentions of murder, violence, adult language/subjects

Notes: General and specific starters and event prompts are found below. Contact under cut.

If you want to hit me up for ideas on prompts or plots, feel free to comment on Dabi's CR meme post or his Event plotting post, hit me up on my contacts – Plurk (StarSeed69) / Discord (StarSeed#3572) – shoot me a PM, or drop an ooc comment down below, and we’ll hash it out. I'm down to write a unique starter for our threads if you prefer.

Comments

[burnitblack]

Prompt zero ... random

General Prompts  
Here are four non-event-related prompts that are going to be general setups for meeting and interacting with Dabi.
1) - Convenience Store Broker
2) - Farther Shores Scavenger
3) - Hunter, Getting Started
4) - Night Walker, Gambling or *ahem*
All of these can be plotted out for more specific starters/threads, or you can simply tag into the ones available.

[burnitblack]

Prompt One ... A WORLD OF NONSENSE

① [it's not the first time he's seen some random kid run away out the corner of his eye. even in this murderous world full of monsters and threats, people are having children. whether or not they have the mental capacity to raise those children, or whether it's considered a testament of the human stubbornness to survive on good faith and hope alone, or if it's a stupid and selfish decision to bring a child into this hellish place, is up to the onlooker to decide. dabi feels it's a mixture of both. children can become corrupted just as easily as adults and he's ended the lives of a few beasts that he got the distinct feeling the person the beast used to be was still a child. the parents left behind after such a thing...

ah well. no sense in thinking about that. he's far beyond the notion of regret. dwelling will just make him go crazy.

but considering the circumstances, maybe he already has. children. more of them over the past few days. first time he heard that laugh, it'd been unnerving. mostly because he hadn't be anywhere near kids. ignored it. went away. but it happened again, this time outside on the beach. that's when he knew it was something to do with trench. playing with his mind. enough to finally drive him to the point of action the next time he saw another child peek out the peripheral of his vision and dart away. yeah, no.

dabi veers off his course, following after the child. it's the flash of red hair that really rankles him. unwilling to let it go, he weaves through the market's crowd, leading with an arm or shoulder and either slipping between people or roughly forcing his way through if they're obstinate. turquoise eyes narrowed and burning after the kid running about waist high. had enough of this asshole bothering him. if trench wants to get his attention, fine. he'll bite.]

Ya better be leadin me somewhere or I ain't promisin you a good endin.

[but knowing this is a trench-related event, dabi keeps his eyes out for anyone else he might recognize as going through the same, someone searching or hunting like him. not his particular choice, but if it'll stop these damn hauntings, so be it.]

[burnitblack]

Prompt two ... WILL YOU BE A FRIEND OF MINE

① [the initial request from nevermind went right past his head. like hell does he care about the tower or anyone else claiming to be "gods" in this place. the pthumerians can go fuck themselves. at least, that's what he usually start out as. unfortunately, the "god" had to throw in a reward for assistance. which always piques dabi's interest. especially since the rewards recently have been rather... rewarding. learning that other sleepers are invited and forming into groups, as well as the allure of hunting along the way, convinces the villain to agree to the trip. not for nevermind, not for the tower, and not even for his fellow sleepers, but rather just for himself. it's how he's survived this long. the presence-masking silver ring on a chain is worth it.

the path itself isn't entirely overgrown, but the trees compressing around them are enough to clog the air and smother the light. dabi hangs near the side of the group, having traded off a mount a while ago. even if he'd prefer to keep riding, he's not stupid enough to go against the entire group. back to walking. cold and clammy weather seeps between the boughs and trunks, chill shadows offering suggestions on what made the noises occasionally wandering through the air. occasional animals dart into the brush amid the casual conversation the group carries along with them. for now, the going isn't too difficult, but it's not a simple path either. and the threat of a beast or monster remains on all minds. dabi's content to keep to his own thoughts and listen to the conversation around him, but if he's bothered...]

What?

[...at least it's a response.]

② [shadows bulge and another set of claws race past with chattering teeth and rattling fur. the company closes in on itself, facing outward in a quick flanking circle while the creatures around them swirl in a rotating pack. he knows what they're doing: trying to pick off a member of the group that manages to get bumped out or strike out first. basic pack hunting tactics. damn things don't seem to be all that strong, considering the corpse of one nearby, but there's a large number of them, and they're pointy and sharp on all sides. dabi's lips curve down in a scowl at the proceedings. it'd be easy to set the entire place on fire, clear out some of the gloom and get some light in here, but doing so would cause the whole forest to go up. originally, he wouldn't give a shit about that, but considering the entire reason they're out here (getting hunted) is to collect that damn piece of fungus.]

Urusei. [growling at the sleeper beside him, dabi's blue flames ignite around his hand, blazing up into light and heat.] You got a better idea?

③ [success. all this work for a piece of blooming rot. losing one or two of their company has hit some of the group hard, though dabi doesn't really care about their deaths. his only real irk about it is spilling sleeper blood for the sake of helping the pthumerians, aka: their kidnappers. but that ire'll pass by soon enough. no one who died was anyone he knew, so whatever. they'll be back. for now, the villain crouches down beside the bloody body, leaving the other sleepers to tend to gathering the mushroom from the tree. he busies himself with looting the dead, taking the silver chain and ring for himself before checking through their pockets. it'll only be a few minutes before the body vanishes, so best work fast.]

Don't bother. They're dead. Ain't gonna do them any good now.

3

[aetherweaver]

[He hesitates and then sighs. He doesn't really agree with it, but the other's a scavenger. It's not like he hasn't picked pockets during his adventuring days - of the dead, not the living. He crouches near the other body and swiping their chain and ring. He looks through their pockets and finds a gold coin. The design is unfamiliar, but hey - it's something to trade.]

[He stands up once he's done, eying Dabi and walking over to the mushroom. He carefully gathers it and slips the bag into his pocket. Dull red eyes sweep over the scene... there's not much they can do except...]

Need to get back. Not like there's anything left here unless you want to collect Beast parts.

[Probably not the best idea, due to their corruption - but it's a possibility, he guesses. His unusually pale face is mostly blank, unconcerned about what Dabi's doing. He looks almost like his mind is elsewhere...]

If we get going now we can probably get back before nightfall.

[burnitblack]

[that's how dabi sees it. they're not using it and even if the place doesn't run on money, "money" things can still be used for trade. some sleepers will come back and they'll probably be looking for their things (something dabi's experienced personally) so there's a chance whatever looting they're doing will end up vanishing later, if trench is a thorough dick, but that's a good enough reason to test it out.

noticing nara'a taking the other body's ring, dabi gives a soft 'tch' of annoyance, but doesn't make to try and swipe it. knew he should've grabbed all of them immediately and then come back. oh well, it's not the first time he's shared spoils with nara'a. kind of is okay with that when it comes to the miqo'te.

some of the rest of their party are finishing off the remaining beasts with little trouble. asides from these few deaths, they came out relatively unscathed.]

Nah. Those aren't the greatest for tradin. [sure they're useful to many people, but lugging them through the forest is asking for something to be attracted to the blood and presence. corruption is another aspect. don't want to get all that blood on you. dabi pushes himself up after finishing off the bodies. one of them is already starting to decompose.]

Want me to light the forest on fire?

[which one of their group immediately protests too and calls dabi out on being crazy. well, he is, but considering the beasts and shit that could be lurking around hunting them, a forest fire would technically give them cover from other attacks, despite also endangering them.]

[aetherweaver]

[Even if Dabi had been concerned about grabbing the ring, Nara'a wouldn't have cared. Finder's keepers, at least right now. He's not too worried about Dabi backstabbing him for something as small as this. He's relatively comfortable with the villain, and he's not going to really push his luck unless he really feels like it.]

[He gives a soft sound of amusement. Yeah, that's what he thought.]

Not really. It won't exactly help anything at this point. There's no need to expend all of that energy.

[And put Dabi at risk, besides. Even though people come back here, he'd rather not see Dabi burn himself down to cinders. It'd be a waste.]

[One of the group huffs about the long walk back and Nara'a just turns to him with a mild expression.]

Would you like to walk back on your own? No? I thought not. Let's get going.

[burnitblack]

[guess they have a mutual respect and boundary for each other. dabi's selfish and loyal to himself, but he's capable of playing the teammate role if it suits him. nara'a's managed to make himself "suitable" for dabi's continued activities with him. he doesn't feel endangered around him. respects him enough not to drop his guard, but he's good with teaming up and/or working with him with little convincing.]

Didn't think so.

[dabi snorts at the retort towards the other hunter's gripe, and then turns to head back to the tangled path that led them here. the brambles and original vines and roots have already been cleared out from the way in, so at least the trek out won't be as difficult.]

Gonna be another three day trip... [complete with forest walking, camping out, night watches, and the rest.] You'd think they'd have those damn lanterns workin out here...

[But since they're far from Trench's borders, it's hoofing raw out here.]

[aetherweaver]

It's tempting to just put one down and be done with it, but no. This area isn't defensible.

[The Outpost still isn't either, but it's getting there. He sighs deeply and ignores the hunter's muttering about 'soft-hearted fools'. He knows that most of them don't like him since he drags Beasts to Sanctuary, but that's his decision and not theirs. His ears pull back as he hears a snap of a branch further off in the woods, which gets the hunters moving.]

[No one wants to stay here at night.]

The path back is still going to be rough, cleared out or no. There's plenty of monsters out there.

['You gonna drag them back, too?' Nara'a just turns and snarls at the hunter, who takes a step back. He huffs and turns back towards their destination, starting to walk. If the hunter wants to keep being an asshole, he can walk on his own. He doesn't need this guy.]

2.

[whowillmourn]

Even in the dark of night, Mayerling runs his eyes around and across the whole pack of beasts. Not a set of wings among them. He rotates Never Mind's ring around his finger and nods to himself. For a creature of the night, for an apex predator of his world, for an experienced warrior, for all of that and more, Mayerling has fled a great many confrontations. Fighting every battle that presents itself is a quick path to death. They need not these beasts deaths, only distance from them.

"Yes," Mayerling replies to the question. With calm confidence, Mayerling picks up his coffin and stands it on edge. "Everyone, grab on to the coffin!"

For his part, his feet become organic metal, extending into claws. In a moment, he moves from standing beside Dabi to standing atop the coffin, his claws wrapped around a handle there. His cloak unfurls into large bat-like wings, so that no question can remain. He means to fly.

[burnitblack]

This would be so much easier if he could use his flames. But the damn mushroom is the problem and that leaves him with little options when it comes to battling. Not that he won't use his Quirk if things get worse than they are right now. No damn "god" is worth his life. He only came out here for this ring and if they fail to acquire the mushroom, well too fucking bad. No one said he had to get the mushroom or die. It was only an attempt.

"Sure we're not crammin into it?" Dabi glances to the large item in their midst. It's been a pain in the ass carrying that thing once the carriage proved unable to travel further, limiting their main movement to night when they didn't have to lug the blasted coffin around. But considering the person inside, worth the effort. Still, everyone's quick to follow orders and grab onto the vampire's coffin. The way his wings appear leaves no doubt as to the intent.

Dabi's only going along for the ride until they clear the trees.

[whowillmourn]

"No time," Mayerling says. As they all grab on, he spins, pushing a wave of air to hold back the beasts for a moment. The point is not to fight but to flee. To live. The goal is the mushroom, not these beasts.

Then he takes off, beating large wings against the night so that they shoot upward, even with the weight of the coffin and multiple people holding onto it. He trusts them to convince the beasts not to follow too closely and guides them through the trees into the night sky.

The moon shines bright, illuminating the tops of the trees, and Moon Presence hangs in the sky near it. He inclines his head out of respect and continues their journey above, instead of below, the trees. It's not the most efficient, but it is free of unwanted company.

[burnitblack]

He'll accept that point for the time being. Air rushes past, blowing the creatures back long enough to give them clearing to take off. Dabi holds onto the coffin, looking below them at the retreating ground. Like riding on that giant's back, but not as fun...

Wing beats remind of a certain someone and he frowns at the memory. Feathered that time, not these leathery ones. But it's a grand testament to Mayerling's strength to so easily carry this many people and his heavy coffin. They people hanging on aren't making any noise, not wanting to beasts to follow them, though they definitely have to keep their faces down if they're flying through the trees. At least until the sky breaks open around them and they're free.

Dabi would say it's pretty damn efficient. He glances to the tree tops below. Someone on the coffin whispers something about "who found this guy" and hell if anyone's got an answer. Sleepers. They're weird and come from who the hell knows where. Least the moon's offering a grand backdrop in the night sky.

[whowillmourn]

Despite the danger, the distance from Trench, and the dependence on the people reliant on him in the moment, Mayerling smiles as he continues their flight in the direction Never Mind gave them. What pleasure to fly free in the night, to swoop upward and save them all in the moment without spilling a drop of blood. He hears the talk, but that too is music to his ears. Weirdness and wonder.

Focusing on the land beyond their immediate group, Mayerling focuses his hearing and sense of smell on the ground blocked by trees. There's no sign the beasts follow them particularly. He flies until he can sense them no longer and some besides.

Quietly, he directs his voice down to the others. "Does anyone detects any immediate dangers below?" Mayerling asks. Far be it from him to assume they lack their own unique gifts.

[burnitblack]

Prompt three ... closed

① [this damn month. he never gave much thought to the blood running inside him, finding the milky hue of his paleblood to be pretty disgusting once it appeared. who wanted to bleed white? the additional abilities that blood gave him are far more an annoyance than a boon, in his opinion. telling the future through dreams is only so helpful, as talking about it leads to attempted changes. and reading minds is just... annoying. he usually doesn't want to talk to people in the first place, so why the hell does he want to go inside their heads in addition? though the additional boost in his quirk's strength at night is a welcome boon. someone once said his blood could cause hallucinations, but hell if dabi's attempted to tap into that attribute. what good are distractions when he can simply burn what's in front of him?

tch. whatever. something for him to ponder later, not when he's lifting his hand and knocking on shigaraki's door. the pulsing glow of his moon-white veins under his skin is an eerie sight, even visible beneath the purple, gnarled flesh of his burn scars. looks like some freak of nature when he lights are out... what a great way to announce "my blood's fucked up this month" on sight.

shigaraki called, so this is him calling back.]

Ya wanted to show me somethin?

[comecatchthesehands]

In fairness, it isn't so much his door as it is his place that he happens to be at that moment. There's a reason he doesn't own a lot of worldly things here and it's to keep light and able to move. All of that is about to change. He now owns things that are unworldly, some sentient, some not, some he's not sure about at all, but every single one of these creations feels fucking great. Calling Dabi had been an excited move on his part, what sort of Excitement™️ he actually has to share with the world which is less excited and more a lovely grin.

Shigaraki answers and pauses at the sudden glow, eyes narrowing at him and head tilting. "Shut the door behind you, Edward. Watch your step, too. I'd duck down if I were you once you come through the door." Which he does, himself. They're approximately the same height and it's probably for the best he does. If he doesn't, he's going to feel fingers running down his face and even if he doesn't, he'll likely just be barely missed by said long, bone white arms creeping down from the ceiling in a mass of whatever gelatinous thing which might be flesh, that is on the ceiling gurgling down at him. One large eye looks painfully bloodshot and Shigaraki gives the other reaching creatures on either side of this dilapidated building no mind as they make varying sounds and noises. Some of which look like they've been melded with rudimentary technology in mad scientist attempts only best left to a certain someone back home.

"Don't kill them. I'm not sure which one I like the best." Mon, for all intents and purposes doesn't seem fussed, running after what seems like something that has multiple legs and around body. If it's running or rolling is another question left best to the mind of a madman. "Looks like both our blood types are running wild."

[burnitblack]

That still makes it "his" door. Dabi's not gonna go knock on "a" door, cause hell if that indicates Shigaraki's behind it. First time he's ever come out to meet the other villain at one of his haunts. Look at him, being a social caller. It honestly feels strange, standing here like some weird neighbor outside the man's current abode. Rather than letting himself in after a furtive glance around or skulking into the door under the cover of night. Then again, considering the general atmosphere of Trench, it's always a little bit gloomy at any given time.

Dabi quirks a brow at the greeting. Not even a "hello", but instead a narrowed eye and tilted head... and who the fuck is "Edward"? If that's a joke, he's not getting it. "Are ya still sane?" Good enough first question. Close the door. Watch your step. Duck. Petulantly, he doesn't do the first order, leaving that for "Edward" to task. But at least he does duck.

Just in time too.

Something brushes his hair and Dabi instinctively slide/jerks to the side, dropping his shoulders and curving a like a startled cat. Head jerks up, white spikes of hair bouncing a bit as he looks to the culprit.

That-

-is a fucking monster. Immediately flames flare p on his fingers, arm pulled across his chest in preparation to fling a mess of fire right up into the creature's face. Shigaraki might not know it's here (who the fuck knows how these things work) but he can still get rid of it because it casts whatever thrall it's holding over the other man on him.

Don't kill them.

That's the only thing that keeps him from outright torching the place. Though he isn't backing down from a ready preparation either. It's very tempting to "not hear" that comment.

"Ya wanna explain this?"

[comecatchthesehands]

To being asked if he's sane, he only gives a grunted noise of reply. There's no reason to answer it because Dabi will make his own decision if he does or doesn't. That doesn't stop Shigaraki from being insane or not, but he's pretty sure he's as lucid as he's ever been.

The flames are expected and so Shigaraki turns back around with his hands in the pockets of his dark sweatpants, looking lacklustre between him and Dabi. He trusts that there will be hesitation because there's no reason to actually kill it. "I warned you. I don't know why you're so jumpy."

A shrug is what the explanation is. "Because I can is how it started. I tried to create something with my blood shit this month. It turned out like..." He's looking around, reaching over a small half wall that only separates a way out onto a back deck that no longer exists out there. "This." 'This' is what was supposed to likely be the beginnings of a console he wanted to try to create for himself, something to pass the time that isn't people. He's found a few interesting things on the beach and trying to make more of said thing? Hell yes.

Except when it has legs, small, small legs that are very human as the movement sticks, finger tips with their nails as the D pads and a gaping hole in the middle. That, for all intents and purposes is empty. He hands it toward Dabi, have a look, or don't. "Then I realized we have nothing. We can do nothing. Now? Now I have a security system who I'm not sure will kill because you're the first on to walk in here, but I know when people come around. Some of the things I can dream up are a little more than security. They're useful. They have borderline sentience. Workers. They die really quickly, but they're easy to make."

[burnitblack]

That was a sarcastic question. He's very much aware Shigaraki is not sane and probably never has been since Dabi met him. Not sure what the whole different name was all about, but that's far less his concern now than these... apparently many disgusting creatures hanging around Shigaraki's place. Gross.

"Ya didn't say you had a buncha monsters crawlin around your place." He doesn't feel the need to remind the other man that monsters in Trench are usually a bad thing that often has injurious or fatal results. So excuse him for being willing to torch something creepy trying to grab his head from the shadows.

"Because you can." Repeated in slow sarcastic suspicion, one black brow arching at the answer. Oh, blood creation. Right, Shigaraki's different blood from him. With his hands still decidedly out of his pockets, Dabi approaches the wall that the other man is fishing a hand around behind, looking into the darkness beyond. Until his "boss" pulls out the remains of a video game console. Dabi's not keen on playing them, but he doesn't lack knowledge on what they are.

Thing is, that's immediately seen as just the core intent of the creation. What's visible instead is an abomination that looks like it crawled out of a horror game. Dabi's upper lip twitches slightly in a silent judgement of disgust. He's seen gross things before. This is just the weird kind of gross. Yeah no. He's not holding your nightmare finger console unless you want him to burn it to ash immediately for touching him.

"You were tryin to create that thing and got these?" Before jerking a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the monsters crawling around. "Sounds like ya dreamin up your own little security detail instead."

[comecatchthesehands]

"The only monsters here are us." Shigaraki reminds, nodding his head to affirm that yeah. He does anything he wants just because he can, why is this any different? They're very different blood types, nurtured in its idea by the fact there's a nice glow that offsets, or did offset, the welcome glow of blue flames not aimed at him.

Crawled out may be an apt way to put it, Dabi should've been here for its inception. Conception? Inception. Whatever nightmare word matches the nightmares that Shigaraki has created. The gurgle dies down from the ceiling creature when they're out of reach and he shrugs his shoulders.

"Everything seems to be out of the usual. You're not wrong though, I am. Monsters that we control instead of ones that are wild. That doesn't sound like it could be fun? Handy even?" Let him make a hand joke it's fine. "It turns out I can use DNA to stem it, too. It doesn't have to come from just an object I'm trying to dream into reality. The more human I make them, the more sentient they are. Like your friend up there."

[burnitblack]

Prompt four ... closed

① [willful machine, the trading district. dabi's most frequented place when it comes to supplying himself. trades happen here or there in other places, but if he's going to actually procure something from the marketplace, its here... or the boardwalks. which are usually fish and thus, not really appealing. locals warn not to come at night, since the rise of pickpocketing and crime escalates. he's not a local. and his hands are always in his pockets. besides, the last person who tried to steal from him ended up with 3rd degree burns all over said hand. dabi hasn't survived on the streets for a decade and not learned how to both steal and tell when stolen.

the man lingers by one of the stalls, coat tails brushing at his calves beneath the dark cloak covering the rest of him. hood up, he drops a gold coin on the counter of the stall, letting the man behind the wooden cart inspect it. intricately carved, a skull-like pattern adorned in a web, it seems to capture the vendor's interest. that's good. as much as he can refuse it, dabi avoids paying for anything in his own blood. he has a few solidified bloodgems in his pouch if needed, but no one knows about that. after the acceptance, the man sets down a package of dried meats wrapped in paper and tied with string.

hey, pirate coin for a few pounds of jerky isn't a bad trade in a place were "money" isn't the currency.

sweeping the package off the counter, it vanishes under the cloak and dabi sets it in a leather satchel slung across his chest and resting against his hips. turning, he deftly steps around another person and heads out into the street again. the nighttime marketplace is certainly a different flavor than its daylight counterpart.]

[whowillmourn]

Fortunately for Mayerling, a portion of the market operates at night. Not everyone does, he's sure, and some only come out at night. The process can be lengthy, as barter often depends on what people want. Though he has found an excellent form of currency in unique fungi to this world, no one who wants the mushrooms has what he wants.

Fifteen fraught minutes of negotiation leads to bloodstones instead of blood for Walking Terrors and Floaters. Mayerling accepts the solid jewelry that he can still smell blood from as he pours the mushrooms into two soft vessels for the shopkeeper.

"Keep me in mind if you see any Blue Cheeks," she says, "All right, sweet cheeks?" She chuckles at her own joke.

Mayerling gives her a small bow. "You will be foremost in my thoughts," he intones seriously, as free of smiles as all their negotiations. His time in the archives has informed him about many mushrooms. He's had no interest in mushrooms good only for killing, nor in provisioning others with them.

With goods traded more readily with others, some even of most types, Mayerling takes one step back, turns, and makes his way toward other stalls. He watches the customers as much as the stalls. A small hand tries for his pocket, and Mayerling sweeps his cloak around him, impenetrable to deft hand movements, and gently but firmly grips the wrist attached to it. "Don't," Mayerling warns. That is all it is, a warning. As soon as he lets go, they slink back into the shadows.

[burnitblack]

It's the sudden motion of a large cloak about an even larger stature that captures his attention out the peripheral of his vision. Dabi's chin tucks towards his shoulder in a downward sweep of his gaze backwards, turquoise eyes lingering at the corner. Almost impossible to make out among the shadows the lights cast, there's movement beneath the cloak, or behind it at least, and suddenly a small figure slides away from the man. A rather towering man.

Ah, so that's what happened. Attempted pickpocket. Seems they got caught and let off with a warning. Dabi notes he hasn't seen the man around. And someone like this wouldn't be going unnoticed. The one or two books he'd read that detailed vampires would likely be referring to this man. Certainly would fit the bill of a Vampire Quirk were any to exist in his world. Quite the thematic image.

"All ya did was send them off to prey on someone else." Dabi comes to stand beside the man, eyeing him. "Those kinds don't learn that easily." Honestly couldn't tell if the perpetrator was a child or a small adult.

[whowillmourn]

Noting the new person beside him, Mayerling watches the person regroup and pause. A close encounter like that could go differently were he someone else. A Blue Cheek mushroom down a throat a slow and certain death, whether one came back from it or not. A knife. A hand around one's throat. There's any number of ways it could have gone worse.

"That may be," Mayerling says, but the goal hadn't been his death. His goal is not to change the market as a whole. Some unsavory types may be able to be killed or otherwise neutralized, but others would likely step up to fill their spots, even in a place as small as Trench. Opportunity.

"The next person may not be as generous," he says. If the person is so hard pressed upon their luck, they need to steal to survive, they will try again regardless. If it's merely to line their pockets, Mayerling is not terribly concerned with their future well being.

[burnitblack]

He's aware there could be some ramifications to just up and talking to someone from out of the blue beside them, but he's kept enough distance between himself and the other man to give him reaction time if needed. Without any attempt, however, Dabi's left watching the smaller figure vanish into the crowd to go seek out another patsy.

"Guess that'll be a lesson to improve." Getting caught and managing to escape is simply an indicator you need to get better at stealing or dodging. He leaves the thief's departure and heads forward towards another stall. "Ya don't strike me as the kind to go peddling mushrooms around the night market..."

Meaning this man probably doesn't have another recourse. Offering barter suggests he's not willing to do blood (or doesn't know yet) or steal what he wants or needs. "Just get here?"

[whowillmourn]

May only those who would burn, behand, or brand a pickpocket the only kind to peddle mushrooms around the night market? There is no point in asking, for the conclusion has been reached. Without good cause, Mayerling refuses to use violence. Nor does he wish to rely on intimidation, particularly when he cannot seem to lie.

Trench truly is a small town. Anywhere Mayerling goes, someone pegs him as a recent arrival. Such a close eye everyone has on their piece of the pie. As befits a vampire, Mayerling shrugs. "So what if I am?" he asks, letting out a sliver of vampire arrogance. Night and its market doesn't scare him.