[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]

Honestly, Dabi's had some wonderings about what would happen if a vampire showed up. Considering blood is both a source of power here and a source of corruption, someone who relies on it for sustenance would be in an interesting dilemma. He knows a person who uses blood to run their own power, but so far they haven't turned into something disgusting...

"Yeah, but a lot of them don't come back though." Or if they do, it's not as themselves. And there went any spoils of their search with them. Unless another fungus fanatic comes along and makes off with the ill-gotten boon. Mayerling's able to gather them without issue, so therein he has a good curb on the market. Might as well tip him off to another potentially interested party.

"There's another stall further down that sells incense. I'm restockin." Just because he's not afraid of Beasts and can hold his own well against them doesn't mean he wants to invite them into his place on the random chance they come by. Good to have some warding abilities on hand if necessary.

[whowillmourn]

Those that are Sleepers should return in time, though that may be via the ocean per the readings he's done. They do not always explain how they are transported there from wherever they fall. However, far be it for the apparent mystery to be the first in Mayerling's lifetime, nor even his short career in Trench.

"All the more reason for me to gather them," Mayerling suggests. He sees more days in the Archives and nights in the lands around Trench and the Outpost in his future. He supposes others gathering the mushrooms may simply stockpile what they need. Why face the spores or risk paralysis otherwise? It pays in ways reading does not, yet.

Whatever his reasons, Mayerling's long life has taught him to be wary of too eager of allies. Carmilla's betrayal freshest of all. The line between cultivating a relationship and not being taken for a fool can be harder to navigate than the derelict roads of the Frontier. As deadly.

"A practical purchase," Mayerling joins the man in stocking up on incense. As much as blood functions like currency, he does not mind to part from some of it for something less tempting.

Leaving the incense behind, Mayerling turns to give a shallow bow to the new acquaintance, still without a name. "I am Mayerling," he introduces himself, "What is your name?" They might have the skills to track each other down, but they can be more civilized than that.

[burnitblack]

Mayerling's read that right. The Sleepers return after death (most of the time) though some of them end up returning from whence they came. Home, or another stopover between home and Trench. Who knows how bouncing around between worlds works? He'd rather neither know nor experience it. There are things at home he'd much rather be doing.

"Ya pretty optimistically logical for a vampire." No, Mayerling never said he was one. But enough glances at his face, his eyes, the shape of his ears, and the occasional peek of his clothes basically screams "vampire" in the most dramatic of hints. From heroes with vampire-related Quirks to villains with Quirks that hearken the images of vampires to the stories both classical dramatic and stupid comic-book fiction, Dabi's not alien to what a vampire would look like. And this guy... yeah.

Alliances are best made after intense vetting, lots of speculation, distrust, and judgement, and should only be based on what the other person can bring to the table in advantage or worth. That's Dabi's outlook on alliances. Needless to say, he has very few.

"Uh-huh." He notes the man paying with blood, but he himself simply trades with what looks to be a small plastic box of green-colored tablets. Oh yeah, big spender over here.

The bow earns a quirked black brow. Adding to that "vampire" claim a second ago. Regal bearing and formal mannerisms. "Dabi." Is what he goes by, but that's left unsaid. And no, you're not getting a bow back. This fucker's rude.

[whowillmourn]

Which part of that phrase is more surprising? The optimism or the logic? He's curious to know more what people's opinions of vampires are. That's one benefit to dressing this way. Besides, only his clothes from home are self-repairing.

"We all start over here," Mayerling comments with a small shrug. Whatever advantages, riches, or status vampires have where they come from, whatever of those privileges anyone else, they are more limited in Trench. Not vanished entirely, but reduced.

"Dabi," Mayerling repeats in a respectful manner but without any declaration of it being a great pleasure. His thoughts are far warier, and he'd rather not project them louder than he has to. Social niceties are far easier at the moment when they are unspoken.

[burnitblack]

The optimism part. Vampires tend to run more wild, bloodthirsty, regal, or dark. Not really beings who would offer such words for the sake of another. Still, that's more a Western view of vampires that made its way over to Japan. And stuck around for thematic portrayal.

"If ya wanna be literal about it, yeah." Some people are lucky and come in with some others who know them already here and set up, giving them an immediate foothold and bonus when it comes to that "starting" point. The fact Trench doesn't run on "money" is another leveling of the proverbial playing field.

Dabi appreciates the lack of cordial formalities or whatever. It's not a 'pleasure' nor is it a 'happy to meet you' moment either. No one wants to meet someone else here; that means both people have been kidnapped from their home and imprisoned here. Hardly something to cheerfully welcome like it's a vacation.

"Night shoppin's less busy, but there's less variety and more thieves."

[whowillmourn]

As literal and simple as the statement is, Mayerling doubts he's in a particular minority to be surprised to wash up in another world with other abilities, physics, and other differences yet to be personally discovered. He could have had it worse, arriving by day. He could have died before he regained his shape, before he even knew he was in another world. Even if only for a short time, it would not have helped.

"There's always a cost to doing business," Mayerling notes. It could be harder to find those willing to barter for mushrooms during the day. It could be any number of issues, as clearly everyone who comes to the night market has in one way or another not to shop only during the day. Mayerling's largest issue is simple enough: he cannot come during the day. He could ask D or someone else, but he prefers to do his business himself.

He looks over significantly at Dabi. The man has done him a favor without asking for anything in return. He expects some kind of strings attached, with costs either to pay the man back or to refuse, depending on what he asks. It very well might not be today.

[burnitblack]

That would've been amusing. Wash up on shore. Immediately fry to death. Then wash up again a while later. Repeat the process until the moon comes out. Not that Dabi knows, but he would've sat there and watched it for a few renditions before finally bothering to walk his ass away or maybe consider putting up some shade. Alas, he doesn't know, so Mayerling is left musing over the dichotomy and Dabi's inspecting another cart nearby.

There's a display of dried goods, ranging from meat to greens to herbs to paper to firewood. A few bundles of roots hang from the sides of the stalls like incense sticks, bulbs included. No one's manning the stall, and whoever left hasn't closed up... Just asking or someone to swing by and clear them out. Or filch a little from the side where it won't be noticed until it's too late.

Someone did just mention the "cost" of doing business. Here lies the "risk" of doing business at night as well. So good to know.

yoink.

Oy, oy. Even if he's a selfish and stingy bastard, he doesn't really consider dropping off some advice that he willingly gave to require repayment. If Mayerling wants to, sure, but Dabi's not asking for it.

He heads off from the stall, pocketing his ill-gotten gains.

"Least the housin in this place is pretty easy. Walk in and sit down."

[whowillmourn]

As Mayerling walks off with Dabi, he teleports the smallest of the bloodstones to the counter of the stall Dabi stole from. It may not be what anyone intended, but he decides that makes them (stall & Dabi, Dabi & Mayerling) even. A minor tip for minor tip.

Despite not having had to search for housing, Mayerling has noticed the large amount of vacant properties. They speak to a time Trench had more people, a time that has come and gone. It's a familiar feeling. "Fix whatever needs fixing," Mayerling notes with a small shrug.

He turns to the other man. "My shopping is complete," he says. He hasn't bought a damn thing, but that's okay. The day will come he needs something. When it does, he'll have the means to pay.

[burnitblack]

Good for him, Dabi doesn't notice. Not that he'd care if Mayerling was paying for shit he stole; that's the vampire's prerogative. He came out the better deal: got something "for free" and kept his "money" in the process. At least he didn't yoink a noticeable handful, rather skimmed off the top, so to speak.

The houses in their various states of health and dilapidation are an interesting statement of the city before them. Dabi's had similar thoughts to what the buildings could tell them. He's got a few haunts he frequents, but only one mainstay that to his knowledge, no one by him knows about. "If ya wanna put in the effort." He's not a handyman.

"Ya seem like you'd be more interested in "shoppin" at the Luminerium; they got a large blood bank in there, from donations and salvages." Might as well drop that little hint, just to see what comes of it. "I got a few more stops. If ya headin out, then scram. Pretty sure I'll see ya again." This place has a way to shove people together over time. Sleepers in particular.

[whowillmourn]

Dabi hardly is subtle in his hints. For his part, Mayerling has avoided that part of Trench thus far, soaked in blood pollution as it is, with all the... donations and salvages around. He is not here to drink blood, directly or indirectly, so much as is possible. The dried capsules have to do since synthetic blood is not an option.

"I'll see you around, Dabi," Mayerling says. With that he melts into the night, little more than a shadow.

[burnitblack]

Not in this case. Like dropping a pebble in the water. Obvious to someone standing right there. There's no comment about that little hint and it strikes him as curious the vampire says nothing. Is it the blood? Is it a sense of morals? Neither rejection nor a sudden interest either. Does he not drink blood? Or is this a different kind of vampire? Dabi can't say he knows, since he's just going on base assumption. Probably rude, but hell if he cares.

Instead, he's left with a dismissive departure and Dabi watches as Mayerling vanishes into the night. Can't tell if he walks away or actually melts within the darkness.

Gonna keep an eye on that one...