the grand opening of the raccoon room

[royalfling]

Who: YOU AND YOUR BEST BUDS
What: The Grand Opening of the Raccoon Room
When: October 31st
Where: The Raccoon Room in Cellar Door

Content Warnings: N/A for now

Welcome to the Raccoon Room! Code

You find a green door on a townhouse nestled in the middle of a long, cute cobblestoned street. There's a raccoon logo emblazoned on the door. When you enter, you're greeted by sumptuous green velvet drapery, a marble statue of a familiar looking guy with devil horns on his head, and surly ticket taker (Mako, rather unhappily wearing a Victorian style vampire outfit, including vampire fangs) who will make sure that you're paying your fair share for your ticket. That's either a nice rock, a nice shell, or a beautiful feather. If you don't have anything that's worth the right amount, he'll ask for more, or give you drink tickets if you over paid. Does Mako know what makes a feather beautiful? Who knows. It's all subjective here.

You enter the venue through heavy velvet curtains. The light is dim, there are tables scattered everywhere with plush chairs and flickering candles. It's a large room, but it feels intimate. You find a seat, get a drink, or take a look around.

At 8:00pm sharp, the show begins, with Wu, dressed in his grown, flowering top hat, made by Fern, and an impeccable green tuxedo with tails, a gold cape and fake vampire teeth, takes the mic.

"Welcome, welcome to the Raccoon Room! I'm so, so, so glad that you're all here. Things are dreary and dangerous outside, but in here, sit back, relax, and enjoy yourselves."

And with that, he waves the first performer on.

Throughout the night, you'll see Scorpia and Zari Tarazi sing, Fritter (Wu's raccoon omen) and Pabu the fire ferret perform tricks, and the headliner, Ryan Akagi of Chicken Choice Judy, rock out. Wu comes up between the sets and vamps, makes jokes, and applauds the performers, adding plugs to come talk to him if you want to perform.

Over at the bar, Mako's moved on from taking tickets to making drinks. You can order any old beer, wine, or cocktail, or the Jade Dragon, a speciality absinthe cocktail Mako created for the Raccoon Room.

Feel free to top level, make your own night of it! Your esteemed host will be a bit preoccupied, but this space is for Sleepers to come, enjoy themselves, and mingle.

If your character wants to perform, let Wu know.

Comments

Shiro | wallflowering | ota

[shiro2hero]

PERFORMANCES
[If Shiro hadn't promised he'd come, he probably would still be back on the beach, or holed up in the orphanage again. Instead, he'd found a reasonably appropriate outfit, and a table in a corner. The feelings assaulting him this month haven't really faded away. There's still healing marks where his skin had split, where he'd bled. But - he's here. He told Wu he would be here. He told Ryan he'd be here. This is one promise he can actually keep.]

[Even if he is tucked away, back to a wall. He's alone at the table, and, so, if anyone chooses to sit at the unoccupied chairs, he'll accept it. Even try for a smile.]


BAR
[Look, Shiro really doesn't drink. He avoids it after what happened several times in Deerington. But, again, he'd promised to try. Promised he'd at least taste the new concoction his friends have put together.]

[It's a bit hard to miss the big guy, leaning on his elbows at the bar, carefully nursing whatever drink is set in front of him. Please, please bother him. He could use it.]

bar

[lightinside]

[Laurel hasn't touched a drink for over two years and that wasn't going to change anytime soon. So she is sticking to water or soda, whatever non-alcohol thing was on the menu.

She comes up to the bar for a refill, immmediately noticing the guy nearby. Laurel could tell that he was tall, despite him leaning against the bar. Before ordering her drink, she turns to the guy with a friendly smile.]

Hey. You one of the performers or just here for the show?

[shiro2hero]

Hm?

[He straightens up a bit, lightening his expression, forcing some of the fatigue out of his face.]

Definitely not a performer. I know Wu - the owner, and one of the performers. I'm the moral support.

[He inclines his head, politely.] Shiro.

[lightinside]

That's nice of you. Being the moral support I mean. [Her smile turns a bit softer.] I saw Wu's announcement of this place, but I've never met him before then.

[Laurel is very new. Like arrived this month new, so she's getting to know people.]

Nice to meet you, Shiro. I'm Laurel. Is Wu from the same place as you are?

[shiro2hero]

He's a good friend. I promised him I'd help him break the place in, so here I am.

[Honestly, clubs like this aren't really his thing. If it weren't for Wu, Mako and Ryan, he probably wouldn't have come.]

Likewise. [Another shake of his head, with a half, tired smile.] No, he's not. We met in the dream, before this.

[lightinside]

I've heard about the dream place, but I wasn't there myself. Most people I've met so far have mentioned coming from it.

[Well, not most people. Pretty much all of them.]

Were you in the dream for long?

[shiro2hero]

Yeah, there's a lot of us in that boat. More than I thought would be.

[He kind of wondered how many would make it, when everything fell apart. Maybe that's pessimistic of him. He'll blame the time in Deerington, the toll it took on them, for that one.]

Three years. I was there for three years.

[lightinside]

[She looks taken aback by that, her mouth dropping in surprise for a moment.]

Three years? Oh my God. I can't imagine being away from my home for that long.

[For her ex Oliver, it had been five years which is why Laurel thought he had died.]

How did you manage it?

[shiro2hero]

[He winces, mostly in sympathy for that look on her face. For the shock there. It's... not an easy thing to accept. He'd only realized it belatedly, when things began to fall apart.]

It wasn't easy.

[Understatement of the century...]

We made friends, we did things that reminded us of home. Just - tried to take it one day at a time.

performances

[inkedspell]

[The drums weren't ready yet, so Sarona won't be playing and just listens to everyone else's performances instead. She spots a familiar looking figure by the wall though and makes her way over.]

Hey, long time no see. Enjoying the show?

[shiro2hero]

Hey.

[He lifts his head, looking over at her with a slight smile.] You made it here too.

Yeah, they're all doing great up there.

[inkedspell]

Looks like most of us did, really. [She doesn't sit in the chair next to him, but leans against it a bit instead, hand settled on the back of it. She looks back toward the stage, listening to the current band playing.]

Just wait until someone demands a karaoke night.

[shiro2hero]

[Most of us, but not all. That's the worst part. The part he doesn't give voice to just yet. Instead he nods, expression tight.] Looks that way, yeah.

Pff, you never know. People could have hidden talents.

[inkedspell]

[Considering that some people had the chance to go home with others or find new worlds to make their homes...Sarona wants to believe that's where the ones who didn't come back stayed. Like Mirai.]

Oh, is that you signing up then?

[shiro2hero]

Me?

[He has to laugh. Just a little. Dry and disbelieving.]

No, I'm a professional wallflower. Holding up the building sitting here.

[Get it. That's the thing they say wallflowers do - holding up the wall.]

[inkedspell]

I'm sure the proprietors are deeply grateful for your efforts. The whole place might come down if not for you.

[She can't help but tease him. He's definitely not as old, but something about him really reminds her of her mentor runist, Roan.]

So are you saying your special talent is being the big strong guy holding up the world?

[shiro2hero]

I'll have to tell Wu. Maybe he'll pay me.

[He would never actually do that. Just joke about it.]

Right now, that seems to be what I'm good at, yeah.

BAR

[imaglyphwitch]

Hey Shiro!

[Luz is drinking another Shirley Temple, idly fiddling with the cherry].

You come here to see someone specific?

[shiro2hero]

[Hold on, there's cherries here? How long have there been cherries? He's jealous!]

Hey. Glad you made it. [Cherries aside, that's the truth. Good to see more Deerington faces made it.] I'm here for Ryan and Wu. And Mako.

[imaglyphwitch]

[Crazy, right? But Mako had them]!

I did. Sorry it took so long to see you! I came to see Scorpia and Ryan, didn't know Id be seeing you guys too! So how come you're all lurking in the dark?

[shiro2hero]

[Words will be had with Mako. Share the cherry wealth, bro.]

It's all right, I'm not trying to be noticed over here.

I'm a wallflower.

[imaglyphwitch]

[Why didn't Shiro just ask Fern to grown some cherries...]

Huh? Why? Also, you're kinda easy to spot, what with the cool arm and all.

[shiro2hero]

[It's a mystery.]

Because if I wasn't, the wall would fall down.

[That's a joke.]

[imaglyphwitch]

If you're a wallflower, you ought to be blooming and talking to people, don't you think?

[See, she can make bad jokes too].

Besides, Wu would want you to. It's a place to have fun!

[shiro2hero]

I'm talking to a person right now.

[Nailed it.]

Hey, I've got Wu's permission to lurk. Express permission even.