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

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.

[inkedspell]

What would he even pay you with?

[The weird shit people use as currency around here still makes no sense to her.]

[shiro2hero]

Mako's cooking.

[Simple as that. Mako pretty much saved him with a noodle delivery in September...]

[inkedspell]

[She laughs out loud, hand slapping the top of the chair next to her.]

Okay, that's fair. Good cooking is a godsend.

[shiro2hero]

Especially when you can't do it yourself.

[No, seriously, he burns water.]

[inkedspell]

[She reaches out to lightly push at his shoulder. Not that hard when he's only a few inches taller than her and leaning against a wall.]

Sure. "Can't." [Nope, doesn't believe anyone can be that bad if they just put in effort.] More like you don't want to. Which is still fair, I hate cooking. I'd rather eat four energy protein bars than cook.

[shiro2hero]

No, I would love to make more than sandwiches and coffee. I ... really would.

[He just sounds so damn tired. Whatever the heck is wrong with him, whether he's cursed or cooking just doesn't process, he can't say.]

I've tried everything I can think of. I've even had lessons.

[inkedspell]

Huh. [That level of embarrassment is hard to fake, so she figures he might just be telling the truth.]

You know sandwiches are still food, right. Not everything needs to be fancy or take an hour of prep. Like who has the time for all of that work?

[shiro2hero]

[One time he killed a microwave with instant noodles.]

Nah, I know. Just kind of embarrassing to have to live on that and protein bars sometimes.

[inkedspell]

Better than living off glow-in-the-dark worms, demonic roots, and giant beetles. Sandwiches at least look like food. And you can get a full meal out of one depending on what you put on it.

[Then she tilts her head to the side.]

Or you can be like Gina and fill them with pepperoni, mozzarella, ham, turkey and bacon and call it a healthy meal.

[shiro2hero]

... Well, that doesn't actually sound that bad, at this point. On the other hand, maybe I just really miss pizza.

[It's entirely possible.]

[inkedspell]

You know that's just a heart attack waiting to happen...but shit pizza would be great right now. Why did you have to say it? Now I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about it.

[It has been so long since Saeri got to each a pizza. A cheesy, greasy, tomato-filled Michigan dive parlor pizza.]

[shiro2hero]

Hey, anything's better than pineapple on a pizza.

[He will die on this hill ok.]

[inkedspell]

What? Anything goes on pizza. Anything. You just have to know the right pizza to make.

[Not that she's going to mention she actually sucks at making pizzas. She just so happens to be a connoisseur of them.]

[shiro2hero]

Not pineapple.

Definitely not pineapple. It has a habit of biting back.

[And it's gross.]

[inkedspell]

Why does it sound like there is a story behind that? [PINEAPPLE SHOULD NEVER BITE.]

Please don't tell me you cooked a mutant pineapple monster and it tried to get revenge.

[shiro2hero]

What? No, no, it's always done that.

Makes my mouth itch.

[inkedspell]

[Itch...Saeri could get burning if maybe he had a cut in his mouth, but an itch...?]

You ever thought you might be allergic to pineapple?