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

[arclightning]

Hey, I didn't make this choice. Unless you want to bring us some alcohol, this is what we got. Haven't seen any actual coins, but if you got any, we'll take 'em, too.

[ Mako is currently turning the smooth black feather over and over in his hand.

The problem, of course, with there being no set currency and everything being up to judgment is that... Mako really doesn't know what makes a pretty anything. This one is nice! It's smooth, it's dark, but the person he gets their alcohol from is a picky one, and seagull feathers are pretty common, but this one... maybe with the other three... could at least get him a few of the fancier bottles he was eying?

There is a distinct line forming behind Fox.

Mako sighs and pockets the feather. ]

You can keep the shells unless you're looking to get a drink, too.

[auralaura]

[The way currency works around this place is weird, Fox knows that. The silence as he looks over the feather makes Fox wonder if he didn't have enough.]

Ah...nah, I don't plan to drink, but I don't want them either. You can use them for someone else, maybe? I don't need to be carrying them around.

[arclightning]

[ Mako tosses the shells a bit, letting them clink together, and then shrugs and pockets them. ]

Sure, I'll cover someone else with them. It'd be a lot easier if we could use money, or... anything. You know how annoying it was carrying a bag full of rocks to get the bar here stocked up?

...you're good, by the way. Feathers were fine. Show's in about half an hour, so you can get a drink just as soon as I.... figure out whether or not everyone else has enough rocks.

[ Mako is so incredibly put-out at the accounting system here, and it is very clear in his voice. ]

[auralaura]

Hey, don't worry about it. [He says to someone he barely knows.]

Sounds like this is some form of currency right. We just don't know how it works yet. Figuring out the trick to the value system. Like dust is worth more than gold and gold is worth more than silver. And fifty pounds of mole crab meat is worth more than 100 pounds of crevice worms.

[Fox always had to learn by touch how different weights felt so he would know if food they were getting and meat from animals he caught was worth enough to the tribe, when they weren't near a big enough settlement to have scales or anything else.]

[arclightning]

...you already got this figured out?

[ He asks, instead of the more-interesting but less-pressing tell me about molecrabs. Mako is, naturally, assuming that's a hybrid creature like the kind in his world. It's unimaginably comforting to hear someone casually talk about an animal like that: like smelling a scent you thought you'd never experience again, being shot back to that moment in time.

No, wait. You're taking tickets, Mako, don't get distracted. He ushers Fox forward, moving aside to make space for him. ]

Isn't that exactly the problem? Half the vendors here value something different. A really nice feather could get you a couple yards of silk or a few apples, but apples won't buy you silk.

[auralaura]

[Oh, Fox thought he meant this place?]

Uh...No, that's how things work back in Vacuo, where I'm from. Credits still exist, but most of the time bartering and alternate trade works. I figured it couldn't be that different here. Still flying blind about how to tell if a feather is good or not.

[At least on Remnant all the kingdoms used the same currency generally. It was mainly Vacuo who accepted other types of payment because of the nomadic tribes and shifting settlements.]

[arclightning]

So you're kind of used to this.

[ Huh. That's... actually good to know. Mako's not exactly a stranger to bartering, but he learned it back home where he knew what things were worth, or at least could learn. Here people are interested in feathers and rocks with fish in them and Mako kind of hates being so out of his depth. ]

Weirdest part is how much is free. Like, back where you're from, you'd have to pay to get a place to live, right? You couldn't just... have one.

[auralaura]

If you lived in the capital maybe. If you lived out in the desert or some of the settlements you just built your own hut.

[Vacuo is a lot more communal than the other kingdoms.]

I know not everywhere is like that though. You'd never be allowed to take a plot of land in Atlas and build on it. Probably get arrested.

[arclightning]

Yeah, it's the same in Republic City. The second you can't pay, that roof is gone, no matter who you are and how bad you need it.

[ It's a fact of life, but that doesn't stop the sting of bitterness in Mako's voice. He and Bolin were just kids and no matter how hard they hustled to get enough money to stay, the moment rent was due and their parents weren't there to pay it, that was it. Streets for them, no matter how much Bolin cried. ]

[auralaura]

It was so weird when I moved to the big city. Who charges people for a place to live?

[Living in a desert has few perks, but not having to spend all of your money on a place to live is one of them.]

[arclightning]

[ There is a tiny voice inside Mako, populist, revolutionary, that wants to say nobody should have to pay for one.

But that isn't how the world works and he doesn't think he's naive enough to even let himself think things like that. Just because things should be one way doesn't mean they are. Wishing for things that should be gets you nowhere. ]

Normal people. That's a normal thing to do.

I'm not saying it makes sense, but... of all the things that people's worlds have in common? Paying rent is definitely up there.

[auralaura]

Normal must be another word for capitalist oppression.

[Yes, he says this with a complete straight face. Yes, he is joking. Will Mako be able to tell the difference?]

[arclightning]

[ From one deadpan to another: absolutely.

Although Mako snorts and cracks a small, sardonic smile that sounds in his voice. ]

That's where they get you. Make you think it's normal when really it's just a bunch of shitty rich people trying to stay rich.

[auralaura]

[Fox has a little half-smile himself. Good to know there are some like minds around here.]

Probably because you need a lot of money to cover up that smell.

[Because they were shitty. Get it?]

[arclightning]

[ Mako outright snorts in proper laughter at that, steps aside for Fox as they head toward the seats. ]

Only the fanciest potpourri, right? Here. This'll be a good seat. You want a drink, come find me later at the bar. Enjoy the show.

[auralaura]

[Seems like the perfect punchline to end their conversation so Fox goes along with it, very pleased with himself there.]

Thanks. Sounds like it'll be a fun night.