deercountry | the grand opening of the raccoon room

Entry tags:

the grand opening of the raccoon room

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If you're serious, we could always learn how to play it together.

[It's an open invitation, and one that's more feasible than if they were back at home. He's got a lot more time on his hands now, between work and training. The demand on his time from the Fatui seems like a thing of the past now, and he's gotten used to a more carefree style of living, even if carefree entails risking his life fighting dangerous monsters at The Gate.]

I saw a store over in Willful Machine selling guitars and other musical instruments. We could go take a look another day, if you're interested.

You don't think I'm being serious?

[ lumine pauses and turns back to the stage when the second act finally starts, another musical performance of sorts, cutting off their conversation. she supposes that her words might be a bit of a surprise to him too, just as much as him taking guitar lessons or whatever is a surprise to her.

once the act ends, she politely claps once more along with the crowd and returns to her drink. ]

Anyway, I just think it would be a nice thing to do to take my mind off of things.

[ with how this world works, with aether now even farther away from her, with her body is seemingly alien and foreign to her ... she presses a bandaged hand against the cider bottle, letting the cool glass soothe the wound beneath it. ]

I've been having headaches lately, you see, probably from thinking too much. It's really only now that it's finally subsided.

Headaches, you say?

[There were plenty of things that have happened here that would give anyone headaches. And wanting to get things off her mind, well, he could take a stab in the dark at what that might be. He eyes her bandaged hand, wondering what happened. If it was a fight, it was one she clearly took care of, not that he doubted her. He takes a moment to lean over, and look at her, his expression a little softer than the usual jovial demeanor he generally employed.

That same hint of sadness flashes again in his eyes, coupled with genuine concern.]

Comrade, have you been alright? Living in a reality where Pthumerians rule is never easy on someone, believe me. What's been bothering you?

[ lumine glances at him, meeting his eyes for one long moment, before she looks back at the bottle.

she can already feel the effect of the cider on her, her cheeks flushing and her tongue loosening from the alcohol. and yet, her self-control keeps everything wound up tightly into a ball in her chest, unwilling to unravel. and despite her inward debate of simply just telling childe what's going on, well ... it's never been easy for her to just talk to anyone, even when uninhibited. ]

I guess I just find this place unsettling, [ she replies and takes another sip of her cider, leaning back in her seat and crossing her legs underneath the table. ] So much so that I can't even seem to trust myself.

[ because her body and mind are clashing, the former adapting so well to her new blood powers but the latter rejecting it. maybe that's why she's having headaches. maybe these pthumerians are punishing her for now accepting their gift. ]

Weird, isn't it?

[He has a feeling that she's not telling him everything. But, that will probably be another secret she wants to keep close to her chest. He wonders if she'll ever share what's really going on.]

Weird is certainly a light term for our experiences here, [He says, taking another drink of cider himself.] The dream, and this place...it's completely different than Teyvat.

[And in the worst ways too. Some of it was entertaining. A lot of it wasn't.]

But I don't know what you mean by the fact that you can't trust yourself. If there's something going on, and I do mean this sincerely comrade, you should tell me. [Or anyone, really. His voice has a hint of urgency and distress, something that would be so unusual for him normally.] That could easily be another omen of something even more disturbing to come, in my experience. Ah...

[He leans back in his chair again, looking down. He could feel that he let his emotions get the better of him for a second there.]

Sorry. I don't know what came over me just now.

Edited (eh i didn't like part of my tag) 2021-11-09 05:58 (UTC)

[ hearing him distressed and alarmed is certainly something new to her. it's not really a tone of voice that she's ever heard from childe, of all people. but the trench is different from teyvat in so many ways, affecting them not just physically but psychologically and emotionally as well.

a person can only undergo so many things before they break. ]

No, it's fine, [ lumine tells him quietly with a shake of her head, appreciative of his words. he has a point, after all; surely, the others could tell her what might be happening to her, if it's something that she should be concerned about.

but as usual, she says nothing about it and just offers a faint smile at childe. ]

Thank you, Childe. I'll keep that in mind.

[He didn't count on her sharing. She seems okay, at least as far as things threatening to turn her into a an abomination or anything like that. He won't push it any further- it probably wouldn't help anyway. He offers a small, tired smile back to her, composing himself once more. Maybe he'd been shaken more than he thought.

The next act goes on, with Fritter and Pabu doing their animal tricks, Childe realizing that the real Fritter must not of come with from the dream with Wu. Even so, it was still weirdly entertaining and he claps when the performance ends, thankful for having that time to calm himself.]

Sorry again about before. I'm just glad to see that you're safe and well, so let's forget about all that for now, shall we? We are here to have a good time, after all. It's really not fair that I can't even get a little buzzed from alcohol because of how the moon is reacting with my blood. So I think I'm going to see if they have any food here, and while I'm there, I can get you another drink if you'd like.

[ the moon reacting to his blood ...

that gets her to pause and look up at him, a bit surprised by the revelation. she's never thought that that's possible, though she supposes that anything and everything in this place seems to react to their blood. how vexing, she thinks, having never felt this helpless and betrayed by her own body before. ]

Is this something that happens every month?

[ is there a cycle to this effect? is it something she needs to be wary about soon, now that the days are changing and shifting? lumine sounds just a little bit desperate when she asks him, the agitated inflection in her tone quickly disappearing as it's appeared. ]

Sorry ... [ is it the alcohol, she wonders. ] Can you get me another bottle, if you're heading off?

[Ah, so maybe that's what she meant. Not being able to trust themselves...or perhaps their own body. It made sense. And it also made sense for her to be perplexed over it. He nods to her, standing up during the shifting of the stage for the next act.]

Of course. I'll be back before you know it. I'll answer your question when I return.

[He leaves, and about five minutes later he returns with another drink for her, a pint of some dark beer he'd wanted to try. He comes up empty handed for food though, sitting back down.]

I had a feeling they wouldn't have food, so thankfully I brought my own. [He produces a bag of sweets from his jacket. Trial and error concluded that sweets messed him up more than normal food, but at least he could eat these in moderation so as not to go overboard. He pops one in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before finally answering Lumine's question.]

Anyway, it seems that it changes month to month, and we have no idea what the subsequent months will bring. It's rather unfortunate, but it looks as if it'll be one surprise after another for the remainder of our time here.

[ there's that mild discomfort again when childe steps away from their table, enough for lumine to press her forehead against the cool glass of the cider bottle. it dissipates when he returns, however, which makes her wonder if this is another one of those unusual effects this world has ... or if this is the alcohol telling her to stop drinking.

she thanks him again for the cider, watching him curiously and amusedly as he takes out a bag of sweets. ]

Since when were you fond of sweet things?

[ not that he doesn't seem like the type who wouldn't be fond of it, but she doesn't ever remember seeing him eat anything sweet with her in the past. though that could just be her inattentiveness. ]

... I wish it would stop surprising us, though. A warning of sorts would be nice. [ the last incident was just exhausting for her, and it wasn't helped by her headaches. ] Can I have one?

Sure. Take as many as you like. I'll only want four or five of them.

[He offers her the bag so she could choose which one she'd like after he takes out one more for himself for the time being. That one is promptly popped into his mouth too, his face beginning to flush from the effects of the food.]

I'm not particular about my meals. But the purpose of these tonight is so I can feel the same effects you get from your drink. Anything that isn't a poison seems to severely inebriate me while the moon continues to influence my blood. Heh, if I eat too many of these, I'll become so drunk you might have to carry me home. You wouldn't mind, right?

[He jokes, wanting to see how she'd react to the idea of having to haul his sorry ass home if he was irresponsible and got far too drunk.]

[ she tosses him a look before reaching into the bag and taking a piece. a part of her is tempted to take it away from him, if only to keep him from eating too much and getting smashed even before the night is over. a part of him is also wondering how childe is when he's drunk ... hm. ]

I'm drinking too, you know. [ she waves her bottle at him, reminding him that he's not the only one being influenced by something that moment. ] If I get as equally drunk as you, you'll be sleeping on the sidewalk, Childe.

[ because she'll probably forget about him and just stagger back home. or you know, sleep on the sidewalk too, like him. ]

Besides, you're the adult between the two of us. [ pulling the "looks underaged" card here. ] Shouldn't you be the more responsible one?

[He laughs, amused. He had a feeling this was going to be the reaction he was going to get out of her.]

Hahahaha, hold on, when did all the responsibility fall to me? That seems hardly fair. I'm not buying that excuse, Lumine.

[Underaged his foot. He takes another chocolate out and eats it, resting his cheek against a closed fist as he looks at her in amusement. Would she stop him from eating more? He's not eaten enough to get him anywhere near incapacitated, but she wouldn't know that.]

Perhaps we'll both be sleeping on the sidewalk.

[ everyone keeps telling her she looks young and underaged. it's not her fault, so she's simply using that card to her advantage.

a smile plays on her lips as she takes another sip of her cider. with one bottle empty, she can clearly feel the effect of the alcohol on her. another one shouldn't be too bad, especially when the point of this evening is to relax and enjoy themselves anyway. maybe she will sleep on the sidewalk later tonight. ]

That's not very gentlemanly of you, to let a girl sleep on the sidewalk.

[ c'mon, childe. be the designated driver for the evening! she even pulls the bag of sweets closer towards her, chewing on another piece thoughtfully. ]

What would Mister Zhongli think?

Oh, I'm sure he would disapprove. I never got the feeling that he was fond of general insobriety.

[His eyes flash at her as he reaches for another piece, would she try to keep it from him? It's kind of cute, when he thinks about it. He finds himself enjoying this little game they've started to play, his cheeks turning more red with the more chocolate he eats. Either way, he has no problem encroaching in on her personal space to get at his sweets.]

He would most certainly expect me to make sure you got home safely. Haha, good thing he's not here to scold me for indulging in simple pleasures tonight.

He probably has war flashbacks of Venti drinking, so.

[ she swats at his hand when he tries to reach for another piece, leveling him with a flat look. can he not? his face is already as red as his hair, and it won't be long before it becomes as red as master diluc's. someone has to make sacrifices here, and unfortunately, it has to be him. ]

No more, Childe, or we really just might sleep on the sidewalk tonight.

[ and she doesn't want that, because it's cold and has he ever looked at what's tossed on the streets, sometimes? it's gross, ok. ]

[He shakes his hand, feigning pain as she swats it.]

So cruel, Lumine, you don't trust me to moderate myself? That is my bag of sweets you've got, after all.

[He leans on the arm of his chair closer to her, looking hurt. He's not doing a great job of acting though, as inebriated as he's starting to become. He's clearly not hurt at all by her actions, and is very much enjoying himself.]

[ moderation? from someone like him? what even.

even now, his facetious expression tells her that he has no moderation at all. so please, childe. she probably knows him better than most of his other "friends" do. besides, this is for his own good–and hers, who would have to drag his drunk ass across the city if she lets him be. ]

I'll give it back if you answer something for me.

[ but he at least has to be honest about it, ok. or else it doesn't count. ]

[That's curious. He tilts his head, wondering on what she could ask him that he'd be able to answer. He has nothing really to hide from her concerning himself, but if it was about the inner workings of the Fatui, then that's a different story.]

Ask away. I hope I'm able to give you an answer.

If you can't give me an answer, then this bag remains with me.

[ as if that's a threat at all.

in any case, she doesn't truly intend to keep the item for herself, only wanting to use it as some kind of leverage to get the answers she needs from him–or at least, wants to hear from him. this might be the best way to ask more about the cryo archon, but: ]

... Are you really feeling okay, Childe? I mean, after what happened a couple of weeks ago.

[ after he killed someone, that is. ]

Sharp as ever, [He replies, his expression softening from what was the beginnings of something more mischievous. The bag is forgotten now- she'd asked about the one thing that still weighed on his mind.]

It would be a fruitless endeavor to keep secrets from you here, I suppose. [He sighs, taking another breath as he tries to process what he wants to say and how he wants to say it.] I'm not sure when my journey to seek endless battle became so complicated. And if I'm being honest, well...

[He has to pause. Admitting something so personal was hard, even for a straightforward person like him.]

I don't think I've been okay for quite some time now. Manabu's death, and the subsequent battle I had after that only cemented that feeling.

[He looks around- the next show was about to start. He didn't want to be in here talking about this around others, so he stands up.]

Could we discuss this somewhere else?

[ now that's a first, childe questioning his purpose in life. had the situation and their circumstances been different, then lumine might have found it a little disconcerting. if there's one constant she could rely on, it's his eternal quest to fight someone stronger than him.

so to hear him question that and call it complicated ... she blinks at him, surprised at how serious this conversation had suddenly turned into. ]

Sure?

[ ... can she carry her cider? maybe not, so she'll just leave it on the table and follow childe wherever he decides to go off to. ]

[He leads her outside of the venue, noting that he'd make it up to her for dragging her outside of their fun night out. Thankfully it's not terribly cold yet, though he can feel the chill of November creeping up on them. If she gets cold, he can lend her his jacket.]

I think a nice stroll will be fine. Let's go this way.

[He heads off in the direction of Willful Machine. At the end of their walk there was sure to be somewhere in that district that could tend to their entertainment needs.]

It goes without saying that seeking out strong opponents is really my only goal. I just didn't think that it would include the way I've had to fight my own comrades. [He stops for a moment.] Did you know that Master Diluc's soul was trapped inside of one of those specters that have been roaming about the city? Using him as a way to hunt down others and imitating his exact fighting style?

[ it's a little chilly, but lumine is grateful for it, nipping at the inebriating effects of the cider. plus, it feels nice against her skin warmed up by the alcohol. very refreshing and all, even if the direction of their conversation isn't ... ]

You fought me, and that never bothered you before.

[ or does he not consider her as a friend? she wrinkles her nose at that, uncertain how to feel. on the one hand, it's expected that they're at most acquaintances, given the paths they've taken to fulfill back in teyvat; there's no doubt she'll fight him again if she were to face his tsaritsa.

but wow, that sure wasn't something diluc told her about. nice. ]

... You didn't kill Master Diluc, did you?

[He senses that she doesn't know why he's making a differentiation between battles here and the one he had with her. Childe is already a bold man, and some intoxication only magnifies that. He stops, turning to her to place a hand on her shoulder.]

There's a difference between you and I fighting as we are versus fighting them after seeing what this world has done to them. [He exhales in frustration. He knows that he owes her a much more detailed explanation.] Something happened back in Deerington that's made me feel this way now, so unless you're alright with hearing a story that might ruin our night out, I'll save it for another day.

[Knowing her, if she found out that he'd watched Teucer die in front of him, she'd be angry. He doesn't want to do that to her now, not after drinking.]

But to answer your question, no. I merely destroyed the ghost that held Master Diluc's soul in shackles, but it still left an impact on me. Killing Manabu was no different, either. Though I relished the battles, it didn't make the end result satisfying. If anything, Manabu's death made it even worse, considering that that would have been me had it not been for you and a few others.

the grand opening of the raccoon room

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