[open] General Store

[flambeaux]

WHO: Louis de Pointe du Lac and YOU (new players welcome too)
WHAT: Opening the General Store!
WHEN: throughout February (at evening/night if you want Louis) + party on an Aurora night second half of the month
WHERE: General Store, Milton

Feel free to also use this setting as open starters or closed to characters other than Louis! Just indicate it if you do! His general store? No... Our general store...

A. Home Improvement

CONTENT WARNINGS: a little bit of vampire blood, talk of hunting animals for food

It started out of the practical need to store and barter goods. Louis's home is not a fit place to entertain anyone other than rats, and he doesn't want to disturb the people who live in the Community Hall.

Louis turns his attention to the thoroughly-looted husk of the General Store. Louis feels oddly shy about starting up anything, self deprecation rearing its ugly head. Lestat called his business back home a "human hobby."

He needs all the help he can get. There's the plumbing and leaks from the recent storm, trash to throw out, walls to paint, shelves to fix. He'd like to make arrangements for daytime hours when he can't be there. And finally, putting a new coat of paint on the GENERAL STORE sign with an addition:

Marché du Lac

How handy is he? Louis did small repairs at his club when a handyman wasn't available at night, he's fairly nimble... and he's never done construction in his life. But any fool can board up a broken window and repair shelves, he reasons.

"Fuck!" he hisses when he hits his thumb with the hammer. He automatically puts his thumb in his mouth, and the taste of that little bead of blood is shockingly good. He must be hungry. Time for a break.

He slips his hammer into the loop of some scavenged cargo pants. He might be terrible at construction, but at least he looks good doing it.

...Why is he working at night?

B. Having a Few People Over

To celebrate the reopening of Milton's only general store, Louis invites the town for food and drinks on the next Aurora night. At the risk of being accused of living in it, he wears his best 3-piece suit, the gray one from home. The place is well-lit, both due to the Aurora and every light source Louis could get his hands on. It's a myth that vampires don't like light. They just have a sun allergy.

Louis used to run a club, he knows how to plan a party. He doesn't know how to cook; he enlisted help for that. Among as much variety as Louis could get, the caterer Lalo Salamanca made a mushroom stew. Delicious--but watch out! A few special mushrooms may have found their way into the batch, possibly into a few bowls, and Louis has no idea...

He puts jazz records on and opens the doors. Empty shelves have been pushed out of the way for mingling or making music--he sorely misses live music. Louis would only request that it be good. (Louis reminds himself to explicitly instruct Lestat not to eat any musicians he deems bad.)

C. Open for Business

It's little more than a single counter and a few shelves worth of stock. Louis contemplates trying to bring in people to sell their own wares just so the rest of the shelves won't look so empty.

He arranges the odd collection of whatever he could scavenge and make presentable: dry goods, cans, candy, alcohol, cigarettes. The storeroom is depressingly half empty. The freezer, moved to an unheated room, is surprisingly full of meat.

In the window he puts up a passable copy of Tim's missing bunny poster. He sets up a little seating area where people can eat and drink if they wish. (It feels odd not to place the round little tables and woven chairs outside like at home, where the weather was mild enough.)

Louis emerges from the back room in an apron at the sound of the bell over the door. His suit and tie are so people won't mistake the owner/manager for a lowly clerk... as much as anyone can "own" anything in this scavenged town.

"Evenin', what can I get for you?"

D. Back in 15

Louis expects at least one teenager to take up loitering... Big mistake. If any hapless souls hang around too long and are trusted not to steal, Louis simply takes off his apron, dons his coat, and says without warning as he leaves,

"Mind the counter while I'm gone."

Congratulations, you now work here until he returns. He'll be back in a few minutes... right?

Do you:

1. Invite friends and avail yourselves of the candy, booze, and free aprons
2. Actually tend the store

Comments

B (open) and C (for Louis)

[desperate_times_right]

B (open) [cw: loss of sensation due to Mushroom Problems]

[As previously demonstrated, Chloe can’t miss out on a party, even if a Louis party promises to be a little buttoned up and lame. Besides, as a connoisseur of Salamanca’s cooking (from stealing his food, whatever) it's good and she won't even have to climb out a window afterward.

She's sitting at one of the tables, eating a bowl of warm stew and chatting with the person sitting across from her, when she hears a splash and looks down in surprise: her spoon had dropped from suddenly numb fingers into the bowl without her noticing.]

Wait. What's happening...?

C (for Louis) [cw: bullying semi-innocent vampires]

[After everything’s blown over, Chloe has to come by and actually check out the store. She's got to admit that he's got a decent setup in here; more stuff than she would have expected.

And there's the man himself, behind the counter.]

A store, huh? Okay, Mr. Monopoly. Do you barter or what?

B!

[salamanca]

[ Lalo runs over to Chloe, eyes wide like he's seen a ghost. In a sense, he kind of has. A single curl of hair falls into his face. ]

What the hell did you do to me?! Answer me! Did you poison me?!

[ He looks absolutely wild. ]

only semi-innocent...

[flambeaux]

"'Course I barter, money don't exist here. No different than before, except now I got a roof when I do business. You lookin' for anythin' specific?"

He steps away from the counter over to the wood stove and gestures to the kettle of water kept warm on top of it.

"Tea?"

He missed offering beverages to humans. It's nice. He can fool himself, for a little bit, that he's king of his own little empire.

B

[guidemyway]

[Ruby blinks when she sees the spoon drop, but she glances up to Chloe with a look of utter confusion on her face as the question is dropped.]

Uh- No idea.

...Just to follow up on that- Who are you again?

[Well. She's definitely having a time with the soup.]

A (for Louis) and B (open)

[meadqueen]

A (for Louis)

[The days are getting longer, but not so long still that Randvi doesn't occasionally find herself returning from a hunt after dark. She's a bit surprised to hear so much noise and cursing from one of the buildings as she passes and goes to investigate.]

Hello? Are you all right?

B (open) [cw: altered mental state]

[After helping with the construction, of course Randvi is at the opening, to enjoy the fruits of her labour. And it's nice… she's eating the mushroom stew and it's all so nice, everyone has helped her so much and she's so happy. She giggles quietly to herself and leans over against whoever is next to her.]

I'm so happy you're here!

[flambeaux]

Just a matter of time before someone checked out the construction on a public building. The noise rings out especially loud in the quiet countryside nights. Louis turns, the offending hammer bumping against his leg a little.

"Just hit my thumb is all, ma'am," he grumbles. There is a wounded dignity in his posture. (He covers his thumb, as if the red is obscene, though vampire blood is red like human.)

B

[bigbaddy]

[ Oh god. Bigby was already a little awkward coming here, considering.. everything about Louis and all, but he did want to check out such an important place in the community opening.. And the least he expected was this - just suddenly being leaned against.

Granted, Bigby isn't the type to pull away from that like he just got burned or something, but his facial expression does immediately change into something a lot more quizzical.

Especially since he doesn't exactly know Randvi to be the cuddly type. ]

Uh.. what?

[ Yes. A very helpful answer there, Bigby. Truly contributing, big guy. ]

[sputnik]

[ Konstantin's having a nice time, too! Albeit without any Stew Effects, as he's hesitant to eat in front of people... At times, his alien occupant gets fussy about such things. Better not to risk throwing up in the middle of a party.

Still, he's enjoying simply being around a mix of other people again, given he's had to stay pretty isolated for longer than he's used to. He's always been comfortable in settings like this, and when he feels someone leaning into him, he's not flinching back at all, instead maintaining a very open, friendly language to his body, turning towards the person. ]

I'm sorry, did I bump into you? [ He smiles, knowing very well that it was the other way around and not minding in the least. But then he realises that he recognises the young woman — brows lifting in recognition. ]

Oh— Hello again!

B (Open)

[salamanca]

B (open) [ cw: hallucinations, bad trip, altered state due to mushrooms ]

[ Sometime later, the party is in full swing! Everyone should be enjoying themselves, right? Hopefully, everyone is!

Not Lalo, though. He'd be cheerfully hobnobbing with everyone an hour or so before. Clapping men on the shoulders as he walked by, giving flirty smiles to the ladies.

Now, though, it's almost night and day. Lalo is sitting against one of the walls with his legs out, and his face tilted upward at the ceiling. His eyes, also staring upward, having a thousand yard stare like he's seeing something nobody else can.

Get close and you might see him shudder, and gasp for air, almost like he's drowning. Or he might jolt forward and suddenly look up at you, but it's with an expression of sadness or terror or deep anger, not the friendliness most people are accustomed to from him.

If you're really lucky, you might even notice him acting like he's burning up, possibly trying to take his shirt off, revealing the white undershirt underneath. ]

[friendsfordinner]

[ Yeah. He doesn't look good.

When Lalo starts gasping for air, Hickey gives him a worried little frown, making sure to keep a bit of a distance between the two. He doesn't want this rando bothering him! Or touching him! ]

You alright?

[ Please don't make him do anything. ]

ed to ed conversation....at last...

[satanicpanics]

[ Eddie knows better than to eat anything with mushrooms in it unless you know what you’re in for, or you’re well acquainted with the chef—and everyone surrounding the chef. Swapping out shrooms is the oldest trick in the book, and Eddie knows because he’s been the one playing that prank in the past.

So he is not eating tonight. Instead, he entertains himself by watching the numerous people who have eaten get deep into their trips. He’s a little jealous, really, but he’s not taking any chances as he watches Lalo stare up at the ceiling. ]

Jesus Christ, dude. Bad trip, huh? What are you seeing up there?

A

[solitarysoul]

Levi does his patrols well into the night, and sometimes extra early in the morning, so its not odd for him to be out when Louis was working. He finds what Louis is doing odd, though, so he stops near by.

"What are you doing?"

[flambeaux]

What a way to ask.

"What's it look like I'm doin', hittin' my thumb with a hammer," Louis grumbles. He shakes it a little in the cold night air to numb it before covering it with his other hand. For decades, he did not bear the marks of such trivial injuries that healed too quick to stay. Now it almost feels obscene.

"Evenin', Levi. Or should I say, mornin'." He frowns up at the sky, as if it gave him personal offence, marking the position of the moon and stars. Many nights he went to sleep hungry, but this would be unusual in that it was due to distraction, not lack of hunting skill.

D (ota) (general cw of shroom!Amnesia)

[ployboy]

Unfortunately for everyone involved and a fair number of bystanders, Tim Drake has been drafted into the war after an attempted break-in before opening hours. The only truly unpredictable thing of this entire escapade has been the very limited protest, and maybe the fact that the boy goes as far as to tie the apron around himself after he's found himself well and alone at...

his first ever job?

i. Come find him (attempting to) sweep the floors.

ii. Come watch him stare blankly behind the counter after many failed attempts to actually open the cash register. (Wait, is... is he asleep?)

At some point, someone has got to notice there's a hand-sized... something... wiggling under his shirts, just at his belly.

iii. "Bienvenue to... Marché du Lac! I'll be right... with you!"

If it sounds like he's dying it's because there's two wholeass empty shelving monstrosities in great peril of falling over, and Tim is trying to not let that happen. Under the apron, his stomach jiggles in distress, which prompts Tim to hiss, "I know, it's not my fault!"

It never is.

i

[castitas]

As much as a part of her would rather have Bruce living free than facing life as a brood (bunny) mare in the attempts to breed rabbits for Milton, Kate accepts they need to find the missing bunny in question. She's been out looking these past few days, even enlisting the help of Diefenbaker in tracking Bruce down.

The only problem with that is Diefenbaker is still a wolf, and sometimes you end up having to negotiate with a wolf in order to get said bunny back (and not have her end up as a wolf-snack). But it's a successful negotiation, and the wolf gives up his dinner (hostage), with no casualties.

Which brings her to trying to find Tim. Someone had mentioned to her he's at Mr de Pointe du Lac's store, working. Which is... new? Bruce tucked up safely against her stomach under a couple of clothing layers, hands holding her there in place, she carefully makes her way there. Diefenbaker follows at her side, still interested in the bundle against her, but patiently waiting for his end of the deal.

She shoulders her way into the store, quickly looking around for the boy and blinking in surprise to find him sweeping, apron and all. Diefenbaker is less than thrilled to see the boy, uttering a soft grumble, but doesn't move from Kate's side.

"... Wow, you actually got a job?"

ii (cw: altered mental state, hallucinations)

[salamanca]

Lalo, still deep in the grips of the world's worst trip, sees the thing moving under Tim's shirt and his mushroom-addled brain processes it as something pulsating, tentacles slipping out from under Tim's shirt and threatening to reach out for Lalo and, maybe, engulf the entire world.

He looks Tim, face pale, shaking and confused. He can tell Tim is struggling with the cash register, but he can't figure out why that's such a focal point for the kid, when he's clearly got an eldritch abomination about to erupt from his body at any moment.

He points at Tim's chest. "What is that, amigo?" he asks. His voice is deceitfully calm, but he looks like he's about to be sick.

ii

[flambeaux]

The store is vulnerable during the day unless Louis can get someone to do that shift. But at night, Louis is boss and security all in one. He nearly showed some fang, but--aw hell, it's just Tim. Breaking into his place again, as if that wasn't how they first met.

So, service is a fitting punishment, Louis thinks, even as he double-checks his (admittedly small) inventory again to make sure nothing is missing. Tim is in a stupor it seems, but that doesn't matter so long as he watches the counter while Louis is in the storeroom. And it'll keep him out of trouble.

Louis emerges to see Tim's stomach coming alive. The predator's nature in Louis salivates even as he frowns and speaks in the genteel tones of a well-lit New Orleans parlor.

"...I take pride in keepin' this place pest-free, Tim. What have you got in your shirt?"

iii

[bigbaddy]

...

Consider Bigby wildly unimpressed. Sure, there are worse situations he could have walked into when talking into the store, but watching Tim - of all people? Why is he even working here? - in the middle of almost getting buried by shelves is still pretty high up on the list of situations Bigby would rather not witness.

Still, rather than unhelpfully standing over there and judging, he does take a few steps over to move a hand against the shelving, holding it up with relatively little effort. His arms aren't built like this for nothing, okay!

"You're working here?"

B — party times! (ota)

[sputnik]

cw: mention of fatal gunshot wound, mention of parasitic alien (which this character comes with by default), mention of feeding from animals (but needing to feed from humans...)

[ Ever since his arrival to this place, Konstantin has been keeping a low profile, mostly staying holed up in the little cabin he shares with Vasiliy Ardankin, on the outskirts of town. There's certainly been necessity to that — he's been in the process of recovering from a shot straight to the stomach (even if this place wouldn't let him die from it), and his condition is consistently bad, his body not able to handle its extraterrestrial infestation as well as it had back at the facility, with the aid of advanced medical care and stability. There's also the fact that the alien being doesn't seem capable of healing itself (or him) here... and that it hasn't fed on a human being in several weeks, only relying on animals for sustenance, making its condition (and therefore his) even weaker.

Needless to say, Konstantin's been keeping a wide berth around most people, exploring here and there when he's able, but generally avoiding larger crowds or too much interaction. However, when news spreads of a little get-together happening at the freshly re-established general store, the cosmonaut finds himself perking up at the thought. He misses being around people, the liveliness of sharing energy with a room, meeting new faces.

To be sure, there are concerns (namely, that his little alien problem might decide to make a direct appearance. The thing is nocturnal, and if it's going to emerge... it would be when it's away from the painful sunlight, in the dark safety of night. There's the worry that its hunger might rev up in the presence of others, that it might get desperate enough.) But it hasn't been coming out very much at all in this place, seeming to have an extreme aversion to the cold environment, and he and Vasiliy have been very careful to manage keeping it fed regularly with the grouse... It might be all right to show up for just a couple hours.

He can be found at various places throughout the evening — more often than not, it's with Vasiliy Ardankin (m1895), Milton's resident EMT. They show up together and Konstantin sticks close (there's necessity to that, too; if something goes... wrong, Vasiliy's the only one here who knows exactly what lives inside of him and Konstantin trusts the other man to be able to keep people safe.) But for a little while, he lets himself enjoy the moment too, and that means hanging out with a friend! Enjoying his company! It's nice to be out of the cooped-up cabin and mingling with people, even if his housemate is less overtly extroverted than the cosmonaut with the personable, charming grin. He's happily bringing Vasiliy along with him, one hand clasping the younger man's shoulder to give a soft squeeze as he approaches a new face to make introductions, or catch up with someone he might've bumped into before. Or maybe they're spotted standing off together chatting and someone else does the approaching. Konstantin will be happy to offer anyone a drink and welcome them in to join their little circle. ] NOTE: this is the option for three-way thread shenanigans with Konstantin & Vasiliy / replies will come from them both!

[ At other points throughout the evening, Konstantin does detach momentarily and could be found anywhere — looking around the place in seeming interest, standing and listening to the music with a drink in hand that he weirdly never seems to actually drink from (Konstantin has learned in all the worst ways that the extraterrestrial inhabitant of his stomach is not a fan of the harsh sting of alcohol), or walking around to approach people, wearing a friendly (and often disarmingly so) smile, dark eyes bright. He might offer you a bowl of that mushroom stew (again, weirdly, he doesn't seem to have one for himself...) Hope there's no ill effects to be found in yours!

Despite what's so wrong in him, and the lingering discomfort that comes with being around people now, he genuinely seems to be enjoying himself. It's fun just to engage, to be as much a part of things as he can, even if it can never be fully. The cosmonaut couldn't be considered a young man — on the cusp of forty, his dark hair is greying at the temples and with flecks of white and grey throughout, and there are crinkles at the corners of his eyes even when he isn't smiling — but his demeanor is light-hearted and energetic, someone used to living an athletic and sociable lifestyle. Even if his drink goes untouched, he holds it like he's done it a million times, been to parties just like this time and time again; he seems comfortable.

For a little while, he can almost be the same person he used to be. ]

Vasiliy is welcome here if he wants to hop in

[desperate_times_right]

[Since the last time Chloe had spoken with this man, her world’s gotten a little bigger and a lot bloodier. If he's like her - or like one of the others she's met in the interim - she's willing to let bygones be bygones. And what better time to get reacquainted than at a party?

Chloe approaches the cosmonaut and his friend with a drink in hand and a big smile on her face.]

Hello again, Commander Veshnyakov.

[solitarysoul]

[Levi shakes his head to Konstantin's offer of a bowl of stew.]

Oh, no, that's okay. I ate already.

[He is still kinda hungry, though. If Kostya insists he might just take the bowl anyway.]

Are you, um...

[No, probably not a good idea to ask about whatever condition this guy has.]

...s-settling in well?

[flambeaux]

It's been a challenge to both feed himself and work towards anything more permanent than incidental hunting and gathering. For a while, Louis truly starved. A vampire can go without blood for days, becoming lightheaded. After that, it's just downright uncomfortable and unsightly.

Louis has fed well before this little shindig so that the people he shakes hands with only find him a little cool, and his face is properly flushed with warmth and color just as a human's would be. He looks healthy. His skin is smooth and unblemished as ever, and his eyes are bright but at a normal amount of dilation.

As the host, Louis is more often offering people food and drink, but he is skilled at the art of pretending to eat, or actually doing it and pretending he can taste any flavor. So he is in a position to notice that at least one of his guests isn't partaking. That won't do, his manners won't allow someone to go hungry. He approaches the man and his quiet companion with an easy grace cultivated in Southern parlors. When he catches his eye, he speaks.

"Got some stronger stuff in back if you prefer. Louis de Pointe du Lac. I don't think we've had the pleasure, Mr...?"

B - open

[solitarysoul]

He doesn't really know how he feels about there being a store, but Levi has shown up at the grand opening anyway. He's not good with crowds, but he has at least a passing knowledge of most of the people here so that makes it a bit easier. And the chance to get some food that's just not just whatever he's roasted over a fire or heated up on a stove was a plus.

So he's got a bowl of stew and he's...socializing? Seems to be having an easier time talking to people and not wall flowering like he often does. Why not chat him up?

[darkxwolf17]

What's wrong with wallflowering? That's a type of socializing, right?

Except Uzi can't bring herself to do that today. So, here she is, trying to socialize.

"Hey. So... Stew, huh?"

A

[lastdecember]

Why is he working at night? Wolfwood spots the torches from a ways off and lets his curiosity lead him to the half renovated shop. As he approaches, though, he recognizes the man inside as one of the people who’d been down in the church basement with Goodsir, watching as the doctor had taken the dead lieutenant apart, and his curiosity shifts into suspicion.

Who needs shelving so urgently that it can’t be installed during the day?

He pauses in the doorway, brilliant orange coat reflecting the light from the torches. “Everythin’ all right in here?”

[flambeaux]

Louis recalls reading history in school about folks suspecting anatomists and physicians of performing necromancy and outlawing dissection even for investigative purposes. There is no room for that in Louis's time of rising innovation and sleek automobiles. Some small part of him fears there is no room for the vampire of myth either, and he will have to reinvent himself in the face of a new century.

Louis sits with a grumbling sigh, a very human sound, on the nearest table. The door is open because he has to fix one of the hinges, and he's bundled up against the cold in the usual mishmash of .

"You ever have a rough time and then somethin' small and stupid happens and you just want to give up? I just hit my thumb with a hammer. I'm fine."

[darkxwolf17]

[A: When all you have is a door]
[Sometimes, when she feels like she can't sleep, Uzi goes on little walks around Milton. The cold doesn't bother her (too much) and it gives her time to get away from the gas station, her new base of operations.

Thing is, the base isn't doing so hot. Turns out that ignoring most of your dad's profession because his passion for doors outweighs his love for you means that you're gonna get some shoddy craftsmanship in places. Remembering exactly what he tried to teach her was a hassle in itself.

But that brings her here. Wherever 'here' is. Looks like a store? Lot of banging and crashing going on inside. So, maybe it's only right if she peeks her head in to check...]

Hello...?

[B: Stewing in it | Open]
[Uzi didn't want to say no to a party, since she was lonely but will never confess to that. It's just... Human parties were similar to robot parties. Just with plenty more things that could kill them.

She's got a bowl of stew. She can't eat it, of course. So she's just got a bowl of Mysterious Mushroom Stew in her small hands.

Not to be left out of the odd sensations, The Aurora is doing its usual number on Uzi's mind. She winces, waves of pixelated lines flicker across the visor that contained her "eyes". In a moment of pain, the bowl starts to tip from her hand...]

Oh - no, no, no, no!

B!

[sputnik]

[ Earlier this very evening, Konstantin was actually told about the existence of a robot here in Milton — a very exciting prospect for the cosmonaut from the early-eighties. He wasn't expecting to actually bump into her himself, but when he sees the small girl-shaped being with the glowing eyes, he's pretty sure that must be who Chloe was referring to.

He's not afraid, but he is cautious, having no idea what to expect. He's no stranger to technology and robotics; in fact, a requirement in that particular field of study was a necessity to join Russia's esteemed cosmonaut corps, by his time. But this... this is unlike anything he's ever seen before! It's an incredible sight, and he's just staring at her from a few feet away before he realises the bowl of soup in her hands is starting to tip over.

Despite being a lot worse for wear these days, Konstantin is still a very athletic man, and it's with a certain ease that he manages to move quickly forward and grab the thing before it can go toppling over. Holding it in his palms, he's unable to suppress a certain wonder in his eyes, peering down at her curiously. ]

Are you all right?