I'd sit there and look at the deserted lakes and I'd sing

[singmod]

MARCH 2024 EVENT

PROMPT ONE — EXIT STRATEGY: With the way via the main road a no-go, Methuselah finds a potential and very dangerous way out of the Milton area: the Milton Mines. During the Aurora, the Interlopers must find a way to safely navigate the mines and find a way through.

PROMPT TWO — BRAVE NEW WORLD: Interlopers make their way into the Lakeside area, and are free to explore the more of the Northern Territories: a place of both industry and leisure.

PROMPT THREE — THE ECHO: On Aurora nights, the aftermath of the Darkwalker's attack on the Interlopers continues to ripple through the community — with a painful affliction.

EXIT STRATEGY

WHEN: Mid-month.
WHERE: Milton Mines.
CONTENT WARNINGS: claustrophobic situations; potential injury/maiming; potential electrocution/electrocution injuries; potential burn injuries; hyperthermic situations; exploration horror;


Unusually, Methuselah returns to the town around the middle of the month. He is looking pleased and will ask that the Interlopers gather in the Community Hall. Once gathered, he climbs onto the small stage at one end of the Hall and explains that following last month’s Feast, he set out to try to find a way out of Milton, and he believes he may have found a way out.

He goes on to explain that although the Milton Mine has been closed for many years, there may still be access through the mine. The mine had two entrances through either sides of the stone, one on the Milton side since many of the residents worked the mine back in the day, but there was also an additional entrance on the opposite side, which led to a railway track that allowed easier export of coal and precious materials towards the coast. Having gained access, he believes the mine seems to mostly remain intact, but not easy to get through. However, he discovered that during the Aurora, the old mine and its electronics came to life — meaning a way through is certainly possible during those times with the added electronics in play.

It is not much, and it is certainly incredibly dangerous, but it is something. There is certainly no way out towards the south; towards the north might be the Interlopers’ best chance of finding a way out of Milton.

Methuselah will ask for any volunteers to join him in trying to find a way out via the mines, taking them up north and then waiting for an Aurora to happen before they can then make their way through and explore the mine system. Anyone is free to sign up, and he suggests someone drawing up a sign up sheet so that Interlopers have an idea of who is leaving the town on the journey.

The hike towards the mines is a long one, taking a few hours on an incline to reach the northern mountains. Waiting on the Aurora may take time, so setting up camp is the next step — waiting for night and hoping the skies fill with night soon. Interlopers are free to explore the mine beforehand, but will find a lot of it locked up tight. With areas unreachable without power and the darkness suffocating, they won’t get very far.

When the Aurora does finally come, the mine will come to life: the system’s lighting will come on throughout, albeit flickering and a little unreliable. Machinery and track systems whir and groan as the mine slowly cranks itself into functioning once more. While there are maps of the system to help Interlopers navigate the system — showing a second entrance labelled as ‘Lakeside Entrance’ — the true difficulty in getting through lies in wait.

Interlopers will find that parts of the system have been partially flooded: with the frigid water in places mostly ankle deep and others reaching no higher than knee-high on an average-height man. What’s worse, is the half-destroyed electrics ravaged by both time and the Aurora mean plenty of loose wires hanging here and there. It’s possible to accidentally catch yourself on them, meaning burn injuries and mild electric shocks — but care should be taken in checking if these wires may have fallen into these flooded parts. Stepping into these live waters will be far more deadly. They will also find that the electronically-powered gates that open through into areas may not function, with the fuses having been blown.

Gaining access through the mine is not impossible, however. It will simply require a little bit of legwork. One of the larger caverns of the mines houses a fuse board. Characters can switch off sections of the mines in order to traverse them safely, find new fuses in toolboxes scattered through the mines in order to open the gates and make their way through to gain access to the elevator of the mine — which will also require new fuses, in order to power the electrics to get it to function.

It is perhaps, most frustrating, that once Interlopers get the elevator working and head downwards into the final section of the mine, that they will come across hand-cranks — allowing them to use the elevator without the need for electricity. But at least the hard part is over, and the Interlopers now have a way through from Milton that doesn’t require relying on the Aurora to power the mine’s electrics.

On the lower section of the mine, there will be a handful of more gated rooms to get through before reaching the Lakeside Entrance, and more wires and flooded areas to traverse. But you can taste it: something on the air. You’re close.

You’ve made it, Interloper.

BRAVE NEW WORLD

WHEN: Mid-month, onwards.
WHERE: Milton Mines (Lakeside Entrance); The Ravine; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of exploration/survival; themes of peril; acrophobia; potential character/npc death from falls; potential injuries, potential cold injuries/hyperthermia risk;

Coming out of the mines, you will be greeted by a small mining camp and railway track enclosed by mountains on both sides. It’s incredibly sheltered here, with little wind chill and not as much snow on the ground compared to some of the more open areas of Milton. It may be best to rest here for the rest of the night. There are several portacabins that were used to house some of the former miners, along with additional cabins with one being some kind of foreman’s office, one that served as a kind of mess hall and one for bathing/toilet needs.

While there is little in terms of supplies left in there, some scraps may be found here and there — plus the cabins will provide decent shelter from the cold, which may be the last Interlopers will get ahead of the long walk down through the mountain track and into Lakeside. There is also plenty of coal left lying around, too — allowing for Interlopers to craft fires to keep warm. Even with it being sheltered, it’s still cold out.

In terms of where to go from here, the only way seems to be to follow the track. It’s a long walk, but rather straightforward if you keep to the tracks. A good few hours of it, but it’s quiet — and there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of wildlife or windchill here. It almost seems too easy, or as easy as it could be in regards to a long walk through thick snow.

Until you come face to face with the ravine.

The world opens up to you, with the tracks stretching over a huge valley via a… mostly sturdy-looking wooden and steel bridge. There doesn’t seem to be any way around it, no alternative route of getting over to the other side. Crossing the bridge is the only option. Care should be taken, with Interlopers now being vulnerable to the wind and the snow-laden tracks. As sturdy as the bridge looks, it seems to creak and groan under the weight of a single footstep. There even appears to be the remains of fall train-carts in the depths, from some unfortunate incident years ago. It’s probably fine.

Crossing the bridge and continuing down the tracks will eventually have the world opening up even more — you’ve finally reached Lakeside. Thick boreal forests crowd around the tracks, and in places, Interlopers will note that the tracks have buckled and become badly damaged. When they find roads, they will also find them in similar states of disrepair from beneath the snow. Following them for another hour or so will eventually lead to Lakeside’s Maintenance Yard. From here, there is a road, with directions: signs pointing towards Milton, the Coast, Lakeside Resort and the Carter Hydrodam.

For those interested in searching the Maintenance Yard, they will be greeted by a large, fenced in building. Fortunately, a great deal of the fencing has been damaged with the bad weather and it is easy enough to gain access. The place is a bit of a mess: scrap metal, wood, and dissued trucks and cars litter the yard, along with wood that can be used for kindling and firewood. Inside the Maintenance Yard, it is a little bit of a mechanic’s dream. There’s plenty of tools in this place, and even a forge which could be used for crafting if someone has the patience to fire it up and keep it hot for long enough. There’s plenty of stores of coal, at least. But in terms of a living space, there’s not much else other than a small break room with some comfy chairs to catch some quick shut-eye. Searching the Yard for any letters or such will reveal a similar theme to that of Milton: difficulty in reaching the Mainland with postage and correspondences, the lack of staffing, and the problems with wildlife. There are also complaints and concerns over growing dangers of small quakes causing damage to the roads and rail system.

Following the road towards the Lakeside Resort is a mostly quiet and pleasant enough trek, as long as one keeps close to or on the road there as much as possible. The Resort is largely secluded, even if it is around the actual lake itself, and it’s easy to see just why this place would have been a popular vacation place.

The resort is a collection of a dozen luxury cabins dotted around the edge of the lake, each of them with a decent amount of space between them for privacy. The cabins themselves are sturdy and well built, but look far more modern and almost designer in terms of style - with huge almost floor to ceiling windows and spacious porches for that perfect lakeside view, and open plan rooms and balconies. Each of the cabins contain multiple bedrooms, suitable for vacationing families and mix both modern technology and more rustic means of heating homes — making them ideal for all weathers.

A couple of the cabins are not completed, appearing to be a kind of expansion of the resort that was not finished. Build materials still remain here. Some of the cabins on the furthest side appear to have become victims of vandalism, having been broken into and completely trashed with windows smashed, furniture missing and broken, and any goods completely ransacked from the place. There are perhaps five cabins out of the twelve that remain fully intact and may contain useful items such as food, basic medical supplies and tools, and will certainly be excellent shelters for those looking for somewhere to stay.

There is also a Camp Office, situated at the east side of the lake. Used as a kind of main office of maintenance for the cabins, along with an office or tourist centre of sorts. It has a decent stock of hiking and outdoor essentials. The Camp Office does also have a small living space upstairs — presumably used by Lake staff or rangers, with a wood stove and kitchenette, along with a bathroom and several bunk-beds. It appears that the Camp Office wasn't abandoned until a short while ago — no more than a couple of months.

Following the road to the Hydrodam is a trickier one than the one to the Resort. There is a higher volume of predator wildlife here, with wolf howls closer and more frequent. With the current state of wildlife’s behaviours, it is likely to face attacks from wolves on the way there. The Carter Hydrodam has clearly seen better days. It seems to have fallen into disrepair and may have only been run by a small skeleton crew. While the Hydrodam is gated and locked up tight, it’s possible to break in through the gate and gain access.

While the lower dam is currently out of bounds, Interlopers will be able to get into the upper levels of the main building of the Hydrodam, which consists mostly of offices, maintenance rooms, a medical bay, and rooms banked with control panels, plus staff areas. The med bay is relatively well stocked, but might need a little forced entry with certain medical lockers and cabinets. Tools and other useful items can also be found here, along with bunk rooms, a small canteen and bathrooms/showers. It might be possible with some work to get access to hot water here — the showering systems run on a back-up furnace system, and while some of the pipes are broken, it might be possible to fix them to get the hot water system up and running again.

Following the road to the Coast will find a dead end. The bridge that heads over towards that direction has been damaged beyond repair, and there looks to be no way of getting around it. Perhaps, much like with getting out of Milton, there may be an alternate way of getting further south, but time will tell.

But for now, here is an entirely new region, ripe for the picking. While it appears some places have already seen minor scavenging (with the exception to the vandalism and looting of some of the resort cabins), Lakeside is largely untouched. It is full of game to hunt, an expansive lake to take up ice-fishing in, and indoor locations to search through for supplies. Some Interlopers may decide to stay here permanently now that it’s easier to travel between Lakeside and Milton.

THE ECHO

WHEN: Aurora Nights, the month of March.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: supernatural/otherworldly afflictions; themes of grief; themes of loss

There are roughly no more than ten Aurora nights during the month of March, and everything occurs as usual: the insanely bright colours swirling in the skies before you, the crackles and pops of static in the air providing percussion to the strange, ethereal chorus of almost-electrical sounds. The electrics of the world around coming alive with its usual sputtering and falters. There is much mystery to these strange, almost supernatural phenomena — but they almost feel like a kind of staple in the Northern Territories.

But on these nights something different happens.

If you listen closely, the sound of weeping can be heard on the air. Those with the Aurora Call Feat will be particularly drawn to the sound, and will hear it more clearly compared to their fellow Interlopers. It is the sound of a woman, and those paying attention might be able to recognise the voice it belongs to: it is the same woman heard over the static of radios and televisions in December and early January. The same woman that spoke to Interlopers, telling them to sleep, with the promise of help — thus granting some of them powers. It is the same voice that screamed out the night La’an Noonien-Singh died, and the night of those recently killed in the church.

She is… grief-stricken. Her weeping is a raw and anguished thing, and the more you listen, the more it seems to grip at you. You feel her pain, maybe it echoes within your own. Those you have lost, those you have failed or hurt — a reverb that grows stronger as the night continues. It is an all-consuming pain, its depths endless. It brings tears to your eyes.

You carry this pain, as she does.

You feel it in your very bones, in your flesh and sinew. It’s an exhaustive pain, and as the night progresses, you find yourself incredibly weary. In a strange state of fatigue that won’t even allow you to sleep.

You may find yourself going in search of comfort amongst friends, or loved ones. To hold a hand, to embrace them — to not be alone in this pain you feel.

But it is a pain that is too great.

On these nights, you will find yourselves alone, without the comfort you would otherwise lean on. You will not be soothed by that comfort of others. For as long as the Aurora lasts, reaching out and touching others will bring real physical pain to you. It will hurt to touch others, and physical contact will produce a sharp biting pain, even for those who may not feel pain otherwise. Too much. It’s… too much.

Some of you were told once, in a dream: “Don’t you understand it now? We are all connected. The Aurora connects us.”

Once the lights in the sky fade, that pain will finally ease and the woman’s sobs will go quiet — but it will return once more, when the next Aurora comes.

FAQs

EXIT STRATEGY

1. It is entirely possible for NPC Interlopers to die in the mines due to electrocution, and players are free to use NPCs — we ask that players give mods a heads up so that the masterlist can be updated accordingly.


BRAVE NEW WORLD

1. The lower dam is currently completely physically impossible to access. The door that leads there is jammed shut. Characters will notice half-frozen water leaking on the floor around the door.

2. It is possible to find bodies in Lakeside, however there is a... suspiciously low amount of them, and the rare ones found by characters will have been there for some time. They will have appeared to have died of exposure.

3. Wolves can be found in Lakeside, and their tracks are incredibly common. Interactions with wolves can happen in the exploration of this region, and they will behave much like they did during the September event and be incredibly hostile to players.

4. Bears are also common in Lakeside, and their tracks can also be found. They technically should be still hibernating, and much like wolves — they will be aggressive towards Interlopers. Keep your distance!

5. Lakeside unlocking comes with a Companion Event of an Interation with a new NPC!

THE ECHO

1. Essentially: physical touch with others will bring Interlopers physical pain. Sorry about that.

2. It is possible for Interlopers with Aurora Call to attempt to reach out to the woman. Those interested can inquire into what that interaction may be like! They can find out what that entails here.

PLOTTING POST

Comments

Re: general store!

[flambeaux]

Louis hasn’t got many skills that would help settle a place, so he didn’t linger in Lakeside longer than he needed to. He has his Milton interests to look after.

Hickey holds up the rabbit skins like they’re a shield, or perhaps a peace offering. Louis knows better than to let his guard down. Louis has so far maintained that Marché du Lac welcomes everyone through its doors. Tonight, this will be tested.

Louis deludes himself that he can be the better man. He can't ignore that Hickey’s first instinct was to try to blackmail him. Louis acts more proud than he is, on account of warding off disrespect. But there is more than that between the two of them. Louis is upset… ultimately at himself. He lost control. He doesn’t like that. Louis likes to believe he is in control of his instincts.

And it’s easier to get mad at someone else. Hickey is a prick.

Louis is very still behind the counter, giving Hickey a neutral appraising look with his crystalline eyes. Finally he leans on one foot, raises his eyebrows a little—moves as humans do.

“Must be somethin’ you really need,” he says in his quiet way which means peace, but also a snake in the grass. His tone is polite, but the ways a Southern man throws shade are subtle, varied, and numerous. No proper greeting, and suggesting Hickey must be desperate.

“We’ll make arrangements for the wood when I can leave.” Heating is admittedly a constant chore. Extra wood is always good. “First let’s see those skins.” He directs him to the counter with his palm.

“What are you lookin’ for this evenin’?”

Re: general store!

[friendsfordinner]

"Tobacco," Hickey says, as he spreads the pelts out on the counter. They're not bad. Possibly a pair of mittens or the world's worst hat could be made from them, though the tanning process is patchy enough that detailed work might be ill-advised.

"Roll it myself or in those little pre-packaged ones you have, I don't care. I have had a very trying month. Nothing a little smoke can't fix."

The remains of that black eye courtesy of Jopson have faded, but Hickey still acts like a man who just got punched in the face only a few days ago.

[flambeaux]

"Mn, they say the same about a cup of tea." He's got to make the obligatory joke, being American and talking to someone from across the pond. "I wouldn’t know. I always preferred somethin’ stronger."

Bourbon or blood, depending on when in his life. He has enough presence of mind to carefully not look at Hickey's neck. He looks at the eye where he remembers Hickey getting decked. Louis is of the opinion that Hickey probably deserved whatever was coming to him. (Except the tender touch of Billy's hand on his cheek. That was an anomaly. People do that in public? Louis could never out himself like that...)

"A flaw in the pelts can spell hypothermia," he starts his assessment. Maybe Louis was right to decide to seek hunting instruction elsewhere. "But I'll make do. I'll give you one pack for the skins and the wood. A generous offer."

How generous is wildly dependent on supply and demand and Louis's desire to make a good deal. Who knew a pack of smokes could fetch such a price. Secretly, Louis thinks the unrolled tobacco he found is higher quality if less convenient. The modern cigarettes have a different taste than he's used to.

[friendsfordinner]

Considering that cigarettes seem to be in very short supply here and while people have managed to make something alcohol adjacent, they haven't made anything cigarette adjacent, it's an offer Hickey's willing to take. Someone misses his tobacco fix. And while the unrolled tobacco might be of higher quality, at his core, Hickey is a lazy asshole. He will happily take the convenience any day.

"An acceptable trade," Hickey says, as he gestures to the pelts. "And feel free to examine the pelts right here, right now. I know what I'm doing. This'll keep the cold out."

Mostly.

[flambeaux]

With so much conniving and stabbing to do, who has time to roll their own cigarettes?

With a dubious sigh, Louis fingers and turns the pelts over. Now comes the time for smalltalk, that's how shopkeeps always go about things, but there will always be a blood-red film over whatever Louis and Hickey might say. Louis considers being silent, but then he would have to contend with whatever direction Hickey chose, and Hickey has more charisma than him.

"I'm glad we could come to such a swift deal. Though it pains me, cigarettes are somethin' I can go without. Whatever did you do while you were sailin'?"

He knows they must have packed some, but if they ran out of food, perhaps they ran out of other things. It's a deliberate dig at Hickey's hardships. Louis doesn't care to spare his feelings anymore.

[friendsfordinner]

Hickey recognizes the deliberate dig for what it is. And don't mind him if he immediately decides to go on the offensive in return.

"We made do. Use what you have on hand, pad out the tobacco with sawdust, the usual. Don't know why you're asking that question, I suspect you know all about making do to begin with. What do you eat when you haven't bit someone? Pigeons? Rats?"

Hickey stretches slightly, rolling his shoulders back in a way that deliberately shows off some of his neck. Perhaps blatantly taunting the thing that bit you is a bad idea. But then again, Hickey's never met a danger he wouldn't antagonize.

[flambeaux]

Bold to talk about it so openly. Anyone could walk in and see Louis staring at Hickey's neck. Bold to assume Louis is always scrabbling for his next meal, which he is, but he thinks it's rude to point it out. Hickey is such a prick. Louis's lip curls.

"If it's got blood, it's fair game. Rats, definitely." Another dig at the rat man. Teach him to blackmail him with ratting him out.

"No need to worry, I'm doing better for myself, which means I ain't so hungry anymore. You may not believe it, but I hate to lose my composure." He even straightens his tie for effect.

[friendsfordinner]

As far as Hickey's concerned, he's in the right. Someone comes in and sees Louis staring at Hickey's neck, they're not going to focus on Hickey. They're going to wonder why the hell Louis is doing that. Hickey's right. He knows what he's doing. And he's perfectly fine cuing up the ball so someone else can sink it.

Or so he thinks.

"Mmm, I don't believe that. Considering how quickly you lost your composure in the first place? Makes it seem like your 'composure' is hanging on by a thread."

[flambeaux]

It's rude to stare at necks, Louis!

"I was ill that day." He still has the temerity to remain at ease, which surely makes himself superior to the man who had the audacity to come into his shop and say these things. Surely! He knows Hickey is just trying to get a rise out of him.

"It may surprise you, but generally a man tries to avoid constant illness. I found the whole experience to be generally unpleasant."

His lip curls for effect. He thinks Hickey's gross, but that's not all the way true. He was very hungry, and Hickey's blood was very tempting.

[friendsfordinner]

Hickey knows his blood is tempting, thank you very much. He's well aware he's hot shit (even though he doesn't know the term 'hot shit'). Louis may say that he tastes generally unpleasant, Hickey begs to differ.

"Ill. Is that the excuse you're going with? Piss-poor justification if you ask me."

[flambeaux]

As long as the blood isn't sick or dead, it'll do for him. It is ever Louis's lot to deny until blue in the face what he feels in his heart.

"My condition is the illness of which I speak, made worse by the unexpected circumstances visited upon me that night, fella." Louis makes the friendly term of address sound like a curse word.

"I don't need to give details. As if I need to justify myself to a weasel of a man who turns to blackmail quick as anythin'. You should've been happy to escape with your skin."

But here Louis is doing it anyway, because he must justify to himself that he is still, somehow, a good man. Just a good man beset by circumstances. Because if he's not that, then what is he? A monster.

[friendsfordinner]

"Blackmail? Man like yourself, I'd have thought you'd see my offer for what it was. A business arrangement, nothing more."

It's blackmail. It's straight up, blatant blackmail. Hickey is perfectly happy putting a new spin on the term, however.

[flambeaux]

He rests his hands on the counter and leans a little forward. This is his fucking shop, damnit...

"Tradin' goods, that's a business arrangement, one you will be lucky to complete this evenin' at the rate you're goin'. Tryin' to coerce a man into a deal he don't want usin' information about his private life, that's blackmail. A good businessman knows the difference between the two. If you insist on it just bein' semantics, well, then I can just say it's a bad deal. No dice."

[friendsfordinner]

It truly is amazing how confident Hickey feels and how much chutzpah he's got despite the fact that 1. this isn't his space and 2. he's talking with the man who tried to rip out his throat. But nope. Cornelius Hickey sees the world as a series of interactions where he can and will always come out on top. Case in point? The fact that Louis is getting a shitty little smile in response.

"Then I'll simply have to convince you of a better deal," he says, with a little shrug. There's a moment before he muses, "After all, I can easily see how we both could benefit each other in the end. You're obviously not the wilderness sort, after all."

[flambeaux]

Louis would like to sink his teeth into his neck and wipe that grin off Hickey's face. His gums tingle. His fangs come out when he's riled, and his eyes dilate.

"I get by," he hisses, and he peels his lips back from his fangs like a cat in a parody of a smile. "You're more trouble than you're worth. It's more than just tradin', there's the labor in it too, and you are one laborious jackass. It's a wonder you have any friends. That man ain't got no taste."

What the hell does Billy see in Hickey? Never mind that Louis is the one here who shacked up with Lestat the nightmare for decades...

Louis slams something on the counter and takes up his coat. "Here's your damn cigarettes, and let's get this over with. Show me the wood."

[friendsfordinner]

Louis may slander him, Louis may talk shit, but Hickey knows where he lies in the scheme of things. He's got plenty of friends. Plenty of friends, plenty of allies, enough people to stay on his side and be in his court that he feels perfectly fine burning this bridge and annoying one irritating vampire.

"It's back at mine," Hickey says, with a nod. "After all, I wasn't going to lug it all the way here for you to decide that you'll find it wanting."

Gesturing for Louis to follow him, Hickey makes his way for the door.

[flambeaux]

It is a supremely bad idea to kill anyone in Milton, especially in his own place of business, but Louis is once again filled with the urge to off Hickey and suck him dry. Louis interprets Hickey's rudeness in the context of the many slights he has endured: How dare Hickey gesture for him to follow him like some servant. Stupid white boy, Louis thinks acidly.

Louis produces a sledge from the back room for the firewood. He flips the CLOSED sign and takes his sweet damn time locking up. Maybe instead of leaving him with a completed bargain, he can mug him for the cigarettes back. It's an idea he discards as well, but it's nice to fantasize.

He endeavors to walk alongside Hickey instead of behind him, dragging the empty sledge. "I can hardly believe you would show me where you live."

Maybe Hickey has different residences. Lestat certainly moved from one to another. Maybe it isn't even Hickey's house at all.

[friendsfordinner]

That...hmm. Right. Maybe he shouldn't have shown Louis where he lives.

Still, he can find a way to spin this. Besides, Rorschach's already found out where Hickey lives. Who knows, other people might be paying attention to this as well. Or hell, maybe he can explain this away in a different manner? Who knows. He'll have to work on this.

"For all you know, it could be somewhere different. Maybe I'm just using this place as secondary storage. Maybe I'm living more in Lakeside these days."

[flambeaux]

Louis severely underestimates Hickey's belief that he has the power of (a) god on his side. And he hasn't followed Hickey anywhere; he doesn't have the penchant for stalking like Lestat and Rorschach.

"Maybe. Maybe it's just storage, business, or the house of a paramour. If there's smoke in the chimney, maybe you just workin' there that day doin'--whatever it is you do. Who's to say? Maybe I should watch a little closer..."

Ugh, right out of Lestat's playbook. Louis has no intention of staking out this house. He has better things to do. But if he can intimidate Hickey... Louis won't be pushed around by him like this.

[friendsfordinner]

Hickey, unfortunately for Louis, takes 'watch a little closer' in a different direction. Louis is from the future, Louis is obviously from a time in the future when people are more accepting of concepts like homosexuality (the fact that it's a process and that people being cool with letting gay people marry is a recent development has never crossed Hickey's mind.)

Instead, he lightly teases,

"Watch a little closer? You really think you're my type, huh? What, you think that by stalking me, I'll suddenly start paying attention to you like that?"

[flambeaux]

Louis knows about cars and telephones and wears suits that look similar to the ones in the magazines here. He's supposed to be part of the enlightened modern world, they even say so in his time. Modernity! But Louis definitely remained closeted, even to himself, for the entirety of his human life, some thirty-odd years.

By the time he became a vampire and dated Lestat for two years, he was calling himself gay, even if he kept it discreet. In Milton now, he keeps it very discreet. Though they appear in public, Louis tries not to draw attention to what kind of relationship they might be beyond just two men who happen to know each other.

"Lord in Heaven no!" he immediately exclaims, repulsed. Hickey isn't his type. "You're a weasley, slimy eel of a man. What in God's name makes you think I'd entertain the thought of you? You think of yourself so highly..."

[friendsfordinner]

"You're the one who said that you'd want to watch me," Hickey lightly responds, not bothering to hide the smugness in his tone. "Man could get the wrong impression with a statement like that. The mind starts to wander."

He knows Louis hates him. He knows Louis doesn't give a damn about him. But Hickey won't lie: it's fun to watch that jackass squirm.

"No one's judging you if you feel that way. This is an enlightened time, du Lac."

[flambeaux]

"What do you take me for?! I do not."

There's a certain level of irony that this man from a past era is acting like he's educating Louis in enlightened progressive social movements. Louis made the decision to keep his relationship with Lestat under wraps. Now here he is listening to someone insinuate that he feels that way about men. He had hoped that when the time came for someone to suspect, it would be from a friend with his best interests at heart.

"'Being Gay Is Totally Cool Now And Not Illegal' like that notice on the board said? Well that doesn't give you license to be an asshole. Maybe you're the one with the wanderin' mind. I'd sooner lay with a viper than with you."

[friendsfordinner]

Hickey honestly doesn't know or doesn't care who Louis likes. He likes pussy, he likes cock, whatever. What matters the most is that Louis is really annoyed and Hickey is more than happy to feed into that annoyance. He's got a smug little smile on his face as he shrugs.

"You're talking too much about it for someone who says he doesn't care." But thankfully for them both, they've reached his house. Hickey gestures for Louis to follow him saying, "I've got the wood out back."

At least, he's got some of it out back. Most of it is inside the house because going outside to get wood for the fireplace absolutely sucks. But Louis doesn't need to know that.

[flambeaux]

"You're the one who brought it up!" Kill him now. Or kill Hickey, preferably. Strike him down with a heavenly bolt. He tosses the sledge rope down and selects a piece of wood to inspect for vermin.

"Smart man, not invitin' me in." There's nothing to the rumor that vampires need to be invited in; Louis has broken into houses on multiple occasions. This is just good old-fashioned prudence.

"Are all your crewmates as treacherous as you? I don't mean about the queerness, I don't give a goddamn about your boy." He saw that public face touch! It broke his brain, two men in public like that for all to see. "I mean are they all lyin' connivin' bastards? That man punched you, but I think you had it comin'."