FEBRUARY 2021 EVENT: PART ONE

[robbies]

 

CHAPTER TWO, PART 1: A LIGHT LUNCH

Good times, great olives, Uliveto's.

INVITES AND INSISTENCES | BISQUE AND BREADSTICKS | FONTINA AND FOCACCIA | MUNDANITY AND MISHAPS

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INVITES AND INSISTENCES

After a fairly low-key January, you start hearing the buzz on February 1st: The Happy Homes Association is inviting you to a luncheon on Friday! Stylishly dressed women in coats and hats are inviting everyone they know in the neighborhood, coming up and knocking on your door to invite you personally to come along. “Noon on Friday at Uliveto’s,” one of them tells you with a bright smile. “There’ll be food and drinks, and the whole community can get together and mingle a bit!”

Whether you’re home to answer the door or not, you’ll receive a small card advertising the event — it’s a fundraiser, after all, and they need your help! Pay just $3 and your food and as much as you’d like to drink are covered.

But some of the HHA members are a little more insistent, roving the neighborhood in search of anyone who’s just moved to Santa Rosita in the past few months. Their almost too-wide smiles and slightly-vacant eyes are a dead giveaway that these neighbors aren’t all at home, and they aren’t willing to take anything less than a “Yes” when they ask you if you’re coming. You’ve got to wash your hair? They know a hairdresser over at the salon on Main Street who can fit you in today. Groceries? Why, their daughter can take care of that for you in a jiffy! No excuse will fly with these Robbies; they’ve always got an answer and a way for you to make an appearance.

It won’t end once you’ve agreed, either (even if you just agree to get them off your back!). With the promise of another guest at the luncheon, the Robbies are quick to suggest that you should help them! There are so many people in the town, after all, and with more people volunteering to spread the word, they can make this the most successful fundraiser ever! (Or, well, at least the most successful since last year’s Little League candy sales!) Look, there’s another of your new neighbors over there — why don’t you go and invite them now? Your new friends from the HHA will be right here to support you and help you out!

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BISQUE AND BREADSTICKS

On Friday, February 5th, Uliveto’s is easy to find — just follow the train of cars headed to North Santa Rosita, where the restaurant sits just off of Main Street with a parking lot that’s packed full. Hopefully you’re willing to walk, because it looks like the luncheon is in full swing! But as you get closer, you see that the ladies of the HHA have things down to a science as they welcome neighbors, invite them to join one of the many tables set up in the half of the restaurant they’ve taken over, and integrate newcomers into conversation.

“Oh, hello!” one of the ladies gushes as she spots you. “I’m so glad you could make it! It’s a little cold today, but you should try the tomato bisque — it always warms me right up! Come with me and Betty can get you all set up with your meal voucher; have you ever been to Uliveto’s before? It’s just divine; the salad and breadsticks are all you can eat and the pasta — golly, my mother never even tried to outdo it. We’d just come here instead!”

Before you know it, you’ve paid your entrance and have been shown to one of the large party tables (or maybe they’re multiple tables pushed together? What restaurant normally has tables that seat 20 people?), a waitress offering you the drinks menu and asking if you’d like to start with a glass of (nonalcoholic, of course!) wine. Once she’s gone, you’ll finally get a chance to look around the interior of the restaurant. The walls are a warm yellowed beige, and fluted columns break up the space with clinging ivy and grapes hanging from planters near the top. A mural is painted on the far wall of a terrace looking out over rolling hills and vineyards, and the soft music of an accordion reaches your ears…

“You all right, hon?”

One of the ladies at your table is looking at you expectantly. Don’t forget, you’re here to mingle and socialize! Time to break out that small talk!

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FONTINA AND FOCACCIA

As the luncheon continues, you may be able to notice some of the HHA volunteers scurrying back and forth, taking turns manning the doors and the small table where Betty’s taking donations and issuing meal vouchers. Watch long enough and you’ll be able to see that all of them are ultimately reporting to three ladies who confer at a smaller table set back from all the mingling, talking amongst themselves and from time to time making notes in a small ledger. At about half past noon, one of the women stands, calling out, “May I have your attention, please?” She has to repeat it a couple times to be heard, but after a minute or two everybody settles down. The woman nods toward all of the guests, then turns back to the table, allowing one of the women to stand and make herself known. Tall, graceful, and neat, she takes a look around the room as she speaks — does her gaze linger a moment on you? Good afternoon, everyone. For those of you who may not know me yet, my name is Rosemary Craven, and I’m the head of our local Happy Homes Association. A small wave of applause breaks out from some of the ladies; Rosemary seems to indulge them for just a moment before she lifts a gloved hand to quell it. Please. I can only manage what I’m given, and the fine women of the association give me plenty to work with. Their efforts to organize this luncheon for all of us today showcase the dedication we should all strive for. Ladies, please stand and be recognized. Today’s fundraiser is to benefit our town as Founder’s Day approaches in April. We’ve got big plans for the funds we raise — who knows? Perhaps we’ll be able to afford some yummy treats for the children. Who doesn’t love an ice cream cake? Your generosity today makes all of this possible. You’ll forgive me for not giving you hard numbers, but I’d hate to be so gauche in such a lovely restaurant. Let me assure you, though, that the Happy Homes Association is here to help you in whatever way we can, whether that’s by helping you redecorate your homes, bringing over home-cooked meals, or teaching you some new skills — and speaking of new skills, I’d like to invite all of our new neighbors to talk with me personally if you think you might be interested in helping us out from time to time. Sewing might not be your forte, but everybody’s got something they’re good at, and we can always use the extra hands. I’ll let you all get back to your meals. If you have any questions for me, please seek me out. I’ll be sitting just over here with Maude.

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MUNDANITY AND MISHAPS

After the luncheon, things in Santa Rosita continue on as normal. The weekend comes and goes, the work week begins, and the cold February wind blows… But when you wake up on February 10th, some of you are missing.

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OOC INFO

Welcome to the first part of February’s event! You can use this entry to top-level for the event, but feel free to utilize the log and network communities as well. Sign-ups to have your character abducted are located here; please fill out the form provided along with any other pertinent details.

You may play with the townsfolk NPCs as necessary in your threads; non-Robbied neighbors will be cordial and happy to make small talk and will try to maintain the pleasant atmosphere. Robbies will, as always, be mindlessly optimistic and complimentary about everything—you may find that most of the Robbies have congregated at their own table and are bubbling with excitement over just about anything.

There will be a top-level posted for Rosemary below. If you would like to have your character interact with her, comment with your starter there. The mods will respond to tags for Rosemary until February 15th.

Any questions can go in our FAQ thread below. Try to check and see if your question has already been answered on the plotting thread first here.

Remember — part 2 of this event is coming February 15th!

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Comments

Bisque and Biscuits

[vampirella]

"Vile, isn't it?" Carmilla tried the wine, too, and practically spit it out again. Who could serve fake wine at an admittedly nice party? She'd honestly have preferred they just put out grape juice if they were going to be such babies about it. "How are we supposed to suffer through this sober?"

Big mistake. Huge. Anyway, her nose wrinkles at the uncertainty. "Ravioli." She turns to properly look at her company, sending a discerning eye from head to toe. "How do you not know what ravioli is?" It's not as mean-spirited a question as it could have been (considering who is asking it). She's just genuinely dumbfounded.

[fanoperator]

"That's a good question for ... well, many of the events here. Planned or unplanned." He wrinkles his nose, then gives her a bright smile so that their conversation seems completely mundane to any onlookers. "Don't worry," he murmurs, tone carefully modulated to not draw attention. "There are ways around it."

Alcohol is hard to come by in this place, but certainly possible. At this rate, he's going to start brewing his own.

Blinking innocently at her doubt over his ignorance, Huaisang regards her in return. He certainly looks out of place in the cheery environs of Uliveto's. His long black hair is topped with a crown-like hairpiece and an intricate braided bun, while his bell-skirted dress makes him distinctly androgynous, especially in the strictly-gendered world of Santa Rosita. "I'm from Ancient China," he explains, completely earnest.

[vampirella]

"Yeah? You stashing a flash in one of those ruffles?" Carmilla inquires with a perfectly shaped brow. Look, she appreciates the moxy, though honestly she would probably avoid drinking at one of these shin-digs. She isn't confident enough about her standing here nor her ability to handle alcohol in a newly humanized body.

"Oh," she muses, going right back to pushing her salad around her plate. Perhaps there should have been more astonishment or bewilderment there, but her sister is from the 1700s, so she's used to ageless and endless. She's at least used to magical and ridiculous shenanigans, which would have to be involved with a sudden transplant of ancient cultures into a sleepy stepford in California.

Carmilla is fittingly dressed, though she's less inclined to smile and laugh to blend in. It's not to say she can't. She just doesn't want to. "It's noodles with stuffing inside, like a ... shui jaio? Only they put a tomato sauce on it."

[fanoperator]

Huaisang's lips quirk, utterly impish, at her question about a flask. "Not tonight. Too much of a risk. You know what they do if they catch you being too... rebellious?"

Lighting up brilliantly when she names a food he recognizes, Huaisang practically bounces with grateful excitement. He's glad to have one of his friends from home here as of this week, but he's been longing for people who actually speak his language--or at least enough to know the names of some food. "Wo ai shui jaio!"

His enthusiasm is only slightly dampened by one thing, and his brow furrows in confusion. "What is tomato?"

[vampirella]

"Let me guess, you end up like the creepy party criers?" Speaking of the Robbie that had almost dragged her here, the woman was staring at her with glassy eyes and a smile practically touching her ears. Carmilla smiles back prettily and offers a dainty wiggle of fingers, though her expression returns to dour and annoyed the second she's not obviously being surveilled.

Carmilla speaks a lot of languages, even some dead ones. In her second century she'd decided to become her own google translate, long before google translate even existed. Chinese isn't her strongest — it's a complicated language and depending on the area it changed a lot. Hundreds of dialects are a lot for even an ageless vampire to keep up with. But she knows enough to travel comfortably, which means she understands his fondness for dumplings.

"It's alike but not the same. Besides, this isn't going to be real Italian, so not worth bothering." Please note that she also has not needed to consume food for three centuries and that has resulted in ridiculous opinions. As for tomato, "Red fruit. Acidic. Americans love it as long as they can dump salt and mayonnaise on it." Which implies she's not American, but she doesn't offer any more details.

"How long have you been stuck here?" Carmilla is already tired of talking about food she doesn't like to eat. She's more interested in someone else being trapped here and what their experience has been. She at least lowers her voice a little, considering how many party goers are noshing around them.

[fanoperator]

"That's exactly right," Huaisang confirms, following Carmilla's attention and also waving cheerfully at their unnerving surveillance. "There's some kind of spell that does it, though I don't know exactly how they find you out. It seems to wear off eventually, but my fear is that, you know. Sooner or later it won't wear off." He shudders at the thought of it.

Though he has no idea what Italian is and what would make for 'real' Italian, he lets that one go. There are enough things he doesn't understand in this situation. He can at least focus on the priority of figuring out what food he wants to order.

Her description is very helpful and clear, and he's learned in his time here what mayonnaise is, so that makes sense. He's not American either, and most of the 'new neighbors' aren't, so that comment sweeps past him without any additional implications weighing on it.

"My husband and I moved here in December," Huaisang says, putting on his bright and cheerful smile that the robbies will accept. "Of course, I was dreaming of the move since October, and let me tell you--I had some strange dreams! Some of them were downright frightening, of undead children attacking any house that didn't have festive decorations up!" Shivering in horror without losing his perky countenance, Huaisang nods earnestly as he continues. "Unfortunately, my husband vanished within the first week! I was talking to Mrs. Rosemary Craven about it." His eyes flick toward her. He's sure that Carmilla can't have missed her and her significance. "She explained how alcohol can be such a negative influence in the community, making men neglect their families and responsibilities."

[vampirella]

"Hmm." There's a distant level of recognition in that fear, though not one she's willing to voice. Her mother dearest does love simping for an anglerfish god that forces people into brainless compliance, and the vibe is kinda similar in that respect, but the whole dry party and tight-laced community does not really work with the party vibe Lophiiformes seemed to espouse. Who else would have the power to do something like this? Even with her knowledge of supernatural entities, Carmilla still can't guess.

Smart to talk in more veiled dialogue, considering that half the party seemed to be part of the creepy hivemind variety. Carmilla frowns over her fake wine as she listens. Since October, huh? She also vaguely remembers strange dreams before her technical arrival, so that tracks too.

"Men and their libations, they never seem to be able to control themselves." The bastards, getting between her and drinking her way through this party. "What sort of neglect, I wonder?" Sounds like a story there.

[fanoperator]

"I'm not sure." Huaisang furrows his brow slightly, lashes fluttering with innocent confusion as he tries to imagine the 'neglect' that Rosemary described. "But I suppose I've been abandoned by my husband, so perhaps that's what she had in mind. So strange, though, that Mrs. Craven was aware of my missing husband. Every other local that I've spoken to has been convinced that I arrived alone and never had a husband at all."

The disparity is very interesting, and he's curious as to why Rosemary has better awareness of the strange changes in this town than other locals.

"At least there are liquor stores in this town. You just have to know where to find them. And then keep a stock in a cabinet at home. Just in case."

[vampirella]

"I'll have to stop by and have a chat with her myself. Maybe she can give me more details on what the menfolk are getting up to. I'd desperately hate my Ian getting involved." She's a good actress, and that's a fact, but there are just some pretty lies she can't sell. For example, that she's at all worried about some dreadful fate befalling her husband. Carm can't quite manage to sound properly sincere, and honestly didn't even bother to try.

Liquor stores about is at least a promising way to wind down after this stressful mess of a party. "What a darling you are. I'll have to sneak around until I find one, I do like a glass of wine to unwind." That's the nicest possible way of saying she drinks for sport practically any time she has the opportunity.

[fanoperator]

Huaisang nods earnestly, as though she is entirely convincing in her concern about her husband. "I think she's an excellent resource on such things. I look forward to making friends with her."

Beaming at the compliment, he lays very gentle fingers on her arm to persuade her. "Why don't you just come over to my place after the party? We can have a lovely cup of tea or three to unwind." He means wine, of course. "Or we could go shopping together!" At the liquor store. "That would be fun."

[vampirella]

Carmilla can't say she's looking forward to befriending Rosemary — she seems too comfortably stationed to not be complicit somehow. She's bound to clash with someone like that. Staying cozy with someone else willing to rub elbows with her would benefit her, though.

And it's just a bonus that alcohol will be involved. "You do know the way to a girl's heart," she murmurs, and honestly the smile she gives Huaisang is a hell of a lot more charming than any of the fake ones she's flashed on command. Mostly because she's genuinely pleased by the suggestion and even a trickle of emotion helps to sell the expression better. "Sure, cutie, shopping for champagne alone is so gauche. I'm Carmilla."

[fanoperator]

"Nie Huaisang of Qinghe." He gives her a swift little bow, arms forming a circle in front of himself with palms facing inward. Then a playful wink follows. "Call me Huaisang. I'd better get back to schmoozing, but signal me when you're ready to sneak out." Grinning cheerfully at her in return, he gets up and returns to socializing, keeping half an eye on his new friend as the luncheon continues.

((ooc: Would you like to skip ahead to their alcohol adventures or handwave?))

mb we can throw it on my open?? i'll link you a starter in a bit!!

[vampirella]

"Is now too soon?" It's the perfect coquettish answer, with a demure drop of her lashes... but it's probably the most honest thing she's said all night. She's deathly done with this party, was before her Robbie friend all but dragged her here.

She'll schmooze a little more. Probably openly harass Rosemary a bit. But, when she does intend to depart, why not have some cute company for booze shopping? "I'll find you on my way out," she agrees, and in the most backwards goodbye ever, "Carmilla. Charmed, I'm sure."

Does she have a last name? Technically. Is she sharing her real one or even her fake one unprovoked? No, definitely not.