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

[apodictic]

It is not comparable and irrelevant, unfortunately.

[ he lived in space, in a warship. there was no need to go to school because but angelo answers it in his normally blunt tone. there is a nagging feeling at the back of his head that he should soften it a bit, and so he adds - ] That being said, the experience here has been quite enlightening as I have always been busy with work. Santa Rosita is proving to be a calm break from my normal routine.

[ .... yes, that sounds better. it is very curt, but it's as genial as he can make it; no doubt the captain would be pleased with its tone, if he were here, and angelo is satisfied with it. ]

Were you born in Santa Rosita?

[helloneighbor]

Irrelevant? Why is that? It is the question I asked. You can't refuse to answer my questions if you'd like me to answer yours. [But her words aren't harsh; there's a small, seemingly-amused smile on her face.]

I wasn't born here, but I won't say any more than that until you answer my first question too.

wow what happened to my tag there. fingers and missing words damn

[apodictic]

I lived in a warship in space. It is not comparable. Santa Rosita would need to have an airport, to begin with, though I think that'd make this quiet town a bit busier than it should be.

[ easy enough answer. but that's an interesting tidbit, and he waits at her expectantly to see if that satisfies, so she can expand on what she means by not being from here. he was under the impression that people can't leave, so did she come from elsewhere before settling here? ]

.... You were telling me more about yourself.

[helloneighbor]

[Her eyebrows jump, eyes widening in surprise at his words.] My goodness -- in space? But that's --

[She seems to realize she's let her surprise get the better of her and shakes her head, composing herself.] Please excuse me. You're very right; that wouldn't be comparable at all. Thank you for elaborating.

To answer your question, I was born in New Orleans. My family moved to California when I was a teenager, and I moved to Santa Rosita when I... married.

[She takes a moment to decide on her next question:] If you were living on a warship... what sort of war were you fighting?

[apodictic]

[ oh, angelo thinks; she's just like us. how many times has he heard that story here, over and over? i was here - then i was in santa rosita - and that was the end of that story. ]

For independence. To be able to make decisions for our people as best as we can make them and to be able to live on our own terms independent of the Earth Federation. It is a war older than I have lived.

[ he thinks over her account of her life, and then angelo asks, ] How long ago was this?

[helloneighbor]

[She has to think about it. That alone will tell Angelo that it's been a while.]

I'm not entirely sure. [Rosemary takes a half-step, subtly shifting her hips so that her body just so happens to turn away from Maude behind them, and lowers her voice.] At least a year or two, but it's hard to be certain. Things aren't... always clear.

[There's a slight hesitation, but she'll be asking her third question.] Were you winning your war?

[apodictic]

[ was he winning. what a question that was. the reality is that angelo doesn't care about the war, but he cares about his captain and his captain has always been honest. he endeavours to imitate him all the same, even now. ]

No.

That being said, the Federation is also not in a good shape. It is not a question of winning.

[ angelo tilts his head, thinking. a year isn't that long of a time ... then again, she also said she wasn't sure. and he can hazard a guess, considering the circumstances he's been told that santa rosita is capable of, but one would think that someone who's already used to living here won't make such awkward gestures.

it's very human.

he watches her body curiously. where is this uncertainty coming from? it makes no sense. he wishes his captain were here. there was always such certainty with him.

and there is the matter of his third question. ]

When did you realize that Santa Rosita is home for you?

[helloneighbor]

[Technically, between 1) Founder's Day, 2) where she was born, and 3) when she came to Santa Rosita, Angelo has already used up his questions! But all the same, Rosemary considers his question, her eyebrows furrowing in thought.

She's silent for a good fifteen seconds, before she finally answers:] I don't know. I'd never thought about whether it was my home... but I suppose it is now.

If winning isn't the question, then what is?

[apodictic]

I see. That is fine. Things aren't always clear, as you said.

[ look at me not knowing how to count!

as for that, angelo just answers it in a matter-of-fact tone. ]

The war has always been a matter of survival, for the long- or short-term.

[ to wrap it up, he thinks of making an offer. there's a slight pause as he considers it. he views it as a risk. he cannot predict what will happen in the future and how it will be utilized. but, angelo thinks, even his captain would allow certain risks to himself or to angelo if it meant becoming closer to understanding something, or furthering the spacenoid agenda. so long as the offer is made with a purpose, the captain will approve of it, he's sure.

satisfied, angelo decides to go on ahead with it. ]

If you ever need a conversation partner, I'd be happy to indulge. I'll be glad to keep you company. Company and schedule permitting, of course. I'm sure you're very busy.

Thank you for your time, ma'am.

[helloneighbor]

[There's a little wry smile that pulls at the corner of her mouth.] I feel as though I should be the one making that offer to you. But thank you, Angelo. I appreciate the offer more than you know.

Please, don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything.