[OPEN]

[judgementor]

Who: Red Wine & OPEN.
When: Iuneril.
Where: Aefenglom & the Wilde.
What: Catch-all for the month -- sew n sews, silent forest, other things. Contact me at hardtostarboard#7737 on Discord, or at hardtostarboard if you'd like something just for you!
Warnings: Will add as needed.

--

i. Sew N Sews

No, trust me.

[Red Wine leans forwards in his chair while the young woman in front of him looks down doubtfully at what he has her wearing. It looks like a little too much fabric for its intended purpose, though not by much, but the vampire is clearly confident about it.]

Anyone who insists that less is always more just doesn't know how to put an outfit together. [Quickly, he slips the blunt end of two pins between his lips and gestures her closer with another, adjusting the way the fabric falls.] And that leaving something to the imagination can be just as tantalising as not.

[He sits back in his chair and she turns for him, the fabric he chose flowing out and showing off exactly what might have only been in the imagination before.]

You see? What did I tell you. [A glance goes across to the nearest person, someone walking by or engaged in the same thing he's doing.] Are you enjoying yourself?

ii. an unexpected friend

[Is this how you get a cat?

A small black feline with a crooked tail has been following Red Wine for the past hour, after he (perhaps foolishly) gave it some fish and thought nothing of it. It followed him across the entire length of the docks, where Red Wine paused more than once to trade barbs with sailors and traders who recognise him with ease by now. It followed him through the streets, past rickety houses and into the less run-down districts, all the way to Caren's home--

(but, no, it's not Caren's home anymore, is it)

-- where the vampire stops and turns around in exasperation at the little creature that sits down a few feet away from him and meows plaintively.]

What. [He says, crouching down and extending his hand. The cat runs in immediately, rubbing up against his fingers.] I can't just take you in, you know. The last time I adopted a stray, she stuck around for the next century.

iii. The Silent Forest (post-full moon)

[It's easier. He doesn't feel like his mind is going to fly apart. The waning moon sends silvery light in shafts through the trees and he can hear the quiet murmurs of the small camp not too far away. The infection is still heavy here, but the group of witches that he and other monsters have volunteered to guard appear to have made some progress.

He isn't sure he would call it notable progress.

A shadow moves in the corner of his eye, and he draws his sword with the shivering sound of sliding metal. His eyes narrow, his vision far clearer in the dark than it used to be, and he subtly turns one foot against the earth. It could be a shade... but the shades aren't always so smart.]

Show yourself. [Red Wine says, an even-voiced command into the darkness.] Slowly.

vi. wildcard

[Contact me at hardtostarboard#7737, hardtostarboard or throw up a prompt below :D. I'm happy to work with any location.]

Comments

[judgementor]

[Lunch can happen later.]

Sit down here, I want your opinion on the next one.

[Red Wine, wanting Steak's opinion? He's clearly winding him up, and it's so deliberate, and he isn't even trying to hide the fact.]

You can manage that, can't you.

[battlebound]

... You want my opinion.

[ C'mon, Red Wine, even Steak isn't going to buy that. He knows what you think of his fashion. ]

[judgementor]

Yes. You are capable of pulling your eyes off the floor and giving it, aren't you?

[Look, maybe he just wanted to see if Steak would even come in here. Maybe his need to troll him has been satisfied by the cringing he's done so far...

Maybe. But there's always room for more.]

[battlebound]

[ Well, if you're going to challenge him...

But don't say you didn't know what you were getting into when you asked for his opinion. ]

It looks like a costume. [ I.E., that anything Steak says regarding fashion is useless. ] What's the problem?

[judgementor]

I'm trying to persuade the young lady here that one doesn't need to bare everything to still be enticing. Wouldn't you agree?

[Is he just drawing this out for his own entertainment? Yes. Probably.]

[battlebound]

[ You are such a bastard, Red Wine. But even so, Steak's gaze stumbles over towards the other food soul at the question, red eyes lingering longer than necessary.

Ahem.

... You were saying? ]

Shouldn't that be up to her?

[ If she wants to wear less, that's her decision. ]

[judgementor]

That isn't really the point of the place.

[Honestly, Steak, don't you know where you are?]

So, answer the question.

[battlebound]

[ He doesn't much care for what the point of this place is, so that isn't the most persuasive argument. ]

I think she looks fine as is.

[ Is he now just stubbornly refusing to answer the question because Red Wine is a bastard? Maybe. ]

[judgementor]

Mm. That's what I thought too.

[Given that what she is wearing is what Red Wine put her in, he'll take the compliment.]

Go on, miss. Don't worry, I won't be insulted if you decide to make adjustments.

[He flashes her a winning smile and she blushes as she leaves, then he rolls his eyes at Steak.]

You need to work on your compliments.

[battlebound]

I wasn't trying to compliment her.

[ You can't pull the wool over his eyes, Red Wine. You weren't looking for him to give compliments. You were just looking to make him feel like a fool. ]

[judgementor]

And why not?

[Steak backs himself into a corner without much need of any help from Red Wine at all, and he's all too happy to jump on the opportunity to pin him down in it.]

She's only here trying to do her job, Steak. There's no need to be so ungallant.