FORTUNE FAVORS

Option A

It was just business, the meeting that led to Aaliyah sitting at a table at Rose Tinted, pretending to enjoy a meal that was, for the most part, neither needed nore desired. But some people liked appearances, even in this town, and she was paying for the treat of an out of town vendor. Rather than have the mirage rewrite their entire deal with who knew what if she drank a bit of O-, she'd just put up with an extra rare steak and hope they weren't too squeamish.

A deal in place with a handshake over dessert, Aaliyah was finishing off her drink and waiting for the check when she heard the voice next to her. "Don't let the staff hear you say that," she said, smirking. "They'd hate the insult." She motioned towards the glass before taking it and taking a sip. "I mean, it taste fine. Normal." She was so used to the way that things tasted, she had nothing to compare it to. "Is this not what it's supposed to taste like?"

"It's bitter. Dull. Unpleasantly nutty from the oxidization. Like someone cooked with it and poured it back into the bottle." He shrugged his shoulders. "That said...I'm finding a lot of things taste...strange. My palate's a little heightened these days. I'm probably just not used to the tap water, hm?" Vampirism seemed a relatively open fact of life here, but talking about it fragrantly still felt odd, as though he would wake up from the dream he had been having.

"If you insist, I'm not going to say no, if that's what you're asking?" Though the drink tasted just fine to her. It was hardly burnt or sour, though this new version of the man she once knew seemed like a bit of a stiff. The complaining type just for the sake of it and to show off how wealthy he truly was. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Tripp. But lucky for you, I've never had the best track record when it came to good decisions, so what brings you to town, Tripp?"

"Strong opening negotiation. Sure. Win-win." Tripp hummed. "Real estate. Glass conference rooms are nice, of course. They have their place. But I find that in small towns, you're better off getting to the heart of the matter. People tend to lead with it." They wrapped themselves up in sentiment, in favorite places, and tastes, and smells. They could not bear to part with their property unless the buyer could treasure the same gleaming jewel they did. Jewels got locked up in safe deposit boxes, though, and did no one any good in real life. And most jewels were coated in shit anyway.

"I do," he replied. "And why's that?" He grinned, quirking an eyebrow. "Business. I'm involved in some property development coming to Lunar Cove. Nice name for a place, isn't it? Homey. You live here year-round?"

OPTION A location: Yellow Submarine

On breaks from work, Zuri loved to walk around the aquarium, visiting her favorite exhibits and sea creatures. A cuttlefish, nearly fully blended with the sand and rocks around it, lived in the massive tank before her, and was one of her favorites to visit. To the other person standing beside her, she offered, “Did you know cuttlefish are actually colorblind? It's kinda crazy, because they can exactly color match their surroundings to blend in. Kinda like what people think chameleons do, but cooler.”

OPTION B location: Happy Harvest Farmer's Market

Stevie enjoyed farmer's markets, and needed to stock up on produce and other essentials before heading picking up Rhiannon up from school. The school year was winding down and with summer about to start, Stevie was anxious to find a more permanent living situation for her and her daughter that didn't end in Motel. With those thoughts momentarily on the backburner, she passed a stand specifically for different flavored honeys. “Huh. Eucalyptus honey... Interesting, but not sure how my eleven year old will feel about that one.”

In truth, Tripp did not actually care very much much for aquariums. Conservation regulations were, in his mind, often overly strict hurdles to overcome. But his parents had long ago taught him that one could throw a couple thousand dollars at a place like this to collect a plaque and a tax write-off, and everyone would settle down about it. For the moment, though, he was here to avoid the sunlight. As much as he enjoyed the nightlife, one did need to conduct meetings when everyone else was awake. His next one was in about an hour. "I didn't know that. That's very interesting." He flashed a smile and offered a nod. "I'd think everything down there is kind of...blue and brown, though, right? Do they have very many options to match?"

option b.

If Talia was going to work out, Follow My Lead was her go-to place. As a young girl, she had always admired ballerinas. Their grace and discipline were something she wished she could emulate. For two years, she had been going to classes. Her skills were nowhere near Swan Lake debut, but it had become a fun pastime. Recently, she had started going to Drop It Like A Squat. While Talia wanted to be graceful, she also wanted to be strong. There was no denying she was someone with a soft and squishy center. She wished that she could be as fearless as Kiraz. She could never come close, but the least Talia could do was train.

With her pink boxing gloves in hand, Talia was ready to show the punching bag who was boss when she heard a voice call from behind her. She brightened at the word friend, beaming at this new friend as he spoke. "I hear it's a common misconception. Like sparkling! I was excited at the thought of being shiny when I stepped out into the sun .. but that never happened. I just got burnt." Twilight did not prepare her for life as a vampire. Daniel had told her as much, but Talia still held hope for the little things.

"Kind of? It still feels weird some days. Sometimes I think if I close my eyes, I'll wake up and be human again. I'm sure after a century or two, you get used to it." Being undead was a learning curve. It's not the life Talia had expected for herself, but it was the one she had been given. She was making the most of it. "Nope! I started coming here a few weeks ago. I thought I'd try some fighting classes. You look new. I haven't seen you before. Which makes sense because I just started coming here, as I said like two seconds ago."

"Ah, so you are too then? A vampire? Someone told me there's a...sort of jewelry that can protect a person from the sun. Is that true?" He had gotten some information on the clan while in the hospital, and on the whole, he had no great qualms about joining a group for personal benefit. That was the point of country clubs, after all, and they seemed to be headquartered around one, although he still needed to see the golf course for himself.

"Wake up, huh? I haven't actually slept in days," Tripp hummed. "I've been very productive. But I take it you're rather new as well then? I apologize if that's an offensive question. I'm sure I'll learn the social dance sooner or later." He smiled. Turning to look around the room, he nodded. "I'm mostly just borrowing the equipment. But I'm Warwick Babcock. You can call me Tripp. I'm rather new in town. Visiting, really. I take it you live here full-time?" He extended a hand to shake.

Rose-Tinted was not one of Cassandra's frequent haunts, and it was for that reason she chose to have drinks there; Lunar Cove was a small town, and she preferred to switch up her drinking locales when the occasion permitted. Something about drinking at the same bar more than once a week just felt sad to her, and more pathetic than she was willing to allow herself. Therefore, drinks at the blush-hued establishment seemed the right choice.

She hadn't expected to be addressed by another diner, and her expression might have been unimpressed when she looked over before amusement raised her brow. The question caught her off guard, but in a way that stirred her curiosity. She took a sip of the champagne in question, mulling over the flavor profile for a few moments before shrugging. “I mean, it's no Salon Blanc de Blancs, but it tastes fine to me. Wait,” She peered at him, taking stock of his features before recognition finally clicked into place. “Tripp? Tripp Babcock? What are you doing in Lunar Cove, of all places?”

"Cassandra? No. Really? Here? Hmm. The world is a small. How about that?" He sniffed, straightening up a bit. The last thing he needed was word of his whereabouts or current condition traveling home. He would have to play this appropriately. "We just hosted your parents at my nephews' christenings, I believe. Lovely party. But what brings you here? Business or pleasure? Me? Business."

"Hi," She blinked over at him breathlessly. A million emotions washed over her paralyzed stature all at once, but rather then let them show, she tried her best to force a smile, however unnerving the sight of him may be. She should go. She needed to excuse herself and leave immediately. Nothing good ever came from brushing paths with him. Not once, over how many centuries? It always ended the same and she wasn't really fixing to get close to someone again that she knew was going to wind up six feet under. And yet, when he smiled at her, with the pristine smile of his, her feet faltered. "You're offering me your champagne?" Vannah tilted a brow up at him curiously. Her fingers reached for the stem of the glass before she fully realized what she was even doing. "Well, in that case, don't mind if I do," She hummed, taking a slow and drawn-out sip of the bubbling liquor. "Hm. You know, I'm not sure if I can entirely tell? I might need to another sip, or potentially three or maybe four. It might be best, now that I think of it, if I just keep this for myself, no? You wouldn't want to be drinking champagne that might've been frozen in bottle, would you?"

Tripp managed a smile to match her own, putting up a disarming hand in mock arrest. "I promise. I'm not that guy from television. I get it a lot, though." Tripp did not clarify exactly which guy he meant. "I suppose I am. But if you'd like a new drink, we can make that happen too. My meeting hasn't shown up. I'm new in-town, but I'm sort of learning that sometimes timing is a suggestion around here." He had spent some time at that bizarre casino earlier in the day.

"Oh, no? It's a bit bitter, isn't it? Flat. Hallmarks of storing it too cold. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer something less burnt? You strike me as a person of taste." This was...not quite true, he thought, give how much she seemed to enjoy the sour concoction. Saying it somehow felt funny. "I'm sure they must have something around here. Would you like to join me? I'm Tripp."

trigger warning ( s ) ⠀   ⸻　 flashing lights , eating , body image , kissing .

you may : edit them , use in crackships , turn into gif icons — as long as credit is given !

don’t : claim them as your own , use to roleplay as real people / underaged characters , in smut threads — just don’t be shitty !