[RAFFLE ORP] Season's Savings

[Suudonym]

((This is the ORP associated with the January 2016 Solstice event's RP raffle! You're free to play even if you don't want to take part in the raffle, but if you're planning to earn tickets, please make sure to read the rules here.

Anyone, trainer or Rocket, is free to participate. Thanks to the crowded setting, even Rockets who are known to Kodo law enforcement can hang out if they keep a low profile. Please be mindful of the setting and try not to cause any major trouble!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the main thread or get in touch with Suudonym directly. You're welcome to use appropriate NPCs as desired, or you can ask an RP mod to play them if you'd rather not do it yourself for any reason.))

Thanks to its close proximity to the docks, where trade from far and wide brought in products from all kinds of different regions, Camphoreon was home to some of the most impressive and lucrative shopping malls in Kodo. Now that the holidays had passed, many of the stores were beginning to filter out their excess merchandise, meaning one thing: sales and clearance as far as the eye could see.

Kodo's regional department store had advertised all week for this sale, and to draw in a larger crowd, there was even more than just shopping - an ice skating rink was set up on the building's roof, live musicians performed in the atrium, and the food court offered free samples of special limited-offer dishes. And of course, the shopping was all anyone could ever want, from clothes and bath soaps to toys and candies to herbal medicines and pokemon merchandise. Many stores vied for interested by making claims of offering freebies to certain guests, such as thousandth visitors. And of course, every corridor was lined with kiosks manned by boisterous employees calling out to every passerby to try and push their useless products on them.

It was sure to be a busy day for shoppers and shopkeepers alike.  

[TawnyAngel]

[Rooftop ice-rink]

Post holiday shopping and entertainment? Yes please! KO had caught a ride with several other rockets who wanted to enjoy the festivities, caught a ride as in he'd driven of course because being a passenger really didn't agree with him.

Thanks to having taken some commissions from various friends and acquaintances on base in the run up to the holidays he actually had a bit of money to spend today, a rarity for a grunt who was - he had to admit - not very good at saving money. While he certainly wanted to check out the food and the shopping later given that he did have some cash KO had found himself drawn first to the rooftop ice rink where he was enjoying watching the skaters. Whenever somebody fell over a smirk tugged at the red-haired man's lips, and when there was an especially impressive pile up of three clumsy idiots he let out a little chuckle. "Ah, street theatre." Was there anything that warmed the heart more than watching other people humiliate themselves? If there was then he couldn't think of what it was right now.  

[Chibi_Kokoro143]

[Atrium]

Michiko stood outside the department store, looking up at the building. She already saw the people coming and going, a constant flow, but she has never been to an event like this.

It has been about 3 months or so since she has been promoted grunt. Usually during this time, she spends all of if working, studying to get out of a trainee position or doing work around the base. It's not like she doesn't go out, she goes out to shop or spend time in the music hall but that is about it.

Actually, that is one of the reasons why she is here in the first place. She had heard there was going to be a live performance at the Atrium and she couldn't pass up an opportunity to hear music.

Stepping inside she headed straight to the Atrium, making her way through the heavy crowd and, as soon as she got there, took a position by the wall, close to the exit if needed.  

[Magician Arcana]

[Outside the ... Jewelry Store?]

Adam had never considered he would be standing in a Jewelry store, surrounded on all sides by mostly women and a few men who, when making eye contact with the blonde haired grunt, would shoot him a look of equal bewilderment and fear. Yet here he was. Most of the jewelers paid him no heed, focusing instead on the couples and elderly women who were decked in jewels already.

His eyes scanned the prices through the glass case before him. Even with the massive sale they were exorbitant and would easily chew through what little had been saved. Online sources said you had three months salary budget. Odd jobs here and there, working on scripts and small apps, and of course rocket work, had allowed him to save up that amount in less than three months time. It was still pitifully small. Momo must have had an amazing one.. But there's no way I could ever match that amount of money. Let alone, who knows if Akira even picked it out. Oh god, what if it was an heirloom? Adam felt his head swimming. It would have been great to give something so sentimental, but the only thing Adam had of his biological line was a last name.

He supposed he could try to get a loan, so maybe he could buy something that didn't look like he had purchased it from some shady dealer in a back alley, but there was no way the rockets had some sort of loan program, and even less of a chance that a reputable source would fork over cash when Adam couldn't provide legitimate documents of his work place. He'd just have to find something decent with what he had on hand.

Sighing softly, he ran a hand through his hair and wondered if maybe he should just... Not do this. Maybe ask Akira and they could pick it out together? No. Akioka was old fashioned and like hell was Adam going to ask something that big without the thing backing it up. You didn't show up and ask someone out to dinner without being able to pay for dinner. Even if the thought was sweet, to let Akira choose his own, it was also a little bit of a cop out. As if Adam didn't understand his lover well enough to know which of the ungodly priced hunks of metal he would find intriguing and pleasant.


"Sir?" A faint voice called Adam from his thoughts. He realized, with a pang of shame, that his thumb had made it to his mouth and he was nibbling on it furiously. Pulling the hand away, he tried his best to appear calm and collected and totally not freaking out as the jeweler on the other side of the counter gave him a professional and welcoming smile, "Are you looking for something specific sir?"

"Er... Yeah you see..."

-------

And that was how Adam had wound up sitting outside the jewelry store, on a bench, with a bag that seemed much too small for the very large purchase he had made. Step one was done. Next step would happen in a few days when they took their vacation. He just had to survive the tension until then.

Taking out his cellphone, he flipped it open and texted a very familiar number.

Quote:

To: Akioka
From: Adam~

Yo! Did you get time off today? I'm already at the mall. It's crazy packed as ******** lol. Wanna hang out here? Get some food and stuff? love ya

Akira Midoriyama

Ring Ring you have a text from a nervous bf!

Quote:

Adam is closed to interaction. Thanks for understanding. Magi

 

[Shaddaling]

[Rooftop ice-rink / Oh hi there KO]

"What did I miss?" Lex asked causally as he walked over, hair having been viciously straightened and dyed inky black. Dark black pants and a blood red button-down peeked out of his coat and he had on polished black boots.

"And," he paused, searching a pocket before holding out a card towards KO. "Rather late solstice gift, gift certificates to your favorite spa... well I hope I got your favorite spa."  

[TawnyAngel]

[Rooftop ice rink - Lex]

"Poetry in motion!" KO replied with a smirk and an arch of one sculpted eyebrow as he made a languid gesture to the rink. "A perfect ballet, culminating in a three person collision. And oh? You spoil me!" KO took the card with a grin and, after inspecting it, he tucked it away in an inner pocket of his red woollen coat.

"And don't think I've forgotten about you," he continued, addressing Lex but looking over at the ice rink in case anything else funny happened. "I'm just a little behind schedule, seen as I'm so late I suppose I may as well tell you what it is?" KO glanced sideways at Lex and smirked. "Unless you'd like it to be a surprise?"  

[Shaddaling]

[Rooftop ice-rink -K.O]

Lex followed the gesture and gave a slight smile. "A rather good collision at that, and I missed it. Though it does have a whiff of promise to provide more." Watching them collide was fun, watching them attempt to get back up? Glorious.

"It's alright, I'm just about as late and..." Lex paused. "As much as I should say surprise me, I know I'll just break down fifteen minutes later asking about it. So tell me, do not keep me in suspense about this mysterious gift."  

[TawnyAngel]

[Rooftop ice rink - Lex]

"Perhaps we should go out there and show them how it's done humm? Can you skate?" Of course having only half a field of vision could be a hindrance in the chaos of an ice rink; even though everyone was supposed to go the same way around nobody was going at the same speed and most of them had no idea what they were doing, hence the crashes.

"Ah you always were impatient, just like me," KO continued with a smirk to his companion. "Alright then! I will keep you in suspense no more, I'm making you a spring jacket! It's purple and black and... well, nearly finished. I promise you will have it before it is weather appropriate."  

[Shaddaling]

[Rooftop ice rink - K.O.]

"I haven't in years, but I'm rather sure it like riding a bicycle, once you learn, you manage not to fall on your face too badly." Lex paused musing. "Might take Slipstream out with me... if they allow pokemon on the ice."

"Oooohh, my two favorite colors and spring jackets." Lex was of a mind that you couldn't have enough jackets. "Now you have me planning a worthy outfit to show off your skills in." He might have just the thing.  

[TawnyAngel]

[Rooftop ice rink - Lex]

"Never say I don't know you," KO said with a smirk and a wink to Lex. "You don't look like your measurements have changed a lot from normal, now you're not ill anymore, but it wouldn't hurt to do a fitting now I've ruined the surprise. Oh, and I was thinking I might do a little bit of embroidery on it, what do you think?"

"As for the skating," KO gave a soft chuckle as somebody else on the ice did exactly what Lex hoped wouldn't happen to him should he take to the rink. "I suppose so, it's just a matter of balance and confidence after all. Anyway it's cold up here so I think I shall either get moving by trying the skating or head down inside. Did you see much of the sales on the way up? I want to look at the fabrics, naturally, and their homeware too." He wanted a new set of bedding, he had two but a third would be useful just in case.  

[Shaddaling]

[Rooftop ice rink - K.O]

"Being ill is one way to loose weight, not that I really had weight to loose," Lex said dryly. "Embroidery, yes... if you would." Lex gave a small clap of pleasure and a broad grin at the idea.

"And there they go, splat." He commented. "I hadn't looked, well outside of seeing if they had a Hot Topic. 'Tron really like the gothic aesthetic and I'm going to take him to one to get an idea of what sort of coat would finish off the illusion we are piecing together."  

[TawnyAngel]

[Rooftop ice rink - Lex]

"Hot Topic," KO echoed dryly. "Really? Hot Topic? Well, so long as you don't expect me to enter that den of terrible taste with you!" Hot Topic! He honestly didn't think anyone over the age of twenty or so ought to be seen dead in there, but that was just his opinion.

"Hummm, and yes one would be hard pushed to say you were big.... Well maybe your boyfriend would disagree," he smirked salaciously, "but embroidery! You can pick the design, then. Maybe a little something around the lapels and the cuffs? I would love to get myself an embroidery machine so I can realistically do big pieces but those things are unbelievably expensive." Unless you got a 100% discount by stealing one but he wasn't going to risk himself over something so petty.  

[Shaddaling]

[Rooftop ice rink - K.O.]

"Not at all," Lex didn't mind Hot Topic because it was full of things to touch and explore and no one was going to care if he did so. Certainly not the best made items, but decent and certainly less expensive then buying a t-shirt at a concert.

"Ooh, I would love to go over the designs, with your influence." He wasn't sure if he really should be allowed to pick out anything. "Ooh, I think I heard about them, that you can make a design on a computer and it prints it out on the fabric?" Or had that been something else.  

[TawnyAngel]

[Rooftop ice rink - Lex]

"And don't get me started on the music they play in those places," KO added, because KO always had to add an extra comment when possible. If one of his pokemon wanted to dress up like that it would be straight into storage for them, that or some serious attitude readjustment, but Pulsar was a bit of a soft touch when it came to his team so far as KO could tell.

"That's right though," KO continued with a nod, "but to get a decent one you're probably looking at fifteen hundred dollars, not exactly loose change from behind the couch. Still, a man can dream can't he? Perhaps I can save for one when I get promoted. If." He liked to think it would be 'when' but it was impossible to be sure, you just had to wait and see if you got picked out. KO sighed slightly and shook his head. "I would really like to get promoted, so I can move into my own place. My roommate is civilized at least but he's not what you'd call sociable. You get on alright with yours, right?"

Whilst chatting KO was still weighing up the pros and cons of going skating; would probably be fun but cost money, and also might get crashed into by idiots. Hummmm.