Fire Hydrants are killing my groove

[umbrastaff]

who: Lup + you!
what: Catch-all and open prompts
when: November
where: Around
warnings: Will add if needed

I. Harvest Shopping

[The best part about all this harvest stuff was the food, and as soon as Lup had tried a few things during the festival, she was excited to try making them herself. So by now she was a very common sight in the Farmer's Markets, looking over vegetables, talking to the shopkeepers and reading over her shopping lists while snacking on something she had bought.]

a. [Sometimes she was leaning over counters to haggle over butternut squash with the same ferocity as she fought in battle. At least they were kind of used to her by now, so she didn't get kicked out... all the time. This was serious, though, because who inflates their price by 40% just because it was late in the day? She sighs loudly, glaring at the shopkeeper and the squash in her hands.]

I refuse to bow to your squash tyranny!

b. [Her hands full of produce and a floating disk carrying even more, it's not a surprise when a bag of apples escape from her haul and fall off. Lup doesn't seem to notice, looking through her phone for a new recipe as she keeps walking. Apple tarts.

Save her dessert?]

c. [Another day, she's looking through the stalls without much of a plan, picking up some produce but putting it down again. Lup stops in front of a stall that is selling cheese and chooses a piece of the samples to try.]

Okay, not great but not bad, either. Somethings off.

[She grabs the nearest person.]

Hey, try this and tell me what's off about it?

II. Bar Crawl

[While she had tried to cut down on the partying alone for a while after she once almost fell out of her body on the way home, Lup still enjoyed the occasional bar crawl and dancing with her friends. It was a nice way to meet new people, and sometimes Lup just had to move or she would feel trapped. Maybe it was some kind of issue from being trapped in the umbrella for so long, but fuck if she was going to deal with her problems the correct way.

No, dancing and getting drinks seemed like a much better way to cope. Right?

Either way, she's having a good time, pulling people out on the dance floor with her or flirting shamelessly for free drinks and then ignoring her target right afterwards. Mean, maybe - but she had the best man in the world(s) back home, and what were good looks for if not getting free shit?]

III. Freestyle

[Hit me up for a starter or make your own!]

Comments

I.a.

[namednothing]

[Some of the more common crimes in a marketplace environment were pick-pocketing and petty theft, but disorderly conduct wasn't unheard of either. Hearing Lup shouting and arguing with the vendor, Odo figures it would be a good idea to step in to avoid a potential incident.]

Is there a problem here?

[umbrastaff]

Space police!

[She has to quickly stop her visceral reaction to run the fuck away from law enforcement, and instead point at the salesman.]

This asshole is inflating his prices just because he's the last guy with squash. It's annoying as fuck!

[namednothing]

['Space police?' Well, he'd been called worse. Odo glances over at the price of squash. Rather high, but not illegal.]

Unfortunately, vendors are allowed to set their own prices, no mater how ridiculous.

[umbrastaff]

Then I should be allowed to yell at him for being ridiculous!

[She slams her hand down on the stall table with a grin.]

[namednothing]

[Odo attempts to grab her wrist to prevent her from slamming her hand down again.]

I'm going to have you ask you to refrain from taking out your frustration on the the vendor's property.

[umbrastaff]

[Lup's quick to turn her wrist and push up to try to break free immediately. She's had enough people grab her in the past that she's got good reflexes, but who knows with goo men.]

Dude. Do not touch me.

[namednothing]

[As long as she's not slamming her hand on private property, he has no reason to attempt it again, but the action puts him on alert to watch for body language that would indicate a desire for a confrontation.]

Then, do not touch the stall.

[umbrastaff]

[She's ready to go, but it seems defensive more than anything.]

He didn't tell me not to, or call for the police!

[She glares at Odo and back to the vendor, who just looks frustrated.]

Fine. No casserole tonight.

[namednothing]

There are undoubtedly other options for your dietary needs this evening.

[Sensing the situation to be winding down, Odo gestures away from the vendor. Obviously he was suggesting that Lup move along.]

[umbrastaff]

[She's just gonna flip him off, okay?

...then she's leaving.]

1a

[tutee]

[ Bill's been doing more cooking lately, now that she has a kitchen to herself with every tool and ingredient she could want readily available. It's still nice to have fresh ingredients, though, so she still shops at the Farmer's Market.

When she sees Lup haggling over a squash with a vendor at the next table over, she quickly goes to help. ]

Come on, mate, you can't raise your prices without reason like that. [ She takes Lup's elbow, tugging gently, ] C'mon, I saw some squash over there that's half his price...

[ A quick glance at the vendor to see if he'll take the bait when threatened with a loss of business. ]

[umbrastaff]

Oh, Bill! You're such a lifesaver, to find me much cheaper squash. I'm definitely telling everyone to shop there instead...

[She bumps her hip against Bill's with a little wink.]

Can you imagine the nerv-

[...and then they are getting called back by a slightly nervous vendor, holding up and extra nice-looking piece for Lup.]

[tutee]

[ Bill smiles back at Lup, turning on the vendor. ]

Well, now, I don't know. Why should she buy yours when that other seller has squash so much cheaper, and you've been giving her all this hassle?

[ There may or may not be another seller with cheaper squash, but the vendor in question blanches, offering to lower his price even further just to make a sale. ]

[umbrastaff]

[Oh, Bill was smooth. Lup is doing her best not to laugh, and quickly throws money down on the stall and grabs her squash triumphantly.]

That's my girl!

[She says to Bill, grinning as she moves away from the vendor so they can gloat.]

Naturally I gotta cook for you now, my gal!

[tutee]

Only if I get to cook for you some other time!

[ Bill may not be a master chef, but she does enjoy making food.

Checking over her shoulder to make sure they're out of ear shot, she adds, ] Oh, he was a right wanker wasn't he?

[umbrastaff]

It's a deal!

[She gives Bill some finger guns (even with her squash), and when they're a bit further away she laughs at the other woman's comment.]

I know, right? What an absolute dick. I was tempted to just turn him into a squash.

[tutee]

[ Bill returns the finger guns heartily. ]

Can you do that? [ Bill giggles. ] If you turned him into a squash and then cooked him, is that murder?

[umbrastaff]

Ugh. That's some dark vore shit. Forget I even mentioned it.

[Ew ew ew.]

So are you coming to the dinner party?

[tutee]

Yeah... Best to leave that be.

[ She's a little sorry she brought it up. ]

I wouldn't miss it!

[umbrastaff]

Holding you to that, Bill. I'm gonna make some kickass food.

[tutee]

Do you need me to bring anything? I'm not a bad cook myself.

[ Nothing compared to the likes of Taako and Lup, probably, but she knows her way around a kitchen. ]

I.b - hope you don't mind the late tag!

[alchemyfreak]

[In all the hustle and bustle around the market it was easy enough for one person to go unnoticed, but there were things Ed still wasn't used to in this world so a floating disc carrying a load of produce was bound to catch his attention. He might actually be paying more attention to Lup than his own business at this point, trying to work out just how that was happening. Of course, he was aware of magic in the Quarantine, had actually explained the whole concept to a few people previously when they marveled at things they couldn't understand - not that he could explain any of it himself, just that they weren't so impossible to pull off. So, it was by sheer coincidence that he was already watching her making her way along, face in phone, when the apples tumble to the ground while escaping her notice.]

Hey-!

[He's just going to dodge and push his way through a few oblivious people, who only glance up enough to remark on how rude he's being - heft his own bag of groceries under one arm to grab said fruit and fall into step beside her, pointedly holding the apples up now.]

You dropped these.