Participants:
| Scene Title | An Invitation to be Sold |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Having leapt at the chance to use a delivery to check out a new club, Ygraine finds herself being recruited to go on the auction-block…. |
| Date | June 16 2010 |
Tartarus - pre-opening
"Abandon hope all ye who enter here."
That is the sign that rests just above the double doors that lead from the small foyer into the club proper. The decor is all dark, the walls painted black, the bar a sleek dark wood. The lights all have a reddish tinge to them, with the bar and DJ booth being the only places in the club proper that have more normal white light. There are high tables with equally tall chairs circling a large dance floor, and booths set along two of the walls.
Early afternoon means that even most of the employees of Tartarus aren't here. It's not officially open, and given that it's a club, most business would be be later in the day anyway. However there are a few people around, most wearing Tartarus shirts. There's one however, who isn't. Melissa, standing in the middle of the dance floor, calling for checks on the lights, which puts her in various colored spotlights. At least it'll make it easy for her to be spotted!
The clomping of solid footsteps precedes the arrival of a figure clad in the all-over black of a biker - either here to make a hit or to hand over a delivery, from the look of things. Clearly somewhat distracted by the surroundings, the new arrival pauses to turn to and fro, taking in the decor and bustle.
With a few people working, and Melissa calling out for the changes in lights, it takes a moment before she hears the entrance, and even then she pays little attention to it. People are usually coming and going here. But once the check is done and she turns to move back to the bar, she glimpses Ygraine. It's nothing more than that until Mel's brain catches up and she realizes that she knows the biker figure.
"Well holy shit. Ygraine? I haven't seen you in months!" she says, grinning as she starts over towards the delivery girl. "How you been?"
Removing her helmet, Ygraine cracks a broad grin, cocking her head as she studies Melissa. "All right, thanks. Spent a while back on the other side of the Pond, but I'm over here again now. You seem to have been doing well for yourself!"
Melissa laughs and shrugs, hands settling on her hips as she stops in front of Ygraine. "Off and on, I suppose. Right now it's very much on, though, so I can't complain. But what are you doing here? I didn't expect to see you here!"
Ygraine blinks, then offers a somewhat guilty look. "Oh! Yes. Ahh… delivery." She pats one of the straps of the pack on her back. "I'd guess you can sign for it", she says with a grin. "I'm grabbing some odd-job work at Alley Cat again, while I'm around. Offered to run this over so that I could nose around a new club."
"I should hope I can sign for it," Melissa says, grinning. "I manage this place. Work here and over at the Suresh Center part time. Keeps me busy. I'm lovin' it so far. Glad you decided to come nose around though. We're not really open yet, but we will be soon. In the planning and setting up stages now."
Ygraine busies herself for a few moments with the task of unfastening her pack, swinging it off her shoulders, and delving inside for the well-padded cardboard box within.
"Here you go. I'd guess music, or perhaps some bit of electronic gear", the Briton says with a smile. "And… it looks impressive."
Melissa grins and glances around herself. "It'll be awesome once we're open. Hey, you should come to the grand opening." The grin goes impish. "We're having a date auction, and I could use a few more volunteers…"
Ygraine blinks in surprise. "Date… auction…? Ummmm. I saw a slave auction at university…. The, ahh, grand opening sounds fun, though."
Melissa shakes her head. "No, it's not like that. We get volunteers, and they get auctioned off. The person who wins them just gets a date with them. Nothing more. Just one date. No requirement to kill 'em at the end of the night or bang 'em or anything like that."
Ygraine giggles, cocking her head. "Will you be taking part? Or are you safely holding the microphone throughout?"
"Depending on how many volunteers I get, I may just auction myself off," Melissa says with a grin. "Hell, if I'm gonna auction my friends off, or their boyfriends, I can't be too shy to get up there myself."
Ygraine laughs. "Do you have many signed up as yet? And…" She glances around. "Should I turn up to the grand opening in the height of Gothic finery, or my best opera-going frock?"
"Not too many yet, no. A couple, and a couple more names of people to talk to," Melissa says, shaking her head. "And you can wear whatever you want. It's a charity thing, but it's still a club. People wanna show up in formal wear, I'm not gonna stop 'em. But I'm not gonna stop people from showin' up in jeans either."
Ygraine nods thoughtfully. "What charities are you thinking of giving the proceeds to, out of curiosity?"
"Just one. It's to help rebuild Central Park," Melissa explains. "I figure something like that benefits most everyone."
Ygraine blinks, then cracks a wry smile. "Definitely sounds like a good idea to me. All right… just try to make sure you sell me for more than a Big Mac, okay?"
Melissa laughs. "I'm gonna start the bidding higher than just a couple bucks, hon. Minimum bid'll be a fifty or a hundred. Haven't decided that yet."
Ygraine looks a little relieved. "Good. I'd rather not be sold than go for fifty cents", she says with a sheepish chuckle.
"Um… so… what can you tell me about the club itself?"
"What do you mean?" Melissa asks, head tilting. "It's pretty standard as clubs go. Goth club, has music, dancing, places to sit, some food, and lots of alcohol." She grins. "My new DJ might be getting auctioned off too."
Another laugh from the Briton. "Really? That could be interesting. I was meaning more, well… are you going to do themed nights - cyber, steampunk, old black punk, or whatever - or stick to a steady theme? Or just see what music people request?"
"Right now I'm just focused on getting everything ready for the opening," Melissa says with a wry smile. "Might do some themed nights here and there, though, to keep things interesting."
Ygraine nods, flashing an apologetic look. "Sorry. Just being enthusiastic. Good clubs are hard to find, as I'm sure you're aware."
Melissa laughs and nods. "Oh yeah. Spent the first few months I was here looking for a good place to go dancing. Then I found this place, needed a day job and figured why not?"
Ygraine nods, peering around the club once again. "So… when's the auction taking place?"
"Right now we're looking at next weekend. Evening of course. The auction'll happen a few hours after we open the doors," Melissa answers.
Ygraine cracks a grin. "Give people a bit of time to drink their way into generous good moods?"
Melissa grins and shrugs. "And let more people get here. The more people bidding, the higher the price goes."
Ygraine chuckles, nodding. "Have you been able to do much advertising?"
"We've got flyers being printed up, and I've been using word of mouth, both with my friends and the employees," Melissa says with a shrug.
"I can post a few around the city, if you like", Ygraine offers. "You'd almost certainly find some interest at the Wench, at least."
Melissa grins and nods. "Sounds good. When I get 'em, I'll let you know and have a stack on hand here for ya."
"Thanks", Ygraine says, closing up her pack. "So… how's life been treating you? Feels like ages since I last saw you…."
"It has been ages," Melissa says with a grin. "But it's been…well, chaotic, but I'm in an upswing now. Got a house, and moved Kendall in with me. We're still figuring things out, since I never expected to be in charge of a teenager. Not this young anyway."
Ygraine looks startled, then cocks her head as her brow furrows pensively. "Kendall… I… think I might know who you mean. You've adopted him, have you?"
"Pretty much," Melissa says, nodding. "His parents kicked him out when he got the evolved flu, and I took him in. Sweet kid, if a bit geeky."
Ygraine winces, then nods. "That definitely sounds like the youngster I met in a second-hand book shop a while back. His name and age rather caught my attention. As did his shyness. Worse than me, at stumbling over things to say."
"Oh yeah, he's shy. Had a party for him this past weekend, since he turned seventeen. Until he got geeky presents he seemed happy to stay hidden in the corner," Melissa says with a fond smile.
Ygraine laughs, shaking her head. "I'm glad that he came out of the corner in the end. And he's doing all right now, in general? Adjusting to… changes?"
Melissa smiles and nods. "He is. He's starting to open up. Which I think it absolutely great. He hated what he was when I first met him, and now he's having fun with it."
Ygraine winces sympathetically. "I'm glad to hear it. It's always… unpleasant when people are made to regret what they can't help being."
Melissa sighs. "Yeah, but I've been working with him, and he's had a few chances to really enjoy it, so he's coming around. He's pretty good at it too."
Ygraine cracks a grin. "I look forward to finding out just where his talents lie at some point….. Oh! I'd quite forgotten. How's Jerry?"
Melissa grins. "He's good. Gotten big, and half the time I think he's Kendall's dog more than mine. Very friendly though."
"Oh, I'm glad", Ygraine says warmly. "That he's doing well, I mean. Not that his affections are being so cruelly stolen from you."
Melissa laughs and shrugs. "Yeah, well, at least he's fond of someone else in the house, otherwise I'd have to pout and maybe sniffle a little, just for effect."
Ygraine turns a snort into a somewhat unconvincing cough, then giggles. "I admit that I find it rather hard to imagine you doing that."
Melissa grins and gives another shrug. "It doesn't happen often, but I can fake it if I really need to. Not as well as broody, but hey, we've all got our weak points."
Ygraine laughs, shaking her head again. "Broody? Hmmmm. Maybe I shouldn't ask to see that one. What part of the city have you settled in?"
"I'm over on Staten Island now. Not a great neighborhood, but it suits me well enough," Melissa answers.
Ygraine's brows lift. "Oooh. How are things over there now? It's been quite a while since I visited, so I've only got the media reports to go on."
Melissa shrugs a little. "Honestly? I don't do much over there beyond go home or leave to go wherever. But things seem…okay."
Ygraine nods quickly, holding up a gloved hand. "Sorry. I shouldn't be bombarding you with so many questions, I know…"
Melissa laughs and shrugs. "It's alright." Someone calls her name and she glances back at them, then holds up a hand. "And I really should be getting back tow ork, but it was great seeing you again."
Ygraine laughs, and offers a playful bow. "The honour was all mine. I'll have to see what I can come up with as suitable attire for the grand opening. Give Jerry a hug for me, please."
Melissa grins. "I will. You take it easy though, and I'll see ya at the auction at the latest."
Ygraine nods cheerfully. "I look forward to it with anticipatory dread, I assure you." Glancing around once more, she cracks a grin. "And good luck with all of this. I'm impressed thus far."