Participants:
| Scene Title | Planning A Big Night |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | At Tartarus, Quinn meets with Melissa to get several things squared away before the impending Grand Opening. |
| Date | June 14, 2010 |
"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. Once through the doors the music is all-encompassing, the heavy bass beat filling the room and senses of the club-goers. 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. But while socializing is a big part of the club, the dancing is the priority. People, some Goths, some punks, and some just people who like to dance are all packed on the dance floor. Weaving through the sea of people are servers, men and women both, dressed in black pants or skirts, and tee-shirts that have "Taratarus" written across the chest in red lettering. Likewise there are security people at the door and mixed through the club, in similar outfits, only their shirts have "SECURITY" on the back.
Early evening finds Melissa at the club, looking as though she's rather pleased with something. She's standing by the bar, talking on the phone to what sounds like a supplier. "Look, I don't care what you've got going on, I need the order on time…Excellent. Thanks." The phone is lowered, slid in her pocket, and she makes some notes on her clipboard.
Quinn had come pretty much straight from work, such is the consequence when you decide to hang around after the work changing schedules and playing with puppies. But she wasn’t late to the best of her knowledge, and that was probably a really good thing. And thankfully, Melissa isn’t hard to find once Quinn enters the club-in-the-making. A wave, and then her hands treat to her pockets, headphones pulled from her head and slipped inside a black messenger bag – probably best not to wear them while talking to the boss.
The boss, come to think of it, she hadn’t really talked to since the girls’ drunk misadventure. Oops. She gulps, though not audibly, as she approaches. “Heya, Melissa. I’m not late, am I?” Well, if you have to ask, that’s probably a bad sign.
The phone is tugged out, a button tapped so the screen lights up, then Melissa puts it away and grins, shaking her head. "Nope, right on time. Which is good, because after you fill out your paperwork, I need to talk to you. I've started planning our grand opening." She flips through the pages on the clipboard and tugs a few out, setting them on the bar and snagging a pen to offer Quinn. "Just let me know when you're done with all that, and we'll get started." It's standard employment forms, nothing special.
I need to talk to you makes Quinn tense at first, but it almost immediately passes. Looks like things were all good. With a relieved smile she nods, eyeing the papers on teh bar. “Gettin’ the boring out of the way first, huh?” That’s an approach Quinn can certainly appreciate. She slips the pen from Melissa’s hand and plops down on the barseat, taking to her task with quiet enthusiasm. Occasionally, she tries to twirl the pen between her fingers, and each time it falls out and clatters to the bar, at one point a little wallet comes out of her bag and she begins jotting things down as needed.
Melissa grins and nods. "Yep. I'll be right back." And she wanders off to snag someone and have a brief talk, but all too soon she's returning to the bar and her clipboard, checking something off and humming softly under her breath.
It takes a few minutes longer, but finally Quinn closes the cap on the pen and tosses it down, leading back in her seat. “I think this is all of it…” she fans out some of the pages, and missing a spot she was meant to sign, fill it in post haste. It’s collected back into a stack, and slid a bit down the bar. “An’ I have checks and IDs and what not, if you need them.” Her legs cross and hands come to her lap as she turns, a smile on her face. “So! Grand openin’?”
Melissa takes the papers, scans them, and tucks them into her clipboard before she moves around the bar and grins. "Yeah, grand opening. Let me explain what I'm planning first, then I'll get to the part that involves you, okay?"
She gets herself a drink and lifts it, silently asking if Quinn wants one, while she begins talking. "It'll be a combination of grand opening and charity event to rebuild Central Park. The cover charge is going to be increased for that night only, and all the take from that will be going right into the charity pool. I'm also going to be asking businesses and the wealthy to contribute, either by making a straight donation of cash, or donating items that can be raffled off. The main draw though, is going to be an auction. A date auction. I'm going to get people to volunteer, and whoever wins them, will get one date. Hopefully I'll get some famous people so we'll pull in a good bit to go to the project."
Mel smiles and sips at her drink. "You just done straight DJing before? I mean just playing the music, or can you work a crowd too? Because I'll need someone to handle the raffle, and I'm still debating on who to run the auction."
Quinn’s smile upturns into a grin, placing an elbow up on the bar so she can lean against her palm, showing she has no issue being as casual as possible. “I’ve done a little’a both. Straight and workin’ the crowd, that is. I’ve had to go gatherin’s and parties before.” She sits up, tilting her head and looking thoughtful. “And I’ve been doing music performances for years. In a band now, even, so I’m pretty confident about that.” She’s making motions with her right hand, pointing at the air and counting as she talks.
Melissa grins. "Good. You fine with running the raffle then, and handling the crowd? It won't just be the usual club goers, not with the auction and everything going on."
Furrowing her brow, Quinn’s head remains tilted as she stares at Melissa. “Auction?” A beat. “Oh! Yeah, I can handle that!” She sits straight again. “I’d love t’, even!”
Melissa laughs. "I was meaning the raffle, but if you want to be the auctioneer, we can do that too. I like to keep the employees as happy as the customers, after all!"
She shakes her head, holding up a hand, chuckling. “Oh, Lord, no. I’m not sure I can talk fast enough for that.” She leans back, arm up on the counter and fingers drumming. “But the raffle, that sounds right fun.”
Melissa grins. "I can't either, but then, I'm not gonna try. Cool though, on the raffle." She leans forward, elbow on the bar, chin on her fist. "Know anyone who might wanna be auctioned off?"
“Wait, anyone?” A quirked eyebrow, clearly this was a foreign concept to Quinn. “What for?”
Melissa blinks, then busts out laughing. "Like I said, it's a date auction. People will be bidding on dates with the volunteers. Whoever has the highest bid gets a night with whoever they won. Like if Johnny Depp volunteered, and I won his bid, I'd get to go on a date with him, and the cash from the bid would go to the charity. See?"
So, maybe Quinn should bleach her hair blonde, then. Or pay more attention, either works. She blinks, and then laughs nervously. “Right, right, I get it.” She’d never seen such a thing before, but it sounded fun. She takes a thoughtful expression, hand to chin, and her foot taps on the leg of her seat. “I can think of a few people who might. And someone I might make.” A long grin forms as she says this, laughing a little. “Assumin’ she’ll have any of it, of course.”
“Oooh. Do tell. I need to start talking to people ASAP so we can get this ready sometime in the near future," Melissa says, grinning impishly.
Quinn makes a constrained face, glancing upwards and counting on her fingers as she talks. “Well, you know Magnes an’ I’m sure he could be talked into it. Elaine too, an’ I don’t plan on giving Sable much choice…” That’s three people. “I might have a few other friends I could ask.”And of course, there’s one more big curiosity. “This auction, though. Do we get t’… you know, buy folks?” Hehe.
Melissa nods. "Those three will work. I'd really like to find someone famous or at least well-known here in the city." She grins then, and gives another nod. "You can bid on anyone you want so long as you have the cash."
“I don’t really know anyone well known, even around town.” A shrug, and Quinn’s hands finally return to her lap. “I go around to a lot of the shows an’ venues around here, though. I can put out a word, if y’want.”
Melissa grins. "That'd be great. Remember…money donations, donations for stuff we can raffle like…I dunno, TVs or a car or three nights in Vegas, whatever…and people who can be auctioned off for a night."
An enthusiastic nod. “Alright! I’ll definitely see what I can do.” She certainly sounds more than happy to do it. “An’, I mean, I might be willin’ to go up too, considering.” Even if she doesn’t fancy the intended audience for auctioning off women, it’s just an evening.
Melissa grins and nods. "Sure thing. Just let me know when you decide one way or the other. It should be fun."
“Oh, I’m sure it won’t be a problem.” She laughs, leaning forward a bit. “Anythin’ else big goin’ on for the opening?”
Melissa laughs. "Isn't that enough? Raffle and auction on top of regular club activity? No, I think that's all. Now let's get you started working, so you can be comfortable with the equipment come opening day."
“No, that sounds a right bit fun!” Quinn lights up, hopping down from her seat. “It’d be nice to get to see how it all works before openin’, yes, at least compared to my setup.” Her eyes look over to where the DJ booth is, smiling as she turns back to Melissa, waiting to see if she takes lead.
Melissa grins and nods, starting to lead the way. "Yeah, figure things will go more smoothly if you have a chance to get comfortable with everything. I'll make sure you're cool, then let you play. the rest of the employees will be happy to have music while they work anyway."