Participants:
| Scene Title | Puppies and Tricks |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Puppies, tricks, names, dancing and idealism are discussed. Just another day at the Den! |
| Date | February 25 2010 |
"The Den" is a cover name for a Ferrymen safehouse based out of Roosevelt Island. The structure is an expanded basement beneath the Butcher's Fancy located just across the street from the Summer Meadows development on the south side of Roosevelt Island.
Beneath the floorboards of the butcher shop, the Den sprawls out as a surprisingly large underground complex comprising more than just a single building's basement. The basement of an adjacent tenement building under management by the same owner as the butcher shop is compiled into the same structure. The entry point of the Den is a large hall with an eight foot ceiling and industrial spiral staircase descending from the back stock room of the butcher's shop above. This room is decorated with old patched up sofas, a single television and a few old bookshelves stacked with records and an old fashioned turn table. Speakers for the turntable flank the couch, but the left most one is always cutting out.
Adjacent to this hall is a storage room containing non-perishable foods stacked in cans and jars on old wooden shelves as well as a small armory consisting of typically no more than five or six bolt-action rifles and boxes of ammunition and a pair of handguns, necessary in case the safehouse were ever overrun.
Opposite of the storage room is a wide doorway in the concrete that leads into an eight foot long earth and board tunnel lined with hanging construction lamps that connects to the basement of the adjacent tenement building. It's this tenement building that serves as residence for some of the safehouse's tenants. The basement itself contains a boiler, furnace and work-bench with tools, along with stacks of old newspapers and magazines in cardboard boxes. Stairs here lead up to the ground floor of the two-story tenement building, which was condemned by the town in 2008. The front doors are bolted shut and do not provide entrance, which is why the basement access was created to keep outside appearances.
All of the exterior windows of the condemned two-story building are shuddered and covered with weatherproof plastic to keep in heat, while only the ground floor has any working radiators. The tenement building itself looks like it may have been little more than a halfway house before it was condemned. Small rooms consisting of little more than a single mattress on the floor are barely large enough to be considered full bedrooms. The ground floor features the only working bathroom, as well as a communal kitchen and dining room. The second floor is largely vacant, due to the poor stability of the flooring and lack of any furnishings in the remaining rooms.
At night, no lights are allowed in the tenement building, to give it the presence of abandonment.
Tony is lounging on a couch in the lounge. Well…. it's kind of appropriate. He's got one hand loosely looped around the neck of a bottle of beer, and his eyes closed
Boots clomping rapidly down the stairs in a merry rhythm, a black-clad motorcyclist arrives in the entrance chamber of the basement - and there pauses to double-take at the zonked-out, beer-clutching form on one of the sofas. A swift glance around confirms no sign of the Den Mother, but after a moment's hesitation the cyclist reaches up to remove her helmet, tucking it under one arm.
Tony opens an eye at the sound of footsteps, "Unless you're the FBI, want to grab a seat?"
A low chuckle, then a response that distinctly carries the tones of an educated Briton. "And if I were HomeSec or CIA, I'd still be welcome? Interesting." The cyclist does, however, move to take a place on another sofa, unzipping her jacket and withdrawing a large, padded envelope. "Are you a guest here?"
Tony says, "Homesex? Now _that's_ a Government Bureau I never heard of." There's a lazy grin, "Clinton brought that one in, did he?" He nods, and then says, "You can call me Tony, I guess."
The new arrival's snort is followed by another chuckle. "Ygraine. I'm a messenger-girl for the Sailing Club. So if there's anything you need brought in, feel free to ask. I don't promise to get it, but…"
Tony says, "Hrm… I think I'm pretty much good, myself. But you know how it is. Most folks want _something_. Me, I like to improvise"
"A sofa, a beer, and a quiet room all you need?", Ygraine asks with a grin.
Tony says, "Well… there are a _few_ other things, but I can usually pick 'em up. Yourself?"
Ygraine blinks in surprise, then laughs. "Oh, I'm one of the idiots who's hooked up with the Club through idealism. I want to change the world and make it a better place. At least a marginally less cruddy one, at any rate. I'm dreadful at just settling down and relaxing for any length of time."
Tony takes a quick swig of beer, and grins, "Well, the world needs idealists." That kind of answers _that_ implied question
Ygraine slightly cocks her head. "How about you? Are you en route to anywhere? Or a long-term guest around here?"
Tony says, "Well… for _now_ at least, I'll be staying around. Until I'm needed someplace else."
Another blink. "Needed? If it's not too rude to ask, what is it that you do?"
Tony says, "Me? Oh… this and that. Think of me as a problem solver."
There's a distinct pause, before Ygraine chuckles dryly. "That sounds rather like a euphemism from a Hollywood movie…."
Tony says, "Oh… I'm not some sort of 'cleaner', if that's what you're thinking. I just…. solve some problems."
Ygraine cocks her head, looking more than a little quizzical. "And… what sort of problems should be brought to you for resolution?"
Tony gestures slightly, "Oh… pretty much anything, you know?" A pause, "I assume you're….. special?"
Ygraine chuckles dryly. "I'm with the Club. I'm not exactly anti-Evolved, if that's what you're worried about."
Tony nods, and extends the bottle of b….. the bunch of roses towards you, "I solve problems."
Ygraine's brows lift sharply, but she looks intrigued rather than scared. "Impressive", she says quietly. "Is that a transmutation, or an illusory artefact? And how long does it last? Do you need to sustain it consciously?"
Tony grins, and offers it to you once more, "Illusion, it varies, and yes I do."
Ygraine ducks her head, quirking a smile. "Sorry. I… find the mechanics of abilities fascinating. Trying to figure out exactly what is achieved, and to whatever extent possible how, rather than simple going 'wow' at the visual impact…"
Tony grins, and flips his wrist. It's an FBI badge now. Agent Seely Booth. "Well, you can see how it might be useful."
Ygraine double-takes, then laughs. "A Bones fan, huh? Do they have a tactile component? Could you hand that over to be examined by someone?"
Tony says, "Certainly could. There's all sorts of tactile illusions which are possible." Which is the point that someone pats your ass. "Care to examine the ID?"
A startled yelp confirms that the pat was certainly felt, though it's followed by a laugh and a shake of Ygraine's head. "I can see that getting you into trouble", she says with a wry smile - before leaning forward and holding out a hand. "Sure. Might as well have a look."
Tony hands over the ID. "Sure thing. I'm here to collect the prisoners."
Ygraine chuckles, turning the illusion to and fro, gently rapping it with a knuckle…. "Is this completely your own creation? A projection of an image in your own mind?"
Tony says, "In my mind…. and in yours. Your hand knows its a beer bottle…. but you won't notice the fact that you're tipping it over until the illusion drops. Incidentally, hold it the other way up?"
Ygraine pauses, then cracks a grin - and does so… but well in front of her, to avoid tipping anything over herself.
Tony says, "That's better. You're going to notice the wet spot over your uh… chest… when I drop the illusion. Sorry"
Ygraine snorts, then sticks her tongue out. "Mmmm. That's a point… does it only affect senses of which you're aware? I've met Evolved who bypass the normal senses and perceive things through their abilities…."
Tony says, "It effects the mind. So…. they'll… I _think_…. see through their other senses."
Ygraine nods thoughtfully. "So… it's a form of telepathic projection? Do you blanket an area, or pick specific people to see things?"
Tony says, "Can do either. Why do you ask?"
Ygraine chuckles and shrugs. "Oh, just wondering how it works. And, say, if we'd had an audience whether they'd have seen me tipping beer over myself."
Tony says, "Sometimes. usually no. I don't like leaving witnesses able to see the truth"
Ygraine quirks a wry smile. "I can imagine that might be wise, yes…. Can you leave your creations and walk away from them? Or do you need to focus on them to keep them going?"
Tony says, "Well… the problem is…. if they go out of a certain time and range from me…"
Ygraine nods. "That makes sense", she muses. "And probably protects the city's economy", the Briton adds with a wink. "Mmmm. I should probably go and find out how much I need to dry off, shouldn't I?"
Tony grins lazily, "Less than you'd think. Most folks think they've just lost a check, if it vanishes."
Ygraine laughs softly. "I was thinking rather more of there not being a tonne or two of fake gold floating around out there…."
Tony makes a little pthph noise, "You _want_ the Secret Service to be looking for me?"
Ygraine giggles, shaking her head. She rises, holding out the beer-badge to be reclaimed by its owner. "I'll go and find out quite what state I'm in…"
Tony grabs it, and then raises it to his lips. Beer bottle again. And wet smudge on your chest. He gives an evil grin, "Wet t-shirts?"
Ygraine snorts. "I'll go and dry off a bit", she says - though there's a hint of amusement in her voice. "Back in a bit." Matching deed to words, she turns to head further into the Den.
Tony nods, and sinks back into the couch
A couple of minutes later, Ygraine returns, still looking somewhat amused. "So… do you often trick women into spilling things on themselves?"
Tony laughs, "Nah…. you did that bit all on your own." He gives a lazy grin, "The party trick would be making you think you forgot to put on a shirt."
Ygraine laughs. "That would presumably require rather more than illusion to achieve. You could make it feel as if I didn't, but… I'd retain the memories of having done so."
Tony says, "Yeah… yeah. But it'd give everyone else a good view!" He gives a lazy grin, "Too much effort though. And I'd get details wrong, I'm sure."
Ygraine giggles, shaking her head. "I suspect that it's a good thing that you can't lift details from people's minds…."
Tony says, "Probably, yeah. Though I guess if I talked to the right people…"
"So for the safety of the world, we should keep you away from unscrupulous telepaths?", Ygraine asks as she folds herself back onto her sofa.
Tony says, "Something like that, yrah." He grins, "So, are you an unscrupulus telepath by any chaNce?""
Ygraine snorts, then laughs as she shakes her head again. "No… far from it. Mmmm." Delving into one of her jacket's inner pockets, she draws out a pen. That, she places upon an outstretched palm… then turns her hand over, only for the pen to stay exactly where it is, in spite of seeming to have nothing whatsoever holding it in place.
Tony whistles, "TK?"#
Ygraine shakes her head. "Nothing that versatile, though I have a few tricks up my sleeve that telekinetics don't appear to. I put gravity to work for me, but only in specific ways."
Tony blinks, "You can fly?"
Ygraine blinks, then laughs, leaning back on the sofa. "No, no. Nothing of the sort. There is someone in the city who throws gravity around to suit his whims - me, I just form links between objects, and redirect what's already there. So I can hop onto a wall, or the like, but my range is limited - so I can't attach people to a car whizzing past on the road, or anything of the sort."
Tony nods, "The possibilities seem incredible, though. I mean… you could… say… lift the contents of a safe out…"
Ygraine lifts her brows, then chuckles. "Only if I'm within a few inches of it. And I can't phase things through each other, so… by the time that I could do that, other people could just by reaching in."
Tony ohs. He sounds just slightly disappointed, "Well… still, it's pretty mind bending."
Ygraine giggles. "If I were criminally inclined, then yes, I would be one heck of a cat-burglar. But I'm afraid that I've never put it to quite that sort of use."
Tony tuts, "Never say never, babe. It's got to be more important than that sort of thing."
Ygraine's lips twitch into a somewhat awkward smile. "It's seen a little 'active' use… but for the most part, I just train with it and try to… get more used to using it rapidly and without much conscious thought. I'm tempted to take up photography, but it's not as if I could show off any pictures I took from particularly unusual vantage points."
Tony laughs, "Yeah….. yeah, I guess not. Although you'd make a killing as a Paparazzi."
Ygraine giggles, shaking her head. "Yeah… a lot of conventional security's pretty much irrelevant to me, when I need to bypass it. But I don't think I'd ever want to make a career out of hounding people."
Tony says, "Well, blackmail then. For the cause."
Ygraine laughs once more. "No… I'm not a big believer in the ends justifying the means. Evil tends to beget evil, all too reliably. Good intentions may not save the world, but bad practices sure as heck damage it."
Tony wavers a hand, "If they fight dirty-…. and they do…. we need to match our methods to the threat."
Ygraine purses her lips. "I've never been sold on the 'two wrongs make a right', theory. After all, if you're fighting for a better world, will adding more evil to it really move you closer to that aim? It's not as if there are only ever two responses to a given situation. To let your opponents define the terms and forms of engagement is to give them immense power. Why let them dictate the path that things will take? Why not very consciously choose to break their paradigm and see about imposing your own?"
Tony says, "Well… let me put it this way….. if they fight dirty, and win… because we don't… then the whole world is kinda messier than it needs to be, right?"
"However evil triumphs, the world is messier than it needs to be", Ygraine says with a wry smile. "And the more it's used, the more it tends to corrupt. Having done something once, it's easier to do it a second time. Or a third. Or a forty-fifth. Break down your own barriers, and what really ends up distinguishing you from the evils you set out to prevent in the first place? If the eventual 'victor' is black as night and drenched in evil, does it really matter where he started out?"
Tony rolls his eyes upwards, "Look…. no offence, but a lot of what I do is illegal. Am I _that_ bad? Or should I obey the law which says that unregistered evolved are criminals?"
"The US used to make a big thing of teaching that legality and justice were separate things", Ygraine responds quietly, and without any eye-rolling. "Whether or not I'm personally illegal is something of a moot point - as a foreigner, it's not quite clear to what level registration could legally be forced upon me. But at the least it's open to question, and I've certainly taken fully-illegal actions when I felt it was required. The… point is that virtually nothing in life is actually a zero-sum game. You're almost never in a situation where you have to do bad things or die. To let people who want the world to go that way push you into furthering their aims by doing bad things yourself… that's to lose sight of what it is that you're meant to be fighting for in the first place."
Tony snorts, "Ideallism. And you haven't had to use your talent to escape physical danger? Because I sure as hell have."
"I very nearly died a year ago. Shot someone. Came face-to-barrel with a tank. Listened to someone else sacrifice themselves to… you've no idea what it was they prevented, fortunately. Proof that it worked, I suppose…."
Ygraine shakes her head, expression more than slightly tinged with sorrow. "Idealism and a desire to prevent evil's triumph aren't antithetical opposites. There aren't only two options. You don't have to surrender yourself to evil in order to combat evil. Just as violence and hostility in the school playground tend to beget more violence and hostility, so does a knee-jerk "they did it first!" response in the supposedly-adult world of politics."
Tony grins, "Hey… who said anything about surrendering to evil. Just… you know… low level crime."
"Which isn't exactly what the Ferry concerns itself with", Ygraine says with a lopsided smile. "Though I suspect that you could make a decent living for yourself without crime. You'd be a heck of a stage magician."
Tony wavers a hand, "People who understand that sort of thing _watch_ that sort of thing. Impossible tricks? I'd say, 'bad'."
Ygraine shrugs gently, then cracks a grin. "So stick to faking fakes, in that regard. You'd just do it near-perfectly every time."
Tony says, "You should see me running street scams!"
Ygraine grins impishly. "I've toyed with the idea of playing with things like the 'find the object under the cups' trick, which I could manipulate very easily…."
Tony grins lazily, "There's more to that particular game than you'd think. I can take you on as an apprentice, if you like."
Ygraine giggles. "Oh, to properly use my ability I'd need to figure out some fairly sophisticated false bottoms - simply holding things in place against the end of the cup wouldn't fool too many… but in theory, I could move things around under my hand, through the base of the cup…."
Tony says, "No… no. I mean… the way that game works isn't based on the person doing it"
Ygraine cocks her head. "What is it based on, then?", she asks curiously.
Tony says, "It's about how the backup team for the main artist works. You've never watched it being done properly, I gather?"
Ygraine shakes her head. "Never been inclined to get myself swindled", she says with a grin. "You don't need to know how a con works to spot it as one. And that's one particular game that really does fall into the "too good to be true" category of blindingly-obvious fakes."
Tony chuckles, "It's about how you sell it. Maybe not to you, but there really _is_ one born every minute. And… you know… you can sell almost anything to someone. I mean, if I were to wager you fifties against your clothing at poker, you might think twice. But lots of girls would go for it."
Ygraine inclines her head. "Oh, I know. People are depressingly stupid and foolish in overlapping cycles, it seems. And the promotion of the popular belief that anyone can do anything if they just try hard enough only encourages that sort of idiocy. So few people ever learn to think, let alone try to do so when confronted with something tempting."
Tony grins, and reaches into his pocket, and gets out a roll of fifties, and a pack of cards. "So, up for it, darlin'? How hard can it be?"
Ygraine laughs. "I'm not wearing the right sort of outfit to have cards stashed in various places, myself. But I suppose that it might be worthwhile training in palming things. Mmmm. Could do a fair amount with the right sort of rig up a sleeve or inside a coat lining, come to think of it."
Tony's brows shoot up, "Is that _seriously_ a yes?"
Ygraine giggles, shaking her head. "No. But it might be interesting to see how you do, at some point. I'd want to brush up a little on my card-counting, and I'd definitely want to figure out the card-hiding rigs…."
Tony laughs, "Well… I do card counting. Because it's embarassing if there are eight aces out there at any point."
Ygraine giggles. "True. But it's a good idea for me to count as well. After all, you can't know what's in my hand unless you're cheating in 'extra' ways…. Still, I'm afraid that you're highly unlikely to get me to play you for money."
Tony clicks his fingers, "Damn. So just strip poker, then."
Ygraine snorts, then shakes her head. "Perhaps if you paid me enough, I might consider being a stage assistant, or something. But I don't think that I've ever played strip anything in my life…"
Tony rubs his hands together, "Really? Virginal and everything?" He cracks a grin, "There's no fun in it, to be honest. Too easy."
A giggle. "I competed internationally in my own field", Ygraine says apologetically. "I'm afraid that I'm not very easy to trash-talk into doing something stupid. Still no sale."
Tony grins, "And like I say… I'm gonna need to work with you. Ain't about to take advantage."
"Uh-huh", Ygraine says dryly. "As if you'd ever do that, eh? Heh. So - do you have a defined role of any kind with the Club, or are you just passing through?"
Tony says, "Like I say… I'm a fixer. Defining the role kinda limits it."
"Mmmm. And have you resolved any issues for the Club, as yet?", the Briton enquires curiously.
Tony says, "Around here? No…. in the past? Well…. I have had my moments."
Ygraine waits for a moment, then quirks another swift grin. "Such as…?"
Tony gives a grin, and shakes his head, "For me to know…"
Ygraine chuckles. "I hope that you don't count getting me to tip beer on myself as one of them", she says teasingly.
Tony says, "Nah… that would have only counted if you'd been wearing a white t-shirt, and I hadn't told you"
Ygraine laughs, shaking her head. "I'll have to bear that in mind. No white t-shirts."
Tony clicks his fingers, "Damn. Letting out all the secrets now, right? I'll just have to make 'em look white on you, right?"
"And you're back to just crafting illusions that rely on your own imagination for the details", Ygraine responds with a smile. "I suspect that you started to get bored of that some time ago, save as a means of practicing your skills…."
Tony says, "What gave it away?"
"The illumination provided by my dazzling intellect", Ygraine responds with a straight face. "To be honest… you seem to be a showman in part, but you also seem to want to do something with your ability - not just use it for its own sake and purely for your own entertainment. At the very least, watching your ability's interaction with others definitely appeals to you."
Tony gives a lazy smile, "Something of the sort. Yeah. It _is_ a game. And it's a game best played in front of spectators."
Ygraine shrugs amiably. "So… what brought you to the Ferry? You seem like you should be able to take care of yourself in most circumstances."
Tony says, "Yeah… I _can_. It's just other folks who can't. Got to look after your own, you know?"
Ygraine and Tony are on opposite sofas, talking amicably but apparently quite seriously. There's a slight smell of alcohol in the air, and some spatters of drying liquid on the floor.
"Ahh… so there is an altruistic streak lurking in there after all, eh?", the Briton enquires with a hint of a smile.
Melissa comes downstairs, looking a little worn, her hair all in a mess, which is not a normal thing for the gothling. The reason for that haggardness is all too obvious though! It has to be due to the German Shepherd puppy that's currently squirming about in her arms. "Will you stop squirming already?" she mutters to the little ball of fur.
Tony says, "Altruistic? Me? Nah. It's just there's a better audience that way to admire me." He glances over, "Hey there, Mel. Nice Puppies."
Ygraine just about manages not to choke, as Tony makes her laugh mid-greeting. A second try as she shakes her head at him. "Hello there. Good to see you again", she says with a grin.
Melissa looks up at Tony and Ygraine, then asks, hopefully, "Do either of you know how to get a puppy to calm the fuck down?" She puts the puppy down, who immediately darts off to begin sniffing around at anything and everything.
"Have you tried an alarm clock for sleeping?", Ygraine asks, gaze settling upon the mobile furball. "One of the big clockwork ones. I don't know if it actually works, but it's meant to mimic the effects of a mother's heartbeat."
"No, but then, I just got him today. Couple hours ago, actually. But he hasn't calmed down since," Melissa says, moving over to a chair and half-falling half-sitting down in it. The puppy darts over towards Ygraine when she speaks, sniffing at her feet, then looking at her hopefully, tail wagging so hard his little body shakes with the force of it.
Ygraine giggles at the little creature, leaning forward to offer a hand for investigation. "Does he have a name as yet?", she asks without looking up at his owner, instead focusing upon ruffling the puppy's ears. "They're absolutely adorable at this age…"
The puppy looks like he's in heaven when he gets ruffled, then promptly rolls over onto his back, presenting his belly for rubbing. Melissa's lips twitch then she shakes her head. "Not yet, no. I didn't really expect to find a puppy today, so didn't have anything picked out."
Ygraine does glance up, though one hand switches its attentions to the puppy's underside. "You found him? Oh dear. Poor little thing. Has he been to a vet yet?"
"Oh, I found him at the pound. Delilah suggested I look there rather than going to a breeder," Melissa explains. "So he's had all his shots and all that. Perfectly healthy despite having been dropped off. Not sure why anyone would ditch a puppy like him though."
"Lack of money, quite possibly", Ygraine says ruefully. "The little chaps can be quite expensive…. But I'm glad he's doing well. Has he discovered that there's a butcher's next door yet?"
"You mean upstairs? Oh yes, he did. Surprised you didn't hear him barking down here, actually. He wouldn't shut up until I got hiim some scraps," Melissa says with a wry smile.
Ygraine giggles, smiling down at the tummy-rubbed creature in question. "You're going to end up a porky little beast if you have your way, aren't you?"
Looking up again, the Briton focuses upon Melissa once more. "Is he going to be raised as a guard-dog? Or is he to be a pampered friend?"
Melissa shrugs. "He'll be a companion, but I wanted a german shepherd so he could be a guard dog as well. Just gotta find a trainer for him."
Ygraine chuckles. "I've never even owned a dog, so I'm afraid that I can't help there at all."
Melissa grins. "Me either. Which is why I'm gonna find a trainer."
Tony nods, slowly, "Know of anyone with a Talent for animals?"
"Well, he seems impressively good-natured", Ygraine says admiringly, before cocking her head. "Mmmm. Not that springs to mind. I've heard of a bird-talker. And there was a mention in the news a while back of someone who could communicate with fish, though I'm not sure if that was real. But it'd seem logical that there are Doctor Dolittles out there."
Melissa shakes her head. "I've not met anyone with anything about animals. Just gravity, borrowing, weather, illusion…I'm sure I can find someone though."
"The Ferry can quite possibly put you in touch with someone. There's probably someone out there who owes a favour, or would be willing to be contacted. At the least, it'll be worth asking", Ygraine muses.
"Nah, I don't need to use a favor for this. If I find someone, I find someone. If not, then I'll just find an ordinary animal trainer." Melissa watches the puppy as he returns to exploring the room. "I really need a name for the furball."
"The last thing I named was a mechanical bull in a gay bar", Ygraine admits somewhat sheepishly. "I'm not sure if that'd make me a dreadful or a superb choice for advice."
Melissa blinks, then laughs. "A mechanical bull in a gay bar? Well that's interesting. I guess I could always steal a name from a movie, since I watch so damn many of 'em. Like Jerry Lee."
"I'm not kidding", Ygraine says with a wry smile. "And… mmm. Whatever it is, it should be good for shouting. Something you're happy to bellow out in public as he charges off across a park."
"Jerry Lee's not bad. or I could name him Dammit," Melissa says, grinning. "You know…Sit Dammit! Heel Dammit!"
Ygraine giggles, shaking her head. "I think that might lead to a confused puppy at times, and some very disapproving parents when you take him out for walks. But it might be worth waiting a little longer to see more of his personality. Is he a James Dean? An Elvis? A Chaplain?"
"But Jerry Lee is from a movie! And that Jerry Lee was an /awesome/ guard dog! What did James Dean ever do for protection, hmmm?" Melissa asks with a smile.
Ygraine blinks. "Jerry Lee was a dog? I'm afraid that I missed that one", Ygraine says rather confusedly.
Melissa laughs and nods. "Rent the movie K-9 sometime, with Jim Belushi. The dog in it, police dog actually, is named Jerry Lee."
Ygraine narrows her eyes, gaze unfocusing. "Mmmm. Yes. That does ring a bell. Not seen that for… gah. At least a dozen years. Perhaps longer!"
Melissa grins. "I'm a movie buff. You should see my collection sometime. I've gotta have a few thousand DVDs."
Ygraine looks more than a little impressed, then laughs ruefully. "I've got a few dozen. And half of those are French…"
"French? Damn. Count me out of those. I don't speak anything but English," Melissa says, and it's her turn to look impressed. "But yeah, movies are my way of getting downtime. Destressing and relaxing. Forgetting about the outside world for a couple hours."
"I tend to do that on a cycle, to be honest", Ygraine says with a grin and shrug. "But I'm a mad exercise freak. And… yeah. I can't claim too much credit for the French: Dad's a linguistics professor, and felt that speaking one additional language was the least to be expected of any child. We were raised bilingual, or near enough - 'studying' it at school felt really rather odd when we began getting formal lessons in it."
Melissa grins. "I'm not much on exercise really. Dancing is the only exercise I get really. Well, that and self-defense classes. And now chasing after the puppy. Damn glad I have a fenced in yard though."
Ygraine giggles. "That is definitely a good thing for him. And… if you dance and take self-defence classes, you're probably in pretty good shape. I competed professionally, which is a whole different level of warping your life. It's not something you fit around other things… to stay at that level, everything else becomes secondary. It's not something I'd recommend to most people."
Melissa's brows lift. "What sort of competition did you do?" she asks curiously. "And yeah, guess I'm in decent shape. Too vain to let myself go too much."
Ygraine runs her gaze over Melissa, then darts a glance to the snoozing illusionist on the other sofa. "Since he's missing his lines, I'll fill in - you look to be in pretty good shape to me, too", she teases. "And… I was a track cyclist. Competed internationally for some years. Was aiming for the Beijing Olympics… but I was on Broadway when the Bomb went off. And by the time I'd recovered to the level where I was seriously thinking about getting back into it, the International Olympic Committee announced that they were introducing mandatory Evolved-testing."
Melissa laughs and shakes her head. "Thanks." She sobers then at mention of the bomb, and she nods. "I'll bet it was pretty damn horrible here. I've seen some of the ruins left, and I can't imagine being anywhere close when it happened."
"I was put through a shop-front by the blastwave", Ygraine says quietly. "Fortunately, I was on my motorcycle, and heading North. Even so… I don't remember much at all of the next forty-eight hours. And what I do… I wish I didn't. Came to in a refugee hospital, and got grabbed by the British consular staff as they pulled out wounded nationals for repatriation. Only got back here in oh-eight."
Melissa nods, giving Ygraine a sympathetic look. "Yeah, I know how it feels to want to not remember," she murmurs, as the puppy comes over to her again, yawning. She scoops him up, setting him in her lap. "Oh thank god. Maybe he'll sit still for five minutes," she mutters.
Ygraine drapes her forearms across her thighs, gaze tracking the nameless little hound. "We can hope. Perhaps he can be inspired by Tony, and learn the art of dozing off…."
Melissa glances to Tony and grins. "Maybe. Or maybe I just need to learn to stuff him full so he naps, then let him run around like a madman so he burns off all the extra food."
Tony's eye opens. One of them, anyway. "Well…. should I let you girls keep talking about me?"
Ygraine giggles. "I suppose that we could try stuffing Tony with food and see if he runs around madly…."
Melissa grins at Tony. "That's completely up to you. Though we barely talked about you. Sorry, but the puppy's more interesting right now," she teases.
Tony sighs, dramatically, "Tho' I'm pretty much house trained."
Ygraine snerks, and shakes her head. "I'd certainly hope so, or I'll have to get a lot more wary about sitting on these sofas in future…"
Melissa laughs. "Maybe you can teach my furball then."
Tony says, "Me? Well… I guess I could get you to look all maternal to it…"
Ygraine cocks her head, firing a distinctly quizzical look at Tony. "You can affect animals, too?"
Melissa shakes her head. "Nuh uh. No making me look like a dog."
Ygraine looks to Melissa, laughing. "I think that would be beyond most people, but perhaps not Tony."
Melissa shrugs, grinning again. "Yeah, well, I don't care who can do it, I don't wanna look like anything but me."
Ygraine giggles. "Mmmm. That reminds me - I've still got to haul you out clubbing somewhere. See if we can find somewhere that you like."
Melissa grins. "I started checking into that yesterday actually. The club thing. We'll see if it pans out."
Ygraine looks intrigued, then cracks a grin. "Really? Starting your own project, or helping out someone else's?"
Melissa shrugs and admits, "I'm not sure yet. With everything I'm doing here, doing my own might be biting off more than I can chew."
Ygraine nods sympathetically. "I fear it might, but… heh. I suppose that that this city might at least offer some comparatively cheap places that are in need of refurbishment. And the jobs would be welcomed."
Melissa shakes her head. "No, I don't mean actually getting it going, but running it? Being the top boss? It might be easier and more cost effective to just see about managing someone else's club."
Tony says, "Or the other way around. If you've got the cash, I mean. get someone with experience to manage it, at least to begin with"
Ygraine nods to Tony's suggestion. "Set something up in a style you want, and get people to handle the day-to-day running for you…? Or is it the day-to-day distraction that you want?"
"It is an option, but I'm wanting a day job. Just a flexible one," Melissa explains. "If I don't keep busy, I get bitchy."
Tony laughs, cheerfully, "So, the alternative is that we gotta keep you busy ourselves?"
Ygraine chuckles, shooting Tony a look. "I'm sure that you could come up with plenty of ideas. Have you challenged your hostess to a game of strip poker yet?"
Melissa grins at Tony and nods. "Pretty much." Ygraine gets a laugh. "I'm not playing strip poker."
Tony grins, "What? Don' trust me?"
Ygraine giggles. "I don't think that either of us do. We've met you, you see", she teases.
Melissa laughs. "I hadn't even thought about how you could cheat at cards, but that's a good point too. But no, I'm just not playing strip anything for a while, with anyone."
Tony nods sagely, "Probably wise, yeah."
Ygraine grins. "I don't think I have played strip anything, and I'm afraid that the card-conjuring illusionist isn't inspiring me to start."
Melissa grins at Ygraine, before she arches a brow at Tony. "Behave," she murmurs, before she nods to Ygraine. "It'd suck to have a royal flush, but think you have a pair of threes or somethin'."
Ygraine quirks a grin. "Oh, apparently he can't tell what you're seeing… so altering cards in your hand would be risky. He'd effectively have to create most of the deck in illusory form, lest a card he'd already shown you as having showed up later."
Tony says, "Yeah… almost certainly. It's trickier than I like, which is why I don't do it, mostly."
"Point," Melissa says with a nod to Ygraine. then she grins at Tony. "Mostly?"
Ygraine giggles. "Mostly. Like aliens coming out at night?"
Tony says, "Precisely, yeah. It's a lot of work, so mostly I don't. Just not never"
Melissa grins, starting to absently pet the dozing puppy. "So on another topic, a safer one perhaps…What /do/ you guys t hink about the name Jerry?"
Ygraine flashes a grin at Melissa. "Oh, I think it sounds fine. And the K-9 reference makes it quite fitting, I think. It's certainly something you could yell across parks."
Tony says, "Sure makes me think of a mouse…"
Melissa laughs. "Okay, Jerry Lee then? Is that better than just Jerry?"
Ygraine coughs. "I hadn't thought of him. Mmmm. Many pets have impressively long formal names. Jerry Lewis Lee, or something? You can stick with 'Jerry' for yelling after him down the street."
Tony grins, "That works… yeah. Jerry Lewis Lee."
Melissa laughs. "You guys know the name is Jerry Lee Lewis, right?" she asks.
Ygraine cracks a grin. "Might as well be marginally different, eh?"
Tony says, "Yeah. Unless you're _wanting_ a dog who'll shake your nerves, and rattle your brain"
Melissa laughs and shrugs. "He's already doing that though. This is the first time he's calmed down since I got him."
Ygraine giggles. "It's up to you. I'd not go for the full name, myself - change it a bit, to be at least slightly different."
Tony says, "I'm with her on that. I mean, make people think, anyway"
Melissa shrugs, but she's still grinning. "Okay, Jerry Lewis Lee it is. But I still think you're both a little nuts."
Ygraine grins broadly. "Naturally", she says happily. "More than a little."
Tony says, "Hey, don't look at me. I'm sane as the next guy." He grins, "And y'know…. in a quiet place with two smokin' hawt ladies. So… you know… clearly not _that_ insane."
Melissa busts out laughing. "Darlin', bein' here with us doesn't make you sane. Some would argue that you're risking your sanity by staying here!"
Ygraine flahses a broad grin at Melissa. "Oh, now that's not true. I think that it was long gone before ever he met us."
Tony rolls his eyes upwards. "Dames!"
Melissa grins and nods to Ygraine. "Oh, no doubt. But insanity can always get worse!"
Ygraine giggles again. "Mmmm. So - is there anything useful that we should be chivvying Tony into doing?"
Tony closes his eyes, and remains silent
Melissa laughs at Tony's 'reaction'. "Finding a bed instead of a couch to nap on?"
Ygraine chuckles. "I suppose that might be wise. For my part, I should probably at least think about moving on to run some more errands…"
Tony says, "So…. you're asking me where I can possibly find a bed, huh?"
Melissa nods to Ygraine. "Yeah, I should probably do something with Jerry and get some stuff done myself." She grins at Tony. "This is a safehouse. There are plenty of beds here."
Another giggle. "I think that he was hoping for a more personal invitation than that…."
Tony grins lazily, "Well, I guess I was, at that."
Melissa laughs. "Hey, I said I wasn't playing strip anything with anyone for a while. That includes strip dancing," she says with a grin of her own.
"Would you like to be dragged out dancing? I can see if some of the places I went last year are still open, readily enough", Ygraine offers.
Tony tuts, "I coulda _sworn_ I was promised one of those at some point." He clicks his fingers, eyes still closed.
Melissa grins at Ygraine. "Thought you had to go do errands," she says teasingly. Tony gets a grin as well. "No, you wanted a lap dance. I never said I'd give one."
Ygraine shrugs amiably. "Helping you to settle in, I can sell as Ferry business", she says with a grin. "And I could run a few while heading back to my place to change, at the least."
Tony says, "Ah well… We live in hope. Whoever the hell she is."
Melissa glances between the pair of them, looking highly amused. "You two are terrible. you know that, right?"
Ygraine flashes a grin at Tony, then offers Melissa a cheerful (if not wholly convincing) attempt at innocence personified. "You don't think that helping you counts as a constructive effort?"
Tony shrugs, "What? She wants to take you out dancing. I want to take you, in dancing. And we're both saying something wrong? One of us must surely be right?"
Melissa busts out laughing, which startles the pup in her lap. "Didn't say you were saying something wrong, just that you're both terrible. And sorry, but no dancing, of any sort, for me tonight."
Ygraine pouts playfully, then rises to her feet, picking up her jacket from the sofa. "In that case, I probably should head off and make myself useful somewhere, unfortunately. Drop me a line or give me a call if you ever do want an out-of-date tour of the city's rock, Goth and alternative venues - at least as far as I can remember them…."
Tony opens one lazy eye, "I'm kinda too old for that scene, I reckon."
Melissa grins at Ygraine and nods. "I will. You take it easy, hmm?" She glances at Tony, still grinning. "Never that old. Maybe you should go with Ygraine and give her a reason to get dressed up."
Ygraine rolls her eyes, then laughs. "Trying to palm him off?", she teases, before offering Tony a more serious look. "And you're younger than some of the music, at least in the better clubs. There are quite a few Goths and metal-heads older than you."
Tony says, "Ah, well, like you said… I need to find a bed. So I think I'll pass for tonight"
Melissa nods and grins, lifting a hand to wave to them both. "See ya guys later."
Ygraine shrugs into her jacket, zipping it most of the way up before retrieving her helmet from the arm of the sofa. "I'll drop by to say hello to Jerry and pester you about clubbing, at the least", she assures Melissa with a wink.
Tony gets a warm nod from the Briton, then she moves to bounce rapidly up the stairs towards the surface.
Tony says, "I still good to sleep on your couch, Mel?"
Melissa nods to Tony. "Yup. Just don't be surprised if you wake up with your toes being used for chew toys."
Tony nods, "Gotcha." And with that, the sleazy one is gone!
