Participants:
| Scene Title | The Payout |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Lola makes a visit to get her money, and meets Warren's new girl. |
| Date | August 29, 2010 |
Crumbling concrete tunnels beneath the streets of Manhattan eventually lead towards what may have at one time been a subterranean access point for a basement level of some midtown business. An enritre section of concrete wall has been demolished to give way from the subway tunnel into a large and derelict circular chamber. A staircase here is filled with broken pieces of concrete and twisated steel girders, clearly whatever building resided above here has long since collapsed down onto itself, leaving this vault cut off from the rest of the city.
Opposite of the cut entrance in the concrete, a massive bank vault door rests in the wall, a pair of closed-circuit security cameras mounted on the concrete sweeping through the chamber, electricity still powering them from somewhere. An analogue keypad has been installed next to the vault door, and the circular door itself looks to have been modified to be operated by the mechanical keypad rather than the combination lock it should be.
For those able to bypass the security and enter the chamber within, reality seems to be completely held off on the other side of the door. What was once an expansive storage chamber in this building's basement has been converted into — of all things — some sort of nightclub. Electricity powers neon lights and flashing strobes beneath glass flooring. Everything in here is clean, from the faux wood of the wrap-around bar to the stenciled curtains featuring silhouettes of faces, to the colored light in recessed sconces in the ceiling. Televisions completely fill one wall, connected to cable lines leading out from the bunker. This place is some implausibly constructed and well-maintained hideaway that clearly must have cost a great deal of time and money to construct.
Cardinal did say that Mortimer, as he is still known to Lola, has been causing trouble. Keen on knowing what exactly constitutes 'trouble', Lola goes back to the old area where she was once queen. She hates it here, this place. She was trapped alone with Mortimer's men during the snow storm for months - it's a place of horror for her, and it always will be. Still, the woman known to Mortimer as Southern Belle or Mary Lou Winston braves her way in. If nothing else, she'll come out a little bit richer. "Helloooo? Hey, ya down here?"
It's rather fortunate that Lola has come at such a time. Warren is working on something or other here with the men, and Elle has been issuing new outfits for the crazy eights she's somehow found herself in charge of, since Warren wanted her to choose an outfit for them. She's just sent them off to change into the new outfits when the security systems indicate that someone is at the door. She doesn't pretend to know what all of his stuff does; she just knows how to open the doors, and she figures that's all she needs to know.
So it is that the vault door opens, revealing the tiny electric blonde, her hands on her hips as she stares Lola down. "Can I help you?"
While Lola is surprised to find a woman down here, it's actually a little bit of a relief. Good, something for Mortimer to do so maybe he won't be stalking her little cajun tush all around the city. "Yeah sugar, is…um…dammit." she pauses to think. "Ah can' remember, Ah think it was Mortimer was the one what hated me, an Jack was the one…yeap, Jack. That one. He about?" The young woman with dyed red hair is wearing a tank top, a loose, oversized open jacket and some daisy duke jean cutoff shorts. A bag is slung lazily over her shoulder.
Elle is wearing a pair of black flood pants, complete with a green tank top and a killer pair of heels; her hands don't leave her hips as she eyes Lola, her head inclined toward the cajun woman. "Jack now goes by Warren. And he's here, but he's working on something right now." She crosses her arms, then, leaning back a bit to eye the taller woman. "Who are you?" Well, she's certainly straight to the point, isn't she?
Lola smirks a little. Warren? Maybe that explains why she hasn't had to worry about Mortimer since he got back in town. "This a whole 'nother personality? Ah, ya know what it's a little complicated fer me anyhow. Ah'm Mary Lou, an the fellah formally known as whatever owes me some money." She adjusts the bag over her shoulder - it has a few tools of the trade in it, but othwerise she did leave some room for cash. Mortimer was always an easy mark - almost fondly she could consider him to be her first grift. Ah, how times have changed!
"No. He's still the same Jack, he just has a new name." Elle arches a brow, her arms still crossed in front of her chest. "Mary Lou? He's never mentioned that name to me." She leans against the frame of the vault door, arching a brow toward Lola. "He owes you money, you say?" She glances back to the inside of the vault, before turning back to Lola with a slightly suspicious look.
Lola rolls her eyes. Oh, suspicion! But who could ever suspect her, why she's so innocent, surely! "Ya see all a them safes in his bedroom darlin? They didn' unlock themselves. Fellah had me workin' down here damn near a month poppin' all a those. He paid me half afore, an now he's gotta pay the other half an Ah'll be on mah merry way." The fact that she's never been mentioned givesh er some relief - some. He may have mentioned her by another name that would have been very, very unfortunate. She swore if he ever spoke her real name again…it would be like a very bad Rumplestilskin. "He always refered ta me an mine by 'Southern Belle'. Figured it might be a good name fer mah company if Ah ever get it runnin' fully."
Elle still wears a suspicious look on her face as she regards Lola, her brow furrowed and her lips sticking out to indicate deep thought. "Never heard of you before, but I'll go get him." She says this in a bit of a sullen tone; she doesn't like how pretty the taller woman is. After another glower, she turns, making her way into the vault once more…which closes shut behind her to keep the woman from getting in while she's going to get her 'man'. Rude little thing, isn't she?
"Warren!" Elle calls this as she makes her way into the room where Warren works on one of his new creations. "There's some girl here…goes by Mary Lou, or Southern Belle?" She crosses her arms, frowning. "She says you owe her money."
Lola still has the shivers in this old basement. She's sure that when she finally dies and goes to hell, this is where she'll end up. Trying to stave away taht feeling, the young woman takes out a cigarette and lights it. She's wearing a loose summer sweater and some daisy-duke cutoff jeans, her red hair pulled into two messy pigtails. A bag hangs loosely over her shoulder.
Elle's presence really pleased her. It meant, finally, that she may not have to worry about 'Warren' so much anymore after all
Warren walks out of his room after a few clicks of some locks, covered in dirt, wearing large black goggles that wrap around his eyes a bit so he can keep the full radius of his vision, and a pair of dirty blue jeans and black boots. He's holding that sword that sparks with electricity in his left hand with a black rubber glove on that goes all the way up to his shoulder, tilting his head. "My Sou… I mean, Southern Belle's here?" he asks, staring out to the main vault door. "I haven't properly broken up with her. Send her away."
The little blonde blinks a few times. "Wait. That's…" Elle glowers at the vault door, suddenly. "That's the Lola girl, isn't it?" She narrows her eyes at that vault door. "You didn't break up with her?!" She's scowling at Warren, her arms crossed for a moment. Then, sloooooowly, she points to the Vault door. "Break up with her. Right now."
Lola, in the meantime, isn't even aware that she needs to be broken up with. What she does know is that she's sick of being in this stupid cave thing, and she wants some spending cash and she wants to get back up where the sun is. "Oi! Kin ya hurry it up? Ya'll owe me half mah take!" She rocks back and forth on her heels, smoking in quick, heavy puffs.
Warren digs around for a bit in his room, then grabs a random stack of bills. He doesn't believe in banks. It's more than he owes her, about 5000 dollars, and he walks out to the vault door this time. It opens with a look to one of the men, and he holds out the stack of bills to her in his robotic hand, the other hand still holding the blade with the electricity bouncing around it. "I'm breaking up with you. I was starting to think you didn't really like me very much, and Elle is perfect for me."
Elle walks up behind Warren, once the vault door is opened, peering out from behind Warren with an almost possessive look on her face, sending those woman vibes that indicate that Warren is hers. Not like she'll end up getting much of an argument from Lola. To 'prove' her point, she reaches out, running her fingers over the electricity on the blade. It's easy to be intimidating when you can stick your hand in a current of electricity and not flinch.
Lola's eyes move blankly from Warren to Elle and back. Crazy is as crazy does! "Uhhh, yeah. Sure. Whatever. Money." She takes the money and counts it whistling low. "See sugar, this here's why we oughta be doin' business more often." The payout. Lola, a thief at heart always, does enjoy a decent payout. "But seein' as we ain' no longer 'together' an whatnot…ya ain' gonna go blabbin, round things ya oughtn' be, hmmm?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but try not to take our breakup too hard. I know a lot of guys who'd love to date you." Warren says as he tries to comfort her, apparently seeing hurt and pain where there obviously is none. "I don't think it's safe for you to come down here anymore, with Elle here, but… I'll see you around?"
The little blonde frowns from behind Warren. Though…for some reason, Lola may percieve a kindred spark in Elle Bishop's eye. It disappears rather quickly however, the little blonde still running her fingers over the electrical blade that Warren carries. "I think it's fine for you to keep doing business," she murmurs, letting her own electricity spark over the blade.
"There, see? Pretty blonde says O.K. to business. Good headline in this economy." Of course, Lola pointing at Elle to reference her isn't exactly ladylike or polite, but it gets the job done. She continues to puff her cigarette, the money tucked safely in her bag. "Who ya go 'round ruttin' ain' no business a mine, sug. What is business a mine is makin' sure you ain' gonna make no trouble fer me in the future, and that ya keep me in mind when the need come up. Couple a mah best jobs done come through you."
"If Elle says it's alright, then we'll do business. And I'd never make trouble for my Southern Belle." Warren assures as he reaches to take Elle's hand, then starts to back up. "I'll give you a call when something comes up, but please, don't call crying in the middle of the night. I know it's tough, but I've moved on. Would you like escorts to see you to the surface?"
The little blonde eyes Warren as he calls Lola 'my Southern Belle'. Apparently, Elle doesn't like it when he calls her that. She squeezes his hand, however, turning to peer quietly at Lola with that same frown on her face. "It was nice to meet you…Lola, right?" She offers a charming smile, all of a sudden. She briefly hugs Warren's arm, still smiling at the woman. "Have a nice day, now." And don't let the door hit you in the ass. At least Lola said that she's pretty. That gives her a few points.
But she's more likely than not about to loose them. The look on her face become incredulous, surprised, angry and feral. Something about something made the cajun woman tweak just a little. "Ah'm sorry, but…" She looks at Warren and her eyes narrow. Oh, that's not a good look. "Of course ya did…dumb feck's what you are…." She makes little fists, real rage bubbling beneath her veins. But she contains it. She starts backing to the door - she's not dumb enough to turn her back on Warren. Besides -
It'll be so hard to kill him if she's trapped or dead.
Warren doesn't look back, instead he releases Lola, and heads back to his room. "I have work to finish, close the door, Elle." he says in that usual focused manner he has when he's hard at work. She knows he doesn't mean anything by it, he's just very focused and everything phases out a bit more around him.
For such a short little thing, Elle sure can loom, putting herself between Warren and Lola with that same charming smile. "If you would like, I could walk you back up, Miss Lola." She still has that little air of cheer about her, running a hand through her blonde hair. In all honesty, she does want to talk to this Lola person. Pick her brain, perhaps.
"Yer beau's callin', darlin, best ta hop to 'im," Lola suggests to Elle as she reaches the door. Her hand feels behind her easily - she lived here for months, after all - to pull it open. "Sides, Ah don' wanna inconvenience ya'll none. Done came here ta get paid, s'what Ah got, an Ah spoze that's all there is to it."
Warren doesn't say another word, apparently satisfied that they can work out any fighting amongst themselves. He slams his room door behind him, then flicks a bunch of locks. Yeah, he's hard at work now.
Elle glances back to Warren as the door is shut behind him, shaking her head. "He's in la la land right now. I doubt I'll be able to get a peep out of him for at least two or three more hours." She glances back to Lola, then, opening the door for her. "I'd like to talk to you, anyhow." She peers quietly to the woman. "Also, it was Mortimer who said 'Lola', not Warren." She shrugs; once Lola is out, Elle steps out behind her, closing the door. Then, she begins to walk along the tunnel that is the only way out, apparently not willing to even give Lola a chance to argue.
"Mortimer, Warren, always figured all of 'em fer a dumb fuck anyway. Can' even get a girl's name right. Figure Lola was the girl afore me." She's got to lie about something. Christ, her name floating around everywhere - it would do to put a few bullets in both of them and call it a day. "He an I weren' ever together, though. He thought we were, but Ah never so much as let 'im touch me. So more power to ya, sugar. Mazeltof."
The little blonde smirks, still walking along. "Oh, I'm really not worried about any of that. And I know you're Lola, no need to lie about that. You have absolutely nothing to worry about from me." Elle tucks her hands into the pockets of her flood pants, leaning her head toward the taller woman. Once certain they're out of range of the cameras, she finally begins to speak a bit more boldly.
"What I'm wondering is how you get away from him? Should I, you know, ever decide to get rid of him." Elle turns a curious blue gaze toward Lola, arching a brow. "Just in case."
Lola shrugs. "Give 'im another toy ta chew on? Hell if Ah know. Ah never let him know where Ah lived or who Ah roll with mostly fer taht reason. He gave me a couple a good jobs, an that was more or less that." She watches Elle out of the corner of her eye, making sure not to lose her from her view. "Thinkin' a ditchin' him already sugar?"
Hmm. Well, that may present a problem. Then again, Elle's home also isn't the safest place for Warren to think about visiting. The small girl offers a smile. "Just…keeping my options open, you could say. I'm a working girl, and I have a few…fascinating job offers." She gestures back to the door. "He's okay right now. Nothing too troublesome, save for thinking that Evolved are gods for some reason. I'd even go so far as saying that I actually do like him a little. I just like having my options open, just in case."
Lola shrugs as she walks, keeping one hand on the strap of her bag. "Evolved, not evolved, all that ain' really fer me. Let somebody else fuss 'bout it. Let him fuss 'bout it. Either way, Ah'd recommend tosisn' him a peice a somethin' else ta play with if ya want to go on yer own way. Seems ta have worked just fine fer me. Just make sure he remembers yer name proper - seems he can' do that fer mine."
The little blonde smirks, coming to a halt in the tunnel. "Thanks for the advice. Have a good day, Miss Southern Belle." She chuckles softly. Then, Elle is turning around, her heels clicking on the concrete as she makes her way back to Warren's vault, with her hands still in her pockets. "I'd say I'll see you around, but I somehow doubt it unless you're working."
"Have fun, sugar. Me, Ah hate this old place." She's got her reasons. With that, Lola pushes the door open that will lead her back out into the sun. Thank god.