Participants:
| Scene Title | The Venetian Effect |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Four people arrive for their first night in Las Vegas after what seems like months of winter and heartbreak. |
| Date | April 29, 2010 |
Las Vegas
Kendall is the mule. In as much as anyone actually has to carry their luggage in hotels these days. But up to the room they had all gone, bags dropped and the cold of New York still lingering in their bones seeping away thanks to Vegas heat and the sheer luxuriousness of the hotel they were in. For all that Abigail had said circus circus, in the end, she opted for more high end, taking advantage of promotions.
But now they were in the hotel proper, not so crowded thanks to it being a weekday and not a holiday. The canal running through the place, statues here and there, the fake cloud ceiling rising above and lit up as if it were day. Gondola's lazily going along the canal and people singing. Melissa, Abigail, Gillian and Kendall on vacation in the city of sin. "They say there's a Jimmy Choo shoe store here, where the shoes cost at the least seven hundred dollars, and that there's this chef… Mario Batali? He has a restaurant here. meal costs as much as one night in our room"
Melissa has happily shed her coat and such, and is grinning as she watches the gondolas and people, basking in the not cold weather. "Of course you'd be thinking about shoes," she teases Abby, glancing over towards her. "And I've heard of that Mario guy. He's on Food Network." Mel watches Food Network? Weird. "Could be good, but…damn that's an expensive meal. Wonder if he could teach me how to not wreck everything I try to cook," she muses.
Kendall is excited to be here, and annoyed to be here, and seems to be struggling over which emotion is stronger. Excitement not only for the fact that they're here in Las Vegas, but the fact that they traveled thousands of miles away from New York, which he had never left before, and it's warm. Even hot. Annoyance is because the main thing to do in Vegas is denied to him. So he's following the others around, a little distance away because, well, he's a guy, they're ladies, and he's a teenager, and they're, uh, not. He seems slightly bored at their talk of shoes and stuff, though perks a little at the food.
"I'm planning to stop into the M&M store to buy t-shirts for all the kids," Gillian says, a bit of a shrug of her shoulders as she walks near everyone else, her attention on the atmosphere around her, more than the company. At least for a moment. "Yeah, I know, that's— I feel weird even thinking that first. Shoes would be nice, too, though. I hope your teleporter doesn't mind luggage." Cause they might have more going back then they did coming to.
"I'm not paying that much money for shoes. I like what shoes I have" The younger blonde snorts though at the idea of anyone teaching Mel how to cook. "As if they'd have the patience to teach you and there's an M&M Store? like, in the candy?" There's a glance to Kendall and a friendly look offered. "They have the pirate show, and i'm sure there's tons of stuff for teenagers to do. Like uhh, New York has the roller coaster and there's fun stuff at circus circus and we can get some tickets for shows" She points out.
Melissa laughs and nods to Abby. "Yeah, yeah, there's that. I guess I'll stick to take out and microwaveable meals. And Gillian's got a point. I'm not gonna be able to resist buyin' some stuff." She glances to Kendall, head tilting as she considers him, then digs out her wallet, fishes out some bills, and offers them out to him. "You get into any trouble that involves bailin' you out of jail, and I'm gonna kick your ass. Otherwise, have fun," she says, smiling.
"Magic shows?" Kendall asks. "With fake illusions, that everyone knows are just smoke and mirrors?" why yes, he's deadpanning that last bit. Then ooh, he's being offered money. "Thanks!" he seems happier already. And maybe he'll go off now.
"Just not the nude ones," Gillian asides, glancing at him. At least she hopes he doesn't try to get into the nude topless shows. Cause having a confrontation would be bad, in this case. Is he registered? She knows he's evolved. Looking over at Melissa, who she didn't realize she actually had met briefly before she stormed out of a Ferry meeting, she adds, "How old is he again?"
"I think there's some magic shows. Celine Dion, oh, phantom of the opera is in here. There's lots of stuff" Abigail muses, watching Kendall take the money and shakes her head. Tons of stuff for teenagers to get into trouble here about. Abigail clips along with the two, sticking close in her tank tops and shorts, watching the people and the stores.
Melissa snickers a little. "There's stuff besides fake magic shows, hon. You got my cell number, right? You need to use it, use it. No macho crap. But you're welcome. Don't spend it all at once. I mean that." Her gaze flicks over to Gillian. "Sixteen." She looks back to Kendall, considering him for a long moment. "Just be careful, huh?"
Kendall blinks at Melissa innocently. "What trouble could I possibly get into here in Las Vegas?" he asks her. "There's guards everywhere and I don't look anywhere near 21." Really, there could almost be a halo right over his head.
"Don't get arrested, kid. Cause I have people not much younger than you I need to go back to," Gillian says, frowning at him a little, as she looks over at Abby. Her own attire leans toward black and purples, showing some skin. Though she may wish she'd chosen to do otherwise, since all her visible tattoos look— wrong. Like someone took an eraser to parts of them.
That Halo, Abby can see, supported by devils horns. Abby's own tattoo's are visible. Wings, latin and cross, there for the viewing where not hidden by straps. "Just.. just don't do anything that will get you and us in trouble. I don't even know if Robert will see me, much less be willing to bail you out of anything and i'm not about to test that theory" Abigail opines to the teenager. "You got your room keys?" Mother hen in triplicate it seems, as Abby's digging for her own to offer it up in case he doesn't. "Couch is yours, you just have to fold it out, no movie on the television unless you're really bored. Or room service!" What else needed to be covered? "Don't get into cars with strangers…"
Melissa is, alas, tattooless. But she has no problem doing mothering stuff. "God yes. You get into a car with a stranger and get kidnapped? I'm gonna track you down and beat the crap out of you." But then she reaches over, an arm sliding around his shoulders and giving a squeeze as she grins. "But still, have fun. I mean it. Enjoy not being around snow twice your height."
"Seriously." Kendall rolls his eyes, though stiffens at the hug. He's too old to be hugged! He's not a little kid! He's a MAN! "You're always threatening violence to me." Kendall complains. "And I know not to get into a strange person's car, it's the same deal in New York! Well, back before the snow covered everything." he nods at Abby next, fishing the card out of his pocket. "Yup." pause. "Would going to Hooters be considered getting in trouble?" technically, Hooters is a PG-rated restaurant most of the time.
"Hooters is probably okay. Just don't spend all your money giving the waitresses tips as big as their boobs," Gillian says, even grinning a bit. Surrounded by mother hens of a sort. All hot young women on their own account, so it could be a lot worse… "God I do not miss the snow. It's good to be able to wear short sleeves again."
"Hooters?" Is that Abigail choking. "Oh lord" Muttered under her breath. Hooters. Just where every teenager needs to be sticking their nose. But he's not her kid, so she's not saying anything. There's just a nod of her head when the hotel key is produced and she backs off the teenager. Besides, it'll be boring being around the three women who will likely head to a spa and get a massage. Well, wait. Not Abby.
"Yeah, Hooters is fine. But if you get arrested for grabbin' a waitress, I'm leavin' you in jail for a few days." Melissa grins and drops her arm. "Go on, have a blast. See you back in the room when we all go to pass out."
Kendall pouts and sulks. "I wouldn't do something like that." he frowns at Melissa. "I've been brought up better than that." yeah, and look where that led him.
"Shoo," Gillian says as Kendall tries to defend his maturity, even waving a hand at him to usher him away. "We trust you enough to let you go off by yourself, we're just being annoying cause that's what old people do. You'll get to do it yourself in like five years."
Melissa grins and nods to Kendall. "I know hon. Otherwise I wouldn't have brought you and told you to go off and have fun. And why are you still here, anyway? I figured you'd be off soon as I gave you that cash." Pause. "And I'm totally not old yet. I'm only twenty-six dammit." Nose wrinkle. "Twenty-eight. Whatever. Stupid legalities," she mutters.
Kendall smirks at Melissa. "Well yeah, but you're my mom now. That automatically makes you old." and before she could beat the crap out of him he darts off to go spend the money.
Ouch, burn. Gillian actually laughs a bit, and shakes her head. She's trying to enjoy herself, and leave some things behind. But not everything stays as far behind as she might like, like the urge to grab her phone and make a call at a teenager calling someone not that much older than her mom. "Hey, I'm twenty-three, and mom to over a dozen kids, so don't feel too bad, Mel."
"I have a cat and a bird?" Abigail offers, the youngest of the Trio and lacking anyone under legal age as her dependant. Just a cat, and a bird. But Kendall's speeding off and Abigail looks towards the canal longingly. "We could take a boat?"She offers to the pair as a striped shirt gondolier goes on by. There's a wink to Gillian by the worker and then back to singing, that makes Abigail raise her brows.
"Hey! Not cool, Kendall! I'll get you for that!" Melissa calls to the departing teen, shaking her head. Then she grins at Gillian. "Any of them call you old though? And yes! Let's take a boat. It looks relaxing. And relaxing is goooooood."
The winking worker gets a dimpled smile in return from the lone brunette among the group. Gillian looks to be considering it, and at the general concensious, she gestures toward the boat, and makes the first move, as she adds to Melissa, "Lucy calls me old, but she's like seven, so— from her it's at least understandable. Juniper's the only one around his age, all the rest are younger." And then the boat man gets dimples again. "Room for three on there?"
Room for Four is the answer back from the guy,a gesture to the shop front where they have to buy some tickets. But soon enough, and ten minutes in line, they're getting into a boat with a little difficulty and slowly gliding down the canal with it's imaginary perfect sky above them. Abigail relaxes back, letting her legs stretch out and her hand dangle over the side so fingers trail in the water.
Melissa's pose is quite similar to Abby's, and she smiles and leans her head back, staring up at the 'sky'. "Yeah…a seven year old makes sense. It's just…bizarre for me. Never considered myself much of a mom type person, but when he had the flu, he asked if I'd be his mom since his parents kicked him out for being evolved. Couldn't abandon him like his parents did."
"You and me both," Gillian says, taking a seat but leaning against the side to stare down at the water, rather than the sky. Maybe she'd rather look at the reflection than the imaginary sky above them. "If someone had told me a year ago I'd be taking care of a bunch of kids, I'd probably think they confused me with someone else. But a lot can change in a year…" And a lot can change in minutes. "I know what caused it, though. But…" she glances at the driver. "That's a story for the room, I think."
A lot of what the three can talk about, is stuff that can only be talked about in the suite. "I'm glad you both came. I could have done this on my own but… It makes Teo feel better I'm sure and this is the kinda place that, needs to be shared and enjoyed with others" Abigail confesses, shifting in seat to look towards the other two.
"What do we want to do? I don't even know if Roberts going to talk to me. I left a message at the Corinthian about where we were and what room but…" But. "I'm open to suggestions"
"Oh yeah, it really can," Melissa says with a nod for Gillian. Then she grins. "C'mon guys, this is Vegas. We can find a lot to do. We could hit the casino, find a spa and get pampered, find a show or two. Or we can just wander the hotels. Shop. That sorta thing."
"I saw a sign for the Thunder From Down Under at the Excalibur. We should totally go without Kendall one night," Gillian says, completely serious in her tone, before she glances over at Abby. "Or maybe Mel and I can go do that whenever you manage to meet up with Robert." Hot guys with Australian accents taking their clothes off? What more could a girl in love with a moron thousands of miles away want?
Maybe if that Moron was the one front and center, ripping off his shirt and putting his Ab's on display for Gillian and Mel, prancing about in some square of cloth that is about the size of a quarter. Figuratively speaking that is. The flush that's settling over Abigail that has nothing to do with the perpetual low grade fever is evident and there's a nod to Gillian.
"You guys can do that, if Robert and I end up talking, or I can just go… you know, you can do that on Sunday, while I go find a church for service. Surely there's a church in this place that isn't being used for only weddings"
"Thunder Down Under? I think I heard about that…Aussie guys? Aussie accents? Yum." Melissa says with a grin. "And yeah, sure there's a church here. It may be Sin City, but I'm sure there are still plenty of good Christians here. I do wanna hit the casino at some point though. You can't come to Vegas and not gamble at least a lil', yanno?"
"We'll definitely have to go, then, the two of us," Gillian says, grinning down at her reflection, even if there's something distant about her gaze and the look in her eyes. She's trying really hard to keep in the best mood possible, but— "And definitely gambling. I'm a fan of the Roulette wheel, so I'll probably park myself there and stick all my money on my favorite numbers."
Abigail's staring off, lost in thought at the moment as the two discuss hot Australians and accents even as their ride is quickly coming to a close and people lean against the balustrades above and watch the other boats coming and going too.
"Never played roulette. I kinda wanna play craps though. Even if I have no idea how to play it," Melissa admits. Then she looks towards Abby, head tilting, and she nudges the other blonde. "Hey, he'll call, and you'll get a chance to talk to him."
"I'll stick to what I know. Blackjack, poker and roulette," Gillian says, catching the similar far off look in Abby's face, and Melissa's attempts to change that look. "You came all the way out here to see him. If he doesn't call, we'll kick his door down."
"Oh right, We do that and you loose money for the Lighthouse" Mel's nudge brings her out of her reverie even as they're docking and there's attendants to help them out and her crutches waiting for her. "We'll see. Come on, lets.. go book massages and find a place that serves dessert and just.. and just have dessert instead of a real meal. I mean, how many more times are we going to get out here? We all have responsibilities back home and lives to go back to" She plasters on a smile for the two others.
Melissa climbs out then slides her arm around Abby's shoulders if she allows. "Now that…that sounds like an awesome idea. Massages and dessert. Something chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Sinfully delicious and all that. And I dunno about you guys, but after all this snow? I think my next trip will be to some gorgeous white beach with pure blue water and a lot of sun."
"Wouldn't be the first time I've been reckless," Gillian says with a shrug, before lightening her smile at the mention of massages. "God, I haven't had a massage in forever— though I'll just have to get one who doesn't speak English so they don't ask why all my tattos are messed up, or why I have a bullet wound scar." None are stories she wants to explain. "I went to Hawaii last year— for a few hours."
Who goes to Hawaii for a few hours?
The touch is almost pulled away from, worried about what might happen to Mel. But nothing does and Abigail just holds still until Mel's done. "Chocolate. Chocolate and everything else and then massages. They say the spa here is world class" She looks over at Gillian, raising a blonde brow. "Hawaii, for a few hours" Well, that's a story for her to tell them later. "Lets go" She murmurs to the other two.
"For a few hours? Gonna have to tell me about that sometime," Melissa says, grinning and letting her arm drop. "Onward then, for chocolate!" she says, pointing ahead. "Then the massage, then I vote for drunken gossip and storytime in the room before Kendall gets back."
"Oh, you'll like it. It involves a guy dumping me there for a few hours by myself while he looked for his younger blonde girlfriend," Gillian says, rolling her eyes up for a bit, before she moves on for something a little more fun. Starting with chocolate. "I actually think I met Abby while drinking— or I think that's when we met. It was a while ago." Over a year now.
"Absinthe, in the library" She remembers. "For the most part. That's when we really met. COme. Chocolate, Hawaii, strangers making our muscles relax and just.. and just trying to enjoy ourselves" There's things to do, sights to see, money to spend. A credit card to put to use.
"That bastard," Melissa says, immediately sympathizing. "And yes. That all sounds awesome. Tonight, we enjoy ourselves. Tomorrow, we find Abby's man!"