Participants:
| Scene Title | When Fortune Calls |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | …offer her a chair. |
| Date | December 6, 2010 |
Studio K — Kristen's Office
The sun seems to set earlier and earlier at night, making it hard to tell exactly when a person is supposed to be headed on his or her way home. Studio K is barren aside from a few ladder climbers and the regular assortment of workaholics. Both of those describe the voices that rise and fall in a heated pitch down the hall.
"I don't care what you found, Dirk," a female voice booms from the office at the very end. It's Kristen's, the executive of the company and head honcho around the office. "Get rid of it. Period. I don't want a discussion on it, capiche?" She sounds quite resolute in her orders, a tone of voice that she seems to use all too often in the building. It's probably how so much gets done.
The shadows interrupting the light under the door indicate that there's more than one person inside the office. There's at least two, unless the CEO is on the phone or talking to herself… and has an extra pair of feet which just happen to fit a man's shoe.
"You made me carry those boxes ALL of the way from his apartment to my car and then back here and you won't even let me dish with you?! This was so not in my job description!" Dirk tosses his overly long blonde locks of hair over his shoulder. His navy suit is professional, but somehow, with the pseudo mushroom cut brought into style by the Beatles well before Dirk's time, he manages to seem casual even in a suit.
There's no doubt the assistant knows his boss, however. He leans against her desk, over towards her across it. "But Kristen… it's like BIG! Like bigfoot BIG! Like you won't believe the kind of secrets that crackjob you call a host is hiding from you~" He virtually sings the words. "It's like a delicious little surprise~ Turns out he's more spit— a lot more spit— than polish~ And I don't know how he pulled it off, but he did! That bastard! I didn't know that was even something that people did~"
A studio! The only kind of studio Quinn had ever been to were recording studios, and only a few. Just walking around the offices of Studio K was rather impressive to her - though if that's the shiny glodd of the Studio itself and the amazement it brings, or the fact that she's maybe spent twelve minutes of her entire life in any sort of office environment is entirely up for interpretation. Sure,s he's seen them in movies, but actually being in a proper office space is a strange feeling for the musician.At either rate, she barely even notices when she reaches the door to Kristen's office.
But there's shouting and talking on the other end, and that's really the only thing that prevents Quinn from walking straight into the door, grabbing her attention just enough to snap her out of her distracted wandering, held tilting as she regards the voices with in. Hands slip into her long black jacket pockets as she waits for a moment silence before knocking on the door. "Hello? Kristen? It's Robyn Quinn~"
Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. While Studio K has carved something of a name for itself, the budget for the offices compared to studio space is relatively small. One building devoted to radio programming with a few offices squeezed into it and a larger warehouse devoted to television. The decor is more of a modern feel, something that was tested on sets for a specific target audience. Safe, approachable, and yet modern with a touch of risk.
"Dirk, you heard me, I don't care I made a promi— " Kristen's head turns sharply and an instant smile plasters itself on her face along with wide doe eyes that might give Quinn the feeling that she just shone headlights in the producer's direction. "Robyn Quinn! Good to see you! Sorry we didn't catch up, I — Stuff. There's stuff…" She points down toward the boxes with her name misspelled on them and smiles. "We're going to talk about your new career… and in those boxes is a part of it."
Dirk turns to face the voice intruding in his insistence. But he's soooo close to telling Kristen the truth! The truth! He won't be so easily distracted. Determination pulls a sly smile over his lips. "You told me you a made a promise you wouldn't judge!! You need to know what's in there for the sake of your show! If…" his eyes move towards Robyn momentarily, "If I sold this to the tabloids it could ruin Captain America's career. AND take down this studio. It's illegal in all 50 states to misrepresent yourself like that… I think…" He leans away from the desk and turns on his heel, but he looks over his shoulder back to his boss, "BUT. Since you made a promise…" He shrugs his shoulders.
Quinn, however, earns a large grin from the assistant. "Soooooo. Robyn? Can I call you Robyn?" for a man, Dirk is short, small in stature but, unfortunately, big in ego. "Tell me, sweet cheeks, babe, Shiva the destroyer, you joinin' our little team? I could like… show you around… or around town… or just show you a great place to eat there. On say.. Friday. At 8."
"My new career?" Quinn repeats with a bit of a suspicious tone. She's honestly not entirely sure how well that statement sits with her, she likes being a musician! Still, she's not one to pass up opprotunity of any sort. "What, ah, did you have in mind?" She's genuinely curious, an eyebrow quirked as she looks over at the boxes, head tilting. She lingers for a moment before she starts over towards the boxes, only pausing to offer a glance over in Dirk's direction. She can't help but laugh a but, shaking her head at the man.
"I don't think I've had the pleasure," she says with a wry grin, offering a hand. "Robyn's fine. Most people call me Quinn, but I'll go by just about whatever people want t' call me as long as it's not mean." She lets a beat pass before she looks back over at Kristen, then to Dirk. "I'm afraid dinner wouldn't be what you're hoping, I'm sorry to say." Or so she assumes by the choice of words. "Doesn't mean I'll turn down a meal." She's joking, of course! …maybe. She really won't turn down a meal…
"You're a musician aren't you? A DJ too?" Kristen's glare in Dirk's direction is a warning, strike one. She folds her hands together and leans heavily on her desk. Nodding to one of the office chairs on the opposite side, she shoots Dirk another look as if silently commanding him to take a seat as well. "I'd like to make you an offer… Maybe extend it to your whole band after an audition… But right now it's just for you."
There's a slight pause as the boss lady looks at Dirk and purses her lips, "You need to start taking notes right about now, Dirk… Oh yes, Robyn Quinn, this is Dirk… My assistant, something like a secretary." Yes, she's belittling his profession at the moment, perhaps in retaliation for the threat against the company. "Anyway, there's quite a few levels to this offer. Once I'm done, you can tell me if you're interested. Does that sound fair?"
"Awwww got a boyfriend, Sweet Bottom? I bet I could get you away from his stick fingers. I'm very charming~" Dirk lays it on as thickly as he can. He rolls his eyes at the notion of taking notes, but removes a pad of paper from his jacket. "I guess I'll REFRAIN" he looks at his boss pointedly at the word, "from pressing the issue further. For now." He clicks his pen so it's open.
"Close," is Quinn's quick response to Dirk, one given with a smirk that takes his comments in stride. Heck, otherwise she'd be kind of a hypocrite! But with that, she lets it drop, turning her attention back to Kristen. A nod is given, arms crossing over the front of her as she regards Kristen with still growing curiosity. "Yep. Just like I had Melissa read at the auction! I'm almost done with my solo demo, in fact." That tidbit added to pique curiosity, of course. "I know Magnes has been on the advocate several times, he's the band's bassist, for now." She fidgets a bit, her posture straightening as she looks Kristen in the eyes and nods. "Sure! I'll definitely hear it out. I mean, I wouldn't have come if I wasn't willin t'."
"I'm looking for someone who knows music… Hot music." Of course, Kristen wouldn't be paying for someone who might think Perry Como is at the top of the game. Frank Sinatra maybe… given the right twist, but never Perry Como. "There's several things I need from a music slash entertainment division. First, I want parties, you were on the list for the underground that we threw. I want more of those… mostly surrounding major events. People need things to shake them lose and spend money. I want to be there to get that money. Be the shaker as well as the getter. You know?"
She points toward the boxes and gives a small smile, "That's what those are going to be for… We need to get rid of them, pouring them down the sink seems like such a waste, and donating boxes of booze to a homeless shelter might not be the right thing to do."
"Yeah, probably not the best idea," Dirk chuckles. "Besides, parties are good! I can get into my groove with the fine foxy ladies in the room! I bet Robyn will attract a MASSIVE audience! I tell ya, Strawberry Shortcake, you're gonna be HUGE after this one is done with you!" He clucks his tongue at the notion of donating booze to the homeless shelter, "I don't know what they'd do with the Refrain either." His eyebrows arch now as he scribbles some notes down on the pad of paper. "I'm thinking we do it somewhere swanky. Make it this tripped out rave fest. What do you think, Kristen?"
Kristen's barely said one sentence before she's already grinning wide, beaming only after a few minutes. "Knows hot music? I've been a DJ for years now. Even at a goth club, I have to be up t' date on music. When I used to do independent gigs, before I got the job at Tartarus, I spent time on music blogs and charts every day seeing what was hot and what was fading." The mention of parties at first has her beaming - and then receding a bit. "Ah, right, I remember that party. It eas a really good party, I haven't been t' a rave in ages." There's a slight bit more nervous to to her voice, particularly once she hears Dirk mention Refrain.
"I was just caught off guard by, ah… the extra amenities." AKA the drugs. "I'm not used t' it bein' so out in the open." She quickly raises a hand and waves if as if to say buuuut. "I have no issue with organizing parties, I used t' do it all the time. Just… I'm not sure I can handle throwin' somethin' like that, you know? I'm not really - comfortable bein' in charge of somethin' like that."
Another glare in Dirk's direction and the raising of two fingers counts off how many strikes Dirk has earned himself so far. "Christmas is coming, Dirk… Bonus time~?" A.K.A. hint hint. Nodding toward Quinn, she pastes on another smile and waves off the young woman's concerns with a flick of her wrist. "No drugs, we're going the clean route for the next one… charity for children and all that… I'll let you organize the details."
Snapping her fingers, she points at Dirk again and nods her head in his direction. "I will go through the boxes and remove anything that isn't above par. Quinn, for this benefit, I want you to test the water by working on the lights and music… Next function, you'll be in charge of a little more… Until you have a good resume under your belt."
Oooooo. BONUS TIME. Maybe Dirk will finally have the cash to buy his Quad— that he secretly wants to ride through the office on the weekend when Kristen isn't around. His eyebrows arch as he's relegated into silence, scribbling notes while smiling merrily, all-too-pleased about his impending quad.
There's a snicker from Quinn, arms still crossed as she looks at Kristen, nodding. "Charity for Children? I would definitely be int' that, alright." And then her duties are given, and again she can't help but laugh. "I can definitely hand the music, but I tend t' be kind of biased when it comes t' lighting. I usually handle it myself." As if to imply that she means differently than organizing them herself. "But I think I can definitely handle somethin' like that."
Nodding once, Kristen leans back in her chair and steeples her fingers, swirling out of view. "I want to put Studio K on the map as the production company that people go to for all kinds of entertainment. Parties, radio, television… I'm hoping, once we get enough capital, to break into movies. For now we'll keep our scope down to a smaller scale."
She twists her chair to glance at one of the framed photographs on the wall, a fond smile touching her lips. "The second item I wanted to talk to you about is your band… I want to get them in for an audition. I'm looking at producing a nightly television show and we'll need a studio band. Is that something you'd be interested in?"
"That sounds rather ambitious!" Quinn exclaims, grinning widely again. "I'd love t' be a part of that, however I can." There's a moment, before she slips her hands into her pockets, leaning back on the hells of her boots. "I might know some people, if you need talent, who can help. A model and a photographer. But, you know, we can talk about that another time." She just had to put that out there, after all.
There's a bit of a shrug, eyes moving to the photographs after Kristen glances at them. A studio band, wow. Quinn's face turns into one of distinct thought and consideration. "I… don't know. That's something I would have to talk to the band about." She rocks back forward on the balls of her feet, and continues to rock band and forth as she speaks. "I don't know myself. It'd be a wonderful thing until we get going. But I love my work at Tartarus, an' I still have a bookstore job I love, and family and friends often have me about, sometimes gone for days at a time." The fact that this includes the Ferry, of course, goes unsaid. "But it's something I'll talk to everyone about, but up for consideration."
"The studio band will be a ways off, not until I've found the perfect host for the kind of show I'm thinking of. So you have time to talk it over… Of course K-too is still planning on bringing you into the studio to promote your album and see where that goes… So for now we're going to concentrate on the production job I've offered you." Kristen turns back toward Quinn and sets her mouth in a very serious line. Her brown eyes drift over the young woman a few times before she nods once, whatever that means.
"Think about it, Miss Quinn, the offer isn't going to be on the table forever and while I don't mind you moonlighting here and there, a job as a producer doesn't come along every day. It'll be hard work and it'll be long hours." She pauses for a moment to let her words sink in. "I'll give you until this weekend to think about it and you can tell me your answer over dinner. Fair enough?"
"Just know that this one will ride your ass hard. She does it to all of her talent and the people she likes. Just sayin'." Dirk scribbles another note down. "If you play your cards right you can be the Black Widow of the studio. Especially if you put on a black spandex body suit. Seriously! Just watch out for Captain America— his real superpower is all in that squeaky clean…" he stops the thought and remembers his Quad and how beautiful it will be.
He turns back to Quinn before tapping his pen on the side of the pad, "Also… we're still on for dinner on Friday? I'm sure I have the sticky fingers to snatch you from that gruff boyfriend of yours— "
A producer. When put in much simpler words, it feels like it carries a lot more weight. Quinn takes a deep breath and nods, offering a smile to Kristen. "It's a hell of an opportunity," she replies with a bit of enthusiasm. "But it is something I will have to put some hard thought into, definitely. But…" Her smile grows into a smirk, a bit of a shrug given. "I very much like the sound of it! Certainly… not something I would have normally considered without the offer, I have to admit." Falling back flat on her feet, she looks Kristen in the eyes once more. "But sure, over dinner. I'll have an answer by then."
There's a pause before she looks over at Dirk, and she just grins. "I doubt that," is all she offers. After all, she'd need a boyfriend to be snatched from first. "But I appreciate the gesture."