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Post by Vanessa VanRyan on Jul 14, 2009 16:15:49 GMT -5
You had plenty of money in 1922.
You let other women make a fool of you.
Why don't you do right,
like some other men do?
Get out of here,
get me some money too.
You're sittin down and wonderin what it's all about.
If you ain't got no money, they will put you out.
why don't you do right,
like some other men do?
Get out of here,
get me some money too.
Now if you had prepared 20 years ago.
You wouldn't be a wanderin now from door to door.
Why don't you do right,
like some other men do?
Get out of here,
get me some money too.
Get out of here,
get me some money too.
Why don't you do right, like some other men do?
Thanks to her original performance, now whenever it was slow enough customers managed to nudge her on stage to do their bidding. It wasn't part of her job and she had refused a few times, thinking that she might get in trouble for it. She wasn't sure she even wanted to get on a stage ever again anyway. But the exact opposite had happened.
More people were paying for drinks when she sang, and leaving extra tips at that. When Stu asked to talk about it she thought she'd be fired for sure for causing trouble. In fact he told her that she was to sing once a night and she could keep her own tip jar when she did.
Needing the money, and not wanting to disappoint her boss, she began to do just that.
It might have been hard to compete with the legendary Peggy Lee singing the song, however the two songs were completely different. Vanessa had slowed the tempo and used a soft sultry tone, in an arangment Westley had done for her years ago.
She took their aplause, and their money which overflowed the tip jar and made her way off stage.
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Post by Simon Montague on Jul 14, 2009 16:33:18 GMT -5
Simon had gone to Stu's that night, his attention was on the blonde at the bar serving the drinks. He had studied her a few days ago. What a tempting little flirt...proud though, breaking her spirit would take time and energy, and just his creativity.
Earlier in the day a little mouse of a girl had brought him a drink, and he was now lightly touching the rim of the glass, his eyes still on the blond at the bar. Due to his looks, the fact that he was keeping his eyes on her was less creepy and more flirtatious. He looked as if he were waiting for her, biding his time until she was finished or had a moment to spare for him. He was in no hurry. He finished his drink and was about to order the mousy waitress back when the crowd got quiet.
He wasn't prepared for what happened next, and for a man like him, such a thing was infuriating. Except he wasn't really angry... he was sad, sad because she was sad, and sultry...because she was sultry. What kind of spell was this? His heart was pounding, his grip on his glass soon shattered the offending thing and his hand was bleeding. He was a doctor, who knew exactly how his wound should be treated, and that it should have been treated right then, but it didn't matter.
Finally she walked off stage, taking whatever sanity he had with her.
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Post by Vanessa VanRyan on Jul 14, 2009 17:28:52 GMT -5
Vanessa drifted in a semi conscious state. It was always difficult pulling back from who she was on stage, to who she was in person. In person she locked away everything, she buried it deep down so it didn't have to touch her personally, but on stage...there she let loose. Every feeling, every hidden emotion was laid bare to a stranger's gaze, it overflowed really.
Sighing she left for the back room to change out of what had become her costume. On stage she wore costumes she called them, they were actually very nice dresses, modeling something out of the classic noir fashion, but when she was done being on stage, her jeans and a sweatshirt gave her the most comfort.
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Post by Simon Montague on Jul 15, 2009 10:53:47 GMT -5
This was new to him, unexpected, and uncertain. He was so used to being in control that now his desire was startling and unfamiliar. He had selected his girls with care, he knew who they were, he had studied them, made patterns in his own mind of how they lived, he could seduce any of them into his web of nightmares. She was an unknown element thrust into his world, but one that he had to make room for. His little songbird.
Simon stood realizing his feet wished to carry him to the door, the sight of several young bucks with roses in hand, stopped him from making the same kind of fool out of himself. He wouldn't approach her now, he'd be cautious. He'd bide his time. He'd study her until she was nothing to him. With that he smiled softly to himself. Smiled or smirked rather at the pretty bartender, and dropped a few coins off at the table to pay for his drink and give a healthy tip to the waitress.
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Post by Derek Burke on Jul 15, 2009 10:59:17 GMT -5
Derek was on his way in as Simon was on his way out, they bumped shoulders briefly and each apologized before continuing on their way. Derek made his way to the bar a sullen slant to his shoulders. The man pulled off brooding so well, then again, he'd probably pull off any look to perfection.
Smiling at his niece he took a seat, " I see the songbird's already chirped tonight." he nodded toward the back door.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jul 15, 2009 11:26:37 GMT -5
Nathalia's eyes kept wandering back to the blonde man sitting a ways back. She didn't often come out from behind the bar anymore because Vanessa was there, her cocktail waitress now. She kept Vanessa on the same schedule she was on, just as a protective, need to watch out for her sort of thing.
And then the blonde that had been watching her all night was gone, and Nathalia frowned. Was he playing games? She wasn't into that.
"Hey, Derek," she said, pouring him his usually and setting it in front of him. "You know, half the time, I'm never sure if you come in to see me or her anymore."
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Post by Derek Burke on Jul 15, 2009 11:32:42 GMT -5
Derek was perhaps doing the same thing. Late nights, or rowdy nights he learned to stop by. He was protective he couldn't help it, and while Nathalia could definitely handle her own, he liked making it known that he'd kill anybody who looked twice at her that she didn't want looking.
"Hey doll." he smiled taking the drink she offered, then laughed, " You of course." he told her flatteringly. It was a half truth, since he did come here to see her, but it didn't change the fact that he almost never missed a show either. The same could be said for almost any guy to hear her sing. He got caught up that night with a business merger and had to his own amusement rushed over... he missed her singing anyway.
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Post by Vanessa VanRyan on Jul 15, 2009 11:40:55 GMT -5
Vanessa went around the back and re-entered the bar, her face was scrubbed clean, her hair was back in a ponytail. She looked not far different from the glamourous image she put on for the stage if you took a second look at her, but she shied away easily enough. She traded in her long silk dress for regular clothes, her fascinating coiffure for an eased back ponytail, and rouge lips for the soft pink of her own. Now she hardly looked old enough to even be in the bar.
She saw Derek at the bar and kept down her squeal. She was coming to think of him as her own uncle since he came in so often, but at the same time they had something of a love hate relationship, or at least they couldn't resist any opportunity to tease one another.
"We're still letting this guy in?" she shook her head, "I swear." she teased.
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Post by Derek Burke on Jul 15, 2009 11:51:01 GMT -5
"Well well, if it isn't the moppet." he teased right back, "Isn't it past your bedtime?"
When her only reply was to stick her tongue out he gave a smirk knowing that he won, but was happy to see her soften into a smile even.
She turned from him and talked to Nathalia for a moment about the rest of the tables, they'd be closing soon. Vanessa volunteered to close up shop.
Derek watched with mild attention, as he drank down the rest of his drink.
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Post by Vanessa VanRyan on Jul 15, 2009 12:08:20 GMT -5
Since Vanessa didn't have a steady place to sleep these days, she was doing a lot simply to appear nonchalant about the whole thing. The truth was, she was desperate to "close up", she could do that, then move to the back room and sleep in relative safety.
She might have asked for the room if she wasn't desperate for the job and could risk getting fired, but so far she had been careful.
"It's up to you, but you've had a long day, you look like you could use the rest." she offered.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jul 17, 2009 11:18:51 GMT -5
"Partly me," Nathalia corrected him as Vanessa came over. She was only teasing though. She couldn't be jealous of Vanessa. For one, it wasn't like her to be jealous of anyone. And two, they attracted two entirely different kinds of men. It was a good thing, and meant there was little competition between them. Women got catty when there was competition.
She was smarter than the average bear, and knew why Vanessa was asking if she could close. As long as Stu remained in dark, Nathalia didn't see a problem with letting the girl stay. If she had her own apartment, she'd just invite Vanessa over for a meal or something, but as it was, she was still with her mother.
"You can close. Just do me a favor and make sure the storeroom is locked up. I forgot that part last night and Stu about murdered me."
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Post by Vanessa VanRyan on Jul 18, 2009 2:56:14 GMT -5
She nodded, "Of course." she agreed immediately.
As for any of the guys she attracted, though she wasn't unaware, she was definitely not interested. She was done with guys, done with love, done with heart ache. But it wasn't so much that she attracted guys, it was that she cast some sort of spell over them, with her voice and her sorrow. She painted a perfect damsel in distress, and they all wanted to save her or be saved. In contrast Nathalia was a fully capable woman, she didn't need rescuing but she definitely could save any man she wanted to or cared to.
The only attentions she didn't mind were Derek's and oddly enough Jadon's even though she hadn't seen the younger man in a while. Derek made her comfortable, made her feel a moderate amount of safety just because he had glared over anyone who dared to go to far.
Relieved but desperate not to show it she turned to Derek to make some sarcastic quip or other.
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Post by Derek Burke on Jul 18, 2009 17:56:38 GMT -5
Derek, who was completely oblivious to Vanessa's sleeping arrangements, and the extent of her financial difficulty, continued to banter with her until most of the other customers left. There were always the stragglers who didn't want to leave and who would wait around in hopes that the pretty bartender would leave with them, or if they could get another glance at the singer, who not many were sober enough to actually realize was Vanessa.
When he had seen to it personally that all the occupants were gone he nodded.
"Well Ladies...I might as well take myself off." he said shrugging into his coat. "Walk you out Nat?" he asked his niece.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jul 20, 2009 1:06:16 GMT -5
Nathalia finally took her apron off and set the rag she'd been holding in the bucket under the bar. Putting her hands on her hips, she looked around. Truthfully, she hated not being the one to clean up and lock up, but it probably said a lot about Vanessa that Nathalia was willing to let her.
"Yeah, Derek. You can walk me out," she said, and she gave Vanessa a parting smile. "I'll see you for the early shift tomorrow."
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Post by Vanessa VanRyan on Jul 20, 2009 1:58:28 GMT -5
Vanessa had no clue that Nathalia disliked letting her finish up, or even that she knew that Vanessa was having difficulties in securing a place to live. She only knew that she had to do this or it'd be the streets for her and that was something no young girl wished to do. She was still new but she had a pretty good idea of the cleaning up process, she wanted everything to be spotless, as well as put in the right order since she needed Nathalia to let her finish up again.
She nodded at their departure, and smiled tightly at the mention of the early shift, which was something Vanessa didn't like as much. Early shift meant that she wouldn't be able to lock up, which meant she'd have to find somewhere else to spend the night...with those gloomy thoughts she began to sing again something mournful, it helped her to pass the time, she had no idea there was an audience.
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Post by Simon Montague on Jul 20, 2009 19:14:05 GMT -5
Simon wasn't sure why he didn't leave that night. He had intended to, but Something bade him to stay and he listened. He was still listening when she began singing. His little songbird, he thought with a malicious smile. Oh he wanted her alright, as a pet she'd be most fascinating. He'd have to harden his heart to her mournful tune but he didn't see a problem in that.
The problem was how to get to her, not that she was making it too difficult. He could simply take her now if he wanted...and yes he realized, that was exactly what he wanted. Perhaps he should have had more restraint, perhaps he should have bided his time waiting for her schedule to become apparent to him, then he could have taken her, but as he was rarely impatient for anything, this came as a surprise...one he most definitely wanted to explore.
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Post by Derek Burke on Jul 20, 2009 22:47:37 GMT -5
Derek was whistling without a care as he escorted his niece out the doors and felt the cool rush of air sweep past his cheeks. It was a brisk evening that sharpened one's senses, perhaps that's why after about a minute of walking or so Derek recalled he had left his keys at the bar.
"Damn, Hey Nat, I've got to run back for something...you'll be okay getting home on your own?" he asked even though he knew better. She got home on her own all the time, and sometimes not on her own either. She was as he refused to acknowledge it, an adult fully capable.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jul 21, 2009 3:17:37 GMT -5
Nathalia actually rolled her eyes. "Going back to flirt with the brunnette?" she teased, though she was half serious. If he was just running back for something, he would have asked her to wait, right? He didn't, which meant he probably expected to be spending some time there. She nodded before he could answer.
"I'll make it back to my mum's fine. See you tomorrow, I suppose?"
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Post by Derek Burke on Jul 21, 2009 9:19:04 GMT -5
Though he was prepared to defend himself, something he wasn't used to, Nathalia didn't give him a chance. Instead she was rather pushing him forward and he could do nothing but smile at her. Leaning down he kissed her temple, "Tomorrow pet." he agreed. Then before she could do anymore teasing of him turned back to go to the bar.
It wasn't that he wanted to flirt with the brunette. It wasn't that he even liked Vanessa in that way, Good heaven's no, she was a child compared to him. It was something else, something naked and vulnerable in her singing that first caught his attention then something beautiful and pure in the girl herself.
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Post by Vanessa VanRyan on Jul 22, 2009 2:27:23 GMT -5
Vanessa felt the hairs on the back of her neck start to rise. That chilling feeling as if you knew you were being watched but were uncertain of who was doing the watching. Then again it could have been the bar, and the fact that she was alone, and still far too young to be living the life she did with the demons chasing after her. She tried to focus on other things all the while pretending everything was fine, and pretending as if she didn't notice anything. Until she could discern the threat she wasn't going to make it known that she sensed anything.
She stopped moving for a moment and heard a sound then she moved a bit more quickly refusing to acknowledge that sound, she put the rest of the cleaning things away and began to bunk down for the night. She heard another sound and this time she fiddled with the blanket pulling it up over her while she inconspicuously reached for her wand.
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