2010-01-22: FB: A Job Or Two

Starring:

Quinn_V4Ricon.gifDaphne_V4Ricon.gif

Date Set: January 22nd, 2009

Summary:

After flubbing her first job after Pinehearst, Daphne decides what she needs is a partner. She finds one in Quinn, who's about to make some life changes anyway.


One Year Ago…

"A Job Or Two"

Club, Las Vegas

Its a pretty big nightclub in Vegas. Lots of velvet, glitter and bright lights, at least on the stage. The floor is darkened, except for small lights imitating red glass candles on each small table. The show is hitting the climax, with the star, Gwen Lyons, though now not looking like Gwen. Instead, there's Bobby Darin, in all his teen idol glory, crooning 'Mack the Knife'. Only very close viewing will reveal the sweat on his brow isn't flop sweat, from the reaction of the crowd, or from the hot lights, and that the eyes keep scanning the crowd.

Nightclubs like this also require some kind of entry fee, one that Daphne is not willing to shell over. So that's why she bursts in on the backdoor of the place, past a couple of security guards. Good thing, too, because her zipped-up dark blue hoodie and jean shorts wouldn't really put her in the velvety crowd. Strolling like she belongs gets her past a few corridors but a man with a headset approaches, frowning and eyeing his clipboard and checklist. "Are you a— PA?" As his eyes dart to her hip to look for the necessary assistant equipment, Daphne thinks fast. She moves fast, too. Grabbing the man around the arm, she steers him unforgivably into the nearest prop closet, slams the door, and jams something in front of the handle. Well, now she's on a schedule!

The next couple of feet prove no obstacle and she makes it to the backstage area, peeking past the curtain with one hand for the target: the performer. She notes the behavior. And waits for the song to end.

The song ends with a flourish, and Bobby is replaced with a delicate, feminine brunette with icy blue eyes. She gives a bow, takes her applause and rushes to the back without taking any curtain calls. Definitely NOT her usual mode of operations. She pushes open the door, to enter her dressing room quickly.

There's an appreciative glimmer in Daphne's eye at the quick-change. There's no lingering, though, for either of them. As the woman vacates the stage to her own space, the speedster follows, timing so that she catches the door with her foot when it's closing behind the singer. Exercising her best attempt at patience, Daphne leans her head against the wall and counts strictly to ten — leaving ample time for the panicked performer to start packing or whatever it is she's hopped up to doing. At the end of the countdown, she pushes the door a little more open with her toe, allowing her to slide part of her body inside. The end effect is that she's leaning against the doorway, with the door mostly closed and so obscuring her appearance to those outside. "Sweet gig."

Quinn gasps, spinning. Its instinctive, and suddenly it looks like Gwen isn't there.. though very close viewing will see its just protective coloration. Interesting how hard it is to see a body when it is the same color/pattern and such as what's behind her. Then that effect is gone, quickly. She tries to play that off with a, "Umm..thanks." Yeah, it was just smoke and mirrors, nothing weird to see here, "You're a fan? They usually don't let them back here."

Daphne's eyebrows jump at the defensive maneuver then her face softens into something more triumphant. Interesting, indeed. "Umm, no," she comments, briefly mocking the woman's nervous tones. Her head tilts thoughtfully. "Well, that's a lie. That was pretty nifty. But this isn't about me. This is about someone else who's willing to put some stock in your talent for… switching it up." She shrugs. "By the way, that's a great trick and all, but you might want to work on not being too trigger-happy every time some schmuck comes up to you."

Quinn folds her arms in front of her. "I'm not trigger happy, thank you. But.. you're a messenger.. boy?" her own brows go up. "What's this about, then?"

"You're a little trigger happy…" But Daphne's willing to let this go. She shows this generosity by shaking her head and stepping more evenly into the room. "Think of me as… a kindred spirit. Somebody whose talents were also recognized. Look. I'll be straight-up. I've heard this speech, and I've had to give it. Basically, there's work. Work for your skill-set."

Quinn tilts her head. Her hands spread, indicating her room. "I know." with a raise of one brow, "I'm already in it. You had something else in mind?"

"Not me," the speedster is a bit too fast to supply. "Somebody else. Bigger than me." Idly, she picks at a sequined headdress sitting on the shelf nearby. "Sure, you can keep doing whatever you're doing here but… I don't think that was really your plan. I know a cut-and-run when I see one." With a nod, she indicates the same room Quinn did. "It'd sure be a shame for all this effort towards leaving to be for nothing."

Quinn frowns, looking increasingly unhappy. "Listen, I just wanted to.. head out. I'm not talking to anyone, I was just going to disappear. And believe me, I'd be pretty damn good at that. What.. what were you offering?"

Daphne keeps playing with the shiny things in the dressing room, mostly just for show themselves since, tada, the performer can become any costume she wants. Her sudden avoidance seems to run parallel with Quinn's own increasing discomfort. "It's this easy," she expresses, sucking in a deep breath and eyeing her target. "A couple of jobs here and there, on… a certain side of the law, and life goes on. For both of us."

Quinn closes her eyes. "Life goes on.. Just when I thought I was out.." Yeah, its Godfather, and she's got Pacino down. Odd and disconcerting, and spot on, comingn from the delicate looking brunette woman, and that's not 'ability', that's 'talent'. "But it seems I may not have much choice." she peers over, "Nobody gets hurt? Because I don't do that kind of gig, I don't care what kind of repercussions.."

"That's… not creepy," Daphne comments as if she were saying it under her breath — but it isn't at all. That's asking for too much shame. She's managed to shake off the mood that unsettled her moments before and she eyes Quinn snappily. "Nobody gets hurt," she reinforces importantly, cutting the hand flat with both hands. But then an impish twitch of her lip ruins the effect. "Well, unless you count those snobs who don't deserve the priceless artifacts they've got holed up."

Quinn's brows go up. She nods and she says, "Ahh, just heists." she sighs and shrugs, "Well.. I suppose what I do could be handy in such a situation. They get their insurance paid, and those guys actually have to shell out for the service they provide." Well, nobody said the woman was a saint..

"Everybody's happy!" Daphne gives a mock clap of her hands, taking a couple more steps in either direction just for the sake of moving. "See, this'll be fun. Just think of me as a teammate. And you'll never have to deal with a wrinkly old cranky boss with no humor." Neither will the speedster, but this is not free information. See, this partner thing, it could be what she's lacking to get that spark back. Her last glance at Quinn is almost companionably, certainly closer to a smile than the smirk of before.

"Everybody's happy!" Daphne gives a mock clap of her hands, taking a couple more steps in either direction just for the sake of moving. "See, this'll be fun. Just think of me as a teammate. And you'll never have to deal with a wrinkly old cranky boss with no humor." Neither will the speedster, but this is not free information. See, this partner thing, it could be what she's lacking to get that spark back. Her last glance at Quinn is almost companionably, certainly closer to a smile than the smirk of before.

Quinn makes a face and nods. "Thank you. He gives me the creeps." she shakes her head, "So, got anything specific in mind already, or am I in a holding pattern for now, just lining up the talent first?

Daphne puts whatever she was playing with back — or perhaps in her pocket, it's debatable — and gives her last shrug. "Naw, relax. Live your life. You'll know when it's time." A pause where she taps her chin. "Mostly because I'll show up again, but you get it." And then the speedster turns about and finds the door, behind which hopefully no one has been recovered from a closet and is on the look-out for her. "See you in New York." Her last remark to her new partner.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License