[ Video / Action | OPEN ] there's only two types of people in the world...

[black_black_heart]

xxxxx...the ones that entertain, and the ones that observe...

---

xxxxx[VIDEO]

[ It's the day after Tannusen's little PSA to everyone, and here he is again. Good! He's sure everyone is super thrilled! The suit today is as fancy as ever, this time monochrome with a skull motif. It's patterned in the tie; the pocket square; echoed in the little metal skull and crossbones hanging from his lapel and in the shiny tie clip.

The silver ring around one finger, the loop around his throat, the frame-less glasses perched on his face, and his artful half-ponytail are all the same. So is that mischievous half-smile of his, as he folds his hands on the polished, dark wooden bar between himself and the camera. One is simply placed over the other, ring on top. ]

Now that I have everyone's attention.

[ That's right. Hi. ]

This lovely bar I am standing behind is the downstairs bar of Velvet Lust, my establishment. We are presently closed, as the sun is up, so... no, this isn't an advertisement for company. We're doing just fine on that front.

I have never actually advertised our open positions, as we seem to have little difficulty filling most of them. Still, I may as well do so now. One job advert from the gay bar in seven months isn't too much for everyone's delicate sensibilities, I should hope.

And if it is, well. Turn off your network feed for about... hm, two minutes? Or just leave your phone where it is and go make yourself some tea! We'll only be a minute.

[ He actually pauses, here, for a solid fifteen seconds or so. Still smiling, too. ]

Are we alone now? All the prudes fled the room? Good. Take a selfie with any abandoned phones you find and send them to me, just for fun. All settled in? Here we go!

Velvet Lust is currently hiring a cook for approximately three thousand red bills a month. You must be good at steak! Or, at least, be teachable. Bartenders -- yes, plural! -- for two thousand red bills a month, each. Plus tips. Don't worry, Bob and Valerie aren't going anywhere, but they can't be here all night every night. First come, first choice on working downstairs, upstairs, or variable. I'll explain the differences, if I must.

We are also hiring for entertainment, always. The city will only let me pay a thousand red bills a month, for that, but there are other arrangements to be made as well. You are also allowed to collect tips, I don't even take a cut.

[ Neither he nor his establishment are hurting for cash. At all. ]

All employees have a weekly tab of free drinks, and a weekly allotment of free steaks.

Of course, working in a gay bar is not for all, and working for a Faerie has its perils and its perks. It wouldn't be any fun otherwise, would it?

Now, everyone send me those selfies with your prudish friends' abandoned phones; I may make a collage of them and put it on the wall, so make sure to cover up any personal information they may have left up on their screens. Go!

I'll be conducting initial interviews in private, here on video. If you pass muster, I'll let you in to see the place while it's not full of people, and to discuss things in more detail. Good? Good! I am also open to any suggestions for other job positions, and possible expansions to be made to this location. So, if you have a skill that doesn't fit in with what I've just detailed, but you want to work here? I am all ears.

---

xxxxx[ACTION]

When the sun went down, Velvet Lust would open for business. At the first hint of pre-dawn, the last call would go out.

Presently, it was day.

All the chairs were upside-down on the tables, the dark wooden floor, and furniture, and the bar all gleamed in the dim lighting. Intricate metal inlays in the edge of the bar itself, and the small stage in the back, shined with polish and care. Whatever anyone assumed from the name, the place had a lot of work put into it. Tannusen had poured resources both mundane and magical into the place, and no small amount of extra labor every morning to keep it spotless and respectable.

At least, downstairs. Upstairs was clean, too, but... respectable? That was another matter entirely. All the better for producing Glamour in even such a boring world as this one, filled with such boring people.

The heavy oak door was locked, of course. But if Tannusen was expecting a visitor, he'd be in earshot to go let them in. If not... well... one of his security team lived on the roof. And she really, really loved her job.

Comments

text; private

[tevinteraltus]

I don't mean to ruin a good day, but something has been troubling me of late. I don't pretend to understand what it is you face. I admire what you're willing to do, and respect how much you care for him that you're willing to sacrifice to much to save him.

That being said, my livelihood has, serendipitously it seems, becomes reliant upon his employ. I can make alternative arrangements, obviously, but a...side project of mine requires his workshop, at least for the time being.

Do you...have a time frame in mind?

text; private

[black_black_heart]

[ There are no good days anymore, Dorian. Tannusen's just good at putting on a show.

That said, there's no reply for... a while. ]

I don't.

I should have a few days, maybe a week's worth of warning, but once I have what I need I can't delay beyond that.

[ As much as he would really, really, really want to.

One more day, one more hour, one more minute, one more second... it's going to take unspeakable resolve to not bargain himself straight out of doing it at all. ]

text; private

[tevinteraltus]

I understand.

Tannusen.

Is there anything I can do?

[ Probably not, but stalwart resolve be damned, aside from Alleyana, Tannusen and Cassian have been his most welcoming new friends here, and now he has to sit idly by while one of them is murdered to save his soul, and the other kills half his soul in the process. ]

text; private

[black_black_heart]

[ A long delay, again. ]

I talked with the Angel of Death from his universe.

The one in charge of everything.

God's substitute teacher.

He... he should get to go to Heaven. Despite everything.

[ The heavily-tattooed, stilted-speaking Azrael hadn't given him a flat 'yes', but he'd given him as close to that as he could have. ]

You've helped me know more of where he's going. It's real, for him.

That's more help than I could hope for from anyone.

[ It may have seemed like little better than trivial research at the time, but... no. Not when the location was real. ]

text; private

[tevinteraltus]

Ah, yes. Well. That isn't ominous in the least.

Still, I'm glad I could give you some bit of comfort, such as it is.

Video

[thegoodthief]

Turns out havin' some scratch around here isn't half a bad idea.

Bartender for two thousand a month?

video; private just because

[black_black_heart]

If you're any good.

[ Challenge! ]

Velvet's a busy place, it takes more than looking cute and talking smooth to keep up with the crowd, and I haven't been able to step in to help as often as I used to. Have you tended bar before?

video and PRIVATE FOREVER

[thegoodthief]

I'll have to bring my A-game.

Sure have man, few bars in New York, jumped around to Las Vegas a bit, toured around California.

Had some wanderlust at home, but I don't think that'll be a problem here.

[NOT MUCH TO WANDER TO]

FOREVER AND EVER?!! ?! 1?!eleven

[black_black_heart]

Mn.

[ Thoughtful. Tannusen's always been nomadic, himself, but not really by choice. This is the second longest time he's stayed in one place in his life, thus far.

He'd hope it wouldn't end as poorly as the last time, but...

He already knows it's ending worse.

The tiger just wants to get Velvet Lust as set-up and settled to not need him as he can, in his spare moments away from more important efforts. ]

And you stuck through the video, so I'm assuming the name and nature of the place isn't an issue.

Action

[k2so]

[One of his security team lived on the roof and the other is knocking on the door and then waiting at this very moment. He's come early because he's seen the post and it left him a bit concerned.]

Is people in this city really giving you that much trouble because of the bar?

[Those are the first words that leave Kay's vocoder when he finally sees Tannusen. Because why to waste time saying hello.]

Action

[black_black_heart]

[ Tannusen wasn't expecting this visit quite this early, but, hey. He was 'upstairs' on the ground level to get something, and heard the knock. Confirming who it is takes but a second, and then he opens the door for Kay and lets him in. ]

Not really, no. Gay bars just traditionally skeeve the 'normal' people out, and I also didn't want any applicants who couldn't handle that. Or a little joking.

[ The air-quotes around 'normal' are not only in his tone, but provided by Tannusen's fingers when he says it. Normal, his ass. ]

Action

[k2so]

[Surprise droid visits aren't a thing that happens often either. Kay stance relaxes around Tannusen but his optics shift in a way that indicates he's pondering about the explanation.]

I suppose that makes sense here. Where I come from people know better, no offense. I'm no expert but the galaxy is populated by too many different individuals to limit yourself to genders or species, so people doesn't judge that. Except, ah...[Kay looked down, shifting on his feet.] When it comes to humans and droids. That's not so well received.

[black_black_heart]

Ah...?

[ He hadn't realized Kay had any particular thoughts on the matter, really. ]

Well, it's all the same to me. And I'm under no delusions that my world is any better about prejudice.

[ Even if droid/human isn't an... issue, on his Earth. AI just hasn't gotten this good, yet. ]

[Video]

[sonicosuper]

*There's a Sonico, sitting comfortably on the floor in her living room. Her phone seems to be resting against something on the coffee table, as she's able to reach forward to pick up her small cup of green tea*

Hello, Tannusen. I was just wondering...what kind of entertainment are you after?

[black_black_heart]

Pretty much anything. If it's too calm for upstairs, downstairs has a stage too. Same goes in reverse.

You're not an amateur, though, are you? If you're interested in Velvet, I might get 'permission' to pay you better than the non-celebrity status they make me declare for most.

[sonicosuper]

Music? I sing, all sorts of kinds of music. I play my own instruments too.

*At his question, though, Sonico blushes - discussing her career and her payment is just too awkward and not socially appropriate*

N-no. I'm a professional... I can give you my agent's details if you'd like to discuss the event and any pay with them...

[black_black_heart]

Well, I'm not hiring for any particular event, more of an ongoing gig. If you're interested, I'll start poking the proper channels.

[ Velvet Lust, and its proprietor, are loaded. There's no reason they can't hire for the appropriate pay, save for any legalities getting in the way. ]

Would you like to see the place, first? I'm not aware if you've dropped by before, but even if you have, it's easier to get a good look at it all while it's not full of people.

text

[captain_by_the_book]

[ He might not have been too impressed with the last announcement, but no, he's not going to drop his phone, either. And there's actually something he should bring up. ]

Thank you for giving Kay crab meat to take home. I appreciate it.

text

[black_black_heart]

[ Kay's been bringing home steak nightly, too, since signing on at Velvet. Since drinks are useless to the droid, Tannusen's rolled that weekly free tab into additional free steaks instead, which Kay's been free to take home to those who can actually eat them.

Tannusen just doesn't season any that are meant for the pokemon, just in case.

And now, there's been steak and crab. ]

he helped with the kill, so he gets to... if not help eat it, himself, then hand it off to someone of his choosing to do so

[ Tiger. ]

[captain_by_the_book]

He chooses to bring it home. It helps a lot to keep our grocery bills low.

[ Between feeding five pokemon and a cat, and building a house, it's a welcome relief for their budget. It's not that they have fallen on hard times, but having to budget is still unnerving when you spent all your adult life on military bases, with your needs provided for. ]

It was fortunate that this kill is edible.

[ Please don't point out that technically, all kills are edible. ]

[black_black_heart]

it's almost a shame we didn't get the big lobster attacking here instead

though it could have been worse, one was essentially a massive pill-bug

[ Isopod... edible; apparently they fry them in Japan. Still, he'd rather have crab, thanks. ]

also, it punched a hole in my roof, the least it can do is go well with butter

[Video]

[shy_mage]

[Of course, this video being from who its from, just completely ignores the subject and Bracken immediately jumps to the first thing that comes to mind instead.]

Y-You're okay!

[Considering the last time he saw him...]

[Video]

[black_black_heart]

That would appear to be so, yes.

[Video]

[shy_mage]

I-I'm really glad. I was worried...

[And he's amazing at staying up to date.]

C-Cassian had a cure?

Re: [Video]

[black_black_heart]

He did, of a sorts. Time and kindness; it worked its way out of me.

[ And it would have been absolute hell if he hadn't been able to get to safety for it. ]