Path of the Vampire forum

I opened the door to Lancaster’s and took a step in. It was more comfortable than I had expected… a fire was going and the color scheme was, dare I say homey. I took a deep breath and walked up to the bar…I felt confident and assured, with a small bit of paranoia meshed in. I leaned up against the bar with elbows resting upon the hard mahogany and met eyes with one of the bartenders. They immediately came over and even had a smile…it made me comfortable, just like the atmosphere. “Hi, I am Cori and I was wondering if I could speak to a manager about a job?” I had brought my resume and all accompanying paperwork, just in case. You can never be too prepared. I was told to leave my paperwork with them as a manager was not on duty, currently. “It’s best they reach me at the cell number...as I am currently between residences.” I made sure to smile and make eye contact, as first impressions were always important when applying for a job. I handed over my paperwork and thanked them for their time. I turned to my left and took in more of the atmosphere... might be corny, but it gave me that same feeling when walking into my childhood home. It felt comfortable...it felt right.

Ok, so the joint was a little more upscale than he'd thought. Yeah, maybe the sweater and pants thing wasn't the worst idea ever. These weren't really his type of people but somehow some of them felt... familiar. Must be like him and Cori. He leans against the bar a couple seats down from her but keeps himself near enough that it's obvious they are here together.

To the bartender he says, "Yo I need an application too, I can bounce night time."

He smiles to Cori and takes a seat tapping the bar in front of her as an offer for her to join him.

Staff were used to the way Pi and Elliot dropped in and out of Lancaster’s. They didn’t even question when they seemed to suddenly appear in the office behind the bar area.

Maybe they were well trained. Maybe the staff thought they’d missed Pi or Elliot enter the door and walk to their office. None of them would think that there was a portal connecting the office inside Lancaster’s to the vampire’s Den in Wickbridge, or that magic worked to transport all members of the d’Artois family across the distances of the city in a single breath.

They didn’t ask, because in their world, such things were impossible.

It’s how come Pi walked out of the office with a swish of the opening door to the muted sounds of piped music and clack of pool balls swishing and hitting each other opposite. It’s also why the day manager handed over the papers, her greeting a smile and a nod.

“Are you working the evenin’ then Pi?” Shelly asked, her hand finding its way to her hip. “I’ve closed the day till, put the float in for the evening and ready to do the hand over when you’ve a mind.” She finished, her Scots accent lilting her words.

‘Oui.” Pi answered with a smile, not really needing to confirm. The schedule had been pretty tight with staff turn over as it was, it created a tight fit schedule wise. Which also meant her and Elliot pulled a few more shifts than they ordinarily would.

Shelly nodded in understanding. “Well, a nice looking lass came in and dropped this off… could be good you think? Give it a read, she hadna left yet.” Shelly finished, nodding over to where Clorentine was. “See what you think hrmm?”

It was interesting, how things work out and why they do. Flipping through the CV Pi walked over to where the woman was, her smile in place. “Bon jour.” Pi greeted, standing close, the CV in her hand. “My name is Pi… I’m an owner… so you are looking for a job?”

Cori had all but ignored Revelation…his attempts at garnering her attention had proved futile. She stood at the bar, soaking in the atmosphere and, of course, sizing the place up. She saw her walking towards her out of the corner of her eye, a woman approaching. She was cordial and introduced herself as one of the owners...letting it be known that she knew Cori was interested in employment.

“Hello”, Cori replied, stretching out her hand to the woman. “I am looking for a night gig, if it all possible?” Night gig…but of course. She knew that any day job was, now, out of the question. Cori continued with the impromptu interview.

“As my resume shows, my background and education is in law...but for now, I am looking to make a change.” Cori made sure she looked the owner in the eyes and spoke with a firm but friendly tone. It always seemed to work on any other interview she went on...surely it may work now.

“I was wondering if you have anything, available immediately?”

Third wheel much? thought Rev. He hastily scribbled down his basic information on the application as the two women talked. There was something familiar about the one who came out to talk to them but he couldn't place it. Like she was... oh ****... yeah that was it. She was like them, he could feel it somehow. A vamp. Good, maybe they'd be a shoe-in.

He continues to happily scribble contact information about past employers, purposefully ignoring them both. He's already began to wonder if making Corentine a vampire was a bad move, especially since she's been disappearing every night. Wherever the hell she's been going it annoys him, isn't he meant to be the teacher and ****?

Elliot was the people person. He was the guy who always put people at ease and made them feel good just by being in the same space. She supposed it was the musician in him, the inherent empathy that pulled people to him.

Pi, on the flipside was the opposite. She was prone to silences that she didn’t always feel needed to be broken with words. She wasn’t always the first to initiate conversation and rarely did so when she manned the bar (although manning the bar had in itself helped change that part of her nature). And moments like this, when her co-ownership of the business brought her into the orbit of random strangers.

“Oui.” Pi answered the woman, her gaze drifting to what the man was filling out and giving him a small abbreviated smile. Good, two people, even better. Warm bodies to fill the shifts that had laid unfilled for too long.

The hours of their establishment ran way later than other establishments in the city (that were human owned). The hours were a necessity, a requirement of their vampire nature to ensure that there were businesses open to cater to the nocturnal of their species. And those very hours were the ones that lacked staff to man them.

Humans rarely liked working the graveyard shifts and Pi (or Elliot) tried to work those hours anyway since it was at these times the vampires entered. It was on either side of midnight when the tone of the pub dripped with something a little less mundane. Where small moments of ‘not quite human’ interaction happened. Short bursts of powers. People who moved just a little bit too fast or sat at the bar drinking nothing. Or drinking something that they rarely liked anyone to look too closely at.

“It won’t be a problem.” She answered the woman. “Either your experience or an immediate start.” Hopping onto a bar stool she leaned against the long expanse of polished wood and continued. “We have been looking for people for the late shift so me and my husband …..” Pi nodded towards the tall lanky man cleaning the bar. “Can take a bit of time away in the evenings.”

Giving the papers in her hand a cursory look she waited for the man to be finished with his and to give it to her so she could review that too.

“Do you have any questions.... ?”

Questions…now that may have been the wrong question to ask Cori, as she was always full of questions. “What is the dress code?” She had more questions to ask, but they all seemed inappropriate. Like, what is the ratio of vampires to humans in the eve, do they see any out of the ordinary happenings if the two mix and so on. Cori felt it best to save those answers for later, maybe after she was hired and became more comfortable with the owners. Then, surely, she would be full of questions.

Cori did want to ask if it is possible to schedule her different shifts than Revelation was, but thought twice about that. He does not need anyone hindering his job prospects...certainly not.

“Yeah, dress code and salary, if you please.” Cori really didn’t care about the salary...as this job would supplement the cash she made in the mines. No-one needs to know about that though.

Revelation leans against the bar now, paying attention to what the lady says. He can ignore people too. He's going to ignore Corentine. She's acting all mad but really, didn't he make her immortal? That's nothing to be mad at. She'll get over it. Eventually. She can't stay mad forever.

"Yeah I can only do nights too, I don't know how to make drinks real well but I'd probably be a decent bouncer." He's big, athletic, intimidating. He feels like he fits the role. He gets up and walks over to Pi, handing her the application. Odd jobs here and there, nothing steady on his resume

"I normally work construction jobs," he says, explaining the extensive employment history. "And that assault charge was bogus".

He thinks a moment before adding... "And so was the other assault charge..."