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Fiona Shepherd ☠ Ereshkigal (ladyofaralu) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-10-17 10:58:00

Entry tags:

ereshkigal, maman brigitte

Bigmouth Strikes Again
Who: Ariana and Fee
What: Employee (Fee) meets [other] boss (Ariana) for the first time, and neither knew about the other! This will clearly go famously! :D
Where: CASKET
When: Monday, October 17th, 8-ish? 9-ish? (just before open!)
Warnings: Strong, sassy females harboring death goddesses. :D

Fee was grateful to be at work. For the most part, things with her and Karin were copacetic again, and it was kind of a relief that she was developing some kind of Karin-flavored Thing with her crunchy hippie yoga instructor -- even if Fee was getting kind of a gay vibe off of him. Either way, obviously he was straight enough to knock the bottom out of Karin, so that was good enough for Fee. For her part, it was good to know that Karin was being looked after all the more often, especially since Fee was sleeping like utter shit lately.

She tried to keep the cuntiness this caused away from Karin, but everyone else paid the price. Her humor had gotten sharper and meaner, and her tolerance for bullshit had reached an all-time low. Fee was trying -- really trying -- to be good, but the strange dreams that had been haunting her had taken a dark and violent turn, and that didn't seem to be OK anymore, the way it had been in the past. Instead, Fee woke suddenly and wildly in the night, convinced she was covered in blood, to the point where she'd end up going to the bathroom to check the mirror. She'd dream of that night, waking up with someone above her, shoving into her, and then a bat spattered with blood and other bits in her hands.

And those were the better ones.

Still, she was managing to get maybe five or six hours of sleep a night. Maybe not uninterrupted, but it was better than nothing. And it didn't keep her from getting to work and doing her job, so that was a bonus -- though her art had taken a hit. The shit was starting to look more like Hieronymous Bosch than Betsey Johnson, but there wasn't much to be done about that. Maybe she should start approaching some gaming companies out here with this macabre shit.

Either way, she was at work, already setting up the bar, cutting up limes, when the door opened. Fee's brow furrowed, and a sharp frown took over her face.

"Hey blondie," she said, keeping the edge in her voice as understated as she could. "We're not open yet."

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madamdeath
2011-10-17 10:11 pm UTC (link)

Now that she was fully moved into Pax, Ariana had resolved to stop avoiding CASKET like the plague and step up to bat more directly, so to speak. It was about time she became a more common sight at the club, though Julian had always been the one that fulfilled the role of the dutiful, on location owner far better than she. Her feelings about the club as of late were bitter at best (a gross understatement), but the sight of the building before her nevertheless gave her a definite feeling of pride. CASKET had stayed prosperous all these years, almost like a testament to her sheer determination to do a damn good job and finish whatever she set out to do. Even if things had gone sour between her and Julian, the club hadn't suffered in the way their marriage had.

Stepping through the front door was like stepping back into the past, though the interior of CASKET looked nothing like it did in the beginning days. It was beautiful inside the building, for they'd spared no expense when it came to making sure the club was as inviting and comfortable as possible, with just the right accents of class and familiarity. People were meant to return multiple times, unable to get enough of the atmosphere of the place, the liquor selection, and the live entertainment. They'd tell their friends about CASKET, and those friends would in turn tell their friends. Julian never failed to pull the right strings, knowing exactly how to turn a difficult deal in his favor, enabling the club to always have the best of whatever was available. And Ariana had handled things in her particular manner, effortlessly keeping track of their finances, ensuring there was always enough spending money to acquire those wonderful things that would boost CASKET'S popularity level.

But the club wasn't her life as it was Julian's. It never had been, and it never would be.

She cast her gaze at the girl tending to bar duties, who had greeted her a bit rudely. Ariana didn't recognize her, but how could she have? The last time she'd chosen to have a say in who was hired had been far too long ago. The girl was certainly a hand-picked hire of Julian's, and if her husband was anything, he was good judge of character--she wouldn't have been hired just for her next door girl looks, but for her talent at bartending and compatibility with the patrons of CASKET. Though Ariana wouldn't doubt Julian's decision, she was curious about the girl nonetheless. CASKET'S door had closed behind her before Ariana addressed the bartender's statement.

"Oh, I know when CASKET opens for business," Ariana said with a little smile. "I'm afraid we haven't met." She made her way to the bar, her black heels clicking on the floor tiles. She'd dressed impeccably for this occasion in a neatly ironed, classic black skirt and a white blouse. With her make-up carefully applied and her hair brushed out so that it fell neatly down her shoulders and back, she easily could have been just another patron of the club, dressed in a semi business casual manner, out looking for a good time and even better drinks. "I'm Ariana Veilleux," she revealed in a pleasant tone, though she took care to put extra emphasis on her married name. "And I happen to be your other boss, considering I own half of this place. You are...?"

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ladyofaralu
2011-10-17 11:03 pm UTC (link)

Fee's expression shifted rapidly over the time it took the other woman to approach the bar. First, her brow furrowed as the woman kept walking toward the bar, then lifted as she spoke. Veilleux. By the time the woman got around to asking her name, her head was canted to one side.

"Jules is married?" she asked incredulously. She guessed it made sense; people got married. But he hadn't, at any point she could remember, mentioned being married, or, way more importantly, that he had a co-owner, which meant that Fee had another boss, who she'd never met, and had never interviewed with. Pointing the knife she'd been cutting limes with at Ariana -- uptown name for an uptown lady, she guessed -- as though it were her finger, she arched a brow.

"So if you're the co-owner, and my boss and everything, where've you been the past month? And why didn't Jules mention you?"

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madamdeath
2011-10-18 02:06 am UTC (link)

Ariana hadn't expected Julian to share the details of his private life with those he hired; it was wrong on both a business and personal level. And unlike her--the more practical one, he had stopped wearing his wedding ring. This added another issue to the mix.

"He's been married for about thirteen years now," Ariana stated this simply, letting the information sink into the girl's mind.

In a moment's notice, the girl had pointed a knife at her, arming herself with questions that demanded answers. They were sensible questions, truthfully, but Ariana didn't appreciate having a sharp objected jabbed at her as if she had no right to be inside CASKET, or for that matter, to be married to Julian. This was what happened when you separated, she thought, remembering what her mother repeatedly told her during many of their phone conversations since Julian filed for divorce. Her parents had never fully supported her marrying Julian to begin with, and they had both felt extra justified in their reasoning when Ariana had called, quite upset, to say she'd been handed papers. It wasn't that they didn't care about her (both her mother and father had consoled her to the best of their abilities), but they believed she'd be better off finding someone who actually spent time with her--not a building.

Unfortunately, they were right on several accounts, but she held fast to her instincts, that marrying Julian hadn't been a bad thing in the beginning. Not at all. However, they'd come to this end regardless of their happier days.

"Well, since you must know, we're separated. I hardly think he'd spend his time mixing his private life with his business ventures," she said briskly, looking pointedly at the knife and then back at the girl, eyebrows raised in turn. There was disapproval in her tone, implying she wouldn't give out any of the juicy details. "Likewise, I've had my own matters to attend to--but you can be certain I'll be around more in the immediate future." It wasn't a threat, merely a fact, whether Julian would like it or not. As the girl was an employee, it didn't really matter if she approved. With a smile, Ariana nodded at the knife the girl held. "Would you mind not pointing that knife at me?" She cast her gaze over the multitude of liquors behind the bar counter, each brand name connecting with a specific drink she'd learn how to make firsthand.

Looking back at the girl, she continued. "So, what's your name? We might as well make ourselves acquainted. Julian doesn't hire anyone that hasn't the capability to handle this place on its busiest nights, so I already know ahead of time that you must be good at what you do."

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ladyofaralu
2011-10-19 02:01 am UTC (link)

It was good that Fee had no real interest in gossip; the only thing she cared about was information that would directly affect her, and having a second boss would definitely affect her, particularly if that second boss used to be-slash-kinda still was married to the first one. With a shrug, she set the knife down for the moment, not wanting to neglect the task for too long, but figuring this was probably important enough to interrupt it.

"I'm Fiona Shepherd," she said, not apologizing for now-resting knife, but giving the boss lady a cocky smile. "And I'm excellent at what I do. And bartending, too."

Looking Ariana over, she nodded. "So back to the thing about not mixing business and personal lives, I like the sound of that. You guys aren't going to be getting into knock-down drag-outs all the time, getting into power plays and whatnot to release the sexual tension, right? Because seriously, who can get anything done with that kind of shit going on?"

Fiona's tone was completely straightforward and sincere; there was no trace of cheek or mockery. It was an honest, if bold, question -- she just had no compunction about asking it.

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madamdeath
2011-10-25 02:12 am UTC (link)

The girl's confidence was refreshing, and Ariana returned her smile, though hers was knowing, not cocky. She'd have liked to see the girl in action on a packed night, to judge how well her words matched up with her talents. No doubt they would, but still.

Her questions were met with a lack of amusement on Ariana's end, and it had nothing to do with Fiona's bluntness. She reminded herself that Julian had--smartly, in some regard--mentioned nothing to the girl about him not being the only owner of CASKET. Fiona was now left to make her own assumptions about their marital situation based on that fact and this meeting alone. What happened after Ariana left was entirely up to Miss Shepherd and Julian to discuss, if it came to that.

Ariana almost dared to hope it would. How would Julian explain her appearance, silvertongue or no? It'd be a prickly situation for him, to say the least.

"You don't need to worry about anything of the sort happening. This is business, and business only." Ariana's response was curt, and she did her best not to outwardly bristle at the near implication put forward by Fiona--that Julian would stoop to the level of petty bickering while at their shared place of business, and she would stoop along with him. Absolutely not. "There won't be a reason for you to not do your best while on the clock."

And there most certainly wouldn't be, if Ariana had anything to say about it. Funny that she'd been in CASKET for longer than five minutes and Julian hadn't yet rushed out like a meddlesome housewife, overly-concerned as always about who might have walked through the front door. Heaven forbid someone even use the bathrooms without him knowing about it. She checked her irritation, wanting to not sour this discussion. Getting off on the wrong foot wouldn't help her cause any.

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ladyofaralu
2011-10-29 02:37 am UTC (link)

"Good, good," Fiona nodded, satisfied with the answer. At the end of the day, all she really needed out of a workplace was a place that gave her room to do her job and that didn't bleed drama every night. Well, at least not from the management end of things. It was a tall order when you worked in bars and clubs, but Fee had never been one to lower her expectations based on what other people did. Some bosses wouldn't take too well to having their employee speak so frankly, but Fee had never had a job she wanted so much that she'd thought it was worth it to have one boss fire her and the other hire her just to spite the first. If they wanted to throw martini glasses at each other in the back, that was great, as long as she didn't have to clean it up and she didn't get caught in the literal or figurative crossfire.

Having decided that this Ariana was acting like a pro, a broader, truer smile broke out across her face.

"All right, cool. Sounds good. Nice to meet you then, Boss. So do you wanna ask me some questions, or should I just pour you a drink so you can see what a kickass mixologist your ex hired?" Her grin broadened further still. "Of course, offering you your own booze selection might not seem like a huge courtesy, but I promise, I'll make magic out of your bottles."

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madamdeath
2011-11-04 10:09 pm UTC (link)

Ariana felt she had sufficiently exerted her presence, and, for the moment, had made a good impression on the new hire. It wasn't that she needed Fiona's approval--no, not Ariana--but given the girl's propensity to say exactly what was on her mind (something Ariana could respect, though one day Miss Shepherd would learn to better temper her speech), this conversation of theirs would soon find its way into Julian's possession.

As to what he would do with this new information--that not only had Ariana unknowingly moved a few doors down from him, but also gone so far as to visit CASKET as if she still went to the club on a regular basis, well. That was entirely up to him, and no doubt he wouldn't be pleased. But frankly, that was too damn bad.

Ariana offered Fiona another smile, intent on her good impression being a lasting one--though she knew to beware of trying to kiss ass, which was definitely not what she was doing. She was simply...getting to know the new girl Julian had hired.

"Thank you, but I prefer my drinks to be extra strong and I'm afraid I have too many errands to run after our visit. I won't distract you from your job much longer, but tell me, did Ysolde train you? She's very good, and I can't picture Julian allowing anyone else to show you the ropes." No doubt she had, for not only was the woman talented, but she was also one of Julian's favorite employees. Had she been behind the bar instead of Fiona, Ariana would've been willing to place a bet on how fast Ysolde would tell Julian of her arrival. Fiona, though outspoken, didn't seem the type to instantly run and tell a secret.

As if her appearance here in general would even be a secret much longer.

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ladyofaralu
2011-11-08 06:43 pm UTC (link)

Fiona laughed at Ariana's comment about strong drinks. This was definitely a lady who she could deal with working for. Work hard, play hard was one of Fiona's mottos, and everything just went smoother in a workplace where everyone had the same ideas about that kind of thing. At Ariana's question, she nodded.

"Yeah, she's been showing me how things work, all those little details that make a place its own." She nodded almost to herself, watching Ariana. The whole story between these two was definitely none of her business, and Ysolde wouldn't be talking even if she did know anything, she'd bet. Besides, Fee knew better than to get involved in her bosses' personal business... but there just seemed like there was some kind of underlying tension going on here.

Then she reminded herself for the umpteenth time that it wasn't her business.

"If there's anything you need, just let me know." Then, she grinned. "As long as I'm on the clock."

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madamdeath
2011-11-09 11:16 pm UTC (link)

With a private smile, Ariana remained rather unsurprised at Fiona's admission about Ysolde. Well, then. She would look forward to meeting with Ysolde in the near future. No doubt the reunion would be bittersweet at best.

But Ariana had collected enough information for today--and she wasn't about to wear out her welcome, despite CASKET being her business, too. There wasn't anything sensible about continuously keeping Miss Shepherd from her job. She was, she supposed, already intruding enough in a sense (however, it was a necessarily intrusion, a way of getting her feet wet again).

"You can be sure I will," she said pleasantly enough. "Well, I'll let you get back to work, and I'll see you very soon." Ariana made as to leave, briefly wondering if there was any true need for her to have Fiona tell Julian she'd stopped by for a little meet and greet with his newest bartender. Something in the girl's grin told Ariana that she ultimately didn't need to, for he'd most likely find out on his own, regardless. Nothing ever went on in CASKET without Julian knowing.

It was best, in this case, to let things unfold as they would.

"Have a good evening, Miss Shepherd," Ariana added. "Make sure those limes are put to good use." She smiled once more at the girl and then turned on her heel to leave, the clicking of her shoes on the floor tiles creating the same steady melody they had when she'd first entered the club. She walked with confidence, though inwardly she knew she'd have to prepare for another eventual confrontation with her estranged husband. The front door of CASKET closed behind her, and Ariana reminded herself that she'd simply have to handle things better than she had in the hallway of Pax. It wasn't an impossible endeavor.

She was all too aware she had purposely not asked if Julian was in his office, perhaps on the phone with an important contact, or busy shifting through the massive amount of paperwork that tended to collect over time.

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