the light catches the eye but shadows have (moretosay) wrote in summerview, @ 2019-01-01 11:06:00 |
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12/30
Maeve ✦ Marie
A post shift conversation about change PG Complete |
The Long Way Down doesn’t really close. That’s the benefit of a town where the liquor laws of the continental US don’t apply, a place like this could be 24/7. There were definitely peak times though, between major meals or in that strange void between the nocturnal folk and the day ones and such. Maeve usually used such (almost) peaceful moments to do paperwork or taking a moment to talk to her people, addressing anything they needed. This was one of those nights that Maeve herself didn’t work, they were full staffed and with no major crisis that required her to step in. It had only been a few days since she had hit her head and a few times a day she was still getting randomly dizzy or nauseous so, she didn’t feel too bad for hanging back and letting it run on it’s own. Ish. She was always a call away. But as much as she liked to show up and work, the place was supposed to be able to run without her too. Anyway, that was why she had her hair up in a bun with sweat pants in what passed for her office, sweater, running pants and little old man loafers. Comfy was the name of the game as she went through inventory her second hand woman had taken and a dozen order forms as she twirled a pen. Her office was the most boring part of the place, a scattering of gifts and weird knick knacks that were clearly from antique malls or garage sales, a sofa that swallowed you whole, and a gaming chair of all things angled towards her laptop. Maeve wasn’t here to impress anyone, just to get shit done and not be miserable while she did it. The door was open, it was always open unless she was talking to one of her employees about something that required privacy, like an RA who always kept their door unlocked, Maeve liked to be open and available. A stark difference to Briar, really, it wasn’t surprising that Julius took a year to recognize her even when she had a not subtle reputation in the town. Things were coming together nicely for Marie, and that helped quell her nerves - she was taking kind of a big leap, opening a restaurant in a supernatural community she hadn’t lived in for too long, but this was basically her dream. Something she actually wantedto do, and something she actively fantasized about when she was surrounded by oils, dolls, things that looked one-of-a-kind and were anything but; the altar toward the back of her former grifting business, where customers could leave offerings to different gods (most would bring coins and cigarettes, which also made for an interesting display), was probably the most authentic aspect. And that was saying a lot. Not in her restaurant. It would be all authentic, because her recipes were the real deal. “Bonjour,” she greeted, knuckles rapping lightly on Maeve’s office door. Marie was back here because she wanted her boss to be involved in the new restaurant - people who were good to Marie, she was good in return. That was just how it went for her - and besides, even her parents restaurant had been successful thanks to the community where they lived. Hopefully Maeve would want to be involved. “Do you have a moment?” Any distraction from paperwork was welcome, even if, by this point, Maeve considered herself to be good enough at it, all things considered. Five years as a long time to get a process down for someone who had learned much more intensive skills on the fly so it wasn’t even that impressive actually. But still. It was tedious, and she would much rather be talking to the lovely interruption at her door. “For you, always ma chérie.” Maeve flipped her stack of paper work over and locked her laptop screen so it was dark, more of a symbolic gesture than anything to show that the younger woman had her full attention. She gestured towards the sofa as she rolled her chair towards her mini fridge to grab a bottle of water to offer her one, “Close the door, rest your feet, how have you been? I’ve been out of touch the last few days.” A mild concussion would do that, but what can you do right? As instructed, Marie shut the door and took a seat on the sofa. The bottled water transferred gratefully to her hands with a thanks - she was thirsty, definitely, and always needed to remember to keep hydrated on the job. The kitchen felt hotter than the flames of Hell on some days, and bustling back and forth - well, she did get tired. She gulped down a few mouthfuls, assessing Maeve - she didn’t look terrible, but she didn’t look well either. And Marie had noticed she wasn’t around the pub as much as she usually was. “I have been fine, what about you?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow. “There is something I wished to speak to you about but first, if you’re - well, I can heal you, if you’d like. If something is wrong.” That, admittedly, wasn’t why she’d come back here - but now she couldn’t not offer. It was also rare for her to offer, since she’d need to take chi from another source, but that was no problem. They could find someone easily. Maeve drained her own bottle before reaching for another one herself, cracking it open as she leaned back in her chair and pulled her legs up into the seat to sit criss cross, comfortably and casual. For someone who worked and lived how she did she still tried to remain, you know, ish healthy. Tried not to day drink, that sort of thing. It was kind of her to offer, but the thought kind of raised the hair on the back of her neck. Not that she hadn’t lain with a Succubus or two in her time, but the thought of absorbing someone else’s chi — along with a bit of Marie’s — was a little disconcerting. It didn’t help that as she had gotten older she had gradually become more paranoid, and it was just too much sharing, really. She waved off the suggestion, “Naw, I’m already better, kind of you to offer though.” Her ankle was still sore but she was fine as long as she kept the majority of her weight off of it, “Whatchu’ got pretty lady?” Mind already spinning out possibilities of what Marie could need, hoping she hadn’t missed some sort of conflict brewing. Usually she was good at catching those sorts of things before it got to be an issue. Marie shrugged, sipping her water. “If you insist,” and she wouldn’t press the issue - it wasn’t a big deal to her, she lived off of chi and had to or else, well. She’d wither and waste away, dying wearing the face of a demon. It wasn’t as if she chose this for herself - her parents had a 50/50 shot of making another succubus when her mother decided to get pregnant, and as it turned out her firstborn had lost the genetic lottery. Sometimes she was resentful, but mostly she did what she had to do to survive - and also tried to do good things here and there, like heal others. It sometimes would assuage the guilt within. Most of the time it did not. But she’d rather focus on her restaurant. That was at least pure joy - it wasn’t hurting anyone. “I am going to open my restaurant very soon, in a few weeks,” she said, her eyes bright with excitement. “It is on the waterfront. I’ve been planning and wanting this for a long time - years, really. And it’s all coming to a head. But I would like you to be involved?” Of course she did. “If you want to be, that is.” Oh thank the Gods, it was the restaurant. Something happy welcome instead of drama or finding out oops Marie had accidentally drained a customer dry. Not that she expected that to happen, but you know, it never hurt to have a plan. Maeve had always opened her doors to anyone, employee or customer alike. With her blood it would be hypocritical not to. “So soon? That's impressive!” Marie had talked about it from day one, and she had expected it to open ‘next year’ but knowing how expensive and intense that venture could be she had been fully prepared to keep saying next year. But she was genuinely excited, especially from what she saw from Marie when she had free reign in the kitchen to experiment, “That's impressive! I'm excited for you, of course I want to be involved, how can I help? I can give you a list of my suppliers mundane and magical, and do you need investment capital.” Her fingers dug out a clean notepad and a pen, ready to take notes, “and what a perfect location!” “I have been working on the business plan for awhile,” Marie smiled - she was so excited about her restaurant, so looking forward to it, that her grin could have rivaled the glow of the moon. It wasn’t exactly all teeth, but it illuminated her eyes and made her black diamond heart splutter with the good kind of anxiety in her chest. “And all of that would be perfect, merci.” She’d also done the research as far as what would be her best bet for a first-time restaurant owner - plans, analyses, reviewing statements. It would be difficult to do in general, but on her own? Even if just for the first couple of years, she could use some backup. “I was wondering if you would like to be a partner?” she asked. “I’d name a dish after you either way, of course.” Maeve had given her a job when she first arrived in Summerview with a dream, fresh from New Orleans, so it was just Marie’s way of paying that back a little. She was grateful. Of course she had. Marie had a good head on her shoulders, Maeve had thought that from the get-go. They had a bit in common, though the younger woman had a clear eyed vision of where she wanted to go and how to get there. Maeve, or rather Briar, only wanted to ensure she never went hungry and never had to depend on anyone again. She respected that about Marie. “Sure, I’ll get some lists for you, and how much are you lacking, funds wise?” Her tone had changed a little more focused, giving this and Marie the respect that was due. Maeve laughed at the dish comment, waving it away, “Oh that won’t be necessary, but I’ll take you saving a table for me every now and then.” Partner, what a lovely idea. She hadn’t played the investment game in a bit, and this seemed like a safe one. It would give her ties to Summerview if she ever gave up the pub. “Partner is an interesting proposal. I’d only want to do offer help as you asked though, I don’t want to overstep. The menu and decorations for instance, I don’t want to get in your way of.” Boundaries and being realistic of her abilities seemed like a good place to start. Maeve was a planner, even if she didn’t broadcast that. “I am sure we can work something out - so both of us are doing what we’re comfortable with,” Marie replied merrily, rummaging in her purse. It was a large one, more a messenger bag today, and she pulled out a folder with some papers clipped inside. “But oui, my recipes for the menu are mostly in my head anyway. And the decorations will look like New Orleans threw up in the place.” A twinkle in her eye at that. And she definitely would save a table and perhaps name a dish after Maeve too - it would be a surprise, then. Some Cajun cuisine had been influenced by Irish settlers - she would come up with a tasty something for sure. She’d been helped and assisted by a few key people in Summerview, and one of the best ways to get a dish named after you was to get in good with the owner, yes? Those papers, she flipped through them and passed them over. “Here is everything, in terms of what else is needed - funds and the like. I’ve been as organized as I can be.” Not like she wanted Maeve to regret this partnering decision. Maeve nodded, confident in both Marie’s ability to keep the wheel of the place and that she wouldn’t ask too much of her. After all she still had her bar, and the side jobs Marie didn’t know about, as well as an erratic social life. Maybe a date? Who knows. Still, it meant her time and energy was limited, but she knew how much pressure and stress came with starting a new business, so she would help Marie alleviate that as much as she could. Reasonably. “Are you going for authentic New Orleans, or tourist trap New Orleans?” Genuine curiousity there, because they were definitely two different things, and neither was bad and one was definitely an easy money maker. She took the papers and went silent for a moment, eyes skimming the paper quickly, someone who had grown used to having to memorize and take things in quickly, especially numbers. But a moment later she flipped through them again, slower and taking in more detail, “Do you mind if I write down things that catch my eye? I can get you a check in a few days by the way,” Maeve’s personal accounts were in the same sort of strange, thrice security wrapped system as most of her others, unlike the bar’s account. But this wasn’t going to come out of there, “Do you want it addressed to you or do you have a business account already instead?” This was very domestic, all things considered, just like that breakfast with Julius. It was weird how it felt like a victory. “This will be a good contrast to this place and Veritas I think, definitely more of a family vibe. I think it’s going to have a lot of long term potential, Marie.” They really did need more balance in the town, especially considered it was technically a refugee town in the end, and had a strange hodge podge of people to suit that. “I think so too, and non - I don’t mind, write down whatever you wish,” Marie insisted, leaning over to flip to the page where her business information was listed, the account name and all that. She’d prefer to keep her business finances and personal finances separate - that was where you got into trouble, and sure, this was a sleepy little town where a lot of ‘rules’ were bent or even dust in the wind on a regular basis, but still. Minding her P’s and Q’s seemed to be the best way to thrive. As to whether she’d go for tourist New Orleans or the more authentic feel, she actually knew the difference Maeve was referring to. There was chintzy and then there was chintzy. “My tarot and palm-reading business on Bourbon was more touristy,” she said. “It was successful. But my parents had a more authentic restaurant - it didn’t look like your typical tourist trap. Lots of the success was word of mouth, locals, and then people stumbling in when they couldn’t get a table at Cafe du Monde.” And then Katrina had washed it away, that bitch, but that little fact was neither here nor there. “So a combination of both. When in doubt though, I always learn toward more authentic - but a dash of chintzy doesn’t hurt,” she winked. Using a crystal ball at her grifting business, for example - it made her feel like the floating head from the Haunted Mansion sometimes. But it brought in tourists, and their cash. Ca-ching. “Oh good,” Maeve gave her an appreciative smile as she wrote down what she would need for her bank to send Marie a check, along with a few things she thought were missing and contacts at the companies that were already on her list. Julius may be right that she kept people at a distance and sure, that made it hard to have real friends, but she was very good at networking still. Keeping good rapport and contact details with people who could be useful at some point down the line. Marie had done a great deal of research already, and at a glance without breaking out a calculator or any of the frankly insane amount of catalogues restaurant supply stores sent her on a regular basis. Oh, well, maybe that one, but she wanted to crunch the numbers before she said anything. Any plan was better voiced after double checking. “Oh man, are you going to fly them out here to eat on opening night?” This was sounding better and better by the moment, a mix of real and the mysterious yet glamorous but still fake image people had of New Orleans. Also, she was getting hungrier. “My mère and père? I might. I would like for them to come at some point no matter what,” she mused, twisting a bit of pink hair in thought, fingers running through. “They taught me much of what I know. My père is human though - it’s mère who is the succubus.” Marie wasn’t sure how that worked with the island - when she left New Orleans she told her parents where she was going, she didn’t keep that a secret, but her father not being a member of the supernatural community worried her. She was aware not everyone on this island was accepting of humans, which was silly to her - you couldn’t damn an entire race for the actions of a few. Her father was one of the most accepting, patient people she knew - you’d have to be, to stay married to a succubus. But at any rate, she’d figure something out. Send them pictures and video, at the very least. “Anyway, I also wanted to say thank you - for your help with everything. I’d like to still hang around your pub, if I can,” she smiled. Ah, that made sense. Maeve wondered if there were many couples that were two Succubi together, or if there was some sort of dominance or territorial issue. “I have heard of spouses living here before, the mayor's office has tokens so the barrier doesn't cause a fuss, I think.” Even if her own familial experiences were touch and go at best, she understood the want for them and the comfort they could give. “I'm sure they are going to be proud of you.” And she meant that too, hell, she was proud of her and they weren't even blood. Some people may not like her father visiting but with him probably radiating Succubus magic it was entirely possible they would get in and out without anyone being the wiser. The thanks made her vaguely uncomfortable for some reason. Maybe it was because she was still getting used to doing selfless things for people, not that she had any regrets. Still, she waved it away, “That's what I'm here for. Our doors are always open to you, beautiful, and my own if you need to unload about anything.” “I didn’t know that about tokens,” Marie mused, considering this. “I will have to stop by the Mayor’s office.” If her father could visit the island, then she wanted it to happen - of course she’d keep her parents updated about everything, but seeing the fruits of her labor in person was important. Poor Maeve, Marie was also uncomfortable with gestures of thanks. She didn’t consider herself ‘nice’ or particularly ‘giving,’ and a lot of it was written in her DNA and another part just had to do with survival skills being the most finely crafted for her. She was from New Orleans, that’s just what she did. But alas, she wouldn’t make a big deal of showering her boss in praise or anything. Merely grinned and began stuffing her things back into her bag. “I should go for now, yes? I’ll be back for my next shift though. Early.” She wasn’t done with waitressing yet, A couple more nights of good tips were like gold to her. Maeve stood with her, making sure that all of her papers were nice and neat before she handed them back to the younger woman. Soon, she would need to find someone to take Marie's shifts but for now she would be focusing on ways she could help her. It was a good distraction. Made her feel useful. There was nothing she valued more than her own independence, and she was looking forward to being a part of establishing that for someone else. “Good to hear it, we'll have a party on your last night, yeah?” Maeve offered as she watched her stow her things. |