InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "It was never that big!"

i_gotslimed (i_gotslimed) wrote in we_coexist,
@ 2008-08-05 11:44:00

Entry tags:

karen walker, liz sherman, madame xanadu, peter venkman, violet baudelaire

Open House [Ghostbusters HQ - wide open]
Peter Venkman strutted around on top of a folding table outside the huge doors of the old firehouse. He pulled a few silly dance moves and mock "rock-out" faces to the delight of the children, as Ray Parker Jr.'s (now official) anthem played on a vintage 1990 boombox.

"If there's somethin' strange," Venkman crooned into his micophone along with the music, "in your neighborhood ... who you gonna call?" He held out his microphone and the children answered him enthusiastically.

Beneath his feet, draped over the table, was a banner indicating an Open House. Stickers and temporary tattoos bearing the logo were stacked here and there, as were pamphlets about the services the company rendered (with no mention of price ranges).

He hopped off the table, strode over to one kid's attractive mom and put his hand on her shoulder. Microphone still in hand, he continued to follow the music. "Lemme tell you somethin' - bustin' makes me feel goo-ood!" Then, retreating to the table again, he spoke. "All right, you guys. That's all for Doctor Venkman right now. I'll be around signing autographs later. Remember, kids, you can pick up an official Ghostbusters T-shirt for twenty American dollars. Just ask your parents' permission. Sad puppy eyes - that's the key. Tug on those heartstrings, kids. All right, thanks! You've been a wonderful crowd! Good night, City!"

A bit breathlessly, Venkman trotted into the station. "Hey anybody see a ghost somewhere? Hi. How's it going. Enjoying yourself? Whoop! Watch it with that thing. I'm not wearin' my proton-proof vest." He proceeded to mingle, looking for anyone with a question.

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i_burn
2008-08-05 12:10 pm UTC (link)

Liz was stilly slightly bemused by all that had happened to her.

She'd ended up in a place called The City and nothing at all was familiar to her. No Abe. No Roger. No Kate. She new nothing about this new city that she was in.

Her credit cards still seemed to work though, which was good because she was going through smokes like there was no tomorrow.

She lit another cigarette with her finger as she walked down the street. Noticing a big crowd around an old fire house, she wandered over to see what was going on.

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i_gotslimed
2008-08-05 03:59 pm UTC (link)

"Glad you could make it," greeted Dr. Venkman, toning it down just a little, but keeping to the loose script in his head. "I'm detecting you're not familiar with the Ghostbusters. Not a problem. We're always happy to make new friends. We are the world's first, foremost, and finest private paranormal investigation and elimination franchise. We hunt down and incarcerate ghosts, goblins, imps, yetis - anything that's not in National Geographic. As we like to say, if there's somethin' weird and it don't look good, who you gonna call?" He gestured, inviting her to finish the slogan.

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i_ohscrewit
2008-08-05 04:29 pm UTC (link)

Karen, not really understanding what had just gone on with the dying thing considering what Lestat had told her, but being alright with the alive once again thing - be it due to the soul she'd sold or be it due to the vampire thing, didn't matter, wandered up to the party-like thing, ready to work.

The sun did burn a little bit. But so far there'd been no fire.

She was a little irritated due to the fact that she was completely and entirely sober.

Walking up to a little kid, she held out her flask. "Could you do me a little favor, honey? Could you just drink this for Auntie Karen and then just let her have a little taste? Hm?"

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i_look
2008-08-05 07:56 pm UTC (link)

Xanadu felt a little claustrophobic in the old fire station. Though she could not see, she could barely guide her way through the crowds with her cane and the noise of children assaulted her ears from every direction. Her curiosity regarding the Ghost Busting business was in danger of being outweighed by her desire for quiet.

"Oh Mom! Mom! Please can I have a t-shirt?"

Xanadu apologized as the eager ten year old, leading his mother by the wrist, blazed a trail almost right through her. Xanadu readjusted the sunglasses quickly, the remains of her eyes were still fresh and only barely scabbed over. There was no need to give anyone nightmares.

The seer turned, "Excuse me? Who's in charge here?"

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i_gotslimed
2008-08-06 10:52 am UTC (link)

Venkman turned to see the woman in the crowd, demanding his attention. Maybe she was a troublemaker. Maybe she was a party pooper. He'd have to stay on his toes in case he had to get rid of her with some fast-talking. She may have been rather lovely, and apparently blind, but Venkman was an equal-opportunity smartass.

"I am," he said, taking her free hand in a friendly greeting, reinforced by holding her forearm in his other hand. "Doctor Venkman, co-founder and CEO of Ghostbusters International. What can I do for you?"

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i_look
2008-08-06 03:38 pm UTC (link)

Xanadu slipped a card from her sleeve in a slight-of-hand move with the sort of ease reserved for card cheats. The business card fit easily in his hand, for a business that went by the name of Tea Leaves.

"You heard about the serial killer from the paper?"

Xanadu lowered the tone of her voice, "I may have your first job. You see, I was one of his victims. There are more details you should know but perhaps we could arrange to meet later?"

She gently slid his fingers to her wrist, to prove that she had a pulse and in fact did not need to be busted.

"I want to find out what happened."

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i_gotslimed
2008-08-06 04:03 pm UTC (link)

He nodded in genuine appreciation at the card trick - not that she could see his reaction. That kind of prestidigitation can't easily be taught to someone who is blind. She must have been blinded in adulthood, he surmised.

He got a little flutter of schoolboy giddiness when she asked to meet him later, then softly moved her hand around in his. However, after a second or two he picked up on the fact that she was just trying to show she was not a ghost.

Whether or not the enchanting woman was flirting with him, luck was in the cards, it seemed. He had planned on investigating the mystery of these resurrections pro bono, starting with his own assistant, Karen. However, if someone was willing to pay, so much the better.

"I do, too," he said with as much sincerity as he could muster without sounding forced. This was always hard for him. "I'll personally oversee this case for you. We'll talk soon."

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	i_ohscrewit 2008-08-06 10:26 pm UTC (link)
	"There you are, honey." Karen walked over, looking over her shoulder at the kid who's parent was scowling at her. "Listen, are any of these little crotch monkeys yours? Cause I really have to get something taken care of. Namely the fact that I'm only seeing one of you right now and I haven't seen one of anything in forty years." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_gotslimed
2008-08-07 12:17 pm UTC (link)

"So Karen, tell me," said Dr. Venkman, appearing behind his assistant, "this tall redhead you used to work for ... did she also have horns and a tail?" He grabbed the flask and tried to yank it out of Karen's hands, but she held it tight. They tugged it back and forth for a second. "Would-you-give-me-that..." Venkman muttered between his teeth. Finally he let go and sighed.

He spoke to her in hushed tones so as not to attract further attention. "Sweetheart, I'm sure there's a very good reason you want to give a child hard liquor," he said with obvious sarcasm, "but where I come from, it's kind of a no-no."

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i_ohscrewit
2008-08-08 03:07 pm UTC (link)

"Uhg. So many rules, honey." Karen sneered at the little child and turned to face Venkman wholly.

"How about you then, sugar? Just take a little nip o the good stuff and let mamma have a little drinky? I got some party poppers too, it'd be great if you'd mix the candy a little. It's okay. All the cool kids do it."

Maybe she could find someone to just stay drunk all the time and live in her house. Suddenly, Karen missed Rosario quite a bit.

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i_gotslimed
2008-08-09 04:52 pm UTC (link)

"Karen, I'm at work right now," he said with the gentle patience of a parent speaking to a child. "Maybe when we're done here we can explore your ideas for a fun evening, but..."

Suddenly, peanut butter met jelly. He paused, and regarded her warily, now. "When you say you want a drink, you're not talking about out of a glass, are you?" He really should have seen it. She was a vampire - or something like it - who liked her blood flavored with a little spike of something extra.

Oh well. Nobody's perfect.

"I'll see what I can cook up for you when we're done here." She didn't seem evil - well, okay, not intentionally malevolent, anyway - so he figured it was in everyone's best interest if he fixed her up with a steady supply of blood that wouldn't hurt anyone.

He resumed his parental manner, grabbing her shoulders. "You be good, now, okay?" He kissed the top of her head, patted her cheek, and headed into the crowd again.

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i_burn
2008-08-05 09:50 pm UTC (link)

Liz stared at the man before a moment before finishing, "Ummm, the Ghostbusters?"

She was terribly confused. The Ghostbusters was a movie, not real. But here in front of her eyes was the old firehouse, and Dr. Venkman in front of her.

Taking a long drag from her quickly diminishing cigarette she thought long and hard about what to say next.

"So, where are the rest of the Ghostbusters?"

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i_gotslimed
2008-08-06 10:36 am UTC (link)

"They didn't make it here," Venkman replied, his smile dropping a little. "It's just me and my toys. Actually, don't spread it around too much, but I'm hoping to find some potential new employees with this shindig."

The smell of the girl's cigarette curled around his head. He chewed his thumbnail briefly. "Hey, I'm sorry, could I ask you to put that out? I haven't had a smoke in a year, and I don't want to fall into old habits right after I've arrived in the City. I'm trying to get my Presidential Physical Fitness award."

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i_burn
2008-08-06 11:47 am UTC (link)

Liz thought of something sarcastic to say back, but deceided to be nice. The cigarette was dead anyway. And since it seemed that Liz was out of a job, she should be nice to someone who could possibly be interested in hiring her.

"Sorry to hear it's just you, but it looks like you're doing pretty well." She looked out at the crowd, which was pretty impressive.

"Have you gone out to capture any ghosts here in The City at this point?"

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i_gotslimed
2008-08-06 04:03 pm UTC (link)

Venkman breathed a quick sigh. The gloom cookie seemed intent on getting him down. It was true, he hadn't explored the city too carefully, but he had picked up a few promising PKE and NE readings. There had to be work for him here, right?

"No, not yet. I'm just doing this grand opening here, hire a few strapping lads and lasses, and then we'll see who's got a ghost they need busted. And if there's time, maybe fit in some karaoke."

He had to keep moving, meeting the public, so he cordially concluded his conversation. "If you're interested in hiring or working, there's some forms for either one over by the lovely lady at the table there. Now, I'm sorry, but I gotta mingle a little more. Wonderful meeting you." He shook her hand and made his way back into the crowd.

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	i_burn 2008-08-06 05:15 pm UTC (link)
	As soon as the good Dr. had left, she lit another cigarette. She walked over and took an application and made her way out of the crowd. She was almost out of smokes anyway. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	i_invent 2008-08-06 01:55 pm UTC (link)
	Violet wandered past and decided to at least take a peek inside. Those machines had gotten her interest as an inventor plus as she figured there must be a loaded trash can or two full of parts! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	i_gotslimed 2008-08-07 01:07 pm UTC (link)
	"How's it going over here?" Dr. Venkman greeted, a little nervous about curious hands exploring the ghost busting equipment. He had removed the batteries and the radioactive material to prepare them for public display, but the proton packs were still fairly fragile. "I'm Dr. Venkman. I can answer any questions you might have." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	i_invent 2008-08-07 01:19 pm UTC (link)
	"As a scientist I was just curious about the inner workings of the equipment" Violet's brains were in full bloom. "Mostly because of the proton packs" as she easily explained. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_gotslimed
2008-08-07 04:08 pm UTC (link)

A scientist. That was adorable.

Honestly, no sarcasm. No, really! Genuine affection for the human race.

"Well, basically, we plug in a little radioactive material here - radium, processed cheese, whatever's handy," he said, pointing to a small, heavily-shielded compartment on top, "then this laser here vaporizes it ... directs it into the miniature cyclotron here," he pointed to the flat cylinder dominating the structure, "which accelerates the particles fast enough to get them to break apart, like throwing your brother's Lego castle at the wall ... then we have a massive, positive charge down here, by the battery. The electrons stick to that, the neutrons are caught in here," he pointed to a smaller cylinder just above the cord that connected to the handheld, "and all the protons go flying down the conduct channel, where we can control their frequency and volume with the wand. Easy peasy.

"Have they taught you much nuclear physics in your middle school, yet?"

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	i_invent 2008-08-07 09:12 pm UTC (link)
	"I would actually be in high school back home in England, tested into advanced and honors level science classes" Violet had to smile. Being only 16 could cause a few problems. She whipped out the notes for a new idea, she had been working on a booby trap that used some supplies she found around the youth hostel and a few lighters she found in the trash can. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

i_gotslimed
2008-08-09 05:09 pm UTC (link)

"Ah. I'm sorry," he said with sincerity. "I always hated when grown-ups couldn't figure out my age, and now I'm doing it.

"You're a pretty sharp little scalpel, though, aren't you? Tell you what - we're not hiring any interns right now, but if we're still here in a few years, give me a shout. We could do with a good brain around here. And I'm sorry, I didn't get your name..."

He truly wished there was a place for her with the Ghostbusters. She put on a good face, but he could tell that, like Peter himself, she didn't have the happiest childhood. Was there anything else he could do for her in the meantime?

"Actually, go ahead and stop by whenever you feel like it. If you need a place to study or anything, our doors are open to you."

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	i_invent 2008-08-10 11:33 pm UTC (link)
	"It happens more often than you think so nothing to worry about" Violet's sweet nature took over. But like a pro she could hide her real feelings with the best of them. "Baudelaire,Violet Baudelaire and I only got here I think a few days go" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

(in the style of Lemony Snicket, for kicks)

i_gotslimed
2008-08-14 09:31 am UTC (link)

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Baudelaire," he said, which is the proper thing to say when meeting a capable young woman who has just fallen into an alternate universe. "Have you found your footing yet?"

Found your footing is a phrase that here means, "do you have a warm bed and a dry place to put your clothes when you're not wearing them and some grown-ups to fix food for you to eat and to take care of you if you get in trouble?" He said this as part of polite conversation, rather than any serious concern for her well-being. He was perfectly capable of helping Violet find her footing, but he wasn't very interested in doing it. He had grown-up things to worry about right now, like overheads and advertising impressions and containment grid maintenance and upkeep.

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