OOM - Fangtasia/Northman residence

[lazy_but_loyal]

Okay. She's got this.

Eric has left with Russell Edgington and his new bride Sophie-Ann. And now Pam has ensconced herself in Eric's office and is actually doing stuff. And things. Because she has to, and procrastinating isn't an option. With one eye on the clock, she needs to get things in order at Fangtasia at least an hour before dawn if they're going to be open for business tomorrow night.



She calls the number for the professional cleaners that ask no questions and talks to a guy with a Russian accent who requires cash up front. It's a lot of cash, but it'll be worth it. They'll be at the club in forty-five minutes.

With that out of the way, she calls Ginger.

"Pam!" she nearly shrieks over the phone. "Oh mah Gawd, are you all right? I was at the bar two nights ago, but there were these guards at the door who wouldn't tell me a thing, so I tried callin' y'all and callin' y'all, but there was ever any answer, so I figured you and Eric were outta town or somethin', but why--"

"Ginger."

"...Yes, Pam?"

"Shut the fuck up and listen."

"Sure thing, Pam."

"Don't come in to work tonight. But come in tomorrow during the day, and straighten up the place. It looks like a fucking pigsty."

"Okay, I can do that. Anythin' else?"

"That's all for now."

"Okay! Just lemme know if there's anythin'--"

"I will."

Click.

Pam rubs her temple. That Ginger.

The Magister's minions had trashed the bar. Fortunately they hadn't destroyed much of what was in the storeroom, but Pam will still need to restock their supply of liquor and TruBlood. And buy new glassware to replace what's been broken. Fuckers.

And now she has to tell the rest of the staff not to come in. That's easy enough. She leans back in Eric's chair and scrolls through her phone's saved numbers, and after composing a quick text message, she sends it out to all the staff.

There. Done. Next?

Jay. Pickup truck. Right.

She calls the vampire-friendly rental place. The woman on the other end of the line tells her that they can get a truck to Fangtasia within the next two hours. Awesome. Pam will just have to get a ride home with Jay, but whatever.

While she's putting in orders for liquor, the cleaners arrive. They are two large men in overalls, one human, one vampire, equipped with an industrial grade vacuum pump, mops, and a large drum of bleach. Pam pays them, and then shows them down to the dungeon. As is their business motto, they don't ask questions. It takes them about an hour to completely sterilize everything. Pam is impressed.

No more Magister.

It's not long before the pickup truck arrives in the parking lot. Pam signs the paperwork, and the driver hands her the keys.

So far, everything is going according to plan. She anticipates the moment when the whole thing goes off the fucking rails, but for now, she'll take it.

Time to go get Jay.

Milliways napkin in her back jeans pocket, she opens the door to Eric's office--

--and enters the bar at the end of the universe.

Comments

[runningred]

Jay cleans himself up and orders some pizza, staying discretely out of her way. He pulls a notepad out of his bag and starts sketching - mostly technical notes but also a quick drawing of the lines of her face over the top of the computer screen.

[lazy_but_loyal]

So, corsets. And not the cheap Hot Topic shit. Maybe something custom made.

Without looking up from the screen, she asks nonchalantly,

"What're you doing?"

She can hear Jay sketching and senses his eyes on her.

[runningred]

"Busted." Jay mutters and holds up the sketch. "It was a good angle for the light."

His phone buzzes to say the pizza has arrived and he leaves the drawing on the table as he goes to fetch it. It's a pretty good likeness and flattering.

[lazy_but_loyal]

She glances up at the sketch, catching a glimpse of it before Jay leaves the room. Eventually her curiosity gets the better of her (much like it did with Athelstan and his digital camera), and she gets up to get a better look at it. Because apparently she won't have subpar sketches of herself in a notepad that belongs to a guy who isn't even from the same world.

"Not bad."

[runningred]

"Thanks." He comes back, sitting on the couch with his pizza and soda. "Take it if you want it."

[lazy_but_loyal]

She shrugs.

"Keep it."

Sitting back down at the laptop, she resumes her shopping.

After a moment, she turns the laptop around so Jay can see the screen.

"What do you think of this corset?"

The corset in question is made of black and red satin with a floral pattern. What makes it unique is the jagged edges, like flames or teeth, at the hem and between the shoulders.

[runningred]

He munches on his pizza quietly, still sketching.

He cocks his head when she shows him the screen. "I like that. The shaped edge draws the eye. There's an Australian brand called Gallery Serpentine? They make really nice customs at a pretty good price."

[lazy_but_loyal]

With a thoughtful little "hm," she turns the laptop around and does a search for Gallery Serpentine.

"Price is no object," she remarks as she browses the site. "And how do you know about this company?"

[runningred]

Jay looks up from his dinner with a slightly abashed expression. "Friend of mine had a few of their pieces. They do very nice transgender corsets."

[lazy_but_loyal]

She arches an eyebrow at him over the edge of the screen with another little "hm," before clicking through some of the items.

"Eric liked seeing me in that dress on Halloween, so he suggested I treat myself to a new corset. Or rather, treat him to one."

[runningred]

"I'm sure you have a good idea of what he'd like to see you in most." Jay defers gracefully.

[lazy_but_loyal]

She smirks. He's still so polite.

Suddenly her phone rings, and she answers it. It's her ride; the car is waiting outside.

Pam closes the laptop and gets up, and she shoulders her bag.

"Text me when you're done and on your way so I know to expect you."

[runningred]

"Will do. I should be done by midnight but I'll let you know."

[lazy_but_loyal]

She nods.

"Have fun."

And with that, she's out the door.



Fangtasia just doesn't have that vibe when Eric isn't there on his throne.

Pam fields the usual inquiries from disappointed fangbangers regarding his whereabouts, but all she can say is that he's out of town on business. By the fifth time she has to repeat herself, she resorts to surly looks (surlier than usual, that is) to keep them from asking again.

Two dancers and one bartender called out, so Pam has to pull one of the present dancers to help the head bartender on his shift. A shipment of new glassware and liquor comes in, so all of that has to be put away and inventoried. Ginger, meanwhile, is running around like a chicken with her head cut off. But she does that anyway.

Luckily it's a relatively slow night, so everyone isn't spread too thinly. The only trouble that arises is when a baby vamp decides that taking a selfie while sitting on Eric's throne is a good idea. It's not. It's really not. Pam snatches his phone away and threatens to break it, as well as his neck, if he doesn't get his ass out of the chair.

By the time midnight rolls around, Pam is actively checking her phone every few minutes for a text from Jay, just to distract herself.

[runningred]

Jay messages right on 12.30 that he's done and on his way.

He pulls the truck up in the carpark, in an out of the way corner and comes in, carrying his toolkit. He's taken the time to clean up, a fresh shirt and his hair pulled back.

He assess the feel of the bar as he comes inside. He nods to Pam, waiting out of the way for her to acknowledge him.

[lazy_but_loyal]

"Oh, thank fuck," she breathes out when the text pops up on her phone. Another distraction.

The place is about half-packed when Jay arrives, techno-rock blaring on the speakers, couples grinding on the dance floor and dancers writhing on the poles. Pam is waiting at the bar, and when she spots Jay, she crosses the room toward him.

"We can use the back door to bring your trailer through," she says, leaning in a little to be heard over the music.

[runningred]

"You look like you're short handed at the bar? I'm happy to step in if you want?"

[lazy_but_loyal]

She hesitates for a moment, glancing back at the bar and the crowd. It should be all right without his help, but-- it couldn't hurt.

"Sure, why not. There's a couple of hours until last call if you're up for it."

With a tic of her head, she motions for him to follow her.

[runningred]

He nods and follows, scanning the crowd as he does. Doesn't hurt to get a feel for the crowd.

[lazy_but_loyal]

Behind the bar, there's a burly tattooed bartender with a Fu-Manchu mustache, and a girl with green spiky hair and a scanty leather-and-fishnets outfit serving drinks.

"Bruno, Mandy. Here, have another pair of hands for tonight. This is Jay."

Bruno nods with a grunt; Mandy gives him an indifferent stare.

"Don't eat him," Pam adds.

Both of them grin toothily.

Pam waves Jay behind the bar.

[runningred]

Jay gives them both a respectful nod and gets to work. He turns on the charm, all the way up to play up to the crowd.

He's worked more than a few bar and bouncer shifts in the off days between missions and knows his way about a cocktail shaker. And the fang-banger crowd is easy to impress.

[lazy_but_loyal]

A skinny, petite blonde woman, wearing denim cutoffs and a floral halter top, and carrying a bucket of ice, edges her way behind the bar.

"Oh, hey!" Ginger chirps at Jay, grinning a bit goofily. "Have we met?"

They might have; she can't remember. Then again, she can't remember much of anything!

[runningred]

"I don't think so." Jay smiles, offering her a hand between pouring drinks. "I'm Jay. I'm... one of Eric's." He leaves it at that. "I offered Pam a hand. Looks like you guys were a little short staffed."

[lazy_but_loyal]

She wipes her hand on a towel and shakes his hand.

"One of Eric's...?" She stares at him blankly for a second. "Oh! Oh, never mind, okay, I get it." And she gives him an exaggerated wink.

One of Eric's under-the-table employees! Obviously!

"Yeah, things've been a bit off-kilter the past couple of days, but I think we're good now. Thanks for steppin' in! We could use a handy guy like you around."

She pokes him with a bony elbow before dumping the contents of the ice bucket in the trough under the bar.

"I'm Ginger, by the way. Nice to meet'cha!"

[runningred]

Jay ducks out of her way, trying not to bump the vamp bar-staff as he takes more orders. "Nice to meet you, Ginger. I'm sure things will quieten down soon enough." He doubts it but Ginger doesn't seem like the sort to over-think things. "And I'm always happy to help."