new orleans ♔ so everybody just follow me cuz we need a little controversy

[starfucker]

♬ Rock and Roll Lifestyle - Cake

WHO || Martha, Des, Finnick, Kat, Dumage [closed]
WHAT || The Knights check out NOVA Records to try and find out more information about co-owner Chad Becksworth and his connection to the Brotherhood of the Enlightenment/Jade/the Talisman
WHERE || NOVA Records HQ, New Orleans, LA
WHEN || Tuesday, May 1st, 2012; daytime
HOW || Actionspam

[ The offices of NOVA Records seem to be a hoppin' place.  Fancy dressed execs and stylish people who look important and wear hoity sunglasses stream in and out of the glass doors, and no one seems to pay the group any particular mind when they walk into the large, spacious white lobby.  A large square pool dominates this side of the room, the NOVA label emblazoned on the tiles below the water.   A side staircase leads to an upper balcony, but most traffic seems to be to and from the elevator banks on the right side of the room, and into the hallways back behind the large black front desk.  

At the desk sits a redheaded secretary, with perfectly curled long hair and too-red lipstick.   A security guard stands against the wall behind her, staring straight ahead, a gun visible on his hip.  ] 

Comments

[65]

[This is all fascinating, but Finnick doesn't want to look too captivated by it. He also wants to nurse his PTSD. So he cranes his neck back to ask] Can I get a drink from Fiji?

[postergirl]

[ Dumage has... slipped over to the mini-bar already during all this, and is actually sitting on the bar, legs crossed, stirring a drink. She shoots Finnick an inviting smile. ] Come on over, darling. The water's fine.

[65]

[He'll be over there now. Peace out Des and Burt. Try not to accidentally bargain him off like cattle or anything.]

[nothingsodivine]

[Meanwhile, Des is super invested in this.] So why not just kick his ass to the curb?

[starfucker]

It's not that easy. Technically, his share of ownership's an equal size with mine, because the shitbag was in on the ground floor with me. And I can't get the guy committed on grounds of his bodyguard needing a serious manicure, and his business sense taking a nose dive down the toilet.

But he's my brother. I know.

[aproperdoctor]

[Martha's joined the group over by the minibar, and she turns to Kat, her voice low.] Is there some way he could have been like...possessed or something? I mean, if his personality suddenly changed like that...

[shootfirst]

[ Kat's watching Burt with a frown, and mutters back: ] Not a bad theory.

I guess it's too much to hope anyone has any exorcism experience on this trip...

[65]

[say whaaaaaaat.]

[aproperdoctor]

Tell you what, we can swing by a bookstore and pick up a bible and a copy of Exorcisms for Dummies and I'll learn how to do it.

[Martha totally starts mixing a drink to cover up some of the sound while she's talking. Clinking bottles, etc.]

Also, sounds to me like he's got some sort of Shadowkind bodyguards.

[postergirl]

[ Burt seems to be completely ignoring all of you over here at the mini-bar, so... that's good at least. Dumage gives a tiny frown, swirling her glass. ]

Strange, don't you think, for someone pouring money into an anti-Shadowkind church to be hiring them on.

Though I imagine where religion's involved, hypocrisy's something of a given.

[nothingsodivine]

[Meanwhile, back at Burt's ranch.] A dick's a dick, whether you're related to him or not.

He hasn't been... [Des mimes doing a line of coke and shrugs.] Tends to make a guy a little loony. They've got rehabs for that.

[starfucker]

I know a cokehead when I see one. Trust me. I wrangle celebrities for a fucking living over here.

This is something else.

[ He leans forward, all conspiratorially] Could be all an act, jerking off with one hand while the other one's behind his back doing fuck knows what. And then bam, [ he abruptly slams his hand on the table ] he'll come out swingin' with some way of trying to snake this whole place right out from under me, fast enough to give my ball hairs rug burn.

[shootfirst]

[ Murmured to Team Fiji over here: ] This Chad guy's gotta have an office of his own around here. Who's up for a little recon while the menfolk yap?

[nothingsodivine]

[Des taps his chin.] Okay, look. I don't like mixing my business with my other business, but I had a sweet gig before I decided marketing the Olsen twins was more "emotionally fulfilling" than chasing down men cheating on their wives for a living- private investigating. Very Bogart, without the frills. I wouldn't do this, but you seem like a stand-up guy- and don't call it a bribe to get to list Finnick over there. Pretend the kid's not even there. If you want 'em, he's yours. If you don't, we'll call this arrangement payment for us bustin' in on you.

You followin' me?

[HOW DOES HE FUCKING KEEP ROLLING THESE NAT 20 BLUFF CHECKS???? I DON'T EVEN.]

[starfucker]

I think you're speakin' a language I could definitely get behind. [ He holds out a hand, which hangs there very dramatically in the air. ]

So let's make this fucking official.

[65]

[Finnick isn't even listening to Kat, which is okay because HEY HE IS MENFOLK TOO. >:( He's too busy ... sadly watching his life get signed away ..... ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des grabs his hand in equally dramatic fashion and grins widely as he shakes it.] Then, Mr. Becksworth- Burt... I can call you that, right?- you got yourself a deal. I'll figure what the hell's up with your brother and you can rest easy knowing the son of a bitch ain't staging a coup.

[He gives him a salute and starts backing towards the door.] We'll be in touch.

[starfucker]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where's the fire, hoss? [ He's up and moving to a cabinet, yanking open a drawer and motioning to Finnick ] I need your boy's John Hancock, first and foremost.

[65]

[He calls from where he's sitting:] Is that my cue?

[starfucker]

[ Burt clicks his tongue in the clear manner used for calling dogs ] C'mon Lassie, let's work on getting you that studded collar. [ He lays out a thick stack of papers, pulling out a felt pen and writing Finnick's name in on the top lines. He circles a number of blank lines on the bottom. ]

Here, here, here, you know the goddamn drift.

[65]

[Ugh. He gets up and tries to keep his swagger on as he makes his way back to the desk. At least now he could blame his round-trip to Fiji if he was acting a little off. He managed to put it down for the whole five minutes or whatever he was back there and only got a constitution check of 11 so.]

I certainly do. [He then gets to work on putting his signature in all the appropriate places.]

[starfucker]

That a boy. In the meantime, Fluffy, you show me yours, I'll show you mine. [ He slides a NOVA business card with his cell over. ] We're gonna make beautiful music together, boys. You won't regret this for an instant.

[nothingsodivine]

No, I bet we won't. [He hands him a card that has his real name and his number on it, but conveniently leaves off the paranormal part. If he Googles him, it'll just look like a lot of shady cases, but pretty decent success rate, so he ain't bothered by Burt finding out about anything.] We'll see what we can do about your brother. Until then? Just play it cool.

[starfucker]

[ Burt slips it in a pocket, glancing at Finnick to make sure he's dutifully signing his shit. ]

Gimme a week or two and we'll get you a good team. Makeover, stylist, vocal coach, dance instructor, the whole fucking brigade. In the meantime --

[ And the door slams open, revealing three security officers: an African American male, busty blonde woman with a no-nonsense expression, and a dark haired lady who looks like she could kill a man with her thighs.

"You needed these people removed, sir?" asks the dark haired woman, glancing at them all suspiciously.

Burt waves a hand in annoyance. ]

Do I look like I'm under duress here? Jesus fucking Christ, what am I paying you for? Get back downstairs. Shoo. Go on. Point your tasers somewhere else, get your jollies on. [ The man and the dark haired woman hesitate a moment, but nod and back out. The blonde woman waits until the door's closed before looking back at them, taking a few steps further in and putting one hand on a hip.

"I think it'd be a good idea if we at least did a thorough frisking first," she says, in a ridiculously slutty voice that even gets Dumage to raise an eyebrow. It raises even higher when she whips off her security hat, blonde hair cascading down, as she reaches for her top button to start undoing it. "We can even take turns."

Burt stares for a moment directly at her breasts as she starts exposing cleavage, before seeming to remember what's going on and slapping the table. ]

Stripper! Right. Definitely got the 'surprise' part down, nice work, sweetheart. Bad timing though. Come back in five. [ He snapped a finger at her, winking and clucking his tongue, and she looked about in obvious bewilderment, before sadly rebuttoning her top. She pouts slightly as she turns to go, and Burt quite blatantly enjoys the view for a moment before adding as the door clicks closed: ]

Find out something good on my brother, and I'll send you her as a token of my gratitude.

[nothingsodivine]

[....Did that really just happen?

Des blinks a few times and then shakes it off.] You do that. [He'll send her to Buffy's sexually-frustrated lapdog. He could probably use a good frisking.] In the meantime, I got a thing I need to get these kids to. Work of a den mother's never done, you know? [He waves and starts ushering people out the door.] Let's move it, people. Lunch is on whoever makes me late for my next appointment. Hustle, hustle.

[He waits until there's a door between them and Burt and promptly claps a hand on Dumage and Kat's shoulders, so that he's got one woman on either side of him.] Toldja there's a good reason to keep me around.