ArchivedLogs:Cultivating Favours

Cultivating Favours
Dramatis Personae Doug, Hailey, Violet
In Absentia	2014-07-30 '
Location <NYC> The Batcave - Greenwich Village
Nestled in a basement of the meatpacking district, a hybrid of arcade and cybercafe, The Batcave is far more sociable a place than its name would suggest. Filled at all hours of day with the beeps and music and explosions of a myriad of arcade games, as well as the laughter and conversation (and curses) to go with it, the dark theme in decor is broken up by the bright lights of their game machines. One corner of the establishment is a perpetual LAN party with a projector screen-equipped lounge area for spectators. Along the opposite wall, a counter serves soft drinks and greasy junk food, and off in the back a door leads to what is by far the larger part of the establishment: a fully-equipped laser tag arena. The Batcave is rocking that smell tonight, the smell of too much sugar, too much caffeine, of neon and metal tokens, sweat and exuberence. It's pretty busy for a Wednesday night but it /is/ summer and with school out, there are plenty of young adults and not so adults looking to keep themselves entertained. The noise, it is deafening--especially when the latest laser tag match lets out. The scores have been up for a couple of minutes already, while the players struggle out of their harnesses. Someone named DeathKitty is in the lead and that person shows themselves as soon as the doors open: here comes Violet, fur-covered from head to tail-tip, clad in denim shorts and a "That's Princess Diva to you!" t-shirt. Also, a lot of competitive attitude. "Wooooo, did you /see/ that? Did you! No you didn't 'cuz no one sees me coming!" she gloats as she exits the arena. Some of the glares she's getting likely come of being an obvious mutant but /some/ because she isn't being a Gracious Victor. Hailey arrives as usual via her "Secret back entrance" aka skipping the crowds by shadow walking into the back. So here she steps out, ready to chill, ready to play some games, and of course ready to eat a menagerie of foods that should never be eaten in such quantities or with such disregard for human metabolisms. So here she stands in the corner for now, just watching what's going on tonight, maybe some competitions, maybe some contests, or she might even get lucky and find some people wanting to hand out some free food for getting whooped in games..or her old favorite past time of just picking up some left out wallets. Violet is lacking in the wallet department but she does have a little old fashioned red leather coinpurse. At least, it was once red. Now it is faded and cracked, but the felt lining inside remains intact. She's fishing this out as she meanders by the crowd on a course to the snack bar. Unfortunately for the pimply teen stationed behind the counter, the catgirl seems intent on paying solely in change--thus the coin purse. "Medium diet coke an' uh..." A pause is needed as she sifts through dimes and quarters to see how much she's got. "Yeah, just a medium diet, thanks." Hailey grins, a coin girl. Usually these ones are pretty easy to chum up with and then when you need it; favors come expensive. Hailey steps up close behind her putting on her best fake smile and cheerful voice. "Hey, let me get that for you. Oh and make it two sodas and two chilifries extra cheese right?" She smiles at violet, trying to take the first step in her trickery. Show them you're the nicest person around and you have their back. Hailey reaches into her pocket and pulls out a twenty to cover them both. Violet goes rather still when Hailey cozies up beside. Ears prick forward and her tail gives a single thoughtful flick as she directs orange eyes to a study of the newcomer. After a moment, survey conducted, she allows a grin as well--hers is rather sharp-toothy, but warm for all of that. "Just so happens I love me some chili fries," she drawls. And so commences the slow process of sliding coins back /into/ the purse. "Can't speak for m'stomach sayin' th'same but /I/ love 'em. Thanks." A chin jerk punctuates the expression of gratitude and when the sodas are offered over first, in exchange for the twenty, she reaches for them. The first is offered to Hailey. "S'nice of ya." Hailey nods a little "Oh it is my pleasure, everyone needs a friend now and then." She gives another smile before taking her soda and fries. She wasn't planning on spending anything tonight but hey, when you're building up someone for favors you need to invest some. She leads Violet over to a place to sit as she takes the first bite of her chili fries. "I just ~love~ the cheesy melty, spicyness of the first cruncy bite, always makes me drool." She chuckles a little bit before taking a sip of her soda. She wasn't a fan of diet, but when trying to indoctrinate others, showing them you're alike is a good way to go. The Batcave is hoppin' tonight! Greenwich's intemperate youth seem to have piled en masse into the establishment, looking to be entertained. A new batch of laser tag warriors have piled into that arena, and the flashing lights and tinny music of countless games are on full volume as young folk trade money for tokens and tokens for tickets. Then there are those engaged in a carb break. See: Violet and her new best buddy, Hailey. The catgirl makes no protest to having a seat, sliding into one of the four metal chairs around the table with ease--and without spilling a drop of soda, or melted cheese product. A little trickier, arranging her tail. Once her food stuffs are settled, she reaches behind herself to draw that extra appendage out, leaving it to drape down the side of the chair. "Does it?" There's humor laced in through the question as she eyes the other female. "Guess everyone's got th'thing that curls your toes. Y'ever try th'funnel cake they got, out Coney Island? That does it for me." Hailey shakes her head. "No I haven't actually. I usually spend my time at school just hanging around. Though if I had someone to hang out with I might be more inclined to go places like Coney." She takes a few moments to eat her food, humming a bit at the greasy deliciousness before looking at her. "Hmmm so that's not a costume I take it? You're a mutant?" Doug looks decidedly less zombie-like than the last time he was seen by a catgirl, and much less exploded than the last time Hailey may have seen him. That's not to say he looks /good/, however. He still looks pale and a bit gaunt in his cargo shorts and t-shirt with the Triforce logo on the chest, although there's life in his steps as he moves through the arcade. Maybe the familiar buzz and hum of the games is working like a tonic on him. Or maybe it's the paper basket in his hands containing a greasy-looking burger and equally congeal-worthy fries. Or it could be the caffeine and sugar in the paper cup that /surely/ flies in the face of the No Large Soda ordinances. The blonde pauses near the table with the two girls, frowning around at the otherwise-filled tables that surround him. There don't seem to be a lot of choices, so Hailey and Catgirl get a thoughtful look before he twists that way, and offers a smile. "Hey! Mind if I grab a seat here?" "S'better with others, definitely," Violet concurs. If that was a hint, however, she appears to have failed to notice. Perhaps it's Hailey's follow-up question, which finds the feline lady with a heavily loaded pair of fries halfway to her mouth. She blinks once, and her ears do an odd twitchy thing, one tilting forward while the other turns back to focus on Doug's approach. "S'dark in here I guess," she eventually comments, with amusement. "Yeah, I'ma mutant. Hey." That last is for Doug. She chin-lifts at the empty seats while tilting her head to give him a once over. He appears to pass visual inspection because she follows it with, "Sure, they're not taken." Hailey nods a little before crossing her legs. She gives Violet a little nod while her eyes roam about. "Hmmm I think it looks pretty cool." She grins a bit at her new friend, trying to keep the indoctrination going well. She lifts her hand to wave it around. "So what are your plans for this place?" She asks as she stuffs her own face with a good amount of those lovely cheesy fries, making sure to lick the remnants from her fingers. Doug's grin widens when Violet indicates the empty chair, and he slides into it quickly. "Thanks. This place is really banging, for a Wednesday night. It's weird." He lifts a hand as he settles, pulling open his burger to pull the pickles from it and set them aside. "I'm Doug," he says by way of introduction, his eyebrows twitching as he gets a better look at Violet. There's a glimmer of almost-recognition, and the blonde narrows his eyes. "...have we met before?" "Yeah?" Violet does not in the least mind being told she looks cool. Her grin appears, bright teeth in the dark of her face, eyes almost disappearing behind fuzz. "Guess it /is/ pretty cool, at that. Everyone oughta have a tail, oughta come /standard/," she opines before finally getting around to popping those fries in her mouth. Chew, chew, chew... "Mmmm?" It's more a rumbly hum than a proper question; she's still licking her lips when she finally answers. "Was gonna have m'coke 'n then head out, I guess. Don't got much've th'disposable /income/, y'know?" There's that grin again. If her poverty bothers, there's no sign of it. More fries, and cheese, and chili is scooped up while a more thoughtful focus shifts back to Doug. "...ummm...dunno, maybe?" Wait. She sniffs the air. "Oh, right, yeah. Evolve, wasn't it? Y'were all...kinda out of it. Talkin' funny." Hailey shrugs a moment before thinking. She still had change from that twenty... maybe she could use that to continue the pulling. She felt like this feline girl wasn't quite where she wanted her to be for favors yet. Though a little bit of a push just might get her to have that bond. "Hey, if you wanna play some games we can use the change from the snacks to get some gaming coin." "Oh, yeah." Doug bobs his head as Violet remembers their previous meeting, and he slaps the top back on his burger before lifting it to his mouth. "That was a bad night. Something weird going on with my..." he wrinkles his nose, and glances at Hailey briefly before he continues. "...abilities. Still going on, but it's totally not dangerous to anyone but me, I promise." He bites into his hamburger, chewing out a large mouthful that he grinds slowly as he listens to the girls discuss their plans. He swallows, then, and reaches for his cup to take a long pull at the straw. "You guys could probably bat your eyes at Scotty over there and score some free games," he notes, lifting his chin at a rail-thin teenager in an arcade smock. "It's been known to happen in the past." "Oh yeah? Y'glitched, huh?" Violet is nothing if not sympathetic, especially as Doug confirms that it was nothing...contagious. She does side-eye him but she's nodding at his explanation too. "Sucks. I used t'get these God awful headaches, few years back. 'Round th'time m'nose started gettin' /real/ good, y'know? Funny how that stuff keeps on goin', one surprise after another. Y'get it all sorted out?" Side-eying shifts in the direction of the kid Doug's indicated but she's less focused on scamming free games than considering Hailey's offer. "...could be fun, sure. I'm wicked good, y'could have th'tickets I win, if you're payin' for th'tokens, yeah?" Hailey seems to completely ignore Doug, focusing on Violet. "Oh yes, that sounds cool, and maybe we can jam on some Tekken or something." she grins as she stands up, giving a little stretch as she finishes off the chili fries, grabbing her soda to take a large gulp from it. "Lets rock it!" she cheers a little bit, grinning at Violet. This peppy act was a workout for her to say the least. "It's not sorted," Doug says, shaking his head as he shoves fries into his mouth. "But it's not screwing me up like it was. At least, not lately. Day's not over, though." He watche Hailey as she stands, his eyebrows twitching at the way she seems to be unaware of his presence. "Tekken?" he echoes, a bit of dismay in his voice. "Seriously? Street Fighter is /way/ better." He nods solemnly at Violet. Believe it, sister. "Although Flicky is really my game." Nearby, a couple of kids -- one short and round with red hair; his friend tall and gawky with dark, curly hair. "I /knew/ that was him," Red grumbles, pushing his friend along with more than a little haste. "Didn't I tell you? Hurry, and let's get there before he finishes eating." Violet also lifts her fuzzy brows at Hailey's haste to be away and her overlooking Doug. She commits those owlish blinks again, looking back and forth between the two. The prospect of free games though? That sees her reaching to gulp down a healthy dose of soda before she slips from the chair. "Y'oughta come with," she tells Doug, "can switch out, steal all th'high score spots." It is the most mischievious of suggestions, given her new buddy's eagerness to be away. Naughty cat. But having given this invitation--and possibly having heard the nearby pair's equal urgency to game poach--she is quick then to begin ambling towards the bank of gaming rigs. Her tail sashays behind her, projecting all of the calm confidence of a seasoned warrior heading off to battle. There /will/ be rocking it. Hailey nods, still seeming to keep Doug out of the conversation. She has her own feline like traits taking this moment of blissful free gaming to slip her hand into her pocket and produce a piece of paper. "Here let's exhcange numbers. You seem pretty awesome and I'd hate for this to be our only encounter." she gives a grin to her. This was the final step to the plan. Get her to take the number, then let her have a full night of enjoyment. From there it would take little maintenance to keep this friendship and a nice slough of favors. Doug's smile is a bit confused when Hailey keeps seeming to not see him, and he wrinkles his nose at Violet. "I'd like to, but I don't know if I should," he says in answer to her offer. "I think Bridget Fonda here would have a problem with that plan." He tips his head, studying Hailey for a long moment and still coming up empty with her motivations. "Possibly." "Numbers?" Full bemusement has been achieved! Violet looks down at the offered paper, then slowly reaches out for it. "I, um...don't really got a phone, see. I kinda live rough, yeah?" As in, homeless. But she'll take the slip of paper if it's still on offer, even as she cuts a quick grin to the side for Doug. "Nah, hey, come along. S'not like she's tryin' t'put th'moves to me, right? Cuz you're not, are ya?" The question is meant for Hailey and is delivered with full wide-eyed innocence. And /no one/ does wide-eyed innocence like cats. Hailey gets a second idea before grinning a little bit. She tilts her head a bit before waving her hand. "Nah~ I just didn't notice him." She pushes it off as nothing before she deals another blow. "Oh~ I can get you a place to stay, almost guarunteed~ Just trust me on that." She tries her best "Ill save you" smile to the cat. "Didn't notice...?" Clearly Doug's not buying it, but he doesn't say much beyond that, opting instead to bolt down the rest of his burger and fries before he pushes to his feet. "I think I will come along," he says, eying Hailey with a more concerned sort of expression. "I can rack up free games like no one's business." He takes another long pull of his soda, and frowns at Hailey's -- ahem -- Chesire smile. His neck stretches just a bit, and he rolls it carefully. "I don't think she said she needed a place to stay," he offers carefully. "Just that she didn't have a phone." "That's awful kind of you," Vi says, Southern accent marking a gene-deep need for /politeness/. But... "I'm not really lookin' for anythin' like that. Games though, sure, let's go beat some games." And by that, she means /all/ of them, alas. In fact, she half-turns to let Doug take the /lead/, because she's chivalrous like that. "See how long it takes us all t'clear 'em out, yeah? Make some kids cry." Hailey hmms a little bit, keeping the fascade face. She had the homeless card before too. But she'd already said she was in school most of the time. She could show the cat girl one of her old street hide outs from her days as a wannabe vagabond but it looked like the game route would be the best for now. She nods with a smile. "yeah lets!" she divides the coins up between them and heads over to the ticket games first. Might as well win some prizes first. Of course with some games..she could never lose.