4 Years Ago
Momo Mottah
Sin Sisters
The old building stood as a testament to the days of yore, when the raucous nightlife of Cloverfield was at its peak. The Gilded Age left behind these relics, the art-deco exterior contrasting with the modern neon sign. Its flashing tubes of light read “Sin Sisters’” in thin, vine-like letters that protruded with thorns and roses that punctuated each I. It was a legendary place, one where the phantoms of the city’s last century came for their drinks and entertainment. It was the Leopold Building: A hotel that had been a speakeasy before that, and a brothel before even that. Now it wore three hats - Strip Club, hotel
and restaurant all at the same time.
And it was old. And it was
majestic. The front lobby was awash with green and pale white features, its ebon marble floors polished and pristine as the day they were laid down. Banners hung from the high vaulted ceilings, and a massive wooden desk was manned by half a dozen of the most beautiful people one could find. Statuesque, they directed each person to their destination cordially.
“Lust, Gluttony or Sloth?”
The woman smiled serenely at Loni, taking short and barely noticeable breaths as she opened a thick ledger and took up a pen.
“And your name, please…”
It took Loni a moment to answer - both because she was staring in awe at the place, while also trying to parse out the first question. What did that mean? Lust, Gluttony or- oh! Right! Of course!
"Lust… Alondra Garcia Rodriguez, oh, but if you only got space for one last name, go for Rodriguez, thanks!" Loni smiled brightly back, pushing back a stray bit of hair that had fallen out of the twin buns she had it up in. Her eyes didn't stop moving - from the woman to the surroundings, constantly snapping about.
"Y'need me to spell it out for you?"The woman at the counter cleared her throat, shaking her head with a smile.
“Oh… No. I can spell, Sweetheart. I believe The Lady Angel has you down for an interview in the next fifteen minutes.”
Dropping the ledger she’d initially grabbed, the woman moved for a much smaller black notebook and moved away from the counter. As she came around, another person took her place seamlessly, leaving her free to guide Loni through the facility.
“Come on. We’ll get you a drink. Perk of the interview: What’s your poison, Sweetheart?”
"Oh, well, I'm only eighteen, so I can't?" Loni said in an almost questioning tone, still looking everywhere as she got to go further inside. She really hadn't seen anything like it - all her life was spent in the Lower District, mostly in the same few streets. All the buildings there were pretty run down… it wasn't like they could afford a nice place.
"Probably wine? I ain't tried it before, only ever had some beer my sibling got from a guy round the corner. It was more water than beer I think, but I wouldn't know. It ain't like that here, I guess?" She babbled away, fiddling with the bracelet around her wrist to try to push down her nerves.
The woman simply stared at Loni, unable to decide whether her natural North-side reaction was going to overpower her educated and curated temperance.
“I… Do you like
sweet drinks, or tart? Tart as in sour…”
The assumption that a South-sider wouldn’t know a word like tart was probably as ignorant as the divide got. It wasn’t like she was
trying to be rude, she just… Naturally was. Though, it was a more open dynamic between the staff of the Hotel and Restaurant, and their typically Southern counterparts in the actual Club.
"Sweet, probably," Loni shrugged. If she was bothered by the rudeness it didn't show. After all, she was used to the microaggressions from North-siders. It wasn't like it was anything new or anything that bothered her much.
As far as the club was concerned, it was even more incredible in its gaudy grandeur than the lobby outside. The facilities were separated by a long velvet hall that removed the noise and sights from the eye of the otherwise respectable facility. There was a separate entrance and exit for those staying in the hotel, with a single elevator at the end of the hall which opened up in front of another desk. A burly looking man in a bowler hat and suspenders stood there, his chest slowly raising up and down as he observed what was ahead.
“Virginia… I thought you were too good for our side of the world.” the man said in a surprisingly airy voice.
“As true as that is, this one’s not an employee yet and I happened to be up at the front.” the woman replied with some amount of venom.
Looking Loni up and down, the man shook his head.
“What are you, fifteen? Let me see some I.D. miss ‘not an employee’...”
"Oh, right, sure! I'm eighteen, y'know, but a lotta people say I'm blessed to look younger, even if it's a pain right now." Once again chatting away unnecessarily, Loni shoved her hand in the pocket of the worn denim jacket she was wearing. After a bit of fiddling around she pulled out her Identification Card, holding it out to the man with a smile.
"See, I turned eighteen a month ago."Immediately, Loni would be able to feel the scrutinizing sensation of a burst of White Lux crossing her Emotional Field. For a moment, the massive man stared at the I.D., then at Loni, then the card again… Then he scrunched his nose and smiled at her. His expression practically melted.
“Alright…-” he handed the card back. Backing into the door, he kept it held open for the two women to pass through. “-One rule, Little Sister: The funky shit? With the whole
dark and dead shit? Not allowed. Don’t use it. I don’t care if a gerbil in your act dies in your craw, don’t you dare whip it out.
Especially not in the presence of the Angel.”
The woman, Virginia, recoiled in disgust at the man’s statement.
“Gerbil? Craw? You’re disgusting, Markus.”
“Well, good thing we don’t spend a lot of time around one another.”
"Huh, I- I can't even do something like that?!" Loni squeaked, looking at him with wide eyes. Of course, she'd felt the blast of White Lux against her emotional field but she was exactly experienced in Lux types outside her own. It was scrutinising, but she hadn't expected him to just
talk about it. Her mom had always told her and Vin to keep their magic secret.
"I ain't gonna, don't worry, it ain't- well it ain't what I'm here for, is it? I never even seen a gerbil before… d'you provide ‘em here? Seems a bit odd…"“Oh my absolute
God you’re going to do fine here.” Virginia said with serious venom in her voice. The man, Markus, only laughed loudly as the two women entered the club.
And behold, flesh in all its glory: The place was absolutely full of scantily clad men and women carrying drinks, plates of snacks, empty glasses and arms of patrons who were too drunk to walk themselves around.
The bar was packed to the gills, its massive dark wood perimeter forming a protective wall between the main performance stage and the huddled masses of lonely patrons. Money was hurdled over the people working the bar, and a particularly regal looking goth woman seemed to be reveling in the middle of it all. She was working the bar in the styx with the others, swamped from every direction.
The woman dancing the pole behind the bar was dark skinned, voluptuous and draped in burning red hair. Her toned muscles rippled with every motion, pulling herself up into a wild spin, and her high heeled feet flicked up with unnatural dexterity to pluck and tug the panties off her lower body.
The crowd went
insane. Men and women frothed and cheered like the world was about to end, their money only increasing in a chaotic rain. The regal woman at the center turned her whole body to look; surprisingly, still holding a bottle and a shaker in either hand, both arms flew into the air. She screamed along with the crowd, rallying their money out of their hands at an incredible rate.
Loni looked around the place with wide eyes and slightly parted lips, clearly in awe of everything she was seeing. It was noisy, colourful, and there was so much going on. Her head was snapping around so much that it was also almost unnatural - at least that she wasn't feeling any pain in her neck. She wished she could use a spell right now - if she changed her eyes she'd be able to see everything so much easier. She could actually take it all in, which she wanted to do. It was incredible.
She clearly sucked in all the energy of the place. The bounce in her step only increased, though there was that same frantic undertone that had her hands going up to her hair to nervously fix the loose bits while only making it worse. Of course as the constant looking around lessened slightly her gaze was drawn towards the woman in the centre of the bar. Was she the Angel they talked about - the boss, presumably. Her presence was certainly very boss like. Very impressive. Overwhelming. Incredibly attractive. The whole place was as overwhelming as it was exciting. And there was so much money being thrown around - money like she'd never seen before in her life. It was difficult for her not to just gape and stare.
"Is it always like this?"“Only when
she’s working!” Virginia called over the din, pointing through the crowd at the same tall, raven haired woman who had made such an impression.
“Stay close!”
Her hand reached out for Loni’s, taking it and starting to tug her through the crowd. There were some nasty comments, but regulars saw the pristine uniform worn by the Hotel Manager and knew to shut their mouths while the doer
did. Eventually, they made it to the front, and the dark-haired woman took immediate notice.
”Viiiiiiiiiiirgiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin! What’s up, Stuck-up!?”Her voice was deep, but wholly feminine and matronly as if the Mother of all Mothers was speaking. It was a fantastic way to meet someone who was presumably the boss. Loose, unthreatening, a naturally friendly smile full of
unnaturally pale and sharp teeth accented by dark black lipstick. She looked like a gothic bar maiden, a white dress strapped to her body with various belts, the folds of which revealed dozens of different sized zippers.
“This is your interview, Ma’am!” Virginia said simply, her arms waggling slightly as if she was presenting Loni to the woman. For a moment, dark green eyes narrowed to stare at the new face before everything seemed to snap into place.
”Oh shit, right! Uhh… Fuck! Hang on-”Turning her head to one side, then the other, she reeled back slightly before
booming her voice over the crowd.
”Tristaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaain!”
Several of the patrons who were focused on the show above were scared shitless by the bomb blast of the Angel’s voice calling for help. But, as quickly as she’d shouted, she pulled herself back down and leaned across the bar to look Loni dead in the eyes. She was so close that she didn’t even have to raise her voice now.
”You’re here for the money, right? You’re not some life-long dancer who just does it for the thrill? Or a pervert who… Also does it for the thrill?” she asked conspiratorially.
"Is thatta trick question?" Loni asked back, not so much trying to be difficult or anything. She'd been caught out by stuff like that before - misunderstanding and answering the wrong thing. Her eyes were widely innocent as she met the stare directly at her, head tilting to the side slightly.
"I ain't had a long enough life to be life-long anythin'... Ain't like I got the money to do things for the thrill- guess that answers the question, it wasn't the wrong answer, was it?"The Angel’s bottom lip furled upward, eyebrows scrunching up in thought. Then she shook her head and smiled.
”Why would I care why you’re working here!?”And then she laughed in the girl’s face, tossing her head back. Virginia only snickered in turn, shaking her head and clearing her throat.
“She’s having Moscato!”
The Angel’s face scrunched up entirely.
”Oh, God… No bueno! Let’s kill those baby tastebuds!”There was a move toward a top shelf bottle of some clear stuff that got poured into a shaker as quickly as it came down, followed by some bitters from a small bottle and a thick brick of ice which she openly crushed using her bare hand. It all wound up shaken, then poured into a small, wide glass before being handed off to Loni.
”Virg, get her over to the office and get back to work! Geeze, gawkin’ at my girls and shit-”Virginia scoffed at the accusation, which caused the Angel to laugh.
”-Hey, don’t lie! You love this place!”“Not on a good day! C’mon newbie, let’s go!”
The walk to the office was quick, and there were a few empty tables behind a wall where some of the other employees were just sitting. Some were smoking, others drinking, but all of them were clearly working one aspect of the flesh or another. Virginia sat Loni at an empty table.
“Alright, now… Don’t let these hoes eat you alive; Miss Momo will be right here.-”
She turned her head to one of the other tables.
“
Tristain! I
know you fucking heard her!”
One of the gentlemen with just a little bit more clothing than average puffed his cigarette with a smug grin.
“Bitch, you don’t even
exist to me here. Go home.”
Frustrated, Virginia gripped her hands tight together, then without another word to Loni, stormed off in a huff. The clique of strippers and bartenders could only laugh among themselves.
The one called Tristain was a pale-skinned blonde, face covered in piercings. He stood, and his short stature was as clear as his fairly feminine build. They very clearly catered to all types and preferences here, as advertised…
“Little Sister, are you
interviewing with us!? Oh-my-God! Look at yoooooou, you’re so fucking cute!” Tristain looked Loni’s way, fawning over her in an adorable kind of way.
"Well ‘course, I ain't here for fun- the free drink's pretty great though!" Loni smiled brightly, sipping from it. It was pretty strong, and not exactly what she'd go for if ever given the choice again… but really the bitterness of the flavour had nothing on the water outta the tap at home.
"Mamá always said my cuteness would get me somewhere- but she said the same of my sibling and they ain't cute at all anymore. Oh, I'm Loni! Nice to meetcha- though I ain't sure if I'll get the job so feel free to forget my name, I ain't gonna be upset by it."“Awwwww, Baby
Girl! I don’t remember names to begin with! But I’ll always have your little peanut face in my head now, so… I hope you do get the job! That way I never have to remember your name!”
And then he was gone, zooming off in his assless chaps toward the bar. Smalltalk continued until the Angel, Momo, popped into view enough that the others started to scatter. Seeing her full outfit revealed that the white dress she wore was a dip hem that climbed awkwardly high at the front; only to the point that it barely covered her crotch. Her boots climbed her massive, muscular legs up to the thighs,
just sneaking up under the hem with the heels lifting her another three inches into the air.
She. Was.
Huge. Massive, well built with her six pack stomach showing through the white lace of the dress. Her steps were confident, as if the ground was crawling upward to meet her rather than forcing her to step down toward its surface.
”Ah… There she is! Didn’t run away?”Her arms opened wide as she approached, offering a greeting hug to the newcomer.
"Why'd I run away?" Loni looked a little confused at that question - it'd be a bit stupid for her to come all this way only to run soon as she was about to get the interview. She hopped up a bit too quickly, stumbling a little bit in the heeled boots she was wearing. But the little wobble was immediately righted without needing to lean on anything.
There wasn't really any hesitation from her when it came to going in for a greeting hug, Momo's body language clear to her. Her only frustration was that she was too small to go in for what she'd naturally follow it up with - the greeting kiss to both cheeks. It wasn't like she was that short, but in comparison…
"Uh- uh, do I stay standin', can I sit back down, I ain't done an interview before?" she blurted out as she pulled back, nervous energy overwhelming her brightness for a moment.
Momo laughed aloud again, tossing her head back jovially.
”No, dumbass! Come on!”Her arm slipped around Loni’s shoulder’ guiding her toward a large green door that she opened to let the younger woman in. The place was a pristine little office with a desk matching the bar of the club and a comfortable sofa with a small table in front of it. Momo’s hand swept across the couch as she slipped behind the desk and settled down into the big black chair that had ominously sat behind it.
On the wall above Momo, there was a portrait of two dark, beautiful figures in some seriously scandalous lingerie. They were entwined in a seductive pose both regal faces looking almost exactly like the woman who sat before Loni. Her hands and fingers interlocked, resting on the desk’s surface.
”So… How’s the drink? What’d you think of the place?” she asked a two part question, intrinsically understanding how to ease someone into a conversation.
"Nice!" Loni said immediately, sitting on the couch and looking around the whole room with wide eyes. Her hands fell into her lap, fingers fiddling with each other which could have been from both nerves or a constant need to move. She tried to stay still otherwise, sitting right on the edge of the couch with her mostly bare legs pressed together and her back straight.
"The drink ain't what I'd go for if I was asked again cause there ain't a lot in there? But it's a lot better than the beer I had before, actually has some flavour." Loni easily talked, smiling brightly as she answered the first question. The second… well that was a pretty obvious answer too.
"I ain't seen anythin' like it before! It's amazin', like somethin' I'd see in a movie - the building is real beautiful and then there's so much energy, like somethin' going on everywhere, I wished I could slow it all down to properly take it in. Closest I've come to somethin' that bustlin' was when there was this big street fight near my home, loadsa people gathered round to watch. But this is much cooler. It's gotta… atmosphere, y'know."Momo could only laugh to herself, rubbing her hands together as she leaned back in her chair.
”The atmosphere was built over a lot of years, y'hear?-” she started, throwing her hand with a thumb up back toward the painting behind her.
”-Those two geezers put a lot of money into this town to keep those piggies oinkin’ out there. The Gilded Age ended years ago everywhere but here: That's our vibe.”The arm with the hand that pointed to the picture came back down, sliding into the desk where Loni couldn't see. There was a moment where the woman shuffled around, finally bringing up some papers, a pen, and a bottle of booze. She cracked the cap on the latter, taking a big swig before sliding it to a place where Loni could get it.
”Help yourself. Everyone's twenty-one here. Now, I don't know if you caught my name: So, to introduce myself, I am Moriah Motto, and I'm the third generation proprietress of this establishment. Most folks either call me Momo, or my stage name - Well, usually just Angel. I don't really advertise the other half - Uranium Angel… It's more formal on the other side, but that's what they're trained for.”Moriah - Momo - was all smiles as she held out her hand to formally shake Loni's.
"Nice to properly meetcha, Miss Momo," Loni said brightly, shuffling forward and reaching out to shake the hand offered to her. She didn't quite understand everything that was being said. Gilded Age, proprietress, Uranium… well she knew the last one, it was some kinda radioactive thing, but she didn't really get why it was used here. But how much did that all matter? She spent a moment going between asking and looking stupid, or just going along with it all. Eventually she went for not asking yet, instead reaching for the bottle to take a quick drink. She grimaced a little. Strong… but really not bad.
”Bet you got my name and all, but I'm Alondra Garcia Rodriguez- everyone calls me Loni. Like, everyone, I ain't heard my full name since Mamà passed. M'glad it's not so formal over here, felt a bit stuffy over there- like I was in school or somethin'." Loni went on a bit before stopping herself, fiddling with her bracelet as she tried to clamp down on all the energy she had no outlet for. This was an interview, after all, she shouldn't just be talking on and on… especially to the boss, even if she was a very friendly boss.
"Sorry, I been told I talk a lot- but I'd very much like to work here."Momo just laughed and laughed, like Loni's coiled energy and unwillingness to let it out was the funniest thing she'd seen.
”Well, Loni, I think you're adorable. Tristain, one of my supervisors- the one with half a pound of metal in his face? -said the same thing.”She took a deep breath, clearing her throat and readjusting. She looked like she was trying to get serious.
”I have a reservation. Well, two, but… Listen: Magic. I'm not sure how exposed you've been down across the river, but here? Well… I know a bit about it I'd like to think.”Momo smiled softly at Loni, tilting her head slightly.
”I hope someone was there to teach you that it's mostly a secret. But not a secret that you can hide from someone like me. You can accept that, right?”At the mention of magic, Loni's posture got even stiffer and her fingers gripped onto the bracelet rather than playing with it. She wasn't completely surprised cause the guy at the door had already brought it up, and she'd felt him blasting her, but not Momo. Did he say, or could she tell some other way? It wasn't like Loni knew much outside the small sphere that was the Black Lux taught to her by her mother, and the Green Lux she worked on with Vin. She knew it had to be kept secret - though she'd always found that a little strange when her mom's work was with magic…
"Y-yeah, of course! Mamá was always sayin' we couldn't tell anyone ‘bout it, but she also said there were others like us out there… do you got magic too? Is that rude to ask? I ain't met many outsidea family."Momo's smile softened. It was something she really
was serious about.
”I do. And so does roughly forty percent of my staff. The other sixty, again roughly, are… Aware. What I mean to say, Honey, is that this is… Sin Sisters’ is what you may call a Coven. A group of witches and warlocks- We call ‘em Adepts -who are all associated closely with one another. Like a family, you see.” she said, her body rising from the chair to approach a nearby shelf.
Momo plucked a picture, bringing it back to the desk and letting Loni see it up close in hand. There was a dozen or so people, and it wasn't clear which one Momo was, as there seemed to be four different versions of her. Her finger pointed.
”Those two on either side are my Nonnas, and the woman we're all surrounding was my Mother. And that's me. The other girls-” Her finger pointed at the other women who looked fairly similar, but different enough to distinguish.
”-Are from our home Coven. On the other side of Roanoke is where we're from… Then Italy before that. We're part of a really old group, you see?”Loni's dark eyes followed along as Momo pointed, nodding. She knew about Adepts- cause her mom had sat her and Vin down and properly explained it all- and about the existence of Covens. Not so much about it being like a family.
"Yeah… it ain't a… evil coven, is it?" It was a pretty blunt question, asked without much thought for the consequences.
"Ain't most Covens bad?"Momo raised her eyebrows, not having expected the question.
”We started as healers. Now we're mostly into things for longevity's sake… But if there's something bad or wrong, we fight it-” She snapped her finger, stood half excitedly, and then replaced the picture with another. It was her, or a woman who looked just like Momo, in a military-style dress uniform. She was stood in front of a flag whose crest looked like deer antlers surrounding a cauldron. That symbol Loni may recognize from hospitals, the stick with two snakes spiraling up it, was crossed through the antlers.
”I gave a big part of my life to going and fighting other Covens and the monsters they carelessly unleash. I'm almost thirty now… And if you're curious, I'm ten years old in this picture.”The picture was clearly of a grown woman…
"Ten?!" Loni blurted out, head jerking forward to give the picture a wide eyed stare like it'd somehow make more sense. How'd she looked when she was ten? There weren't many photos, but she was pretty sure she was short and scrawny and crying half the time. Nothing like that…
"Cause of… magic? That's how?" Loni looked up from the picture to Momo now, almost identical. There was a hint of fear in her eyes she couldn't quite hide. Even if everything she'd said about the coven was true - they were healers first, and they got rid of the bad… that she fought the creatures Loni's mother had warned her about…
"You're… alive, ain't you? You ain't not aging cause you're… not alive…" Soon as she very awkwardly asked Loni clamped her lips shut, biting down on them. It was the only thing she could think of - her mom had talked about the Black Lux users who used it on themselves to stay young, becoming functionally undead themselves. She'd warned against it, but even without the warning it had horrified Loni. But if that was the case and she'd just gone and asked… nevermind a job, what about her life?!
Momo couldn't help but smile. She placed the photo down and held her hands out openly to Loni across the desk. There was a serene look in her eye, comforting even.
”Give me your hand. I'll show you.”Loni nodded, a little nervously. What was the worst that could happen? Well a lot, a lot of magic was touch based but… it couldn't be any worse than not, right? So she held out her smaller hands to take Momo's.
There was a moment where nothing happened. Momo's eyes were closed, and she looked like she was holding her breath. Suddenly, a burst of energy rippled across her Emotional Field. The absolute joy… The feeling of being swallowed by a billion happy thoughts rushed across her all at once. The utter volume of it was so great that Loni would be able to feel her relatively untrained grip over Green Lux melt into this massive cloud of Emerald.
Opening her eyes, Momo glowed a deep green. It was somehow intrinsic to understand, as all the influence over Black Lux that Loni had was pushed to the side, that Momo wasn't
just alive… She practically radiated life itself.
”Do you feel it, Little One? A thousand years of life…” she smiled widely.
"I do…" Loni almost whispered, awe clear in her voice. It felt so completely different from her own magic - the constant balance between two opposite forces. She knew Vin didn't feel they were all that different, and just combined them, but for her… she couldn't. And she was scared of half of it, but that was also the half she understood best. This was overwhelming but in the best way. So much joy, so full of life… the complete opposite of the magic Loni feared.
”It's beautiful… is it always like this when you just got the one? The Green."Giggling, Momo shook her head.
”Yes and no. The purity is always the same, but you wouldn't ever be able to maintain the volume. Suffice to say, I'm simply built differently.”She gave Loni's hand one last rub before pulling away. The Lux faded, and she wasn't glowing anymore. She was just Momo.
”Now, if you work here, it doesn't mean you're part of the Twin-Hill Coven. Nor are you part of our Mother-Branch, nor our Grand Trunk. You'd be a dancer at Sin Sisters’ who happens to be magical. There's no expectation for you to share yourself like our family. The only expectation I would have, and the only thing I could ask you to do as a courtesy, is to keep that other part of you locked up in my presence… I can feel your Joy, and the life it brings… But I also feel your Apathy… It's intrinsic to you, and Anathema to me. Just being close enough to feel it hurts my soul. Using it, the Black Lux, is absolutely forbidden on any property I own.”Her face was expectant, like she assumed Loni would totally understand what she was talking about… She did, seeing Loni's face when she'd asked about being dead…
The light in Loni's eyes got a bit dimmer when Momo let go, her hands going back to being clutched together in her lap. It was difficult not to feel a little bit sad when all that joy was pulled away, and the other side crept back in. There was no magic use - her control on that perfect where she was untrained in other areas - but the emotion, that horrible emotion, was still there.
"I swear, I'd never," Loni looked up from the floor again, back to that slightly frantic energy she'd had the whole time as everything came back into balance. But she also shuffled along the sofa a bit, away from the desk, as if it would distance the Black Lux further.
"I don't use it. Not unless I gotta protect myself from a ghost, and there ain't gonna be any here. I got it locked up always. It ain't the nice kinda magic, I know that. I seen what it can do… I ain't used it since Mamà died and I ain't plannin' to."Momo’s wide eyes stared down at Loni for a long moment before she finally smiled. It wasn’t full of joy; it was serene and calm, matronly and caring. Empathetic.
”My Mama’s dead too… You’re in confident company, Sweetheart.”For a moment, she fiddled with the papers she’d pulled out earlier, finally sliding them across.
”How’s your reading? Do you want someone to come and read this contract? It’s legal jargon, shit about pay and the like. Even if you don’t cut it on the pole, I want you to work here. It’s important that people in our situation stick together.”Loni smiled back at Momo. There was a lot of hope in that smile and her eyes - even if she was here barely into adulthood, with next to nothing behind her. But if she worked here she wouldn't have nothing anymore, so it was really alright.
"I can read pretty good, I just ain't sure I'll get all the words," Loni said honestly as she took the papers and started to read them. It wasn't like these were the types of words they taught in school… not that she paid attention in school. She could only really read well because of all the books on insects she'd scraped together money for as a kid.
It really wasn't the same, but she slowly got through it. She didn't really understand it all, but there was nothing obvious there that'd see her stuck here for life or somehow in debt to them- though that probably wouldn't be all that obvious anyway.
"I got most of it. Probably. The important parts- nothin' bout selling my organs, so I'm happy to sign. I ain't fussy ‘bout what I end up doin' either… though I ain't seen a pole I can't climb." It was a bit of a strange way to put it, and it wasn't really meant as a euphemism or anything. It was just that Loni had never actually
danced using a pole… she'd done the dancing, and she'd climbed plenty of things that were basically poles in strange competitions with her twin. How much different could it be combined?
Sin Sisters, 8:15am
A flurry of legs and the whispering flesh - enticing, tantalising to those in observation. Loni sensually spun around the pole before she flipped upside down, mesh top smoothly coming off to reveal the black lacy bra underneath. Her lips pulled up into a seductive smile as she winked at the few men close enough to reach over with tips.
It was impossible to tell that this was the same young woman that had run in the staff entrance just ten minutes ago, incredibly panicked because she’d overslept and was almost late. Technically she
was late, but as long as she made it in time for her actual dance slot it was fine. Probably. So long as no one went running to Momo and made a big deal about it.
But
really she was doing the club a favour. Most of them didn’t really want to do the morning, so it often got left to the newer or less talented dancers… which she wasn’t. Sure, she’d requested both a short morning and longer late evening shift today for selfish reasons (even if Vin had ruined her plans), but it was still good for the club! She was popular enough that she’d convinced a few regulars to attend during private dances, so really she was bringing in some extra numbers to this…
The Monday morning special - a unique, once a week only early opening and show put on for the North Side business men (and a few women) before they started the gruelling week. Aptly named “I Love Mondays”, it was surprisingly popular for how early it was. There really were people who wanted to see attractive women strip before starting their working week...
Of course it wasn't as busy as the normal evening opening, or the weekends.
The rest of her dance was done on autopilot. She wasn’t doing anything extreme, just one of the easier dances she had - but one more than sexy enough to win her both the rapt attention of most of the people in there, and a good amount of tips, by the time she walked off stage and into the back.
“Ma ma!”
Of course, her darling daughter was waiting for her - sleepily reaching out towards her from the lap of a fellow dancer, Ava, who Loni had handed Luciana off to in her quick rush onto the stage.
"Awww, my baby girl, were you good?" Loni cooed as she hurried over, awkwardly pulling back on her underwear at the same time. She bent down to lift Luciana into her arms, cradling the toddler in her arms. She shifted her to rest against her shoulder and smiled at Ava.
"Thank you so much for watchin’ her!" Ava just shrug, one hand coming up to wave it off. “That you done? Just the one dance? No private ones?”
"Yeah, well, it ain’t exactly buzzin’ in there - I’ll be back for the proper evenin’, y’know. Ain’t missin’ the real good shit. But I got shit to do." Loni said easily. Though that shit she had to do was ruined a little bit by the presence of her daughter. Not that she didn’t love her, but buying her christmas presents with her there just didn’t seem right. But maybe it was the right way to do things? Loni didn’t know, their mom had never been able to afford much for christmas… or birthdays. Loni was trying to do better. Lu had seemed to like the things she got for her birthday a couple of weeks ago… even if she also seemed to prefer the boxes they came in.
"C’mon, baby, let’s go get Mamá changed," Loni said, bouncing Luciana up and down in her arms. The little girl started giggling, babbling away with sounds that Loni couldn’t understand. As she made her way towards the changing rooms Loni paused, turning back to Ava.
"Momo round? I got somethin’ to ask her." “Nah, she ain’t. Not yet.”
"S’pose it’s early… I’ll talk to her later. If y’see her can you say for me? So I getta bit of her time."Ava just flashed Loni an okay symbol with her fingers, before pulling out her phone.
"We got some excitin’ things to do today, Mijita," Loni said cheerfully as she walked further into the staff area, heading for one of the changing rooms. Thankfully there was no need for a shower because of her magic, so it should be easy for her to get changed and walk to where she wanted to start the morning in time for opening…
"We’re gonna get cake. Y’know, somethin’ very yummy. You’ll love it."Luciana threw up her hands, hitting Loni in the face as she babbled excitedly. Again, Loni couldn’t understand any of it - but she could feel her daughter’s excitement. She understood her even if she wasn’t able to really talk yet.
"That’s right, baby, it’s gonna be fun. Now, just sit nice while I get changed…"
Interactions: Freya
@NoriWasHereThe Cozy Bakery, Downtown North District, 9:00Loni was glad they’d gotten here early, with the queue already forming before opening time. She’d managed to get third in line - right behind some extra excited guy and some other upper class woman. She didn’t feel comfortable, knowing she didn’t fit in here, but she tried not to let that get to her. Loni was used to being treated as less than cause she was from the South… she just didn’t like her daughter seeing it.
At least she didn’t look incredibly out of place. Her black wool jumper with pink ribbon braided down the sleeves was tucked into a heavy, dark checked skirt that fell just about her ankles. A nice wool jacket Vin had bought her for their birthday kept her warm, and she pulled it around Luciana in the baby carrier against her chest. Thankfully she was a little smaller than average… not much strain to carry around.
So, she looked pretty nice. At the very least she didn’t look like she’d come right here from working in a stripclub.
At least the wait in the cold was short lived before someone - the owner, maybe - opened the door. Loni gave Freya a bright smile as she practically bounced in, trying not to gawk too much at the display. It smelled
amazing. She’d seen a bunch of recommendations online while she was using a short break to scroll through social media at work - the only time she actually had internet. It’d seemed perfect to try out… and she’d planned to get Luciana a little late birthday cupcake or something, since she couldn’t get one for her actual birthday.
Though this place didn’t seem to do any cupcakes. It was all incredibly fancy.
“Down!” Luciana wriggled in the carrier, pointing at the ground. Loni laughed lightly as her daughter said one of the few words she knew in such an indignant tone. She lifted her out with a light grunt, setting her down on the ground. Luciana immediately ran over to the display case, pressing her stubby hands and adorable face against it. Large, dark eyes stared at a macaron.
"You want that?" Loni asked quietly, crouching down beside Luciana and ruffling her curly, dark hair. Luciana nodded. Loni honestly had no idea what it was but… it looked nice, and it didn’t look like something a two year old could actually eat. But she’d let her try. She straightened back up smiling at the worker behind the counter.
"Hi, can I get that, and that, please," Loni pointed to the bright pink macaron, and then a much softer looking eclair. She spoke slowly, carefully enunciating each word to try and cover up her much rougher, South Side accent.
"And a lah-tay, thank you."She smiled brightly, reaching out to gently grab her daughter’s shoulder before she started running around the shop.
Interactions: An unfortunate door
South Side, Circle Neighbourhood, The Hollow Bar > David Smith’s Home
After a quick shot, and a bread roll grabbed from the kitchen, Vin was right back out onto the streets. After all, they’d have their ass handed to them if they just sat around while an Apparition was on the loose. They sure hoped it was just a possession rather than an abscision… It would be a real shame to lose such a good teacher. Sure, Vin had cut all his classes when they were in school, but they’d heard from the kids who were actually good at school that he was decent at the job.
He’d always been chill and cheerful. Vin would do what they had to do, though.
Vin munched on the bread roll as they strolled through the streets they were familiar with, Malik and Caleb just a bit behind them. They didn’t feel particularly talkative at that point. Instead they were mentally preparing for what was to come, anticipation and excitement building with each step. While they shouldn’t want him to be possessed, part of them
hoped it would be the case. They wanted to fight. The thrill of it… it had been a couple of days since they’d been able to fully unleash it. Maybe they’d get to use their abstraction.
They hoped so.
Thankfully Gideon wasn’t around to lecture them over getting excited at fighting a beloved community member.
It didn’t take them long to reach David’s home. It was a nice area… for the South Side. Which wasn’t very nice at all, but certainly better than where Vin grew up and lived - most of the windows didn’t have wooden planks instead of glass, which was pretty nice to see. David’s door was even lacking in any visible damage… for now.
”Oy, David Smith, open up! This is one of Gideon’s men- I’m here to check up on you! To make sure you’re alright?” Vin stepped up to the door, hand raising to rap on the door loudly. Then he reached out and slammed down the doorbell, hearing the high pitched ring through the house. There was no immediate response.
They stilled, eyes turning white for a moment as they reached out their magical senses. Immediately there was a bright outline inside the house. An Apparition. They couldn’t tell if it was inside David, or separate - but it didn’t fucking matter at that point.
”Shit, there’s a fuckin’ apparition problem alright- hold my bread,” Vin chucked their half eaten bread roll to Malik. Then, they pulled off their think jacket, tank top and trousers so they were only in a sports bra and boxers - also throwing them to Malik.
”And my clothes.”With a sickening crunch, Vin’s bones began to grow. Their legs changed shape as fur grew across their skin, claws pushing through their fingertips and a long, striped tail out the base of their spine. As they grow their underwear grew with them- thank fuck for orange lux- and after a minute they completed the transformation into their tiger form.
Then, without any other warning, they slammed their foot into the door and kicked down David Smith’s door with a loud crash - one that anyone in the neighbourhood would easily hear.
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