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Post by Zuyuri on Jul 13, 2017 1:21:21 GMT
Well, the Hex Girls were playing tonight at Mina. The blood witch bands had brought in great service in bringing in younger, rebellious people to the crowds. That meant for Cruella, she could get leaner meat for her pack. On top of that, the band had impeccable style. She'd be lying if she didn't say their gothic attire didn't inspire some of the outfits her female girls wore. Hopefully there wouldn't be any sort of lawsuit of this. The band had just begun their musical magic, appearing on stage in a mist before hypnotizing the elated crowd with their siren-esque voices.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jul 13, 2017 1:40:05 GMT
Truth be told, Adeline hadn't explored much of the Garcon Perdu part of the city, mainly because of it's reputation for being the dangerous part of Bellerouge. The most she had ever done was go to Pitch's place. However, going there so often had made her kind of used to the area. As long as she kept an eye and an ear open for anything dangerous, she was fine. This particular evening, she had left Pitch's apartment later than usual, and tried to stay on streets that were well-lit. But, her attention was grabbed by a fairly large crowd that had gathered outside a club. She was surprised that a place down here could attract that many people. Curious, she walked a little closer. It didn't take long for her to feel the beat of the loud music coming from within the building. She glanced up towards the top of the building, and took half a step back. "The Mina" was displayed loud and clearly, thanks to the lights that made up the letters. Axel had talked about this place, mainly his disgust for it and its owner, Cruella. He'd pretty much warned Adeline never to step foot in there, and she was about to high-tail it out of there. But, another factor caught her attention: the fact that most of the people waiting to get in were kids about her age. She didn't know whether they actually knew what went on at this place or not. If they did, they didn't seem to care. They just looked excited. Adeline felt her curiosity get the better of her, as well as her sense of justice. What if something bad happened to one of these kids here, and nothing was done because she had walked away? Besides, she wanted to see this place for herself. Axel hadn't given that many details on it, or on Cruella for that matter. All she knew was that they had worked together, Cruella had him do some pretty nasty things, and he had left. Before she could lose her nerve, Adeline got in line, paid her entrance fee, and then walked inside.
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Post by Zuyuri on Jul 13, 2017 3:06:11 GMT
The club was absolutely packed. The bar was packed with clients. All the pleasure rooms were filled, and the keys to those said rooms were being tossed around like Mardi Gras beads. The Victorian tablecloth tables, made from the same cloth as the decorative and functioning drapes, was red and black or black and purple, each with the gorgeous damask pattern. The lights of Mina were flashing, complete with the glass pillars flashing a dimmed off-white that alternated between purple and a deep Jade green. Cruella herself was "smoking" - by that, she was pretending to puff a cigarette when really, the green smoke was her power of suggestion - at a table with a few aristocrats playing some hands as the younger crowds and rock enthusiasts who weren't lounging or drinking or making love in the private rooms listened to the Hex Girls play. It was good business for all, particularly Cruella, who threw down her cards, and thanks to her smoke, made the players drop their hands and ignore her own, with a crazy laugh.
"All right, gentlemen," she loped her mink coat on, "lovely game, but it seems this round was mine."
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jul 13, 2017 3:26:54 GMT
This place was loud. Very loud. And packed. Adeline had no idea how anyone managed to dance when so many bodies surrounded them. Of course, that wasn't the only thing going on in there. Drinks were being served, card games were being played, and men and women walked disappeared through doors, their arms linked. Adeline didn't even want to think about what went on when the doors were shut. Any kid her age didn't seem to be going for that sort of thing anyway. They seemed more interested in the music, or seeing how much alcohol they could purchase with whatever fake ID's they brought. Adeline wondered if the bartenders even cared about how old they were. Nobody seemed to give her a second glance, emphasized by the fact that when a scuffle broke out between two men, one of them knocked into Adeline as he was sent to the ground with a swift punch. She stumbled backwards, trying to keep her balance, but ended up falling right next to a group of card players. She managed to avoid knocking her head into the side of the table, which she considered lucky, although her elbow hadn't fared so well. She blinked several times, trying to get her bearings. All that seemed to register were the colorful lights and the plume of green smoke.
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Post by Zuyuri on Jul 13, 2017 4:21:08 GMT
The men grumbled and scooted their payments forward. The wads of dollar bills had been there some having been thrown into the pot by Cruella herself, but some things included expensive class rings, a few stolen jewels from a Lieu Sanglate diamond store, even an antique pocket knife that would go for a lot if given to the right pawn shop owner. She made a note to find Constantine and ask him how much the little knicknack was worth. But as her red talons were gathering their wares, an unexpected arrival crashed her head onto the table. Seventeen, eighteen, far too young to be any of the girls she worked with. Cruella stopped swiping her winnings, her dark eyes seeming to pierce through the raven haired child. "Sorry, dear. We just finished. Although," she waved her red gloved hand at the men, "the ones with no money to barter can scoot aside to make room for you."
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jul 13, 2017 4:38:40 GMT
Adeline sat up as a woman addressed her. She had no idea who she was, only that she seemed to be an eccentric who had expensive taste. How else could she explain the pretty dress she was wearing, yet her hair was divided into a half black/half white style? Not many people wore their hair like that, unless they liked to stand out a bit. Then again, at a place like this, that almost seemed to be the norm. Any rebellious teenager here seemed to have hair that was dyed in some crazy color scheme, or an outfit that would make them stand out like a sore thumb if they wandered into Adeline's neighborhood. They almost made her look plain in comparison, considering that she was only wearing jeans, flats, and a black tank top. The woman offered her a seat to play, but Adeline shook her head. Not only was she inexperienced at poker, she hardly had any money to offer. She tended to carry only $20 on her at most, and some of it had already been spent getting in here. "Oh, no, I'm not..." Adeline tripped over her words as she hurried to her feet. "I was just...there were some guys fighting and..." She looked around for a moment, trying to see if she could spot them. There were so many people, it was hard to tell. But, Adeline saw them near the edge of the dance floor. "There! They're over there," she said, pointing. And by the looks of it, she wasn't the only person they had knocked over. Quite a few other patrons were yelling at them, and seemed ready to get physical as well.
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Post by Zuyuri on Jul 13, 2017 5:02:49 GMT
The black haired girl stumbled over her words, trying to find some sort of reason as to why she was on the floor and somehow not getting stomped on by the people leaving the lounge area. Cruella's frown fell, probably making her already thin face seem thinner. Fighting? In this establishment? The only physical touching that was allowed was in the rentals. Her frown stayed, but her whisper of, "Thank you, darling. I'll take it from here", was delivered kindly. She left her seat at the table and scanned the crowds. Yes, indeed, some patrons were getting a bit pushy. The Hex Girls were still playing, almost unphased by the chaos going on at the fringes. Cruella brought her thumb and forefinger to her blood red lips, pursed them, and whistled sharply. The men with green smoke, and several men and women with their Goth-chic outfits, perked at the whistle. Without uttered a word, Cruella pointed to the riffraff causing trouble. It happened in a flash. The girls were down on their haunches, their fine hair rippling and brisling down; their teeth became fangs, some even grew enlongated snouts. They rushed at the group with bestial growls, ushering the fighters out the doors and slamming it behind them. The rock music from the Hex Girls was the only sound made, minus the hustlers crying out in complaints or crying in fear at being snapped at.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jul 13, 2017 19:04:57 GMT
Adeline was surprised. One glance from this woman and people pushed the rowdy guys out of the club without a second thought. The speed at which they moved seemed to suggest that they were experts at dealing with this type of behavior. Adeline glanced back at the woman, wondering who she was. "Are you...in charge of this place?" she asked. She certainly seemed to have enough authority to be the head honcho. And if that was true, then was she Cruella, the same Cruella that Axel hated? Axel hadn't exactly given a physical description of her, just some of her personality traits. And none of them were especially good.
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Post by Zuyuri on Jul 14, 2017 2:23:23 GMT
Cruella, all while watching her pack force the riots outside, played with her fake cigarette idly. The tip was starting to lose its burning quality, and she fished around for her lighter. She flicked it once, relighting the tip. The raven haired girl was looking at her, like a little black cat who had wandered too far away. She was not the superstitious type, but black cats were well known for bad luck. It must have come with the territory. The cat-like girl asked if she was in charge, and she hybrid answered. "Why, yes, I am! Built this lovely establishment from Mother's lost inheritance to spread some, well, pleasure to the poor people scrounging for food and entertainment down here. Who wants to know?"
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jul 14, 2017 3:00:43 GMT
Pleasure...that was a nice way to put the stuff that went on here. The woman seemed proud more than anything else though. There was no doubt in Adeline's mind that this was Cruella. She pretty much confirmed that she was the owner of this place. She didn't seem too dangerous at first glance, but looks could be deceiving, especially when it came to Others. Heck, even Adeline herself wasn't what she appeared. To anyone looking, she was just an ordinary girl. Nobody could usually tell that she had a demon side, and that her demeanor could go from quiet and friendly to enraged and reckless if it was brought out. Adeline brushed some hair out of her face and shrugged in answer to Cruella's question. "Just wondered. I've never been here before. The crowd outside got my attention."
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Post by Zuyuri on Jul 14, 2017 3:14:56 GMT
"Every time the Hex Girls come in, it always draws a crowd, darling," Cruella commented boredly. So this was a newcomer, eh? Well, the bad news was as sweet-faced as this cat girl was, there was no room for girls like her in the pack. If she was looking for work, she'd have to go someplace else. Not did she feel like feeding this child to her pack; something about the child's scent was rubbing her the wrong way, but she wouldn't dare say it out loud. "So, you're new to this club, you say?" She smothered her cigarette onto the ashtray where it hissed on contact. "I'd give the tour, but the last thing I need is to get you trampled again."
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jul 14, 2017 3:27:00 GMT
Getting trampled was probably the least of Adeline's worries right now. The people here looked like they were capable of doing worse things than that. She just hoped nobody busted out a pair of fangs and claws at her while she was here. Things were relatively calm now. Cruella didn't seem to think her supposed reason for being here was believable, although she felt her insides squirm if her eyes lingered on her for too long. Her demon side was resting peacefully now, but Adeline knew there was a chance it might pop out if she got into too much trouble. It tended to react that way whenever she got scared. It was much like a cornered animal, in that regard. "That's the way it tends to be with me," Adeline replied. "I blend in too easily." Her words were casual, although Adeline wondered what she was trying to do. Get some information on Cruella? Find out more about Axel's past through her? Maybe get one of these kids out of here in an attempt to save them from getting into a nasty business? She didn't really know. Coming in here earlier had seemed like a good idea. Now, she was starting to wonder if she had even had a purpose for doing it, other than being stupid.
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Post by Zuyuri on Jul 14, 2017 4:02:51 GMT
The white, sharpened points of Cruella's teeth shone as she smiled at the girl's statement. There was something not being said, something that was making the child waver despite acting calm. "I see," was all the hybrid said. "I must admit, you're a brave girl, coming in here and being, what was the word you used, undetected?"
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jul 14, 2017 15:21:23 GMT
"I'm a little used to stuff like this," Adeline replied. Maybe not seedy nightclubs or big crowds, but horrifying monsters? Adeline had plenty of experience with that. Thrax was an ever-present monster in her life. Heck, even if he was gone, his monstrosity would still be inside Adeline. She was part of the monsters now. Of course, the difference was that she wasn't going to give into it. That was something she and Pitch both strove to do. Pitch wasn't going to repeat the bad choices he made in the past, and Adeline wasn't going to become a monster just because it was easier to let go of everything. She wasn't going to lose herself because of it.
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Post by Zuyuri on Jul 15, 2017 0:51:36 GMT
Cruella arched her eyebrow slowly. What did she mean that she was used to stuff like this? Then again, there was a faint dark smell that wafted from the cat-girl's presence. Perhaps a demon had touched her? She would ask these questions once she had time to mull over the crowd, looking for hopeful side dishes for her pack. So far, the only people she saw were a naive looking couple passionately kissing on one of the chairs. It'd be a tragic end to their little story.
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