7969/Rent Sucks

Rent Sucks
Date of Scene:	24 September 2021
Location:	Vanessa's Apartment
Synopsis:	Vanessa stops to drop off her rent, and meets a friend of the building super.
Cast of Characters:	Vanessa Carlysle, Quentin Quire

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Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa Carlysle dumps out the contents of her purse onto her kitchen table. She starts filtering out various items, sliding keys and a gun (safety on!) amongst other things to one side. Until all that is left is money. A lot of single bills and some changes.

She straightens up the money and counts through it. "Crap. Just barely enough for the month," she says with a forlorn sigh. She goes to a drawer and pulls out an envelope, getting out the money inside and adding it to the pile. One more time counting through to confirm the amount and it goes back into the envelope, with only a few extra dollar bills left to go back into her purse.

New Lots is not the safest area, and this part of New Lots especially so. Though the safety doors actually work at keeping the wrong sorts out usually. About the only thing in the building that usually does. Still, Vanessa looks out her peephole, up and down the hall as much as it allows. Then she undoes the chain and the two deadbolts, grabbing her keys and closing up after she steps into the hall and locks the door before heading towards the room the building's super occupies.

Michael Cray is a rather unpleasant man. About thirty years old, he's more about collecting the rent than he is about fixing things. To be fair, the building's owner doesn't want him wasting money on the tenants, most of whom have rent-controlled properties that prevent the owner from making more money on them. So in retaliation, he does a bare minimum of maintenance.

Though Vanessa's complaints about Mike Cray run beyond his lack of building maintenance. She's always found his leering a little creepy. It doesn't help when he's run into her in her 'work attire' either. She reaches the door and knocks on it. Mike opens it soon after. "Vanessa," he says with a grin, glancing her over, but she's just wearing jeans and a snug-fitting tee. "Come in," he says, turning and stepping into the apartment so if she wants to talk to him, she has to come in. And she does.

Quentin Quire has posed:
    Quentin Quire is there, something of an odd duck with his shock of bright pink hair, and his lanky angular build. He's not tall but he's got a /presence/ about him, relaxed back in a chair holding a hand of cards. There's a little pile of faded chips on the table between them and it's clear they're being interrupted mid-game. "Oh hey, /Mikey/ I didn't know you hired entertainment, you old dog." is the first thing out of Quentin's mouth when Vanessa steps in after him.

    He's wearing a shirt that reads '#Swagneto' on it, blinged out in rhinestones to glitter and sparkle ostentatiously, long legs stretched across to another chair until she enters and he sits up, feet dropping to the ground. He moves to stand, cards dropped face down on the table so that his hand can sweep up and slick back the shock of hair he wears, a smarmy sort of grin on his face as he looks to Mike and then back to Vanessah. "I'm kidding." he says, though from his cutting tone it's clear that wasn't anything close to an apology.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa Carlysle looks to be in her mid to late twenties. Shoulder length dark hair falls past her shoulders, with a few inches of whiter color on some of the tips as if she once had a white shock dyed in it in front, but just let it grow out without coloring it back to her natural color.

She has a certain bearing, a bit of elegance in her posture that has somehow survived living in New Lots. After stepping inside and leaving the door open behind her, her eyes to Quentin as he makes his comment and then rises.

Mike gives a chortle, and looks about to say something though a pointed look from Vanessa cuts the building superintendent off. "Vanessa," she tells Quentin. "No worries, around here, you hear worse," she tells him. Her eyes go to the writing on his t-shirt, head tilting just slightly as if she doesn't get it.

But her attention goes back to Mike then. She holds out the envelope towards him. He takes it and opens it up, pulling out the money. It's obvious how many small bills are in it as he counts through it.

Vanessa looks back to Quentin and then to the poker game. "Winning?" she asks him.

Quentin Quire has posed:
    He grins back at her response and lets his hands fall down to hook his thumbs in his pockets, tilting his head a little to examine her. It's not /quite/ Mike's greasy stare but there's an overly self-assured note to the way he examines her. Especially for a dude with pink hair and rhinestones on his shirt.

    Her question ahs him glance to the cards then back to her with a nod, "Always, Mikey /sucks/ at cards." and, you know. Quentin is an Omega-level psychic. "You lived here long? I'm surprised I haven't run into you before." he asks. And finally, he takes a half-step back, easing back into his seat and looking down at the cards, "Wanna get dealt in?" he offers, chin lifting some, "Bet he'd let you bet your rent on it. Get a couple months free."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa glances over at Mike, who is somewhere between them in ages, probably closer to 24 or 25. He tries to hide the predatory smile that comes at the thought of Vanessa betting her rent in the card game, though it leaks into his eyes at the least. Vanessa's fair enough at reading people to spot it too.

"Ah, well, I would, but probably better not to bet the rent," she says. Indeed, from the look of it she had to scrape together the money. Maybe a waitress or some other job like that to have so many singles.

Mike shrugs. "Your loss," he tells her. "And I do not suck at cards!" he protests, even if he was losing to Quentin pretty steadily. That Quentin is younger than he just puts his back up more about it.

"Oh," Vanessa says at spotting that confirmation Mike is losing. "I wouldn't mind watching though," she says.

Quentin Quire has posed:
    "Yeah, be a shame if you lost it all." Quentin agrees with a small nod. He eyes the bills as they come out, no commenting on the nature of her payment, just watching. Then he smirks over at Mike, "You /do/ suck at cards, but you buy beer and have cute renters." he says, head tilting a little to indicate Vanessa. Because he's classy like that.

    He looks back to Vanessa and gestures expansively, "Hey, I've got no problem with a cute girl watching." he says, looking to Mike now, "You don't mind right? Let he sit in, maybe she'll improve your luck or something." he says. He adjusts in his seat a little, scooting his chair like he's making room at the table for her, his hand moving down to bend the cards so hec an quickly check them to remind himself what he had.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Mike's mouth twists as he says, "Don't mind her watching, long as she's not playing unless she's putting up money," he says. He slides an extra chair out with his foot for Vanessa. As she walks over to it, he gives her butt a little swat. Vanessa controls her expression, though there's a tiny flash in her eyes that the gesture wasn't appreciated, though Mike couldn't see it.

She takes the seat and Mike goes over to the fridge, getting more beers and bringing them back, giving Vanessa one. "Ok, time to shut up and deal. This hand as my name written on it," he says.

Vanessa stage whispers to Quentin, "he just does that so he can remember it." And gets a scathing look from Michael.

Quentin Quire has posed:
    "Nobody plays for free." Quentin agrees with a nod, "Gotta put up to play." repeating himself as he shifts, watching Vanessah's reaction to the swat without much reaction, only a very faint growth of that smirk, eyes briefly lifting to meet Vanessah's if she looks over.

    He looks aside to Mike and nods, grabbing the beer from Mike and reaching down to pop it open with his thumb, taking a long drink and saying, snorting at Vanessah's stage whisper as he lowers the beer, offering her a brief grin aside before looking back to Mike, grabbing the cards to start dealing the next hand. "So, Vanessah, how'd you end up in a shithole like this..." casual conversation flowing as they play.