Post by Nyxy ( 血の花 ) on Jul 12, 2014 0:55:06 GMT
Episode one- The invitation
Scene setting: A 19th century style mansion in Upper North Vancouver, an office study where a well dressed man sits behind a teak wood desk hand writing out several letters. An older gentleman stands patiently waiting for his next instruction, as the male finishes and seals the last letter putting it on a tray with twelve other envelopes.
Narrator: There is no need for words between the two men in this room, the culmination of years of carefully watching and picking out thirteen individuals to issue this challenge to was finally coming to fruition. Tonight Mr. Vincent Drake would attempt to offer several members of the lower area the opportunity to rise above their wretched existence. It is a far different world now, after two major cataclysms the shape of the world had vastly changed. It truly has become a world of the haves and have not's. For many years the elite and wealthy of Vancouver kept to themselves, in fact it had been twenty long years since anyone had been offered a way out of the lower areas. Mr. Drake knew that his offer would be too tempting to ignore.
Scene action: An elder gentlemen dressed in a stately butlers uniform gathers the silver tray of invitations, his name Jeeves he is Drake's loyal servant. He will personally see to delivering each invitation. Leaving the room he heads to his private quarters slipping on a drivers cap, and a fashionable coat with deep pockets slipping seven in his left, six in his right. He leaves his room heading out towards a sleek black stretch limousine. The gates of the mansion open up as he drives out into the night to complete his task.
Scene Shift-
A exotic dance club in Gastown, “The Purple onion” one of the few bars in the area, this exotic dance club boasted caged dancers, a sleek modern bar, and a slight fog that rolled across the floor giving the area a ethereal vibe. Pulsating music pumped the area making the very room vibrate with energy, a young red haired woman follows a tall nondescript male down a corridor towards a back room area. She is being briefed on what was expected of her tonight on her first shift as a dancer.
Night manager: “You only get one chance at impressing Amalia, and your looks were good enough to gain you employment here. So unless you screw up royally you should be okay”
They walk into a room full of costumes and accessories
Night manager: “You have a choice of costumes, you will be dancing in a cage tonight, as you gain reputation you will be allowed to dance for special clients. Until then you are a fixture understood?”
The young woman nods just happy to have work
Jolene:“So I can wear any of these outfits? (She asks eying a sexy leather bikini).
Night manager: (nods) “yes now pick one and get ready your shift is starting.
Scene action: Jolene waited till the manager left her closing the door most of the other dancers were already on shift dancing, she was completely alone, she ran her hand along several costumes including a sultry blue dress that could easily be ripped away while dancing. She had caught a lucky break accidentally running into one of the owners of the club who offered her a job for being so pretty. After weeks on the road, and years away from the only life she knew before, this was a step in hopefully the right direction. A knock on the door makes her jump, Jolene's nerves were always on edge.
Jolene: “Come in?” (said with a confused look upon her face)
The door opens slowly and an older male dressed in finery approaches her.
Jolene: (with a slight frown on her face)“Hey I don't think you are allowed back here sir...”
Jeeves reaches into his left pocket pulling out a sealed envelope with her name on it and silently hands it to her. Jolene intrigued reaches for the envelope taking it, noticing the gold like seal along the envelope.
Jolene: (stares at him then the letter)“what is this?”
She asks but receives no verbal response. She opens the letter:
“I offer you tonight a chance to cast away your wretched existence, you are cold, hungry, and perhaps doing things you do not wish to do to survive. I have been watching and I offer you a chance at an employment opportunity that will take you far away from the slums. If you are interested in my offer be at the corner of E. Waterford Road and Main at nine pm.” The letter is simply ended with a signature V. Drake.
Scene action: Jolene will look up from reading the letter and see the elder gentlemen leaving, she doubted he would answer her questions either way. Nine o'clock was only an hour and a half away and would most definitely cut into her shift. But something told Jolene that yes she should accept this offer, feeling bold she goes towards the blue dress changing into it. She then slips on a pair of pink stilettos with six inch heels. She runs a brush through her long hair then nods at her reflection. At twenty four years old she was a very alluring female, her eyes a deep blue-green, her skin a soft peach with slight freckles upon her dainty nose. Her lips full and pouty. Her deep red mane a natural red fell in soft waves down her shoulders and back. Jolene fully intended to impress this V. Drake as she tended to with others by being the most alluring female she could be. She knew she had to leave the club inconspicuously, the dim lighting and fact that not many patrons were about gave her the opportunity to try to slip out unnoticed. She struts herself out towards the entrance confidently but slightly trips walking into an ornate ashtray getting ashes on her dress. She then hits a snag against the door going out tearing away at some of the dress. To most it would have been very undignified. But for Jolene she shrugged it off and walked out of the club off towards destiny.
Scene Shift-
Industrial Avenue, a dank street corner near a row of dilapidated office buildings. A young male in faded denim and a black hoodie crouches down at the side of an abandoned office tower contemplating his next move. His pulse already quickening at the very thought of the blaze this massive structure would give. His eyes dancing with delight, he looks around nervously his eyes darting north, then east, then south, then north again then west. He did not want his work interrupted. It would be a slow burn that would rise into roaring glory. Slipping into the front pocket of his hoodie his hand caresses the metal object, the very love of his life. He slips the object out flipping the tip and runs his fingers along the flint wheel getting a slight tingle at the spark. Just as he was about to grab a rag to light, a car pulls up jolting him into pure shock and anger. He instantly looks around for a place to hide going towards a dumpster and crouching behind it. 'Just who in the hell would be driving this way at this time?' The young man thinks frowning, even more upset at his work being interrupted. A stately dressed elder gentleman gets out of the limousine, the young man glares at him with contempt and blinks as the elder male walks towards him. Realizing he was there to see him though still confused, the young man stands staring Jeeves in the eyes not bothering to hide his contempt. The old man reaches into the left side of his coat pocket, pulls out the sealed envelope and holds it out. The young man frowns looking at it then him then back at the letter, while he was not dumb reading was hardly what he would call fun. He begrudgingly takes the envelope after what seems to be a five minute stand off of a wordless stare down. He opens the letter and reads, his face not betraying any emotion save anger at being interrupted. As he looks up the gentleman who was already entering the car again and drove away. Snake, the only name this young man would call himself shoves the letter into his pocket then sits and think. He did not trust this V. Drake but wondered what exactly he meant by 'He had been watching...and just what kind of job was he offering?' The very fact that limo made its way to this area was enough to pique Snake's interest. But he was very put off from being interrupted, getting up he decides to head towards E. Waterford road just to see for himself what was up.
Scene shift-
An abandoned building on the corner of Begg Street and Terminal avenue, a young male sits at a weather worn desk. Upon the desk several surgical tools, many old some rusted and rudimentary. A dim light in the room slowly pans towards a being laying on what looked to be a hospital bed, one that had seen better days long ago. It is stained with blood and other bodily fluids, the being on the bed in too much pain to really complain about the accommodations. The young male stands up he wore a dingy white lab coat over dingy gray slacks and a stained gray sweater. Despite the summer temperatures it was his preferred uniform, he had no mask to cover his face for germs, but the young man did not really fear such things as germs. He walks towards the bed a scalpel in hand and smiles down at the male who looked up at him with a pain filled glance.
Doc: “Now, now try not to move too much, you were hurt really bad, yeah. Patching you up will not be easy at all, and I think...No I know the pills I just gave you to ingest may just cause a bit of intestinal distress, but it will help ease the pain...” (The last line is said with a very blank expression as if he stopped caring to remember if he actually gave the person pain killers).
Scene action: The male's body rears up his eyes widening as he begins to vomit, all the contents of his stomach spewing forth onto Doc who continues to stare blankly at him. The being convulses a few times then falls back his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Doc gives a soft sigh then picks up the male's wrist feeling for a pulse, then shrugs as he feels none. He then looks at his wrist at a non existent watch:
Doc: “Time of death seven forty five. Well now time for an autopsy” (the last line said with a melodic tone)
Scene action: As Doc walks back over to the surgical tools on the desk, a stately dressed elder gentleman enters and approaches him, Doc smiles at the male as if he is not surprised to see him.
Doc: “Welcome another walk in I see, you look fairly healthy though, are you here perhaps for my free prostate exam?”
Jeeves does not respond to the offer but gives a slight frown at him, as he slips his hand into the left coat pocket pulling out a sealed envelope and handing it to Doc. Doc opens the letter looking it over with some mumbling and nods then look up at the departing Jeeves.
Doc: “A party and I am invited? But I have nothing to wear...”
Doc looks over at the corpse on the hospital bed, the being had been clad in a very worn dingy suit that had obviously been scavenged. But a suit was a suit and that being did not need it anymore. And to Doc this letter was an invite to a party. Jeeves continues out the door and Doc will once again ask:
Doc: Are you sure you are not interested in the exam? I did mention it was free right?
Jeeves quickens his pace to leave the building.
Doc: “Oh well that is too bad, he looked like he could have really benefited from that prostate exam...well time to get dressed for my party.”
Scene shift-
A run down home with a crudely made “Shop” sign on E. 14th and Glen Drive. An open room shows a young woman wearing a dingy white t-shirt covered in grease stains, some dingy blue jeans also caked with dirt and grease was hovering over the parts to a gun. It was one of the many things she found while scavenging downtown earlier that day, and brought to her makeshift shop, the three bedroom home was redesigned by her to look like a shop with regular furniture acting as her work table and shelving for her tinkering projects. She sat on a couch leaning forward over an object. Her face was that of a young adolescence though devoid of any blemishes or pimples, her hair a dark mess of curls that hung just below her chin, it was matted in areas from rubbing grease from the many mechanical things she tinkered with into it. Her skin a sickly pale and on her soft gray eyes some cracked work goggles. She was intently focusing on fixing the trigger of the gun when a stately dressed gentlemen enters the front of the house, the bell mechanism she set up rang as he entered making her look up. She instantly eyed the male suspiciously, she rarely got actual customers and when she did they were never dressed as fancy as this gentleman. Dee as the young woman was known was no at all impressed by the males clothing it only made her more leery of him. She worried about the home's other occupant as he walked towards her.
Dee: (with a pronounced stutter) “C-c-can I help you?”
Scene action: Jeeves silently reaches into his left pocket and pulls out an sealed envelope handing it to Dee. Dee will look at the envelope then back at Jeeves then take it opening it up and reading it. Like the other two before as she looks up from reading it with questions Jeeves was already heading out the door. Dee looks at the letter again and silently chews on her bottom lip, she did not have a good feeling about this offer from V. Drake, but an opportunity to leave the slums would benefit more than just herself. The thought is enough for her to go grab a hooded jacket and her satchel for collecting items. She opens the bag up and puts various items she worked on inside the bag sure that this V. Drake was wanting her to either fix items or show him what kind of items she could potentially make. She takes off her goggles trading them for a pair of wire rimmed glasses, though sixteen she had a small frame and with her glasses looked a few years younger. Her height of five two did not help that fact as well, but what Dee lacked in size she made up with intellect. She checks the shop over one last time, then heads towards a room opening the door and looks in nodding silently at something before closing the door. Walking to the front she pushes the buttons on a very rudimentary keypad arming something and heading out closing the door.
Scene shift-
The ruined building of Mount Saint Joseph hospital, the building itself had been completely leveled on several floors, the very lower level was an open area used as a medical triage. While not formally medically trained several individuals provided urgent care with what little equipment they had, for the residents of the surrounding areas. Long lines of wounded and sick waited for just a chance to be looked at, while the staff known as the “angels of the slums” worked feverishly to help the constant flow of patients. One woman in particular, fairly tall in stature with a unique look about her, she was tending to a sick child as his family looked on. The little boy had a broken arm, the victim of a robbery gone wrong, and Nyxy was working with another attendant to set the arm in proper place for a splint. Though her height gave her a near amazon like look, her facial features were soft and refined. Her nose a slight button on her face, she had defining high cheek bones that led up to large almond shaped eyes that gave her a slight Asian look. Her skin a soft light brown gave the distinct impression that she was a being of mixed race. Her long silken black hair which was worn in a long ponytail, hangs down the back of her makeshift scrubs. The scrubs consisted of a dark navy top and pants which had seen its fair share of blood and bodily fluids. Her eyes was what calmed people, she had soft hazel pupils that seemed to stare into your soul and calm you when needed. The child she was helping had stopped his bawling when he locked eyes with Nyxy, letting her hold his broken arm while the other attended worked to snap the bone to reset it in place. After helping apply the splint and wrap to the arm, she watched as the child carefully made his way to his family. They did not have the provisions for a true cast and the other attendant informed them of what they would need to do in order to help the child's arm heal. The words of the attendant fading as a wave of weariness washes over Nyxy. She makes her way towards one of the few areas where non staff was not allowed and sits taking a break. Lately she had been feeling very fatigue from putting in extra hours and running her side business. Tonight she told herself she would leave by eight just so she could catch an hour of sleep but she had a bad feeling that the steady flow of needy people would change her mind.
Scene action: A elderly gentleman in stately clothes approaches her, Nyxy looks up shocked that someone dressed so well was inside the triage area. Along with the fact that he was bold enough to ignore the signs that said no non personal beyond this point. Jeeves pauses reaches into his left coat pocket and pulls out a sealed envelope. Nyxy looks up to him and speaks:
Nyxy: (a heavy foreign accent Jamaican in nature) “You are a bit fancy dressed to be in a place like this eh?”
Jeeves smirks slightly holding the envelope for her. Nyxy reaches out to take it with a shrug
Nyxy: “I am not used to getting letters delivered to me, is it from an admirer?”
Scene action: She gives Jeeves a wink then shrug again at his silence and reads the letter. Her eyes widen slightly at it, if this was real it was something she had been hoping for for a very long time. By the time she looked up Jeeves was leaving. She stood wanting to go after him but another attendant called for her to help with another victim that was crashing. They needed help applying chest compressions to restart his heart. Nyxy shoves the invitation into pocket of her pants and rushes over to work. Less than an hour later, and very worn out she makes her way from the triage. Even though she knew she was still needed lines of people hoping to be seen glanced at her as she walked away from the building. Nyxy knew this invitation was not an opportunity to pass up. She made her way to her one room apartment a few blocks away and pulls out the only other item of clothing she owned, a black pantsuit and changes her clothes. She wanted to make a good first impression.
Scene shift: After the first five the scene will shift to Jeeves approaching eight others, two young men one rather large and intimidating flanked by a much shorter yet louder male who takes the sealed envelope staring at it confused. The larger male will grab it read it then nod staring confused as Jeeves drives off. Others a mixture of males and females of various age and demeanor also accept their invites to meet at E. Waterford and Main at 9 pm, the music surrounding their reactions to Jeeves a haunting melody of grace and refinement with just a tinge of foreboding.
New scene- An abandoned parking area on E. Waterford Road, the paint faded from the once widely used parking lot. The only thing sitting there now a park bench that used to be used by patrons waiting for their cars to be brought to them. The bench itself had seen better days, graffiti scrawled over it. It was broken on each end and missing a middle plank. Jolene the first to get to the area limps her way towards the bench, she underestimated how far a walk it was going to be, and in the heels she choose her feet were now painfully throbbing. Sitting down she looked around the area it was eerily quiet, no other beings present. Soon the silence was interupted by the sound of approaching foot steps. The first two arrived a tough looking brown skin woman in all black, and a little pale girl with glasses, Jolene stared at them intently taking her shoes off as she rubbed her feet. Nyxy walks up to the bench looking around and Jolene looks up at her:
Jolene: “Hello..were you invited to?”
Nyxy: (after giving her a glance then nod) “Yes but I am beginning to wonder just what I was invited to...”
Jolene continues to rub her feet while Dee keeping a distance from both speaks up towards Nyxy:
Dee: “Y-you got the l-lett-tter from D-drake?”
Both women nod yes to her, Nyxy was about to say someone else when a strange male in a tattered suit approached them. All three eye him warily, while he seemed pleasant even rather good looking his vibe gave off a creepier tone.
Doc: “Hello ladies, I see you were invited to the party to” (he looks each of them up and down).
Jolene and Nyxy: “Party?”
Doc: “Yes did you not get an invite from red-beard to come to my party?”
Nyxy takes a visible step back from him wondering about the male's sanity while Dee moves to put Nyxy between herself and Doc. Jolene rolls her eyes still rubbing her feet. Nyxy looks over to her:
Nyxy: “the pressure points right below your big toe, mid foot and heel will alleviate any pain you have in your feet, heels can be rough when walking.”
Jolene: (glances up at her giving a slight smile) “Thanks” (she follows the advice and gives a soft moan).
Doc: (unperturbed they their uneasiness walks up to Nyxy) “You know I offer free prostate exams...”
Scene action: Before Nyxy could respond to his obviously gender oblivious comment a few others entered the parking lot, by count soon twelve beings stood waiting. Doc smiled completely sure now that it was a party. Soon the group all who eyed each other suspiciously were greeted by the sound of an approaching vehicle. The stretch limousine pulls up and Jeeves steps out walks around the long vehicle and opens the doors, the interior was leather and fancy. There was a mini bar and food, the others looked inside hungrily. Nyxy was one of the first to climb inside taking a left corner and grabbing at fruit, actual fruit. Dee followed taking the corner across from her, Jolene sat next in an opposite corner while others filed in Doc sitting on the ground grabbing a bottle of whiskey to drink. The doors were about to close when a quiet looking male in a black hoodie climbs in he frowns and goes to sit next to Jolene pulling his hood over his head and staying silent. The ride was quiet save eating, a little loud male whispered something to a big male who looked squished up in the seat. Before they knew it the car stopped and the doors opened each one of them take in the large mansion in awe. Jeeves indicates for them to enter through the open front doors. One by one they trail inside going to the main foyer and pause as a well dressed male approached them. He was in an suit of crimson and black, with gold accents. On each wrist rest cuff links, one could only speculate was real diamonds. His gaze piercing his skin a light pale he had sharp blue eyes and wavy dark hair cut stylishly short.
Vincent: “Hello and welcome to my home, I am Vincent Drake. You must all be wondering why I have summoned you to my home. As the invitation I sent you said this is for a job opportunity. But I shall go into details come tomorrow evening over dinner. For now you are my guests to spend the night and refresh yourselves.”
The group mummer obvious frowns go around many not trusting of this act of generosity.
Doc: (visibly disappointed) “You mean this is not a party?”
He still held in his hand a bottle of whiskey from the limo. Vincent smirked at him then looked at the others.
Vincent: “I know that this situation seems disconcerting perhaps even suspicious. You are free to leave but mark my words, I shall not offer this opportunity again. Those of you who wish to remain will be shown to one of my guest rooms for the evening. You are free to bathe, request food and relax for the evening. Tomorrow I shall go into detail on exactly what I expect you to do to gain employment with my company. Until then I bid you a goodnight.”
Scene action: The scene pans to all thirteen individual with four leaving obviously not believing this was a real opportunity or perhaps scared. The big man and his little cohort look around nearly breaking a vase and are escorted away by a maid. Soon each one of the beings who stayed were shown to a bedroom to unwind for the night. Jeeves enters Vincent office, Vincent is looking out a large bay window with a slight smirk on his face. The officials finally allowed him to expand his family, he fully intended to pick the strongest of that lot and set his plans into motion. The scene shifts from him looking out the window up to a full moon into the deep black star-less sky.
End episode 1