Queen of the Night (open)

[Deleted]

Like any performer, Laverne had her list of superstitions that she wouldn’t dare go against before a performance. There were only certain things that she ate and drank with very high standards. Nothing with milk products or carbonation would touch her large lips. A peculiar mix of fruit juices and vegetables were the few things that she would ingest on the day before a performance. Despite the fact that she hadn’t preformed in several weeks, she had kept up with her daily voice exercises and routines religiously. Her pristine, classic soprano would grace this Gotham stage tonight and the night would revolve around her ...for once.

It was bittersweet to recall before her name blew up and she was starring in Opera houses all over Europe. It was silly to think that a stage this small would make her nervous, but it was the fact that those who attempted to smoother her talent could be present. Originally she thought that her family and friends in the audience might help with a bit of support, though instead they only made her nerves multiply. She wanted nothing more than to impress, to prove her strategy after all these years of being away and training. However, more than anything she wanted to live up to the vocal quality of her late mother.

Taking a deep breath a she completed the rest of the rituals; she kissed the necklace her mother had given her sixteen times before fastening it behind her. The dressing room was vacant with the exception of the music that played in the background. It was far from classical , in fact, it quietly played a song that often gave her fond memories of her childhood.

A knock on the door notified that it was her time. Her agent’s voice sounded muffled through the wooden door as she rose from the light-lined vanity. Laverne turned briefly back to the mirror to greet her own stunning features, her hair styled in a classic up-do. Her outfit was a deep purple and beautiful, though she felt as though it wasn’t particularly her style. She still wore it with pride with her head raised and repeating a mental mantra that she always did before a performance.

When she finally graced the stage with her presence, she looked into the darkened house. Breaking the fourth wall only for a brief moment, she could make out the silhouettes of hundreds of occupied seats. She was well aware that all the eyes would be on her the moment the lights came on and the nerves fled instantly. Laverne was finally in her comfort zone – those few valuable seconds in the darkness as she stood her place on stage.

The moment the lights hit her, the symphony responded and so did she; her beautiful voice gracing every ear in the large auditorium.

The moment she was finished, it was like she had just come back from an out-of-body experience. Her wide smile graced her face and she placed her hand on her heaving chest to show her gratitude. The curtains closed, and she began to fan herself, unable to shake the smile off of her face. Desperate for a bit of fresh air, she made her way through the compliments to make her way toward the stage exit. Some of the stage hands were there, smoking a cigarette, but they quickly praised the woman the second she arrived and put out there ashes before heading back inside. She didn’t even care. Laverne was high on the sensation and took a moment to rest against the wall. The Gotham night air hit her face and she looked up to admire the beautiful city sky before returning inside.


ooc- I know it is a bit of a lengthy read, but feel free to join

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

A dark alley, late at night, is one of the last places that Heather would want to be - at least not when Jon isn't around. VerMillion, on the other hand, couldn't care less about any danger. In fact, to her sneaking around in the dark is kind of fun - it's a challenge to attempt to get anywhere in Gotham without being seen. Or at least, without being seen by the wrong kind of person: cops and people bold enough to try and be a hero. Her connection with the Scarecrow is quite well established in the media now, after all, and her bold choice in hair colors is something that people tend to remember. So whether people believe that she's been brainwashed or is working with Jon of her own free will and choice, every time she's seen by someone there's actually a good chance that someone will remember that the cops want her.

Whether or not they actually do anything about it is a completely different question - some people, like the majority of the homeless people she might find in the alleyway, just don't care. A lot of the gang people are actually kind of scared of her because they're terrified of Jon - which is absolutely hilarious. Quite a few people in general are scared of interacting with her for the same reason. And then there's the ones who didn't pay close enough to the news stories to remember her when she sees them, even though she's not dressed in a way that disguises her identity very well at the moment. So the number of people she doesn't want to see her is actually quite small, really - the only problem is that you can't tell which ones are which to look at them.

And it would be really, really bad if she was caught by someone. Or at least, that's what Heather thinks - VerMillion is quite sure that it wouldn't be that bad to get caught. Jon would come and get them, after all, assuming that another way to leave didn't present itself. So VerMillion being careful as she makes her way through the area is more motivated by the fun of the challenge, not any fear of getting caught.

She's about to turn down a particular alleyway that should be a bit shorter than the other options, but she can hear some men talking that way and though she can't make out what they're saying from the tone of their conversation they're relatively, cheerful normal men hanging out and relaxing. Hmm, probably less likely to be the type of people she can afford to be seen by. However, as she's debating her options, she hears them moving around and the sound of their conversation goes inside the building. Ah, so the alleyway should be clear now.

Except when she rounds the corner and steps into the light of the lamp by the door, she sees that the alleyway is not completely empty but that the men have been replaced by a single woman wearing an abnormally artistic dress. The sight causes her to pause with a frown. Does she turn around and try to disappear back into the darkness, or does she try to pass? It's not an easy choice for her, so there's a long pause as she stands there and tries to decide.

[Deleted]

Laverne couldn’t shake the smile off her face, though she didn’t exactly want too either. Adrenaline raced through her veins and her fingertips still shook from the excitement of recently being on stage. She only wanted to stay out here for a couple of minutes, taking in the relaxing night air and collecting her thoughts before she went back inside to great her friends, family and fans. The moment she left her dressing room she was sure to be swarmed with people. This moment she was sure that people were finally finding their words after her performance and were filing out of the elaborate house and into the lobby. She was excited to see what her brother thought more than anything, hoping that she mananged to live up to her mother’s expectations. Laverne kissed her necklace once more, and turned to head back inside.

Though she felt she could have lingered in the silence for several more minutes, Laverne knew it was rude to keep people waiting. However, as she reached toward the door, her sharp senses distracted her. Several feet away was a cigarette butt that one of the stage hands had carelessly tossed near a pile of trash. With a roll of her eyes, she muttered a string of swear words under her breath a she moved toward the spark. Using the toe of her stiletto, she smothered the potential flame and continued to talk to herself.

It wasn’t until she looked up from the ground that she noticed a figure, standing alone in the alleyway. It wasn’t uncommon for the alleys to be occupied. In fact, a great deal of them consisted of homeless and crime. However, this woman didn’t appear homeless, nor did she seem to be going anywhere. Laverne looked cautiously behind her and then started toward the other woman. “Uh, hello? You lost?” She asked considerately and started toward the girl.

Perhaps she was some kind of fan, one who didn’t want to wait in the building and had eagerly decided to greet her outside? No, her clothes didn’t look as though she had just occupied an Opera House. As the youngest Bullock started closer to the girl, she was eager to assist in some way and a warm smile graced her face. Even with the limited light she could tell that the woman had vibrant red hair, where had she seen that hair before?

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

When the woman looks up, VerMillion doesn't seem to be concerned at all that she's been spotted. If anything, her expression indicates some slight annoyance at the woman's presence. Not that she has anything against her in particular, but she really would rather that the alleyway was empty. But that's water under the bridge now and VerMillion isn't one to dwell too much on things already in the past, even things of a moment ago. The question now is the same one as before - what to do now.

One thing is for certain: the woman doesn't seem to be that interested in giving her the time she'd need to ponder about the answer to that. Instead she's being distracted by the woman's question and approach - not that the question is very hard to answer. "Nope," she replies. She doesn't know precisely where she is at the moment actually, but she does know which direction to go to reach more familiar streets and from there back to Jon.

But having said that, she frowns thoughtfully at the approaching woman. "Are you lost?" she asks, noting the woman's strange attire. Not that she's not accustomed to fashion trends that some people find bizarre herself, but she's pretty sure that particular dress is even more extreme than all but the most liberal of fashionistas would wear, like, around.

Even as she questions the clothing, she doesn't seem to be at all concerned about the woman's approach. On the other hand, she also doesn't go so far as to bring herself closer either - instead she stands still and simply watches the woman coming closer, her hands idly being stuffed into her pockets. In fact, her body language is a bit off as she watches the woman: staring, not smiling. Instead her mannerisms are of curious inspection.

[Deleted]

Verne stepped further into the alleyway, her back now completely turned to the door that contained her awaiting public. There was just something that seemed off about this entire situation. Cautiously starting towards the middle of the alley, she squinted so that she could see the woman’s face and she was instantly overwhelmed with familiarity. She recognized the girl’s face and the brunette was now racking her brain in order to match a name with the figure. It was fresh in her mind, but it seemed to be taking a bit of digging. There she stood, simply staring with an almost rigid, uninviting attitude. Something told the brunette that she almost hadn’t wanted to be spoken too and there was obviously something unusual about her. Suddenly, after several moments it had come to her.

She had noticed the girls face at the Police station, when she had made a quick visit to reunite with her second family that had been taking good care of her brother when she had left. Glass was her last name, but she couldn’t remember the first. The girl had been known to associate herself with the notorious Doctor Crane, who apparently was more commonly known as the Scarecrow. She had scoffed at the name when she glanced down and saw it. The rouges in this city certainly had an odd source of creativity when it came to creating their alias.

Laverne started dangerously closer to the woman. “What would make you think that?” She looked down to her own bold ensemble and assumed that was the cause for such a retort. Her long train dragged behind her as she started toward the girl, “You lied to me, Glass. It appears that you are pretty lost. Last I checked, your cell was on the other side of town.” Verne instructed. What should she do now? Her phone was back in her dressing room and she had no way of confining the girl. She could attempt to capture her and she was far more than capable of doing so? Would the girl run, or did she maybe want to be noticed? Laverne mentally prepared for anything.

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

If there's such a thing as someone being 'dangerously' close to her, VerMillion has absolutely no idea what it means. She's effectively blind to danger in all its forms, or at least all but the most blatantly obvious ones like high cliffs and such. And that she only recognizes not because she's afraid of falling and death, but because she's logically aware that it's something people die from and she's aware that death is a one-way road with an unknown destination - she does recognize that perhaps she ought to have her affairs in order before she ventures that way, and she certainly doesn't.

But since that doesn't seem to be anywhere near on the cards here and now, as far as she's concerned everything is fine until it isn't. The woman's question just gets a vague nod in the general direction of her odd outfit. If she needs more explanation than that, then she's too crazy to understand the explanation anyway. The rest of what she says causes VerMillion to make a face, "I'm not 'Glass', okay? And I know where my cell is, but it's not like that's my home. So don't call me a liar - that's kind of a jerk-ass accusation to make when we're just talking, you know?"

The fact that the woman she's talking to now obviously recognizes her hasn't escaped her but... well, she just doesn't care about that too much. Not since the woman hasn't made any sort of a move except to come closer, which she doesn't care about, so she feels no need to make any sort of a move herself.

[Deleted]

Too harsh! Way to harsh! While she was a bull, she wasn’t a cop. That dream had died a long time ago with her brother’s aid. She was an international celebrity, but her home roots were a little hard to shake off. Slipping in and out of an accent was hard enough to control, but her temper was another factor entirely. She needed to try a different approach. The girls retort matched her fiery red hair; a loud crack of thunder grabbed the brunette’s attention.

She shook her head and sighed, trying to seem more approachable. “Sorry – I didn’t realize and it’s not my place too….guess that came off a little harsh didn’t it? If you aren’t Ms. Glass – what is your name?” Verne asked, taking her first statement literally. Small pellets of rain began to fall down on them in a simple drizzle, causing the brunette to look up at the sky in annoyance as she attempted to cover her hair. Usually she didn’t care, but she was sure to shake hands with some of Gotham’s elite who lingered in the lobby to meet her.

She needed to get this girl to trust her, and the brunette was positive that she was the redhead from the picture she had eyed in Harvey’s office. “My name is Laverna.” She attempted, almost awkwardly. It was so much easier to be aggressive. The rain began to pick up slightly, and she was sure she looked silly trying to shield her hair at this point. “Would you like to come inside? I can call you a taxi or something? It's the least I can do?”

God, she sounded like the witch of Hansel and Gretel. What was she even planning to do? Surely she couldn’t allow this girl to slip through her grasp.

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

"Mmhmm," VerMillion says, confirming that it was too harsh. "I'm VerMillion," she states simply, opting to leave it at that unless further conversation requires her to explain the whole thing about the difference between her and Heather, and that she's not quite the VerMillion who was hosting a radio show not that long ago. That's a bit much for someone she only suspects that she'll see once.

No sooner does she state her name than she feels the first drop of rain hitting her. It causes her to look up at the sky with a frown, hoping that whatever weather is about to happen, it'll be mild and go away quick. However, though it's difficult to see the clouds in the night-darkened sky, she can tell that they're thick and unlikely to be on their way soon. In fact, if anything it looks like it's just getting started and will be much worse shortly.

Still, aside from the frown she doesn't react much, even to try to avoid getting wet. Living with Jon has toughened her up against a lot of hardship, even something like getting caught in the rain. She'll still grumble about it, though. In fact, when Laverna makes her offer, she frowns and starts to mutter to herself, "Why not? ... She seems okay. ... Well, she does. And it's raining. ... Do you want to walk home in the rain? ... Well, then we should go inside." Her mind made up, she shrugs and speaks more loudly as she says, "Well, if I could wait out the storm, or see how long it'll be." Just because she has a high tolerance for rain doesn't mean that she enjoys it, after all.

Starting to head toward the building's side door, she asks, "So what is this place, anyways?" She doesn't know this part of Gotham well enough to remember and has only seen the place from the back and side, so she really has no idea.

[Deleted]

VerMillion? She liked the name and it was very unique, but she knew it wasn’t the girl’s name. Then again, the once-aspiring detective only skimmed through the woman’s file. She could recall her affiliation and her name – which she was positive, was not VerMillion. Perhaps it was some kind of alias? Or even something she had made up on the spot in order to distract the rising starlet. Either way, she knew that she needed to fool into trusting her in order to even attempt to turn her in. Wouldn’t her brother be so proud? Or maybe he would still try to find something wrong with her associating with such characters. Regardless, she was going for it.

“It’s nice to meet your VerMillion, I am Laverna.” She said with a strained smile, finding it difficult to do so when she was being pelted with rain. As proud as she was of her Gotham roots, she was going to use her stage name for duration of her trip, knowing it would appease her brother and reassure him at the same time. She knew what he was thinking, but using her stage name it would ‘keep her safe’ from those who had grown to loathe the name ‘Bullock’ over the last few years. Verne knew that her brother didn’t want his enemies to become hers – but little did he know, they already were.

Was the girl speaking to herself? Laverne could see her lips moving but she couldn’t make out what she was saying over the noise of the rain. Then again, it almost seemed as though she wasn’t directing the conversation to Laverne. Slightly confused, she watched the woman and waited for a reaction. Finally, the redhead spoke much louder this time, with a nod she moved to open the back door, allowing ‘VerMillion’ to step inside before her. “It’s a theater. I’m an opera singer but the Opera house is under construction at the moment. I just had a performance for the Mayor and 500 of his close friends.” She said the last part with a bit of animosity, though she assumed it was subtle enough that it wouldn’t be picked up on.

Shutting the door, they were enveloped in silence. The damp women were the only ones back stage – no doubt the rest of the audience and the crew would be in the lobby now celebrating and waiting for her to make an appearance. “We can go to my dressing room and wait out the rain.”

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

Fortunately for Laverna, VerMillion is quick enough to go inside without any further fuss now that her mind is made up - or at least the mind of the one actually calling the shots right now, anyway. Glancing curiously around at the backstage area that she's walked into, she stops short and looks back in surprise when Laverna explains who she is. "Wait... You're that Laverna? Laverna Torello?" she asks, her eyes going wide as she's stunned speechless.

Though it's only for half a moment before she's enthusiastically saying, "No way! I'm a fan - kind of. I mean, I have a lot of your music on my iPod - well, back when I still had my iPod. I love opera! But I'm used to hearing you sing, not looking at you, and you're shorter than I thought." She frowns at that, but moves on from that quickly. "But I love how you sing L'amour est un oiseau rebelle! That's one of my favorites! I wish I could have heard you sing - but... well, I've been a bit distracted by things lately and I didn't even know you were in Gotham," she enthuses, obviously delighted.

Which might seem a bit odd coming from a young woman who dresses far more like a rockstar groupie than a fan of more sophisticated fare, but that's simply because her taste in fashion doesn't match her taste in music at all. But that's just as well - it's not as cool to look like you're the kind of person who likes opera, and she very much enjoys looking cool. Or at least what she thinks is cool anyway - the reviews from other people are naturally mixed, though the ones who don't like her look are usually squares and she doesn't care what they think.

Naturally, given the amount of awe she has for Laverna, when the woman suggests that they wait in her dressing room, she replies with an enthusiastic, "Okay!" Ooh, this is awesome!