Scene Summary: Adventures in Babysitting

Adventures in Babysitting
Chronicle	DC Chronicle
Game Date	November 21, 2015
Real Date	January 10-13, 2016
Characters	Cynthia Black Danny Wheyton Delia Chambers Marcus Vitel Melissa Rachel Evans
Locations	Embassy Row
Previous Scene	Assemble the Players (Cynthia) Familiar Strangers (Danny) That Good Night (Delia, Vitel)
Next Scene	Regrets of the Dying (Cynthia) The Lowlife Limbo (Danny) In Want Of (Delia, Melissa) Paper Faces (Rachel) Night Classes (Vitel)
Content Warnings	Ableism, Mental Illness, Misogyny
Original Scene	Adventures in Babysitting

Adventures in Babysitting is a scene from the DC Chronicle featuring Cynthia Black, Danny Wheyton, Delia Chambers, and Melissa, with a minor appearance by Marcus Vitel and a cameo appearance by Rachel Evans. It depicts Danny meeting Melissa and trying to help her find her way home.

Scene Summary

Danny is wandering the streets of Washington, DC, avoiding other people and thinking about the city, which reminds him of his sire Maxwell DeSoto. He bumps into a man in a suit who yells at him, causing him to decide to sit down on a bench and get out of everyone's way. He checks his phone and worries that he hasn't hear from Hope Gutierrez recently.

Melissa is hiding in a nearby alley, wearing a dirty hoodie as she avoids police notice. She is hungry and decides to find her Daddy, who she hopes will feed her. She uses Auspex and recognizes that Danny is a vampire and decides that he might be able to help her. She sneaks up beside his bench and grabs his shirt. Danny is surprised to see her and asks if she is lost. He is sympathetic to her plea for help and tells Melissa he had trouble as a child, too, and asks her for information about her Daddy, but she is unable to provide him many details other than that he is a very important person in the city. Melissa introduces herself and Danny is distressed when she begins to cry, promising not to leave her until they find her father.

Danny and Melissa begin to search the streets, and Danny begins to suspect that Melissa might be a vampire after she explains that she is not allowed to eat with anyone but her father. He asks her why she asked him for help instead of a police officer, and she tells him that she dislikes police because they always try to capture her. Danny begins to become anxious about the idea that Melissa's father might be a powerful vampire, but is determined not to have a meltdown until he helps her. Melissa complains that she always has to follow rules, and Danny commiserates with her, explaining that adults have to do the same. Melissa notices that Danny is anxious with her Auspex and comforts him.

Danny guesses that Melissa's father may be on Elysium and they go in that direction to look for him. After a few minutes, Melissa recognizes the Limbo sign and pulls Danny into the club, where they find Cynthia flirting with people at the bar. Danny is anxious and uncomfortable in the club, imagining his sire scolding him for not being more careful about his safety, but Melissa rushes to Cynthia. Cynthia is not surprised to see her and asks who Danny is, and he explains that he is helping Melissa find her missing father. Amused, Cynthia tells him that her father is at the Ventrue Embassy and asks him to take Melissa there, to which he agrees.

Danny and Melissa walk to the Ventrue Embassy, Danny once again worried about finding his way in the unfamiliar city. When they arrive, Melissa spots Delia and starts shouting for her attention. Danny explains that they are looking for Melissa's father and Delia points over her shoulder to a large group of men leaving the Embassy. Melissa squeals and runs to them, pushing her way through until she grabs one of their hands, and Danny is glad to have done something right until he sees how terrifying the figure is. He asks Delia who Melissa's father is and is horrified when she answers that it is the Prince, Vitel. Danny turns down Delia's offer to tell the Prince that he rescued Melissa and leaves the Embassy as quickly as possible.

Script Summary

The script summary for this scene pares it down to only dialogue and action directions, allowing for a quicker and easier read through what was actually said and done by the characters. Click on the "Expand" tag to the right to view the entire script summary for this scene.

Adventures in Babysitting Script Summary

Danny walks through the streets of DC. He is bumped into by multiple strangers on the street.

PASSERBY: Watch it!

Melissa is in a nearby alley and peeks out. She hides from the passerby. Danny nods. He sits down on a public bench. He runs his fingers through his hair and pulls his phone out of his pocket.

DANNY: No reply from Hope...

He sighs and puts his phone back in his pocket. Melissa watches him from the alley for a few minutes and uses the Auspex discipline to recognize that he is a vampire. She leaves and reaches up to grab the bottom of Danny's shirt.

DANNY: Oh. Are you lost?

He leans down to her height. Melissa nods.

MELISSA: I can't find my daddy. I don't know where he is.

Danny gets up and kneels in front of Melissa.

DANNY: Hey, it's okay. I used to get lost all the time when I was your age, but that's mostly because I was too dumb to keep up.

He chuckles.

DANNY: You're probably smarter than I was. Can you tell me your name and what your daddy looks like? Maybe I can help. And maybe do you know the name of any places your daddy usually likes to spend his time? Or do you know what those places look like? It's okay if you don't.

MELISSA: I'm very smart. My name is Melissa and I like kitties. My Daddy is very tall and he has dark hair and eyes and sometimes he wears suits, and sometimes not. He goes all kinds of places. He's very important.

DANNY: Oh. See, I'm new here, so I might not have seen your daddy before. But if he's as important as you say, that'll probably make finding him much easier.

MELISSA: But everybody knows my Daddy. He's very important.

Danny stands up and offers Melissa his hand. She takes it.

DANNY: Can you tell me what kind of person your daddy is? Like how he acts? Is there anything about the way he acts or anything about him that really makes him stand out from everyone else? Anything you can tell me could make finding him loads easier.

MELISSA: He's very smart but he doesn't talk very much. Everybody listens when he does, though. He can boss anybody around. He likes to sit in big chairs and sometimes if I'm good I can sit in his lap, too. Sometimes we listen to music!

They begin to walk. They pause at a crosswalk as traffic goes by.

DANNY: You know how some people probably call your daddy by a special name that only they call him by? Do you know what adults call your daddy?

MELISSA: Oh, yeah. Of course I know his grown-up name. It's Sir.

She sniffles.

MELISSA: I'm hungry. Daddy always takes me to eat when I'm hungry but I don't know where he is. And I didn't see him at all tonight or yesterday, either.

DANNY: It's okay, shh...

He kneels and hugs Melissa.

DANNY: We'll find him, I promise. Don't cry, okay?

Melissa sniffles and pulls her hood over her face.

MELISSA: Okay.

Danny takes her shoulders.

DANNY: I promise I won't leave you until we find him. Now... What would you like to eat?

MELISSA: I'm not supposed to eat with strangers. Just with my Daddy. He said always. That's why I'm hungry, because I can't find him. He doesn't stay outside very much, so that's why I can't find him. I'm outside.

Danny takes her hand and stands back up. The light changes and they cross in the crosswalk.

DANNY: So... You came to me even though there were police that occasionally passed around in the area. Why is that? Is there something about me that made you want to ask me for help instead of them?

MELISSA: I don't like police. They always try to make me go places with them. And they chase me.

She nods.

MELISSA: But I'm too good at running away so they don't catch me. But you're not the police and you look nice and you wear shirts and pants. And you smell good. So you'll help me, right? Can we go find my Daddy now?

DANNY: Of course we can. We'll start looking for him right now. Do you maybe know what direction of town your daddy lives in?/p>

MELISSA: Um... That way? He likes big buildings. I tell him about all the ones I see.

She points toward downtown. They begin walking in that direction.

DANNY: Ah-ha! Holmes is on the job Or... At least Watson, maybe. And you like the way I smell? Really? What do you like about how I smell?

MELISSA: Duh, silly. Because you smell like me. Let's go.

DANNY: Does your dad have people who work for him? If he does, they might be looking for you. Anyone we should keep an eye out for?

Melissa bites her lip.

MELISSA: Everybody works for my Daddy. So maybe you do, too? Miss Monica would know where my Daddy is, but I don't like her. She's mean.

She scuffs the ground with her toe.

MELISSA: I thought maybe she was going to be my new Mommy. We don't have a Mommy anymore. But she said no.

Danny scoffs.

DANNY: Don't worry, I know how it feels to be around grumpy adults. Both my parents were that way. They didn't really have any reason to be. They just... Were. So, does your dad know some of the really important people here, like the Prince or other people like that? I might know a place to bring you if that's the case.

MELISSA: Daddy knows everyone important. He's very important. He knows everybody and everybody knows him. You're a grown-up. So you can do whatever you want. It's not the same.

Danny chuckles.

DANNY: Yeah, but I wasn't always a grown up. I was your age once. And just because I'm a grown up doesn't mean I can do whatever I want. It means I have lots of responsibilities to take care of. I can do more things because sometimes, I have to do them to get important things done. Otherwise, people like your daddy wouldn't be happy with me.

Melissa pouts.

MELISSA: I can't do whatever I want.

She kicks the sidewalk.

MELISSA: I can't go to the fancy places with my Daddy and I can't eat by myself and I can't bring my kitties anywhere fun.

Danny stops and looks around for several minutes. Melissa uses the Auspex discipline to read his mood.

MELISSA: Are you scared of big buildings?

DANNY: What? No. See... I have a mental illness... There's all kinds of different ones, but mine causes me to sometimes get worried and become afraid when there's really no reason to. I'm not scared of big buildings, but I guess it would seem that way, huh?

He chuckles.

DANNY: And don't worry. Mental illnesses aren't contagious.

MELISSA: It's okay. I get scared in big buildings sometimes. I don't like all the walls.

They start to walk again.

DANNY: So, I never told you my name, did I? I'm Danny.

Melissa lets go of Danny and turns to face him. She curtsies, wobbling.

MELISSA: Pleased-to-meet-you-Mr.-Danny.

She puts her hands in her pockets. They walk several blocks until Limbo appears in the distance. Melissa grabs Danny's shirt and points at it.

DANNY: What is...? Oh. Is that one of the places your dad is usually at?

Melissa nods and tugs on his hand. They walk to the front of the building.

MELISSA: I don't see him.

DANNY: It's okay. We'll do this together, alright? As long as we don't split up, we'll be fine. Want me to pick you up? You might be able to see more easily if you're higher up, and it might help us not get separated.

Melissa sticks out her lower lip.

MELISSA: No! I'm seven. I'm not a baby.

She pulls her hand away. Danny scratches the back of his neck and peers through the windows. Melissa grabs Danny's shirt with her other hand as well.

MELISSA: I won't get perated.

DANNY: You ready?

MELISSA: Okay.

She tugs on his shirt and they go inside.

MELISSA: He's very important.

Danny gulps. Melissa pushes into the lounge and bumps into several peoples' legs.

MELISSA: Ooooh! It's Miss Cynthia! She's not my Mommy, either.

Cynthia is sitting in the bar. She sighs when Melissa emerges from the crowd.

CYNTHIA: Why, Melissa, what are you doing here? Did you get lost again? And who is your friend?

DANNY: Uh, Danny Wheyton, ma'am.

He begins to twitch and tic in various parts of his body.

DANNY: She found me while I was around the city and asked for help. I had no idea where to bring her... I'm kind of new, but she eventually spotted this place...

MELISSA: He's helping me find my Daddy. He doesn't like big buildings.

She starts to cry and snuffles.

MELISSA: I need to find my Daddy. Where's my Daddy? I'm hungry, Miss Cynthia.

CYNTHIA: Oh, now, don't cry, darling.

She pats Melissa's head. Melissa tugs on Danny's shirt.

CYNTHIA: I'm afraid he's not here tonight, but I do know where he is. Now, would you take her on over there for me? He's at the Embassy of Kings. They'll direct you at the door.

DANNY: Oh, sure thing.

Cynthia turns away. Danny pulls Melissa toward the door.

DANNY: C'mon, Melissa. We should probably get going. You've been waiting to see him long enough.

MELISSA: Miss Cynthia always knows where my Daddy is. I like her because she's nicer than Miss Monica. Even though she won't be my Mommy.

They go outside. Danny reads the street signs, then leads Melissa down the street.

DANNY: Come on. It's this way.

MELISSA: Okay!

She skips next to Danny.

MELISSA: Do you find lots of stuff?

DANNY: Sure, lots.

They walk down the street until the Ventrue Embassy appears. Danny stops outside.

MELISSA: That's—

She starts to run toward a building, then backs up again. She points at a different building.

MELISSA: Is it that one?

DANNY: Finally here...

Danny points at the Ventrue Embassy. Melissa pulls him toward it and he stumbles. She starts yelling when she sees Delia.

DANNY: Melissa! C-careful! I'm gonna—!

MELISSA: MISS DELIA.

Delia turns around, carrying several folders.

DANNY: Uh... Nice to meet you. Danny Wheyton, and temporary babysitter, apparently.

He chuckles. Delia sighs.

DELIA: Miss Melissa! So loud!

MELISSA: I'm looking for my Daddy. He's helping me find him because he knows where to look.

She pulls on Danny's hand.

DELIA: I see. Well, I think if you'll look back that way...

MELISSA: DADDY!

She lets go of Danny and runs into a crowd of men leaving the Embassy. She finds Vitel and grabs his hand. Melissa waves at Danny. Danny shivers.

DANNY: Who... Who was that?

Delia begins to walk toward Vitel, then pauses.

DELIA: That would be His Majesty Marcus Vitel of the Shadows, Prince of Washington DC.

She straightens her files.

DELIA: Thanks for bringing Melissa back, she can get very upset if she gets lost for too long. Do you want me to tell him who it was that found her?

DANNY: Oh, it's no problem. I'm sure he's already getting an earful, so it probably won't be necessary. Thanks, though, for the help. Well, I guess I'd better get going.

He waves at Delia and walks to the door. Delia follows Vitel. Danny goes outside.

Trivia

• Although Melissa refers to Vitel as her father, he is not actually her sire or biological father; she has forgotten who her original father was.
  
  
• Melissa's mention of sitting in her Daddy's lap to listen to music refers to Maeve Glaistig's performances at Limbo.