Scene Summary: This is a Legitimate Place of Business

This is a Legitimate Place of Business
Chronicle	DC Chronicle
Game Date	November 15, 2015
Real Date	November 27 - December 4, 2015
Characters	Ginevra Bianchi Jonathan Stewart Maeve Glaistig Pieter Van Reise Sean Fallon
Locations	The Pit
Previous Scene	Maeve's Journal: From Paris to DC (Ginevra, Jonathaon, Sean) Stories Are Made to Be Told (Maeve) Territorial Nature (Pieter)
Next Scene	Hope for the Hopeless (Ginevra, Jonathan, Maeve, Sean) Strong Medicine (Pieter)
Content Warnings	Eating Disorders, Mind Control, Substance Abuse
Original Scene	This is a Legitimate Place of Business

This is a Legitimate Place of Business is a scene from the DC Chronicle featuring Ginevra Bianchi, Jonathan Stewart, Maeve Glaistig, Pieter Van Reise, and Sean Fallon. It depicts Maeve and Pieter visiting at The Pit shortly after their arrival in DC.

Scene Summary

Pieter is running the bar at the Pit, reflecting on the fact that he likes being in charge because he can do whatever he wants but does not like being in the city, which makes him nervous. He is flirting with a young girl with long blonde hair, who asks if she can touch his hair and tattoos. He allows this, but notices Sean gesturing toward the door and tells the girl that they are closing, shouting the same thing back to Pedro in the kitchen. He gives her a pen and a napkin and she writes down her phone number before she leaves.

Pieter asks Sean what he's trying to tell him, guessing that Maeve is coming, which he confirms while adding that Ginevra is with her. He says that they look like they just got out of a funeral, although privately he thinks Maeve is attractive anyway but knows better than to say so out loud to Pieter. Pieter dumps the girl's plate of food on the floor and looks through the cash register until he finds cigarettes, saying that if the girls just came from Limbo, maybe it was a funeral. He bites the filter off the cigarette but is unable to find a lighter, eventually just swallowing it. He also retrieves a plate of barbecue from the kitchen window and begins eating it, complaining about how slow Maeve is, while Sean watches fatalistically, wishing he could stop Pieter from eating but afraid of being bitten if he tries.

Sean suggests that Pieter teach Ginevra to dance while he does the same for Maeve and Jonathan plays, which Jonathan agrees he would be glad to do but also adds that Maeve looks tired and they should probably let her sit down. He opens the door and greets the two women as they arrive, Ginevra explaining her plan to create set lists for Marcus Vitel to choose from instead of always putting Maeve on the spot. Ginevra thanks Jonathan and ushers Maeve to a table, where she puts down her folders and thinks that she is determined to prevent the Prince from taking advantage of her friend. Maeve allows Ginevra to sit her down, but privately thinks that she doubts her plans will come to anything.

Maeve thinks that she wishes she had gone home but that she wanted to make sure that Ginevra ate, and is distressed to see Pieter eating barbecue, which she asks him about. He denies it but then realizes that he is, retreating to the staff bathroom to vomit back up what he has eaten. Maeve gets up and joins him, stroking his back until he is finished, leaving Ginevra to be disgruntled by Pieter's behavior but unable to do anything about it. Jonathan sees this and tries to reassure her before offering to make her some tea, to which she replies that she was just worried but appreciates the offer.

Jonathan goes to the kitchen to make tea and Ginevra asks Sean how things are for the two of them. Sean ignores her, instead correcting Pieter to stop calling for Pedro, who he says has not worked for several days, leading to all their food being old and disgusting. Pieter recovers from vomiting and tells Maeve he'll take care of her when their positions are reversed, offering her a drink that she refuses, saying that she has not drunk in a while and doesn't want to start again. He makes her a glass of water and asks if she has any cigarettes.

Maeve asks if Pieter is coming to her performance at Limbo this week, suspecting that he will not even before he says so, claiming he needs to be at the Pit to feed the ghouls. He thinks that Maeve is always trying to take care of him and is completely useless at it, but doesn't say so in order to avoid hurting her feelings. He suggests she skip Limbo and instead come to the Pit to drink and dance with him, which she says sounds nice but reminds him is not an option, adding that performing once per week is not a hardship. Ginevra tries to also encourage her to take the night off, but Maeve says that she only works one night a week, although she agrees to look at Ginevra's set lists to appease her.

Pieter objects, telling Maeve that she should never do what the Camarilla tells her to and one again asking her to stay with him instead. He asks her to sing for him instead and offers to let her feed from Sean. As Jonathan returns with the tea, Pieter slides glasses down the bar toward him, causing him to spill tea and burn his hands and forcing Sean to jump in to prevent the glasses from breaking. Jonathan delivers the tea to Ginevra and apologizes for the mess, which she mostly ignores, distracted by her worries about Maeve's wellbeing. Maeve tells Pieter that she is always glad to sing for him and that he shouldn't worry about her becoming fonder of Vitel than she is of him.

Recognizing that Pieter is unhappy, Maeve offers for them to leave the city again to settle elsewhere, but also says that she wants to stay and rest for a while. Pieter hugs her and says that she used to be stronger than this, but tells her not to worry about it. He tells Jonathan and Sean to leave her alone and kisses her forehead, asking for a song before she leaves. Maeve sings a song about lovers saying farewell while Pieter joins in, and Sean watches while Ginevra stares out the window in distress and Jonathan watches Ginevra instead.

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.

This is a Legitimate Place of Business Script Summary

Pieter is behind the bar in the Pit, leaning over it to flirt with a blonde girl, who is poking at his tattoos. Jonathan and Sean are leaning against the bar. Sean motions toward the door.

PIETER: Sorry, darlin'.

He takes the plate from in front of the girl and bites the hushpuppy in her mouth, pulling it away and spitting it onto the plate.

PIETER: We're closing up early. Pedro, you hear that? We're closing up early!

The girl pouts. Pieter gives her a napkin and draws a pen out from behind his ear. The girl writes down a phone number and leaves. Pieter chews on a toothpick and waves Sean over.

PIETER: You're trying to tell me something, right? Something... very small and kind of a downer?

Sean begins to eat the discarded hushpuppies.

SEAN: Along with her lady in waiting. They both look like they just got out of a funeral.

Pieter takes the plate from Sean and dumps its contents onto the floor behind the bar. He goes to the cash register and opens it, removing half a pack of cigarettes. He tears the filter off one and puts it in his mouth.

PIETER: If they just came from that carpeted vagina up the road, they probably did. A light for the old man, come on.

He removes a plate of barbecue from the kitchen window and begins chewing on a bone.

SEAN: Boss.

PIETER: We gotta teach that girl some speed. Am I turning grey? I feel grey.

He swallows the cigarette.

SEAN: Well, when she gets here, you take Ginevra and I'll take her and we'll teach 'em both to dance, how about that? Jonathan can play.

JONATHAN: Always a pleasure. But you'll probably want to just let the girly sit down. She looks done over.

Ginevra and Maeve arrive at the door to the Pit, holding hands, and Jonathan opens it for them. Ginevra is searching through a pile of folders she is carrying.

JONATHAN: Lovely evening to you, ladies. Come on in, we've got heat and drink and that's good enough to start on.

GINEVRA: ... quindi ho pensato, se potessimo fornire una scaletta a rotazione con molte opzioni diverse, forse potremmo semplicemente convincerlo a sceglierne una ogni sera invece di essere così libero. Thank you.

She steers Maeve inside to a table, where she takes off her scarf and lays the folders down. Maeve nods at Jonathan and loosens her own scarf.

GINEVRA: Here. Then you could have more variety, and it would be less stressful.

Maeve sits down at the table and massages her thighs.

MAEVE: Hello. Pieter... are you eating your own barbecue?

PIETER: No.

He looks at the plate in his hands.

PIETER: Ah. One second, love.

Maeve takes off her coat. He throws the plate to Sean, who catches it and puts it on the counter. Pieter goes into the bathroom behind the bar and vomits blood. Ginevra pushes a file toward Maeve.

GINEVRA: If you could check and see if you like these, I could go ahead and talk to one of the Prince's ghouls...

Maeve gets up and goes around the bar to the bathroom, where she puts her hands on Pieter's back and pulls his hair away from his face.

MAEVE: Shh, you'll be all right. You dummy.

Jonathan drags a chair to the table and sits down next to Ginevra.

JONATHAN: Ah, don't mind it, girl. They'll be all right. And she'll look at all your files and flaps when she comes back. I could get you something hot to drink, if you like? We've got tea in the back. It's all instant, but this is America, so don't hold it too hard against them.

GINEVRA: Oh, it's all right.

She puts the folder back down, then rests her chin on her hand and sighs.

GINEVRA: I was just trying to distract her, really. I worry-- about her. I'd love that tea. So how are things with you two, then?

Pieter finishes vomiting and leans back upside down to see Maeve.

PIETER: Remind me, baby girl, and I'll hold your hair back next time you get drunk. Fair, right?

MAEVE: I don't think you'll need that reminder. I haven't drunk in... a while. I don't really plan to start any time soon.

He stands up and kicks the door open. Sean sits down near the bar.

PIETER: You want anything to drink? I don't have anything here, but we could always go find someone. Or you could have Sean.

He looks toward the kitchen. Sean tries to clean trash off the bar.

PIETER: Pedro, goddammit, I said we were closing for the night!

SEAN: Boss, Pedro's not here. You gave him the night off, remember? That's why you've been serving hush puppies and fries all day instead of actual food. That barbecue's been in the window since Tuesday.

Pieter rummages behind the bar and fills a glass with water, which he hands to Maeve. She sips it.

PIETER: Any chance you picked up any of my filthy habits yet? I think I ate my last smoke.

Maeve sighs.

MAEVE: Are you coming this week?

PIETER: Nah. If I wasn't here, who'd feed the help? All us low-lifes have to stick together.

He waggles his tongue at Sean, who makes a face, and winks at Ginevra.

PIETER: Besides, basically the whole place is a cesspool and you know I have a delicate touch. How about... instead, you come here, we get you roaring drunk, Sean and Jonathan play something loud and plunky and everyone dances until their feet come off.

He takes the water glass away from her again and dumps it out before giving her another one.

PIETER: Come on, love, you know that's a better offer.

MAEVE: That sounds very lovely. Except for the roaring drunk part, I mean.

She clicks her tongue at him.

MAEVE: But I need my feet. Imagine how small I would be without them.

She sniffs the glass before drinking from it.

MAEVE: Anyway, you know better. Stop worrying about it so much. One night a week isn't so bad. Very kind, in terms of rent.

Pieter scoffs.

GINEVRA: You could use a night off. And then you could look at these set lists.

She pats the pile of folders.

GINEVRA: It would be like working, just not the singing part.

Maeve sighs.

MAEVE: I think probably anyone I said that to would point out that I already have the other six days of the week 'off'. And yes, I'm sorry. I'll look at those.

Pieter puts away glasses and wipes the bar surface, chewing on his lips.

PIETER: Tcch. You need to stop doing what the Cam tells you to do, Mary my girl. It'll just end in tears. It has every other time. Seriously. Literally every single time in the entire history of the world. I checked.

He slides glasses down the bar toward Jonathan, who is carrying a tray of tea. Jonathan tries to block the glasses with an elbow Sean jumps in and catches them, grumbling. Jonathan spills hot tea on his hand and yelps before setting the tray on the table and sitting down.

JONATHAN: Here you are, hon. Sorry about all the running lines.

GINEVRA: Thanks.

Ginevra takes the tea, then napkins as she gets tea on her hands. Jonathan presses a napkin to his hand.

JONATHAN: Sorry, if you don't mind... apparently getting clumsy in my middle age.

PIETER: Stay here with me, instead. If you want music, you can sing for me. And you can still have Sean.

Maeve sighs.

MAEVE: I'm always happy to sing for you, Pieter, you know that. But I also have to sing for him. Don't worry, I won't decide I like him more. We could just leave again, but we just got here. I'd just like to... be somewhere for a bit. And rest. Is that all right?

Pieter sighs and leans across the bar to hug her.

PIETER: Didn't you used to be made of stronger stuff, pretty girl?

He ruffles her hair.

PIETER: Never mind, we'll polish you up yet. Take you to the fair. Put five blue ribbons in your hair.

He waves at Jonathan.

PIETER: Well, you heard the lady, leave her alone, then. Let's send these heartbreaking females back where they came from before any more of us fall prey to their charms.

He kisses Maeve's forehead.

PIETER: What would you say, little red heart, if I asked you for a song to make us all smile before we hit the road?

MAEVE: I'd say that you know as well as I do that there may not be much of a smile in me to give you tonight. But for you, I'll always try.

She sings a love song while Pieter leans on the bar and joins in. Sean and Jonathan relax to listen, and Ginevra looks out the window.

Translations

Trivia

• Pieter suffers from pica, a Derangement that causes him to occasionally eat solid items that make him ill. In this case, he eats both a cigarette and some barbecued pork ribs, neither of which he can digest.
  
  
• Pieter's cook, Pedro, is frequently mentioned in various threads at The Pit but has never actually appeared onstage.
  
  
• Ginevra is distressed by the memory of last week's Limbo performance; as chronicled in Maeve's Journal: From Paris to DC, Maeve performed the emotion of fear and suffered a minor breakdown afterward.
  
  
• Unlike most vampires, Maeve has both circulation and a sensitivity to temperature, leading to her massaging her legs here to counteract the effects of the cold.
  
  
• The "him" both Maeve and Pieter refer to Maeve needing to perform for is Marcus Vitel, and the place they discuss Pieter refusing to go is his club, Limbo.
  
  
• Pieter is aware of the details of Maeve's eating disorder, which is why he keeps offering to let her feed from Sean; as a Maeghar, Maeve is able to feed from ghouls but not from regular human beings.
  
  
• Maeve's assertion that she does not plan to drink alcohol any time soon is ironic, as she will get drunk with Hope Gutierrez the next night in Strong Medicine.
  
  
• Pieter's suggestion to "polish [Maeve] up. Take you to the fair," is a partial quote from the 1982 film The Last Unicorn, where it is spoken by a farmer who has mistaken a unicorn for a prize mare.

Songs Featured

No Names, Kate Rusby