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Post by forstner on Mar 27, 2008 20:02:22 GMT -5
July 21, 2008 3pm
Near Stages 1 and 2
The one good thing about working the Music Festival was that Rael got to hear the bands for free. Her hours were from open to close, selling a number of variety. Besides selling autograph books and spieling informations about Flourish and Blotts, once her employers learned The Weird Sisters were playing a reunion concert she was to also sell a few older and semi-new books about their band. These books contained moving colored photographs, statistics on every member, as well as a listing of their songs and anything else the authors of the publications could get their hands on.
Again, at least she was able to hear the music for free.
Though she was stationed somewhere between two of the stages, so if she stepped too far off to one side, or the other, she was caught in the sound barrier that had been placed around all of the stages to keep the music from melding together.
Having only sold a few autograph books to a couple of kids, Rael stood impatiently trying to gain customers with the sweetest of smiles she could give. Anyone would be welcome in her opinion, preferably someone she could easily chat with. Distractions were good, especially when the music currently playing wasn't to her tastes.
{Open}
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Megara Candlebright
Witch
Wicked Times Bartender
it was done by my double[on:she's a rebel][of:she's a saint]
Posts: 90
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Post by Megara Candlebright on Mar 30, 2008 15:33:19 GMT -5
Meg couldn't wait for Rivalry to begin playing. For the last month or so, Carlos had been playing loads of music from the bands at the festival to get it all out there for people to hear, and no band had connected with the barmaid more than Rivalry.
She was there with a couple of others from Wicked Times, who were saving spots for them all at the front of the stage, right up with the action, while Meg had been sent to get drinks for them all.
Well, as long as she was going to be an errand girl, she would pick something up for herself as well. The fine young men in Rivalry were pretty cute, and besides that, if they gave her information she might be able to get them to play at Wicked Times.
It was worth a shot, right?
"Which one's the best autograph book, do you think?" she asked the girl sitting behind the counter, who looked rather bored.
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Post by forstner on Mar 30, 2008 19:06:12 GMT -5
Leaning back rather dangerously on the stool that was generously provided by her employers, Rael closed her eyes briefly. This was probably the lamest stand there was, even the lady selling old clothing was getting more attention from customers than she was, though she wasn't yelling out loud and trying to actually grab the attention of patrons. What was the point? If they wanted autographs badly enough they could just have bands sign napkins, shirts, or just pamphlets.
Though, when a voice said something, the brunette sat back up with wide-blue eyes. An actual customer over the age of fourteen? It was almost a miracle, almost.
"The dragon-hide bound one, likely. Though, it's the most expensive as well," Rael answered with a hint of a smile. She was supposed to smile, through anything... "But they're all paper in a bounded book and it's your galleons you'd be spending, so it really depends on how much you want to lighten your change purse really."
Why not be honest about the over-priced books? Her employers were stinkers in over-charging when demand of something was high. It was the best way to go about. Though, demand wasn't really too high.
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Megara Candlebright
Witch
Wicked Times Bartender
it was done by my double[on:she's a rebel][of:she's a saint]
Posts: 90
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Post by Megara Candlebright on Mar 30, 2008 20:14:40 GMT -5
Meg eyed the collection. Nice though it was, she certainly didn't need a dragon-hide booklet, and really couldn't afford it anyway. The salesgirl seemed to realize it, too.
"Well, I can't go totally low-end because I want to get contact information for some of these bands, see about booking them for work," she explained briefly, conveniently leaving out the bit about being a big fan with a crush. "But dragon-hide seems like a waste, don't you think? I mean honestly, that kind of thing should be saved for more important books."
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Post by forstner on Mar 31, 2008 12:35:26 GMT -5
Raising her eyebrows, Rael wondered just where the girl possibly worked. Booking bands would likely mean a club or something of the sort, but she was unaware of any in the area, perhaps Ireland way? It was quite possible. Besides, who was she to question what a person wanted?
"Being professional, but not too high priced?" she asked the girl with a small smirk. "Dragon-hide is costly, erumpent-hide is next down the list. Over here are a few low-ended ones, just paper over paper," she continued, pointing at brown-paper like covered books. "There are stiff cardboard ones, but we've some fancier bits with artwork here that were purchased more recently by the owners of Flourish and Blotts."
There were an array of colors with standard designs, fancier work, kid-like art, and so on. "They're pretty fair for pricing and the paper is supposed to be of quality. At least, they haven't told me to start marking prices on them upwards yet. Apparently there's some sort of scare of something about the price of parchment and paper jumping a little more than usual, but they're thinking it's just due to the demand of books this year for students." Rael wasn't really sure why they were scared for the price of paper, it was expensive, she had to agree, but it had only gone up half a knut or something like that for the bulk they bought it in.
"Let's see...yeah, we've some here ranging from four sickles upwards. They don't look too shabby or fangirl-like." Sorting through a few she saw a number of them, depending on the outwards look were a bit pricy, but it again depended on how much the other woman was willing to spend on autographs--or rather information to book.
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Megara Candlebright
Witch
Wicked Times Bartender
it was done by my double[on:she's a rebel][of:she's a saint]
Posts: 90
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Post by Megara Candlebright on Apr 1, 2008 21:58:23 GMT -5
Meg browsed through the selection, laughing harmlessly at a couple of them. "I don't think I can show up back at Wicked Times with an autograph book of some five-year-old's drawing of stars," she remarked to the salesgirl. "I'd be laughed out of a job."
She picked up a mid-range book. It was some kind of fake leather--certainly not the real dragon-hide it was meant to look like, but it was a glossy black and had a nice weight to it. It seemed to have been made especially for the festival, since in the lower right hand corner of the cover, the words 'Stonehenge 2008' were engraved in nice silver lettering. "I think I'll take this one," she decided.
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Post by forstner on Apr 2, 2008 12:44:58 GMT -5
The Wicked Times? Rael hadn't heard of that one. Had to be in Ireland, maybe she'd ask Corey about it when she saw him sometime. She wasn't entirely sure where they boy was, and wasn't his mother so couldn't rightfully say anything, but she didn't know if he was spending any amount of time at the Festival or was just working his regular hours at Quality Quidditch supplies. At least he made the rent and helped her to pay it on time. He was just a rather good living-mate overall.
There were a few books that were definitely played to the little kids, which was a good way to make business, but thankfully the stand wasn't catering to only kids. Rael wasn't entirely sure how she felt about little monsters and preferred dealing with those without sticky fingers and constantly running noses.
As the girl handed the book over, Rael flipped over and marked it down on the list she was required to have. Why? She didn't know, it wasn't like they couldn't tell what was being sold as was and anything that was missing that had not been there when she left that morning with the books in tow and had not been paid for came from her paycheck. She wasn't about to let anyone steal something.
"That'll be 1 galleon, 14 sickles, and 6 knuts."
It was cheaper than Rael thought it was going to be. But she would bet it would help out on the girl's end, cheap and professional looking. Just what the doctor order, or so the saying went...
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Megara Candlebright
Witch
Wicked Times Bartender
it was done by my double[on:she's a rebel][of:she's a saint]
Posts: 90
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Post by Megara Candlebright on Apr 4, 2008 21:21:59 GMT -5
Meg nodded a little and looked around into her purse for her change bag. She counted out exact change and handed it to the other girl. Picking up her new book, she thumbed through the pages for a moment. She wasn't in a rush to push back in through the crowds to her friends' spot in the Rivalry crowd, and there was a surprisingly short line at the nearby tent for the drinks she was supposed to be getting them all.
"So, have you ever heard them before? Rivalry?" she asked, motioning toward the stage she'd be heading back to before long. "They're fantastic, don't you think?"
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Post by forstner on Apr 5, 2008 13:48:41 GMT -5
Exact change which made things easier on Rael. It meant she didn't have to do a break down of knuts into sickles and sickles into galleons. Truthfully, she never had problems with making change but sometimes it could be tricky and with the wrong customer dangerous to ones hearing as well.
"Rivalry? They're the ones that've been playing on the WWN, aren't they?" she inquired. "Or rather, the WWN has been playing them for the last month or so..." They weren't none too shabby, a bit of interesting lyric twists, but overall not to bad. Of course, in Beauxbatons someone would've thrown a fit to hear such trash at times. At least those her mother knew would've, their children were a different story but the former Gryffindor hadn't taken the time to get to know them, and never would either.
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Megara Candlebright
Witch
Wicked Times Bartender
it was done by my double[on:she's a rebel][of:she's a saint]
Posts: 90
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Post by Megara Candlebright on Apr 5, 2008 18:41:18 GMT -5
"I imagine loads of the bands here've been getting WWN play lately," Meg said, oddly disappointed at the idea. She didn't often listen to the WWN, and had the rather naive idea that she had a more elite taste in music because of it. She'd wanted Rivalry to be successful, of course, but for the moment she rather liked the idea that they were her secret, or something. "Carlos has been playing them a lot lately. He's our DJ," she explained, realizing the girl had probably never been there and even if she had, probably wouldn't know their ghost DJ.
"And here's my business schpiel, then. You should come to WT sometime. As long as Knockturn Alley doesn't scare you off too much."
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Post by forstner on Apr 6, 2008 14:49:25 GMT -5
"Yeah, they've been playing a few different bands, most I don't actually recognize," Rael told her. Though she wouldn't admit she hardly recognized a ton of their artists that were played anyway. Beats and songs were awesome to hear, but whether she recognized the name of the band or not, why should it matter?
The brunette nodded when the girl mentioned their DJ, which she figured had to do with the club she'd been talking about before. It would make sense for him to play and hype up the musicians that would be playing that weekend, it was a good way to gain business, especially if he played music that not everyone had really heard. Different was usually good.
"Knockturn Alley?" she questioned. Though, she supposed it would be a good place to have a club, depending on the kind of business you were looking for. However, it almost seemed like Diagon would've been a better choice for a club. Possibly. "No, it doesn't scare me, and yeah, maybe I will stop in at some point. Do you get a lot of business there?"
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Megara Candlebright
Witch
Wicked Times Bartender
it was done by my double[on:she's a rebel][of:she's a saint]
Posts: 90
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Post by Megara Candlebright on Apr 20, 2008 10:00:14 GMT -5
"Yeah, actually," Meg said with a shrug. "More than most would think. Knockturn's got this whole sketchy vibe, you know, and it's not all fair." She began to thumb through her book a bit. "I mean, I'm not saying don't take any precautions if you're there, obviously, but it's not all dark, scum-of-the-earth types who hang there. Not to mention there are actually some pretty brill shoppes and clubs, obviously. Oh, Merlin," Meg interrupted herself when she realized something. "I sound like an advert. 'Paid for by the Knockturn Alley Revitalization Committee'. Ugh, sorry about that."
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Post by forstner on Apr 27, 2008 1:15:36 GMT -5
Listening intently, Rael wondered what kind of business they got down that way for extra work. She was doing well enough with her new addition to her apartment, but a bit of extra cash was always welcome. Though, she wasn't sure she wanted to really get herself involved in anything that bothered with the type of business she heard was down that way. Of course, if it meant bringing in a few extra galleons now and then, who was she to really say no? A poor young woman in need, she didn't have any real choice. The only one to make was whether to wonder down that way and see what was open for business.
"And those who hang on the corners between Knockturn and Diagon are a welcome wagon?" she asked, unable to stop herself. But there'd been times where even she, a pureblood, didn't think she'd be able to get away. Some seemed friendly, as long as you kept your hand wrapped around your change purse. Others, only seemed interested in getting your business and Rael couldn't blame a number of them.
Laughing along with the girl, she could only shrug. And advertisement was sometimes all that was needed to get the attention of some and get them to come-a-calling upon one's doorstep.
"It's alright. But most of the shops down that way, don't they..." she wasn't sure how to put it without drawing the attention of the milling-about ministry workers. "Deal in certain markets?"
Not that she was afraid, she just didn't want to be mixed up with her mother again. And she knew her mother was involved with a number of certain...markets. And if anyone who knew her mother got wind that Rael was back in England, she was in trouble.
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