HMV = A Sanctuary Haven, (open)

[Jacqueline Dawson]

Monday; September 8, 2008 - 4.21 PM

The small girl was wearing a pair of grey Baxter jeans, a white T-shirt, black vest on top of it all, and a pair of old-fashioned sunglasses as she made her way down Grafton Street, which was surprisingly overcrowded and noisy this particular Monday. Her hair hung loose around her face, jumping slightly up and down as she walked. She had a habit of walking in tact with the music on her iPod and Scratch Your Name by the British Indie/Alternative band The Noisettes did its part to keep her pace up.

She had bags in both hands, three in her left and two in her right. She'd done some random shopping as well as acquiring the last things she needed for the semester, thus having one bag containing school supplies and four bags left, two from Borders, one from Urban Outfitters and one from Warehouse. Still, she knew the biggest buy was ahead of her, for naturally she couldn't go out without dropping by HMV and certainly not now that she was only about four stores away from it.

As she entered the shop, her face, which had otherwise been pretty neutral, lightened up immediately. A smile found its way to her small lips and she paused for a second to just take in the sight of the many rows of music, movies, books and other random stuff. Taking a deep breath, she put her feet in motion again, walking pretty goal-oriented towards the back where all the movies were. When she reached it, she moved all her bags into her left hand, pushed her sunglasses up on her hair, and walked pretty decisively towards the section marked D. It didn't take her long to find Death Proof and despite the fact that she had seen it a million times before and read the back at least as many times, she started to read it again, her foot tapping slightly on the ground in tact with The Count of Monte Cristo, which was now playing away in her ears.

[Morgan Queller]

Down a few aisles was a man on his knees, looking at a plentiful bounty of cables. This highlighted man was none other than Visual Effects guru Morgan Queller. He finally found the one that was perfect for his camera. Standing up he stretched to get the stiffness out of his legs and saw a girl over in the dvd section.

He approached the vested girl and grabbed her in a hug. "Suprise!" Morgan said with a grin. He had built up a good repore with the Jacqueline. "What are you doing in here, besides the obvious?"

The two had gotten to know each other through school projects, she would make a screenplay and direct a movie while he would go through and add the effects, not to mention help with some of the more difficult shots as acting camera operator. Whenever either of them has a project they usually see the other one first. Now it was common for the two of them to go out to eat or watch a movie. Shopping was something they had occasionally done but usually just for camera parts and such.

Morgan released Jack from the hug and took a step back.

[Jacqueline Dawson]

Jack was pretty surprised indeed. He must have known this too for her entire body did this little quirk that beautifully indicated that being approached in the middle of the dvd stands was indeed not one of the first things she'd have suspected would happen. Her mind had been off, nearly as far off as a mind can possibly go, reading the back of the cover with her eyes, though her mind was in fact going over this idea she had had for a little while now. It had slowly crept up on her and she was doing the usual collecting things that could be inspirationally useful.

As she turned to face Morgan, who had caught her off guard and from a not that viewable angle, she pulled out one of the small earphones, still a bit surprised, though coming off of it again. Especially when she noticed who it was. A heartily grin found its way to her lips as she rolled her eyes.

"Jesus Christ, Morgan, you scared me," she joked, placing her five bags on the floor before returning his surprise hug with a hug of her own; she had after all hardly been able to hug back before.

"Besides the obvious?" she asked, dragging out the answer with the words and a cheeky grin, one of the regular ones she sent when she was utmost pleased with herself, "I'm just purchasing movies I already have."

She said it with a bit of a tease, leaving it up to him to figure it all out. She suspected he would, though, seeing as she had at least once before dragged him through a movie she had bought, having an old version right there on the shelf in her room. To most, having two copies of one movie made little-to-no sense. To Jack it meant she needed to be sure the movie was without disk errors, from having been watched too many times most likely, before she sat down and began the actual inspiration ride.

"And I see you're acquiring yet another cable for your collection?" she said, nodding towards the cable in his hands.

[Morgan Queller]

"Techie Code number 1: You can never have more than enough cables." He said, being in visual effects this was especially true. He had a fully fleshed out background working in most parts of theater production working on lighting, sound systems, rotating tables able to support the entire acting cast. He was still grinning as he was hugged.

He looked her up and down, and all around, seeing the multitude of bags and the movie she was looking at. He had seen her collection before and didn't question her multi-copy system she had. "So when is the end coming, because it looks like your getting some bunker ready for the bomb to drop." He snarked, "Let's go grab something at this one restaurant nearby, not even three shops over. They have this great Wild Mushroom Risotto that is to kill for. I'll even help carry your bags."

He closed his eyes for a moment and licked his lips remembering the pleasure he had when eating at the little-known place. He couldn't remember the name of it, just that it was a simple restaurant that served some of the best meals he's ever had. "Mmm, just wonderful."

[Jacqueline Dawson]

She laughed at his excuse, not giving it much thought that she did strange things of her own until he commented on her upcoming purchase. She made a childish grimace for just a second, stating comically that she was not pleased with respond. The grin in the corner of her mouth, the one she could not hold back, said otherwise, though.

"Touché," she said, picking up some of the bags again before beginning the walk towards the counter that was farthest away from the entrance, picking up a copy of Sin City and Pulp Fiction as she walked by.

"I'll remember not to make space for a certain someone in my bunker the day the bomb goes off," she said with a teasing correction, raising the hand holding the movies as she walked on. She had her back turned to him due to the fact that she was heading towards the register, thus making it seem like he just received some sort of "You can say what you will, I won't be bothered" wave. She stopped by the desk, placed her bags on the floor once more, the movies on the counter and waited for the guy to run them though the system, while she found some money in her wallet.

"Mushroom risotto?" she asked all of a sudden, turning to face him with a facial expression that was more or less one big question mark until it was followed by a short laugh, "that'd have to be a first. Is it really any good? Sounds slightly dangerous."

[Morgan Queller]

"You forget that I have access to power tools and if need be will get into that bunker whether you want me to or not." He said sticking his tongue out at her. He followed her along the store.

"You've never had it? My family and I would go out every once in a while to this place called Harry's Restaurant and it some of the best food." He said, his british accent asserting itself over the developing Irish one. "It's this mix of mushroom and rice with wonderful sauce and it's so good when it's made right, then again everything tastes good when it's made right.

"It has burger, chicken, and chips too if your not feeling too adventurous either. Along with some spanish and indian food. I swear it's gotta be the best kept secret around here." Morgan said holding his right hand up. He stopped talking for a bit as she paid for her movies.

He then payed for his cable and continued his conversation. He picked up three of her bags and opened the door for her. "What do you say Jack, wanna get something to eat?" He asked with a thingyed brow.

[Jacqueline Dawson]

“In your dreams, Morgan,” she said cheekily, looking over her shoulders just in time to catch the sight of him sticking out his tongue. She couldn’t help but smile, but refused to give in verbally, even though she as pretty sure that he’d find his way into the bunker some way, alright. Taken his power tools out of the equation, she figured all it really took to get on good enough terms to enter the bunker would be another movie to keep it standing.

As he explained the risotto thing, all she really did was to listen. She was pretty glad he’d asked, hearing the background story. She always took it as a compliment when invited to join something that was otherwise preserved for family only. Something about it making her feel even more accepted - even when it was something like this. Only shame in it was, she wasn’t too keen on mushrooms. It seemed he’d figured that much out for himself. At first she had thought fish when he mentioned the mushrooms, and for no explainable reason at all, but as the actual images of mushrooms came to mind, it had hardly made it better. No, she really was sort of picky sometimes, and mushrooms would definitely not find their way through her “picky filter”, which made sure she wouldn’t venture herself into too much. He sort of saved the entire idea, though, when he mentioned the more usual stuff she could get there.

“Sounds somewhat safer, I must admit” she said, sounding a bit thoughtful and at the same time apologetic, seeing as it had been the mushrooms he’d wanted to bring her there for. Surely, she could taste some of his, just to try it out…

“Yeah, lets go get something to eat,” she then said, a little bit more convinced that food was what they needed just now, “I’m starving anyway, now that you mention all the food.”

She looked a bit puzzled by the fact that all of a sudden, she was hungry. She hadn’t felt so just a moment ago, but now it seemed her stomach wouldn’t stop screaming for something to digest. Therefore she quickly picked up the last two bags as soon as the guy behind the counter had handed her back her money and the movies in a little HMV bag, noticing that she was holding the ones from Borders. She exchanged one of them with the one from Warehouse that Morgan was holding.

“God knows what that’ll do to your image, Morgan,” she said, pretending to be worried about the female clothing store bag in his hand, “You just take the book store bags and your cable. I got the rest under control, I think… Yeah,” she said as soon as she had got her wallet into one of her bags once more and had divided the bags in both her hands.

“Yeah, I got it all under control now,” she said, looking at the bags for just a moment before turning towards Morgan as they walked to the entrance of the shop, “You just worry about guiding me to that restaurant of yours without losing me in the crowd.”

She was referring to the masses outside the shop, walking by in fast pace, everybody seemingly going in their own direction and thoughts. Jack hated crowds. For some reason they always made feeling even smaller than she actually was, and there was nothing like crowds that brought out the expression on her face of someone slightly lost. Leaving the shop behind in favour of the wide ocean of pedestrians and shoppers, her only goal really was not to lose Morgan of sight.

[Morgan Queller]

"I could really care less what complete strangers think-" He started to say as the bags were switched. The worst thing that could happen was him being accused of being a cross-dresser and then openly confronted about it by a boisterous person, and that was unlikely to ever happen.

He held everything in one hand and interlocked his arm with her's. "There, now there's no way for us to get separated." He said. Taking a slow pace he decided to let people get flustered and go around them, leaving them in a bubble as they moved one step at a time.

"Yeah it's called Harry's. It's quaint enough, and quite too." Morgan said as they approached the door. It had only one door, and looked like a store from the pre-industrial revolution. A small awning over the window that had the name of the restaurant on it in gold letters outlined in white.

Morgan let go of Jack's arm and opened the door, letting her in first. "After you." He said, displaying the way with his arm, like it wasn't obvious enough. The place had low soft lighting and unlike many other restaurants, no music playing. There was a bar to order from, a row of booths, and tables on the other side.

[Jacqueline Dawson]

Her mood slightly lifting as he interlocked his arm with hers, thus securing their staying together for the walk there, they headed off towards this so-called Harry’s. She did not reply to his comment about them not being able to get separated, but did on the contrary send him an endearing gaze that pretty much summed up her gratitude.

As they got closer and he did his little introduction, a bit of a smile found its way to her lips as she finally spotted the restaurant.

“Quaint indeed!” she said, sounding rather psyched just by the mere looks of it. Like a kid on Christmas morning, really. A spark of admiration lit in her eyes as she took in the sight of the old-looking restaurant, far from extravagant, but definitely a place with atmosphere. Nothing beat a good atmosphere, if you asked Jack!

“This is going to be my favourite place in Dublin, Morgan,” she said when she finally spoke as she passed him, Morgan holding the door like a perfect gentleman. The insides of the restaurant did not make that thought more insignificant in her mind, “How long have you been keeping this place to yourself, huh? Jesus, man. I thought we were friends.”

She laughed at the comment as she send him a correcting gaze, which really failed quite a bit, due to the smile that she could not hold back. When she was safe and sound inside, she made room for him to enter too, before she headed off to one of the booths. Booths were seldom things to find in your life, at least booths like this. There was no way she was passing up the opportunity to try this out. God! The place was like taken out of an old Hollywood movie!

[Morgan Queller]

"Well I keep it to myself because I don't like dealing with zealous individuals who tend to be boisterous." Morgan quipped.

A blonde little waitress came up, chewing gum of course, "What'cha want to drink sweeties?"

"I'll have a sprite." Morgan said, and after the waitress left with Jack's order Morgan leaned in. "I'll be in the loo for a sec, if she comes by again I'll have the soup of the day and a smothered chicken. Oh and by the way, the loo here is so clean that if all the tables were taken I would take my plate in there and eat it on the rim, and after that have some Charlie if you know what I mean." He said with a smile.

He got up and left, strutting for Jack a bit, his fitted slacks showing off his assests nicely. All his lady friends got this show though so he didn't think any of them thought it was just for them, he was quite the flirt and did dauble in make-up so he did go into many a girl's dressing rooms trying to make them right for the lighting he set up.

[Jacqueline Dawson]

Jack hit him slightly over the head as he placed the somewhat cheeky remark, but couldn’t withhold the smile that showed in the corner of her mouth.

“Oh, shut up, you,” she said, dumping her bags to her left in the booth, next to the wall, checking to make sure Morgan did indeed have the remaining ones. She turned quickly, though, as the waitress arrived and asked, oh-so-spirited what they would like to drink. Leaving Morgan to fill in his request, she wondered whether or not they had any milkshakes. Agreeing with herself, though, that the place would hardly do itself any justice if it hadn’t, she ventured out into the ordering of just that beverage.

“I’ll have a vanilla milkshake?” she said, half-asking really, delighted to see that the waitress simply nodded, jotted something down onto her paper and then left. Jack was checking out the thoroughness of the place, when Morgan interrupted. She gave him a small “Sure thing,” to say she’d try to remember his order, but pretty much forgot it as soon as he went on about the toilet. She laughed heartily at the comment, placing a hand before her mouth as an older woman looked their way. She seemed rather grumpy, sitting there in a booth on her own. Morgan strutting away when he left hardly seemed to make her mood increase, which made Jack’s smile broaden even more. God knew she loved that guy!

“One sprite,” the waitress said as she placed Morgan’s drink where he had been seated just a moment ago, “and a vanilla milkshake for you. Now, you wanna order sum’in to eat as well?”

Jack nodded, picking up a menu on the disk. She wasn’t really looking for anything in particular which did indeed worsen the entire having to look for something. She was starving!

“Well, I know he’ll have the, eh, the soup of the day? That’s like a thing, right?” she asked, lost as she was, before spotting it in the menu. “Yeah, one soup of the day for him and I’ll have… eh… I’ll just go for the french fries.”

The waitress jotted once more, before turning her attention towards Jack, asking if that was it. She received a nod, turned, and walked five steps towards her desk before Jack’s voice cut across the room.

“Oh, oh, and a chicken, smothered, please.[/b]”

The waitress turned towards Jack, adding the order to her notebook. She looked at the small girl in the booth for just a little bit longer than she had before, clearly making sure Jack had remembered it all this time. Jack sent her a broad smile, which in itself said that that was indeed all for now. Then the waitress left for the back room.

Jack reached in over the table, grabbed hold of the bags Morgan had on his side and retrieved the ones that belonged to her. She quickly found the Borders bag, and dug out the third graphic novel in the Sin City-series, clearly thrilled that she’d found it and the last six novels from the series here. She was always one step behind in Glasgow, when searching for them. Always arrived just a day after they’d sold the last one! But no more! she thought to herself, delighted, as she opened the book and turned over the first couple of pages.

“Oh, h*ll yeah,” she said to herself and let her body fall back against the softness of the booth, taking in the black and white world of Frank Miller.[/size]

[Morgan Queller]

"And lo, I have returned triumphantly, wiser and more worldly than I was when I left." Morgan said with gravitas as he made his way back to find Jack wrapped up in her book.

"Did she take our orders yet?" he asked as he sat down, referring to the waitress. "What are you getting Jack?"

He didn't have much to pass the time though, he just looked down at his nails, they were getting a bit on the long side, and starting to get a bit of dirt under them. He took out a swiss army knife and started cleaning them, under the table though, he was rather meticulous about his appearance.

"Did you hear about that guy...what's his name, I know it but it's just out reach...Fred, Fillion, Fr...Frankie! Yeah he's apparently throwing a masquerade ball. Don't you think that seems a bit...stand-uppish? I know I'm probably the last one who should talk about others being too formal but why not throw a costume party and tell people there will be liquor?"

By the time Morgan had gone through his little spiel the waitress was back with their drinks.