Midori: So, not bad, eh?

Midori walks out into a small, windowless open space, to her right an integrated lounge area with what must have been a pretty well-equipped bar at some point, and a small empty stage to her left. The abandoned club was in need of some refurbishing, certainly, but the potential was obvious. With the necessary care and craftsmanship, this could become a welcoming home for the city’s youth, especially in comparison to The Bends, which had always been little more than a glorified warehouse.

Alice: You sure this used to be a jazz club? … Cause I’m looking at this and thinking “hostess bar”.

Midori: ¿Por qué no los dos?

Alice: … What do you think, Yui? See us standing on that stage?

Yui: (Yui had her arms folded, expression hard to read through the sunglasses she had been wearing, but after a moment, she gives a slow nod.) …Yeah, actually. I could see it. Gonna take some work, but then again, so did New Eden when I got the place last year.

Midori: There we go, we have the seal of approval from someone who wears sunglasses indoors. This place is now officially cool, Alice. You gotta join in now, right?

Alice: Not sure I’ve got another remodeling in me, to be honest…

Yui: I think she meant the sunglasses indoors thing.

Midori: No… No, I mean, I’ve been kind of needling your girl on joining in on this project. As an investor, or co-owner, or something?

Alice: And I’ve been telling you I don’t have the money to be getting into real estate.

Yui: You got management experience though, babe. And I have enough money to invest a little bit.

Alice: How have we not burnt through all of that yet?

Midori: … Where did you actually get all that moolah from, Yui?

Yui: If I make the drug money joke one more time, Alice’s gonna set off a pipe bomb in my office. But since we’re talking shop, I got the job at the gym a while back. The owner didn’t have any family, save for a brother he couldn’t stand, and I guess I left enough of an impression that I made the will. S’how I came to own the place, too.

Midori: (she nods, impressed) Dang. Lucky you. My last workplace that I invested way too much of my time into exploded.

Yui: Comes with the territory of living plastic and dudes in flying boxes. Unfortunate, really.

Midori: … What?

Alice: … What?

Yui: Regardless, I’d be more than happy to invest. What’cha thinkin’, Alice? Thinkin’ about jumpin’ in on this?

Alice: (she shakes her head) Thank you for offering, but… If I’m gonna do this, it’s gonna be my thing. I can’t keep depending on you, Yui.

Yui: Oh, I see. (A smile slowly spreads across her face) Well, don’t let me hold ya back then, babe! It’s all you!

Midori: Or maybe you don’t want your girl to work at a hostess bar? (she grins)

Yui: I ain’t the person to ask about Alice’s future, Midori. ‘Sides, not like I’m not gonna be practically livin’ here once it opens, so if things ever go south, y’all got some free muscle. At the end of the day, though, if Alice’s cool with it, I’m cool with it.

Alice: (she sighs) I’m not a businessperson, okay? But I would like there to be a place in town where I can play again.

Midori: (she pumps her fist) Ha-hah, yes!

Alice: … Forgive me for asking, but… where are you getting the money to pour into a project like this?

Midori: Well, mom’s started working again, so my contribution to the family budget’s decreased… Then again, so has my income, so… Well, this is a massive risk, and I’m basically putting an advance on the wage I’ll earn by working here into it. But it’s not about the money. It’s about community… Damn, should’ve used that line when applying for the city’s grant.

Yui: Y’all sure you don’t need a bit of an investment bump?

Midori: Well, Alice might not be a charity, but I sure the fuck am!

Alice: … (she mumbles) You are sure we’re not laundering the Maestro’s dirty money… are you?

Yui: (She rolls her eyes) Anyway, Yuzu should be gettin’ here any second, right? Figured she’d wanna see the digs her sister’s gonna be gettin’ up into once it’s rebuilt.

Midori: Don’t tell her this place will play rock ‘n’ roll music and sell giggle juice!

Alice: Just who do you think Yuzuki is…?

Yuzuki: (A figure that was visible checking out the building from outside the window enters the door) Um, yes, hello. I think you can sell cocktails if you want. Unless “giggle juice” is some new drug I haven’t heard about. 

Yui: I hope not. Don’t wanna have to learn new terms to keep fresh on the laundering trade…

Alice: Boo. Get better material!

Yuzuki: It’s not, right? I swear, the kids come up with new drugs every other week… 

Yui: Heh. Well, jokes aside, what’cha think? I think there’s a lot of potential here.

Yuzuki: Mm. (She looks around, her hands on her hips) It’s a nice building. The Bends was always just sort of… a warehouse warmed over, wasn’t it? 

Yui: Kinda, yeah. But it had that “hole in the wall” dive bar kinda charm to it. This’ll make it feel more, I dunno… legit?

Midori: Oh no! Gentrification!

Yuzuki: I-I think you’ll be okay with gentrification… 

Alice: Well, in any case, looks like you’ve imbued us with the spirit of entrepreneurship, Yui.

Yui: Looks like it. I hope it all works out. An’ if y’all need anything, I’m easy to find.

Alice: A punk with a real estate portfolio, huh? What a concept.

Yui: I’mma need to hand in my punk card…