Summary:Robbie, Dwayne, Alex, and Rachel look at some real estate in an effort to plan out a hangout and central HQ for the New Warriors. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
.~{:--------------:}~.
Fifth floor on the river, open loft design. First two floors available for occupation. It's a building that used to be some sort of old mill of some kind at the turn of the century, rfom the era of the Flat Iron building with its own brickwork and a decent view to the East. Sunrises will be devilish as they stream in through the tall windows that take up the entirety of the wall. But easy rooftop access might lead to some fun rooftop soirees.
It's all right there in the ad, and on the Zillow website, and even reiterated by the rather entirely well put together real estate lady who smiles cheerfully from her painted lips and her bright golden hair. Her name was Angel as she said to each of them as she brought them in and up the cargo elevator. As she looked from client to client her hopes fell. The only thing that saved it…
Was the name of Dwayne Taylor.
So they were given the looksy around the place. Alexander Aaron was there with them, hands in the pockets of his jeans and tries to bring his not too considerable realty expertise to bear on the situation. His contribution?
"Well, it smells bad."
The realtor frowns.
Robbie offered to take everyone into the Hellcharger as the ride of choice, though he would be driving (sorry Raven, Dwayne). But regardless of how they get there, Robbie keeps his arms in his jacket pockets as he takes that glance around at the residence. "Its not that bad of a smell. You get used to it." He slightly tells Aaron. "But the room is nice." it was nice and spacious to Robbie, and no doubt he's also trying ot make the experience a little bit better for the poor real estate lady who was sent to sell this joint. Or try to.
He takes a deep breath. "Besides, the view is at least acceptable." He looks over at Raven and Dwayne, wondering what their thoughts were on the matter.
Dwayne Taylor is wearing a suit for once, figuring he'll at least bring the promise of money to the proceedings. "Smells can be removed," he says simply. While he might have preferred a more high end piece of real estate, something not so obvious and out of the way was necessary.
"That said, the promise of intensive renovation and refurbishment does have an effect on any potential offering price. Make sure you make us fully aware of all of the potential pitfalls and troubles involved with the property. My lawyers tend to be vociferous when they feel like someone's trying to cheat me. My mother's old firm. They're protective," he says.
Raven wanders around the floor and notes how very like her penthouse loft apartment this is, before she got it cleaned and decorated to her liking. Of course, there's the smell. Her place didn't have that problem, thankfully. Well, not /that/ smell, anyway. She wonders if Robbie — the only person who's seen her place — makes the same comparison, but she's not about to bring it up. The realtor is knee-deep in her sales pitch, telling them all the /potential/ this place has.
She bites back a laugh as Alex just poops all over the pitch with a single, negative comment.
Clearing her throat, Rachel says, "Yeah, I like the amount of *potential* this place has. And, there are multiple floors available, did you say?" she wonders aloud in the direction of the realtor. "'Cause we like our space. It's good to have flexibility in that area," she says, stepping up to one of the ceiling-to-floor windows and looks down. "The view is really nice," she agrees with Robbie. She looks to Dwayne, "Do you know of reliable contractors who can take a look at what's going to have to happen to make it workable for our needs?" If he doesn't, she's sure he can find some with very little difficulty. "I might know a person, if not," she adds. "She helped me with my loft purchase."
Ever the voice of support, Alexander says as he stops by one of the windows, "I mean, we don't gotta take this one, there're other places m'sure." He draws the blinds on one of the closed bank of windows, getting the southern view and letting them look out down the curve of the street on the edge of the river. People mill about down below, a hot dog stand, a used book store seems to have some of its inventory spread out on tables on the sidewalk.
The Realtor, Angel, steps in. "I'm sure there won't be any complications with the property, Mr. Taylor. The seller is interested in meeting any needs you might have, including possible renovations. They're willint to stand by the sale."
Which might sound well and good, but likely Dwayne could have gained the information of the seller. A conglomerate known as The Meyer Foundation that had a history of buying up mortgages en masse and sifting through them for quick turn around and then resale to other shared interest organizations. This, might well be out of character for them.
Robbie looks at Dwayne when he speaks that his mother's firm is protective of Dwayne's investments. Heh, funny. But also quite convenient. He notices that the Realtor ignores Raven's question, and he clearly thinks about steppin' up about that. But he's not here to be aggressive. Thats for the streets. He looks at Alex as he's ever the voice of encouragement. "This not what your used to, Alex? Do you prefer the english-mansion over in Westchester?" Yes, he's mocking al ittle bit. Hey, if the kid is spoiled, he's spoiled. "I think we could make this look like a really nice home or hangout spot for us. We're a decent-sized group."
But, Dwayne's probably the one buying, so he gets the final say. "Well, if there's no complications with the property…" Robbie looks at Dwayne, before looking at Raven. "Rachel could probably help too with the renovating."
Dwayne Taylor nods, "I just don't want to find out about significant deficits in the infrastructure and the unseen aspects of the building. We're going to need a significant electric capacity and extremely efficient plumbing and waste removal. Not to mention possibly reinforcing the roof. Rewiring, replumbing, reinforcing the total structure, all of that's going to be expensive. And some of that expense is going to have to come out of the price. But I'm sure we can reach an agreement. I don't think we're too far apart in terms of numbers. And the location's what we're looking for, I think."
Well, the realtor did give Rachel a tiny nod in response to the question, but the blondie Angel is definitely tripping over Dwayne's every word and reaction. She's preoccupied with the man who holds the purse strings and, given her empathic read-out, Rachel can kinda understand why. She doesn't know the details, but she knows this woman is being pressured, in some way, to make this sale. As a result, Rachel makes a motion to Dwayne, asking to bend his ear quietly in another spot of the place, wanting to share the information with him, in case it impacts his decision.
Once she can peel him away from Angel's anxious attention, she explains in a low voice, "Listen, this chick is being strong-armed or something. She's very…nervous about making this sale. Sure, it's a lot of money, but this goes beyond that. I don't know any specifics, but it's more like she's scared about not making the sale than really hoping for the commission. Like, maybe there'll be negative consequences for her, if she isn't successful."
Rachel peeks around Dwayne to get another look at Angel, who's trying not to hover anxiously. "The company that currently owns this place might have some kinda hidden agenda, or something. Maybe it's just me being paranoid and not trusting people, but…seems maybe kinda fishy. It's a nice location, but…could someone get a leg up on us by knowing where we are? By owning a portion of this building? I dunno. Just tryin' to cover all the bases." She lifts her shoulders in that weird, shruggy way she does, up-n-down-n-up-n-down. Then, to Robbie's comment, she grins and laughs, "What am I, an interior decorator? Psssssh. No, better to let the professionals do their thing. But, I do appreciate your vote of confidence!"
Over his shoulder, Alexander says with a wry smile, "We had a cape in Jersey." Not exactly the best of places, but to be fair with the market as it was… chances are it was a property that went for a few million. Mainly just because of the insanity of the market these days.
He does turn around though and leans back against the window sill, grinning across the way towards them. "I'm fine with painting, but I don't lift heavy things. I don't help people move unless I'm dating them. And Dwayne is great but not pretty enough." There, proper lines drawn about moving duty.
The Realtor ignores all this, just as much as she mostly ignored Raven's question. She keeps focus on Dwayne as really, it's clear from the dynamic with these young people that his is the voice that matters. "That's excellent to hear. If… you're interested in purchasing the entire building, we could put out feelers to the gentleman who owns the first floor. He seems to do a decent business with the laundromat there, but… I can see how receptive he'd be to the idea."
But then Raven slips in to steal his ear and she purses her lips, just a little at first. But then she looks over to Robbie and gives him a warm smile and a little shimmy as she shifts her clipboard to her other hand.
Dwayne Taylor listens to Raven carefully, considering the possibilities. "Lots of reasons to be under pressure. But you're right. We'll be cautious. And honestly? If someone is trying to lay a trap and lure us in…I'd rather play the game and flush them out than tuck tail and run," he says.
Louder, he responds to Alexander first, "We can hire people to do the work, that's not a problem. Nobody's asking you to pick up a roller or a hammer. Definitely not a hammer. I think that's more a Norse thing, isn't it?"
To the realtor, he nods, "Checking into it would be good. I can give him a fair price, certainly. Perhaps even help with his relocation costs if that's an issue."
Hah! greek joke at Alex. But, Robbie keeps his arms where it is, and he gives a nod to the realtor when she gives him a kind smile. Always trying ot help out, that kid. But then he looks over at Raven. "Ray," clearly a well-meaning cutsy name in short for Rachel. "I've seen your flat, and it looks extremely nice. I think a woman's touch might do us some good." and he's not trying to mean that in a demeaning way, but rather a compliment towards her love of art.
But then he looks as Dwayne and Raven seem to have a silent discussion, but its one that Robbie doesn't seem to mind or be incessantly aware of.
Then to Alex. "Heh. I'll do the heavy lifting. Do enough of it already, I doubt it'd change my routine much." But then to the realtor, letting her answer the questions thrown her way.
Rachel nods her head in response to Dwayne's thinking. "You're right, I'm sure. I just wanted you to have all the information at your disposal. Well, I'm sure you did your research, but I can sometimes offer an unexpected avenue of…info. Or whatever. But, yeah, cool, cool, cool, cool. Good talk," she claps him on the back like she's a coach giving a player a peptalk. It's awkward, but maybe also a little endearing.
Returning to the group, Rachel smiles and nods to Robbie. "Well, I'll definitely give my opinions to Dwayne, suggestions for some art pieces and so forth, for him to consider and give to the designers, if he likes what I layin' down. Since he's footing the bill, I mean." She shoots lil' fingerguns to Dwayne. Looking back to Robbie, she shakes her head, "It's nice to offer, but my advice would be to take a break and let someone else pick up a potentially much-needed paycheck."
A small chuff comes from Alexander as he looks away towards the window, but he's smiling as he does so, still leaning against the window sill.
Angel, the realtor, bobs her head with a smile towards Dwayne. "Certainly, I'll get the initial overtures made and then get the paperwork rolling. We'll have the arrange several different inspectors and compare their findings to the property report from the seller. See if there's anything that needs addressing."
She takes a moment to look between them all and then once again returns her blue eyes back to Dwayne. "If things come back strong, I'll tell them that they should perhaps expect an initial offer in the near future?" She asks that with a slight lilt at the end, hopeful? Expectant definitely.
Dwayne Taylor smiles thinly, "The Taylor Foundation has its own inspectors as well. They'll perform due diligence, of course, to make sure that all the details are precisely attended," he says.
"But yes. Provided everything coming up proverbial roses, we should be able to make an offer within the next week."
He regards Raven with an amused eye at her muttered assurance, "Haven't you learned by now, Rachel? I," he says, pulling a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and sliding them on, "I am always cool."
Robbie facepalms when he sees Dwayne do his smooth criminal thing with the sunglasses. "Ugh…" apparently, Robbie found that to either be a horrible display of humor, or he's not a fan of the reference. It was funny, but they're indoors! Oh well, it was in the moment. Meantime, he gives Rachel a playful bump with his shoulder. "If you say so. But I stand by my words, chica." he winks at her, before he smirks at her coach-talk at Dwayne.
Then he looks at Alex as he silently leans against the window sill, then back to the realtor. "Muy Bien." he says at the sounds of agreement that an offer will be made once everything is properly checked out.
Rachel purses her lips so hard her dimples pop out and she tries not to laugh, but some does escape her nose as she watches Dwayne pull out an NCIS: Miami reference. "You're right. My bad," she says, her voice thick with suppressed laughter. "Super cool Agent Supercool is super cool," she agrees and gives him double-thumbs ups. Then, to Robbie she nods her head, "It'd just be nicer to let someone else make some money, right? Alex sets a good example by being a lazybones." She smiles broadly at Alex, 'flicking' her dimples at him. It's something she saw in a k-drama once, where the lead character would do that to disarm others. 'Course, out of context, it just looks really, really weird.
Angel beams happily, entirely accepting of the answer given to her, "Thank you, Mr. Taylor. I'll get right on that." She starts to back away, sharing her happiness and her wide smile with each of them as she looks from one to the other in turn. "Definitely will get right to work on this, feel free to take your time and get a feel for the place. I'll be in the stairwell getting all our lovely little ducks in a row." She positively gleams with her too white teeth smile. Then she beats a hasty retreat. The door slides closed behind her.
Alexander pushes off of the window sill and dusts his hands a bit, as if some of the paint or grime might have rubbed off on him. He crinkles his nose a little at Raven as she does her cutesy lil thing, shaking his head and perhaps even going so far as to lift his blue eyes heavenward, offering a prayer for patience. Probably to a family member.
He then steps close enough to slip into the forming conversational circle around Raven and Dwayne, then looks to Robbie. "So you're sure about this if all the things come back alright?" Perhaps making sure since the acquisition of property does create a bit of a social contract between them.
Dwayne Taylor nods to the departing realtor and grins a bit at the light teasing. He can take it. Even if he wasn't entirely joking. He is pretty cool.
"Shouldn't take too long to set up. I'm of mixed feelings about some of the structure. I was thinking of putting in a helipad and I'm not entirely sure the roof is capable of supporting that kind of repeated weight, but we'll see. I want to make sure we have proper garage access, too, both for us and, of course, for Robbie. And I need to make sure we have Bluebird set up with the kind of work space she wanted. Too bad she couldn't come today."
"Yeah, a garage would be pretty sweet. I don't want to leave my ride in the street." Even if Robbie's ride basically screams 'my owner will skin you alive if you try to steal me'. especially when its juiced up on Hellfire to become the Hellcharger proper. But then he looks at Alex as they all seem to be in a tight-knit circle now. "Pretty sure. I know it would kinda tie us all together in a way…but I'm sure we all know this already." Robbie looks to all gathered, before he looks at Dwayne. "Speaking of which, how is this Bluebird lady? She a good fit or is she going to have initial problems?"
Rachel wasn't being totally facetious when she said Dwayne was cool! She was teasing, yes, but not totally. She nods about Bluebird, "It's definitely a shame. She'd have lots to say about what she needs and if this place could suit." She considers Robbie's question before answering. "I think she's going to be fantastic. There will likely be an adjustment period for her, getting comfortable with us, and vice versa, but I think she'll blend in well and be a great addition," she offers. "But, guys. I've got an appointment with the art director at ESU. I better get goin'. Be good, boys," she says and makes her exit with backwards waves.
Arms folding over his chest, Alexander gives the place another look over, as if trying to envision what might be down for the future. He cocks an eyebrow and considers the other members of the team, then catches the last bit of what Robbie is saying, "Yeah, she'll be fine. She can beat you up with her motorcycle. With Robbie's Car, Dwayne's board, and her bike, I feel like that Raven and I should get like Vespas or something just to be part of the cool kids."
But at that he fights the smile, then uncurls his fingers from his bicep. "If you think this will suit what needs you envision, Dwayne. I mean… heck. Could be worse." Resounding endorsement.
Then as Raven starts to head off he gestures to the side, "Figure I might as well get going too." He stuffs his hands back into his pockets and strolls towards the door with a casual stride. "Lemme know if you need anything."
Dwayne Taylor shrugs slightly, "Nothing's going to be perfect until we make it perfect. But I think it will do as a start," he says.
"I'll be in touch once arrangements start to be made. If you have any special requests for the renovation, drop me an e-mail."
Robbie gives a thumbs up before he turns to look at Raven as she leaves. "Later, Rachel. Good luck with the meeting." he says somewhat hopefully, though his eyes then look at Phobos. "Be seeing you." Then to Dwayne as he also seems to be about to head out. "Sounds good. I better get back to it too. Patrol waits for nobody."
and Hell needs to be paid.
So, Robbie gives a two-finger wave as he puts on those black gloves and gets into the Hellcharger, starting his drive away. If anybody needed/wanted a ride, he was sure to give them a hand. He could fit five in the Charger as it is.