jackpot (chase)

"You know if you asked me nicely, I could see your business treble in eighteen months."

He was trying to entice the landlady of The Three Broomsticks, and not for the first time ever. With three firewhiskeys down him and the confidence of their ad agency already thriving, Dick was relentless when it came to finding new business. He was never content with how it was: he was always looking for more to fuel his insatiable greed.

When the landlady clearly wasn't having any of his flirtatious nonsense, he promptly ordered another drink. This would be the last before he moved on. He had to visit the Daily Prophet today, and he wasn't going to do that sober...

@Chase Campbell

Chase was exploring Hogsmeade and decided to stop for one of those drinks she had gotten with Savannah. The butter beer. It had been so good. She stepped inside The Three Broomsticks and ordered herself her drink. She smiled politely at the man at the bar as she waited. 

@Richard Pleasegood

When he glanced at the beauty standing next to him at the bar, there was a momentary urge to start boasting loudly about how rich and successful he was. He'd opened his mouth, but he managed to hold himself back. Richard knew exactly what this was: what she was, and he couldn't believe how fortunate he was to meet one. She was a brunette as well. Perfect! He believed there was a blessing of fate going on here.

"I'll get hers," he told the barman, offering the Veela girl a smile. "Are you sure you don't want something stronger, or are you not old enough yet?" It was a good way of knowing how old she was. At a guess he'd say early twenties, but one could never be too careful. Knowing her age was for a completely professional reason, of course.

@Chase Campbell

Chase smiled at the man again when he offered to pay for her drink, "Thank you. And I'm 17. So I'll stick with a butter beer. Thank you, though." Her manners were on point for some reason today. When the waiter came back woth her drink, she took a seat and sipped it. It was frothy and creamy and just delicious. She was so happy savannah introduced her to them. 

@Richard Pleasegood

"Seventeen? Sweetheart, as soon as I was seventeen I made sure to run up a bar tab. But you're American, aren't you? Maybe you don't know. Here in Britain, you're all good to drink. You're of age."

He clinked his glass beside her butter beer stein. The effect wasn't as good as another whiskey glass.

"So am I getting you something stronger? Or are you 'straight edge', like they used to say..."

@Chase Campbell

"Yes I am American." She said, thinking her accent was a dead give away. She was a bit surprised she could drink hard liquor at the age of seventeen here. But hey, welcome to england. She laughed when he asked if she was straight edge, "No sir. Not quite. Maybe I'll try a fire whiskey. I've heard of it but never had one before." She said looking at the other drink options she now had to choose from. 

@Richard Pleasegood

As long as they didn't have to venture to Europe where there was a language barrier, having an American veela was just as good as getting a British one. She was young, but she was able to make her own choices: this made the process so much easier.

"Drinking the same as me, clever choice. Now you know I won't let you get too tipsy, all right?"

Smirking, he ordered a firewhiskey for her.

"I should introduce myself. My name is Richard Pleasegood - I'm the director of the best advertising agency here in Britain. My name is on the door and everything..." Uttering a short laugh, he retrieved a business card from his pocket and handed it to her. "And what's your name, sweetheart?"

@Chase Campbell

Chase nodded and let of a light chuckle, "I appreciate that." When he introduced himself her eyes lit up and she straightened her psoture almost immediately, "Advertising agency? Like magazines and such?" This could be a great opportunity for her. Get her foot in the door now that she was in the UK. She missed working, and this could be her way back to what she loved. She took his business card and felt herself practically vibrating with excitement. It was legit, "I'm Chase Campbell." 

@Richard Pleasegood

"Just like that, only you need to think bigger," he said, in response to her mention of 'magazines and such'. The firewhiskey was placed on the bar, and he handed it to her. "Now you don't want to take that all in one gulp, sweetheart. Little sips. Like a bird drinking."

The way she was suddenly elated and on the edge of her seat was beautiful. She was beautiful. Veelas were such a fascinating gift the magical world had bestowed upon them, and Dick wanted to treat this one just like a precious little doe. Don't come on too strong, or she might shoot off in the other direction.

"Chase? That's perfect," he said, chuckling as he took a sip of his drink, "I would chase you half way around the world to get you in my agency. So what do you think, sweetheart? Would you want to be in a few ads? There's a new line of cosmetics that we wanted a real veela model for. And yes, I know you are one." There was a very distinctive feeling that came with being in the presence of a veela. It made a boy feel like a man.

@Chase Campbell

He chuckled at her reaction to the drink. It was good to get those first times out the way.

Dick tilted his head to the side to get a better look at her. Suddenly she'd gone all nervous on him.

"Don't look like that, sweetheart. You're a triumph. Embrace it. Look how many doors are just opening up to you in the space of an afternoon!" He laughed dryly, then gave her a comforting sort of smile. Like a Dad would do his daughter. "Half is best for us. Full veela are difficult to work with because of their - uh - tempers." And the fact they could snap, turn into harpies and start chucking fire over the photoshoots. "You got the best of both. I'd say you're pretty lucky."

@Chase Campbell

When he called her a triumph, she looked up at him a bit confused. Her gifs had never been spoken of that way. But he was right. She had her foot in the door just because of who she was. "most people get angry because they cant control their mouths when they are around me. They tend to say or do embarrassing things for my attention and then get mad after." When he spoke of full veelas, she chuckled, "Yes. My mother was quite the diva." She said with a chuckle. Her mother was a full veela. She smiled widely and took another sip of the drink. It wasn't as harsh this time, "I guess I am lucky." 

@Richard Pleasegood

"I have the staff that will look after your specific needs. If the company you're modelling for wants to meet you and the men get excited, we'll have people to calm them down. Nobody will touch you while you're under our care. Anybody who says anything to you that's out of turn, we'll make sure to put a stop to it. That's our duty of care as your employer, if this really is something you're interested in."

Perhaps some of the things he said there were flavoured by a need to impress her, but it was all true nonetheless.

"I tell you what - you mull it over. Speak to your friends, your parents about it. Then if you really are interested, send a message to my office. My secretary will contact you and arrange a meeting - then you can come to the offices for a tour around."

He smiled at her, and finished off his drink.

"Does that sound fair?"

@Chase Campbell