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[collateraldamaging]

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text | un: alexandrite

[handleyourshit]

Hi. You own the Back Door now, right?

Re: text | un: alexandrite

[collateraldamaging]

Legally, my partner does.
But yes.
Did you need something?

[handleyourshit]

Understood.

My name is Rosita. I'm a friend of Jesus's. His birthday is next week and I'm looking for somewhere to throw him a surprise party. Someone said you have a roof space?

[collateraldamaging]

It's his birthday?
He didn't mention it.
Yes, we do have a private rooftop.

What day next week?

[handleyourshit]

We're bad at it as a population.

It's the 6th.

[collateraldamaging]

I see.

Tuesday?
That's perfect, he normally bartends for us Tuesday nights so will be there anyway.
When he comes in to prep I can bring him up to the roof?

[handleyourshit]

Sounds great to me.

Set your fee and I'll pay it. I don't have a headcount, I plan to just send out a general notice.

[collateraldamaging]

Fee?
Unless you want me to cater and keep my wait staff on for the night, we will not charge for the space.
Jesus is a friend.

[handleyourshit]

Haven't decided on food and drink yet but you're trying to run a business and also I'm stealing one of your bartenders for the night regardless. I don't expect it to be free.

[collateraldamaging]

You should decide quickly, it's only a few days away.

The business runs fine and Tuesdays are special nights anyway.
We don't usually make much profit on them but that is not the point.
Once he arrives for work, I will close for a private event.
You will only pay anything if you decide you need my other staff to stay and work.
We are family.

[handleyourshit]

Yeah no shit I've been busy

[Turning occasionally and unpredictably into a death omen, it's been great.]

And now you're saying you'll close, close?

I'd feel a lot better putting down at least a deposit. Especially since you don't know me.

[collateraldamaging]

I don't need to.
This is Rosita, isn't it?

Fine.
It goes against the spirit of our inheritance, but:
I will accept a deposit with the understanding that you receive it back, minus the cost of any damages or consumables, after the event.
Agreed?

[handleyourshit]

Yeah. I'm Rosita. Does that mean something?

[And normally she wouldn't ask, but - there's a bit of skin in the game for her, in this case, so she lets herself:]

Agreed.

Spirit of your inheritance?

[collateraldamaging]

You do, to him, and I have felt that.
I'm glad we could reach an agreement.

The venue was originally built as a gift, from my friend to her partner.
Somewhere safe to be herself.
I helped her with the gear and sound system for free, because she'd spent everything she had on startup costs.
Then she left it to us when she went home.
And we were only able to make it more ours because of a generous investor who liked my cooking.
Jesus began covering the bar on Tuesdays just to help me despite his schedule already being full.
Despite that he could have easily made triple or more doing the same shift at Marked.
Val and I are used to having very little, to fighting and running and loss, constantly.
We'd never had jobs before here.
We do not care about becoming rich.
Only building something with meaning, which is less about the physical space than what we do with it.
Do you understand?

[handleyourshit]

I know a little about the history. I was signed with Dinah, and she told me some. I just never heard anything about how that might apply now.

And all that's great, but if you can't pay to keep the lights on, the city off your back, and the staff able to live, nothing will build. I can pay. I want to, but I'm not going to argue about it.

[collateraldamaging]

We're doing alright.
I would charge for actual goods or labor, I assure you.

A deposit, and your promise to come back on a different Tuesday night for dinner.
A customer base is the most important thing for a business to build, wouldn't you say?