Ravin was waiting for Mina when she arrived. The floor wasn’t yet open, though there was plenty of hustle and bustle of activity to show this was no night off. The sound of Sapphire throwing some sort of fit about not being able to find something could be heard from down at the front desk. Ravin sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose an exhausted preschool teacher - which is what he felt like he was sometimes.

But the sight of Mina Van Zant put a smile on his face. “My darling,” Ravin said, taking her hand and kissing it. “You look absolutely ravishing.” He gave her a little bit of a twirl, trying to lighten the mood just in case she was nervous - though she didn’t look it. “That being said, why don’t you come with me and Tulip - TULIP - “ He hollered, the sound of thudding feet immediately audible. She popped out at the end of the stairs beaming.

“Yes, Mister Ravin?” She looked at Mina and winked, crinkling her nose. “Hey, cutie pie.”

“Tulip - Miss Van Zant is to work the floor tonight. Any chance you’d be interested in giving our diamond a little extra sparkle?” Ravin shot a wink Mina's way. Tulip squealed in delight, clapping her hands together rapidly.

“Pumpkin, you come with me. I’ve got a few things you might like.” Tulip grabbed Mina by the hand before she’d have the chance to say anything. “You comin’ too Ravin?” Tulip asked, a twinkle in her eye.

“Yes, actually,” Ravin followed them and Tulip started to drag Mina to the dressing room, “Mina, I was wondering if you’d given any thought as to what you’d like to be called here.”

Mina was still a little taken aback by how friendly and welcoming Ravin had turned out to be. Even if he didn't have a reputation for cruelty, she'd been around enough men in his position that his caregiving nature was something she truly wasn't used to. His doves were people to be cared for and not only property to be used for financial gain. She smiled and giggled as he twirled her around and she was instantly more at ease than she already was. "Why thank you, good sir," she replied to his compliment.

He called one of his doves, Tulip, and Mina grinned with a sparkle in her eyes at the cute blonde girl. Sparkle? That sounded fun, what girl didn't like 'sparkle'? She caught Ravin's wink and bit her lip with a smile, clear excitement in her eyes. And just like that Tulip was pulling her delightedly forward and Mina walked with a bouncy step to keep up with her.

The entered the dressing room and Mina looked around briefly as Tulip went to do whatever she was going to do, and she glanced back over to Ravin at his question. "Just a little bit, though nothing I've settled on yet. Is there any sort of theme you guys go for here?" she asked. "I'm open to suggestions if you have them," she said with a grin, glancing back over at the bubbly Tulip.

Tulip had obviously decided Mina was going to be her little pet. She tugged Mina along, turning to lead them all through an open door down the hall to the right. It was a dressing room, with a long, wide mirror on one side and a fire roaring on the fireplace for lighting. The fire did make it quite warm in the room, so Ravin immediately took off his coat.

“Oh gawsh, no theme here,” Tulip continued to babble enthusiastically, “We’ve got all sorts. I’m partial to flowers myself. Let’s see, uh…Daisy, and Posey, and Bluebell, and Buttercup…” It was clear Tulip was just listening off every kind of flower she could think of as she sifted through some of the outfits hanging in the open wardrobe, “...and Marigold, and Magnolia, and Daffodil. You could go with what Velvet did and be Lacey - that’d be cute. Or…” Daisy turned, holding up the outfit she seemed to have selected for Mina. “You could be our Sparkle! What do ya think of this one?” Tulip held up the outfit, very contented with herself.

“You don’t have to wear anything you don’t want to. What you have on would be just fine. Don’t let this one talk you into anything,” Ravin stepped in, voice calming yet amused, trying to keep Tulip reined in. Tulip made a comedic pouty face, pulling another outfit from the wardrobe. “We got this one too, it's pretty. Or whatever you want. It doesn’t matter really; you’ll have no trouble pullin’ em in, cute little thing you are.”

Tulip was just a ray of sunshine, a little sweet little bubble of energy that shimmered with rainbows when she caught the light. Mina found her pretty darn adorable, though most of her suggestions felt a little too...sweet for her. Not that Mina wasn't cute and sweet, she certainly was, but she wasn't dainty enough to be a flower. She planned to be very observant tonight. If she wanted to convince Ravin that she was worth hiring long term then she needed to get a feel for the others and really try to play off of bringing something to the table that would make her a good addition to the team and maybe fill a void they didn't have yet. This was all assumptions of course, based on her experiences with other employers in this line of work.

Her smile never faded as Tulip rattled off flower names as she went through clothes, soon holding out one of the options. It was lacy and a bit see through while having a softer, sweet look to it. She liked it. She looked over her shoulder at Ravin when he spoke up and tossed him a smile. When Tulip pulled out the second option she hummed and shook her head. "I'll try this one," she said, a perfect mix of sexy and sweet. "Maybe I'll try a few different styles in my first few days and get a feel for what works best?" she suggested.

Holding the dress against her body she looked over to Ravin. "Did you want me to undress?" she asked in a perfectly casual tone, as if this was an every day question to ask. "Examine the merchandise?" Again, this assumption was coming from her past experiences. They all wanted a look for selves, to check for scars or body shape or too much or too little body fat. She was still mulling over names in her head.

“Works for me, sweet pea.” Tulip said in a sing-song voice, booping Mina on the nose with a finger before rummaging around for something in a bag on the counter by the mirror. At Mina’s question, Tulip immediately chimed in, “Pfft. Master Raaavin’s no fun. I’ve been trying to give him a peek at my bits and bobs for years. But he won’t have none of it.” Ravin shot Tulip a dirty look, and she immediately looked sheepish and started to focus on her current task. Ravin walked up to Mina, tipping up her chin to look at him and smiling at her softly.

“I’ve already seen what I need to see. My girls are more than an offered cut of meat. Their presence is what keeps our guests coming back. Don’t think of it as selling your body, think of it as loaning the pleasure of your company.” Ravin brushed her cheek with his hand in an affectionate gesture before looking back to Tulip.

“You get Miss Van Zant everything she needs, my cheeky little darling. You can both come down to the lounge when you’re ready and we’ll get our new dove all situated,” Ravin smiled at Mina, before adding gently, “And if you are in need of any potions to ensure you have no…unwanted surprises in the future, tell Tulip now so she can get you started.” Having said what he needed to, Ravin would go down to the lounge and wait for Mina.

Mina listened to Tulip talk about Ravin with half amusement and half curiosity, getting a little peek into the relationship between the two. Mina resisted the urge to shrink away when Ravin walked over to her. Not because he had ever given her a reason to fear him or anything but she assumed he was doing exactly what she had thought he might, checking her for imperfections. She had never liked this part, but none of the girls ever did. It was just part of the business. As he tipped her chin up she'd see a determined resolve in her eyes, she was stronger than his judgements and she had confidence in what she had to offer.

His smile was not appraising though, it was soft and as he spoke she blinked a little in surprise. The tension that she had been holding in her shoulders softened and the brush against her cheek felt kind and tender rather than suggestive. She smiled, accentuating her full lips as she did so and her eyes sparkled. "Well, it is quite pleasurable company if I do say so myself."

When he addressed Tulip again it was not in anger, even after the look he'd given her earlier. There was real affection there. It felt almost...unnatural to see. She nodded to Ravin, "I will, thank you," she said watching him go with a thoughtful smile before turning attention back to Tulip and grinning.

Within a few minutes Mina had changed her clothes and had taken the potion, being told where to find them for further shifts. Mina couldn't make it for herself, she didn't have the money to purchase supplies for potions so she had never gotten very good at them anyway. Her hair had been touched up and Tulip had applied a bit of sparkle to her cheekbones.

They came back downstairs and Mina twirled in front of Ravin, mostly because she had a feeling that Tulip would like the flair. "Eden," she said when she faced him again. "I think I'll go with Eden for my name here."

Ravin smiled as Mina came into view. She was an absolute vision - so different than any of his other doves. There was a touch of mischief in her eyes that drew you in, a playful question, a hint of mystery. Ravin’s smile widened as she twirled, as he was utterly charmed by the young woman.

“Couldn’t be more perfect, the temptation that you are,” Ravin kissed her hand, leading her out into the lounge. Patrons had started to filter in, many of them already eyeing Mina. “You’re going to be a wing woman this evening,” Ravin said to her softly, “Your job is to gently nudge our patrons in the right direction. I don’t want any one girl to get too overwhelmed, or for one dove to not have enough for in an evening. We work as a team here.” Ravin took Mina by the shoulders, pointing to Banks, “If you ever run into any problems, you just ask Banks or any of the other security if they could get whoever is causing a stir a glass of the house red. They’ll know what it means and will handle things from there. Err on the side of caution. We’re lucky in that a lot of our regulars are just good people coming here to blow off a little steam. But, like anywhere else, we have our moments.” Ravin turned to face her, booping her on the nose.

“Feel like you can take it from here, Miss Eden?”

Mina chuckled, feeling like quite a prize with the attention from Ravin and Tulip. She didn't get praised often so when it happened she tended to soak it all in like a sponge. It was nice to hear that you had value, even if that value was something as material as how you looked all dolled up.

She looked around the room as Ravin explained her task for the evening. He pointed out the guard, Banks, and she gave the man a little smile if he happened to look their way. "The house red," she repeated under her breath. When he turned to face her again she playfully scrunched her nose as he tapped his fingertip against it. "Absolutely," she replied, oozing with confidence.

And with that her night began.

Tulip showed her around just a little bit and told her the names of each of the doves. Mina asked for a little synopsis of their specific skills or talents so that she would have an idea of who might be the best fit for a patron. It took her maybe a half hour or so to really get into the swing of things and then she moved through the room as if she'd been there for years. When a patron looked lost or nervous she was there. She spoke with flirty ease and a playful confidence that seemed to make most of the more shy ones perk up with a confidence of their own. A very confident woman entered and asked for Apollo, apparently one of his regulars, but the man was busy at the moment and though she had been very specific about what she wanted at first, it wasn't long before Mina had successfully convinced her that spending the night with another woman would be a very special treat and she was soon leaving the room with Sapphire.

There were a few times when a guest had shown interest in her, if nothing else because she was new and something they hadn't tried before. She expertly accepted the attention and managed to offer them other doves instead, somehow making it seem like it was what they had wanted all along. There was only one moment in which it seemed like someone was starting to get upset and impatient and Mina remembered about Banks and the house red but before she overreacted she had managed to calm the guest down, chatting with them for a few minutes and soon sending them off with Poppy who was more than happy to be a listening ear to their troubles.

She had sent Pheonix off with a handsome older gentleman and a couple who had arrived together had a fun time with Velvet. Tulip seemed to be really popular, seeing several of her regulars tonight. The night went on and Mina happily continued in her work. Not once did she show any sign of tiring or of frustration. She flitted from patron to patron with delicate ease and a lightness in her steps. By the time they were ready for closing, Mina had felt like the night had gone by pretty quickly actually and was feeling rather proud of how smoothly everything had gone, at least from her perspective.

Mina - or now, Eden - was a true professional with real talent. And Ravin did consider it talent: those that looked down on this line of work wouldn’t appreciate all the nuance that went into it. It wasn’t just laying back and spreading your legs, it was making someone forget about the troubles of the outside world for however long you were with them. It was about making someone feel comfortable, special, and wanted - which required different skills depending on who your client was. And Mina made it look so easy.

It was the early hours of the morning when Ravin thanked their last guest and locked the door behind him. Poppy had tidied up a little, but Ravin would take care of most of the clean-up in the morning. It had been a busy night, and the doves deserved to unwind. Tulip had already gone for the wine under the counter and was making room on the little table for glasses enough for all. She started pouring, not bothering to ask who wanted some. Apollo started to clumsily play at the piano while Phoenix came in and flopped down on the couch with a loud sigh.

Tulip immediately giggled (it never took much) and started handing out glasses, “Come here little miss thing,” Tulip would beckon to Mina come over wherever she was in the room, “Let’s have a toast.” Ravin stood near the door, leaning up against the wall, watching his doves with nothing but pure affection as Tulip corralled everyone into one place. “That means you too Master Raaavin,” Tulip called, giggling as she beckoned him with a finger. Ravin chuckled and came forward to claim his glass. The doves looked at him expectantly as he smiled at Mina.

“To our newest little dove. We are a family here, and I couldn’t be more proud of our newest member,” Ravin raised his glass, looking around the room, “May we end every night with our hearts as full and our pockets as heavy as we do this one. Cheers.” Everyone took a drink before Apollo started up on the piano again and Tulip started to chatter away. Ravin turned to Mina. “You’re really quite something, my dear,” He smiled. “A real natural talent.”

Oddly enough, given the late hour, Mina didn't feel tired at all. It was probably the adrenaline of her first night or how busy she had been from the moment she stepped out onto the floor but it really had flown by quite quickly. Besides, she was a night owl by nature, much preferring to sleep during the daylight hours.

She smiled over at Apollo when he started to tap at the piano keys and chuckled with Tulip beckoned her over. She moved in and gathered up a drink when it was offered to her. She saw the way that all of the doves turned their attention to Ravin. She was really struck in this moment by exactly how they felt about the man. This was not their overlord or the one cracking a whip at their heels. The doves held a great deal of respect and admiration, even love for this man. It was something she'd never seen before in this field of work.

Her lips turned up into a smile, accentuating her cheekbones, and her nose scrunching playfully as he toasted to her. And she liked feeling like she had made him proud, she was as eager for his approval as the rest of them it seems. Something about the mean really drew people in and made them want to serve. She took a sip along with the rest of them before noise filled the air around them once more.

She looked up at Ravin when he spoke to her with a smile. "Why thank you, Raaavin," she said playfully, mimicking Tulip though under her breath she so wouldn't offend the girl. "This is only just the beginning," she added with a wink and tapped her glass against his.

Ravin snorted with laughter at Mina’s impression of Tulip, eyes darting to the dove just to make sure she was occupied enough not to hear them. “I hope so,” Ravin smiled, taking a good gulp of his wine before setting it down on the table. “We take care of one another around here. I only wish it were a promise I could extend to every man, woman, and child in Nevermere,” And he meant it. His eyes grew distant for a moment before refocusing on Mina.

“I don’t have to tell you that it’s not easy being poor in Skia,” Ravin sipped his wine again, “In fact…I think you and I grew up in the same part of the city. The timing is a little different, but the same part.”

Mina hummed thoughtfully. "That's it," she said, tapping her finger against her button nose as if she had just figured something out. "That's what makes you different than so many people around here." Not 'here' as in the Midnight House, but this sketchier part of town in general. "Most people are out of themselves. It's a dog eat dog world and only the top dog gets the meat. You aren't like that. You want...better." She gave a little smile and took a sip of her wine. Was it even possible? It felt so unattainable. She wasn't sure.

Her brows raised at the mention of them being from the same area though. "Oh yea? Well then it's even more surprising for you to turn out like you did. What was it that made you...break out of the norm?" she asked him.

Ravin shrugged, leaning back. “The way I see it, that’s how ‘the powers that be’ want us to behave. A divided underclass is far less problematic for them than a class united. If we’re busy fighting each other…” Ravin grimaced a little, “we never look up to see who’s taking bets.” Tulip had started listening now, eavesdropping and giggling when Ravin finished.

“Raaavin Tracey. Always the philly-ah-sofer,” Tulip kept giggling, butchering the pronunciation of a word with far too many syllables for it to be in her comfort zone. Ravin rolled his eyes, ignoring her and answering Mina’s question as she kept giggling.

“I could say the same for you,” Ravin countered, “Most women I knew took the way of the downtrodden. You, my dear, seem to have not let the world break your spirit one bit.” Realizing he was avoiding the question, he answered her question.

“My father was killed when I was young, and my mother was left with five mouths to feed. She found this kind of work on the streets rather than a place like this, and without the protection people like me can provide, the streets are far less kind.” Ravin took a sip of wine, covering a waver in his voice. “When she knew she was dying, she begged the former owner of the Midnight House to feed and house me in exchange for my labor. I was just a boy then, not particularly useful beyond menial labor, but Madame Clementine was a charitable woman who treated me well, taught me everything she knew. When she passed on, I took over operations here and, viola.” Ravin held out his arms, “Here we are.”