Dance Central: The Beginning

Mo- Decisions, Decisions

While Mo wanted to join the staff of the Sweet Seventeen Delux Nightclub, he wasn't certain about the consequences to be faced. Not only would he be expected to work all night, he would have to come into close contact with aggressive violent, strangers who wanted to cause trouble or fights in the line. He shuddered. That was too risky, even for him. Besides, he wasn't even that muscular, so Mo had no idea why Terrell's friend wanted to hire him for the position of a bouncer. But it was a start. Terrell volunteered to pay his rent- That was too precious to pass up, he thought. And, becoming a bouncer would be hella exciting, with lots of stories to tell.  It would be a huge commitment, however, and he was worried that he would sacrifice prior liberty just for a job. Mo decided not to overthink the situation, and took a refreshing shower. He dressed in his pajamas, and headed to sleep on the dingy mattress he owned. Mo waited for sleep to knock on his door, but it never did. He had decided to avoid pondering the dilemma; unfortunately reality was different from imagination. 

About a few days of sleep-deprived, restless nights, and Mo was exhausted, cranky, and done. His sub-conscious mind decided for him: he would apply for the job the next day, against his wishes, whether he liked it or not. Then he fell asleep.

***********************************************************************************************

Mo took a shower, put on the nicest outfit he owned, his prized teal striped hoodie, and ate a quick breakfast. Just before he left, he realized that he should do one more thing before he walked out of the door. He dialed Terrell's number on the cheap flip phone he owned.

The phone number you are trying to reach is not available right now, the phone prompted. At the tone, please record your message. When you are finished, you may hang up.  

Ah, damn, Mo internally cursed. He's probably at work now, sellin' those blinged-out sneakers. What was it, the company, Converse & Kickerz? I could call 'im at the business. Oh, well, too late. The phone beeped.

"Hey buddy, I'm gonna apply for that job you told me 'bout, wish me luck. You probably at work right now, and that's okay. And thanks, without you, I wouldn't be doin' this thing right here now," he said. He pressed the button on his flip phone that ended the call.

Mo sighed a breath of relief, and confidently said, "I'm ready now."

***********************************************************************************************"Welcome to the Sweet Seventeen Delux Nightclub, My name is Lima, how may I help you today? We're not currently open right now, but you can wait if you'd like for another hour," welcomed the lady at the front desk.

"I'm here to see... um... Rasie?" Mo questioned, drawing a blank on the boss's name.

"Oh, Rasa? He's my boss," Lima answered. "He runs the establishment all by himself, with my help, of course," she explained. She swept her dark, brown hair, almost black, past her face. She looked and acted far too professional for whatever she did, and looked more like a secretary than an employee at a nightclub. He swore that he had never seen her before, or if he had, he most likely was not paying attention to his surroundings. "His name is Raphael, technically, but I wouldn't advise calling him that. I'll go get him, and he'll see you." Lima left abruptly, but soon disappeared. Mo whistled an upbeat, anxious tune to himself. She was pretty, he thought to himself, with beautiful fair skin and hazel eyes. No, he scolded himself, no. She could very well become his superior or co-worker, and even though he had never held a job before, he knew very well that was no way to act. Instead, his thoughts turned to the club.

The club had a vintage red-velvet carpet in the strip of hallway where he stood, with a glossy black floor that carried on thereover. There was a DJ booth in the black, where the DJ could spin records. The walls were a creamy, beige, which complimented the overall dated aesthetic. He could now see for the first time the logo he had neglected to notice, a picture with a frame. It was the same one on the card.

Lima sassily trotted along with who Mo guessed was Rasa, who seemed to look as nervous as him, trailing behind Lima.

"This man wants to see you," Lima told her boss. She came back with a clipboard, ready to scribble something with a pen.

"Uh...okay. Hi." Rasa sweated and paused for a moment, until Lima nudged him with her elbow.

"Hey, how you doin'?" Mo cheerfully greeted Rasa. as he faced his potential employer. Mo wasn't intimidated by Rasa or the interview anymore. "So, my buddy, Terrell, gave me your card 'cause he said he were lookin' for a bouncer. I don't mind becomin' a bouncer at this place, I really love it here," Mo continued.

"Sure. That's cool. You're hired. Um, just show up later tonight, I guess. It's complicated." Lima glared at him. "You're not really a bouncer," Rasa mumbled indifferently, after an awkward moment of silence. "And you're not really going to directly work for this club, either."

Mo angrily replied ,"So, what I'm supposed to do now? Whole reason why I showed up was for a job!"

"Well, if you aren't content with the position, then leave! But believe me, this is something larger than you will ever experience again. We are a nightclub, but we're also a secret national dance agency, committed to preventing and stopping dance crimes," Lima snapped.

"Dance crimes? A secret dance agency? Sounds like somethin' outta the movies, sorry. You both crazy. I'm gonna call the cops."

"The cops will think you're crazy if you call," she retorted. "They'll never believe you."

"Fair enough," Mo reasoned. "Fine, I'll work for you both, but you better tell me why you'd want me to join so bad."

Lima launched into a lengthy explanation. "I travel all around the city to find agents to recruit, the best dancers. One day, I was searching for a recruit, someone to spread awareness of our franchise and mission. I found some dancers, but not the right one yet. I returned here, dejected, until I found what I been scouring the city for right under my own nose.

"Me?" Mo inquired.

"Yes. You're one of the most talented dancers I've seen. I knew I had to introduce you to the agency somehow, and so I tried to find someone with a connection to you that would raise your interest. Luckily, Rasa has a friend who happens to know you, and when he casually mentioned you, Rasa offered to hire you for a position."

"And that was Terrell," deducted Mo. 

"Yep," Lima confirmed.

"So there's other dancers you've thought about?"

"Affirmative, but like previously discussed... I need you to promote our agency."

"And that's why we're  depending on you," Rasa explained. "We need more agents so we can solve more crimes. Report tomorrow at the same time, and we'll get you acquainted with Headquarters and a couple of the other employees." Mo was still a little hesitant about the whole picture, but they were trying to better society by demolishing evil,  so hey, it couldn't be too bad.

"Yes, sir,'" Mo respectfully responded. With that Mo, walked out of the club with a new job, and a gained sense of dedication to fulfill.

________________________________________________________________________________