Dark Lord of the Abbacus

Dark Lord of the Abbacus
Date of Scene:	17 June 2013
Location:	Narshe - Pub
Synopsis:	Minette recruits the latest member of the Murasame Zaibatsu... Aeschere Childs!
Cast of Characters:	Minette Odam, Aeschere Childs

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Minette Odam has posed:
Aeschere Childs recieved a hand-written note, requesting her to come to the town of Narshe and meet with one (1) Minette Odam, VP of Accounting, Murasame Zaibatsu, for the purposes of entertaining a proposal. The note was neatly written, meaning that Minette did not write it herself. The greater meaning of this note is unknown; it certainly does not explain what manner of a proposal is intended (though surely it isn't a marriage proposal) or does it leave any clues as to what it might be. The whole thing has something of an aire of mystery about it.

And then there's the reality, that come meeting time, Minette is already in Narshe's pub, having arrived early. She's sitting at a small table in the back, reading a steamy bodice-ripper of a novel and occasionally picking at her nose when she thinks that other people aren't watching. A noire setting this is not.

Aeschere Childs has posed:
I wouldn't write it off so early, actually; this pub has all the poor lighting, haze, and ill repute that you could wish for in a dime novel prologue; it's everything Aeschere would have expected if she had expected a single thrice-damned thing in the last month. No response was called for, just show up or don't; even if Akari was foaming at the mouth at the very mention of the Murasame Industrial Concern, or maybe because she was, Chera decided to hear them out.

She's a tiny girl, but she dresses like she means business, all black satin and blued steel-- she blew something like two weeks' pay on this outfit, can you tell-- and she walks like she's going somewhere. She gets there before anyone manages to comment. "Ms. Odam... you must be?"

The VP of Accounting presumably had someone do her research, so Aeschere shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to her. A guest here, she waits politely for her host's acknowledgement.

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette looks up from her book as she's addressed; she starts. "Ah! Oh. I mean, aaaah, you must be Aeschere. Hiiiiiiii." She slowly moves her book (entitled 'A Hunger Like No Other' and featuring a picture of a vampire and a young woman in a compromising position on the cover) behind her back, as if the slowness of her motion would render it invisible to prying eyes. Minette herself is dressed no differently from normal; certainly not business casual.

"Uh. Hey, please, have a seat. Are you thirsty? This place makes a pretty good rootbeer float." There are two empty glasses of such on the table. Without waiting for Aeschere's reply, Minette waves in the barkeep's direction, then holds up two fingers.

"So you're probably wondering why I called you here, right?"

Aeschere Childs has posed:
Yessssssssss you can't have a clandestine meeting in the corner of a shady pub without that line. "'A proposal' was all there was that I read, yes." Aeschere was in receipt of more than one of those, not even counting the indecent ones. Her deal with the Churchmouse didn't sound like it was meant to be exclusive, though, so here she is.

It wouldn't even have occured to her to look for a rootbeer float, so of course she does not protest when one is provided her. So fierce is her lack of protest that it will be some moments before Minette can extract further answer from her, although she makes her interest quite clear.

Minette Odam has posed:
"Okay, so, like... the Murasame Zaibatsu is currently in the process of rebuilding itself into it's former glory and greatness, right? So we're aggressively expanding and hiring new talent all over the place. However," Minette waggles a finger demonstrably in the air. "What we /really/ want to do is to reunite as many people from our world under our banner as we can. Especially the Academy students, because we've been really scattered and we all belong togather. Makes sense, right?"

Aeschere Childs has posed:
Enough silliness, then, because that was Aeschere's urgent quest until she got run down by the Seran Express. "Absolutely it makes sense. /That/ makes sense," she adds, pointing to 'reunite the Academy Students' like it was sitting on the table between them. "The corporation, wasn't it, I mean," some sort of uninterpretable gesture, "...what do you want from us?"

Minette Odam has posed:
"Yes, exactly!" Minette recalls. "So we've been trying to help do this by employing as many people from the Academy that we can manage to find. Not everyone wants to work with us, though, and while that's sad, we do understand and respect that decision. So, uh..." There's a few awkward moments there while Minette struggles, internally, with how to phrase this statement.

"Want a job?"

Aeschere Childs has posed:
/Does/ she want a job, even? Vanishing around the first of the month until she's cashed in enough bounties to cover the next hasn't gotten old yet, but...

And then, of course, Akari will probably disown her. That's... probably better for her in the long run, though, isn't it? "What are you exactly looking for? I was Golem class, I don't really have experience, not much..."

Since Minette knew where to find her, she'll know what sort of experience Aeschere has; bounty hunting and extermination work, just since she's been in the World of Ruin. Not exactly renowned, but probably competent, or she wouldn't be discussing this with her now, would she?

Minette Odam has posed:
"We-well, we have a lot of positions open right now." Minette explains. "Like the whole PR department? Gone. It doesn't matter that you were in the Golem class, that's okay. We can work with that. Alma was a golem and we hired her. On the job training, work experience, that sort of thing. It'd be best if you were an intern for a little while, I think. But it'd be a paid internship, and that's always great."

Minette pulls out a folder from the bench next to her. She spreads papers out over the table. "So in addition to the paid internship, we would also provide room and board on the Ame-no-Torifune or equivilant syndicate facility. Naturally you would recieve full health and dental as is standard Zaibatsu practice, and additionally your time spent as an intern will transfer over upon hiring to be counted towards the earning of vacation days, pension, and other such benefits."

Aeschere Childs has posed:
Aeschere's eyes glazeth over as the HR-speak sets in; it's not your fault, Minette, it's congenital. She knows... some of those words, though, anyways. "...Public relations is not... /entirely/ unlike my current job," she allows after a moment. She buys time by studying the informational packet.

'Full medical' has her full attention, and she mines the brochures for any discussion of how 'full' they meant; they'll find out about that soon enough if she hires on. "Is it mandatory, that I live on-site? I suppose it might be..."

Okay, enough shuffling. "It'd be, like, it's a rotation, right? See all the departments, pick one?"

Minette Odam has posed:
"Oh, well, normally we'd have you pick a section and you'd be a part of that. I mean, I know that Accounting could really use a second pair of hands... since it's... uh, me. And just me. But we're really short-staffed across the board, so you'd be jumping around from department to department where needed until you find the place that you're best suited for."

Minette shrugs. "Oh, no, you don't /have/ to, and we can set up a housing stipend. But it'd be convienent if you did, because the job means a lot of traveling, so living on the Torifune means you'd have an easier time coming and going from various job-sites. Like our temp one, here in Narshe."

Aeschere Childs has posed:
"Oh, but there's in Bevelle a pretty nice port..." It's a silly idea even as Aeschere voices it. Maybe not so silly, though. An airship'll get you anywhere in a day these days. Really she's just attached to her apartment because she just put several hundred gil towards it, and it contains Akari. "Well, whichever you prefer I'm sure. You don't, surely, mean to hire me on the spot, I don't think."

Speculatively, now, Chera inspects the hiring agent. Minette isn't-- well, no, scratch that. Minette has 'VP of Accounting' written all over her, in large enough print that it's hard to see past. "And you've been with the combine for how long, have you?"

Minette Odam has posed:
"I surely do!" Minette replies, thrusting a finger demonstratively into the air. She slurps at her rootbeer float. Loudly. Then she continues. "See, you're a part of the Alexander Academy... or... at least, were. That alone is good enough to be considered a candidate for recruitment, but after what happened to our world... well..." Minette shrugs. "We feel it's important to reach out to the survivors. In a lot of ways, we're all that each other has, so it's important to work togather."

"Oh, me?" Minette points a finger at herself, blinking several times. "Uh... we-well, I actually got into the Academy on a Zaibatsu scholarship program. So... teeeechnically, about five years now. I was going to be hired right out of graduation, but, uh..." Minette shrugs helplessly. But then her face lights up. "Also, new bonus. Space for rapid promotion! Best time to get in on the ground floor of things!"

Aeschere Childs has posed:
She /is/ a part of Alexander Academy; rather than a corporate scholarship, Aeschere got in on her father's coattails, and stayed in despite more than one medical disqualification via sheer bloodymindedness, on her own part or her father's. Her school is very important to her; her friends are very important to her. "...that's a fantastic line you've got, at least. I suppose that you about are all that we have, though."

Her smile is very vaguely sour; that bit wasn't too hard for her to figure. Just from chatter, she knows how successful Murasame has been at consolidating Galiandans. Well, she probably can't beat him. She should probably join him. And then beat him. Yes.

"It wasn't, they weren't employing you while you were in school, they werent? Or, whatever, actually. You can tell me about it later." The small knight extends a small hand to the small accountant. "I think I can work with you. Yes."

Minette Odam has posed:
"Well, it was a scholarship program." Minette explains. "The Zaibatsu paid my tutition in full, in return for maintaining a certain level of grades and being contractually obligated to work for them for a number of years after graduation. It was really lucky, I wouldn't have been able to attend, otherwise. My parents were very p--w-well, anyway..."

"You can?" Minette says, sounding disbelieving. "You can!" She replies more strongly, thrusting her hand across the table for an enthusiastic handshake. "That's wonderful. We'll get you set up with everything that you need right away, and we'll even get your linkpearl tuned to the company frequency. Glad to have you on board, I'm sure you'll love it here."

Aeschere Childs has posed:
Aeschere's smile is real enough because she's smiling at Minette. She might be less than totally certain that she's going to love it here. Everyone she's spoken to from the company has been perfectly nice and polite, though, and the only person she's heard criticize it has been Akari, who she is pretty certain hates everything. So it goes.

"If the Torifune is going to be through Bevelle, soon, I, ah, I suppose I can move myself on then. Hopefully Akari doesn't flatten me."

Minette Odam has posed:
"Oh, well, we can send a couple of guys from the company out to help you carry your things for you." Minette replies, waving a hand dismissively. "No reason not to. We'll... have them swing by when Akari is out."

Minette's expression flattens. "Akari is a barbarian."

Aeschere Childs has posed:
"Accurate~" Somehow Aeschere doesn't seem to find this the scathing dismissal that Minette intends, but if the accountant looks close she might still be able to make out the remnants of a bruise or two. Who knows? "She knows at least how to party, she does."

Lest Minette's face stick that way, Chera hastens to clarify, "she isn't going to care if I leave, just she may not let me come back. I'm sure I'll live." Maybe she's sure. She's a little sure.

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette mutters and grumbles. Akari Senra is a sensative topic with her, fraught with being stuffed in lockers, mega swirlies, atomic wedgies (that is where the band of your underwear is pulled /over/ your head), and being shoved into increasingly creative places in exciting new locations.

Minette brightens. "Well, you don't need to worry about that. We'll take good care of you. Happy and well tended employees are productive employees, after all!"

Aeschere Childs has posed:
Aeschere avoided most of that during her school career, but her first meeting with Akari /did/ involve getting pounded into a grease spot in the sand outside Rabanastre. She knows at least part of that feel, Minette. Nevertheless, she chews her lip a bit over the general prospect. But whatever, it hasn't even been a month.

"I'm sure, I'm sure. If I've got a..." what's the corporate word, "...consulting deal on the side, do you care? If I'm not doing it on company time?"

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette picks up another packet of papers, dropping it on the table with a soft 'thump'. "That's all covered in the contract here." The contract is roughly as thick as a textbook; it is in legalese. "The short of it is that the Zaibatsu doesn't care what you do with your own time, so long as you don't directly compete with them monitarily. That's under the 'Conflicts of Interest' section, it's all pretty standard stuff." Minette starts flipping through, eventually coming to the end, where there is a dotted line with an 'x' at one end. Minette offers Aeschere a pen with a smile.

Aeschere Childs has posed:
The kind of thing that she ought to take home and study before starting the pre-test; Aeschere knows the drill with that. But, whatever. There's no real point in reading these contracts, they won't mean what they say, and they'll hold you to whatever they like in any case.

The knight's signature is small, with an angular character that suggests she learned it on Odin; 'Aeschere Sellet Childs'. Four digits beside it mark a date that no longer has meaning, affixed anyways, out of long habit. She would be hard pressed to describe the calendar here, let alone state the local date. She'll figure it out when it matters.

"There'll be a copy of this that I can use as a doorstop or something, right?"

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette takes the contract, signs her name below Aeschere's, then peers at the document for a moment. "Oooooh, so that's how you spell that..." She says quietly, before looking up with a smile that quickly turns serious. "Oh, no. I wouldn't recommend that, you'd be better off with an actual doorstop."

Aeschere Childs has posed:
It sounds like 'Ash', if you were wondering. "It's a very old name I'll have you know," Ash explains with what should be wounded pride but is in fact thoroughly resigned annoyance.

She waves it away, and also waves off the deadpan response to her rather limp attempt at humor."I suppose tomorrow I'll see your site here. I'll have to get back and collect my things though at some point." A bald-faced lie, she'll just have to get back and hand the lease over.

"...but, do you know, what's the senior of accounting doing running interviews? You're that short?"

Minette Odam has posed:
"We... sort of don't have an HR department right now." Minette admits. "But take your time, you can start in a couple days if you need to get all your fish in a line."

Aeschere Childs has posed:
"I... suppose that I'll talk to you then, er, then." Aeschere nods. Don't you fear, her float did not go neglected during this intense negotiation, but its empty glass is still standing vigil over some pile of salary deferment banalities. Chera stacks the brochures neatly, a hand's breadth high in the middle of the table. The contract was already reclaimed, but she doesn't know about these.

Well, if she isn't supposed to have them they'll take them back, she guesses. They can help her get to sleep on the airship back. "Thank you for the offer, mm, Minette. This world is big, and I did not much want to vanish into it. You'll hear from me in a few days I think. No longer than that."

With that, she extracts herself from the booth, taking the stack of HR documentation, and leaving a handful of gil that ought to at least cover the tip. "See you then."

Minette Odam has posed:
Minette gives Aeschere two thumbs up. "Alrighty, see you then! And welcome to the team!"