Difference between revisions of "Sign Here, Here and Here"

Latest revision as of 15:22, 19 October 2011

A tavern is probably not the most appropriate of spots to be lingering at a morning hour, but considering that Jane is swiveling around in her bar stool and nursing a glass of cow's milk it can't be too inappropriate a spot either. Her PDA is sitting on the counter in front of her, and she's using it to thumb through her messages. Resting beside the PDA is a plastic t-rex figurine wearing a red-and-white striped scarf around its neck. "Dum dum, take a hot dog dip it in some jack cheese, dum dum," she hums quietly to herself, unaware of anyone who might be gazing askance at her odd behavior.

Down the stairs walks Katrin, taking advantage of the higher elevation to check on the activity levels and general feeling of the tavern. With a smile, the small woman hops down the last few steps with a cheerful look and heads for the bar. "Some tea," she calls to the bartender on duty. "And... I believe a bit of toast." The bartender looks actually shocked. "Miss skinny-butt is actually going to /eat/," he asks, looking aghast. "Must be the end of the world, yep." The bartender just gets a glare from the young woman.

"Eating is for the weak," Jane pipes in, recognizing the voice of the woman arriving from the upper floor. She spins on her stool and catches the bar counter to halt her movements once she's facing Katrin. "If you start eating now, you might not be able to stop. Before you know it, your stomach'll be growlin' an' you'll be whinging about needing /food/ every five hours. It's ridiculous, I tell you." The red-head tugs at a pigtail and offers Katrin a facetious grin. "Best stick to tea."

Katrin chuckles, "That is usually my thought but I get yelled at when I forget to eat on a regular basis," she replies. "Have you been able to think about my offer at all, Jane?" she asks curiously, slipping into a bar stool next to the tall redhead. "I am eager to move forward with my project."

Jane rotates slowly and returns to facing the bar. She delays in answering and instead picks up her glass of milk to take a few gulps from it. "Needs vanilla," she murmurs quietly before sliding the nearly empty glass toward the 'keep. "I'm eager to sign me name to your rosters," she replies quietly to Katrin, glancing to the woman out of the corner of her eye while flashing a brief glimpse of her pearly whites. "Point to the fine print and the dotted line and you've got yourself a Sivvy for a year."

"Excellent," Katrin replies with a smile. "Did you decide which position you would prefer to take?" she asks. A snap of her fingers and a barmaid brings a file folder. The woman flips through the papers and nods as she finds the right ones. "I have two contracts that you could sign."

"Pilot, wasn't it?" Jane inquires politely, leaning over on her stool to peer at the contracts. "Wow, ye still use paper? 'ow delightfully antiquated." Despite the fact that words are condescending, the Sivadian tries to keep her tone light and perhaps a touch bit sarcastic. "Two contracts for what? Copies? I'd like to know your policy about vacation days, fraternization, and pets first.

Katrin chuckles, "I offered you two possible positions," she points out lightly. "To be a full time employee or a contractor. I was merely inquiring as to which of the two you would prefer." Her fingers brush absently over the paper. "You should have seen the world I grew up on," she says with a chuckle. "/Then/ you will see what antiquated looks like."

Jane wrinkles her nose and glances over at Katrin before gesturing for the papers to be set upon the counter. "Full time. My ship is my own but at your disposal should you request it. You still haven't elaborated upon those policies, or is it here on the documents?" Eager to touch the pages herself, she reaches out to tap the corner with a fingertip and shivers at the contact. "I feel like an archaeologist. I haven't touched paper since I was a little girl." Katrin and Jane are seated at the bar speaking quietly and shuffling around papers. Everyone else is doing whatever it is people do in taverns before five o'clock.

Katrin settles the papers on the countertop. "They are in the contract, but I can outline them briefly," she says. "Essentially, you have three weeks of paid vacation that you may use as you see fit. Of course, if there is a job to be done, your vacation time may have to be flexible. See me if you have dates in mind. Pets are fine, as long as you keep them clean and respect the other members of the crew's likes or dislikes." She pauses. "In terms of fraternization, I see no problem with associating with other companies or organizations, however you do have a non-disclosure clause in the contract. Any and all sensitive information that is passed on to you, must remain confidential otherwise you will not only have your contract terminated, but also be sued for breach of contract."

Hossomi strolls in, hands tucked into the pockets of his pants, head down. Once in the comforting environment, he seems more relaxed; Booze, poor lighting, and greasy fried food oft-has that kind've response on a Timonae. Ricky slips into the bar quietly as well. He glides towards the bar, trying to hug the walls as much as he can as he maneuvers around tabels and patrons. When he gets to where he is going, he leans slowly against the countertop and listens to Katrin speak.

"Oh, well, fraternization of /that/ sort, sure," Jane replies with a light chuckle, nodding to Katrin while listeing and thumbing through the contracts to skim their contents briefly. "As I am not in danger of transgressing on any of these fronts, and as I have never taken a day of vacation in my life, I think we will both be most pleased with this arrangement. Do you have a pen? I don't carry them, and my stylus doesn't have ink in it." Despite knowing this, the Sivadian reaches up to briefly pat the breast pockets of her flowered shirt - just in case. Katrin chuckles, "If you mean fraternization of a personal nature then I have no rules against it. Just don't let it interfere with your work." A gleam comes to her eyes. "I find that everyone is usually more relaxed and happy when they're getting some." She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out a pen. She points to two locations on the contact. "Just sign here and initial here, please."

Hossomi sits down into a stool, ordering first the house special and then a mushroom ale with which to wash it down, coughing politely into his elbow before clearing his throat. The motion allows him to spot the casual meet and sign in the corner, blue-rimmed silver eyes studying the two woman for a second before shrugging. Ricky looks over at the contract that Jane is signing, sidelong. He considers it for a moment, then flags down a bartender to order himself a drink. The man speaks in low tones, and after a moment the barkeep hurries off to fill Ricky's order. Ricky then turns and looks over the rest of the bar and its various patrons.

With an unintelligible scribble, Jane drops her name on the aforementioned lines and inserts initials where required. "The legality of these things makes me laugh, but I get it," she murmurs to Katrin in an attempt to make polite conversation. She sets down the pen and it and the contracts back toward her newest boss. She then turns in her stool to order another drink, and in doing so is able to catch a glimpse of a rather nosy man peering down at her contract.

"Signing on to be a pilot," she offers to the man with an amused quirk of her lips. "My name is Jane, my identification number is made up because it's actually Margaret's birthday, and apparently my boss says I can shag any crewmate I want because there's nothing in the rules against it. Did I miss anything in the contracts or should I pull them out so you can study them more thoroughly? I'll just have some water please." The last is directed toward the barkeep.

Katrin chuckles, "Very smooth, Jane," she murmurs with a smile. "Meet Mr. Richard Welch. He is also considering signing on with my crew. I have still been trying to convince him to sign on as my Captain." Her blue eyes gleam with amusement.

Hossomi spins back toward Jane, "Haven't we met before?" The Timonae studies the tall Sivadian for a second, long-fingered hand coming up to scratch at unshaven stubble. "I recall one of your build, long ago. Perhaps you'd be so kind as to send word to him, if so. Tell him that Doctor Nhajatie hopes this new galaxy treats him well." Smirk. "Then again, he is Ungstiri. They'd find a little rock floating in space and somehow squeeze gold out of it. Undoubtedly he's doing much better than I am."

Ricky smirks just a little at Jane, and then a little wider as Katrin introduces him. "What sort of experience do you have in piloting a ship?" he asks conversationally. As his drink arrives, he ignores it for now.

And now is when Jane's brain starts to get a little overloaded, what with three people speaking at once. "Who?" she inquires of Katrin, and then, "Wait, your last name was what?" to Hossomi and finally to Ricky: "I've been operating heavy machinery since my father plopped me on a hoverbike, so let's say thirteen years. Fighters, haulers, scouts - I was the first person to pilot the Olympus, you know, when it originally belonged to an Ungstiri friend of mine." There. She exhales loudly and reaches out for her glass of water to take a gulp or two. Katrin's gaze flickers over to Hossomi and she nods, "Yes, I am hiring," she replies. "In many different functions. What sort of work do you do? And your name?" She lifts a brow. "I am Katrin and you are currently sitting in my bar." She leaves Ricky and Jane to their own conversation, just keeping a watchful eye on the pair.

"Well," Hossomi says, looking to Ricky briefly. "If you have to convince him to be Captain, then maybe he isn't right for the job. Or doesn't think he is, which means he's quite a bit wiser than most men and means he is. Depends on viewpoint." At Jane's frantic responses, he shows a little sympathy and simplifies it all with a very succint answer as she gulps down water. "Hossomi Nah-hey-tey. Doctor. Timonae. Exceptionally handsome." How nice, he even bullet pointed it for the two ladies.

"My credentials can be forwarded to you, if you have an ID and a PDA." Hossomi continues. Ricky nods a bit, and then says, "Can't say I'm familiar with the Olympus. What class vessel is it? What sort of flying did you do with it?" He seems keen to find out as much as he can about the pilot and her experience. He looks down at his drink, picks it up, and then takes a sip before adding, "From what I understand, this is mostly a cargo ship, so there won't be much fancy stick work. You alright with following a straight line path from point A to point B?"

"It's just the Olympus. Was supposed to be a Hek science vessel, but it was--put to better use," Jane replies to Ricky, peering up at him through squinty eyes. "It has its own -landing bay-. You can't do much with something that size /except/ fly from Point A to Point B and hope everything in between can get out of your way. So yeah, I don't need to be fancy. I don't expect to dogfight with a cargo ship."

"No one ever does." Hossomi says with a sigh. "Then they always end up doing just that."

"Cargo, as well as exploration," Katrin puts in before nodding to Hossomi and passes a business card over to him with her name and pda number on it. "Hmm... a doctor," she muses. "While I have hopes that none of my work will lead to injuries amongst my crew, it might be fruitful to have a doctor around both for the ship and for my other businesses. Are you interested?" Hossomi takes the card, flipping one side and then the other. "Well, yes. I am... but may I be so bold as to pressure you with a few questions, m'lady? If you would be so kind." He tucks the gift away in the front pocket of his tunic.

"Well, I don't think this ship is quite so big. No landing bay that I know of." Ricky replies, with a slow shrug. "But, again, if all we're doing is exploring and hauling cargo, I cannot expect there to be much need for fancy maneuvering." The Sivadian grits her teeth and stares down at her glass of water, watching while beads of condensation roll down the sides to form a watery ring on the countertop. "Sure, of course, you're right. No barrel rolls, I gotcha," she replies to Ricky in a very quiet voice while circling the rim of her glass with the tip of her right index finger. "She didn't hire me because I said I could spell out her name in the sky."

Katrin perks up. "You could spell out my name in the sky?" she asks brightly. And then she focuses once more. "Of course, Doctor. Please feel free to ask any questions that you have."

"Right." Ricky says simply, standing from the bar. He leaves most of his drink untouched as he says to Katrin, "She seems good enough." He then turns and starts towards the exit, "I must be on my way though, catch you later."

"I am sure that Jane is a competent, and more importantly, conservative pilot. If I recall correctly, she always treated the ship we worked together on with the upmost care and respect." Hossomi says as an aside to the two, before scracthing his cheek. "Call them more curious objections than anything, really. Only some of my concerns are actually questions. Firstly, I strongly urge you to name your Captain post-haste, lest your crew tear itself apart with impunity seeking the more prodigous and, one can assume, well-paying position. Unless, of course, you are a fond member of the natural selection process. Secondly, you would be wise to have said Captain do a full review of your casting to make sure they are compatible as a crew and there will be no overt issues. Third, since I have your number already, perhaps you would like to catch a holovid sometime? Maybe something appropriatly cheesy with romantic overtures. Like... the unlikely, unshaven man lacking in ambition meeting the girl of his dream and her falling head over unlikely heels in love?"

Jane watches in silence as Ricky deems her to be 'good enough' and then waltzes out of the bar. For a moment, the quirky redhead looks like she might explode into a thousand bright-colored pieces of angry human, but she gulps back her temper and it fizzles out in a wink. "He's weird," she murmurs, turning her attention now to Hossomi and Katrin. She does not seem at all fazed by butting back into their conversation, having been -almost- invited. "That is *such* a great idea, that holovid. You should say yes to him, but only if he buys the popcorn. Can I come?"

Katrin chuckles, "Mr. Welch," she chides. "I would not have hired her if I thought her skills would not be exactly what I needed." Her eyes sparkle. "I know little about space ships but I /do/ know business and the important dynamics of it." She looks over at Hossomi at his request and a light blush crosses her cheeks. "I suppose I could do that." A glance at Jane, and then back at the Timonae with a bemused smile.

"Absolutely." Hossomi says, chuckling to himself. He watches the Welch leave the tavern, leaning back so he can look back toward the bar and his still-cooking order, blue-rimmed eyes half-lidding in thought. "I am not much for ships these days, all told. Certainly not full time... but, I admit, I would be interested if you were to offer me a personal concierge position for your company and person, and if that required at least a semi-constant presence on board that would be easily clarified in the contract that you will undoubtedly write up." He looks back to Katrin. "Let us say an embarassing situation were to arise, in or out of the crew, that needed professional medical care with the upmost respect for the individual patience's privacy for both your and their benefit. I have been told, for all my faults, I am very... discreet."

"Jane can, I hope most adamantly, back me up on this."

Pause. "Without an embarassing bribe required."

"What is this, doc - 1992? People don't get The Syph anymore," Jane quips, leaning forward to rest her forearms on the bar counter while she clambers up to kneel atop her stool. "But yeah, he can be discreet in case we have a terrible case of scabies being spread through the laundry or something. He would -never- say who caused it." She offers a wide smile to both Katrin and Hossomi while clasping her hands together. She begins to swivel back and forth on the stool with her knees. "He's suave, boss. I like him."

"The ship would dock here on Eiru when not on a particular mission," Katrin replies. "So you could easily be hired as a doctor for my entire business and not just for the ship. Though there will be times when traveling with the crew might be necessary." She smiles. "I would not have anyone floating out in space constantly. I would it rather boring, myself." She looks in Jane's direction and nods, "Yes, I find him quite amusing myself. If you were interested, I believe I would be willing to offer you employment with my business, Doctor."

Hossomi chuckles at Jane's teasing, "Ah, but have you seen the Spacer's Itch, or Greyscale? Both are highly contagious, and arguably, worse than that embarassing little disease. Harder to kill too, for all our advancements in medicine." He nods at Katrin, "Lovely! I'll have my resume faxed to you personally, attached with details pertaining to our triple-date." He smiles, the corner of blue-painted eyes wrinkling. He's not a young man anymore, eveident in a smile that is both weary and not as wide as it should be on a Timonae. "Lovely seeing you again, Jane, and it was wonderful meeting you, Miss Katrin. If you'll excuse me?"

Grinning practically from ear to ear, Jane lifts up her right hand a blows a kiss in Hossomi's direction - probably the most flirtatious (and most benign) thing she's ever done. "Nice to see you too, and I'll tell Vaddy you send your regards. He's a busy boy, though, so I dunno when he'll be gettin' back to you. Also, you have to wear a tie on our date. A TIE!" She wiggles her fingers in a little 'farewell' wave and turns her attention fully to Katrin. "So what spots you got left open for your crew, boss?"

"I will look over your resume and then send you along a contract to sign," Katrin says with a smile. "I will see you again soon, I am sure." Attention goes back to Jane. "For the moment, I am still just in need of a science tech," she says. "Someone who can really be the driving force of our exploration side."

"The fulcrum on which we balance," Jane replies in a deep and ominous voice - or at least her own pathetic attempt. She follows it up with a girlish giggle and finally ceases swiveling about on her stool. She clambers down from her perch and pauses to stretch her arms up above her head. "Graaagalarghle. I've no idea 'oo 'd be good for the job," she drawls out slowly while exhaling and dropping her arms. "I'll keep an eye out, though. Need anyfin' before I head out?"

Katrin shakes her head, "Not as of this moment," she replies. "Though do stay in touch. Once I have the entire crew put together, or at least the majority, I will do a meeting for all of you to meet."

Jane nods and slaps a chit onto the counter before offering the barkeep a knowing wink. "Keep the change, handsome," she murmurs to him before tossing a lazy salute Katrin's way. "I'll be around, at least in orbit. Just taking out the Baconus Rex to stretch her wings a bit. Later, boss."