Overqualified

Romi

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As far as Juliet could tell, degrees had significantly less value on Manta Carlos then they did elsewhere. In America, not having a degree was a significant disadvantage, a major setback that would keep you from getting the job. On Manta Carlos, most of the wanted ads she'd seen didn't even mention degrees. They seemed focused entirely on job experience and nothing else.

Juliet, to say the least, was feeling smug. She had job experience in spades, even though she was quite young, and felt fully prepared for the interview. Her resume had been accepted--the only real hurdle, considering all her job experience was off-island--and interviews? She could do interviews.

She'd dressed professionally, packed light, and headed out to the company. It was a nice, professional building, but truthfully she'd found very little about the owner. Maybe it was because she wasn't used to getting information on the island, but it all seemed fairly... vague, to her?

Maybe it was just a side effect of being in a security company.

Well experienced with corporate layouts, Juliet was quick to approach the front desk, introducing herself and getting ushered into a side room to wait. She did, sitting carefully and trying not to let her mind wander as she waited for someone to show her to the interview.

 

Lich King

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Jul 24, 2016
633
Malazan
Haru was handed a fairly thick folder from her secretary containing information on a "Juliet Snow". She had heard a fair bit about her from the staff member that reviewed her resume. The girl was good. Well, really good if her resume said anything about her. Her work experience was fairly large for being a human of such a young age. Maybe they had finally found a person she felt could handle the hustle and bustle of heading the HR department.

Haru read through the file for a few minutes before a dinging noise from the front desk informed her that Juliet had arrived. Her usual closemouthed smile formed on her face as she informed Carrie, her secretary, that she would be taking over the interview for today. Haru wanted to meet Juliet face to face, human to alien as her sisters might say. Haru waved goodbye to Carrie, thanking her for the folder.

Usually, she left interviewing the non-combatants of the company to her other employees but is this person was to be the head of anything Haru had to make sure she had certain qualities. Whether they were security or not each person in BlackThorn needed to understand the importance of communication and morale. A person who worked fantastically but brought everyone else down would not be tolerated.

Haru pressed the intercom button on her desk, calling the front desk. "Have Sazarya take her to my office. I'll cover this one."

She fixed up her desk and made sure everything was essentially perfect. Her desk had small stacks of papers neatly placed on the corners, pencils on the left right below, and a picture of her and a few other employees putting up the large flag that hung behind the front desk. Emblazoned on it were the company logo and a few words of wisdom from her native language.

Choosing not to paw on the moment she opened her blinds letting in a lot more light into the room and revealing the fresh black carpet. Her office was still fairly simple, she was never one for extravagance. Plants were placed around certain parts of the room and a black leather couch rested on the left side of her desk.

She had contemplated getting an actual person with decor taste to do her office, but that was on the back burner for now.

Walking through the halls of the building Juliet would surely see people moving around and about, making phone calls and reading through paperwork. Accompanying the pencil pushers were armed security. Each floor had several men ready to defend the employees should any disturbance arise.

Haru took the small interim to heat some water. She hadn't had her tea for the afternoon and was happy to try the new berry flavor she had gotten at the store.

@Romi
 

Romi

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If anything was amiss, it was Juliet's own concerns about how she'd handle non-humans. Keeping cultural practices in mind was important, but how was she supposed to remember them when she'd never known them in the first place? She was a stranger on the island, unfamiliar with its ways, and more than once she had caught herself saying something couldn't be true only to have to stop and accept that yes, yes it probably could.

Her new boss being an alien would be one of those things, had Juliet known.

The office seemed normal, for the most part. There were calls being made and paperwork being pushed and the only thing that really stood out was the sheer amount of security... which made sense, since it was a security company.

Well, that and the few nonhumans she could spot. At least one person had scales peeking out from under the sleeves of their shirt. A few had tails. Horns were also common, dotted among the employees, and Juliet made an active effort to stop looking, snapping her eyes back to the employee who'd come to fetch her.

The office, though, was free game. The way someone decorated an office was a useful indication of the kind of person they were, and Juliet's eyes flicked around the moment she stepped through the doorway. Simple, austere, and with an air of newness.

So the company was new after all.

The woman herself, on the other hand, was harder to figure out. Professional, yes. Short hair. But very tall, with tanned skin and eyes that looked almost purple. She wasn't noticeably non-human, with horns and scales, but she didn't exactly look normal either.

So what was she?

Maybe it didn't matter.

Juliet stepped forward, holding her hand out for a shake as was professional.

"Miss Haru?" She said, as polite as could be even if she'd misunderstood the naming conventions at play. "My name is Juliet Snow, your ten o'clock interview."

 

Lich King

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Jul 24, 2016
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Haru stood up to meet Juliet's handshake and returned it as gently as she could.

"Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you Ms.Snow. Please have a seat."

Haru's first impressions lined up with the sort of person Juliet's file made her out to be. She had an air of Professionalism and didn't seem too nervous about the level of security the place was adorning. It was straight to business and focus all around. It was a strange thing to have to worry about as many interviewees worried about the weapons being flashed around in an office setting.

After Juliet had taken a seat Haru would remain standing and just stand in front of her. It wasn't to intimidate or threaten but simply because she was tired of sitting all day. Plus her water dinged indicating it was hot enough.

"So, what made you apply for this job Ms.Snow." She began fixing her tea off to the side of the room where a little station was set up.

"I wouldn't say this is the first choice for someone with your Resume."

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Romi

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A security company, on the mainland, would not have been Juliet's first choice. It wasn't as if she had anything against them, but it was simply a lack of experience. She'd have preferred to sidestep into an industry she already had some experience in, and security was not it.

She supposed it was a benefit she was unarmed by guns, even if she wasn't completely comfortable with them. She would never be calm if one was pulled on her, or if she was given one, but at least two of her coworkers had open carried in the past, and a large number of clients had as well.

The benefits of being American, she supposed.

"The main benefit was that you're a new company," Juliet said. No point beating around the bush. People valued honesty, as long as that honesty matched up with what they wanted to hear. "New companies have lots of potential for upward growth, and tend to have better options when it comes to finding a good fit for you. In a more stable company, there's probably only one job you could take, while a new company might have several openings." Finding a good fit was important to her, and in theory it'd be important to Haru as well.

 

Lich King

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Jul 24, 2016
633
Malazan
Haru laughed a bit at Juliet's reply it was very to the point and made things easier. A straight shooter could be good in this line of work. Most people get caught off-guard by boldness and bravery. She sipped her tea a few times pondering what Juliet had said.

"So you just want to fit in where best. I can respect that of course, and we do have niches to fill as we still are rolling slowly even after leaving the hilltop. By the time we are settled I hope to have few gaps in personalities and skills for this sort of business."

She took one more sip before setting the cup down.

"However I need those people to be on board with our mission here. I know that you are still new to the island but as I'm sure you grasped this island is full of unique things and unique people. With a wide range of abilities and ideas, a few bad apples getting together can cause problems for the innocent. "

That was a pretty way of putting it.

"Many of the workers here are either immigrants or people down on their luck and in need of a job that fits their old talents. We all have a personal stake here and want to keep our home safe. If you are truly hard set on the safety of people then this is an easy task but if this is just another step then that makes things harder.....regardless you seem like a decent lady Ms.Snow and I would expect no less.So, Tell me how does killing make you feel?"

She asked the question before pointing to an empty cup, offering Juliet some tea for herself if she wanted.

@Romi
 
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Romi

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In a lot of ways, the directness was calculated. She doubted someone whose line of work involved life or death situations had as much interest in beating around the bush and playing nice as most large businesses. When your work could get people killed, directness was probably valued, and she'd allowed herself to be more direct than she might have otherwise. Honesty was good, but there were ways to be honest without being direct.

"I won't say I'm entirely familiar with the island yet. I don't think it's possible to be so having only been here as long as I have. But I'm open to getting used to things, and I don't have any strong prejudices I'm aware of that might cause issues."

Even so, that wasn't really what she was asking. She'd expected an are you going to be racist against demons talk--Sandor had already warned her about that much--and instead she got a how do you feel about murder.

Juliet blinked, trying desperately to bide her time while she processed the question. Was Haru worried she was morally opposed to murder? Or was she suggesting that Juliet might be involved?

No, it wasn't even murder. Killing. Killing and murder were different.

"I would say I was more harsh to it before I arrived here. I had no experience with either side of things, but Sa- my fiance gave me a more personal take on things. I'm not the kind of person who would kill, nor do I think I'd be capable of it, mentally or physically. Even to defend myself I think I'd struggle."

That was just being honest. Even if she was in danger, her ability to kill someone to protect herself would be questionable at best. She didn't have the strength or the willpower for it.

"But I don't have any really strong feelings for those who kill for good reasons--to defend themselves or others, for example."

Was that even the right answer?

 

Lich King

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Jul 24, 2016
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Haru expected as much from Juliet. Based on her background check she had no known instances of being an aggressive person or even hinting at some internal aggression. This was good. It would be easier to work with a person who was able to control their emotions. Plus the lack of emotion is a great weapon for theater she would be fighting in.

One also had to admire the cognitive skill Juliet presented while under pressure. While it wasn't Haru's goal to be scary the setting would probably keep a person on their toes. Most interviewers would ask basic questions, but it isn't every day you get asked how you feel about murder. The time it took for Juliet to form a decent reply was admirable to say the least.

"I see. Well, that isn't much different for most people I would think. Plus it isn't like I intend to put you in a situation where you must harm another person directly,but it is good to see where my employee's stand morally to what we do."

Haru was going through the motions of making another cup of tea despite Juliet not asking for any.

"Though I would like your confidence to defend yourself to be better if you were to come on. While you won't have to kill anyone here the ability to defend yourself is something I would wish for anyone. Even being able to defend yourself for a split second could save your life just ask Ha'msun at the door. He was almost shot three times in the chest but was able to disarm his assaulter before the fourth. Long story short is that he is alive and the latter isn't. If you do join I would ask you attend a few classes we have"

Haru finished making the tea and added what she considered a decent amount of sugar before placing it on a table next to Juliet.

"Of course Ms.Snow I wouldn't force that upon you just to get the job but it would put my heart at ease a bit. I really do care about the safety of others. Plus it would be complimentary since it is more a personal gripe of mine and not a fault of your own."

She gave her usual closemouthed smile before reclaiming her lukewarm teacup to sip from.

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Romi

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Self defense. It made sense. Working at the company wasn't quite dangerous, but it was definitely more dangerous than your usual nine to five. If the company was going to provide for her to get self defense, she wasn't going to turn them down. There was no reason to ever turn down free self defense classes.

Sandor, now that she thought about it, probably could have taught her something. He had to have some kind of skills to keep him alive so long, but she wasn't sure how good he'd be at teaching something like that.

Probably not very good at all, now that she thought about it. Sandor was not a very physical person at the best of times. Maybe he didn't have any self defense skills. Maybe he just relied on instinct.

Juliet gave a brief nod.

"I wouldn't object at all," Juliet said. "I was never in a position where they were necessary, but I'm certainly not opposed to them. The extent of my self defense is a few highschool-provided classes years ago."

Which she remembered almost none of, but she supposed that went without saying.


 

Lich King

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Jul 24, 2016
633
Malazan
"That is very good to here then. Well, I'll just be honest with you Ms.Snow you meet everything I would want to run our HR department. Your record is impeccable and for the most part, you seem adaptive when it comes to the nature of your work. "

Haru sat down on her desk. She noticed she had missed a document that needed to be sent to her father by today and placed it into one of the color-coded folder she had laying open. He would surely be happy to hear that she had met a competent individual that was native to the planet.

"If you were up for such a big task I personally would love to have you here. As long as your criminal record remains clean and nothing terrible happens to you that would reflect on us poorly you can consider the job yours."

Haru gave a quick laugh and smile.

"But I am aware that you may also have some questions for me, and you can feel free to ask them. While I'm sure we will be seeing a lot of each other it is best to quell all doubt or worry now. So, do you have any wants from me?"

@Romi
 
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