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 Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:40 pm
Quote: This time of year, snow is common. What’s uncommon is the single, strange snowfall that glistened like tiny diamonds. Everything about the snow seemed normal—it’s cold, wet, and melts just like any other snow, it just also happens to look like tiny little gems are falling from the sky. Depending on who you’re with, it’s either incredibly strange, or incredibly romantic.
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 7:36 pm
Suri had been staring at Queenie's contact information for days.
Rather, she'd been spending most of her time at home on account of the weather, bundled up under a blanket with nothing but her cat and her research notes to keep her company, but in between scrawlings of academic papers and Laurelite's thesis on crystal tech, she glanced down at her phone, lost in thought. It was a dangerous proposition, bringing a pampered Crystal girl into the war, and if she buckled under the pressure it would be on Suri's head. But as a general, it was on Zircon to delegate tasks to lieutenants and captains if she was ever to get her work done, and she needed people with half a brain that she could trust. Queenie had been different from the usual Crystal stock--she'd at least tried to be something more than a trophy wife in training.
The truth of the matter was that if Zircon was going to have any chance of making her project work, she needed an assistant. If Suri chose Queenie, then she could have a lieutenant of her very own, someone to mold into perfection. She could make Queenie something more than just a caterer, the way she herself had been taken from nothing and made more. It would be a difficult life, but wasn't Queenie worth the chance to be something better than she was? And Zircon would be there every step of the way, grooming her for success.
Suri reached for her phone and began to type:
Quote: Miss Powers--I hope you've been putting some thought into the job offer I mentioned at the Christmas party. If you'd like to join me for some coffee, I could discuss the particulars and we could catch up.
She got dressed while she waited on a response, hoping to get on the road before the snow got too bad.Ghouliboo SHORT TAG I'm so sorry we can probably just be outside the coffee shop next post
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:09 pm
It had begun as an uneventful day in the Powers household. While her father busied himself at his job, Queenie's mother was busying herself by pruning the indoor plants for the umpteenth time that week. Christmas decor had been put away, leaving the teenager in a dreary, ordinary looking living room as she flipped through the channels on the television set. There were only a few precious days left until spring semester started and the young woman wanted to take advantage of her freedom by doing absolutely, completely nothing.
When her phone buzzed, she took her time in opening the message, in between the infomercial for non-stick cookware and Jerry Springer's newest guest (who apparently had fallen in love with his car and had come on national television to reveal his "affair" to his trailer trash wife). She'd expected it to be one of her school chums, equally bored and looking to talk, but when she saw it was from Ms. Suri, Jerry Springer's daytime show was completely forgotten.
While she knew she hadn't been the best of students for the young teacher, Queenie also knew that whatever job that Suri Ellis had to offer, it was definitely more appealing than working under her father's watchful eye, serving food and wine to bunches of snooty people. After all, she should be the one on the receiving end of such fancy delicacies. It wasn't her fault that she'd been born to a middle-class home and doomed to live a middle-classed life.
Ms. Ellis had promised her potential and growth. That she could achieve her goals if she put her nose to the grindstone and did what she was told. She might not have been the smartest girl in Crystal, but Queenie Powers was going to make something of herself - and hopefully find some hot, rich young man to help her along in her journey, to boot.
With that particularly cheerful thought in mind, the teenager quickly tapped back a reply and rolled her way off from her couch, donning on the warmest accessories she could find before making her way out to their soon-to-be-discussed location.
She hadn't worn enough clothing, she soon realized - but what was done was done. Fiery hair was bundled up under a beanie, earmuffs secured around her ears as she shivered in her leggings, skirt and oversized sweater while boots shifted back and forth to try to encourage circulation. Pink eyes glanced around as she closed the door to her less-than-new hand-me-down car, the young woman quickly making her way up to the entrance of the coffee shop.
"Ms. Suri?" She looked surprised - she'd even made effort to be early in an attempt to beat the older woman but it was clear that the Crystal teacher had arrived even before she did.
Drats. So much for trying to impress!
"I was so happy to get your text message! I was worried that maybe I had said something wrong, when I hadn't heard back from you after the party."
AMItotic all tags from you are blessed tags, do not worry
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2018 12:05 am
Suri had little to fuss with when it came to her wardrobe--she was a creature of practical comforts, and her outfits came in most of the same branches of blue-white-black that were simple, easy to coordinate. She didn't care for the way the cold descended on her scarred bones, and so she'd done the work to layer smartly, leggings and boots and an oversized sweater dress under an even larger peplum coat, the greater part of her torso doused in a scarf that was easily her height and a half tall when unwound. She turned at the sound of Queenie's voice, and her eyes softened, tilting her head as a greeting.
"Miss Powers," Suri responded in kind, her hands unfolding from the pockets of her jacket in thin black gloves. "I apologize for the lapse in communication, I had to get a few affairs in order before I could formally make any...job offers." One side of her mouth twitched, though she hid it by looking down at her hands and reaching for the door. What was she even nervous for? She knew Queenie. She had graded all of her lab reports. She was the one in control here.
But could she keep that control, could she protect her little lieutenant from the rest of the Negaverse, could she prevent another Bolton, could she actually keep what was hers?
Suri coughed and opened the door. "But these are all things we can discuss out of the cold, I think," she nodded, stepping through into the aromatic warmth of the local shop, known for its excellent blends and the cute little doilies they served pastries on. The aesthetic was a love letter to grandmas, and it looked like Suri and Queenie were probably the youngest patrons by about thirty years. Suri walked routinely to a little booth in the back, awash in pastels, and motioned for Queenie to follow.
"I suppose--before we begin, I must reiterate that my research is...sensitive in nature," Suri began, folding her hands neatly over the placemat at her seat. "So if you're having any questions or doubts, the time to air them is now." A girl wearing something gingham and frilly bounced their way, breaking the intensity of Suri's stare long enough to collect their orders. Once she was gone, her amber eyes returned to Queenie, attentive and searching.
This was almost certainly a test.
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Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 6:47 am
The teenager was quick to duck into the cafe, cheeks escaping the biting cold as they soon felt the warm embrace of the quaint little coffee shop. It wasn't one of the ones she'd normally go to - then again, she also didn't normally meet up with former schoolteachers so it made sense for the oddities to go hand in hand.
She followed dutifully behind, as if she'd never quite grown out of the idea that she was still a subordinate to the older woman. While she had graduated, Suri Ellis continued to hold her poise as a teacher of the esteemed Crystal Academy and the blonde woman earned the respect of the former student trailing after her like a trusting duckling.
"Yes ma'am," she was quick to remember her manners. It was a job interview essentially, was it not? "I understand that confidentiality is a requirement for the position."
Eyes darted towards the tacky looking waitress but her judging thoughts were masked by the false smile painted across her face in a portrait-perfect fashion. After picking something frugal from the menu's options, her attention refocused itself on Ms. Ellis's question.
Doubts? Questions? Where exactly was she supposed to begin?
"I do attend two courses at the university," she confessed, feeling it prevalent to offer across the table. Her hands fell to her lap, fingers nervously entwining with one another. "They only meet twice a week, but I could see about adjusting to a weekend class, if they were to get in the way of whatever schedule you'd have me working."
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Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:36 am
"We'd absolutely cater your schedule to any schooling you might have," Suri responded with a serious nod. "Your education is paramount to your success--in fact, I could probably have the position written up as part of an internship, if you require one for your degree. A paid internship at that, which you'll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the city." She leaned back to give the waitress room to set up the trappings of the table--sugar cubes, cream, tiny spoons, all served on a doilied plate. Suri waited until the waitress left to speak, holding her hands together to keep them from shaking.
"As to the position itself, you'll be working directly with me as my personal aid in the research and development department, which means you'll be taking on a number of roles, such as managing lab scheduling and keeping contact with our collaborators in other departments." From her purse she pulled out a thin black folder and slid it across the table facing Queenie, the embossed logo of Renegade Media glistening on the front. Inside its pockets were several sheets of crisply printed paper, outlining further details about the placement and Suri's research. The list of responsibilities was nearly half a page long, from preparing coffee to speaking at conferences, and the listed job requirements were outlandish in their expectations. All the same, it looked like there were healthcare options, and the number next to the starting salary was comfortable, even by Suri's standards.
"I'm sure Chase would prefer if I...hm, hired internally," Suri continued, threading a strand of loose hair behind an ear while she paused to think of the correct phrase. "But seeing you at the Christmas party, I was reminded of your proficiency as a student, and I want someone I know I'll work well with. Someone with potential." She zeroed in on Queenie with an expectant gaze, strangely sharp for a woman who liked to accessorize with lace.
Suri needed an assistant, and she wanted it to be Queenie. Her eyes stayed locked on the girl, even as their waitress delivered two dainty cups and left. Her tea was left untouched. "Don't you think you're worth more?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:20 am
The more that Suri spoke, going into detail over the job's requirements, the more Queenie could feel the growing knot inside of her twisting itself, around and around, tighter and tighter.
It was only an internship - it wasn't like, a real job, right? She could always back out if it proved to be too much, couldn't she?
The folder looked as professional and crisp as Miss Ellis did, which shouldn't have come as a surprise to the younger woman. The details of the position were neatly laid out - bullet pointed, even. The number next to the salary line sealed the deal, however, pink eyes widening at the idea that someone her age, someone of her lack of skills in the workforce, could obtain such a fair amount of money for being more or less a teacher's aide by technicality.
Working under Suri was a benefit, it meant reporting to a teacher she'd had a year's worth of asskissing under already. The name Chase rang a bell - had it been the gentleman's home she'd catered in? - but her focus was still on the folder, still on the bold printed number assuring her that her pitiful looking bank account would be substantially better off than if she kept working for her father's catering jobs.
"I've never put a number by my name before, Miss Ellis," she murmured softly as she closed the folder, manicured nails gently caressing the surface. "But this sounds like it would be a good start, if I did."
Keeping her confidence (and chin) high, she smiled.
"When would you like me to start?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 11:35 pm
It all came down to this--if Queenie said no, then Suri supposed she had to just let her leave, and then it would be a matter of trying to find another suitable aide. It would be a squandered opportunity, yes, but Suri wasn't about to kill one of her students just for being short-sighted. It would simply be a disappointment, and Suri had a number of ways to cope with disappointment that were entirely healthy and had nothing to do with stealing the life force from an uninvolved third party.
That being said, when Queenie smiled, Suri let out a visible sigh of relief, unwinding a little of the tension that had tied itself up in her shoulders. "It's settled, then," Suri hummed, clapping her hands together. "We'll need to swing by the office to get some of your...mm, paperwork settled, but after that we can set you to start whenever you feel your affairs are in order." She was already formulating the plan--when they left the tea shop, there was a small plaza on the way to the parking lot with a gazebo that obscured cameras, and there she could slip the two of them into Negaspace and complete the corruption, no muss and no fuss. There was sure to be discomfort, yes, but Suri would give Queenie the privacy she needed to adjust to a life with chaos, a guiding hand a figure to look to, unlike so many of the lieutenants drafted to their cause.
"But first--tea," Suri nodded, making space at their table for their waitress to bring them two cups, served in what appeared to be actual porcelain. She wrapped her hands around the warmth of the cup for a moment, closing her eyes--the heat made her bones ache less, and this far from Zircon there was little else she could do to soothe her broken body. "And congratulations," she added, lifting her cup by the handle for a small toast. "I trust you won't disappoint."
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:42 pm
It was an exciting prospect, to finally have a job that got her out from under her father's ever-watchful eyes. Sure, there would be far more involved than simply offering drinks and nibbles to the wealthier socialites of Destiny City but the confidence Ms. Ellis seemed to be infectious, catching on in the teenager who could simply grin back --- that is, as she eventually remembered the tea that had been so thoughtfully ordered for her.
"If your afternoon is free, I'd certainly love to go ahead and get the paperwork out of the way," She offered, doing her best (and failing) at holding in her excitement. "The sooner we start, the better."
The tea was quickly sipped, the girl with fiery locks ignoring the burn as the hot liquid poured down her throat. She knew in the back of her head that she should probably do more research - at least, that's what her father would suggest. But this was Ms. Ellis, she was a teacher. Surely someone who taught children for a living would have only her best interest at heart, right?
More money, more opportunities, more of a shot at life - had Queenie finally hit her break at long last?
Oh, she hoped so. She really, really hoped so!
AMItotic Fade to black for us, ma'am? <3
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 12:17 am
"It's a date," Suri nodded, smiling primly as she inclined her teacup to the other girl. She rehearsed their movements in the map behind her eyes--out past the tea shop, through the plaza for small talk, and then to the gazebo away from prying eyes. That wouldn't be so hard to do, would it? They could talk about the places they'd been since they'd left Crystal's manicured halls, or about the team that Queenie would get to meet--a proper introduction, not one where she'd been shushed away like she was just the catering girl. Queenie was never going to be made to feel that small again--Suri would make sure of it.
She'd never done it before, taken someone else into the fold of the Negaverse, but she couldn't have thought of a better candidate than one of her students, who just needed the proper structure to really succeed. True, Suri had failed in the past, but those lieutenants had belonged to other people, corrupted by other hands. Queenie would be different, she would be hers and hers alone--her pupil, her confidant, her Sweetite. Suri smiled into her cup. It was a joke they could share later, something to laugh about over champagne once this messy starseed business was done.
"You know, I really think this partnership will be...sweet."
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