Canus Dresses to Impress (+ Magus Argyris) @Tom
Nov 27, 2015 23:23:07 GMT -5
Post by troylus on Nov 27, 2015 23:23:07 GMT -5
Canus burst through the front door of his house, already barking orders to the servants. He had to look as fabulous as he was talented, and it had to be done fast. He’d done his research on this Mr Argyris fellow and the main rumour he’d heard over and over was, ‘Don’t keep him waiting.’ A small army of servants came at a trot and starting primping Canus’ hair, clothes and makeup. He stood in front the semi-circle of mirrors in his dressing room, hands held out at his sides to allow them better access, and pondered how he should approach the meeting.
Canus really wanted this job at Mr Argyris’ company. It wasn’t that he needed the money, not in the least. As long as his parents didn’t try that ghastly trick of cutting his weekly allowance and credit at all his beauty salons and clothing stores, he was fine for money. They’d cut him off only once before when he’d been suspended from school. His father had complained bitterly about having to bribe the school to take Canus back. Canus thought his father was just being duped. There was no way the school would have actually gone through with the expulsion; Canus was far too high in social status for that. And even then, his father hadn’t been concerned about the money itself, just the risk of the family name and reputation being ‘dragged into the mud’ by his youngest son.
Canus sighed and slapped at a servant’s hand that was blocking his view of his own reflection. “Not this jacket, it’s so last season. I said the one with the white pinstripe.” The servant hurried over to the walk in wardrobe and disappeared in its massive depths.
Canus had spent months preparing the music he wanted to impress Mr Argyris with. It was a little different from his usual style, but he felt it really suited the feel and emotional resonance of several video recaps the company had released recently. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted for his music career, but for now, it was an excellent step up. The video recaps of previous games were not quite the same as playing music for the current games, but they were very entertaining.
He noted the time with a strained grimace and scolded himself silently. He tried to avoid frowning, or glaring or any other facial expressions that left the face scrunched up. Scrunching the face could lead to wrinkles, and while surgery could remove those effects, he always felt that the discerning eye could tell the subtle differences in the skin, even with the Capitol’s very best plastic surgeons. Better to avoid any wrinkles in the first place.
He was hurrying to leave the house when a familiar voice barked out his name. He turned to see his older brother, Artus, glaring at him furiously from the sitting room doorway.
“Where the devil do you think you’re going, and why are you not in school?” Artus always sounded like a grumpy old man to Canus, rather than his actual 20 years.
“What’s it to you?” Canus started to turn his back on his brother, which made him even angrier.
“Father called me,” Canus froze at that, still facing away from Artus but not going any further, “and asked me to deal with your behaviour, that’s what it ‘is’ to me,”
“I haven’t got time for this, Artus. I have a really important meeting. Why did HE call you?” Canus crossed his arms defensively over his chest.
“Your school informed him you left early and-”
Canus cut him off, and whirled to face his brother. “I have permission from my Form Teacher to leave early!”
Artus raised one eyebrow skeptically, “What an incredibly unlikely story. Why in the world would they give permission for you to leave hours before the end of class?”
It took all of Canus’ control not to scrunch his face and stomp his feet like a stroppy toddler. “It’s a once off. I have a meeting with the owner with this great company that makes those recaps of the games. You know the ones?”
Artus waved a hand dismissively, “Why would you, a snotty little school kid be meeting with a CEO like that?”
Canus bristled with the insult, but noted the time. He had to leave now or he’d be late, and he didn’t expect Mr Argyris would be happy about waiting for him. Without another word to his brother he raced out the door and into the waiting car. He offered the chauffeur a substantial proportion of next week’s allowance if he could get him to the company in record time, and the driver put his foot flat to the floor.
Canus sat in a chair in the waiting room outside Mr Argyris’s office, trying to slow his breathing down. He didn’t want to look like he’d had to sprint to get here on time by the skin of his teeth. “You can do this,” he said to himself silently, “you’re awesome.”
When the door opened Canus stood, all smiles and outward confidence. “Mr Argyris, I’m Canus Estuarian. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” He extended his hand in greeting, and only the slightest tremor might have been detectable to the highly perceptive observer.
Canus really wanted this job at Mr Argyris’ company. It wasn’t that he needed the money, not in the least. As long as his parents didn’t try that ghastly trick of cutting his weekly allowance and credit at all his beauty salons and clothing stores, he was fine for money. They’d cut him off only once before when he’d been suspended from school. His father had complained bitterly about having to bribe the school to take Canus back. Canus thought his father was just being duped. There was no way the school would have actually gone through with the expulsion; Canus was far too high in social status for that. And even then, his father hadn’t been concerned about the money itself, just the risk of the family name and reputation being ‘dragged into the mud’ by his youngest son.
Canus sighed and slapped at a servant’s hand that was blocking his view of his own reflection. “Not this jacket, it’s so last season. I said the one with the white pinstripe.” The servant hurried over to the walk in wardrobe and disappeared in its massive depths.
Canus had spent months preparing the music he wanted to impress Mr Argyris with. It was a little different from his usual style, but he felt it really suited the feel and emotional resonance of several video recaps the company had released recently. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted for his music career, but for now, it was an excellent step up. The video recaps of previous games were not quite the same as playing music for the current games, but they were very entertaining.
He noted the time with a strained grimace and scolded himself silently. He tried to avoid frowning, or glaring or any other facial expressions that left the face scrunched up. Scrunching the face could lead to wrinkles, and while surgery could remove those effects, he always felt that the discerning eye could tell the subtle differences in the skin, even with the Capitol’s very best plastic surgeons. Better to avoid any wrinkles in the first place.
He was hurrying to leave the house when a familiar voice barked out his name. He turned to see his older brother, Artus, glaring at him furiously from the sitting room doorway.
“Where the devil do you think you’re going, and why are you not in school?” Artus always sounded like a grumpy old man to Canus, rather than his actual 20 years.
“What’s it to you?” Canus started to turn his back on his brother, which made him even angrier.
“Father called me,” Canus froze at that, still facing away from Artus but not going any further, “and asked me to deal with your behaviour, that’s what it ‘is’ to me,”
“I haven’t got time for this, Artus. I have a really important meeting. Why did HE call you?” Canus crossed his arms defensively over his chest.
“Your school informed him you left early and-”
Canus cut him off, and whirled to face his brother. “I have permission from my Form Teacher to leave early!”
Artus raised one eyebrow skeptically, “What an incredibly unlikely story. Why in the world would they give permission for you to leave hours before the end of class?”
It took all of Canus’ control not to scrunch his face and stomp his feet like a stroppy toddler. “It’s a once off. I have a meeting with the owner with this great company that makes those recaps of the games. You know the ones?”
Artus waved a hand dismissively, “Why would you, a snotty little school kid be meeting with a CEO like that?”
Canus bristled with the insult, but noted the time. He had to leave now or he’d be late, and he didn’t expect Mr Argyris would be happy about waiting for him. Without another word to his brother he raced out the door and into the waiting car. He offered the chauffeur a substantial proportion of next week’s allowance if he could get him to the company in record time, and the driver put his foot flat to the floor.
Canus sat in a chair in the waiting room outside Mr Argyris’s office, trying to slow his breathing down. He didn’t want to look like he’d had to sprint to get here on time by the skin of his teeth. “You can do this,” he said to himself silently, “you’re awesome.”
When the door opened Canus stood, all smiles and outward confidence. “Mr Argyris, I’m Canus Estuarian. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” He extended his hand in greeting, and only the slightest tremor might have been detectable to the highly perceptive observer.
