fire and roses {amethyst/petelia}
Jun 29, 2017 2:18:13 GMT -5
Post by lance on Jun 29, 2017 2:18:13 GMT -5
[presto]
[/presto]
[/presto][ ♕ ]
"Next!"
"B-b-but Ms. Starfyre-"
"I said next!"
"But I haven't even shown you what it-"
"And with a name like 'Lava Yeti', it doesn't take a genius to figure out where you get your ideas. Next!"
Finally, he relented, stuffing half-folded notes back into his briefcase before exiting. Not even the dejected look that decorated his face was enough to coax sympathy from her, so annoyed was she.
She sighed, long and loud, before motioning to her assistant to go fetch the next applicant. Why exactly did I think this was a good idea again?
Oh, but she knew exactly why, even if she was currently regretting it. Prior to coming down off the high of being chosen, she had decided that she would involve herself in as many different aspects of the pre-Games planning process as she could. It made sense, since she was at least somewhat competent in the majority of the technical work and also loved being busy to boot. And for the most part, it had been work she had enjoyed - this was, after all, a dream come true.
But as the days wore on, as the vacancies in the smaller roles became clear with firings and retirings alike, she'd quickly come to the realization that for every prodigal genius that passed the interviews with flying colors, there were a dozen half-wits whose dreams clearly outreached their abilities. From such imbeciles sparked a newfound appreciation for people like the Azrael twins and Zaya Reine whose ages did nothing to stunt their natural talent for their exclusive art. Though it was and would be surreal to be their superior for a few months where she had once been their equal and inferior, it was oddly comforting knowing that there were actually people that knew what they were doing among her staff. The only downside was that the Capitol did not possess more people like them (though, she mused, such a reality would diminish the greatness of the select few that had nabbed the coveted position for themselves as of late), for it had taken her nearly an hour to fill each vacancy that had come before.
But so far, no occupation had quite matched the sheer ridiculous that came from the applications for the job as Junior Muttation Specialist. The Lava Yeti - a hulking creature virtually identical to Capri's prized mountain beasts from two Games prior but with molten lava in place of its fur - had only been the latest in a series of unrealistic, plagiarized, or otherwise useless creations thought up by minds trying too hard to get the results they desired.
Alas, effort only made up part of the required skillset for such a position. Otherwise, she would have been finished with these goddamned interviews two hours ago.
An Avox came in carrying a steaming mug of tea, which she accepted with a polite thank you. Another closely followed, holding a manilla folder containing the information and application for the next applicant on the list, a bold #19 decorating the front.
Taking a sip of the hot liquid (jasmine green, her favorite), she accepted the envelope with her free hand and opened it up to the first page.
What she found very nearly made her spit out her tea in surprise.
Dark eyes widened, taking in the clear, distinctive scrawl that she knew all too well from reading the notes on some of the more distinctive mutts to pass through the halls of the Gamemaker Headquarters in her first years.
"Huh," she spoke aloud, a half-second before the door creaked open.
She looked up to see her assistant walk through, an expression mirroring her own plastered on his face.
Then, right behind her and right on cue came a familiar face, and she couldn't help but allow the faintest of grins to cross her face as Petelia Quartz entered. Her former co-worker had undoubtedly been a little quirky, and her departure from the role of Junior Gamemaker had puzzled many (including herself, for she hadn't reached that position until the following year and was ignorant as to what the circumstances had been), but even though they only knew one another as acquaintances, there was no denying that she had skill.
And, as she had quickly learned, skill was in short supply these days.
"Ah, Ms. Quartz, welcome, welcome," she greeted the other woman as the latter drew near. "Please, take a seat."
Petelia did as instructed, and her smile grew ever so wider.
She took one last glance at the notes, scanning the application for anything noteworthy, before closing the envelop number-down and matching her own gaze with that of the other.
"Let's begin, shall we?" she suggested, interlacing her hands in front of her.
The uniqueness of the situation did not escape her - after all, a mere three years ago Petelia had been her de facto superior - but for the moment, she chose to ignore it in favor of attempting to hire someone who would suggest something that could theoretically make its way into the arena.
"Tell me about yourself," she asked. "Why should I hire you as our Junior Muttation Specialist?"
"B-b-but Ms. Starfyre-"
"I said next!"
"But I haven't even shown you what it-"
"And with a name like 'Lava Yeti', it doesn't take a genius to figure out where you get your ideas. Next!"
Finally, he relented, stuffing half-folded notes back into his briefcase before exiting. Not even the dejected look that decorated his face was enough to coax sympathy from her, so annoyed was she.
She sighed, long and loud, before motioning to her assistant to go fetch the next applicant. Why exactly did I think this was a good idea again?
Oh, but she knew exactly why, even if she was currently regretting it. Prior to coming down off the high of being chosen, she had decided that she would involve herself in as many different aspects of the pre-Games planning process as she could. It made sense, since she was at least somewhat competent in the majority of the technical work and also loved being busy to boot. And for the most part, it had been work she had enjoyed - this was, after all, a dream come true.
But as the days wore on, as the vacancies in the smaller roles became clear with firings and retirings alike, she'd quickly come to the realization that for every prodigal genius that passed the interviews with flying colors, there were a dozen half-wits whose dreams clearly outreached their abilities. From such imbeciles sparked a newfound appreciation for people like the Azrael twins and Zaya Reine whose ages did nothing to stunt their natural talent for their exclusive art. Though it was and would be surreal to be their superior for a few months where she had once been their equal and inferior, it was oddly comforting knowing that there were actually people that knew what they were doing among her staff. The only downside was that the Capitol did not possess more people like them (though, she mused, such a reality would diminish the greatness of the select few that had nabbed the coveted position for themselves as of late), for it had taken her nearly an hour to fill each vacancy that had come before.
But so far, no occupation had quite matched the sheer ridiculous that came from the applications for the job as Junior Muttation Specialist. The Lava Yeti - a hulking creature virtually identical to Capri's prized mountain beasts from two Games prior but with molten lava in place of its fur - had only been the latest in a series of unrealistic, plagiarized, or otherwise useless creations thought up by minds trying too hard to get the results they desired.
Alas, effort only made up part of the required skillset for such a position. Otherwise, she would have been finished with these goddamned interviews two hours ago.
An Avox came in carrying a steaming mug of tea, which she accepted with a polite thank you. Another closely followed, holding a manilla folder containing the information and application for the next applicant on the list, a bold #19 decorating the front.
Taking a sip of the hot liquid (jasmine green, her favorite), she accepted the envelope with her free hand and opened it up to the first page.
What she found very nearly made her spit out her tea in surprise.
Dark eyes widened, taking in the clear, distinctive scrawl that she knew all too well from reading the notes on some of the more distinctive mutts to pass through the halls of the Gamemaker Headquarters in her first years.
"Huh," she spoke aloud, a half-second before the door creaked open.
She looked up to see her assistant walk through, an expression mirroring her own plastered on his face.
Then, right behind her and right on cue came a familiar face, and she couldn't help but allow the faintest of grins to cross her face as Petelia Quartz entered. Her former co-worker had undoubtedly been a little quirky, and her departure from the role of Junior Gamemaker had puzzled many (including herself, for she hadn't reached that position until the following year and was ignorant as to what the circumstances had been), but even though they only knew one another as acquaintances, there was no denying that she had skill.
And, as she had quickly learned, skill was in short supply these days.
"Ah, Ms. Quartz, welcome, welcome," she greeted the other woman as the latter drew near. "Please, take a seat."
Petelia did as instructed, and her smile grew ever so wider.
She took one last glance at the notes, scanning the application for anything noteworthy, before closing the envelop number-down and matching her own gaze with that of the other.
"Let's begin, shall we?" she suggested, interlacing her hands in front of her.
The uniqueness of the situation did not escape her - after all, a mere three years ago Petelia had been her de facto superior - but for the moment, she chose to ignore it in favor of attempting to hire someone who would suggest something that could theoretically make its way into the arena.
"Tell me about yourself," she asked. "Why should I hire you as our Junior Muttation Specialist?"
--
{ prove to me
that you're worthy. }
{ prove to me
that you're worthy. }
