Next: Chapter 2
New York City - Skyrise District.
Liseth'erend'oreana attempts to read from yet another report from an inconveniently small screen at her ankle height, able to just have one eye towards it, then raises her head and sighs. "I really need help."
Janelle stands by the door, the brunette is rather plain by human standards. She's certainly doesn't think of herself as anything special, at least not looks-wise. She has worked very hard to garner some degree of trust with the company and the dragons though, and that's worth quite a lot. As a child, maybe, she'd be squealing with excitement over this prospect, but as an adult, she can't exactly afford to gape in awe and keep her job.
"That is why I was assigned to you, Ma'am. Well, not exactly that, but I'm here to make your life easier, and to make sure people who interact with you see it as a positive experience." She smiles kindly, "I'm not just a seeing-eye human, but if that's the job to be fulfilled, I can do it."
The large orange dragon with a spined white crest going down her back stretches her neck. "...uh, good morning... Janelle, was it?" Her voice is deep and rumbling, filling the large room easily, coming from a dragon the size of a van.
Not that view from top of the Frigate building is exactly the worst. Liseth'erend'oreana bought the spot when her initial investments in the budding phone business started to pay dividends - despite her family trying to push her to 'be sensible' and 'not use all of your initial profits right away' - and frankly seeing the sun rise over Central Park is a sight she just appreciates.
Even if right now she's not sure what to do after said sun has risen and she needs to 'deal' with this new hire assigned by her family to assist her.
"I am still not certain I need the help, but for the moment you are hired with me having no say in it."
Janelle bows her head, "I understand the hesitation, ma'am. These are all still very new circumstances for everyone."
She steps over to the workstation, every bit the professional in her suit and heels, and adjusts her glasses, looking over the report.
Liseth'erend'oreana sighs inwardly, but doesn't move to stop Janelle in any way. She hesitates, then sighs outwardly as well.
"If nothing else... I might indeed need help reading the reports. I do not understand why- okay, I do understand, but - not being able to create a screen I could read off of, or printing on bigger paper."
Janelle sorts through the information quickly, "Infrastructure changes take time... frankly, a lot of people still aren't even sure why dragons came here. Or what you really want. Perception is a powerful tool, ma'am."
She points to the screen. "A report on your investment earnings; in short they are doing well, but I can go into more detail if you wish."
Liseth'erend'oreana waves her claw. "Perhaps later. I have not awoken to this day yet enough to parse all that." She looks towards the sunrise, gives it a small smile, before turning back to Janelle.
"So. You are here to... help me." A statement that's not quite a question, but feels like one anyway.
Janelle turns from the screen to face Liseth'erend'oreana. "Yes ma'am. My specialties are in public relations and human resources. But I know my way around finances and basic level technical work as well."
Liseth considers the small human (let's be fair, they are all so small) for half a second, then nods. "At least they hired someone who knows what my company does, I understand, so that is good." Technically the company is not hers, but as a majority shareholder and the only one with teeth the size of kitchen knives, it might as well be.
The dragon muses on it for another moment. "What would you say... you think, I might need help with, regarding public relations and, er, human resources?"
Janelle takes a moment to consider, but in truth she's already thought about this quite a bit. "Well, many humans find your kind intimidating, both in physical presence, and in your manner of speech."
Liseth does her best to not sigh, and she looks at the other direction. Of course, she knows this, and it's kind of why the dragons have gotten to the top positions of so many companies in such a short time - you have to have really good reasons to turn down a business proposition from an apex predator offering a lot of money.
And Liseth'erend'oreana is not exactly blind to the situation elsewhere. There are places on this planet where the arrival of dragons was welcomed not with open arms, but with open ammunition. After her cousin was shot from the sky in the Middle East, she personally crossed that whole region off from her list of places to ever go unless things change.
...not that fear of dragons is entirely unwarranted, but most of the time you have to actively try to insult or harm them before the teeth and claws come out. Liseth herself certainly has no desire to harm anyone.
"...I guess you are not entirely wrong, there."
Janelle bows her head again, somewhat in apology, "I do not know dragons. But I know humans. And they fear the unknown. If I were allowed to work for you the way I see I should... my job would be to find ways to minimize that fear, and to increase understanding. In both directions, if you wish."
She pushes her glasses up along the bridge of her nose. "Perhaps that oversteps what I was hired for..."
Liseth'erend'oreana frowns ever so slightly, but then corrects herself. "I am not certain. My understanding of your actual... job... is a bit unclear, but I do not wish to make things difficult for you for no reason."
The dragon is quiet again for a few breaths. Her voice is quieter as she speaks. "And... I must admit that fear is not always the preferable reaction from people."
Janelle nods. "I won't do anything without your say-so, ma'am." She hesitates, her own agenda pushing her well outside of her job description, but she has always been bold in her idea, "I think I can do much more with this position than the job description lists out."
The dragon blinks, turning to her new... secretary? Majordomo? Assistant? Whatever the actual title was. Didn't seem important at the time.
"Well. I am not going to say 'no' to that sort of enthusiasm...."
Janelle smiles, "I appreciate that, ma'am. I have a lot of big ideas that I can show you, in due time, of course."
Liseth'erend'oreana nods and once again glances at the sun, then seems to make up her mind. "Well. If you are to work here, and for me, perhaps we best get to it." She gets up from her sitting position, towering over the small woman: "Our meeting yesterday was brief, so in the interest of me for the moment avoiding business updates and because there is no one else up here-" admittedly a choice Liseth made herself: "-let me show you the common areas, where I greet guests and such."
Janelle nods, pushing up her glasses once more. She does seem rather eager to get to it, perhaps it is simply a wish to prove herself, "Of course, Ma'am. And I can, of course, set up my own workspace wherever you wish me to, to keep out of your way if you desire."
Liseth'erend'oreana: "I would desire that, yes."
She swishes her tail as she starts down the dragon-sized hallway, a noticeable lack of doors, or even really doorways, permeating the whole place. Built into the upper about quarter of the Frigate skyscraper, the luxury apartment is a curious mix of the poshest human architecture can get, scaled up to fit a creature the size of a van. And yet in places it can be seen how the builders had to comply to very human building standards, like stairs way too small and unnecessary leading everywhere, or the elevator entrance she can just fit her head into.
Liseth'erend'oreana chuckles to herself at the memory of her father explaining to the builders for the fifteenth time, in detail, what a bathroom fit for a dragon would need to have.
Janelle doesn't seem put off by that, if anything, it seems she's in love with the job, or the idea of the job that she has percolating in her mind.
She follows Liseth'erend'oreana around the apartment tour, taking note of the features and the many human sized areas she can take advantage of without disturbing the dragon.
Liseth finally stops in front of the one of the few doorways - huge wooden doors fit for a ballroom entrance, or perhaps a throneroom. She nods towards the doors. "This is my private room. Unless it is absolutely necessary on the level of this building being on fire, do not come here. Understood?"
Janelle: "Understood." Janelle doesn't question it. She is a professional, after all.
The dragon nods, then moves onward, to a room that is completely empty and unfurnished, a nice little office space with a view. "I have had no use for this room yet, but I imagine you can make use of it. It is close to the one human toilet they had to build up here to comply with regulations." She turns to glance at Janelle: "Do as you wish with it."
Janelle nods, looking over the space. "More than adequate to meet my needs." She considers what the best way to get an office chair and a desk in would be, but also stubbornly dismisses asking her new boss for help. She can make this work without being a nuisance. And she doesn't need much. Her own apartment is rather lacking in decoration as well.
Liseth considers for a second, then nods absently. "You have my permission to hire help should you need it. Usually family provides budget for this sort of thing." She seems to be almost more talking to herself than to Janelle.
Janelle: "Noted, but I shall refrain unless it is absolutely necessary. I wish to maximize my value at a minimum of burden to you." She steps into the room to consider it. Janelle is determined to prove herself, even if only to herself at this point.
Liseth turns to glance at Janelle, curious: "You certainly sound determined. Have you worked with dragons before?"
Janelle turns back to face Liseth'erend'oreana and shakes her head, "You are the first dragon who I've worked with directly, Ma'am. And you'll have to forgive my tone. Determined is correct, but I am... Excited."
Liseth'erend'oreana hums, a deep sound from her throat. "I suppose that is a good thing. I hope working with me does not squash that, at least not on the first week."
Janelle smiles up at the dragon, "I promise it won't." She manages to smirk, daring herself to make a joke, "Not for at least two weeks, Ma'am."
The dragon blinks, caught by surprise. "Oh." She then lets out a small chuckle: "Sounds like a deal."
Janelle breathes out, laughing along. "Maybe longer. But we shall see if I can really do what I hope to... And what I was hired to do. I'll do my best not to disturb you, but I shall be here at your disposal if you have a need."
Liseth'erend'oreana sits down and allows herself a smile, finally. "I guess... I do not really have experience or ideas what those needs might be, but if my family saw fit to hire you, they have either seen the need, or you are here to just read my papers for me."
Janelle frowns, "I hope to prove that I am worth far more than simply the latter. If ultimately that is all I am good for... I shall accept that assessment, and then find a way to improve."
Liseth nods: "I am, as the saying goes, all ears." She flicks one of her big scaly-feathered ears as though to punctuate her point.
Janelle smiles, genuinely relieved. "Your willingness to give me a chance is noted... And appreciated. I'll take a day to get set up here, and we can schedule a morning..." She pauses to consider. "An afternoon briefing to go over anything that might need addressing? Outside of that meeting, I shall leave you alone. I want to be helpful, not a nuisance."
Liseth considers, then nods: "That sounds... reasonable, actually." She lets out a huge yawn. "For now, I think I will leave you to it and fly down to the park for my morning coffee."
The dragon has managed to come to an agreement with one of the regular vendors at the park; she gets a bucket of black coffee in a travel container in the mornings, and they get to advertise as 'resident dragon approved'.
Janelle steps up closer, giving a deep and sincere bow, "Thank you for this opportunity. Please, enjoy your morning."
Liseth nods a bit awkwardly, then waves her clawed paw: "We will see, won't we." With no further comment, she turns around and starts walking to her own balcony, the one she takes off from to fly down to street level.
Janelle watches her new boss walk out towards the balcony and then fly off, feeling that same rising awe in her chest. Still, she pushes that down after a moment and starts to plot out how to get things set up, making a list of things she needs in her head.
Next: Chapter 2