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BOUQUET MANOR LAB - AFTERNOON
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Jennica sneaks into the lab after making sure she's reasonably sure she wasn't seen. She steps in and takes a breath of relief, the cow-with-kobold-tail rather preferring to avoid attention right now. She goes through her overalls' pockets, then nods, being reasonably sure what she forgot down here even though her 'contract' is done; one of her small magi-multitools.
Rondelethia: Unfortunately for Jennica, Rondelethia has guards. Fortunately for Jennica, they know her, and didn't stop her, and just let the Bun know. Jennica would be left rummage around the lab, and would only be interrupted when she tried to leave, as she'd find Rondelethia standing in the exit passage, just outside the lab. She doesn't say anything. She just raises an single, inquisitive eyebrow. Currently it was a 'curious' inquisitive. But there were shades of 'This could be the Vamasian Inquisition' should there not be a good reason. Jennica may not expect the latter though. Rondelethia doesn't seem the type...
Jennica walks out with the tool of hers... then nearly drops it upon seeing Rondelethia once she's out of the door. "Oh. Uh. H-hi."
Rondelethia: "Hello" She's standing with her hands clasped behind her back "You know we have a front gate, and a front door, and lots of entrances that are official, hmm?" She's speaking softly, conversationally "and you're fully welcome to use all of them"
Jennica pauses, almost starts to talk, then pauses again before finding her words: "I uh... yeah. I know. J-just d-didn't want to, raise attention. W-which I seem to have done anyway." She lifts the small magitech multitool in her hand: "J-just c-came to pick this up, I swear."
Rondelethia: "I tend to stay out of the day to day business. I trust Teis enough that she can handle stuff like that. I just handle the admin stuff, and the side businesses, but I also handle security" Still so conversational. It's a very even, measured tone. One designed to pointedly conceal any actual feelings on the subject "So I'm out of the loop. Why would you not want to raise attention? I thought you were sub contracted for a job? Well, I know. I handle the invoicing"
Jennica frowns, pauses, then shrugs rather feebly: "I uh... I did not continue the contract, o-on my part. A-and well... I think I am just d-done with what I can help, here?"
Rondelethia: "Well, there's always work for engineers and artificers to do here. I can assure you of that much. One person can only do so much after all, and if you have anything you think can be sold to larger markets, we have the contacts for that" She pauses again. "I believe we have one last payment to sort out, so technically, you're not off the books just yet"
Jennica gives a half-hearted shrug: "I g-guess that makes sense. Yeah." She smiles feebly: "S-sorry. Don't really know how these things go..."
Rondelethia: "So, are you going to tell me about what happened, or are you going to make me work it out from what the staff have overheard?"
Jennica starts, then pauses, then stops. "Err... well, not much. Just did not feel like I deserve to work here, t-that where I am wanted is elsewhere..." She taps her fingers together, looking aside.
Rondelethia: "I can't make you work here if you don't want to. You're useful" She clicks her fingers, and a maid appears from somewhere with the efficiency of one that is employed to be able to just do that sort of thing. She whispers to her "I'm not a therapist though. So I can't speak to any of those issues. You should probably speak with one. I do" There's another few moments, and the maid returns, giving her a log book "Here" She passes it over. Inside is a profit analysis on Jennica. It's very cold, hard numbers. She's profitable!
Jennica blinks, then blinks again. Cold hard facts are the hardest to deny. "Well. Um. That's a lot of... are you sure these numbers are right?" She looks at Rondelethia and that's all the confirmation she needs: "...yes."
Rondelethia: "However. I suspect that there are other interpersonal issues at hand" She takes the book back, and passes it over to the maid, who vanishes like a ninja. (Rondelethia's employees are well trained). She is listening to Jennica, certainly, but there's a certain vibe that this is just..business. Jennica's issues, and hang-ups are, right now, just challenges to be overcome "I will not interrogate them. As I said, I don't deal with the day to day there. However. Would you be willing to contract with me. You spend a certain number of hours working on projects for House Bouquet a month. In exchange, you get access to equipment and resources. There are frequent upgrades requested, so there's a lot of second generation machines in storage that could be placed in a second lab" Even through the facade, there's a tiny bit of irritation seeping through "You would need to log the time you spend in House projects, but so long as you do that, you could make use of that lab as much, or as little as possible. I would place it to the West of the house. This would let you use the West entrance. This would minimize chance encounters" She keeps the even tone throughout "Details can be arranged at the writing stage, but is this concept acceptable?"
Jennica blinks a few times as she listens, then slowly nods: "...y-yes. It uh... it sounds good. There's a lot of fascinating projects... I mean, I would be happy to help where I can?" She tries to do away with her nervousness as she works her mind: "M-my scale of work is pretty small-" she shows with her hands a size barely the size of a beach ball: "-b-but as long as it's that sort, I can see what I can do?"
Rondelethia: "I have found that pushing creative types towards projects just leads to underpreformance. We can work out details later, but" She holds out a hand "If we can formalize that we are agreeing to the concept now, that would bee enough"
Jennica hesitates for a second, then takes the offered hand with a smile: "I... t-think I can do that, yes."
Rondelethia: The deal was done, and it was like a lightswitch "Excellent!" She smiles softly "So. How are things with you in the marketplace?" She's warm, genuine, and gestures "I can lead you out now, if you have places to be. I'd offer to bring you to meet my fiance, but I don't know where he is right now"
Jennica blinks, then shrugs: "Oh, uh. With the winter, people are buying a lot of my trinkets... and Rhask's clothes too. Which is like... kinda weird to me, when in Vamas you don't dress up so fast so easily, right?"
Rondelethia: "Well, I'm the wrong person to ask. There's seasonal fashion choices in Sarn, which paid bare lip service to matters of climate. It's good that business is good though"
Jennica smiles just a bit nervously: "Y-yeah, of course. B-but yeah, I did not have anything else here... w-well, til we maybe sign something official, right?"
Rondelethia: "I will need to formalize documentation, it will take a little while"
Jennica lets out a relieved sigh of... not sure what, exactly. "W-well, uh. I guess I will be on my way, but see you again soon?" The cow is nervous and relieved and excited. Nervelievexited?
Rondelethia: "Of course. I should probably be talking soon" She coughs a bit "Ah, sorry. I think I ate something that disagreed with me. I've been a bit adventurous with my meal choices lately. Calgwen has some great ideas, but I think the most recent one may have sat wrong"
Rondelethia: "Anyway. Later?" She goes to give a hug before departure!
Jennica gives a nervous smile, then a surprised hug which she does return after a delay. "Eh uh? Y-yeah, let's do that. Sorry, Rondelethia... I-I'm just a ball of nerves."
Rondelethia: "I do have contact details for that therapist. I'm happy to include the services as a free perk"
Jennica blinks at that, but pointedly does not deny the need either. "Y-yeah." She starts awkwardly making her way out of the manor grounds: "I uh, will see you again, then?"
Rondelethia: "We will. Yes" She bows her head, and gestures to the exit
Jennica starts making her way out, and to her credit only visibly boggles at this development after she's out of the manor grounds. Something to think about, indeed.