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 Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:54 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:23 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:30 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:45 pm
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If Alessa's direct manner and question caught Kesi flat-footed, she was careful not to show it. Allowing the faintest of smiles to flicker across her features as she sat, she gave a single firm nod. Only then did she allow her amusement to show though.
"Ah, but inconvenient fictions are part of what helps the world maintain it's polite veneer, no? But yes," she replied with a low chuckle, "I am a poisoner. A rather good one, I should like to believe. If you'll permit, I must compliment you, Lady. Not many would be as... hrmm... perceptive as you."
Strangely, this regal female pegging her for a poisoner right off put Kesi more at ease than otherwise. She relaxed ever so slightly into her seat, steepling her fingers before her. Her eyes narrowed a touch as she studied the female across the desk. Regal, blunt, practically radiating power, oh she was playing a subtle game! Most interviewers displayed these qualities in an effort to throw the interviewees off their guard. Few, Kesi doubted, were as good at it as this one. However, she thought, I will not be caught so. Smirking ever so slightly, she simply watched and waited for whatever questions came next.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:57 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:27 pm
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A brief flicker of disappointment shadowed Kesi's face for half a heartbeat upon hearing how her talents would likely not be much in use. Still. Business was business and one adapted or died. And it wasn't as if she couldn't indulge in private, after all.
Honest surprise was visible in her eyes when she was asked about her castle dream. It seemed like such a negligent detail from her application. And yet, here she was being asked about it. Clearly, Alessa paid attention. Now she showed a bit more animation, her voice going from cooly detached to almost giddy.
"Castle are so highly under-rated these days," she began, sweeping one hand in a broad arc. "Yes, of course, most are in a terrible state of disrepair, but the structure itself can be repaired if you've enough money and access to quality stone. People repair and restore moldy old churches all the time! And a great many of those are in worse states than most castles!"
She was gesturing with her hands now as she spoke, eyes almost glowing from enthusiasm.
"And the location! Find a castle set atop a mountain or cliff and you've got an almost perfectly defensible location. Not to mention all the lovely traps that can be built into a castle to ward off unwanted visitors... And the still rooms and solars. Oh, I could go on for ages and you'd likely think me a giddy, little freak of a girl."
Clearly, Kesi had been born in the wrong century.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:54 pm
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:32 pm
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Kesi's elegant eyebrows nearly got lost in her hairline as Alessa tendered her offhand offer. She was even more intrigued as a the company headquarters was mentioned. Given the way Alessa phrased her words, Kesi had to assume that the place was castle-ish.
She realized that she'd managed to sit quite literally on the edge of her seat in her enthusiasm and sat back, scowling slightly at the mention of her parents. Not that they'd been bad parents. But they'd been so terribly gullible. Annoying too. With a sigh, Kesi sat back and crossed her legs, closing her eyes briefly as she thought.
"They were kind, affluent and dumber than a sack of rocks," she replied bluntly. "Truthfully, I have no idea how they managed to earn and keep their wealth. Father fell for every snakeoil pitch he was presented with. And Mother was too busy being the perfect little wife and mother to really pay attention to his fads."
She paused, her face thoughtful as she recalled her parents.
"They both passed away not so long ago. A stupidly botched attempt at claiming his inheritance that much sooner by my brother," Kesi's voice remained cool, though her eyes burned with wrath. She might be a poisoner. She had even murdered her own siblings. But her parents had been good to her. The thought of killing them brought a sour, coppery taste to her tongue. Some things simply were not done. "He tried to use poison. Rather inexpertly, I must add. From what I gathered, they were in incredible pain for far too long."
Now her voice caught slightly, though she managed to keep her tone light.
"They were idiots, my siblings. And if they were going to play with poisons, they should have been more careful. Certainly they shouldn't have used such a clumsy mixture. Of course, I had to educate them. And I made certain that they suffered just as much as my parents. Actually, more," she waved her hand dismissively. "I enjoy my chosen line of work. But even I have limits. My darling siblings did not. I have no doubts that they would have tried to kill me had I not gotten to them first."
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:57 pm
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Alessa managed to stifle a chuckle at Kesi's very obvious eagerness. Oh, she was sure the girl would love the Ventrue Haven, even in its current rather unloved state.
She pondered the sudden change in Kesxi's expression. Had she hit a sore spot, bringing up her parents? Oh, she hoped so. Sore spots always got the best reactions. They really showed how a person handled herself under stress. If she flew into a rage, or got overly clipped, told Alessa it was none of her business, any of those things, it might well be over.
But no, Kesi told her story with surprising calm. Alessa herself felt a small bubbling of rage at the tale of her brother killing her parents. The vampire felt a bit of the same physical sickness she experienced when she drank the wrong kind of vitae. It was as disgusting to her as a vampire diablerizing her Sire. And clearly, it had been punished the same way such an act would be.
"I see." Her voice was a bit cold, her eyes dark. "Well, I can certainly appreciate doing unto others before they do unto you..." She tilted her head to the side. "One final question, my dear Kesi. Were you to be put in a position where your poisons could not help you, what is your preferred diplomatic approach?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:17 am
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Ah, now this was a subject where she could potentially shine. Kesi still looked thoughtful, but the terrible anger was gone now and replaced with a kind of calm eagerness. This new question felt more like a typical job interview.
"Reason and cool logic, naturally. Simply talking. Why waste the effort and my stock if I can get what i want simply by chatting a body up? Of course, I'm not above veiled threats and blackmail or bribery, but those can backfire too easily. No, for the sake of diplomacy, the best solution is just to sit down and talk."
Of course, if one could control the venue for said talk, that was always helpful. And Kesi had a feeling that Alessa knew that too. What was it that some of her parents old fighter friends had always said? Be the one to choose the battle ground and as long as you were smart, you'd win. Well, diplomacy was simply another sort of fight to win.
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 2:03 pm
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 2:25 pm
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