RP:Help Wanted
Summary: Cynarith gains a new employee [Sidd] after posting a job notice in The Whaler
03/11/2024
The Whalers' Bar
The Whaler's Bar is a well-loved destination in Cenril, and at any given time the sound of raucous laughter and the buzz of talk will be audible from outside its walls. Inside will often reside any number of individuals from all races and walks of life, as the owner has made it clear that all are welcome within his tavern. It is a space especially beloved of the fishermen and sailors who frequent Cenril's shores, and has the sort of worn homeyness that can be expected from such a haunt. The building is made of sturdy oak, though the interior is dingy from time and innumerable patrons. The original dark stain is faded and scratched, especially on the floor, but despite its flaws the Bar is kept cheerily lit by lamps. The bar itself is narrow, pitted and glossy, and at the end of the day finding a seat along its length can be a difficult thing. So too is the task of cleaning made difficult by day's end, and no matter the attempts made at wiping spills and sweeping the floor, surfaces are often dingy and sticky -- not that the regular clientele cares about such trite things as tidiness. Indeed, various old trophies from local sailing legends line the walls in a cluttered display and it usually smells of seawater, sweat and fish. Assuredly The Whaler's Bar is a scarred, beat up bar, but to hear the locals tell it there is no better place for a drink after a long day in all the port cities in the land.
Cynarith enters the bar with two well built bodyguards as she adjusts the opulent silk neck scarf that is hiding the patch on her neck. This time the bodyguards are not letting the pink haired model out of their sights. Their usual presence draws the attention of the staff as she looks horribly out of place in her designer pantsuit and tinted spectacles. After removing her glasses, she hands them off to one of the guards and pulls free a small scroll from her bag, which looks brand spanking new and shiny due to the last one getting all scuffed up. Heels, which make the five foot nine woman just a few inches taller, click on the floor as she makes her way towards the message board to post her advert for the following:
Help wanted
Come work for Nildran construction during our Cenril projects.
- Temporary construction laborer positions open for full time.
- Fair pay.
- Twelve hour days, four days a week (weather permitting).
- Permanent positions are considered after a three month grace period, but must be willing to travel (room and board provided).
- Tools provided.
- Hot breakfast, cold lunch and hot dinner provided with one drink token each working day (token only valid for same day).
[SiDD] Without warning, the doors to the Whaler burst open in the most violent manner. Several men clad in steel armor enter, probably about ten in total, and they line up in two rows, creating a makeshift little hallway in which a jesterly fellow with a horn meanders through, stopping to turn to the current patrons and announce, “Hear ye, Hear ye! The most honorable Sidney Williams the first has arrived!” Sidd, in the finest of suits, would enter, only to be greeted by the greatest of cheers from the crowd. At least, that’s what he was envisioning in his little day dream. The reality of things was not quite so glamorous. Sidd did enter the establishment, that much was true. There was no procession of guards. Nor was there any sort of fanfare. In fact, most people didn’t really pay him any mind at all. Other than those odd looks he would receive when people took notice of his choice of style. This evening he wore black. All black. There was a black, armored vest atop his ratty black tanktop; The latter being his favourite shirt of all time because it allowed him to show off the intricate sleeve tattoos on each arm. He was proud of that artwork, a collection of things he had acquired over his recent travels. He wore black carpenter’s pants with frayed holes in the knee, which seemed to go really well with the steel-toe, black work boots on his feet. The only color in his whole attire was the scarlet colored bandana that was currently tied around his neck, and that vibrant, electric blue mohawk that he had taken great care in styling. The oddball human held an eccentrically good attitude this evening. He had taken the day off of work at the docks, using his time instead for a little self love and care. He didn’t want to fight. He didn’t want to cause too much trouble. If he was stranded in Lithrydel for a while, then he was going to give his all and make the best of it. Starting with job hunting. Sidd didn’t hate his job at the docks, exactly. But it’s not where he wanted to be. He was growing tired of the same old loading and unloading, hoisting the ropes, and so forth. So, when he made his way over to the public message board where a pink haired bombshell was currently posting something of interest, Sidd poked his head over her shoulder without any sort of care for her personal space, and chimed, “Oooh. Whatcha got there?”
Cynarith gets finished tacking the advert on the wall and one of her guards places their hand on the stranger’s shoulder to guide him a step or two back from Cynarith just as she is turning to reply to the man the same height as her, “a job posting for construction around Cenril.” Her turquoise hues narrow at the bodyguard and he backs off Sidd quickly. “My apologies about him. They are just afraid I’m a baby’s hair away from replacing them,” but of course she isn’t because it isn’t up to her. If it were, she would have no bodyguards! “Anyway, I am seeking more workers for various projects around Cenril if you or anyone you know is interested,” the socialite offers while her gaze slowly works his way down his attire and back up again. “You’ve already got the uniform it seems,” she quips with a subtle shrug of her slender shoulders. “If my current crew like your work ethic then we could use you as a permanent worker, but we have projects all throughout Lithrydel and the ‘Vale,” it’s what all the elite call Rynvale, “so… you would have to be okay with travel.” Her pleasant honeyed timbre is almost ruined by the plummy aspect of it, but it’s all part of the persona she has created. The man is close enough to pick up a hint of lavender mixed with citrus from one of the many perfumes in her fragrance line. It seems to change daily. Are they in a rotation? Does she go by mood? Who knows, but she always smells delectable! “Here are some of our many benefits if you’d like to see for yourself,” she steps aside and gestures to the fresh parchment placed obnoxiously in the center over someone else’s advert! Oh well. She carefully watches the stranger’s face to observe if he can even read common. While he reads, she studies him anew and even though he seems a bit on the scrawny side, she wouldn’t reject him on that basis alone. Heck, she just saw a human lift a vampire with one arm a couple nights ago! Although she isn’t convinced that man is just a human. With a couple blinks of her eyes, she pulls herself from the mini daydream to await the stranger’s response to her advert.
Sidd has no trouble following along with the protective guard’s suggestion of backing off, throwing up his hands, palms facing outward to show he meant no harm. “Yo, my bad, my bad. Just curious! No harm, no foul.” With the lowering of a shoulder, Sidd slides the bag he had been carrying down his arm and onto the floor, making sure to move it close to the side of the bar so that no one would trip over it. “Ah yeah, no worries, really. I get it. I think. Big boss on the town, gotta make sure you’re well protected, yeah?” he says, with a little grin. “So, a construction job? FINALLY. Man, I’ve been waiting for something to open up during this drought over the winter. I don’t really know anyone in this town, but I do know someone looking for work.” He twirls both fo his index fingers and points at himself. “This guy.” The human takes a moment to mimic his potential future employer by sizing her up in return. Way out of his league, for sure. Her outfit screamed wealth. Maybe a daddy’s girl. ‘Okay Sidd, keep it together. Do not hit on her. Do. Not. Muff. This. Up. “Oh yeah, you think I look the part? Wait. Check this out!” He quickly goes for his bag and digs inside, pulling out a very well loved hammer. “BAM. I even bring my own tool!” Smooth, Sidd. Very impressive, surely. He listened intently as she finished selling her pitch, and was not long checking out the posting on the board to see the offered benefits. “Don’t know where the Vale is.. Unless you mean Rynvale? If so, then hell yeah! Been meaning to get out that way. I’m not sure if it’s still standing, but one of my first jobs was out there. I helped get the Rynvale Amphitheatre built. I also did a lot of work for the Jolly Roger, too. The owners can vouch for me, if they still run the joint.” he said as he weighed his options. This job seemed to good to be true, honestly. Long days, but short weeks. Good pay. Travel. Room and board. “Honestly lady - eh, i mean, miss Cyn..a..rith? I’m more than interested in your posting. I’m a hard worker. I don’t complain. You say jump, and if the pay is good, I’ll say how high without question. Where do I sign up?” he asked, turning back toward the woman.
Cynarith just gives the stranger a long, suffering look at the bodyguards' expense as if to say ‘I guess I have to keep these two dunderheads around’. The edgy and heavily tattooed man has a curious way of talking that is secretly amusing to Cynarith at the moment. High energy… she would hate to see him on his low days. Her shapely lips do end up curving into a slight grin when he makes a show of the 'person he knows looking for work'. When he gives her a once over, she makes sure to dip her hand into the small of her waist and tilt her head ever so slightly in the perfect model pose. She is used to doing so, being a model for her brother's fashion line afterall. Most men wouldn't dare look her up and down like she did him and she admires this boldness of the stranger. When he brandishes his hammer, the bodyguards look on edge and Cynarith rolls her eyes at them. "Amazing, you have everything we need… mister?" She extends a well manicured hand with almond shaped nails painted the shade of ballet slippers as she introduces herself, "that is right, Cynarith is my name." Her gaze narrows playfully, "how high would, in fact, be a question." That amused grin shifts into a mischievous little smirk as she catches his saying in contradiction. "Well, why don't you come by one of our sites tomorrow and we will find somewhere to fit you. We start at sun up," and she expects him to be at the ready. "You will find one of the sites just behind the open market. This one is a simple home renovation job."
Sidd really needs to use a bit of caution when acting so erratically, especially when someone has a couple of nervous bodyguards hanging around. Thankfully his antics didn’t earn him a quick beatdown… this time. “Oh! Man, how rude of me. I’m Sidney. Sidney Williams. People that like me, know me as Sidd. Two D’s - ‘cuz what’s life without a little chaos?” He could never remember where he had heard that saying, but it always stuck with him. The blue-haired man flashed the woman a smile, took her hand in his, and offered a fairly firm handshake. The sort of handshake that brokered deals. “Nice t’meet cha. By the way, diggin’ the outfit. Not to kiss ass or nothin’, but you got great style.” he said, laying on the charm. Cynarith’s little quip caused the man’s smile to fade, just for a tic, before he mirrored her grin and pointed at her in an accusing manner. “Oooh hooo, I see what you did there!” Sidd quickly regained composure, reminding himself that this was still a job interview of sorts. While she seemed easy going, he didn’t want to push too far. “Yeah, sure, that’s no problem! I can do a reno job. In fact, housing is where I got my start, so it’ll be great to go back to my roots. I’ll be there before the crack of dawn with my hammer and a solid work ethic!”
Cynarith nods once in acknowledgement of the introduction, “pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister Williams.” His elaboration on his name is met with a quirk of her brow and her smirk remains as she still has to put on heirs of an uppity high society woman, “we shall see if we ever get to that point, Mister Williams.” Hopefully the little twinkle of humor in her eyes doesn’t betray her too much. “Why of course,” she muses in response to his admiration of her style without sounding too full of herself. It has been quite some time since she had time to model, so she doesn’t exactly confirm his compliment by saying so. The sun is just beginning to set and she realizes she is already late, unfortunately, “blasted.” With the wiggle of her fingers, she waves a goodbye to Sidd, “I’ll see you then. Have a wonderful night Mister Williams.” One of the guards is already out the door to hold it open for Cynarith while the other follows behind.
[Cynarith] The next morning Cynarith is on site talking to what one could only assume to be the foreman of this site. There are blueprints on a table before them and they are having an in depth conversation over, but the wonderful scent of hotcakes is drawing all the other workers to the breakfast table. Here there is a wonderful spread of muffins, scrambled eggs, bagels, bacon, sausage and plenty of coffee or orange juice to drink. The advert wasn’t lying when hot breakfast was offered! Cynarith looks a lot less fancy today and is even wearing a hard hat, but that is protocol even if she isn’t doing any manual labor. Her long pink hair is pulled back into a low bun and her bulky blue sweater looks warm for this crisp pre spring morning.
[Sidd] It was still a bit dark out when Sidd parted from the inn. He was dressed a little better this morning, what with his general tattered attire swapped out for something a little more professional looking for his first day on the job. His shirt was a long sleeve, loose-fitting, button down affair, with each button perfectly aligned and the hem neatly tucked into a new pair of slate-grey carpenter’s pants that had yet to be broken in. His boots, well worn and trusty, had been cleaned and shined with care. Even his hair, which was normally styled to stand on end, was slicked back and concealed beneath that lucky scarlet bandana he always carried round his neck. Sidd had all intentions of making a great first impression on his boss, or bosses, so that maybe they might give him the benefit of the doubt. He figured that once he was a made man, then he could maybe not give a damn about his appearance quite as much. As he rolled on up to the job site, Sidd took some time to inspect the area in which he’d be working. It was definitely a professional gig. Organized. Ran by big wigs. Not that rinky dinky stuff he’d become accustomed to over the last few years. It’s not like he didn’t enjoy the work he’s had in these new and far away lands - Each and every job thus far had been a lot of fun. This, however, was going to be a whole other ballgame. The smell of eggs and bacon smacked him in the face like a jilted lover, and he had to fight like hell not to just wander over and dig in. He was hungry, sure, but he was all too eager to get himself oriented on what was expected of him for the day. “Yo! Boss lady!” Sidd called out when he spotted his employer, making his way toward her and the man she was currently speaking to. He would wait to be addressed so as to not rudely interrupt whatever they were talking about.
Cynarith glances up through her lashes at Sidd when he announces himself, a tiny smirk pulling at the corner of her lips as she casually holds one finger up, signaling she will be with him in just a minute. Then she looks to the foreman who seems a little aghast that someone would ever address Cynarith in such a way. An expression of horror shapes his face and slowly dissipates as she expertly draws the foreman’s attention back to the conversation they were just having. “Ah, on the subject of being short staffed, I have gotten a few replies from my adverts already. May I introduce our first new employee, Sidney Williams,” she gestures towards the man while guiding the foreman with the simple touch of her hand on his shoulder around the table and towards the human. It doesn’t take much to soften the gruff looking foreman, at least when Cynarith is involved because somehow she seems to have the uncanny ability to smooth things over. Whether it be a worker dispute or their clients being total petulant asshats sometimes. “Welcome, you can call me Mister Crowe,” says foreman Crowe and she watches as he extends a hand for a shake. “I think he will fit in exceptionally well here,” she mentions while gesturing to the breakfast table. “Come along you two. Can’t start the day on empty,” the offer is extended to both the gentleman as she gives Sidd a gentle pat on his shoulder along with a head tilt toward the table. It seems she wasn’t going to accept no for an answer. As she approaches the table with Sidd, he may notice that many of them stop eating, sit up right, straighten their shirt, but she pretends to not notice. Are they intimidated by this pink haired lady or attracted to her? Who knows… maybe both! “Good morning gentlemen,” that honeyed timbre practically coos at the workers and they respectfully offer a ‘morning’ in return. “This is a new member of the work crew, Sidney Williams,” her gaze locks to Sidd’s as she continues, “mister Williams, this is the Nildran Construction Company crew.” If he can muster up the ability to look away from Cynarith for a second he will see there is a diverse range of races among the men and even a few women. “I am sure they all are more than capable of showing you how we work around here. I’m sorry, how they work around here,” at this she gives a side eye to the table as it seems her little joke at her own expense got some genuine chuckles. There are plenty of empty seats and one of the guys motions for Sidd to occupy it.
Sidd shakes the foreman’s hand, greeting him with a genuine smile, “Sure thing, mister Crowe. Nice t’meetcha.” There was no time wasted when they started making their way over to the current ongoing feast. OH GOD YES, Sidd thought to himself. Breakfast! And look at that spread! But chiiill, Sidd. Chill. Don’t make an ass of yourself, yet. As they approached the table, the humorous display of workers suddenly making themselves presentable caused the man to look over at Cynarith with a raised brow. Damn, this lady is a BOSS. He would guess that their reaction was the result of one of three options: One, she was a ball-breaker who didn’t take guff. Two, she was an amazing employer that deserved respect. Or three, it was a show put on by the workers while the bigwig was around. The third option was one that Sidd was more than familiar with - although he suspected that in this instance, that wasn’t the case. When Cynarith’s gaze finally met his, he gave her a meek smile and then turned to the racially diverse crew of workers. “Sup folks! Looks like I’m the new fish in the tank. Look forward to working with ya!” Sidd started to make his way around the table, throwing out random comments toward anyone that happened to look his way. “Hi. How goes? Love the beard! Hey, nice to meet ya.” Finally reaching the offered seat, Sidd plopped himself down and made nice. “Ah, thanks, dude. ‘Preciate it! So uh, what’s the deal?” He lowers his voice, “I mean, with the boss. She cool, or...?” Sidd reached out for a bagel, adding, “Oh, do me a favour? Can ya ask someone to slide down some eggs’n’bacon. I need me a breakfast sammich.” The blue-haired human quieted down, both to wait for a response, and to see what else his new bosses might have to say.
Cynarith observes how well he integrates with the others only for a moment. She makes sure to make herself scarce during the working day because otherwise the work goes much slower since everyone is on eggshells around her or trying to impress her. It didn't take long for her to learn it is just better she is not around unless they actually need a hand with something. "A… breakfast sammich?" The fellow coworker asks with genuine intrigue. This guy might be onto something! "Well," he starts while reaching over a couple of his neighbors to reach the eggs and bacon, "she is a far cry from her father that is for sure." Some of the workers grunt and chuckle through mouthfuls of food in agreement with the beginning of this man's statement, "but at least she keeps us busy. Don't get me wrong, she is nice to leer at all day, but I like those hefty paychecks a lot better," the answer isn't exactly kind or flattering on Cynarith's part, it is plain honest. A few at the table will stop to watch the new guy make this 'sammich' in awe. "If you ask me I cannot wait for Xiem to get back. I don't trust a woman to plan out nuttin," one of the other workers chimes in, who is older and obviously set in his ways, but he has one more point to make, "remember that fiasco back in Rynvale?!" It is at this time the foreman clears his throat and swallows his bite of food before butting into the discussion, "yeah, yeah. How many times do you want her to apologize for that? I believe she has learned from that experience. We had to know things were not going to be exactly the same under a temporary owner- or would you rather us just not have jobs? You'd be back on the street where Xiem found ya with your three teeth beggin' for scraps again." No one wanted to hire an ex-convict back in Frostmaw and probably still won't, but the foreman decides not to mention that in front of the whole crew. "He could have just left us all in the wind, but Miss Cynarith was kind enough to add us to her already busy schedule as a favor to her father so that we were not left without jobs," the hush fell over the entire table, but the guy sitting next to Sidd is quiet for an entirely different reason because he is trying to follow every step to creating this 'breakfast sammich'. After a couple of quiet minutes, idle conversation returns to the table and no one mentions her for the rest of the day. The day went on and before they knew it, it was lunchtime which consisted of lots of fresh cold water, iced tea, a cold cut spread of sliced meats and cheeses to make their own sandwich, cucumber salad and plenty of whole fruits to choose from.
Just as the sun is setting, Cynarith arrives to help hand out dinner vouchers for any restaurant in Cenril and a drink token valid at either the bar, the inn, or maybe the cool new club under the Ginger Snapped Bakery & Sweetshop. She makes a point to seek out the newer employees to see how they are getting on and then she finally spots Sidd. "Mister Williams," she calls out just before approaching him, "it seems you survived the day." She had already talked to the foreman about Sidd's performance and heard all positive things. "I promise not to hold you up too long, you've got a hot meal waiting for you," she hands him his voucher and drink token. "So, how did the day find you?"
Sidd was currently in the middle of gathering his belongings when Cynarith made her approach. He was a very different looking person than the presentable, eager, up-and-comer he’d arrived to work as. That button-down shirt had been discarded at some point during the day, leaving the man to default to his signature black tanktop - although this one wasn’t full of holes, yet. His bandana no longer covered that slicked-back strip of blue hair, instead tied around his wrist and used as a makeshift sweatband. He was dusty and covered in dirt, highlighting the fact that he did in fact put in some effort today. “Ah hey, miss Cynarith. What’s shakin’?” he asked, taking the offered rewards without hesitation. To her posed question, the man would be a little slow on the answer, thinking back to the day in its entirety. It wasn’t a bad day, in all. He got to pass on his love for the ‘breakfast sammich’ by teaching a few of the others about how it’s made. While it was a rudimentary affair with the ingredients on hand, he totally went into depth about the optimal way to make them, the type of bread that works best, and absolutely stressed the importance of the one ingredient he didn’t have on hand - Cheese. He kinda felt like the ‘big man on campus’ at that moment. However, as the rest of the day went on, that feeling didn’t stick around long. Since it was his first day on the job, and he was the ‘new fish’ so to speak, Sidd was pretty much relegated to the role of the gopher. You know, ‘go fer’ this. ‘Go fer’ that. All the really petty work that no one with experience enjoyed doing. He gathered supplies, lugged the heavy lumber, and fetched things that needed fetchin’. He didn’t complain once, though. It had been a long time since Sidd worked with an outfit like this, and even then, he knew the ins and outs of how things typically went. All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable experience and a much-needed change of pace from working the docks. “Ah man, it was great,” he finally replied. “You got a cool as hell bunch of workers. Fantastic ladies and gents that I’d like to think I got on well with. Got to impart some wisdom that I’d learned in my youth. Hard work, I’ll admit, but I can handle it, no problem.” Sidd grinned, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Seriously, if there ain’t any problems, and you’ve not heard anything bad, I’m game to show up again tomorrow. And the day after that, too. I’m definitely in it for a permanent position.”
Cynarith can feel her smile spread wider as he said the day was great and he further elaborated on the group of workers. She knows the change in ownership didn't sit well with a number of them, but she is here to be their boss, not their friend and she has become numb to that feeling. Owning a few other businesses tends to build up a callus over where one's feelings might get hurt over such a trivial thing. They get paid for their hard work, not their opinions on her, so she doesn't really give a giant's crap. While they walk from the site together, she observes some of the other workers saying their goodbyes and one of them even mentions that they hope they see him at the Whaler's later. "I admire your ambition mister Williams and glad you've got on. I am sure everyone here is just as excited to have your hand on this project. It also helps that-" she glances over her shoulder quickly before continuing in a lower tone for only Sidd to hear, "foreman Crowe likes your worth ethic." Hopefully Sidd doesn't get too big a head about it, "but you did not hear that from me." The scent of sweaty men has reached the limit she can withstand, so she parts from Sidd while offering, "I am not sure if you're a native to Cenril, but if you need a place to wash up and rest for the night while you're employed with us, you have a room at the local inn. All you need to do is mention me by name and they will set you up. I must be off. I have the Elimdor social season to prepare myself for," she boasts with a casual flip of her rose gold colored hair and a little wiggle of her fingers in a goodbye wave, but if she were truly honest - she would rather stay here with the laborers. Such a shift in her core makeup is definitely not something she is willing to admit or face just yet.