xp_logs | Doug and 14 - Job Interview

xp_cypher posting in

Phoebe learns why Doug specifically requested her, and Doug makes her a job offer.

For most of her life, 14 had found that people tended to take the path of least resistance. They went for what was safe, or what was easy, or what was readily available. Given the choice to climb over a mountain or walk through a tunnel to reach the other side, most people would grab a flashlight and stumble blindly off into the darkness.

Which is why she was surprised to receive a message on Phoebe's phone earlier that morning.

Each of 14's personae were specifically crafted to fit a role. Esme was the quiet, soft-spoken one that put people off guard. Celeste tended to draw people in with her 'mysterious, aloof, and slightly cold' personality. Sophie was the normal one, utterly forgettable to the point that people would talk right in front of her without realizing it, and Irma was the 'open' one, who was actually friendly enough that anyone else would be comfortable approaching her.

Phoebe was her enforcer. The tough one who was used whenever her mark required a firmer hand or a more forceful intimidation. Phoebe was the one designed to be the most willing to throw herself into a fight or pull a knife. Where Irma would verbally tear you down with a sweet smile and a wink, Phoebe was allowed to be more direct in barbs and viciously cruel in attitude.

Celeste may have been the 'scary' one, but Phoebe was the one most likely to be considered 'quietly crazy'.

Apparently, Doug was a mountain climber. That was the only reasonable explanation as to why she was currently knocking on his door.

"Phoebe, please, come in." Normally Doug would have gotten up to answer the knock, but he was finding that he had to re-evaluate even some of his most minor habits in the wake of how his body reacted after whatever it was that had happened to him when his and Wanda's battle with Grace went pear-shaped. Multi-hour naps were becoming his daily norm. "Please, sit," he told the blonde as she entered his office.

14 did so, cocking her head to the side as she studied Doug. This was one of the things 14 loved about Phoebe. Irma would have to be tactful, and Esme may not have said anything at all. But Phoebe...

"You look like hell."

...could be blunt.

"Then I look better than I feel." It was blunt, and it was perhaps slightly cliche, but it was also the truth. Doug had been exposed to a lot of things over the years, and experienced quite a bit of pain, but even the interrogation he'd undergone in Genosha had been finite. This weariness, bone deep and perhaps even further, was a new status quo, something to be endured every moment forward with no end in sight. "Blood magic is a real sonofabitch," he added wryly.

14 shrugged in her chair, leaning forward so that she was resting her elbows on her hips. "Sounds useful, at least." If he'd wanted sympathy from her, he'd have texted Irma instead. So clearly, there was something else. "Still, I imagine you didn't just text me in order to critique your appearance."

"I get enough of that recreationally," Doug agreed. He'd worked hard to counteract the 'skinny dweeb' stereotype, on top of keeping himself in good physical condition for his job, and this was likely to undo all of that. "I need an assistant." Given that his own public status with Emma was as her personal assistant, they were verging into 'assistant undersecretary' type places, but still. "This didn't do anything to my mind, but right now-" Doug paused. There was no time frame on recovering from this, and he was being painfully optimistic to think otherwise. "-I get winded going up and down stairs."

He held up a hand to forestall whatever biting remark Phoebe might have been preparing. "I don't mean I need you to hold my dick while I piss or anything like that." (14 scrunched up her nose. Really, there was no need to be crude about it.) "But there are aspects of my job that are too physically taxing for..." He waved a hand to indicate his cane and sallow skintone. "...this."

He frowned. "And physical security is my biggest concern." They did a good job keeping their cover intact and countermeasures in place. But he - and Emma - had enemies even so.

Phoebe steepled her fingers. "I see," was all 14 said. Honestly, it sounded like Doug was looking for a glorified babysitter. "That explains the what, I suppose. Now, I have to ask 'why?'. If it was just business, Emma could find someone acceptable enough on her own. Glorified secretaries are a dime a dozen, after all. But obviously, she hasn't. I doubt you expect to get away with not paying me." There was a distinct impression of You're not that stupid in her tone.

There was a small quirk up of her lips. "You need a telepath, don't you?"

"A telepath. Who can fight." Doug started ticking off points on his fingers. "And isn't afraid to tell me when I'm trying to do too much. Who I can trust." And he did trust her, at the very least to be herself. "I need more than a 'glorified secretary', and that list is pretty short." In fact, the only candidate was sitting in front of him. Granted, he wasn't sure if she would accept - it would depend on her own internal calculations on what she would get out of the offer. His own trust wasn't so transactional, but he knew at least a bit about how she approached things.

14 seemed to take an almost morbid sense of amusement out of the entire situation, despite everything. You could hear it in her voice. "You must be truly desperate to come to me for help." Still, there wasn't any reason to dismiss it out of hand, even if she thought she'd be a terrible secretary. There was a long, long pause as Phoebe seemed to measure up Doug, before giving a small shrug. "Alright, I'm interested at least. What are you offering?"

"Access. Connections. Resources." The things Doug knew she wanted. She was definitely Emma's in that regard, even if she would likely be loath to admit it. And for that matter, she reminded him a bit of Hope as well, though even at her most roundabout, she did not have nearly the same approach as Doug's sometime protege. Hope put enormous emphasis on being ladylike and subtle, for one, and she was much more willing to use whatever tool was at hand. Which was why it was her that Doug was approaching and not Hope - he wanted viciousness when the time called for it.

"Aww, you know just what to get a girl," Phoebe said. Really, was she that obvious or was Doug that observant? Probably both. It wasn't as though she'd exactly been hiding her more mercenary nature from the others, after all.

All things of value. All things money couldn't necessarily buy. It was like loyalty, or trust, or faith. Hard to come by, easy to lose, and worth more than all the gold in the world if you knew what to do with it. And 14 definitely knew what to do with it. There was just one problem, then.

"So, what are you not telling me?"

"Very little that you couldn't already guess." After all, Doug thought, if they were going to trust each other in any fashion for this to work, they needed to be open in communicating about things. "That I - and Emma - have enemies, who may take your involvement with us as permission to come after you as well." He shrugged. "Every coin comes with a flip side."

"Well, that's boring," Sophie scoffed with a frown from somewhere else in the mansion. Phoebe just cocked a brow. "Alright," she shrugged. "I'm sold."

"And the best part is, I bet we can get Emma to pay for a brand new wardrobe, if you like." Sure, Doug had already sold her on it, but it never hurt to put a cherry on top.

Well, how could a girl resist that? "Just one last question, then." A pause. "When do I start?"

Doug made a show of looking at his watch. "Does now work for you?"