Fantasy Rosewater Execution Firm

[NunuSama]

Hael got closer to the group, watching one woman go into the office, completely ignoring the prospect of introductions. He shrugged, hearing the woman closest to him, tell them her name. He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets, offering them a bright smile, hoping to disperse some of the tension that had gathered.


“Well, seeing as we’re all bound to be working together at some point, I don’t see the harm in introductions. I’m Hael Kimura. It’s nice to meet you, Veronica and..” He paused and smiled disarmingly at the asian woman, his blue eyes fearlessly meeting hers, waiting for her name.


@Aelos


@Stickdom

 

[Glasswing]

"Well," She began, "Considering that this job involves the active elimination of what you call... 'Evil', it is more than evident that this job is rather dangerous, relatively speaking." Vuokko was aware of what exactly these evil entities were. She had seen a couple before, but they were very isolated incidents. It never directly affected her. "Regarding my encounters with these evil entities, I haven't had too much experience. Neither my family or I have been attacked or otherwise directly affected. I did, however, see a man succumbing to the evil when a friend and I were coming back from hunting. He was unarmed, but caused quite a ruckus. My friend and I got our rifles out, and brandished them. There were too many people about, and I couldn't get a clear shot. My friend, however, he immediately fired his gun. He missed, needless to say, but the sound scared him off." In retrospect, The sound of the rifle was much louder than it should have been. As she thought about it, the sound repeated over in her mind. Interestingly, it was that particular man that lead her to this firm; after that incident, people started spreading rumors about it, and eventually led Vuokko to it. There was a brief pause before she continued, "So, that being said, in terms of abilities, I have experiences with guns and hunting tools, like knives, and I have had a couple small runs with the evil. Nothing too noteworthy in that regard."


@CoreyXIX

 

[CoreyXIX]

"Well," She began, "Considering that this job involves the active elimination of what you call... 'Evil', it is more than evident that this job is rather dangerous, relatively speaking." Vuokko was aware of what exactly these evil entities were. She had seen a couple before, but they were very isolated incidents. It never directly affected her. "Regarding my encounters with these evil entities, I haven't had too much experience. Neither my family or I have been attacked or otherwise directly affected. I did, however, see a man succumbing to the evil when a friend and I were coming back from hunting. He was unarmed, but caused quite a ruckus. My friend and I got our rifles out, and brandished them. There were too many people about, and I couldn't get a clear shot. My friend, however, he immediately fired his gun. He missed, needless to say, but the sound scared him off." In retrospect, The sound of the rifle was much louder than it should have been. As she thought about it, the sound repeated over in her mind. Interestingly, it was that particular man that lead her to this firm; after that incident, people started spreading rumors about it, and eventually led Vuokko to it. There was a brief pause before she continued, "So, that being said, in terms of abilities, I have experiences with guns and hunting tools, like knives, and I have had a couple small runs with the evil. Nothing too noteworthy in that regard."
@CoreyXIX

Brian nods a bit here and there as he listens to Vuokko's story. Well, she was very honest about it. Having firearm expertise would be a major plus for her prospects in this field. It was some relief that she hadn't met with much tragedy from the result of Evil's work, unlike many of the assassins that worked in these halls. "I see. It looks like you've had a fair bit of luck in that Evil hasn't caused too much trouble for you.A lot of us here haven't been able to say the same."he remarks with a small nod. "I would recommend using your expertise in firearms more than your knives. In the meantime, I welcome you to the Rosewater Execution Firm Miss Vuokko." he finishes with a small smile as he reaches a hand across the table with the intention of shaking hands with her to conclude the meeting. What a diverse bunch he had hired today!

 

[Glasswing]

Vuokko listened intently. She was a bit surprised at first to hear that a lot of people here have had trouble with Evil. 'Yes... I suppose it is true. I guess I am lucky.' She also found it a bit silly, that he suggested using knives as weapons. Vuokko had noted her proficiency with knives to suggest she had some survival knowledge. She stood and shook is hand firmly and gave a nod of the head, "Thank you Mister Rose..." She pause briefly. Vuokko reviewed what he had just said in her mind. 'Wait. Damn! Is it Rosewater? I've been saying wood the whole time.' She continued speaking, "...Water, for accepting me into your firm." She retracted her hand and proceeded to exit the room. "Have a nice day." She said just prior to leaving his office. She was surprised that the interview was so quick, Vuokko had expected more questions. 'I guess he did state they were closing questions.'


Vuokko returned to the hallway, where everyone was introducing themselves. She walked over to the group, allowing them to finish their introductions before she addressed them.


@Stickdom


@NunuSama


@Aelos

 

[NunuSama]

Hael's attention was drawn away from the Asian who hadn't had time to introduce herself, to study the woman who came out of Rosewater's office. 'man, I'm the only guy I've seen here.' He leaned on his heals and smiled brightly at the blonde in greeting, smoothly making his way around them in order to get to the door. "Hey, I'll catch your names later, I probably shouldn't keep the boss waiting." he said, relieved to see he'd soon get out of this nest of high tensions between the women. He knocked on the door, before letting himself in, quick to close the door behind him before anyone could tell him otherwise.


He rose his gaze to find the older man who was soon going to be his boss. He strode forward, casually tossing him a smile and sitting down. He was nervous and he knew it showed in the tense way he was moving, but he was going to do his best to at least seem relaxed. Just because he came unprepared for the meeting didn't mean it was going to go wrong.


"Mr. Rosewater." He greeted, gazing at the man without breaking eye contact. "I'm Hael Kimura, its a pleasure to finally meet you." He sat awkwardly before lurching forward and holding his hand out to shake, wondering where his manners were hiding. Probably with the paperwork he'd left at home.


@CalamariHero


@CoreyXIX


@Aelos


@Stickdom

 

[CoreyXIX]

Hael's attention was drawn away from the Asian who hadn't had time to introduce herself, to study the woman who came out of Rosewater's office. 'man, I'm the only guy I've seen here.' He leaned on his heals and smiled brightly at the blonde in greeting, smoothly making his way around them in order to get to the door. "Hey, I'll catch your names later, I probably shouldn't keep the boss waiting." he said, relieved to see he'd soon get out of this nest of high tensions between the women. He knocked on the door, before letting himself in, quick to close the door behind him before anyone could tell him otherwise.
He rose his gaze to find the older man who was soon going to be his boss. He strode forward, casually tossing him a smile and sitting down. He was nervous and he knew it showed in the tense way he was moving, but he was going to do his best to at least seem relaxed. Just because he came unprepared for the meeting didn't mean it was going to go wrong.


"Mr. Rosewater." He greeted, gazing at the man without breaking eye contact. "I'm Hael Kimura, its a pleasure to finally meet you." He sat awkwardly before lurching forward and holding his hand out to shake, wondering where his manners were hiding. Probably with the paperwork he'd left at home.


@CalamariHero


@CoreyXIX


@Aelos


@Stickdom

"Good to finally meet you in person, Mister Kimura." Brian says as he returns the smile and shaking hands with the latest in the line of new employees. A stark contrast to most of the others that have visited today. He was practically wearing his emotions on his sleeve, despite trying to keep it under control. At least he was prepared enough to know to try to keep his cool under the slight pressure of this final interview. "Try not to be too nervous please, Mister Kimura. This is just some closing things before you're formally accepted to the team." he explains to the younger man opposite him. "I saw on your application that you have some affinity with fire. Can you go into a bit more detail for me, please?" he asks, hoping that giving him something to focus on would ease the tension in the room and set a better mood for what was to come.

 

[NunuSama]

The brunette relaxed slightly, leaning forward so he could rest his elbows on his knees, tilting his head as he thought about what he wanted to say. “Well, sir. I suppose I’d have to say I found out about it a few months before finishing school. I don’t really know how to control it or anything and nobody really seems how to teach me about it. About anything really, so here I am. They told me lots of people who have experience with powers such as mine come here.” Hael explained, keeping a steady eye on Mr. Rosewater, ready to catch the slightest movement the man made.


Hael didn’t like to be kept in the dark, it was better to know all the details and nobody knew much about the Rosewater Execution Firm other than it was Government funded and it destroyed Evil at the roots and that the Agents always had strange abilities. Like his fire. “I can move fire if it’s within a good distance, or” Hael paused to pull out a couple of large silver lighters from a couple different pockets, setting them down on Rosewater’s desk, “carry it around with me.” he gave a cheery smile.





@CoreyXIX

 

[CoreyXIX]

The brunette relaxed slightly, leaning forward so he could rest his elbows on his knees, tilting his head as he thought about what he wanted to say. “Well, sir. I suppose I’d have to say I found out about it a few months before finishing school. I don’t really know how to control it or anything and nobody really seems how to teach me about it. About anything really, so here I am. They told me lots of people who have experience with powers such as mine come here.” Hael explained, keeping a steady eye on Mr. Rosewater, ready to catch the slightest movement the man made.
Hael didn’t like to be kept in the dark, it was better to know all the details and nobody knew much about the Rosewater Execution Firm other than it was Government funded and it destroyed Evil at the roots and that the Agents always had strange abilities. Like his fire. “I can move fire if it’s within a good distance, or” Hael paused to pull out a couple of large silver lighters from a couple different pockets, setting them down on Rosewater’s desk, “carry it around with me.” he gave a cheery smile.





@CoreyXIX

Brian nods a bit as the young man explained hus abilities to him. The time he discovered sounded like about the a lot of people discovered their power. Others like himself often didn't discover theirs until a life or death situation occured. The older man had to admit fire seemed pretty appropriate for the brunette sitting across from him. It's burning destructive power would serve well as long as he was a bit cautious. "I see. Now, I'm going to reiterate on the danger of the job. You're likely to see and experience things you wish you hadn't. If you have enough of a backbone and a desire to make the world free from Evil's hold you're welcome on the team."

 

[NunuSama]

Hael's eyes dimmed and the cheery look fell off his face before he forced a smile, "Of course, I'm aware of the danger. If I have to live with the pain Evil brings to save others from experiencing it, I'll do whatever it takes, sir." The brunette gave him a fierce look and stood, saluting him. "I wont back down."


@CoreyXIX

 

[CoreyXIX]

Hael's eyes dimmed and the cheery look fell off his face before he forced a smile, "Of course, I'm aware of the danger. If I have to live with the pain Evil brings to save others from experiencing it, I'll do whatever it takes, sir." The brunette gave him a fierce look and stood, saluting him. "I wont back down."
@CoreyXIX

He smiled at the young man's resolution. "Excellent, then you'll be right at home here with the rest of us. Go ahead and get to know your coworkers while I work on some finishing details for the job I'm sending all of you on." Brian instructs Hael. "I just hope the others will have as much vigor on the job as you probably will."

 

[NunuSama]

Hael's cheery look returned and he relaxed, "Great. See ya, Boss!" He turned and strode out of the room back into the fray of women.


@CoreyXIX @Stickdom @Aelos @CalamariHero

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Gran Larson's day began when his alarm rang for the fifth time that morning. He was supposed to wake up at 7:00 am for his all-important job interview later at 8:00 am. When he opened his sleep-heavy eyes, it was already 7:25 am. Never before had anyone ever jumped so far from his bed than Gran did. Everything else passed by in a blur. Fortunately he had experience in battling all sorts of pressure while cramming for three exams the following school day.


Within the next twenty minutes, by luck or divine intervention he was on a cab heading towards the address where the Rosewater Execution Firm was said to be located. It was a good thing he bunked in a motel close by, or else he'd miss his one chance to get in. Dappled in the suit his Grandfather used to wear in his youth, and with a piece of toast dangling between his teeth, Gran mentally prepared himself for his talk with the elusive Brian Rosewater.


Along with the sword cane he used as both gentlemanly implement and weapon, Gran carried in his messenger bag his documents, his resume, and the primer that first started him on this journey to discover himself. He pulled it out and flipped through newspaper clippings, lengthy notes, and ended up on the page where it discussed the manifestation of elements. One word on that page particularly caught his attention: light. It was somehow related to the shimmering dream he saw in the aftermath of the greatest tragedy in his life. And if Brian Rosewater held the answers to all his questions, Gran would do anything to be accepted in his Firm.


Having a goal like that was a very effective way of distracting him from his grief.


He arrived at the inconspicuous-looking building with three minutes to spare. Quickly he made his way through the glass doors, smiling at the lovely receptionist whilst showing her his ID and telling her of his purpose. He was then whisked into an elevator that sadly had quite a poor taste in music. Really, such tasteless pop had no place in the hallowed halls of the elevator. It made him wish he had more time to converse with the receptionist. She seemed like a fine specimen of womanhood. 'Ah, but if I end up working here, we'll have more chances to talk. I should focus on that, along with all that important jazz,' he happily thought.


The elevator dinged at the floor where the office of Brian Rosewater was located, and he was mildly surprised that there were others sitting on the chairs lining the well-lit hallway. "Woah, would you look at that..." he muttered to himself as he gazed at the field of flowers that waited just outside the office. What a time to be alive! It looked like all of his fellow starters were women. Ah, what a wonderful world, indeed.


With the poise and walk of a gentleman, he approached the three beauties. One of them in particular caught his eye, a visage unparalleled. Porcelain skin, doll-like features, slim body, glasses. She had everything, and Gran wasn't about to let her greatness go unappreciated. He stood in front of her, and with a flick of a wrist whipped out a single red rose. Smiling, he handed the rose over to the woman, saying, "Greetings, milady. My name is Gran Larson, a hopeful applicant for the Rosewater Execution Firm. And you are?"


(@Stickdom)


(@CalamariHero)


(@Aelos)

 

[Stickdom]

Veronica

The hallway had become quite crowded now, and more appeared to be crawling out of the seams of the building. No one but this new boy had answered her query regarding their names, he introduced himself as Hael and then promptly entered the office as the silver-haired woman exited it. Not that she minded that he had simply left without a word, she did not grow too attached to individuals nearly that quickly, it was simply more efficient to operate oneself that way.


Several moments passed in some form of awkward silence as Veronica took a seat outside of the office door. She had been meaning to make the trip to the basement to deliver her equipment, but she now decided to stay and watch how this group would mesh together, perhaps get a feel for any team dynamics that would eventually develop. But, before any more introductions could be made, yet another new face appeared, this one young and blonde. He appeared in good spirits, practically skipping through the hallways, even more so at the sight of the three women seated there, An optimistic rich child, how quaint. I hope he understands what he's in for here, this is not a field trip. She was totally unprepared for his next actions, however, as he reached into his sleeve with a flourish and produced a red rose... and presented it to her? Not only is he an optimist, he is a frivolous flirt. I give him one assignment before he quits. His introductions fell on disinterested ears, Veronica hated to be singled out under any circumstances, but to have such garish attentions thrown at her so flippantly at first sight was a blow to her pride. She was not a toy to be bought so cheaply, already she felt that she despised him. "Veronica Chang," she answered coldly while looking up at him, not even lifting a hand to refuse the flower, he would take the hint that she would not take it soon enough. "I believe Mr. Kimura has just now left the office, Mr. Larson, and you are the next in line. I wish you luck on your interview." With these words, she reached for the briefcase set beside her chair and said to the two other girls and Hael, "I'm sure we will be called to whatever mission Mr. Rose water has for us presently, I have some arrangements to take care of in the meantime. Until we meet again." And with those words, she began to walk down the hallway towards the elevator, not waiting for a response; there would be opportunities for pleasantries later. Perhaps she would have time to reach the basement facility after all.


@YumenoTsukishiro


@Aelos


@NunuSama


@CalamariHero


@CoreyXIX

 

[NunuSama]

Hael could barely believe his eyes as a well dressed man presented a rose, stored in his coat, and introduced himself to the disinterested woman. He shook his head slightly, just unable to believe as he quietly moved away from the door so the man would be able to get to the office. He watched the woman take her briefcase and walk elegantly out of the hallway, moving to follow. He had forgotten to ask what he was meant to do with himself after his meeting, but with the purpose Veronica was moving with, she probably had some idea.


Quickly he moved to catch up to her, matching her pace, "Excuse me, Miss. Chang," He cast a cheerful smile, "You wouldn't happen to know where I can rest?"


@Stickdom

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Well. That reaction was possibly the coldest he'd ever seen. It was as if she considered him less than dirt stuck beneath her shoe. Gran expected as much. Even in his old school he didn't have any luck with women. And there when he was rejected, he'd spend the rest of the day drowning himself in the books of his Grandpa's library. But then... but then... Veronica Chang. She was something else. The rose was in his hands, untouched, and yet it looked all the more beautiful for it. He put it away in the sleeve of his suit, noting at the back of his mind that this particular rose would be hers and hers alone.


Meanwhile, she mentioned one piece of vital info that reminded him of the reason why he was standing in this hallway in the first place-- his important interview with Brian Rosewater. He tapped his cane once against the floor and flashed the two other ladies his most gentlemanly smile. "I'm guessing it's my turn to take the stage. Wish me luck! I look forward to getting acquainted with all of you later."


He flourished a bow at the two beauties, before turning to enter the room of his hopefully future boss. Once inside, it took a split second before he felt the force of the man's presence. Something inside of Gran resonated with Sir Brian, and without him realizing it he had caused the light around him to shimmer, revealing a fleeting scenery of a forest inside an office room. It was so quick he didn't even notice. Gran simply chalked it up to nerves.


The moment passed, and Gran quickly composed himself. He presented a professional front to Brian, smiling as a true gentleman would. He extended his hand in greeting, saying, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Mister Brian Rosewater. My name is Gran Larson, grandson of Reginald Larson."

 

[CoreyXIX]

"Well, Mister Larson come on in and sit down. No need to stand out in the cold just yet." Brian says with a professional smile. He had just been ready to break the awkward moment of the newcomer standing in the entrance like something alien was afoot. Good thing the applicant did so first, otherwise it might have been embarrassing. Still, the older Executioner felt a bit of a kindred spirit from what little he knew of the person at the door. "I would save the luck your coworkers would wish you for your jobs as opposed to this. This is just a simple closing part for any loose ends for us to tie up. I understand you also have an affinity with Light as well. I was wonder if I could hear a little more what your talent entails." He explains as he waits for Gran to sit down and make himself a bit at home. He just hoped that there was substance to back Gran's style, since he had been able to hear some of the outside exchanges through the relatively thin walls of the building. As amusing as some of it could be, he just hoped these people wouldn't but heads too often.

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

After he shook hands with the Boss, Gran sat down on the chair opposite him. In that simple exchange, he could already feel a tingle of the power coursing beneath the man's skin. 'He isn't someone I want as my enemy,' Gran thought. 'Who'd want to butt heads with their boss in the first place? Still, it would be nice if he was a she.'





Gran listened to Brian's next words, feeling a little surprised that he managed to hear him talk from outside the office. Well, he had been a little loud, so it shouldn't come as a shock. Either way, Gran had an interview to ace. He wasn't going to do that by sitting still and staying silent.


"My talent is something I don't fully understand myself," Gran started. "What I do know is that I can bend light. The first time this happened was when... I lost everything. I weaved a scene out of a storybook right in my room, but it lasted only a second. And before it went away, I thought I saw the edges of the scene shimmer. Since then, I've trained myself to use these light tricks of mine to complement my swordplay. I'm proud to say that no mortal man has ever beaten me in a straight-up melee."


First impressions matter very much. Gran didn't have to say that he almost got gutted the first few fights he had. And against those things of a darker nature... It was somewhat of a life and death struggle.

 

[CoreyXIX]

Competent swordplay with a dash of something akin to illusions? Brian couldn't say he heard that very often.Most elemental people he met tended to have more direct ways of using their power. How very interesting indeed.


"I'm sorry to hear it took something as tragic as that to unlock your power." Brian says in condolence to Gran, as late as it came he wondered if it really mean that much now. "Seems like a sadly common issue these days. You're in similar company with most of your coworkers here. But do you have formal combat or hunting experience, or are you self-taught?" he asks. He hoped Gran wouldn't take it the wrong way. Anybody who could reliably survive was a plus, regardless of how they learned. He just simply wanted a bit more background information on his new employee.

 

[Stickdom]

Veronica

Not even able to make it through the elevator door before being pressed again by another figure, though this time at least it was a polite one. Turning to face Hael, she replied with "I believe they have rooms to stay in on one of the lower floors, Mr. Rosewater mentioned them during my interview. I wouldn't bother heading there yet, we're certain to be called back in several minutes. I'm simply delivering my equipment to the storage facility in the basement." She didn't voice her true motives, it was mostly an excuse to distance herself from the cretin who had just made her look like an object. It was better for her to take a moment and rebalance herself internally, they would certainly be working closely together, all of them, and it wouldn't do to start off on poor footing.


She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the lowest level possible, assuming it would take her to her desired destination. She was not disappointed when several moments later saw the doors sliding open to reveal a state of the art facility, partly taken up by an open, padded sparring floor across from a full-length shooting range with metal mannequin targets swinging tantalizingly at the end. Mr. Rosewater had mentioned a trophy room of sorts, but she didn't care to dig too far into the inner workings, there would surely be a tour at the appropriate time. For now, she simply went to an open locker next to the sparring floor and placed her briefcase inside of it, removing the lock from the case and taking a few capsule-like items and her three-sectioned staff, slipping the first into her pockets and draping the staff around her neck. After securing the door closed behind her, she transferred the lock to the locker door itself. Now to find a distraction until Mr. Rosewater calls us back for our first briefing. She was tempted to pull a mannequin onto the mats and practice her kata on it, but decided against it. Folding the staff carefully into its three portions, she slipped it into the case strapped to her leg under her skirt. It was bulky and awkward to look at, but it was accessible and practical, all she cared about. On second thought, I expect that the briefing will be called shortly, it would be most rude to be late on the first day. She reentered the elevator and pressed the top floor's button, mentally preparing herself to accept her first set of orders.


@NunuSama

 

[NunuSama]

Hael followed Veronica long enough to get the answer he desired and broke off, leaving her at the elevator with a kind smile, hardly insulted at her quick reply and even quicker get away. He turned back to the group and decided to stick to the end of the hall where he could think quietly, but still be talked too if any of the others desired to hold a conversation with him. The way things looked, he was probably going to be largely ignored. He shrugged to his thoughts and slid down the wall, sitting on the floor and yawning.


He'd gotten the job. He could relax now. The hard parts were over for now. He didn't want this to just be another job. He wanted this to be worth something. He needed it to be worth something. He felt the determined fire that always seemed to reside inside himself burn hotter and he curled his knees up to rest his head, Blue eyes gazing at nothing in particular, lost in his own thoughts.

 

[Glasswing]

Vuokko had been simply standing in silence, observing the group as new people keep arriving and leaving, causing new interactions to occur. Spontaneously, the group had dissolved just as quickly it cam together, with the group's center, Veronica departing to the elevator. Vuokko believed it to be due to the newest young man who had arrived, it was evident that it caught her off guard, even if in the slightest. Her spontaneous departure suggested it. Vuokko didn't find it particularly surprising, though. Veronica seemed, in her mind, to treat things with a certain level of professional nature; a spontaneous gesture such as that would easily conflict. Not even being the subject of the matter, Vuokko was even caught off guard. It made her wonder how often he kept a rose up his sleeve, just in case; It made her chuckle just thinking about it.


After a mild delay, she followed behind Veronica to the elevator. Vuokko was curious about what she thought about Gran. She stood at the elevator for several moments with her hand hovering over the button. She was motionless, processing thoughts before actually pursuing Veronica. 'A simple greeting didn't initially go to well... she probably wouldn't appreciate me pestering her about it.' And, after much deliberation, Vuokko put her hand back down and returned to her seat outisde the office, effectively accomplishing nothing. She removed a folded piece of paperwork from a pocket on the inside of her jacket. It was a form regarding the import of her rifle. While she did have rifle training, she did not have her rifle on her. She still needed to complete the paperwork necessary for importing. She waited to fill it out until after the interview, just so she could check the box stating it was for work without jumping the gun, as it were. Unfortunately, it would take several weeks to arrive. She'd need to inquire Rosewater about using an interim.

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Gran decided to ignore the heartfelt condolence and decided on answering the question instead. "While I have no formal training in a dojo or a school whatsoever, I am completely confident in the skills my Grandfather passed on to me. And I don't have any photographic proof, but before I came to this city I was ambushed by a group of uncouth gangsters in an alleyway. Not to be arrogant, but I sent them to the nearest medical facility without letting them touch me. For their sake, I didn't even unsheathed my sword. As for hunting experience..."


He hesitated here, breaking eye contact for a long moment. Sharing the answer to that seemed highly unprofessional. And yet it felt like the right thing to do. "I hunted down the one person who took away my life, my dreams, and my family. He had red eyes that flashed with hatred when I ran my sword through him. That man was my father."


The silence beyond his words settled heavily like lead in the room. Gran's heart was overcome with the grief he had held back for so long, and it took him every ounce of willpower to keep it from spilling over. His face was blank, betraying no emotion as he stared back into the eyes of the man who would tell him why he had to murder his own father.

 

[CoreyXIX]

Despite the lack of emotion, the heavy feeling in the air and the general impression he got from the young man on the other side of the table filled a lot of the gaps the crestfallen silence had created. In all honesty there wasn't too much Brian could say in order to placate Gran. What could he do? Give (ignored)condolences? Explain that the boy's own father lost a struggle against something both relatively human and yet malicious and alien? Brian Rosewater could only begin to speculate on the last one, since he didn't know Gran's father or family.


"It's not my place to share my thoughts on such a thing without being asked first." he says, keeping off his own opinion on the matter for now. To him, Gran did what had to be done despite how awful it was. Brian was at least willing to think that man's spirit would rest easy knowing that not only would his twisted form harm no more, but also that the son was willing to pick up a weapon in the name of Good. "Just remember, 'He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.' This line of work will probably make you see things you wish you hadn't." Brian says, that remark he told everyone else seeming so insignificant in light of Gran's story. "But, unfortunately you already know that. The job is yours, welcome to the firm. Unless you have further questions, I plan on doing either building orientation or giving out the first wave of contracts."

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

'Well, that was easy,' Gran thought as he was accepted into the elusive Rosewater Executive Firm by the elusive Brian Rosewater himself. He felt relieved, yet frankly a little disappointed. Throughout his long journey he considered the possibility of going through a gauntlet of trials just to get Brian to see him in the first place. To that end he trained himself to the ground mastering the forms of the fencing style his Grandpa used. Not only that, he fostered his strange talent by finding ways to incorporate it in his personal combat style. At the end of it, Gran was fairly confident that only a precious few could best him in a swordfight. He was ready for anything Brian Rosewater might throw at him.


And there he was, hired after a brief exchange of words without any show of skills. Gran definitely felt somewhat put off by that. But if Brian's words were anything to go by, the job interview should be the least of his worries. The job itself would make him wish he didn't go to the interview in the first place.


Gran stood up from his chair, his movements carrying the air of a dignified lord. He held up his cane to eye level, and slowly drew the thin blade of consecrated steel from its scabbard. Then he saluted Brian by crossing his sword arm over his chest, the tip pointing towards the ceiling, before tilting his body in a bow.


"I, Gran Larson, humbly accept your offer of employment in the Rosewater Execution Firm. I pledge to put all my efforts in fighting whatever darkness out there that threatens our peace. My sword will cut swiftly through our enemies, just as it will staunchly defend our allies. This I solemnly swear."


It was all terribly formal, but it was a bygone tradition from the gentlemanly duelists on his Grandfather's side whenever they swore fealty to anyone. Gran practiced this routine several times the night before, trying hard not to make a fool of himself in front of the mirror. In the end, he hoped it was worth all the effort.


The short ceremoy concluded, Gran sheathed his blade, tapping the cane on the floor once he was done. Then he looked to Brian with a smile and said, "If I may suggest, why don't we all go through the building orientation with the other successful applicants? That will give us a chance to better acquaint with each other, which will go a long way when it's time for us to work as a team."


In truth, Gran was just looking for a chance to get closer to the beautiful Veronica Chang. After her earlier cold reception, Gran was raring to give it one more go. But Brian didn't need to know that. Even if Gran still had a lot of questions about the things he'd seen in the primer, they could wait for later.

 

[CoreyXIX]

He put a lot of effort into trying to impress,didn't he? Still, Gran passed the interview and had little in the way of questions for the time being. But he was sure all the newcomers would have one or two things to ask. Everybody did, years later even Brian still had things unanswered. The best he could do it try and find answers when he could. "Well, I see we're in agreement on that much." he comments as he presses a button on his desk speaker to activate the PA system.


"Would all new employees please report to the ground floor for orientation. Thank you." he announces into the system, his voice coming through the system to the speakers throughout the building. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if the majority of everyone were scattered throughout the building at this point even though it has been such a short time between seeing his new applicants. As he grabbed the cane leaning against his desk he eases himself up out of the chair. "Well, shall we head out to see your coworkers?" he asks Gran