tushanshu_logs | August Catch All

Entry tags:

August Catch All

Characters: Seto Kaiba and YOU
Date: All of August
Location: Places of varying nature.
Situation: Once Kaiba realizes he's stuck here, he tries to deal with it. Aka Kaiba harasses all the NPCs ever.
Warnings/Rating: Insults pending.

It took a few days, and while he didn't admit to it, Kaiba was smart enough to realize he was stuck here. Whether it was real or not. And unfortunately, the testing of his Duel Disk lead him to realize that things were, indeed, real. Or at least more real than any virtual world he's ever created. After all, people don't usually get hungry when their mind is separated from their body, Joey Wheeler aside. While he had gotten the month's ration of Juulan from the welcome center, grudgingly, Kaiba knew that he had to feed himself and that meant making money. And that meant finding a job. Which also meant he was at the mercy of employers. He hated being in that sort of position. However, he had started from the bottom and worked his way up before. He could very well do it again.

Seto could be found wandering around the city, studying it. His favorite haunt being the Metal Sector as it was obviously more up his alley. He inspected buildings, asked questions of the Kedan, and gathered information. He was less inclined to seek help or speak to other Foreigners, considering the lovely welcome he'd received. Besides, he could do things on his own.

He also had to find himself a place to stay, which lead to him finding that abandoned place where some palace gardens supposedly use to be. It was empty, nobody was using it, and it was actually decent. So he took it upon himself to settle there. It was also reasonably secluded from other Foreigners and Kedan alike, and Kaiba did like his privacy.

Wherever he goes, Kaiba takes his Duel Disk and card deck with him. He quickly discovered the fascination some Kedan had for Foreigner technology, and wasn't about to risk it getting stolen.

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Fortunately Seto was asking the right questions. Apparently a Kedan named Zanru was in charge of the goings on in the Metal Sector and the businesses therein. Unfortunately, Zanru apparently wasn't in and had someone filling in for her. Following directions, Seto made his way to where he could supposedly find this Xuiyu they had talked about.

Despite his confrontation with Yunxu, Kaiba's anger has dulled to a low simmer, and he is significantly more calm after being in Keeliai for several days. However, he still walks with an air of confidence, his coat billowing behind him and his Duel Disk attached to his arm.

While he didn't intend to beg like a dog, he planned to show these Kedan what he was capable of and why they would be fools not to make use of his talents.

News about the entitled Foriegner in the white coat had spread like wildfire. The console post had been public, and those at SI had a greater vested interest in console-related hobbies than a lot of other kedan. Even the other Foreigners had treated this new one like a brat, and there had been laughter and stories going around the company's holdings for a day afterward.

So when he walked into Stark Industries, the first receptionist took one look at him and burst into giggles, ducking behind her desk and at least managing to press the call button for one of the other receptionists to take over.

Ayin was the one who did so, being the senior on the floor, hurrying in from another room and smiling at Kaiba. It was a little broader than usual, but since he didn't know her, he wouldn't be able to tell. "Hello. How can I help you?"

Kaiba was not impressed as the receptionist burst out laughing at his appearance. He didn't know what her problem was but such behavior wouldn't have been tolerated at Kaiba Corp. If she had been one of his receptionists she would have been fired on the spot. But regardless of what he thought, Kaiba retained a straight face and waited until she got herself under control or someone else came. And someone else did come. Fake smiles were nothing new to him, but he was here for business not snark.

"I'm interested in seeing Xuiyu. Do I need to arrange an appointment?"

There wasn't even a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Kaiba was quite polished with his professional and all business act when he needed it. Definitely more respect than what Yunxu and his lot had been given. At least these Kedan were in a respectable profession, even if some of them lacked professionalism.

Ayin waved the receptionist out and she scurried off, her fist stuffed in her mouth. It wasn't a firing offence, certainly, because she was young and inexperienced, but there's be a verbal reprimand, anyway. ... And some advice on how to smile broadly to absorb the laughter. Ayin's smile certainly wasn't fake. If anything, it was a little too real.

"Yes," said Ayin, taking the place behind the desk. "Though if you're here to inquire about a job, you'll need to fill in an application, with your background and experience." She put the sheaf of papers which constituted as Stark Industries' application forms on the top of the desk, in case that was what he wanted. "If not, I'll need to know the nature of your business, please."

Kaiba watched the receptionist go before looking back at the woman who had better control of herself. The one with the too real smile, right. His gaze then tilted down towards the papers, resisting the urge to wrinkle his nose in disgust. He had never had to fill out a job application before, but that didn't mean he didn't know how. And paperwork was not something he was unfamiliar with either.

Reaching into his coat, Kaiba withdrew an expensive pen and twirled it between his long fingers before stoically starting to fill out the application.

"I'm here because I've heard you're interested in foreign technology," he told Ayin. Whether that meant a job or not, the application would at least show his credentials, which was rather extensive, since he had never needed to carry around a resume. But he did withdraw a Kaiba Corp business card and place it with the application.

Aha. So it was that he was after. "We're interested in all technology," Ayin said, watching his pen move. It wasn't a difficult application, but it was a long and intensive one. Luckily for him the application rate had dropped off lately, or he could have been waiting weeks for a response. "We didn't have much of it, before, and we didn't know what to do with what we had."

It felt like a dream when Ayin thought back. A vivid dream where she couldn't even recognise it as a dream, and was locked into rigid but unseen boundaries.

Seto glanced up at the building's lobby. It seemed that they had come quite a long way then if this was any indication. Undoubtably with foreigner help of course. But considering the way many portions of the city still looked, they also had a long way to go still.

"Then you should be interested in my help."

Of course, help didn't mean he planned to do something for nothing. More like... a mutual benefit should things go the way he's intending.

And then with a final flourish of his pen, Kaiba finished the application and pushed it and the card towards Ayin.

"I'm not the one to decide that," Ayin said simply, "but it usually depends on how that help arrives." The kedan, after all, were not interested in one more too-smart person telling them how to do things just because they thought they knew better, Foreigner or no Foreigner.

That was fast. He must have a good memory, to be able to write all that so quickly. That, or he'd missed sections.

"Thank you," she said, taking the application and the card. "You'll be contacted with the results within two weeks. An interview is the next stage."

Seto is pretty good at remembering things, especially when it comes to himself and his accomplishments. Plus he's not exactly a wordy person. Everything is concise and to the point.

Two weeks? Seto inwardly scowled at that. But he would just have to bide his time and play by the Kedan's rules, no matter how impatient he was. Despite his annoyance, he kept it well hidden and just nodded stiffly.

"Fine. I'll see you in two weeks."

He was confident, Ayin had to give him that. It was an optimistic parting, at least on his part. And he wasn't wrong, because two weeks later he was contacted for an interview, and an appointment made for a couple of days afterward.

On that day he'd be directed into one of the offices on the ground floor. It was one of those days set aside for interviews of all kinds, so Xuiyu was already present, sitting on the desk with Kaiba's application and rubbing the thigh attached to her false leg.

Kaiba wasn't at all surprised to be contacted for the interview. After all, they would have to be crazy not to.

Thus he arrived in much the same manner as he had a couple of weeks before. With his purposeful long stride, and his polished professional look. Confidence practically oozing out of him. With his coat billowing behind him and his duel disk strapped to his arm, he entered the office, pausing to look at the woman on the desk.

"You must be Xuiyu."

"That's me," said Xuiyu, lifting her eyes and watching his coat swirl, taking in his bearing and the piece of tech he'd had strapped to his arm last time he came to SI too. "And you're the Foreigner who strode into Yunxu's mansion and tried to intimidate his sister. You've got balls, kiddo, though I can't say much for common sense."

She wasn't laughing, though; if anything her tone was matter-of-fact. Xuiyu wasn't the type to pull punches, and from what she'd heard this particular Foreigner wasn't one either. The only real question she had was whether he could accept being subordinate to other people, and work with them.

That was always the most important question to be had, when it came to hiring Foreigners.

"So that was his sister... heh."

It drew a raised brow but the fact hardly seemed to phase him. Nor did the jab at his common sense. He just folded his arms, and waited patiently to get down to business and the real point of this interview.

She might find that he's willing to put his ego aside for something he needs or wants. And right now he needed a job.

So the kid had a temper and an impatient streak a mile wide, judging by the stories of his confrontation with Yunxu, but he used it as a weapon. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it made Xuiyu glad Zanru wasn't there to take this interview.

She flipped the papers back into their stack and tossed them onto the desk.

"So you've got skills and balls. Don't know if you've noticed, but there's a fair few tech-genius Foreigners around, and not all of them work for Stark Industries. There's a few things we value here more than outright smarts, technique or knowledge. So here's the question: Can you take orders, and can you work in a team?"

There's a pause as Kaiba thinks this over, and a slight shifting of his jaw. Which suggested he didn't like the idea. He would prefer to work alone, but was he capable of teamwork?

"Yes."

It wasn't hidden that he didn't like it, but he could do it. It would take some getting used to and it might be a bit rocky at first. Plus he couldn't guarantee he'd get along with everyone. But then that could be said for any work place. Kaiba could bump himself down a notch or two, or at least make an effort, in order to keep himself from starving.

"Prove it," Xuiyu said bluntly, and picked up his application again to motion with it. "You're smart. You're driven. You've owned and run your own company. It's impressive. But there's not much in here about your ability to work with others. What do you have to show me you can?"

It wasn't a dealbreaker--quite. Sometimes people didn't get the opportunity. Well, in other worlds, Xuiyu imagined, anyway--judging by the Foreigners. It wasn't very common in Keeliai, among the kedan. But it was one thing to claim he could work with others when a lot of his behaviour so far indicated otherwise, without anything in the application to back it up.

"Heh, I've given you all the proof that you need," Seto said back with a trace of amusement in his voice.

"As I'm sure you know, you don't have companies handed to you. It requires hard work, determination, and dealing with others to get to the top. I'm a businessman, Xuiyu. I had to earn what I have back home, and I can do it again. If that means taking orders, or even getting your coffee, fine. You'll see just how driven I am. So just try me. If you don't like what you see, you can let me go."

It's as simple as that, and he was sure Xuiyu wasn't a stupid woman. Hiring him didn't mean she was bound to keep him if she didn't like him.

He wasn't lacking for confidence. Xuiyu wasn't entirely convinced--it was a far cry between 'dealing with others' and 'working with others'. But unlike young Stark, Kaiba hadn't just been handed his company on a silver platter. He'd worked for it. And he wasn't getting pissy at the thought of not being in control.

He also acknowledged what would happened if he didn't shape up. That also said a good thing. It didn't erase the potential of a contract, either, depending on whether they had one that got him away from other people.

"I can get my own damned coffee," she said amiably. "But as long as you can show an appropriate respect for the people you work with, you might get somewhere." She slapped the sheaf of paper down. "I'm going to hire you on probation, minimum three months. You'll be attached to one of the research teams looking into the turtle's sinking. Water-based scaffolds and giant floaties, or whatever."

Her tone was dry.

"It's a pressing issue and it's one of the areas we could use a flash of genius. The head of the team's going to be the one who recommends whether we keep you on or not, either way." Xuiyu hopped off the table and stumped over to him. "You can start next week," she said. "We'll send you the details on your team-mates at your home address, but next week's when you'll go through orientation then." She thrust out her hand, and although Kaiba was significantly taller than her, she wouldn't look strange, shaking his hand. She was sturdy and solid, and her grip firm and callused. "Congratulations, Mr Kaiba."

Getting her own damned coffee brought the slight upturning of the corner of his lip in an amused smirk. Kaiba believed he could potentially come to like this woman.

Though there was the curious arching of a brow as she gave him his assignment. Unexpected, but not unwelcome. It sounded like a project worthy of his attention, and that was something he was certainly grateful for.

When she offered her hand, Kaiba took it in his with his own, giving her an equally firm handshake. This was something he had done many times, and knew that one could tell a lot about a person just from the simple gesture. His half smirk turning into a somewhat genuine smile.

"Thank you," he replied politely with an edge of pride. Finally, he could put himself to work doing something useful in this place.

Good firm handshake. Xuiyu liked that. She also liked that he seemed calm and controlled even in his brazenness and arrogance. There was a lot more to Mr Kaiba than there seemed at the first hearing of his attempts at bullying the Snakes. Sure, he was an idiot in the way only teenagers could be, but he used what people thought of him to his advantage, instead of letting it bother him. That was something he had up on Stark, anyway.

He was driven. Not too driven to do menial tasks. Xuiyu wouldn't have thought it, but there you go.

"Next week," she said briskly. "Company opens 8, but most of the developers wind up coming in at 6. Take your pick. Now get lost. I have more people to interview." And she waved lazily at the door, picking up another sheaf of papers.

Kaiba just smirked, he was definitely going to like this woman. This was someone who deserved his respect, and was worth working for. Satisfied, he turned and made his exit.

She would find that once he started, he would be arriving bright and early at 6 to pick the brains of the developers. This was a new place with different technologies and he would be learning as much as he could on top of contributing his own knowledge.

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August Catch All

Closed to Xuiyu

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crap okay i'm gonna prioritise this asap, i'm sorry about the wait

NP <3

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