the stranger ([personal profile] tactician) wrote in [community profile] circle72012-02-20 12:24 am

Introductory Communication Studies 101

It wasn't like any of the decor on his home planet, which was, served to say, non-existent and in the few cases where it wasn't, almost painfully efficient. 'Decor' was a foreign concept that his home society hadn't found any need for and therefore had quickly and thoughtlessly abandoned. That wasn't to say, however, that the environment was gaudy. There was an understated sense of class and style in the few furnishings that decorated the waiting lobby, noticeable in the fine color and quality of the polished wooden doors, in the understated color of the paneled walls, the low-pile textile covering the floor - not that Calibri could tell.

"My essay was about the volunteer Peace Corp mission I participated in during my senior year of Intermediary Education," said one of the other students awaiting an interview, leaning forward on his plush-cushioned seat. His tone of voice was boastful, proud. He was waving his hands animatedly while the other student listened with an air of forced interest. "It was a third-world planet, you see! They hadn't even settled on a way to collect solar energy, can you imagine?"

How curious, thought Calibri, sliding the toe of his shoe across the wine-colored carpet. What's the purpose of putting something soft under your shoes?

"Nathaniel H. Calibri," intoned the mechanical announcer, tacked to a wall adjacent to the double doors leading to the would-be-benefactor of whoever won the scholarship competition. The doors swung open automatically, wide and synchronized with each other, before the previous interviewee walked dejectedly out, dragging his feet on the carpet.

Calibri stood up as his name was called, neither intimidated nor nervous. (He only briefly wondered if that was the purpose of the plush flooring after all - friction? Maybe the generated heat was recycled and re-purposed elsewhere on the ship.) He bypassed the other students without even a glance of acknowledgement and strode through the entrance into an even more ornate office - brightly lit by glass windows covered with sheer curtains and an entirely inefficient use of space, considering how far apart all the furniture was.

He strode right up to the large desk occupying the center of the room, careful to drag his feet as much as possible as to provide the maximum friction and contribution (he might as well, while he was here). "Present, sir."
pugsmuggler: (Default)

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-23 11:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Garamond did not press the issue of Calibri's "accident." As far as he saw things, hardly anyone was without a few skeletons in their closet (Of course, with Garamond, there was more skeleton than closet). He offered Calibri an agreeable nod and gestured toward the tablet and its pen.

"Good," He said. "All I need is a signature."

A white packet appeared in front of Calibri. Garamond affixed it with a signature of his own, pushing it like a hockey puck across to Calibri's side of the desk. "Bring that to a bank," Garamond advised. "It's an advance of 5,000.

"Oh, and... you do know you can't bring that back with you on the shuttle," he added, looking pointedly at thr case of poisons.
kobacake: (Crossroads)

please imagine this scenario for yourselves while i casually pass out

[personal profile] kobacake 2012-02-24 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
"Can't you just do what you did last time, Boss?" Danny suggested, helpfully revealing illegal activity to a stranger he decided moments ago was scary and totally untrustworthy. "When you sent that weird bug thing to those cat people or whatever but you couldn't just send it the normal way."
pugsmuggler: (Default)

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-24 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, a concealer chip is very expensive," Garamond explained, crossing his hands in front of him. "And even then, Calibri here could be apprehended if they decide, for some reason, to do a luggage search. That would bring an unfortunate end to our partnership. Though If you think you can get away with it, it is not my place to stop you."

A smile.

"I didn't imagine our little gift would make such an impression on you."
kobacake: (Crossroads)

[personal profile] kobacake 2012-02-24 05:07 pm (UTC)(link)
"Are you gonna kill something with those?" Danny asked, once again curiously venturing out from behind the chair.
pugsmuggler: (Default)

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-25 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
"What? You mean like the dog?" Garamond said, his glance edging sideways to the sleeping Pomeranian in the corner of the room.
kobacake: (Crossroads)

[personal profile] kobacake 2012-02-25 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
"W-What?!" Danny's eyes widened in horror at his father's suggestion, immediately running to the dog's side and outstretching his arms as if that would protect it from the massive figure that was Garamond. "DON'T TOUCH FILET MIGNON HE'S MINE!!"

Of course all the commotion caused Filet Mignon to jump awake. Instead of being alarmed he began running circles around Danny and wagging his tail. He certainly was an interesting looking dog... He was a cream sable, though there was a small darker tuft of fur on the top of his head that looked rather like a faux hawk and had obviously been dyed auburn. In place of a collar, he wore a rather stylish black bow tie. It was obvious that he was loved by someone.

The Pomeranian almost seemed to smile at Calibri as he barked in his direction. "Yap, yap!!"
pugsmuggler: (Default)

My username is so ironic right now

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-25 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes, the dog is a pet," Garamond said to Calibri, his glance falling down on the hyper-energetic dog (funny, he expected the dose of sleeping medication he had slipped into the pup's food earlier would have lasted a little longer). "I don't think Danny would be too happy about you borrowing him, unfortunately."

Garamond gave a cool smile, turning back to Calibri. He eyed the box momentarily, trying to reason through to the best way to smuggle the contents onto the shuttle. Yes, shipping the parcel afterwards was the most convenient method, but Calibri's grip on the box was fixed, his hands welded onto its hinges.

"I suppose you could just risk it."
kobacake: (Crossroads)

[personal profile] kobacake 2012-02-25 02:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Danny exhaled a sigh of relief and let his arms relax back at his sides when it seemed that his dog was no longer being considered as a test subject. He flopped back on the floor and pulled the wriggling Filet Mignon into his lap. Stroking his fur soothingly, Danny puffed out his cheeks and mumbled under his breath, "It's okay. No one's gonna kill you."
pugsmuggler: (Default)

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-25 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"Above the law, yes, in a way," Garamond agreed. "But it'd still be an inconvenience if you got caught. My best advice would be to not get caught."
kobacake: (Crossroads)

[personal profile] kobacake 2012-02-25 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Danny pulled Filet Mignon protectively against his chest when Calibri looked in their direction, sticking his tongue out in defiance. H-He didn't care how scary Calibri was!! No one was going to take his dog away from him.
pugsmuggler: (Default)

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-26 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
"That's not at all what I'm proposing," Garamond returned, leaning back into the wide cushion of his chair. There was a lingering veil of amusement on his expression when he looked at Calibri. "You came here expecting a test, didn't you? Well let's use this as your test. Smuggle it. If you don't get caught, you pass."

Sure, coercing a child into criminal activity which he may get apprehended for wasn't exactly the noblest of routes Garamond could take, but Calibri had suggested it in the first place, and Garamond was admittedly interested in how far Calibri's cleverness branched out. So, it was a test. One of dubious meaning, but a test none the less.
pugsmuggler: (Default)

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-26 05:24 am (UTC)(link)
Garamond smirked. "Then I will make it my responsibility to clear your public record. And you won't be working for Celga Labs anymore. You'll be working for me. That is a job that nobody wants to end up with."
pugsmuggler: (Default)

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-26 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
"That is all," Garamond confirmed. He took back the endorsed document, afterward stowing both the tablet and its pen away in the front drawer of the desk. He smiled graciously, and although it'd be against the better judgement of most people, he didn't think for a second that passing on ownership of highly toxic poisons would be a bad thing. Calibri was a bit eccentric, yes, but there was no harm in that!

"You can leave," he added. "Unless you have any questions."
kobacake: (Crossroads)

[personal profile] kobacake 2012-02-26 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Danny jumped slightly, thinking at first that Calibri was talking about his dog, and was about to yell at him again, before realizing that he was pointing towards his earlier gift. He seemed much less enthusiastic than before about handing it off, narrowing his eyes before mumbling out a, "Yeah.. I guess."
pugsmuggler: (Default)

[personal profile] pugsmuggler 2012-02-27 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
"You're very welcome, Nathaniel," Garamond said, dismissing Calibri with a bow of the head. "I do look forward to hearing about your performance."