What The Fuck

Participants:

richard_icon.gif yi-min_icon.gif

Scene Title What The Fuck
Synopsis Yi-Min is in-duck-ted into Raytech.
Date June 22, 2020

Raytech NYCSZ Branch Office


“I’m sorry about Sera, Doctor Yeh, you, ah…”

Richard sinks into his high-backed leather chair on the other side of the expanse of black glass that is his desk; there’s a basket with some papers on it, a can of pencils, a framed photograph of his wife and - curiously - a chess board that’s stopped mid-game. The middle of the desk is kept clear and free, however.

He chuckles, bringing one hand up to rub at his jaw, “You get used to her. Eventually.”

A cat peeks around the corner of the desk, red-furred face peering curiously at the new human that’s entered into his lair.

With her vinyl JUNIOR DUCKTECTIVE sticker still shining on her chest like some authoritative badge of honor, Yi-Min slips neatly into the chair across from Richard with just a shade of a wry grin. More wryness than actual grin, but still.

"It is quite alright. Far be it from me to question the important work she is no doubt doing." The highly important work with. The.

Duck.

Richard must have his reasons for keeping her on, she was sure.

For now, Yi-Min's attention slants down to the floor behind the desk, attracted by the flicker of moment. When she finds such a beautiful cat in the middle of it, she can't help but let some softness enter into her gaze. "Oh, but hello. Look at you."

A soft mewl answers the greeting, and thus emboldened the cat gracefully pads along over towards the newcomer, moving to rub himself along her ankles in the way that cats have of laying claim to someone that’s entered their environs.

“That’s Richelieu,” is the introduction from Richard, a smile tugging up at the corner of his lips, “I can put him up if he’s bothering you.” From her reaction, though, he doesn’t think she’s bothered.

He sweeps his hand across the desk, and the black glass lights up - it’s a desk-wide computer screen, it seems, and he brings up Yi-Min’s paperwork with a few motions of his fingers. “I’m sure you’re relieved to be a free woman again,” he admits, glancing over with a sympathetic expression, “I did a few years in Rikers’ myself. Don’t recommend it.”

"Not at all. Look at him, he is such a lovely thing." Richard is completely correct, of course. If anything, Yi-Min leans down just far enough past her crossed legs to give the cat a few small, exploratory scritch-scritches behind his ears.

Her gaze flickers back up again at the sudden glare of the computer screen; just the mention of Rikers earns something of a sympathetic grimace in turn. "Ai, I am sorry. Even I have heard about the reputation of that place. Thankfully, my time in Kansas City was not so terrible as this, even if it was… somewhat odd. Remind me to tell you about it later."

Later as in sometime after this interview, perhaps.

It also sounds a little concerning. Yi-Min isn't close enough with Richard to leave behind useless morsels of idle gossip.

“Eh, the legacy of a mis-spent youth. It’s a long and irrelevant story,” admits Richard, hands spreading a bit before dropping back down to the edge of the desk, “Suffice it to say, I know a little about what it’s like being behind bars, is all…”

At the mention of it being odd, he lifts a brow, but doesn’t push on the subject. Not yet anyway.

As Richelieu arches his back and leans his head up into her hand, butting at her fingers for more scritches, he allows, “Skipping all the formalities, though— I assume you’re still interested in a job, Doctor Yeh?”

"Indeed. I would not be here today if I wasn't," Yi-Min points out, trying to suppress the threat of bright, momentary laughter at the feel of Richelieu demanding more headscratches from her. She obliges him exactly once more without argument, but after another minute gives her lap a brisk pat-pat with her free hand to encourage him onto it.

Informal interview or not, she would prefer to be able to keep her gaze on her prospective interviewer while this was going on. "I assume this also means you are still interested in hiring me. Did Sera… actually give you the appropriate paperwork?"

“Yes,” Richard chuckles softly, fingers motioning to the desk’s screen, “She did.”

The cat considers the offer for a moment, before deciding in the fickle way of cats to turn and meander off again around the edge of the desk, disappearing from sight. Such is the way of the feline mind.

“And you wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t still interested in hiring you. The biological sciences aren’t exactly what we’re known for, but we’ve been branching off more and more lately… and it’d be a waste of brilliant minds such as yours if we didn’t consider it an opportunity.”

Yi-Min does laugh out loud now, a silvery and knowing sound beneath her breath, as she lightly watches the cat ramble off again away from her.

She doesn't mind. Either way, it allows her to focus her full attention again on Richard, which she does with a tiny tilt of her head as she settles elbow on armrest, fingertips on cheek. "This is good to hear from you. I think that there is much I may be able to offer to you as a company, if this is the area you are interested in expanding into. As much joy as it was to work for Praxis, they didn't give me much of a chance to stretch my wings past some rather specific things that they wanted."

This last sentence is said about as dryly as it can possibly be said. Richard doesn't even have to imagine the implication of 'specific things;' he knows all about them.

"Suffice to say I am looking forward to being able to better the world in ways that do not involve genocide. Or creating more clones of Adam Monroe."

“I think you’ll find that we’re far more flexible as far as projects go, in comparison to Praxis,” says Richard with a hint of dry amusement to his tone, “We’re a company that’s mostly in the innovation business, which means a lot of experimentation goes on around here, and a lot of projects that other companies would never even think about trying.”

He quips, “Of course, the Dimensional Technologies department doesn’t exist, which is what SESA requires us to inform anyone who asks.” That’s not entirely a joke, from the tone of it.

“Genocide and cloning, no, although antidotes and vaccines for genocide-causing substances and solutions to Hydra Syndrome would both be amazing to see come out of our labs eventually,” he admits, “But largely we’re working to build a better world, not a more dangerous one.”

"Then our interests align completely." Contemplation filters into the light of her gaze as it flits again to the shine of Richard's computer display, then back to Richard. "Antidotes and vaccines lie completely in my field of expertise. Indeed, I think I was the one who mentioned this interest to you in the first place, back when I delivered Gorgon to you. I have also had a longtime interest in performing research into the medicinal potential of my ability, and it sounds like Raytech may provide a good environment for this."

"By the way," she adds on mildly, her tone only a touch apologetic and sudden, "On the topic of all of this, I will need to receive official consent from you to use my ability in an 'approved work environment.' You know. One of the side benefits of being registered now, and also Restricted, at least until I am off parole." So it goes.

“I understand. You aren’t the first - or only - employee we have that has a checkered background, and I don’t just mean myself,” Richard admits with a slight shake of his head, “The last decade or two have— well. There’s been a lot of misuse of the scientific mind, and a lot of the weight of that has fallen, unfairly in many cases, on those scientists. Even the ones who were working at gunpoint. So!”

His hands spread, “We believe in second chances here. I’ll have all that paperwork filled out.”

A chuckle, then, “We’ve got some other projects as well, some apparently very exciting things with algae and energy production, and I have someone working on… well, a quieter biochemical project that, given your background, you might find interesting.”

With wryness again in her expression, Yi-Min isn't long forthcoming with a response to that: "Well, this would explain how Zachery Miller is still employed here."

But there is appreciation there too, though, (partial) jokes aside. "Anyway, I thank you for that. It has been too long since I have talked to someone whom I seem to be on the same page with. I am intrigued to see what has been going on with these different projects, as well as meet whomever it is I will be working with. On that note… what is the position that you envisioned me occupying?" This hadn't actually formally come up yet, to Yi-Min's recollection. She continues to survey him across the desk, now a little more meditatively.

“His wife also asked very nicely,” Richard quips, tongue (one hopes) firmly in cheek.

The chair he’s in creaks a bit as he leans back, about to speak, but the sudden availability of his lap causes the cat to make his reappearance— leaping up to occupy the executive’s lap and happily settling in. He breathes out a chuckle, stroking the affectionate feline’s ears as he admits in perhaps less formal tones than he’d originally intended, “Honestly? I was looking at you as, if you’re interested, director of our biological research division.”

Yi-Min lets out the very faintest of snorts at this sidelong reference to Nicole, but then she receives not one, but two effective distractions in the nearly the same moment.

The slight, fine arch upwards of one of her brows speaks as a kind of muted reaction to them both at once. There is a tinge of faraway fondness that returns to her gaze as it rests on Richelieu’s form, though that lasts for a much shorter span of time. "…I most certainly am interested by this. Can you elaborate more on what such a position would entail?"

Richard’s hand rests gently on the cat, fingers stroking ears and neck absently and affectionately. The feline purrs quietly, a tiny little rumbling, as he accepts such ministrations while the two humans speak with one another.

“You’d be in charge of reviewing all biological-related projects for approval, have a rather broad ability to assign those beneath you to projects where they’re needed, input on hiring and disciplinary action within your department, and of course you’d have the department’s budget to both balance and play with as appropriate,” he replies with a shrug of one shoulder, “Outside of the Board, of course, you’d have final word in your department.”

A twitch of his lips, “Of course, you might not want to be Doctor Miller’s immediate superior, which is a position I empathize with…”

"These are the sacrifices we all must make," Yi-Min sighs out as though it comes from a place of long, long suffering, adding in an overly woeful shake of her head for emphasis.

But her eyes are sharp with deliberation, moreso as she carefully listens to all of this and then appears to come to a conclusion. Her fingertips curl inwards on themselves from where they rest on her cheek, just ever so slightly.

The thoughtful stillness in all of the rest of her posture is its own kind of affirmation that she can't think of anything negative. "This all sounds excellent. As long as I have the reasonable ability to procure the resources I need as I need, without being hampered by excessive bureaucracy, I think you and I will both be rather pleased with what I might be able to do for you."

“We aren’t big on bureaucracy here,” Richard admits with a shake of his head, “We keep records of course, and we want to make sure everything is ethical — and we don’t want to waste money, we don’t have the endless pockets that Praxis or Yamagato do. But we try and make the red tape light.”

Wryly, he points out, “None of the executives come from what you might consider a traditional corporate environment, after all.”

“Good.” A smile’s flashed, “We’ll have to go through all the paperwork and all, but I think if you’re still interested, you have the job, Doctor Yeh. There’ll be room for you on the Raytech campus if you need housing, as well.”

Yi-Min offers a genuine smile in return, and this immediately lets some more brightness filter into the serene energy of her expression. "Housing here would be ideal. I don't plan on abandoning Providence, but you can imagine that I don't want to commute there and back here every day. I just have one more question for you—"

With that, she taps her delicately-outstretched pointer finger only once on the ridge of her cheekbone, her eyes as bright and as keen as ever.

"When do I start?"


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