[...Well, all right, he's got her there. If there's one thing Callisto definitely doesn't have a shortage of, it's people willing to bow and scrape at his feet. And maybe that makes sense. Maybe if what he really wants is the truth, unvarnished and real, then he's got to look outside the people who want something from him and go straight to the person who's trying her best to want nothing from him to begin with.
It's worth thinking about. Enough so that she's opening her mouth to answer his question (however rhetorical it might have been), when — when all of a sudden he says her name, and it's so unexpected that it stops her short, wide-eyed and blinking slowly as she tries to process what she's just heard.
Her name...it sounds really nice when he says it like that...
AUGH.]
I don't know enough about you to give an answer like that. You've shown me what you're like when you're after something you want, plenty of times. But that's not nearly enough to give me an idea about "you" as a person. It doesn't even scratch the surface. [And how's that for honestly? She's getting started already.] I don't think a cruel person would offer to make me a promise, though.
[It makes her think, though. Carefully. Meticulously. If he's willing to make her a promise, what's the one thing she wants most from him, really...?]
...Promise me it'll go both ways, then. The honesty. If I'm ever not honest with you, it'd be an offense you could dismiss me for anyway, right? So promise you'll be honest with me. And if you're ever not...then I get to leave, with severance and everything, and no hard feelings. That way...if you say I have value, then it has to be true. And if I say I agree with something you're doing, you'll know it's because I really think so.
[ in spite of his confidence that erred on the side of arrogance, he isn't as delusional as he feigns to be. he doesn't doubt that she has no shortage of her own thoughts on him, and yet... the words she speaks aren't anything of what he expects. it's not full of the presumptions he was used to, and why did it feel a little hopeful? as if she may have also sought to get to know him better? or as if she didn't mind at the very least.
though, that could be a generous interpretation. ]
... Is that all? You clearly do not have enough greed. [ she could have even made him promise a heftier paycheck, but if that's what she's opting on. he can't exactly say no. were this the world of a game, perhaps his affection meter would have gone up. but as it stands, he smiles and gives a small, subdued chuckle. ]
Very well. I will even sweeten the deal. You can commute with me every single, waking day. The more we become familiar with one another, the more truthful we can continue to be, wouldn't you say? [ he says this proudly, as if impressed with his own plan.
sorry penny. you give him an inch, and he'll take it miles. ]
If you think that promise makes me "underpaid", then maybe it's you who doesn't have enough generosity, don't you think?
[It's a test, a little bit; that much is obvious. After all, it's pretty unheard-of for a brand new employee to talk back to their employer in such a criticizing manner, isn't it? But if it's honesty he wants, then it's honesty he'll get — and maybe, just maybe, it's a first step toward making good on his requirement that she be "on his side". If he really wants to be a better person than a soulless corporate monster, he'll have to start hearing those sorts of things from the commoners beneath him, won't he?
Of course, it's a triumph that doesn't last long, with his idea of — wait a minute, how is that even "sweetening"?!]
— Wait, hold on, isn't "commuting with you" just another way of saying more hours of work?!
Unpaid? [ he repeats as if he's never even heard of the word,
but he supposed he could finalize the contract with a few more paid vacation days littered in there. though, there is going to be the unspoken caveat that he needs to know exactly how she's going to spend them. he mentally makes a note of this to unload onto cedrick's very capable shoulders.
as for penelope— ] Very well, I'll add in additional perks. And you can consider yourself "clocked in" from the second the driver picks you up. Then there's no complaints, correct? Besides, I heard early mornings helped build character.
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It's worth thinking about. Enough so that she's opening her mouth to answer his question (however rhetorical it might have been), when — when all of a sudden he says her name, and it's so unexpected that it stops her short, wide-eyed and blinking slowly as she tries to process what she's just heard.
Her name...it sounds really nice when he says it like that...
AUGH.]
I don't know enough about you to give an answer like that. You've shown me what you're like when you're after something you want, plenty of times. But that's not nearly enough to give me an idea about "you" as a person. It doesn't even scratch the surface. [And how's that for honestly? She's getting started already.] I don't think a cruel person would offer to make me a promise, though.
[It makes her think, though. Carefully. Meticulously. If he's willing to make her a promise, what's the one thing she wants most from him, really...?]
...Promise me it'll go both ways, then. The honesty. If I'm ever not honest with you, it'd be an offense you could dismiss me for anyway, right? So promise you'll be honest with me. And if you're ever not...then I get to leave, with severance and everything, and no hard feelings. That way...if you say I have value, then it has to be true. And if I say I agree with something you're doing, you'll know it's because I really think so.
no subject
though, that could be a generous interpretation. ]
... Is that all? You clearly do not have enough greed. [ she could have even made him promise a heftier paycheck, but if that's what she's opting on. he can't exactly say no. were this the world of a game, perhaps his affection meter would have gone up. but as it stands, he smiles and gives a small, subdued chuckle. ]
Very well. I will even sweeten the deal. You can commute with me every single, waking day. The more we become familiar with one another, the more truthful we can continue to be, wouldn't you say? [ he says this proudly, as if impressed with his own plan.
sorry penny. you give him an inch, and he'll take it miles. ]
no subject
[It's a test, a little bit; that much is obvious. After all, it's pretty unheard-of for a brand new employee to talk back to their employer in such a criticizing manner, isn't it? But if it's honesty he wants, then it's honesty he'll get — and maybe, just maybe, it's a first step toward making good on his requirement that she be "on his side". If he really wants to be a better person than a soulless corporate monster, he'll have to start hearing those sorts of things from the commoners beneath him, won't he?
Of course, it's a triumph that doesn't last long, with his idea of — wait a minute, how is that even "sweetening"?!]
— Wait, hold on, isn't "commuting with you" just another way of saying more hours of work?!
no subject
but he supposed he could finalize the contract with a few more paid vacation days littered in there. though, there is going to be the unspoken caveat that he needs to know exactly how she's going to spend them. he mentally makes a note of this to unload onto cedrick's very capable shoulders.
as for penelope— ] Very well, I'll add in additional perks. And you can consider yourself "clocked in" from the second the driver picks you up. Then there's no complaints, correct? Besides, I heard early mornings helped build character.
[ what is he implying... ]