Completed [Shipyard] Gainful Employment

[Eleret]

Winter 48, 512 AV morning The shipyard wasn't an entirely unfamiliar place to Eleret; one couldn't come to Zeltiva and not see the ships. Not when the shipyard was so large it might as well be a city in its own right. It certainly was busy enough, even around the edges the Konti presently made her way into. She paid careful attention as she walked -- not out of concern for her location, but the better to spot the men running about before they ran into her. They didn't all seem to be nearly so alert... But then, it was a gray and dreary day, the kind to dull anyone's senses. Thick marine fog clung to buildings and earth, shrouding everything in a diffuse gray halo; though the sun would eventually burn it off, or so Eleret hoped, it didn't seem to have made much headway yet. She wore her cloak against the chill, and scarf and gloves, and even had her hood though it was currently pushed down to rest limp against the back of her cloak. The ocean breeze tugged at wisps of her pale hair, but presented no more than a minor nuisance. Finding her way around the shipyard was somewhat of a greater nuisance, as knowing where the complex was did not equate to knowing where things were within it. But she started on one avenue and walked around likely-seeming corners to whatever came next, taking note of each building she passed -- and looking for someone who might not be too busy to offer direction. Eventually, Eleret found a group of men occupied by the unlading of crates from a wagon -- large, heavy crates that were surprisingly imposing in their size. One and all they stopped to look at her as she approached, a regard which made her distinctly uncomfortable, though what she could interpret of their collective mood seemed amenable enough. "Pardon my interruption," Eleret began, as she paused a short distance away, looking to each of the men in turn. "I am wondering if... there is an office for... jobs, for hiring, yes?" The Common words sounded clumsy as she shaped them, a reminder that the language of Zeltiva's commerce was not her native tongue. She had a moment's worry -- would a prospective employer take fault with that? Surely not. Her Common was really pretty good... when she wasn't being stared at...

[Eleret]

The men seemed to collectively do a double-take at her, giving the Konti a quick but encompassing glance; then they looked around at each other -- and broke out into loud, cawing laughter. Eleret watched them, trying not to show how taken aback she was at their reactions; hers was a simple and sincere question. But her gift seemed to suggest their amusement wasn't hostile in intent... though she wouldn't call their mood, or their laughter, quite friendly either. "Dovey," one of them said, as soon as he'd collected back enough breath to speak, "work in the yard's hard work. Long hours. Heavy work. Not the kind of thing for a delicate little lady like you." He glanced to his fellows, then gave her a slow, broad grin. The weight of their regard became almost a tangible thing, or so it seemed to Eleret; she felt the sudden desire to widen the distance between them and her. But the Konti held her ground instead, trusting that what she intimated from her gift was correct -- that he didn't intend to menace. "Now," the man continued, "if you maybe want some job that's a little... easier, why, we'd be happy to oblige -- and pay well for your time, too. Ain't that right?" That last sounded to Eleret like a rhetorical question, but the rest of the group replied anyway, an asynchronized rumble of words which all had the feel of yes. Eleret looked back at them, gaze steady, her lips pressing together into a thin line. Lifting her chin slightly, she reiterated with careful diction: "The office, please." And tried not to obviously hold her breath as she waited. The man's expression took on a wry cast. "Guess fish-girls are about as frigid as the water they swim in," he remarked to his companions. Another round of laughter, more convivial in tone -- though the merriment decidedly didn't include her -- followed the quip. "Suit yourself," he went on. "You'll want to be seeing Ethan, then. Go up north until you run out of yard. Office's the little building that looks like nothing much." "Thank you," Eleret replied, politely grateful -- and removed herself off to the north, just about as fast as she could without running. The men probably had a good laugh about that, too, but if so, they did it from well away behind her.

[Eleret]

Eleret smiled warmly across the desk between them, and shook her head a bit. "It is good. These are things you must know." Good questions for an employer to ask of any prospective employee -- especially when humans thought Konti looked on par with their own adolescents. She started with the last one, since it had the shortest answer. "I am fifty-three years old," she replied without hesitation. "I have skill with wood, carving; it is my..." The Konti waved one web-fingered hand through the air as she sought the proper word. "My profession. The shipyard needs wood worked. I need a job. It seems to fit together." Eleret glanced back towards the door, considering her recollections of the shipyard beyond. "I swim, also." Fish-girl, her memory supplied unbidden. "I do not know if you need drawing, for before cutting the wood, or writing documents, or taking notes, but I can do these things." For a moment, it seemed like such an inadequate skillset to bring to the table -- not carpentry, nor ship design, nor even the muscles for heavy lifting. But they were the skills she had. "If there are other things of use, things it is good to know" she added after a beat, "I am happy to learn." Ethan pursed his lips slightly as she spoke, looking down at his desk to page through a few papers. "I see." It was a holding phrase, thoughtful and contemplative; an indication that he had heard and now needed some time to mull things over. Eleret waited with quiet grace, though she wondered briefly whether he was actually considering her for a position, or debating how to most politely send her back out the door. "I think we might be able to make a place for you in the workshops," he finally replied. Eleret smiled delightedly to hear it. "You are correct, we need woodworkers of all sorts. Especially with the illness which has been working its way through the city." A thread of sharp scent wafted past Eleret faster than she could identify; possibly reflecting some sentiment he chose to omit. She wondered briefly, but let it pass; Ethan hadn't paused for more than a moment in his speech. "We can always use people on third shift," he added, running fingertips down some column on the paper before him, then looking expectantly up at her. "That's midnight to the eighth bell. There's definitely room there. What do you think?"

[Eleret]

Eleret let her hands drop to rest at her sides. She did consider the offer -- for about a quarter-chime, as long as it took to think about what parts of the day generally yielded her best work. And the spectre of being here at night with men like the group she'd encountered earlier. It wasn't that they were bad men... but their remarks were not the sort to make her comfortable in their presence. She also reflected upon their possible similarities to young students of her past acquaintance, and found a counter-argument in that history. "First shift," she countered. She smiled confidently at the secretary behind the desk. "I will not come in with too much kelp beer the night before." That statement sparked a laugh from Ethan, and he inclined his head towards her. "A good point. More dependable people on first shift can't hurt." He squared the pile of papers, picking a particular one to lay out on top, then dipped a pen in fresh ink to write some notations on its surface. "Very well, we can give this a try. First shift it will be. I can offer you 4 gm a day, Miss Eleret. Will that suit you?" Eleret considered in turn. The 'workshop' would be new to her, but she was confident she could handle it. And anything the shipyard threw at her. Daytime hours, which she knew yielded her best work, and pay which was certainly reasonable given she had never worked in a shipyard before. "Yes," the Konti agreed, giving Ethan a crisp nod and a warm smile. "It is good." Ethan finished his notations, then set the page aside. "In that case, why don't I show you to the workshop, and introduce you to your new overseer?" Eleret agreed to that as well, and they headed out of the office, the Konti richer by a term of employment if not yet the income it would provide.

[Cloud]

From the sky falls your reward!

Eleret :

Experience
Skill | XP Earned
Interrogation | +1
Socialization | +1

Lores
• | Lore Earned
• | Location: The Shipyard

Misc? :

None

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