2013-02-07 Thus Begins the Ginger Alliance

Thursday evening. It's been a little over two weeks since the launch of the new StarkPhones, and she's compiling the sales results data for the board meeting tomorrow. Tony said he was going to make a mandate that she's HIS PA and not the entire company's, but she still has several projects that she claims as HERS. Amongst them is interviewing for Tony's internship programs, or fielding contacts for 'special placements'.
Two weeks, had it really been so long ago? Caitlin had been surprisingly busy, getting new IDs, finding a place to live, amazingly discovering she still qualified for her Princeton Scholarship and could take advantage of it for another handful of years, registering for annex and online classes, building a resume, fighting bikers, and even finding time to get some clothes that would be somewhat presentable for an interview. As she walks in she nervously smooths down her skirt with one hand and brushes a lock of hair from her right eye with the other hand before approaching the reception desk and saying, "Hello. My name is Caitlin Fairchild. I sent in my resume a few days ago, and got a message back that interviews would be held around this time? Is an interviewer available, or do I just need to sign in, sit down, and wait until my name is called?"
The man at the front desk, who is dressed smartly instead of like a security guard, asks Caitlin for her name, then does a quick search on the computer embedded in the lobby's reception desk. After just a moment, he sets a Visitor badge on the counter for her and directs her to Pepper's office.
For her part, Pepper was expecting to hear from Miss Fairchild at some point so readily accepts the request from the lobby and has them send Caitlin up. She quickly finishes up the sales figures report and sets it out of the way so her desk will be clear when the Themysciran arrives. "JARVIS, please forward my calls to voice mail until further notice."
"Very well, Miss Potts."
Clipping the badge to her vest, Caitlin smiles, "Thank you, sir. Hope you have a pleasent evening." before turning and following the directions given. She takes a moment to double check herself, standing up straight, proud, and yes, despite how imposing it might be, tall as she can. She gently knocks on the door, not wanting to barge in, just in case some classified or private business is being done. She also takes the moment to get out another copy of her resume, because you always present one to a prospective employer, even if you sent one before, since they may not have it readily available, and it makes a good impression to show you're prepared. She smiles, and awaits permission to enter, trying to not listen for any other statements, since she doesn't want to be nosy.
Pepper Potts has just cleared her desk and answered one last email before she hears a knock at her office door. "Come in," she calls out, standing and smoothing her own garments as she does so.
Gently opening the door, Caitlin steps inside, and smiles even more broadly, since she is getting to interview with Pepper. She strides confidently toward the desk and extends a hand, "I really appreciate you interviewing me personally, Miss Potts. I wasn't expecting to garner such an honor. Thank you very much." she totally wants to fangirl out, but there is a time and place, and this is neither at the moment, but her cheeks do flush just a touch.
Pepper Potts smiles at Caitlin, shaking the younger woman's hand before gesturing to one of the chair in front of her desk. "I'm glad you could make it in, Miss Fairchild. Please, have a seat and we'll get all of those boring formalities out of the way."
Being careful to barely even squeeze, so not to risk hurting Pepper, Caitlin shakes the hand and nods, sitting down, "If you don't have a copy of my resume on hand, I have a spare right here," holding out the one she had ready, just in case. She tries to maintain eye-contact and not look nervous, but in truth, dealing with bikers, crazed extradimensional Greecian zealots, and even fighting the Wrecking Crew are all easier then facing an interview for a job.
Reclaiming her seat as well, Pepper smiles at Caitlin's forthought and accepts the extra copy of the younger woman's resume even though she's already had the first one scanned into the computer and asked JARVIS to start checking the references. "Thank you. So, how has your new phone been treating you so far?" Yes, not a standard interview question, but hopefully a good way to put the interviewee at ease. It's not like Tony hasn't simply hired people on the spot before. The interview process is really just a formality to keep HR and bigwigs from complaining overmuch.
Of all those interview questions, the straight forward ones like 'What do you think you can bring to the company' and the more off the wall ones like 'If you were a breed of dog, what breed would you be and why', the 'How is our super awesome product working for you' was not on the list. However, while the answer is not one she has a rehearsed answer for, doesn't mean Caitlin is stunned by it at all, and in fact the question does help ease her nerves, "It has been wonderful. I adore the streaming movie projection capabilities, they made watching the digital copy of MIB3 it downloaded in like a minute and a half look stellar on my new apartment wall. And the Jarvis features are splendid. Not sure I get all the jokes when I ask him to tell me one, but he is so quick to respond, and the fact I can take a photo of someone, have him call the cops for me, give the police a description of the criminal, and use the GPS to tell them the address to come to, while the phone is back in my pocket really came in handy." she then blushes a bit, "It is a really great phone, and I feel so honored and privileged to have such an advanced version."
Pepper Potts chuckles softly. "I'm really glad we were able to help you get one, then. There actually aren't many people that could put the top of the line phone's full capabilities to use. Sounds like you're one of them." Of course, what she doesn't tell Caitlin is that her own phone, so much like the younger woman's device in appearance, is even more advanced and the JARVIS that replies to her from it is the real JARVIS, not the Siri-like program installed in the production versions. "Well, I suppose we have to discuss a few actual work related things, right? How are general office skills? You know, computers, filing, typing, stuff like that."
Straightening, as the subject turns toward skills, "My filing skills are probably average, I'm well organized, but never did it formally, as for typing and computers, I'm two classes from completing my computer science degree through Princeton, and while, due to some unforeseen adjustments I've had to make over the past few years, my typing speed is no longer an average of 130 words per minute, but I'm pretty sure I'm back up to 55-70 words per minute. I also have excellent elocution, speak Japanese and several dialects of Arabic, and while it is probably not proper to mention it, my computer skills do make me on par with a high end counterhacker." she decides to not mention the parts about being able to shrug off LAW rockets like there were raquetballs, crack diamonds with her teeth, and lift the heaviest animals on Earth.
Pepper Potts raises her eyebrows briefly at Caitlin's listing of skills. She had honestly not expected much in the office skills category, as very few people anymore really develop them. But the computer skills... she can already almost mentally picture Tony rubbing his hands together and cackling like some B-movie villain. And the languages. "Well, I have a feeling that you're going to save me having to deal with several annoying interpreters. And, no matter how much Tony tries to give you sad puppy dog eyes, do not, and I repeat, do not let him talk you into hacking anything for him. Especially not SHIELD. The last time Fury called me about that..." She's clearly making light of the situation, but the implications are clear. 
Mentally changing gears faster than a supercar, she jots a few notes for herself on the paper copy of Caitlin's resume then asks with a smile, "Did you manage to find a new residence, by the way?"
Nodding, "Yes, I did find a new residence. It is a modest apartment in Brooklyn. Nothing spectacular, but I can see Prospect Park and already found a Pizza Place and a Chinese Place that can deliver." Caitlin smiles, "And trust me, I've met Col. Fury, and that man is one I never want to get on the bad side of, and I'm sure there are at least a handful of SHIELD Agents just waiting for a valid excuse to get me alone in an interrogation room, as well as a handful of others who would be really disappointed in me, so hacking SHIELD is something I would give two weeks notice or say fire me over if my job depended on me doing so." she pauses, thinking of that various Agents she knows, but then just smiles, "As for sad puppy dog eyes, I've started to build up a resistance to those, thanks to a few friends and half-sister who have been working toward their +10 classification in those."
Pepper Potts ahs, unable to stop herself from chuckling faintly at the hint of geekery in Caitlin's last comment. "Well, I will do my level best to make sure that you don't ever have to choose between working here and hacking a computer system for Tony. Heaven knows he can wrangle a keyboard /just fine/ on his own." She jots a few more notes. "Oh, how do you feel about AIs and robotics?"
There is a moment where Caitlin almost has to stile a laugh, thinking about someone, but then she smiles broadly, "That really depends on the AI or Robot, but I can honestly say that I can think of at least one robot with artificial intelligence that is like family to me. Also, in addition to the Computer Science degree, I'm not far off from the other half of my double major, Electrical Engineering, so I know a little bit about dealing with fixing robotics." her smile is a warm one as she thinks about a certain killer robot housekeeper and protector, that she missed quite a bit as of late.
Smiling just a teeny bit enigmatically, Pepper seems to speak to thin air abruptly. "JARVIS, have you completed the background and reference checks on Miss Fairchild?"
"I have, Miss Potts," a probably very familiar cuiltured sounding British voice replies from seemingly everywhere in the room. And then a hint of the sarcastic bent of the real AI's personality peeks through. "Shall I present the results on your computer display, or read them aloud for Miss Fairchild to hear as well?"
There is a moment of shock, as Caitlin looks around, then she seems to calm, "Uh, hello Mister Jarvis. You sound far more impressive then your voice recognition software and response algorithm phone copy does." she settles into her seat, then giggles, "Is there a Mrs. Jarvis? Anna really could use a social life, and when she isn't housekeeping or taking care of someone, she really gets in a bit depressed. If you're not married or seeing anyone, I'm sure I could fix you up." figuring maybe if Jarvis feels she isn't treating him like some servant or slave program, perhaps he'll warm up to her. She looks to Pepper, "I'm fine with either way, I wouldn't want to inconvenience Mr. Jarvis, if he has more important tasks to do then to read off the resuls out loud."
"Greetings and thank you, Miss Fairchild. While I do appreciate the sentiment behind your offer, I am fairly certain that Sir would not approve." Pepper's computer monitor lights up with the results of JARVIS's searches at that point, and she glances over the data with a speed born of much practice. "Exactly as I expected, nothing untoward to be found." The AI's listing of probably percentages speculating on Caitlin's physical strength based on search criteria borrowed from some of Tony's other projects are somewhat fascinating, though. She smiles at the younger woman again, then opens a desk drawer to pull out a tablet computer. Turning it on deftly, she turns it toward Caitlin then offers her a stylus. "These are all the official documents that Legal and HR will be requiring to make your employment here official, I've already filled out what I could on them for you." Kind of like it's habit to do other people's paperwork for them. Go figure.
Taking the stylus and reading over the tablet computer, Caitlin makes sure she knows what she is signing, after all, she doesn't want to sign away any and all future ideas and royalties to the company, have to bare Tony Stark a child by her 25th birthday, or be waiving her right to benefits... or at least without knowing she is doing so. She does giggle a bit, "If you're sure Mr. Jarvis. I'd think with all the various starlets that Mr. Stark has been seen dating, it would be really hypocritical of him to not let you at least go on one date with an intelligent, skilled, lovely, maternal, hard-working, blonde bombhell." pausing as she considers if Anna has any actual high explosives in her that would make that statement a bit too on the nose, "But if you're not interested, I understand. I jut won't tell Anna that I offered, so he won't feel rejected." She smiles and winks to Pepper, then signs and initials in all the places indicated. She then sits up, "So what will be my official and unofficial duties?"
Pepper Potts takes the tablet back to check everything over, smiling a bit at Caitlin's banter aimed at JARVIS. She glances everything over, then taps a command into the tablet and puts it back in her desk drawer. "Well, to start with I'll have you shadowing me around the office, doing the simple things like minding the phones and fielding general inquiry emails. I'm sure Tony will think up all kinds of other duties to randomly toss at you, so I don't want to give you too much right away. Unofficially, I'm probably going to eventually have to ask you to help me make sure Tony eats regularly while he's in the office and limit his caffeine intake. Too much and things start combusting randomly, if you know what I mean."
Smiling, Caitlin nods, "Make sure the man who can create cold fusion bombs in his sleep doesn't get too much chemical stimulation, and maintains a proper intake of moderately healthy nutrients. Got it." she smiles, then, remembering a conversation she had with Ben Reilly about her applying, she considers something and glances down at herself, "Will my current attire be suitable? Or is there dress code rules I need to adhere to?" better to get the important questions out of the way, so she doesn't make any mistakes right out of the gate.
Pepper Potts smiles. "For normal everyday around the office, it would be fine. I'll take you with me to get something a little more professional business looking before I make you accompany me to a board meeting." Suddenly, she can't help but realize something and be amused by it. She's just hired a personal assistant for herself who also happens to be a redhead. And Tony had that McCabe lady doing security for him for a while. That cinches it, people are gonna talk, and they're gonna say that Tony's got a 'type'. If the damned papparazzi find out, they'll without a doubt have a field day.
Nodding, Caitlin glances at her feet, then decides to mention, just in case, "We might need to look into custom made shoes. I'm denser then I look, and while I used to be able to wear heels before I... grew, I've had to wear flats for the past few years because heels usually can't support the pressure." she blushes, feeling a bit self-consious about the fact she weighs more then most male pro-athletes, save for a moderate amount of football linemen and most Sumo Wrestlers. She tries to think of any other pressing questions, but decides for now the only real important one is, "So, when do I start?" eager to to get to work, and ecstatic about how life has started to look up as of late.
Pepper Potts smiles. "Well, how often do you really think you're going to want to wear heels?' Because, really, as it is, Caitlin is already something around a full foot taller than Pepper. "But I'm sure we can figure something out for you. I can't remember if it's Blahnik or someone else that's been making noise about titanium stilettos. And starting? How does Monday sound for you?"
Standing and extending a hand, "Sounds like a wonderful day to start a wonderful job." Caitlin smiles, pondering titanium stilettos, and giggling slightly, "You're probably right, I really don't need the heels, but I've been told proper power heels help make a woman look more confident, and they're not called power heels for nothing. Plus, it probably can't hurt if you need to intimidate some overly chauvenistic male into showing you the proper respect, in and out of the boardroom, to have someone towering behind you."
Pepper Potts stands as well to shake Caitlin's hand. "It's true, the shoes really do help, but really. If a day ever comes that I can't handle some overly inflated corporate pig, that's the day I'll have to quit this job." She's clearly poking fun at the situation. "So, see you on Monday."
Being gentle, Caitlin shakes the hand and nods, "Thank you, again, for the job. I really appreciate it, and look forward to working with you." she smooths her skirt and then adds, "Nice meeting you Mr. Jarvis. The offer still stands if you change your mind. Anna is really nice, and she adores to pamper people." as she heads toward the exit.
Pepper Potts walks Caitlin toward the door to her office. "I'll make sure that the front desk has your badge and everything ready for you on Monday morning, and..." Anything else she was about to say is interrupted by JARVIS. 
"Miss Potts, your presence is requested in Research and Development Lab Twenty-Six. Immediately."
Pepper stops and closes her eyes for a half-second before taking a deep breath. "All right, JARVIS. I'm on my way." She smiles apologetically to Caitlin as she walks with the younger woman toward the elevators, but then instead of waiting for one of the lifts detours into the adjacent stairwell, where her shoes can be heard clattering down the stairs at what is probably an unsafe pace.
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Category:RPLogs