OKAY

The planetarium was closed for the night; yet, the auditorium's lights were still on, brightly lit. About a hundred blue chairs in the small circular area were arranged in rows that curved towards a central stage. Up above was a white ceiling, used for the projection of star patterns and other space oddities.

Janus, an old caucasian man with long, messy, graying hair and a thin mustache, who was garbed in a ruby raincoat and other ruby clothes, had just entered with the interviewee to conduct the interview in secret. The planetarium, it seemed to him, relaxed him the most while conducting interviews. Perhaps it was because of the massive openness of the place; he hated conducting interviews in cramped quarters. Not that he was claustrophobic. Perhaps it was because of the access he had to the planetarium's display whenever he was there, with express permission given by the owners of the place beforehand. He could project anything he wanted on screen, in the middle of the evening, without fear of alerting the outside world through the luminescence, due to the dome being covered at night.

Not that he would need it right now; in general he only used it for emergency meetings outside the Core. Maybe he could entertain this interviewee, though, while he was at it? Right, tonight's interview was perhaps nothing ordinary, though several key staff at Mobile Command expressed their concerns about the applicant. Thus, Janus was sent in. He was hesitant, but his track record proved that he could get the job done and contain any possible threats by his own hand.

"Have a seat," Janus said. "Any seat." He held his hands out towards the rows like any good gentleman would.

The armed escort to the "interview location" was really a bit much, Revy thought. Then again, announcing the fact that she could perform instant teleportation and bend the natural laws at her whim had gotten quite the reaction, even without a demonstration. At least they'd let her change before carting her off, allowing her to slip into her normal attire rather than showing up in the waitress uniform (yet another attempt at getting a job for her) that was so stiff and stuffy! At least they were clean - which couldn't be said without some amount of irony for the attire she was clad in now.

Curiosity took over the moment she arrived, and was handed off to a man in brilliant red. Strangely, the ones with the guns stayed behind, though it was just as well, seeing as they'd be as effective against her special brand of abilities as wet tissue paper, unless luck wasn't on her side. Still, just handing her over... was this guy her interrogator interviewer? Was he taking her to whomever would conduct the interview? The mystery was complicated by the fact that she was hesitant to ask, on account of being told to shush multiple times on the trip over.

Upon entering the planetarium, however, that little girl side of her took over again. Perhaps it was a side-effect of the young lady's "powers", but these sorts of places always left her in awe, even after having seen them a dozen times in a row before she was finally kicked out of one somewhere in California. This was a different one though - obviously, duh, because they wouldn't have let her in here at all if they knew! But maybe they didn't, and the--

"Take a seat" her new escort instructed, and Revy didn't even need to be told twice. She immediately bounded towards one of the higher seats with a delighted squeal, all the better to get a good view without craning her neck into a cramp. That was, if there was going to be a show. But there had to be! Why else would they take her here?

It hadn't escaped her that this was an odd place to chit-chat, but the lights were still up and no sound or music was playing. "Is... Is there gonna be a show?" she tentatively asked with no loss of enthusiasm, her feet rocking back and forth in impatience. For a moment Revy contemplated doing a handstand, because why not?, but decided against it; she didn't want to ruin her chances of getting hired before they even started talking, though how she was going to convince them that she was useful at all was something she hadn't quite thought through yet.

"Depends," Janus responded with a smile. "If it's really necessary to do so, yes. I, uh, am not one to waste electricity, though. We'll see later on."

He sat down to Revy's left, quickly taking out a pencil and a notepad from one of his raincoat pockets. "Well, let's get talking right away, young lady." Janus's old, wisened face had an air of relief to it, the kind one would find with seniors looking for young folks to talk to in order to relieve their loneliness and boredom. "How did you hear about the Franchise?"

His reply wasn't exactly... satisfactory, even if his reasons made sense. Grumbling, Revy slunk back into her chosen seat, slightly annoyed but not so much as to simply write off her host. Besides, she sort of needed the job.

Speaking of which, the questions began. Oddly, the young lady couldn't quite place where exactly she'd heard of or came across the listing, but did know it had to have been found recently or she likely would have signed up earlier. "Er... I can't rightly recall. Might've been one of them 'friend of a friend of a friend of a cousin that knew the guy at the corner store' things."

After a few more moments of consideration Revy also recalled "I do remember having to bounce through quite a few hoops just t' find the application sheet, though; tried to do it online but the 'Nets farted out on me halfway through. Compies tend to do that when I'm around - just stop working. Or burst into flames, like that one at the Alabami library." Nervous titters followed as she scratched her head anxiously. So far, not so good, she guessed...

Yes, I know I spelled 'Alabama' wrong. I did that on purpose

"Quite intriguing," Janus responded, scribbling electrical circuit diagram-like shorthand in his notepad. In case anyone was wondering, the diagonal lines and parallels and perpendiculars on the sheet were symbols only he could understand; at the moment, they said something about an "area of effect".

"Alright, so," he continued, turning his body towards Revy, making sure that his notepad's contents were obscured. "Tell me about your previous work experience. I saw your application, though in my haste to get here early, I forgot to bring it with me. Anyways, tell me more."

** would have posted earlier, but my tablet decided it wanted to reset the page before I could post it ~.~ **

Revy wasn't quite sure what the chicken scratches that Janus was scribbling down were supposed to mean; even her mixed-up mind had trouble wrapping her head around the symbols and gibberish. She stared quizzically at them while he scratched them out, really only half-listening to him until he turned the paper pad away from her. For that, she barely kept herself from leaning over to get a better look, even if she wouldn't have a clue what any of it would mean. So instead, Revy amused herself recalling the drum track from "Hot for Teacher" in her head, haphazardly drumming it out with her fingers.

Janus's next inquiry made poor Revy think some more, hopefully not hurting her brain in the process. Nodding her head back and forth as she contemplated, the young lady finally conceded "Welp, I've done a buncha things! But I'm not really sure how mucha it means anything. Oh! I can move myself around real fast-like!" Demonstrating rather than simply saying so, she concentrated on the other seat next to Janus, and with a mere thought she vanished, plopping down into her new seat with a *Wmph!*, the now-unoccupied one springing back into its closed position as if she'd just stood up.

Her curiousity getting the better of her, she stole another peek at the mysterious writing pad, but still couldn't make heads or tails of what the hell it meant. "I can alsa take people or big things along like that too, but it's a lot more dangerous an' wears me out quicker. Can move real fast if I don't hav'ta do that."

Alright, what?!

Revy's reappearance to Janus' left quickly had Janus turning towards her, turning the notepad away from her again before she could see any further into his intricately drawn designs. But Janus did not twitch or sink into his seat, much as he thought any normal person would when encountering a person of extraordinary powers like Revy. His reaction was more of piqued curiosity and calm regard, seasoned by years of tough mental work.

So this was why they had brought him in to interview her. Or did they really know about this? Probably his friends in the Weird Occurrences department knew from the application's details. He probably wouldn't have guessed teleportation had to do with it.

After a moment of blank hesitation, Janus calmly responded, "No, that's not what I really meant by...work experience. I mean, actual jobs that you've done, are doing. I recall that you have a lot of work experience spread out, even though you didn't seem to work long; but you seem to not care much for it."

If Revy were surprised that her interviewer wasn't, she didn't show it. But the cheerful, energetic demeanor did die down a bit. "L-like I said, I ain't sure what would be useful t' point out. Done a lotta different things - fireman, babysitter, garbage person, some farm hand work - but most've it's handy-work and I can't ever keep it for long. Either I screw something up big-time an' get fired or just get bored of it and leave. Or t' boss gets complained on 'cause no one can stand that hyper girl - that too."

"Ne'er really could stand t' study to get a degree 'r anything either; I barely made it through high school, an' going through that again ain't exactly appealing. Thought 'bout a tech degree, but still gotta sit through classes n' stuff." By now, the young lady was hugging her knees, her tone a lot quieter than it was when she came in all smiles and bubbles. "I-I-I guess I'm good wi' people... long as I don't stay 'round them too long. An' I can take directions well... if they're easy t' remember, at least. Been all over t' place, but never stayed any'ere too long t' be useful that way. An' when I show people what I can do-- well, I'm sure ya can guess how well that goes over. Sometimes I wonder if I'd be b-better if I wasn't this way, but it's 'bout all I got left."

Quickly Revy wiped her tears away, trying to hide them even as her nose got stuffy as she tried in vain not to cry. "P-p-pardon, I didn't mean fer this to turn into a sob story. Just... I ain't got much else to turn to." Trying to turn attention away from her near-breakdown, Revy quickly doubled back, questioning "If I m-may, I don't think I really read over t' appla-- applicad-- written thingy very well, 'cause I can't rightly recall what it is... that I was... signing up for." Her face turned red as she half-turned away in embarrassment.

You see now, Malinowski? You can't be normal again. You can't even sign your own contract right!

"Perhaps I should have acknowledged your latent powers more clearly," was Janus' first response. He paused to think about what else to say. On the surface, there was little that moved Janus. In his mind, however...

You're a freak, Janus. Who said that to him again? His own aunt? The same one who raised him and took him as his own?

"I'm...I'm terribly sorry." Janus slouched in his seat. He made no attempt to reach out a hand to Revy in case she mistook his cues; instead resting a soft gaze upon her. "Certainly, you are unique." How hard it was to even look at her, just curled up like that! Janus shook his head, as if he were eschewing a few words in his mind for more suitable ones. "I do not think we've had applicants like you before. I can't really sympathize with you directly..."

You can't go back to Poland anymore, Janus. They've got "illusion hunters" now, I hear. Best bet is to move to Russia.

His eyes, normally soft and unassuming, had a weight of guilt to them. "No, I guess, I guess, I...I actually do know how you feel. Except...not at this magnitude." Not at this magnitude? Janus felt that compulsion to bring himself level to her. To not give in would amount to lying.

"Revonne." Janus' voice was a near-hushed calm. "Miss Hays. Listen to me. I think...no, I strongly believe we can help you. I mean, having listened to you, your life story...I wouldn't turn you down."

He leaned in closer to make sure he made good eye contact with the girl. "Are you alright?" he asked. From his raincoat he procured a beige handkerchief, folded up in a neat square, holding it out for the girl to take. It was funny; once upon a time Janus' mentor discovered him like this, even offered a similarly-colored handkerchief.

"Here, Revonne."

Even through her sparse tears Revy watched the older man with some interest, especially his expressions. If she couldn't discern his writing, maybe she could learn something from how he was reacting. There was some distress, but nothing that gave any indication as to what he was contemplating, leaving the girl back at square one.

Though she wasn't quite as quick to pick up on his meaning. "I-I do 't really need help," she noted, still taking the kerchief out of courtesy, "Gotten used t' it aft-- oh, Oh! I m-m-mean..." A cough, and she tried again. "'Bout the job, ya mean. Eheh... There was..."

She clamped shut before saying anything more, but there was a bit she wasn't telling, and wasn't apt to explain. Quickly Revy changed the subject, stating nervously "Is there anything I should know 'bout with this... er, new job?"

"New job?" Janus hmmmed, aaaahed, stroked his chin and scratched his head. "Well, young lady, I haven't really said anything yet about you getting the job. But yeah, the implication's still there. I had a whole bunch of questions still to ask you."

He eased up, smiling. The girl who accepted her handkerchief became a lot less depressing to look at; the fragments of Janus' youth, though, remained.

"Questions," he continued, "such as...well we gotta ask one form of this question or another in the interview, it's a very strong recommendation on the head administrator's part. And that question is..." He sat upright, still leaning forward a bit to make sure he wasn't too impersonal; a personal, intangible part of him had already leaked out in the interview, and there was no way he could take it back.

"What was the best experience that you have had, helping someone?"

Revy tried to hand back the hankerchief after drying her eyes, since she really didn't need it. "Welp, didn't hurt to ask," was her reply, though she reddened a little in embarrassment. It probably wasn't good of her to make assumptions, but at least Janus took it well enough.

His question, however, forced the girl to pause. There were a lot of times she'd tried to do good, but often bumbled it up somehow, or the outcome wasn't good at all. After a minute of silence, Revonne finally stated "There was this one time... when I still volunteered wi' the FD, first call out. House fire, blaze was outta control by t' time we got thar, an' a family had been inside when it started. The pa had gotten out, but ma an' a few kids were still inside, so t' capt'n said we was goin' in."

"Turns out they was trapped on the sec'n floor. Stairs were on fire, an' the fire was gettin' hotter, about t' backdraft he says. They were pullin' out, but I knew I could see 'em in my mind's eye, right above us. Later, I had'a lie about it, but I Traveled up there an' Traveled 'em all out the back way - though it made me pass out. Had'a lie because I didn't know if the fire chief would like to hear he got a freak on his team, though that's probably silly now that I think 'bout it."

The young lady ended her tale with a shrug, "Prolly the one thing I've done both good and right so far. Ev'ything else seems to go wrong, and always at the worst time too..."