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Tweak says, "Only the pure of heart!"

ann wayland (annwayland) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-08-14 15:25:00

Entry tags:

ann_wayland, plot, xaviere_sevin

The sign says "Wanted"
Subject: Hiring staff.
Who: Ann Wayland.
Where: The Avery Tavern
Warnings: none
Open to: Xaviére Sevin

Ann hadn't seem Jimmy in a while. That shouldn't have been the forefront of her mind but it was, somehow, and it was beginning to distract from her work. It wasn't allowed! The tavern needed her full attention it didn't deserve to be wasted away due to thoughts of silly men and their biceps.

Among other things.

After having a few women leave their jobs at the Tavern things were becoming a bit hectic. She couldn't really manage with two bar staff and thoughts of Jimmy were constant unwelcome guests. After putting up a sign in the window she had received a few weird applicants and nothing more substantial. Because of this, Ann resigned herself to washing up alone, behind the bar, sighing heavily because the damn stains wouldn't come out.

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bataille_
2008-08-14 09:42 am UTC (link)

The French woman nervously stepped inside the tavern, looking around at the dim lighting and felt the urge to buy herself a drink. It had been much too long, since she had taken a sip of alcohol, though she hardly could afford a glass of water.

It was why she was here.

Xavière approached the counter uncertainly with a piece of paper in her hand, looking around the place a final time before finally approaching the woman. Her hands moved to brush the dirt off of the clothing she wore, a pair of slacks and a scruffed up shirt that didn't quite make her seem presentable.

She gave a wave to the woman, before setting the piece of paper down on the counter, with the word, "Work?" scribbed on it in messy handwriting in English- that, and sorry, was the only English vocabulary she had.

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annwayland
2008-08-14 10:09 am UTC (link)

Ann noticed the girl simply because she didn't look like the sort Ann was used to coming to pay a visit: when she approached the counter with the scrawled note Ann looked at it, then looked to the girl and blinked.

"Yeah, we're hirin' - you want the job?" Ann asked, wondering why she hadn't actually opened her mouth to speak instead of hand her a note. "Well you're gonna have to show me you can do it. Let's start with names. I'm Ann."

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bataille_
2008-08-14 10:14 am UTC (link)

English was so baffling. Hearing it, Xavière had to work to pick out the bits and pieces, picking out 'name' and 'Ann' and that was about it. The rest of the words held no resemblance to French at all.

The only reason Xavière was opening her mouth, was because this was a steady working position and she desperately needed the money. Otherwise, she would have simply kept her mouth shut and wrote her name out on a piece of paper.

"Xavière." She spoke softly, extending her hand across the bar for a shake.

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annwayland
2008-08-14 10:19 am UTC (link)

Ann took her hand and shook it, a small smile on her face. "Nice to meet you. Pretty name." But this was all about business, not niceties. "Right let me tell you the basics - the hours are five til eleven a night, one night off a week for about three weeks then we sort out a rota for you. The pay is sixpence a night, goes up to eightpence if you're good at it."

She had no idea this girl couldn't speak a word of English and so she continued to prattle on until she realised this might not be getting through. "You had experience?"

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bataille_
2008-08-14 10:23 am UTC (link)

Drawing her hand back she let it rest in her pocket, pausing as she looked up at the woman. Oh, too much at once. Way too much English at once, and she simply stared, wide-eyed, as the woman continued to drawl on about god knows what.

"...je suis française." Xavière finally stated, pointing to herself as she stated her nationality. "Je ne comprend pas, des- sorry."

She hoped to get this job. If not, she had broken her silence for nothing.

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annwayland
2008-08-14 10:30 am UTC (link)

Ann blinked. So this woman was French was she? That might prove a problem. "Oh..." was all she said before she didn't let the shock affect her and she began to try and explain. Poor little sod - she looked quie tired. "Six nights a week... six..." she said, holding up the same amount of fingers, "for six pence a night..." For this, she held up a coin and motioned six once more, "if we like you - you get eight." More fingers went up.

Now the tricky part. "Do you have experience?" God, here came Ann's posh voice. "Have you done this before?" Motioning with glasses and gesturing around the tavern.

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bataille_
2008-08-14 10:35 am UTC (link)

Xavière was child-like in her expression, her eyes watching the fingers go up, and she gave a small nod as she smiled softly. It kind of made sense, she supposed. Six- she supposed that was what she was being paid, and that was quite the pay, really.

Her eyes followed where Ann pointed, then realised she meant the tavern in general. With a pause, she pointed behind the bar, to ask if she had to do the same work as Ann, then made motions as if she was sweeping with a broom, to ask her if she was taking a cleaning job instead. Ah, how complicated.

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	annwayland 2008-08-14 10:44 am UTC (link)
	Charades. What fun! Ann was now miming sweeping and bar work, then motined that the two of them were going to be part of the job, "together" so to mime. "More bar work than sweeping... sweeping after hours," she said, pointing to the clock. God what was she doing? "Yes?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	bataille_ 2008-08-14 10:46 am UTC (link)
	"Yes!" Xavière let out a soft giggle, cupping her hand to her mouth and realised that she quite liked this employer. She was more than happy she applied here, it would be fun, to work with Ann. She pointed behind the bar and shrugged, however, because she didn't know how to do any barwork, and she wanted Ann to show her. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

annwayland
2008-08-14 10:52 am UTC (link)

Ann laughed too. "Alright then, lovely. You got the job." Normally she would have said no right away but this was funny and little Xaviére looked like she needed a damn good meal. Damn Ann and her motherly instincts...

"Right the basics..." Lifting up a glass she wiggled it to emphasize her point. "Mug. Glass. Pint." She put the glass underneath the pump and patted the lever. "Pump. Where beer comes from." Pouring the beer into the glass she stopped until it had a nice head and lifted it up. "Beer."

At this, the group of men who had been watching this exchange with great fascination raised their own glasses and cheered their approval, making Ann laugh. "Alright you lot! You want this one, you pay for it! You understand though? Er what was it... comprend?" she asked the girl.

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bataille_
2008-08-14 10:59 am UTC (link)

Xavière leaned over the counter, watching Ann enthusiastically, murmuring the words underneath her breath and watching the woman fill out the glass. It seemed very straightforward. She could handle this fine, and it didn't seem all that difficult.

Well, she would take this work than on he knees, scrubbing a floor. Slowly, the woman pointed to the mug and stared at it for a few moments. "...Pint, glasse...m-mug?" She waited for the nod of approval before moving on. "Pump." She pointed to the liquid in the glass before pausing. "...uh....beer?"

Almost startled by the cheers of men, Xavière jumped back before a blush came on her cheeks and she gave them a nod and a small wave, before turning back to the woman and nodding. "Yes. Comprend."

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annwayland
2008-08-14 11:09 am UTC (link)

Ann smiled in approval. A little protege all of her own! And she seemed to be a fast learner too. "One beer - one penny," Ann demonstrated, to which some of the men groaned and muttered 'outrage!' Still, Ann knew she had the good beer for the second cheapest tariff and so they couldn't really complain.

"You'll do fine, love," she smiled, reaching over and patting the girl on the shoulder. "When do you want to start?"

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	bataille_ 2008-08-14 01:36 pm UTC (link)
	Xavière watched, as the woman pointed to a coin and then to the glass and she understood. A beer for a penny. A satisfied grin came to her face, and she began to practise the words she had just learned, murmuring them underneath her breath to remember them. She looked up at Ann, pausing for a moment, before indictating that she would like to work now, if she could. (Reply to this) (Parent)