Amanda van Eeden (carabinadeases) wrote in remains_rpg, @ 2016-10-25 08:55:00 |
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Rather than leave the Capitol herself, Amanda could easily have sent Donna out on a coffee run. Actually, it wasn’t as if the Capitol was lacking in coffee machines, so she could have simply asked Zach to do her a favor and refill her mug from the communal pot. Taking a trip to the Doughnut Hole, however, afforded her more than just an opportunity to caffeinate. Sometimes stepping out of the office and stretching her legs was a welcome relief. Not that the work was a burden, but every now and then, the mind needed a break. And, apparently, Amanda was not the only one who’d had this idea. There was a line, though not a very long one, and she joined the end of it without hesitation. When someone else took a position behind her only a few seconds later, Amanda smiled at the newcomer. It was a woman with a face that seemed familiar, somehow, but she couldn’t quite remember where in Austin she had come across her before. That was the problem with associating people with a specific place, when you saw them in a different location, sometimes it was hard to remember who they were. Still, given that she was familiar, Amanda added, “Good morning. How are you today?” With the return of the internet, Paige had decided it was the perfect opportunity to reconnect herself with the world and get caught up on some of the more menial tasks of running a business. Email and processing orders and following up on billing statements wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was a necessary. In her brief time in Austin, Paige had learned that coffee was a bit of a luxury around here and doughnuts were also a treat, but she didn’t mind waiting in line. It gave her opportunities to speak with the locals such as the woman standing in front of her. Except… Paige already knew her! Or, at least her face. And her measurements, which Paige realized was a weird thing as soon as she thought it. “Ms. van Eeden?” Paige asked, her head tilting in confusion. “What are you doing in Austin?” Not a local, then, if she was surprised to find Amanda in Austin. Someone from Denver? Her eyes narrowed slightly, the face of the woman behind her in line like a piece to a puzzle she couldn't identify. As it finally clicked into place, Amanda could have kicked herself for the delay. Of course, she's only ever seen this face on the other side of a video chat, and running across it in person -- and in Austin, of all places -- was entirely unexpected. “Ms. Goodall, what an unexpected but pleasant surprise!” Amanda broke into a grin and offered Paige her hand to shake. “How many times do I have to tell you to call me Paige,” Paige said, blushing a bit as she returned the handshake. After all, after you made delicates for someone, being addressed like that seemed a bit too formal. “Paige, then. I live here now, actually. I'm working with the local government. But what brings you here? Are you, by any chance, considering relocating your business?” It was a bit of wishful thinking on Amanda’s part, but also one of the few reasons she could imagine that someone would willingly travel this far south. “Really? I guess that explains why I haven’t heard from you in a while. I’m just here visiting after I got news of someone people I knew that were still living here after all this time. So, no, no plans on moving the business here.” Though if the reception she’d gotten on the Freenet was anything to go by, it seemed like Austin really did need some help in the fashion department. “Oh?” Despite her disappointment, Amanda was glad to hear that it was at least something positive bringing Paige to their door. Even with the way that the country had pulled itself together, reunions were often rare. “Congratulations, then! I hope you found them well. Austin had been through more than its share of difficulty, but I think optimism about the future of the city would not be entirely misplaced.” Knowing that Savannah was semi-well known in the city, and enjoying her status as a new nobody in the city, Paige just smiled and said, “Yeah, it was a nice surprise. I’m happy to see them doing so well after all this time. I drove to Oklahoma when the news first started reporting about the outbreak so I never knew anything was still here.” Amanda nodded; most people outside the government hadn't known about Austin for some time. The line moved forward a few inches, and she waved at their surroundings as she shifted her position. “They’re making strides to rebuild. This is one of the new businesses in the city and you can see how well people are responding to it. Austin’s citizens are more than ready for change.” “I almost couldn’t believe it when I read in the paper that people had been living here all along,” Paige said, biting at her lower lip. She actually hated thinking about her former sister-in-law living through all of that. But as Amanda mentioned, at least businesses seemed to be opening in Austin and the citizens were beginning to see a more civilized standard of living again. “By all accounts, the conditions in the city were…” For a moment Amanda hesitated, unsure what word would be best and ignoring the pang of something unnameable that passed through her. “Far from ideal. There's so much more to be done yet, but Austin is nothing if not resilient.” She smiled, aware exactly how much she might sound like a saleswoman, but not minding enough to dial it down. “And there's been a gratifying number of people from elsewhere in the country who've been willing to move to the area to open shops and offer other services. Now that we’re back on the internet, you'll probably begin to see more orders coming your way from down here too.” Paige had noticed many of the business she’d seen were not here before when she’d been at school at the University of Texas, Austin. That must have been a good sign, then, that in the few short months that the rest of the country had known about Austin, so many had already come here to either move their business or start new ones entirely. “Are there incentives for businesses here, then?” It seemed like it could be a challenging market, with a smaller population and perhaps people with less disposable income. But seeing as Paige’s business was primarily online, maybe it wouldn’t make a difference for someone like her. Amanda nodded, feeling a spike of triumph despite the fact that Paige could easily have been asking out of mere curiosity. It was a first step, at least, because curiosity had a chance to grow into a real interest. “There are many, in fact. The first round of entrepreneurs to bring their businesses to the city have their pick of locations and spaces that are offered at specially lowered prices. They also enjoy lowered taxes, and receive unique opportunities for promotion around the city.” There was only one person between Amanda and the register now, and so she knew that very soon their conversation would be interrupted. Pressing ahead, she added, “If you’d like to know more specifics, I can have the pertinent information emailed to you.” Paige nodded, trying not to seem too crazy with the wide eyes and the over enthusiasm. She never realized what a pain in the ass starting a business was until she actually did it and now things like taxes and brick and mortar locations were things that constantly ran through her mind. It wasn’t like she was struggling, but if there were an opportunity for her to grow, Paige thought she owed it to herself to at least look into it. “That does sound enticing,” Paige said, giving Amanda a smile. “Some more details would be great actually. Do you still have my info or I have a business card in my purse if that would help--” she said, already reaching down for her bag to produce the card. “I'm sure I still have it,” Amanda replied, tamping her impulse to give a victorious grin into a smile that was more restrained by comparison. Taking the proffered business card, she tucked the it away in her own purse. “But thank you for the card nevertheless. I'm sure that I can think of a person or two at my workplace who might be interested in your services, so I'll pass this along to them.” In fact, after scrounging for clothing in abandoned shops and storefronts, the ability to custom order a garment had to be a luxury many would appreciate. Amanda predicted quite a few residents could be contacting Paige in the near future. “I'll have someone send that info out to you first thing when I get back to the office,” she added, as the last customer in front of her finished up their order. “It's been lovely running into you, and I do hope you enjoy your time in Austin.” |