gʀɑɦɑɱ ɦɑʆɗɑʀ, ɛรquiʀɛ (businesslike) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-02-18 20:56:00 |
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Irvine seemed to be the location for a corporate building search, according to Zelda’s real-estate findings. This business park in particular was well-kept, catering more towards environmentally responsible and resource-efficient architecture. Perhaps a bit pricey upon initial purchasing, but the solar panels would help keep utility costs low, and the building she had an eye on incorporated the concept of hanging gardens outside of it - it’d help keep the building cool during the warmer months (which was about ten out of the twelve), and also she just liked the look of it. Now, she’d seen some pictures, but the agent had given them the liberty of exploring the building on their own - discuss, volley back any ideas or potential questions when it came to paperwork. Vast, tinted windows provided an abundance of natural light during the day, and the interior was recently renovated - a sleek, modern design, but currently without any decor or furniture. Simply, the bare bones of an establishment she and Jonathan. Today was a particularly cloudy, showers all around, which made it a good time to bring the young lawyer out to investigate the property. Seven stories of decent sized floor plans for the departments involved, a garage for complimentary parking. Spacious meeting spaces, bathrooms for every level, and the top floor had the larger offices with a more personal conference room. Zelda shuffled her heeled feet. They squeaked against the freshly polished floor. “And here I thought the most expensive purchase I’d ever make in my life would be getting my hair done at the salon,” she sighed. But she was excited, to have something concrete here. “Thoughts? Criticisms? An office you want to claim as your own? These have personal showers.” The cloudiness of the day may have been due to a certain weather-controlling lawyer (specializing in not specifically real estate in this world, but he knew a few things regardless) vampire, who went along to Zelda’s appointment with her, intent on helping to make a very important decision. Ever since Jonathan passed the bar exam, he’d been renting office space in a building also in Irvine (it was a hopping district for such things, and close to UCI) since it had been a congratulatory gift from Vlad - he’d paid for the first couple of months rent, then Jonathan took over. Now he or Zelda really didn’t have to worry about money, Jonathan wasn’t a strapped-for-cash law student coming up with fifty or so ways to make ramen and living off of coffee, but regardless - he still wanted the very best for her. Cloaked in a pressed suit and polished shoes, he had his iPad with him to make notes on - he’d also put together a checklist to go over with her, to ensure this was indeed the right spot for probably-to-be-renamed Mandrag, and its renovations both internally and externally. “Well, let’s see...” He swiped a finger along the screen. “I do support buying, since I only anticipate growth for the company - it’s not a startup business, for one thing. But location, it has to be prime. Things to consider?” Jonathan listed them off - he was nothing if not extremely organized; it wasn’t his vampire abilities that won them the billion dollar case, it was his anal retentiveness, let’s be honest. Wasn’t anything supernatural that helped him save the day in his dreams either, the first set. It was sheer tenacity and intellectual prowess. “The building has easy access for customers, it’s close to the airport, there’s convenient parking - and any off site meetings would be within a reasonable distance, for employees. Employee commutes wouldn’t be bad either. There’s also a Metrolink station within walking distance.” Zelda’s smile was fond. Of course he came prepared - his organization skills were rivaled only by one Wendy Darling, who’d been helping take care of some things overseas. Not that the Princess of Light wasn’t neat herself, but she didn’t think she could ever compete to their adorable anal retentive level. Jonathan wouldn’t miss a beat, and she didn’t make any decisions without his input. Having someone she wholly trusted with everything (including giving her a vampire bite and not killing her in the process) to help with the system of balance and checks made her feel much more comfortable taking the reigns of this entire thing - there was a lot of quiet second-guessing that went on, but she was slowly beginning to feel like she knew more of what she was doing every day. “And it doesn’t have any mold, according to the inspection paperwork,” she added. Hey, that was important too. “I don’t see anything wrong with this place yet unless you have something to surprise me with?” “No,” Jonathan laughed a little. “They weren’t lying about the mold. I could smell it otherwise.” But he didn’t pick up on any of that, just the scent of fresh paint, disinfectant, window polishers, air freshener (something sea-themed?), and marble and pine - very businesslike, and crisp. Having enhanced senses came in handy for some things, when he wasn’t being overwhelmed. He did a few calculations on his iPad - more like keystroking and swiping, brow furrowed, forest green eyes focused. “They weren’t kidding about the eco-friendly attributes either. I did a Carbon Footprint of the building - to estimate the emissions that are produced - and it’s actually not bad at all. Later we can work with purchasing printing services that are sustainable.” Because an energy conglomerate had no choice about these sorts of things - they couldn’t be wasteful, not at all. Or it would get messy in terms of, well, everything. Even in those little ways, saving was important - water filters as opposed to bottles, flatscreen monitors, tons of recycling. “Should we look at the offices, then?” All that would be purchased separately, of course - the building didn’t come furnished, alas, and there was the matter of purchasing all sorts of office equipment. Desks, computers, basic kitchen gadgets for breakrooms. A little decor to make this place homey too, but that was a project to tackle after the purchase was finalized. Jonathan’s additional research seemed to solidify the possibility that this could be it. It could be theirs. “It’d be ironic to gain bad press for being wasteful, wouldn’t it?” Zelda’s smile was a little crooked, but anyway - to the top floor! It was meant to be for executive offices, with an impressive view of the surrounding area, and it seemed a little more private. It’d be a more peaceful floor, away from other chaos. Cloudy glass walls, personal bathrooms, the conference space that connected the the rooms. She leaned against Jonathan, shrugging her shoulders into him as a nudge. “One of these is yours, you know. If we take this building. Pick one.” “Exactly. Ironic, in a terrible sort of way,” Jonathan chuckled, but he wouldn’t let that happen - really, he had a good feeling about the building. Because he could research all day, all night, until the cows came home but sometimes, when it came to business decisions, you also had to listen to your gut. A finely-honed sense of bullshit detection wouldn’t steer you wrong, and both he and Zelda had that in spades. He also had to admit he was kind of giddy about picking an office where the executive suites were - he’d be Zelda’s CLO, Chief Legal Officer, and probably make that his sole assignment for awhile, rather than taking on extra huge cases. Mediation work would be done on the side, since he sort of enjoyed it, but otherwise? There was a lot to do, and he wanted to make her company his focus. The personal bathrooms, how fancy. “I do like this one,” he said, taking a few steps in. “The view’s nice. I - “ He paused, rubbing the sharp angle of his jawline. “Vlad got to the point where the sun doesn’t really bother him anymore, like in our first set. He also became a vampire because of his second set, so I am hoping that I sort of follow suit when it comes to daylight.” Ah, yes. Windows. Entire walls were composed of them, depending on which side you were facing - not the best environment for someone with a rather deadly ‘sun allergy.’ It was what had Zelda cautious about this place primarily, but she also knew his hours had been on the nocturnal side before. Jonathan mentioned keeping to it, to help handle correspondences when it came to the timezone across the rest of the states and the massive pond in between. There was no furniture to sit on, so the princess opted to lean against the glass door, arms crossed, and thoughtfully hummed. “You could. Even Midna caught a lucky break when it came to walking in daylight. I still don’t want you roasting. I’d be very upset if I walked into your office -” she motioned to the one they were currently standing in, “ - and you were shriveled up because it was a nice day outside.” If anything they could renovate his office to block out light? Zelda was very flexible and, hell, Jonathan deserved whatever accommodations he needed. This wouldn’t be happening if it weren’t for him. “Poofing into dust, more like,” Jonathan laughed softly, in a self-depreciating way. “You’d have to sweep me into a bin with a broom.” First he’d burn if exposed to sunlight - and it would be painful. Then came the insta-cremation, or so he assumed - but he was dead in that second set of dreams, granted a mercy killing with a stake by Van Helsing. Not like he could blame his friend - it was essentially what Jonathan had asked for, if it turned out Dracula got his fangs into him after all. However, until he eased into more of a 9-5 routine again he was absolutely fine with keeping to the nocturnal schedule and handling the business done at odd hours, to accommodate clients and customers in other timezones. “But the world of law, and energy conglomerates for that matter, never sleeps so - “ He shrugged, and became an unseen blur, zipping to that private shower and back again to check it out. Only took a second, literally. “I’ll make it work. You’ll want something with natural lighting anyway, and lots of it. All that fluorescent lighting just kills people’s souls after awhile,” he grinned. Well, she supposed he approved of the private powder room accommodations for that one literal second, too. Jonathan seemed optimistic about this place though - his confidence sealed the deal in her eyes. “Just let me know if I have to change anything, or have blinds added,” Zelda softly giggled, pressing her hands and nose against the glass. No red falling from the skies today, but things had been a little odd (must be the OC’s motto), which made her think… “I want to look at the architectural floorplans, to see if we can…” Hm. What’d be the right word? “Make a safety bunker? Safe room? Something. As energy efficient as this building is, it’s not immune to this place.” It’d be an expensive insurance package she’d have to take out on this place, but here? Worth it. In case another giant monster decided to stop around, or they were overrun with demons again. Or a zombie apocalypse happened? Alien invasion? Anything that hasn’t been dropped on their heads yet that seemed highly possible in the future needed to be planned for. A bunker was certainly a good idea for everyone, both businesses and personal homes. You wouldn’t think, at first glance, that you’d really need one in Orange County (beyond what bad thunderstorm preparedness required, perhaps) but live here a month or so and it’d become more than obvious. “Nothing is immune to this place,” Jonathan agreed. He swiped the iPad on again to make note of it, and also about obtaining a detailed blueprint of the building. “We’ll need a bunker. A well-stocked one, a solid one. But definitely. Next step will be consulting with architects, I think, to tack on a panic room somewhere.” Whatever would work best with the structure, and not bring the whole building down around them. But really, there was a lot of glass - it was a visually appealing building too, not something that could withstand giant spider wreckage. “Just think, aliens will invade but we’ll still be standing thanks to amazing preparations. That’s something to be proud of.” Zelda peeled away from the tinted glass - there was a teeny smidge of her nose on it, she marked this building hers officially - and turned to face him. “You say that, and when the day comes we’ll be thanking our jaded expectations of this place for causing us to plan ahead,” she smiled. “Maybe even offer each other a triumphant high-five while UFOs are flying about.” If people were going to work here, she needed to offer safety, first and foremost. Impa was coming up with a way to incorporate something similar when they went on their next step of upgrading from their little in-the-middle-of-nowhere cottage. Retiring didn’t seem like an option for the woman, and she insisted on being head of security - who else other than the woman who had protected her in this life and others? Maybe she’d dream too, one day. She and Midna would bond over their shadowy powers. “You’ll have to think about hiring anyone under you, too,” she pointed out and peeked over at his iPad - she was curious to see how he was organizing everything. “Maybe if I bother Wendy enough I can convince her to come back? But your fiance hadn’t snatched up and employed my girlfriend I would have dragged her into the business.” If she would want to, anyway. But she seemed happy working for Dracula himself - those two had an odd bond despite their vast differences. “That’s true. I will need a paralegal, or a legal admin assistant,” Jonathan mused, letting go of the iPad with one hand to wrap an arm around Zelda and then grip the device again, so she had a good view there in between. Being so tall created a good space there anyway, for a shorter person. “Wendy would be amazing. Vision was good also, a shame he’s gone.” He’d helped with the trial organization, but some birds just weren’t meant to be caged. Or caught up in the bizarre happenings of Orange County. “I’ll put out a call on the network soon - may as well employ another dreamer, someone who can understand my odd working hours and just the general interruptions we often face.” Another nocturnal person would be ideal as well, but he wouldn’t ask for the moon and stars. “And at least we’ve got the Bandidos too. Don’t forget that.” Perfect view of J. Harker’s list of To-Do’s. It really was a shame, though, she couldn’t keep the both of them here - Vision and Wendy would be excellent to have onboard, but they were always somehow there. Even if not always in the immediate vicinity. She’d have to find an assistant of her own, though. Someone she could trust, but everyone she knew already seemed cozy where they were. Sigh. It’d be a tough search. “Oh, I’m not,” Zelda grinned. “I couldn’t forget them even if I wanted. I’m trying to set Roadkill up on payroll and whatnot. Considering they’ve got this uncanny ability to swoop in when you really need them, it’s like they’re always on-call.” Impa would work with them closely too, and those burly men who liked to swordfight with their penises in a stripclub’s bathroom would always have a place around here. Roadkill on payroll was the funniest sentence ever uttered; it gave Jonathan a hearty laugh. But they really were always on call, those bikers - must have been also ‘meant to be,’ from the very first night of strip poker. Granted, not one of Harker’s finer moments but alas. “Speaking of, sort of indirectly, at least we can plan for another midnight sushi excursion without worrying about Dragmire’s goons. To catch up,” he noted. Probably had already even opened the calendar, to put something in there with the happiest of faces penciled in as well. “Just...not that one park. I hear there are dragons there.” And a giant crater. But definitely dragons and probably the literal bowels of Hell simmering beneath the surface. A portal to the domain of Hades? Would the wonders ever cease? Ohhhh, that’s right. It’d been a minute since they were able to sit down and talk things specifically non-business related. A lot of changes had occurred, it was easy to get swallowed up in the whirlwind of work, but there was still plenty about life to chat about - the vampiric engagement, Midna moving in (and eventually meeting her family). Sushi and plum wine. It was always their downtime staple, and now the risk of criminal interruptions was minimum. As for OC interruptions, that was a different story. “Um,” Zelda began. “Of course I’m good with that but - what about the dragons??” Were there more? Should they be concerned?? Part of her was morbidly curious, the other mildly exasperated. “Nevermind the question, of course there’s dragons. Alright, we’ll avoid that one. Maybe go somewhere that’s relatively kid friendly and no one would think of ruining?” Though if the park with the crater was the one she was thinking about, didn’t that one have a jungle gym? And a swing set? The epitome of a childhood playground? Nothing was sacred. Unfortunately, they couldn’t have nice things most of the time - at least, what was conventionally defined as nice things. They had to sort of create their own, and redefine the expectations a little. “Kid friendly - “ Jonathan concurred, but the more he thought about it? The more he was just wary. Because a park seemed innocuous by day, a place of childlike innocence, yet at night was when the more unsavory and sinister aspects began to trickle out of the shadows. “On second thought, why don’t you just come over? We can do a picnic in the living room. Vlad will probably be working. Just Felix will be there.” The ever-growing puppy - honestly, wasn’t it insane how fast dogs grew? Just yesterday he was a chubby little troublemaker - now he was...less of a chubby troublemaker. Picnic in the living room! His roof would give them shelter from the odd, uh, happenings. Zelda approved, and she gave Jonathan a side-squeeze of a hug. “In your living room, then. I’ll wear my best pair of sweatpants and the nicest t-shirt I have,” she smirked. It’d be a nice break from have to sport the business professional look. “And I’ll bring something for Felix so he won’t feel too left out? He might hover and drool around us a little less if he’s distracted by his own snacks.” He definitely wasn’t little anymore, that dog. More like a big hunk of slobbery cuteness. She looked forward to the evening though - it was a nice piece of nostalgia they could relive when things around them changed. The princess let out a content sigh. “Thumbs up on this, then? You’re ready to look at paperwork and give them a threatening eyebrow raise if something smells fishy?” It was cozy in Jonathan’s living room; his new place with Vlad had a very refined ‘Victorian library’ feel to it - basically as if one booknerd lived there with one sharp-dressed dignitary (which was exactly the situation). He liked hosting though, it was a nice way to bring some (actual) warmth into the house. “Felix would love that,” he said. “So sounds good to me. And this place - “ He lifted an eyebrow, a practice version of the one he’d do when they met with the real estate team. “Official thumbs up from my end. I think we’ve found ‘the one.’ Let’s go see what the paperwork’s like - I’ll speed read it, but also thoroughly.” Zelda beamed, and did the excited thing of clapping her hands together. It was sort of a big deal, and once the paperwork was Jonathan Harker approved, she’d have to drag Impa and Midna for a viewing. There’d be tons of things to do afterwards, getting this place equipped to function properly as a business. Hiring, transfers from overseas, stacks and stacks of paperwork… But they could do this. With their powers combined, she still had the best and geekiest squad for this. |