☆ video / action

[abracafcku]

Who: Taako & Yooooooooou
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Yes, Melting Pot (Iskaulit)
When: All during the new planet system

[Okay, so Calibrations? Sucked. Mikleo's got some shit going on. Carl's got some shit going on. Taako's got a lot of shit going on, and he's constantly on edge waiting for the Atroma to retaliate for the Marsiva attacks. Which means? He needs to get more bodies into the Melting Pot so he can distract himself from the looming possibility of death.

So after they arrive in the new system, Taako turns on the video feed to show a delicious looking plate of grilled fish filets in a creamy lemon and dill sauce, steamed vegetables, and whipped mashed potatoes flecked with green herbs. The sauce is expertly swirled across the plate and a sprig of fresh rosemary adorns the side.]

All this and more is available at the Melting Pot for a limited time! As long as we're in the system and I got the fish for it, look forward to some fresh as fuuuuuck dishes, my dudes.

[He lifts the camera and smiles into it with all the charisma he can muster.]

And? Breaking news! Who wants to work here, huh? Benefits include: getting paid, being a taste tester for my newest dishes, and preferential treatment by yours truly when it comes to mealtimes. Wanna eat more than just the gel pastes on the ships? Come on down to the Melting Pot, tell me what skills you got that could be of use to me, and we'll go from there.

[He holds the plate up again and winks over it, wiggling it at the screen enticingly.]

You don't wanna miss out on this one.

[And he signs off.

And then a moment later, he signs back on and points at the screen.]

AND, BELTHAZAR, I'm comin' to collect on our bet, pipsqueak! Get your fishing gear and be ready to pay me when you lose!

[And now he signs off for real.]

Comments

[Action]

[ikenai]

[Of course she's seen the video. She'd have to be blind to have missed it, and while Mikumo is many things, blind is not one of them. So, while she's going for a walk on the Iskaulit like before, she makes sure to step into the restaurant.

Not that she has much experience in food service. But, it's not as if she has much experience in first aid/nursing either, but that hardly stopped her from having a Lab Support augment.]

Hello?

[She nearly sings out the world because she'll take any excuse to do so.]

I'm here for a position.

[abracafcku]

[Awww yisssssss, his first victim potential employee.

Taako is in the kitchen when Mikumo arrives and he calls out from behind the swinging doors that separate it from the dining room.]

Take a seat at the counter, homie! I'm just finishing up a garnish so go ahead and look over the forms there.

[If she sits, she'll see some paperwork on the counter that has some basic questions scrawled onto it:

1. Name?
   
2. Position wanted?
   
3. Relevant experience?
   
4. Can you perform a lip synch dance battle to Fantasy!Taylor Swift's Bad Blood? Y/N

]

[ikenai]

[He might want to rethink that later. But she'll let him think what he wants for now.

At his shout, she blinks and then mouths the word "homie". It doesn't really fit her at all, but she likes it.]

Take your time. I will fill out your questionnaire.

[She stares at the paper before filling it out.

1. Mikumo Guynemer.
2. Waitress is fine.
3. None, but I'm agile and a fast learner.
4. Why would I lip synch when I can just sing it? ]

All done.

video;

[spellsteal]

[Belthazar is halfway considering applying for a job, especially since he likes Mikleo so much, but--

-- but then Taako just has to call him out like that and immediately the brat takes over.]

You had better be good for the money, because I'm going to make you eat your bait!

[abracafcku]

[He hums out a noise to let her know he's heard her and then Taako whirls through the doors, two plates held in his hands. He disappears off into the restaurant, distributes the meals and then heads back, plucking the paper off the counter and giving it a scan.

Mikum Guynemer, waitress, fast learner, and--

Full stop!]

No no no, I'm not asking if you can sing - I'm asking you if you're able to do a lip sync dance battle. The difference is very important.

[abracafcku]

[IT'S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG]

Ooohhh you want to up the stakes, do you? I'm tooootally good with making you eat our bait as well as the cash if you want.

video;;

[postocular]

That looks awesome, Taako. ..You know, with all the extra people that will be coming in, you might need some help in the kitchen?

[ikenai]

[Mikumo doesn't even blink at his strange appearance. (How many people have floor-length purple hair or blood-red eyes? She hardly has room to judge there.)

When he speaks, she rolls those eyes a bit.]

Of course I can. That's easy when you're used to performing in front of crowded venues. Although, I hardly see what is so important about the lip syncing.

[abracafcku]

[He drops the paper on the counter with a roll of his eyes.]

Uh, everything, duh? If you're wanting a job, you really shouldn't be questioning your employer's requirements.

[He shifts her application into the pile of other ones and then takes a dry dish towel and slings it over his shoulder.]

But, if you must know, I'm determining a very important factor I need in my employees. So when you say "performing in front of crowded venues," what kind of performance level are we talking? Costumes? Pyrotechnics? Full line of back-up dancers? Lights and color and changing scenery or what?

[abracafcku]

Natch.

[He made it, of course it looks awesome. Tastes awesome, too. He's a culinary wizard!]

You offering to move from dishwashing to mise en place, my dude? Because I'm gonna need to see your knife skills before we get to that.

[postocular]

I'm not great, but I'm not the worst? Not a lot of call for me to chop vegetables.

[abracafcku]

Nope, you're getting a lesson on how to properly cut food before I let you in the kitchen, my dude. Can't have oddly shaped vegetables and meat throwing off the presentation of a dish.

[ikenai]

My previous job didn't require such a strange requirement. Besides, I hardly see what a lip sync battle has to do with waitressing.

[She's not being sassy. She's obviously confused and just asking to clarify his oddities. If it's just something that's purely Taako, then she'll deal with it.]

Something like that? We used holographic costumes and rocket skirts while singing and dancing. Most of the time it was in the middle of battle. So, lip syncing is easy. Can I get the lyrics to this song?

[abracafcku]

[Well, seeing as Mikumo hasn't been a waitress before, how is she to know that lip syncing isn't a vital part of waitressing?

It isn't. At all. But Taako wants to make sure his employees aren't total wet blankets.]

Holy shit, so you're basically a bard? Make sense, I guess. Rocket skirts is a new one though. [He laughs and grabs his communicator, shifting through a list of songs that can play overhead at the restaurant until he finds the song he wants: Bad Blood.] I want to make sure my employees are entertaining, not just to the customers, but to me, too.

So if you wanna hear it? This is it.

[And he presses play.]

[ikenai]

[Because one of the Delta Flight owns a cute restaurant and the other members of Walküre have been waitresses there? Duh.]

A bard, huh? [What an archaic concept, but she likes it. But, seriously, Taako, what century are you from?] I suppose that's close enough to what we do.

[She listens to the song and realizes how bitter it sounds, which is not what Walküre normally sings. Something new and different is fine.]

When would you like this performance then? I will need about thirty minutes to make sure I have the words down and can come up with some sort of plausible routine.

[postocular]

Okay. When should I get there?

[Broadcast]

[sandywolf]

May I inquire about the possibility of getting this dish with raw fish instead of cooked?

[abracafcku]

For most people? No. But for you? [He smiles through the camera at Lyall.] I'll make an exception. Some things'll have to change to bring out the raw flavor better, but it can be done.

[abracafcku]

Get here an hour before your shift's supposed to start. Give you a lesson and then you can get to work. Sound good? Good because it's decided.

[No room for discussion here. Taako's the worst.]

[abracafcku]

[The fantasy world's equivalent to this one??? Time is weird.

Also? He is SO jazzed that this is happening. He has to call Lup.]

Thirty minutes then. I got some other shit to do, so come back when you're ready to audition in full. Sound fair?

[ikenai]

[Even though she doesn't show it, she's still rather insulted that all he wants is for her to lip sync. It doesn't make sense that it would play some hugely important part of being a waitress, but whatever. It's his restaurant.]

I'll be back then.

[She walks over to the abandoned theater and listens to the song a few times, even starting to sing along to the words. It's going to be difficult for her to not do that, she knows, but she doesn't do failure either.

When her time is over, she comes striding into the bistro and places one hand saucily on her hip.]

Are you ready for this?

[abracafcku]

[By the time Mikumo is back, Taako's cleared out most of the patrons save for a few stragglers and the staff. One of whom looks almost completel identical to Taako, although she's sitting in a booth at the moment. He's busy cleaning up, or really, he's supervising the clean-up as he sits, lounging at one of the counter seats, using Mage Hand to sweep a broom lazily across the floor. He looks up when she comes back and sends the broom flying back into its usual spot with a flick of his wrist.

He's honestly surprised she's taking this so seriously, but if he can get 5 minutes of entertainment out of this? Sure, why not? With a grin, he motions to her.]

Born ready, homie. Let's see what you got.

[ikenai]

[Mikumo lifts one purple eyebrow archly at being addressed as homie again when he knows her name, but she lets it roll off her back as she shakes her head to get into her performance space.]

Then start the music. Let's get this over with.

[She's always ready for any sort of chance to show off her skills. Even if she can't sing, she'll still put on a show. It would be remiss of her not to.

When the singer starts, Mikumo is on point, feet tapping to keep time with the beat at the beginning and she launches into an impromptu dance that's an amalgamation of some of the moves she's done with Walküre's songs. However, by the end of the song, she's abandoned trying to just lip sync and her powerful voice is covering up poor Taylor's.

And then it's over. And she has the decency to flush a bit.]

Force of habit. Sorry.

[abracafcku]

[He does as requested and then tosses a glance over his shoulder at room before the song spools up and Mikumo gets going. And Taako? Is actually kind of impressed. He'd heard that these "idols" were professionals, but this girl put together one hell of a routine in just 30 minutes.

She does sing over Taylor, which makes Taako want to end the whole thing right then and there, but with the energy and fervor she's got going on, it's hard to stop her. Also? He honestly didn't think anyone would seriously try to do a song and dance routine to his stupid and completely unnecessary fourth question.

But here they are, and she's finished, flushing from the effort and probably sheepishness at having sung over the original artist.]

Mmmhm. Give the judges a moment to confer?

[Which is just him, tipping his head back to look at the woman across the room from them, the one who looks so close to identical to him. She gives him a thumbs up after a long, terse moment, and then Taako grins at Mikumo.]

Well, I would have deducted more points for singing, but the dance routine was apparently good enough for both of us - you're hired, I guess. Welcome aboard.

[spellsteal]

[Wait. He has the distinct impression that he's about to be conned here. And he should really say that and put a stop to this right now, like a responsible adult--

-- but fuck it, Taako has awakened the fire elemental within.]

You've got more hat than sense. Tell me where to meet you and I'll show you my dedication to the absurd amounts of fish oil I need for potions!