(no subject)
Title: The Job Interview - Redemption Prequel part II
Author: Ree
Theme: Favorite Character - Beryl- invitation
Genre: General
Version: Anime/ Manga - Fates/Tainted Gifts storyline- Crystal Tokyo
Rating: G
Most of these characters belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I just borrowed my daughters paper dolls again.
The Job Interview
An unexpected blessing - Redemption prequel part I
AN: Kameko is Beryl's future reincarnation in Crystal Tokyo. She has no clue who she is.
Venus stared at Mars, her expression showed what the rest of the inner council thought. Her disbelief echoed in her voice was the same that echoed through everybody else's thoughts. "What do you mean? Beryl. We have to hire the reincarnation of Beryl to be head of surveillance?"
As Mars nodded her head yes, her face showed that she understood their feelings. "All the visions that I have seen show this. If she isn't the head, then...Then some pretty rotten stuff happens."
Endymion looked at her with a touch of concern on his face. "And if she is the head, then these bad things won't happen?"
Mars nodded.
Endymion continued. "But... will something else happen, will she revert to her old ways?" Even though he didn't come out and say it, everyone could tell he was worried about Beryl's obsessive attraction to him.
Mars shook her head no. "I didn't see anything about that, and I did ask that question."
The four lords made eye contact with Endymion, each one silently telling their king that they would protect him at all costs.
Serenity studied Endymion for a moment before directing her attention to Mars. "Beryl was reborn, but Metallia was completely destroyed. So, Beryl won't have that evil influence pushing her." She paused for a moment, looking at the rest of the senshi and the lords. "I will side with Mars on this one. We need to see if we can find her."
The four lords' eyes met. They agreed they need to find Beryl. They needed to keep an eye on her.
**************
Kameko stepped out of the path of the four Lords of Crystal Tokyo. She felt a shiver course through her as their suspicious looks raked over her. 'What have I done? Surely they don't think I'm here to harm anyone?' Clutching her invitation tighter, she made her way down the hall to the interview room.
Brushing her strawberry blonde hair back over her shoulder, she opened the door with the large sign that identified it as the waiting room. She automatically took stock of the security in the room. 'Two cameras positioned so they could see the entire room, at least three sound devices, and two guards.' Her mental list skittered to a halt when she saw the senshi. A sense of awe filled her. The warrior's dark hair fell to her waist, and the feeling of restrained power flowed from her. Blinking slightly, Kameko moved into the room, taking the first empty seat. 'Sailor Mars. Why do they need all this security to interview for the head of surveillance? Do they not trust the applicants?'
Looking about the room with veiled interest, Kameko tried to judge the quality of the other applicants. It took a couple of moment for her to realize that everyones' hair was a shade of red and all of them were female. A quiet uncertainty came over her as she noticed that Mars wore the same slightly suspicious look as the Lords. 'If they don't trust us, why did they invite us? Sure, we had to apply for the position, but...' She turned her invitation over in her hands. '... surely they only invited the ones they trusted. I don't believe the King or the Queen would hire someone they were suspicious of for this position.' She looked back around the room. 'Everyone even looks almost the same. Maybe they are looking for someone in particular. Someone... someone like another senshi? But what senshi are they looking for? How would they know they found her?' Even as she let that thought roll about in the back of her head, she watched Mars even closer, looking for a hint. An hour later, she gave up on attempting to decipher Sailor Mars expression. 'I hope it isn't a senshi search... or even worse, a search for a threat. I hope there really is a position that needs a highly qualified surveillance expert.' Trying to keep her thought away from all the unsettling ideas, she watched the applicants leave the room through the door near Mars.
*******
Mars tried to keep her expression as blank as possible. 'Some of these ladies look so much like Beryl it is eerie. Thankfully none of them have red eyes. ' The ones with the bright red hair caught her attention the most. One member of that set wore a rich purple dress to the interview. As the woman passed her, Mars had to keep herself from slamming the door shut and refusing to let her in with Serenity
Suppressing a shudder, Mars reminded herself that everyone else was in the interview room with Serenity. 'And I'm the one who suggested this. I didn't know how nerve wracking it was going to be then. Of course I never imagined being in a room full of Beryls either.' Her eyes flitted back across the remaining group of applicants. 'All of the bright red heads are gone. Which group should we go through next?' Even as she pondered the question, she felt a pair of eyes watching her. A quick glance showed her a young women with pale red hair, almost blonde. The woman's light green eyes watched her carefully. Deep in those eyes, Mars could see a question. 'She is the first one to question this. The first one to show that they noticed that there is something odd going on here.' Making a quick decision, Mars signaled for the woman to go next.
**************
Kameko wondered at Mars' reaction to the woman in the purple dress. Watching the senshi carefully, she tried to determine what was going on. This interview was turning really weird. When Mars signaled her to go in next, she felt her uncertainty increase. Walking carefully, she passed the senshi slowly into the little hall that led to the interview room. She handed her invitation to the guard that was just on the opposite side of the door. 'They don't trust us.' The thought hung in her mind as she walked into the interviewing room. The sight that met her eyes blew all thoughts out of her mind.
There, lined up as a panel of judges, was the entire royal court with the exception of Mars. Walking slowly into the room, she crossed to the chair that was sitting in the middle of the open floor, facing the group of people gathered for her interview. 'If I can't face them... then I might as well leave. Who knows when I might be called in to be a witness for something that has occurred? I would have to be prepared to state everything I know in a more hostile situation than this.' Drawing up her courage, she faced the King and Queen.
Looking at the newest applicant as she cross the room and settle into the chair, Serenity felt everyone's tension level drop. Compared to the last one, this one looked nothing at all like the Queen Beryl of their memories. Looking at the letter that the guard had handed her, Serenity noted the woman's name. "Kameko Ayumi?"
Kameko nodded briefly. "Yes, I am Kameko Ayumi."
Serenity smiled slightly. "Kameko, what can you tell us about the palace security that you have observed so far?"
Kameko's eyes widened slightly. 'Is that why everyone has been jumpy? To give us something to talk about?' Drawing in a slight breath, she began describing what she had seen. "There are a number of camera's in the garden, as well as in the all the rooms and hallways. They are positioned in a manner so that there are few if any blank spots. The hallway and some of the rooms that I passed through were equipped with motion and sound detectors. There were lots of guards sprinkled about, and the gates to the palace grounds were, of course, guarded. The guards seemed to have communication devices with them that, I would hope, talked to a central hub." She decided to leave out everyone's suspicious and jumpy behavior for the moment, if they asked she would mention it.
Serenity scanned the paper that Venus slid over to her. 'Kameko is Beryl?' She shot a questioning look at Venus. Venus nodded and shot a meaningful look at Kunzite, who was trying his best not to scowl at the woman sitting in front of them. 'I should be able to detect an evil aura. Let's see if Beryl is safe to have here.' Serenity's eyes lost focus as she stared in the general vicinity of Kameko.
Endymion took up the questioning. "What improvements would you suggest based on what you have noticed?"
Kameko watched the dynamics of the people who were deciding if she was suitable for the position. Drawing her attention back to the question, she consider it for a moment before answering. 'It wouldn't do good to criticize the system, but the faults need to be pointed out. How to put it delicately that some of that stuff, even though it is only a couple of years old, is way out of date?' She focused on the space between the King and the Queen while her mind whirled. "I would work on a way to update the system. Some of the components look old enough to have some compatibility issues with each other. Those would have to be replaced. Then the pieces left will have to be synced with the new ones, and off course test ran to make sure everything is working properly." She focused on King Endymion for a moment. "Of course it would help to see what type of software the system is running, and on what type of hardware. And where the video is being stored from all those cameras, and what type of file it is, and how they are being logged, who are watching them, how guards are alerted to issues. I need more information to come up with a conclusive plan of attack."
Endymion glanced at Serenity to see what she thought about Kameko. The smile on her face told him all he need to know. "Thank you, Kameko Ayumi. If you would please step through that door, someone will be with you in a moment to inform you of our decision.
Walking across the room, Kameko had no idea what to expect. 'This was a weird interview. Half the people didn't even seem to pay attention to what I was saying. And... the questioning... I would have thought there would have been more. Maybe that is a bad sign.' Holding her head high, she stepped into the other room.
As the door closed, Kunzite turned to face Endymion. "That was Beryl, but... she felt different somehow. Not the Beryl I remember."
The others nodded in agreement. Serenity looked at all of them. "She was healed. The difference is she is not smothered in evil and darkness."
Endymion looked at his court. "She is healed. She is no longer Beryl, she is Kameko. We will hire her."
Serenity nodded in agreement.
Venus spoke the doubt that the rest were feeling. "But can we trust her?"
Serenity and Endymion looked at each other for a moment, before they answered the question together. "Yes, we can."
Serenity looked at Mercury. "Please tell Mars that we have found her, and that the others can leave now. Endymion and I will inform Kameko that she has the position."
****
Kameko spun about when the door opened. She tried to keep the surprise off her face as her rulers strolled into the small room where she waited. Hope bubbled up inside of her. 'They wouldn't come personally to tell me that I wasn't acceptable.'
Endymion surveyed the face in front of him, looking for any resemblance to the Queen that had captured him and his court so long ago. The resemblance was there, but Kameko's face was gentler, less angry. "We would like you to be the head of surveillance. Are you willing to accept the position?"
Happiness exploded through Kameko as she calmly accepted.
This story continues with part of the Post-Series theme month. Here are the links to those tales. Click on this one and follow the links at the end of each story.
Not broken, Healed
If you wish to just continue with Kameko's point of view (and miss a number of references) here is that link. I am the enemy
Author: Ree
Theme: Favorite Character - Beryl- invitation
Genre: General
Version: Anime/ Manga - Fates/Tainted Gifts storyline- Crystal Tokyo
Rating: G
Most of these characters belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I just borrowed my daughters paper dolls again.
The Job Interview
An unexpected blessing - Redemption prequel part I
AN: Kameko is Beryl's future reincarnation in Crystal Tokyo. She has no clue who she is.
Venus stared at Mars, her expression showed what the rest of the inner council thought. Her disbelief echoed in her voice was the same that echoed through everybody else's thoughts. "What do you mean? Beryl. We have to hire the reincarnation of Beryl to be head of surveillance?"
As Mars nodded her head yes, her face showed that she understood their feelings. "All the visions that I have seen show this. If she isn't the head, then...Then some pretty rotten stuff happens."
Endymion looked at her with a touch of concern on his face. "And if she is the head, then these bad things won't happen?"
Mars nodded.
Endymion continued. "But... will something else happen, will she revert to her old ways?" Even though he didn't come out and say it, everyone could tell he was worried about Beryl's obsessive attraction to him.
Mars shook her head no. "I didn't see anything about that, and I did ask that question."
The four lords made eye contact with Endymion, each one silently telling their king that they would protect him at all costs.
Serenity studied Endymion for a moment before directing her attention to Mars. "Beryl was reborn, but Metallia was completely destroyed. So, Beryl won't have that evil influence pushing her." She paused for a moment, looking at the rest of the senshi and the lords. "I will side with Mars on this one. We need to see if we can find her."
The four lords' eyes met. They agreed they need to find Beryl. They needed to keep an eye on her.
**************
Kameko stepped out of the path of the four Lords of Crystal Tokyo. She felt a shiver course through her as their suspicious looks raked over her. 'What have I done? Surely they don't think I'm here to harm anyone?' Clutching her invitation tighter, she made her way down the hall to the interview room.
Brushing her strawberry blonde hair back over her shoulder, she opened the door with the large sign that identified it as the waiting room. She automatically took stock of the security in the room. 'Two cameras positioned so they could see the entire room, at least three sound devices, and two guards.' Her mental list skittered to a halt when she saw the senshi. A sense of awe filled her. The warrior's dark hair fell to her waist, and the feeling of restrained power flowed from her. Blinking slightly, Kameko moved into the room, taking the first empty seat. 'Sailor Mars. Why do they need all this security to interview for the head of surveillance? Do they not trust the applicants?'
Looking about the room with veiled interest, Kameko tried to judge the quality of the other applicants. It took a couple of moment for her to realize that everyones' hair was a shade of red and all of them were female. A quiet uncertainty came over her as she noticed that Mars wore the same slightly suspicious look as the Lords. 'If they don't trust us, why did they invite us? Sure, we had to apply for the position, but...' She turned her invitation over in her hands. '... surely they only invited the ones they trusted. I don't believe the King or the Queen would hire someone they were suspicious of for this position.' She looked back around the room. 'Everyone even looks almost the same. Maybe they are looking for someone in particular. Someone... someone like another senshi? But what senshi are they looking for? How would they know they found her?' Even as she let that thought roll about in the back of her head, she watched Mars even closer, looking for a hint. An hour later, she gave up on attempting to decipher Sailor Mars expression. 'I hope it isn't a senshi search... or even worse, a search for a threat. I hope there really is a position that needs a highly qualified surveillance expert.' Trying to keep her thought away from all the unsettling ideas, she watched the applicants leave the room through the door near Mars.
*******
Mars tried to keep her expression as blank as possible. 'Some of these ladies look so much like Beryl it is eerie. Thankfully none of them have red eyes. ' The ones with the bright red hair caught her attention the most. One member of that set wore a rich purple dress to the interview. As the woman passed her, Mars had to keep herself from slamming the door shut and refusing to let her in with Serenity
Suppressing a shudder, Mars reminded herself that everyone else was in the interview room with Serenity. 'And I'm the one who suggested this. I didn't know how nerve wracking it was going to be then. Of course I never imagined being in a room full of Beryls either.' Her eyes flitted back across the remaining group of applicants. 'All of the bright red heads are gone. Which group should we go through next?' Even as she pondered the question, she felt a pair of eyes watching her. A quick glance showed her a young women with pale red hair, almost blonde. The woman's light green eyes watched her carefully. Deep in those eyes, Mars could see a question. 'She is the first one to question this. The first one to show that they noticed that there is something odd going on here.' Making a quick decision, Mars signaled for the woman to go next.
**************
Kameko wondered at Mars' reaction to the woman in the purple dress. Watching the senshi carefully, she tried to determine what was going on. This interview was turning really weird. When Mars signaled her to go in next, she felt her uncertainty increase. Walking carefully, she passed the senshi slowly into the little hall that led to the interview room. She handed her invitation to the guard that was just on the opposite side of the door. 'They don't trust us.' The thought hung in her mind as she walked into the interviewing room. The sight that met her eyes blew all thoughts out of her mind.
There, lined up as a panel of judges, was the entire royal court with the exception of Mars. Walking slowly into the room, she crossed to the chair that was sitting in the middle of the open floor, facing the group of people gathered for her interview. 'If I can't face them... then I might as well leave. Who knows when I might be called in to be a witness for something that has occurred? I would have to be prepared to state everything I know in a more hostile situation than this.' Drawing up her courage, she faced the King and Queen.
Looking at the newest applicant as she cross the room and settle into the chair, Serenity felt everyone's tension level drop. Compared to the last one, this one looked nothing at all like the Queen Beryl of their memories. Looking at the letter that the guard had handed her, Serenity noted the woman's name. "Kameko Ayumi?"
Kameko nodded briefly. "Yes, I am Kameko Ayumi."
Serenity smiled slightly. "Kameko, what can you tell us about the palace security that you have observed so far?"
Kameko's eyes widened slightly. 'Is that why everyone has been jumpy? To give us something to talk about?' Drawing in a slight breath, she began describing what she had seen. "There are a number of camera's in the garden, as well as in the all the rooms and hallways. They are positioned in a manner so that there are few if any blank spots. The hallway and some of the rooms that I passed through were equipped with motion and sound detectors. There were lots of guards sprinkled about, and the gates to the palace grounds were, of course, guarded. The guards seemed to have communication devices with them that, I would hope, talked to a central hub." She decided to leave out everyone's suspicious and jumpy behavior for the moment, if they asked she would mention it.
Serenity scanned the paper that Venus slid over to her. 'Kameko is Beryl?' She shot a questioning look at Venus. Venus nodded and shot a meaningful look at Kunzite, who was trying his best not to scowl at the woman sitting in front of them. 'I should be able to detect an evil aura. Let's see if Beryl is safe to have here.' Serenity's eyes lost focus as she stared in the general vicinity of Kameko.
Endymion took up the questioning. "What improvements would you suggest based on what you have noticed?"
Kameko watched the dynamics of the people who were deciding if she was suitable for the position. Drawing her attention back to the question, she consider it for a moment before answering. 'It wouldn't do good to criticize the system, but the faults need to be pointed out. How to put it delicately that some of that stuff, even though it is only a couple of years old, is way out of date?' She focused on the space between the King and the Queen while her mind whirled. "I would work on a way to update the system. Some of the components look old enough to have some compatibility issues with each other. Those would have to be replaced. Then the pieces left will have to be synced with the new ones, and off course test ran to make sure everything is working properly." She focused on King Endymion for a moment. "Of course it would help to see what type of software the system is running, and on what type of hardware. And where the video is being stored from all those cameras, and what type of file it is, and how they are being logged, who are watching them, how guards are alerted to issues. I need more information to come up with a conclusive plan of attack."
Endymion glanced at Serenity to see what she thought about Kameko. The smile on her face told him all he need to know. "Thank you, Kameko Ayumi. If you would please step through that door, someone will be with you in a moment to inform you of our decision.
Walking across the room, Kameko had no idea what to expect. 'This was a weird interview. Half the people didn't even seem to pay attention to what I was saying. And... the questioning... I would have thought there would have been more. Maybe that is a bad sign.' Holding her head high, she stepped into the other room.
As the door closed, Kunzite turned to face Endymion. "That was Beryl, but... she felt different somehow. Not the Beryl I remember."
The others nodded in agreement. Serenity looked at all of them. "She was healed. The difference is she is not smothered in evil and darkness."
Endymion looked at his court. "She is healed. She is no longer Beryl, she is Kameko. We will hire her."
Serenity nodded in agreement.
Venus spoke the doubt that the rest were feeling. "But can we trust her?"
Serenity and Endymion looked at each other for a moment, before they answered the question together. "Yes, we can."
Serenity looked at Mercury. "Please tell Mars that we have found her, and that the others can leave now. Endymion and I will inform Kameko that she has the position."
****
Kameko spun about when the door opened. She tried to keep the surprise off her face as her rulers strolled into the small room where she waited. Hope bubbled up inside of her. 'They wouldn't come personally to tell me that I wasn't acceptable.'
Endymion surveyed the face in front of him, looking for any resemblance to the Queen that had captured him and his court so long ago. The resemblance was there, but Kameko's face was gentler, less angry. "We would like you to be the head of surveillance. Are you willing to accept the position?"
Happiness exploded through Kameko as she calmly accepted.
This story continues with part of the Post-Series theme month. Here are the links to those tales. Click on this one and follow the links at the end of each story.
Not broken, Healed
If you wish to just continue with Kameko's point of view (and miss a number of references) here is that link. I am the enemy