Meeting the New Boss

[Dietrich Schäfer]

  There has been significant changes to the district lately, and everything seemed to be happening at once.  One clan has lost its mistress, and then just as it was picking up the pieces with a new one, it seemed that the clan was targeted to be taken out.  Now this was unusual for Dietrich, as Klaus had the German clans well and truly settled, but he had heard tales from various elder and ancient vampires about the old ways. So, it seemed unusual for him, but Dietrich knew that in fact, this was a practice well established in vampiric history.  Then there was the matter of the Kaiser, apparently the single leader of the district was also lost, along with him nearly the entire Kaiser clan. Of less concern to the vampires was the death of his own superior, Aaron Williams.

   It was that death that had him returning to the Kaiser clan this evening; he had received word that his new boss was ready to meet with him.  Dietrich knew very little about this Joseph Lebeau, but then he hadn't known anything about Herr Williams either, so the German wasn't particularly concerned.  In his typical fashion, Dietrich wore a suit and tie, keeping to the darker colors, charcoal tonight, with red.  Of course, settled on his arm was the strap to his briefcase bag, because really, who was to know what the other would expect of him.  It was far better to be prepare. 

    Lead to the new political liaison's office by one of the new slaves of the clan, Dietrich's pace had to be subdued a bit to keep from rushing the slave, a difficult task for him when there were things to be done.  Once the slave knocked on the door, waiting for them to be granted entrance, Dietrich waited patiently, perhaps a bit stoically, until the man inside granted them access. At that point, as was proper, the slave would open the door while stepping out of his way.  Dietrich, for his part, dipped his head silently in appreciation of the boy, before entering his boss' office.  He would have never wished ill on Herr Williams... but he did hope this one was easier to work with, or rather, easier to get input from, even if he made Dietrich's life more difficult. 

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[Joseph M. LeBeau]

Like everything else in Joseph M. LeBeau's life - his office was kept meticulously neat. A place for everything and everything in his place...it was one of his /many/ mantras, or at least this was what he told himself. He'd sent word to the man that was going to serve as his assistant after reading and re-reading his not so extensive file a few times, and found that the information contained within was severely lacking for his liking. It just kept continually striking home how truly /bad/ at his job his predecessor was, because really what records that Aaron Williams had kept were...well, sparse at best. Some of the paperwork he'd started hadn't even been completely filled out, which was a thing he couldn't quite understand. 


It was one of these bits of paper that he was staring at, trying to make sense out of the barely strung together words that were scrawled in apparent haste across it, when the slave walked to the door. Slaves...inwardly he cringed, the man still not even remotely accustomed to his own kind being in servitude to /them/. To the monsters. In his eyes it made these serving humans even worse than those that claimed to own them. Of course, he was far more clever than the sort of person that let such disgust show, so when the stoic servant - and yes, it really was just a /bit/ better to think of them in that terms as he'd grown up with just such people in his home - approached, Joseph merely nodded his acknowledgement and then politely dismissed the boy before standing and stepping out from behind the desk to properly acknowledge the man. 


The first thing to be done, as he held out his hand by way of greeting, was to give the slightly taller man a subtle once over. The way a man put himself together often told a good deal about a person. Like Joseph, Dietrich seemed to be aware of this as the other was certainly clad in more than adequate business wear - even if the German's suit was a bit...severe and dark for the warmer Florida client. His own suit was silk, and rather than darker colors he'd chosen pale grey and cream, with a tasteful black and cream striped tie and mother-of-pearl cufflinks and tie tack to keep everything together. Another difference, as Joseph's discerning eye told him clearly, was the fact that the other's suit was indeed nice, but likely not designer as his own was - though luckily this was something he could get over enough to have dealings with the man. 


"Schäfer. Glad we could finally meet." , he offered in cordial, but not overly cordial tones. After all, he wanted to establish a good /working/ relationship with the fellow but Joseph had no intentions of becoming friendly with him. Friends did not make good assistants as they tended to take that sort of thing for granted and therefore assume they could affort to steal more liberties than really existed. "Please. Sit." A quick, but somewhat cool and detached smile curved his lips as he motioned to the chair on the other side of his desk before returning to his former spot behind the desk.

Another inward whince was given, though naturally such a thing didn't show up as so much the faintest twitch in his expression, as he hit the intercom to signal the desire for a slave or some other household servant to come up to the office...and only once that person was present would he deign to make it clear what that person's presence was required for. "A vodka martini - dry. Triple olives.", Joseph ticked off his preferential drink easily, the slave or servant already slipping towards the area set aside for what Joseph liked to call his 'business' bar even as Joseph raised a brow at Dietrich. "Care for a drink while we get started?", he asked nonchalantly, a hand carelessly waved in the direction of the slave and the small but still well-stocked bar.  

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Word Count: 678

[Dietrich Schäfer]

   Not hesitating to take the other's hand in a firm, but not overbearing shake, Dietrich considered his new superior absently. He was certainly put together better than Herr Williams had been, but such things were hardly telling of a man's character.  No, what struck him, more than the fine clothing, was the intelligence and quickness evident in the man's gaze, as well as the way Herr LeBeau held himself.  There was a confidence in this man, as well as drive. It, of course, remained to be seen where the other's sympathies lay, and his take on what was just and right.  Still, it was better to deal with a man who disagreed with him, then one that couldn't be bothered to form an opinion. 

   "Herr LeBeau, if I may extend my congratulations on your new position", he offers politely. There wouldn't be an hint of displeasure of jealousy from the German, indeed, it was his preference to have someone familiar with the ways of the country over him.  Besides, being an assistant allowed him to be more flexible and adaptive to the needs of the vampires he represented.  Then of course, he would have been disheartened to have to move away from Kailen and Maggie. He'd grown quite... 'attached' to the pair of them. 

    "Your hospitality is appreciated... but no, I'm afraid I find myself a bit put off by hard alcohol at present", he offers easily by way of explanation, though he offered no specifics.  After all, they were here for matters of business, and while he wasn't being unfriendly, Dietrich didn't yet know this man well enough to dare for familiarity.  Besides, Herr LeBeau was his boss, it didn't due to take such liberties with the slightly elder human. 

   "I'm not sure of the procedure of your country when a position is inherited through death", he explains plainly, while producing from one of the readily opened compartments of his briefcase a file, indeed, one that was the same as that he had originally produced for Herr Williams, including his credentials and past work in their 'industry' as it were. He kept his explanation simple, keeping his lack of faith in Herr William's recorded keeping to himself, as it didn't do well to speak unkindly of the dead without good reason. Similarly, he didn't see a need to point out that with recent events in the Kaiser clan itself, one could be less confident that all was made available to the other man due to simple oversight, or information being lost in the transfer of masters. 

   Taking his seat, as instructed by the Senior Liaison, the German waited patiently for the other to set the tone of their initial meeting.  No doubt the other had matters he specifically wished to address, and probably would bring up any of the matters that Dietrich himself felt to be important without prompting.  There was no reason to insult the other man by trying to cease the role that was meant to be LeBeau's and not his own. 

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Word Count: 513
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[Joseph M. LeBeau]

He took his attention briefly away from the slave as he mixed up his martini, his gaze settling back on the German seated across from him and a slightly inquisitive expression on his face. "Oh? Well, there's beer and wine as well soft drinks if you'd prefer." This was offered in the same politely detached tones he'd offered before, neither too warm nor too cool as it simply wasn't the way of Joseph to be otherwise with someone who worked for him. But other than that single offer, he didn't attempt to push a drink on Dietrich further - after all, Schäfer was a grown man and knew when he was thirsty - and instead fell silent while waiting for his own drink. 


Once that drink was in his hand, a single finger would absently be held up - silently and perhaps imperiously signifying that the slave should wait while he tested the beverage for strength and blending. A single nod of satisfaction was given and then a slight wave to signify that the slave was fee to leave, after he served Dietrich if the man had requested something after all, and then the drink was set aside so he could take the offered file in hand. A soft sound of approval slipped from Joseph's lips, as if to say that finally someone around here appreciated the necessity of paper work, and idly began to rifle through it. 


"I hardly inherited my position, Mr. Schäfer." Joseph said in somewhat dry tones. "There's an application process for it...as I'm sure you're well aware." A hint of amusement had been forced into his tones as Joseph was well aware that sounding /too/ dry wasn't precisely smart. Especially since a statement like that, even when offered in decidedly neutral fashion , could easily be seen as mocking. And if the other failed to respond to his offhanded statement, then Joseph would fall silent once more while his eyes took in the scribblings on the papers that had been provided. 


It was a good resumé. No, more than good. It was excellent...and that in itself was rather troubling, though not even the subtlest shift in his expression made it seem so. It could certainly disrupt certain things he had working in his mind, of course, but Joseph was sure that he could manage it. " Please, allow me a moment of personal curiosity." A faint smile was offered with the words, and a pause before he continued. " You seem a bit over-qualified for an assistant position..." He began, setting aside the finished portfolio for more thorough examination later. " So why is it you're settling? And why, precisely are you settling here when it seems that you have no desire to actually become a true citizen of our country?" 

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Word Count: 465

[Dietrich Schäfer]

 After politely waving off the further offer, the German had contented himself to waiting for the other to be situated properly.  His own attentions briefly shifted to the slave himself, noting the other's condition, and general demeanor as he went about seeing to Herr LeBeau's drink.  It was only when the other spoke that he felt any need to do so. 

  "My Apologies... I meant, your having obtained your position after the sudden loss of your predecessor."  Indeed, Dietrich didn't imagine it was as easy task as it should have been.  The other would have to sort through and try to figure out where Herr Williams had kept things, and what the other had known. He wouldn't offer further explanation without prompting however.  What more could be said or reasoned seemed irrelevant to him. Still, he didn't seem upset by the other's words either. 

   "I came here, because I was asked too by someone I had worked with a long time in Germany.  As to why this position. an number of reasons.  It is, in general a good idea though. It makes sense for someone who has more experience in the American Legal and Political systems to be in charge. "  He had felt no need to lie, and yet, he supposed he hadn't divulged all there was to know.  Well, the way Dietrich figured it, he head no obligation to establish anything further about the one who had asked him to come to America, unless the other seemed interested. As it was, he hadn't known about Klaus' interest in him, when the other had asked him to come to America. "Besides... as I do intend to return home; it's better if someone is prepared to continue on when I have left. " 

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