The beginning of this RP takes place in New York City, New York and will later progress to present day Harper Rock
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Click. Click. Click. ______________________________________
The sound repeated itself in the silence of the room as heels snapped against the polished floor of the neatly kept office. The setting sun cast a natural orange glow across the dark cherry finishes of the furniture and created an exotic look to the dark-skinned woman pacing about. Her wild curls bounced with each step she took and her lips moved with silent worries that she chose not to voice allowed. Emersyn merely watched her from behind the desk, leaning back in the chair with one leg crossed over the other. The harpy worked black tresses around a slender finger, blue eyes darkened by dilated pupils tracking each movement the human made. Her anxiety was palpable, strong enough that Em could practically feel it beneath her skin. It was like a bad itch that she knew better than to scratch, but that didn’t make it any less of a nuisance. As the woman took another two steps, the last of her patience snapped. ”Oh, Nevaeh. Do stop pacing.”
The words left Emersyn’s mouth and Nevaeh halted, angling herself in such a way that she faced the desk but without directly facing the harpy, herself. Plump lips opened as if she intended to speak but ultimately closed without a word. Em had no intention of rescuing her assistant this time around, allowing the silence to stretch out once again. It was a power play, really, drawing out silence that so often made others uncomfortable. As expected, Nevaeh sighed and dropped down into the seat across from her, shoulders slumped in defeat. ”Emersyn, this is bad. Megan’s list wasn’t short. You could lose their business if you don’t figure out a solution. Even trying to divide the list among the girls with minimal problems could only be a temporary solution.” She continued on, stressing the importance of not stretching any one of the girl’s too thin. It was little more than wasted breath as Nevaeh knew better than most the extents Emersyn went to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the girls not only under her employ, but her care.
That finger wrapped with her hair shifted to her lips, silently muting the woman across from her before she continued any further. ”I’m perfectly aware of the situation Megan’s sudden departure puts us in, but I have it well in hand. I’ve been toying with the idea of bringing on a few more girls to accommodate the...growing demand for our services. And as it so happens, I have one such interview arranged for this evening.” There was no hint of hesitation in her words, confident as she hoped she was that she could find someone to replace Megan. In a city like this, there was no shortage of young women willing to try something a little different to make their way. Some came out of desperation, some out of curiosity, and then there were others with a thirst for control. Whatever their motivation, they either adapted or they didn’t and Emersyn had long since learned the type to thrive in her world.
”Now, off with you. I believe Cadance is scheduled for a meet tonight and she should be arriving any minute.” The words were quiet, but the command in them was clear. Nevaeh remained seated, that concerned look barely contained behind her need to comply with what she’d been told. The harpy offered a slight nod as the other woman stood to leave, lips twitching upward. It fell short of a smile, but it was something.
Once alone in her office, Emersyn stood with a long sigh and circled around her desk toward the glass while pale fingers trailed over the surface until they came in contact with her phone. Without looking, she began to play with the device in her hands, itching to dial Belasko’s number out of both habit and comfort. It would be the early hours of the morning of him now, though, and if he wasn’t asleep, he likely wasn’t in any state to hear her worries. The deep pit of longing for her brother seemed to open a little wider, leaving her chest heavy as she stared down at the crowded streets below. They’d never been apart this long before and the feeling that she’d lost a vital part of herself intensified as the days past. But, those were emotions she couldn’t afford to feel when life went on. Las wasn’t here and she had a job to do.
Lowering her phone back to the desk, she instead reached for the file folder there. SIA VIKTOROV was situated across the top in her own handwriting. The profile had been placed on her desk several days prior and after looking it over, she called to arrange the meeting. It was never clear what to expect at one of these meetings, as the girls looking for work didn’t always quite understand what the work truly entailed and were quick to fall back on the legal modeling agency Birds of Paradise was more widely recognized for. Emersyn held no judgements for that decision, of course, but she held out hope that this meeting would steer away from that direction.
A soft pinging from her computer warning of her guest’s arrival, and there was little time to waste when Emersyn had a meeting of her own to attend that night. Some found it strange that she continued to see those on her own client list despite running the operation, but she hadn’t started out that way. She had earned her list the way all her girls did, and while she had drastically shortened it over time by entrusting some of her girls with their needs, she still retained several of her most loyal customers. Exiting the office, she followed the familiar path down the hall to the elevator where it would take her to the main hall where ‘Sia’ would have been directed to in the waiting area. With practiced ease, that aura of confidence rolled back into place as she entered the doorway, her voice carrying across the room. ”Ms. Viktorov?”
