Not-So-Nervous Interview (Charlie!)

[Calliope Gallo]

It was normal for people to be nervous for job interviews. They could be scary things, after all. Callie had been by the donut shop a few times with her brother Eric when he was on his lunch break and the woman who managed it was always friendly. Quirky even, but Callie had been sure she was just a nameless smiling face in a sea of donut-loving customers. But every time she'd gone there she'd always said the same thing.

That place would be awesome to work at.

After making a very short but vibrant call to the establishment, she'd somehow scored an interview! And today was that day.

Standing outside, she paused long enough to take a well needed deep breath. A sigh fell from her lips as she dropped her head to give herself a once over. Hmm... A simple black and white striped tank top, dark blue skinny jeans and a clearly worn pair of black Allstars. Well, it was always better to look like yourself at things like these, right? Callie looked up again, and any type of nerves on her face had been replaced with a genuine smile. Regardless of how it turned out, she'd definitely be back!

"Good morning!" Callie chimed in as she made her way towards the counter with brisk steps. "I'm Callie. I called a few days ago about an interview?"

[Charlie Saynsberry]

It was early, and The Holey Place still had a half an hour or so before they were open for business for the day. Nevertheless, Charlie was already there, preparing for what she hoped would be a successful job interview. The young woman she had spoken to on the phone had seemed very energetic and bright, and she looked forward to meeting her in person. She wondered if she would recognize her - more likely than not, she would be a frequent customer.

She was just finishing up a batch of maple bars when she herd the door ring, and she smiled to herself. It was time! Quickly washing her hands and calling out,"I'll be with you shortly!" she checked herself in a mirror to make sure she was presentable. Hair tied back, make-up in place, dressed somewhat casually in jeans and a t-shirt, she looked far from what many professional workplaces would call 'respectable', but frankly, she didn't give a damn. She pretty much ran this place, and so she thought it fair that everyone that worked there wore what they were comfortable in, as long as they had the company's logo somewhere on themselves, whether it be in the form of a hat, apron, or shirt.

She grabbed some papers and strode up to the counter, glancing around until she caught sight of the girl. Oh, she was so cute! She put on a big smile as she reached the countertop. "Hi, Callie! I'm Charlie. I was the one that spoke to you on the phone." She offered her a hand to shake, giving her a quick look-over. She was dressed casually too, which Charlie actually admired. "I love your top," she commented, in case Callie caught her looking her over and thought she was being disapproving.

"Come on back!" she said, ushering her with a wave of the hand. "I don't exactly have an office, but this will do." She showed Callie into a small, brightly lit room which most often served as the break room. There was a coffee machine, magazines, a refrigerator, and lots of empty doughnut boxes, along with a couple small circular tables. Charlie sat in a chair at one, motioning Callie to sit across from her.

"So!" she began. "Why would you like to work at The Holey Place?" A good question to start with.

[Calliope Gallo]

"I'll be here!" Callie called, instinctively waving her hand in the direction of the voice. She paused afterwards, staring at her hand for a second or so. Did she just wave at nothing? As the manager made her way to the counter, Callie's hands moved to lace idly behind her back. So this was who she had spoken to?

Calliope reached across the countertop and gave the inviting hand a shake. "I recognise the accent. It's nice to actually meet you." She said with a smile before retracting her hand again, not really registering the fact that she had been given the once over. Things like that tended to slip her mind. Oh well! When she was ushered back, her hands flew into her pockets as she skipped the few steps it took to catch up to Charlie. Her blue eyes took in the surroundings of the small room. Seemed like a break room to her! "I'd call it... Cosy." Callie offered, motioning around the room briefly with a hand as she took the opposite seat.

And then came the first question. She wouldn't say the mind blanks came from nerves, but Callie took the pause to try to think of something articulate or clever. "I like your donuts." Well, it was a start. Honest, too. "And every time I come here you seem pretty awesome. I thought about looking for a job for a while now, so I figured: Hey, why not try at a place with awesome food and people."

[Charlie Saynsberry]

Charlie laughed. "I suppose my voice is quite recognizable," she agreed. Even though she had spent the last fourteen or so years of her life in the States, she had managed to hold onto her English roots, and voice. She still loved her birth country.

Charlie noticed Callie's skipping, and she chuckled inwardly. If she was as bubbly and peppy as she appeared to be, she would fit in very well here. "Yes, I suppose cozy is a good word for it," Charlie said as she sat. "It's not exactly professional, but it works. I find offices to be boring and stuffy anyway." She smiled again, a quick flash of a grin that just gave a hint of her quirky nature.

She listened to Callie's short but honest answer, nodding approvingly. "I thought you looked familiar; though we get a lot of customers, I can usually recognize those who come in often." She laughed. "And liking our donuts is a good start! We try to be as friendly and helpful as possible." She wrote down a few notes, then asked a few questions in succession as Callie answered them.

"Why should we hire you?"
"What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?"
"What motivates you?"

She asked them all kindly and politely, and listened attentively to the young woman's answers. Just from what she had heard so far, Charlie liked her, which was a very good sign - she didn't like everyone.

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie allowed the very quick sigh to fall from her. So far so good... She thought. It was always a little daunting when someone was writing something down that couldn't be seen. She figured the best thing she could do was answer any and all questions as herself with the first things she'd think of. The first were always the most honest... Right?

- "Why should we hire you?"

"I think I'd fit in pretty well here. I do my best to pick up on things quickly and if I'm not sure, I'm always good to ask questions to make sure I know what I'm doing. It was also my idea to actually look for a job in the first place, so you can be sure that I definitely want to work." Callie offered the best reasoning she could, not entirely sure if she properly answered the question.

- "What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?"

Strengths... In terms of the working field Callie had to take a moment to wonder on it. "Well, I'm a pretty optimistic and happy person. So I tend to get along with people quickly. I'm a really motivated person and I work as hard as I can. I know everyone probably always says that, but I actually mean it." Then for the downsides to her personality.

"As for weaknesses... I'll be honest with you. Sometimes I get distracted. Not in a really big way or anything, but I can sort of lose focus." Being aware of the problem was the first step. "I'll work on it. I promise!" She coupled that with a smile wide enough to show her teeth through the line of her lips.

- "What motivates you?"

"A couple of things, I guess. I really like to make people smile and feel better, so I figured I'd be good with customers because I'm motivated to make people feel a little happier." She gave a small shrug with her shoulders. "I'm motivated to do my best at at everything I try, from the things I'm really passionate about in my life to, well... Schoolwork and all that."

Well, she hoped that went well.

[Charlie Saynsberry]

Charlie continued to write down notes as Callie spoke. She was inexperienced, Charlie assumed from her age, but not from her answers - she actually did very well. She didn't appear to be trying too hard to make herself seem a better person than she was; all of her answers felt very honest. Charlie liked that. And her age wouldn't be an issue either, since they actually had a few employees between sixteen and eighteen.

After asking a few more 'professional' questions (previous job experience, future plans, etc,), Charlie decided to ask a few more personal ones. "Where do you go to school?" She didn't know that Callie was a meta-human, she was simply curious and wanted to get a better idea of where she came from. She grinned, and added,"Also, one of the most important questions: What is your favorite type of donut?" It was actually surprising how much she could summarize from a person just based on their tastes.

"And lastly," she said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "How do you feel about fireworks?" This question didn't particularly matter job-wise, but it was something she always asked to see how they reacted to unexpected questions. And she also wanted to make sure they didn't mind her occasional firecracker. Charlie had a tendency to shoot off tiny ones from her fingers when she was bored.

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie had hoped she was doing well. The 'professional' questions were ones she had half expected, and sort of had a run over with her brother for practice. Not that he was much help, but the idea of being herself seemed to be the best way to go about it. No experience; she was too young for that, and her family were unsure if she should work. But it was the responsibility that she was looking for, and she was honest about that too.

- "Where do you go to school?"
A small flinch of hesitation before she answered the question. Reflex. "Uhh, the Hammel Institute?" Callie turned it into a question as if to ask if she knew much about the place.

- "Also, one of the most important questions: What is your favorite type of donut?"
"Actually, there are these ones that some places do at Christmas time that I really like." Callie paused, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table. She drew her hands outward in a circular shape as if trying to describe how they must make what she was talking about. "They're pink, or red. Or something. They're flavoured like peppermint, and they actually have crushed candy canes sprinkled on top. I think I really like them because they aren't always around... Makes you want them more." And then she laughed, leaning back in her chair again.

- "How do you feel about fireworks?"
Calliope felt herself do a double take at the question, her eyebrows raising in clear curiosity. "They're always bright and I love bright colours. When I was little I always used to try and catch the sparks that fall after they explode. I think they're awesome."

[Charlie Saynsberry]

Charlie brightened visibly at the mention of her alma mater. "Hammel? Really? I went there... Six years ago!" Wow, now she felt old. "I loved that place." She would show off her (self-proclaimed) fantastic ability in a moment, once Callie answered the firework question. She was tempted to ask Callie what her ability was, but this was an interview, and she was supposed to be professional. Callie's ability didn't really matter, unless it could be useful in making and selling donuts. She would let Callie decide whether she wanted to share or not.

"Mmm, I agree, those are brilliant," Charlie agreed. She gave her a wink. "We sell those in December, along with eggnog and gingerbread flavored donuts. Everyone that works here always gains a couple pounds that month," she laughed. At least the girl had good taste. If she had said green tea or bacon flavored (which, honestly, Charlie thought were disgusting), she would have been less approving. Having good taste in donuts was serious stuff! Especially when it came time to create new flavors.

She could tell the last question threw Callie off, and she chuckled inwardly. "That's good. Because around here, sparks often fly." She pointed a finger upward and made a trigger-pulling motion, setting off a small green firework that exploded in a pint-sized poof. "We even have special candles for special occasions, which I actually helped design," she explained. "They're like mini sparklers. You'll love them."

She jotted down a few more notes, then stared at the paper for a little while, thinking. Not for very long, though. "Well, here's where I would tell you that I'll think over our interview and contact you at a later time. But honestly, I don't really need to think this over." She laid the paper on the table and held out her hand (not the one that was still smoking slightly), and said,"Welcome to The Holey Place!" She liked the girl, she seemed honest, and Charlie saw no reason why she wouldn't do well working here. It was an easy decision, really.

[Calliope Gallo]

Callia took a quick second to figure something out. "Hmm... Six years ago? Both of my older brothers were at Hammel back then." She shrugged. Maybe they would recognise each other if they got to talk or something.

"Maybe I'll hang out more around December." She drew the brightest of smiles to her face, wondering if she should share the memory of donut eating contests with Eric every December. Hmm, that could probably wait...

The last question had thrown her; for the most part it seemed like something random. Like when the college interview people asked Eric what kind of tree he thought he was... Like a personality test or something? Still, when the real reason was revealed, Callie felt her blue eyes widen on instinct. Her hand twitched, but she heard the shrill tone and heavy Greek accent of her mother's voice in her ears. Calliope Rhea Gallo: Do not reach out to touch the fireworks. "I'll keep it in mind."

The initial statement also threw her. There was no need to make further contact... Callie felt the corners of her smile falter slightly despite her best efforts.

But a hand was extended her way. In tandem with a welcome.

Calliope tilted her head slightly, looking thoroughly confused. "Seriously?" She shook off the confusion as quickly as possible, reaching over with both hands to clasp onto the one offered and shake it. "Thankyousomuch! I wasn't really sure what to think."