Post by Maxine on Jul 3, 2020 10:49:09 GMT -8
‘Who wants to be flipping burgers, wearing a suit and tie and being security for a dignitary, or pulling giant mutant radishes from the ground?’
”Thank you very much for your continued patronage, Miss. Your presence has been a pleasure, as always. Do make your way home safely, and have an exquisite night.”
Well – Maxine would sorely love that second option right about now. No, actually, the first would be fine too. Even the third!
”…No, I am not available, even by request. It would be unbefitting for a floor manager such as myself to take the spotlight from one of our wondrous staff. I sorely lack the same charisma and charm.”
With a flicker of a frown, the android gave yet another deep bow – yet, her client just refused to move a muscle. Amidst the colours and clamour of the Flying Monkey, the dark dress and sharp eyes stuck out like a sore thumb. As did the veritable sparks flying between the lady and Maxine; a familiar dance of passive-aggressive politeness. The android herself was by no means a perfect partner; but where her client stood above in her in terms of clout, Maxine stood on par through her experience. They’d been in this stand-off before, many times.
“I believe the charter lists all girls as being free tonight, so long as you have a member’s card? Are you not a girl, Maxine? Is that what I am meant to make of this?”
”I’m just a machine. I would surely only waste your time. If it is any consolation, I will surely dedicate myself to handling your table in any of your future visits, even if I cannot offer my services as a hostess.”
She was definitely too buzzed to remember that promise. This troublesome lady - her usual contractor, a local yakuza princess – was a brat, but thankfully she was also predictable and easy to handle. Maxine could always tell when she’d been drinking – she didn’t slur her words or lose clarity, but got more clingy and often had trouble keeping her balance. And, subtle as it was, she’d noticed the lady holding onto the nearby railing as soon as she’d gotten near the door.
Well, that and the fact that Maxine had already served her three rounds of Dark and Stormy. Double strength, no less. The Southern Islands’ delight must have had a portent of particularly gloomy weather lately.
”It would be my pleasure;” continued the android, her professional etiquette suffocating the conversation; ”But, for now, I must excuse myself in order to finish handling your invoice and –“
And, like a bolt from the blue, Maxine saw the clouds part; as her current boss entered the scene to dispel the ill omens of her usual boss. Stepping down the tall club’s stairs, the Saiyan proprietor looked as out of place as one could even imagine – one eye covered with an eye-patch, and wearing a tacky snakeskin jacket and leather pants amongst all the maid outfits and Maxine’s own suit. In the past, she would have viewed that look as unprofessional and dreadfully unfashionable… and, well, that hadn’t changed, especially after seeing him in a tuxedo once upon a time; buuut she was willing to overlook it after getting to know his charisma and caution.
”Yo, evening! Sorry, Maxine’s on my roster right now. You’ll have to wait in line for a little long, Miss. She’s in high demand, you know, but I reckon I could get something worked out for a high-roller like you.” interrupted the man, giving a deep bow to their guest; ”I’m the head manager here. Don’t mind the outfit, I’m on other business – you know how it is. Dress for the occasion, not for the reputation. We’ll be looking forward to your next visit, and we’ll be sure to make it one to remember.”
Maxine could only awkwardly nod along with the manager. For all her practice and professionalism, she was simply outclassed by the man. More experience, and a silver tongue that she could not compare to… she had a lot to learn in this business. W-Well, though, did she really want to learn that much in this business? It had perks, and being serving staff wasn’t beneath her or anything, but in this field… it was a bit crass, for her. She was meant to be a butler, rather than a maid. At least she’d gotten to keep her suit this time around…
“Err… right, yes. I’ll take my leave. Until next time, Maxine.” remarked the yakuza princess, with an awkward look; clearly having lost her train of thought with this new appearance – she’d usually at least give some haughty defence, but with the burden of alcohol it clearly wasn’t working out for her. Giving a shallow bow, she was caught up in the customer service magic, and left without another complaint.
As the door closed, Maxine allowed herself a tiny sigh of relief – alas, it was far too soon to be calming down, as a hand fell on her shoulder.
”Ah… but, I wasn’t kidding, Max. Got some business with you, so would you mind if I take a moment?” Of course, if you boss asks if they can take a moment, that means you will be giving them a moment within the second. Maxine gave a hasty nod, and followed his lead upstairs; past all the swaying skirts and tails. Dread welled up in her… s-she was probably in trouble. W-Well, it’s not like she could have expected one of her own clients to show up! Much less such a troublesome one…
Ushered into the modest back office-come-staff room, Maxine obediently sat down – only to be immediately dragged back up onto her feet. ”Oi, none of that. I’m not a business meeting guy, so no sitting down, for a start. I know you’re all head down, nose to the grindstone; but not tonight.” lectured the one-eyed Saiyan, albeit with a troublesome smile; ”That’s not the point right now, anyway. This ain’t a performance review or any of that crap. I’ve got a job for you. Our Saiyan girls are great and all, but they’re not really what I need on hand right now. However, an Android with a straight back and a straighter edge would be just about right. I need someone who can follow orders to the letter, and not a step further.”
At first, Maxine glowed a little bit – she was needed! By a professional! For being a professional! Though, she wasn’t sure what to make of being called ‘straighter edge’. ”I see. You need someone with a slightly more restrained touch.” she replied succinctly, awaiting further instructions. However, that was when her line of thought caught up… he’d specified he needed girls. Her eyes narrowed, in spite of herself.
She noticed his hesitation, but didn’t have the chance to open her mouth again – he probably knew already that she was realising that trouble was bubbling up to the surface. ”You ever done spruiking before? Sign spinning? This is way above that, don’t worry, but I think it’d suit you fine. Wear that nice dress you had before, and say a few words for us; it’ll be no problem. Especially for a professional, like yourself.” The honey-laced words did their job, but Maxine’s frown didn’t fade. ”Of course, you’ll be compensated, like any work. I’m not gonna force you, so it’s only right that I offer you a bonus instead. I think it’ll do your attitude a bit of good too. Stretch your limits a bit, you know?”
The thought of doing advertising didn’t entertain Maxine in the slightest – she knew how to handle her brand, sure, but she didn’t consider herself a salesman by any stretch of the term. Her boss could see her disinterest, and changed his tact. ”It’ll just be a quick video clip, to help give our place a different tone. We need your skills, Max!”
The android placed a hand on her chin, still thinking it over. She’d been talked into trouble like this before. She had to be careful. This wasn’t a proper contract, after all; just a minor job. She didn’t need to do anything unnecessary. It was just a favour to the Tea family.
”C’mon, do me a favour. Do the rest of the girls a favour. I know you’ve got it in you, Maxine-chan.”
M-M-Maxine-chan…
A surge of dread filled Maxine, bursting at the seams – a grim reminder of what she was knee-deep in. This might be a passing job and all, b-b-but the Tea Family – were not to be messed with. N-Not with her reputation on the line…
”U-Understood… yes, I shall do what I can.”
----------------------------------------
A glitzy, frankly obnoxious website greets them. Black background, with a mock-up of laminated wood with gold linings – but, with golden text as well, making it particularly harsh on the eyes. An overly fancy handwriting-inspired font which was almost unreadable, but with only underlining to so much as separate sections. And, of course, a variety of stock animated images of wine glasses clinking and flaming grills; oversized and repeated all over the place with barely any pattern or logic. Was there a link to the menu? Maybe? Probably? Only a chosen few would ever know.
The Flying Monkey was not known for its online presence.
But, then, amidst the chaos, an embedded video. An icon of a more modern, sophisticated time. They’d even managed to code autoplay into it, in spite of everything.
A dreary city street in Oolong’s Little Vegeta district, soaked with rain. As trudging along itself, the camera slowly pulled along the miserable footpath under the neon lights, while the noise of passing cars and aggressive conversations formed a hostile atmosphere. Was that gunshots in the distance? The ambience gradually grows in volume (and begins to blow out the audio quality quite a bit), as the viewer shuffles onward; until an unfamiliar set of doors seem to offer a hint of solace – any solace, from this misery (and poor audio design).
They open, and the noise dims; the lighting fades, as another world appears. Laminated wood, a sense of class, and, a shower of glitter – ”You’ve come at long last, my master~!”
Skirt and apron down to her ankles, that oversized sash around her waist in a massive bow, the impeccably tied butterfly bowtie, even a tiara, and yet a pair of high-heeled boots; and that tempting hint of black tights beneath it all – no, more than any of that, the impeccable smile, and mischievous yet pure-hearted wink from vivid violet eyes. ”Thank goodness you made it! Welcome back to the Flying Monkey – everyone’s been waiting for you!”
The lady steps aside, revealing a line of more familiar girls – Saiyans in maid outfits of their own, albeit with scandalously short skirts; a Little Vegeta tradition. Finally, the unease melts into a familiar advertisement, with a medley of meaningless pop and a montage of bouncy hostesses and drinks being poured. ”Tucked away in Little Vegeta, far from your work and woes; let all your troubles melt away in our care. Not only do we offer as much one-on-one time with our hostesses as you can dream of, but we also offer full catering for groups; as well as our award-winning selection of cocktails. We’re now offering VIP cards for regular customers; look forward to one day witnessing our Spirit Ball special – can you imagine what all our powers combined can do for you~?”
Finally, the colourful abuse ended, finishing with one of the Saiyan star hostesses daintily pouring champagne into a glass and soon overflowing it – only for the camera to reveal (very shakily) that she was flying, allowing her to reach the top of a frankly ludicrous pyramid of glasses. And, of course, one last look at the truly unlikely star of the show, who gave a traditional maid twirl that left her dress’s hem swirling before ending on that magical wink again –
”This time, let the Saiyans power you up!”
[2018/2000]
”Thank you very much for your continued patronage, Miss. Your presence has been a pleasure, as always. Do make your way home safely, and have an exquisite night.”
Well – Maxine would sorely love that second option right about now. No, actually, the first would be fine too. Even the third!
”…No, I am not available, even by request. It would be unbefitting for a floor manager such as myself to take the spotlight from one of our wondrous staff. I sorely lack the same charisma and charm.”
With a flicker of a frown, the android gave yet another deep bow – yet, her client just refused to move a muscle. Amidst the colours and clamour of the Flying Monkey, the dark dress and sharp eyes stuck out like a sore thumb. As did the veritable sparks flying between the lady and Maxine; a familiar dance of passive-aggressive politeness. The android herself was by no means a perfect partner; but where her client stood above in her in terms of clout, Maxine stood on par through her experience. They’d been in this stand-off before, many times.
“I believe the charter lists all girls as being free tonight, so long as you have a member’s card? Are you not a girl, Maxine? Is that what I am meant to make of this?”
”I’m just a machine. I would surely only waste your time. If it is any consolation, I will surely dedicate myself to handling your table in any of your future visits, even if I cannot offer my services as a hostess.”
She was definitely too buzzed to remember that promise. This troublesome lady - her usual contractor, a local yakuza princess – was a brat, but thankfully she was also predictable and easy to handle. Maxine could always tell when she’d been drinking – she didn’t slur her words or lose clarity, but got more clingy and often had trouble keeping her balance. And, subtle as it was, she’d noticed the lady holding onto the nearby railing as soon as she’d gotten near the door.
Well, that and the fact that Maxine had already served her three rounds of Dark and Stormy. Double strength, no less. The Southern Islands’ delight must have had a portent of particularly gloomy weather lately.
”It would be my pleasure;” continued the android, her professional etiquette suffocating the conversation; ”But, for now, I must excuse myself in order to finish handling your invoice and –“
And, like a bolt from the blue, Maxine saw the clouds part; as her current boss entered the scene to dispel the ill omens of her usual boss. Stepping down the tall club’s stairs, the Saiyan proprietor looked as out of place as one could even imagine – one eye covered with an eye-patch, and wearing a tacky snakeskin jacket and leather pants amongst all the maid outfits and Maxine’s own suit. In the past, she would have viewed that look as unprofessional and dreadfully unfashionable… and, well, that hadn’t changed, especially after seeing him in a tuxedo once upon a time; buuut she was willing to overlook it after getting to know his charisma and caution.
”Yo, evening! Sorry, Maxine’s on my roster right now. You’ll have to wait in line for a little long, Miss. She’s in high demand, you know, but I reckon I could get something worked out for a high-roller like you.” interrupted the man, giving a deep bow to their guest; ”I’m the head manager here. Don’t mind the outfit, I’m on other business – you know how it is. Dress for the occasion, not for the reputation. We’ll be looking forward to your next visit, and we’ll be sure to make it one to remember.”
Maxine could only awkwardly nod along with the manager. For all her practice and professionalism, she was simply outclassed by the man. More experience, and a silver tongue that she could not compare to… she had a lot to learn in this business. W-Well, though, did she really want to learn that much in this business? It had perks, and being serving staff wasn’t beneath her or anything, but in this field… it was a bit crass, for her. She was meant to be a butler, rather than a maid. At least she’d gotten to keep her suit this time around…
“Err… right, yes. I’ll take my leave. Until next time, Maxine.” remarked the yakuza princess, with an awkward look; clearly having lost her train of thought with this new appearance – she’d usually at least give some haughty defence, but with the burden of alcohol it clearly wasn’t working out for her. Giving a shallow bow, she was caught up in the customer service magic, and left without another complaint.
As the door closed, Maxine allowed herself a tiny sigh of relief – alas, it was far too soon to be calming down, as a hand fell on her shoulder.
”Ah… but, I wasn’t kidding, Max. Got some business with you, so would you mind if I take a moment?” Of course, if you boss asks if they can take a moment, that means you will be giving them a moment within the second. Maxine gave a hasty nod, and followed his lead upstairs; past all the swaying skirts and tails. Dread welled up in her… s-she was probably in trouble. W-Well, it’s not like she could have expected one of her own clients to show up! Much less such a troublesome one…
Ushered into the modest back office-come-staff room, Maxine obediently sat down – only to be immediately dragged back up onto her feet. ”Oi, none of that. I’m not a business meeting guy, so no sitting down, for a start. I know you’re all head down, nose to the grindstone; but not tonight.” lectured the one-eyed Saiyan, albeit with a troublesome smile; ”That’s not the point right now, anyway. This ain’t a performance review or any of that crap. I’ve got a job for you. Our Saiyan girls are great and all, but they’re not really what I need on hand right now. However, an Android with a straight back and a straighter edge would be just about right. I need someone who can follow orders to the letter, and not a step further.”
At first, Maxine glowed a little bit – she was needed! By a professional! For being a professional! Though, she wasn’t sure what to make of being called ‘straighter edge’. ”I see. You need someone with a slightly more restrained touch.” she replied succinctly, awaiting further instructions. However, that was when her line of thought caught up… he’d specified he needed girls. Her eyes narrowed, in spite of herself.
She noticed his hesitation, but didn’t have the chance to open her mouth again – he probably knew already that she was realising that trouble was bubbling up to the surface. ”You ever done spruiking before? Sign spinning? This is way above that, don’t worry, but I think it’d suit you fine. Wear that nice dress you had before, and say a few words for us; it’ll be no problem. Especially for a professional, like yourself.” The honey-laced words did their job, but Maxine’s frown didn’t fade. ”Of course, you’ll be compensated, like any work. I’m not gonna force you, so it’s only right that I offer you a bonus instead. I think it’ll do your attitude a bit of good too. Stretch your limits a bit, you know?”
The thought of doing advertising didn’t entertain Maxine in the slightest – she knew how to handle her brand, sure, but she didn’t consider herself a salesman by any stretch of the term. Her boss could see her disinterest, and changed his tact. ”It’ll just be a quick video clip, to help give our place a different tone. We need your skills, Max!”
The android placed a hand on her chin, still thinking it over. She’d been talked into trouble like this before. She had to be careful. This wasn’t a proper contract, after all; just a minor job. She didn’t need to do anything unnecessary. It was just a favour to the Tea family.
”C’mon, do me a favour. Do the rest of the girls a favour. I know you’ve got it in you, Maxine-chan.”
M-M-Maxine-chan…
A surge of dread filled Maxine, bursting at the seams – a grim reminder of what she was knee-deep in. This might be a passing job and all, b-b-but the Tea Family – were not to be messed with. N-Not with her reputation on the line…
”U-Understood… yes, I shall do what I can.”
----------------------------------------
A glitzy, frankly obnoxious website greets them. Black background, with a mock-up of laminated wood with gold linings – but, with golden text as well, making it particularly harsh on the eyes. An overly fancy handwriting-inspired font which was almost unreadable, but with only underlining to so much as separate sections. And, of course, a variety of stock animated images of wine glasses clinking and flaming grills; oversized and repeated all over the place with barely any pattern or logic. Was there a link to the menu? Maybe? Probably? Only a chosen few would ever know.
The Flying Monkey was not known for its online presence.
But, then, amidst the chaos, an embedded video. An icon of a more modern, sophisticated time. They’d even managed to code autoplay into it, in spite of everything.
A dreary city street in Oolong’s Little Vegeta district, soaked with rain. As trudging along itself, the camera slowly pulled along the miserable footpath under the neon lights, while the noise of passing cars and aggressive conversations formed a hostile atmosphere. Was that gunshots in the distance? The ambience gradually grows in volume (and begins to blow out the audio quality quite a bit), as the viewer shuffles onward; until an unfamiliar set of doors seem to offer a hint of solace – any solace, from this misery (and poor audio design).
They open, and the noise dims; the lighting fades, as another world appears. Laminated wood, a sense of class, and, a shower of glitter – ”You’ve come at long last, my master~!”
Skirt and apron down to her ankles, that oversized sash around her waist in a massive bow, the impeccably tied butterfly bowtie, even a tiara, and yet a pair of high-heeled boots; and that tempting hint of black tights beneath it all – no, more than any of that, the impeccable smile, and mischievous yet pure-hearted wink from vivid violet eyes. ”Thank goodness you made it! Welcome back to the Flying Monkey – everyone’s been waiting for you!”
The lady steps aside, revealing a line of more familiar girls – Saiyans in maid outfits of their own, albeit with scandalously short skirts; a Little Vegeta tradition. Finally, the unease melts into a familiar advertisement, with a medley of meaningless pop and a montage of bouncy hostesses and drinks being poured. ”Tucked away in Little Vegeta, far from your work and woes; let all your troubles melt away in our care. Not only do we offer as much one-on-one time with our hostesses as you can dream of, but we also offer full catering for groups; as well as our award-winning selection of cocktails. We’re now offering VIP cards for regular customers; look forward to one day witnessing our Spirit Ball special – can you imagine what all our powers combined can do for you~?”
Finally, the colourful abuse ended, finishing with one of the Saiyan star hostesses daintily pouring champagne into a glass and soon overflowing it – only for the camera to reveal (very shakily) that she was flying, allowing her to reach the top of a frankly ludicrous pyramid of glasses. And, of course, one last look at the truly unlikely star of the show, who gave a traditional maid twirl that left her dress’s hem swirling before ending on that magical wink again –
”This time, let the Saiyans power you up!”
[2018/2000]