Ariadne had been given a position at the local clothing store and as much of her clothing had been destroyed in the fire and the rest left behind at Desiree's she was definitely in need of spending some of her father's money. It was in the course of buying out half the store that she encountered a clerk who worked in the Palace, a very harried clerk who had been charged with finding a suitable Editor for the local paper in light of the fact that there was no Minister of Civil Affairs to see to the appointment. With the economy only just renewing the clerk seemed at somewhat of a loss and it was then that she volunteered herself. It was an impulse really. She had never considered herself a writer, really, more of a lover of books and libraries and the like, really, though as with most avid readers writing often came part and parcel with the hobby. Though the boarding school for the rich children of supernatural beings in Venice she had attended was more concerned with producing courtesans and courtiers her education could not be denied and she was well read. She also had a penchant for being some what nosy so talking about other peoples business sort of came naturally to her.
It seemed a perfect fit and the clerk, relieved to have someone even interested in the position, gave her the spot no questions asked and instructed Sarine to appear at his office in the palace on the following morning where they would finalize the details and he would give her the keys to the offices. Once the clerk was gone with the gift of clothing he had purchased for some officials mistress she continued her shopping only now she focused on clothing appropriate for her new position though she refused to dress like some frumpy librarian. Once she was satisfied that her new wardrobe would suit the job while being appropriately sexy she arranged to have the vast assortment of packages delivered while she set off in search of her siblings, her eldest brother to be precise. She had news!
By noon the next day she was unlocking the front doors of the old building that housed the Aleris Chronicle. A grand old fashioned three story brick building it had the quiet elegance many old buildings have and the large reception area was done in rich mahogany wood and brass fixtures that she was sure would gleam with just a little polish. Already her quick mind was formulating plans for organizing the space and what she would need as far as labor and supplies for bringing the sleeping building back to life. Locking the front door behind her she set about exploring every inch of the building, a pen and paper in her hands as she made notes on what she wanted done as far as decorating, arranging, cleaning, and staffing went.
It was all up to her, really. The harried clerk had told her she could design the paper and its staff as she saw fit. She had the budget for three newspaper staff members and could arrange the articles as columns as she wished provided she a weekly news column dedicated to the news of the realm. Naturally. They would definitely need a gossip column as well, in her opinion, and truth be told she was looking forward to writing that particular column more so than the serious news but such was the job and she would do her best. There would be a personals section of course but as that would rely on the citizens of Aleris sharing their news she wouldn't have to go looking for it. Given that they were a society who had only recently regained their emotions though and thus only recently began marrying and having children, she imagined it would take some time and example from the influx of immigrants flooding the Outer Gates to get the Alerians into the swing of things.
She had so much to do and the list just got longer and longer the more she explored the building but she didn't stop until she had cataloged every inch of the three story edifice. Claiming the largest corner office on the third floor with the best view of Grand City and the palace as her office she to work contacting the crews necessary to do the cleaning and renovations and decorating that would need to be done to get the building up to speed. Besides that there was a pile of papers the clerk had given her that she had to go through. Documentation of the recent changes in Aleris, a history of the realm, written accounting's of some of the recent events, and letters sent to the Chronicle over the last several months all waited for her attention and as she waited for the first of the crews to arrive she dove in and began to read through it all.
She had a paper to get out, sooner rather than later, though she wouldn't publish a half-assed paper, she intended it to live up to her standards and that meant research. Based on the paper work in front of her there seemed to be plenty for the dry news. Now she just needed to drum up some gossip.
So much to do...so little time....
Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:30 pm