Panopticon - Hollywood Syndicate

Something was happening in Los Angeles, and she wasn't sure what it was.

The streams of customers were still steady at all hours, certainly, but the generous American tips were going down. The ambitious, self-assured actors and brightly enthusiastic screenwriters were being replaced by thin would-be writers she suspected would never sell a script for more than a pittance and actors and actresses that almost certainly only ever found roles in the wrong sort of film. The cars zooming past outside went faster, but there weren't as many, and those there were bore occasional dents, or even cracks in their windshields. There were no other waitresses at the cafe anymore, and it was just her and an increasingly surly customer base. The days seemed to fly by with more and more work, and sometimes she completely lost track of where her employer was.

"It's sad, isn't it?" The company man who just say down must have been watching her, because he seems to pick up on her thoughts without trouble. "The world is cruel sometimes. Uncompromising. For every boom, there is a bust. All but a few boomtowns give up their ghosts eventually." He raises a hand to adjust his glasses. "Coffee, black. It's happening here. We've already liquidated most of our assets and pulled out; it's important to remain responsive to market conditions to retain profitability."

Illiyana isn't entirely sure why he's telling her this, but if he wants someone to talk to, she can do that. Maybe she'll learn something- economics have never been her strong point, she's sure, but life has taken her many strange places; here, for one. Of more immediate concern, he's dressed more nicely than anyone who has come inside in days and she's not about to pass up the chance at a good tip. She smiles encouragingly and fills her voice with cheer as she responds. "One coffee, just a moment."

It doesn't take much to make good coffee, really, not with the cafe's machine. Just a good sense of timing, and a keen sense of smell in case something went wrong. There are other customers, but it hardly feels like a moment before she's back.

"Here you go, sir. Anything else? Something sweet to go with that?" A man in that kind of suit could probably tip for more than the cost of his order, and well might if all he was getting was coffee, but it would be better if he just bought more. There had been too many people asking for nothing but water lately.

He takes the coffee carefully, gently blows on its surface to cool it, and sips it carefully before answering. "Maybe. How much longer are you going to keep working here?"

"I'm not really meant for the film business," Illiyana deflects. At least some things didn't change- for all that everyone here was desperate for work, anyone who came in with money seemed to fancy themselves a recruiter, too, and she'd gotten more offers for one thing or another, only some of them scandalous, than she cared to count since her arrival.

"That's fine," replies the company man. "I told you we're pulling out. Part of that is protecting potential long-term investments. This place shows a keen understanding of small business economics in its administration- it's an exemplar of the service industry on this scale. A woman who ignores all the flash and glamour of showbiz to see where she can turn a profit- well, there's a place for her doing something better than this. We've had some issues with business partners recently, but appropriately talented subcontractors should be able to get us back on track within the next three quarters, if we can locate and secure such talent." He gives her a meaningful look.

A laugh nearly bubbles up from Illiyana's throad before she quashes it. No need to offend, after all. "I'm sorry, but I'm really quite fine here.