Test Locale: Onexea Megaplex - Caffe De Luca

[Langschwert]

Caffe De Luca is owned and operated by the De Luca family on the Second Level of the Megaplex. The family fashioned the restaurant after the open air restaurants in New York's Little Italy. The dining area is littered with 4 and 2 person tables with white table cloths on each table. During the day the tables will also have fresh flowers for decorations, and candles take the place of the floral accessories at night. The dining area is half inside and an open view of the kitchen from the inside dining room. Outside there is a sidewalk sign with specials, a host's station, and a stand that displays an electronic copy of the menu that scrolls.

The Decor of the restaurant inside and out throws back to the 1930s and 1940s in New York. The staff also dresses the part with the host and barman in zoot suits while the waiters and waitresses dress like there counterparts. There is a bar in the back with bar stools and a huge bar vintage bar mirror. The inside is pretty shallow and on most nights the place can be pretty crowded if you go during peak hours.

((OOC: I guess this is how you start a thread? I just wanted to get a little RP practice before I get into more cannon stuff. Anyone who wants to join is welcome. ))

[Langschwert]

((OOC: I left it open ended for "his client" which could really be anybody. He does have clients that are "off the record" and pro-bono in addition to his normal clients. Just clearing that up.))

Brian gave a sigh as he walked toward one of his favorite places to take clients. The day had been a grueling with a contract still being stalled by the opposing council and a five hour negotiation session that nearly broke out into a brawl on a few separate occasions. Brian's co-council was fiery and passionate, but she had just inflamed the situation even more. At one point, he even had to take her out in the hall to let her cool down for a bit. He snickered that the thought of getting so angry at opposing council because at the end of the day they were all in it for the same thing: Money.

Brian waved to the host who was talking to a young couple who let out an excited yell, "Hey! Mr. Young I've got your reservations right here! Excuse me folks." The host was in his 30s and walked right up to Brian and hugged him tightly. Brian looking a little sort of breath returned the hug timidly and with an exasperated "T-tony it's good to see you but stopcrushingmy...lungs."

Tony eased up a bit on the hug, "sorry about that Brian, it's just been a while." Brian breathed heavy and a started laughing, "Tony I it's only been a week man. You know the firm doesn't like me carrying the "well-to-do" clients here. Tony sighed and hung his head, "I know man, but you used to be a regular." Brian patted him on the shoulder

"Don't worry you keep treating me well and I'll keep on coming. Are the mom and pops here?" "No, they having a night out on the town." Brian grimaced, "Are the Shade City PD informed?" "No, but they should be!" Tony chuckled a bit to himself a showed Brian to a small table inside the restaurant and whistled to a waitress. "Janine! Serve this man here." Brian stopped Tony before he went back to his duties, "I've got someone coming so if they ask ..."
"I got you."

Brian looked around and chatted up Janine a bit since there dinner rush had just gotten out. One of the cooks started ringing the service bell impatiently. He finally ordered a coffee and sipped on it as he waited for whomever had called his office to come.

[deepbluerenegade]

Dave checked his PDA for time time, and put it away with a sigh. He was fifteen minutes late, and he hardly had the time to spare.He hurried to the hostess station, smoothing back his hair with his free hand, and his other clutched the briefcase.

"I am here to meet Brian Young, he should already be here."

"Right this way sir."

"Can you also bring a carafe of coffee to the table? It'll save some trouble for the waitress."

As they walked to the back of the restaurant Dave pulled the e-paper out, thankful that there was a directional privacy shield on top.I'm probably in enough trouble as it is bringing this out of my office

"Hi, Brian, I'm Dr. Mack. It is a pleasure to meet with you face to face."

Noticing that neither of his hands were free Dave dropped the briefcase on a chair and the e-paper contract on the table. Let's see if this lawyer is any good at his job

[Langschwert]

Although Brian had dinner already, he couldn't resist De Luca's cannolis. Since his client was a bit late he figured that it wouldn't hurt to order some of the pastries to go with the coffee. The plate had just arrived when Brian caught a glimpse of a hurried looking character. As the person approached the table, Brian slowly got to his feet. He put on a very congenial smile to try and put to rest any fear of the client. As the client introduced himself, Brian waited patiently until the doctor had offered a hand and then took it firmly with a practiced business hand shake.

"The pleasure is all mine doctor. I apologize for having to meet you so late, but sometimes you have to squeeze a time in at this time."

Brian let go of the doctor's hand and offered the doctor to go ahead and sit down. After doing so he sank back into his chair folding his hand in front of of him.

"Would you like something to eat or do you want to go ahead and get down to business?"

At the last word, Brian eyed the contract that had been dropped onto the table unable to make out any writing due to the privacy screen.

[deepbluerenegade]

Dave flexed his fingers after the handshake, hoping some blood would return to his fingers.

I have shaking hands with too many scientists, he actually can squeeze.

"I don't mind the late meeting. I had a hard enough time getting away from the lab as it is. I don't need anything to eat. Coffee is on the way, and I'll be fine with just that."

He pulled the privacy screen off the paper, tucking it back into the briefcase.

"If you don't mind I would like to talk about this contract. I really need a keener set of eyes than my own to read it over. Frankly it looks too good to be true."

The waitress walked up and set the carafe on the table. Dave poured himself a cup, and took a large gulp.

Ahhh, much better, freshly brewed too.

"I am a scientist, and I have worked with corporations before on projects, but I have never worked with the military before. I am worried that if I start this project, that I will lose control of all of my work by some loophole, but the money is too good to back away from. I could pay for three or four more students and a post-doc for several years."

Dave leaned back, cradling the cup of coffee.

"What do you think?"

[Langschwert]

"Unfortunately, Dr. Mack you well know 'if something looks too good to be true, it probably is.' That goes doubly for contracts, unless there is an error. It goes ten-fold for a government contract. However, while I take an essential look at the contract I will need you to sign something."

Brain unfolded his hands and smiled before reaching into his interior jacket pocket. After fishing around in his pocket for a moment, his face lit up. Out of the jacket came a paper and pen. He placed the paper on the table with the pen on top and slid it over to Dr. Mack while avoiding the plate of cannolis placed in the middle of the table. Brian pointed to the paper before continuing.

"That is a standard confidentiality agreement. It outlines what you can expect from an attorney-client relationship. While I look over this contract I want you to read the agreement and sign. I've tried to use as little legalese as possible, but ask me for clarifications on any of the terms if you have a question."

Brian reached over for the contract now that the doctor had pretty much implied that he at least wanted the attorney to give it a quick look over. The young lawyer's eyes scanned the document for a bit before he decided to get a legal pad from his briefcase. Brian still opted for the old school method of pen to yellow paper when it came to making quick notes like the ones he was about to make. Soon he was in the "zone" scribbling away on the legal pad trying to decipher all the little nuisances of the contract.

"

[deepbluerenegade]

Dave gingerly picked up the pen, scanned the the contract.

It's a good thing he is so young, I don't think I would want to pay a partner's hourly fee.

He signed the bottom illegibly and slid the contract and pen to the corner of the table. He refilled his cup of coffee. Dave's gaze wandered around the restaurant. The wait staff was gathering in the back, idle and gossiping. The other patrons were ignoring the meeting, they were too absorbed in conversation, or eating.

I wish I wasn't in such a hurry leaving. I might have remembered to bring something to work on.

Dave felt very awkward just sitting around waiting. He didn't want to disturb Brian.

I'm not entirely sure what it is the military wants with my work. I have found bacteria that make people healthier, less prone to virus infections. But to make people stronger, sharper of sight, or immune to the opposite? There is so much investigation that needs to be done to pinpoint how any of my bacteria or virus strains could even help.

"Do you think they would classify all of my research, even work tangential to this project?"

[Langschwert]

"Do you think they would classify all of my research, even work tangential to this project?"

Brian looked up from his covered legal pad concerned.

"If the person writing this contract is any good, they probably will."

As he continued reading, Brian grimaced and shook his head in frustrations. After a couple of minutes he was most of the way though the contract and was thankfully nearing an end.

Who is writes these contracts? This is the most ambiguous piece of work I've ever seen.

With a final tap on his legal pad Brian set down the contract and began rubbing his temples at the nature of the language therein. He took a long gulp of his coffee and looked up at Dr. Mack.

"Sorry about the wait Dr. Mack. I believe that if you want to keep your research in-house some of the terms of this contract need to be rewritten. For example, this contract wants you to sign over most of the research rights. It can be modified so that you give them production rights, but not many rights as to the research. However, the pay probably will not be the amount you are hoping."

Brian took the plate of cannolis off to the side of the table and set the contract in their place. Pointing the amount of money promised he continued,

"That amount there entails a lot of the research rights as well as the production rights. If you went ahead and signed this contract your research would have been handed off to other labs for further development. Now with the military being what it is there could be a chance of that happening anyway."

[deepbluerenegade]

"That amount there entails a lot of the research rights as well as the production rights. If you went ahead and signed this contract your research would have been handed off to other labs for further development. Now with the military being what it is there could be a chance of that happening anyway."

Dave grimaced, burying his face in his hands. I didn't catch that detail about the other labs

"Dirty bastards, they aren't paying me enough money to give up all of my work."

Dave straightened up, and gulped down his cup of coffee, carefully setting the cup aside.

"How can I negotiate to limit the impact of this? I might be willing to give up one or two of my projects for this, but not all six. Did you see any details we can exploit?"

[Langschwert]

"How can I negotiate to limit the impact of this? I might be willing to give up one or two of my projects for this, but not all six. Did you see any details we can exploit?"

"Dr. Mack a contract is never set in stone until you sign on the dotted line especially dealing with intellectual rights like these."

Brian took the legal pad and tore out about four pages worth of notes he had just taken and placed them on top of the contract.

"Those pages have a couple of ways that you might restructure the contract, but it will take more than one session with me to smooth out the details. A contract is a fluid thing during this stage of its life and if they want what you have bad enough they will compromise."

Brian folded his hands in front of his chin and sat his head on them.

"Of course if you don't mind I would like to be in the room when the terms are finalized. You never know when they try to sneak in a provision on you."