The Contractors Blog was surprisingly open with its information on the location of its Clinic. Perhaps not too surprisingly, since an unfindable clinic would not be very useful to the general magical public. On the other hand, leaving it out in the open leaves it somewhat vulnerable. Perhaps that's why there are a number of teenage girls (and some boys) here, some of them dressed to the nines in business suits, loitering around both outside the entrance and also just inside.
That in itself might look a little strange, but what might be stranger still are the... accessories they wear. Some of them have a tiny silver band that one might recognize as a Soul Gem ring, but others seem to be wearing some kind of all-too-colorful compact, or a brooch that looks well outside the range of what they could afford, or any other number of things that one magically inclined might easily guess are henshin items.
It's both an offer of safety to those who come here looking for protection, but also an unspoken threat to those who might wish to cause trouble, as per policy that Homura would've likely come up with.
Aside from that, the teenagers themselves seem friendly enough. They don't cause trouble, and many of them go visit the Crown Karaoke bar next door when they're on break. Compared to the Crown, the magical clinic itself doesn't seem all that conspicuous, and most people who come here might think that the kids are here for the crown more than the small, understated building clearly marked 'Contractors'.
There's a light coming through the entrance, and Homura herself is standing in the lobby, dressed in her own business suit and listening to the report of one of her employees, who apparently just came back from patrol.
A side door that leads deeper into the clinic opens up and a teenaged boy with short dark hair and brown eyes wearing a Verone Academy middle school uniform walks out, followed a few steps behind by a short pink-haired girl in a pink suit with red hair ribbons and a matching tie.
"I wasn't sure, but you really think it'll be okay," the boy asks.
"I do," the girl replies, "you shouldn't get into any more trouble, and even though they won't know the truth your parents should realize something was the matter that wasn't your fault."
The boy lets out a sigh of relief and nods, "Thanks, Kaname-san. I was worried they were going to ship me off to a military school or something."
A hand is lifted and a small waggle of her finger is made, "First off it's Madoka, and secondly it isn't your fault your teacher was a youma. You did great dealing with it and your whole class is better off now. I'm sure once it blows over your parents will know your heart was in the right place." A bright smile is given and she offers a wave as the boy starts to head towards the exit, "Remember, you can come talk anytime you want!"
After the boy makes his way out Madoka goes back and shuts the door, cutting off a the view to the plushy-filled room, before walking over to Homura's and listening in to the report while keeping an eye out for any newcomers.
Iris is used to inconspicuous clinics. She has tried to make hers into one, and was nearly revealed when one of her patients was going to be retrieved by a helicopter... that required rushing them out, lest Iris have to explain to her landlord why a literal black helicopter was showing up in the middle of the night. So while it did take a little effort to find this place, she generally knew the traits to look for and having a 'Contractors' sign did help.
Now Iris can be found walking right up to the building. If allowed to go in unquestioned, she'll do just that. If stopped by one of the 'security guards', she allows this too. Either way, Iris is notably bobbing around some as if doing bits of dancing to an unheard beat. It's not too out of line with normal walking, and is kind of like what someone might do if listening to music they were really 'in to' on some headphones.
However, she doesn't seem to have any sort of music player on her. If she's aware of the conversations Madoka and Homura are having with some of their associates, Iris makes no show of it.
None of the security bothers Iris, and if one of them makes eye contact with her then they flash her a friendly smile and don't say a word. It isn't until she's in the door until Homura notices her, and when she does she makes a double take.
Her subordinate continues her report. "Yeah so we checked from Infinity down to 3rd. We only found one youma on the way, some kind of snowcone monster? Anyways it was no big deal, and we didn't find any sign of anyone claiming ownership of it-- Homura-sama, are you listening?"
"Um... yeah." Homura seems just a little distracted. "Good job with the snowcone youma. Listen, if you don't have pressing to report, can we continue this later?"
"Well that's about it, actually."
"Great. Go take a break or something. I need to talk to this person."
Homura turns away before the other girl can say in a confused tone, "Okay see ya."
The black-haired veteran walks right up to Iris with a smile that the unlicensed doctor may not have seen before. "Hello, Shelby-san. It's good to see you."
Madoka tilts her head a little at the mention of a snowcone youma, idly wondering if that's amusing or particularly upsetting. On the one hand, yay, snowcones! On the other hand, turning something good and fun into evil, boo. She isn't so spacey that she doesn't notice the dance-walking young woman walking in through the door.
She also doesn't notice that this arrival seems to pull Homura's attention away from the report being given, which is a cue for Madoka to look over the newcomer a bit more carefully. Still, she lingers behind when Homura goes up and speaks to Iris properly, flashing a smile to the now confused girl. "Good job! Even if wasn't a big one it's really nice that no one was hurt fighting it." She looks upwards for a moment, "If nobody sent it out it could be one of the old Dark Kingdom youma that lost contact after Beryl's defeat and decided to work on it's own." Another smile, "You prefer being paid all at once at the end of the week, right? I'll make sure you get your hazard pay even if it went smoothly."
With that bit of ensuring the girl doesn't feel ditched or neglected Madoka wanders over and gives a small wave to Iris, looking between her partner and the Mage with a smile.
Iris continues to bob about, but does return any smiles or waves in kind. Getting one from Homura isn't... completely out of line if Iris' memory serves right, but even if that's so it was probably not a common thing. Something feels different about how Homura is talking to her now, but aside from a little blink while catching on to that the false doctor seems fine with it.
"Hello!" It's a simple reply to Homura, as Iris' attention actually drifts to Madoka shortly thereafter. More precisely, to the conversation that just unfolded. It might be business matters, but Iris eavesdrops anyway and is reacting to it. Something Madoka said right at the end of the discussion ends up prompting Iris to make a tiny laugh.
"Madoka-san," greets the girl, with a polite bowing of the head. She recognizes the implied authority that Homura gives to Madoka, and yet she also has likely either been given or had overheard the fact that Madoka prefers to be called by her first name. "Yeah, sure, I know your good for it. I'm not worried about that."
She runs a hand through her short green hair and looks over at Iris, and also at Homura's back. She's likely used to her boss's mannerisms as well. "It might have been a Dark Kingdom youma. It didn't have a lot in the way of distinguishing features? Either that or someone's dark energy experiment gone wrong."
Homura, on the other hand, is now having an entirely different conversation. "So! You're here. Is there something we can help you with? You don't seem particularly hurt... or are you maybe looking for a job?" She glances back to the green-haired girl and Madoka, stepping aside to gesture between Iris and the other two girls as she makes introductions.
"Madoka-chan, Mazawa-san, this is Iris Shelby. She's a Mage who specializes in healing. You may have heard me mention her before. She um... has helped my friends and I out a few times."
"Shelby-san, this is Madoka Kaname, my secretary and partner in running this outfit, and Kozakura Mazawa, one of our hunters."
'Mazawa-san' tilts her head. "It's a pleasure, ma'am."
Madoka smiles to the girl when she mentions she's not worried about the pay, nodding a little at the bit of extra information, "Whoever it belonged to it sounds like you took care of it." She doesn't sound particularly surprised by that fact.
When she wanders over to Iris and Homura and is introduced she bows politely to the Mage. Her face lights up a little and she takes a step closer to Iris, "Oh! You're that Shelby-san! Homura-chan told me that you helped a lot of people when the Hospital wasn't a good option." Not a good option for one reason or another; she isn't specifying but figures most of the reasons don't need explained.
"It's nice to meet you!" She doesn't repeat Homura's inquiries about her presence though the curiosity shows on her face.
"You got it on the second guess!" Iris confirms in an upbeat voice to Homura, still doing that little 'dance' despite the conversation. "Pleased to meet you," follows the introductions to Kozakura and Madoka.
Then to Homura, "I think you'll find I'm well qualified! In addition to helping like you've pointed out, I can... whoa!"
Iris suddenly spins aside from... nothing? There is absolutely nothing going on around her, yet the would-be doctor hops backward after that spin. "Leave me alone! I'm in the middle of a job interview!"
Then she ducks and steps forward, rising again and looking aside at... empty air? "Stop it, already! Ah," Her head turns again to Homura, even while these odd moves continue. "I can also take notes! And,"
She responds to Madoka after a brief pause, "And I can keep secrets really well, like why someone needs help but can't go to a hospital about it because 'I fell down the stairs' eventually stops convincing parents and teachers, and 'I fight monsters in the ni- ... ahh!'" Another lunging step aside from nothing, "...as I was saying, 'and I fight monsters in the night' would just get you sent to a very different hospital where the goal is to NOT release the patient for a long time. So yes, I'm that Dr. Shelby!" Iris' own face is mostly taking its cues from Madoka right now, smiling back in light of the warmth on display here.
Mazawa slips away while all the attention is on Iris, heading out the door, giving her a curious look, and flashing a smile to Madoka if they make eye contact. Considering the direction she turns she's probably heading to the Crown.
Homura grins. "Oh believe me, you're qualifications are not in question. We can offer you a steady paycheck, and we can provide medical supplies if needed." That last part seems like quite a promise to make! "All we need is the expertise required to use them properly. When can you start working?"
Over time Homura starts to notice that Iris's behavior is a little strange. Knowing Mages, she could believe in the existence of invisible headphones or telepathically transmitted music or something like that. Still, when Iris's movements start being a bit more... active, Homura has to ask. "Um... is something wrong?"
Madoka covers her mouth to giggle when Iris mentions being in a job interview. Normally something like this would probably require an example of her actual healing ability, but Homura's vouched enough times for that without even being prompted that the pink-haired Puella doesn't imagine she'll be given too harsh an assessment. Sure enough Homura seems willing enough to hire her on the spot, and Madoka gives the blonde a cheerful smile.
As Mazawa sneaks away Madoka gives her a fingerwave and a smile back before turning her attention back to the conversation with Iris and Homura. "We try to keep people out of those kinds of hospitals as best we can, too," Madoka replies in a half-serious tone. She follows up with a more serious, "That's why we're also available to talk to people about their problems. I don't have any real training in it, but sometimes just having someone to talk to seems to help a lot." A small hand motion is made to the closed door she exited before Iris arrived. A soft shake of her head is given, "You wouldn't have to do that kind of 'work' unless you wished to."
Homura is direct about asking what Iris is up to with the dancing and the seeming dodging, so Madoka goes the indirect route, taking a step closer towards the direction Iris keeps looking towards, tilting her head curiously and looking really hard at the empty air as if doing so will cause something to appear. Because hey, magic, it just might.
"No, nothing's... well, technically something's wrong, but," Iris keeps bobbing and weaving, "I'm going to turn this into a positive! One of my other skills is I can multi-task! I'm having this interview, while dodging imaginary attacks from an invisible person who isn't really here and doesn't... gah!" Another lunge, "Doesn't exist!"
Then she stops with the 'fake dodging' and giggles, smiling to the pair. "You probably will have to provide them. Most of my money has gone to buying them from very illegal sources, because I can't get them 'legit' for obvious reasons. As for when? Immediately. Will I be staying here...?"
A headshake is given to Madoka's attempts to explain the other aspects of the job. "You know you can't seriously shield me from that, and I wouldn't want you to. Do you honestly think every patient that comes in here will, one and all, have absolutely nothing to 'vent' to me over? Or that I'll ask how something happened, and the details somehow won't just pour out as one huge confession? I'm used to that side of things. It's fine!"
"Oh! I see. So some kind of training exercise," says Homura. That explanation actually makes a lot of sense, and the fact that she can multitask means that she won't be easily overwhelmed during an emergency. Not that Homura had any doubts as to her abilities.
Staying here? Homura considers, looking back towards the doors that lead further into the clinic. The front of the place seems small, but the facility itself goes way back to the other side of the building, goes several floors up, and is deceptively large inside.
"Well I hadn't prepared for that, but I have nothing against it. If it would be more convenient, we can convert one of the rooms into living quarters for you, set up a shower, and whatnot. If you need further improvements, well... I happen to also own a construction company. We can adapt things."
Homura steps back to give Iris a little more room in fighting her invisible foe, clasping her own hands behind her back. "Immediately works for us. Welcome aboard, Shelby-san."
Madoka steps back and looks away, feeling silly for looking for something that wasn't really there and didn't exist.
When her embarrassment recedes somewhat she smiles to Iris, "I can't keep patients from venting to you, but I could keep you from patients who are here only to vent."
With regards to medical supplies she nods, "You shouldn't find yourself missing anything standard, and if you need any specialty supplies or equipment we can probably get hold of that too." It might take some curious explaining, especially if Iris has hear heart set on something like an MRI machine, but she honestly has no idea what a medically inclined Mage would need in that regard. She then suddenly blinks, "Though... if it's magical medical supplies you need you'd probably want to let us know about that sooner rather than later." Her eyes go from Iris to give a brief look to Homura; Madoka hadn't considered that and has no idea how to get any that might be required!
"Training? Not at all! I just decided to show you that I can multi-task," Iris answers semi-truthfully... in reality she had just picked something ridiculous to do and went with it. "You're making a good offer though, so we'll give it a try. I'll go get packed as soon as we finish talking here!"
Then Madoka gets another headshake. "Why? I've been calling myself 'Doctor' Shelby. Tending to health. Funny thing though. This organ," she points to Madoka's stomach... albeit from enough distance to not be touching. "Obviously needs health care. Nobody disputes that. What about this organ, though?" The finger shifts to indicate Madoka's forehead. "I think it does. So send those people in too. And with that in mind, I'll check out what you've got here and if something is missing... you'll get a list of what's not here. Sooner, not later!" She's using Madoka's own words on that.
Homura smirks, tilting her head. "Well, it's working. I'll have to tell people that we have a doctor now." She flips her hair, letting the locks fall back to their place behind her back before she continues. "Some of the girls can help you move if you like. I bet they'll be eager to have someone who can help them when they get wounded."
She frowns slightly. "We try to be safe, but you know how things are. Someone decides that a friend's health is more important than their own and well..."
Iris makes her point to Madoka, and Homura nods solemnly. "It's true, especially in our line of work. We appreciate any help you can give us in that regard, too."
"Alright, you make that list, and we'll see what we can do."
"I didn't want to presume," Madoka offers in response to the question of why. Her eyes follow the finger down as it points to her stomach, and then up when it points to her forehead; if this was a secret vision focusing test she passes with flying colors! "It is, isn't it? Very important to keep your mind healthy, especially when you have to deal with stresses that most people never will, and emotional attacks too."
The idea that Iris would live here hadn't occurred to her before the discussion, but upon realizing what they're talking about Madoka seems to relax. Having someone always nearby in case of injury would be very helpful, as would having someone they could trust always on premises. At Homura's mention of 'some of the girls' helping her move Madoka immediately pipes up, "I'll help! If you want it that is, Doctor Shelby." Most people get First Named by Madoka right away, but doctors are a notable exception! She's also around them often enough volunteering that that bit of politeness is burned into her mind.
That list will have a mix of obviously legitimate requests, combined with stranger entries like various candy. 'For patient morale' will be the written justification.. and it's largely truthful.
Iris nonetheless looks impressed at the offer to help move. "Wait, you mean I get my own minions!? People I can order around to haul furniture? Now that's a signing bonus!"
With all this decided, Iris looks ready to go. Her mind replays Madoka's voice, recalling the discussion of 'making sure hazard pay is awarded.' It goes completely unvoiced, Iris knows better than to open her mouth with this accusation... but even in light of how consistently understanding, reasonable, fair, and perhaps even openly generous Madoka has been...
...Iris holds suspicions. Ones that Iris' mental voice asks herself, making absolutely sure this goes unvoiced, 'I wonder how long it will be before she figures out she can withhold that hazard pay and pocket the difference? Or before she realizes she can toss me back on the streets and I would still help these patients...?'
It's an incredibly unfair 'accusation' to harbor toward Madoka, but it dominates Iris' thoughts right now all the same. Memories of the TSAB apparently abandoning her to this world run strong in Iris' mind, keenly enough that she inwardly assumes that what Madoka and Homura have done here today is a mere enticement.That their 'real' behavior will emerge soon enough.
That Madoka seems to be holding on to a very opposite opinion of that about Iris, even immediately offering polite respect and help with moving, is partially lost on the suspicious quasi-doctor. Nonetheless, the offer is accepted with a smile hiding these fears. "Thanks! Sure, we'll do that. I'm ready to go as soon as you are."
Perhaps surprisingly, Homura wouldn't even blink at the idea of candy for patient morale. She'd probably buy a classy glass bowl to put it in if no one stopped her. It's the kind of idea that Madoka would have and, frankly, she recalls similar things happening at Iris's actual house.
Homura has very little idea of how Iris expects to be treated by them, but that's not the way she runs things. She could already get these people to help her for free, but people need money to live and they don't always have parents to provide for them. Sometimes people have very few talents outside of being magical girls, but that magical talent itself is worth money. She does pay her employees well, and any thought of screwing them over is far from her mind.
"Well it's a job and they'd get paid for it, but if you need an actual support staff I'm sure we can arrange that." When Madoka offers to volunteer, Homura turns to glance at her, tilts her head, and says, "I can help, too. It wouldn't be the first time I've moved an entire apartment."
Is she just trying to spend more time with Madoka? Yes, yes she is.
Candy is great! Who doesn't like candy? Besides dentists, anyway. Maybe if Iris was being hired on as a single purpose dentist the sucrose laden treats would seem out of place, but with that not being the case Madoka wouldn't bat an eye at it. ...though it might be the singular case where she'd 'sample the product' at their new doctor's office.
"Hehehe, at least for long enough to help you move!" Madoka replies playfully to the mention of minions. Though now that she thinks about it she imagines some people might enjoy helping her out in other things too; people who can make your hurting go away tend to be popular.
Stealing hazard pay, or almost any kind of pay, from their employees is about the furthest thing possible from Madoka's mind. She doesn't take any pay at Salamander for her work as Homura's secretary in order to allow more funding go to Contractors, but Iris wouldn't know that. Hopefully the Mage will learn soon enough exactly what kind of people she's decided to work for.
When Homura glances at her and offers to help as well Madoka peeks over as well. She can read the dark haired Puella's expressions well enough, and so she giggles and hop-steps over to her side, wrapping both of her arms around Homura's upper arm. "Hee! It'll be work, but if we work together I'm sure we can make it fun as well." There's no hiding the eyes she makes at Homura as she speaks.
Is the Secretary involved with her boss? Oh yes, indeed. Iris would find that out very quickly if she didn't hadn't realized it already.