What sort of name was Frankie? Doubt continued its relentless swirl in Sylvester's cool blues but he wavered on the fact of how convincing Jason-- and indeed Max were both acting. His muscles coiled in his legs, ready to turn away as he would respectfully decline the interview on the grounds of not wasting this man's time. The words prepared themselves on the edges of his lips just before his attention was drawn to the items that had been set out to test him. It wasn't a desire for the job so much as a genuine intellectual interest that made him linger where he stood, examining from afar rather than sitting where he was invited.<br/><br/>"From left to right... Akro Agate, 1936 or so-- it's not a very collectible piece on its own. The teapot is Kutani-- probably authentic and I'd guess on my familiarity with that design that it's from near the turn of the nineteenth century, though I'll be honest I wouldn't say so with confidence without closer examination." He was a rather safe than sorry person, because of his lack of solid experience. Sylvester continued rattling off each item on the table, not only dating the items but noting their relative worth, rarity, and collectibility. He felt confident about most of his answers, and when he finished, he felt a lot less shaken. He seemed... In his element.<br/><br/>"Now," he smiled almost ruefully, "I've enjoyed the chance to see a few rare pieces, but I must respectfully decline we go any further. I'm an advocate for equality. If you think I consider it just or an act of kindness to keep a person as a 'pet' then our views clearly don't align. It takes a heartless person to treat someone like this. Thank you for your time; I'll show myself out."<br/><br/>His actions followed his words. He was regretful, but by no means did he hesitate. He knew what his limits were, and this... This was well beyond his limit. Jason struck him as a completely detached and heartless asshole. He didn't think he'd get that demeaning image out of his head for as long as he'd lived. He'd never seen something so pitiful. He couldn't stand the thought of working for anyone like that. It wasn't just a selfless dedication to Neko rights-- any man who treated anyone as beneath them so easily clearly would think of Sylvester as beneath them as well. He wasn't going to subject himself to that sort of work relationship.<br/><br/>So what if his savings account was on the verge of empty? What if he had no other phone calls or interviews...? What if he ended up working at a McDonald's to pay the bills until he got a phone call? That was better than lowering himself to that level. To... Sitting at a master's feet and keeping his head down whenever someone addressed him. No. If he had the money, he probably would have gone so far as to help nekos to get their own lives started.