datadiving | lobcorp/ruina AU catchall

[He thinks for a moment, then nods to himself.]

Something with either bacon or steak. Your choice.

[He's going to be drooling all day leading up to their little feast just thinking about it]

Steak it is. I'll do my best!

[ The days slip away quickly. He feels a little sad, when he has the space for it, but his work is so all-consuming that he doesn't have a lot of time for melancholy.

There is one perk of being an Agent, and an accomplished one at that. He has to sign a few forms, but in the end, he takes home a sturdy little box with his planned gift inside and keeps it in a cupboard.

The house starts to look emptier as he helps Avery pack up his things. His own belongings are sparse, to save anyone the trouble of sorting through them, and it doesn't help that empty feeling.

On the last night they'll be rooming together, Avery will come back to the smell of cooking steak and some kind of serious-looking containment box with a ribbon tied around it sitting on the table. For once, Ekkehardt is back before him. ]

[It's bittersweet in a way. He's completely head over heels for Vanessa, and finally getting the chance to stay with her is like a dream. But seeing the house slowly grow emptier and emptier makes his chest hurt almost as much as the thought that he might be sending Ekke all the way back into the Backstreets.

But you can't set yourself on fire to keep others warm, right? And Ekkehardt had said that he'd be fine.

He has a good job with one of the Wings, Avery reminds himself. He'll make it out all right.]

Oh wow. I could smell that just outside the door. I'm already drooling here!

[He puts on a smile as he enters the house, taking the jacket he'd slung over his shoulder and hanging it up on the nearby coat rack.

He's about to head into the kitchen to check on Ekke's progress when he notices the containment box and creeps closer, leaning back and forth to examine it but not quite able to bring himself to touch it just yet.]

What's this? A souvenir from work?

A good-luck gift, [ he calls from the kitchen, keeping a careful eye on the steak. ] I had to do plenty of paperwork for it, so I hope you'll like it, or my efforts will have been for nothing. Take a look if you like.

[ If Avery decides to open the box, he'll find what looks like a pair of large, ornamental feathers, radiating gentle heat. They curve in such a way to suggest that they're meant to be worn on the head, like a wreath or crown. ]

[The gift is... certainly different, that's for sure, and he wonders what an energy company would be doing with these sorts of odd fashion statement.]

Is it a hat or something?

[--is a question he probably should have asked before he decided to put it on his head, but, surprisingly enough, the feather headdress is somehow... comforting in a way, makes him feel more at ease, warm, like he could soar through a winter night without a care in the world.]

Woah. Is this what L Corp uses to help you employees de-stress?

You could say that. [ He carefully presses the steak. Almost done... ] They're...gifts from what we work with, to produce energy. [ Which is not......strictly speaking.......any kind of lie? ] There's, ah...a lot of different equipment. I made sure to choose something that would be useful to you.

Edited 2021-06-01 05:52 (UTC)

[Avery lets out a low, impressed whistle, eyes darting briefly to the grilling steak and back to Ekkehardt again]

Damn... No wonder you had to go through so much red tape.

[He grins]

They know you planned on giving it to me? You can tell me. I can keep a secret!

They know I planned on taking it out of the facility. I've got a few other things like that. [ His smile curls, wry and sharp. ] All that equipment together is the most valuable asset I have.

I suppose if you can keep secrets, I can show you my work gear. [ He doesn't let this distract him from finishing up the steak and sliding it onto warmed plates. ] But this one is all yours, as my parting gift to you.

Pfft, don't act like we're not going to see eachother again. I already told you I plan to visit, didn't I?

[Avery grins and practically leaps out of his chair, reaching up to straighten the feather crown when it tilts on his head]

But I am absolutely going to take you up on that offer to see your work gear! Especially if it's anything like this.

[ He just 'hmms' at that. You never know! And at L Corp, your future is even less assured. ]

Well, it's a mark of our time together as roommates coming to an end! Seeing you once in a while isn't the same as seeing you every day.

[ He raises an eyebrow as he sets out the plates. He huffs a little. ]

At least eat first. Don't waste all my hard work!

[Avery raids one of the drawers for a couple of forks and knives, giving a dismissive little wave as he takes them back to the table]

Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Like I'm really going to let an opportunity like this go to waste. It feels like forever since I got to sit down and have a good steak.

[He sets the silverware where it needs to be and all but flops down into his seat.]

Thanks by the way.

I should be thanking you. [ He smiles at him warmly, beginning to eat. He speaks politely between bites. ] You're the one who even gave me an option to room with you. It's the least I can do.

[ It certainly cuts down the commute time. ]

Hey, if it was up to me, I'd drag you along with.

[he takes a moment to chew, gesturing vaguely with the knife.]

Not that Vanessa would mind too much, but I can't imagine the transfer paperwork you'd have to go through would be much fun.

I don't mind paperwork. It's peaceful, actually. [ He shrugs. ] You'd be surprised how little I do - I'm an agent, not a clerk. It's not my job.

[ Avery can keep a secret, right? You are gonna get some TOP L CORP SECRETS. Or at least things that aren't known to the general public. ]

[Avery cocks his head to the side]

Agent? Like security?

Um...you could say that. [ He takes another bite of steak and chews thoroughly before he continues. ] We're kind of like security, but our main job is to work with what produces L Corp's energy.

[ He glances at him. ]
You've heard of the areas beyond the City, right? The outskirts and the ruins?

Yeah, who hasn't?

[He takes a bite of his steak and nearly chokes on it as it finally sinks in, and for a moment he completely forgets all sense of politeness, speaking without finishing his food.]

No... You're kidding.

Working for L Corp means you don't have to. [ His tone is a bit apologetic. ] Sorry. I didn't mean to make you choke.

But, uh. Sometimes they find...creatures, you know? All the way out there. They call them Abnormalities in the facility. They capture them and transport them back to the corporation.

From there, it's the job of agents to work with those abnormalities. Keeping them happy and indulged means they don't break out...well, usually...and, well, they give us energy, which powers other Corporations! And the City, of course.

Edited 2021-06-03 17:15 (UTC)

Yeesh...

[Avery slowly shakes his head]

The ability to harvest energy from creatures from the Ruins and Outskirts... That's one hell of a Singularity L Corp's got there.

And the equipment you mentioned--that's for dealing with them?

Some of the equipment helps with the usual work. They're, sort of made from the Abnormalities, I guess. The tech staff manufacture them from the Abnormalities themselves - I'm not really sure how. We get, um...suits, and weapons. I can show you those later, when we've finished eating.

There's gifts, though...like accessories. They're given by the Abnormalities themselves. Those feathers I gave you are one of those. [ He smiles a little honestly. It's tired, but there. ] I had to work a few extra shifts, but the Firebird's not too bad, so I didn't mind. They're actually pretty manageable if you're used to them.

[Gifts from creatures from the Outskirts and Ruins--Abnormalitiies... A part of Avery wonders if they might be cursed somehow, but if they were Ekkehardt wouldn't feel comfortable giving Avery something like this, right?

He wasn't like most of the people who lived in the City, after all. There was still something of a heart left under all that sometimes-too-serious exterior]

Heh. Firebird, eh? Should be useful once Winter rolls around. Better than a pair of earmuffs.

[Not that he can remember the last time he actually wore earmuffs]

[ Well, some of them are definitely cursed. But he wouldn't give anything like that to a *civilian*. An agent who knew the risks, sure...but not Avery. ]

I can only hope it'll be that helpful. [ His smile brightens a little as he looks at him, in reflection of that hope.

He continues to eat. He slows down as he gets close to finishing his meal, aware of how it's marking their time together coming to an end. ] So, where are you going to live? You're moving to a different Nest, aren't you?

[Avery nods and gives the district's info. It's not W Corp or J Corp's district, thank goodness. Just your average, run-of-the-mill Nest.]

Not too far from here, thank goodness. And hey, if it turns out L Corp has a branch there, I can put in a good word for you and see if they can move you over.

Oh, you really don't have to do that...I'll be fine, don't worry. [ He's got something picked out. Not another Nest, though; he feels more comfortable in the Backstreets, somehow, even after all this time. ] You've been more than generous enough, with offering me space as your roommate and everything.

[ ...All done. He puts his utensils down with a clink, feeling an odd sense of finality. ]

[The clink of silverware echoes in his mind, and a sense of loss grows, weighing heavily in his chest. Still, Avery wears his smile. It would be harder to leave if he said anything, after all, and acknowledging it aloud at all just makes it feel too real.]

Just keep it in mind. Someday you might want a change in scenery, you know.

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