fandomtownies | Stark Industries, Monday

Entry tags:

Stark Industries, Monday

It had been a week since Stark had sent him the information, and he was still working to fill in the bits and pieces. Now that he had the holographic technology at his disposal, though, work was easier. Whatever theories he had, he could put into practice; and that's exactly what he did for most of the day, caught between his laptop, his book, and the 3D images.

If there was anything odd about the island today, he hadn't noticed it at all.

[ open like an open thing ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Hey!" Hannibal said, announcing himself loudly and with flare. He'd had a good weekend. "Would you believe me if I say I brought you some hot chocolate, specially made for you?"

He didn't think so but it'd been awhile since he'd seen Ender after all so he needed to get in some fun.

Ender's head came up from behind the bright blue-ish hologram. He recognized the voice instantly, of course. So Hannibal had come to visit him; he didn't know if it was because the boy, loud as he was, considered him a friend, or because he was there for the job. As it was, he put the book down and answered, "I might if you held it up."

So he was feeling friendly.

And he actually had a glass filled with it, imagine that. He'd prepared for his bluff to be called.

"Ta da!" he said, showing off the glass. "It's not a mug so no memories of a winter day, sitting by the fire but I think it'll do. It came out of the sink when I was getting some water this morning."

"Did somebody mess with the sink?" Ender wanted to know. He tapped the button that shut off the holographic display. He'd get back to it later. Maybe Hannibal was here for business, then.

"Unless they broke in while I was sleeping or something, no," he said and set the glass on the desk. "I think it's just a thing, you know. When weird stuff happens part seventy five."

He walked to the desk and took the glass, inspecting its contents before he looked up at Hannibal. "'Fandom weird'," Ender said, with no small amount of irony tainting his tone. "I guess we should be lucky it's not raining it."

"That'd be hell on people's clothes," he said and made a face. "I don't know how you can stand it here all day. Too quiet."

"I like it quiet and orderly," he said, bringing the glass up to his lips and sipping it. It was a little cold now, but it was still good. He didn't really go for the luxuries often, so he might as well enjoy it. "It helps me focus on what I'm doing."

Unlike Stark's barely bearable loud music.

"How much do you actually do here?" Hannibal asked, walking around the shop's front area. "Are you a receptionist?"

"Yes," Ender answered, putting his glass back on the table. "I take calls, make coffee, and build things for Stark." When it came down to it, he did pretty much nothing of one and two and pretty much everything of the latter, but he wasn't really interested in credit, and it was a little funny, really.

"You make coffee for someone?" Hannibal asked, not quite sure Ender would do anything like that for anyone. "Really?"

Ender looked straight at him. "I haven't touched a phone since I got here, either," he said. So much for the joke slipping by unnoticed, but Ender didn't particularly mind either way.

All Hannibal could do was laugh at that. "I didn't think so. I was about to ask you to make me some coffee but I really didn't think you'd make anyone coffee. What do you build? Model stuff?"

"Not really," he said, taking another long sip of his cocoa. He leaned forward against the desk a little bit. "I put together a security system first, now I'm working on something else." He didn't know how Stark felt about keeping his current project secret, but he didn't really feel like screaming it off the rooftops. "And I thought you were just here to bring me drinks." That was a joke.

"You caught me," Hannibal said, playing along. "I'm working for the rival company in town, trying to get your secrets. I'm undercover as a cocoa bringing good looking friend. How's my disguise?"

"It could be better," Ender returned, straight-faced. "You did just tell me everything."

"Maybe I'm a double agent," he said, eyes widening.

"In which case you just put suspicion on yourself," Ender said, sipping his cocoa with that same, serious expression on his face. "I'd say you're a really rotten spy, Hannibal."

"Which is why I'm not quitting my day job of man dancer du jour," he quipped. "Much better at popping out of cakes and entertaining people."

"I think I can see that," he said, and his mouth cracked open in a slight smile. Val would be proud of me, Ender thought. It was a nice thought. He shook it off. "There aren't any cakes for you here, though."

"Well, I don't think it's your birthday so, of course, there's not," he said. "I was just in the area, thought I'd stop by. Hadn't seen you in awhile and all."

"I've been working," he replied. Not that he owed Hannibal any kind of explanation, but he felt it was necessary anyway. "Stark and StuCo need most of my time." And helping Ben take care of his problems back home a little bit, where he could.

"You're going to have a nice little nest egg if working this much already," he said and laughed. "Remember to buy me a pony when you're rich, Ender."

Ender shrugged. "I don't want to get rich," he said, honestly, "I'm just looking for something useful to do."

"Keep yourself busy, I get that," he said, nodding. "How much can you build for this guy?"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject