Stark Industries, Monday

[endsthegame]

It was a perfectly ordinary day, in as much as days at Stark's were perfectly ordinary. Ender had set up a basket for all the blood oranges in the store (having found several just underneath his seat just to start with, that morning), got all the machines running and checked all the settings.

Then he sat down with some orange juice and his laptop and settled in his utterly boring way, pausing only to pluck the occasional orange from his hoodie.

Seriously, Stark's. Seriously.

[[ open! ]]

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[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

Hiccup didn't notice any oranges, blood or otherwise, and he paid no attention to the lack of signs forbidding Vikings from entering. Even if there'd been such a sign, today he would have ignored it in the finest Viking tradition of going where they weren't welcome.

Hiccup was a Viking on a mission.

He poked his head in the door, spotted Ender, frowned, and said, "There's no music. You have to be listening to music."

[endsthegame]

"Music tends to distract me," Ender said, pausing and looking up at him with a confused expression. This didn't happen to him often - Hiccup should enjoy it while he could. "Too much background noise."

[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

Hiccup shook his head as he came inside. "The confusion's all in your head," he said, which, yes, was probably true, because where else would it be? "The music will distract you from the confusion and make it easier to focus, drive the confusion right out." He gave Ender an encouraging smile then looked up towards the ceiling. "Jarvis? Can you play some music? Not rap!" he added quickly.

[endsthegame]

"Jarvis, no music," Ender said -- the speakers had barely managed to produce a slight beep. "Look, Hiccup-- I know the music systems are pretty exciting right now. You're free to mess with them as much as you'd like during your own shift, but I like my silence."

[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

"And normally I'd respect that, you being a friend and it's not like there's a lot of those just lying around, but not today." He shook his head and waved his hands in the air. "Today I need you to be listening to music. For reasons of my continued employment it's very important that you enjoy the sweet sounds of serenading while you do your work."

[endsthegame]

Ender heaved a big sigh. "As far as I know," he said, "I'm responsible for your continued employment, and I'd rather you don't."

[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

"And that's what I thought, until Tony Stark started talking to me from up there," he waved a hand at the ceiling, "and I promised there would be you listening to music in the near future." He paused, looked down at his tunic and leggings, and looked back up. "There was also something about you getting me new clothes. Apparently I look like an Algren. No idea what that is, but I'm guessing it's not a good thing."

[endsthegame]

"I can get you new clothes," Ender said, shooting him a quick look, "No problem. But first I'd like you to tell Tony Stark next time he calls that if he tries to turn my employees against me again, I'll reprogram Jarvis, and I won't be nice about his radio systems this time. At all. I'm thinking Burt Bacherach."

[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

There was a long pause as Hiccup processed that, turned it around, and fit it into the part of his brain marked employment at Stark's. "So, no firing me if I don't get you to listen to music?" Which, presumably, would also mean he'd be able to keep his clothes.

[endsthegame]

"If Stark actually fired everyone he threatens to fire, he'd have no employees," Ender pointed out. He got up out of his seat, and fished a blood orange out of his hoodie, offering it to Hiccup. "He likes to shout quite a bit."

[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

He took the orange absently and put in his pocket with a nod of thanks. "Yeah, he was pretty loud. And more than a bit surprised to see a dragon in here."

[endsthegame]

"He'll have forgotten your name, what you look like, and what Toothless is called by the time you talk to him again," Ender said, with a little shrug. "He might remember what Toothless is. If you're lucky."

[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

He grinned. "Best news I've had all day," he said, then stopped, looked down, and pulled the orange out of his pocket. "And now that I'm no longer required to attempt to subject you to unwanted music, you can tell me what this is. And," he pulled out another one, eyeing it with puzzlement, "why there are two of them."

[endsthegame]

Ender poked idly at his hoodie, which shifted with the movement of at least two more blood oranges. "Random fruit," he said, casually. "It's kind of a theme around the office. At least, it has been whenever I've worked here. Most of the time it clogs up the machines - that's why we do the morning check-ups. Today it seems to be mostly gunning for pockets."

[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

"Right, of course, random fruit, I should have guessed. What could be more normal?" Hiccup put the two oranges back in his pocket. "But hey, it's not every job that comes with free breakfast." He looked around, as if checking for random fruit to appear from other locations, before looking back to Ender. Feeling silly for bursting in and attempting to inflict musical accompaniment had finally caught up with him. "Well, I should, you know, probably go. Last class for Maritime Safety today, and I don't want to be late."

[endsthegame]

Ender grinned. "You don't want to wind up missing out on the 'how not to drown with a dragon' class," he said. "Remember, though: Burt Bacherach. I'm perfectly capable of adjusting Stark's systems."

[abitlegless.livejournal.com]

"I'll remember," he promised as he headed for the door. "Burt Bacherach, tool of vengeance." He gave Ender a slightly sheepish grin and then left.

[momslilassassin]

"Ho, Ender," Ben said, coming in with iced coffee and sandwiches.

And long sleeves. Stupid tattoo.

[endsthegame]

"Still getting over the weekend?" Ender asked, glancing at his sleeves. "Inventive."

[momslilassassin]

Ben, like the mature guy he was, made a face. "I'm holding out hope you'll get one to match," he declared.

[endsthegame]

"I'd say that's not likely, but I remember how you got that one," Ender noted, reaching for his iced coffee. "You'll get over it."

[momslilassassin]

"It would take a lot of pleading to get Dad to hand over the credits for tattoo removal," Ben said. "And that would be after he laughed himself hoarse."

[endsthegame]

"Then you'll have to learn to live with it," Ender said, without empathy. "Maybe have something inked over it to make it a little more personal."

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not sure 'Ender says this looks dumb' would really add to the look of it," Ben mused.

[endsthegame]

"No, but at least it'd have the benefit of being true." Ender took a sip of his coffee, pretending to be contemplating that very fact.

[momslilassassin]

Ben snorted. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. He paused, made a face and then pulled an orange from his pocket. "Do I want to know?" he asked.

[endsthegame]

"Stark's," Ender said, with a laconic raise of his shoulder. "Randomly appearing fruit. Just go with it."

[momslilassassin]

He shrugged and began peeling the fruit. "At least it's not jamming the electronics this time?"

[endsthegame]

"That's what I keep telling myself," he said, sitting back with his coffee. "Stark's trying to sabotage me through Hiccup." He didn't sound that bothered.

[momslilassassin]

"What kind of sabotage?" Ben asked, glancing at Ender. If he didn't seem that bothered, it might not be that serious.

[endsthegame]

"He told Hiccup that it was vital he sneak into Stark's while I'm working and put on the music," Ender said, dryly. "You'd think he'd have learned his lesson after the rap."

[momslilassassin]

"That was Stark's fault?" Ben replied.

[endsthegame]

"I'm fairly sure that was just Fandom. His systems don't reach that far."

[momslilassassin]

"Good," Ben said. "If I'd been outsmarted by him, I was going to feel very sorry for myself."

[endsthegame]

"You can have a cry in his old apartment upstairs, if you want," Ender offered.

[momslilassassin]

And a thousand squirrels started writing fanfiction...

"I'll pass," Ben said with a laugh. "Besides, I can beat you home and sob there."

[endsthegame]

"I wouldn't mind being out of the cabins," Ender admitted, freely, "But let me know if you're going to do that so I can stuff something in my ears."

[momslilassassin]

"Aww, did you miss me?" Ben asked.

[endsthegame]

"Not in the slightest," Ender said, easily, "It's just that the people in my cabin snore more than you."

[momslilassassin]

"Since I don't snore?" Ben replied with a smile.

Oh, delusional Ben.