Portalocity Office, Fandom Branch, Monday

[nohattrick.livejournal.com]

After the portals had come back, Trick had gone home for a few days to check on his beloved Dal. He knew every inch of her and wanted to make sure that no one had remembered her wrong. Returning home also meant checking in with Dyson and giving some further information about his whereabouts to the Ash. Which only made sense, because Trick was Light Fae, but he chose to be rather chary with the details. Let the Ash think he was embarrassed to be catering to mortals to repay an old debt rather than actually learn the truth about the crazy island.

...Not that Trick thought he'd uncovered even the beginning of what was crazy about that island.

Coming back, however, he'd been detained by his 'employer;' apparently, someone had found his tweets and decided that he needed to undergo some employee training.

The less said about that, the better, though if any of the Fae needed lessons in hiding, lying, misleading, misdirection, or burying information under a mountain of bureaucracy, Trick knew just where to send them.

Now, back at work, Trick was taking the mandatory computer quizzes that had to pass in order to continue working there. He was also drinking. The two might have been related.

Question 43.

An mother comes into your office with two human children and an infant Adipose. The woman angrily explains that she has three human children and demands to know where her third child is and who the Adipose belongs to. What is your reply?

A. Take a significant glance at her waistline and say you can probably guess.
B. Chastise her for not loving her children equally, regardless of species
C. Require her to provide at least 4 different forms of proof that she did, indeed, have three human children.
D. Charge her for neglect and demand to know where she left her third child.
E. Apologize, offer to help in any way you can, and upgrade her next portal.
F. Start her filling out form P2X7G--Missing Pre-adult (Human)

Was it sad that the only answer Trick knew for sure was wrong was E?

Comments

[not_in_the_book]

Ronan had heard that there was a Portalocity office in town -- hard not to, given that he was friends with both Emma and Parker, really. On his lunch break, he decided that it was probably a good idea to go and check if they'd left it standing before leaving town.

"Hello?" he called, walking into the office. "I have to admit, I'm a little surprised to see this place still standing."

[nohattrick.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank everything, a customer.

Realizing this might be the first, last, and only time he would ever think that, Trick's smile was a trifle on the wry side as he set his test aside (he'd narrowed it down between C and F and had been searching to see if they even had a form P2X7G).

"The Nothing got to it first," he said. "At least, that's my working theory."

[not_in_the_book]

"And no one came by afterwards with a... few choice words?" Ronan asked, substituting for 'a sledgehammer' at the last moment. Or possibly 'a load of TNT'.

"You seem to have come through all right, at least," he added. "And Portalocity? Are they recovering?"

[nohattrick.livejournal.com]

"From what it seemed like on Monday, everyone was too busy rejoicing to come waving pitchforks and torches," Trick said. "And then I left for the week, so if a mob came then, I missed them."

And he wasn't so attached to his new job that he would have mourned the loss of the building. Though, it was where he was staying at the moment.

"I have a feeling that Portalocity is going to be just fine." He tried to give the guy Portalocity's Patented Pleasing Face(tm), but it came out kind of sickly. "They don't seem to have let the recent unpleasantness change their policies at all."

[not_in_the_book]

There was a beat, and then Ronan broke out laughing. "No, I don't suppose they would have," he agreed. Just. That face, and Portalocity's policies...

"Ronan Nolan," he introduced himself, holding out a hand for Trick to shake, if he wanted. "Thought I'd come by and make certain that my friends had left this place standing before leaving town."

[nohattrick.livejournal.com]

"Trick." Trick took Ronan's hand and shook it. "Maccorieghan. Pleased to meet you. I appreciate the thought--though depending on how long ago they left, my appreciation might be a little thin."

If they'd left last Monday and he was only coming around to check now...

[not_in_the_book]

Ronan made a bit of a face. "Sorry. About a week ago. I wasn't in much condition to go about checking on things, though -- spent myself rather thin during the battle. Too much magic too quickly."

It wasn't the most accurate explanation, but it was close enough.

[nohattrick.livejournal.com]

"I was only joking," Trick assured him. "And taking time to recover is completely understandable. Are you fully recovered? I can offer you a chair in the lounge. Or maybe something to drink?"