Don't we all want some excitement? [INTRO/OPEN]

[ruinedsky]

⭐ Who: Sylvain and y'all
⭐ When: All December
⭐ Where: Various places
⭐ What: New DU employee gets the lay of the land
⭐ Warnings: will add as they come up

Comments

December 2nd | OTA anyone at the DU

[ruinedsky]

A. Dreamer's Union, Morning.

Here he is, the new guy! It's his first day! He makes a good impression at least, dressed well, shirt crisp, hair styled. He smells nice, definitely wearing a tasteful amount of cologne, and he turns a dazzling smile toward every coworker he meets or is introduced to. This immediately gets him the reputation for being a good sport which is a deeply double edged sword, but he will face the consequences of that later.

In the morning, he can be found working on the requisite training modules in the break room with a DU laptop, since he doesn't have his office assigned to him yet. He's got a cup of coffee he's sipping at as he watches the videos and takes the little quizzes.

He looks up whenever someone comes in. "Good morning, coffee's fresh."

B. Dreamer's Union, afternoon

Well if it isn't the consequences of his charm. Sylvain is now sporting a very swollen lip and a rapidly purpling bruise around the left side of his mouth. He is trying to smile through it but he hates looking so much like a trainwreck.

Even considering how prominent it is he doesn't expect folks to ask about it. Just his prior experience with being battered and bruised, and the way people try to politely ignore things they don't want to see. But he is asked, and his answer is always the same quippy line.

"Stanford Pines woke up."

b

[saynotobugs]

He's a character, that one. [Maki shakes her head and goes for the wall-mounted first aid kit.] I won't ask what you did, but you know you're gonna have to file a report. There's ice packs if you need 'em.

[ruinedsky]

That's one word for it.

[Oh no please don't fuss don't get the first aid kid he's fine really look at this smile!]

[Ow]

Ice pack sounds good, thanks. [Sighs] I was told to check if he was still breathing and he chose that exact moment to wake up. I guess he's easily startled.

[saynotobugs]

Welcome to the office, I guess.

[She takes some disinfectant and bandages from the kit anyway, then grabs an ice pack from the freezer and a cloth from one of the drawers, which she wraps the ice pack in before handing it to him.]

You are the new guy, right? Gautier. I saw the HR rolls came in.

[ruinedsky]

[He chuckles darkly. What a welcome. Like fraternity hazing but for adults or something.]

That's me. Call me Sylvain.

[He takes the ice and presses it to his jaw, subtly leaning away as well to avoid the disinfectant and bandages. He's fine!!!!! He will walk it off.]

[saynotobugs]

Midorikawa Maki. I'm technically IT, but I end up doing a lot of general office work. And in this case, patching up stubborn newbies who don't want their cuts cleaned. Is that really worth it?

[ruinedsky]

[Wow, girlfriend is really not giving a guy any room for plausible deniability, huh? She reminds him suddenly and very strongly of Ingrid.]

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate, you don't need to play nurse, too. I can get it myself.

[A very charming, friendly smile. Or as much as he can manage with the bruise.]

A

[dullshooter]

It's a rare instance that Misfire is in the office this early. Entirely unprecedented, in fact; since he put his piloting days behind him, he's made it a point to never get up before 10AM. However, after that official communication from the DU dropped, namedropping him as a crucial member of Ango's rescue team, he found himself too excited at the prospect of walking in to praise and celebratory bouquets to sleep in this time.

Of course, reality doesn't live up to the fantasy. When he gets to the DU things are...normal. They're just normal. There's no fanfare, nobody lining up to speak to the Dreamer Flyhigh, no congratulatory bottle of sake...but there is the smell of freshly brewed coffee coming from the breakroom.

He'll take it.

He doesn't recognise the guy that speaks to him - so he must be new. Either that, or he's skipped so many days of work that he's just missed someone altogether. Which...is not entirely impossible.

"That your doing?" He asks, pouring himself a cup. "You might just be proving yourself a keeper. What's your name, newbie?"

[ruinedsky]

Unfortunately for Misfire's dreams of heroic entrance, Sylvain only has the barest idea of the excitement that the other Dreamer helped to resolve. He knows something went down, but the details are fuzzy and Sylvain has been far too busy moving countries to look into it too far.

At least he is spared some embarrassment about not recognizing the new guy. As far as Sylvain knows, Misfire is here early every day. He chuckles.

"It is. I was told it might endear me to my new coworkers. I'm Sylvain, nice to meet you." He lifts his own coffee cup in a playful cheers before taking another sip.

[dullshooter]

Misfire raises his mug in kind, as a toast to the fresh meat.

“I tell you, Sylvain, it’s working. Don’t let anyone tell you that bribery is wrong.” With that, he takes a hefty swig of coffee. For being up this early, he desperately needs the caffeine. “You can call me Misfire. Long story involving a gun, a bet, and an entirely forgivable mistake.”

At least, that’s what he tells himself.

“So what brings you all the way out here, newbie? A string of bad mistakes you’re desperate to get away from?”

[ruinedsky]

As if a nepo baby from old money needs to be told that bribery will get you everywhere. Still, Sylvain smiles politely through the small talk. He desperately chooses to believe that this particular nickname came from a mishap in the dreamsphere and not real life.

"Isn't that what brings everyone to a new country where the primary language is different?" He quips playfully to try to cover up how painfully accurate that assessment actually is. Or will be, soon enough. "Is that why you're here, to get away from that whole gun-bet-mistake business?"

[dullshooter]

"You'd think that would be it - and really, I don't blame you for that, it's a solid guess - but actually, the only consequences I faced from that were losing my job and becoming the headlines' Florida Man of the week."

He relaxes, casual, elbow propped up against the countertop.

"No, I'm on the run for totally different reasons - which you'll only get out of me after five beers." Okay, that's an exaggeration; he'll jump at the nearest excuse to talk about his sorry tale. That's usually one drink. Thinking about it, he realises how many utter strangers probably know about what he's supposed to keep hush-hush. That's...not good? Probably? Ehhh, he'll be fine.

...And where was he?

"But, anyway, point is - you're in good company, loser. Welcome to the club."

[ruinedsky]

Wow he isn't sure that's better, actually!

"Okay, note to self to get you into the beer fast at the next office party." He's kidding, obviously. Totally.

Something about a guy just boldly calling him a loser right to his face pulls a bark of laughter out of him. It hurts, but it's refreshing at the same time.

"Uh, cheers, mate." He says in English, with his full England English accent.

b-ish

[liedol]

[ Listen. Ai is (technically) Ford's boss which means that even when it's not on her orders, she's (technically) the one to blame for the dumb stuff he gets up to. Or at the very least, she's a little responsible, especially when it means newbies just trying to do their jobs get slugged. She's had a report from Ford which is probably going to lead to a report to HR from her, Ford and Sylvain and... sometimes she really does miss when she had other people to do the worrying about this sort of thing for her.

December is busy enough that it's not until the day after that she gets a chance to actually track Sylvain down with the intent to apologize, though. Partway through the morning, she sidles up up to him with a sheepish smile and, hopefully, a peace offering — fresh coffee with plain old cream and sugar heals all wounds, right? ]

I hear you had a bit of a nasty surprise yesterday. How are you holding up?

[ ... Huh. She'd heard he got clobbered pretty bad, but he looks fine to her. ]

[ruinedsky]

[Now that he's finished orientation and has plenty of work to do, Sylvain has been assigned his own desk. It's not exactly a private office, but it isn't the worst cubicle either. It is fastidiously neat, and the handwriting on the form he is working on is quite pretty.]

Oh, Hoshino-san, good morning.

[He is somewhat surprised to see her approaching him, especially with coffee! Maybe she is the kind of person who always repays little favors... but, ah, she explains why just a second later and he wishes she hadn't.]

It's always funny when a job that's supposed to be boring becomes exciting in the wrong way. [he chuckles and shakes his head, the smile on his lips just a little too desperate to be believable] Not the first time I've been decked and it won't be the last.

[Wait, no, maybe that wasn't the right thing to say-]

[liedol]

[ He says it like it's a joke and Ai... technically smiles but the way the expression works itself onto her face is more like a wince than anything. It'd be one thing if he was just brushing her off in an attempt not to make a fuss but... Well. Ai's still hit or miss when it comes to reading people on the best of days, especially strangers, but that looks just a little too much like one of her own smiles for her to want to leave it alone. Even if really, it's probably better if she does.

She hesitantly sets the coffee down and then folds her arms across her chest, if only to try and make her obvious trepidation a little less so. ]

Well, hopefully we can make it the last time you get hit in the face here. I'm thinking next time someone checks on him, I'll make them poke him from a distance just to be safe.

[ Her smile wavers and then eases into concern. ]

I just didn't feel right leaving it alone, though. What a way to get welcome to a new job...

[ruinedsky]

[It's a strange feeling he gets when she doesn't leave it there. He expected her to smile it off and leave, since he's clearly not going to make a fuss about it... he finds that he's both irritated that she isn't leaving it alone, and weirdly glad about it, at once. He chuckles without humor.]

Poking him with a long stick sounds like a good idea from now on.

[He sips the coffee to cover any expressions he might make. It is milder and sweeter than he'd usually make himself, but it isn't bad by any means.]

I have definitely learned my lesson about bothering sleeping dreamers. I'll be more cautious from now on.

[He smiles at her in a way he intends to be reassuring, as if he has absolutely no idea how upsetting it might sound that he's basically blaming himself for getting punched. The smile itself is a little too wide, and it stretches his lips in a way that shows that they're still a little swollen, and stretches his concealer in a way that makes it crack, just a little, and a sliver of purple bruise shows for a moment before his smile fades.]

[liedol]

[ Their smiles shift almost in tandem — Sylvain's vanishes entirely but Ai's takes on a different tone and hue. It's a little hard to read, not as seemingly blithe and open as her usual smiles, but something about it is... alarmed. Maybe even a little frightened, as subdued as it is. It almost looks like the expression of someone who's just caught their reflection giving them a nasty smirk in the mirror.

It takes a second before she knows what to say. ]

He really hit you that hard...?

[ Her brow creases a little. She ends up with one hand clasped uncertainly in the other, like she's unsure of whether or not she should reach out to touch and she's stopping herself before she does. ]

Hold on — if you're still that beat up, I don't really know if you should be here at work...!

[ruinedsky]

[He doesn't know what to make of the expression she's wearing as his own smile fades. His brain doesn't want to compute it. Then she comments and it takes every ounce of his self control to not check his face in the camera on his phone. He doesn't stop himself from lifting a hand to touch his jaw, and he feels the edge of a crack in his makeup.]

Ah...

[A frigid bolt of shame cuts down through his spine, and his eyes take on a darker tinge.]

It isn't as bad as all that, I'm just very vain. I can't stand anything as ugly as a bruise being visible on my face. I learned how to do makeup when I was a teenager, cover up the acne and stuff, you know?

[He is aware that his attempts to brush this off are starting to look desperate but he doesn't know how to stop.]

Several nights throughout December | EIEN | OTA 20+

[ruinedsky]

The first thing Sylvain did after making sure his new apartment was convenient to the DU and public transit was to make sure there was nightlife nearby. Something classier, not a dive bar. He hasn't had the chance to sink low enough for that kind of vibe yet. EIEN fit the bill quite nicely. Easy to get to, easy to get home safely (and besides, he doesn't have a car here yet).

Normally, Sylvain would have to work a bit harder to stand out in a place like this. He's handsomer than most, he knows, but he can easily get lost in a sea of handsome faces. Sure Yumemigaoka is more diverse than the norm, given the international nature of Dreamers, but he is still a very tall, very pale, very redheaded man. He sticks out here, and he leans into it, lounging like a cat against the bar most nights with a hard drink and his shirt unbuttoned so far he's in danger of a nip slip.

Nobody knows his reputation here yet, and daddy dearest isn't breathing down his neck about his behavior. He plans to take advantage.

Anyone who meets his eyes across the room or sits near to him will get the cool guy nod and a slight smile. Someone cute enough might even motivate him to approach first.

Re: Several nights throughout December | EIEN | OTA 20+

[darknesshotpot]

[...At 38, Ango is, admittedly, a little too old to be partying at Yumemigaoka's hottest 24/7 club, and his drink-until-dawn nights have become lean-over-the-toilet-and-regret-his-life-choices mornings. While it may be legal to flirt with people half his age, it still feels like it should be illegal. He can't even afford the signature themed cocktails, so he's drinking an overpriced can of the same beer he could have gotten at 7-11 for ¥100. But Ango is in the midst of a midlife crisis, and he intends to enjoy it to the fullest.

How long has it been since he last got laid? Ango's last girlfriend was a deranged corpse-eating tree monster manifested from his own unresolved psychological trauma, so... uh, it's been a while. He's been hung up on Ai for the past couple of months, but she's obviously got a boyfriend - what else could she possibly be hiding? So he's determined to seek out the opposite of Ai, and... oh yeah, there he is, leaning casually against the bar like he's posing for a fashion magazine photoshoot. Ango did always have a thing for disaster redheads, so...]

...Hey.

[Ango gives a Cool Guy Nod™ of his own and nonchalantly sidles up to the bar, taking a moment to adjust his sunglasses in a way that hopefully comes off as "sexy" and not just "hopelessly nearsighted." The guy looks vaguely familiar... but maybe he just has the kind of face that's hard to forget.]

I feel like I've seen you someplace before... do you come here often?

[ruinedsky]

[Yikes, that's rough buddy.]

[Like communicates to like, and Sylvain picks up on the vibes right away. Someone else looking for an escape, someone who probably won't take this too seriously. Well, he hopes so, considering the absolute D tier beginner ass line he just dropped. It puts the disaster redhead at ease a little, so mission accomplished we guess.]

Been here once or twice. New to the neighborhood.

[Which would have been obvious from his japanese anyway. It's good, but it has that textbook quality to it of someone who didn't grow up in the vernacular, and the accent of someone from western europe.]

[darknesshotpot]

[Ango isn't expecting much from his pathetic attempt at a pickup line, but in his defense, it's been a long time since he last went clubbing for any reason other than getting completely trashed. He's had a rough couple of... years, really. But hey, the redhead is still talking to him, so... success?

A nagging little voice in the back of Ango's brain reminds him that there is a non-zero chance that a Japanese-speaking foreigner recently arrived in Yumemigaoka is involved with the Dreamer Union in some way, and that that might be why the guy looks vaguely familiar... but fuck it, if the DU won't fire Ango for breaking the Dream Sphere, they probably won't fire him for flirting with a colleague.

He grins.]

So... do you dance, or do you just stand around posing at the bar?

[ruinedsky]

[The line probably wouldn't have gotten him very far with anyone else but Sylvain. Lucky for Ango, he zeroed in on exactly the most desperate guy with the lowest standards in the place. In fact, the less effort Ango puts in, the safer an option he seems. This is going to go so well.]

Oh I definitely dance.

[He tosses back the rest of his drink, throws a challenge of a look at Ango, and makes his way to the dance floor.]

[darknesshotpot]

[Correction: Sylvain is only the second most desperate guy with the second lowest standards in the place. Ango is the living embodiment of "rock bottom." Sakaguchi Ango is so far below average that it would take a DIY submarine full of rich Titanic fans to find his standards.

At least Ango can dance - well, sort of. He's still trying to learn the fan dance moves for Ai's songs from Youtube videos. But club dancing is more like "rhythmic grinding until you get to go home with somebody or you get kicked out by security, whichever happens first," and he's got a pretty decent track record of scoring the former rather than the latter.

He leaves his lukewarm, watery beer on the bar and follows Sylvain to the center of the club, where a deep bass beat reverberates through the floor. Punk show mosh pits are more Ango's style, but really, all that matters is that the music is loud and the drinks are cheap.]

Oh yeah? Let's see what you've got, then.