undergrounds | [OPEN] October Post

Redbright Institute
Open to Redbright affiliates.

[Oliver is getting settled into his new role now. He can often be seen out and about, fixing computers, phones, or whatever else might need doing. It's often basic stuff. Not too different from his last job in the end besides the kinds of people he's working around. Turns out the supernatural are just as prone to not realizing their printer isn't plugged in as anyone else.

He tries to make small talk with other staff members where he can, but he's a little awkward about it. Definitely still an outsider, and not just because he's a standard human. Much of the time he's not working on projects he's in his office, typing at his computer but more than available if anyone should come knocking.]

Some Bar Somewhere
OTA, Friday evenings.

[After a week of work it's nice kick back and relax with a beer or two. He stands at the bar, tending to keep to himself at first, though he's responsive to small talk.

It's later on when he's a little more tipsy he's less capable of that. A little more likely to bump into someone followed by a stuttered apology. He can be found outside too, attempting to clear his head, but maybe wincing a little at the smoke of cigarettes inevitably lit near the door.]

Coffee Shop
OTA, whenever.

[Sometimes a guy's got to have coffee. He's more than capable of making his own, but he appreciates the fancy kind beyond his skill that no good barista would consider coffee anymore. Especially when there are seasonal varieties for him to enjoy.

Maybe his pumpkin spice latte is a little eye roll worthy, but hey, it tastes really good.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of course I am.

[Finnick orders another drink for himself as well, seeing as his own glass is getting low.]

I'm sorry, I haven't even asked your name.

It's Oliver.

[He pulls the glass that's poured closer to where he's standing, taking a drink from the one he still has already.]

I didn't catch yours either.

[Finnick takes a long pull from his drink.]

Finnick. [He leans toward him with a look like he's anticipating Oliver's next question.] It's a very old English name.

[Sort of. Anyway.]

Are you here with someone?

[He is about to ask, but apparently he's used to that question. He shakes his head, embarrassed. He can't pretend he didn't have his mouth open to do just that.]

Sorry. You probably get people asking that all the time.

[His next admission is pretty embarrassing too. He has friends, but he's not with them. He's here alone, which probably makes him look even lamer than he's managed to already.]

No. I'm... I'm by myself. You can go back to your friends though.

Mm?

[Finnick glances back at the group he was talking to; a group of chatty fae (is there any other kind?) who were grilling him about his recent demotion like they were talking about the weather. He turns back to grin at Oliver.]

Oh, no. They accosted me much the same way I did you when you bumped into me. [he shrugs all nonchalant] You, however, are free to leave if you want.

[He returns the grin, kind of pleased when he declines the opportunity to leave. Even if they weren't actually his friends it would have been easy for him to take the out.]

You did buy me a drink. Plus you were really nice about me running into you. Staying is probably the least I can do. If you're okay with that.

Of course.

[Finnick gives him a sly grin for his troubles.]

So, Oliver, what do you do?

Oh, I'm... [This is the part where he starts sounding boring.]

I'm just an IT tech. I work in a school.

[Finnick raises his eyebrows like it's not the most boring thing he's heard in the world. It isn't, actually, and at least Oliver isn't trying to sound more interesting than he is.]

What kind of school?

It's a private school. Redbright.

[He shrugs. At least he's pretending to have some interest, but it's not exactly a lasting avenue of conversation.]

What about you? What do you do?

[Finnick raises his eyebrows the way one might casually when they're getting new information, but he feels like he's hit the jackpot right now. An IT for Redbright? Even if he's not part of her supernatural staff (Finnick hasn't smelled a whiff of magic on him so far and he has a keen sense of smell for those things) it's still something he could one day potentially use.]

[But enough of that, Oliver's asking what he does.]

Oh, I work with the community, very boring stuff.

[Can't very well say he lives off the invested riches of his former slave master. People don't like to hear that.]

But I'd love to hear more about what you do.

[He actually scoffs a little at that, downing a significant amount of his original drink. He's close to finishing it now.]

No, you wouldn't. If you don't want to talk about your job we could find something else.

[Finnick drops some of the cheese from his smile, giving Oliver a flat look with his eyes as he takes a pull from his own glass.]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. It's just I don't like talking about what I do because I don't really like it that much. I was just raised into it, it's what I'm expected to do. I was hoping the opposite might be true for you - anything's interesting if the person talking about it really cares, you know?

Oh.

[That helps with his skepticism a lot. He feels a little bad for doubting him when he puts it like that.]

I'm sorry. Most people just aren't that interested. Not that I don't get why, but... I do like it. It's not cool or anything, but I like it.

Well why do you like it if it's not cool?

[He asks it without a hint of sarcasm, just pure curiousity.]

[That's difficult to explain, since some of the aspects he likes are things he can't talk about. He takes a moment to consider, finishing off his previous drink and picking up the new one Finnick's bought him while he does.]

I feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. I think it's important. Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I think I make a difference. Kind of. More than I did at my last job.

[There are a few things he could pick up on there - Oliver's last job, for instance - but he wants to focus on Redbright in any roundabout way he can. Even if this doesn't go anywhere he'd like any snippet he can get. She may not be his direct enemy right now but she certainly isn't a friend.]

How so? I apologize, I don't know much about IT...

[OPEN] October Post

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