Open Post 002

[2020mod]

• Step one: start a thread in this post!
• Step two: specify who the thread is for (or open) in this post!
• Step three: make people reply to this post!
• AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU DO IT.


And don't forget, there's still the ooc discussion post! And nothing needs to be contained to this post! Create new logs to your heart's content! This AU is yours, so have at it!


musebox • rules • character list

Comments

[liverletdie]

"Well, you know me. I don't like to be out in the open until it's time," he mentioned lightly. It wasn't true, of course. He was hardly that way, exactly the opposite.

He was ostentatious. He was loud. Out there. He'd always been the face people needed.

But he hadn't been in public in years. Since his last interview, before he tried to escape. He'd been looking more and more worn, in those days. He sounded alive, now.

[scarabsuited]

"Dare I even try to ask what time you're waiting for?" It was as teasing as it was earnest; Jaime always wondered what that man had in mind. If he had the means (one would think he always had them), if he had the drive (now that...Jaime could never be certain).

"Well, in any case–" He wasn't going to wait for a real answer, not there. As quickly as Tony had emerged, he could quickly vanish. "There's time for breakfast, right? I don't even have to ping you coordinates to get here, do I?"

[liverletdie]

"What, you're inviting me over to your place?" he asked, a low chuckle, but he altered his route immediately, beelining for it. He wasn't that far, honestly. It wasn't like Jaime could hide from him, not really. Not when he had some sort of wireless connection to the outside world.

They'd had him tethered for a long time, and he had technology to catch up on, but the principles and basics were still the same, no matter what.

He could catch up when he had a moment to spare, and it would only take a moment.

"I haven't had a proper breakfast in years, what're we having?"

Actually, they served him pretty decent food, but a bowl of cereal on the outside was better than eggs benedict back there, one of their favorite dishes to serve him. Someone had a sense of humor about it.

[scarabsuited]

"Oatmeal? I think?" There was a pause on Jaime's end. "Oh, wait. There's pancake stuff, too. I guess I can get fancy for a guest. Turn left at that light; the shaft's closer on that side of the building."

Not a very exciting building, either, but that suited its need. Inside, there was a room – a gutted-out closet, with a trick wall. Pushed, it gave way to a steel wall instead...and a keypad.

Jaime would send the code...if he felt it was really necessary. The safety lock was already disengaged by a grudging Scarab.

[liverletdie]

"Oatmeal?" he actually sounded excited for it. Alright, it really had been too long.

He followed the instructions, and came to the closet, and then the wall, and the keypad. He smiled, almost with a faint trace of amusement, and he wondered if Jaime could see him. Honestly, the poor guy probably didn't realize how much Tony had missed this.

"Looks like you've had some precautionary measures, give me just a moment, here."

It didn't take long, and he didn't even touch the pad, it opened after a moment. "I have to say, that's an impressive algorithm."

[scarabsuited]

"Thanks."

Jaime pushed away from his terminal, turning his chair around, getting ready to get up and meet Tony halfway. He liked him and all, but...well. Letting anyone touch his computer stuff was already offensive, let alone the guy who could probably poke it with a pinky and reconfigure everything before anyone could say "crapsack firewall."

"I can't take the credit, though. That's all Scarab's doing." But both of them knew that much. "Even after what Vulcanus jacked from us, alien is still a pretty safe second computer language so far."

He unlocked his door, stepping out and waiting for Tony at the base of the long stairway down to his level, hands in his pockets. Once he was in plain sight, one lifted up in a greeting.

"Hey."

[liverletdie]

"Morning," he greeted, the phone clicking off without him even pulling the phone out. It just clicked off, just like that, and he grinned. "Nice little hideout here, Mr. Reyes. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. I think you outdid me on the hiding spot thing," he admitted.

To be fair, his hideout was...a government-sanctioned home. One that he'd been trapped in, and hadn't been able to escape. So really, it was leaps and bounds better.

But maybe he was just being generous until he got his own hideout.

"How have things been?"

[scarabsuited]

Jaime looked pleased at the praise, though he was sure it wasn't that honest. Rather, he hoped not: It would be a good sign to be getting teased a bit, proof that things weren't that bad.

He turned, waiting before starting to walk down the hall toward what passed for a kitchen/dining area. Everything was pretty sparse of home decor – rather, crates, containers and unmarked storage.

"Busy," he replied, dragging a hand through his hair. "But I take that as a good sign. Better to have a lot of pings than dead silence, y'know?"

[liverletdie]

"I'd agree. How many people ping in?" he asked, sliding from idle banter to serious faster than it took for him to process it. He didn't have his resources, and he didn't have his plans, but there were some things he did have.

One of those was his brain, which was already pulling things together, taking what he could glean at the surface level, without diving into the Scarab's systems too much. He knew the suit didn't like him, hell, he wouldn't like himself if he had to deal with him.

He did, however, aim to get the most information possible, pull what he could get together.

He was never happy, unless he was in the thick of things, after all.

[scarabsuited]

"'Bout fifteen today," Jaime replied, shrugging his shoulders. "That's actually pretty good, if you're counting old network users. The ones who've been here, y'know."

It was as sparse as the hallway they'd just passed through. Single table, a few chairs, bare necessities...and a crayon drawing discarded on a countertop, half-finished.

"They can change their names all they want, but if it's my radar?" Jaime smirked, gesturing to the chairs as he headed to the cabinets. "Fat chance of them getting through this area without getting a buzz."

[liverletdie]

"Hey, at least that means you can keep an eye on them. Let's you know who's still active and hiding, and who isn't. Aren't you afraid that eventually they'll figure you out?" he asked, slopping into a chair.

He had a faint smile for the drawing as he eyed it. He didn't want kids, no, never. However, he was happy for the imports who'd gone on to have them. They'd made a life here, it was official.

If only the rest of the world would realize it. "Not that I don't have faith in you, but if they could get to me..."