o.h.

"about a year. thankfully. why? you have someone you need to let go?"

" i have a good three people to let go. it's frustrating. especially since only one of them actually deserves to be let go. " he let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his seat, his shoulders assuming a more comfortable but less sophisticated position. " i don't mind arguing with people. i do that for a living. but these conversations absolutely kill me. "

@orsonhewitt

" hold on, hold on — the only two options to choose from is a barcade- " he was not sure if he had ever stepped inside one. for a reason. one could hear it in the way he pronounced the offensive word. " -or a nice little moment at a table ? " he pretended to be weighing the options, fingers laced together, resting on his stomach. " i much rather pay for the latter. i cannot promise it will qualify as fun though. depends on how much you like me and my company. "

perhaps she should have known better — the whimsical nature of their past interactions had made her almost forget that they were similar in more ways than one. and it was a similarity that could only be found in the sea — murky depths, high tides. friendship was but a buffer against instinct — so long as there was blood in the water, a shark would always sense it. she could not fault him for speaking her vulnerability to light; so gentle was his bite. 〝 i don't care about friendly faces, 〞 she replied, evenly meeting his gaze. because avoidance would only be yet another show of weakness. 〝 amiability is fickle — i'd much rather believe in self-interest. at the end of the day, people will only truly look out for themselves. even if they can't stand the sight of me, they'll let me stay in my seat so long as it benefits them. and if they can't reap benefits, i wouldn't be able to keep the position even if i was their best friend. 〞 it was comforting, in its own bitter way.

" hmm... " he was not convinced. if there was something inhye was, it was stubborn and proud. wanting to have friends sounded awfully a lot like admitting to a weakness. " everyone cares about friendly faces. it's easier to breathe. " orson shook his head in disagreement. " self-interest is fickle. it'll steer them away from you the moment a better offer arises. you can't see inside everyone's heads. sometimes an early retirement is the best offer, sometimes it's a prestigious position, sometimes it's money, sometimes it's legacy... " and inhye knew only what she appreciated. " friends on the other hand... they may pass up a good offer out of loyalty, or they'll be honest about it. either way, you don't get blindsided. " his index finger stroked the smooth edge of the foot of his wine glass. " i at least prefer to work at a place where i am surrounded by friends. i wouldn't stay in a hostile environment if i could help it. "

〝 dear orson, has comedia misled you to believe that your worth can be quantified? quite insulting. 〞 absolutely zero effort went into making her frown of sympathy believable. 〝 come to bulletin and we'll gladly let you work for free. 〞 this time, she didn't bother to hide the wide grin, mischief glinting within her gaze.

orson's laugh boomed in the room, a sign of it being genuine for a change. tooth revealing grin played on his features and he clicked his tongue. " i'd get a pong table and you'd tend my soul. you'd make an enemy out of comoedia and my church. " brown eyes studied the woman for a moment. the smiles and the laughs felt like a way to dance around a heavier topic. had he been a smaller man, he would have mentioned the signs of exhaustion on inhye's face. a long and quiet sigh escaped his lips. " is tbc empty of friendly faces ? "

"i'm requesting that 15 minutes of this lunch break is not about work. so. how are you?" @orsonhewitt

" make it 25 and i'll grant you your request, " orson chuckled. " i'm actually fairing pretty well. in a desperate need for a holiday though. how are you ? "

〝 come to bulletin. i'll put a pong table in your office. 〞 ( @orsonhewitt )

" gracious. you think i'm that expensive, do you ? "

❝ and here i thought you would be celebrating, ❞ words are followed by a short laugh. honestly, it doesn't really affect brooke in the slightest. she is merely a bystander enjoying watching all the drama unfold. ❝ do you think they should do a re-vote ? that'd for sure throw a spanner in the works. ❞

" it will come later. let me be shocked and appalled for a moment. they are much stronger emotions. " a very faint hint of a smile played on his lips. a quirky comment ! brooke alderidge always stood out at an event, if not for her looks, then for the lightness of her habitus. " and have them admit they made a mistake ? they'd prefer to be trapped in a cage with a hungry lion. "

"     you wound me.     "     ariya grins,  all sharp teeth and insincerity,  as he comes into earshot of his former coworker.  he holds a half empty glass of an amber liquor he can't remember the name or price tag for.  it does the job,  though a cheaper drink could have done it better for less.     "     is it so bad for me to want to visit some old friends  ?  come on,  don't tell me you don't miss me.  your life must have been so dull these past years.     "

" i expected a bouquet of flowers and a handwritten letter. i received neither. that sort of a thing breaks a man. " the problem with zakariya was his ability to appear unbothered and just slightly humorous — which in turn, made it quite difficult to hate him vehemently. orson wouldn't mind seeing the man crash and burn, but a conversation with zakariya was going to be entertaining whether orson liked it or not. " is it a coincidence that you show up here now when the bulletin corporation is a mess ? do i detect a hint of regret ? "

❝ i'm still surprised that nobody started a riot, ❞ muses, as if she was paying attention anyway. no, brooke was far too busy sipping champagne, in her little bubble to notice much of the outrage. but one thing she will do is have a good gossip.

" the most ridiculous part of this is that even i think simon lee was 'snubbed'. " part of him was incredibly satisfied by the turn of events but he couldn't rid himself of feeling like something foul had happened. "