[ Opening Mingle ]

[randomly_modding]

[Everyone will wake up suddenly, as if having drifted off -- while sitting upright in an uncomfortable office chair. In one hand they're holding the communicator, and in their lap is propped a clipboard with a job application (standard, looking something like this; it requests up to ten years of job history, ) and a pen. The waiting room is also fairly standard, except for being empty.]

[The communicator's lock screen reads, Complete the job application. Time limit, twenty-four hours.]

[There are magazines, fake plants, and computers. There's a staff lounge with food -- tupperware that might have belonged to some of these nonexistent workers, popcorn and cocoa packets, vending machines -- and restrooms. There are exits, but characters will be unable to use them... or make their own, or escape in any way.]

[So the characters are stuck here, until tomorrow morning. Set up a comment telling everyone what your character is doing, and thinking, whether they're obeying the task or not, at any time during the day. Then tag other people! Be sure to check back later in the week, when people are encouraged make threads for the evening as well as the day! Characters that have been claimed are also welcome at this point to join the community, and will be able to make their own posts, which can be tagged by anyone taking part in the event.]

Comments

[cleanedslate]

[ a kid after his own slightly ruined heart. ]

Right, but pretend that's not a factor. [ impatient little gesture ] Dream school.

[promisebreaker]

[Peter hesitates a little, shakes his head then shrugs] MIT I guess. I mean...if I could get in and...dream school.

[Yeah, he's not good with just dreaming and not dealing with logistics.]

[cleanedslate]

Heh. You know I don't actually give out extra points for kissing my ass, right? [ HE MEANS IT. IF YOU WANT TO GO TO STANFORD, SAY SO. ]

[promisebreaker]

Oh. [The tops of his ears are beet red.] I didn't...I just...it's not something that I've ever thought a lot about. Stanford is a great school and it's in California, which is a long way from home and for a while that--that had it's own appeal and then everything [He pauses a moment, swallowing hard] Everything happened and I don't even want to go that far from home right now because...well...it's--it's complicated. MIT is a great school too and it's closer to New York City. Relatively. I mean, when you're talking California.

so glad you claimed! <3

[cleanedslate]

[ you are frustratingly hard to coax out of that box, kiddo ]

Kid. Seriously.

You're killing me here.

Take the distance to your aunt out of this equation.

so glad you enabled!

[promisebreaker]

[ he has a very strong sense of loyalty to his family! he also has a strong sense of guilt, believing that he's the reason his uncle ben is dead. ]

I don't know. Stanford, I guess. I could go all the way to a doctorate there.

are you kidding me anytime bb | 1/2

[cleanedslate]

Thank you. Finally. Was that really so hard? I thought you were going to have a hernia for a minute there.

[cleanedslate]

And done.

[promisebreaker]

There's just a lot of responsibilities and people I--[wait...what? what?]

Uhm...what?

[cleanedslate]

Done.

[ lifting eyebrows at you ] Are you sure you're second in your class? Because this is basically going to be an academic scholarship. I can't give it to just anyone. [ and you're seeming a little slow on the uptake just at the moment :|a ]

[promisebreaker]

Are you sure you're a genius? [ It's a quick response and his eyes go wide. ] I didn't--I didn't mean that. I just...I can't leave my aunt alone. My uncle died a few weeks ago and she needs me close. She doesn't have anyone else. I'll go to Cornell. I'll get a degree and my work will just have to speak for itself.

[cleanedslate]

[ he's so amused you don't even know, Peter, though some of it trickles out at the died part. ]

Well, then I guess it's a good thing you won't be leaving her behind.

[promisebreaker]

[ amused is better than offended. ]

Yeah. It's--yeah. I mean, she needs me and New York is home. I'd probably stick out like a sore thumb in California anyway.

[cleanedslate]

Not really what I meant, so I guess you two are just gonna have to adjust. I recommend SPF like 120 for the first summer?

[ movin' right along ]

Obviously dorms aren't an option, but do you care if it's a house or an apartment? Ground level or high rise? Two bath minimum, I guess. [ slightly more vague; how do you even function with less than five, over the long term? ]

[promisebreaker]

[Peter is just reeling right now. It's not a bad thing at all.] House. Good kitchen. [It's really all he can manage.]

Uhm...why? I mean...why?

[cleanedslate]

Call it an investment in the future. [ gesturing broadly ] I can't hire you right now. But in a couple of years, when you're done with school... I've got a good feeling about that, sure.

House, good kitchen. [ "nice neighborhood" goes without saying. ] I think we can manage that.

[promisebreaker]

[ That's something else he'll have to take some time to absorb: working for Stark Industries.]

Wow...yeah. I'd--thanks [ because thanks doesn't even begin to cover it.]

I...uhm...I'll talk to her about it when--when we get back. [He just assumes that a house Tony Stark would provide would be in a good neighborhood.]

[cleanedslate]

You do that.

[ he smooths his hands down over his clothes. welp. ]

So, hey. Put whatever you like on the application. [ it doesn't really matter now, right? right. ]

[promisebreaker]

Yeah...it seems sort of...pointless to fill it out now.

[ he paused then. ]

Was this...all you? The...kidnapping and applications?

[cleanedslate]

[ what, really? his lips twitch, then he spreads his hands ]

You caught me. Our hiring process at Stark Industries is very elaborate. Around 40% of our GDP actually goes to stalking promising candidates and then kidnapping them in the dead of night and issuing vague threats until they fill out applications. Apparently that's not industry standard? I keep hearing about something called "craigslist"...

[promisebreaker]

[Peter snorts at that.] Yeah, 'cause you don't have people lined up to work at Stark Industries and trust me, you don't want craigslist.

[cleanedslate]

I don't think we make them actually line up, but you'd have to ask HR. [ or Pepper, who will want to meet you later. ]

[promisebreaker]

Oh. Well that's probably more comforting than the whole line--line thing.

[cleanedslate]

We're all about the comfort. We also don't make them fight to death and award jobs to the last man or woman or intermediate standing.

[promisebreaker]

And I was looking forward to the Hunger Games. [ he reads okay! ]