Chapter 172 - Fathoming Friendly Fatherly Briefing

For the remainder of their admittedly short trip to the 8th floor, Lucas incessantly provides 427 with a seminar on how totally awesome Vikings, and therefore also their beards, are. Thanks to it being a mental lecture, he doesn’t even have to pause to breathe.

Poor 427 can’t even get a word in edgewise. The entire time 427 is wishing he didn’t say anything, it was better when Lucas was just being wistful about winsome whiskers.

Lucas’s mental monologue is finally interrupted when, after they’ve already exited the elevator to step out onto the 8th floor; Jonathan seems to suddenly teleport from being a few steps in front of him, to then suddenly be standing a foot to the left of his initial position instead, now facing a slightly different direction. Since he happened to be looking at Jonathan when he did it, even his distracted state isn’t enough to stop him from noticing.

Thanks to Lucas’s attention being finally diverted, 427 releases a hastily muted groan.

[‘Thank you, Jonathan. Thank you so much.’]

“Eh? What’s up, kiddo?” Once Lucas asks this, Jonathan turns around to look at him.

“Oh, I, um, I just thought I’d s-send the elevator back down s-so it’s ready for M-Mikah.” Jonathan’s tone is a bit sheepish while recounting his actions, as he is still quite obviously self-conscious about performing small acts of kindness for the little bit of extra GDV.

“Oh, good thinkin’. Wait, are YOU the reason why the elevator showed up when it did earlier?” After Lucas casually praises Jonathan, he manages to rub two brain cells together to come to this realization. Jonathan hunches forward a little bit with a growing shy smile, hesitating briefly before answering.

“Um, y-yeah. I-is that weird? I can, um, stop doing that…” Unsurprisingly, Jonathan has begun fidgeting with his fingers tangling and twisting together in front of him, awkward as ever.

“What? Hell no! It’s great! Jus’ make sure ya don’t overdo it an’ tire yourself out, is all. Eheh, I can really get used to havin’ you around.” Upon receiving Lucas’s approval, Jonathan eases up on his nervous fiddling, and his shy smile expands into a full-on happy grin. Disentangling his hands from their previous apprehension pretzel, he reaches up and rubs the back of his head with his right hand.

Ah, positive acknowledgment from a respected authority figure, how novel, how delightful. Also, how unexpected, poor boy. Although, he probably should get better role models. Like, seriously. Ahem, back to the scene.

As Lucas’s two conscious brain cells continue working hard, he comes to another realization. “...Oh, ya prolly did it because standin’ around doin’ nuttin’ while waitin’ on shit must feel like it takes forever for ya, yeah?”

When Lucas points out the real motivator behind Jonathan darting around to hit the elevator’s call button in advance, Jonathan flinches and then winces, his brief elation from being praised promptly plummeting.

“Um, well, y-yeah, kinda…” Jonathan can’t even maintain eye contact with Lucas while admitting this, and lowers his hand back down again, primed and ready to resume fidget-con 20XX.

Lucas, however, just starts laughing.

“Whatcha feelin’ sorry for? It’s not like ya dashed there and then just turned to stare at me until I caught up, or just fucked off to ditch us an’ went to use the stairs instead, or somethin’. Ya didn’t even ask for credit, either. Ya know, even if ya benefit the most from doin’ somethin’, it’s still bein’ considerate if it’s doin’ others a favor at the same time. So, hey, thanks, keep it up, kiddo. Please, even.” Lucas has an infectious degree of good humor while saying this, flashing a toothy smile at the end. While he was asking his opening question, he reached over to begin aggressively mussing up Jonathan’s hair, applying enough force that his head is pushed around a little bit with each movement.

While Jonathan is busy short-circuiting as he struggles to process what Lucas just said, a service bot has approached them.

“Greetings Messrs. Lynn. Unfortunately, your requested masks and enhanced work apparel are not here just yet, but they will be delivered soon. Apologies for the inconvenience.” Before the bot has even finished speaking, Lucas has already unhanded Jonathan’s poor suffering hair and waves his hand back and forth dismissively.

“It’s all good, we’re the first ones here anywho. Not like I’ll take so much longer than Marsha that I need a head start. Wait… Maybe I will?” After Lucas finished speaking without putting any real thought into what he was initially saying; he looks down at himself, and then remembers what Miss Masher is wearing in comparison.

Even Lucas understands that an intricately knotted tie over a buttoned-up dress shirt with belted trousers vs a tank top and loose-fitting pants will have a time difference. Hell, the only reason she’d have to even take off the tank is to make sure it doesn’t get sweaty.

Adding on an “Eh, whatever.” Lucas walks over to one of the large cushy seats in the front lounge area for this floor, taking off his suit jacket while doing so.

Jonathan stands frozen in place for a few moments longer, eventually mentally unlocking and nodding at the service bot before dashing over to sit on the seat next to the one Lucas seems intent on claiming.

Shortly after Lucas has nestled into place, having tossed the jacket over the back of the chair, the other elevator beside the one they had taken chimes out its arrival.

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Lucas total kills: 7

Lucas total deaths: 11

Lucas total assists: 1

Lucas current GDV: 17.35 (+.01 +0.01 +.01 = +.03 net change)

Lucas's fame level: 5.0* (Already beginning to receive authentic global attention. His local levels are effectively maxed.)

Lucas's hero suspicion level: 2.5* (More than just passing suspicion for many paranoid individuals, numerous people have realized he's an impulsive idiot.)

Jonathan total kills: 7

Jonathan total deaths: 2

Jonathan current GDV: 6.03 (+.01 +.01 = +.02 net change)

Jonathan's fame level: 2.75* (What fame he does have is predominantly local.)

Jonathan's hero suspicion level: 3.0* (More than just overly-paranoid people are suspicious at this point.)

Willy's fame level: 1.5* (Anonymous meme fame, local fame primarily as 'Xenoclast's dog', but some strangers know him as William/Willy now.)

Supervillain social circle size: 15

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Little character theater:

Jonathan is still in a bit of a daze, though he is smiling happily.

Willy, Miss Masher, and Miss Chievous are, unsurprisingly, inside one of the elevators. The question is; which one?

Lucas, starting to pick at unknotting his tie: Ah right, forgot what a pain in the ass these are to undo, meh.

427, hesitating briefly before speaking up: [You… You’re not going to start undressing in advance, just so she isn’t ready before you, right? Please say you’re not going to, or at least, if you’re going to, please actually go into a changing room, first.]

Author, with a mischievous grin: Oh, don’t worry 427, while he’d normally be shameless enough to take off his shirt, he’ll think of the fact that Marsha would 111% make fun of his dad bod upon seeing it, and that’ll stop him in his tracks.

Mr.. Quacks, curiously checking on the mentioned masks and clothing, only to discover a bot patiently waiting in front of the elevators while carrying a basket: Quack.