cancry | Avaritia Arrival Log

This is weird. Impossible, even. And because Monarch can't believe it, he tests his theory by speeding up, while keeping alert for anything that changes about his surroundings while he climbs.

Can he safely conclude physics is broken???

When he peeks up and down the staircase, things don't look as though they should be going up quite so high, so he can safely conclude physics is broken. It's unclear if this is a natural feature of the building's geography and it just be like that in Purgatory, or if it's a response to the alarm that's still ringing down below.

Monarch stops to think. Logically, if he can't go up (or at least, go up and get anywhere), he has to go back down....But with that alarm still sounding he doesn't really want to rush right back into an unknown but likely security-heavy situation. And if that's his only choice, he wants to have a plan when he delves back in....

When he ran to this stairwell, what else could he see of the first floor?

It... kind of just looks like he's gone up one or two stairwells??? Purgatory logic really makes your brain hurt sometimes.

For the most part, it looks as though some measure of calm has settled on the lower floors, with the stream of people continuing to flow in and out of the building, but there's a few things of note:

One is that the Specters who aren't staying on the bottom floor are using an elevator to ascend, probably as a result of Ken taking the stairs and uh, not wanting to encounter him.

The second is that several Specters are in the middle of babbling away to what are pretty unmistakably security guards who presumably came to address whatever caused the alarm to sound.

So the elevator's his only option if he wants to go up, and he needs to move quickly, before the guards gather enough information to confirm he's who they're seeking.

Monarch has never seen an Ikuhara anime, and therefore he doesn't know that the only worse thing to do than take the stairs is take the elevator. When next it opens, in he will try to dash!

The size of the building and the amount of people coming in and out means that he'll end up politely elbowing some people out of the way to make it there, but thanks to his size and Executor zoomies, Monarch makes it just as the doors close!

A Specter who'd just stepped into the elevator beforehand gives him a slightly puzzled look before inclining his head towards the controls. "Going up?"

"Ah, yes!" He has to pick a floor, doesn't he? Monarch checks the floors listed and (assuming no weird Purgatory gimmicks present themselves) picks a number from an improvised set of limitations: farther up than down, but not one of the absolutely top floors.

(The farther up one goes in a building like this, the more exclusive the offices become, don't they? Immediately trying to go there would arouse suspicion. But he wants lots of distance between himself and the security guards receiving, possibly, a description of him.)

The Specter eyes Monarch for a moment longer, a little weirded out but not suspicious enough to refuse him. He punches in the numbers for floor 27, just past the halfway point up the building. The elevator gives a hearty clunk and then starts moving up.

After a moment of awkward, polite elevator silence the Specter asks "Are you here for an interview? We've been hoping for some extra hands on deck."

Monarch looks down when addressed, thinking fast. An interview...

When he raises his head, it's to give a slight nod. "Somewhat. Who would I speak to - about the job?"

He's really infiltrating now. But an inside look at the business would put him in a better position to find the Authority, wouldn't he? Whether that's because they're here....or just to gain inside exposure to Avaritia.

"Well, you're on the wrong floor for one." says the Specter, but not unkindly. "You'll need to speak to the recruitment team on twenty-five and see what positions we have open and where you'd fit in. Then they'll send you to the right person."

He looks Monarch up and down for a moment as if trying to make that assessment himself, then asks "What is it you're good at?"

What's he -

"Memorizing," Monarch professes, unconsciously standing up even straighter now that he's being assessed by an adult. That's an accurate statement, though, isn't it? Or accurate enough to not cause him trouble once he reaches floor twenty-five? He's had hardly anything to remember, but he's self-aware enough to know he's a sponge for the world. "I'd like to think I'm handy with numbers."

Hopefully he'll be handy enough. What level of mathematics is needed for banking?

"That should do you some good." says the Specter with a nod. "Numbers are a good way to get you far in this place."

What exactly that means he doesn't get a chance to explain, as the elevator grumbles to a halt and the doors slide open, revealing a veritable maze of numbered office cubicles. It's very... corporate.

In the face of this sight, the Specter gives him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"Head down to cubicle five hundred and ask for a recruitment agent." he says. "They'll handle it from there."

Cubicle five hundre---

Monarch blinks. He has to stay focused, not derail himself wondering about the scope of this bank!

"Yes, sir!" he replies, then turns to bow. Specters haven't awoken, but there's still a person in there. And this one helped him. "Thank you very much."

The Specter gives him an encouraging thumbs up and then a friendly wave of farewell as the elevator doors slide shut, leaving Monarch alone on floor 25.

Thankfully, it's pretty easy to follow the numbered cubicles, and there's enough people moving around that he's not out of place... but it's definitely a bit of a hike. Godspeed, Monarch.

Monarch spares himself a brief moment to sigh as he successfully concludes baby's first undercover conversation. It really is brief, though - he has a lot of cubicles to traverse.

Running inside a building is no way to report for a job interview, so he settles for a brisk and focused walk instead. Five hundred...five hundred.....Should be this way. Let's see.

Edited 2021-01-27 01:22 (UTC)

It takes... a hot minute. He's kept relatively on track by the other office workers though, a few of whom check on where he's going and help him along in the right direction as they pass in the corridors. But it's a hell of a walk. Seriously, it takes like ten minutes!!

When he finally arrives at cubicle five hundred, he'll see there's a Specter busy at work, pecking away at their keyboard with intense focus. So much so that it takes them a second to realize Monarch has approached but they give him a smile when they finally look up.

"Can I help you?"

Everyone is very nice in this bank....Monarch will think about that later, perhaps. Right now he has to seem like a Specter interested in a job. Here goes.

Fortunately, he's formal by nature and he has excellent posture. Thus, he doesn't have to try to act when he draws himself up and keeps a deliberate, polite distance between himself and this Specter in his speech.

"I'm very sorry for interrupting your work. I'd heard there were positions available, and would like to apply."

They brighten visibly and gesture for him to sit down at one of the chairs at the desk. "Yes, we do! We're always looking for people to add to our numbers so you've come at the right time."

They rattle off a few more keystrokes on whatever it is they're typing and then turn their attention fully to Monarch.

"What sort of position were you looking for?"

What sort - well, he'd better keep his story straight, shouldn't he?

"Something in mathematics," Monarch offers. He takes a seat, but his posture doesn't get any less rigid. "I'm good with numbers...."

For a boy his age....He thinks? He's already figured out he's the sort of person who notices details, and that should help with balancing a ledger or any other financial behind-the-scenes work. His fingers curl on his knees, and he realizes he's been waiting to be found out this whole time, as if he can't believe he's getting away with infiltrating.

Well, that's no way to go about this. He'll have to press on, as far as he can go.

The little interview is about as painless as you can reasonably expect an interview to go. The questions are banal and some of them... don't really seem to have much to do with the topic at hand, but that's employment politics, babey!

Evidently, his answers are good enough that when they're finally done, the Specter offers a hand to shake across the desk with a smile.

"It's going to be good working with you." they tell him. "Are you ready to start immediately?"

They... haven't told him what the position being offered is yet, huh.

He...got it? He got it! Monarch honestly was not expecting that (note to self: be aware his default setting seems to be "pessimism".)

"Thank you!" He raises a hand to accept that handshake, but then his brain catches up to the situation. "Um...I can start, but, my duties...?"

"That's right, your duties!" They give his hand one businesslike shake and then let go so they can start scooting around the desk to join him. "Just follow me and I'll show you to your desk."

And there they go...

"Um...."

Had they not understood it was a question (his fault), or do they assume he'll come to understand by seeing what he needs to do (which means he can't just keep standing here)? Either way, the only solution is to begin following, so Monarch does precisely that.

--He's learning that in life, he was a physically fit child, what with all of the running and walking working in a bank seems to entail.

Thankfully, the walk to his new desk isn't anywhere near as excruciating as trying to find this particular Specter had been and within a few minutes, he's set up in one of the cubicles with a whole stack of files, papers and other assorted financial detritus piled up in front of him. There's some stationary too, but very pointedly, not a computer. Classy.

Before he can ask any questions, the Specter bulldozes on and starts talking about him making sure 'the books' add up and going over things with his own two eyes, and fixing up any discrepancies in the accounts.

Oh....it's an account-checking job. That's extremely useful for his purposes! The lack of a computer seems odd to Monarch, but he's busy absorbing the particulars of what his job does entail, so he doesn't dwell on it.

He is an attentive listener, taking in what's expected of him, and mentally planning to make a note of anyone whose records look like they might point towards Authority at work - or general foul play. Finding the Authority is just one part of what they're here to do. If people are being injured by that Authority...in a place like Avaritia, maybe...swindled, or oppressed with financial power...?....that's another avenue to pursue.

When the Specter gives him a moment, he has just one question: "Are there reasons to suspect something might be out of order?"

Avaritia Arrival Log

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