if he knew what I knew

[ RING RING ]

From:

This is Pepper.

From:

Hey, Pepper, this is Tim. Tim Wayne.

[ooc: I have no idea if Tim knows that Pepper knows their secret, did we ever decide that?]

From:

Hi, Tim. Long time no see. How're you doing?

[ ooc: unless Bruce told him, he probably doesn't know. You'd have to ask Steve! ]

From:

I'm all right. How bout you?

[ooc: for purposes of this call, he does not yet know, then. :x ]

From:

Oh, you know. Same old, same old. Bracing for whatever loop the universe throws next. If there's one thing I can say about this place, it's that it's rarely boring.

From:

I heard you quit. I don't know what happened, you don't have to tell me. But I...kind of have a favor to ask.

From:

It's complicated.

[ after a pause, she says: ]

You got it, kiddo. Tell me what you need.

From:

Long as you don't judge me by whatever he did to piss you off. I know how he can be.

[ There's a pause here, too. ]

I was wondering if you still had any access to the finance files - past ones - of the company. I know that's a weird request, huh? But back home I was acting CEO for awhile. I just haven't had a chance to ask him for it.

[ Another pause. He knows what this sounds like. ]

I'm...trying to keep the way I spend my, um, allowance a secret. Burying the expense record would be the easiest way to accomplish this.

[ More trips dad wouldn't approve of, yeah! ]

From:

[ she's silent for a long stretch after that, trying to think of a way to phrase this without seeming suspect. ]

I can't do that. I quit because I had some personal differences with the way your father handles information. He's very set in his ways, and with---[ another pause. ]---with reason. I can't hide information from him, not in good faith. I respect what he does too much to do that.

You're going to have to figure out how to keep your moonlighting a little more secret from him yourself.

From:

[ He sounds a little amused. ]

The way he handles information, huh? I bet that's quite a story, if you came to that conclusion.

Stay in touch, okay?

From:

Let's just say that I'm a little too good at sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. Part and parcel of being the ex-secretary of a superhero, I guess.

I will. You take care of yourself.

From:

I knew you were a smart lady, Pepper.

Gonna miss you.

From:

Smart and nosy are different things, but I'll take the compliment.

Hey, don't sound too depressed. I'm not going anywhere. You can always stop by and we can make awkward small talk about missing Jersey.

From:

Nah, not always. I'm pretty nosy too.

I might have to take you up on that, actually.

[ To see what you know, hurrhurr. ]

From:

You don't say.

[ oh bb, she has you batfolks figured out ]

My door's always open.

From:

Can't help it.

[ ooc: Could we log this at some point, actually? AFTER I CATCH YOU ON AIM. ]

From:

Neither can I. It'll get you in trouble someday, but you'll never be bored.

[ ooc: OF COURSE. I will be on AIM most of tonight and tomorrow; ignore my away message if it's up ]

From:

[RING RING]

[OH LOOK This time it actually says it's Bruce Wayne on the line.]

From:

Good morning, Mr. Wayne.

From:

Ms. Potts. It is Miss Potts, isn't it? Memory loss. It makes things awkward, doesn't it? You'll have to excuse me if I step on your toes.

From:

Yes, sir. Ms. Potts. My divorce was finalized months before I was dragged here, so if someone from my world calls me Mrs. Hogan, they're out of the loop.

It's fine. And really, you can call me Pepper.

From:

Then, Pepper, I'll have to insist you call me Bruce. No need for that kind of formality. After all, I'm not exactly your boss anymore.

Anyhow. I'm in the neighborhood today, and I know you're a terribly busy woman, but is there a way you could work me in for that meeting sometime soon?

Also, ah. I was wondering if I could drop off my resume. If you have the charity to offer a position to a destitute and confused new import. One catch: I'm bad at 9-5 office work. I'm just not a morning person.

[His tone is so light, so different from Batman's growl that it's easy to see how most people failed to guess at Mr. Wayne's dark secret. Maybe it's just that he's in public. There's faint noise in the background. Traffic, maybe.]

From:

Mr. Wa--- [ she catches herself, just barely. ] Bruce. I think that it's ridiculous that you're asking for a job at your own company, but I'll humor you. I don't need your resume, since I'm pretty familiar with your work already. In fact, I have a position open for you that I've had a hell of a time filling. The hours are flexible, but they're mostly at night. You'll be doing a lot of networking with people in the Seattle area---I've been keeping tabs on several groups that could benefit from meetings with you.

My lunch hour is yours.

From:

I might be just the man for the job. Maybe you can fill me in on those groups you'd like me to touch base with while we're at it.

I'll see you then.

[[Damn you, you had me lol'ing at work. Er. Log? I'd have hashed out more with you on AIM, but I ~~forgot my password so I can't connect at work~~ haven't been around much.]]

From:

Of course. And since you're new in town, lunch will be on me. I'll text you the directions once I've made reservations.

[ 8D Sure! I would love to. Would you like to start the log, or shall I? ]

From:

I'll be waiting anxiously.

[ooc: Could you start, since Pepper's picking the venue?]

From:

[ bam! (http://community.livejournal.com/posthumanslogs/263467.html) ]

From:

[ RING RING RING ]

From:

Hello?

From:

Hey, Pepper, it's Tim.

I had...a question about something Mr. Stark was doing for me. I don't really know who else to ask about it, other than maybe Hank Pym, but I don't know how much they talked.

Uh, anyway, he was working on building something for me. Do you know anything about where that would be located, or if there's a way for me to access it? It was kind of important.

From:

That's...a very good question. The business aspect of his life was liquidated, and Tony's not the type to leave anything of his lying around where someone might find it. If it's sensitive material, it's either gone or locked up tight wherever he was working.

[ there's a pause, then a sigh. ]

I'm almost a hundred percent sure that I would have the overrides to any security he had set up.

From:

I didn't know him really well, but I'd bet quite a bit that it's not just lying around somewhere, and wasn't with anything that was liquidated.

You think you could pull yourself away from being CEO long enough for a trip to Manhattan?

From:

As soon as I get Bruce on his feet and caught up, I'll squeeze in some time for a cross-country trip.

But. You have to tell me what this is all about.

[ PEPPER POTTS: NOSIEST SECRETARY EVER. ]

From:

[ HE IS SO NOT EVEN SURPRISED. ]

Yeah, I'll tell you. Face to face is safer, in this instance.

Thanks, Pepper.

From:

carcinology.livejournal.com

[Ring! Karkat has been given your contact information via a one Tim Wayne. He is willing to leave a voice mail if you don't actually answer. :O]

From:

carcinology.livejournal.com

[There's silence on the line for a second or two before he clears his throat and leaves Pepper a message (this message can be assumed to be left days/weeks after the initial phone call, since it took me forever to actually post this, derp.).]

Ms. Potts, my name is Karkat Vantas and I've been referred to your contact by a Tim Wayne, who suggested I come to you for employment opportunities. I have prior security experience via the Seattle Police Department in... Seattle that isn't here. Give me a ring at your convenience at [phone number hurr (http://carcinology.livejournal.com/1086.html)].

...Thanks.

Edited Date: 2011-05-05 07:58 am (UTC)

From:

[ ring ring ring, pretend you got this forever ago ]

From:

carcinology.livejournal.com

[He probably picks up on the second ring.] Hello?

From: