happilyeverbeginning | he's down on his luck / he's down on his knees (scrooge x poe)

This hadn't been the best plan, but for Poe De Spell, it was the only plan he had. He'd lost track of how long it'd been since that fateful day he ran away in the middle of the night, in a desperate escape to get away from his parent's clutches. The arranged marriage had been the straw that broke the camel's back.

What a sight he must be now, he mused. The high-class fashion he was once so proud of was basically in tatters. He had long since run out of the money he could use - he didn't bring his credit cards, that would have made for easy tracking. Anything he had managed to take had now been sold just so he could eat and maybe find a roof to sleep under, but even that wasn't made to be forever.

Where did one find work when your grades were bribed to As? Who did you trust, when his parents had a bounty on his head?

He did keep his phone, but it was off. If he turned it on, his parents would find him. But it was a last chance deal - if truly all else failed, he'd use it. He prayed it never came to that. Even if it meant selling the last thing he had - himself.

He sat on the side of the road, ignoring his stomach growling for the umpteenth time, eyes distant and not really staring at anything.

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At this rate, they were going to go like this forever in circles. So, with a sigh, Poe finally just shut up and followed Scrooge inside.

Scrooge led the way in and proceeded to talk with the friendly if slightly bored woman there. It was all business, introducing themselves and so on.

"Do you two have resumes?" she asked.

"I have one, but he's going to need a little help putting his together," Scrooge said, gesturing to Poe.

"All right then. Why don't I get you set up to put you into the system and I'll help your friend?"

Instantly, Poe flipped to his "performance" persona - a charming smile, an easy demeanor, harmless body language.

"Of course, we'll be grateful for all the help you can give." Poe said calmly, as if they hadn't been going on and on about the dread of failure. "I will definitely need more than he does, but I'm looking forward to the tricks up your sleeve."

The woman giggled. "I'll be happy to help, sir!"

Scrooge cast Poe a smug look before sitting down in front of the computer she indicated to input his resume.

Poe was so used to manipulating everyone in the room that he didn't really see it as talent - more like survival. But now he also had to make sure Scrooge survived too.

So as Scrooge entered himself into the system, Poe made "casual" conversation with the receptionist, peppered in a little light flirting, and gently enthused about Scrooge's better qualities, such as his perseverance and determination. If he could get this woman to gush about the "two hot guys" to others, word would spread, interest would rise... one won a good game of chess by making the best use of the pawns.

The receptionist asked questions about Poe as well, offering suggestions for what his skills could be put down as. The entire time she listened to Poe with rapt attention, idly playing with her hair.

Trying to take a lesson from Scrooge, Poe listed off what "skills" he had... but wrapped them in enough loopholes to come off as authentic. Not straight up lies, but the truth was probably stretched to its limits in several places.

Anytime it seemed she could have been skeptical or ready to push for a detail he couldn't give, Poe was easily able to cut her off with a compliment about her hair or asking her advice about things he already knew about, just to make her feel better.

And after about an hour...

"All right! Why don't you look it over while I check on your friend?"

And Poe would probably be startled to see a legitimate resume all nice and neatly-laid out.

"If you insist on leaving me all by my lonesome..." A little tease, before checking out her work.

Hm. Hm! It did seem professional... of course, what did he? He wasn't sure what these things were supposed to say. Right now, he'd just have to put his faith in it.

If nothing else, Scrooge could definitely look over it later.

Scrooge was managing just fine and he followed the receptionist back to Poe.

"I'll print you out a copy of your resume and give you a call within the next day or two for if we have something open that fits your skillset," the woman said cheerfully.

"My utmost thanks, but then, I imagine you're under a mountain of gratitude every single day... I can only hope my appreciation doesn't feel tedious." A little chuckle.

"Shall we be on, Scrooge? I will be waiting for that phone call eagerly... be it for work, or, otherwise." Oh ho ho ho.

The receptionist giggled, flipped her hair, and gave him a wave.

Scrooge followed Poe out though as soon as they were at the truck, he gave Poe the smuggest smirk he had, saying nothing.

Poe rolled his eyes. "I didn't realize 'schmoozing' was a talent, now shut up." He flicked Scrooge's beak.

"It's called 'communication'," Scrooge teased as he turned the key in the ignition.

"It's still not a guarantee anything worked out. Let's celebrate when I actually get a job." Poe clicked his tongue.

"I never said it would be," Scrooge said. "But you're the one who said you had no skills."

"... How long are you going to ride this?"

"Until you admit that I had a point," Scrooge said smugly.

Poe leaned back into his seat and nudged Scrooge with his foot with every word.

"You had a single, solitary, unitary, miniscule, tiny point."

"I'm still counting it as a win. Though perhaps I should've recorded it."

Scrooge pulled out of the parking lot. They'd have to find somewhere to park for a couple of days.

"And you called me insufferable." But then, that was one of the fun things about Scrooge that had pulled Poe and Magica towards him in their youth - he could give twice as much as he got.

"I never claimed I wasn't," Scrooge said.

"Ass." Poe closed his eyes, willing to take a little power nap.

Scrooge laughed as he continued searching for a long-term parking lot. The last thing they needed was to be arrested for loitering somewhere they shouldn't.

Poe left that up to Scrooge - he didn't even know that was something one could get arrested for. He'd probably have to learn a lot of things from Scrooge - and Scrooge wanting so little in return was baffling.

Poe decided, ultimately, it would be a long time before he ever understood Scrooge... if he ever did.

he's down on his luck / he's down on his knees (scrooge x poe)

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