Keep Shmoovin

November 9, 2023

Cole appears in the base of the lighthouse while wearing his typical gas mask and gloves. He promptly heads up the metal spiral staircase. It's a lot more cold with a thin layer of fog trying to settle over the area. Cole sighs as he vaults over the railing and starts searching for any sign of Icarus.

The building for the lighthouse has its lights off and the door closed. The old bandages that were removed a week ago are still sitting by the steps. Icarus is nowhere in sight. Cole walks over to the building and knocks on the door. As he's knocking on the door, it gently opens as it was never fully closed to begin with. Inside he sees the entire living room is empty with wooden floors, cobwebs, and a thin layer of dust.

"Oh..." Cole enters carefully and checks around the building. The building has quite a bit of space and a broken gas fireplace. Based on the dust on the floor, it doesn't seem anyone has been here awhile.

Cole quickly leaves as he starts heading to a beach, "I know he was at a beach at some point."

The ground slopes down and he finds a treeline by some sandy shores that look out to a vast blue ocean that goes on forever. Icarus is sitting in the sand with his back against a large rock. He has his arms folded and his eyes closed.

"..." Cole stares at him for several seconds before shaking his head and clearing his throat, "Hey? I was curious about something if you don't mind me asking?"

Icarus jolts awake as he looks at Cole, "What? What do you want?" Icarus no longer has any bandages over his leg. He now wears his pants normally without one pants leg pulled up.

Cole mutters, "Oh, I didn't mean to wake you up... Uhm... do you have a place to live? Like a house or something?"

Icarus squints slightly at Cole, "Yeah?... Do you not?"

"I do, I do, but like... we've never connected to you when you're at a house?"

"You guys did once. Don't know what all you guys know about it. But I'm sure as hell not homeless."

Cole looks Icarus up and down, "...You've also been wearing the same outfit every time I've seen you."

Icarus grumbles, "I promise you, I have a home."

Cole nods, "Alright, alright, I was just gonna offer to buy you a house but if you don't want that I guess I'll go" Cole starts to slowly turn and walk away.

Icarus sits up, "Hold the fuck up. What kinda house are we talking?"

Cole turns back to him as he smiles slightly, "What kinda house do you want?"

"I wouldn't be one to turn down something bigger than what I got."

"What do you already have? An apartment?" Cole raises an eyebrow.

"A house."

"Do you mind if I look at it? Just so I know what I wanna give you is bigger?"

Icarcus gets up and dusts off his pants, "Fine but if you take anything, I'm taking your tongue with a knife in return."

Cole playfully rolls his eyes, "I won't steal anything," Cole lowers his volume, "If I end up stealing something it won't be something material."

Icarus starts to walk to the North East but glances over his shoulder at Cole, "What was that?"

Cole quickly speaks, "Nothing!" Cole starts following Icarus.

They head partway into the woods again before quickling coming across a small house by a road. It's one story with a trash can sitting out in the yard, and weeds taking over a broken fence. Icarus heads to the front door and digs into his pocket for a ring of keys. Cole takes note that it's a one story house as he follows Icarus up to the front door. Icarus fumbles some with the door and has to shove it open. He walks in and holds the door open.

Cole walks inside as he nods to Icarus, "Thank you."

The living room is cramped with a plastic lawn chair in front of a television. The kitchenette is just as small with a plug in stove top on the counter and a pile of junk mail. There's one door to his bedroom and another to the backyard. Cole starts to head to the backyard with a curious expression.

On opening the door he sees a black car parked next to the house. Icarus shuts the front door, "Yeah that just goes outside again. Been meaning to fix things up some but couldn't with that injury and all."

"..." Cole stares at the black car, trying to see if it's recognizable, "Uhuh, well what I have in mind for you is certainly bigger than this."

With the back of the car towards him he can see the trunk is scratched up with several dents and no longer closes. Its license plate is missing. Just like the car described from the police radio. Icarus continues, "Well you aren't going to find any extra rooms out there."

"...Icarus" Cole slowly looks over at him with a concerned look.

Icarus folds his arms, "...Yeah?"

"Why do you have a dented and possibly stolen car in your backyard?" Cole still looks concerned.

Icarus avoids eye contact, "Stolen? That's my fucking car and no one else's. It's someone else who stole it and got it all beat to shit."

"Who stole it?" Cole raises an eyebrow, "And why would they beat it to hell?"

"Ask them. I'm not the one who stole it," He grumbles some and goes to sit on the lawn chair.

Cole sighs, "Fair enough" Cole closes his right eye as he searches for houses on sale in the area. As he searches he quickly notices there's a shortage of housing available. He does however find the listing for the lighthouse. It's expensive but manageable. It seems no one wants to live that far in the woods.

Icarus tilts his head some at Cole closing one eye.

Cole shrugs as he buys the lighthouse, then realizes that he probably looks weird as he opens his right eye, "...I bought the house"

"Was that why you gave me the wink of the century?"

"...Maybe," Cole folds his arms as he looks down slightly, "I may or may not be a cyborg..." Cole quickly speaks up as he starts walking out, "Anyways!"

"Wait... you're a what?" Icarcus sounds confused.

Cole continues walking without an explanation, "So I'm assuming you're gonna need help moving all of this stuff?"

Icarus shrugs as he follows. They both stand in the front door, "I mean... depends how long I have and where I'm going?"

"Now I know this isn't exactly a great place buuutt, I bought you the lighthouse," Cole smiles slightly, "You should be entirely unbothered, no one's gonna steal your stuff and you get a tower to sun bathe on."

Cole glances past Icarus to see something by the door. Hanging there is a small picture frame of Morris, the elk, the bear, and Icarus at a bowling alley together. Cole stares at the picture before quickly looking back at Icarus who took a moment to think.

Icarus nods, "Alright. So. Is there any date I need to be there by?"

"Not really, though I can assist you with moving," Cole raises a hand and starts rapidly snapping his fingers without warning.

Icarus looks more confused at Cole's hand, "...Are you sure you're ok?"

"You'll see," Cole stops snapping after the twentieth snap.

Icarus huffs, "Ok. Whatever. I'll get to moving my things. You can go do whatever the hell humans do for fun."

Cole folds his arms as twenty guys walk up to the house. They each wear exoskeletons with their faces covered by gas masks and the hands are covered with thick rubber gloves. Each exoskeleton bears a small logo of a golden pickaxe embedded on the torso, pushed up into the right corner so it's very easy to miss. They begin to file into the house as Cole and Icarus step out of the way. Cole goes to stand on the sidewalk nearby with his arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. Icarus stares as the men begin grabbing his belongings and start walking in the direction of the lighthouse.

Icarcus looks alarmed but definitely not as surprised as any normal person should be. He heads to the sidewalk by Cole while rubbernecking at the group, "Oh this is- this is happening now? Like right now?"

"Yup, don't worry those guys are with me," Cole keeps his smug smile.

A slight face of worry fills Icarus's face as he watches. His hand nervously fidgets. One of the guys passes by Cole and whispers that the bedroom smells like fruit, Cole looks confused at why he got told this information. Cole looks over at Icarus and notices the fidgeting, "You look worried, you doing alright over there?"

"I'm alright. Just didn't think I would be back to something like this so soon." His eyes stay glued on watching the items being moved.

"I mean at least where you're going, you don't have to worry about thieves or random people bothering you," Cole notices his eyes being glued to the items, "Don't worry, they aren't gonna steal anything and if anything is missing at all I'll make sure they get a stern talking to." A few of the guys hear Cole say that and start working slightly faster, as if scared of the stern talking to.

"Right... and what exactly are they wearing? I've never seen a moving company cover their employees with metal."

"Exoskeleton suits, they increase the lifting abilities of the average person by using hydraulics," Cole gestures to one of them who is easily lifting a solid wood dresser that would cause a normal person to struggle.

"And what exactly is your job?" Icarus looks over at Cole with a hint of curiosity.

"Tell everyone what to do, I own the company," Cole smiles at Icarus, it's less smug and more genuine.

"And that company doooeesssss what exactly?"

"....Move things... It's a moving company," Cole doesn't seem very sure about the answer.

Icarus doesn't seem convinced at all as his expression turns a bit disappointed. He resumes watching things be moved. Cole rocks on his heels as he watches them move things. Another one of the guys walks up to Cole and whispers to him about the under side of the mattress being drenched in dried blood. Cole nods and continues rocking on his heels while glancing at Icarus occasionally.

Icarus speaks up again, "So... how do you have enough money for all of that?"

"I'm pretty good at managing expenses as well as contracting out my exoskeletons to other companies," Cole nods slowly.

Icarus faces Cole directly and his tone becomes bitter, "Other moving companies? The other moving companies I've worked at. The other moving companies that are going under because no one is moving anywhere. The same moving companies that have to cut so many corners to make ends meet that their workers and families are left to die in the cold if they can't get a new job? Those moving companies?"

"..." Cole realizes that he might have slightly fucked up, "My company does things other then moving..."

Icarus continues to glare at Cole, "So you lied about the other moving companies?"

Cole sighs heavily, "Yeah....I did, I don't own a moving company. The only reason why I said that is so that you wouldn't freak out."

Icarus looks away and sighs, he sounds more disappointed again, "Well the good news is I'm used to that kind of work so you won't have to worry about inexperience."

"...I think we are on two separate pages here," Cole continues rocking on his heels as he continues to look more and more nervous.

Icarus grumbles, "Doubt it. You walk up, fix my leg, give me a new house, and claim to own some company and surround everything in lies. I've done this dance before and it's nothing new. You can drop the act."

Cole sighs and finally speaks the truth, "I own a weapons manufacturing company, these exoskeletons are built for combat." Cole looks down slightly.

Icarus sighs as well, "So when's the first contract?"

Cole looks back up at Icarus, "I....I'm not hiring you?? I don't need more employees"

Icarus looks over at him as well and lightly shakes his head, "...Uhm... You're not going to hire me? I assume you found me from my job experience."

"No...no I didn't...." Cole looks confused, "How many times have you been forcefully hired?!"

Icarus puts his arms down to his sides as it starts to click, "You mean you didn't already know about me?"

"No??? I heard your leg was fucked up and I wanted to help you?!?" Cole looks even more confused.

Icarus blinks some and looks away. He folds his arms again and talks a lot quieter, "...nevermind. Not important."

"I'm? Concerned...I don't wanna pry into your private life but... are you okay? Do you wanna talk about it? I'm not gonna judge you or anything" By now the guys have finished moving everything and are standing back at the lighthouse.

Icarus grumbles something to himself before speaking up, "I'm just used to being moved around for jobs..." he mumbles a bit as he goes to scratch the back of his head, "Particularly hits..."

Cole surprisingly nods in understanding, "I get it, and not in the way of being empathetic like....I've also been in the whole hit business. Fortunately I got away from those people, so I'm not doing that kinda shit anymore."

Icarus tilts his head, "So what's your goal in dealing with me?"

Cole stares at Icarus as he thinks, "...I just like you man, I don't see why I would need a goal?"

Icarus scoffs, "A bit gay man."

Cole quickly stammers, "L-like a friend..." Cole looks embarrassed.

Icarus laughs some, "Oh yeah? And how many of your friends have you done this for?"

"Uhhhhh like 2 or 3 people" Cole still looks fairly embarrassed.

Icarus is watching him with a bit of a sinister smile, "You'd think an owner of a big company wouldn't get embarrassed so easily at one comment."

Cole sighs and playfully rolls his eyes, "Okay well....not all CEO's are stone cold bastards."

"Yeah but all CEOs can keep it cool and collected while getting a comment from a friend," he emphasizes the word friend.

Cole stares at Icarus as he realizes he's getting backed into a corner, "Well...maybe that comment threw me off a little." Cole clears his throat as he struggles to hide his embarrassment.

Icarus isn't backing down, "Even so it doesn't change how strange all of this is. You say you only do this for friends and yet you've only done it for two or three people. If that's the case then how come you thought of me as a friend within a few days? Especially if you have so little friends that you only have two or three?"

Cole pauses as he thinks, "I'm just a friendly guy that doesn't really get out that often." Cole looks embarrassed again.

"And a friendly guy like yourself would have enough backbone to lead a company? There's a reason you're doing this and I know it's not just to be nice."

"I have backbone." Cole answers very quickly, "I...just wanted to help someone that was clearly in need of some medical assistance and a better house."

"If you were really looking for that you would be up in HazeBorough."

"And if I don't like HazeBorough?" Cole's head tilts slightly.

Icarus squints at Cole.

Cole sighs, "Look, I have been lying about my reasoning for helping you and I do have a different reason from what I'm saying. But I'll tell you that answer at a later date, because I want you to go get settled in your new house."

Icarus grumbles, "Whatever. " He starts to walk in the direction of the lighthouse. Cole waits until Icarus is out of sight as he disappears.