ABSOLUTION.

Aditya Singh RATHORE SENIOR MANAGEMENT

[consumnate]

blonde bombshell.

“Dang, sounds like you’ve had a couple of eventful years.”

The wisdom comment garnered a laugh from Bruce, his fingers grazing against the beard he was sporting – he’d given up on daily shaving with some of the more recent stressors of the job and took to maintaining a beard instead. He’d eventually have to shave most of it off if he was called into a press conference where he’d be expected to be in full dress blues, but for now it was staying put. 

“Maybe not a lot of wisdom, but no one is really willing to fight me on having facial hair right now,” he mused, chuckling. “Definitely still STRATCOM. Got reassigned and nominated last year – as Admiral.”

He set his hands against his hips, head tipping up to better bridge their height difference. Aditya was built like a brick house, still. Bruce certainly hadn’t let a less field-active role cut into him keeping up his physique but he would never become that solid. 

Or tall. 

“I see the MARCOS training habits don’t stop even when you leave. I might’ve rose up in ranks but I still feel woefully small next t’you – what sort of work are you in now?” 

“Admiral? Damn, sir, you outrank me now by a long shot. It will not stop me from being able to toss said admiral over my shoulders, though, no?” It was easy to fall into a friendly rapport with the other man, easy to fall back into familiarity as though they were still part of that world together -- old habits die hard, as they say. He could be a subtle man, were he so inclined; in this situation however, outside of the professional environment, Aditya was sure the two of them could relax. For once. 

“You know us, once a MARCO, always a MARCO -- I work as a part of the IT sector and upper management now, however, for Umbrella II. Certain old skills come in handy, and Dr. Alex has been very kind and accommodating to me as my superior.” Unbeknownst to the former commando, he was only spreading the web of intrigue further by mentioning the organization and that particular name. It was all on public record, but still... 

“If you’re off duty for the day, maybe you would like to grab a drink and play catch up?”

[consumnate]

“Sir.” Immediately standing at attention, he offered a crisp salute -- the highest tier of the structure performing inspection personally was rare, however, the action definitely possessed significance behind it. Commander Wesker would not go out of his way otherwise, as everything he did was precise and methodical and his reputation preceded him greatly. For the elder male to pass by Aditya’s sector -- and Dr. Alex’s -- must mean he had matters of import to discuss. 

@brillentyrann

[ohyesjohnabraham]

[consumnate]

[ MA’AM ]

Ah, that voice!

Whilst Alex had been in the midst a brief round of her the division, as she was in wont of observing the staff, hearing that as she passed by certainly brought her svelte form entirely to a halt. Directly in front of his work-space. Her form swayed, to favor one leg to balance whilst she raised her notebook, sharply crossing off one line from her order of business for the day.

“One thing down, so much more still to do,” she quietly mused as she snapped the notebook shut, transferring it to her less dominant hand. The corners of her lips twitched into a smile. “Well, I must say that it’s a pleasant surprise to see just how efficient, dedicated you are to both your work and, the company. Particularly as it isn’t as though you were married to it, but you do still seem to be giving it your all. However with that said… you look a bit tired, if you haven’t taken some time to rest then you probably should, Adi.”

“Oh,” she uttered with the slightest click of her tongue. The tone of her voice was undeniably mischievous. Alex rested slightly on the corner of his desk, before her hand sought the side of him closest to her, and her slender fingers curled over what she could grasp of his upper arm. She idled for the briefest of moments, before giving a gentle stroke as she finally released her grasp. “I just realized that I never asked if it was fine to call you that. Perhaps it’s a little too familiar; do you think you can forgive me for being… presumptuous?”

“I don’t mind, ma’am. You’re an intelligent woman and I trust your judgment.” He responded, well aware of his status as the favorite among her team, directly reporting to her at all times -- her personal treatment of him in turn was a further indication of that fact, the gentle grasp she applied to his sleeve one that he believed showcased her faith in him to do what was right. The complexities they worked with regularly required dedication and patience, both of which he had in spades. For a machine to work properly, all of its cogs must function properly, well-oiled and at peak performance. He would never let her down, nor would he let the establishment down. It had become a place he could call home since leaving the MCF.

“Rest can wait for me. Corporate affairs are more of a cakewalk than anything compared to what I had to deal with in the force -- I can make do with another mug of coffee until it’s time to retire for the night.” 

He made to grab a recyclable cup sitting off to the side, one of many piled up next to the coffee machine, only to fill it up with warm hazelnut brew. Truth be told, that was one of the finest perks of working for the company. Their coffee was neither cheap, nor ineffective -- definitely something he could appreciate, given his state of perpetual exhaustion. It wasn’t so much physical so much as it was mental, but something told him she could understand that. Despite her refined style of dress and wealthy status, there was more to her than meets the eye. Call it a intuition that led to curiosity, but he was determined to some day unravel just what it was that made his boss stand out the way she did.

[tera-hero-idhar-hai]

[bollywoodeditorial]

[meena-kumarii]

John Abraham

[consumnate]

[ blonde bombshell ] 

Well shit. 

The warm bass of the other man’s voice jolted Bruce’s memories into full overdrive. When he’d been made Captain as part of his (semi) hostile take over of STRATCOM. He’d been one of the major players in the 2005 Malabar joint exercise, where he’d struck up a friendly rivalry with his opposing commander: Rathore. 

He extended an arm with his hand out in greeting, his grin broad and boyish despite his age. “As I live and breathe, is that you AD? It’s been a decade.” 

Okay, maybe a bit longer, but the point still stood: it’d been ages. He was an Admiral now, the days of unified training exercises long gone for him, and yet despite it all Aditya’s path had crossed with his once more. 

Bruce kept his grip firm and friendly when the other man shook with him, his smile broadening even more. 

“You still rolling with the MARCOS these days, or have you found a higher calling that’s brought you to my shores for once?”

Being one of the sailors present on the INS Viraat during Malabar had been an honor. She was a magnificent ship, the flagship of the Indian navy at the time, and to be the commanding officer present on her vessel had been an experience in of itself. However, paying witness to the Americans’ gargantuan supercarrier, the USS Nimitz, had definitely added to the overall experience of the joint exercise. He had to hand it to the US where it counted -- in terms of military technology and resources, no other country was ahead of them. It inspired both envy and fear in the enemy, but for what technology the MARCOS lacked, they made up for in true grit. Meeting the American hero and working alongside him had only served to up his respect for the other country’s men. All the world had fine warriors, regardless of the side they chose to play for. 

“At your service.”

He shook Bruce’s hand in a professional manner despite their prior familiarity -- old habits die hard and as it were, he’d only just completed the work day and was still transitioning into a casual mindset. It didn’t take much observation to note that they’d both changed with time and age. if anything, Aditya enjoyed the change. Adaptability was important in the world they lived in.

“I retired from active duty a year after Malabar. My SSC had ended and I decided I wanted a change, so I got myself a couple of degrees, switched jobs a couple times -- now I live and work here. Guess you’re stuck with me, McGivern, it’s your lucky day.” He laughed.

“And what about you? The facial hair indicates wisdom -- stayed with STRATCOM yourself, or...?”

[consumnate]

“STRATCOM’s ‘Blonde Bombshell’, as I live and breathe.” The commander grinned -- a familiar face in a country he still hadn’t quite found his footing in was most definitely welcome. Years of training and conditioning along with personal memory recall allowed for him to recognize the other man by face, despite having only briefly interacted in person during 2005′s Malabar joint naval exercise, twelve whole years ago. Still, it had been at the peak of Aditya’s military career, just a year prior to his retirement and just a couple years after Bruce’s own overwhelming success story with the takedown of international bioterrorist Morpheus D. Duvall to boot. That brand of heroism -- and the face attached to it -- wasn’t one to be easily forgotten.

“It’s been a while, man. Never thought I’d run into you again.” 

@gunnshot

[consumnate]

“Ma’am. The files you requested are on your desk.” He resisted the urge to rub the exhaustion from his eyes ---- it was another late night at the office in a series of such and Aditya had yet to attain some rest. But of course, he would never complain. It was not in his nature to given his past occupation; as it stood, he’d done his homework and knew very well what he would be getting himself into joining the company in a state of infancy. There was much to do prior to the establishment officially opening to public trade. Proper work had to be put in to achieve something as visionary as the name of Umbrella, in the end, and he had made it his personal goal to be of assistance wherever possible.

@weskher