Innie Turmoil (Severance, m, Mark)

[Prongs]

Good morning, I recently finished Severance and it was freaking brilliant. I, being who I am as a person, got a crush on Mark and have no shame in the fact that I wanted to see him sneeze. This was just something that came to me as a problem that the refiners might face, not knowing a lot about themselves outside of work. Sorry for the corny title. For backstory for anyone unfamiliar, Severance is about a company that makes it so you have no idea who you are outside of work as soon as you get there, and when you leave work, you have no idea what you just did at work all day. Innie = work self, outie = self outside of work. Not bellybuttons, k? K.

I haven't written in years, so this was fun! ice_cream_though this is for you

 

Ding.

Helly looked up from the pot of coffee that she had just started to glance at the elevator to see which one of her coworkers had arrived only a few moments after herself. It was Mark, clean-shaven and dressed in his usual gray suit and striped tie. He stepped out of the elevator, nodded in her direction and gave her a small smile.

"Good morning, Helly," he said, heading to his cubicle to drop off his briefcase and work badge.

"Morning," she replied neutrally, but smiled back to keep up appearances.

She liked Mark well enough, hell, he was the only person in this place that she could tell almost saw through the facade. But it was no secret she was uncertain about her job, and Mark was the department head, so naturally, she had some difficulty deciphering her feelings about one from the other.

She tried to gain some pep in her step as she made her way to the cabinet where the mugs were kept and began to make Mark a cup of coffee too. If she was going to survive at this job, she figured she'd better make nice with her coworkers.

Mark headed over to the cabinet out of habit before noticing Helly, holding two steaming mugs of coffee, one for each of them. 

"Oh, thank you Helly, you didn't have to do that," Mark said gratefully, accepting the mug that was his.

"I wanted to," Helly replied, feigning surprise at his gratitude. It wasn't his fault that she was there, at work. It was her own.

Well, her outie's, but still. She didn't want to take out her frustration on him.

"Well, I appreciate it," he assured with warmth in his voice, and looked like he was going to say more, but then he paused, wrinkling his nose.

Helly watched as Mark pressed the back of his wrist firmly to his nose for a moment, waited a beat, then gave a small ticklish cough. He then lowered his wrist, blinking thrice before apologizing.

"Whew, sorry. I thought I was going to sneeze there for a second. Lost it," he chuckled, straightening his tie with his free hand. Helly didn't know how to reply to that, so she just smiled sympathetically and nodded in understanding. 

Another ding from the elevator signaled that Irving was next to arrive ("Hello, kids. Did I miss anything interesting?"), followed a minute later by Dylan. Helly observed, sipping her coffee and making no comment as Mark greeted them, checked his watch, and headed back to his desk when he noticed the time. She did the same.

"Haven't seen that tie before," Irving remarked to Dylan as they both strode over to get coffee.

"Neither have I! I'd like to think it came from my wife or girlfriend. My speculation is, my birthday was supposedly over the weekend. Why would my outie get himself a tie for his birthday? I don't know what my finances are like, but I'd like to think I'm more of a 'get myself a tropical vacation for my birthday' kinda guy out there," Dylan looked off into the distance, daydreaming.

"And how would you even know if you had?" Helly piped up from her desk. Perhaps if she stirred the pot a little everyone else would realize how ludicrous this place is. 

"I'd...um..." he snapped out of his daydream, taken aback.

"He'd come in looking rather tan. You'd know," Irving defended, giving Dylan a reassuring look. Helly rolled her eyes.

As was the routine so far in her first couple weeks of working at Lumon, Mark would wait until everyone had booted up their computers and then give the macrodata refiners an update on where they were in regards to meeting quota and go over their daily tasks.

He stood at his desk, visible over the cubicle dividers.

"We're starting on a new file today. Everyone should be able to access it now. I stayed late yesterday and updated everyone's software. Does anyone have any questions?"

Helly slowly raised her hand. "I've only worked on two files, and each time I've had to open a new one, someone has done it for me. Can you show me how to do it myself?"

"Of course, Helly, I'm sorry. I meant to do that last time. Everyone else good?" Mark asked the room. Receiving no answer except for the sound of clicking keyboards, he moved around the divider between his desk and Helly's.

"May I?" he asked, leaning in.

She nodded and he grabbed her mouse, dragging it across the screen, clicking a series of files until he found the one he was looking for, narrating his actions.

"So, first we go to the macrodata document storage file, then scroll all the way down, that's where the new uploads will show up. But you have to click on it and enter your username and password and answer your two security questions before it'll let you in," he explained, running a finger that wasn't holding the mouse under his nose lightly.

"That seems excessive," the redhead quipped.

Mark "shrugged. "It's protocol."

"And just to confirm, I save my progress on this file the same way I did the other two?"

When she didn't receive a response after a moment, she tore her eyes from the screen she had been concentrating on so intently to look up at her boss, just in time to witness him catch two powerful sneezes in the crook of his arm, doubling over with the force.

"Hh...heh'DTchu! Hih-IH'TCHIEW!" A sniffle, a nose rub.

"Bless you."

"Thank you," he sniffed, chuckling. "I guess I found the one I lost earlier," the man straightened, scrubbing at his nose irritatedly to quell the itch, but a sneezy expression remained on his face. He turned his back to Helly and attempted to control his nose by stifling the next string of sneezes.

"H'ngxht! H'ngxt! Hih'tschoo!"

"And then some," Helly remarked. Mark attempted to recover from the expulsions, only nodding in response, still looking uncomfortable.

"To answer your question, yes, you save it the samewahh...sameway, excusemeh'TCHZu!" Mark sneezed again, sniffling liquidly in the aftermath.

"Gesundheit, Mark," Irving peered around his cubicle holding a box of tissues.

Unable to answer, Mark plucked two from the box and tented them over his nose. His brow furrowed up and together, eyes shut tightly, head tilted back in anticipation. His breath hitched once, twice, before he was tossed forward with the force of three more sneezes.

"Hh...hiih'EESCHooh! Huh..! Huh'tzschooh! Huh'eETSCHhuh!" 

The refiners at their desks abandoned their work in favor of observing as Mark turned away from his coworkers and gave a lengthy and productive nose blow. He wasn't shy about it, but the ones who knew him best suspected he was holding back from being too loud. He sniffed experimentally, dazed, then tossed the used tissues away in the trash can under his desk.

"Bless you...are you okay?" Helly looked up at her boss with concern.

"Umb...yeah, I thindk so? I dond't feel sick, just really sndeezy all of a sudden," he replied with a sniffle. He grabbed the box of tissues, nodding his thanks to Irving, and reached for two more preemptively, sensing he wasn't done.

"They wouldn't have let you in like that this morning, would they?" Dylan asked.

"No," Irving answered, "they do a very thorough inspection on all of us before we come in every day. I don't think we're allowed in if we sound like...well, that."

Mark scrubbed at his nose furiously with the tissues, clearly still battling whatever it was that was irritating his nose, which was now pink and extremely runny. He held the tissues in place over his mouth and nose as he tried to explain further. He sighed, looking confused.

"I cadn't speak for mby outie, but I was fide whend I got here," he spoke in a level voice, breathing through his mouth so as not to trigger another sneeze or several.

"Mm, you were a little itchy, Mark," Helly reminded him. "You thought you had to sneeze but didn't?"

Mark pondered this, sniffling.

"You're right. Mbaybe I amb sick...I just dodn't recall it ever cobing ond so suddendly before," he said, before his eyes fluttered shut once again. He gasped, pitching forward into his steepled hands, still holding the tissues.

"Hh'GTCHshu! Heh'ITSZCHshu! Fuuh...uhH'TXSchoo! HEP'TSCHSHOO!! Fugck," he panted, sniffling miserably into the now soiled tissues, congestion causing him to cough ticklishly. 

"Perhaps you have an allergy? I'm allergic to shellfish and tree pollen." Irving offered as an alternative explanation.

"To what?" Mark asked, genuinely curious, before blowing his nose heartily.

As the men pondered this and started spouting off suggestions, Helly came to a realization. Her eyes widened suddenly. She lifted her shirt collar and gave it a sniff. She decided to test out her theory.

"Um, Mark? I'm sorry, but can you come look at this?" She gestured vaguely to her screen.

Mark, ever one to help others before himself, exchanged his used tissues for a fresh one and moved a bit closer to Helly, leaning close enough to see her screen, though trying to shield her from his germs by keeping the tissue pressed firmly to his face. However, one breath in and his face crumpled, and he began gearing up for another round of sneezes.

"Hh'TGHshoo! H'XTschoo! H'xgstshch! Hh...Hei'ITSCHOOH!" 

"I think I'm wearing a new perfume," Helly blurted out, apologetically.

Realization dawned on everyone; Mark had only started sneezing when he was near Helly.

"Do you thidnk you could go wash it off?" Mark managed from behind his handful of tissues with only a hint of impatience given the situation. He snuffled into them not wanting to blow his nose and set himself off again.

"Of course, I'm so sorry," Helly stood and headed for the bathroom.

"It's dnot your fault," he called after her, sniffling again. He stood there for a moment tending to his nose, then decided to head to the restroom as well to splash some water on his face.

They both emerged five minutes later within moments of each other. Mark was blowing his nose to relieve the remaining congestion. Helly looked at him with sad eyes. Before he could say anything, she was apologizing again.

"I'm sorry Mark. I didn't know you were allerg-wait a minute...even if I know now, how will I...how the fuck am I supposed to make sure my outie doesn't wear that perfume again?!" She mentally cursed her outie (herself?) and Lumon for making this situation possible in the first place.

Mark chuckled softly, coughing lightly into his elbow.

"Hey, it's okay. I didn't know either. Up until recently, it was just me, Irving, Dylan and Petey down here. Not much in the way of contact with people who would wear perfume, Ms. Cobel doesn't strike me as the type," he gave her a smile, reassuring her that he was okay.

Helly laughed. "Yeah, I don't see it. But seriously, how do I make sure I don't come to work wearing that again? You'd be miserable."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

They finished out their work day, which was uneventful, but they were grateful for it. Mark made a call to upstairs. When it was time to clock out, they staggered their exits so they wouldn't bump into each other outside of work.

Helly rode up the elevator, regaining memory of who she was but losing memory of all that had happened at work that day. When she arrived home, there was a note from Lumon taped to her door. She unfolded it and saw nothing but the words, "NO PERFUME TO WORK."

She vaguely wondered what had happened for them to have sent her this note, but it didn't matter.

The work was mysterious and important. So she did as she was told.

[Lady Blessington]

Oh my goodnessssss 🤓😭👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💖💜💕

Okay I think my fave move you do is the detailed descriptions of Pre Sneeze Mark, like Helly watching his breathing change and the way he touches his nose, and then later him tenting the new tissues over his face and just waiting. 
 

I love Dylan’s elaborate theory about his new tie (sooo Dylan), and the “wait how do I not wear this perfume again” obstacle. Also Irving sharing his tissues, and Mark’s sneezing fit becoming an Event that stops all work lolol 🌈🌈🌈

Thanks man! I love it!

[jem]

Severance is such a good show and I’m so happy you wrote a fic about it!! This is a fantastic story! Your descriptions and interactions between the characters are perfect ! Thank you so much for sharing :)) 

[Prongs]

On 7/29/2022 at 4:39 PM, ice_cream_though said:

Oh my goodnessssss 🤓😭👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💖💜💕

Okay I think my fave move you do is the detailed descriptions of Pre Sneeze Mark, like Helly watching his breathing change and the way he touches his nose, and then later him tenting the new tissues over his face and just waiting. 
 

I love Dylan’s elaborate theory about his new tie (sooo Dylan), and the “wait how do I not wear this perfume again” obstacle. Also Irving sharing his tissues, and Mark’s sneezing fit becoming an Event that stops all work lolol 🌈🌈🌈

Thanks man! I love it!

10 hours ago, jem said:

Severance is such a good show and I’m so happy you wrote a fic about it!! This is a fantastic story! Your descriptions and interactions between the characters are perfect ! Thank you so much for sharing :)) 

AAAAH thank y’all! I was so nervous to share! I just think this show is a freaking masterpiece and the characters are gold. So glad you enjoyed it! 😁