Fantasy Derika - Land of the Gifted [Open]

[always_confused]

[Ayesha]

Emma shakes her head, "Not at all! You'll just have to fill out the paperwork now."
The immigration officer neatly picks up a packet from a stack and hands it over to Ayesha.
"Let me know if you have any questions, and please tell me when you're done filling it out."


always_confused

Ayesha Nawaz

"Thank you." A quick and whispered thanks later, I found myself in the process of filling out my info. As dark as my thoughts were, somehow the process managed to forget all of that in place of an increasing amount of rage and annoyance at bureaucracy. The logical part of me said it was necessary. I agreed and promptly told that part of me to shut up, I wasn't in the mood for logic. Finally getting all the info done, I hand the packet back to the employee.

Thankfully, all my info is in order. That brings me to the next point, housing. Getting my own accommodations was out. I had no money on me and no job. But I still hesitated on going for the Immigration housing. It was a very generous offer, but to have a roommate...I didn't want to be around others, and I was pretty sure that the way I was, no one would want to be around me either. But ultimately, needs must. I opt for the Immigration housing and thankfully that's the end of the procedure.

Feeling hungry, I ask the employee if there are any eateries around. As luck would have it, the building has a cafeteria and on hearing I have no money or belongings to my name, they were generous enough to hand me a few notes for lunch. I thank the employee, with slightly more warmth than when I greeted them and make my way to the cafeteria.

 

[Yuki no Yue]

Spoiler: OOC

Thanks to Ryik for roleplaying with me.

Alexander Cyphre


The Gift Testing room was surprisingly simple. It was mostly occupied by playground-sized obstacle courses, targets and dummies to the right, with a few random objects scattered about the floor. On the far end was a man and a woman sitting behind a desk like a panel of judges, with a laptop on either side of them. Notably, right behind them was a wall with a window showing an identical setup of additional judges. To the left were what appeared to be a couple of guards, watching Alex like a hawk. The pair sitting on a desk in front of the wall finish jotting something down, possibly from the last test, before turning their attention towards Alex. The woman addresses him. “Hey there, what’s your Gift?”


It was more informal than I thought it would be. Well, to everyone their own, I guess.


“Uh… Sweet Creation. And manipulation.”


The woman leans back in her chair. “Ah, I haven’t had lunch yet…”


The man chimes in. “Professionalism.” He turns to Alex. “Could you make something edible for us to try?”


I was almost offended by that, but I managed to avoid to express it on my face.


“Any preference?”


“Something sweet please.” The woman says excitedly.


The man maintains a poker face. “I have no preferences.”


I wondered for a moment if they were trying to punk me, but I decided that it wasn’t my place to decide. I simply had to do what they asked me to do and go. Stepping up until the desk, I placed both of my hands on it, like I was cupping something on it, hiding it from view. Then I started bringing them up, slowly revealing what I was doing.


It was a base that looked like glass, but it was made of crystallized sugar. It slowly raised up into a large bowl, slowly shifting from clear to a deep, vibrant purple. After I concluded the base, I moved the hand over it like a magician doing a trick, filling it with a savoiardi biscuit base, already drenched in coffee, lightly dusted in powdered chocolate. Then, mascarpone cream, a pale yellow. Then again, biscuits and cream and biscuit and cream, until it was filed to the brim. I concluded with a dusting of chocolate powder, making it fall from the air like a magic trick.


Two sugar spoons appeared in front of the examiners.


“Tiramisu. Enjoy.”


The woman immediately digs in and moans in delight. The man follows suit with an uninterested face. It’s the man who speaks up first. “This is the greatest thing I have ever tasted in my life.”


“Thank you.” I nodded, the smile of a professional on my face, while I was giggling on the inside.


The man begins to cry tears of joy as he continues to eat the Tiramisu. He soon finishes his own and steals the woman’s. The woman gives him a surprised look. “I knew you loved Coffee, but jesus…”


“Oh. Well then.”


Again, I placed my hand on the desk and, after i removed it, a coffee cake was sitting there.


The man looks directly at Alexander through teary eyes. “I love you.”


“Thank you?”


The woman chimes in. “Professionalism.” She turns to Alex as the man stuffs his face uncontrollably. “Alright, now, what’s the weirdest, bitterest thing you can create? Something less than edible if you can make it.”


I was a bit surprised, but then I started to think. What was the least edible thing I could create? Then, it struck me.


“Vanillin. It’s technically considered a sweet, but it’s not edible per se. Or flour, I guess.”


The woman began jotting down notes as she continued. “What about non-sweets? Can you make them if they have enough sugar in them? What about plain bread?”


This went on for a while.


“...Alright, I think I’ve got everything. Alaina should have your Z-Watch and keys ready.”


“Thank you. Alaina is the one at the reception?”


“That’s right, the shadowy one in the cloak. Can’t miss her.” The man wordlessly rips off a piece of paper and hands it to Alex. It contains a phone number.


“I’ll… call you?”


The man blushes. Okay then.


I turned towards the reception, walking up to Alaina. The keys and Z-Watch were already on the desk, and Alaina gestures to them with her tree branch hands. “I see things went well.”


“Yeah. And I got a phone number already.” I chuckled at that, patting my pocket. After that I started taking the objects, starting with watch.


“I don’t know where… everything is. Do you have - or knows where I can get - a map?”


“Your Z-Watch has a GPS function. Is there somewhere in particular you wish to go?”


I jingled my keys, before pocketing them. “My room.”


“Ah, you’re in room 321. You can find that on the third floor.”


I nodded at that and turned, already fiddling with the watch. It was like a mini computer attached to your wrist. In the end I found the GPS function and saw that my room was already registered, so I simply pushed the button and started walking towards the portal for the Elemental Building. I was curious to see my new apartment.

 

[Computing Magus]

The boy has had done their fair share of deductions, and he's already returning the gesture. Non-resident? He could have easily said that he moved in with a relative, but the way he worded it and by how much Miyarkus judged his character to be the running type since their 7th grade, he doubts that was the case. But then, why the Mark? Only his enemies would call him that, usually followed with "-ing the target". Miyarkus doubts mathematics has a formula to help solve various people's names... or was that simply what the youngsters call new people these days? Like Miyarkus used to name everyone "Bob" or "Shirley" as long as they haven't said their name yet. Was that a thing? Oh well, Miyarkus got confused a bit and decided to drop that. He decided to reply.

"Interesting. Well, I'm not sure why that's a secret, but if you insist."

"... you're quirky though, I'll give you that. Not in a bad way, but you're... peculiar. Have you asked about to anyone else about you're homeless status? Best I can do for you is buy you a chocolate croissant; they're to die for!" Miyarkus said. This kid seems to know their humor, and these old bones still have a lot to crack, too. Miyarkus checks his Z-Watch once more for anything but again nothing catches his eye.

Remembrance

 

[Remembrance]

Elias Tahoma
Mark The Skeleton

Elias doubts Mark took his whole 'family name' and 'secret power' bit seriously, but he was sure playing along. Maybe if Elias was lucky enough, Mark could bring him out on a small bounty, not only could Elias get some experience doing odd-jobs which may lead to good paydays if he was lucky enough. That's for the future though, I have to think about the present and how to get Mark to let me into his organization or faction or whatever. I could even ask to put his name on my resume, maybe they'll accept a guy who is friends with a sentient skeleton. He thought about it for another moment. They'd probably be more or less intimidated by the skeleton than glad. Time will tell. Without much else to think about except how he'll survive on the road, he decided to reply after that whole debacle.

"I could never take something from someone else, it'd be rude plus a waste of money." God I wish I was a bad person, then I could actually take advantage of him and get something out of it, but no.. Just had to become the good kid. "And I wouldn't say I'm peculiar, I'd say that I'm more.." Elias started snapping his fingers, thinking of a word to use. The hunger of food was starting to give him bad thoughts, but he managed to get the word off the tip of his tongue. "Unconventional, more or more." Oh right!

"So about those good-paying bounties, do you think you could possibly bring me out on one, I could help you with it and we can split the payout." Elias had it all figured out, if Mark could bring him out on a bounty, something tough and worth his time, he could make some money and buy a small apartment (if he even could) and live on it for a good while until he would need to go on another one. "I mean, it can be anything, from saving a cat.. to... saving a cat. What kind of stuff do they even offer up here?"

Fake it till you make it Elias, sound like a professional, act like one, just don't dress as if your preparing for war.

Computing Magus

 

[Computing Magus]

"... investigating a case of a lot of lost cars was one of 'em (and I got junked up pretty badly). On the other hand, the whole island goes on emergency evacuation. Not really, but it could happen. House cleaning to detain certain carnivores is the simplest I've done. Just call for help from the nearest dude if Skitty was hanging up on a tree; they can either teleport you're cat down, or bring down the whole tree." Miyarkus said on whatever appeared on his thoughts. He kind of thought that he has been scaring them off, but he's not completely wrong either.

"But before any of that, you don't even live anywhere yet. I'm afraid the ETG while carp on my pretty skull if I bring you with me. Maybe not, but I'm still not going for it. I'm seriously sure you should think on Immigration Housing. You seem to want to do some jobs too though, so joining up with a faction is also good..." Miyarkus said, mostly to himself.

"Oh yeah. You did mention of being new here; do you even know what I'm talking about?" Miyarkus said. They decided to sit with him, so he'll make sure to be very much of an acquaintance with this dude. Miyarkus decides to stand up, slightly shifting his gear so his cloak doesn't look hypothetically suspicious.

"Y'know what, come with me... err... whatsyername?" Miyarkus said, head twisting completely 180°. He is already walking away from Bobert's Bread, beckoning the mathematician to follow suit. He decides to find something beneficial for 'em, as there really isn't anything to do. He's walked an old lady across a street before (despite them to nervously walk with a figure of pure spook), how can this be any different?

Remembrance

 

[Mattie]

[Abbey]

Gently massaging her tingling thighs—squished by her augmented dog, Judas, over the bus ride—Abbey slings her backpack over one shoulder and limps off the bus. After overhearing what the belabored police lady had to say, Abbey decided she’d join the Factions. While the description given sounded rather... disorganized, what they provided was too valuable to pass up.

Free food! Free housing! Having recently experienced the horrors of traveling alone with very little money as a sheltered 15 year old girl, Abbey had no interest in braving the streets again any time soon. She needed vast amounts of resources to get anything accomplished, at least initially, and utilizing Faction resources were her best bet. Confident that she could always leave the Factions after she’d found her balance and established a workshop of her own, Abbey follows a few newcomers to the Faction recruitment building.

The air inside the building was crisp, cool, and perfectly filtered to be odorless. The air literally gave off an air of professionalism and order that somewhat allayed Abbey’s fears. A receptionist briskly rattles off some questions before handing her an ID card and pointing her to another line at the back left of the room, where a small line had formed. She pushes down her increasing anxiety that she’d be limited--or worse, betrayed by the Factions once they saw her true value. Sensing his master’s worry, Judas nudges Abbey’s leg affectionately. She smiles and pets Judas’s head fondly. Judas was here for her. She wasn’t alone.

Before long, Abbey reaches the front of the line, where a Faction employee is there to meet her. As expected, the employee asks Abbey what her Gift is, and then what she’d need to display her Gift. Nodding yes, Abbey is led down a hallway and around a corner to a testing room filled with a massive variety of basic materials and resources. The room was part mechanic’s garage, part chemistry laboratory, and part machine shop. After requesting one perfectly generic rat that no one would miss too much, Abbey gets right to work, not wanting to waste any time. She decides on a miniaturized crocodile jaw sized for a rat, drawing up the designs. When the Faction employee returns with a rat, Abbey then takes some specific measurements, carefully prying open the rat’s mouth to peer inside. Half an hour later, she comes up with a blueprint for the jaw and shows it to the tester, asking if she should actually make it or not.

The tester shakes her head and tells her to wait there while she gets someone to check it over and save Abbey some time. Kicking her legs, Abbey sits back and waits the few minutes it takes until the tester returns. Abbey grins and looks up at the tester expectantly. She receives a thumbs up in return. Thanking her for her time, the tester hands her a Z-watch and shows her outside.

“I did it!” The young Gifted shouts triumphantly as she exits the recruitment building. A bystander sitting on the ground mutters “It’s not a big deal...” under her breath, but Abbey acts like she doesn’t hear her as she skips off toward the Mental Faction, Judas loping along not far behind.

Spoiler: OOC

Sorry about the rushed post, but I had to hammer this out and get on the sheets I'm behind on. Still, I'm really excited to get things started with everyone!

 

[Dooplighost]

Lacey Banks
​

"Thaaaank you!" Lacey said recieving the badge "Elemental? Sounds like we'd be in the same faction. If we are then I'll probably ask for another badge because I lose stuff pretty often...So keep some spares." she said half jokingly and half seriously. Lacey took a moment to consider if she should run again to the recruitment building again. She did, the excitement of not having to waste money on essentials fueling her stamina. Much like last time, she stumbled again when trying to stop herself from running once she had arrived in front of the recruitment building.

Lacey heard a clinking sound as she stumbled, realising her hand was empty and that she didn't have the badge anymore, she twisted her head around, scanning the floor for the badge. It took about ten seconds for Lacey to see the shining metal next to her boot. With a sigh of relief Lacey bent over to pick it up, only to see what looked like a rather battered body clinging onto her lace. With some confusion Lacey bent her legs so that she could get a better look at what...it was. Certainly it wasn’t an insect, it looked human. A little human boy. A few ideas propped up in Lacey’s mind about what it could be before she quickly decided what to do. She picked up the body extremely gently between her fingers before getting up.

Lacey slowly and carefully walked behind the recruitment building, constantly looking down and checking if she was holding too tight, as well as praying to every God out there that she didn’t drop the body. When she got to the back of the building, another sigh of relief was let out as she sat down. Her back against the wall of the building, sitting on the ground, luckily no one else was here. Lacey carefully replaced him back on top of her boot, just so she didn’t have to worry about accidentally crushing him, and took it off carefully. She moved it slowly towards her eye to get a closer look. It was definitely human. Just so small. That left two possibilities.


“Hi there. I’m Lacey.” She whispered, trying not to attract anyone from anywhere else over to where she was. The last impression she wanted was to give was ‘the person who talks to her shoes’. “I have two questions for you. Are you an insect with the gift to turn into a human? Or are you a human who’s gift is to shrink?” Lacey said watching the body, though she thought one more likely than the other- she hoped for it to be an insect, mainly because if he was human her conscious wouldn’t let her leave him here alone. Not the case if he was an insect. It only occurred to her after a good thirty seconds that even if he was trying to talk to her, she wouldn’t be able to hear it from this distance considering his size. She carefully moved her boot very close to her ear, making sure to keep it upright so he could stand on it. Now she was really hoping that no one came to see this.

IceSolstice WhipDing

 

[431101134]

[Esther]

Smiling at the pair's excitement, Esther responded.

"Well when you join them, and if they accept you, they'll help you with registering to live here of course, but afterwards, you'll get an ID card, a special watch... I guess you can call it a high tech phone on your wrist, and most importantly is a room to stay in! You'll be living in the building of the factions that you go into, and you'll even get your own private rooms! If you don't join the factions, you'll have to share a room otherwise, but I'm sure you two don't mind each others company."

Esther turns towards the flying girl above the recruitment group as she thinks of the other goodies they might offer.

"Let's see... she might give you a cool badge, and I think they have a system of points where you can redeem them for other stuff you might need. You have to help them out though of course."

As a last thought, Esther includes "Oh, free food too, I hear it's nicer stuff there. must be nice..."

Ayane Katou-

Oh? Wow. I can make a life off of my powers... Ignoring what Esther said at the end there-I'l worry about it later-I see the other lady in the hoodie walk away. So, I can make a life here, live here... do stuff. Ha! Beat that, mom and dad! I can be successful! This... this is a good thing. Looking back to the lady, I think of what to say.

"Wow! That sounds really cool. I guess I'll do tha-" Aya begins, but her stomach growls. Blushing, Ayane's stomach growls too. Oh man, I guess I'm hungry. "Ah-hehe, speaking of food-can I get food first? Before signing up and things? I have money... or, well, US Dollars..." Aya says, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. Yeah, food might be a good idea before trying to impress a company with a bunch of Gifted people with my Gift so they give me a place to stay and a job and money and free food and.... I'm rambling... In my own thoughts too...

 

[WhipDing]

Dan Ryder

After the second bout of head-smashing against the boot, and what potentially could have been a very near-miss with a falling chunk of metal, Dan was very surprised to be plucked away from the lace, lifted up into the air. He found himself smushed between two walls of flesh, squeezing him loosely.

Even if he hadn't been so bruised and battered, he wouldn't have been able to resist, let alone escape. Lacey might've been trying to be gentle, but at his size, that still felt like his stomach was being clamped. As such, he just hung limply as he was carried off to who-knew-where.

The world tumbled around him as he was placed back onto the boot, being able to breathe once again. Before he could really recover, the entire shoe was lifted up, with Lacey's face soon filling most of his vision, eye looking straight at him. Not through him, but actually at him. This could be great! Being found so quickly was far better than he could ever have hoped, having expected to... well, he wasn't sure what he'd expected. Elsewhere, he sometimes spent months before--

"Are you an insect with the gift to turn into a human?"

The question, although not particularly loud, thanks to her whispering, sent a shiver down his spine. Being mistaken for an insect was a problem that had plagued him for far too long, and was the main reason for most of his close calls. There was no way he was going to let that happen now. Not when he was so close.

"NO! NO! NO! I'M NOT AN INSECT, NOT A BUG, NOT AN ANT! I'M A PERSON! A HUMAN PERSON! A HUMAN PERSON WITH THOUGHTS AND--"

It was at this point he noted that she hadn't shown any sign of actually being able to hear him, just looking at him expectantly as if awaiting a response. Thankfully, she seemed to realise problem soon after he did, moving the shoe towards the side of her head.

For maximum chance of actually communicating - especially now he'd wasted that short outburst on what was effectively just thin air - he scaled up higher the boot, clambering up closer to the ear. This placed him in a somewhat precarious position, standing on the lip of the tongue of the boot, a steep cliff in front of him that dropped down inside the boot. It felt like a risk worth taking, though, if it meant he could actually be heard for once in his life.

"UM, I'M A PERSON," he continued shouting, just to give himself the best possible chance. "A HUMAN, THAT IS. YEAH, I CAN SHRINK, BUT IT'S A BIT OF A ONE WAY PROCESS..."

He had a slightly bad feeling about this. He didn't know this person at all - but really, she was the best chance he had of achieving anything right now.

Dooplighost

 

[Ryik]

Valen
Your alarm goes off and you groan loudly. You smash it with a closed fist like it insulted your mother and then drag yourself out of bed. You stumble through your morning routine in a coffee-fueled haze and before you know it you're already opening the door to the hellhole of a laboratory you work around. Not in of course, that's for your boss and friend of 20 years, Aaron. You sigh. No matter how you look at it, you're just a grunt. Still, at least your salary is sky high.

As you head further inwards past the tables covered in random junk and holographic interfaces, you find Aaron, who appears to be floating the components of an intercontinental ballistic missile together. He greets you without looking at you. "Right on time. You're going to test this thing."

You turn around silently and begin to leave when Aaron moves a table to block your path. You look back at him. "Are you serious? Are you actually doing this to me?"

"Come on, don't be a baby." He says as he points to the testing room he's made specifically for these purposes. He already knows you're going to do it, because frankly, it's your job.

You sigh a second time. "What exactly do you need a missile like that for?"

"Dramatic effect" he answers without skipping a beat, completing the missile and turning to you with a straight face.

Well, if it's not a weapon of mass destruction, there's some hope that he's not just going to lock you in a room with a bomb again, and that's about all you can ask for. The testing room itself is the size of a football field, but it doesn't stop it from feeling like a cramped torture chamber, what with how many times you've been slammed against the wall. It's cold and impersonal with white floors and walls that Aaron's done some weird shit on to prevent damage. As you walk in, Aaron brings the missile in after you and closes the door from the other side, which becomes a smooth, featureless wall.

You watch as Aaron makes his way to the other side of a window made out of who knows what and begins operating the room's controls, to record the results. Honestly, you don't even need to be here, but Aaron sometimes insists on getting a 'human perspective', whatever that means. As Aaron finishes setup, he raises his hand from behind the glass and the missile rises. With a gesture as if pushing it, the missile flies to the other end, hitting the ground near the far wall. In an instant, the world goes black. You didn't pass out. You never pass out. Rather, your eyes were assaulted with an odd black substance, as well as the rest of your body. It's like you were covered in tar from head to toe, and just as unpleasant. Jesus, what was in that rocket?

You try to get the stuff out of your eyes, which mercifully comes off like rubber, which is nice and all until you see that it quickly takes the form of a giant spider. Your body is covered in spiders. The entire fucking room is covered in spiders. You can't even see the walls anymore.

You're ashamed to admit you freaked out a bit, but it's no use pretending you didn't when Aaron has video fucking evidence, that son of a bitch. You quickly realize that these spiders are mechanical in nature, to which you pick one up and throw it at Aaron who's giggling behind the window, the only part of the room not covered in spiders. It bounces off the window harmlessly and you begin to wonder if these spiders are actually made of rubber.

Eventually the spiders crawl back into the missile and you're left to wonder for the umpteenth time why Aaron makes this shit. As the doors to the testing chambers open, Aaron greets you with a wry grin. "So, how are your eyes?"

"Forever tainted."

"But really, how are they?"

Even though he asks how your eyes are, this is one of those times when he wants to know what would happen to someone without your Gift. "Won't cause any damage but will be painful nonetheless. The aqueous feel certainly helps, but it's way too thick to not avoid irritating the eyes." You leave out how impressed you are at how much shock absorption the spiders possess. Inflating Aaron's ego is the path to Gehenna, and you're still kind of annoyed he put you through that without warning.

Aaron frowns, putting a hand on his chin in contemplation. "If they were any less thick, they might enter small gaps in the eyes, and that's bound to be less comfortable..."

"Why spiders though?"

"Proof of concept."

"Who pissed you off this time?"

"Now now, who said anything about revenge?"

This is bait. You will not take this bait. You refuse. "You know what, forget I asked." You cross your arms. "What next?"

Aaron resumes working on a random project on one of his many work tables. "Actually, I've got some field work for you."

Half the time this is stalking and the other half it's just an errand. "Lemme guess, a new shipment of parts arrived."

Aaron continues to talk to you without looking in your direction, as he tends to. "Close but not quite. This one's a joint operation."

That's... really unusual. Aaron generally doesn't get along well with others. "Joint operation?"

"Yes, a joint operation. You know how you always mumble about how much simpler it would be if you just did faction work?"

"Eavesdropping is unattractive."

"Valen, you've said it so often that it might as well be your personal motto. Not saying it around me doesn't change how often I hear it."

"Eavesdropping is putting it lightly, from a legal standpoint."

"Regardless, Kirin and I share a mutual interest in... a certain something, and I'd like you to recruit a certain Gifted and see if she's willing to help in a certain project..."

Good old ominous vagueness preceding Aaron going through with a bad idea only for him to cheat his way out of the consequences. Maybe he thought mentioning Kirin, the Elemental faction leader would ease your suspicions, but scientist types with as much power as those two can't be trusted to show restraint. "Wow Aaron, you've completely convinced me that nothing fishy is going on here, no sirree."

"It's fine if you can't convince her, but if you can't, you're not going to like the alternative." Aaron says it with a pleasant smile, but you recognize it as his sardonic grin. He's basically threatening you, but you're not sure what he intends to threaten you with. You hope it's not paperwork.

"Alright, alright, so who is this woman?"

"Her name is Abbey Lyons."

Verik
The sun and the sea shine brightly as you step foot out of the bus, so you put on the brightest smile you can to match. Ah, such a beautiful day, perfect for checking out your new home! You head through the gates of Brinkhaven with a spring in your step and are awed at the dazzling displays of talent those around you express freely. Your home before and now, like night and day, there's so many Gifted you can't keep track of them all!

As you sit around starstruck, you hear a girl with butterfly wings recruiting for the factions: "Join the Factions today! Comes with free housing and food! And a cool badge!” You've heard of them, if only briefly, and they seem like your a great way to settle in. After a bit more Gift-admiring as the girl directs other newcomers, you find that she's free and approach her without further delay.

"Hey there, Alice, right? I really like your wings, they're just as cute as you." You try as hard as you can to blind her with a casual smile. "My name is Verik. I like cool badges, and the factions seem like a lot of fun. I'm new here, so do you mind showing me around sometime, after I sign up?"

IceSolstice

 

[Dooplighost]

Lacey Banks
​

"A HUMAN, THAT IS. YEAH, I CAN SHRINK, BUT IT'S A BIT OF A ONE WAY PROCESS..." Lacey tried to process what he was saying. A gift that inhibited you, she knew most gifts weren’t exactly anything to write home about, but one that hindered you in almost every way was unknown to her.

“Okay, really? Wow, good thing I looked at you first then. Normally I would’ve just stepped on something your size. But bugs don’t hold onto things the way you did, you looked too different to be a bug.” Lacey said not bothering to move the boot back so she could see him, her arm was already getting tired holding it up and this was easier for communication anyway. Lacey now definitely couldn’t abandon him here now that she knew what he was- a little inconvenient for her but it wasn’t like he was a huge burden. It was only then that she realised how scared she could’ve made him just now with what she said.

“I was just...kidding...about the whole stepping...on you...thing...okay no that’s worse.” Lacey said tripping on her words worse than she tripped on herself earlier. “Hiii...what’s your name then, haha?...” Lacey said sheepishly trying to change the topic as quickly as possible “...and how long have you been stuck this small?” She asked, feeling like she’d need to know this before she jumped to any conclusions.

As much as Lacey was sure that Mr. Shrink had a good story to tell about his unfortunate downfall, she wanted to join a faction as soon as possible. She'd probably have to end up bringing him with her into the building.

WhipDing

 

[Aerose]

Ayane Katou-

Oh? Wow. I can make a life off of my powers... Ignoring what Esther said at the end there-I'l worry about it later-I see the other lady in the hoodie walk away. So, I can make a life here, live here... do stuff. Ha! Beat that, mom and dad! I can be successful! This... this is a good thing. Looking back to the lady, I think of what to say.

"Wow! That sounds really cool. I guess I'll do tha-" Aya begins, but her stomach growls. Blushing, Ayane's stomach growls too. Oh man, I guess I'm hungry. "Ah-hehe, speaking of food-can I get food first? Before signing up and things? I have money... or, well, US Dollars..." Aya says, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. Yeah, food might be a good idea before trying to impress a company with a bunch of Gifted people with my Gift so they give me a place to stay and a job and money and free food and.... I'm rambling... In my own thoughts too...

[Esther]

Esther scans the street for any street vendors she would recommend, but doesn't see any exceptional ones in particular. The stands in this area usually jacked up their prices to target people just returning from the city. Bobert's Bread usually was the go-to for a quick bite to eat. Consistently decent, but sometime citizens had more refined taste than a local bakery. This duo was unlikely to be one of those however.

"Normally I'd lead you there... but I'm not suppose to leave my uh, post here." Esther says, glancing around herself with some real suspicious shifty eyes.

She pointed towards the Immigration building and with her finger, made a small hooking motion towards the left, indicating where to go.

"Head down the street left of the DoI-- Department of Immigration, sorry. And turn left at the first intersection, there's a nice bakery there. They have other stuff too but it's a bakery, you'll be able to buy all sorts of goodies. US dollars though... Some stores don't take that, this city uses Z-Bucks to prevent counterfeit issues."

Esther reaches into a pouch at her side and withdraws several bills to show off.

"The bills here have stuff inside them so you can't duplicate it, otherwise some people might make infinite money, which would be pretty bad."

Moving closer to the pair, she folds the bills over and offers them to the duo.

“How about a little trade, 15 dollars of mine for yours, and you two can get some food for now without worrying about if they’ll take your bills. The faction building is open all the time so take your time and just relax!”

Hopefully no one minds a little currency exchange on the spot here.

 

[WhipDing]

Dan Ryder

"Normally I would’ve just stepped on something your size."

This sent yet another shiver down Dan's back. It wasn't just what she said... it was how she said it. The casual tone, the fact that she moved straight on after saying it... it didn't exactly do much to make him feel safe right now.

Thankfully, Lacey soon seemed to realise her mistake, awkwardly trying to change the subject. Of course, Dan lept on the opportunity, being just as willing to talk about anything else. These questions were a bit easier to answer, and as odd as it was, were actually quite important to him. It had been a long time since anyone had asked his name, or even realised he had a name at all.

Maybe this was the right place for him. A place to feel normal.

"I'M DAN. DAN RYDER. I'VE BEEN LIKE THIS FOR... FOUR YEARS NOW?" It was a bit of guess - he hadn't exactly been keeping perfect track of things like that, having much, much bigger things to worry about most of the time.

He paused for a moment, rubbing his bruised leg, considering what to say next. It'd been so long since he'd actually had a conversation with anyone else, at least one that was two-way like this.

As it turned out, this pause was yet another big mistake on his part.

The slight lean forward he'd taken to rub his shin was just enough to cause him to lose his balance, tipping off the precarious perch he'd set himself up on. He fell headfirst inside the boot, landing soundlessly on the softer insole. It was enough to break his fall, but the impact was still enough to daze him for a moment, stopping him from immediately reacting to his new, darker environment.

And just when things were looking up...

Dooplighost

 

[Sinsystems]

Lux Avispon

After what seemed like hours, although she knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes, Lux finally completed her paperwork and turned it in to the receptionist. The Woman's expectant look almost enough to cause her to roll her eyes under her mask. "Here, everything is filled out." she said handing over the document packet.

"Everything seems to be in order. I'll call a Gifted down to confirm your information," the lady stiffly states after checking the documents before dialing a number on her desk phone.

By the time the Gifted man arrived, a rather plain looking gentleman in a nice suit, Lux was getting impatient. Of course the extra few minutes that he stared at her, she assumed using his gift, didn't help the matter and the Bounty Hunter didn't hide the irritation she was experiencing with how she glared at him. When he finally gave her an "It's all good." Lux had been a moment away from asking what was taking so long.

What followed was getting an ID picture, which Lux had to haggle to get them to allow her to continue wearing her mask, was almost pleasant.

"Do you plan on staying in immigration housing? Food is included." the receptionist asked while they waited.

"No." Lux simply said "I'll be finding my own place to stay, although I would like to use one of those computers you mentioned earlier. Where did you say they were?"
IceSolstice

 

[IceSolstice]

[Vivian]

Wow. Vivian knew that she was assigned to a farm but she didn't expect it to be this big. She surveys the property, estimating it to span roughly an acre. The one story house with a stone brick facade seemed to be in good shape too, no discoloration or signs of disuse. Grinning, Vivian kicks up some dirt with her boot before remembering that she wasn't alone. Still unused to being free to act as unladylike as she pleased, she turns sheepishly to look at her teleporter, Evan. Once she had found him and given him the paper, the teleporter skimmed over it and transported the both of them here.
Evan simply offers her a smile, "I'm glad you like it. The pair of gentlemen over by the house look like they want to meet you though. I'll be taking my leave now."

Before Vivian can protest, Evan blinks away, presumably back to the Department of Immigration. She glances anxiously at the strangers in the distance.
Come on, Vivian! You want to be independent, right? That means you have to confront these situations on your own!
Vivian puts on a confident air and strolls over to the two men. As she nears, one of them holds out a hand for her to shake, "Hello, my name is Bryan and we're here from the Factions to meet our new employee."

Relief washes over her. It seems this is simply a case of the employer wanting to see who they hired.
Vivian shakes Bryan's hand firmly, "Hi, my name is Vivian Chang. It's nice to meet you, Bryan."

"So here's the deal, we'll pay you an hourly wage when you're working but also provide an additional bonus depending on the amount of crops you grow for us each week. We'll collect the crops from the large wooden bin to the right of the house, so put them there. The house is fully furnished and stocked with essentials, but if you want more toilet paper after you run out--you'll have to buy more yourself. There are equipment and seeds for you in the shed to the left of the house. I understand that while your ability is plant manipulation, it doesn't mean you can operate a farm on your own so feel free to hire extra farmhands to help you. Lastly, when you can pay off the costs of the farm and equipment, you're free to stop working for us and start your own business. Of course, you can also sell some of your own produce to the general public. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes, is food provided at all?" Vivian asks, her stomach had been quietly grumbling ever since she went to the employment agency.

"The Factions personally do not provide food for non-members, but the DoI's cafeteria should be free for you to use."

Seeing as Vivian had no idea where she is currently, it would be quite the struggle to find the immigration department again.
"Could you guys potentially...take me there?" Vivian requests hesitantly.

The two men look at each other, seem to come to an understanding, and Bryan turns towards Vivian again, "Sure, but I expect you'd want to drop your stuff off first."

Vivian nods, hurries over to the house, wheels her suitcase just inside the house, and slips off her backpack. Vivian double checks her pockets for her ID and wallet and confirms they're both still there. In her rush, she barely even takes a look inside, but does catch a glimpse of a kitchen. She closes the door and realizes that she doesn't have any keys to lock it with. Vivian opens her mouth to voice her concerns, but Bryan is nearby already dangling said keys from his hand.
She offers a quick thanks and locks the door with the keys.

"Ready to go?" Bryan questions.

"Yeah!"

Bryan puts a hand on her shoulder, and the group is swiftly transported right in front of the Department of Immigration.
"Before you go, here's my phone number in case you need help or have any additional questions," Bryan hands Vivian a slip of paper, "I trust that you know your way around here already?"

"Yes, thank you!" Vivian gratefully exclaims.

"We'll be off then, take care!" Bryan says, just before disappearing with his friend.

Vivian finds the cafeteria and notices that while it is fairly standard with the long public tables, the food they offer spans many nationalities. She concludes that it's probably to accommodate people from all parts of the world. Vivian picks up a plastic tray and looks around, finding a section for Chinese food. How long has it been since she had Chinese food after running away? She heaps on white rice on her plate and adds a generous amount of fried chicken and bok choy. Satisfied, Vivian finds a free spot to sit down and starts eating. Her mind wandering, she suddenly realizes, Why didn't the second guy even talk? What was he there for anyways?


always_confused


[Alice]

"Hey there, Alice, right? I really like your wings, they're just as cute as you. My name is Verik. I like cool badges, and the factions seem like a lot of fun. I'm new here, so do you mind showing me around sometime, after I sign up?"

"Thanks! My wings are nice," Alice replies happily, fluttering her wings.
She grabs another badge and hands it to Verik, "The Factions are fun. You get to fight for justice and good! I have to stay here, and later I'll be going to Bobert's Bread with Vix. I'm sure someone else could show you around though."


Ryik


[Lux]

"The computers are on the first floor, in the open area between here and the Employment agency. When you go outside, go right and down the hall and then take the first left. You should be able to find the computers there," the lady answers.


Sinsystems

 

[Sinsystems]

[Lux]

"The computers are on the first floor, in the open area between here and the Employment agency. When you go outside, go right and down the hall and then take the first left. You should be able to find the computers there," the lady answers.

Lux Avispon

Without another word, beyond giving the receptionist a small nod of acknowledgement, Lux made her way to the computers using the directions she was given. While she walked she began to rapidly assess her current situation regarding funds and security, if she wanted to get set up in this city she will need to get a decent payout rather quickly which means a bounty that is easy enough for her to accomplish without her usual amount of prep work....so she would probably have to settle for relatively small time jobs, which suits her just fine considering she is still a newcomer to the city.

Of course while she was pondering this she didn't exactly pay attention to where she was walking beyond following the directions.

(OOC: You have free reign to make Lux run into someone if you so desire, same goes for anyone else who is in the building)

 

[always_confused]

[Vivian]
Vivian finds the cafeteria and notices that while it is fairly standard with the long public tables, the food they offer spans many nationalities. She concludes that it's probably to accommodate people from all parts of the world. Vivian picks up a plastic tray and looks around, finding a section for Chinese food. How long has it been since she had Chinese food after running away? She heaps on white rice on her plate and adds a generous amount of fried chicken and bok choy. Satisfied, Vivian finds a free spot to sit down and starts eating. Her mind wandering, she suddenly realizes, Why didn't the second guy even talk? What was he there for anyways?

Ayesha Nawaz

As the cafeteria fills up, I grab a plate and immediately make a beeline to the section labelled 'Middle Eastern Cuisine'. Piling my plate high with rich rice dishes, meat and kebabs, this food is proof that there is a God. One that (occasionally...) cares. Where else could food this good have come from? With my plate full of ambrosia, I look around for a table to sit at. Most are filled, but one has just a single occupant, a woman with a heap of rice and chicken on her plates. Well. As long as it's not three, right? Three is a crowd and all that...

Taking a seat at the table, I almost dig into my food until I realize I should probably say 'hello' at the very least. My issues aside, that's still not an excuse to be an ass. "Umm...hey there. I'm Ayesha. Guess you're immigrating to 'this' place as well, then?"

 

[IceSolstice]

[Vivian]

This food is great. And pretty authentic too. Vivian concludes as she bites into a piece of chicken. The chicken isn't dry and bland, but rather flavorful and juicy. The bok choy is mildly crunchy and not soggy, and the rice isn't undercooked or anything. Vivian chews slowly, letting the chicken's umami seep onto her taste buds. As she is savoring her food, an older and much taller woman sits down at her table. Vivian is slightly intimidated by the "real adult" but is saved from needing to greet her first.

"Umm...hey there. I'm Ayesha. Guess you're immigrating to 'this' place as well, then?"

Vivian finishes swallowing her food, "Yeah I just arrived today, actually. I got a cool farm to myself too, but it doesn't come with food. My name is Vivian though."


always_confused
https://www.rpnation.com/rating/like?content_type=post&content_id=8959855&rating_type_id=1

 

[always_confused]

[Vivian]

This food is great. And pretty authentic too. Vivian concludes as she bites into a piece of chicken. The chicken isn't dry and bland, but rather flavorful and juicy. The bok choy is mildly crunchy and not soggy, and the rice isn't undercooked or anything. Vivian chews slowly, letting the chicken's umami seep onto her taste buds. As she is savoring her food, an older and much taller woman sits down at her table. Vivian is slightly intimidated by the "real adult" but is saved from needing to greet her first.

"Umm...hey there. I'm Ayesha. Guess you're immigrating to 'this' place as well, then?"

Vivian finishes swallowing her food, "Yeah I just arrived today, actually. I got a cool farm to myself too, but it doesn't come with food. My name is Vivian though."


always_confused

Ayesha Nawaz
Overpayed and Underworked

I give her a friendly smile as we exchange greetings. "Nice to meet you, Vivian."

As we both go through our respective heaps of food, we settle into an awkward, but still somewhat companionable silence as we exchange the odd comment here and there. From what little I know, she seems like a good person...and having just arrived and with a farm? I think about the options available to me. I don't particularly want to join any of these 'factions'. The work they do seems exceedingly hazardous and I don't particularly want to use my 'gifts' - or are they a curse? - in that way yet, if ever. I could just leave after this meal and go job-hunting, but as a failed college student, what the hell do I know about work? Might as well go for it, I don't have Uncle to keep watch over me anymore, I have to take a leap of fate sometime...

"Hey Vivian...you said you just arrived and got a farm? I guess you don't have any employees yet? Look, I'm not gonna mince words. I've never worked a farm before or worked before, for that matter. I was at college before I came to this place and my guardian passed away...stuff happened and I ended up here with just the clothes I'm wearing and some currency the lady at the DoI registry was kind enough to give me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have no qualifications but I'm still looking for work? I don't know what it'd entail, but think you could give me a job at your farm?"

 

[IceSolstice]

[Vivian]

Hearing Ayesha's offer, Vivian is pleasantly surprised.
"Yeah, the land is definitely too big for me to manage on my own so help would be greatly appreciated," muses Vivian, "If you don't mind doing manual labor, I could really use a farmhand. It's okay if you don't know what to do, I can show and teach you since I lived in a rural town before and everyone knew at least some basic farming knowledge there. I don't have any money currently to pay you, but after the Factions pay me for the first time I'll be able to. You'll also have to stay here for now since there isn't a second house or cabin for you to live in yet. If you're all okay with that, then I'd gladly take you."

Vivian hesitates, "Think it over first, I'm just starting up so there's not much I can offer you right now. I know my Gift can output enough crops to earn money, but I don't want to accidentally put someone in a bad position either."


always_confused

 

[always_confused]

[Vivian]

Hearing Ayesha's offer, Vivian is pleasantly surprised.
"Yeah, the land is definitely too big for me to manage on my own so help would be greatly appreciated," muses Vivian, "If you don't mind doing manual labor, I could really use a farmhand. It's okay if you don't know what to do, I can show and teach you since I lived in a rural town before and everyone knew at least some basic farming knowledge there. I don't have any money currently to pay you, but after the Factions pay me for the first time I'll be able to. You'll also have to stay here for now since there isn't a second house or cabin for you to live in yet. If you're all okay with that, then I'd gladly take you."

Vivian hesitates, "Think it over first, I'm just starting up so there's not much I can offer you right now. I know my Gift can output enough crops to earn money, but I don't want to accidentally put someone in a bad position either."


always_confused

Ayesha Nawaz

A stroke of good luck, finally! I'll admit that I'm surprised she accepted, but I guess since she's just starting out she can't be too picky, understandably. As for manual labor...it's not what I had in mind, but I'll take what I can get.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for the offer! I'll take it!" Calming down a little, I continue, "*Ahem* W-well, the DoI just assigned me my living quarters so I should be good on that front for a while and the prices in this cafe aren't exorbitant so I should be able to make ends meet for now. As for being put in a bad spot...unless you're secretly in with some criminal group I don't think you could make my life any worse than it is now. This is probably the first piece of good luck I've had for months now..."

The rest of the meal proceeds in a much happier atmosphere - at least on my end - as I make a genuine effort to have a good conversation with my soon-to-be boss. As we finish up, I thank her once more, "Thanks again for the job, Vivian. It means a lot to me. On a side note, I don't suppose you know anyone that might be looking for a roommate?" I ask her, half-serious, half-joking. Considering she's almost as new as I am, I don't expect she'd know anyone willing to be my roomie, but in the off-chance that she does, It'd be nice to have a roommate connected to someone I sort-of know.

 

[431101134]

[Esther]

Esther scans the street for any street vendors she would recommend, but doesn't see any exceptional ones in particular. The stands in this area usually jacked up their prices to target people just returning from the city. Bobert's Bread usually was the go-to for a quick bite to eat. Consistently decent, but sometime citizens had more refined taste than a local bakery. This duo was unlikely to be one of those however.

"Normally I'd lead you there... but I'm not suppose to leave my uh, post here." Esther says, glancing around herself with some real suspicious shifty eyes.

She pointed towards the Immigration building and with her finger, made a small hooking motion towards the left, indicating where to go.

"Head down the street left of the DoI-- Department of Immigration, sorry. And turn left at the first intersection, there's a nice bakery there. They have other stuff too but it's a bakery, you'll be able to buy all sorts of goodies. US dollars though... Some stores don't take that, this city uses Z-Bucks to prevent counterfeit issues."

Esther reaches into a pouch at her side and withdraws several bills to show off.

"The bills here have stuff inside them so you can't duplicate it, otherwise some people might make infinite money, which would be pretty bad."

Moving closer to the pair, she folds the bills over and offers them to the duo.

“How about a little trade, 15 dollars of mine for yours, and you two can get some food for now without worrying about if they’ll take your bills. The faction building is open all the time so take your time and just relax!”

Hopefully no one minds a little currency exchange on the spot here.

Hope I wasn't stepping any boundaries with the exchange part, ahehe.

Ayane Katou-

Right, so, go to that building and take a left. Food, yay! Ayane speaks up this time, shyness forgot with food on the brain,

"Yeah! We can exchange... unless it's not equal... Don't want to loose much." Taking out $15 from Ayane's person, Ayane offers it to Esther. Making the exchange, I realize I don't know what the place I'm going to is called.

"Hey, what's the place called?" Aya asks.

 

[Aerose]

Hope I wasn't stepping any boundaries with the exchange part, ahehe.

Ayane Katou-

Right, so, go to that building and take a left. Food, yay! Ayane speaks up this time, shyness forgot with food on the brain,

"Yeah! We can exchange... unless it's not equal... Don't want to loose much." Taking out $15 from Ayane's person, Ayane offers it to Esther. Making the exchange, I realize I don't know what the place I'm going to is called.

"Hey, what's the place called?" Aya asks.

[Esther]

Whew, at least I got money back this time. Last person I traded with yoinked my 10 dollars!

Esther realizes her mistake as she accepts the bills from Ayane, slightly crumpling them as she awkwardly stuffs them away in a pouch.

"Did I forget to say the name? Sorry, the place is called Bobert's Bread, big sign above the place with the name so it'll be easy to spot as well."

 

[431101134]

[Esther]

Whew, at least I got money back this time. Last person yoinked my 10 dollars!

Esther realizes her mistake as she accepts the bills from Ayane, slightly crumpling them as she awkwardly stuffs them away in a pouch.

"Did I forget to say the name? Sorry, the place is called Bobert's Bread, big sign above the place with the name so it'll be easy to spot as well."

Ayane Katou-

"Cool! Thanks, Esther, we owe you one. I guess we'll go now, maybe we'll see you around?" Aya asks. She seems like a cool person. If I have any questions I'll have to go to her! Maybe I'll even tell her that I'm one person instead of two too... Aha, we'll see.

 

[Ryik]

Verik
You take the badge as you contemplate asking when she'll next be available, but ultimately you decide it's best to ask some other time. Maybe you won't need a tour by then, but you could always use more friends! You wonder if she'll be here again tomorrow?

The badge itself is on the simple side; A single wing lays across the badge, with 'Factions' written underneath it. Even still, her ardor is apparent. It's admirable.

"I understand, but... well..." A hand goes to the back of your neck. It's a small favor, and it's probably her job, but you hate asking for them anyway. Still, after saying the first few words there's no time to come up with something else, and dropping it entirely would be a bit standoffish. "Would you mind pointing me towards the recruitment building?"

IceSolstice