Fandom Power Rangers: REBIRTH

[KingsRock]

Ages ago, our world was devastated and damaged by a great and terrible war. A group of warriors, known as the Angels, were chosen to protect the Earth from any form of evil. In this case, the Earth was threatened by parasitic alien life forms known as the Hive. The members of the Hive had one goal: absorb the life form of every living thing on the planet to make themselves stronger. For a while, the Hive was believed to succeed in their plans, but they didn't count on the Angels desperate attempt to save the world. In one fell swoop, the Angels combined their celestial energy to eradicate the Hive, sacrificing their lives in the process.


Fortunately, the attack was successful and the Earth was saved... Unfortunately, the celestial powers of the Angels, as well as their bodies, were destroyed in the explosion.


Thousands of years later, our world is still safe. Sure there are a few acts of crime and terror here and there, but it's nothing that humans cannot handle. What the Earth did not expect was that there were minute remnants of the Hive that survived the explosion all those millenniums ago, biding their time until they renewed their strength. Now that the Angels were out of the picture, it was time for the Hive to take what was there's.


With the revival of the Hive, the Earth, now more than ever, needs the Angels to save them once again. Without the celestial assistance of the Angels, the Hive will almost certainly succeed on their previously failed planned... The Earth needs a rebirth of the Angels.

NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

​

 

[KingsRock]

Arc One:

Rebirth

Angel Grove, California was once a small and quiet town. But with the arrival of Bennett Industries over a decade ago, the town has become a bustling mecca of technology.Job opportunities were created, renovations to Angel Grove University were established, and the city flourished financially. Evelyn Bennett, owner and president of Bennett Industries, was finally seeing her vision as the savior of a once minute and dying city.


What she didn't count on was the arrival of mysterious insectoid creatures that began terrorizing her city, ultimately destroying her plan of being looked to as the heroine of Angel Grove. Not having the agility or appropriate technology to combat the creatures, Evelyn began to panic. Fortunately for her, the emergence of a group of helmeted heroes took the responsibility of cleansing the city of its demons. What happens when Evelyn makes this group of Angel Rangers an offer that they can't refuse?

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Episode One:

Batteries Not Included

It is New Years Eve in Angel Grove, California. Grovers (as the citizens of Angel Grove are called) typically travel downtown to enjoy the bright lights and festivities. There's a carnival, games, food, drinks, everything that you could imagine. What happens when the the lights go out just as the countdown ends to open the new year? Find out next on: Power Rangers: REBIRTH!


Objectives:

• Arrive downtown to enjoy the festivities.
  
• Communicate with at least one of the soon-to-be Rangers or Extras.
  
• Join the countdown as it happens.
  
• Be attacked by the Bug Soldiers that appear.
  
• Notice Banga, the Lightning Bug member of the Hive (you may be attacked by him).
  
• The Rangers receive their Celestial Morphers, but only Isabella and Amber are able to "grow their wings" and morph.
  
• Other Rangers (in civilian form) help join the fight against the Bug Soldiers, holding them off as the Green and Yellow Rangers help.
  
• Extras, try to remain safe and out of harms way, if you so choose.
  
• Isabella and Amber defeat Banga.
  

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​

Shane Bryant


Location: Grandmother's House ---> Downtown Angel Grove


"Whaaaaaaat's up people! It's Shane and today we... well I, I'm just bringing you guys along... will be going downtown to enjoy the New Year's celebration. I don't know if some of my viewers are aware but New Year's is a big deal out here in Angel Grove. What am I saying? New Year's a big deal across the country. You guys know what's up. Anyway, I'm gonna be heading downtown, film some people, meet up with some friends, eat free food, gotta love the free food, and then we'll watch the ball drop from the the top of Bennett Tower. Sounds exciting, right?"


"Are you talking to that camera again, Shane?" said a voice from the living room.


Shane peaked his head into the living room from where he was standing in the hallway. He had decided that he would begin this evening's vlog right before he left out. He had been at his grandmother's house all day, but now this his little sister was settled into bed and his grandmother was watching late night television, Shane was just about ready to escape into Angel Grove's nightlife.


"Granny, it's called a vlog. I'm documenting my experiences so that the people can see," Shane looked at the camera and smiled, his dimples forming as they normally did.


"I don't care what you're doing. I'm trying to watch television," she responded bitterly.


"But Granny I..."


And that fast, she was asleep. Shane chuckled and shook his head, reaching over to the ottoman to grab the cover and wrap his grandmother's frail frame with it to keep her warm. He walked down the hall into his sister's room to make sure that she was still asleep. He leaned down and pecked her on the cheek before slipping out of the house, getting into his car, and venturing into the night of downtown Angel Grove on New Year's Eve.


Once he arrived downtown, Shane noticed that the entire block was crowded. There was a plethora of people lined up the street that led to the Bennett Tower as the ball awaited at the top point of the building. The time now was about 11:00 PM, so Shane had about an hour to kill between now and then. Walking down the strip, Shane recorded himself as he walked up to a food stand, waiting in line to order a hotdog. All the while, he recorded the passersby, whether they liked to be on camera or not.

 

[Lady Insanity]

(@OGSG @PenBlade1326 @JW Suzusihi @marorda @MidnightDaybreak @Jailbird Okay guys....let's do this enthusiastically!!!! And I'm super curious why only Amber and Isabella can morph!)


Amber yawned. She had been out on the town all night, since 6:00 PM. New Years Eve was always a big deal in Angel Grove, and very flashy since Bennett made it's way to town. She wasn't born or raised in Angel Grove, but she had family there who always shared stories about it. How it's past s full of exciting events, corporations taking over, and the people just living their lives...as happily as they could. Giant neon lights lit the streets, as well as big signs for everything in town, making all of down town light up with life and vibrancy. She was currently exhausted...she'd been working all day, being paid by the city to perform with her band, known as Panic Box.


Panic Box was a small band, consisting of Amber as the lead singer/guitarist, her friend William on the drums, her friend Delia on the bass, and her other friend Phillip on the keyboard. Each of her band members were dressed in all black, with small metal accessories on their outfits, as well as little splashes of color here and their. Since 6, they had been playing music and jamming out, just one of the many live bands on the street tonight. Tonight was especially exciting, seeing as to how they were the only band not stopping just yet. It was close to 11 at night, but Panic Box was still going strong.


She took a breath, brushing her long brown hair behind her ear and adjusting herself. She grabbed her electric guitar, set to it's acoustic setting on the digital frame. She looked at her band. "Alright guys, let's hit it." She said, smiling her beautiful smile as she faced the crowd again. They were chanting. "Panic Box! Panic Box! Panic Box!" Each of the chanters were dressed like stereotypical emo/punks. They seemed to be the only ones listening to Panic Box...but they didn't mind. They just loved to play. Plus, they were broke college kids, so the pay was awesome! Amber smiled.


"5, 6, 7, 8!" She exclaimed, then started playing yet another song. (Song below!)


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRvIvVq2AYY[/media]


(sorry she didn't meet anyone just yet, but she was introduced!)

 

[PenBlade1326]

Drew: 4:30 PM, his auto mechanic shop.


"I'm beat...I've had to repair over 20 different engine parts today, change at least 3 people's oil, and I nearly got my head chopped off by sawblade!" He rambled. His work uniform, a pair of jeans and an old t shirt, were covered in oil and dirt. His still-perfect messy hair was littered with sweat, and his skin was oily. He smelled like a dead animal. All of this rambling was part of his day-to-day routine. his younger brother, Isaac, was sitting in the corner, listening to his older brother's rambles. Drew was under a car on a board, fixing something underneath. A rag poked out of his pocket and caressed the floor. Moment's later, he rolled out and sat up. He took the rag and wiped his face. "Jeez...what a way to spend New Years, huh bud?" he asked his brother. Isaac merely nodded. "Dad loved working on cars...he never wanted to leave his old Cadillac he tried to fix up, did he?" Isaac asked. Drew grinned.


"No...he didn't. But, he taught me that when oil get's on your face, the best way to clean it is....to rub it on your little brother!" He said and grabbed Isaac playfully, rubbing his face all over his younger brother. Isaac laughed, making Drew smile. It was so rare for his little brother to smile...it brought warmth to his partly-broken heart. He ruffled his hair. "How about we get going, we need to get ready for tonight, right?" He asked him. Isaac shook his head.


"Drew...I don't really feel like going out tonight. Can I just stay at the apartment and read my book?" Isaac asked. Drew frowned..."C'mon, buddy! I know you'd have fun if you just went out once in a while. I have a feeling tonight is going to be very exciting!" He said. His little brother shrugged.


Without arguing, the two left the shop and went home. On their way home that day, Drew pestered Isaac about enjoying the rest of his holiday away from Angel Grove High School...where Isaac was bullied and made miserable. It was his senior year..yet he couldn't enjoy it. Drew wished he made enough money from the shop, only a year out of college, to take his brother somewhere else...somewhere that made him happier. Somewhere he could make a better life for them.


10:45 PM.


Drew had showered and changed into a white v-neck which made his athletic build show off, black zip-up hoodie as a jacket, and a pair of dark jeans. He poked his head into Isaac's small bedroom. "You sure you don't wanna--" He said before seeing Isaac was asleep. He grinned. he wasn't forcing Isaac to go, anyway. He strolled over, pecked him atop the head, and covered him up with a blanket. A blanket left by their parents, no less.


Moments later, he has his things together and was out of the door. He left money on the counter in case Isaac wanted to order himself a pizza. By 11:15, Drew was in downtown Angel Grove...meeting up with a couple of his friends. He bumped into a guy who was recording everything....a vlogger? "Oh, I'm sorry." He said, passing the guy vlogging nonchalantly. His eyes looked to a local band, Panic Box, as they played a song...a song he was now slightly bopping his head to the beat of.


(Olivia coming soon! xD )

 

[marorda]

Lucas sighed. Another New Years Eve that would be spend relatively alone. He was far from a party animal and didn't feel like looking up social interactions unless it was utterly necessary. But New year... There was no way to escape New Year, not in a city where it was such a big deal. And, he had to be honest, he sort of liked this party, but only this one really. Itwas nearing eleven, so he should probably head tot he city if he didn't want to miss too much of the festivities. Lucas looked at the picture on a table at the side of his apartment. "Happy New Year..." He mumbled as he put on a jacket and left the room, locking the door behind him. Noises of people partying in their own rooms sounded in the hallway, and he was sure he could hear Sam, the two-year old boy living next to him, crying because of all the loud sounds. He pitied the kid, he too didn't like all the noises and everything. But unlike a two-year-old, he had no excuse to stay away from the party.


Even before he arrived to the main festivities, he could already hear the local band...- Panic Box,w as the name, right?- playing. Lucas smiled, happy to see other people enjoying themselves. "Maybe, of you'd go out more," a voice in the back of his mind told him, "you could have some fun too, for a change."


Fun... Not too much time for that. Working for jobs and going to college left little energy for partying, and, in case it wasn't clear just yet, he didn't like partying.


He got in line for some food too. As he noticed the man with the camera, he backed away a little, not wanting to get in the guy's way, and not wanting to be filmed either. He was there for food, not for mandatory social interactions and getting his face filmed to appear wherever.

 

[MidnightDaybreak]

Hundreds of vehicles - most of them crammed into questionable parking spaces. Thousands of people - all of them engaged in something, whether it was noisy cheering or looking on from the sidelines. Countless lights and sights and sounds. Before the car's engine had even stopped, it was obvious: New Year's celebrations were in full swing.


"Whew, we made it!" One of the passengers jumped out with fists raised in exaggerated triumph. It was like a signal - voices overlapped with footsteps and slammed doors as the crowed inside spilled out. "Where are we gonna go first?" The group of young adults contained males and females alike, all early 20-somethings, squeezed into an old SUV that definitely wasn't meant to carry so many people in the backseat. "Oww, get off my foot!" "Sorry, can't feel my legs..." Some were in jeans and tees, others dressed like they were on a one-way-trip to the dance floor, there were even a few well within hipster territory. "Crap, where's my bag?!" "This one?" "No, mine is black."


Almost a dozen people hopped down to the dusty ground, leaving only the pair in the front to get out. "No going to bars without me!" one of them shouted through an open window. A mass of reddish curls ducked back inside and the car's owner turned to look at the driver. "That's okay, right Kevs?" The girl wore a sheepish grin with a hint of genuine concern behind it. "I could stay..."


The boy behind the wheel had expected something like that from her, though. He and Seneca had been friends long enough for him to know she hadn't meant any harm. "Nah, I'm good." Kevin waved off the offer with an easy grin. "I get the keys, you get to haul those guys back here...sounds like I got the easy job! Good luck, Sen!" While her snickers filled the vehicle, he exited stage left - that is, through the driver's side door - with the keys in hand. 'Easy' might have been an exaggeration: driving someone else's car through heavy traffic after dark with a bunch of noisy buddies in the backseat? That wasn't exactly something to be done on auto-pilot. He knew that, but he would do it all again to keep the others from driving after a few drinks too many...and hey, he couldn't get into bars (officially) anyway. Why not make the most of it and have fun elsewhere?


It was as a group that they made their way into the heart of downtown. Their laughter and jokes blurred into the general buzz of excitement and energy that had taken hold of the area. The city was a neon wonderland filled with every sort of entertainment: just a normal New Year's Eve in the Grove, at least for a recent transplant like himself. It wasn't long before Kevin's roommates and neighbors drifted off in different directions, two or three at a time, but his farewell waves and shouts were good-natured. The view of the city at the start of the new year, from the highest point you could reach without taking to the sky...that's what he was waiting for. As much as the party, the people watching, and the food - oh, and the excuse to pair all black clothing with enough brilliant accessories and lighted accents to mimic a sparkler - Kevin had come for that one thing.


That didn't mean he intended to miss out on all the other fun. It was just after 11 pm when he stepped into line at a food stand. Not far off, a live band powered through a song; closer still, someone had a camera pointed at the crowd. "Huh," he spoke up casually, the words addressed to the strangers in front and behind him, "I'm surprised they're here and not filming the band. Do you think it's some kinda filler?" His approach was of someone making idle chit-chat while they waited, but he also sounded genuinely curious.

 

[JW Suzusihi]

Gunfire and explosions rang in his ears. ' Most of the team is down, Damn' his thoughts were only on the task at hand: Eliminate the enemy. " Edd, can you cover me!?" He yelled hoping to execute his plan. " Can do, What's the plan Conner?!" Another man yelled in response. " I'm headed for the tower just south of the court yard. I need you to cover me while I run like hell!" When the sentence was finished Conner ran for the tower, his teammate taking aim at any enemies in between them and the goal. Conner burst through the doors of the dilapidated tower. An object peaked from a box for a split second the gunfire in his direction, it was an ambush! Conner reacted quickly diving behind a pillar that stood just beyond the door. ' I hope this works' he tossed a grenade blindly towards his enemy. Moments later an explosion and silence. Conner continued up a flight of stairs just past his downed enemy. Reaching the top of the tower he pulled out his sniper rifle and poked it out of a broken window. Scanning the area for a moment Conner found his target. The enemy solider was running across the court yard to the tower, but he was already in Conner's crosshairs. "Steady…Steady…Fire!" The trigger was clicked and the bullet sent flying to it's destination. The projectile was right on target embedding it's self into the soldiers chest.


In a dark green one word flashed on the screen: Victory. The final kill cam played and Conner knew he had led his team to triumph. Some yelling and profanities could be heard from across the room, but most of the noise was that of excitement and joy. Conner placed his headset onto the table in front of him stood up, and wiped the small beads of sweat from his forehead. " We won, we actually pulled it off!" Conner went around to each of his team mates patting them on the back and giving the occasional hug. Participating in gaming tournaments was one if Conner's favorite things, the fun and generally friendly environment made him absolutely giddy. This particular contest was extra special. It was the annual Angle Grove New Years Video Game tournament. There wasn't any cash prizes, but that didn't matter. The only prize that mattered to Conner was bragging rights for the New year.


Conner had been chatting with his friends and fellow gamers for awhile after the end of the FPS section of the tournament. Looking down at his watch he realized it was just about 11 pm.


" Wow, it's kinda late. I'm gonna head out, I'd hate to miss the rest if the party. I'll be seeing ya!" Conner said waving to those still occupying the gaming space as he left. Weaving his way through the droves of people proved to be more difficult then Conner had anticipated. There was plenty sorries, Foot stepping, and bumping into others before he reached his destination. ' Holly crap, there's a ton of people here'


Although the crowd was unbearable the general scenery and atmosphere of the New Years celebration was quite nice. Sparkling lights of every color strung every where, the scent of amazing food hung in the air, and to top it all off great music. What more could a guy ask for? It was just after 11 pm when Conner reached what he considered to be the festival's main area. Just in front of him was a band, one he thought was a local group called Panic Box, on stage playing what to Conner, and a rather large crowd, was wonderful music. Deciding to stick around for a bit Conner found a place to stand and enjoy the song.

 

[Lady Insanity]

(@Jailbird hasn't been on since Monday...I hope she hurries back as soon as she can! )


Panic Box had struck it's final chord by the time the clock hit 11:30 PM. Amber's head banged to the beat and her hair grew wild by the end of the song. The crowd cheered, a roaring thunder of applause swept over them. Amber and her band smiled. "Thank you, Angel Grove. Enjoy the next half hour left of the year! Goodnight!" She called into the microphone. The crowd died down a little bit, and the band began packing up their instruments.


In just under 5 minutes, Panic Box was all packed up. They carried their equipment to the back of the stage and left it there for the remainder of the evening, deciding to come back and pick it up later. Amber departed from the others. "Seeya guys....great show tonight." She said. Her band smiled and nodded. "Rock on, Amber!" Phillip said. She laughed softly and soon vanished into the crowd. Amber tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and found herself in line for food, brushing against the shoulder of a blonde guy in a black hoodie as she made her way over. "Oh...excuse me." She said softly. She somewhat recognized him from the auto mechanic shop...but she didn't think anything of it. She found herself behind a guy with a camera in line for food. She didn't look directly at it, considering she was a part of his "vlog" or his life...so she made no attempts to be seen. Of course, she had no problem being filmed on stage and whatnot...but this was different, somehow.

 

[marorda]

Lucas looked behind him as he heard someone speaking of the person who was filming his surroundings and not the band. He shrugged lightly. "Maybe he's just filming what he's doing and not the things others would film?" he suggested. It was rare for him to speak up, especially to relative strangers, but he had decided he would try and get more social (as far as his busy schedule allowed), so this was a good start. At least he hoped it was. He watched the band pack up their things. How long had they been playing there anyway? Not that it mattered. It was only half an hour left before the new year would start, so it did seem to make sense they too would enjoy the remainder of the festivities. He narrowed his eyes, trying to (from a rather large distance) get a better look at the lead singer. She looked vaguely familiar to him. Didn't they go to the same university? A totally different study, for sure, but he thought he had seen her around when he was wandering through the artsy/creative-part of the university. His eyes started wandering over the many people on the streets. It truly seemed like the entirety of Angel Grove had gathered here. His eyes went back to the clock. Only a few more minutes had passed. For the people enjoying themselves, time probably seemed to be flying, but for him, just standing around and waiting, every minute seemed to be an eternity.

 

[MidnightDaybreak]

Without any real background in audio-visual or related areas of expertise, Kevin was pretty stumped; one type of video-making gear looked much like the rest to him. He couldn't do more than guess at what Camera-Guy was doing...but in people-watching, the guessing was part of the fun. "You think it's a hobby or something like that?" he replied. A hint of energy had crept into his voice just from being answered; waiting could get pretty dull pretty fast if nobody said anything. "That makes sense - if it was for TV they'd be moving around more...sweeping the crowd for interesting stuff, that kinda thing." The line continued to grow behind him as some people wandered off from where the band had been, while others flowed back into the crowd at large. Fortunately they were also moving a bit faster; Kevin attempted to get a look at who or what had caused the holdup, but the presence of random passersby cutting through made it impossible. "Looks like we'll get through here before the countdown after all! Though I might have to climb a tree to get to see anything, at this rate...seen any good ones?" A quiet chuckle hinted that he wasn't entirely serious about that. His smile would have given it away even more, but it wouldn't be the first time that he wound up holding a conversation with the back of someone's head, so he didn't bother to hide it.

 

[Jailbird]

Isabella sat in the back of SuperPop reading the new issue Suicide Squad as her brothers,August & Jay, finished their duties of pulling the special Christmas issues of most comics off the shelves. August was the middle child so he tended to keep to himself and he usually had some incredible advice,while Jay was the youngest and he got everything he wanted,well they all did,but he got the most. Jay was also a social butterfly and always fluttered in and out of almost every situation. Isabella loved her brothers and she was incredibly protective of them,but they were growing up and they loved to get away from her. Getting up from her seat Isabella walked to the front of the store,"Put your coats on and let's go brats!"


August was the first one out the door,ignoring Isabella's comment,but Jay pushed Isabella out the door,"Ha! Old hag. Can we go now!?"Jay yelled at his older sister with a smile on his face as he turned to leave without her permission. Isabella looked at August and with no words,just with a wave and a nod,he was off. Isabella looked at her watch and noticed it was 11:30 and she needed food if she wanted to enjoy the fire works,"Well....I should off! I hope Jay and August remember to get here back before 1." The young woman huffed to herself as she walked to the small stage that Panic Box had performed. As she arrived and her cheerful smile disappeared,"Awww,I at least wanted to ask them if we could play their music in the store." Bell grumbled to herself as she walked with her head down.


Getting to the nearest food stand she ran directly into Drew and stumbled backwards,going straight down to her butt. Her first thought when falling backwards was, 'Did I run into a wall again?'Isabella whimpered inside her own mind.


(@Lady Insanity Thank you for the concern! I was just doing a lot of work all week! I will be on much more.)

 

[marorda]

"I guess so..." Lucas said. The guy behind him surely seemed excited from having this small conversation. He didn't feel all that energetic himself, rather a little uneasy. Lucas barely talked to anyone, except the occassional chit-chat with the landlady and greeting customers at the book store. He could go for days without speaking a word, or at least words other people could hear. So striking up a conversation with a complete stranger in line for getting food... that was new. "Glad it's not for tv or something though... I don't want my face to be shown all over... I'm already trying to dodge that camera..."


He turned his head at th guy's comment on having to climb a tree if he wanted to see anything. People who managed to poke fun at themselves always somehow amused him. That, and he respected people with that ability. Lucas wasn't sure whether he would be able to do the same if the situation would ever call for it. He gave the guy behind him a small smile and looked around in a joking attempt to be helpful.


"Doesn't look like the trees here are easy to climb, no. Not unless someone gives you a hand," he grinned.

 

[PenBlade1326]

Drew quickly turned his head as Amber, the girl from Panic Box, bumped into him. "Oh...it's alright." He said, giving the punk rocker a small smile. Nothing wrong with a pretty girl bumping into him on the street. He found himself getting lost in the crowd as he also made his way to the food stands. The sight of two guys chatting caught his eye, This was a small distraction from where he was going...and he bumped into another person. He quickly let his eyes fall to a girl as she fell backwards on the ground. She may have ran into him, but it didn't phase him. He grinned down at Isabella as she sit there on the ground. He extended his hand to help her up. "Are you alright, miss?" He asked her, a soft expression on his face.

 

[MidnightDaybreak]

When the guy in front of him mentioned not wanting to be on film, Kevin glanced in the direction where Camera-Guy had been last time. "You might be in the clear," he offered, "there's enough traffic to mess up the sight lines for now." He nodded towards the assortment of people that filled the area, some walking, some standing about in groups. There wasn't anybody there that he already knew well - some slightly familiar faces here and there - but that was to be expected in a crowd like this. As the line moved up further, he resumed facing forward, just in time for the other guy to look his way. He took note of the guy's features in case they ran into each other again. It wasn't likely, but he had gotten into the habit at work.


Kevin returned the stranger's smile and gave a shrug. "Hey, maybe I'll get lucky and get some help! Could always make it into a competition - who can build the best human tower?" He didn't mind joking around with someone, even without knowing their name, and it did help pass the time. They looked close to the same age; that made things a bit less odd than they might have been, at least for him. "Might not the best day to try it...some people look like they'd fall over if you bumped into them. The tower's probably safer than getting dropped on my head, you know?" There weren't that many people left to go before him, from what he could see; the people working were likely to want to enjoy some of the festivities too, after all, and there was plenty of line behind him still.

 

[marorda]

"That's probably true," Lucas said. "Plus. don't they usually go after the more interesting looking people anyway? Not just the average guy standing in line for some food..."


With the huge amount of people there it was indeed unlikely the vlogger would film him, but rather one or some of the many more people.It didn't really surprise him he saw no familiar faces in the crowd. Besides there just really being a whole lot of people out there, he didn't really interact with anyone unless necessary. Greeting people in the store, answering questions in class when asked one, and the occasional group projects were about as far as his social interactions went. Well, there was still the babysitting his neighbor and drinking tea with Mrs. Baker, the landlady... But how much did those social interactions count if it wasn't anyone about his age or someone he could consider a friend?


"It might not be the best day to try that indeed," Lucas replied. "I bet at least a large part of the people here will be drunk before the countdown even starts." With this many people there, it would be more difficult to check who were allowed to drink and who weren't, and there were also still always people who could drink who'd buy alcohol for their younger friends. "Although it should be safe enough if you find someone who doesn't drink, or at least knows how to control themselves." He couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at the idea of a bunch of half-drunk people trying to get the smaller guy behind him into a tree, but all of that chuckle that showed on his face was a bit of a grin. If the rest of the year would go as well as this conversation seemed to be going, he could finally cross off the by now two year old New Year's resolution of at least trying to be more social and attempt to make a few friends. Having to go two years without real social contacts was starting to get a bit boring...He briefly looked back at the people in front of him. The line seemed to be moving faster than before, and it wouldn't be long before it was his turn to order something to eat. Maybe he should start thinking of what to order? He wasn't particularly hungry, but a quick snack surely would be nice. Perhaps he'd take a hotdog? Or one of those fried potato things on a stick? "Any suggestions on what's good to get at this stand?" he asked the guy behind him, trying to keep a conversation going, and also because he really had no clue what he should order. Ah, the cons of never going out...

 

[MidnightDaybreak]

It was all too easy for Kevin to imagine exactly how the semi-inebriated version of 'lift this guy into a tree' could go. In his imagination, it looked a bit like a cartoon, with one try after another ending in ridiculous amounts of crashing, falling, and a dozen different ways for everyone involved to land on their faces. "In other words, at least find the people who aren't already falling over, unless I feel like living recklessly? Point taken!" He laughed a bit as he spoke. It would probably be easier to find a spot he didn't need to be rocketed into than to find enough willing - and sober enough - people as the night went on. Yet he wasn't too concerned about Grovers getting out of control or rowdy; he'd been coming to New Year's since he moved there, and there hadn't been any major incidents that he knew of.


The question caught his attention, and he snatched another glance at the list of items. "Yeah, no problem! Looks like there's a couple specials for today, but all the hot dogs are good. Burgers are okay, depends on how picky you are about yours. If you're looking at drinks, the tea's the best one up. Too bad they're not doing iced coffee, it's another steady one. The fries are good long as they're hot, so I'd be willing to try that special too." Kevin stopped there and snickered, "Heh, sorry if I sound like an ad! They've got a branch near my job so I've heard about anything I haven't eaten." While he had already had dinner, snacks and a drink sounded good after walking around...and after this wait, he wasn't sure if he wanted to get stuck in the lines after midnight.

 

[marorda]

"The question is how necessary it is to be lifted into a tree to get to see anything. The Bennett Tower is pretty high, after all," Lucas said. He didn't quite get what was so special about a ball being dropped down from a tower. It wasn't like a new year would miraculously bring large changes to ones' life. The whole "New Year, New Me"-thing was pure nonsense. People never kept up with their resolutions for longer than a few weeks at most. By the end of February, everyone would just be living their old lives again, with little to no changes at all. The idea that people and lives could and would change overnight was just a silly thing to believe.


"That's fine," Lucas said with a small smile. "I don't go out a lot, don't have the time. And I did ask for advise, didn't I?" He didn't mind listening to the guy's rambling on what was good, but his statement on burgers did make him a little bit wary. Though it didn't seem likely, the statement could be taken as something similar to: "Yeah, they drop the burgers on the floor and nobody knows what they put into it, but it's edible if you're not picky and don't mind eating strange stuff". At least, that's how he could take those words. So his safest bet would be a hot dog. And though the weather seemed to call for hot chocolate, it didn't seem a very tasty combination.... Hot dogs with hot chocolate... So if he wanted a hot drink, he'd probably go for the tea indeed. Or he'd just go for a bottle of water. "Specials are weird, if you think about it... They easily charge double, and for what? An extra slice of cheese and a funny name..." Lucas stated dryly.

 

[MidnightDaybreak]

"Point taken," Kevin replied with a chuckle. "Trees make for a decent backup plan, but my aim's the tower..." He paused to scan the crowd; while he could see the building in question with no problem, there was no sign of a clear route there. Of course - part of why the streets were blocked was to allow people to wander around without worrying about traffic. "...if I can get there in time. It's a great view of the city once the drop is over." For him, the new year was half about the party and half about the sightseeing; it could also be a time for fresh starts, but what day wasn't?


The comments on specials drew a shrug from him...which he then realized might not be visible. "From food carts? You've got that right! There's some places around that add limited time stuff, or really change the ingredients around, but that's outta my budget. I have no idea how some guys eat there often and not end up broke." Another part of what had been mentioned caught his attention, though. "Why the crammed calendar? Taking classes, or something else?" The guy being a student was a shot in the dark, so to speak; they looked similar enough in age for it to be possible, but he knew perfectly well that 'college age' and 'college town' didn't always mean 'full-time student' anyway.

 

[marorda]

"Both," Lucas answered. "Full-time student and nearly full time jobs to the side. Leaves little room for other things, right?"


It wasn't a secret he worked a lot of jobs, yet few people knew how busy he actually was. Mostly because, well, the before-mentioned lack of social contacts and interaction. Still, several people he took classes with had occasionally seen him at one of his many jobs. Nobody ever asked why though, and Lucas didn't really mind. What he did mind, however, was the weirdest things people whispered about him. The quiet guy that moved to Angel Grove two and a half years ago, that nobody knew anything about... Suspicious. Sometimes it would feel like people were afraid of him simply because they didn't know him or actually believed the odd rumors about a non-existent dark past in which he was god-knows-what. But hey, if people didn't attempt to get to know him, he would try not to be too bothered by them. It was a whole something he had decided to strike up a conversation with the guy behind him (though technically it was the latter's initiative), and that he had managed to keep up this chit-chat for longer than he had thought. Maybe the new year would actually bring some changes this time? No, he shouldn't get too far ahead of himself. Just because he was chatting with someone now, didn't mean he would change into a social butterfly. More of a slightly-less socially awkward caterpillar.