Realistic or Modern Your IQ is what?!?

[Freddie]

It comes as a shock to no one that very intelligent people have trouble fitting in. After all, there's something that rings true about the popular portrayal of nerds who are ostracized and bullied by their peers. In reality, it's because people with high IQs typically have very low EQs (Emotional Quotient), which is what enables someone to understand how other people interact/feel/live. So, they cling to one another.


Enter our merry members of Mensa- a group of people who excel in academics, or maybe a particular field, but cannot hold a conversation to save their life. Well, unless the conversation is among themselves. This group of prodigies found one another because no one else would have them- they simply, for the most part, lack the skills needed to understand normal human reactions. But they have each other.


Now, they live in a garage turned workshop/living space, siphoning electricity from neighbors- they may be brilliant, but they have a hard time landing a job. Will the arrival of some people who aren't geniuses, but who have people skills, change their life for the better? Or will they scare all other people away.


(inspired by CBS's Scorpion)

 

[Freddie]

Tabitha sighed. She had rescued the little guy from the grocery store, but she couldn't work her usual magic on him- he was determined to remain droopy and lifeless. She poked at his leaves a few more times before taking a sample to place under a microscope- maybe that could tell her what was going on in terms of turgor pressure at least. Murmuring affectionate words of encouragement to the plant, she picked it up and placed it with her other orchids. Next she's move on to her Saracennia species, and then her Nepenthes, and then perhaps her Droseras. She tried to check on all of them at least once a day- which was easy, considering that the job market for botanists is pretty small.


Speaking of which... the lights overhead flickered, before shutting off entirely. As this happened fairly often, she knew how to react, bending down and instinctively reaching for the box of flashlights at her work station. Turning one on, she set it aside and then passed the box along. There's no power if the bills hadn't been paid, and jobs came by infrequently. Tabitha hoped that perhaps someone in the garage was adept at siphoning energy from other buildings, because without power, specimens and food in the fridge would go bad, and individual research would be greatly hindered.

 

[TurtleGod]

Nemm silently peeked over Tabitha's shoulder at the droopy plant. He was previously just sitting around in the garage, tinkering, when Tabitha entered. He jumped a small bit when the light flickered, sighing in exasperation afterwards. He picked up a flashlight as well, turned it on, then pointed it up at the overhead light. Was Tabitha going to fix it? He clicked it on and off, then stood on the wall, watching Tabitha. There needed to be a permanent solution. How would they get the energy for the lights? There were no nearby... Sources... No, they couldn't do that. Using the neighbors' energy? That'd just be rude. They could open the... Nonexistent window... Yeah that's a no, so what else to do? What time was it, anyway? He peeked out the door, then went back in and sat down next to the wall, contemplating.

 

[kira blackthorn]

Lucien blinked down at the engine of the car he was currently working on as everything went dark. The power had gone out. Again. Sighing Lucien blindly walked over to the work desk tucked away into the corner and grabbing two flashlights threw one toward where Remy sat with a whistle. Turning the light on he headed back to the car he hoped to one day get working so he could call it his own. Unfortunately money for resources was then. Raising his voice so the others could hear as he ducked under the hood Lucien spoke. "You know this wouldn't happen if some of you would just let me steal the neighbors energy. "


"You know I'm with you on that. " Remy announced absently staring down at the page of her sketchbook trying to get back into the focus of things. The blackout had ruined her flow and know she could hardly see what she was drawing with the flashlight. "Tabitha how's it looking so far. "

 

[Zelda18]

Walter had been sleeping upstairs in his too-small bed, his feet hanging off the end comically. He woke slowly, confused when he tried flipping on his light for a moment- the power must've gone out again. Checking his schedule with the light from his phone, he chewed on his lip as he saw his next gig wasn't for another week. Whatever money he made for playing at weddings and for churches and such, he gave most of to one of the more mathematical people in the house to use. But he wouldn't be able to book another gig fast enough to get the power back quickly.


He grabbed one of his notebooks and a pen, walking down to the basement carefully in the dark. Tabitha was bent over a plant, Nemm was sitting against the wall, Lucien was under his car, and Remy was sitting with her sketchbook. Walter raised his hand in greeting as he sat in his normal corner, sliding in his earbuds and attempting to flatten down his crazy hair- he'd forgotten to brush it. He chewed his lip again as he opened his notebook, realizing he wouldn't be able to see what he was doing. Ah, well. He sat his book aside, just listening to music and watching the others idly.

 

[Freddie]

Tabitha balanced the small maglite she had chosen between her teeth, still trying to use both hands while working with the plants. She had quite a few orchids with keikis, and some carnivorous plants that would produce plants from cuttings... not like those would make up for the slow cash flow, but it would at least help a little bit. She was working with a Nepenthes variety when the maglite slipped from between her teeth, landing on the concrete floor noisily. Fortunately, the thing was damn near indestructible, and she picked it up, offering a sheepish "sorry" to the other people in the garage. She didn't want to steal electricity from neighbors, but it was starting to look like their only option.


"Garage meeting!!!" Tabitha announced, trying to sound cheery. She headed over to the blackboard, and tossed her flashlight at the nearest person. "Shine it on the blackboard, please?" She asked, before starting to draw out a chart. She listed each person's name, and then drew a line under that. Then, on the side she drew out a row for upcoming jobs, a row for job applications submitted, and a row for more creative ways to earn cash. Under the column with her name, she wrote her upcoming jobs, none aside from a consultation from a pharmaceutical company interested in Nepenthes. Then she wrote down the places she contacted regarding employment- a few nurserys and public gardens. Finally, she wrote down the other ways she could make cash- selling some keikis and cuttings once they were old enough to repot.

"Okay, who's next?" she asked, ready to write.

 

[TurtleGod]

Nemm winced. A job? That'd literally tear him apart. First, he didn't have any specific skills that would apply in the jobs that first came to mind, and second, he didn't exactly know what job he might have. Maybe sometimes he could sell a few of his inventions? No, they were his precious children. Then again, people did sell their children. He hasn't done it yet, though. He slowly raised his hand. Probably better to speak up, but he only realized this after he raised his hand. He quickly pulled it down, hoping no one really saw in the darkness, and stood up.


"I haven't really done anything yet, but maybe I could sell an invention?" he said. His nervousness was easily detectable in his voice. He was slightly excited for the opportunities of a job, but mostly nervous about it.

 

[kira blackthorn]

Whistling slightly in thought Remy mentally scanned through her job options. She could sell some of her paintings if she found the right person but that could take a few days. Worst yet her next paycheck didn't come for a few days. Sighing Remy voiced her idea to the others. "I can probably sell a few of my paintings if I can find the right buyer. "


Closing the hood of the car as,he finished installing the new piece Lucien took a seat In the armchair tucked next to Remy's. "My next paycheck is coming in tomorrow. That can probably fix the power problem. I can also do a few solo jobs to get in some cash. "

 

[Zelda18]

Walter pulled his headphones out of his ears, scratching the back of his neck as he examined the blackboard. He hadn't heard what Tabitha had said, but the blackboard and everyone's answers were a good indicator. "I have a gig at a wedding a week from tomorrow," he offered, shrugging apologetically. He knew that wasn't exactly helpful- at least, not at the moment. "And my name's out in the paper. Should be getting more work soon."


That was probably true, but who knew? His jobs all depended on how many people were getting married, how many quinceaneras were being thrown. That sort of thing. Sometimes he'd every a gig every other day, and sometimes he wouldn't get one for weeks.

 

[Before The Sun Sets]

Sunlight blazed down upon her tanned skin as she argued with a man 50 years her senior midst a large local flea market that was aprox. a 20 minute walk from home,





"Listen, you told me one price when I first came over here but now that I'm going to buy the fabric you raise the price by 30 dollars! That's ridiculous, and that's also why I'll give you a choice either you take the money for your original set price of 24.50 and you go on about your day or you get nothing and I walk away."





The man looked at her a flash of shock racing through his eyes prior to him regaining his original expression. His grey bushy eyebrows knit together as the elderly Swedish man spat out to her,





"$60 dollars."





Without another word or glance at the man the young Italian woman walked away coolly heading towards another table. At the second table the woman inspected the fabric pieces with great concentration, she picked up 4 rolls of fabric in total and asked the elderly Latin woman,





"Excuse me signora, how much will it be for me to purchase these rolls of fabric?"





The woman rose up from her rocking chair and made her way over to Fio with a smile,





"I will give them to you for 5 dollars a roll, so you will only have to pay 20 dollars dear."





The woman stated to her, Fio knew it was a much better deal than the 2 rolls for the outrageous prices the man was giving her, she took up the woman's offer leaving the flea market with a total of 7 rolls of fabric, 2 bags filled with lace and beads, and a few more bags with a few gifts for everyone. She spent 3/5ths of her monthly spendings that day and the woman couldn't wait to get home.


She made it home with only a couple of scrapes and scratches but she was overall still looking fresh with her chocolate waves tied up into a high ponytail and her crisp white button down shirt. The woman entered the garage through a side door only to enter darkness and fall flat on her face with a loud "thud!"





"Whatever happen to the electric company warning you about paying your already overdue bill then shutting off the lights so people don't get hurt."





Fio groaned peeling her body off the ground. She opened her knapsack and pulled out her set of keys to the garage, her parents house, and her mailbox and flicked on the miniature flashlight she kept on the key ring. She seated herself on the floor then looked at the others to see what everyone was doing only to come face to face with Tabitha's wall of jobs,





"Well by the middle of the week I'll be able to set up shop in the flea market, and I'll be there from 10am -3pm. Then during the weekends and before I head over to the market during I'll be helping out at the daycare 5 blocks away, from 6am. - 8:30 am. Then in a few months I find out about whether or not I was accepted at one of the places I applied for an internship at."
​

 

[Freddie]

"Okay, now we're getting off to a good start!" Tabitha suddenly became very grateful that her mother had forced her to interact with her peers in club activities. They were very unpleasant in the moment, but at least they gave her some people skills. Albeit, less so with less intelligible people. But Tabitha new how to talk to her kind. "Anyone else?" She asked, waiting.


To fill the gap while people pondered solutions, she turned towards the present issue. "Okay," she said, "I know that some of us have moral objections to stealing, but we sort of need power. No power means no work, which means no money. You know the drill. Lucien?" she asked, knowing that he would most likely no how to do it well.


@kira blackthorn

 

[kira blackthorn]

"Finally. " Lucien muttered as he stood. Stretching the kinks out of his back he fetched his laptop which was hooked to the neighbors wi fi, toolbox, flashlight, and a stepping ladder. Climbing the ladder to reach the cables he began the process of hacking into the neighbors power. Fifteen minutes later and he smirked as the lights flickered on. Hopping down he put the things back and flopped back into his seat satisfied. "There you guys go. "

 

[Freddie]

"Thanks L," Tabitha said, glad that the power was restored. "Okay, this blackboard chart stays up here, and if anyone can think of something to add, please write it- I'm not sure how long it will take for our neighbors to realize we're stealing their electricity." She wandered back over to her plants, and stared at the same droopy plant some more. Maybe it was its roots? she mused... "Oh gosh, I hope it doesn't have crown rot!" she said. She thought she had been only talking to herself, in her head, but from the looks of others, that slipped out. "Whoops, sorry guys!" she said, "I didn't mean to say that out loud." She grabbed a fresh pot and some fresh potting medium, and went to grab a bucket of water. She cut the plant out of its original pot, and set to work clearing the old sphagnum. It wasn't preferable to repot while the orchid was in bloom, but she couldn't take the chance. Fortunately, it appeared to have no crown rot, only very dead roots. Aha! Tabitha thought, The source of my problems!





Her growling stomach shook her out of her thoughts- when was the last time she had eaten? Being more or less the leader/mother hen of the garage crew, she spoke up- "When was the last time any of us ate real food?"


(just tagging everyone right now- @Freddie @Zelda18 @Before The Sun Sets @kira blackthorn @Myla @TurtleGod

 

[Zelda18]

"Uh... few days?" Walter suggested sheepishly, thinking back for a moment. He honestly couldn't remember. His own cooking skills were terrible- he had ignored his parents suggestion to take cooking lessons when he was younger. "Who wants to go to the store with me and get some stuff?" He asked, digging in his pocket for his car keys. He didn't have anything fancy, just an old Mercury. It was better than nothing.


Hopefully someone here knew something about cooking, at least enough to know what to buy to make half a dozen people a meal. If he went alone, he'd end up buying a few boxes of macaroni and cheese.

 

[Freddie]

Tabitha tended to think of things in term of operations- a quirk which helped keep all her thoughts distinct and not tied up in knots. Because if she let that happen, then she'd get lost in her mind for days and weeks and she couldn't do that, not when she was a leader of the Garage crew. It also kept her from getting angry about their situation, which she had every right to be. They were some of the most brilliant minds on the earth, and they had to resort to menial jobs just to get by. Tabitha had to work at a Home Depot garden center once, and Walter, who was a piano prodigy, had to play for weddings. It just didn't seem fair, but it was their reality and it wouldn't do anyone any good to get angry about their situation- they needed one another desperately.


Back to the operations though. The first operation of the day had been "Operation: Droopy Plant" in which Tabitha had to examine the orchid and determine why it was in poor health. She was finally able to close that Operation's mental file when she realized what was wrong, but stuck it in the filing cabinet for safekeeping for the next few days. Then was "Operation: Restore Power" which including brainstorming jobs to earn money and then siphoning power from the neighbors. Now, "Operation: Food" was officially a go.


"Okay, I have like $20 from the last job I held," that hadn't gone so well because Tabitha lacked the ability to deal with people's ignorant questions all day, and Home Depot had fired her that week- but at least she had the paycheck for the few days she worked there. "We could buy mac and cheese with that, or some pasta, or rice? Does our stove work?" she asked the Garage as a whole.