estoria | never have things for a normal life (open!)

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never have things for a normal life (open!)

Who: Rhys

atlasrising & YOU!
When: IC- 8/12
Where: Shopping District and Entertainment District!
What: Rhys does not like his job, not one bit.
Rating/Warning: Maybe some drinking at the end, will update if need be.

a) it's quite busy earnin'

[ Words can't describe how much Rhys hates this job.

Was working in Hyperion hard? Sure! In a workplace where people would sell out their mothers to climb a little higher on the corporate ladder, every day was a challenge. But at the same time, it was a challenge he was familiar with. Rhys, as innocent as he looked, wasn't exactly sin free when it came to Hyperion, either. He wasn't as bad as Vasquez, who tossed his old boss out the airlock right before his demotion, but still. Backs were stabbed and some regrets were there.

This job he has now, though? It's awful. Rhys was once a middle manager, then a trashman. Now? He's a discount evening attire model. As if walking down a runway or making really stupid poses in the middle of stores wasn't bad enough. Basically, they were calling his taste in clothing trashy.

Did they know how much his entire suit cost before he pretty much ruined it?

If you're in the shopping district, you might see him in a store nearby showing off whatever clothing he was more or less forced to display. He's not like the mannequins you'd see in your local store, oh no. He's on the runway, flashing some kind of ridiculous pose at the end, before turning around and walking back through the curtain. Maybe five minutes later after another group of people, he reemerges in a different outfit. This is the life. Look out, Tyra Banks.

When his night is done, Rhys sneaks out the back of the venue, shoulders slumped and looking miserable altogether. He's trying to be as sneaky as possible so nobody can see him dressed like an idiot more than he's forced to in a day, but it may not work! Knowing his luck, it won't work at all. ]

b) you can't get enough

[ Rhys doesn't head home after a hard day of dressing in cheap clothing. Instead, he hightails it to the closest bar he can find. That bar happened to be Nieto.

A few people suggested Novus to him, but they also said that Novus was the best bar to go to if you wanted some drugs mixed with your drinks. Rhys was miserable, sure. But he wasn't miserable enough to get himself absolutely shitfaced and high. Experience or no experience, he knew damn well that both of those things were a horrible combination. So Nieto it was.

He ignores the pounding music and the energetic crowd, beelining for the bar and planting his ass on a stool. Rhys can barely hear what the bartender has to say over the trance that's being blasted through the speakers. Of course, with his luck, he ends up buying a drink that's way too overpriced (goodbye, paycheck). Two sips in, and he's already got a headache going. What a great way to start the night.

Rhys is done with his drink in no time, but he's debating on getting another. Not with them being so expensive. So instead he'll just hang out at the bar, watching as the crowd weaves. ]

How drunk do you have to be before you dance? [ It's...a weird question. But, hey. ] Like, a little tipsy drunk? Or completely hammered off your ass drunk?

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Do you honestly have to be drunk?

[Coming from Angela, it was slightly awful. Though, outside of her professional work, she really enjoyed having fun. Fun that was partially beyond her age, at least. Still, she only had a few beers at the bar so far so she was far from even being tipsy. Such was the life of someone who was Germanic and carried a Germanic accent, being from Switzerland and all.

Still, she's off medical duty and casually dressed. No wings here. Angela enjoys a drink or two, to be fair.]

Dancing and having fun are quite a staple in anyone's life.

For me? Yeah, I gotta be drunk.

[ If you were dancing like an idiot but had enough booze in your system for it to be excusable, that seemed to make reality not so bad. People could excuse your shitty dancing on the crap in your system, not the fact that you just couldn't dance. Being sober and totally in control of yourself was something else, though. What good excuse could you make then?

He takes another little sip, before setting the glass aside for the time being. Holy cow, that stuff tastes like death. ] I'm not a dancer. At least, not sober.

If other people want to dance though that's fine! Cool, cool. Just...do it without me.

Are you ashamed of how you might look to others?

[Which was probably what he was worried about, or so she thought. But really, Rhys, be a little tougher with that alcohol. That would be the most worrisome thing to Angela, if she were in his positions.]

Very few people out there now do not know how to dance, I would bet. Nor does anyone pay them much mind. If it helps you feel better, I don't know much about dancing either.

Whaaat? No! I'm, I'm totally fine. I don't even mean what self-confidence means!

[ wait. ] I mean, uh. Self-confidence issues. That's what wanted to say.

[ Coming from a place where a single lick of hair meant something in the world, actually yeah, Rhys mind his image a lot. Hence the weird clothing. And the hair. All of these were pretty spanking new, before Pandora happened. ]

I don't think you'd need to know anything about dancing. You know. Why worry? [ Rhys speaks all this stuff, but he doesn't exactly apply it to himself. ] It's just about having a good time, right? You shouldn't worry about it.

You happen to be repeating yourself quite a bit.

[Rhys, please stop being awkward. Or....that is impossible for him.]

Here... [Yes, she slams down her drink. Being from Switzerland is a good enough reason to have alcohol resistance. Sort of. Not to mention that she can be a little impish with it.] ...what if I invited you to dance?

Who, me? I don't repeat anything. [ Not when he's embarrassed, nah. Rhys folds his arms over his chest. ] Don't know what you're talking about.

[ It can be pretty impossible at times.

He drops all the shit when he's asked to dance. That...does kind of change things a bit, doesn't it? A part of him kind of doesn't, but it would be kind of rude to turn someone down, right? Especially when she's trying to help. ]

I, I-I guess- [ spit it out ] Y-Yeah, we can dance if you want to. If you really want to.

Must I want it a certain amount for you to say yes?

[Now she's just teasing a little. He stammers enough that it makes it plenty of worthwhile.]

Or do I have to ask very nicely?

Want a yogurt?

[ Chihiro hops down off the higher path she'd been making for herself, walking along part of a wall that intersects with the mouth of this alley. It's a shortcut between two streets, well lit and uncluttered, perhaps explaining why she was cutting across there.

It doesn't explain why she waves to Rhys and holds out what might in fact be a go-gurt. (Don't worry. She finds it a bit odd too.) ]

Has it been a long day for you too?

[ Oh, that's a familiar voice! Rhys looks over his shoulder and smiles! ] When can I say no to yogurt?

[ He reaches out to take what he assumes is a container, but...yeah, that's a tube. Rhys looks at it for a moment or two, turning the little thing over in his hand. Where in the hell did she find this? ] I, uh. Th-Thanks. Looks good. [ Why put the yogurt in a tube? How's he even supposed to eat this...?

As Rhys tries to solve the mystery of go-gurt, he sighs. ] More or less. [ He looks down, shrugging lightly. ] I had an office job before. I can't say I'm used to showing off cheap clothing and trying to make it look sell-able. This new job isn't exactly my thing.

What's going on with you?

[ Chihiro, back down on level ground, makes a helpful gesture toward the tube of yogurt. ]

You tear open the end with the red arrow on it. Then you suck it out.

[ Or push it out, really, it's just yogurt. On the go! With fun robot designs on the outside!

She listens politely, not sure she understands, but then again, she's never needed to be a salesperson before. Or been overly concerned with fashion. That was liable to start changing in the coming years to an extent; it hasn't hit her yet. ]

YOu had to dress up in what you're helping people sell? I thought they made mannequins do that at the store.

[ Models were for live shows maybe. Or now for all shows. Maybe robots objected to the use of mannequins. ]

I've been looking for a good yogurt. Mostly I'm finding weird stuff. Between work with the pigs at the racing place here and school, it's kind of interesting.

[ It's keeping her busy, which is good, since school certainly fails to keep her properly engaged. It's the weirdest scholastic experience she's ever had, here in Cerealia. ]

The potassium and protein's supposed to be good for sore muscles and strength and endurance training. Things like that.

Tear open the end with the red arrow on it... [ Rhys observes the little tube of yogurt more than one probably should for a while, before he finally notices it. He yanks it off and starts to chow down. ] This isn't too bad, actually. What flavor is this? [ He's showing way too much interest in this, to be honest. ] Kinda tastes like cotton candy almost. Oh, I guess that's what the flavor is. It's still good though.

[ At her question, he shrugs. ] I think it was more like a show kind of thing. I don't know why they had it, but they did. [ He takes a moment or two to eat a little more of his go-gurt, shaking his head. ] Sucks. I kind of wish I was unemployed, to be honest. I don't know who thought of these jobs, but they're pretty damn crummy.

[ ...yup, Chihiro definitely said she was working with pigs. Rhys isn't sure whether he wants to be surprised that he's working, or grossed out because who would throw a kid in with pigs? ] Wait wait, what? You work with pigs? Seriously?

Edited (what does spelling mean) 2016-07-28 04:20 (UTC)

[ She's noting how he reacts, figuring okay, maybe that one's worth trying herself... she's not been sure. Yogurt's not really one of the things she ate all that often before. Or even now, though she's keeping Dr. Ziegler's recommendation in mind. ]

Alien pigs.

[ She clarifies. ]

They have a lot of fur, and teeth like a mole, and clawed feet instead of hooves.

[ She watches where they're walking, likewise taking in the streets and the people who are out on them this time of the day. It still feels a little surreal, for all she knows this is her present lingering reality. ]

If you were unemployed, you'd need to ask around for work like some people do on the cerevice. Or go around asking each employer for work. There are office buildings around here, too. Do you think any of them will take you if you ask?

[ Furry pigs with mole teeth and claws? Oh god, no. Chihiro's talking about it like there's nothing wrong, where Rhys can name at least a million alarming things with the very few details he has. ] And this doesn't...bother you at all? [ Because holy hell. He wouldn't be showing up a mile near his workplace.

He's seen people asking for work, but he wants to take advantage of the free rent he's got for the month. But honestly, was it really worth it? ] Yeah, I've seen guys posting around every now and then. Maybe that's what I got to do. [ Hearing how she handles her job, and doing a quick tally of how his job is already better sounding than hers (he means it in a nice way) kind of makes him not want to fanny out. Still, though. He's tempted. ]

Maybe I can find a job in coding. After what happened with the game we went through, they could use a guy who's handy with code. [ They needed it. ]

It needs to get done.

[ She says, surprisingly pragmatic. ]

I don't like it all that much, but I'll try my hardest.

[ She hops over a small puddle of an unidentified liquid, listening as he talks. People use the resources they have on hand. The whole CEREvice was part of it. ]

You're a coder?

[ Cue her interest (for something that has little context to or for her), looking back up at Rhys. Is that the kind of office job he'd had before? ]

You work with computers and all of that?

[ Wow, this kid. Maybe Rhys should take some lessons. ]

That's...that's really brave of you, actually. [ Rhys is kind of reminded when he was assigned to be a janitor after being promised a big promotion. Could you blame him for not doing it though? He had been a manager before! ] So, what all do you have to do? Just give them baths? Help them around? [ He really hopes that's all there is.

At her question, he nods once or twice. Rhys wanted to get to the residential district. Was this even the right way? ] That's what I did back home. I could hack through firewalls, override password requests...[ He shrugs. ] I like to think I was pretty good.

That I do. It can be a pain sometimes, but you know. All jobs got 'em.

[ They are, thankfully, both heading in the Residential Direction, such as it is. Chihiro plans on getting home and finishing up self assigned homework before crashing for the night.

But wow... ]

Uh, we brush them and get the numbers set up for their races. We feed them and clean out their pens, too, but they're really clean. Mostly their hair ends up with grass in it they need help grooming back out again. They race on their own once they're in the gates.

[ Chasing a lure of food, as it is, but it works, and the alien pigs certainly get into the running. ]

Do you think you could show me how to better use computers sometime? I've learned stuff in school, but things are different and more complicated here. The CereVice is much more advanced than the phones I know. Someone told me it takes pictures, and you can have different games on it or something? Mine keeps telling me there's books I have out from the library that are overdue for some reason.

[ She hasn't even been to this fabled library to check out any books. The future is, apparently, bug prone. ]

[ Giorno's no stranger to hearing about the "glamorous" of runway models but it was interesting to see that they had them here in Cerealia, so while he was originally going to go do something else, he stops and watches. Of course he has seen at least one fashion show—on TV—while growing up in Italy but this...was different.

Not nearly as "high fashion" as he would have expected and he's kind feeling bad for all of those who seem to subjected to this. No one seems to be truly proud of what they're doing. Then, of course, he spots Rhys and wow...guy can't catch a break, huh? Giorno will disappear to go off and do other things while the show keeps on going but comes back once its done with a small bag in hand.

He probably shouldn't sneak around the venue but, hey, since when did Giorno really care too much about rules and such? ]

An interesting job they gave you.

[ Oh god. Someone talking about his job is embarrassing enough, let alone that person being one of the buddies he made while trying to make it out of the...whatever it was. Game. Thing. Rhys tries his hardest to to not melt into a puddle of embarrassment, but there's no guarantees. ]

"Interesting" is one way to put it. I went from middle manager to trashman, to model. No, actually it's discount model. [ He points to his clothing. ] Does this look like discount clothing to you?

[ The crap Rhys wore from Hyperion is...questionable. One side his stripes the other side doesn't. Shit, he only has one arm in his shirt because why hide his cyber arm? And then there's the tie. People have told him that it's a bad touch (aka fiona), but he likes it, thanks. ]

I bought this right before my promotion. [ more like demotion, but. ] It wasn't cheap! Do they even know that?

[ There, there... Giorno thinks nothing less of his newfound friend. Everyone seemed to have some sort of demeaning job here. Well, sans those who could be a student like himself. ]

I would say that they don't. [ Because, well, they probably didn't. If they did care then that would have been a bit too responsible for them. ]

Then again, perhaps the fashion that we're all used to isn't the same here. [ Says the kid who has a heart-shaped cutout on his blazer with definitely no shirt underneath. He's not the person to be talking fashion...probably. Still, at least he can acknowledge that Rhys looks nice. That robot arm though— ]

My apologies for bringing this up, but given the nature of the ViViD I hadn't realized, but your arm—is it robotic?

[ Also, was it something he liked the way it was or did he want a new one? ]

See? I don't know who comes up with these jobs, but they need to stop. [ Rhys is way too distraught over the job he's been given than what's necessary. ] Do you have a bad job? Maybe we can get whoever decided to give us these a complaint.

[ He's not worried about the fact that Giorno's fashion statements are kind of...not up Rhys' alleyway, but y'know. He'll take someone's word that his stuff looks good, even if they're wearing a barrel over their bodies for clothing. Giorno does have some weird fashion statements though.

Ooh, the subject change is kind of nice. Especially when it comes to his ECHO implants, because he kind of got them to be noticed. Along with functionality. Data couldn't mine itself, anyway.

Rhys smiles, extending his right arm for Giorno to see. ] Yup. All the way up to my shoulder. [ Rhys flexes his hand a few times. He's not showing off, nope. ]

I also got an eye replaced. Annnd there's this- [ He points to his left temple, where there's a little circular thing planted in his head. ] They're both implants, too.

I don't think they'd pay us too much mind if we were to file a complaint. They don't seem the the type. [ Not that Giorno doesn't see the point in it but, wouldn't be easier to take matters into your own hands about that? Just leave the job and find something more fitting to do... But what does Giorno also know about the job market here.

But that's really nothing compared to how Rhys explains his many "implants". He didn't even realize he had more than the arm. ]

You seem proud of these implants. [ So then they were something that he consciously chose for himself to have happen to him instead of the result of an accident. Or at least, that's how it sounds to him and if that was the case then Giorno makes sure to not to say anything about his powers. ]

Do they do anything special?

[ He recalls him trying to do something back within the ViViD. ]

[ Rhys should be used to the whole 'nobody cares, deal with it' thing that came with jobs. In reality, his job as a model now was a hell of a lot better than the job he had before leaving for Pandora. Rhys has gone from a Assistant Vice Janitor to someone who got paid to stand around and make clothes look attractive. Even if they were "discount". At least when you complained about your job here, you didn't have someone nearby trying to sabotage you or something weird like that. ]

I am. [ Rhys doesn't hesitate to say so. Getting something replaced for the good of your company was pretty admirable back home. It didn't show just guts, it showed dedication. Something that your higher ups always looked for. ] Not a lot of people choose to go under for the sake of ECHO gear. Not like I did.

Back on Helios, I used to use it for data mining. [ Okay, that wasn't the way to introduce things. Data mining was pretty dirty-sounding. But, well, that's because it was. ] Basically, I could link myself into the computer systems back home and gather information. Or hack around if I needed to. [ That was like, all the time. ] I can play music on it too.

My eye can scan stuff and pull up information if I need it. And with my head port I can jack into stuff like user ID's and gather information I want without it hogging space. Kind of like a- what was it? USB drive, or something? That was hundreds of years ago though. Super old technology.

[ Giorno doesn't quite follow but he allows Rhys to continue and listens nevertheless. ]

That seems all amazing. [ Of course some of it definitely seems a lot shadier and dishonest in terms of use but, it's not like that's anything that Giorno is against personally. Not to mention, it doesn't seem like Rhys would be doing it for any sort of obvious nefarious reasons like CERES would—or at least perhaps to that same magnitude.

Maybe his trust was misplaced? Who knew for sure, but Giorno thinks he's an alright guy even if he doesn't quite understand why anyone would modify themselves to this degree. ] Admittedly I don't understand all of what you've told me, but it sounds impressive and handy for a place like this.

[ And definitely maybe better put to use doing other things..? ]

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never have things for a normal life (open!)

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