001 | Video

[paper_airplanes]

[The camera is somewhat wobbly, as if the girl using it isn't entirely used to the concept of handling a camera. Her skin is ashen and pale, but she smiles readily enough, and it seems genuine, matching the cautiously optimistic tone of her quiet voice.]

Ah, hello? Am I working this correctly? Sorry, I've never had anything like this before. I've never even seen anything like this before, really. My name is Fang Ray Shin, but you can call me Ray if you would prefer. [She clears her throat, somewhat nervously, and takes a deep breath before continuing,] I don't really know what I'm meant to be doing here or why I'm here. I was hoping that perhaps someone here had seen my friends Wei Chung Ting or Chang Ming Hui? Or if there's anyone else here who's just from Taiwan in general, that would be good. I've never really liked being alone. [Her free hand goes to a pendant underneath her necklace. While the necklace she got when she woke up here is fancier, the way her fingers move over the white jade deer pendant show it is both far more familiar and more comforting.

Squaring her shoulders, she goes on,] I'm not sure what I can do about getting a job here, since I'm only a high school senior back home, and I don't have any special skills or degrees. Are there other people my age here? What do you do about the cost of living...? I still don't understand quite where this is - it's all a lot to take in - but I don't want to sit around doing nothing and burdening others.

Thank you for any help you can offer. [And she smiles one last time, small and somewhat unsteady, before the camera feed flickers off.]

Comments

Video

[stillsmiling]

Hello, Miss Ray. I'm kind of new here myself... B-But I might be around your age? I don't know where to work either, but I'm sure there has to be something.

I'm not very smart, but is there anything I can try to do to help you adjust?

Video

[paper_airplanes]

Oh, you don't have to call me Miss, either, if you don't want to. I'm seventeen; how old are you, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm not sure. I had never left my hometown of Lùlín before, so this is all very strange. I'm not used to being on my own like this. Ha, I must sound pathetic, whining about something like that when there's bigger concerns, here...

[stillsmiling]

I think I might count as sixteen?

[ ^ a super normal answer ^ ]

And if you're sure, Ray. My name is Shi Yamato... eheh. It's not pathetic. I think you're really cool and admirable. All I did when I first got here was actually whine and make a fuss.

[paper_airplanes]

You think? [Wait, what? Her face scrunches up slightly in confusion.

The praise makes her cringe slightly, shaking her head to refute the compliments.] To be truthful, I spent a few hours convinced this was a dream and waiting to wake up from it. I'm not admirable at all, really.

[stillsmiling]

[By passing his own social awkwardness,] But you came out eventually. That's courage!

I'm trying to find ways to be useful here too. Maybe we can figure it out together? I mean... As long as we stick to this phone thing, probably.

Video

[i_am_here]

There's apparently a school if you want to attend. Jobs are also hiring people all the time, so that might be a thing you're interested in. As for after activities, there's always activities of all sorts. It seems like a normal town after all.

[Weird skeletally-thin man but hey. He seems friendly enough.]

Video

[paper_airplanes]

A school? That would be wonderful, since I didn't get to finish my senior year before coming here. I wonder if the curriculum is similar? Ah, but I suppose there's no way to know until I ask. Still, thank you, sir.

Activities? You mean like the festivals back home? [Normal is relative, good sir, so while she can sort of take the appearance in stride, even if it reminds her of less than pleasant things from back home, she can't equate this place she's suddenly woken up in with normal. She hasn't seen a single market stall, altar or street vendor since she got here. That's not normal at all.]

Re: Video

[i_am_here]

Don't worry about it, I'm just trying to get by, being here and new myself.

My name's Toshinori Yagi, I'm a teacher at Yuuhi High School, a high school for heroes. I don't suppose you've heard of it, coming from Taiwan?

I haven't seen, but the weather's a little brisk for outdoor festivals. I'm sure people have indoor gyms and the like, books and maybe even video games if we look hard enough.

[His withered "natural" form was a bit disconcerting, considering how sick he looked all the time. But at least he was a naturally charismatic man no matter what form he was in.]

Video

[paper_airplanes]

I see. Thank you for helping a fellow newcomer out, then.

No, sir, I haven't. Though since most of the news we get pertains to mainland China, not Japan, I suppose that's sort of unavoidable.

Books? I'm not much for games, and I don't really have much athletic skill, but I enjoy reading. That's really my only passion in life.

[He looks like one of the ghosts that used to wander the halls of her school. She wonders if he's always hungry the same way that ghosts were, but it would be impolite to ask, especially if it turned out he wasn't a ghost at all. Besides, what really mattered was that he was kind. Anything else was just a bonus in life.]

Re: Video

[i_am_here]

No problem, if you need help, give me a call. I know a guy who can do some heavy lifting.

[He nodded, biting his lip thoughtfully before adding,] We're probably not from the same world then, as strange as that sounds. Even in Taiwan, people have heard of Yuuhi High School, as it's the #1 school for Heroic Education.

I believe, don't quote me on this, but I think there's probably a library. I can probably look for it.

[He was kind, and his natural smile was working through his gaunt cheekbones and yet, he seemed tired.]

video

[democratically]

[She's new herself, although her husband is here, and that has given Padmé someone to pester with any questions that have arisen. She doesn't know what or where this Taiwan is, so she can't help with that.]

Hello Ray. I'm Padmé Amidala. I'm afraid I can't answer too many questions, as I've just recently arrived here, but is there anything that you're interested in? Perhaps you can use that as a starting point to find something?

video

[paper_airplanes]

[Ray pauses a second to admire the woman's hair - much prettier than her own unruly short locks - and then mulls the question over.]

I enjoy reading, and I can read in two alphabets. I also know how to make hand puppets; I used to sew them for my school's plays. My teachers said I was very good at speaking Hokkien and Amis compared to other students, and they were surprised that I didn't have a teacher with how quickly I picked them up, but we all speak the same language here, so that's not really useful, is it?

video

[democratically]

Mm. If you like reading though, perhaps you can try the library?

[And thinking for a moment.]

Or if you like to sew, a clothing shop?

[Although a seamstress might be a bit different than puppets. She's not too good at sewing herself.

She smiles though. Padmé can speak several languages as well.]

No. By whatever means, we seem able to understand each other.

video

[paper_airplanes]

Could I? Back home, we needed government ID to enter the library, as well as a clear idea of what we were doing, and only government certified workers could get jobs there.

[Ray's definition of normal is a bit... different, from most, owing to the era she grew up in. She purses her lips for a moment in thought.]

I've never sewn much more than skirts or puppets. I'm not sure that's enough to go be a seamstress at a clothing shop.

Being able to understand one another is for the best. I can't complain. Better this than showing up and not having anyone to ask what's happening.

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[democratically]

I don't see why not. You might have to go and see what they have and if there are any qualifications, but it's not like they can exactly ask for any references.

[Not like they come with identification here, let alone the ability to call anyone to verify their information.]

Yes. They are quite organized. I suppose they have had a fair amount of experience with these kidnappings.

video;

[brbgettingwrench]

You need to go to the welcome center for that kind of help. As for the basic cost of living around 1000 red bills a month is the lowest form of pay that seems to be around work-wise, which can afford you some of the cheapest places.

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[paper_airplanes]

Welcome Center? [Her brow furrows. Ray has never had a great sense of direction, but coupling that with unfamiliar terms ensures she's lost.] I see. Is it hard to get work, here? I don't have a high school diploma or anything...

video;

[brbgettingwrench]

Not really. I got mine within the first week of being here and I never went to high school.

I know there are some jobs that do require skills at least if you have them but otherwise you don't need something like that.

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[paper_airplanes]

That's very encouraging. What kind of job did you get, if you don't mind me asking?

video;

[brbgettingwrench]

I work with prosthetics at the hospital. But that's because I had the skills to be able to do such a thing. Though I believe there are jobs like cashier, wait staff and such I saw.

So maybe you could start there.

Video

[youfool]

Hello, Ray! Welcome to Genessia!

[This is him toned down, since she's someone from normal-Earth who probably isn't used to...everything.]

Might I ask what "Ray", specifically, means in your tongue? If it's not too personal.

I wouldn't worry about employment too much. Like martyrdom, it seems mere willingness is the only test. As for living arrangements, why, I'm sure one could wrangle a few girlfriends and split the costs that way. Have any made an offer like that so far?

Video

[paper_airplanes]

Oh, thank you.

[She smiles, tucking a strand of short hair behind her ear idly.]

It's the Taiwanese form of Rui. In mainland China it means 'small', but in Taiwanese Mandarin it means 'by the edge of a lake'. I just prefer it over the formality of people calling me by my last name, especially since Fang is a common last name where I'm from - Fang Zhen Ya and I were in the same classes for two years, and we got tired of people saying 'Ms. Fang' pretty quickly.

No one's offered to split costs with me, but that's alright. I think, from what I've heard from people, that I should be fine. I was just a little overwhelmed by how new all of this is. So please, don't worry about my living arrangements, I'll figure it all out.

Re: Video

[youfool]

[He listens, practically holding his cheeks in his hands. Onomastics is his favorite subject, and she's surprisingly knowledgeable about it for a change. Which is good, for eastern names give him no end of trouble.]

Thank you; goodness, makes me wonder what the others mean too, if Mandarin changes it entirely. Well, "Ray" it is. There's bound to be something for you with your book-smarts. Hold on, I'll check the paper...

[He does. A few moments later.]

Oh, a few of these might be just your vocation! Attleton elementary is hiring for the lower grades. Nova City Academy--though the city itself is even more bizarre than the one you're in--is also looking for teachers or aides to the same. And if you'd like to stay right where you are, why, I'm sure Star, a good friend of mine, would love to get her hands on your skill set.

But if you're tired of books, there's a few positions at Pan's Grocery.

Video

[paper_airplanes]

Ray also means 'to spiral' in Amis. I speak Amis and Hakka, in addition to Taiwanese Mandarin. Standard Mandarin can be confusing to me sometimes, since they use the same lettering for different words or pronounce some things differently, but it's still really interesting. I wouldn't say I'm book-smart since I wasn't able to finish high school before I came here, but I enjoy learning things.

[Her own face lights up at the discussion. Words were her escape from life when it grew harsh and the cherry on top when it was good; they were her passion, though her ability to learn such things were limited by her rural location and lack of resources. She never had a formal class in Amis or Hakka; she learned from her neighbors, asking questions and trial and error.

Something in her chest twists at the idea of being a teacher. The idea is both painful and wonderful, and she reaches up to touch the white jade deer pendant around her neck, taking a deep breath before responding.]

I would love to work at a school, but sir, aren't I a little too young? And like I said, I didn't finish my education. There's more qualified people here, surely.

Re: Video

[youfool]

[He thinks on that. "Small", "by the edge of a lake", and "spiral". The last could mean something extremely good, as a shape: something growing both horizontally and vertically at once. Still, he can't quite put the pieces together. Maybe in time. He chuckles at her concerns.]

Not for lack of trying, I expect. I'm sure with time enough you would have, if your knack for many diverse tongues is any indication. Rare talent, that.

Eheh, some of the things young people have done in this world, without comment, are...eyebrow-raising, to say the least. Being a teacher seems terribly tame in comparison. Speaking personally it'd dispose me to heart attacks less. The standards, as far as age goes for that kind of thing, are lax. But just to be sure, how many years have you got exactly? Better safe than sorry, I suppose.

Haha, well, if there are those more qualified, they're shier at the prospect, else there'd be less than three such openings at the same time. If you like I can ask Star if she would have any objections to youth, though knowing her, I doubt it. She's not one to mind age if she sees potentiality enough. And if I do, she certainly will.