genessia | 1st shift ~ video;public

Entry tags:

1st shift ~ video;public

[It's been twenty four hours since he woke up in one of those stupid pod things, and as disconnected as Derek feels in this place--far from his pack, too close to the bloodshed left in the Nogitsune's wake--the time he's spent on his own in a small, semi-comfortable room far removed from Beacon Hills...it's actually been good for him.

That was yesterday, however, and now Derek's starting to get antsy.

Which is why, when the network comes to life, the forests of Fayren are the backdrop behind a handsome young man with dark coloring, a neat yet scruffy beard, and no shirt. The fine sheen of perspiration on his face and shoulders is indicative of the run he's just been on--and working up that sweat was no small effort.]

Hi. Name's Derek, just got here. I'd like to get out of the Commonspace pretty quick--but if I'm gonna get a place, I'm gonna need a job. Anyone out there hiring?

[There's a beat...and because he's an Omega now, because he knows for all the aggravations, he really can't do without that human connection...with a sigh, he sets his jaw for a moment, and keeps going.]

And, uh--if anyone's in need of a roommate, hit me up. We can work out shared costs once I find work, but can't hurt to send up a flare, right?

[It kind of looks like it does hurt, from the scowl he can't quite hide--but he doesn't take it back, just sort of sighs, offers a terse nod of silent thanks, and kills the feed.]

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What room is yours in the Commonspace? I can give you my newspaper and you can look through the jobs section.

[ Wow. Buff shirtless sweaty men. And it's not even Emma's birthday. ]

No offense, but that kind of looked like it did hurt. I'm not sure you want a roommate at all.

Do you hate people or are you just really protective of your space?

Edited 2018-08-30 21:19 (UTC)

[...okay, kinda cute and she's got a mouth on her. That gets an actual smile out of him.]

What I want and what I need are two different things. I...don't do well on my own. And yeah, I'm a little--territorial.

[A beat]

And I don't hate people. Just the annoying ones.

[See? He can make jokes!]

Fortunately, you don't strike me as the spastic, obnoxious type. Points in your favor.

[Direct reference to someone back home? OH yes.]

[...okay, just a voice is a little disconcerting. Female, maybe younger?...

Derek rattles off his room number, visibly frowning with a head cocked, trying to listen for more about the speaker.]

That'd be great, I appreciate the offer...Miss...

I'm afraid I won't be much help. It seems we're both in the same place, looking for a job.

[ She gives him a soft smile. ]

There seems to be a lot available right now though, so if no one comes for you, you shouldn't have too hard of a time to find one.

Edited (Wow I can totally words ) 2018-08-30 21:49 (UTC)

[She notes the pained tick, but sets it aside. Maybe he pulled something on his run.]

....have you ever considered modeling?

Edited 2018-08-31 00:43 (UTC)

So is being shirtless and sweaty part of your ‘I need a job’ ploy, or part of your bid for a roommate?

[ The tone is just a hint of teasing. She’s been sleeping well and in a good mood. ]

Good eye. I've never been spastic a day in my life.

Obnoxious depends on who you ask. [ Regina she means Regina don't ask Regina. ]

So what do you do back home? Might narrow your job search options a little.

I'm gonna guess, mmmm...welding?

[ Have a pretty brunette, Derek. She is also curious and smiling kindly. ]

What kind of skills do you have or what did you do for work before?

There are plenty of places hiring, but it would save you some time if you laid out some of your talents. What are you good at?

Unless you're welcoming all sorts. In that case, you'll get plenty of responses. [But Solas is really of the mind that maybe narrowing his search would benefit Derek.]

[ It's video not text, for which Eli's grateful. It's easier not to have to filter through data to find the meanings, which means he can be quicker with his response. He's barefoot in the grass again, a bottle of water by his hand and his hair is also damp with sweat. He's not shirtless, but the cut muscles of his chest are visible through the worn white t-shirt he wears. ]

I feel you. It's nice they give us rooms and all but they're like hamster cages. I'm more of a hiker than a runner, though. What else are you into?

[ Yeah, the guy's got a chip on his shoulder. Eli can read it through the screen. But he's trying. And Eli needs a roommate. What he's earning...it's honest, but teaching computer skills and wearing designer clothes aren't going to pay for food, music, tech, clothes and housing. ]

Uh...mostly outdoor stuff. I do a lot of reading, too. [Guy's obviously athletic, his first impression's one of being unobtrusive but present--so far so good.

Then he looks around, a reminder of the setting--the streets he took a run through before heading for the forest--and takes note that he's being messaged on a private channel before he clears his throat.]

I'm, uh...I'm also...

[He scowls, but mostly at himself--this is the hard part, the part he hasn't done often enough to be good at it.

So his gaze flicks away for a second--then returns to the camera, just as his dark eyes start to glow a cold, monstrous shade of blue.]

[Derek lets out a harsh breath at that, mulling the question over. It's a good one, and probably something he should have led with.]

Well, back home I had investments--rented out property. Skills? Uh...I'm fluent in English, Spanish, and French, partially fluent in Japanese and I know a little Latin. I can draw a little...I have good organizational and research skills...I can lift a pretty heavy load, I'm not opposed to a little physicality in my work. I have a pretty extensive knowledge of mythology.

[He huffs with wry laughter, rolling his eyes.]

Also a fairly extensive knowledge of music, but that's not exactly a marketable job skill in one's day to day life.

[Have a very long, very startled pause. Because...what.]

I...have I--what?

[Oh no, she's tiny and looks sweet and that sort of reminds him of Allison, save for the Latin complexion. And the lack of weaponry.

There's a flicker of something painful and touched with regret on his features before Derek blinks and pulls himself together.]

Truthfully? My main source of income was property investment back home--rentals, I owned a building. My skills? Well...I'm no slouch when it comes to heavy lifting, and I'm good at research and organization, but everything else I'm good at is mostly academic. Literally academic--I've studied a lot of...history, mythology, music, languages...

[Talia Hale made damn sure her children would be ready for the day one of them might have to take on the mantle of Alpha.]

[Any other time he'd have gotten annoyed--but she had a dry sense of humor going for her, so it got a little bit of a smile as he ducked his head for a second, trying and failing to hide a soft chuckle before he leveled his gaze at the phone again.]

Nice try, but no. [And because he's feeling like a shit...]

Two guesses left.

[She bites back an amused grin and shrugs.] You said you were looking for work, and Fama's always hunting for new talent.

[That aside, she technically does have a spare room in her apartment... but she also really likes her privacy.

For now, she'll just (mostly) drop the on-camera act and try to be helpful.]

What sort of things are you into Derek? Anything you're good at?

Edited 2018-08-31 21:23 (UTC)

[ Evie just woke up. She has bedhead. Like hell is she gonna show her face. ]

Okay. Give me about twenty minutes and I'll be there. My name is Evie Grimhilde. I'll be the princess with the blue hair.

[A solid way of making money, but not one that helps Derek here. Solas inclines his chin ever so slightly as Derek lists his skills, his thoughts piecing together a possible suggestion.]

There seems no shortage of labor work, but perhaps a job working with books would suit you better. Perhaps the library in Genessia City could put your language skills and knowledge to use.

Otherwise, there are plenty who make a living as musicians, though it's far less steady than a traditional occupation.

[there's a pause, however.] I am curious, what portions of mythology do you study?

Edited (i'm good at paying attention to subject lines) 2018-08-31 22:24 (UTC)

Derek?

[The video feed opens to show a blonde woman, seated in an ancient-looking armchair in front of a sunny window with a book lying open in her lap. Her brows are knit in an expression of either confusion or concern, and she can't help a fairly distinctively canine tilt of her head a moment later that clarifies the matter; she's confused.]

Did you say your name was Derek?

[Because if she heard right, then oh boy, does she ever have some news for you.]

I did.

[Have a Derek staring at this blonde woman with an equally confused look of his own, only just missing that animal gesture of puzzlement.]

Why?

[ Emma flashes a grin, then purses her lips and pretends to think it over. ]

Hmmm...maybe...park ranger?

...Have you been here long?

[She sits up a little straighter, fixing her screen with an intensely interested look now. She definitely hasn't met anyone else by that name here, after all, so...

But it's probably best not to get ahead of herself. Manners, Rowan.]

I've, ah... I've heard your name mentioned, here and there. I'm Rowan, by the way.

[Her expression doesn't change much, but she's watching his closely, as if searching for any sign of recognition.]

[ Courtney catches the little flicker which causes her features to soften momentarily before she focuses on listening with a small nod. ]

Well, maybe you can get into real estate? Or working at a school?

No, uh--I got here yesterday.

[She looks so keenly interested in him and what he has to say, it makes him nervous--mostly because this isn't Beacon Hills. There are people beyond its borders, like Satomi's pack and the Calaveras that know who he is, but they don't always know him unless they know Talia.

They just know his last name.]

Who exactly's mentioned my name? [Because being known is...not always a good thing in certain circles.]

[She relaxes visibly when Derek clarifies, easing back into the depths of her armchair with a relieved chuckle. If he just got here yesterday... Then it can't be this Derek, then, surely.

Her expression warms when it softens, giving way to an easy smile, and Rowan dismisses the subject with a lazy wave of one dainty, freckled hand.]

Don't worry about it too much. The rumor mill around here... Well, I ought to know better than to eavesdrop anyway, really, but it's hard not to, sometimes.

[Superhuman hearing combined with being the subject of recent gossip will do that to a girl, as it turns out.]

Either way-- it was rude of me to answer your questions with more questions. You say you're looking for work, and there's plenty of it to be found here. Just depends on what you're good at, same as anywhere else. As for the roommate situation, it's easy enough to find a place of your own once you're employed, don't worry about that.

Not a bad guess, actually. Nowhere close, but maybe in another life.

Last chance.

Now hang on, I want to make sure the lines of this game are clear. What do I get if I win? And what happens if I lose?

Well, if you lose? You have to buy me a drink at the best bar in this place.

If you win? Well...how 'bout carte blanche? You can name your prize.

Different. [ The kids at the Ranch are different too, although most of them don't do anything too obvious. Luck, persuasion, sharper senses--thing is, the Ranch thinks it's genetic and Eli's pretty sure it's magic. At least it's how he and Gran see it, him getting his ability through the crack in his brain that keeps him from reading.

Either way, he's not bothered by it. What's the point? He'll run feelers through the guy's data feed while they're talking, but for now, he likes what he's seeing upfront. ]

I'm down. Everybody's got their secrets. As long as yours aren't going to rip my throat out in the middle of the night, it's not a problem.

That seems reasonable. Fair warning, though, I don't have a job yet, either, so my funds are limited. It might have either wait for a bit or be The Best Bar I Can Afford.

Okay, one last guess. How about...mmm...cross fit trainer.

Touche. I am, if nothing, a fair man.

I'm also the winner. [He melts into a grin at that.] Landlord--basically living off an inheritance. Invested in some property with it.

[Well. That's a best case scenario--though the remark does make Derek smile outright.]

Not an issue. I was born a...werewolf. [He blinks a little, then shakes it off with a facial shrug. It's just strange to say it flat out like that.] Full moons don't rule me, I can control whether or not I shift--and it's not full wolf like the movies, very few of my kind have that power. If I get restless, I go for a run. Certain lunar events can get weird, but I can make arrangements for stuff like that.

In my defense, I could have had about a hundred guesses and real estate would never have been one of them. None of my landlord were ever artfully scruffy and buff.

But I'm a woman of my word. Have you heard of Fortuna Palace? People keep telling me it's a nice place.

I've literally been here twenty four hours, so I haven't heard much of anything. If you hear it's a nice place, I'm game. Whenever you're free.

[Is this a thing he's doing? Apparently, this is a thing he's doing--crap, when was the last time he'd gone for drinks with anyone?...]

[ Nothing in his expression suggests he's making it up. If anything the guy seems surprised to be telling him this, and Eli gets that. He nods rather than shrugging. Shrug says 'so what' and it's clearly a big deal to Derek. ]

I wish my gran could meet you. She's sworn up and down shapeshifters are out there since before I was born. [ He's really going to miss her. ] If you don't mind, I'd rather not put anything about me out there on the network that I can't control, but when we meet up in person there's some stuff to tell.

[ On impulse, he offers ] Want me to shred and bleach this conversation when we're done with it? [ It isn't a perfect guarantee. Anyone listening now or tracking them could stick a copy behind a fancy firewall that Eli hasn't had time to find yet, or be recording it to an off-network device. But it's about as good as you can get otherwise. ]

[ Don't feel bad, Derek. Emma's in a similar boat. Plus the last guy she did date was a flying monkey. ]

Well hey, let me share my whole...week's worth of experience?

As it happens, my evenings are pretty open.

Impart your wisdom, Sensei.

[Cracking a grin (not just a smile! SHOCK AND AWE)--Derek nods.]

Sounds good...meet this evening, then?

That's the hope, since--well, I have no idea how long I'm stuck here for.

[A beat, then not quite under his breath...]

Alone.

Sure. I'll be the blonde in red.

[He nods at that, still smiling. And, if he's doing something resembling a fairly normal date...]

Hot blonde in red. Got it.

[And before he can regret or question the flirting, he disconnects the feed.]

* * * * *

Between the end of his message, a quick text to agree on a time because he forgot, and making sure he looked halfway decent, Derek started to get nervous.

And in getting nervous, he found himself missing his pack. Even Stiles.

It probably wasn't the worst thing in the world that they weren't here, in case this was just another example of his shitty luck with women, but he had a good gut feeling this time. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't know a thing about this woman--they hadn't even traded names. He hadn't met her in person, either, just...flirted with her on the phone like he was some normal guy taken in by a pretty face.

It was fairly objective, distance made it less likely that there was magic in play...and it was truly, disturbingly normal, which probably shouldn't have given him as much hope as it did.

Derek didn't have a hard time finding Fortuna Palace, and once he was inside he was already scanning the room for the telltale splash of gold hair and red...something he was looking for.

One of the pitfalls of a borderline blind date was that he couldn't track her scent. He hated how blind that made him feel...she probably smelled good, though...

Christ, he needed to get laid. Safely laid. By someone who wasn't trying to kill everyone he cared about.

Maybe this was a bad idea...

Emma was at the bar, nursing a cocktail, letting herself get thoroughly distracted from darker thoughts by asking herself what the hell she was doing. Grabbing a drink with a strange guy wasn't really like her...well, okay. It was absolutely like her, pre-Henry, pre-Storybrooke, pre-Savior and pre-Curse Breaking. But that had been a long time ago. So really--what was she thinking?

She happened to be glancing up towards the entrance as Derek's gaze was sweeping the bar, and indecision had her freezing; should she wave? That seemed...kinda silly. Still, her hand half-lifted a little, lips quirking into a sheepish little smile when he finally seemed to spot her--gold hair spilling down the back and shoulders of a deep red leather jacket, just as she'd promised.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he spotted her--hand half lifted, with a small smile he could only call 'adorable,' just as she promised. Red and all.

He returned the little half wave with one of his own, making his way towards the bar with a smile equal parts genuine pleasure and relief that he hadn't got stood up or bolted. Once he got close, her sent was pleasant: the leather of her jacket, some floral and feminine shampoo, warm skin and a confused swirl of chemosignals that mirrored enough of his own feelings to make it easier to relax.

"Derek Hale." he offered by way of greeting, extending his hand when he reached her. "Since we never got to that part on the phone."

Truth be know, Emma had kind of enjoyed the anonymous banter. That kind of playfullness and fun was in short supply.

Still--definitely better to know each other's names, going forward. If there was much more of a forward.

"Emma Swan." She turned in her seat fully and clasped Derek's hand in a firm, friendly handshake. "Nice to put a name and face together." She waited until Derek was settled on the stool next to her before she signaled the bartender. "What are you drinking, Mr. Hale?"

"Mmmm...bourbon works." he decided, making a face at the thought of beer. "Never liked the taste of hops in beer, and, uh...I guess I have a kind of particular pallet."

Mostly, with his sense of smell he could pick a lot more out of whiskey or bourbon in terms of flavor than he could in beer--save for some stuff he'd tried in microbreweries while he was living in New York, but he wasn't going to chance they had anything here like a blueberry beer.

Sliding onto the stool next to Emma while he waited for the bartender to come over, he regarded her with new interest.

"So, Miss Swan," he drawled with a grin, "while I wait for my prize...tell me about you. Since you already know so much about me, like how I'm not a crossfit trainer, not a welder, and not a park ranger. I mean, that's very intimate stuff."

Emma chuffed softly in amusement, picking up her own glass to take a sip of her cocktail (amaretto sour, extra cherries). "What, no guesses?" she asked, moistening her lips as she set her glass back down on the damp cocktail napkin. "You really want me to make it so easy for you? Where's the fun in that?"

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1st shift ~ video;public

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