[Nexus] Mallside I: You Do Not Know the Power of the Mallside

[Slii Arhem]

Somewhere Outside Neon Collusseum

A noise begins just at the edges of human hearing begins, high pitched and faint like the whistling of a kettle heard through a wall. It begins rising steadily, building, building, and then...

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

A little girl rushes in through the doors and up to the counter, her sandy blonde pigtails just barely visible above the countertop. "Hi miss can I have some tokens pretty pretty please and I'll love you whole bunches forever and ever and you can have this!" she holds out three buttons, a hunk of clay, a business card and sixty three cents.

[Neon Knight]

[Neon Coliseum]

"Firewand...?" The term confuses Grace until she follows Takara's attention to the arcade shooters, at which point she manages to figure it out pretty quick. That kind of extrapolation is what you learn when you're in her business, after all. "Oh, those? They seem to be pretty popular. It's a basic action game, based on combat with firearms. Enemies or targets pop up on screen and you have to shoot them before they shoot you. Every so often you change locations. I think you reload by pointing the gun- the firewand- away from the screen."

Grace glances at Takara. "To be honest, Takara, of the places I might have expected to meet you, I wouldn't have picked this one." It's not a question, but it's obvious Grace has a question in mind... but she really doesn't feel comfortable voicing it directly.

Takara flushes slightly. "Well... I decided to try something different. This is rather unusual for me, but... what was usual for me was not enough." And then the little girl comes in, and Takara stops, uncertain as to how to respond.

[Gullara]

[Carcosa Burger]

Genevieve shrugs and bites into the fish burger. "Mmm, alright, that is good." She continues chowing down as Amil talks. "Maybe I should get a cell phone too. They sound handy." Chew chew chew... "I have no clue what you mean about the putting in an application thing."

[Rebonack]

[Carcosa Burger]

"Cell phones are really useful. Everyone should have one. Well... or some magical equivalent."

No doubt there's some cool magical equivalent to a cell phone. It probably wouldn't be too hard to make.

Amil has already nommed her burger all gones! Wow, that was fast!

"Though it costs money to have one. That's why I'm going to try getting a job here at Mallside. I noticed that they're looking for someone with precisely my training and experience, so I'm sure I'll be a great fit for their team."

Yay job interview lingo.

"Though some people just always have money for some reason. I'm not altogether certain why..."

[Lord Magtok]

Magmart

The high priest looks up, and his face is a grisly sight, all of his skin is puckered and wrinkled with bulbous growths peppering his cheeks.

"Please, be so kind as to pass on our message, we are not long for this world. Know that this group of men, all aged 27-35, have lived as the briney ones decreed, and been granted long and fruitful lives for it."

He bows once more, touching his head to the floor. With a rasping, wheezy rattle he says, "I am content.

"Long and fruitf-" The cyborg looks away from the ugly guy's face, and nods. "Sure, yeah. I'll do that. Definitely going to pass on the word and whatnot."

No, of course he won't. Are you crazy? But the guy's going to be dead soon anyway, so it's not like there'd be any repercussions in ignoring such pleas, right? "So umm...Is there anything in particular you guys had in mind for your corpses, or can I just take those outside to the dumpster, then? Because I mean, I can't really leave you all sprawled out and stuff, but I can't really stand the smell long enough to contact a funeral home, so..."

[AmberVael]

[Neon Coliseum]

Suddenly, Grace is interrupted by a cute little girl with a very small supply of money and... stuff. Her eyes flick to Takara, then back to the girl, then at the paltry offering. Grace is, unusually, fairly unequipped to handle this situation. Not being a mother herself, or someone who regularly interacts with children, she has very little resistance to the sheer enthusiasm and hope the girl has.

That said, Grace is definitely a business woman, and while she gave Takara coins for free, that was more of fulfilling a debt and an exchange of hospitality. So, she finally settles on a compromise. Knowing that in Nexus, all kinds of things can be bought, sold, and used as currency, she accepts the odd assortment of items, guessing that the extra pieces could make up for the uneven amount of coins, and in exchange, she gives the girl four tokens (they're about a quarter each, so she's probably being a little generous) and a smile. "Here you are. If you want more, perhaps you can get your parents to buy them for you, okay?" It felt weird to say that last part- Grace wasn't really trying to get the girl to buy more, after all, but there was this idea in the back of her mind that the girl would be looking for more than just four tokens...

She gives Takara an apologetic look. Business before pleasure, after all. She wanted to wait until this transaction was complete before continuing their conversation.

[Gullara]

[Carcosa Burger]

Probably because of overexposure to handwavium.

"Maybe I can't get a phone then. I have some money, but not a lot." Genevieve shrugs and bites into her burger. "...Maybe I can do something with my magic for it..."

[Slii Arhem]

Magmart

Sorry, I wasn't entirely clear, but as the head cultist said his last words, he pretty much just died in that position. Further inspection reveal the rest of them to be similiarly deceased, so they clearly have no say in what is done to their corpses. A word of caution, if you throw them in a dumpter you'll find they will be... well preserved, and it may smell for quite awhile.

Neon Collusseum

The girl snags the tokens and hands them to Takara, along with a chain of eight paperclips and an Ultraman figurine the size of her thumb, and yet another mysterious business card. Then she flees the scene.

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.....

[Neon Knight]

[Neon Coliseum]

Takara nodded understandingly, waiting for Grace to finish dealing with the customer. She was surprised when the girl pressed the objects into her hand, and stood there with them in her hand, watching the little girl go.

[Rebonack]

[Carcosa Burger]

Amil will wait for Gene to finish eating, sipping at her root-beer for the time being. "I'm sure there's someone somewhere who could use your talents. And there's always the option of trying to open a business yourself. You would be surprised how easy it is to find a job in the Nexus. Often times all you need to do is walk into a business and ask for one."

To bad it isn't that easy in real life...

*ahem*

"Oh! I know. Why don't you explore the mall a bit while I do the boring business stuff? There are quite a few neat shops to look around in."

That sounds like an adventure!

And not the sort of adventure that ends up with one getting cursed, either.

[AmberVael]

[Neon Coliseum]

That was not quite how Grace expected things to go. Somewhat suspicious, she glances at the business card before putting into her pocket.

"Um, well, anyway..."

Grace coughs, and attempts to move on as if the encounter had not occurred. "I guess that's why I'm here too. Aurora really didn't work out well, but I still want to help... so I tried to create some new jobs. I got Mallside running, but managing the pure financial aspect of it is a little more tedious than I thought it would be, so I offered to help start up this arcade, and... here I am." Hands in her pockets, Grace looks around her. "So I understand."

"So, in the spirit of adventure, why don't we try out one of the arcade shooters, and see if you like it or not." Grace suggests.

[Slii Arhem]

Neon Collusseum

Oh, well the card reads:

The Mental Menagerie
Electronics, Mechanics, Science

But considering they're renting from Grace, she should pay it no mind.

[Gullara]

[Carcosa Burger]

Genevieve finally finishes her own burger. She's a much slower eater than Amil. "That sound like a good idea. Maybe I'll try the store that that guy with the cards was talking about."

Not getting cursed is a bonus.

[Neon Knight]

[Neon Coliseum]

Takara nods, smiling. "I agree. Shall we?" She steps over to a booth called Area 51 that looks like it is about shooting up aliens and stuff. She slids a token in and picks up the plastic light gun with a far too serious expression on her face.

[Rebonack]

[Carcosa Burger]

Amil nods and rises to her feet. "Alright. I'll see you around. Let's say... Meet at the fountain in an hour or so?"

And with that she's off!

Weeee!

[Concourse]

Amil is now walkin' the halls, headed toward one of the more management-ish parts of the mall. With a flier about the job she's interested in!

No doubt she'll head in and do boring job interview stuff that would be really uninteresting to RP out.

[AmberVael]

[Concourse]

Sadly, the time skip also cuts over such interesting things as Grace's discussion of why she thinks ponies are fabulous, and where she got that pink pony figurine that always seems to end up on her desk. Alas, no one will ever know now.

However, Amil does get the job, and for some reason, the eudai is totally okay with her being a tyranid!


[Neon Coliseum]

Grace picks up the other gun with a similar expression, because Grace is far too serious for her own good! And then, presumably, aliens and gun fire happens!

[Neon Knight]

[Neon Coliseum]

Grace picks up the other gun with a similar expression, because Grace is far too serious for her own good! And then, presumably, aliens and gun fire happens!

Much aliens and gun fire! Takara is a bit better at this game, and soon they're both putting in their highscores. "I think I like this game better. Although, it feels a little bit like combat training..."

[AmberVael]

[Neon Coliseum]

Grace is honestly pretty awful at the arcade shooter! She keeps forgetting to reload, is the problem. Apparently it isn't something she's used to. She ruefully looks at her tiny score as she replies to Takara. "A lot of games tend to be about combat. I think it's because it is a simple premise that is very quickly engaging."

[Rebonack]

Amil wasn't familiar with the Pony phenomena and as such probably missed most of the references. Though given that ponies have hooves and Tyranids have hooves she's suspecting there might be some connection regarding why she was chosen for this position.

Anywho!

Next up she purchases a new smart phone (with her old number of course) to replace the one that got gunked up when she was in her chrysalis. Stupid thing got ruined pretty well by that incident.

Phone get!

Job get!

Annoying religious evangelizes get!

Wait, what?

[Concourse]

"And so that is why we search for Him," the man in the red and white striped shirt explains. "For by searching for Him we might discover ourselves."

"Yes. The search for Him is what defines us. And it could bring you a great sense of purpose as well," the woman with rather thick glasses adds.

"Eerr... well..." Amil had made the mistake of taking one of their pamphlets and asking what it was about. And now she's got two members of The Great Search pestering her about joining their religion. She looks like she could use some rescuing.

[Neon Knight]

[Neon Coliseum]

"That is true. And I guess children often play at war." Takara smiles slightly as she finishes entering TAK into the high score entry. "Maybe it's one of those things about human nature that we'll never quite understand."

[Concourse]

The cultists might feel a slight tap on their shoulders. "Excuse me, but isn't that him?" A young woman in fairly ordinary contemporary clothes is behind them, pointing vaguely at a flash of red and white stripeness in a nearby blob of people.

[Gullara]

[The Mental Menagerie]

Genevieve bids Amil farewell (belatedly) and goes on her way. She decides to find the store from the card, and after some wandering she does! She steps inside the store and peers around uncertainly.

[Rebonack]

[Concourse]

At the tap the two members of the Great Search glance in the direction pointed and!

Hurry off muttering 'Where's Waldo' as if it were a mantra.

Amil watches them depart for a few moments before giving a drawn out sigh of relief. "Thanks. I wasn't sure how to refuse without offending them."

Nice that she's so willing to be polite.

A hand is offered for shaking!

because that's also the polite thing to do.

"Amil Wightson."

[Slii Arhem]

The Mental Menagerie

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Hi there, what can I help you with?" The little girl somersaults into the store and lands on her back, giggling. On her dress is a tag that says: Celena, Sales Consultant.

[AmberVael]

[Neon Coliseum]

"Oh, I'm not so sure it is a human thing as much as it is a business decision. Other things are harder to make, more difficult to put together, and less likely to succeed in their attempt. So as a business, you'll tend towards these types of games, because while they may not be the most innovative, they're a good source for a steady paycheck." Business strategies are an area in which Grace feels quite steady and knowledgeable, so she expounds on it happily. "It might be a bit human too though. The struggle for survival is a big part of life, especially as it manifests in conflict."

[Neon Knight]

[Concourse]

At the tap the two members of the Great Search glance in the direction pointed and!

Hurry off muttering 'Where's Waldo' as if it were a mantra.

Amil watches them depart for a few moments before giving a drawn out sigh of relief. "Thanks. I wasn't sure how to refuse without offending them."

Nice that she's so willing to be polite.

A hand is offered for shaking!

because that's also the polite thing to do.

"Amil Wightson."

The woman takes her hand, shaking it lightly. "Oh, I understand. They might be a bit annoying, but they're really not bad or anything." She smiles. "I'm Cierra."

A more through description: she's wearing a denim jacket over a plain white shirt, with a blue colored skirt about to her knees, and black shoes. Her hair is long and dark, hanging down around her shoulders and framing a pleasant face with clearly defined features and deep blue eyes. The only other thing of note is that her skin is a little pale.

[Neon Coliseum]

"Oh, I'm not so sure it is a human thing as much as it is a business decision. Other things are harder to make, more difficult to put together, and less likely to succeed in their attempt. So as a business, you'll tend towards these types of games, because while they may not be the most innovative, they're a good source for a steady paycheck." Business strategies are an area in which Grace feels quite steady and knowledgeable, so she expounds on it happily. "It might be a bit human too though. The struggle for survival is a big part of life, especially as it manifests in conflict."

Takara smiles as she listens to Grace. "Oh? I did not know you had given this so much thought."

[AmberVael]

[Neon Coliseum]

"Well, it's my business now. I'm trying to learn and think about it, so I can do well." She brushes her hair back, giving a smile to Takara. "I'm sure you think about the things you get involved in and enjoy, right?" Grace asks, as she leads the way over to the racing games, assuming Takara doesn't seem inclined to play Area 51 again.

[Chezmarine]

E-E

Chez Waits At The Counter...

[Rebonack]

[Concourse]

Oh boy, must be description time. Her complexion is fairly light and her hair shoulder length. Reddish brown, though the locks are a bit thicker than hair has any business being. It seems to twitch every now and again of its own accord. Her eyes are a bright orange and slit, looking more reptilian than anything else. Perhaps her most striking feature is her nose (or lack there of). She simply doesn't have one. Mouth isn't quite the right shape, either.

Like something attempting to appear human, though not quite making it.

She's presently wearing a pair of blue over-alls and a red long-sleeved shirt with a matching cap. Actually random encounter loot! Never know when one might need it given how crazy the Nexus is.

"Yeah, I got that impression from them. There are plenty of faiths around the Nexus that like to spread the word. I'm honestly not use to that sort of thing yet, even after being here for so long. Religion was pretty monolithic back home."

[Neon Knight]

[Neon Coliseum]

Takara follows Grace as she moves toward the racing games. "Yes, that is true. I could tell you many things about playing the zither. Not that I would bore you with that..."

___

[Concourse]

Although not perfectly at peace with Amil's oddities, Cierra seems to be making a very good to effort to try and treat her normally and act like it doesn't bother her. "Religion wasn't a big deal where I was from, either. It took me a long time to adjust, too." Cierra glances around. "Um, I hate to impose, but could you help me? I've.. I've been in deadtime for quite a while, and I'm not sure where I am. And what's going on."

[Gullara]

[The Mental Menagerie]

SUDDENLY! A very excited little girl. "Hey there." Genevieve says somewhat awkwardly. She's not used to being around kids. "Is there someone I can talk to about this store?"

((Sorry about the delay. Got distracted inkscaping. I make no promises that it won't happen again. >.>))