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Post by TEREBELLUM DIA on Oct 26, 2013 12:59:12 GMT -8
10 May, 2013 @ 10:00AM with DOMINIC R. MARSTEN
As it was, it has been less than forty eight hours since Terebellum arrived here and he was hungry. Sadly, he didn't know what there was to eat. Going outside was horrible due to the heat and the cars and it was far more likely that Terebellum would get lost than actually find something edible. In the end, he had few other options so he ventured outside and headed to the one place that was close to his apartment and he actually knew how to get to: the Impedio Society Headquarters.
Once there, Terebellum scoured the floor for the closest person that he could find. It happened to be a tall, intimidating man with glasses. The blond would realize later that asking a receptionist or someone less intimidating would have been a far better option but he was much too hungry to really think things through.
At the very least, if there was one thing his caretaker back in Grise Fiord had always been good about, it was making sure that Terebellum knew his place. Adults were older, wiser, more experienced, and should therefore be shown respect. It didn't matter whether or not you actually liked the person, they were clearly above you in rank so unless otherwise noted, they should be given respect no matter where he was. Even at the age of eighteen, Terebellum has, like everything else Ila imparted him with, taken this to heart and follows the as best as he can under the circumstances. Los Angeles was a huge culture shock for the poor kid but he still tries, even if he would much rather hop on the first plane back to his hometown. He had been respectful to his older cousin and any other adults he had encountered thus far and decided tat he had been doing a pretty good job. This person would be no exception.
"Excuse me, could you help me? I was transferred here very recently and I'm still not completely familiar with Los Angeles," he explained. "Can you help me get food? It's been a while since I last ate and I'm hungry."
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Post by DOMINIC R. MARSTEN on Oct 26, 2013 19:05:43 GMT -8
Dominic’s gaze shifted slowly up and away from the bundled stack of papers in his hand, an annoyed glint in his eye as he pulled to a stop. A cup of coffee steamed in the other. He had known it would be too much to ask today that he not be bothered with minutiae while walking down the hallway, but as per usual, it did not surprise him one bit, that something—or someone—managed to crop up. He lowered the papers an inch and fought back a sigh. “Yes. What is it?” Dominic said automatically after the first question was out. Yet, as the young man continued, he found himself becoming increasingly irritated. He gave no outward signs of it of course, but for the love of god—how hard was it to find food in this country, the kingdom of all things greasy and bad for you? There was a McDonald’s right up the street for Christ’s sake.
“You want me to help you get food,” he parroted. Dominic studied the young man in front of him. Recently transferred, he had said. And yet he could speak plain English just fine—maybe with an accent sure—but he had the common sense and the intelligence enough to actually say something when he needed to. Dominic dropped the hand with the papers to his side. He could not tell if he should be thoroughly amused by the almost childlike statement that punctuated the end of this request, or extremely frustrated. What did Dominic look like? A babysitter? Poor Sasha was waiting for him back in his own office; he had her recuperating in the saltwater of his custom aquarium, recharging the old batteries, so to speak. What was he supposed to do? Ditch her and his duties for this guy? Really? Dominic snorted, but hid the beginnings of a smirk behind his cup of coffee as he lifted it to his lips.
Maybe he should humor the poor guy. There was some stupid superstition about karma and crap and about how helping others blah blah blah who cared. Really, Dominic was just curious just how poorly situated this young man was.
“Do you know what a grocery store is? Yes? No? Well, we’re going to see one. And what did you say your name was again?”
Notes: We should find a way to make this trip as horrible as possible for Dominic. I don't know how. I'll have to think. But it should be the worst day, and only at the end of it he should find out that Terebellum is a Dia. 8I
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Post by TEREBELLUM DIA on Oct 28, 2013 10:16:20 GMT -8
Reading people had never been a skill that Terebellum ever needed to master. There were at most 130 people living in Grise Fiord at any given time which is both a blessing and a curse. He had grown up with the people there so they understood him and tolerated his inability to read situations. The current situation was a prime example of why this was also a bad thing. The man had not shown any outward annoyance to him but he certainly did not look very welcoming to the average person either. Most people probably would have walked away after seeing his demeanor and expression. To Terebellum, the man had replied and therefore meant that what he was doing was completely fine. He may have even found himself a new mentor in conjunction with his cousin Arcturus. God knows he needed all the help he could get.
"My name is Terebellum, sir. What's yours?" Terebellum looked at the man expectantly. He was going to get food. This man, this kind, generous man was going to show him how to get food. He should tell Ila and Arc about how great the people at the LA headquarters were. Terebellum couldn't be happier and it probably showed on his face. "So what kind of food is there here and where do we get it?"
((Oh no, that would be horrible. But if you insist, let's do it ))
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Post by DOMINIC R. MARSTEN on Oct 30, 2013 22:51:23 GMT -8
“Dominic. Come with me.” The answer came automatically, and with little to no emotion behind it. Dominic ended up glugging down a little more of his coffee and escorting Terrebellum to his office; he stowed away his paperwork, glanced once at Sasha, his sawfish sword, jutting out of the elaborate exotic fish aquarium at the back, and shook his head. “You haven’t been around people much, have you? Big cities or densely populated areas,” he clarified seconds later. “Otherwise you would already know what kind of food is found in a grocery store.” He also assumed that, barring the lack of basic modern knowledge, Terrebellum had skills to make up for it too. People did not get transferred to L.A. because they might be good. They either had extreme potential and adaptable skill sets, or were willing to expand and adapt rapidly. Otherwise, they were moved somewhere else weeks later. This part of the world could not afford anything less. It sounded harsh, but that was the way of it. “Let’s go,” he said. Dominic grabbed what he thought he would need, and included a gun for his own paranoid reasons, slipping it into a holster and slipping a jacket off of a coat hanger behind his door. He threw it over his shoulders, zipped it up and off they went, with him leading the way. ---- “Where did you say you were from again?” Dominic thrust out his arm before Terebellum could strut right out into the street, in spite of the fact that they had a red light and cars were beginning to move forward as their lights flashed green. His glasses flushed with sunlight that reflected off their lenses, hiding the critical look he gave his younger charge. “Pay attention. People will run you over in these parts.” He dropped his arm back to his side and tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. “Grocery store’s a few blocks down and—are you paying attention? What are you looking at?” Note: I have ideas for this thread~ I'm probably gonna run them by you next time I catch you online. ^^ Also, please let me know if you wanted me to change anything in this post. I can, no problem. I knew that Terrebellum had some experience with technical things and society, but I wasn't sure if the hustle and bustle of a place as big as L.A. would have confused him or not/or made it difficult to focus on something as small as a "No Walking" sign that hadn't switched to green. xD So if you'd like anything changed, let me know.
Words!: 000 Tag!: Open Date!: Month 0th 0000
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Post by TEREBELLUM DIA on Nov 1, 2013 18:22:14 GMT -8
[diva align=”justify”]
Terebellum brightened considerably at the curt response. He followed obediently behind the tall man into an office. There was a tank in the back of the room that the blond looked at curiously. The first time he ever saw an aquarium was when he was introduced to his new work place. The large amount of aquatic creatures in glass containers astounded him and excited him until he was strictly told that they were for viewing and not eating. The whole concept was ridiculous to him but he listened all the while gazing longingly into the octopus tank. The tank in the back held some strange, elongated sword shaped object. Terebellum briefly wondered if it was a(n edible) fish.
”No,” he admitted, tearing his eyes away from the tank to look at his newfound mentor. ”The place I was transferred from is nothing like Los Angeles. We had an outpost but I don’t think we had any grocery stores.” Granted, the outpost was similar to the grocery stores but Terebellum didn’t know that. And with the outrageous prices, shopping there was the surest way of going bankrupt. It was why they hunted, not only was it the Inuit way of life for centuries and it was the only real source of nourishment they had.
Terebellum waited for Dominic to grab his things and followed him out of the building. He hated the outside. It was too hot. He complained about it time and time again, but it really was much too hot. It was amazing to him that people could survive under such conditions. ”I’m from Grise Fiord, Canada, sir.” It was a good thing Dominic had stopped Terebellum when he had. He wasn’t paying attention and he constantly forgot that the laws of the road were very different than they were where he came from. He was really beginning to appreciate his new mentor.
”I was just looking at that street,” he said as he gestured towards a nearby alleyway. ”I thought I saw some people arguing.”
[/div][/blockquote][/blockquote] |
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Post by DOMINIC R. MARSTEN on Nov 3, 2013 16:30:26 GMT -8
Grise Fiord. Well that explained a few things, didn’t it? Dominic’s brow fell but he pushed his glasses a little further up his nose and gave Terebellum the all clear once the light flashed green and the traffic on their side of the street ground to a halt. He barely noted Terebellum’s observation either. Arguments, backstreet dealings and general loitering in alleyways were typical symptoms of any major city really, and this one was no exception. “They do that,” he said gruffly. “You’ll find that people around here can take care of themselves, most of the time. They growl at each other like territorial dogs, but it’s not all bark; my advice while you’re here? Forget whatever combat skills or tactical expertise you’ve learned before—curiosity really does kill the cat on these streets, so don’t go poking your nose into other people’s business. The Society can’t afford it,” he added. “We’ve got enough to worry about with activity on the rise; our PR department doesn’t need to worry about our members getting involved in backstreet brawls.”
Dominic rolled his shoulders. “Discretion is usually preferable as far as our operations out here are concerned.” He said none of it with a critical edge, as if he were scorning Terebellum, but a blunt, honest truth was nothing but. They walked a little further, a few blocks down even, Dominic falling into a comfortable silence before he finally drew to a stop. “Here we are. Your basic grocery store.” He gestured to the automatic doors in front of them, but the building itself was wide and vast, maybe even overwhelming. “They have everything in here you’ll want. From poultry to fresh vegetables and breads. In you get,” he said. He pushed Terebellum forward, walking inside with him and sighing under his breath and raising a hand to rub his temple.
He had a feeling it was the first time Terebellum would see so much food in one place before, and Dominic braced himself for whatever was to come.
Words!: 000 Tag!: Open Date!: May 10th
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Post by TEREBELLUM DIA on Nov 5, 2013 10:40:49 GMT -8
Despite the warning, Terebellum was still curious. Once past the stifling heat there were a great many things in Los Angeles that Terebellum had never had the pleasure of experiencing before. Things that many people take for granted daily, like being able to buy food at a supermarket. The blond looked in the direction of the alley longingly. He wouldn't participate in the brawl, Terebellum thought to himself. Only watch from the side. Despite his growing curiosity he obediently followed Dominic nonetheless, deciding instead to focus on another aspect of his new mentor's words. "Does that mean I will not be fighting or hunting monsters here?" During his time in Grise Fiord, most of his training had been focused on hunting the creatures that swarmed the arctic circle and protecting their little town. What was the point of the transfer and making him miserable if he was not going to be in combat?
The walk to this so called grocery store was a quick one by all standards but it was also a painfully warm one and it would have been appreciated if they had driven instead. Upon arrival, the sliding doors of the grocery store slid open and Terebellum's jaw dropped at the amount of food there was within the building. vegetables and fruits were positioned right in front of him leading to aisles upon aisles of who knows what. Terebellum walked in slowly and had to be prodded by the older man to get into the store. As he looked at the food he could feel his stomach growl painfully. At the same time, he was very hesitant. "How are we supposed to afford this?" He had to ask. This was not normal. "Wouldn't it be cheaper to hunt for game?"
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Post by DOMINIC R. MARSTEN on Nov 8, 2013 19:36:43 GMT -8
Hunt for game? Christ, this kid. Dominic sighed under his breath and massaged the beginnings of a headache away with two fingers pressed to his temple. “We do not hunt in the city,” he muttered under his breath. He glanced at a woman that passed by them and directed Terebellum more toward the fresh produce section of the store. “Monsters, yes. If they show up,” he continued, voice hushed, “but not food, no. This is how people hunt in the big cities,” he growled. Sadly enough, it was not a joke. People were lazy; when they weren’t sitting on their assess at the office, most of them were sitting on their asses at home and going out only when they needed something. At least the Impedio Society Hunters could say that they and the recruits spent a vast amount of their time keeping an eye on fate activity, training and mingling out in the city. “I wouldn’t worry too much about what you’ll be doing,” Dominic said. “There will be more than enough combat opportunities. Now take your pick of food and make sure you have enough to last at least a few days.” He did pause however, remembering the first part of Terebellum’s question.
Dominic’s brow twitched. “What did you mean, how are we going to afford this? The Society pays you.” He tensed. If Terebellum had forgotten his wallet or didn’t have any money yet, that meant Dominic would have to shell out cash for anything and everything the kid needed. It almost brought him to swearing openly. Almost. “Don’t tell me you didn’t bring any money,” he said. “You need cash for big cities like this. Grise Fiord is small and to survive you have to hunt. Out here, to survive you need money. Lesson one: I don’t care if you have to stash a roll of bills in your boot to make sure you always have some cash on you, but never go anywhere in this country without it.”
Words!: 000 Tag!: Open Date!: Month 0th 0000
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Post by TEREBELLUM DIA on Nov 12, 2013 14:20:29 GMT -8
The explanation made sense, he supposed. Although there really wasn't much of an explanation so much as instructions on how to find food in the city. It was such an odd idea that people did not get their own food through any other means besides purchasing them. Terebellum tried to imagine using the same system in the north for all their provisions. He was pretty sure that if they didn't run out of food and starve, the outpost owner would become a very rich man in comparison to the rest of them. The second part did make him brighten up a bit. He would get to hunt sooner or later. It felt so strange not doing any activities in the past few days. There was no snow and therefore no snowboarding and every time he thought about it he felt sad.
"Right, okay." Terebellum eyed the produce while trying to follow along with Dominic's instructions. He was going to need food to last for a few days. That much he could understand. Unfortunately there were only a few vegetables that he recognized. His mentor back in Grise Fiord was the one that bought and prepared most of the vegetables. There was quite a variety here and he had to wonder how to prepare and store them. He tentatively approached some familiar vegetation and picked up the plastic covered leaves. "Dominic," he turned towards the older man with the enthusiasm of an elementary school kid on a field trip for the first time. "Look at this! That is some really cheap lettuce. That's less than a third of the price it sells for in Grise Fiord."
He paused. Ah, that's right money. Had he brought any cash with him? He recalled having been given a few dollars just in case but he wasn't sure if it was enough for a few days worth of food. Other than that he was given a plastic card and instructed not to lose it. Said card was currently sitting in his back pocket with his house keys and a pair of throwing knives hidden in the other pocket. Other than that he was pretty sure that he didn't bring any bills with him this trip. "I'm not sure. I might. I'm not sure how much I have though." Rifling through his pocket produced a few ones and a ten judging by the number in the corner. He may not have food to last a few days but at least he could buy himself some lettuce.
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Post by DOMINIC R. MARSTEN on Nov 12, 2013 19:43:05 GMT -8
A kid in a candy store. That was the first impression that entered Dominic’s mind and sadly it would not leave his mind once it was there. It was a fairly accurate comparison, actually. He eventually ducked his head and pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched Terebellum wander off in the fresh produce section. Dominic seemed to have pulled his hand away from his face just in time for the young man to announce his prize catch too: lettuce. Oh boy, oh boy. One full head of lettuce and Terebellum was beaming like no tomorrow.
Dominic resisted the urge to sigh and mumbled an “Indeed,” under his breath. If he informed Terebellum that lettuce had little to no nutritional value whatsoever, it would almost be like kicking a puppy. So instead, he kept his mouth shut, jaw tight, and weathered it. Nothing bad had happened so far at least, but he would have to put in a suggestion with some of his superiors. They had to assign new recruits or other low ranking members of the Society to more or less, guide people like Terebellum for the first few weeks of their stay in L.A. Otherwise, Dominic could foresee (what with all the recent transfers from across the globe) that experienced Hunters like himself would be wasting their time explaining how grocery stores worked when they should really be out in the field.
He was slightly more irritated by the fact that Terebellum’s measly change would not cover the cost of the food that he needed to buy. “Hm. Keep it this time,” Dominic said as he stepped up beside him. “Grab a basket or a cart; I’ll cover the cost of your food this time and write it off as an expense that the Society will reimburse me for.” He probably wouldn’t, actually, but he also didn’t want to kick the puppy. “Let’s get what you need and come around to the front so that I can pay for it and we can head back at a reasonable time. Sound fair?”
Notes: Lol I can't wait for the mugging thing to come up after Tere wanders off. Then the groceries get stolen and they take care of the thug problem but then there's the police and it's...it's just gonna be beautiful. xD
Words!: 000 Tag!: Open Date!: Month 0th 0000
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Post by TEREBELLUM DIA on Nov 22, 2013 21:25:34 GMT -8
Dominic was such a kind person. Not only had he showed Terebellum the wonders of the grocery store but he was even willing to help him pay for food this time around. It did bother him though. He had not meant to not bring money but it was such a rare occurrence for him to ever handle money even while in Grise Fiord. If he was allowed to hunt for his food, there would be no need for him to be asking someone for their help and he would be able to pull his weight instead of having to rely on someone like a little child.
"Thank you."
Terebellum looked around. "Carts..." he muttered. It was less a question and more a statement. There were other people in the shop and they were pushing these containers that Terebellum assumed that were what Dominic was referring to. He could do this. He would go find a cart. But where to find them?
"Okay, I will be right back." Terebellum left to look for said carts. Perhaps they were at the back of the store? He wasn't sure but he would figure it out eventually. He could take this chance to acquaint himself with the store while he was at it.
((Have fun finding him Dominic.))
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Post by DOMINIC R. MARSTEN on Nov 23, 2013 15:41:55 GMT -8
Somehow or another, they managed. Dominic made sure that Terebellum had the essentials and of course, more than enough ingredients to prepare everything he wanted to make. Eventually he led the kid to the front of the store again and through the checkout aisles. Perhaps the easiest part of the whole trip was the part where they unloaded the cart and Dominic pointed out the different aspects of the mechanism (he made sure to use a self checkout lane for the sake of teaching) so that Terebellum could get at least some experience in how these things were done without worrying about any blatant stares from others. When it was all through, Dominic pulled out a few twenties and flipped through them with his thumb until he had the appropriate amount. There was some change left over, which he pocketed, but then he grabbed a few bags, motioning for Terebellum to do the same.
“Now you know how to do this for yourself.” What was the old saying? Something about giving a man a fish versus teaching him how to fish for himself? Dominic would think about it later, but for now he wanted to get going. Work was still waiting for him back at the office. “If you’ve got everything let’s head out. And remember to store all of this properly once you get back. Got it? I need a cigarette,” he said, mumbling the last part more to himself. Once they stepped outside he’d probably pull one out for a few minutes before moving on.
Note: Mmkay. xD Terebellum can probably easily wander off after this because Dominic might not be paying too much attention. So we can have our back alley fight soon.
Words!: 000 Tag!: Open Date!: Month 0th 0000
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Post by TEREBELLUM DIA on Nov 24, 2013 12:59:05 GMT -8
Food. There was so much food to be found in one store. And all of it for only a fraction of the cost of what it would have cost had he bought the equivalent back in Grise Fiord. If there was one thing he found strange though was that the meat here were sold in such tiny portions. He was finally beginning to accept that hunting was not something in the city. There was no wild game and most people bought their food instead of getting it themselves. But did they really eat so little meat?
And Dominic. He was so glad that he chose to ask Dominic instead of someone else when he arrived at headquarters. He was so incredibly patient and went through all the steps necessary in order to teach him how to actually feed himself in this place. It was wonderful. He did worry that he might not be able to use self checkouts though. He was never good with computers. Maybe he could ask Dominic to go grocery shopping with him again next time. Just in case.
"Yes, sir. I got it." Terebellum followed Dominic's lead and hauled the bags outside the store. Once outside, his teacher paused outside the building and Terebellum did the same. But quickly he was beginning to feel hot again and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted movement in an alleyway. Curiosity was beginning to get the best of him and since it was only a quick walk over, he figured that it would not be too much trouble if he just took a quick peek.
Walking away from Dominic, Terebellum soon found himself staring at three people in the narrow alleyway. One person was backed against the wall while another one held a knife in front of his face. His posture and handling of the knife was completely off and Terebellum desperately wanted to correct him but he was not supposed to get involved. Unfortunately he was less conspicuous than he thought because they soon turned their attention to him. Would calling for Dominic be appropriate in this situation?
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Post by DOMINIC R. MARSTEN on Nov 24, 2013 13:38:01 GMT -8
Cigarettes were wonderful things. Dominic didn’t smoke religiously, but one every now and then soothed his nerves, and the fresh air outside of the grocery store felt good too. He was busy watching the people that passed by across the street and dragging on his cigarette by the time Terebellum wandered out of view. And then, when he finished and turned to address the kid, dropping the cigarette and scuffing his boot over it to put it out, he realized—Terebellum wasn’t there. He blinked, brow furrowing. “Unbelievable,” he muttered. He gripped the grocery bags he was holding a little more tightly and then dared to go looking, grumbling under his breath. A naïve, almost too innocent and inexperienced kid should not wander around unsupervised around a city like this. Trouble was waiting around every corner sometimes and—oh for the love of god! Dominic dropped the bags he was holding, releasing an exasperated growl before charging into the back alley.
Really all he had seen was that knife and the two thugs, and whether Terebellum could take care of himself or not, instinct kicked in and he acted. He barreled past Terebellum and grabbed the first man’s wrist, pivoting on his feet and swinging his arm up, elbow out and thrusting it in the guy’s face. The knife dropped and the idiot’s head whipped back under the blow. Disarming the moron was only half of the problem—the thug grabbed the bottom of his tie and yanked and then nearly dragged Dominic to the ground with him. It took some maneuvering and a twist of the wrist to get the guy to release him, and the sickening snap that broke the air signaled that he’d broken bones. There was a shriek, but Dominic was already shooting a look at Terebellum. “Get rid of the other one!”
It shouldn’t be too hard. Thugs didn’t linger when it caused them too much trouble.
Words!: 000 Tag!: Open Date!: Month 0th 0000
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Post by TEREBELLUM DIA on Dec 16, 2013 11:49:49 GMT -8
Terebellum could handle himself against two men, one of which was completely incompetent with knives. He really did not need help from Dominic but said person came barreling in nonetheless and took out the first man with ease.
The young blond could not help but wonder if attacking people was so common here. Hunting animals for food was one thing. Sparring without doing any considerable damage was something different altogether. What Dominic was doing looked like it hurt a lot and Terebellum actually worried for incompetent knife thrower's safety. Perhaps he should tell Dominic to stop... Of course, then he heard the sickening snap and by then, it was too late.
The other one?
The other man standing near them in a state of shock seemed to have registered that they were referring to him and took off running. Terebellum did as he was told and chased after him. He could have kept running until he caught up but trapping the man seemed so much easier. When said prey reached the end of the alley where the turn was, Terebellum used one of the knives that he usually kept on his persons and threw it with expert precision towards the man. The knife caught onto the man's baggy shirt and embedded itself into the wall behind him. The man might have been able to free himself but chose not to move out of fear.
Terebellum slowed his pace now that the man had finally stopped. He was about to ask Dominic for more instruction when a loud whining sound reached his ears. A car with shining lights on top of it stopped at the opening to the alley and some more men clambered out and pointed guns at them.
"Dominic...?" He called out, as if hoping that his mentor might provide him with some help. What was going on again?
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