video; un: jace

[estrayer]

[ The video opens on a blond boy dressed in black. The collar of his t-shirt and shoulders of his leather jacket are visible. A dark mark somewhere between a bruise and a tattoo sweeps across the right side of his neck. His eyes are intense, but he's making an effort at a smile. A terse one. Jace Wayland has had better days.

Actually he's had better weeks. Let's not talk about that. Instead, there's something more pressing on his mind: ]

Do we have to keep the jobs we get here? I'm supposed to write greeting cards.

[ His deadpan tone should tell you everything you need to know about what he thinks of that. Greeting cards, as in poetry, right? Jace isn't exactly a greeting card kind of guy, but if he was, his eyes would roll right over the ones with fake cheese and rhyming couplets inside. This is so clearly not for him. ]

I'm taking other suggestions. Bonus points if they don't come with wearing that thing.

[ He turns his wrist to flash the camera over the suit lying on the bed beside him. It has purple stripes and matching boots, guys, come on.

Not to worry, though, the camera's back on Jace now. He's sure you all missed him. ]

That aside. I'm gonna be open about the fact that I'm not looking to be a permanent resident, so if anyone's looking into how we get out of this place, I'd like to hear from you. If you've been here a while, I want to hear about that, too.

By the way, I'm Jace. I'm new, but you probably guessed that. Thanks for your time.

Comments

un: artsy

[angele]

You're already looking for another job? Greeting cards isn't so bad.

[estrayer]

[ Squints at that username. This is the problem with social networking; he's not here for this. ]

it's not exactly in my skillset
no one wants poetry of mine.

what did they give you?

[angele]

I don't know. Why don't you try some on me right now?

An artist at Cares-A-Lot. I think they make greeting cards...

[estrayer]

[ Okay so skipping right over that first suggestion... ]

cares-a-lot. you're kidding, right? that's the place i'm supposed to be
i start tomorrow
in theory.

is that why you're called 'artsy'?

( un: CHOSEN1 )

[dudebro]

lmao greeting cards seriously
y wouldn't u want 2 keep that tho? it's sof ucking easy

[ i'm sorry.... ]

roses r red
skydiving is sick
bend over for me baby
u kno u want this dick

[estrayer]

[ Why is this happening to him. ]

yeah i'll keep that in mind, i'm sure that's what they're looking for
you know what, maybe we could switch. what did they give you?

[dudebro]

[ Just gotta open yourself to the possibilities, Jace. It's okay. ]

its a fucking greeting card
no1 cares wtf it says just that u got them 1 to begin w/
trust me ur job is way more exciting than workin g in a candy store

[estrayer]

yeah well i wasn't thinking those would be my ONLY options

we've been brought to a spaceship
against our will, with no way home
and people are actually worried about greeting cards? there is no way that's the most useful thing i could be doing. that's not the most useful thing anyone could be doing.

video; un: capt andor

[ouzel]

No, you don't.

There's three floors of retailers, I'm sure you could find something more to your liking.

How long is a while?

[estrayer]

[ Finally, a response that makes some sense. ]

I've never done the retail thing before. I'll check it out, though. I didn't realize we had a whole mall in this place.

[ This is Mundane life, isn't it? That's what they do, they make greeting cards and go to malls. ]

Let's say, longer than you expected. How long counts as too long for you?

[ouzel]

It's very...civilian, until it isn't at all. [ Which ain't a helpful thing to say, Cassian, but there you go. He shakes his head. ] Neither have I. Some people just don't do the work at all, which is fine I suspect until the point that you run out of credits.

I have been here for 52 days.

[estrayer]

That's long enough.

[ That's way too long. Especially with no way back. Jace frowns at him, though, because actually? That kind of is a helpful thing to say. ]

What do you mean, until it isn't at all? When is it not?

[ There's a chance he'd be more comfortable with the less civilian side of things. ]

[video;] un: gen.skywalker

[ex_forcechoke292]

Greeting cards.

[He stares deadpan into the feed at that. Giant ships operating as a manufactured economy in times of necessity isn't exactly new, but the jobs given are far more utilitarian.]

Even if this was just a trade fleet, that's...

[Unnecessary. He shakes his head, not entirely unsympathetic.]

Anyway, if there's a way back, that'll be impossible to tell without access to navigation. These aren't constellations I've ever seen mapped.

[estrayer]

[ Yes, thank you. That expression is exactly what he's feeling inside. ]

Stupid. [ He supplies, with a hard roll of his eyes. ] If we're going to be stuck here there has to be something useful we can do.

[ He upnods, curiosity getting the better of him. ]

You sound like you know what you're talking about. This isn't your first spacewalk?

[ex_forcechoke292]

Thirteen years ago, maybe. Now? No. Not my first, and Force willing, not my last.

[It's all in the name. He thinks it with a wry smirk, but doesn't say as much.]

So what kind of useful are you looking for? What do you do when you're not being pressganged?

[estrayer]

I protect people.

[ Which is the simplest way to say it without getting into all the gory detail of the world Jace is from. He's not even sure how much of that he should say. His situation here is kind of unprecedented, at least so far as he knows. ]

That's my job, keeping people safe from things that want to do them harm. So you can see why greeting card poetry seems like a step in the wrong direction.

un: rutherford

[stubble]

[ Since he doesn't really understand how he got here except that something like a rift was involved, Cullen has no advice on that score. The job thing, though... ]

A friend of mine has procured new employment of a nature more applicable to his skills. Perhaps you can do the same.

[estrayer]

[ It's good to see someone taking this seriously. ]

That's both the plan and the problem. The job I'm used to is more punching and kicking than warm fuzzy messages, or retail, which seems like another popular choice here.

What did your friend find?

[stubble]

[ He hums a note of agreement. ]

As was mine. Yet here I am making cookies.

[ He doesn't even know how to make cookies. ]

He's a researcher. I cannot claim to understand what it is he researches, this world is foreign to me, but it suits his intellectual inclinations.

un: rhy5-w1nz

[agenda]

[ His eyebrows arch as Jace dismisses the striped suit. His blue and white striped button down, gaudy golden robot arm, and bright red skinny tie indicate his fashion sense is more Cares-A-Lot uniform than Shadowhunter. His own neck tattoo of two black circles, one within the other, peaks out from behind his collar. ]

I work at Le Striped Sock now, apparently, soooo I'm gonna assume you aren't interested in being my coworker.

[ His mouth quirks in amusement, almost a smirk. ]

Maybe see if anywhere needs a bouncer. Or if a biker gang has an opening for a greaser.

[estrayer]

[ Yeah, you can keep the outfit, man. Nice tattoo, though. Jace takes note of that.

Also, are you sassing him? Because he'll just be deadeyeing that comment. ]

Shame I left my bike at home. I guess security isn't the worst idea I've ever heard.

[ Pause. ]

I'll pass on the socks. But, you look like you fit right in.

[agenda]

[ He cards a hand through his hair, ensuring that it's lookin' slick. ]

I look great.

[ and his ideas are great, too!! who can dish it, but not take it? this guy! ] You're welcome.

TEXT. UN: BELL

[dominance]

[ bellamy has no idea what greeting cards are, but if it means wearing that awful uniform, he doesn't think he'd like it much either. (unknown to him for now, his job requires him to wear less.) that isn't why he thinks to reach out, though. ]

Get any bites about how to get out of here?

[estrayer]

[ He's straight up not wearing that uniform. They can fight him. Actually, he'd kind of like it if they fought him. ]

no, i didn't. still trying
i take it you've been looking too

when did you get here?

[dominance]

[ proactive new people. bellamy definitely likes that better than someone simply accepting what they've been brought into. sometimes he thinks those kids who'd been taken into the mountain had been let down by him, given how easily they fell prey to those predators. ]

[ but it's neither here nor there, given the freedom he's found on this ship. the food's great, but at least he isn't expected to donate any bone marrow (yet?). ]

Few days ago.

No one on this ship is useful. If you're thinking of going back to where you woke up, I wouldn't bother unless you want to waste your time getting non-answers.