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Ericson Thomas

"Just enjoy the ride."

0 · 415 views · located in Watauchi City

a character in “Zeritau”, as played by The Vampire

Description

Name: Ericson Silver Thomas

Race:Human

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Appearance: white skin, silver hair, violet eyes

Personality: Easy going

Occupation: college student

Likes: hanging out with friends, eating and sketching

Dislikes: being alone for more than two days, sharing secrets and fighting.

Background: In general, a pretty peaceful guy that will be there for his friends. He lives alone in an one bedroom apartment nearby the college he is currently going to.

So begins...

Ericson Thomas's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Dan Irving Character Portrait: Chester Shire Character Portrait: Oschenhauer Iffilus Enigma Character Portrait: Anima Character Portrait: Ericson Thomas Character Portrait: Rosaline Hawthorne
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In the spiciness of the day: Oschenhauer's eyes tremble with the incinerating rays of the sun. She therefore used one hand as a sun-cover; the other hand was perched on a burnished monorail of the water transport. She leant over the boatside. She knitted her brow as she looked, allowing it to turn into a frown. Her mouth turned askew with curiosity. Every few seconds: she would move from the effervescence of the white hot water abashing the boat to a photo she had in her hand that was taken using a Polaroid camera. Every few seconds: a small, wintry front might approach her and clout her ears with noise, moving her scarf; to this: she would respond by slightly absconding from the wind, and biting the heel of her foot into the deck.

Between her thumb and her tallest finger: there lay a picture of Japan, which she had been studying wide-eyed for most of the journey. This picture depicted a metropolis; buildings that sprawled up past the clouds, and such a field of view that it looked as if spectators from the windows could wander amidst the cerulean sky.

After staring hard at the picture for a long, long time: she developed the impression that Japan was very formal, very conforming, and very largely acrid towards difference. Oschenhauers brow intensified slightly and she shivered minutely.

Then, she turned to focus on her left, and her eyes pulsed larger. There was a wall of purple, orange and blue skyscrapers in the distant fog that were scratching against the cloud streets above. Her mouth fell, and her arm trembled. She'd soon pocketed the picture in her left jacket pocket, and began to try and abase the approaching metropolis by looking at it from different angles, but it only filled her with further humility and futility.

Oschenhauer overheard another person, whom she regarded as a source of faculty:

"Good grief...we finally arrived at our designation. I guess better late then never I suppose."

"In such a case: time must have had haste with me." This, she contemplated, almost at silence.

She placed her left foot forward and started walking heelfirst towards the floor that carried the paraphernalia and cars. She seized the doorknob to the interior at head-height and threw the door open in somewhat an irregular way. After doing so: she exited to the fettering wooden floor and dining tables within. In one last navigation attempt: she tried to discriminate from the large crowd of recreating people outside: someone she may know.

After nearly no expenditure of time: she saw what was never told to be right; this facet which Oschenhauer as was so radical, incomprehensible and absurd, so blasphemous, dead and unjust. Any hope that Oschenhauer had accrued bore the highway around her and leapt towards the facet; a metamorphosis from righteousness into an arduous lump of regret and guilt that sat in her throat. What was never told to be right stared at her, absorbing her will. She lunged at the door so that the cogency would seal the door shut, successful in her attempt to find someone that she knew.

"I can only hope to exist districts away", she cajoled herself hopefully. She was sweating copiously on her forehead. Her legs quaked under the pressure of that feeling, that acerbic feeling. Her face gathered even more tension, and her frown was intense, though quivering, as wrinkles formed on the skin covering her invisible prefrontal cortex.

"I can only hope", she began, pitch sprawling, "It didn't notice me".

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Juliet Little Character Portrait: Dan Irving Character Portrait: Chester Shire Character Portrait: Oschenhauer Iffilus Enigma Character Portrait: Anima Character Portrait: Ericson Thomas
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Oschenhauer started to take fraying steps through the eating hall; she orbited the tables and barely noticed the chairs, in some cases stubbing her toe on a chair or pulsing into a worden frame by coincidence. She was caught up in a storm of peach, white, blue, green, red and yellow faces, locomoting quickly towards the exit; they leant like skyscrapers over her; often it felt like she wasn't notices at all. She aligned to the somewhat magnetic flow; the voices coagulated into one monotonous mumble but she might hear the occasional murmur. The ferreting floor quickly came dimmed with footprints. Suddenly as voice, undimmed in its competing enthusiasm, started to inform everyone dogmatically through the tannoy, without a trace of indolence from the long journey. Oschenhauer looked up in order to locate the speaker:

"Can we have everyone's attention here?", Oschenhauer was hesitant to pause, and due to the large cogency of the people: she found it arduous to do so regardless.

"Please remain quiet as we explain some final things." Not many fell quiet,though Oschenhauer was already soundless.

"We will lead you all to your new homes so we ask everyone to remain together to prevent anyone from getting lost. But we will explain some new things here, the currency this town uses will be known an Rell. Rell is a currency planning to be used by both monsters and humans, you will all receive 100,000 Rell and you are all expected to work to earn more. Now, please follow us as we lead you all to your new homes."

There were a few phantasmal screams. Going along her path: she wondered if this would be commonplace. The only boon of transport she carried was the satchel on her back.
Somewhat miraculously: Oschenhauer reached a wall. She affected the wall by trying to steal the paint with her nail. She regarded it curiously, and continued to hug the wall as she walked in order to map it out. Her nails became somewhat sore when they transitioned from a mortar surface onto a metal surface: she'd found a door that seemed to have its own habit of becoming agape and shut. She'd seen nothing of the sort, and unlike the boat which she was quite well versed on: she couldn't know the door.

When the mouth of the door opened: an orange faced being with a peculiar orifice on his forehead, trembling hands and large claws, entered into a dimly lit sort of cage which the door had opened up to. Oschenhauer tried to be noneffective; arms hanging at her sides like limp weights, and planted her back against the wall to lean backwards.

"I'd rather not go in here by myself; I'm agoraphobic" it argued, volume uneven.

Another orange faced being with and extended nose pursued the first being into the lift

"You're not going alone; of course I'm coming as well!" the other monster scolded with a stiff authority and cogency.

"Why is no one else using the lift?" the initial monster queried, frowning in the general direction of the second, putting his hand on top of his head and cycling it.

The monster gestured with its hand towards a nearby window: "Perhaps they'd like to appreciate the view", it contemplated.

"Or perhaps it's because this is the disabled lift and the disabled people would take longer to get here." it extended on the options, almost as if haggling.

Oschenhauer looked up at them at this point with narrow eyes. Her upper lip stuck out for piscean effect.

"You look like an angry fish." the first monster criticized of her. 'Would you like to use this lift as well?"

"If it is not a bother" she responded with a spark of enthusiasm. Quickly she rebounded off of the platform and adjoined to the lift group with an electrical faculty. Once in: the door closed slowly after, until the light level was low, intimate and caliginous. The agoraphobic monster must have felt a melancholy, for it shivered. On the machine before the door: the agoraphobic monster chose out a button and pressed it acutely with his index.

"Lift going down" ; Oschenhauer couldn't tell who was speaking. The person giving on-board instructions was clearly a male. This voice was dimmed, electronic, generic and feminine. It came from above; she found a speaker, noting it as a probable source.

The room looked metropolitan; there was a plastic wall of foamy marble and a defective mirror. A black bar went to the edges of the lift; it was beveled twice.

Air ran through the room and she could only feel part of the front due to the two gargantuan windshields. Static and silence passed through the room while the lift was travelling. There was an illusion of a fine, fine second that passed to another fine, fine second that was in fact one second. The lift scratched at something minutely; behind the doors she could hear cars hurrying and a second wave of people jargon. The orange monster, brown in the arcs cast by the lift, grunted, and thus spoke:

"Well; I guess that means we've made it in one piece" he seemed to confess this with some guilt.

"It's an irrational fear, the doctor said" the non-agoraphobic monster cajoled him, putting an arm around his shoulder blade.

The agoraphobic monster perceived the small Oschenhauer again, smiling obtusely and warmly, and inquiring:
"Will we see you again?"

"I can hope so" Oschenhauer responded with a fleck of light in her voice, "For what it's worth: it's been pleasant meeting you"

"I'll bet you don't say that a lot" the monster noticed, with lucid humor about his investigation.

"You was would be right", and with that, Oschenhauer beamed at the man. The lift became agape once more, and the couple of monsters departed. Oschenhauer looked around: there were limousines, Beatles and automobiles in a disparity of colors, though mainly white red and black. There were people walking around, navigating the maze of cars like ramblers, perhaps in order to find a vehicle that belonged to them. The doors almost closed on Oschenhauer before she remembered to get out.

She took an inquisitive gaze both ways, discovering an abrasive and burnished metal stairwell existing dead-left from which people had descended. She resolved that this was it; this was where she may depart. Then, she became once again not entirely convinced once she noticed the anarchistic roar of an engine, pulsing with metal envy.

"So, where may the people leave?" she observed.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Dan Irving Character Portrait: Chester Shire Character Portrait: Oschenhauer Iffilus Enigma Character Portrait: Anima Character Portrait: Ericson Thomas Character Portrait: Rosaline Hawthorne
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Ericson had flown over to Japan from the U.S. and for his flight, you could say that he was itching to stretch out his legs a bit. Once the plane had landed and entered the terminal, he practically sprinted off to baggage claim. With his determination, Ericson set out to Watauchi City to find his new place that he paid for online. He all too excited to see the place and make sure that his personal belongings made it there safely. He rushed to find his apartment complex among the busy city to see the place seemed a little run down, but that didn't diminish the excitement that Ericson had. He unlocked the door to his place to find all of his things there safe and sound for the most part, except for his futon. It was in horrible shape from being flown over to Japan. He sighed before going to his bedroom to toss his bags on the floor, plopped on the bed and fell asleep.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Chester Shire Character Portrait: Ericson Thomas
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"Can we have everyone's attention here? Please remain quiet as we explain some final things. We will lead you all to your new homes so we ask everyone to remain together to prevent anyone from getting lost. But we will explain some new things here, the currency this town uses will be known an Rell. Rell is a currency planning to be used by both monsters and humans, you will all receive 100,000 Rell and you are all expected to work to earn more. Now, please follow us as we lead you all to your new homes." Chester heard one of the government officials speaking through a megaphone.

Chester followed the guides as they took groups of humans and monsters and split into different directions. As his group went down the streets of the city, Chester noticed a young man entering a building across the street. The building looked to be an apartment of some kind and the young man appeared to be human, however, it was the young manā€™s appearance that caught Chesterā€™s eye. His hair was silver, a trait usually reserved for the elderly in humans, and those eyes were a striking shade of violet, even without his enhanced cat vision Chester was sure he would have been able to see them from a mile away. Chester was intrigued and curious about this particular human and took note of the location of this building before focusing back on the group.
The man leading the group had a megaphone and as they traveled along the street he would call out the name of the person who would be living in the house they were at. A few blocks down the group got to what looked like a large two story log cabin. On the outside of the building was a sign that read ā€œThe Sleeping Squid Inn and Tavernā€
ā€œChester Shire?ā€ the group leader called out.
ā€œYeah, right here.ā€ Chester called out making his way to the front of the group.
ā€œAh, Mr. Shire, youā€™re one of the lucky ones; you get to live and work at the same place.ā€
ā€œJust like back home.ā€ Chester scoffed.
ā€œThis is home now. Hereā€™s your keys and your 100,000 Rell, your room is the only one on the first floor, right next to the tavern inside. There are eight other rooms on the top floor to rent out. Welcome home.ā€ The man smiled as he handed Chester the keys and an envelope filled with the money.
Chester went and unlocked the doors to the Inn as the group progressed down the street. He went inside pulling his trunk behind him and stopped at the check-in desk. In spite of the intentional medieval design of the Inn, the booking and check-in process was state of the art and very modern. All of the rooms used small key cards and the computer system was already set up to accept the new currency for this city. He then went to his room and dropped off his trunk. His room was the only one that had a kitchen and a living room and was basically a one-bedroom apartment. He smiled at the rustic dƩcor of the apartment and how they blended the high tech amenities into the room seamlessly. They had provided him with a nice top of the line computer and a big television as well as the best kitchen appliances.

After he was satisfied with the apartment, he took a look at the rest of the place, examining the bar and kitchen of the tavern and all of the rooms on the top floor. Everything was of the highest quality and still maintained the rustic theme that was present throughout the Inn. He went to the bar and made himself a catnip julep and relaxed for the first time in about a month. This was going to be home and it seemed pretty nice so far.
ā€œI think I might like it here.ā€ He said to himself as he leaned back in a chair and put his feet up on one of the tables, sipping his drink.
ā€œTop shelf booze like this, yeah, Iā€™m definitely gonna like it here.ā€

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Dan Irving Character Portrait: Chester Shire Character Portrait: Anima Character Portrait: Ericson Thomas Character Portrait: Rosaline Hawthorne Character Portrait: Amaranth Hawthorne
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As she was going over other ridiculous stories she had come to believe about Japan she was soon interrupted by a man speaking up over the crowd. Her grin breaks upon hearing that they have their own currency. Not only that, they would be all having the same amount each. Still with her back turned she slowly looks back at the man, her jaw slowly going agape. "W-what, sir I-" she stuttered, her right eye twitches. "Bro?"

Amaranth leans down to her as close as he can with his stature. "Together we will have a total of 200,000 Rell, it is more than adequate in getting started," he whispers. Some comfort comes to his little sister from this, slowly nodding her head in agreement.

The two of them quietly followed the men in suits looking at the form of controlled city they shall be living in. As expected, it looked relatively pristine, expected of an enclosed place. Amaranth appreciated the level of peace represented, but the more brash Rosaline looked upon it with crossed arms. She was looking for excitement, fun, not another fortress of solitude like back home. This whole thing was some excuse to stop being shut behind a door. She still had hopes for a ninja to pop out despite her brother's naysaying.

After being shown her residence and given the Rell she gave the property a good glance. It was special fitted to her brother's particularly large size making for a rather respectable place of residence. It wasn't exactly a mansion, of course, but looking at its large double doors and pillared architecture to facilitate the adjustments needed for Amaranth would lead one to assume otherwise. She pauses at the doors and takes a quick glance at the grass of the lawn and cracks a smirk. Time for a first impression, she thought.

"Brother, hand me my bags, I feel something is amiss here," she says softly holding her hand out to him with the other on her hip, the tip of her tail twirling in circles. Amaranth nods and leans down to her. As she took bags from her brother she strutted into the lawn. She effortlessly takes her heavy bags into her left arm, reaches into one of them then scatters the lawn with seeds. She then closed her eyes and held out her hand, a light rumbling could be heard, the seeds pierce down into the earth then shortly after leaves and stems jut up and grow at a highly accelerated rate, elegantly twisting in form, growing out in elaborate forms outlining the walkway and yard, like a fence of greenery. In a matter of seconds it completed, two stems reaching out and curving at the entrance, twisting together to form a draping archway, and then all over blooming with brilliant red roses. "I'll leave the hedge art to your heart's content, Am." He silently nods.

"Thank you for your hospitable provisions, I hope our stay will be mutually pleasant," Amaranth says turning to the two men then to everyone else. Then the towering figure takes a deep and humble bow to everyone. "I... believe it is customary to bow in order to show gratitude and consideration. There was a time for my people where to lower one's self would be considered a humiliation, but the truth is that we were never truly above either. As such, I will view you all as equals, perhaps even friends if so desired."

"On that note," Rosaline said out loud with a smile, waving a finger in the air. "I'd like to say we will be opening a club, The Elysian Orchid. Despite the ritzy name and that some small profit is to be made off it... the grand focus is fun, music, drinks, dance, food, and so on! Because lets face it, in the end of the day I want to provide that means where we can all unwind, you know? And I look forward to getting to know all of you as an extended welcome by the Hawthorne family!"

She drops her bags down and places her hands behind her back glancing off to the side leaning back a bit. Her wide smile lightens some, and her tail curls around her right leg. "But to be honest, I just want to have some fun out in the open myself for a change, I don't like being-" she mutters rubbing her right arm and looking out blankly at nothing in particular. Her brother reacts immediately by placing a hand on her shoulder. She groggily looks up at him. "Uh..? Oh! Um, yeah, so uh, look forward to that!"

"Do not concern yourselves over this, my sister is only weary from the long travel, and then the display here," Amaranth says calmly, waving a hand to the rose fence. With this Amaranth takes her bags again and escorts her inside. He politely bows once more before shutting the doors behind them.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Juliet Little Character Portrait: Dan Irving Character Portrait: Chester Shire Character Portrait: Oschenhauer Iffilus Enigma Character Portrait: Anima Character Portrait: Ericson Thomas
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Oschenhauer was finally there: at an abode, a garden for her possessions. She briefly recollected what sheā€™d just activated.

A noise apparatus was sounding on her wrist; today could very well be the one of which it was willed for the wave machine, the boat, to start undulating and moving away but it was the wristwatch that came out as the successor of the noise, circulating and giving decay at regular intervals. The wristwatch was slightly coarse from non-use and the salt crunched about under the level of the minute-hand as it ticked. It took her back to when she was at the port, having just left the mariner. The far sea bore some waves that clashed with the distant granite rocks and incinerated into but foam.

Out the window there were also ice clouds to burden the civilians with a wintry attack. She remained superstitious of pollution in Watauchi; her first impressions with it were not good.

There were a few too many chemicals in the food, chemicals in the air, chemicals in the buildings, chemicals in the asbestos, chemicals in the pipes, chemicals in the sea, chemicals in the road, chemicals in the people, chemicals in the drinking water. Oschenhauer exclaimed about the chemicals; spurned them, burdened them with being the acrid killer of such a beautiful country, she knew from the few mountains she'd seen that the original inhabitants, now specters as they were belated by the great enterprise of civilization: were much better. Her first impressions made her eyes sharp, relentless; they looked like theyā€™d turned into guillotines that diced the area around her with an immense caliginous fray. The result was a coup de grace on the fragile, inspired emotions of the monsters around her; seeing her undid their day, which was quite blithe, up until that universe called Oschenhauer had to ruin it for them.

Oschenhauer had left the boat, drumming her feet across the metal walkway. Sheā€™d recalled the man behind her stared largely down at the little cockroach, making marmalade out of the small substance in between his clenched fists; it was probably substituted for some sort of vicious scolding he would have gave to the little pipsqueak. Oschenhauer discontinued the noise when she was on left ground, and with no one in front of her: she quickly assailed the furthermost pole that was on the walkway after zipping over to it, like a grasshopper and a thunderbolt.

Now: there she was, in her house. Her conversation with the man was brief, but it was informative. It may have been the facts that had made her day blue as well. Now: sheā€™s been looking at her watch, trying to escape the gnawing feeling of dread which came with the reason in the manā€™s words. She was in a clustered street, she owned a property, there was no front lawn; but all of this seemed irrelevant when the man said:

ā€œThere is no higher education for Ids included in the Zeritau project. It sounds immoral, but please try to understand: we donā€™t know how to finance it, we donā€™t know how tangible it is, we donā€™t know what to put on your curriculum.ā€

The real confusion came with what ā€œFinanceā€, ā€œtangibleā€ or ā€œcurriculumā€ even meant. Oschenhauer didnā€™t know about economics, she didnā€™t know about politics, and she knew nothing of a ā€œcurriculumā€; Oschenhauer was home-schooled. She remembered how the commune had seemed to encourage her and her friends to part ways to go travelling; and then: she felt that she was ruined, spurned.

ā€œBut with being spurnedā€ said aloud, and her frown seemed to somersault into a smile: ā€œComes freedomā€.

She was in her house, lying on her floor cross-legged as no appliances were installed, and she furrowed her brow at freedom. There were no appliances or surfaces in her house at the moment, expected to pay for those on her own; however: she had an oven, shower, kitchen desktop, washing machine and bed. How terribly empty it all was. She was in fact mediating on freedom as she respited there, with her eyes closed so that she wouldnā€™t have to believe that she was there. Sheā€™d haphazardly placed the credit card containing her Rell on the floor.

She embraced that word: freedom, that material world with no metaphysical ā€œlawsā€ that caught her up in real chains. Anytime, anywhere, any place, anyhow, any when; people would object, but these objections would be nothing but noise. Then: she realized that in this world: others could do the same; people that were not virtuous, those who craved infinite simplicity, infinite peace or silence. Those silence-people were to get arms, and legs, and build up the means to silence; no other means to definite silence was there, than death. Furthermore: death to Oschenhauer, as she herself was quite boisterous.

Oschenhauer no longer could stand the thought of a concrete wilderness; sheā€™d hoped for it to be liberating, but in the end it just felt dangerous. Oschenhauer wanted freedom, not dangerous freedom.

ā€œBut freedom is danger, and makes us thirsty to oppress other freedomsā€ Oschenhauer piped up. If Freedom were a person: he or she would be a vicious, megalomaniacal killer; it would be a highly seductive, tempting person who would reel you in and moments later leave you as a cadaver.

After that: she stopped thinking about freedom, as she no longer wanted it to occupy her time.

She got to her feet: she would go outside and properly explore the neighborhood. Surely there ware non-indoctrinated citizens out there too, who were looking for an honest friend. On this impoverished street: it was more than likely.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: [NPC] Bartender Character Portrait: Juliet Little Character Portrait: Dan Irving Character Portrait: Chester Shire Character Portrait: Oschenhauer Iffilus Enigma Character Portrait: Anima
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"Hell-o, d'you recognise me? It's Jules, your local traffic chick --- aaand I have some exciting news for you. Has the mess on Mitchell Freeway been cleared? Is the traffic light on Bo through to Blackbourne? Has the entire week been accident free? Well - I wouldn't be able to tell you any of that. Why? Hm, that must be because I'm right here at Japan's very own Watauchi City!"

A camera raised above the heads in a crowd, shaking about in crazed celebration. Above the buzzing chatter, the shrill "whoooo-ing" of a woman could be heard. The camera suddenly ducked back down from view.

"That's right, I've been sent on a very special mission to report not the traffic of this fantastical place, but the progress of the experiment. Will humans and monsters peacefully coexist? Well, you and I are going to find out. You, from the safety of your own home, and me - from, aha, right here at the front lines."

"Can we have everyone's attention, please?"

"Looks like the experiment of the century's about to get started! Wish me luck!"

.

.

.

Juliet Little re-watched the footage for the eighth time, sitting cross-legged on her bed. Every few seconds, she would pause the video, her heart would drop, and she'd play it again. Photos were ugly, but not as evil as film. A film was hundreds, no, thousands of pictures all jammed together to make one, big, moving photo. So many unflattering moments were immortalized and all you had to do was pause for one to be revealed.

She fell back on her bed, raising the camera above her head. After preparing a big, attractive grin, she pressed record.

"Well, this is me!" she chirped painfully, turning the camera left to right to see the bare room in its entirety, "Small, grey and boring. I only just moved in, so..." she faltered and seized up for a moment. After some time she swallowed, then breathed in before grinning and beginning again with forced enthusiasm, "Well, this is me! Small, grey and full of potential! Things are pretty hectic right now." Her eyes glanced to the clock in the room. "I'll explore tomorrow. Need to find a job, too. It's a new beginning, alright. Well, this is really exciting, and I'm so happy to be apart of this. This is Jules signing off from the first day at Watauchi City - g'night, Australia!"

As soon as the camera stopped recording she sat up, peeled from her bed and knelt down beside her laptop in the corner of the room. She plugged the camera in and began syncing the footage to the computer before standing and glancing back to the clock. She wrote on a sticky note and left it on her lava lamp beside her bed. After a moment of dawdling without reason, she took her pyjamas and toiletry bag from her unsorted luggage and brought her phone with her into the bathroom. A notification went off in her pocket and she ignored it. While showering, another notification startled her.

She walked into the kitchen, her damp hair creating a wet patch on the back of her pyjama shirt. She opened the pantry to see what was already stocked; canned food, porridge, sugar, rice and pasta. She took out the containers of rice and pasta and weighed them up in her hands as she made a decision. When she went to put the rice back, it lightly tapped against the shelf. This tap was just enough for the container to slip from her trembling hand and hit the ground. The hit was just enough for the lid to pop out and the contents of the container to go spraying all over the kitchen floor. That was just enough to make Juliet curse. Repeatedly.

A notification - a text message.

She snatched her phone from her pocket and looked at the screen. She paused, her lips pursing as she saw what messages she had missed. She checked the time then unlocked the screen and dialed a number.

["Good, it's you. Wait, we'll put you on hold."]

Juliet walked over to the table, placing the container of pasta on its surface. Her long fingernail tapped the side of the plastic impatiently in time with the second hand of the clock upstairs, a complete coincidence. Her breath was too loud.

In a snap, music and laughter sounded over the phone. Her drooping eyelids opened and her head perked, her slouched shoulders rolling outwards.

["Jules!!!"]

Two voices chimed, followed by a chorus of cheering children.

"Heyyyyy!!" Juliet responded, her character dramatically changing from the agitated woman she was just before.

["Jules, are you there?"] A cheerful male voice asked.

"Yes, I'm here."

["How's our favourite traffic gal doing?"]

"Good, good thanks. I'm good."

["Soooo, I heard you have something very exciting to tell us."] A woman's voice. Provocative. A much more mature tone than Juliet. Speaking of, Juliet had no idea what she just said.

"Hm?"

["You OK?"]

"Oh - yes!" Juliet eased herself into talking naturally, "I'm great, just -whew- flat out at the moment. I just arrived in Watauchi City, and I got my house, and rice is everywhere -"

["Is that a joke?"] The woman laughed before asking.

"No, really. Rice is everywhere." Juliet lowered the phone and ran her toes through the grains. "[("Di-")]I doubt you can hear it, but just know [("Uh-")] that things are working out [("Did -")] exactly the way I expected them to."

["Did I hear Watauchi City?"] The man at last managed to cut in with rehearsed interest. ["You mean, the city created for the Zeritau project?"]

The formalities are over. Onto the story.

"You heard right, Reg!" Juliet squeaked, "I'm here with 900 000 other humans AND monsters at what may be the biggest turning point in human - and monster - history! Or at least, the most incredible."

["That. Is. Amazing! Wooow, can you believe it?"] The woman. ["Can you tell us about the process? We're all yearning to hear what is happening."]

"Well, we've each been assigned a house. We have our own currency, too - Rells. Everyone starts off with 100 000 - everyone, regardless of what social standing they had outside of this city." She paused to think. "Tomorrow, I think I'll be looking out for a job... along with everyone else in the city. Haha."

The man laughed. ["But you have a job, you're with us!"]

The woman joined in laughing. ["You're OUR Jules!"]

Juliet mimicked them. "That won't help me here!"

The laughter faded out and the man's tone softened, but Juliet could sense another change in his voice. A subtle, hurried one. He was drawing the interview to a close. ["Well, we just want to let you know how brave we think you are, Jules. It's incredible what you're doing. Is there anything you want to say about it? What do you think about the entire situation? You're there, do you think that humans and monsters really will get along?"]

"Well, I..." A notification. "... I haven't seen any issue so far."

["Uh-huh. None?"]

"None. I..." Juliet looked at her rice covered feet, her toes curling. "... I think if monsters and humans can live together happily, then... people should, too."

["Aww. Ain't that right."] Any sentiment that could have been was immediately washed out with electronic music and exaggerated empathy. ["Well, that's all we have time for. If you want to see Jules' fantastic adventure, go to the website http://www.93.8/JulesZeritau.com.au. She'll be updating her Vlog - daily, is it, Jules?"]

"Spontaneously."

Harsh laughter sounded through the phone and Juliet coiled away. ["Sounds about right! Check it out!"]

["Well, thanks for your time Jules."] The man. ["We'll see you... when will we see you?"]

"In two years."

["Whoa! Don't go forgetting us!"]

I don't know you.

["Right, see you not-so-soon!"]

"Bye!"

["Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!"]

...

Juliet was greeted by her notifications.

Mum (12), Liam (4), Ruben (1)

She rubbed her throat and opened the messages.

Liam:

Hey, Julie, I've been thinking. The long distance relationship? It doesn't work with me. I know you waited for me while I was in Canada, I know, but this is something completely different. I just want to have the freedom to see others while you're gone without feeling guilty. Heck, this is two f**king years, for christs sake. You've got to give me a break!

.

.

Hey Julie, I'm sorry. I didn't want to do this over text but you were too excited when you got on the ship. I didn't have the heart to do it then. But this is good for you too, right? Now you don't have to stay lonely while you're there. I mean, it isn't every day that you get the possibility of screwing around with a monster, right? Go find one of those cat boys you like so much, you freakazoid haha.

.

.

OK, fine, I was being rude. I just want to say that you're amazing, really, and I am going to miss you. But the thing is, the longer you're gone, the less I'm going to miss you. I don't want to miss out for someone who may not be the one, you know? You know it too. If when you come back and we're both lonely, maybe we can try again. I just don't want us both to be waiting for nothing.

.

.

I can hear you on the radio. It's good to hear that you're having fun. I'll miss your voice telling me to turn right or left at Blackbourne. :)


.

.

The smile blurred.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Chester Shire Character Portrait: Ericson Thomas
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Ericson woke up around 12:15 P.M. and found a small package at his front door. It has his job for an Inn close by his place, the given currency, his school ID and a map of the city. After throwing on a plain white t-shirt, ripped blue jeans and black boots, Ericson went out the door to find the college that he was suppose arrive at earlier in the day. "Welp, looks like my first impression to everyone will be that of a slacker. Oh well." he said while whistling a song his mother used to sing to him while he walked across town, looking down at his map.