Journeys and Adventures

[ATTN: Open]

Liza leaned against the counted, elbows on the counter and head in both hands, bored to pieces. She loved and hated early shifts at the same time. Loved them when she wanted to go out and hit things at night, hated them when she actually needed money.

The 31st Street Bar and Grill (real creative, that) was open for lunch, and Liza was here stocking the bar up for the night ahead and watching it in case any losers wanted a drink this bloody early. Things were about to get real busy real soon - new years was approaching, which meant more college drunks than ever. At least, that's what Ryan told her. He'd been there much longer than her - it'd been only three months since she moved into the city - and knew the place like the back of his hand. He was maybe five years older than her, hot as hell, and always on vacation. Well, not always, but he talked like he was.

Liza shoved off of the counter, trying to look busy as her boss came out of the kitchens and waved at her. Happy guy. Was looking into expanding and adding a coffee shop to the place. The 31st Street Bar and Grill and Cafe, like the name couldn't get more awkward.

Liza pulled at her top, hanging low on her chest and showing off more cleavage than she liked. She could hang her dignity by day if it meant getting better tips - she always made up for it later.

[ATTN: Open]

Terry walked with his hands in his pockets, his eyes wandering away from the road and up into the sky on occasion. It really was a nice day. The crowd around him had come to the same consensus, most of those wandering at this time pleasantly happy, though a few patches of anger and gloom always populated a crowd. Far too nice a day to be job hunting, like he was supposed to be doing.

He wouldn't been doing this if his boss hadn't gone and fired him from the chocolate shop. So he gave out a few free samples - always for a good cause, it was. Lots of heartbroken people visited the chocolate shop for solace; so what if he slipped a few of them some extra pieces? Was it that big a deal?

Eh. He'd walk around a while and if he ran into a place that was hiring, sure, he could go in and check it out. But he still had some time before things became urgent and his parents' nagging got worse.

[ATTN: These kids]

Liza rose up from behind the bar as two kids entered - probably college students. She turned towards the back, keeping one eye on them and mentally counting down.

Three...two...

The girl spoke behind her, and she rolled her eyes before turning her head. "You're legal like that drink is real," she said.

[ATTN: Open]

Terry took his attention away from the sky and looked down at the sidewalk. A man stood near the bus stop, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slumped. Men and women passed by him without seeing, some of them even walking straight through them, looking around themselves afterwards in disoriented confusion. Terry altered his path.

"Up top, man," he said as he approached the ghost. The ghost jumped, turning to look at him as Terry approached with his hand up. He raised his hand tentatively and it passed Terry's. "Keep it classy," he said, giving the ghost a thumbs up as he gave a little smile.

People around who noticed were giving him odd looks, but he didn't really care. A sign on a storefront had caught his eye; Now Hiring. Darn. He hadn't planned on finding something. He looked up at the sign; "The 31st Street Bar and Grill."

...Eh. He had some time. He went back over to the bus stop with the ghost and sat down on the bench.

[Attn: Open]

Julia soars over the city in a supersonic streak, holding her bag that it might not be lost in the trip. She descends into an alley and looks around, putting her civilian clothes on over her red, white, and blues. She steps out, adjusting her hair and reaching into her bag, pulling out a stack of papers and some tape. Soon she's taping flyers to street posts, leaving one on a bus stop where a man is sitting by his lonesome. The flyers are colorful yet simple. Julia Johns, Event Planner, Planning Memories, and other flowery phrases marked up the sheet, along with a phone number, address, and so-on.

She looks around and begins walking into the stores on the block, offering up a few flyers to owners, managers, and such. As she leaves one store, she notices a bus yield at the bus stop from earlier, yet the man stays there. Arching an eyebrow, she continues on, walking by a few stores, including a little bar and grill joint.

Tam woke up to the dorm room's door opening and closing. She's wide awake almost instantly, but she doesn't want to move. She lays there for a few minutes with her eyes peacefully closed, listening to the rustling of movement not far from her bed within the room. Her breathing remains steady, though she isn't really trying to pretend to sleep, or anything. She's just content.

"Get up." Comes her roommates voice from across the room. "You got class in half an hour. Move it."

Tam groans, a scowl finding its way onto her face as she turns over to her side, graciously greeting the girl's morning statement with her back. Her roommate is probably shaking her head, by now. It's too early. It's like....ten thirty in the morning. Bleh.

"I ran into Ben again, today." Sierra says, as if Tam hadn't just been rude to her. She is used to it, after all--they have been roommates for a couple of years. "He looks so cute, had this little white shirt and tie look going on. His hair is always combed so sweetly, like a little school boy that's never been naughty before."

"Oh, and when I say I ran into him, I mean I literally like, walked into his face." Sierra laughs. "I came around the corner and there he was with my books rammed into his stomach. I felt terrible! I apologized and then, of course, offered to take him out to eat as an apology. He accepted!"

Tam rolls her eyes, forcing herself up out of her bed and over to her closet to throw on some clothing for class. She listens as her roommate goes on about this dude, carrying on about her lunch plans for him. Knowing her roommate, Sierra probably walked into him on purpose, somehow. That's what she does. She's a manipulative woman, but Tam has learned of her techniques over time and is far less...persuaded by them by now. Most of them, anyway.

She's already tuned the rambling girl out as she places on some fresh clothes and ties up her dark hair into a quick ponytail--too lazy to braid it today. She looks back at the clock on her desk to see she has about twenty minutes to get up and get there. Geez, listening to that rambling made her feel like it had been a lot longer. Hours longer. Whatever.

She cuts off Sierra's speech. "Going out for a quick lunch and then I'm off to learn about stupid crap that I don't care about. See ya later, whenever that turns out to be. Don't wait up."

"Have a good day!" Sierra says happily, a big grin on her face. "I'll tell you how the lunch with Ben goes!"

Tam exits the room with her backpack on her shoulders, walking down a narrow hall of her dorm looking at the floor before her and keeping her head low. She's very sad, but that isn't anything new. It's the same routine every morning. She wakes up, throws on clothes, eats, learns, visits with "friends," and then goes back to sleep. Every time she's with friends, it's always the same thing: Listening to them talk about boys and cute clothes, listening to them insult teachers. Always listening, just standing there with very few things to add to the conversation, herself.

Tam doesn't know what to say, mostly. She doesn't know which is worse--the fact that she couldn't care less about what any of them talk about, or the fact that none of them bother to notice that she isn't listening or really talking in the first place. She's the wall flower--it wasn't like this in school...but most of her friends were dorky guys that actually talked about interesting things that weren't so shallow or pointless. She had tried to make male friends here, but...most of the people here are just shallow. Arrogant or conceited, they always wrote her off and the men who gave her a chance to be their "friend" made it obvious that they were only after one certain thing, which was not something that Tam was willing to do.

Regardless, none of it really matters. She'll get her degrees and go somewhere else--anywhere, really, so long as people weren't such jerks. She'll just mush on through this crap of a University until she can find something that is less empty. Tam walks down the stairs and out of the building, into the bright daylight with no hope of a better day than any of the ones that had already passed.

[ATTN: Bar]

She smirked. "Guys like your boyfriend," she said, "better watch him. Yeah, go ahead and seat yourselves," she said, looking over as Ryan came out to deal with another customer.

Jericho blinked. "Wooooah, there," he said. "We are not dating. We're friends--though I use the term loosely," he added in a grumble.

Becca grinned and bumped against him. "Yeah, this is more a broship. I'm working to take the stick out. Full time job."

Jericho sighed. "Bring one of these 'girlfriends' I'm always hearing about next time..." he grumbled.

Liza gave a small smile and a laugh, and she waved a hand. "Anyway sit wherever, we'll be with you in a bit"

Becca immediately hopped on a bar stool. "Right here is juuust fine," she said buoyantly. She made the deep voice again. "So, barkeep, give me the skinny. I know you've got a few good tales."

Jericho rolled his eyes, though he was technically amused. "Apparently here is where we sit. I'll have a rum and coke, minus the rum," he added with a grin.

Liza rolled her eyes with smile. Hating customers had become instinct, but that wasn't how you got tipped. At the least they didn't seem that bad.

She reached under the counter and pulled out menus. "I assure you, my job isn't that interesting," she said. "Only been here a few months anyway," she added, as she turned to get the kid his coke.

Becca looked at her dubiously. "Oh, c'moooon," she whined. "Surely you've had one guy that was all hands that you had to beat into submission?"

Jericho blinked. "More like she got the egotistical asshats quoting existential garbage from their first philosophy class."

Becca made a face. "The ones that try to impress their way into your pants but wind up boring you to sleep?" She put a consoling hand on Liza's arm. "You poor girl."

Liza raised an eyebrow and patted her hand gently. "Sure," she said dryly. "There are worse things." Besides I get to beat some of them up sometimes. She pulled her arm away.

Jericho grimaced. "Sorry. We're keeping you from work. I'm Jericho, this is Bec."

"Becca," she corrected. "You're the only one who calls me that like I'm a 90s grunge band." Jericho shugged.

"Nothing happens around this time anyway," she said. "Liza."

"Ouch," Becca said. "So, you're new here, huh? Where from?" She looked at Jericho excitedly. "We should show her around!" She looked at Liza happily. "Don't worry, we'll have you Maple-savvy in no time."

"Bec," Jericho protested, "let the poor girl talk. She may not want to go out with perfect strangers."

"Pshhh," she said, "I know my own blood when I see them." She turned on the puppy eyes. "So. You come? We hang? Much dancing and eye candy oggling?"

"I'm straight, thank you."

She leaned in conspiratorially. "We can ditch the stick. Say the word and I'll hit the eject button."

"Chicago girl," she said, giving the kid his coke and pouring the girl a glass of water, since she said nothing. "And I'm touched, but can't. I'm here all day." And I got a date tonight.. That is, a date to beat assholes up.

Becca's eyes widened like saucers. "Then what about when you get off work? And if not tonight, how about tomorrow? And if not then, how about the day after that?"

"Welcome to what I live with," Jericho said with a rueful smile. "I warn you, now, that she's relentless. Like the Borg."

"I have no idea what that is, but whatevs." She held out her hand. "I don't know if you've made any friends since you got here, but you have one, now."

Jericho shook his head. "I promise you she's not a stalker." Unless she wrongs you...

She laughed. "I'll think about it," she said, shaking her hand. "We'll see if you remember tomorrow. Now what'll you two have?"

Jericho laughed. "Oh, she will," he said. "I'll have your fish and chips."

"I'll have the shrimp pasta. Grilled," Becca said.

[Attn: Ryan]

"No, I get it. I'm fresh outta school, myself," Julie says "This really ain't the place to get a heap of work in my field. Well, thanks any-" Julie notices the man seem to wince as he hoists the box. "Do you, uh...need help wi'that? H-here, le'me just-" She sets the papers down on the counter and reaches out to help with the box.


[Attn: Open]

Danny sits in his office, overlooking a block of the city he was helping to restore. His phone rests between his ear and his shoulder as he turns in his seat to face the desk. "Yeah, I know that, but, come on, show a little lenience. They're an orphanage. They have dozens of children to provide for and hardly any donations coming in. It'd be a nice little thing we could do for them. Thank you." Suddenly something tingles between his eyes, almost like some sort of radar. He stands and approaches the window, looking off in the direction of wherever this sense of his was pulling him. "All right. I'll be over tomorrow to talk details. Thank you, again. Goodbye."

The moment he hangs up the phone, Danny turns and rushes off. "Well, this one's new," he says as he arrives on the scene of a cat sitting at the bottom of a tall tree in the park, staring up at a screaming boy in the branches, hanging on for his life. He floats up to the boy and plucks him from the tree before landing next to the cat and setting him down. "Now, you make sure to keep Billy on a tighter leash from now on, okay Skeeter?" He says to the cat as he kneels and pets it.

[ATTN: Open]

The ghost by the bus stop had been hit by a car when crossing the street to the stop. His name had been Barry Walker; he had a wife and a kid, age three. His wife only worked part-time now with the kid, but with Barry gone he was afraid that wasn't going to be the case much longer.

When Terry stood up to leave, he added the ghost to his route. Forgetting all about the bar and picking up an application, he wandered down the street, making his way towards the Universities with a new purpose.

There were a lot of young ghosts wandering around both universities - suicides, murder victims, victims of too much drink, and the like. Being a ghost was pretty upsetting as far as he could tell - many of them just wanted to be gone rather than watch life go on around them, ignored and forgotten, but they all had a reason to stick around here.

Terry stuck his hands in his pockets and picked up his pace. The Ivy League first, he figured, get that done first. He got a lot more negative feelings from there when he was around - apparently his peasantry was obvious - so he'd wash all that off later by visiting the other uni.

Thomas follows the elder lady into her guest room, giving him a few minutes to grow accustomed to his new resting area and to place his bags down before giving him a tour of the house. She's very cheery and kind, though her movements are obviously, painfully slow.

"Breakfast is finished at eight, lunch at noon, and dinner at six." The woman continues within the dining area, "If you are late, you will need to prepare something for yourself. Otherwise, feel free to eat what you wish. You will welcome here for as long as you need."

"Thank you, ma'am." Thomas replies politely, "I really apprec--"

"Well, anything for an old friend." Gruda says sweetly, "How is old Marvin, anyway? Is he still the backbone of the precinct? He always did have little time for playing around, most hated him, you know."

Thomas laughs. "Oh, yes. He's a stubborn man, and he's got twice the energy and backbone that most men do at his age. He's an admirable detective and police officer."

"Good, good." Gruda says, "I need to go and visit him again some day. It's been too long. So how long will you be in town, Mr. Raine?"

"Just Thomas, please. I can't say for sure for how long, I do have three concerts coming up, I should only have to perform at those, but with how some days go, I am sometimes hired to do some side performances--you know how it goes."

"Absolutely." Gruda says, clapping her hands happily, "I wish you all the luck in getting some more work in there. I suppose you should get unpacked, then. I'm gonna prepare us some lunch, deary, so you just head on back and relax, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Thomas says, "Thanks very much."

[ATTN: Those kids]

Liza watched the two of them go with a smirk, followed by a sigh. They'd left a hefty tip for her - four dollars from a ten dollar meal - and she took it and pocketed it. If they did come back tomorrow... well, she already had plans. She hoped she wasn't going to have to disappear on them.

[ATTN: Girl]

Terry kept walking along his route, for once not taking his time. The aggression around here was grating, and the sooner he was out of here the better. He had three more kids or so on his route to visit, so he kept walking.

He was so focused he almost didn't noticed the girl in the overalls, but he saw the bright orange from the corner of his eye and instinctively looked. She was decidedly dead, he realized, as everyone else passed her by. Terry pursed his lips and changed directions, moving through crowds of students to make his way to her.

"Hey, watch it," someone protested as he shoved his way past them, and he didn't say a word until he came to a stop in front of the girl.

"Aren't you a bit young to be hanging around this place?" he said softly. "Especially with these people."

[ATTN: Girl, Terry]

Tam is almost to class, but she suddenly feels the need to halt as she notices a young girl standing there amongst the other students. She studies the bright orange overalls with intrigue, wondering why a child so young would be here. Perhaps she was on a class trip to view the University, to get the kids excited about college a little early. The schools love to do that in hopes that it will motivate them, but it seems odd that they would have lost sight of one of their students.

As she stares at the girl, the girl stares back, and as their eyes meet, Tam feels a chill shiver down her spine. She shakes it off, stepping forward to talk to the girl. She almost feels drawn to her, but she stops herself as she sees someone else approaching her a ways off, pushing people aside and causing them to call out to him in irritation. What a rude person--but, perhaps he was concerned for the girl.

He inquires about her being here at her age, and Tam decides that this fellow must have the situation handled. Probably a child prodigy. She turns away and moves towards her class at a quickened pace. If she isn't careful, she'll miss her class.

[ATTN: Tam]

The girl was staring at someone else when he walked up to her, and he followed her gaze, his eyes widening as he saw a student staring back; tall, female, Asian, stunned. Terry jumped as the girl spoke, turning to look back at her and then to the building she pointed out. "What mystery?" he started to ask, turning back to see she was already gone.

Some ghosts were into that sort of thing. He couldn't let it bother him when there were other interesting things about, and he straightened as he turned to say hello to the student -

She was gone too. It took a moment for him to pick her out, walking away from him at a quick pace, and Terry narrowed his mental focus, trying to isolate her mind from the crowd. He began to jog after her as he did so.

"Hey - hold up!"

[ATTN: Terry]

Tam heard the word "mystery" in the distance as she walked away, the oddest response that one could expect to hear from the guy's inquiry. Either way, he would handle it, she is sure. As such, she carries on until she hears him call after her. She turns to find he was following her--so where's the kid? He left the kid behind? What the...?

"May I help you?" Tam asks distractedly, but politely as she looks about for the girl. She can't help but be a bit worried about the child...then again, maybe she was a child prodigy, after all...she may be alright.

[ATTN: Tam]

He was getting a tinge of concern from her - for the girl, it seemed like, mixed with confusion. Terry came to a stop in front of her, running his hands through his hair as the wind mussed it up. Her response was distant, lost as she seemed in her thoughts, and she kept looking around him... for the girl.

Terry paused, hesitating all of a sudden and focusing in on her thoughts. Did... did she know the girl was dead?

"Did you know that girl?" he finally asked her.

[ATTN: Tam]

She was far too confused. He'd made a mistake. "No, she just looked... she looked lost. Sorry, I thought you knew her, but she just ran off." He ran his hands through his hair. "I... sorry for bothering you, I'll just leave now."

[Attn: Terry]

"I'll admit," she said, looking around with concern, "I'm a little worried about her. She was a kid, y'know? Which way did she run off to? And what did she mean about mystery?"

The air around them chilled a little and her hands turned blue at the fingertips for a moment and was gone, reverting to normal. She was unaware.

[ATTN: Tam]

She was really worried; she was really hoping the girl was okay. Terry scratched at his head, not sure how to respond. "I'm not sure," he said. "She moved pretty fast. And I'm not sure about that either, but she pointed at the library."

[Attn: Terry]

"Oh!" Tam said with a snap of her fingers and a laugh. "She wants a mystery book! How cute! The library it is, then!" Relief washed through her features and her thoughts strayed to the fact that the boy was cute. She began heading for the library, welcoming the distraction from the evil class she hadn't wanted to go to, anyway.