Happy Easter weekend!
Busy end to the week. Wife called on Wednesday to say there was water in the basement. Hurried home to take care of things. Looks like my sump was clogged and water had started to overflow. After draining several bucketfuls of water and with help from Google and YouTube, I managed to remove the sump and clean it, so everything looks okay for now. Will be keeping an eye on it, though. Thursday was another dentist trip for a filling. Hurt like heck, despite the injection beforehand, but it's done. And today, we got the system in that we're testing at work for the next two weeks, only they didn't send the power cables! Lots of hurried phone calls and soon to be angry program managers, but I'm just supporting/observing this one, so at least I can laugh at the ridiculousness.
Also, haven't watched any of the new season of RWBY yet, but I'm excited for some of the plot ideas people have slightly spoiled for me. Less so the shipping stuff, but whatever. Not really into shipping, but what I've seen of the plot so far has me really excited. Looking forward to finally binging the heck out of it.
"Thank you for your interest, but at this time, we are unable to…"
"If another position opens up in the future…"
"We've decided to go a different direction…"
"Good luck on your…"
One by one, Adam deleted the messages from his scroll. Only four today. Considering the pile of applications he'd put in, he'd expected more. For every rejection call he received, at least a half dozen other applications never got a response. He didn't hold out hope that one of them was seriously considering him and might call at a later date with an offer. As nice as that sounded, he needed a job now.
Day seven of canvassing the city looking for a job found him much as the first had, though with far less optimism and lien. No longer did he look for the bright "Now Hiring" signs. Instead, he went to every business one by one, asking for a job whether they offered one or not. Most said they weren't looking for anyone. Others just handed him a form to complete and bring back. He'd stopped bothering to take them with him. He'd filled out enough applications to know everything they'd want, scribbling down answers on the spot and handing it back. Those weren't too bad. A little annoying, but at least they tried.
It was the others that got to him. Places that came up with weak excuses to shut him down, usually before he could even apply. Places he knew were hiring would tell him they were all staffed up. He'd had to resist the urge of confronting the manager at the last store he'd applied at. The cashier had been nice enough, telling Adam to wait so she could go ask her boss before rushing to the back of the small shop. Adam pretended to look through a display near the front as the manager studied him from afar and then whispered instructions to his employee.
To be fair, most people wouldn't expect to be overheard so easily in the city. People here were soft. A life of security and luxury never taught them to care about their surroundings. You were lucky if someone didn't run into you on the sidewalk. Visibility seemed to end just past their scroll screens.
But Adam wasn't one of them. He'd spent too long outside the city to be so worthless. Traveling in the wilderness demanded sharper senses. The smallest sound might be the only warning you got before something attacked. Hearing it could be a matter of life and death. So picking up the loud whispering of some idiot across a room was child's play.
"Tell him we're not hiring right now."
"I thought we needed another cashier." Considering the sign on their window advertising as much, Adam looked forward to hearing what lame excuse they'd give.
"We need a cashier, not a terrorist."
Adam's fists clenched at the words. Not that he hadn't heard as much from others already. As bad as some people in the villages had been about him being a faunus, they were nothing compared to the racists in Mistral. He'd caught more than his fair share of muttered insults from random strangers on the street. People watched him closely everywhere he went, as if they expected him to attack at any moment. He'd even caught a few police officers following him from time to time.
The cashier's concern seemed more for their own comfort than any sense of justice. "What do I tell him?"
"Tell him we already found someone and forgot to take the sign down." Ah, one of the usuals. If Adam had a lien for every time he'd heard that excuse…well, he'd at least have lunch covered. "I don't care. Just get rid of him. And make sure that filthy faunus doesn't steal anything on the way out."
The cashier tried to look pleasant when she returned, but there was no hiding the awkwardness of what she knew she had to do. Even if Adam hadn't heard it all, the answer was written all over her face. "I talked to my boss and he-"
"Forgot to take the sign down?" Adam finished for her. The shocked squeak she gave felt a little satisfying. Her eyes shot to her manager, but the coward had slipped through an employees only door the moment he sent her on her errand.
"Y-yeah. Sorry about that."
"Whatever," Adam grumbled as he left. The temptation to linger and cause trouble, just to be spiteful, didn't outweigh the urgency of his unemployment. After all, he only had one more night in the hotel. Starting tomorrow, he'd be homeless. Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal for him. He'd spent more than his fair share of nights outside. But Mistral didn't smile on people camping out in the streets. He'd have to figure something out, and fast. He couldn't afford to wait any longer.
Seven more businesses later, Adam had seven more rejections. Six and a "we'll get back to you" technically. So basically seven. His stomach growled, reminding him how late it was getting, but he ignored it and pushed on, intent on revisiting the noncommittal answers from yesterday before he called it quits. The few that actually had a supervisor available - there seemed to be an awful lot of places without one tonight - gave him nothing but lip service, saying they needed more time to consider their applicants.
If that's how they wanted to play it, he'd come back tomorrow. And the next day. And every day until he got an answer. Some might call him persistent, but Adam couldn't deny the vengeful satisfaction it gave him to see these people squirm a little.
In the end, he closed out yet another day with no job to call his own. The dinner rush was well underway, with tantalizing aromas drifting on the breeze and beckoning the city to delicious feasts. Except Adam. His stomach protested, but his pockets were quick to remind him of the situation they were in. Namely how his hunger outweighed his lien. Only one seemed to be growing lately.
Adam trudged back to the hotel, taking his time on the familiar march of failure. The overcast sky threatened to rain on his sad parade, but that would've been too perfect. Remnant didn't care enough to do that.
No one cares. Adam hated that he couldn't disagree with the voice that accompanied him home. They want nothing to do with you. Probably hoping you'll just wander into the woods and get lost. Better Grimm food than an annoyance to them.
Like he'd give them the satisfaction. He hadn't come this far just to fall apart the moment it counted. Sure, life sucked right now, but it always sucked. Nothing had ever come easy for him, so why would he expect it to now? Everyone seemed determined to see him fail. They'd like nothing more than for him to roll over and accept defeat, fading away into the nothingness of history without so much as a murmur.
But he would not go quietly into the night. He'd fight for every inch of life, because a man was only truly dead when he gave up. Any other man might call it quits. Whine that life wasn't fair and throw in the towel. He wasn't any other man. He was Adam Taurus. Jean had condemned him to greatness, and by the gods, he intended to see just what that meant.
As much as the words filled his heart, they did little for his stomach.
"I know." Adam tried to assure his stomach that he'd heard. Hard not to. There were Grimm that didn't roar as loud. "Just hold on. We're almost home."
The words rang hollow as he neared the hotel. This wasn't home. In fact, after tonight, it wouldn't be anything but a memory. Home was a wagon on the trail. Home was camping out in the middle of nowhere under the night sky. Home was gathering around a warm fire on a cold night with the only people on Remnant he actually cared about.
Mistral wasn't home.
For now, it would have to do. Adam straightened up as he pushed through the doors of the hotel, doing his best to put on a brave face. He felt like crap, but no one else needed to know that. Not that he cared for their opinion. He just didn't think any of them deserved to know. None of them mattered.
Well, almost none.
"How'd the hunt go?" Aiden asked as Adam passed by.
Knowing better than to ignore the closest thing he had to a friend in this gods-forsaken city, Adam slipped over to the counter. "Same as always."
"Still no leads?"
"Lots of applications, but not a single offer." He'd lost count of how many places he'd gone to so far. At this point, he just knew the streets. He was tempted to get a city map and start crossing areas out, but he worried how much of the city would actually be left. Probably a little depressing to see his progress. Or lack thereof. Right now, though, he had something more urgent to work on. "Didn't even get a chance to eat."
He had time, just not the lien. Not when he had to stretch it as long as possible. Every meal brought him a little closer to disaster.
As always, Aiden caught the unsubtle hint. In fact, tonight he'd come prepared, pulling out a small bag from under the counter. "Figured you might need some encouragement."
More like he knew Adam how desperate Adam was getting. He was the only person in Mistral who knew how dire his situation looked. Mainly because he was the only person who asked. No, that wasn't right. Aiden was the only person Adam would bother answering. No one else in the city mattered enough to waste his time on.
As a paying customer - he wasn't paying, but someone had - Adam had access to the hotel's daily breakfast, which he took full advantage of every morning. He'd eat as much as he felt he could hold down, knowing he'd get precious little the rest of the day, then sneak a few snacks out when he left. Muffins. Bagels. He'd even balled up slices of bread a couple times into a dense lump. Not the most appealing meal, but it sure beat starving. In the evenings, Aiden always snuck him something from the kitchen. Between the two meals, Adam managed to keep his expenses low, but that wouldn't last much longer.
Aiden knew it too. Finally, he asked the most important question. One Adam hoped to avoid. "So what's your plan for tomorrow?"
Tomorrow. The word hung in the air like some evil specter haunting his every step. The past week had been annoying, uncomfortable, and horrible, but it had nothing on what lurked just ahead. He was still learning how to walk the tightrope of life, and here life was pulling away the safety net. Losing the roof over his head would suck. Losing the access to free food would be even worse.
Ignoring the problem wouldn't make it go away. You didn't beat a Grimm by pretending it didn't exist. You faced it head on, pitting your strength and will to survive against the monster. He'd do the same here, just as he'd with plenty of Grimm before, and he'd always come out the victor. Even before he had aura or proper training, he'd taken down an Ursa. Sure, he'd attacked it while its back was turned, but Adam felt confident he'd have still fought it one on one. He'd handle this new challenge the way he always did - with sheer force of will.
"I'll think of something." In other words, he didn't have a plan. Not a good one. He basically planned to push even harder until something gave. "Someone around here must be hiring, right?"
"You'll find something," Aiden assured him. The empty promise helped a little, but not as much as his next suggestion. "Have you gone to the employment offices yet?"
"The what?"
"I'll take that as a no," Aiden answered with a laugh, rifling through a drawer for a pamphlet. When he unfolded it, Adam was staring at a map of the city. Pointing to a spot in the upper districts, Aiden said, "It's a government office for helping people find work. Some long-term stuff, but there's some shorter gigs as well. Maybe they can help."
"Why didn't you mention them sooner?" Adam did his best not to get angry. He'd been going door to door for a week, when he could've just gone to an office dedicated to finding something for him?
"Honestly, I forgot about them." As encyclopedic as Aiden's knowledge always seemed, it looked like there were limits. "It's a pretty small place. Not a lot of people go there anymore."
"Why not?" In a place as big as Mistral, surely there were others in need of work.
Aiden shrugged. "Most people here already have something. Or they just stop looking."
"I'll check them out in the morning," Adam declared. He could always resume his regular job hunting afterwards, but maybe he wouldn't need to. After all, a whole office dedicated to finding people jobs? They had to know more about it than he did. "Thanks."
"My pleasure." Aiden put the map away. "Speaking of in the morning…"
And here came the other issue. He couldn't stay in a hotel forever. Even if he had that kind of lien, hotels weren't meant to be long-term options. The prices were just too steep for that. Not that it mattered here. With no job, he couldn't afford much of anything. "How late can I check out?"
That was a question for the check-in counter, not Aiden, but he figured Aiden would be more willing to help him out. Sure enough, the man proved as reliable as ever. "Depends on the demand for the room. I can check, but I'd guess you can come back after lunch and still be safe." Good. That would at least give him somewhere to store his stuff in the morning. Lugging around even his meager possessions would be a hassle. "Let me go ask real quick."
Aiden hastened away leaving Adam to linger alone at the counter. What was he going to do tomorrow? Getting a later check-out would help, but he'd still need to clear out at some point. He had nowhere to take his belongings, let alone a place for himself. He'd need somewhere to sleep. Somewhere he wouldn't have to worry about being interrupted, either by police looking to keep the streets clear or the underbelly of the city looking for a quick score. A teenager alone in a dark alley would certainly be a tempting target.
Not that they'd have much luck. Just because Adam could tune out the terrible sound of Soji's snoring didn't make him a heavy sleeper. Even with someone on watch every night, you didn't last long on the trail if you weren't always on guard. There weren't any Grimm stalking the night in Mistral, but a thief in the night was just as much a threat. He'd defend himself and cut them down just as quickly if they dared come after him.
Not that everyone would see it that way. Adam could already imagine the headlines. Faunus killer strikes in the night. Commander Barca's warning rang in his mind. People wouldn't be thrilled with the idea of a faunus running around with an aura and a weapon. Even if he just defended himself, in their eyes, he'd probably be one step away from cutting down an innocent citizen. Probably wouldn't even bother looking into whether or not he'd been attacked. All they'd see was a faunus killing a human. If Commander Barca's warning about the city's views right now were right, Adam might not want to stick around if push came to shove.
Such morbid thoughts would have to wait as Aiden came back to give him the news. "Front desk said they can go as late as two." Even better than Adam expected. He could get a lot done by two. He'd have to look for somewhere to go during lunchtime, then come back in the afternoon to move his stuff. It would cut into his time a bit, but there was no avoiding it. Apparently, Aiden didn't get the memo. "Then again, why not stay a little longer."
Because he didn't have that kind of lien. "I can't afford-"
"We've got a lot of vacancies this week," Aiden continued before Adam could shut him down. "No one's really using the room. Seems a shame to let it go to waste."
Aiden wasn't the type to waste words like this. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you could stay a few more days, if you want." Was he joking? No. Surely Aiden wouldn't be that cruel. "I talked with the front desk. I figure we could extend your stay a few days. Just 'til the weekend."
The weekend? That was only a few days away, but a few days could make a huge difference. "You mean it?"
"Have I ever lied to you?" Not that Adam knew, but hotels didn't give out rooms for free. Hard to stay in business with a model like that.
"But how?"
"Does it matter?" Yes. No. Did it? "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Adam. You need a few days. That's what I'm offering." No, he was offering so much more than that. It wasn't just a few days. It was a lifeline being thrown to a drowning man, at least for a bit.
Adam didn't know what to say. It was the first good news he'd gotten all week. He could've hugged Aiden. Instead, Adam just said, "Thanks, Aiden."
To anyone else, it wouldn't be enough. Aiden was offering him the world, in a way. A simple "thanks" hardly seemed sufficient. But Aiden understood. "Don't worry about it. I just wish we could hire you here."
Him and Adam both. Aiden had come up with the idea on his first night. Maybe he could clean the rooms, or even learn to do maintenance. If someone else could do it, Adam knew he could learn. He certainly had the determination for it. And just imagine the look on Soji's face when they came back and found Adam working there. He'd never leave. Unfortunately, the owner of the hotel said they didn't have any openings and shot the idea down before it could even get off the ground.
"I really appreciate all the help," Adam promised. Having someone on his side felt nice. He wasn't as alone as he'd originally thought. And if he could get someone from the employment office could track something down for him, he'd have two people in his corner. That would make his fight a whole lot easier. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"With good news, I hope."
So did Adam.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"So let's see here…"
The woman across the desk from Adam looked over the form he'd filled out less than an hour ago, a bored expression plastered on her round face. The bright colors of her dress, nails, and make-up contrasted sharply with the unpleasant office, not to mention the rather irritating woman he'd been assigned to only moments ago. She cracked her gum before setting the paper down, as if she'd gleaned everything she needed about him in just a few short details.
"You've got no address, no references, and no work experience."
"I worked for a merchant caravan," Adam corrected, squirming slightly in the uncomfortable chair. The thin padding on the seat had worn away long ago, leaving a cracked, empty layer of fabric between him and the unforgiving metal. It rocked slightly as he moved, the missing cap on one of the feet throwing the whole thing off balance.
"Right." She didn't bother notating the discrepancy. Adam had a feeling she didn't care that much. "And you're how old?"
"Sixteen." Fifteen, actually, but his birthday wasn't that far away. Besides, he'd done his homework. Labor laws allowed for the hiring at fifteen, but there were a ton of restrictions on what he could do and how long. Not many places would hire someone with so many restrictions attached, and he couldn't afford to lose out on those options. A quick change of his birth month on the form was enough to cover him.
"Is that so?" With Adam's height and a solid build courtesy of his training, he could probably pass for older in a pinch. Bernadette, as the large woman's name tag proudly displayed, didn't look impressed. "You got any documentation for that?"
"Like what?" He'd written it on the form. What else did she want? A dated birthday card from his last party? She'd be sorely disappointed to learn he hadn't gotten any.
"A birth certificate," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Maybe check with your parents if they have it."
"I'm an orphan." Adam tried not to sound too spiteful as he threw it in her face. Most people would be devastated having touched on such a sensitive subject. Bernadette didn't even bat an eye. "I was born in Shizukana."
"Where?"
Adam hadn't expected her to know that one. What concern did people in Mistral have with a random, tiny village in the outskirts? She probably wouldn't even know about Katai, not that Adam would dare mention that hellhole. The last thing he needed was them contacting Katai for information about him. "It's a small village to the west."
"Naturally." Adam felt a snarl threatening to break free, but he stamped it down before she could notice. "So you're sixteen, have minimal education, no documentation, no family, and the only people that can verify anything for you are a week away with no way to reach them?" Put like that, it sounded kinda bad, but she wasn't wrong. "How convenient."
"Look, can you help me, or not?" She was wasting his time. He couldn't afford to sit around all day and do nothing. By the looks of things, she'd done enough of that for both of them. "I need a job."
"Let me see what we have." Bernadette spun her chair around to face a filing cabinet, noisily pulling out a drawer before slowly fingering her way through an assortment of folders. She pulled out two or three, seemingly at random, then slammed the drawer shut once more. "Hm. Romu will need some extra hands in the fields, but that's still a couple months out." Time that Adam didn't have. Bernadette let the folder flop on her desk as she opened the next. "Garbage pickup has an opening, but I doubt they'd go for someone so…young."
"I'll do it." Handling trash wasn't exactly his first choice, but he'd long since given up on being picky. Whatever it takes. Like Jean said, he could always work on improving things tomorrow. He needed to focus on getting what he could today to make sure he had a tomorrow to worry about.
"I'll give them a call this afternoon." Adam wanted to demand she call right now, but he doubted Bernadette would care. He was just grateful she'd said today and not next week. "Last one is for…wait, nevermind."
"What?" She'd pulled it for a reason, hadn't she? Why the sudden dismissal.
"Nothing. They wouldn't be interested." She didn't bother elaborating, and Adam doubted she'd answer him. Not that she needed to. The way her eyes lazily drifted to the top of his head explained it perfectly. "Look, I've got a line of people waiting for openings, and no one's gonna pick a faunus from the middle of nowhere over someone with experience."
Adam bristled at the fact she'd included the word faunus. What did that have to do with anything? Sure, he had horns on his head. Big deal! He was still a person. He could still work. He could probably work harder than any of her other applicants. Certainly harder than Bernadette herself. Why should she have a job and he shouldn't?
"You could always try the SDC."
The SDC. He didn't know a whole lot about them, but the little he did know rang alarm bells for him. They were the main employer of faunus on Remnant. They were also one of the most protested corporations in history, mainly by the very same faunus they so proudly employed. The White Fang representatives he'd talked to didn't exactly paint a good picture of them. Nor did the countless safety incidents at their facilities, especially in recent years. Sure they specialized in one of the most dangerous fields known to man, but you didn't get the kind of negative reputation Adam found online without at least some truth. Plus, he doubted they'd keep him in the city. He hadn't seen many mine shafts around the city.
"No." Adam shut the idea down immediately. He needed something local. Not that he hated the idea of traveling elsewhere. If anything, he'd love to get out of the confining walls of the city and settle in somewhere more comfortable. But he wanted to be here when the caravan returned. He wanted to see them all again and show them he'd made it on his own. "Not the SDC."
Bernadette sighed as she dropped the final folder on her desk. "Look, kid, I don't know what to tell you. The job market's pretty tight right now. Even more so for some random teenager from Kizushana or whatever." Adam didn't waste his time correcting her. "Your chances of finding a job anytime soon are slim at best. Do you want my advice?"
Not really, but he hadn't wasted his time here for nothing. "Sure."
"Go check yourself in at the orphanage."
Yeah, Adam. The orphanage. That's where you belong. Memories of Katai assaulted him in an instant, mostly centered around a certain person he never wanted to see again. A flash of bunny ears nearly sent him toppling out of his chair. "No!"
Adam hadn't meant to yell so loud, but the thought of going back to an orphanage was even worse than the SDC. He knew Alyssa wouldn't be there, but he couldn't shake the fear that someone like her would be. It would buy him some time. Food and shelter for over a year certainly sounded nice right now, but it wasn't worth the risk.
"I mean…no." Adam took a deep breath, shuddering slightly as he fought to regain control. "No orphanage."
Bernadette looked interested for the first time, but Adam didn't want her prying into his past. When he refused to say anything more, she shrugged in defeat. "Fine. Can't force you to go there. Just listing out your options."
"What else?" She had to have something better than that.
"You can sit around and hope something opens up, but I doubt you'll get anything sooner than Romu, and even that's not guaranteed. Lots of people fight for those jobs every year." People with more experience than him, she didn't add. "I'll check around for you, but outside of the SDC, I doubt I'll find anything soon."
So an orphanage, the SDC, or nothing. All bad options. "I'll take my chances."
"Whatever you say," Bernadette allowed. Not like she had any skin in this fight. She'd done her job, as far as she was concerned. "Just give it a thought. In the meantime, I'll do some digging and let you know if I find anything."
She didn't seem to think she'd find anything. Adam had to wonder just how far she'd dig. Maybe he'd get lucky with the trash collectors. It would stink - quite literally - but if it meant a steady paycheck, he'd get over the discomfort.
"Thank you." She hadn't done much, but Soji would be appalled if he found out he'd been rude to someone trying to help, even if they were doing the bare minimum. That still made her better than the rest of the city, if only slightly.
He left the small office worse than when he went in. He wasn't holding his breath on getting anything back from her. In his mind, the whole thing had been a waste of time - something he had precious little of right now. Even with Aiden's helpful extension, he only had a few days before he'd be up against the wall once more.
Worse, she'd unknowingly stirred up some things Adam would much rather leave buried. Images from Katai chase him down the street, all while the voice in his head mocked and laughed at him. No. He wouldn't be going anywhere near an orphanage. Never again. He'd rather be homeless than find himself confined to another child prison.
He had enough scars. The last thing he needed was another.
Remember last chapter when I said I was splitting it into two? Make that three. Got to this point and realized I had a full-length chapter and still plenty to go until my planned end point for this setup section. Oh well. Almost certain we'll hit what should've been the end of last chapter at the end of next chapter. Such is the danger of writing with minimal planning.
Job hunting sucks, in case you haven't gathered. I still remember having to put in endless applications after college. Most of my area is tied to federal projects for technical work, and there was a federal hiring freeze when I graduated with my engineering degree. No one was hiring engineers as a result. So there I was with my wife, no income, and a modest bit of debt from school (compared to the mountain a lot of people graduate with). Had to live with my parents for a while and eventually got a job working for Geico doing claims. Those months before Geico were some of the worst of my life. Rejections. Unreturned calls. Dead ends. It was absolute crap. But unlike Adam, I at least had family to help until I could get my feet under me. Can't imagine going through all that without their support.
Adam gets a brief breather from Aiden, but that just buys time. Only a little bit of it. He'll have to find something soon or face far worse. And as you may have guessed by now, things can always get worse. Especially when I'm writing it.
Next chapter: Things get worse.