Spec Ops (Multirealm)

[taikokitsune]

"Faith huh?" Aiko thought, "I guess that's all I can hope for". Aiko looks herself over and straightens her shirt of wrinkles, as if making a difference in her overall appearance. Aiko starts thinking about the future, what did she want to do. Her mind goes back to her friends back at the orphanage. The feeling of belonging. Would she be good with kids, do kids like being around her.
She thinks back to her first days there, being the corner kid, staring at the other kids. She didn't feel a belonging. Then one day she saw a girl, Clara, being picked on by some boy, making misogynistic remarks, grabbing her, trying to flip her skirt, attempting to scare her into dating him (why do middleschoolers want to date so early?). She got a feeling of deja vu. She walked up to them. The kids didn't recognise her existence. Aiko whispered in his ear, "Let go of her,". The kid looked at her in the eye, the boy was the same height as Aiko. He spat in her face. She grabbed his hand, though intimidating he was weaker than her, and smacked it onto the nearest table forcing him to kneel. "You want to see whats under a girls shirt, you pig?" She takes her shirt off with her other hand her bullet wound still rapped in blood soaked bandages. "This is from a bullet a pig like you shot me with, you know what I did to him?" Aiko twisted his arm, he started to tear up. She let go. The boy ran, and she put her shirt back on.
Maybe she could be a babysitter, or a teacher.

[Dragnoxz]

The nuns say their farewells,nice their blessings, say some prayers, do the thing the Catholics always do, then leave the way they came. You wait for the bus for an hour, the ticket guy apologizes for the delay. Police cars, two of them, pass by gong fast.

[taikokitsune]

I hope there wasn't an accident, the nuns would be caught in traffic. Aiko thinks innocently, but that fight or flight response was tingling. Aiko brushes the feeling off. "Buses usually this late?" questions Aiko to the booth man.

[Dragnoxz]

Ticket Master: "Only if traffic is bad. There is a college game on, they are probably caught up in traffic." Behind him is a flip board, calendar. It says Wed, September 23, 1998. A radio is on low in the background, talking giving highlights of ongoing game. "You fancy the games ?"

[taikokitsune]

Aiko shrugs, "I haven't watched it, it has been a crazy few months, you mind turning that up?" Might help pass he time.

[Dragnoxz]

He turns it up and notices the date on the calendar is off. He flips it to the 24th. Another police car drives by the other way, but is just driving like a normal car. The radio speaker talks about a score by the Colts. A commercial interrupts, talking about some cosmetic stuff, then an alcohol ad, then a car ad, then a football ad, then a quick news bulletin about the mayor elections, and then back the game. IT all took about two minutes. When the game returns, the radioman is speaking chaotic about how the audience is protesting the game. The station cuts off and is interrupted by more commercials. The ticket master starts messing with the radio, and expresses a mood of dissatisfaction. "Damn it, I want to listen to what's happening. Damn kids probably started a fight over how the opposing team scored."

[taikokitsune]

"Do fans usually get that violent?" Aiko asks. Aiko stands up to stretch her legs. She walks over to the booth and rests her arms onto the booths rims. "Is there something wrong with your radio?"

[Dragnoxz]

"Someone probably started a fight and the station don't wanna air it. Mayor elections comming soon, they don't want the city officials to look bad. The police will calm hints down and we'll hear about it later or in news tomorrow." He points to the street. A police car passes. Possibly the same one from earlier. The flashing lights go on just before it goes out of view. "See. Nothing to be concerned about."

[taikokitsune]

"Probably right," Aiko says a bit unsure but in assurance. "Hmm, what time is it?" Aiko says, becoming impatient from the lack of busing.

[Dragnoxz]

"It looks about six fifteen." The bus is about a half hour late. The sun Is going down. "The news is on. You can wait in the lobby inside. There are vending machines."

[taikokitsune]

"Okay, thank you," Aiko says walking inside. Aiko checks the vending machines as she was quite hungry from the long trip, though also took note of he lack of funds.

[Dragnoxz]

As you walk in, a fire truck speeds past with loud sirens. A man on TV talks about a riot that broke out at a stadium during a game, that 50 fans broke into the field, that an undetermined number were injured before police arrived to take control, and many were sent to the local hospital for treatment. The sky darkens more, the last bit of sun rays descend, the sky is orange and slowly turns purple, and then to dark. You wait another 20 minutes. "I have never seen a bus so late before. The dispatch is not answering. I don't know what to tell ya kid." He walks into the room with you, the older overweight man with ticket masters uniform, and keychain of keys, radio in one hand. The clock on the wall reads 6:37.

You remember how men have treated you, so you are nervous when he walks in. The TV is showing a colored screen, indicating the station is off air. His body language is typical of a concerned person. "If you have $25.00, you might have to stay at the hotel a few blocks from here. My shift changes at 7:00. We are open 24/7. If you have to fought it, there are benches and over there is the restroom. Just tell the next guy you are waiting for the bus. Show him your ticket."

"Excuse me, I have to use the restroom."

He walks to the restroom. It is ominously quiet in the room. The TV remains that multicolor unaired nothing, no sound. The long tube lights on the ceiling slightly pulsate, one more than the others. The ceiling has slight water mildew stains, on the ceiling tile. The floor is concrete, with minor cracks, the benches are wooden, with grey paint slats. There is a lobby table, with some old magazines. There is an empty shelf cabnet and above it he ceiling tile is missing. The room is about 30X40, when entering the lobby from the bus loop, to the left there is a window on the left, a door in the middle, and the vending machines to the right, and a small closet door (on that wall), where the ticket master office is. Looking straight are the doors to the restrooms. Women's on the left, men's room on the right. Just to the left of the restroom doors in the corner is the empty cabinet, near the closet on the other wall. On the right wall are the benches, chairs and lobby table, and there are some fake potted plants at the corners. The walls are grey with a blue stripe going around the entire wall about 4 feet up. The Windows have a foil looking wrapping so no one can see in or out. The ticket window you can see through into the office. You can see through that window out to the other window and see outside, from the window the ticket master was at talking to you from earlier. Oh, and next to the vending machines is a garbage can. The vending machine of the left have chips and candy bars, and the one on the right has soda. 25c for soda, same for the snacks.

You barely hear the toilet flush and then the slight sound of the sink water on. The sink turns off and you barely hear a paper towel rip. He emerges from the restroom as if relieved. He walks back to the office.

[taikokitsune]

Aiko goes to use the bathroom, the sink running reminded her that she has accumulated quite a bladder in the last hour. She took her time "emptying" herself. The entire action took 10 minutes. Aiko checks her wallet and the amount of change she currently possess.

[Dragnoxz]

The light, a yellow bulb hums with energy. There is a small air vent in the ceiling. A drip of water can be heard leak every few seconds. The following coins you have in a snap pouch:

25c
25c
25c
25c
25c
10c
10c
10c
10c
10c
10c
10c
10c
5c
5c
5c
1c
1c
1c
1c

You hear the lobby door open along with the sound of a dessiel engine. You barely hear it over the engine noise, "I know, I know. But traffic is bad." You hear what sounds like a reply, but can't make it out. "But ther route is blocked by police barricades. Sean and Joey are stuck out there with passengers in between barricades." Yet another muffled reply. "I know, but they won't make it here till after the police contain the riots."

[taikokitsune]

Aiko snaps the pouch closed and runs towards the commotion. "Is the bus here?" Aiko questions. She is slightly ****ed that her thirst wasn't quenched but at least she can finally get going.