Stern Algorithm

Shine City 3: Summer Sequel (Always Accepting)

Shout out to @Haeo and @Stern Algorithm for having a really compelling sidestory going on amidst the chaos and shenanigans. I hope we can find an answer to the age old question of "Do you think love can bloom on the battlefield in a bookstore?"

Seriously though, I'm invested, its great, keep it up

@Specter189

Thanks for the SO. Though @Haeo is currently busy with IRL stuff. Let's give Haeo some energy:



Although technically, Vern and Shizuka are at his apartment.

Power Rangers Strike Force!

Posted. It's not very long, but I hope the content is satisfactory.

Clementine needs to watch herself; you're not ruining my second place archetype and throwing me in the garbage leadership role.

@Kouki

Clementine is absolutely going to shunt the leadership role onto Jonah. That way, if things ever get heated between Jonah and Michael concerning whether Michael is 'fit to lead' or not, Clementine will add to the drama by siding with Jonah.

Power Rangers Strike Force!

Clementine felt a rush of information flow through her mind, showing her what she could be capable of in the power suit. Of particular note was her ability to produce a blinding flash, as well as a spear made of light. However, lacking confidence, she reached instead for the firearm that was holstered at her belt, a defensive weapon that was short and easy to handle. She felt it in her palms, and despite having never held or fired a gun in her life, its easy-to-wield heft reassured her. She lowered her arms with both hands holding the gun, pointed at the ground and angled away from herself slightly in a pseudo-safe, pseudo-ready position. She looked to Jonah to lead the way.

Power Rangers Strike Force!

Clementine was glad to see that there was some sort of backup plan in place, though she wondered at its efficacy. It also made her think of her parents and what would happen to them, but at this point, she tried not to think about it; they had always been model Galatec supporters, and maybe that afforded them a bit of protection, it would be dreadfully bad PR if anyone were to find out that they received harm from Galatec. Clementine took the wristband-like object gingerly, carefully strapping to her arm. She watched in awe as Jonah transformed. Following his lead, she decided to do the same.

"Strike Force, F-Flash Forward!" Clementine said with a slight stutter, thrusting her arm over her head. Much like with Jonah, the yellow stone in Clementine's wristband shone brightly, but instead of ebbing, the light expanded into a brilliant blinding flash that was over as quickly as it had started. The light now gone, Clementine found herself in a yellow version of Jonah's suit. Clementine shrank in on herself a little bit, not expecting her transformation to be so...dazzling and to make her the temporary center of attention. "S-sorry, I hope everyone's eyes are ok...m-maybe I didn't control it right or something..." she said, wondering if her transformation was supposed to a bit more tame, like Jonah's had been.

Yet her lack of confidence and self-reproach seemed to melt away slightly. Wearing this suit invigorated her, seemed to fill her with a sense of purpose. She looked at Samara and said, "I'll make sure to get your message to this Michael." Right now, Clementine would rather have the responsibility of being a courier rather than a combatant if she could help it. She went to Jonah's side, ready to follow him. Even though she had only known him for less than an hour, that fact that she knew him longest made Clementine feel a certain panicked attachment to Jonah, the closest thing she had to familiarity she could get in this chaotic situation. He also gave off a sense of reliability, having shown a readiness and willingness to take the first step, to lead; so Clementine was ready and willing to follow.

Shine City 3: Summer Sequel (Always Accepting)

"Shizuka, thank you for bringing that over. Please, come in and warm up." He said. His voice was so soft that it barely carried the few feet between them. "I'll make some tea." He walked inside and removed his soaking wet work boots by the door, walking in wet socks to the small kitchen where he began heating a kettle and pulling tea down from a cupboard.

The apartment was designed like a studio with a bedroom and bathroom being the only rooms that had any actual walls. The rest was open concept and there were tile floors by the entrance, the kitchen, and the bathroom. The rest was wood. It had the decorative distinction of actually looking easy to clean. That is, it had nothing else to recommend it due to being empty of anything resembling a lived-in feeling. The kitchen was the notable exception. All over it were signs of knowledge and pride. The dishes were perfectly maintained and in good order. The spices were widely varied and well organized. The counters were largely uncluttered and only sported a couple of necessary appliances. The cupboards were made of good quality wood with a moderate finish and there was no sign of disturbance in the ones that were open.

One of those cupboards was the recipient of Vern's labored attention. The label on one tin of tea was proving hard to read. He tried to pull it into focus and it kept slipping back out again. He stepped away from the counter to set the tin down and get one of the stools from the small kitchen table. It was about then that everything went black and he fell to the floor with a muffled thud on the tile.

@Haeo

When Vern invited her inside, Shizuka initially refused out of habitual etiquette, "Th-thank you, but I wouldn't want to impose..." However, she was mostly just trying to process what she was seeing: he was dressed in workman's clothing that looked heavily used and his voice sounded quite weak, causing her to wonder what he did outside of being the owner for Ink Sparks. Of course, Vern didn't take no for an answer, or perhaps he didn't hear her since she was too stunned to speak loudly, and continued into his kitchen to prepare the tea he had offered. Seeing as she had no intention to bike home in the rain, her refusal was for all intents and purposes rather empty, so she let herself follow him in. "P-pardon the intrusion," she said, mostly to mitigate appearing rude by accepting his hospitality too eagerly.

But before she had gotten much further past the door, she heard a sudden thud followed by uncomfortable silence. Taking her shoes off in a hurry, Shizuka rushed to the kitchen to find Vern laying on the floor, unconscious. She quickly knelt down and checked his pulse and breathing. Though no expert in first aid, she had done enough veterinary training to know the basics. She was relieved to note that his vitals were good, though he seemed to have a mild fever. Shizuka flipped his body over to sit him up, then reached under his armpits with her arms in order to raise him, dragging Vern to his bed. He was heavier than she was, but not to the point where she couldn't pull him given the proper posture. Once on the bed, she moved his limbs around so that he lay comfortably and dragged his blanket over him. Shizuka went a bit further by looking through his closet for spare blankets that she could layer on top of him. Once that was done, she went into Vern's bathroom and wet a small towel with cold water and placed it on his forehead. She looked to see if he was settled or if he showed signs of pain. It occurred to her that she probably should have just called an ambulance as soon as she found him on the floor, but a motherly instinct had kicked in. She decided that she would continue this course of action, but would keep an eye out for worsening symptoms and call an ambulance the moment things seemed to be outside of her control or experience.

Now she headed into the kitchen and looked around, impressed by the care Vern seemed to take in it. First she found a bag of rice, pouring some out into a pot she found, filling the pot with water and began boiling it to make porridge. She took out some salt, pepper, and vinegar, and looked for some light foods like pickled vegetables to go with it. She also took out an egg that she would poach in the porridge right before the porridge was ready.

Shizuak wandered between the kitchen and Vern, alternating between checking up on him and the meal she was preparing.

Shine City 3: Summer Sequel (Always Accepting)

"Thank you for your diligence, and your concern, Shizuka. But... I'm afraid that there isn't really anything particularly unusual about my troubles." Vern took a breath and set down his briefcase on the floor by the counter. "The simple fact is that there are more challenges than I originally anticipated when I bought this business. Some with the building, some with other personnel. And, a few unfortunate personal coincidences as well. Perhaps I wasn't quite as prepared as I thought I was. But, I'll be alright."

@Haeo

"Well, just because your troubles are not unusual, doesn't make them any less legitimate," Shizuka replied, knowing that too often, society dismisses someone's problems by bringing up examples of those who 'have it way worse'. Shizuka was a bit afraid that she may come off as condescending or presumptuous instead of concerned, but added, "You can't take care of other people unless you take care of yourself." She figured him for someone who prioritized the needs of others, but maybe she was wrong. "Life is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't overwork yourself, and slow down when you need to." Hmm, that last one might have been a bit much, Shizuka wondered if she sounded like a grandma. At this point it was pretty obvious that Vern was about to head out, so Shizuka let him go on his way.

Some time later, towards the end of Shizuka's shift, the manager, who had come in soon after lunch, approached Shizuka, notifying her that Mr. Smith had accidentally left his briefcase behind, and asked her if she could bring it to him since her shift was ending. Shizuka asked the manager for Vern's address before taking his briefcase. She saw that he lived in roughly the same part of town as where Ink Sparks was located, and wasn't too much of a detour as the Academy was in a different, nicer part of town. Shizuka got on her bike, put the briefcase in her basket and rode off.

As she rode, some clouds that had been looming on the horizon earlier in the day had made their way overhead, causing a light drizzle. It made sense, Shizuka thought to herself; the day had been pretty muggy, so something like this should be expected. But what she didn't expect was that the rain hadn't yet stopped by the time she arrived at Vern's...house? Looking at it, she could see that it was a three-story house but with apartment rooms built on top. She looked at the address the manager had given her and confirmed that Vern did in fact live in one of the rickety-looking apartments at top. Rather than ask for directions and disturb whoever lived in the house, Shizuka wandered around the property a bit until she found an alley with stairs leading up, which she took. On her way up the three flights of steps to reach Vern's apartment, she almost slipped a few times since the stairs did not have a roof and the steps were wet and slippery. At the top of the stairs was a wooden landing that thankfully had an awning that protected her from the rain. Shizuka rang the doorbell and waited. She looked around, noticing that the rain was getting stronger, though she assured herself that it was probably just a localized and sudden downpour, and would probably be over soon. She rang the doorbell again, hoping that she didn't come off as rude. Now she was beginning to wonder if he wasn't at home. She couldn't remember if he drove, or what his car looked like, nor could she remember what cars she had seen on the gorund level and if she could deduce if any of those cars might be his. She stood there, a little dumbstruck at what she should do, surrounded by the rain. She didn't want to bike back in this weather, but she couldn't think of anything besides just standing there.

Shine City 3: Summer Sequel (Always Accepting)

"Good morning, Shizuka." He said. His tone was a little upbeat but too regular to be natural. He was being professional through his worries with a little effort, and that effort showed today. "You've been handling things well. Just, remember to check the balcony during your morning walkthrough, and keep up the good work. I only realized today how easy it is to hide up there. I'm working on a solution, but for now just be a little extra careful."

@Haeo

Shizuka was a little startled when Vern greeted her, having assumed she was alone in the shop. His reminder to check the balcony also served as an explanation for where he had been this whole time. "Understood, Mr. Smith, I'll be more vigilant," she replied. Shizuka had known Mr. Smith for a few months since she started working for him. So far, their relationship was simply that of an employer and employee; cordial. But she admired him somewhat. He gave the impression of a man with a complete awareness and control of his body. He seemed to make no wasted movements, every action was efficient, like a man who had programmed and fine-tuned his body like a machine. She didn't know what sort of background would push a man to become like that. She could guess some sort of 'special forces' or perhaps 'martial artist', but Shizuka wasn't the kind of person to guess at a person's past. And it was for this reason that the words coming out of Vern's mouth were so troubling. Despite his control, Shizuka was able to detect a hint of stress, or attempt to hide that stress, in his voice. Although he did just notify her to check the balcony from now on, Shizuka did not misconstrue his tone as one of displeasure or nagging, this tiny oversight on her part wasn't what was bothering him. Shizuka did not feel like Vern was 'taking it out on her' in the slightest. As it was a slow day, there was plenty of time to make conversation, so Shizuka asked, "I don't mean to pry, but is something upsetting you?"

Power Rangers Strike Force!

Clementine looked up into Samara's eyes and saw her determination. Looking around, Clementine noticed for the first time that Tommy and Oliver seemed to be slightly injured, perhaps signs of having been in a scuffle; probably with Githkin. Clementine knew that if she went back to Galatec, while torture was a high probability, there was a chance she could explain her way out of it, there was a chance she could survive. Maybe Jonah would be able to survive as well thanks to his position, despite having already pledged to help John and Samara. But what of Oliver and Tommy? Clearly they were miners, and from the little time she spent here, she could guess that they would be shown no mercy. They didn't have a choice to go back. If she went back simply for the sake of self-preservation, she was certain that she would doom every other individual in this room: Jonah, Samara, John, and the two miners. She felt she was the weakest link here, but that only increased the pressure to not break lest the whole chain falls apart. She couldn't live with that kind of guilt.

She looked up at Samara again and said, "I want to live," but before any sign of disappointment could appear on Samara's face, Clementine took Samara's hand, helped lift herself up, and continued, "But surviving under Galatec isn't living." Clementine looked around the room again, making eye contact with everyone present. Her throat was dry, and her heart pounded painfully in her chest. "For what it's worth, I'll help you."

Shine City 3: Summer Sequel (Always Accepting)

The alarm went off at 6AM. Shizuka rolled over gently in her bed and turned off the alarm. The memory of having been woken two hours ago by the sound of her drunk roommate returning to the dorm after another night of partying flooded back. It hadn't really interrupted her sleep that much, but Shizuka felt a bit more tired than usual. Well, she'd been feeling 'more tired than usual' for long enough for it to be considered usual. Still, she insisted on waking up early every morning just to maintain her health and good habits. Sitting up, Shizuka stretched, then made her way to the restroom to wash up. Afterwards, she headed to the kitchen and started preparing her breakfast, as well as a lunch box for herself and for her roommate. When she was done cooking and packing the lunches into their boxes, she took a post-it and scribbled a little note to her roommate, then put the lunch box in the fridge. Brewing herself some tea, Shizuka made her way to the dining table with her plate of breakfast and tea cup and sat down for a quiet meal, casually thumbing through her phone to catch up on email updates from her classes or her research professor. Fortunately, it was a quiet weekend with very little in the way of assignments and projects. From an outsider's perspective, the scene of Shizuka having breakfast could be described with the word 'serene'. While this was, for the most part, true, there were a great many things that could be troubling her, that she has simply chosen to not dwell upon. She knew that she needed to just keep moving forward. Finishing breakfast, she put her plate in the sink and left her dorm. Shizuka reached her bicycle which was parked at a bike rack that was reserved for Shine Academy dorm residents. It was still early enough in the morning to not be hot, so a casual, refreshing ride to her workplace would not result in her becoming sweaty and disheveled. Expecting it would get warm later in the day, Shizuka tied her hair up to keep cool.

Tied hair

Shizuka arrived at the bookstore Ink Sparks before opening time. Unlocking the front door, she made her way inside and locked the door again. To keep with the schedule, she wouldn't unlock it again until the shop actually opened, giving her some time and privacy to get the bookstore ready for the day. She did a quick rundown of the shelves, just to get a glimpse to see if anything was misplaced. Sure that everything was in order, she flipped the sign from 'Closed' to 'Open', and took her seat behind the counter. @Haeo

---

It had been a rather uneventful day, though the occasional individual would make their way into the shop and ask for things using slang and other terms Shizuka was unfamiliar with, her apparent cluelessness was usually enough to cause them to leave, certain that she did not have what they were looking for. She had heard that the place used to be a front for shady dealings, but thought that that was long enough ago that people should have stopped coming for those things by now. Other than those incidents, she made a few small book sales, but not much.

As the day wore on, it started getting warm. Surprisingly, it was warmer in the bookstore than it was in the storage behind it. Apparently, the storage had previously housed 'perishable goods' of questionable legality and was installed with better AC than the storefront. This was something she knew Mr. Smith wished to rectify, as uncomfortable customers was bad for business. Shizuka wondered if she would see Mr. Smith today. Granted, as the business owner, his attendance was far from mandatory, but he was much more involved than most business owners, he had to be to get this little shop off the ground.

The shop's internal audio system was tuned to Shine City Radio, the station that the other clerk liked to listen too, and Shizuka never saw a need to change it. But when the 'Naughty Nori's News' segment came up, it reminded Shizuka of 'Weston's Suggestions' and it's host, Nick Weston. Shizuka hadn't seen hide nor hair of him in a while and wondered what he was up to. A slight chill ran down her spine, prompting her to silently pray for his health and well-being.

Power Rangers Strike Force!

Hearing Samara say that 'Galatec was not their friend' let it sink in for Clementine that this wasn't a joke. Then this alien named John showed them a video of Galatec's legacy. Clementine admitted that Galatec had its fair share of issues, but Galatec was so big, some things were bound to slip through the cracks. Besides, wasn't the best way to change a broken system to fix it from the inside? And it wasn't like Clementine was completely unaware of some of the 'less ethical' aspects of the company or the 'harsher' working conditions of some of the employees; her short time at the mines had shown her more than enough, it didn't seem like Galatec had much intention to hide it from her. But it was just one of those things people were supposed to take as an unfortunate necessity. That's right, if it weren't for the rebels disrupting operations, output would be at maximum, profit margins would be met, and the surplus would be trickled down, improving everyone's standard of living. Yes, if this alien was true to his word, he'd let her walk away from here; she could report what she had seen, no doubt he worked with the rebels who made life difficult for everyone. She turned to look at Jonah for reassurance, and he gave it to her by placing his hand on her shoulder, calming her considerably. She was about to ask to be allowed to leave when Jonah did something she didn't expect: he laughed. Then he mentioned that their lives as employees was officially over.

"Mr. Fallen! Y-you can't mean that!" Clementine gasped as she turned around, grabbing his collar. "I'm just an office worker, I'm not part of this. They'll take me back...they'll forgive me...I've worked too hard to lose everything like this..." She said this more in an attempt to convince herself against what she already knew to be true. Clementine dropped to her knees and recalled all the news stories she had seen, reminding her of some of the more draconian measures that were taken against rebels and suspected rebel sympathizers, measures that she felt were justified at the time but thought otherwise now that she was potentially on the receiving end. Of course, none of it fell under the legal definition of 'torture', but then again, the legal team that defined 'torture' was part of Galatec's own legal department.

"My life is over. They'll kill me, or worse..." Clementine muttered to herself. She looked at Jonah, then at Samara and John, and then over to Oliver and Tommy. Then, uncharacteristically, Clementine asked something she never thought she'd dare to ask, "I-is there any hope of us winning?"