[ video ]

[somethinghidden]

[ The video shows a man with brown hair, blue eyes, and a light blue button-up shirt sitting at a table. ]

Hello again. [ A Scottish accent, tempered by living in London. ] It's really been a while since I've been around, or on the network or anything. I think I've been a little pre-occupied by, um, some things. Yeah.

Anyway. [ He clears his throat and sits up taller in his seat, three fingers on each hand wrapped in white bandages. ] I've been thinking about looking into some supplementary work. Or then again, I might just need a new job proper, a fresh start. If anyone has suggestions or knows someone who's hiring—or, if you are hiring, for that matter—I'm quite interested in scoping out other potential employment opportunities and things.

[ Then it seems he's just had an idea or remembered something. ]

Oh, and. I remember having a little problem with... an old habit. I'd asked for help, gotten a little bit, and I guess I'd forgotten to really follow up on it, you know? So I'm just a little unsure of where to really go from here.

[ Feigning relief with marginal success, he exhales audibly. ]

I suppose that's all for now. Cheers.

Comments

video;

[brushoff]

[ because Simon! yay! Although, as he sees Simon's hand, Dorian can't help but frown. ]

How's the hand, by the way?

video;

[somethinghidden]

[ Dammit, Simon doesn't understand how much he's missed Dorian. How could he have been too busy gambling all his money away to pay him any mind?

Anyway, he always appreciates Dorian's concern, regardless of him being the Dorian Gray. ]

It's healing up better, I promise. The bandages should come off for good maybe... sometime next month, I think.

video;

[brushoff]

[ And Dorian can't help but smile at that, obviously pleased at the response. ]

Well that's good. After all, I imagine you're sick of it by now.

video;

[hoboagogo]

-Lemme know if you find a decent place. I've been keeping an eye open for jobs, too.

[He shrugs.] I saw something open at the zoo, if you're okay with animals. They'd probably be all over hiring an import.

video;

[somethinghidden]

[ Simon doesn't recognize this young man, likely in his teens. Scruffy but not greasy. ]

I don't know that I'd work at the zoo. I'm not really sure animals are my thing. [ Actually, he finds the idea of working with them pretty distasteful and beneath him. ] But I appreciate your mentioning it, anyway. Thanks.

Though I can keep you posted. Your ID reads... actually, would you mind telling me? I don't want to butcher it on the first try, but I'll have a much better chance saying it after hearing it, I think.

[hoboagogo]

[Scruffy, worn, and apathetic looking... but hey, at least he's clean.]

Not an animal person? [It's more vague interest than anything else. Because wow how could you not like animals.] That's cool. I ain't really looked too much. What sorta thing are you looking for?

Shinjiro Aragaki. And you're Simon, yeah?

video

[bulwank]

[A lot smaller this time. Screen sized.]

Hello M-

Simon. It is good to see you again. About your issue with employment, are you registered? [He doesn't want to just assume he's not after all. Some people might not know how easily the Government will supply them with new employment should they be pressed enough to ask.]

video

[somethinghidden]

[ Oh, screen-sized Gamagori is far less intimidating! So far, at least. Seeing him brings a smile to Simon's face. ]

Hello, Gamagori. It's good to see you, too. Well, I am registered and still working as an inventory manager for local auction shows, but. I think I can use a little extra money on the side for some things, you know? I've given a little thought to jobs like bartending or... I don't know, there's still really a lot that's up in the air. I guess I'm really open to ideas in general.

video

[bulwank]

[A smile is good, but he's still frowning. Just kinda stuck like that, sorry, he is happy to see you again as well. Not- hurt though, your hands, did someone try to mug you again and push you over or something.]

Hm. For bartending jobs you could look to Maurtia Falls, but De Chima and Nonah also have a lot of options if you're looking for a new occupation. Both, especially Nonah, are active, industrious cities that enjoy imPort activism. You will find more apathy towards our group in Maurtia Falls, though they may have more jobs around what you are searching for.

video;

[symbionic]

An old habit, huh?

[ It sounds like one of Those Habits. ]

video;

[somethinghidden]

Yeah, it's. [ Simon hums thoughtfully, a little embarrassed about it. ] Well, I am. Addicted. To gambling.

[ At least he can actually acknowledge it as a problem, though. ]

And I've tried lots of things, lots of times, to crack it.

voice

[showtunes]

What sort of habit, if you don't mind me asking? If you're simply having problems with nail-biting I'm afraid I could be of little help.

[ but on the other hand hoo boy does he have some experience with addiction. ]

voice

[somethinghidden]

Oh, uh. It's not... a nail-biting habit. No, those are some injuries from before I got here. [ The kind of injuries criminals inflict when you don't come through with your end of a bargain. ] So that's not quite what I need help with, thanks.

I am addicted. To gambling. [ He says it like it's The Big Reveal, but he isn't proud of it. Not really. ] And I've tried to crack it, I've been trying. But I must've fallen off the horse sometime early this month, maybe a little before that. Yeah.

video »

[agog]

What are your specialities? [ as in your skills!]

video »

[somethinghidden]

I have auctioneer experience and a degree in art history; my current position is inventory manager for local auction shows. [ He looks thoughtful. ] So I think I'm quite detail-oriented and good with gathering and organizing information.

Also, I don't think we've ever met before. I'm Simon, Simon Newton.

VOICE.

[indenture]

Following up is half the battle, you know. Bad habits don't just get bored and disappear.

VOICE.

[somethinghidden]

Yeah, I just. I'm not expecting it to suddenly leave, no. Time and again, I try to focus, I really do. I just... I don't know what happens, it's like I can't remember how I fall off the horse.

Video

[forsometimenow]

... what happened to your hand?

Video

[somethinghidden]

[ He turns his hands before him. ] Ah, the bandages. I had some, um, work-related injuries from before arriving here. That I know of, they're not as serious as they may seem all wrapped like this.

video.

[selfequipped]

[As a budding friend, Kate rewatches this video several times over before she decides she can't make much of it.]

This was all ... delightfully vague. Does the injury inflict vagueness?

video.

[somethinghidden]

Oh! [ Simon realizes this is the first he's on video with Kate, waves, and chuckles. ] Hello, Kate.

Um, no—it doesn't. I guess I just wasn't entirely sure how I wanted to approach what I wanted to talk about. Some of it, anyway.

[ He shakes his head incredulously as he continues, ] Though maybe I should put it straight that the habit in question isn't finger-biting.

video

[corviform]

[ He eyes the bandages for the briefest of second, however he doesn't pry. ]

There are professionals to turn to for certain habits, aren't there?

[ He has his own bad habit, but it's fairly tame in comparison to gambling. ]

video

[somethinghidden]

Well... Yeah, there are. But I'd decided to get some recces on the network last month since seeking professional help online got me some, uh, unexpected trouble. Back where I'm from, I mean.

[ There's a lot more to it than that, but things like addiction and hypnotherapy are complicated at best. ]

voice;

[humanistic]

If it's the kind of thing you can forget to follow up on? It must not be that bad.

voice;

[somethinghidden]

Um, it's not that—it isn't that I'm not trying to follow up, really. [ But what's the best way to describe it? ] I try to focus on it, and then there's like a lapse in time, and then I'm worse off than where I'd started.

That, and I guess I didn't really do a good job working on it last month. I got a little caught up in something else, something other than the... gambling issue.