maskormenace | Duel 01; Video

[There aren't any questions about what this place is or what it's like. Utena's already gotten used to all of that. She does, however, have a question about something else that's been on her mind: employment. She flops on her new bed and turns on her device, and the network will see a zoomed in image of her eye before she stretches her arms and raises her communicator, showing her from the shoulders up]

So. The government gives us these jobs when we get here, right? But what do you do when it's something you're not cut out for? Like...

[Okay, recording like this isn't very comfortable after all. She stops and rolls over on her side, and adjusts the camera so it's focusing mostly on her face]

I'm supposed to be a teacher, sort of. Or maybe instructor is a better way to put it? ...anyway, I'm supposed to give fencing lessons now. And it's not that I'm bad at it, but...

[She bites her lip and glances away for a moment, uncertain of how much she should (or how much she even wants to) explain about the duels.]

Well, I'm not really used to "standard" fencing matches. I mean, I've fenced before, but the last time I did the rules were kind of weird, and as soon as I got used to it the game would change again. The only real advice I could give is, "hey, don't get stabbed," but that's not really good advice, is it? I mean, that's what swordfighting is all about, I guess, but...

[She sighs, and flops back on her pillow]

I'm not really sure what I should do about this. I still need to talk to them - the people who run the lessons, not the guys who gave me the job - but... I guess I'm just worried that they'll expect more from me than what I can give them. That they'll expect me to be some master fencer from a movie or storybook or something like that. Has anyone else had to deal with that? With their bosses expecting them to be something they're not, I mean.

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It's fine, but...

[she furrows her brow again, thinking]

Well, the school year's almost over down here. Even if I went, I'd only be going for a few weeks. And it's not like they pay you to go to school, do they? I don't have to worry about paying rent, at least, but I still need to find a way to take care of everything else.

[She sighs, but soon her expression lightens as she remembers what else the woman said]

But you're right. It can't hurt to give it a shot, right? And if it doesn't work out, I can always look in the newspaper for stuff to do.

[Fair enough. Elena can remember being a teenager and not wanting to spend time studying when she didn't have to.]

Maybe you could even find something at the newspaper. The pay is lousy, but I know some of them that hire interns.

Huh, really? I didn't even know that was something you could do. At least, not for mid-

[Wait, she's not going to be in middle school anymore, is she? She catches herself, and starts over]

...not for high schoolers, I mean. Is that something you used to do?

One summer when I was a teenager, yeah. I didn't get serious about going into journalism until later, but it was a good experience. I got to see how it really worked.

Oh, so now you're like a reporter, then? That's actually pretty cool. You probably get to dig up all kinds of stories, right?

[Or wait, are reporters just for television? WHO KNOWS. Either way, it sounds pretty interesting. And hey, if she got her start when she was her age...]

It depends what kind of journalism you're into. But yeah, whatever field it is, we definitely learn a lot.

That makes sense. The guy who writes the sports section isn't going to know the same stuff as the guy who interviews the president. But what about you? What kind of stories do you write?

Back home I was focused on international conflicts--I was trying to track down this warlord everyone thought this dead, to prove he was still around and doing damage. [And he'd succeeded. To a degree.] Here, though? Mostly some freelance local stories. I'm still getting back into it.

That takes guts! Seriously, most people wouldn't even think of going after a guy like that. Or at least, they wouldn't back home. And people here...

[She trails off, her expression going dark before she glances down towards the floor]

...hey. Have you thought about doing something like that here? I mean, no offense if you don't want to, but... well, ever since I came here there's been all sorts of weird stuff going on. Sometimes it's hard to tell what to believe.

[Or who to believe.]

Edited (typo) 2017-05-11 02:04 (UTC)

[She appreciates the compliment, and she's not so falsely modest that she doesn't know it's true. But here and now, chasing Lazarevic seems long ago and far away. And she still doesn't even know whether it did any good in the end.]

I have, some. I made a few contacts and I've done some freelance stories. But it's harder, here. Being an imPort gives us a big boost, but I'm trying to prove I can do good work whether or not I'm some kind of celebrity.

Mmn... hey, what about a pen name? Sometimes writers do that when they get big. That way, they can see if their book is selling because it's by someone good, and not just someone who's famous.

Huh. I usually do on-camera work, but there's no reason I couldn't do written journalism, too. That's actually a good idea—thanks.

And thank you for telling me about the paper. I'll definitely check it out if this job doesn't work.

[She's definitely feeling better after this conversation. Just knowing that she has other options makes classes a little bit less intimidating.]

If you do, let me know. Maybe I can put in a good word.

Will do, Ms...

[Don't mind her, she just needs a sec to check that id again]

...Fisher. Good luck with your articles - though I guess if you got this far, you probably don't need it.

[And unless she has anything else to say, Utena will let her go]

Elena is fine. And you too—with whatever you end up doing.

Duel 01; Video

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