Chapter 164: 164
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"So I think I'm starting to get this. A caramel apple is 100 merits but a serving of caramel tipped apple slices is five because of the healthy choices initiative. A sirloin steak is 800, a two piece fried chicken dinner is 200 and a two piece baked chicken dinner is forty. Bottom to the middle because of the same initiative. Either to the first because of luxury import. Are there not friggin cows around anywhere? I see that milk isn't blasted so hard," Orison said, a little frustrated over perceived abuse of propaganda in merit gauging.
Garret shrugged his large shoulders, looking for all the world like the all-beef patty cheeseburger was making love to his taste buds. "Meh. You can keep a cow milking for years but you can only butcher them once. You want to know heartbreak? Eat the 'Four Square' basic food assistance for a year straight. The morning train leaves the station at six and arrives at it's final destination around two pm like clockwork. Last class doesn't end until 2:30 and over half the kids are on it. Trying to find an open bathroom stall if you aren't the first one out the door is a death race.
"The after puberty calorie increase makes you fat if you eat it all but don't exercise like you're a Rowdies hopeful and you can get sick if you skip the wrong parts a few times in a row. They're constantly fiddling with it too. So, it can throw a surprise at any time. Most of them are not good surprises.
"One of the handful of times throughout the history of Avalon that the UTF cited us for crimes against the people was because of the basic meal program. Nine years ago, when it happened, guess who was on it... This guy. The muscles have been a little too puffy ever since. Still, I feel blessed. There were a few guys who started lactating."
Orison slid his tray to the side and said, "Alright, I've watched you chew through nearly a pound of very expensive cow I thankfully did not have to pay for. Since it's so hard to ask whatever it is you're taking your time warming up to, I'll go first. When I'm done, spit it out. The worst I'm going to say is no. I'll factor in the large duffel bag full of useful skills you subtly drew attention to without directly bragging about into whatever deliberation you need me to make. That fair?"
Garret sat the cheeseburger down and dry swallowed painfully looking enough to make the young mage's throat hurt. The apparently puffy muscled teen nodded slowly. Orison wanted to laugh at the stressful job interview level of anxiety the teen was throwing off but managed not to by wondering just how difficult the request was going to be.
Garret took a minute to calm himself back down and collect his thoughts. "Day one was a bad show. He did everything the instructors and trainers expect a spoiled mage to do except cry. Day two on, he 180'd. He started playing smart and feeling out potential partners that cover his gaps, that have gaps he can cover. It's what got Trisha's attention.
"Biggest obstacle is, he has a mundane body and most mages take too long to cover that in Rowdies Accelerator. I can get him past third hill if he gets me past second hill. Each is three months. So, that buys nine for him to figure a way to survive solo at the end of the first week on first wave... Three hills, three waves and three summits. You'll be hearing about it til you're sick of hearing about it soon.
"Easy girls, parties with gray area entertainment, shady supplements and the general sabotage that happens behind the scenes every time some elite's kid comes up for elimination are always there. Any and all mistakes goes for all of us. There's a lot of grown men who fall for the stuff that Rowdies Accelerator kids have to somehow avoid but that's why there's the second chance called Rowdies standard. Female Rowdies have the protection and guidance of the Blue Rose Committee but we're lucky to have a grizzled old trainer to kick us where it counts, when it matters.
"It's a meat grinder. The need for a certain number usually ends up just a little more important than getting best quality. When someone falls through the cracks, they don't have time to look back. They'll just grab the next in line and shove them in. The old schools like to point at the better survival rate and performance of Rowdies standard as a way of saying the system's fine the way it is."
Orison held up a finger and thought on that for a moment, then said, "I hear all the C-class this and that. What about the Ds and Bs in all of this?"
Garrret said, "You might find a D-class in front line support, usually medical. Broad spectrum D-class are the rank and file of Planar Response and Off World Affairs. There's a few B-class sprinkled around but if you see one in the Scarecrows instead of in charge, there's a good chance they're a screw-up, a lesser one that they're being groomed but it's real obvious which is which pretty fast.
"If you want to make that nasty term of the day calendar complete, their equivalent to C-weed is D-ject and B-tard... You're from the UTF side originally so I'll give you a heads up. Never and I mean never say A-hole out loud unless it's to tell someone not to say it. Here, it means a selfish upper elite that eats up resources but doesn't do anything except cause problems. It's practically an accusation of treason in Avalon and they WILL NOT let it slide."
While the young mage mulled over the information and made plans, he told Garret to either finish his burger or get it to go. He explained that he didn't make a comment about how much the teen was eating to make the poor guy feel bad. He even joked about the time he'd eaten like a pig over the course of a few days minus the context that would let Garret know it happened on another world.
Meal done with a couple of to-go orders wrapped and ready to carry away, Orison said, "Moment of truth time. You got my attention and you've helped enough that no matter what it is you want to say, I'll at lest hear you out."
After taking a couple of shaky breaths, Garret said, "Behind the merit system there's another important one that most touch on but don't really understand well. Some people have access to things that others aren't or have more of something that others have much less of. Sometimes it's things that are hard to put a value to like living in an area that has access to personal equipment and training facilities, away from dangerous distractions and makes visitation require approval...
The teen gave Orison a pointed look before continuing, "It's just as much a part of life in Avalon as the merit system is. When these perks are spread around in ways that help everybody involved, it's called perk trading. Sometimes, to get it done, situations can be a little weird but everyone knows it for what it is when they see what's going on. There isn't much that hasn't been done before... So... No one REALLY cares but people can be a little mouthy if they see someone getting something they don't have or getting something they DO have but a little easier."
As the teen set up to deliver his request, Orison noticed that Garret was showing signs of becoming a little embarrassed.
Gathering up his resolve, Garret finally got to the point, "I, uh, want to know if you'd become my temporary guardian. It would only be for a few months and like I was saying before..."
Garret started launching back into a recap of what he was bringing to the table and talking faster by the moment, as if packing more in might improve his chances. Orison let him run on for a little while and finally raised his hand. The teen immediately clamped his mouth shut and gave the young mage his full attention, practically screaming 'Look at how obedient I am.'
Eyes closed, Orison pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why? I've already got a decent idea of what you're offering and a pretty good idea of what I can offer you but what I don't know is why you NEED it. And as much as a lot of people would probably jump at the opportunity if I was advertising my willingness, you came and sold me on the idea like your life depended on it. I want truth, Garret. Ugly or not, you have a better chance of me agreeing if you don't try to cover up things with convenient lies or half-truths."
The teen looked down at his to-go box that Orison let him order to share with his mom and siblings. "Mom was good to us and even if she liked to have a little too much fun when I was little, she never took something that we needed to do for herself. Even when she had us do things that were a little strange, they'd usually be good things for us in the long run... She's getting to that age where people who do what she does is supposed to be finding a nice roman ca-, er, equipment specialist to settle down with. That's how it's supposed to work.
"Maybe she's going through a mid-life crisis or some kind of denial but when an opportunity presented itself, she took it when she would have been more cautious. You see, she works part time at a garage as a desk person and when a B-class couple stopped by to get their car looked at, she saw that there was a canister from a nearby fertility clinic in it. I don't want to get graphic about it but she sampled the goods and it turned into a nightmare because it was a privacy protected donation.
"As soon as Little Casey's old enough to eat solid foods, the couple's going to drop charges in exchange for adoption. I can't prove it but my trip up out of accelerator into standard was a warning from the donor to my mom, I think... Turner and Gina are the only people who even treat her like a friend anymore... I need to distance myself from that so I can have a smooth start to my career. It's the best way I can help mom and my little sister later.
"It's not just that. The girl I brought today? She was my mom's baby sitter. I caught her in our bathroom doing something with a personal item I don't want to talk about. She doesn't know it but I invited her to come with me here to lower her guard and slip her a plan b. That probably sounds bad but believe me. I never did anything with her, much less something I should have to take responsibility for!"
Wearing his best poker face, Orison said, "The way I heard it, she was your girlfriend this week. It gave me the impression that you like to change up a lot."
Garret spluttered a little but said, "The more you try to not have a girlfriend the more hopefuls you get pestering you and the more grimy the motives are for the ones that keep trying. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I could be colder but... It's not a thing. After Little Miss Mission Impossible, I'm going to be an iron angel until I get past the third wave. A lonely year max is worth it to keep from becoming a C-weed."
While Garret was spilling his guts, the young mage was using The Weird to research him. "Wow, he made it to the halfway point but his partner let him fall during 'Second Wave'. Three hills, three waves and three summits...Alright, I get it now... This bit of visuals is a bit fuzzy... Damn, no wonder he fell. He gave everything he had to keep that guy from being swarmed and then was just abandoned before he could catch his breath. Someone pulled strings to get that nasty piece of work to Third Wave."
Once he was finished skimming through Garret's history, he read up on legalities and responsibilities of an acting guardian. Seeing that the silence was stretching out too long and the poor teen looked like he was about to get sick from nerves or too much rich food, Orison stopped.
"I have secrets, Garret. So does Rio. Until we know we can trust you, there might be times you have to take a walk or make yourself busy elsewhere. As long as you can keep yourself from taking that personally and as long as you don't do anything to break the process of building trust, we'll give it a shot," the young mage said.
Before Garret could get too excited, he added, "It's just for you. I can sympathize with your position but this offer does not extend out to them through you in any way. I'll help you build the life raft to throw them but you're going to have to steel yourself to watch them flap in the water for awhile. Avalon might watch your mom drown but there are safety nets for your little sister. Can you do that?"
Garret thought about it and said, "I don't know."
"No one really does until they're put to the test. I appreciate the honesty," Orison took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "That aside, if I tell you to jump what do you say?"
The teen said, "Which plane am I going to?"
The young mage looked at Garret speechless for a moment and then said, "Well, I would have accepted 'How high?' but that works too, I guess. I don't plan on being that bad of a hard a** but if I do give out the rare order, I expect it to be followed if I haven't given you any reason to doubt you should.
"Since that's settled, we should probably go find Liberty and your mom to get this started. Is there any reason why she'd say no? I can still talk to Liberty about it but if your mom doesn't agree, it's going to be a slow process."
Garret replied, "I doubt it. Once I got knocked out of Accelerator, all of my subsidies are controlled by the education board and directed through the standard program. It's not like she'd be losing much of anything. Once I've explained everything, I'm sure she'll be able to see how big of an opportunity this is for me."
Finding a newfound love for having access to The Weird, Orison contacted Liberty and explained the situation. She was already preparing for their 2:00PM meeting that he had all but forgotten about. So, she volunteered to find Janet, Garret's mom, and hash out the details ahead of time.
Since there was plenty of time, the young mage decided to check in with Rio and spend a few minutes going over things before leaving the teenager to doing whatever it was he and Daphne had planned. Since transportation was already on standby for the two, no special arrangements had to be made. And since Rio was still technically on a date/program partner picking thing, Orison didn't want to interfere any more than he had to.
When he found Rio, Orison made sure that the teen knew what was going on and that the transportation would only be available til eight. The kid was more than a little disappointed that he didn't even get the chance to try swinging for independence and would have to be carted off to Second Heaven as well. But after he found out it was three girls from the dorm they were rescued from and one of the girl's mothers, he surprised Orison by not only being okay with it but wholeheartedly supporting it. Seeing how Daphne was looking at the little crowing rooster like he was some kind of saint and how Rio was eating it up, the young mage realized that a good girl could at least make a little heathen WANT to be better.
While Garret was trying to politely break off the rest of his 'date' with the girl he brought, a teen who liked his red a little too much said, "Dude, you're supposed to be over here with us. Why did you ditch your girl on Rio and dip? I mean, I know she's like a flavor of the week from the roach colony but damn, bro. That's cold and stupid."
Garret just ignored it and continued trying to get a taxi to the subway terminal only to find out that his date had borrowed it from his rented locker without asking and left it with his mom. How she had managed to get it out was a mystery but just like the insult from 'Red', he let it roll off his back and asked to borrow someone's.
His date said, "Why are you trying so hard to get rid of me? I thought we might, you know, later. Do I embarrass you or something? I notice you didn't defend me when Faux Hawk threw shade at me."
'Red' said, "He didn't say anything because I can beat him on the mats and I can sure as hell beat him off the mats."
Despite trying to shrug it off, Garret was in a losing battle with temper that Orison only understood too well.
He said, "I got it Garret, your date's taxi is number thirty-seven."
Right as the teen with the red faux hawk was mouthing off again, Orison said, "Shut it, jumping clown." almost in harmony with a doll faced blond with a severe case of resting bitch face who said, "Zip it, clown."
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"So I think I'm starting to get this. A caramel apple is 100 merits but a serving of caramel tipped apple slices is five because of the healthy choices initiative. A sirloin steak is 800, a two piece fried chicken dinner is 200 and a two piece baked chicken dinner is forty. Bottom to the middle because of the same initiative. Either to the first because of luxury import. Are there not friggin cows around anywhere? I see that milk isn't blasted so hard," Orison said, a little frustrated over perceived abuse of propaganda in merit gauging.
Garret shrugged his large shoulders, looking for all the world like the all-beef patty cheeseburger was making love to his taste buds. "Meh. You can keep a cow milking for years but you can only butcher them once. You want to know heartbreak? Eat the 'Four Square' basic food assistance for a year straight. The morning train leaves the station at six and arrives at it's final destination around two pm like clockwork. Last class doesn't end until 2:30 and over half the kids are on it. Trying to find an open bathroom stall if you aren't the first one out the door is a death race.
"The after puberty calorie increase makes you fat if you eat it all but don't exercise like you're a Rowdies hopeful and you can get sick if you skip the wrong parts a few times in a row. They're constantly fiddling with it too. So, it can throw a surprise at any time. Most of them are not good surprises.
"One of the handful of times throughout the history of Avalon that the UTF cited us for crimes against the people was because of the basic meal program. Nine years ago, when it happened, guess who was on it... This guy. The muscles have been a little too puffy ever since. Still, I feel blessed. There were a few guys who started lactating."
Orison slid his tray to the side and said, "Alright, I've watched you chew through nearly a pound of very expensive cow I thankfully did not have to pay for. Since it's so hard to ask whatever it is you're taking your time warming up to, I'll go first. When I'm done, spit it out. The worst I'm going to say is no. I'll factor in the large duffel bag full of useful skills you subtly drew attention to without directly bragging about into whatever deliberation you need me to make. That fair?"
Garret sat the cheeseburger down and dry swallowed painfully looking enough to make the young mage's throat hurt. The apparently puffy muscled teen nodded slowly. Orison wanted to laugh at the stressful job interview level of anxiety the teen was throwing off but managed not to by wondering just how difficult the request was going to be.
Garret took a minute to calm himself back down and collect his thoughts. "Day one was a bad show. He did everything the instructors and trainers expect a spoiled mage to do except cry. Day two on, he 180'd. He started playing smart and feeling out potential partners that cover his gaps, that have gaps he can cover. It's what got Trisha's attention.
"Biggest obstacle is, he has a mundane body and most mages take too long to cover that in Rowdies Accelerator. I can get him past third hill if he gets me past second hill. Each is three months. So, that buys nine for him to figure a way to survive solo at the end of the first week on first wave... Three hills, three waves and three summits. You'll be hearing about it til you're sick of hearing about it soon.
"Easy girls, parties with gray area entertainment, shady supplements and the general sabotage that happens behind the scenes every time some elite's kid comes up for elimination are always there. Any and all mistakes goes for all of us. There's a lot of grown men who fall for the stuff that Rowdies Accelerator kids have to somehow avoid but that's why there's the second chance called Rowdies standard. Female Rowdies have the protection and guidance of the Blue Rose Committee but we're lucky to have a grizzled old trainer to kick us where it counts, when it matters.
"It's a meat grinder. The need for a certain number usually ends up just a little more important than getting best quality. When someone falls through the cracks, they don't have time to look back. They'll just grab the next in line and shove them in. The old schools like to point at the better survival rate and performance of Rowdies standard as a way of saying the system's fine the way it is."
Orison held up a finger and thought on that for a moment, then said, "I hear all the C-class this and that. What about the Ds and Bs in all of this?"
Garrret said, "You might find a D-class in front line support, usually medical. Broad spectrum D-class are the rank and file of Planar Response and Off World Affairs. There's a few B-class sprinkled around but if you see one in the Scarecrows instead of in charge, there's a good chance they're a screw-up, a lesser one that they're being groomed but it's real obvious which is which pretty fast.
"If you want to make that nasty term of the day calendar complete, their equivalent to C-weed is D-ject and B-tard... You're from the UTF side originally so I'll give you a heads up. Never and I mean never say A-hole out loud unless it's to tell someone not to say it. Here, it means a selfish upper elite that eats up resources but doesn't do anything except cause problems. It's practically an accusation of treason in Avalon and they WILL NOT let it slide."
While the young mage mulled over the information and made plans, he told Garret to either finish his burger or get it to go. He explained that he didn't make a comment about how much the teen was eating to make the poor guy feel bad. He even joked about the time he'd eaten like a pig over the course of a few days minus the context that would let Garret know it happened on another world.
Meal done with a couple of to-go orders wrapped and ready to carry away, Orison said, "Moment of truth time. You got my attention and you've helped enough that no matter what it is you want to say, I'll at lest hear you out."
After taking a couple of shaky breaths, Garret said, "Behind the merit system there's another important one that most touch on but don't really understand well. Some people have access to things that others aren't or have more of something that others have much less of. Sometimes it's things that are hard to put a value to like living in an area that has access to personal equipment and training facilities, away from dangerous distractions and makes visitation require approval...
The teen gave Orison a pointed look before continuing, "It's just as much a part of life in Avalon as the merit system is. When these perks are spread around in ways that help everybody involved, it's called perk trading. Sometimes, to get it done, situations can be a little weird but everyone knows it for what it is when they see what's going on. There isn't much that hasn't been done before... So... No one REALLY cares but people can be a little mouthy if they see someone getting something they don't have or getting something they DO have but a little easier."
As the teen set up to deliver his request, Orison noticed that Garret was showing signs of becoming a little embarrassed.
Gathering up his resolve, Garret finally got to the point, "I, uh, want to know if you'd become my temporary guardian. It would only be for a few months and like I was saying before..."
Garret started launching back into a recap of what he was bringing to the table and talking faster by the moment, as if packing more in might improve his chances. Orison let him run on for a little while and finally raised his hand. The teen immediately clamped his mouth shut and gave the young mage his full attention, practically screaming 'Look at how obedient I am.'
Eyes closed, Orison pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why? I've already got a decent idea of what you're offering and a pretty good idea of what I can offer you but what I don't know is why you NEED it. And as much as a lot of people would probably jump at the opportunity if I was advertising my willingness, you came and sold me on the idea like your life depended on it. I want truth, Garret. Ugly or not, you have a better chance of me agreeing if you don't try to cover up things with convenient lies or half-truths."
The teen looked down at his to-go box that Orison let him order to share with his mom and siblings. "Mom was good to us and even if she liked to have a little too much fun when I was little, she never took something that we needed to do for herself. Even when she had us do things that were a little strange, they'd usually be good things for us in the long run... She's getting to that age where people who do what she does is supposed to be finding a nice roman ca-, er, equipment specialist to settle down with. That's how it's supposed to work.
"Maybe she's going through a mid-life crisis or some kind of denial but when an opportunity presented itself, she took it when she would have been more cautious. You see, she works part time at a garage as a desk person and when a B-class couple stopped by to get their car looked at, she saw that there was a canister from a nearby fertility clinic in it. I don't want to get graphic about it but she sampled the goods and it turned into a nightmare because it was a privacy protected donation.
"As soon as Little Casey's old enough to eat solid foods, the couple's going to drop charges in exchange for adoption. I can't prove it but my trip up out of accelerator into standard was a warning from the donor to my mom, I think... Turner and Gina are the only people who even treat her like a friend anymore... I need to distance myself from that so I can have a smooth start to my career. It's the best way I can help mom and my little sister later.
"It's not just that. The girl I brought today? She was my mom's baby sitter. I caught her in our bathroom doing something with a personal item I don't want to talk about. She doesn't know it but I invited her to come with me here to lower her guard and slip her a plan b. That probably sounds bad but believe me. I never did anything with her, much less something I should have to take responsibility for!"
Wearing his best poker face, Orison said, "The way I heard it, she was your girlfriend this week. It gave me the impression that you like to change up a lot."
Garret spluttered a little but said, "The more you try to not have a girlfriend the more hopefuls you get pestering you and the more grimy the motives are for the ones that keep trying. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I could be colder but... It's not a thing. After Little Miss Mission Impossible, I'm going to be an iron angel until I get past the third wave. A lonely year max is worth it to keep from becoming a C-weed."
While Garret was spilling his guts, the young mage was using The Weird to research him. "Wow, he made it to the halfway point but his partner let him fall during 'Second Wave'. Three hills, three waves and three summits...Alright, I get it now... This bit of visuals is a bit fuzzy... Damn, no wonder he fell. He gave everything he had to keep that guy from being swarmed and then was just abandoned before he could catch his breath. Someone pulled strings to get that nasty piece of work to Third Wave."
Once he was finished skimming through Garret's history, he read up on legalities and responsibilities of an acting guardian. Seeing that the silence was stretching out too long and the poor teen looked like he was about to get sick from nerves or too much rich food, Orison stopped.
"I have secrets, Garret. So does Rio. Until we know we can trust you, there might be times you have to take a walk or make yourself busy elsewhere. As long as you can keep yourself from taking that personally and as long as you don't do anything to break the process of building trust, we'll give it a shot," the young mage said.
Before Garret could get too excited, he added, "It's just for you. I can sympathize with your position but this offer does not extend out to them through you in any way. I'll help you build the life raft to throw them but you're going to have to steel yourself to watch them flap in the water for awhile. Avalon might watch your mom drown but there are safety nets for your little sister. Can you do that?"
Garret thought about it and said, "I don't know."
"No one really does until they're put to the test. I appreciate the honesty," Orison took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "That aside, if I tell you to jump what do you say?"
The teen said, "Which plane am I going to?"
The young mage looked at Garret speechless for a moment and then said, "Well, I would have accepted 'How high?' but that works too, I guess. I don't plan on being that bad of a hard a** but if I do give out the rare order, I expect it to be followed if I haven't given you any reason to doubt you should.
"Since that's settled, we should probably go find Liberty and your mom to get this started. Is there any reason why she'd say no? I can still talk to Liberty about it but if your mom doesn't agree, it's going to be a slow process."
Garret replied, "I doubt it. Once I got knocked out of Accelerator, all of my subsidies are controlled by the education board and directed through the standard program. It's not like she'd be losing much of anything. Once I've explained everything, I'm sure she'll be able to see how big of an opportunity this is for me."
Finding a newfound love for having access to The Weird, Orison contacted Liberty and explained the situation. She was already preparing for their 2:00PM meeting that he had all but forgotten about. So, she volunteered to find Janet, Garret's mom, and hash out the details ahead of time.
Since there was plenty of time, the young mage decided to check in with Rio and spend a few minutes going over things before leaving the teenager to doing whatever it was he and Daphne had planned. Since transportation was already on standby for the two, no special arrangements had to be made. And since Rio was still technically on a date/program partner picking thing, Orison didn't want to interfere any more than he had to.
When he found Rio, Orison made sure that the teen knew what was going on and that the transportation would only be available til eight. The kid was more than a little disappointed that he didn't even get the chance to try swinging for independence and would have to be carted off to Second Heaven as well. But after he found out it was three girls from the dorm they were rescued from and one of the girl's mothers, he surprised Orison by not only being okay with it but wholeheartedly supporting it. Seeing how Daphne was looking at the little crowing rooster like he was some kind of saint and how Rio was eating it up, the young mage realized that a good girl could at least make a little heathen WANT to be better.
While Garret was trying to politely break off the rest of his 'date' with the girl he brought, a teen who liked his red a little too much said, "Dude, you're supposed to be over here with us. Why did you ditch your girl on Rio and dip? I mean, I know she's like a flavor of the week from the roach colony but damn, bro. That's cold and stupid."
Garret just ignored it and continued trying to get a taxi to the subway terminal only to find out that his date had borrowed it from his rented locker without asking and left it with his mom. How she had managed to get it out was a mystery but just like the insult from 'Red', he let it roll off his back and asked to borrow someone's.
His date said, "Why are you trying so hard to get rid of me? I thought we might, you know, later. Do I embarrass you or something? I notice you didn't defend me when Faux Hawk threw shade at me."
'Red' said, "He didn't say anything because I can beat him on the mats and I can sure as hell beat him off the mats."
Despite trying to shrug it off, Garret was in a losing battle with temper that Orison only understood too well.
He said, "I got it Garret, your date's taxi is number thirty-seven."
Right as the teen with the red faux hawk was mouthing off again, Orison said, "Shut it, jumping clown." almost in harmony with a doll faced blond with a severe case of resting bitch face who said, "Zip it, clown."
"So I think I'm starting to get this. A caramel apple is 100 merits but a serving of caramel tipped apple slices is five because of the healthy choices initiative. A sirloin steak is 800, a two piece fried chicken dinner is 200 and a two piece baked chicken dinner is forty. Bottom to the middle because of the same initiative. Either to the first because of luxury import. Are there not friggin cows around anywhere? I see that milk isn't blasted so hard," Orison said, a little frustrated over perceived abuse of propaganda in merit gauging. Garret shrugged his large shoulders, looking for all the world like the all-beef patty cheeseburger was making love to his taste buds. "Meh. You can keep a cow milking for years but you can only butcher them once. You want to know heartbreak? Eat the 'Four Square' basic food assistance for a year straight. The morning train leaves the station at six and arrives at it's final destination around two pm like clockwork. Last class doesn't end until 2:30 and over half the kids are on it. Trying to find an open bathroom stall if you aren't the first one out the door is a death race. "The after puberty calorie increase makes you fat if you eat it all but don't exercise like you're a Rowdies hopeful and you can get sick if you skip the wrong parts a few times in a row. They're constantly fiddling with it too. So, it can throw a surprise at any time. Most of them are not good surprises. "One of the handful of times throughout the history of Avalon that the UTF cited us for crimes against the people was because of the basic meal program. Nine years ago, when it happened, guess who was on it... This guy. The muscles have been a little too puffy ever since. Still, I feel blessed. There were a few guys who started lactating." Orison slid his tray to the side and said, "Alright, I've watched you chew through nearly a pound of very expensive cow I thankfully did not have to pay for. Since it's so hard to ask whatever it is you're taking your time warming up to, I'll go first. When I'm done, spit it out. The worst I'm going to say is no. I'll factor in the large duffel bag full of useful skills you subtly drew attention to without directly bragging about into whatever deliberation you need me to make. That fair?" Garret sat the cheeseburger down and dry swallowed painfully looking enough to make the young mage's throat hurt. The apparently puffy muscled teen nodded slowly. Orison wanted to laugh at the stressful job interview level of anxiety the teen was throwing off but managed not to by wondering just how difficult the request was going to be. Garret took a minute to calm himself back down and collect his thoughts. "Day one was a bad show. He did everything the instructors and trainers expect a spoiled mage to do except cry. Day two on, he 180'd. He started playing smart and feeling out potential partners that cover his gaps, that have gaps he can cover. It's what got Trisha's attention. "Biggest obstacle is, he has a mundane body and most mages take too long to cover that in Rowdies Accelerator. I can get him past third hill if he gets me past second hill. Each is three months. So, that buys nine for him to figure a way to survive solo at the end of the first week on first wave... Three hills, three waves and three summits. You'll be hearing about it til you're sick of hearing about it soon. "Easy girls, parties with gray area entertainment, shady supplements and the general sabotage that happens behind the scenes every time some elite's kid comes up for elimination are always there. Any and all mistakes goes for all of us. There's a lot of grown men who fall for the stuff that Rowdies Accelerator kids have to somehow avoid but that's why there's the second chance called Rowdies standard. Female Rowdies have the protection and guidance of the Blue Rose Committee but we're lucky to have a grizzled old trainer to kick us where it counts, when it matters. "It's a meat grinder. The need for a certain number usually ends up just a little more important than getting best quality. When someone falls through the cracks, they don't have time to look back. They'll just grab the next in line and shove them in. The old schools like to point at the better survival rate and performance of Rowdies standard as a way of saying the system's fine the way it is." Orison held up a finger and thought on that for a moment, then said, "I hear all the C-class this and that. What about the Ds and Bs in all of this?" Garrret said, "You might find a D-class in front line support, usually medical. Broad spectrum D-class are the rank and file of Planar Response and Off World Affairs. There's a few B-class sprinkled around but if you see one in the Scarecrows instead of in charge, there's a good chance they're a screw-up, a lesser one that they're being groomed but it's real obvious which is which pretty fast. "If you want to make that nasty term of the day calendar complete, their equivalent to C-weed is D-ject and B-tard... You're from the UTF side originally so I'll give you a heads up. Never and I mean never say A-hole out loud unless it's to tell someone not to say it. Here, it means a selfish upper elite that eats up resources but doesn't do anything except cause problems. It's practically an accusation of treason in Avalon and they WILL NOT let it slide." While the young mage mulled over the information and made plans, he told Garret to either finish his burger or get it to go. He explained that he didn't make a comment about how much the teen was eating to make the poor guy feel bad. He even joked about the time he'd eaten like a pig over the course of a few days minus the context that would let Garret know it happened on another world. Meal done with a couple of to-go orders wrapped and ready to carry away, Orison said, "Moment of truth time. You got my attention and you've helped enough that no matter what it is you want to say, I'll at lest hear you out." After taking a couple of shaky breaths, Garret said, "Behind the merit system there's another important one that most touch on but don't really understand well. Some people have access to things that others aren't or have more of something that others have much less of. Sometimes it's things that are hard to put a value to like living in an area that has access to personal equipment and training facilities, away from dangerous distractions and makes visitation require approval... The teen gave Orison a pointed look before continuing, "It's just as much a part of life in Avalon as the merit system is. When these perks are spread around in ways that help everybody involved, it's called perk trading. Sometimes, to get it done, situations can be a little weird but everyone knows it for what it is when they see what's going on. There isn't much that hasn't been done before... So... No one REALLY cares but people can be a little mouthy if they see someone getting something they don't have or getting something they DO have but a little easier." As the teen set up to deliver his request, Orison noticed that Garret was showing signs of becoming a little embarrassed. Gathering up his resolve, Garret finally got to the point, "I, uh, want to know if you'd become my temporary guardian. It would only be for a few months and like I was saying before..." Garret started launching back into a recap of what he was bringing to the table and talking faster by the moment, as if packing more in might improve his chances. Orison let him run on for a little while and finally raised his hand. The teen immediately clamped his mouth shut and gave the young mage his full attention, practically screaming 'Look at how obedient I am.' Eyes closed, Orison pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why? I've already got a decent idea of what you're offering and a pretty good idea of what I can offer you but what I don't know is why you NEED it. And as much as a lot of people would probably jump at the opportunity if I was advertising my willingness, you came and sold me on the idea like your life depended on it. I want truth, Garret. Ugly or not, you have a better chance of me agreeing if you don't try to cover up things with convenient lies or half-truths." The teen looked down at his to-go box that Orison let him order to share with his mom and siblings. "Mom was good to us and even if she liked to have a little too much fun when I was little, she never took something that we needed to do for herself. Even when she had us do things that were a little strange, they'd usually be good things for us in the long run... She's getting to that age where people who do what she does is supposed to be finding a nice roman ca-, er, equipment specialist to settle down with. That's how it's supposed to work. "Maybe she's going through a mid-life crisis or some kind of denial but when an opportunity presented itself, she took it when she would have been more cautious. You see, she works part time at a garage as a desk person and when a B-class couple stopped by to get their car looked at, she saw that there was a canister from a nearby fertility clinic in it. I don't want to get graphic about it but she sampled the goods and it turned into a nightmare because it was a privacy protected donation. "As soon as Little Casey's old enough to eat solid foods, the couple's going to drop charges in exchange for adoption. I can't prove it but my trip up out of accelerator into standard was a warning from the donor to my mom, I think... Turner and Gina are the only people who even treat her like a friend anymore... I need to distance myself from that so I can have a smooth start to my career. It's the best way I can help mom and my little sister later. "It's not just that. The girl I brought today? She was my mom's baby sitter. I caught her in our bathroom doing something with a personal item I don't want to talk about. She doesn't know it but I invited her to come with me here to lower her guard and slip her a plan b. That probably sounds bad but believe me. I never did anything with her, much less something I should have to take responsibility for!" Wearing his best poker face, Orison said, "The way I heard it, she was your girlfriend this week. It gave me the impression that you like to change up a lot." Garret spluttered a little but said, "The more you try to not have a girlfriend the more hopefuls you get pestering you and the more grimy the motives are for the ones that keep trying. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I could be colder but... It's not a thing. After Little Miss Mission Impossible, I'm going to be an iron angel until I get past the third wave. A lonely year max is worth it to keep from becoming a C-weed." While Garret was spilling his guts, the young mage was using The Weird to research him. "Wow, he made it to the halfway point but his partner let him fall during 'Second Wave'. Three hills, three waves and three summits...Alright, I get it now... This bit of visuals is a bit fuzzy... Damn, no wonder he fell. He gave everything he had to keep that guy from being swarmed and then was just abandoned before he could catch his breath. Someone pulled strings to get that nasty piece of work to Third Wave." Once he was finished skimming through Garret's history, he read up on legalities and responsibilities of an acting guardian. Seeing that the silence was stretching out too long and the poor teen looked like he was about to get sick from nerves or too much rich food, Orison stopped. "I have secrets, Garret. So does Rio. Until we know we can trust you, there might be times you have to take a walk or make yourself busy elsewhere. As long as you can keep yourself from taking that personally and as long as you don't do anything to break the process of building trust, we'll give it a shot," the young mage said. Before Garret could get too excited, he added, "It's just for you. I can sympathize with your position but this offer does not extend out to them through you in any way. I'll help you build the life raft to throw them but you're going to have to steel yourself to watch them flap in the water for awhile. Avalon might watch your mom drown but there are safety nets for your little sister. Can you do that?" Garret thought about it and said, "I don't know." "No one really does until they're put to the test. I appreciate the honesty," Orison took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "That aside, if I tell you to jump what do you say?" The teen said, "Which plane am I going to?" The young mage looked at Garret speechless for a moment and then said, "Well, I would have accepted 'How high?' but that works too, I guess. I don't plan on being that bad of a hard a** but if I do give out the rare order, I expect it to be followed if I haven't given you any reason to doubt you should. "Since that's settled, we should probably go find Liberty and your mom to get this started. Is there any reason why she'd say no? I can still talk to Liberty about it but if your mom doesn't agree, it's going to be a slow process." Garret replied, "I doubt it. Once I got knocked out of Accelerator, all of my subsidies are controlled by the education board and directed through the standard program. It's not like she'd be losing much of anything. Once I've explained everything, I'm sure she'll be able to see how big of an opportunity this is for me." Finding a newfound love for having access to The Weird, Orison contacted Liberty and explained the situation. She was already preparing for their 2:00PM meeting that he had all but forgotten about. So, she volunteered to find Janet, Garret's mom, and hash out the details ahead of time. Since there was plenty of time, the young mage decided to check in with Rio and spend a few minutes going over things before leaving the teenager to doing whatever it was he and Daphne had planned. Since transportation was already on standby for the two, no special arrangements had to be made. And since Rio was still technically on a date/program partner picking thing, Orison didn't want to interfere any more than he had to. When he found Rio, Orison made sure that the teen knew what was going on and that the transportation would only be available til eight. The kid was more than a little disappointed that he didn't even get the chance to try swinging for independence and would have to be carted off to Second Heaven as well. But after he found out it was three girls from the dorm they were rescued from and one of the girl's mothers, he surprised Orison by not only being okay with it but wholeheartedly supporting it. Seeing how Daphne was looking at the little crowing rooster like he was some kind of saint and how Rio was eating it up, the young mage realized that a good girl could at least make a little heathen WANT to be better. While Garret was trying to politely break off the rest of his 'date' with the girl he brought, a teen who liked his red a little too much said, "Dude, you're supposed to be over here with us. Why did you ditch your girl on Rio and dip? I mean, I know she's like a flavor of the week from the roach colony but damn, bro. That's cold and stupid." Garret just ignored it and continued trying to get a taxi to the subway terminal only to find out that his date had borrowed it from his rented locker without asking and left it with his mom. How she had managed to get it out was a mystery but just like the insult from 'Red', he let it roll off his back and asked to borrow someone's. His date said, "Why are you trying so hard to get rid of me? I thought we might, you know, later. Do I embarrass you or something? I notice you didn't defend me when Faux Hawk threw shade at me." 'Red' said, "He didn't say anything because I can beat him on the mats and I can sure as hell beat him off the mats." Despite trying to shrug it off, Garret was in a losing battle with temper that Orison only understood too well. He said, "I got it Garret, your date's taxi is number thirty-seven." Right as the teen with the red faux hawk was mouthing off again, Orison said, "Shut it, jumping clown." almost in harmony with a doll faced blond with a severe case of resting bitch face who said, "Zip it, clown."
